I'm just stopping here for a moment to leave this early/late holiday gift for my husband.

This is the last of the series (proving I can, in fact, finish something) :

(The one in green is his wife and the one in yellow his brother-in-law.)

I've not made a lot of attempts at Karthis. I'm not sure why not. He's the kind of character I like. I like him so much, in fact, that he's the only character who isn't mine that I let within ten paces of the Imperial Circle story. I like him so much, he got to be a part of the team.

Character (C) ~Eullogy-Enterprises
Art (C) *NuisanceBearEull

***** Optional Character Information *****

Andrew Motayek, photographer for People of the ASS magazine:

That's not body paint like it is with the others. That's a thermal-resistant, smart-paint used on ftl freighters. I was told not to worry. He could get it off his skin before it did any damage. It had a very cool gradient effect ... which you cannot see. It was the only coloring agent we could use on him that wasn't going to dye his skin or didn't just smear, rub off or otherwise fail when he moved.

This picture was taken with a high-speed camera. No joke. I use this thing to capture lightning strikes. This is the clearest, most still picture I got in three hours.

I asked if maybe I could get a picture of him standing still. His wife, Jessie Neilson, pointedly asked if I wanted a picture of Karthis or not. That, in order for it to be a real picture of him, he couldn't be still. She told me she wasn't sure if he could ever actually stand still. I began to think that maybe, even if I couldn't get a really good clear picture, it was at least going to be an accurate one.

The whole team was interested in the pictures, so we all gathered around the monitor to go over them.
"That one has my butt in it. Not that one," Karthis said.
"I'll take it," Jessie offered.
"I like that one!" Matt pointed out the first picture. It was just a red streak across the picture.
"That looks about right," Maxwell agreed.
Jed just nodded.

In the end, we went with this one because you could at least see his face.

Karthis is the newest member of the team. He's only been with them about a two years. I didn't know, until I got him on the topic, what it took to be one of them. One must be independently wealthy (he has an athletic wear business that caters to those with special abilities, and is a top-paid exhibition athlete), have a degree in physics (his is applied and recognized by the Circle as valid), mastery of an extra power (speed), a master of a martial art (he is the master of a mechanid school ... i forget which one), have an iq above 160 ... there's a list. There are more things on it. Even with all of those prerequisites met, there is still a ten year probationary period, and must pass a series of tests every two years to keep their status. Whoever said their job was cushy was mistaken. They just make it *look* easy.

He's the new guy, the jr. member. But that doesn't make him any less impressive. He was kind, he was gracious, he was everything I have come to expect from his teammates.