Frame up! (Khaat)

Garulia smiled. "And can I go say hi to Jeremiah before we leave?" Soon enough, he'd finished his omlette and stood up. He nodded to Michael. "Well, I'll be back in a bit. Shouldn't take too long."

First, he went to get his clothes. He bought a few set of muggle clothes; just jeans, tee-shirts, and vests. Nothing fancy. Then he grabbed the socks like Michael had asked before buying new shoes. His old ones were uncomfortably tight. He also bought a new cloak.

Then he got his haircut so that it was about mid-neck going down the back (it had been touching his shoulders) and he got his bangs a little shorter. Finally, he bought a toothbrush and tooth paste.

When he arrive back at the house, he set the socks down on the kitchen table, and went to the bathroom where he hung his clothes up on a rack and showered. The water felt great and as soon as he was cleaned he dried off and slipped into the new clothes, pulling the new robe on and smiling to himself before grabbing his clothes and taking them downstairs, assuming he was going to stay with Khaat and Brian.

"So I should bring this stuff, right?" he asked Michael.

"No, not unless you really want to stay with Khaat and Brian," Michael said. "As I said, you're welcome to stay here as much as you like, whenever you like. This was your home long before it was mine. And, as I said, half your training will be with me. If you get to Khaat's and Brian's and decide you want to stay there, that's fine. Or if you want to spend some time there and some here, I'm good with that too. But you do look like getting a chance to clean up and get some fresh clothes has made you feel a lot better. I'm glad for that. Oh, and thanks for getting the socks. Otto and Faline were glad to get breakfast. I'm going to cast a laundry spell, so if you leave your other clothes, the spell will wash them up for you, if you like.


OOC: I dont know if i sent you the link to show you what khaat's house w/ brian looks like, but here's the link:

http://www.privatecommunities.com/utah/wolfcreekranch/index.htm#

Garulia thought for a moment. "Okay, for now I'll just leave these here." He went and hung the clothes up in his old room's closet. Then he headed back down. "Are we apparating there? I'm willing to bet we can't apparate directly inside the grounds, right? We'll have to walk into it from outside the premises."

He wasn't too fussed. It felt, after apparating, it would be good to stretch his legs and walk a little bit. "Who am I going to train with first, you or Brian?" Garulia, at this point, was more curious than anything. It was a new adventure- and he loved adventures.

"Portkey, my boy," Michael said. "Bypasses the protection spells. Brian only gives these out to people he trusts. I'm sure you will get a portkey when you get there. He knows that Khaat is your guardian. So he'll make sure you have a portkey. I think we should get going." He laid his hand on Gar's shoulder and portkeyed him into the living room at Khaat and Brian's.

Khaat was sitting on the floor, leaning against a chair, playing with the babies with a big stack of blocks. The girls were enjoying having Khaat stack them up while they knocked them down. "Gar!" Khaat smiled. "Welcome! Did Michael take good care of you last night?"

"He's still breathing," Michael grinned. "So how are you and all the babies today?"

"These two are fine," Khaat motioned to Abbey and Dakota who were giggling as they toppled over the blocks again. "And so are these two," she laid her hand on her ever growing stomach.

"So, where's Dad?" MIchael asked about Brian.

"Where else?" she laughed. "Down in the gym."

"Thank you, Lass," he said. "We have to talk to him a moment. This way, Gar." MIchael led the way downstairs to the enormous full gym and the pool. Brian was just getting out of the pool.

"You two come for a swim?" he asked.

"Uh no. I'm bringing you a new recruit," Michael said. "He's proven his worth to me already. I want him for you and for Robert both."

"That's a pretty steep request," Brian said, definitely interested in anyone that Michael was recommending for both. He picked up a towel and hastily dried off. "Do you think you have a clue about what you're in for, Gar?"

Garulia nodded and knew he much preferred this sensation to apparating. It almost felt as if he was flying.

Then they were standing in the living room of Khaat's new place. "No Khaat," he said, a playful sarcasm in his voice. "He killed me and you're looking at the world's most visible ghost. I will be wanting an introduction to those two when I get back!"

Garulia smiled at her and followed Michael downstairs.

He nodded to Brian when they walked down. Then when he asked him whether he knew what he was getting into, he shook his head. "No clue. I'm still not particularly sure of everything I'll have to do. I mean, stealing things and saving people, but I have a feeling there's more to it than that. Am I right?"

Brian smiled at Michael. He had made a good choice. He already approved, and the boy had not met Brian's own usual testings yet.

"How'd he do last night?" He asked Michael.

"Didn't get stopped til wall 3. And he did make part of that. He's good, Junior. He has enormous potential," MIchael said. "And, he's got the heart for it."

"That's what I wanted to hear," Brian said, looking at Gar. "Now in answer to your question, there are a lot of things we do when we do stealth operations. Rescues, infiltrating the strongholds of dark wizards and stopping their operations,...perhaps helping to bodyguard Khaat and my children when you're ready for it, stealing perhaps at times, stopping these kidnappings and auctions of children, recovering the ones that have slipped through and returning them to their families...any number of things. The stealing is usually lifting either plans that or enemies have for hurting others, or significantly impacting their finances so that they can't operate, sometimes destroying their bases of operations....It requires not just being able to wield a wand. It requires tremendous physical training and discipline.

"I'm sure Michael has told you I do the physical training part, the dueling skills, some healing skills if you need it...Robert can bring you far more skills than I have. He excels in almost all those areas, including his skills with potions. One of the best things you can learn from him, if you choose to do it, is to mentor under Robert for his strategic mind. Its one of the things I respect the most about him, and its also the thing he takes the most criticism for. But don't underestimate it.

"Michael can teach you stealth, climbing, espionage, and, well, of course the stealing business. Khaat will surprise you with what a powerful fighter she can be if she needs to be. She'd prefer to heal, but she can handle herself if she has to. What Khaat can teach you, more than the hard skills to do the job, is more about the heart of it. The reasons and commitment about doing what we do and why we do it.

"In short, it makes you a tight, bonded part of the Lupin family, and once I got into it, it was the only place I ever wanted to be. I don't know if that makes sense to you or not, but I came up without family. My parents were killed in a car accident when I was 8. I had just met Robert and Kate and Khaat, and my older brother and sister were in Hogwarts already. They weren't able to parent me. I had no other family. Robert became my guardian because I wasn't in the mood to let anyone adopt me. But this family has been here for me when nobody else would. They taught me about what it means to have people who loves me and about what it means to take care of those you love first, no matter what. With Robert and Remus, they taught Khaat and me that, no matter what, family came first. Beyond all else. We still live by that. You're already part of that. This is just asking you if you're ready to go deeper with us. Are you ready to become even tighter and closer with us? You'll be given secrets that no one else in your life can know. But--for me, I've never regretted it. Not one time."

Garulia blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head at the praise from Michael.

"I've never underestimated strategy," he said smiling. "At least, I stopped after I lost to it once. Just the once, of course. I got ambushed one time. They didn't succeed a second."

He remembered the story with a smile, but when Brian began to discuss the whole family thing, he got serious. This was very intriguing stuff, and he definitely wanted in. But he couldn't tell it to anyone...

"Before I answer, I do have one question." He took a deep breath, the only one he'd ever confined anything about this being Khaat, before asking,"Is Miseria a part of this...group?" He wasn't sure what to call it, and no creative names were coming to mind as he tried to keep his feelings for Mis a secret. "I mean, I wanna say yes but I'm curious."

"Mis has sworn her loyalty to Khaat a very long time ago," Brian said. "From before Khaat adopted her. We all know Mis is going to be a skilled and sharp fighter. But Khaat has been insistant that she finish school first. That's important to Khaat, and I think she's right. I do remember her telling me she wanted that for you too at one time, but wasn't going to force it on you. And now there is Dakota for Mis to think about. Khaat wants for Mis what she wants for herself and her daughter. If Mis wants to be part of this, Khaat and I won't deny her. However, we won't attempt to force it on her either. Khaat has raised Mis's daughter from birth so that Mis could finish school. Dakota calls Khaat Mommy and calls me Daddy. We'll have to be introducing Dakota to the difference. The only thing we want is for Dakota and Miseria to be happy--whatever that means. That's the long answer. The short answer is, no. Not yet. But the offer will always be there for her if she wants it."

Garulia nodded sharply. "I'm in. When do I start training? Today? Tomorrow?" This was what he'd wanted for a long time. He wanted to be a part of something. Miseria wasn't the whole reason he wanted this at all. He wanted to help. "I really want to meet Miseria's child, and I wanna be introduced to Khaat's. I consider all of you my friends, and I would never want to miss out on meeting one of those cute little children upstairs."

Smiling, he looked out at the pool. "I'd like to swim a little if that's part of the training. I'm not strong at it, though, but I have a feeling I'll need it in what I'm facing. Right?"

"Well," Brian said, "You can start today if you want. The door on the right at the end of the room is a changing room for men. You'll find a variety of suits there. Find one your size and change and come back and warm up in the pool a bit. Let's see how you do. I need to know your strengths and where we need to do more conditioning. Once we work out a bit, you'll have time to take a tour of the house and to meet the babies. You coming, Michael?"

"Not a chance," Michael laughed. "Not today. He's all yours. I"m going upstairs to see my goddaughter. I'll see you both a bit later." He turned and walked back upstairs. Brian just laughed.