Dec 25 17:09:56 108 PA - Distributing Communications Devices

From Chronicles

Dec 25 17:09:56 108 PA.

MAIN STREET NORTH

Ten o'clock isn't a bad time to be out and about on Main Street. Certainly not outside the impressive museum. It appears as if a sleet storm is just finally beginning to abate, with the skies giving way to thinner clouds and even genuine night sky. Gabriel is seated on one of the steps that leads up and into the museum, holding a small data pad in his hand - and looking not entirely enthusiastic about it. People of all sorts continue to go about their days. Kingsdale never stops. Though the road has been crushed free of snow, all that it means is that the frozen water has been pushed to the sides of the streets, ending up in blacked, ugly parallel piles.

Ain't justa snow't's crushed 'n blackened. Some just don't show it so much. Ten ain't bad. Not too early. But ain't even close ta late. Bella comes up the street from the uglier 'n dirtier places. Glad the sleet crap's done fer now. Course she still ain't lookin too happy.

Gabriel isn't looking too happy, either. He's fussing over the data pad - going so far as to beat it against his knee a few times and making as if he's seriously considering tossing it into the street. A few interesting curses issue forth from his mouth. His attention is on this piece of new technology, and as such, he doesn't notice anyone, not even friends who don't look happy coming up from uglier and dirtier places. A few people going in and out of the museum are giving him a fair berth. Guy in winter gear sitting on the steps slapping a data pad and talking to himself? Yes, most people will avoid that, because no one in the city is of the helpful kind these days.

Bella ain't all smiles. But she ain't blind neither. Somebody sittin onna steps kinda sticks out. So's people keepin 'way. Slapin stuff's the last part. When she spots who it is the rest don't matter so much. Bella's walkin his way. "Betcha broke it. Hope ya didn' pay lots fer it."

"Hmm?" The older fellow doesn't even look up - undoubtedly he recognizes the voice, the slaughtering of the language, or both. "I was trying to get information on this thing the Council was talking about, but this fucking piece of *SHIT* keeps turning off!" After more fussing with it, Gabriel turns to Bella, extending the pad to her. "Can you do anything with it?" His friend's own bad mood gets to slide for a little while.

"Sure." Bella smirks. "Can smack it harder. Ain't thinkin't's gonna help much though. Maybe ya need ta charge it up 'r somethin?" She shrugs. "Notta tech dork. Sides." Smirkin goes flat. "Got bigger shit ta worry bout."

Gabriel frowns, looks at it significantly for a while, then tosses it toward the street, where a passing teen catches it. The older fellow waves it off as a, 'Go on, take it,' gesture, at which point the kid runs with a prize. Perhaps broken, but a prize. He takes half a second to collect himself, then pats the step next to him, speaking in the third person. "Come, come sit next to Gabriel. Gabriel wants to hear about bigger shit to worry about."

Bella steps over. 'N the way he's talkin getsa bitta smirk bac. Justa l'il. Then she plops her butt down. "Didn't get nothin good talkin ta her. Thinkin maybe she knows bout me helpin. 'R she's thinkin maybe I am. Now Seb's startin shit too. Sorta came after me. Tellin me I gotta go take Donna down by myself." She snorts. "So I can get my ass handed back ta me. More shit ta get me thinkin she knows bout me."

The older man gives Bella's shoulder a friendly punch. "Don't worry about Seb, he won't be a problem. He's an asshole. I mean, I like him more than I like other people, but even the simple fact that he can't just walk in somewhere and say, 'Hey guys, how's it going?' is annoying." Gabriel shrugs, making hand motions to demonstrate the dramatic way that the knight always decides to enter any group. "But - I guess it's time for you to avoid Donna as much as it's time for me to avoid her. So you didn't get anything at all? Sebastien causing any problems beyond saying stupid things about you?"

"Wavin crosses in my face 'n runnin me over with his fackin horse count?" Bella eyes him. "If he's tryin'a piss me off it's workin. Figgered he was pickin a fight. But then he ran off. He's screwy."

Gabriel nods. "Yeah, he's screwy. He seem like he was under anyone's control, though? Or did he seem... better? Whatever you'd call it. I don't know what cyber-knights are, but from what I've seen, it must be some fashionable new word that means 'arrogant prick.' We're going to take him out of the equation for a few days, just to be sure." He holds out a hand. "Or, if Jax is convinced that his stupid magic truth spell works - which it doesn't. I lied right to his face. I told him that I'd just lied right to his face." The older man's own gaze turns from the street and to his friend, followed by a shrug. "I don't think that he believed me."

Bella cocks her head. And a brow. "Magic truth what? So he's been tryin'a mess with Seb's head 'r somethin? Ain't no wonder it's all facked up then." Li'l more smirk that goes away pretty quick. Finger comes up ta point at Gabe. "Ya gonna stick him outta things ya do't quick. He comes at me fer real I'm gonna put 'im down fer real. 'N he ain't gonna be gettin back up."

Gabriel nods in understanding. "Just stay away from him for a little while. I just need the right time, because I can't take him myself. But yeah, Jax has a truth spell - or thinks that he does. Wants to grab Seb and question him, get the truth out. Even though I told him that when it was tested on me, it didn't work. Worked on Bart. Didn't work on me." He shrugs, amused. "Brain like a rock, I guess. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Anyway, he hasn't tried it on Sebastien. He just wants to. I'll be happy to just put him away for a while. Unfortunately," he says, turning again, "just killing Donna, or dismantling the whole thing doesn't mean that he won't lay off of you."

"Maybe not." Bella nods. Shrugs some. "He keeps pokin though he's gonna get poked back. Not gonna just let 'im keep doin whatever. Just cause he'sa asshole don't mean I'm gonna let 'im be one ta me whenever he wanna."

Gabriel shakes his head. "No. Bullies come in all forms, and if you don't stand up to them, they'll never go away. I heard that people were trying to make kids talk it out with bullies. That's bullshit. You put the guy down - or you don't - and then the human pecking order is properly established." He pokes Bella's shoulder. "Feel free to poke back. But try to do it in a way that won't kill him or shred him, okay? That'd look real bad for you, and confirm what he's probably spreading."

Bella scowls. "Great. Can't let 'im do it. But can't really stop 'im neither. Then I get more comin. Whatta buncha shit."

"Well, to be fair, you did mess with his head. Can't have any very fond memories of that. I'll try to talk to him - when the job's done. If I tried to talk to him now, it'd just make him angry and distrustful. I need his arrogance in check enough to listen to my orders, so I can't take that chance." Gabriel makes a frustrated grunting noise. "Some people are racists, and there's not much to be done about it but turn the other cheek. Hope that someone else kills 'em. Because like I said.. doing anything yourself would just confirm the accusations. But tell me about Donna. She didn't say anything to you at all?"

"Nothin bout where she's gettin stuff." Bella shrugs. "Place's even busier 'n it was look like. If the Family ain't still in with 'er she's gotta have somebody big. Or coupla somebodies." Then she goes back ta the other stuff. "Lemme know when ya lock 'im up. Then maybe can walk round 'n not wonder what he's gonna start up next time."

Gabriel listens and nods, not pressing his own issue for now. "Has he actually tried to kill you yet? Or just pissing you off? But like I said, just because the Lady might go down, that doesn't mean that his attitude will change any. We all have people who don't like us, and we all have people who we don't like. Personally? I try to avoid arrogance." He smirks and nods to the teen taking off with his data pad. "It just occurred to me - I wonder if he can read."

Bella shakes her head. "This time was just pissin me off. Hadda know he weren't really hurtin me none. Ain't gonna go lookin fer him. But ain't gonna be runnin 'way neither. Anyways." She waves her hand. Perks a brow at him. "What're ya plannin boutta Lady? Ain't thinkin yer gonna get more dirt on 'em now 'n sittin round ain't real smart."

"I do need to find out if Sebastien coughed up the plan. If he did, it needs to change. But I've done a lot of, um.. questioning people before." Gabriel leaves it at that. "Other problem is Stacy. She's a mystic, a very powerful one. If Donna's got her under control, that's a major problem. But I'm hoping that if we catch her off guard, I can just zap her the same way I'd zap Seb. Otherwise? You're right, I don't have any more dirt. I'm doing some new poking, but I don't expect to really get anything out of it."

"Can take care of Stacy if we gotta." Bella's smirkin 'gain. "'N ya wanna jump Seb 'n let's do it. Know where he lives. Think he even gimme a key when we was bumpin hips. Know ya wanna plan the fack outta ev'rythin but alla waitin's killin it all. Ya know?"

Gabriel nods. "Prior planning prevents piss-poor performance. But if we can catch him, perhaps we should."

Bella smirks. "Maybe. But dunno no plan't survived after ya run inta yer enemies neither. Ev'rythin likes ta go ta shit. 'N yer right boutta other stuff."

"Good plans survive first contact. People who claim that they don't are the ones making excuses for failures," Gabriel responds to Bella. "Not completely of course, but close enough. The strategy is good, it's just the small tactics that need to change. All I need to do is get everyone together in the right spot." Then rather belatedly, "You have a key?" Surprise in his voice. Then more belatedly, "You were actually riding his mule?"

Bella nods. "Yeah. Just gotta round people up. Oughtta be easy 'nuff." Then she shrugs atta last part. "Got bored. Guess he did too. Course't's maybe just one more thing fer him ta go at me over. Just so he can make nice with Moni 'r whatever."

"Ah, I see. Quite the man. The shitty kind of many who cheats on the woman he loves." Gabriel gives Bella a look. "Now I like him even less. But maybe he's around." He then speaks into his communicator, trying to reach Jaxain and Monique: "'Are you free for the capture?" No names are used. When there's no response, he looks to Bella and begins to stand. "I don't know what young Jax might be off doing... but do you think that Tornaq comes with a radio? Because if he doesn't, Monique might need one." He hooks his arm like a gentleman, smiling. "Want to check out the Park, see if we can find her?"

"Sure." Bella shrugs. "Ain't sayin I trust her lots though." Seein as she's prolly got reasons ta not like Bella too. She stands up too. "Dunno where Jax'd be. Maybe atta Lady watchin alla girls?" Smirkin again.

Gabriel continues to hold his crooked elbow out like a gentleman. "No, Jax is too shy a guy to hit up a titty bar all by himself. C'mon, lets see if we can't find a girl and her bear. It's like Goldilocks, but with more bestiality." Then he starts off to the park, whether or not Bella's on his arm.

The cold of winter is still present, the temperature below freezing. There is a bit of snow falling, but it's not a great accumulation, nor will it likely get to be. The great white polar bear is settled near to the lake, looking out over the slushy and semi-ice covered water. He rumbles softly, whuffling on a bit of a breath. Monique is a distance from the shore, sitting cross-legged on the ice as she fishes with a short pole. She watches the pole thoughtfully, waiting patiently for a hungry fish to come along and take the bait. A small leather pouch sits next to her on the ice, no doubt a container for her bait. Also nearby is an empty net bag made of woven sinews and the like, and it also waits for fish. It's later in the evening, and despite the coming darkness, Monique seems content to remain here, caught up in her task.

Gabriel comes walking into the Park with Bella in tow, and heads straight for the pond, where he assumes that his target will be. He still wears his simple winter clothing, with the German-analog greatcoat following at his feet. His motion is quick today, not slowed by the piled snow, and his face, though still happy, has clear purpose of some kind. However, when close enough, he calls, "You know I eat fish every day too. But it's much more efficient to use a stream and a trap. How're you doing, Monique?" He then unfortunately sneezes. Not everyone can make a dramatic entry. Sniffle.

Bella ain't big on drama. Not right this second anyways. She comes walkin in with Gabe. Got her coat but that's bout all she's got keepin her warm. Or not warm. She waves a hand atta bear. Then way out at Monique.

It is, perhaps, no great surprise that Tornaq looks to the approaching others first. He sits up a bit more, becoming more alert, and he gives a rumble that serves as his own form of greeting. Shifting her weight slightly, Monique turns to look towards Gabriel, and a smile comes to her features as she offers a wave to him. Then she starts to gather up her things and head towards Gabriel, speaking only once she's more in hearing distance. "I like fish, but I don't eat it every day. It is nice, for a chance from deer or rabbit. I am doing well, thank you. And for you?" she asks, a thoughtful cast to her voice. Her attention slips over to Bella, and she gives a small wave before her dark gaze returns to Gabriel.

"Ah. Those are also good to snare. Hunting is useful, but not efficient," Gabriel opines, finishing out the subject of wilderness life. He stops near Tornaq, nodding his head in greeting, as he always does. "I'm doing... acceptably." He does his best to remove his drawl, to make himself more easily understood. "I spoke with you about capturing Sebastien. It occurred to me that all of us need to be able to coordinate and move quickly. I also thought..." he shrugs "... that perhaps you might not be the most technological person, and thus without a radio or other form of communication. So if this is true? I'm here to give you one." His smile is temporarily hidden as he reaches within his greatcoat, and then within his smaller jacket to bring out an object the size of a deck of playing cards.

Bella stops a bit behind Gabe. She ain't gonna park next ta Tornaq. Not gonna go right up ta the water neither. Gabe's here to talk 'n give Moni stuff so she lets him do that.

The small Inuit woman tilts her head slightly to one side as she listens to Gabriel, and she lifts one of her shoulders in a faint shrug. "It depends on if you use all that you hunt, or not," she says simply. Considering the way she was raised, she naturally views hunting differently. She's quiet as he speaks a bit on technology, and her brow furrows a little. "If I want to talk to someone, I usually go find them and speak with them. Or, they find me and I am able to do so," she muses, looking to the thing that he brings out, and doing so somewhat warily.

"But what if you wanted - *needed* - to talk to someone very quickly? What if you wanted to talk to Sebastien, right now? It would take you time to walk, wouldn't it?" Gabriel turns his head, asking, "Or perhaps *I* want to talk to *you* and I don't have time to find you. Would you take it, if I show you quickly how to use it?" His tone turns more serious, as it should be. "This timing could make the difference between Sebastien living, or dying."

"Yeah." Bella agrees with alla that. "It's kinda important. Less yer not gonna be parta it. Maybe gotta jump whenever we can."

"It would take time, yes, to get there, to be able to speak to him... or someone else," she agrees, a thoughtful cast to her words. She eyes the device for a lingering moment, then lifts her attention back to him before giving a small nod. "What you speak, has value to it. It could make a large difference. If you show me how to use it, I will take it, and keep it near to be able to use," Monique says softly, giving a single nod, her tone also with a serious note to it.

The older fellow smiles, and passes across the small communicator. "For now, I'll keep things very simple." He sidles closer to Monique, and shows her what is a digital readout. "I don't know if you can read this or not, but it doesn't matter. Memorize the symbols. I'm going to make them stay like that, but you should always check and make sure that they look the right way. If it changes, come and find me to talk." He punches in a common frequency that he uses, then locks it in. "Again, this is very easy." Still, Gabriel halts his explanation to give the girl time to process it. He even offers himself a shrug, not having any idea how little or how much Monique knows about what he's discussing.

As the device is offered to her, Monique accepts it, looking it over and turning it about in her hands. To her, it's an alien device, but if it will help, then she'll learn how to use it. The great white bear lowers his nose to whuffle at it, and then he lightly touches Monique on the shoulder, falling quiet as he does so. As the digital readout is shown to her, she is able to read it, and she studies it before giving a small nod. "I will remember how it looks, and what it says," she says, a small smile coming to her features.

"Okay, good. Now, talking to people is easy. If *I* call *you* then you will hear three quick beeps." Gabriel makes the sound of three quick beeps. "Then all you need to do is press this button -" he indicates an obvious circular pad "- and answer. Someone will be waiting to hear. I say, 'Hello.' Some people say their name. Doesn't matter exactly what you say, as long as you say something." He then withdraws a much larger device from one of his pants pockets and holds it up to his ear. Monique's little communicator should beep three times any second.

Bella's still just watchin. Listenin. She's gotta li'l radio thingie too. Don't make her a tech dork. Maybe she'll learn sometin new too.

Or at least, talking to people is as easy as any other time, only after the press of a button. She raises an eyebrow slightly at his mimicry of the beeps, and then she gives a small nod. "It sounds easy enough, at least," Monique muses, a thoughtful cast to her voice. She tilts her head slightly to one side as he draws out the larger device, eyeing it a little but not asking any questions. To her credit, at least when her communicator beeps, Monique doesn't startle over it or drop it. She does push the appropriate circular pad on it, though. And she even says: "Hello" into it, though that may be just to prove that she was listening when the instructions were given to her.

"Hello, Monique," Gabriel speaks into his radio as if he were on the other side of the city. Only one press of the button was necessary to activate unbroken two-way communication, and thus his voice comes out of the small communicator as well as his own larynx. He continues to speak into the radio, however. "Just raise it up so that you can hear it like I'm doing. Now talk to me, like I just called you." He holds out a hand to clarify, "Which is exactly what I just did." Then, he rotates his own radio so that any of her spoken words will obviously come out where his ear would have been.

Maybe she won't. Bella ain't no engineer but it's justa radio thing. She's had her mouth shut way too long now too. "We figger out how ta push buttons 'n talk yet? Long's beeps 'n words go out when they gotta we're good right?"

It seems a simple enough process, really, to use the radio. Tornaq gives a rumble as he eyes Bella in response to her words, and he touches his nose to Monique's shoulder. No doubt because of Monique's words, she doesn't say anything further into the radio, though she does look to Gabriel and give a small nod. "It is all right, Gabriel... I understand the how of working it," she says, a faint smile touching her lips.

Gabriel dips his head. "Okay." He then moves over to the Eskimo girl again. "Press the button a second time, to turn it off." As that is likely to be easy enough, he moves on. This is more complex, scrolling through a small readout of numbers, letters and frequencies. One of them he eventually turns into a bright green, and locks into position. "This is me. If you want to talk to me, press the button right next to the green letters." The button is obvious. "Just to make sure that everything's working, give me a call." He steps back and raises his radio, shaking it in a friendly manner.

Bella eyes Tornaq back. But no rumblin. Just winks at the bear. Smirks. And waits s'more.

Monique gives a small nod, pressing the same button a second time to turn the device off. Then she tilts her head slightly to one side, watching as he scrolls it through a variety of readouts that don't really make sense to her. But she gives a small nod when he locks in the numbers that he says are for him, making note of the number. Then she follows the instructions and pushes the button next to the green letters, to initiate a call and thus make sure that everything's working. Tornaq, meanwhile, is quiet, though he eyes Bella warily.

"Well, I meant talk, but close enough. Simple, right? You can just keep that. They're inexpensive, and obviously -" he waves the larger radio "- I have other means as well." Gabriel looks to Bella, and instructs, "Remember that if you want to get me, you need this frequency. 'My' frequency is now Monique. Hopefully if everyone can get together, we can take care of problems in a nice and easy manner, than take care of bigger problems in a nice and easy manner." Gabriel eyes Tornaq with some amusement and asks, "I don't suppose you'd volunteer to be a walking shield, would you, my ursine friend?"

"Since yer helpin us out." Bella pulls out her bitty radio thing 'n hands it to Gabe. It ain't much more 'n a li'l earpiece really. "Wanna set me up too?"

"Tornaq will not go to a place that I am not going as well," Monique says, raising an eyebrow slightly. The great white bear makes only few exceptions, which generally revolve around waiting outside a building while Monique goes into it. And there are precious few that he would be a shield for, besides that. But that's something that the small Inuit woman doesn't get into. "Simple, yes. I will keep it with me, and thank you," she says, giving a nod to Gabriel.

"You're welcome, Monique," Gabriel says with a bow of his head. "Then I guess you won't be coming, because you get to be jailer. If everything works right, all that you'll have to deal with is a confused knight who'll enjoy your company. I don't suppose you know when he might be around? If we could capture him indoors and unknowing, that would be good. Otherwise, the open will do. As long as there aren't any other prying eyes." He looks between the two women present, and appears as if he might be thinking of saying something. But for now, he doesn't.

Bella perks up brows at Monique. Offers up ideas ta help too. "How bout visitin him 'r havin 'im over? Wear 'im out. Get 'im all tired 'n sleepin. Then we can come in. Be easy 'n quiet 'n nobody else peekin round that way." She gets good ideas sometimes.

"It depends if he is willing to listen to such a suggestion or not. I can attempt such, but he may think it to be suspicious. I will do all that I can to serve that end," Monique says, then lifts one of her shoulders in a bit of a shrug. "Time will tell how it will play out, and I will keep you advised of what I am able to work out," she says softly, giving a nod to Gabriel.

For his part, Gabriel nods back, putting his radio away and taking away a subtle dismissal. It may not be there, but to his ears, it sounded possible. "Thanks, Monique. Remember to listen in, we might need you in a heartbeat. I think... I'll be off for coffee now. Of course, you're all welcome to come." He smiles at the bear. "Even you, though I think I'd need to bring a mug to you outside."

"I'll skip onna coffee." Bella smirks 'n points at the bear. "Don't look like he's big on it neither." A li'l shrug. "Just yell when ya do whatever 'n need me I guess." Now a bit more smirk fer Moni. "'N I'm pretty sure he's willin. He's him." She tucks her radio back in her pocket and turns to start walkin.

Monique tilts her head slightly to one side, and she gives a small nod. "I will be listening, this I promise," she says softly, a thoughtful cast to her words. She reaches out, lightly rubbing the fur of Tornaq's front leg nearest to her. Then her attention comes back to Gabriel, and she lightly shakes her head. "Thank you, for the offer, but... I still have fish to catch. Another time," she says softly, giving a small nod. A glance is given to Bella, but no words are offered in her direction.

Gabriel suddenly finds himself alone in the snow. Perhaps not in presence, but in spirit. As winds start to kick up again, he just smiles, gives a little hop, and turns to leave the Park. It's not safe for people who either cannot be killed or have a giant bear to protect them to be walking around this place at night.