Jan 25 01:13:14 109 PA - Last Bits of Information About the Club

From Chronicles

Jan 25 01:13:14 109 PA.

KINGSDALE CITY MUSEUM (LIBRARY)

The bright orange figure of Fizzlesnoot is easily spotted entering the library of the museum carrying his big carpetbag over one shoulder. By the looks of his posture, he seems to be looking for someone, or something.

Gabriel is deep within the library, roaming through the stacks in the 'A' section, as thankfully the Dewey Decimal System was lost during the Cataclysm. Some good comes out of everything. He's humming along quietly as he goes. The greatcoat that he's been wearing and other snow gear, along with a backpack and his metal briefcase are holding a position at one of the tables left open for study.

Fizzlesnoot wanders around looking down the rows of bookshelves which is quite the tedious task. Finally though, he spots it, the metal briefcase that is quite recognizable from in the past. That leads him down to that area of the library to focus his search on the somebody.

Ah, there it is. Filed under 'A,' cross-referenced under 'U.' Gabriel smiles at having finally found a bit of treasure, and removes the out-sized book from the stacks, flipping through it as he works his way back to the table, nose in the pages and not really paying much attention as to where he's going.

Fizzlesnoot hops up onto a chair at the table where Gabriel's stuff is parked, to stand scanning the immediate area to see if he can see the man he is looking for. Just as a woman comes over to tell the little D-bee to sit properly in the chair or he will be asked to leave, he spots his friend coming around the corner of the shelf he gathered his book from. Apologizing to the woman profusely, keeping his tone low as the librarian had, he hops down and heads his way happy to find who he was looking for.

Now out of the stacks, Gabriel needs to look up for pedestrian traffic - and a bright orange wrinkly plastic rain cover is hard to miss. He smiles and lifts his large book up and down in a gesture of recognition as he walks toward his table. When in range for a library-voice, he drawls, "Evening, Fizzlesnoot! Didn't expect to see you down here. Although I can't say that I had any expectations of seeing anyone else down here, either." A smile is offered, as so many old sayings leave out sensible parts.

Fizzlesnoot meets the man halfway, turning to follow back to the table with him," Hi, I've been looking all over for you today, this was the last place I could think of, that you might be. I was hoping to tell you what I found. Which wasn't much, pretty much nothing at all. I don't think I know how to use those goggles all that well." hopping up on a seat as the two men arrive at the table, "I didn't see anything that looked unusual with those goggles of yours. I figured out where the Psi-Cola comes from, but that's pretty much common knowledge. Wasn't sure if you knew or not, or cared."

Gabriel smiles, holding out a hand to collect his goggles. "Well, thanks for looking. Not everyone's cut out for this kind of business. I do know where the cola's coming from. Now. Took another meeting with someone in the know to find out, but that's one good way to do it." He hesitates right before he sits down, putting the book on the table open to 'Animated Dead.' "But just for shits 'n giggles... where do you say it's coming from?" He holds up a hand and pulls out a small notepad, writing something down. The page is folded and held up. "There, that's my answer, so if I agree with your answer, you'll know it wasn't just bullshit." That elicits a wide grin from the man.

Fizzlesnoot rummages through his bag handing over the goggles loaned, "Well, it's pretty common knowledge that the Federation of Magic is importing it here. Have you heard differently?" sounding curious. A curious look goes to the book and the page it has been opened to as well.

Gabriel unfolds the paper revealing a large, "FoM" written down. "Apparently it wasn't common knowledge to everyone. Every time I asked someone, the answer was 'I don’t know' until I found my latest source. He gestures to one of the seats. "Sit down, Fizzlesnoot. Not really much to say, huh? Didn't figure that looking through a set of goggles would be that difficult." He slides into his own chair, frowning slightly.

Fizzlesnoot sits back down and gives a shrug to the comment, but smiles when he sees the paper, "I didn't think it was difficult, just nothing seemed unusual. Nothing you described I might see or anything. Oh. I did get a count of guards on duty. It's only four. The two borgs outside, and two mages on the inside. I also figured out that roughly eighty percent of the clientele comes in armor, but, about ninety percent of those remove it or at least most of it once inside the club."

A smile follows the new information. "Well, that's good to know. Thanks! Say, when you were looking through the goggles, what *exactly* did you see? Did you see nothing? Or was it perhaps that the goggles weren't penetrating the walls? Seems unlikely, but you never know. How many of those doors are there?" Gabriel slides back into his chair, getting more comfortable.

Fizzlesnoot gives another shrug, "It did look like I was seeing on the other side of the walls and stuff, just seemed like all normal club stuff to me. Nothing stood out as unusual or interesting."

"Okay, good. Armor off, also good. Everyone's still staying inside the building? No one goes home at night - or rather, day?" Gabriel lifts a brow amid taking notes. "'Borgs stay on watch, the magic users... I dunno, sleep there?"

Fizzlesnoot nods when he mentions the Borgs, but shakes his head to sleeping there, "Well, the dancers are free to leave daily, to go home, security too. Mages that is. The Borgs never leave, neither does Donna. The waitresses that are tapped stay in the basement, a cramped little dormitory."

Gabriel gives another solid nod. "Yes. Little dorm for the ones being tapped, poor bastards. How many waitresses do they have?"

Fizzlesnoot replies fairly quickly to that, a glum look coming to his face, "Well there was ten, two are gone, they probably have been replaced by now though."

"Okay, so she keeps up ten." Gabriel leans forward onto his forearms. "The girls, the waitresses. The beverage dispensers. I imagine that they're always pretty sharp on the job, even if they might be despondent? No evidence of coming down from a psi-cola high when they hit the floor, anything like that?"

Fizzlesnoot shakes his head, "Not that I have noticed. Mostly the customers like that crappy stuff. Tastes horrible." making a disgusted face to enhance the short explanation.

Gabriel's head quickly quirks backwards. "You tried the stuff?"

Fizzlesnoot nods, "Yeah. I wanted to see what all the excitement was about. Stuff is just plain nasty, barely got the first sip down. There was no second sip." the face returning.

The older fellow looks somewhat relieved at that. Gabriel sighs, then smiles. "I have another meeting, but with your information, this should be over soon. Can't thank you enough, Fizzlesnoot. Wish I could pay you, but right now? My wallet's even more empty - not sure I could recharge a clip without finding a good deal. Still, I'd never leave an asset wanting, particularly after everything you've provided." He reaches over and with a good bit of organization empties out one of his backpacks. It's a smaller model, but in excellent shape. It is pushed across the table. "Please, it's not much, but you can use it, sell it... I'm sure you'll find something. I have a small bit of armor plate that I'll bring by later. Now I can't give you orders or anything - but I would strongly suggest that you don't go back to the club. Not until this is over. Never know when people will get suspicious, never know when two sides will decide that it's a good time to start shooting."

Fizzlesnoot nods in agreement to the shooting part, accepting the offering, "Thank you Gabriel, I'll do that. I hope you succeed in whatever you folks attempt. I've actually been considering heading back to Tolkeen, maybe hook up with some refugees heading back that way or something. With the siege ended, seems like a good time."

"Yes, indeed. They're really flooding out. If that's home?" Gabriel shrugs with a smile. "I'd go home if I could, wouldn't even play Orpheus and look back for a split second. Kingsdale? They tell me it's the best place on the continent. I guess I just have to take everyone's word for it, seeing as how I can't do any traveling. When do you think you might take off?"

Fizzlesnoot gives a slight subtle shrug, "I haven't really decided if that’s what I even want to do, just seems like a good time if I am going to do it. And a whole lot safer traveling with a group. I sure don't want to do it by my myself."

"No, not from what I've seen. Can't roam any damn place without some kind of monster waiting to eat you, or a group of bandits waiting to take you prisoner and buttfuck you. I really hate this place." Gabriel takes a breath, then lets it out in a whoosh. "Have you considered moving in at the refugee camp? I'm sure they'd take you."

Fizzlesnoot rocks his head back and forth slightly as if he it has been contemplated, "I have, but I haven't had trouble anywhere else yet. I've been ok keeping low key with where I park my van. With the way it looks, not many find it interesting. An with the recent news, I don't see the place staying the way it is now. The gangs are going to step in soon as there is nothing left to offer resistance."

"True. But I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see refugees from Free Quebec starting to come in sometime in the next few months. Kingsdale seems to be a magnet for people looking for refuge. If there's a place to go? The existing camp is it, particularly if Marcel has an interest as simple as holding ground with numbers," Gabriel offers as a solution. "Won't tell you how to live your life, but if it were me? I might have tried the camp. Knowing that you're in a safe place is better than parking somewhere that you can only 'hope' no one decides to bother you."

Fizzlesnoot nods agreeing with the logic, "I'll check it out. What's this Marcel guy like. Good man?" checking his watch. "Shoot. I have to get going. I still have a long walk back to the Smithy and it's getting really late."

"Marcel? He's military. A defector from... ah... Iron Heart. I'm not entirely sure that I trust a man like that, but everyone seems to like him." Gabriel then offers Fizzlesnoot a wink. "Off to the Smithy? Need a shovel or something?" He shrugs. "Watch yourself. Strange creatures on that road, too." He then begins to return to his reading.