Jan 10 14:09:45 109 PA - A Strange Trio Talking

From Chronicles

Jan 10 14:09:45 109 PA.

MAIN STREET NORTH

Fizzlesnoot is waddling down the street, heavy winter coat over his regular attire, but it's one of those winter coats probably from a winter survival kit or something, as it is bright orange in color, easily catching an eye regardless of whether your a nosy type or not. Fluorescent orange just can't be missed. Over that is a clear plastic bag with a hole in the bottom that he uses as a poncho to keep dry, the weather never stays dry long enough to go without something similar. He tends to stop if someone gets near, with either something exchanged or given to the short stubby little D-bee, or, they give a disgusted look and told to get the hell away, either way, it's kind of apparent, he's panhandling along his way to where ever ugly strange creatures go. The pickings are slim with the weather, even though it is only a couple hours past noon.

Gabriel is short, but not that short. Short for a male human. He comes out of the museum, clad in his cold weather gear, which includes an obviously new greatcoat modeled along the lines of World War II German infantry. Cinched up against the weather, he seems happy enough, even as he pauses at the sidewalk, perhaps deciding which direction to go next.

Bernard is walking down the street himself, coming from the north. A watch cap worn on his head and pulled down over his ears, and his cape fluttering behind him in the stiff wind. He quite briefly nods to Gabriel in his Coalition looking coat before his gaze is caught by the stumpy little d-bee in the bright orange and his brow raises.

Aya also arrives via the street, or rather the walkway adjacent. Her cloak blocks the majority of wind and weather while she walks from north to south. A wooden stave is in hand to assist with the travel.

Fizzlesnoot eventually finds himself passing by the museum, after all, the place does get a good deal of visitors, maybe he'll make a buck or two today, if he doesn't get chased off first. The big brown bulbous eyes of the small grotesque d-bee are quite perceptive, and can't help noticing someone that he recognizes, "Mr Blaze!" he calls out, before the man gets to choosing his direction, not wanting him to run off in the opposite direction of course, he picks up the pace of his waddle, even passing by a potential bit of change that averts their course to try and aid in that avoidance, the citizen seeming relieved the creature passed him by. "Mr Blaze, wait up." his three fingered hand waving to catch his attention with his second call out, big broad toothy smile across his face to greet the man in the greatcoat.

Gabriel doesn't need to do much to 'wait up.' He hasn't left the museums steps yet. A smile and a wave are offered at the orange creature, and he stays where he is, as it's out of pedestrian traffic.

Bernard lets his attention follow the little fellow over to Gabriel before he chuckles softly as he continues his casual walk along the side of the street. His attention turns towards the woman with the cloak and the big staff, taking a few moments to consider her as well.

"Gabriel," Aya acknowledges and greets as she nears his latitude. The diminutive and different D-bee is also noticed, although she does not offer a formal greeting.

And of course the weather never holds out, it begins to snow, and snow a lot, despite the clarity of the sky. Fortunately it's only that kind of snow that makes everything wet and nasty eventually, true to Kingsdale tradition. Fizz flips up the hood of his coat when this starts, tucking his hat into his large carpetbag that he seems to never be without. "Nice coat Mr. Blaze." reaching out with two out of three fingers to get a feel for the fabric, if the man allows it of course, "Looks good on you." taking a moment to admire the coat, even going slightly around him to get a look at the back too, his neck stretching out, like a really ugly turtle without the shell, getting the perfect angle. When the cloaked woman addresses the man, he turns his attention towards her, offering a creepy toothy smile in silent greeting.

The coat is in very good condition, obviously new, and extremely thick. Well tailored. Gabriel smiles, "Hi, Fizzlesnoot. Looking over the work?"

"What are you?" A simple, straightforward question directed at the small insect-like being. Aya does not sound anything but passingly curious, and there is no presumption nor connotation in her quite flat tone.

Fizzlesnoot gives a nod in answer to Gabriel's question of checking out the coat as he comments in jest, "Well I hope you don't think I was checking out you, friend. You're a handsome man and all, just a bit short for my taste." chuckling happily, "Who's your friend?" asking him of the woman as he takes note of the unstylish cloak she wears, not that he's the fashion template with his bright attire. "My species is known as a Fingertooth Carpetbagger." he answers to her in a friendly manner, "Fizzlesnoot's the name, tailor and fashion guru." which he sounds serious when he says this, the attire sure doesn't show it though.

Gabriel smiles. "Oh! Now, I know what you are, Fizzlesnoot!" He seems genuinely happy at that, perhaps never having felt it with decorum to have simply come out and asked. His coat blows beyond him rather dramatically as a brisk wind charges toward the museum's entry. Even with his fur-lined hood pulled up over his head, he looks cool. Not cold, but cool. He then offers a pleasant, "Hello, Aya. Good to see you around town." Kentucky drawl, ah but it has been lost for the ages save for him. Much like asking of Fizzlesnoot's race, neither does he introduce Aya for now.

Aya accepts Fizzlesnoot's answer with a nod of her hood. The cloak may not be flattering nor fashionable, but it fulfills its purpose. "I do not know if it is good to be around town. The city is much more ..." She takes a moment to seek the desired word, "...chaotic than outside."

Fizzlesnoot, being the shrewd business type, doesn't need a formal introduction, the hello from Gabriel enough to catch a name. "Pleased to meet you Aya, and it's not too bad, once you get used to it." keeping his comment simple as it seems she is more interested in Gabriel's attention at the moment.

The older man sweeps his left arm backward toward the immense museum. "You should go inside, Aya. It's beautiful in there. Knowledge. History. Even the gardens are simply peaceful and good on the eyes. Warm, too. It's probably the best place in the city if you just need so peace and quiet. You know... get away from the chaos, but without having to leave the walls like you and I do." Gabriel states.

"I may," Aya admits. "I did not do so before." Her words move to Fizzlesnoot, indicated by the opening in her hood lowering towards him. "I will not get used by the city. I am no slave."

Fizzlesnoot is a bit taken back by the use of slave in this reference, "A slave? I'm no slave. I'm about as free as they come, thinking about it. My guess, your aversion to the city enslaves you more so." he doesn't say this angrily or anything, he is very conversational, as if its a topic of a good discussion.

A chuckle comes from Gabriel. "Aya. Too literal again, and not even right. 'Get used *to* it,' not 'get used *by* it.' As in, a short way to say 'when you are better acquainted with the city and its individual quirks, you will see that it is a decent place to live.' Does that make Fizzlesnoot's statement make more sense? Nothing to do with literal using or slavery." He aims his drawl in Fizzlesnoot's direction. "Aya is somewhat too methodical in her interpretation of the language right now. Colloquialisms are a bit too much for her without explanation." He offers the woman a short bow of his head. "Apologies for speaking for you, but it seemed more efficient than waiting for the two of you to figure out the problem." A horn blasts along the street as a large hovertruck skids out of line, narrowly missing a wooden cart that somehow got into traffic.

Aya receives and absorbs Gabriel's correction. A nod follows. "Yes, that meaning has more sense to it." She seems to take no offense that he spoke on her behalf and shakes her hood to Fizzlesnoot. "I never believed that you were a slave, nor am I averse to the city. I have not made an opinion of it. It is the first city I have ever encountered."

Fizzlesnoot grins up to Gabriel, "And I thought this was going to be a nice philosophical way of us getting to know each other." Offering her another broad creepy smile, "My apologies if I offended you at all. It was not my intention Miss Aya. If never having lived in a city, may I ask where you grew up? I would be quite curious to hear about it. I myself, have always lived in the city. Tolkeen is where I grew up. Nice place, very accepting of us non-human types. Kinda like here. Parents had to send me away though, due to the siege. Started getting rough the last year or so I was there." he appears to get a bit of a rambling going which he catches, "And here I go again, rambling on about my life, when I'm more curious about your upbringing. I tend to do that sometimes, feel free to interrupt if I start doing it, I totally understand, comes with the territory, being a merchant and all that...." he takes a breath, which gives someone a chance to butt in.

More than four decades of experience and a large family has taught Gabriel plenty of patience, and he has no problem waiting for Fizzlesnoot to sputter out. "You do talk about Tolkeen a lot, Fizzlesnoot. Maybe I'll visit sometime." Then his head is nodded back toward the museum, as his hand had indicated. "Would you like to go inside to talk, Aya? Even if you don't want to learn, I promise that at least it's warm and dry. Right?" He last query is directed at the short and frankly somewhat ugly D-Bee.

"It is better to be out of the snow," Aya agrees. She begins to walk up the museum steps to move the conversation inside.

Fizzlesnoot does realize as it's pointed out, they are standing out in the cold and wet weather, "Oh, yes, of course. We should be dry if we're going to chat." nodding to Gabriel in agreement. "The museum is nice. I like to sit and read inside on the really nasty days." the last bit directed towards Aya. "And don't mind the weird feeling it gives you, something to do with protecting the books, I was told. You get accustomed to it eventually." and then looks back up to Gabriel, "And yes, I do talk about Tolkeen a lot, don't I. Just miss my family, haven't heard from them in quite some time. You should go sometime, when you do, look up Swizzlefoot, tell him I sent ya." all the while following Aya inside, though he does jump ahead to get the door.

Gabriel gives Fizzlesnoot an understanding look. "I understand. I miss my family, too." He tacks on, "And I can never hear from them again." He had waited for Aya to enter the museum first, but as the little D-Bee hope eagerly ahead, he can't help but smile - and pass by. "Thanks!"

KINGSDALE CITY MUSEUM

Aya pauses, perplexed, when Fizzlesnoot charges ahead. She may not be used to the city, but she does know how to operate a door. Lips purse for a moment while she resumes her steps inside. "Why did you not bring your families with you? Visit them? Were they killed?" An answer to one or more of those would address her curiosity.

Fizzlesnoot is quite happy to answer as he follows in, "Well, my father was too old to make that kind of travel with the Coalition laying siege to the city. They payed for me to get passage with another group heading out of the city, and luckily we made it through. Unfortunately, I ended up in the Chi-town burbs after that. We didn't know that’s where they were headed, just knew they were leaving Tolkeen." His rambling kept in check as he always likes to take in the massive view upon entering.

Gabriel follows quietly. "My wife was killed. I don't know what happened to my family. I hope that they lived out their lives long and happy, and bore me many grandchildren in a line that lasted until the world went to hell. And maybe beyond, but I just don't know it." He takes in the sights, and exchanges a few words with one of the docents.

"This Tolkeen was under siege? By whom?" Aya continues to be curious. "What is Chi-Town?" Hands lift to doff her hood before the revealed head turns towards Gabriel. "You are very old?" She is uncertain whether it should be statement or question, based on his comments.

Fizzlesnoot gives a sad look up to Gabriel, well it could be a sad look, with him it's hard to tell, "It's a tragic thing to lose your family. Anyway it happens." Aya's questions are a good reason to not linger on the topic, "The Coalition, you know, the soldiers in the skull costumes. They seem to hate everyone unless you are a human that hates everyone too, and even then they probably still hate you. Bad bunch of people, powerful though. Chi-town is their capital I suppose, and the Burbs are a little shanty town outside the main city. You can't get in if you're not human, and you're barely tolerated in the burbs. Some days, they would send sweeps in, to hunt us non-humans down. Just have to learn to hide yourself, or leave, like I did. Leaving's not so easy for some though."

The old man shrugs and chuckles. "In one way, yes, I am very old. In another way, yes, I am old for most people these days, but not ancient. But because of my life, I have a definite old view of things. Experience, if nothing else." Gabriel listens as Fizzlesnoot explains about the Coalition, adding in his own, "The Coalition seems to be the equivalent of the Nazis of my era. But that's a discussion for another time - a very ancient time that I come from. And you, Aya? Alone leaving family behind somewhere?" He starts to strip off the completely unnecessary greatcoat, and silently unlatch his inner jacket. But not all the way.

"No," Aya shakes her head, "I have no family. Not any longer." The description of the Coalition is more familiar than Nazis and she nods. "Yes, I met Coalition soldiers once before."

Fizzlesnoot listens for a bit removing his own makeshift all weather gear, tucking it neatly into his carpetbag, the coat topping it off to the point he struggles to get the musty old bag closed, but he does get it closed and re-shoulders it to it's customary place.

Gabriel wanders a small area, stretching his legs and enjoying the beauty of the museum. "Your family is lost then? May God be with them," he says reverently. "How is it that this is the first city that you've ever been in - and yet you immediately gravitated to and felt completely at home in an enclosed gymnasium and swimming pool, Aya?"

Aya loosens and opens her cloak to allow heat in. She continues to converse and walk, displaying some measure of coordination. "My mother died when I was young. I have traveled since that time. I did not need to visit a training area or pool to know how to spar or swim."

Fizzlesnoot follows along listening to the two chat, his big eyes taking in the sights. Gabriel's question bringing his attention back on Aya with a curiosity for the answer as well, though maybe for different reasons.

"Oh? Natural instinct? You're perhaps part... tiger? Warrioress and swimmer?" Gabriel keeps simple pace with Aya, allowing her to take her own gaze wherever it might go. "Most animals, even humans, are born with an innate sense of self-preservation. But actually calling it sparring?" He raises an eyebrow. "Your choice of words is interesting."

"Some is instinct," Aya nods without turning her head towards Gabriel, "some is not. My mother passed much of her knowledge to me before her death. Are my words wrong? I did not intend them to be." As he has already pointed out, her grasp of the language is far from flawless.

Fizzlesnoot smiles, maybe finding some innocent amusement in her confusion with the language, "You will catch on in time." he comments to her, "Languages can be tricky. I'm currently learning Russian, and it's not that easy to change the way you talk, that's for sure. I do like the way if flows when spoken true to its form. May I ask what language is your native language if American is not?"

"No, I think that your words are right. Your mother was a teacher, then? Like a tribeswoman, teaching the warrior craft? Or perhaps the lioness teaching her cub?" Gabriel then falls quiet, not wanting to completely stomp over the D-Bee's questions. He looks up a few levels to where a new art exhibit has apparently been installed, and enjoys it while he listens.

Aya seems to pay little attention to the displays around them, or any other visitors, beyond moving to not step into them. "I am her daughter. Do mothers here not share their knowledge with their daughters? How would they survive?" This halts her feet in favor of curiosity. In response to Fizzlesnoot's question, she explains, "I also speak the language of elves and dragons."

Fizzlesnoot tilts his head with a smile, and maybe using this a chance to show off a bit, he changes languages to that of the elves and dragons, 'I too speak the same. Languages are one of my interests among many. I am fluent in a variety.' and not to be rude he reverts back to the American they have been speaking all along, "Is that your native tongue where you are from?"

With a nod, Gabriel acknowledges, "Of course mothers teach. But I asked if it was warrior craft. Some mothers teach sewing. Some teach painting. Some teach how to kill. Mothers teach everything - it's just that you mentioned your mother and sparring close to one another. Which I do believe is a strange combination, even these days. Particularly my day." He hesitates, and asks, "Did your father leave you and your mother, so it was up to her to teach you?" Then there is just a slight smile at the foreign language. "I used to speak many languages, but my travel here caused me to forget much of what I'd learned over my life."

"Yes," Aya nods twice; once to each, "but I did not speak it often. Most I met spoke human. My mother was a warrior, like her mother before her. It is passed from one to the next. I know nothing of a father." Gabriel's last statement promotes curiosity. "How did your travel affect your mind and memories?"

Fizzlesnoot finds that last part from Gabriel interesting, "I'm curious about that too. I couldn't imagine just forgetting all you knew how to do. Seems odd, you have other memories of your past."

Gabriel listens and nods. "I know nothing of any other language beyond the dozens of human languages. You never knew your father, then? A matriarchal society, like elephants?" He sniffles for a moment, considering his next answer. "I'm a special kind of warrior, and I was working for my government when they experimented with a device that... apparently threw me centuries forward in time. There were thousands of upon thousands under my command at the time, an entire battleship's compliment plus a security force and technicians. We didn't last very long against this new world. I'm the only survivor, my wife died in my hands, only a few yards from safety." As he continues, his voice becomes softer and softer. "I don't know how or why, but something about being ripped through time, or dimensions - whatever you want to call it - knocked things from my head. Even simple things, like swimming, and languages. I retained some, but I lost much. No doubt others could explain it better than I can." His recounting was told reverently, and even his drawl had become lighter. "I seemed to remember most of the military details. Perhaps because that's what I was doing at the time. I don't know."

Aya nods once more. Affirmative response as well as simple acknowledgment. "Yes, but I do not know elephants. You were unprepared, before. Now you should not be. Will you train those you now lead to be better warriors than those before? Your loss of knowledge is..." Again she sifts for a term, finally settling upon "a weakening."

Fizzlesnoot nods solemnly, "That is quite the history. What was the point of coming through time as a military force? I would think it much easier to come through as an explorer at first. Was this the first time your people tried this?" he sounds full of curiosity with the story, knowing there is so much more to it under this sad surface.

The man chuckles, "I'm not sure that I lead very many." There's a short pause. "I've actually recovered much of what I lost, and for the most part, wouldn't consider myself to be very weak anymore, except for having no special powers beyond knowledge and experience. It's simply annoying to have to take the time to sit and work on remembering something that I once knew," Gabriel confirms. "But yes, I teach anything that I know to anyone who asks. At least, so far. There will inevitably be people here and there who want to know one of my more unusual skills, whom I don't think should have it." Fizzlesnoot receives an odd look. Not because of the legitimate question, but because of the answer. "We weren't doing anything as a military force. The men and women under me were part of a security force to look after the scientists and techs at sea. I don't know what the device was supposed to do, but unless I was the one left in the dark, and they were risking four-thousand lives for time travel - it wasn't an invasion. It was some kind of mistake, I assume."

"How many do you now lead? You asked for my help with them. What are your goals for this force?" Aya feels that this qualifies her to know more of Gabriel's new band of warriors. She is curious of the present and future and leaves the past be. It is past and she cannot change it.

Fizzlesnoot nods with an understanding, "Oh, I see. It was exploratory, now that makes sense. It was the battleship part that was confusing. Very interesting story." Pulling from his pocket a small watch, giving it a glance, "Oh dear. I must be going. I am already late. Oh, I wanted to tell you, I saw that girl from the papers. Took me seeing her again to realize, she is always there. Comes in all the time, a regular. I do have to get going though. It was very nice meeting you Aya, I hope to see you around some more."

Gabriel waves to Fizzlesnoot and offers some polite words of parting before returning to Aya. "It's not a military force. It's a force of good. Peaceful. Building lives. But I do need a few people - not many, just a few - to keep an eye out on them, because they're on the edge of the 'Dregs. Which as I'm sure you recall me saying, is a dangerous place. However." The man stops in his tracks and looks to the warrior woman. "I do have one very specific mission right now, and it's very dangerous - at least to me. I'm the leader, and we're trying to stop a very dangerous gang of very organized vampires." He smiles and shrugs. "I sure could use a strong arm. Or blaster. Whatever it is that you prefer."

Aya begins to reply before she also stops to reconsider. "What is this specific mission? Destroy the vampires?" That is the obvious choice implied by his description.

"Yes, destroying the vampires is the first part. There's more, but right now, that's the most immediately important one." Gabriel nods his head and points to the 'Dregs. "They're not acting like vampires, they're smart. Smart enough to get humans to work with them, work for them, even pay them in money and merchandise. They're spreading like a mold. Destroy one particular vampire, and the rest will likely begin to crumble."

"Their leader," Aya nods firmly. That is a simple, logical conclusion. "Do you need to learn which one to destroy?"

Gabriel smiles and shakes his head. "Oh no. I know which one to destroy. The problem for a person like me is getting close enough to kill a master vampire who also has devious brains."

Aya is silent as she considers that problem. "If you cannot get close, strike from a distance. If you cannot defeat the leader in mind, defeat it with strength, numbers, or speed."

The man is patient. "Yes, I know. That's obvious. But she works from within a fortress guarded by other vampires, loyal cyborgs and even customers who like what she has to offer. It is not so simple as you think." Gabriel does add, "However, I had an excellent plan, which would have worked beautifully. Unfortunately - or fortunately - I discovered that there was a spy within my group only hours before I was set to attack. I called it off, and then circumstances changed. Right now? I can only continue to gather intelligence and rethink strategy. Intelligence that I'm actively gathering."

"You need strong minds," Aya shakes her head, "not strong arms, if you do not have a plan to act on. You also need better security if there are spies among your band."

"There are no further spies. As I said.. intelligence is being gathered. If you could offer me tips on how to better kill a vampire, that would be very useful to me. The man who was going to be the assassin is off in the wilderness right now, so there's a hesitation there, as well." Gabriel sighs. "People continue to push for immediate action. I continue to tell them that it is better to hit a shield known to be strong with a strong weapon of your own than it is to hit a shield of unknown strength with a sword whose strength is questionable. Patience. All will come in time. People die because they run off with simplistic ideas for complex situations in which they're not versed." Perhaps it is a lecture, but he already freely admitted to occasionally offering the lecture. "There we no vampires in my time - but evil is evil."

Aya makes no argument against his opinion. "I only know that they must be destroyed. If they grow in power while you plan, soon is better than not, but I do not know anything of this leader or how it leads. You need to finish that threat before you spend the time and thought to help others rebuild."

Gabriel immediately agrees. "Oh yes, you're right. For rebuilding, right now I am only making the smallest inroads. My attention is focused on the vampires." He smirks a little - a friendly smirk - "I don't suppose you can become invisible to regular optics and thermal sensors, up close?"

"No, I cannot." Aya shakes her head. "Those who know magic could do this, possibly?" It is only a tentative suggestion, but the only one she can think to make.

Gabriel frowns slightly. "Yes. I took great pains to outfit our assassin with magic that could do that. Now? He's off somewhere to the north." The man offers up a shrug, then raises his eyes to the museum. "Beautiful isn't it? But like so much these days, it centers around violence." He points to the old 'Big Dog' robot centerpiece. "May I call on you, for advice and a strong arm when I move? I do guarantee that it will be soon. Just not as soon as some people would like. In fact - how would you stand up against two cyborgs tricked out for security duty?"

Aya lifts a hand in a vague gesture. "I do not know. I have not battled cyborgs. Warriors in armor and wild beasts, not machines."

"I understand. At least you knew what kind of world you were growing up in!" The man offers a smile and a chuckle. "Do you have the strength of a vampire? Their speed? Or importantly, resistance to mind control?" Gabriel steps aside as a family enters the museum, heading for one of the upper floors.

"No," her head shakes again after very little time spent for Aya to evaluate.

The man shuffles a little. "Ah. Well, I haven't met anyone yet who has. More-or-less." Gabriel's last statement may be somewhat cryptic, but he leaves it at that. "May I ask what it is that you do? Simply fighting men and beasts? Not that it's a bad thing, lots of people are front-line fighters. But if you could detail your abilities, it would help me determine how to fit you into the successful equation." The man's words always sound a little odd; fairly educated and with a tempo of upper-class, but with the drawl of a backwoods Kentuckian.

The potential mismatch of dialect and dialogue is lost on Aya. "I am a warrior, skilled in many weapons. Blade, staff, rifle... I would fight vampires or cyborgs if needed. I have not yet needed to."

"Okay," Gabriel says, listening. "How about this. If I were to pit you against two cyborgs, could you keep them busy and stay alive at the same time? Think about it a little." He starts to re-latch his lighter jacket. "Maybe one of these days, I'll watch you in the sparring ring - just remember, it's sparring. People aren't meant to get hurt."

"I will think and train on it," Aya nods. "If cyborgs are plentiful, many could become enemies." This makes it wise for her to learn of this. In fact, she decides that it is far more important than museums. Aya turns and moves for the exit without any further explanation.

As Aya turns, Gabriel follows, unfurling his greatcoat from over his arm and tossing it over his shoulders.