Jun 06 21:56:27 106 PA
From Chronicles
Tirzah is rather fond of the library late at night. Though it is usually peaceful at any time as a library should be, after the sun sets it is truly quiet. And that's when Tirzah likes to read, alone, at a distance, but not beyond contact. So carrying a few books into the garden she makes herself comfortable on the grass and goes about her read. The books have a peculiar theme, Psychology.
Kid will come in not too long after, dressed in her casual garb with the addition of her keyboard. She has it laid carefully over one shoulder, held in place by one hand. She seems.. in a balanced mood, a small book in her other hand, the worn leather of the pocket book showing the tale of much use in the past. A little notebook that she continues to study as she moves into the garden, heading generally towards the central fountain.
Tirzah glances out from under her book when she notices the movement in her peripheral vision. But seeing its just Kid she goes back to her reading. Not really having much more interest in the would be reporter considering such interest tends to burn her for trying. Her thoughts do glance over the possibility Kid will find it profitable to go on Sage's trip, but its not likely. Humming softly to herself she gets back into 'Psychological links'.
Kid notices Tirzah as well when she draws near. When she does, the small book snaps closed and she's quick to slip it into her jacket. She pays little attention to the book itself and, ultimately, doesn't move directly to settle near Tirzah. "Nothing to say?" A casual prompt when she pauses just before she moves the keyboard from over shoulder to be cradled carefully in her arms as she settles down near the fountain, leaning back against it before she settles the machine across her lap.
Tirzah lowers her book to give Kid a curious glance. Is she baiting Tirzah? Is Tirzah being harsh? No real way to tell.. "Hello." She manages, though some other options came to mind. She then hesitates, wondering if she can go back to her reading.
Kid smirks faintly at the greeting given, seeming amused. "I guess that's a no." She glances towards Tirzah as she flicks on the instrument. "Wouldn't have thought you so skittish." She returns her attention to the keyboard, adjusting it for a moment before she flutters her fingers across the keys, the sound of glass bells coming through at a soft volume with each touch. There is a subtle relaxation in her expression at the sound.
Tirzah's glance becomes more of a glare at Kid calling her skittish. Sighing the sets the book down on her chest. "I didn't come here for a confrontation." She states simply, her expression slightly tainted with exasperation. "Is there something you want?" She asks, realizing that Kid might not address her at all without a motive.
Kid shrugs as she lifts her hands after the finger flutter, paused for a moment before they settle down slowly. She twiddles two keys at the lower end of the scale for a few moments before she looks up. "Just.. curious. That's all," she responds, her expression slid back into it's vague balance. She starts to play slowly, a vague tune with melody but no specific song. "I guess I'm just in one of those moods."
Tirzah smirks at that comment. "Guess you're not such a cold fish then." She says softly. She sits up to lean against the fountain so she might read and regard Kid as needed. "Sage mentioned you might be coming to get the journal." She offers, giving Kid a chance to prove her wrong.
"You don't know anything about me," Kid notes, continuing to work her fingers over the keys, letting her music wander as one might do the same for their mind. It doesn't always produce neat and orderly things, but occasionally something nice comes about. "I might. Depends on a lot.. unlike a lot of people, I'm not a charity. I like being paid for my time. So it depends."
Tirzah shrugs, not bothered by her statement. "You guard everything about you." She replies simply, considering leaving it at that and going back to her book. But not wanting to cut things completely she decides not to yet. "There's a large but rarely noticed gap between charity and opportunity. Just because you don't get cash from your time doesn't mean it wont be profitable. From what I've read, good reporters understand that distinction intuitively." She notes, and smirks as she glances back at Kid.
"I'm not a reporter yet. I'm still a DJ," Kid replies simply, her playing paused for a moment. She adjusts it slightly as she adds, "But enlighten me.. just what kind of opportunity is there to go traipsing off to who knows where going after some book? Better be good since going out into that mess isn't something I do lightly." She pauses, then glances at Tirzah. "And I don't ever recall you asking me anything about myself."
Tirzah nods, conceding that point without any apparent bother. "Well when I look at you, its like looking at a vault in a way. But another, like Sage, a park. It's purely perception and to put spin you could understand on it, I have no reason to see any value to cracking your vault. But, that's probably a good trait for a reporter, so don't fret yet. As for opportunity, did you know the Sage was the leader of a pilgrimage of sorts, bringing refugees here from there village? Since then they've integrated into the city, followed new paths. But I've heard one of them is quite politically minded. Could be a big player in town down the road. Knowing more about his origins could give a good reporter a keen edge if he does." She explains, wondering if that's sufficient or not.
Kid considers Tirzah silently for a few moments. "Not worth it, huh? Could take that a lot of ways." None of which seem that positive by the coolness of her tone. But she shoves aside that emotion, schooling her expression again as she states, "If you think some old bumpkin is going to break into anything significant around here, I'd think you've got too much faith in whoever it is." She shrugs faintly. "But no, I didn't know that."
Tirzah snickers at Kid with that, looking back into her book. "Maybe you're not cut out to be a reporter then." She notes as she finds her spot on the page. "Reporters may have motives, reasons to say things one way instead of another. But the don't have unfounded bias." She states before focusing on the book.
"And just cause I don't know one thing I have none of that shit? Every time you make some smug, obviously uninformed assumption about me, it makes me wonder if I even want to bother knowing who you are either, I might be a vault, but you're as much a bitch as I am.. just in a different way," Kid responds tensely. "I have plenty of reasons. Even a few ideas that mean more than going on some field trip when if I ever wanted to find out about this prick, I could just ask Sage. She's not quite.." She throttles back just a bit and ends, "..not like you."
Tirzah shrugs, not losing her spot to regard Kid. "Yes, you bring out the bitch in me Kid. I feel guilty until you go and justify it. But I wasn't referring to you're lack of knowledge as your lack of prerequisites. I was referring to your definition, an old bumpkin. Its one thing not to see potential when looking, but to blind yourself to it right off the bat? Come on Kid, try focusing less on how I mange to unnerve you and actually listen."
"You don't unnerve me, you piss me off, "Kid states, her expression tensing further. "There are a lot of ambitious people out there. Go chasing after every one and you'll spend your life doing that shit. Just what makes you think the guy is anything but a small time player? Has he made any inroads into the government? Has he started influencing normal people around here? Cause I haven't heard a peep about this guy at all on the street. Which is usually the first indication of anyone who is deserving of attention. When people start talking about them in a serious way. So far you haven't given me a single reason why this guy is worth a second thought, yet you tell me to listen.. to what?"
Tirzah nods, not phased by Kid's retort. "Actually he might be someone you have heard about, or more correctly someone you've heard about might be him. Or do you have the life story of every player in town already recorded?" She asks calmly, deciding to let the issue slide from the tension between them. "And perhaps you're right, I really don't know. But even if you are, this path seems to have a few branches for you to position people into places of use in the future. Just another type of opportunity." She notes as she reads.
Kid snorts faintly. "When I hear about someone that looks interesting or useful, I follow up on it. So if I have heard about him, it hasn't been enough to follow up on. Of course, if you're trying to convince me of something, you'll have to be more specific. I don't have enough trust in you to take your vague word for anything. About the same amount of credence you seem to give what I have to say on things, though I don't beat around the bush like you do."
Tirzah shakes her head. "I don't have anything more specific. Sage does though. And you're value to my words is mostly irrelevant to me. You asked for them, I found some. Do with them what you will. Some more though. I find that position rather arrogant. Posturing without backing. For example, who are the political influences of note, and what are their backgrounds?" She asks casually.
"I sell information. I don't give it away for free," Kid replies simply. "Been a while since I was deeper in that racket, but like I said, I ain't no charity." She snorts faintly. "And when it comes to the real power players, trying to dig into their pasts can be dangerous. When it comes to the council, I doubt anyone really knows who those people are. I rarely do danger without being paid for it." She looks down to her keyboard again and starts to play again, though the smoother flow of before is missing. "Talk about arrogance.. looked in a mirror lately? You're starting to remind me of fucking Sebastien and his bullshit."
Tirzah smirks yet to be phased. "My vanity is another matter, though don't compare me to Sebastien lightly if you want words from me you can actually use. And your avoidance of the question is, well, exactly my point. How about an example of a major player, the head of NTI. Now I don't have all the details but I know the majority of KDPD and the military are outfitted by them. He's probably got quite a bit of sway with the said council. Yet, is he even a blip on your radar?" She asks calmly.
"I don't have any reason to answer your question," Kid replies simply. "You can keep trying to bait me in an attempt to prove you're better than I am, but I don't have to bite. And I will compare you to Sebastien because he did the same thing to me when I tried to meet his ass halfway. And I still haven't gotten that apology from him for his bullshit. Probably because he still thinks he didn't do shit wrong. Want me to stop comparing you to him, stop being like him." Kid and Tirzah are currently near to each other, with Kid leaned back against the fountain, playing her keyboard. The clear sound of glass bells come through with each keypress, but the current 'discussion' has ruined her flow, the sound that comes through not so smooth as is common for her.
Tirzah shrugs, refusing to be swayed as she sits against the fountain and reads "Psychological links." "When did this become a competition? Better than me, I'm not even in this comparison. This is merely an example of how you have not, and apparently will not explored all the avenues and gotten the facts. This cant be a competition, I have merely speculation and no ambition for more on the subject. This is your ambition as a reporter, and you have well nothing to show you'll be a good one." She retorts, her voice getting an edge now as Kid continues to try to make this a battle.
Having been up on the upper levels of the garden, Sage had immersed herself within the task of maintaining and making adjustments to certain displays instead of paying attention to who has come and gone. She works her way down towards the main floor, taking care not to rush herself after a tiringly long session. She sips from a bottle of juice as makes her way down the final flight of stairs. A small bag slung over her shoulder keeping whatever she saw fit to bring up with her.
Kid pauses her play, attention shifting toward Tirzah. "I never even said I was going to be one. At most it was an idle thought of what I could do. Right now, I don 't know what I'm going to be doing in the future, but then you never ask anything about me, so I'm not surprised you don't know. And even if I was wanting to be a reporter, I don't need to prove anything to you," she states, her own tone tightly controlled. "Want me to open up? You wanna know where my ambition shows? I'll tell you. Up until a month or two ago, I'd never been out of this city. Maybe a mile or two out there, but not more. And you know what the hell I did, I went out there.. way out there. Scared as fucking hell to be, but I went out there. Almost got killed by some monsters that I don't even know what the fuck they were. Used to live in the Dregs. Got out of there, got a good job. Taking care of the only real family I got left anywhere when I could have turned my back on her and stayed where I was comfortable. But no, I left behind my comfort zone and did what I had to. I don't need you quizzing me on some obscure bullshit as if I have to pass some personal test you've laid out for me for a job I don't even have that much deep interest in."
Tirzah pauses her read to look up as Kid pops. "Do you feel better now?" She asks calmly. Pausing a moment to reflect on what Kid said and give her a chance to breath. "At the gym you showed curiosity in what reporter's make. Maybe I took that too far. But, you didn't say I was wrong until now, so what was I to think? And it is good to see you do have a charitable side for the one that matters to you, that speaks well for you. You face your fears something most residents of this city would rather die than do." She puts her book down, as she considers addressing more of what Kid unleashed. "And I didn't ask about you because I didn't want you to just tell me what you wanted me to hear in reply. I don't know why you became so drawn to that abstinence. I didn't intend for it to cause you to release as it did. But now I know about you. I don't think you'd tell me like that as a ruse. What now?" She asks, genuinely curious as to where they go from here.
With the other woman likely making no serious attempts to keep their words amongst each other, Sage likely picks up the later parts of it. "You could stop sounding like you're judging her." She says simply, as she begins to walk towards her alcove. Her gaze drifts between the two woman, acknowledging them with a nod should they look in her direction.
Kid frowns, obviously not giving up on her annoyance just yet. Then Sage speaks and draws her attention. "Not like I ain't used to it," she mutters, audible enough to be heard easily as she turns her attention back to her keyboard. Though the inevitable fiddling that comes is more distracted than anything else. "What now? Depends on a hell of a lot. I don't trust you. And all that crap you spouted before didn't change a bit of it. Especially since, if I get what you just said right, you'd rather manipulate me to get information rather than just ask me cause you think I'd fucking lie to you rather than just not tell you if I didn't feel like being open." She lifts her eyes towards Tir in a sidelong glance. "Not very inspiring of trust in what you might do with anything I tell you. And I don't trust easy."
Tirzah blinks at Sage's remark, having never realized she was passing judgment. The ramifications of that insight take her a little while to process. But that's just how she sees people. Some self observation may be in line... But back to Kid she looks at her quizzically. "Why do you care? Who am I to you? What do you want me to say? I give advice, you hate it. I don't say anything, you object to that too. I ask questions, you hate that even more. I give answers, you don't even acknowledge them. Really Kid, what the fuck do you want from me?"
Settling down on the lip of her alcove, Sage begins to tidy herself up with a small wet napkin to remove any stubborn dirt that my have stuck on her hands. She listens to the banter between the two women, frowning faintly as the negative vibes only seem to continue. "Your approach and her perception are rather important, Tirzah." She says simply, before glancing between the two of you. "It is clear to me that it may be a mistake to have both of you come on my quest as well." She says simply, "It would seem I have some thinking to do." She decides against directing a comment towards either in that regard. Instead, she pulls out sandwich to help fill her stomach as it gurgles in hunger.
"You ask the wrong questions. And I don't like your attitude when you ask them," Kid replies simply. "Really, I don't want nothing from you. Right now you don't really mean a damn thing to me. Heck, if you get gangs on you, you could be pretty dangerous to be around, but I guess the jury's still out on that. I haven't gone poking, admittedly, but then I don't have a reason to. You see, I know how I am.. I'm difficult. Closed and locked off. You don't gotta tell me that, I know my instincts. I got a laundry list of reasons to be so damn difficult, but I won't bore you with the details. But because I got people that I trust and put a lot of stock in that nudge over it, I'm trying to change how I am. Try and be.. nicer. Maybe care about a few more people even though my first instinct is to write off just about everyone I pass on the street as meaningless to my life. It ain't easy and obviously I ain't good at it, but I try." Her eyes flick towards Sage. "Same instinct with her too, but I suppose she ain't so bad now." A faint smirk comes to her as her eyes flick back to Tirzah. "But all I get from you is some bogus quiz about shit that don't matter." She pauses and looks toward Sage again. "Hey, Sage. Your boy, the book guy.. he out there causing any trouble in the city? You know, trying to gather influence, worming his way into positions of power and other bullshit?"
Tirzah sighs with exasperation as she goes back to her book. "Well I guess that's the fundamental difference between us. What matters. I cant relate to your scale of effects, you cant relate to mine. I guess you started the conversation in an attempt to be nicer. I was hesitant, you defined it as skittish, and it went downhill from there. This is what happens when neither side will back down I guess. Well lets try one more question. How much to know more about those gang members who were at the deli?" She asks as she takes note of her page and closes the book.
A faint curl comes to her lips when Sage hears the flinty woman deem her not so bad anymore. A small victory, she supposes. She considers the words being exchanged by the other women, but discards the thought of trying to mediate the dispute since she likely doesn't understand all the underlying issues. Her gaze briefly shifts to the book in Tirzah's hand with a little curiousity before her attention is drawn back to the flinty woman as a question is directed her way. A faintly raised brow greets the question, before she purses her lips to consider it. "It is possible, I suppose..." She says, "He has likely wished more influence, but I am not sure if he seeks or is able to be more than a big fish in a small pond..." She offers a faint shrug.
Kid nods to Sage. "I guess it depends on the guy. But unless he's got a golden tongue, serious smarts or some bargaining chips, not likely he'll get too far. Even so.." Her words pause there and she glances at Tirzah. "Individually? Nothing. There are thousands of those fucks in the Dregs, so no one knows more than a few of them," She then turns off her keyboard. "But they were probably part of Clash.. or at least from one of the dozens of minor gangs. I didn't get a good look at their colors, but they weren't from either of the other two of the big three," she states. She shifts her keyboard carefully as she gets up, then looks towards Tirzah. "If it was Clash, better you keep your distance. They're a real grab bag of bad news. Really big too. But if you're going to want much more than that out of me, we aren't that close yet. Unless you're looking to be a paying customer, cause poking my nose in gang business is something I don't do unless there's a need for it. I only give away real info to people I trust. Maybe we can try again later, but right now I need smoke and a drink."
Tirzah grins, finally getting something. "Clash." She repeats, imbedding it in her memory. "Well that's certainly better than nothing. Thank you. Maybe another day we can talk about trust, real information and what it costs. For now though, I kinda came here to read this book." She notes, picking up the book she's been trying to read for emphasis. Opening it back up to her page she shoots Sage an apologetic glance before returning to the read. She had intended peace and quiet, honest.
A thoughtful expression passes over Sage's features as Kid comments about what qualities may push that Elder into a position of greater influence. "I have not thought of him as being particularly gifted in the first two... but I suppose he has the third when it comes to me. What else he might have, I would not know yet." She comments, returning to her sandwich as the conversation drifts towards gangs once more. She takes note of the words spoken, but she has no experience in this matter with which to chip in her own opinion. When Kid is finished, she interjects briefly. "Perhaps we can talk at some point." She says, before glancing towards the redhead. She pauses, letting her gaze consider the book once more. "What is the book about?" She asks softly.
Kid nods to Sage, then shrugs her shoulders faintly in answer to Tirzah. "A name don't give you much. Just don't go prodding your nose around where you don't know the flow. Word travels fast if you don't know a discreet way of looking around. Even if you do, it's hard to go unnoticed. Good way to get noticed. Noticed is bad." With that last bit of advice, she turns and walks out, keyboard gently cradled under one arm.
Tirzah shrugs, not looking away from the book as she answers. "Its about the links people form as they interact and how they guide that interaction in the future. Its a little dry though." She says, finding the book harder to get into after the practical practice she had with Kid.
"Ah..." Sage replies simply, before turning her attention back to the remains of her sandwich. She decides for the moment to let the woman read as she had claimed to desire moments before. She washes down her last few mouthfuls with the bottle of juice. Tags: kid, sage, tirzah
