Dec 16 03:06:16 108 PA - Cultural Learnings of Kingsdale for Make Benefit Glorious Unknown Nation

From Chronicles

Dec 16 03:06:16 108 PA.

MAIN STREET

Not long after dawn, it is still quite cold and light snow falls so slowly that it nearly hangs in the air. Most of those who are out and about are likely in a hurry to be wherever it is they need to be. Aya is an exception. The cloaked figure moves slowly south, following the main road. She has no specific place to be, or not at any time in the near future.

Despite the hurry that many people have there are indeed others who seem to have no urgent appointments. Gabriel is one of these people, coming out of the River Walk area whistling a tune that is obliterated by the noise of the traffic. Stopping beneath one of the trees along the side of the road, his hood is pulled back, his entire head exposed. The snow that slowly collects on his graying hair gives the image of someone being powdered with cooking flour.

Aya does not wish to be powdered, cold, nor wet. Her hood remains donned and over her features as she moves. She pauses at an intersection when several other pedestrians cross traffic. After they move on, so does Aya, who decided not to join in the crossing.

Gabriel hesitates for a few minutes beneath his chosen tree, relaxing from whatever it is that he's already been up to this morning. Clearly from the expression on his face and the life in his eyes, he's been up and moving for hours. At the strange sequence of events at the intersection, he pushes off the local trunk and heads in the direction of the woman he'd met entering the city a few days before.

Aya only takes a few steps before pausing once more. Waiting, possibly. Once Gabriel is within easy conversational earshot, she speaks. "Hello, Gabriel." Aya has yet to turn her head in his direction.

Gabriel's head nods toward the hooded woman and he makes a brief tap of a thumb against his hairline to the right of his forehead. "Morning, Aya!" He seems chipper, and his drawl is there as people who know him have come to expect. A few strange looks are given at the other persons rather odd plight of crossing the street. "You.. need help or anything?"

"Help?" Now Aya's hood turns to the man. "Help with what? I can walk perfectly well." As can the others who hurried across the street to their particular destinations.

"Sorry, Aya," Gabriel follows up, but without any explanation. He maintains a polite distance, but will fall in step beside her where speaking in comfortable tones is still easy. "Are you up, or still up? Did Happy Days work out?" He turns his head to look at the hood, without yanking his neck around to peer into it.

Aya's hood tilts slightly to one side. "I am not any higher than I was before. The Happy Days did not work. I was told to get a room or leave. I did not have a room to get, so I left."

Gabriel nods his head slowly, a brief smile on his face as he looks forward for obstacles. "I know that my English doesn't help matters, but can I guess perhaps that 'American' isn't your first language?"

"It is not the only language I speak, no." Aya dips head and hood in a nod. "You speak it more strangely than others," she pauses to consider, "or are my words wrong?"

"Well, I could be very wrong, but while your words are 'correct,' you're not picking the correct versions of the correct words. Your interpretations have been very literal and apparently without colloquialism." Gabriel speaks neatly and crisply, though the Kentucky in him remains. "I do speak it more strangely, because technically, I'm speaking a different language. So there are things that I miss from time to time when speaking to people who grew up speaking American." A few more crunches of snow on concrete are followed by, "So you speak other languages? Anything I might know?"

Aya is confused, if the cant of her head and pursed lips are any clue. "Correct versions of words?" Nor does she know what other languages he might know, so there is only one way to find out. "Do you know the words of elves, dragons, and other creatures?"

"Nope!" A cheery, monosyllabic affirmation of ignorance. Gabriel waits for further questions as they continue to walk, but also attempts to clarify his own point. "Yes, correct versions. American words - or at least English words - often have multiple meanings, proper definitions. Beyond that, they have colloquialisms, which means how they're commonly used rather than how they're taught. For instance." He extends a hand as if holding a world. "When I asked 'are you still up,' the word 'up' actually meant 'awake.'"

"Then I speak none that you know." Aya listens as he explains away some of her confusion, though his example causes some of its own. "Why ask if I am awake? That should be obvious." She moves to keep pace with him, but otherwise has no destination in mind.

Another hand is held out. "Yes, the obvious and literalism. Maybe it's my fault, of where I was raised. It's simple a pleasant way to greet someone. Or by 'still' up, implying that you've yet to sleep, also a pleasant way of greeting. The phrase, 'get a room' probably meant, 'rent a room for the night.' Not literally, 'go get a room.'" Gabriel smiles and tables the subject, in his mind. "Languages take time. Have you discovered yet where it is that you're going?"

Aya shakes her head, "No, but this city is very large, with many places to go to and be discovered." She considers his other words for a moment, also. "It is confusing. If one uses the words one way, and another a different way, how will they understand? I will remember to ask what is meant."

A nod of a head is given, followed by Gabriel stating, "That would be a good idea, until you speak the language better. Have you seen anything interesting yet, rather than a few minutes inside of the Inn?"

"Yes," Aya motions with her staff across the street towards the police department and gym, respectively, "the warrior camp and training grounds seem interesting, but I have not entered. I do not want to know what is done there to make such a horrible smell." The stave moves momentarily further to the terribly bright colors of Happy Burger.

Gabriel chuckles, twice. "Harry's? It's *not* a warrior camp. People go there to exercise, to keep their muscles strong and their bodies in good health. There is one room for sparring, being it's not combat, it's competition. No one sleeps there, no one eats there, no one does much in the way of training for war there. You should go in, have a look around. Nice pool, pretty popular if you're into that. As for that?" An index finger is pointed at Happy Burger. "A restaurant where food is served very quickly. You should taste it before you turn up your nose at it - that's an expression that means 'decide that it's bad.' It's not healthy, but it can be fun now and then. Plus, if the smell really gets to you, there's take out." He continues in silence before clarifying, "You can take the food with you."

Aya nods with the clarification. "So it is a training area for all. Many left there exhausted and smelling of sweat, and I could hear weapons and fists. It is wise to stay strong and healthy." Her nose may or may not be turned up at the food that is served quickly, but her frown of distaste is visible. "I have gutted and cleaned animals that smelled more edible before they were cooked."

"Would you really deny yourself even the possibility of further discovery simply because of a smell? It's clearly not a slaughterhouse. Look." Gabriel waves. "Children, parents, workers... Happy Burger is a happy place, as long as children are kept in line. Once you're more settled in, you should give it a try. Maybe you'll hate it. But at least you'll know for sure." There's more stomping along, with the short man's mind discussing things with itself before he asks, "Are you an elf? A mage? Maybe an elf mage, combining my two intrusive questions?"

"Yes," Aya answers, "no, and no." Instead of debating the issue of food and children, she gestures to the gym once more, now with her hand. "I am interested in this "Harry's." What else do you know of it? Will I need to rent a room?"

"Hmm." Gabriel arches a brow, then sweeps a hand in the gym's direction. "A warrior type? If you want to come with me, I can show you the place. But as I already said, no one sleeps here. You'll have to find lodging somewhere else. As for what I know of it, I think that I've summed it up fairly well. I *personally* don't spend much time there. I have my own personal regimen built over many years, and it doesn't involve a gym. You do need to pay a fee to exercise there, but I hear that it is very reasonable." He slows and possibly stops, waiting to see if his erstwhile 'guest' will want to go in for a closer inspection.

Aya accepts the invitation and moves with Gabriel towards the gym. "I fight when I must, and must be strong when I do. Practice in sparring is better than practice alone. They also have a pool for swimming?" There is some interest in her tone, and that is not something one can do very well outside in these temperatures.

"Oh, yeah." Gabriel's a person with a lively voice - there's no problem expressing himself, even in these temperatures. "Pool, all kinds of exercise equipment, the sparring ring. But, I don't know what you are or what you do, but when people spar, it's for practice, and they *don't* do it to actually inflict significant harm. I only mention this because I know of people who believe otherwise, and have ended up getting scorned by peers and kicked out of the gym on a permanent basis."

"I come to practice, not to ... kick ass." His vernacular or colloquialisms are not the first that Aya has heard, though he did explain the premise where others did not. "If I harmed others in spar, they would be unable or unwilling to spar again. To swim before spring would also be pleasant."

Gabriel grins. "So, another person who could turn be to jelly with a glance and a flick of a finger?" It's said with a laughing tone - not resigned, but accepting. "Seems to be pretty normal. C'mon. I'll pay your dues today so you can walk around and take a look at things." With that, he peels away from the mysterious hooded figure and enters the gym.

HARRY'S GYM

Aya's hood cants to one side and turns to face Gabriel. "I did not claim to do any of those." A hand then lifts to her hood, pulling it back and down. Her head and face are revealed, or more than they were before. A pouch is reached for afterward, with the explanation, "I also have credits to pay the fee."

"I know you didn't," Gabriel says with a smile as he pays what he promised he would. "At least, not in those words. Perhaps my own interpretation of your skill in sparring was wrong." If there is any shock of beauty revealed, his face doesn't show it. Not bland and impassive - just his continuing pleasant smile, a signature feature that he bears, along with short stature, graying hair, and being alive and kicking at forty.

"If I could kill with a look," Aya lowers her head to put her eyeline pointedly at Gabriel's, "I would not need to practice combat." Although more of her face is revealed, it adds little to her flat, factual tone. After a pause, her hand gestures to some of the many machines, some of which are in use by others. "I do not know how or for what the machines are used. Are they drone opponents?"

"Mmm-hmm." Gabriel smiles, one corner of his mouth quirked higher, one brow lifted higher. "If you need to practice combat, perhaps you should experiment with some of the machines to see how they work to make you stronger. But I told you, this is *not* a place of combat, it is a place of exercise and physical health. In a certain manner you might consider then 'drone opponents,' but I doubt that it's the manner that you're considering. Go on, try 'em out. Poke around. If you want to get straight into asking someone to spar with you, it's that way." He forks a hand around to the left. Meanwhile, he has been using the silent latch mechanisms to open up his coat now that they're in a heated indoors.

Aya turns her head and interest to the machines in use. It is much easier to learn by example than trial and error. "I understand." She takes several steps towards one of the nearer; a weight machine with bench that holds a man doing presses. Her cloak is loosened and opened due to the heat.

Gabriel stays back, eventually leaning against one of the walls to watch and see what happens. His eyes betray the fact that he's pleased that she took the small taste of advice. While he's starting to get comfortable, there's a loud call from the direction of the entry doors. "Yo! Gabe! Need ya ta look at something!" Not surprisingly, the man turns, and apparently spots an associate of some kind. He offers some kind words to excuse himself, including, "I'll come back and catch you, make sure that the drones haven't come to life or anything." After quickly turning to head out, he stops and calls back over his shoulder, "Just a joke!" The clarification seemed necessary. A few moments later, he's outdoors.

In his absence, Aya concluded her observations and the man finished his exercise on that particular machine. She now lies on the bench in his place, pushing the machine's bar upward repeatedly. Her cloak and staff rest alongside on the floor.

Gabriel comes back in with his hood up at first. Apparently the weather has taken a turn that even he doesn't approve of. Still, it falls back as he waves to the women at the front desk and proceeds back to where he left his erstwhile companion. "Lookin' good! Do you do a lot of physical work in your occupation?"

Aya presses the bar upwards once more before she halts. "Yes, but this is not exercise. The machine is no challenge." It is possible that the man before her was attempting endurance. There are only a two and a half hundred pounds of resistance.

"So you say, Aya. Sounds like you're a bit of an Amazon warrior? You have the physique for it, if you don't mind my noticing the obvious." Gabriel has found an empty seat to rest on. "You look a bit like the female version of the Lone Ranger, though I doubt that you'd get the reference. Maybe Batwoman."

"I do not know the ones you speak of." Finished in that there is not much reason to continue, Aya sits upright on the bench. He was correct that the reference escapes her. "Are there more challenging drones? How large is the pool for swimming?"

Gabriel stands and sweeps a hand toward the hallway to the pool. "See for yourself. It's better than me trying to describe it." He begins silently unlatching his winter gear once more, this time getting far enough that his jacket lays completely open, save for the very bottom latch. A bit of silver from around his neck flashes beneath a fluorescent light as a passing ring on his right hand manages to create a unique reflection that lasts only for a moment.

Aya reaches to reclaim her belongings then stands with a nod. "I will." The shine or reflection of silver or other jewelry goes unnoticed or causes no reaction. She turns the direction gestured and moves towards the pool.

HARRY'S GYM - POOL

The way Gabriel was raised, he always lets the lady go first, and hangs back to allow Aya to proceed into the pool area ahead of him. His personal commentary on the way, "Harry's pool is actually one of the most popular spots in the city. It's indoors, but it's safer than the natural pond on the Plaza Park - and you can use it at night."

"Also in the winter," Aya adds. At this hour, there are few at the pool and no children. All of those are probably still at the Happy Burger. Her cloak and staff are placed against a wall, followed by the shawl. "Do you swim here? What dangers are at the pond?" She asks these prior to pulling the broad straps of her dress from her shoulders.

Gabriel has once more found a nice place to relax. This time on a short counter near the shallow end where towels and stray bits of clothing are often deposited. He's seen naked women before, particularly in Europe, where they tend to go topless. Thus Aya's possibly impending nudity doesn't seem to phase him - though he does politely avert his eyes. His parents and family would never approve, if he didn't. "The pond? *In* the pond there are no dangers, assuming you can swim. *At* the pond, there are no dangers, as long as you're only in it when the sun's up. Crazy people like to hang out in the Park during the dark hours. So if you can't get to the pond or get out of it - it's to be avoided."

Aya is not modest, although she is not nude, either. When the dress is deposited with her other items, she is left wearing two simple swatches of cloth; a band tied around her chest and a breechcloth. Her necklace and visor remain on while she steps for the water. The eyewear is not removed until she reaches the edge of the pool. "Crazy? How crazy? Why are they allowed to stay?" Aya pauses at the precipice to set the visor down and wait for a reply.

The old man sits and thinks on that question for a moment. "Crazy enough to beat people. Murder them. Rape them. Capital crimes. They are... 'allowed' to stay because despite the fact that the denizens of this place consider it to be 'civilized,' it is not. It's just a qualifier of 'more civilized' than you'll find in most other places. The police don't care about policing it, and are possibly too cowardly to sweep it clean. It's a bit like the 'Dregs in that manner." With a low chuckle, Gabriel pats his chest. "But to be fair, I'm not the most unbiased one to talk about it. I haven't been here for a very long time myself, and I much prefer where I came from."

"So the walls keep no danger out," Aya remarks before diving out and into the water. She is not under long before she begins to stroke along the surface, paralleling the side she leapt over.

Gabriel raises an eyebrow. "The Park has no real walls, no. Danger lives inside the hedges and comes from without when the sun goes down. You probably noticed that a lot of people walk around the city in armor like they're about to go to war? Well, that's because this is a lawless place - despite the laws and frankly the propaganda. Not that it doesn't seem to be the best option, of course. I personally don't wear it, though. Just... not the type of thing I'm used to. So that's something to think about, if you're still listening to a strange man who approached you for no apparent reason that you could discern." The last bit of the final sentence is said with a clear chuckle behind it.

Aya reaches the end, turns, and reaches her original position by the time he finishes speaking. The pace is still mild enough that she can listen and reply. "The city walls keep nothing out if there is still much danger inside." She continues to the near end and turns before continuing. "I would not speak with you if I did not wish."

Gabriel is sitting on a small table near the pool, which is unusually bereft of people. Not empty, by any means, just not as full as one might expect. He's chatting up an unusual looking woman currently in the water. With his own jacket laying open with the exception of the bottom latch, he looks quite comfortable. "The city walls keep out the big things. Attacks by other nation states. Supernatural creatures not spawned within. It keeps mercenaries from picking on the residents. But you're right, the festering sores already exist, and the police don't seem to have the guts or the will to clean them. A lot of the citizens don't really care thought either. As long as they get to do what they want, they don't care for their fellow man. It's sad."

Slapping feet announce the arrival of a common enough sight at the gym, a muscular man wearing few clothes to cover his well-defined figure, as Jaxain does a quick look to make sure nobody is in the end of the pool he is aiming for, then leaps a good half dozen feet into the air. He executes a decent if not amazing flip and enters the water with little splash and then proceeds to swim laps with powerful strokes. He's not looking around for people he knows, at least not right now.

The woman in the pool does not look so unusual, other than the ease that her athletic form moves through the water. Or that the swimwear that covers it is no more than two pieces of cloth; one knotted at her back and the other at her hips. A puddle of clothing lies near a wall with a wooden stave and a visor-like pair of sunglasses rest at the pool's edge. The abrupt entry of another in the water ahead of her cause Aya to turn vertical and rapidly halt.

Gabriel can be surprised. When a good friend comes running past to flip into a public pool, nearly landing on a recent stranger, that's quite sufficient to get his attention. Not that he jumps or calls out, just sits and takes notice. After the splash has cleared, he leans his head back. "Ahh. Morning, Jax. The lady you just about landed on is Aya, new to the city and needing information." He chuckles in a low tone, and in a drawl asks, "Your shorts stay on?"

Being familiar with the pool, and with diving techniques, Jax had left more than ample room between himself and any other swimmers in the pool, though anyone might be startled by his sudden appearance. His head is underwater and there is zero chance that he could possibly have heard Gabriel, unless the older man was shouting at the top of his lungs, so it's rather odd when Jax pulls up suddenly and comes vertical close to the newcomer. "Hey, uhhhh, Anaya?" He says as he wipes the water from his eyes... then nearly goes under as he is shocked by the figure presented before him, elegance and grace wrapped up in a lightly clothed package. He coughs and sputters as he clears his throat, and lets out a laugh. "Dude, babe alert!" he says to nobody in particular, grinning at Gabriel then Aya. "Yeah, name's Jax. If you need anything, just lemme know. I'll show you around town!"

Aya's eyes close. possibly against the water running down her face. Jax may get a glimpse of unremarkable brown iris. She treads to the edge and retrieves her glasses. As they are donned, she speaks. "Hello. There are no children here. What in the city would you show?" Her head turns back towards Jax with the question.

Gabriel stays where he is, having avoided stray drops of water. He can't help but laugh at the youngster's enthusiasm. Both for getting into the pool, and for his eagerness to please a complete stranger with such a forward approach. Otherwise, he just rearranges his footing and waits to see if Jax puts his foot in his mouth, and how he handles what he himself has been handling.

Jaxain raises an eyebrow as he treads water and considers the strange reply, "Hmmm, well that would depend on exactly what interested you. I know some great places to grab a bite to eat, and the park is really nice if you can get there before sunset. I like walking along the river, when I have time, and the library is pretty great when you need to look up cra... I mean, information." He looks at Gabriel, raising his other eyebrow. He starts doing a slow backwards crawl, still keeping his head above water. "Where are you coming from?"

"North and east," Aya answers Jax's question, first. The remaining comments are replied to in roughly reverse order. "I do not use books, and Gabriel informed that the park is dangerous after dark. Why walk along the river and not anywhere else?" With her swim interrupted, she pulls herself from the water and begins to step towards her belongings. Mention of the park causes her to ask, somewhat late, "Are you crazy, Jax?" Her tone is as flat as for all the other words spoken.

Gabriel can't help but smile, and answers something that is both accurate, and possibly something to earn him a raised middle finger. "He's not crazy, he's just young enough to be stupid." Wink. Now that the ground has been broken about vague origination points, he asks of Aya, "North and east. Near, or far? There's an awful lot of area with an awful lot of interesting little nations north and east."

Jaxain grins at Gabriel and lets out a laugh, sending out a joke splash at him which will not get anywhere close. "Well, I did say BEFORE sunset, not after, because before sunset the park is fairly safe. But some would consider me crazy, I suppose. I don't know, are you crazy?" He gives the woman a cockeyed glance, "And along the river because it is nice. I don't feel as comfortable in the city when it's all concrete and buildings." He resumes swimming, pounding off a few laps in quick succession, but keeping his head above water to remain in the conversation.

Aya changes her course to take a towel from a nearby rack. Her hair is tended to with a brisk rubbing while she moves near Gabriel and her clothing. "The city is strange. Outside it is more," she pauses for a word, "familiar. This is the only city I have traveled to. No, I am not crazy." After answering, she unknots and removes the band on her chest so she can wring out the water.

Gabriel stands to make room for a the topless woman to dry off and get dressed. "I prefer the outside, Aya." He taps his chest lightly. "Don't live inside the walls." He shoots Jaxain a glance and shakes his head in the negative. Not surreptitiously, just motions that might hopefully be understood between friends.

Jaxain was absorbed in his swimming but pauses as he catches a glimpse of ... something... and treads water again for a moment. He removes his eyes, with some effort, back to Gabriel and raises an eyebrow in question, then slowly nods with a grin. "Glad to hear it, crazy isn't always good." He starts swimming towards the edge of the pool and pulls himself out, having finished his quick after-workout cool down. "Alright, well it was nice to meet you, Anaya. I'm sure I will see you around soon." He gives her a grin.

"Yes," Aya agrees, snugging and tying the band back in place, "the outside seems better." She repeats the wringing process with her breechcloth, except that she turns to face Jax in the middle of it. "My name is Aya," she corrects. Hopefully, he will not address her incorrectly again.

Europeans go topless, but not usually bottomless. Still, at his age Gabriel has seen such things and even has a special pair in his mind. He stands up as the wringing continues, latching his jacket closed after having glanced at his watch when it vibrated silently. "I landed a week-long job at the ProTech factory over on Steel Street, and shift's gonna start in half and hour, so... I'm going to have to leave you two. It's been good seeing you again, Aya of the North and East. I hope that you can find some lodging today - just remember that homonyms exist, where one word has different meanings, that some words are used in ways in which they were never intended... and most people don't mean their words literally." That said, he ruffles up his hood and prepares to make a final departure.

Jaxain is rather more surprised than Gabriel as the breechcloth comes off, and has to work his mouth several times before words will come out. He says, "Uhhhhh.." wisely, before saying, "Uhhhh, Aya? Ok, right. Name's Jax, nice to meet you." He repeats, finally moving his eyes up to Gabriel's and blinking in some degree of shock. "Wait, Homnymphs? Steel street?" He asks, mostly to himself because Gabriel has already left. He just kinda stands there, his own departure momentarily forgotten.

Aya nods to Gabriel as he makes to leave, turning from Jax in the process. "I can find a place to rest." She dresses herself fully before taking up the staff and cloak. "Yes, Aya. It was new to meet you." Now that she is prepared, her own departure will soon follow Gabriel's.

Outside, the winter storm has picked up. Another beautiful day in Kingsdale. Or at least, another day in Kingsdale. Gabriel is soon gone, on his way to work.