Aug 15 03:02:06 108 PA - A Mess of a Meeting

From Chronicles

Aug 15 03:02:06 108 PA.

MOE'S TAVERN

Erica walks into the bar accompanied by Gabriel. She looks around the place for a moment before she decides on a table with a view of the vid-screens. She sets the chair back upright and takes a seat. She grins to herself as a juicer football game is starting up on the screen. As a waitress comes by she orders a pitcher of ale and some glasses for the table.

Gabriel looks not exactly uncomfortable, but not exactly pleased with the location, either. It's probably a safe guess that he avoids the place except perhaps for his own personal jobs or invitations from a friend. After sitting down across from Erica, he attempts to order something non-alcoholic, and is greeted by nothing but laughter. "How about water? So, what're we here for? Besides a minor critique of tactics that I've spoken to Bart and Sage about already?"

Darlos arrives shortly after, his robe pressed and cleaned obviously extra care has been taken to it lately. The beads and silver chains are sparkling and the gems shine with an inner glow that seems...well magic. He removes his gas mask and respirator and gives a nod to Gabriel and Erica, moving toward the table, "Evening friends."

Erica shrugs her shoulders briefly. "Just thought I would come mingle with my people. Heck I have plenty in common with all these guys." She says with a chuckle as she looks around the bar. "Heck if I get a decent payday I might get some more bionics. Who knows." She smiles warmly at Darlos as he sits down. "Hey Darlos."

Gabriel scoots over to allow Darlos some room at the table; the lady can have her own side. "Darlos. You can't listen to advice at a strip club, but you'll hang out here?" The older man asks with a smile and hint of laughter. "Who wants to hear about proper execution of special ops, or listen to something else for a while?"

Considering Erica with bionics for a few moments Darlos actually shivers and shakes his head, "I wouldn't Erica, mucks up fung shai so to speak. Holy temple and the likes." He dismisses it out of hand knowing it will more than likely falling on deaf ears to such talk. He takes a seat and nods to the two, "You guys must be planning something then." In reference to Gabriel's line, "Well, this place doesn’t quite smell of oozing self esteem." He grins a bit and then takes a seat, pouring himself some ale. "Thanks for whomever decided on this, I could go for it."

"Well I already have a few things in my head. I can think of a few more items that would help me out. I don't have any fung shai anyhow, whatever that is." Erica says with a chuckle and a shake of her head. "I'm not planning anything, well I guess I do have an Op coming up." She shrugs her shoulders again before grabbing a pint glass and pouring herself some ale.

Gabriel nods, hoping for something to arrive. It does. Water! Fresh water! Served in a disgusting glass that he just sets in the middle of the table with a polite smile at the waitress. A brief opinion is given to Darlos. "I'm with you, young man. Only got a gyrocompass because it was absolutely necessary. Otherwise... I'll stay fleshy. That's coming from a man that doesn't even have your issues to worry about." Then he turns his full attention across the table. "An op, huh? Would you say that it's a... special... operation?" He leans on the 'special' part.

Darlos smirks and shakes his head, "None of that crap is completely necessary. Just what people put stock in." He mutters to himself, "Not everyone can afford to cut large chunks out of their head." He smirks to himself again and leans back taking a long drink from his cup, closing his eyes for a moment and relaxing. "So what's this op or hush hush"

"Well so far I don't have any 'special' people on the operation. So not sure what you mean. I guess it is an op that will be interesting. Be a raid on a convoy that has been smuggling some nasty stuff." Erica says with a brief shrug. "Well when you can't summon lightning from nothing you have to make up for it someway. Although I am pretty strong for my size. But I have often been very pleased with my built in radio, and language translator. Not to mention my gyrocompass is essential." She says to Darlos with another shrug of her shoulders.

"Convoy like the convoys that the Coalition's been losing out of Laramy? Those convoys?" Gabriel asks. He looks at his water, considering... but makes no motion. "I haven't really been keeping up to date on all of that, honestly. Lots of other things going on, though none of them terribly exciting. By special operation, I mean, 'Not wading into front-line combat' operation. Like the one in the 'Dregs should have been." His tone is slightly bland when he finishes.

Darlos smirks and shakes his head, "Conjuring lightning isn’t as great as you think it is. Believe me, a decent combat laser is just as good if not better. Anyway, yea that kind of convoy? I figured someone was gonna be hitting those soon enough, if the Coalition can't keep'em, I figured is someone else wanted some blame free marks, that would be them."

Erica winces slightly as the Coalition is brought up in a public place. "Uh yah something like that. Except you know I don't like to advertise. Everyone has ears you know, and some are pretty damn sensitive." She says with a bit of a smirk of her own before taking a long pull from her pint of beer.

"Sorry. But, not that these are 'my people' but I'd be surprised if anyone here had a sympathetic hypersensitive ear." The older Gabriel smiles to both at his table. "We could always have met over coffee, where people don't have those kinds of ears. Or someone's home. Or the museum..." the devolves into listing an amusing number of stupid places that the group could have met...

Darlos grins widely toward Erica and shrugs dropping the the subject on his end. "Figuring if someone is Coalition symps, I’ll be dead soon enough anyway" He shrugs to himself, feeling the weight on his shoulder from being what he is and sighs softly to himself, finishing the ale, "So..who you rooting for?" Sending a nod toward the Vid-screens.

"Yah but I like beer. I'm not some girl that likes to have coffee and talks about their feelings. I want a drink or three." Erica says with a grin of her own. "Isn't my fault you don't drink for some silly reason." She chuckles to herself and takes a long drink of her beer. "You never know. A bunch of mercs around it would be reasonable to listen in on the conversations. Oh the home team of course, go Kingsdale."

Gabriel holds up surrendering hands. "Okay, okay. It's the Hell's Angels that are doing bad things. What exactly do you intend to do? Or is there not really a plan yet, just recruiting?"

Darlos sits back quietly, listening to the conversation, not really sure what to say next. So he does what everyone guy does, fills his drink and begins to drink it down.

"Oh I have a plan, but again I would prefer not to talk about it here or any public place. You never know where someone is out to make a couple credits." Erica says with another shrug before she takes a pull from her glass. "What have you been up to Darlos?"

Gabriel turns. "Yeah, what have you been up to? Chasing the girls after I tried to explain that it's our job to help?" He narrows his eyes and changes to a playfully chiding tone. "Did you misunderstand me?"

Darlos looks up from his ale and has a look like a deer in the headlights. Staring for a moment and sets down his ale for a moment, "I uhhh.." He swallows hard, "Haven't been doing much...? No girl chasing, that doesn’t really...appeal to me I suppose. Honestly, been doing house work and communing with the lines. Pretty much day to day junk. Still looking for work, damn near impossible around here i've seen recently." He turns a bit pale and gives a weak grin.

Erica looks confused for a moment before she chuckles a bit and shakes her head. "Well nothing wrong with going out and looking for a girl. I mean that is how things go after all." She takes another sip from her beer before continuing. "I am sure you'll find someone nice Darlos." She says with a bit of a smile.

"Yes, two thirds of the population ends up chasing girls, just to use round numbers," the older man says with an ironic tone. "But c'mon, you're teasing me, Erica. You calling out the Militia, or do need someone who knows how to do a hit?" Gabriel then looks at Darlos with a smile. "Or throw lightning bolts?"

Erica 's eyes go blank for a moment as she seems to be listening to something. "Crap it looks like I have to get going. If either of you want in on the job you are more then welcome. I have a call I have to answer. See you both later."

Darlos shrugs to Gabe, "Well I had my eye on one, and now that isn’t really gonna work out I guess. So I think I am done for a bit you know?" He mutters and then gives Erica the nod and frowns a bit. "And there she goes.." he shrugs and frowns. Darlos hums to himself, "Not that she really knows that anymore nor I think should she really. Though I wonder, and your prolly right. If she's quite the person I think she is."

Gabriel offers a wave. "Yeah, just remember what I said about it, Darlos. It'd never work out. Just take my word for it. But... looks like she's declaring war. Finally a job for you?"

Darlos shrugs a bit, "Not sure I’m really in on it. I know shes a pro, just..I don’t know, we'll see."

Gabriel pats the teen on the shoulder. "Well, I don't know what she has planned, so I can't really say. However - the other day you were all hot and bothered to get ready to ride into combat on a steed. Metaphorically speaking. You have a change of heart? Not that toning things down a notch would be a bad thing," he says with a slight smile.

Darlos shrugs, "Up and down these days, sometimes I can take the lime light of the magical aura, other days like today, hard to hold the world on my shoulders so to speak. The lines, they aren’t very happy. So much death around them. Magic used to steal life and things. Hard to not have that kind of thing rub off on you when it literally, rubs off on you."

"Yeah," Gabriel says in the tone that means, 'I'm trying to agree, but I have no idea what you're talking about.' He moves on to other things. "Two things to talk with you about, since you're here. First is some common advice for every operation or job that you'll ever find yourself on. It's foremost in my mind at the moment because of the war going on in the 'Dregs. I was there, and I saw people fuck up real hard."

Darlos nods slowly, "I'm listening." He remains rather still and entirely quiet.

"Okay. Pay attention. When you find yourself out on job, take a moment to take stock of exactly what it is that you're doing, and who you're with." Gabriel pauses for a short moment. "There will usually be at least one person who is in a better position to give good advice than others. As an example," he floats out with a hand. "What we did was a special operation, which is what I do. But they - including Erica - approached it as set-piece, large-scale brute-force combat. We came to a decision where I was *clearly* the one to be listened to, but I was out-voted, which is bullshit for a military operation anyway. That aside, because they didn't listen to the person who was in the know, there was combat, our cover was blown, and people were wounded. Basically, respect that other people's experience may be better than yours. I'm no hypocrite, I do exactly what I just told you. Just keep it in mind, and you'll live longer, okay?"

Darlos nods slowly, "Yea, I just imagine not to many other people follow that same motto do they?" He moves the pitcher closer to himself, knowing that he will be the only one to finish it, he pours himself another drink. "I wonder if actual people will understand that I know my lore and training is the real deal."

"You need to prove it, Darlos. No one's ever just going to take your word for it. No one took my word for what I could do. Or anyone else. Proof and results are the only way that people will believe that it's, as you say, 'the real deal.' Not just once, either. It takes a couple of times," Gabriel says. "You might get real frustrated like no one's paying attention, maybe it's taking too long, in your mind. But that would be another mistake - never push on others how great you are. I've seen people do that, and those are the people that others won't bother to watch in combat. Y'know?"

Darlos nods slowly and finishes what he poured and stands up slowly," I guess you're right. Every man has to prove himself." He tosses down creds for the drinks, "Crossroads, so to speak. Hopefully not the same but we'll see." He gives a nod toward Gabe, "Good to see you as always Gabe, I’ll see you around?"

As his friends seem to vanish all around him, Gabriel takes the opportunity to stand himself, and get out of this dive. It'll be any man's guess as to who makes it out first.