Jul 13 11:33:52 108 PA - A Quick Head-Up
From Chronicles
Jul 13 11:33:52 108 PA.
KINGSDALE CITY MUSUEM (GARDEN)
Another lovely lunchtime finds Gabriel enjoying an obviously homemade sandwich inside the museum's gardens. The fountain is pleasantly bubbling and babbling, and since it is such a nice area, there are others sitting individually and in groups enjoying their own meals.
Erica walks into the gardens at a quick walk. She looks around until she spots Gabriel, and then she walks over to him. "Hey. What did you want to talk to me about? And why couldn't you just tell me over the radio?" She asks a little impatiently before she sits down on the edge of the fountain.
Gabriel just looks up with a smile, getting his sandwich out of the way for a moment. "Hey, Erica, good to see you, too. You in a hurry to get to somewhere more exciting?" He glances up and down her twitchy body. "I have work, or at least potential for work, and in my day you didn't just go blabbing things over the radio. Not that it's going to be exciting. But unless you have somewhere that you'd rather be, you're welcome to sit." He taps his bag and shakes his sandwich at her. "I have another, if you'd like it."
"Yes, but no one really cares about your day anymore." Erica says with a little sigh. "Ok work is good. What kind of work is it?" She asks from where she is already sitting at the edge of the fountain. "No thank you. I already ate." She says while waving away the offer of a sandwich. "So tell me the details."
"Today? The work is proving that we actually have work. You've heard of the mess down in the 'Dregs? Gangs on gangs, now it looks like it's going to be refugees on gangs, and vise-versa," Gabriel says with a shake of his head. "They've had a change of leadership - the refugees that is - which was rather sudden, and which is very extreme. Went from a fairly peaceful detente to a group of men and women arming themselves for battle. The gangs were ripping off refugees, but their old leader was keeping up a good face, looking for a resolution that wouldn't cost any more lives than necessary. But for some reason, she's out, and a new guy is in - and no one seems to know anything about his background, or why he and his ideas are suddenly so popular." He pauses for a bite of sandwich, then says, "I want to know why. A shooting war in the 'Dregs would be a bad thing for everyone."
Erica nods her head slowly as she listens to what Gabriel is saying. "Alright so the refugees have had enough and want to fight back, and some guy is egging them on. Sounds like a pretty familiar story." She licks her lips quickly before shrugging her shoulders. "So what are you going to do first, and what is my job?"
Gabriel shakes his head a bit, shrugs and says, "I'm going to walk in the front door and ask some polite questions as a concerned citizen of Kingsdale who might want to offer them help. It's often the simple things that work best when you're just getting involved," he offers the advice with an out-thrust hand. "You, you can look, you can listen for strange things. I know that you're trained for wilderness work, not urban work, but you must still have a good eye for things that are potentially out of place. Plus, since we're just going in as concerned citizens? Ask away. Don't be obvious about it, but chat people up. Plus, if I'm busier asking the right questions, it would be nice to know that there's a pistol guarding my back. Make sense?"
"Ok so I'm going in with you. Dressed in some basic armor I am guessing. I won't be able to wear by nice armor, but I have some backups. I guess it will just be us, hopefully not walking into an ambush." Erica says after a moment thinking. "Sound dangerous, but I guess it might work. We might find out a few things."
The older fellow waves a hand. "Yeah, bring the armor, but I honestly don't think that there will be much in the way of trouble. Just being careful, y'know? We won't be trying to infiltrate a fortress or anything like that. Just getting among the general population and asking questions. Sure, I'll take us as high as we can - but only as far as I feel is safe. No sense in anything more dangerous than that at this point." Gabriel shrugs. "If it comes to something further, *then* it will be time for me to put on glasses and a mustache, don a hat and walk in as someone else. Still," he pats his own sidearms and nods backwards to his sword, "won't hurt to be armed same as them."
"Alright. Well that sounds like it could work. I'll try to look low key, and not like I am out to pick a big fight." Erica says after listening to Gabriel. "If worse comes to worse I could scale the wall, and sneak in. Do some recon." She shrugs her shoulders briefly. "Ok so when do you want to do this?"
"Late afternoon, I'm hoping. That transition zone where people are moving off shifts, and there's still natural light to see by. People are generally more talkative then. Feelin' good about going home and all," Gabriel says with a smile. He then adds, "No wall scaling. None. No offense, but if you *aren't* trained for urban work, then scaling a wall could make you look *really* bad. Consider this a role reversal. Usually you lead and track for me out in the wilderness, while I tag along and do what I can. This time, I blaze the trail with you behind me asking those secondary questions." He waggles an important finger at Erica. "We are *only* concerned citizens tonight. Nothing more."
Erica nods her head once. "Alright. That sounds good." She mentions after nodding her head. "I am not one to start fights. I just try to finish them." She chuckles softly to herself as she stands up. "Ok well that sounds like I should get ready. I'll figure out what I want to take."
"Great. Thanks much, Erica. I'll get you - on the radio - when it's actually time to head in." Gabriel bobs his head and bites twice at his rapidly disappearing sandwich. In fact, he looks at it, finishes it off, and stands, gathering his things. "Looks like I'll be walking with you, even if we have separate destinations."
