Apr 01 00:59:22 109 PA - Casual Arcadia Plans Over Coffee

From Chronicles

Apr 01 00:59:22 109 PA.

MERCHANT'S PLAZA

Aya uses her metal stave as a walking aid as she continues south, also towards the house of coffee. The unprotected man is familiar, and his lack of proper attire is somewhat conspicuous. Either he does not need it, or chose not to.

Tek gives a nod when he notices Aya but does not slow very much but does pause holding the door to the coffee shop for Aya to enter.

With a suit of Crusader armor clamped around his body, the helmet tucked beneath his left arm, Gabriel seems to have just concluded a transaction with a seamstress for a some simple clothes. Nothing special, just clothes. Credits transferred, he turns to survey the crowd, considering the coffee house.

"What is wrong?" Aya asks as she stops before passing Tek and the doorway. If there is some reason that he does not enter, it stands to reason that she should not. "Is there some threat inside?"

Tek shakes his head with a smile, "No I am just being polite. But it is rather cold out there." Noticing Gabe, Tek gives a wave hello before getting himself into warmer insides of the coffee shop.

Perhaps seeking warmth both inside and outside, Gabriel heads toward the coffeehouse, noting Aya's hesitation, but clearly not hearing what any issue might be.

Aya is not sure about polite, or how the halt is related. After Tek enters, she deems it safe and follows.

At this hour, Tradewinds isn't too busy. Even Stefanie has gone home, leaving only her sister Tiffany to handle barista duties. Gabriel enters behind Aya, though not trying to grab her attention yet. Right now, he's simply throwing the new set of clothes over his shoulder and trying to keep them clean and dry.

Tek moves to stand at the counter and orders some hot coffee. Looking over to Aya he says, "So I hear you will be coming along on the trip to Arcadia." A smile crossing his face as he makes small talk.

Aya approaches the counter to stand in the line. "Yes," she confirms to Tek, "Bartholemew said that I would be riding you there."

As he ends up being queued a the back of the line, Gabriel can only listen in for now. Though he does raise his new clothes briefly in an attempt to at least get the attention of the two people further up in the line. Quiet men like their quiet. He yawns, and looks up at the menu. Eavesdropping, yes. Disturbing the peace, no.

Tek takes his large coffee and starts over for a table. Motioning to Gabe, "Will come come join us Mr. Blaze?"

"Hello, Gabriel." Aya greets him as she orders and receive her coffee, cream, and sugar, never having turned her head in his direction. Tek's words imply her presence, and so she moves to take a seat at the table. Only afterwards does she doff her hood and loosen her cloak in light of the warmth and shelter here.

"Good to see you again, Aya," Gabriel says, following her with some coffee that he'd managed to receive quickly. Her apparent sense of spacial awareness not being new to him at this point. Tek gets a wave and a polite greeting as he searches for an extra chair to drag over. "You two off on an adventure? Pardon me." His arm extends across the table to grab a few - or perhaps eight - individual, disposable liquid cream packages.

Tek nods an affirmative to Gabe as he grabs a handful of sugar packets and starts adding them to his coffee, "A group of us are heading to Arcadia to see what we can do to help here soon." Finishing adding those packets he grabs for another handful of sugar packets.

Aya lifts her cup to take a drink. "Yes," she nods, but does not explain as Tek does so. "We will not know what we can do until we arrive. The lack of information is a concern."

Looking to both at the table, Gabriel inquires, "Have you tried to track down anyone who has already been there? Get some flavor about the area from that? Do you have any expectations, or are you going in blind?" He then proceeds to pop open the little cream packets, one by one, dumping them in then searching for something to stir with - which requires him to once more reach across the table, this time retrieving a wooden stir-stick.

Tek tears open the next stack of sugar packets and starts dumping them into his coffee, "Well I was there not all that long ago and helped them out. Figure it will go better this time than last time. I am a bit worried about the reported Coalition presence there but we will have to see the situation when we get there. Why have you heard something?" Finishing up with those Tek yet again grabs another handful of packets.

"How does blind-" Aya begins to question Gabriel's question, then realizes that it may be a metaphor. She is learning. "The Coalition soldiers are poorly trained and clumsy. Those that I know of were. What do you know of this Arcadia?" He head turns towards Tek.

Gabriel shakes his head at Tek's question. "I haven't heard anything special beyond what's in the news. I've spent the last many months dealing with the vampire problem, so haven't even had time to pay much attention. Now it's the refugees. Maybe later if the mining operation becomes critical, but even then? I rather doubt it." He sips from his special mix. "Lot on my plate right now." He does offer Aya a significant look. "I don't know where you've been fighting, Aya, but the soldiers they have operating out of Whykin are *not* your average fools. I know, I've fought them. Good gear, good training, good leadership. I would be careful."

Tek tears open the latest handful of packets and starts to empty them into his large cup and looks over to Aya, "It is a mining town. They have found a vein of extremely strong ore that makes them a bit of a target from several different sides. The last time I went the group I was with held off a large contingency of Coalition troops. At the end Skel bots walked through and the clean up was almost miraculous. I tell you this, the troops around there are well trained and well supplied. I truly am hoping this trip will be more on the support side, helping them fix machinery and the like. But getting there and getting back will, as always, more than likely prove hazardous."

Aya sips her coffee, cream, and sugar. "I am always careful. How will we travel? If the journey is the largest threat, we should be inobvious or very well armed."

Having no knowledge of the journey's direct travel facing his friends, Gabriel remains silent, only enjoying his coffee. Aya receives a somewhat happy or contented look, but nothing further.

After stirring in the mound of sugar Tek finally takes his first sip and then says, "Well we will be taking my Land Rover with Bart flying his hovercycle as recon and support. Should be small enough to keep the attention off for the most part."

"Good. We do not want a battle we are not prepared for." Aya is a warrior, but is not foolhardy. "You will repair their equipment? I am not skilled in repairs." Her head pans to Gabriel. "Is the vampire problem now solved?"

Putting down his mug, Gabriel answers Aya. "Yes, for the most part. There are one or two threads still hanging that might need to be snipped, but I'm not sure it will even come to that. The club is clear, the master vampire is gone, the people are free to go back to being normal. No more feeding. I suppose I'm moving on to other problems now." He looks then to Tek. "So you're swinging past Whykin?" At this hour, Tradewinds is fairly empty. Aya, Tek and Gabriel are clumped together at a small table in a quiet discussion.

Tek shrugs to Gabe, "You know I am not sure I still need to talk it all over with Bart. But the trip to Arcadia will not effect that other thing we had been talking about. I am good to go on that by the way." Deciding his coffee is still not right Tek grabs another handful of packets and tears them all open at once, adding it to his large coffee.

Aya dips her head in a nod towards Gabriel. "Be careful. If you do not destroy them all, they will quickly return in force. Bartholemew has not yet contacted me. Do you know when we will leave?"

Bartholemew enters the establishment giving a quick glance around on his way to the counter to place his order. The sparse population of customers makes spotting the gathered group of familiar faces easy to spot. For now only a wave is offered, there are priorities to be obtained at the counter still.

Gabriel offers Bartholemew an acknowledging head-bob, but otherwise remains focused on the existing conversation. "Sounds good, Tek. We'll keep it small. But, Aya, yes," he says with a turning nod. "Very true, if there is only one, they can create more, exponentially. We've spoken about it, you and I, but I'm afraid that I don't recall the details - as I said, I've been busy. You have fought the vampiric undead before? Or you've heard about them, but haven't fought them?" He raises an eyebrow. "Are you armed to combat them at the moment? I may have a thread to snip."

"I have not fought them, personally," Aya admits, "But I know the threat. They are enemies that must be destroyed." She also greets the recent arrival with a straightforward, "Hello, Bartholemew."

Bartholemew places his order of a typical black coffee, can't really mess that up too much, no matter how ditzy a barista might be. Once he has large cup in hand, he makes his way over to the trio sitting together to see what they are up to. "Howdy folks. Mind if I listen in?"

Chuckling, Gabriel scoots his own chair over to make room for another chair - one that will need to be retrieved from somewhere else, just as his had been. "I think between the four of us, I'll actually be the odd man out, Bart. Make yourself comfortable, I think this concerns you more than me. Late night?" He smiles, then turns back to Aya. "You know, Aya, it's great to hear how far your diction and understanding has come. Bravo. As per the vampires though, are you armed to fight them? Silver? Wood? Something else?"

Tek smiles as Bart walks up and finishes stirring in his latest addition of sugar he takes a sip, "Sure Bart, please join us. We were just talking about the upcoming trip to Arcadia. Have we decided on a route as of yet?"

Aya nods to Gabriel. "I have a wooden stave, and wood for other weapons is easily found." A brow arches above her visor at the compliment. "How far? I do not understand." She moves on to Bartholemew with a topic she does understand. "Is a time set for us to leave?"

Bartholemew jumps in on the conversation to add, "Water is all you need, the rest is kind of a waste of time. Ya can't stab or shoot the mist, but you can still squirt the hell out of it." dragging a chair from elsewhere to squeeze in, turning it to sit with it backwards. "Vampire killing classes?" inquiring to the topic before replying to Aya, "Soon as Tek's truck is ready."

Gabriel gives Bartholemew a significant look. "Water doesn't help if it's immune." Turning back to Aya, he says, "Good to hear. Perhaps I can ask you to help me out. Me, and some friends. But for now, this is more Tek's conversation, not mine. Still, consider your grasp of the language - in all its forms - as a journey. You started rather roughly when you arrived - I know, I was there. Now, you're speaking much better. So you've come far along in your journey to being able to speak with everyone without getting lost in simple ways of speaking such as... coming far." He looks the woman right in the visor as he says that, offering a toothless smile. Finally, though, he goes silent again, staying out of the previous conversation.

Tek seems satisfied with his coffee now and has moved to sipping on it liberally, "Well I am really close on the Rover, I was thinking we should get all the players together and see about solidifying a plan. When can you both show up for a more organized meeting?"

"It is one thing to know words," Aya accepts his compliment, "But more difficult to speak and understand another speaking them. We are meeting now, yes?" Her head turns towards Tek and Bartholemew, adding, "Water is only useful as long as you have it and can reach the vampire with it."

Bartholemew gives Gabriel a confused look, "Thought we were talkin bout Vampires. What were we talkin about? An I don't know about you, but I can get water to a vampire, lots of it." giving a brief chuckle before turning to Tek, "I'm up for meeting up, not sure what actual planning can be done, ain't even seen what we're up against exactly. Just know that they are supernatural enemies from what I've heard through the grapevine, but you know how that goes."

"Eh, we can talk about vampires later," Gabriel says, shrugging away the issue for now. "But I would like to discuss it later. Here, I yield the floor to Tek." He stands to begin moving to the counter, whispering something to Aya, then winking before continuing his journey back to the counter. "Means... letting... I've..."

Tek takes another swig from his coffee before nodding to Bart and then turning to Aya, "We are meeting now. But I am talking about getting everyone together so we can talk about the route we will take and what each of us should bring make sure there is room for everything people are planning to take. Logistic things like that is what I am thinking."

Aya nods to Gabriel and his quiet explanation. "Who else is not present? Max? I do not know whom else will travel with us. I do not take anything I cannot carry."

Bartholemew nods in agreement to Tek, "Good idea. I don't expect too much that needs to be gone over, so should be a short meeting of the minds. As far as who is going, us here, minus Gabriel. Then Max, Alex, and Sabbat."

Gabriel remains up at the counter, chatting with Tiffany for a moment as he swaps out his empty mug for two full ones, and an espresso brownie.

Tek nods to Bart and then looks to Aya, "Between now and then can research several different routes we can take so we can discuss them at the meeting. Remember we will be taking my Land Rover."

"Yes, you said that before," Aya drinks the last of her coffee. "Will the others travel in it also? How large is this land rover?"

Bartholemew replies to Tek, "I've covered navigator with Max. He'll be able to get us there using the main road for the most part. I'm going to run interference for the rest of you with any patrols that we come across. But we can go over that more when all of us are there to have input."

Up at the counter, Gabriel seems to be closing up his conversation with the four-armed teenager. Even offers a little monetary tip and receives an extra brownie for his efforts. No one will notice. He'll be back to the table shortly.

Tek looks to Aya and rattles off the dimensions of the Rover like a reflex before turning to Bart, "Max? I thought you said Aya here was a scout?" He looks between the two of them but settles back on Bart, "I am just the mechanic whatever you think best I am sure will work."

"I am scout and warrior. How he chooses that I help," Aya gestures to Bartholemew, "Is his decision if he is leading."

Bartholemew chuckles at Tek, "And things have changed since that conversation, there is still quite a need for a scout and hunter when we get there. Between the two of them, we will get you around any patrols that might hassle us and safely to our destination where while you and Alex do repairs and such, the rest of us will hunt down the threats that are causing us to have to go there in the first place."

The older Gabriel finally makes it back to his chair, sliding in almost silently. The sound of the legs scraping on the floor and the *donk* of a saucer hitting the table the only audible indication of his presence. This silence doesn't last long though. "You're being pretty noble, Bart. Have they offered any reward yet? It's not like you!" The last exclamation comes with a wide grin. Plus, it's true.

Tek nods along in understanding as Bart talks, "That works. We can go over all the new information at the meeting. But I should mention that the Rover will not be able to transport Alex. But I think he can manage on his own right?"

Aya also nods after her role is more explained. "I do not know this Alex, nor Sabbat. They are warriors, scouts, for repairs? A reward?" She is curious of many details.

Bartholemew grins to Gabriel, "I don't know about noble, cause I could still change my mind after talking to them. I'm banking on the fact they need the help, and they will give something for the aid. The money up front on my part is minimal to nil to hear what their offer is." With the mention of Alex fitting, Tek gets a chuckle, "We'll all be hard pressed to keep up if he chooses. As for any payment, we're all taking the risk that it will be worth it when we get there, this is how you make a living in this business. "

Gabriel doesn't do much more than nod at Bartholemew's response. "Tek said he's been there already, right? Some kind of special metal that people might want? I wonder if it makes any sense that the supernatural things would care, if that's what's happening. Or if it's just the Coalition being the Coalition." He thinks on it, mutters a short, "hmm," then enjoys some hot cocoa.

Tek shrugs to Gabe comment, "Last time I was there I was paid in scrap type metal which I had turned into high quality armor plating. It is what I am using to upgrade the Rover's armor to be precise. So far as it attracting supernatural... that I do not know."

"What business?" Aya asks, her lips pursing in some confusion. "I am a warrior as that is my purpose. In combat, I fight to live. All other times, I live to fight. If there are resources there, I understand why the Coalition attacks." She shares Tek's uncertainty. "Supernatural creatures do not need those."

Bartholemew shrugs, "That’s kinda why I was thinkin a makin a quick run with Sabbat to check the place out before the rest of us came out, but then I figured it prolly won't make a difference either way. By the rumors so far, it don't sound like Coalition to me. They are kinda obvious when they make a strike. Supernatural things tend to be this ambiguous."

Gabriel drains his coffee after checking his ancient military chronometer. Scooting his chair backwards, he stands and then slides the seat back to where it had been. Wordlessly, he gathers his things before offering a small wave to all. "I'm needed elsewhere, folks. It's been good seeing you." He grabs at his naked eyes as if wiggling a visor exactly like Aya's, smiles, and departs.