Jun 09 13:55:34 106 PA - A discussion with Emily of the Refugee camp
From Chronicles
This is a small camp of Tolkeen Refugee. It has been slowly growing in size. The city isn't sure what they should do with these people, but for now they are allowed to form a small camp along the west side of the Kingsdale city entrance. There are perhaps two dozen large tents setup. Each of them has what is left of a family, or a group of people who bonded together in their flight south away from Tolkeen. A new group seems to sneak its way south and show up here once a week. So far they are being very peaceful, but more and more of them are starting to wonder if anyone can help them. Most of them have been trying to find jobs, but as many of them are farmers the jobs are scarce right now for them.
Time and date set, Vixen rolls up to the refugee camp just a little early for the meeting with Emily. She's dressed in her usual town garb, coat of mystery and all, parking her highwayman in the same spots as she usually does. Once the bike is propped, killswitch popped, she eases off and pauses, lingering for a few moments as she waits to extract and light up a cig.
Walking out from the gates in the bright morning Tirzah nearly glows in her stunning gown and fiery jewelry. Her expression a mix of casual gentle and confident as she approaches the refugee camp for the second time. The notably better weather and time certainly helping her outlook.
Vixen casually tucks her lighter away and takes a slow, lingering draw before looking around. And spotting Tirzah on her way in. She pauses and frowns with obvious displeasure, turning to approach the other woman. She saves the words for whens he gets close and murmurs, "Are you fucking with me? This isn't a formal social.. I don't think you're going to get the sort of impression you hope for in that get up." The words low spoken.
Tirzah raises a brow at Vixen's dislike of her gown, stopping her approache momentarily as she looks Vixen over. "Actually its not the impression I get that my Elementalist gown serves, but the impression I give. I'm here to present myself honestly and openly, and this gown signifies who I am. I want them to be aware and accept that from the start, no deception, no ruses." She explains before walking forward again.
"Then if you want to pass yourself off as 'rich' and showy, mission accomplished," Vixen replies, shaking her head slightly. The two are standing at the edge of the refugee camp, Vixen's bike parked nearby. "Your street clothes would have been a better idea. Not that the dress ain't nice, but really bad choice." She shrugs then and turns, her cig lifted to be placed between her lips before she starts heading into the camp. "But we'll deal with it. Lets go find Emily."
Anastasi is already inside the camp and it's anyone's guess how long she's been here. Sitting on a table in what passes for a communal dining tent, she watches the refugees go about their lives. It's almost like they don't notice she's there, and a man and a woman sit down right beside her to eat and converse between themselves without as much as a glance up at the girl planted right beside their plates.
Emily is working beside a group of refugees preparing the meal for the camp, her concentration frequently broken by the questions of others, giving direction and advice. The simple meal is mostly made from meat hunted by the refugees and the vegetables traded for work with the farmers. Her movements are calm and steady, her awareness not yet extending to the outsiders.
Tirzah allows a brief smirk as she gives a slight nod to Vixen. "I am rich, and committing that wealth to those who need it. So save me your middle class rhetoric. Or am I doing a bad thing?" She poses with some venom as she walks forward into the tents. Its easy to find the cooking activity, though she cant know who is involved or their significance. Rather just stepping up and trying to be unintrusive she asks "Might I help?"
"Not everyone reacts to showy wealth well," Vixen supplies simply as they enter. When Emily is spotted, she speaks up to the older woman directly, "Emily. I know its been a while, but a lot has shifted and we got a hell of a lot to talk about." Said as she approaches, one hand holding her umbrella casually against one shoulder, the other lifting to pluck her cig, smoke sent off to the side a bit before she draws a bit closer, keeping the smoke to a minimum.
Anastasi marks the newcomers even if no one else does but she stays motionless and follows them only with her eyes as they walk past. She stands, turns around and walks across the table - again with no reaction from the people eating there - and hops down to step closer.
The instant reaction to Tirzah's arrival and comment is obvious. The women's faces close up, suspicion showing in the hardened lines and they glance at Emily. She straightens from her work, wiping her hands on a cloth as she moves across to face the women, her suspicion barely showing in her face. A flicker of her eyes suggests she has taken in Tirzah's clothes but she makes no comment. "Vixen." The greeting is abrupt, no hint of gratitude or real warmth. "What do you want?" Her voice is course, but her tone is not as abrupt as it could have been. "No, my friends can cope with the cooking of one meal." Tirzah's offer is rejected, without warmth or gratitude for the offer. Anastasi goes, for the moment, unnoticed.
Tirzah nods smiling lightly and not reacting adversely to the rejection at all. "Of course not. I'm glad to see you take such pride in supporting yourselves." She adds in reply before stepping back towards Vixen. "We'd like to talk about the options the city gave Vixen." She answers to their questioned intent.
"Just some time, I'll try and keep it minimal," Vixen replies with a casual grin. Not at all put off by the woman's manner. "This is about getting you folk settled somewhere more lasting. More comfortable. A base to start making a place for yourselves. I have a few ideas to offer on that.." She glances towards Tirzah, then notes, "The city actually took away one of those options. Or effectively did, anyway." She moves a little closer to Emily. "To keep it simple, I was working on compiling some resources so you all could build a place outside of Kingsdale, but inside their claimed lands. The council decided this was a bad idea.. they've said they'll take out any construction that starts. Their counter offer was to set at least some of you up in the Dregs. I dunno if you've been there yet, but it would be hard. Very hard. Other options I can see are just leaving Kingsdale's lands altogether.. not really easy either. Or Laramy, though the Deadboys have their fingers over there as well." She shakes her head slightly, a vaguely displeased frown coming to her. "I had hoped to come to you with some better options than those."
"Even if the Coalition wasn't in Laramy, there's no guarantee they'd welcome you either," Anastasi notes from behind and a little to one side of Vixen and Tirzah. It can be unnerving, the way she sneaks up on people like that. She keeps her hands stuffed in the pockets of her coat and her pale eyes jump from person to person like chips of ice skittering around inside a glass.
Emily's face remains closed, her thoughts held as her own, her lips tightening slightly at the news before she nods abruptly. "I see." Anastasi's appearance clearly startles her and she takes a step back, her hand moving to touch the knife at her waist as if it may be a lodestone. "And who are you?" The words are spoken harshly, the lack of trust obvious in her words. "We have few choices then. We take the land and try our best. We cannot keep living here and the other choices are not possible." A glance between the two strangers, Vixen known well to her, reveals the deep suspicion. "And what does your fine friend want?" A direct sneer, her upper lip curling slightly, revealing contempt.
Tirzah looks a bit taken aback by Anastasi's sudden appearance, a variable she had not expected, but forces a smile to keep that aversion from the surface. Looking to 'Emily' She nods at Vixen's explanation. "I have come because I believe I can help the transition to the Dregs be easier, and ultimately successful. Though I will say that it is perhaps not the best option to you. If you do wish to pursue it I have various resources to commit to helping you." She answers to Emily.
Vixen does jump slightly, though the familiarity of the voice retards the reaction. She turns, looking towards Ana with subtly narrowed eyes mixing in a little of everything before she schools her expression and turns her attention back to Emily. "I know her." Offered with a wave of her hand towards Ana. She then gets firmly back to business. "If you mean teh Dregs, you'll find we have options there.. though options aren't great. The place is effectively lawless. So we can take whatever we want. The issue is holding it." She glances towards Tirzah then. "I'll let her explain what she wants to bring to the table, but my man Leo and me have been getting wood. He can conjure it up with magic. It won't do us much good in the Dregs, though. Gangs and all, they can destroy what we build faster than we can build it. I got some ideas though." But she pauses there, looking towards TIrzah.
Anastasi's appearance isn't so startling as a magical snapping into existence. She'd been there all along and in plain sight; it's just that most people choose to overlook her and focus on more interesting things until she calls attention to herself. "I'm just looking around," she explains herself to Emily, smile tight and the wave of her hand even tighter. "Want to see if I can help somehow too."
Emily's face tightens and the expression on it is not friendly. "This is not a side show." She replies harshly to Anastasi, folding her arms across her chest, the defensive gesture at odd with the angry tone of voice. "We make our own way, and we don't need charity." Despite this, she speaks directly to Vixen, her coarse voice making the words sound harsh. "We'll take the Dregs. I'd want to know your friends agenda before we accept help from her." The jerk of her head towards Tirzah makes the subject obvious. "We'll visit the location they suggest, and they have my thanks. We have fought for everything we have now, and we will fight for that too."
Tirzah nods, her expression gaining confidence as she explains herself. "I'm willing to represent you, to barter with the gangs and arrange your place in the Dregs. In return all I ask of you is that you continue supporting yourselves and being good people. You see, you people believe in change, believe you can make something new for yourselves and start over. That belief is rare if not non existent in the Dregs. My hope is that if we go there and build a community there that does believe it could start to inspire those in the Dregs to find hope as well." She explains to Emily. "There are two notable hurdles to this. One is housing, which Vixen and Leonard already have a head start on, and I'll add to. The other is production, this wont work without a means to sustain yourselves. To that I offer to help show you how to recycle the metals and scrap that is common in the Dregs then we can sell the ingots and that will pay for the gang's ambivalence. Also Sage and I will help you set up compact vertical gardens to supplement your food and spices. I can also help you grow herbs that you can harvest and sell as remedies, as i have shown three boys here before."
Vixen nods her head once to Emily, accepting her choice without argument before she turns towards Ana, moving a little closer to share some discreet words, though after a finger is lifted to her lips in a silencing gesture. "You got skills.. I could use you, especially if this is going down in the Dregs. But keep it on the low for now, ok?" She gives the young woman a casual grin. "Discretion is the way," she adds lightly. But she is listening and has a casual smirk as she turns back to face the talk that goes on with Tirzah giving her offerings. "I think you can leave the gangs to me," she says to Tirzah. "I doubt you have a better line on them than I do." She then looks to Emily. "Dealing with the gangs is the main issue. Some we can work with. Others we might have to fight off or pay off. I'm going to see if we can't trade in this wood for something more durable. You got a sense for the sort of professionals you got amongst you?"
Anastasi accepts Vixen's advice with a nod like there's no other alternative. Discretion is what she does. "There's a difference between help and charity," she reminds Emily. "I said maybe I could help, I didn't say it was for free." Her look around the camp is laden with meaning. "You don't want charity, fine - but if you didn't need help, you wouldn't be out here slurping stew."
The suspicion deepens if anything, Emily's eyes narrowing at Tirzah as she lists the ways in which she can help them. "Represent us? How can you represent us when you don't know us?" There is scorn in her voice, "Tell me of these gangs." The harsh request matches the frown on the woman's face, her folded arms still a barrier between them. "Some of our people are skills with the growing of plants, we are not unskilled." The comment is to Tirzah before Emily turns back to Vixen. She pulls a list from her pocket, handing it to the other woman. "There are professionals there enough to build us a town. We might not have doctors or fancy dresses or the medication we need, but we have our hands, and our efforts." Anastasi's comment brings more mistrust into Emily's eyes. "What is the cost of your help? What can you do for us that we can't for ourselves?"
Tirzah shrugs, deferring to let Vixen see the gangs if she wants. "Then let me know you, or let Vixen. I have no stake to contributing anything to you. I'm just offering my resources, experience, and knowledge. Whether you accept them, borrow them, or reject them is purely up to you. I've made my offer to help, and I don't think you 'need' it. But I do think it cannot hurt. Anastasi does not speak for me, I don't know what she's referring to. All I know is you could use my resources to make things better faster, and I believe in helping people reach their true potential." She replies, giving a short icy glare to Anastasi.
Vixen winces faintly as Ana.. keeps talking. She twists and gives her a firm 'No' look and a cut across the throat with her finger. Then she turns towards Emily in time to receive the paper offered up. "Right now we don't need fancy. We need strong workers and maybe a few that are handy with guns. If some of your folk still got guns and armor, that will be a big help." She studies the paper for a few moments before she looks up. "The gangs.. there are lots of them. Three are the main issue, though. The Vigilantes are the one we can deal with. If we can partner with them, that'd make this a lot easier cause they have the guns in West Dregs. The Family.. if we settle outside of the northern regions, shouldn't have problems with them. But if we have to deal with them, they like money. We provide that in some way, they'll leave us alone.. might even help us if its lucrative enough for them. Clash.. well, Clash is like a rabid dog. You avoid 'em when you can. Shoot 'em when you can't. There are lots of minor gangs as well, too numerous to start counting them off and I don't even know most of 'em off the top of my head. But I can find out who they are and what kind they are.They're the second issue, cause each has to be taken individually. I'm going to scout out the area.. let me get a sense for it before we do anything, then we know what we're dealing with."
"People don't do things without an agenda." Emily's response to Tirzah is harsh, a snap. "We make take your assistance but I want to know the costs before I agree." Turning back to Vixen, she speaks rapidly, "Some still have weapons and armour, still are fighters. If we have to kill the Clash gang, we will. If we need to bribe this Family, we will." It should be obvious that Emily has a clear agenda to settle her people, whatever the cost. "If this council can let me know where we are meant to settle, we will begin work tomorrow." The decision made, no consultation with her people, she gives each of the women an even stare.
Suddenly understanding a bit more about Emily Tirzah smiles a bit. "My agenda is to heal the dregs, to close that festering wound of this city. I don't imply that your people can or want to do that. I believe your presence there would help, so I will do what I can to make that presence strong and forward my agenda. If your people need to fight for that presence then I will help, and so will my friends. If you need support to maintain that presence, we will help. my agenda is mine, it is up to me alone to make it line with yours. You need not fear any debt to furthering me." She explains letting more of her cold analytical side slip out as that seems to be what Emily expects and is ready to deal with.
"Woah, woah.." Vixen lifts her hands a bit. "Delay it just a bit, Emily. I can understand your eagerness, but jumping in before we get a clear look at what we're up against could be a disaster. Give me a few days to scout the area, I'll bring to you the information and we can go from there." She glances towards Tirzah, but lets her handle her end of things without comment. "There's a lot of nothing there, but I think you folk can make something. I just hope it will be easier than I expect. But better to expect the worse and prepare for it than go in with too high of expectations."
Chastened, Anastasi thrusts her hands back into her pockets and slouches her neck into her collar. Words burn on her tongue but she keeps them bottled up like a fine wine gone to vinegar.
Emily's gaze sharpens at Tirzah's words, the suspicion lessening but trust is an object not easily bought here. "Right. Then we wait, but my people need to move soon, Vixen. I speak for them, I represent them, and I know their names. Your friend here wants to heal the dregs, and the other, I don't know what she wants, but you bring me information on the place and then we'll talk, make plans." With that, the conversation seems to be over, Emily giving each a sharp nod, turning away, back to the fire.
Tirzah nods accepting the decision with humility. "Thank you for your time Emily." She says with deep respect as the woman turns back to her work. Then releasing the sigh from the building pressures and tensions she steps out, stopping to wait outside as she lets a refreshing skirt of rain wash over her.
"I'll make it as quick as I can," Vixen replies, leaving it right there. She waits a moment, then turns towards Ana and breathes out lowly, moving closer to her again. "First thing.." A finger lifted to mark that, her voice soft and discreet. "Help ain't free, that much is true. But what you get don't have to be creds and goods. Reputation is worth a lot and gratitude can fill in a lot of empty spaces, even though you can't ask for it.. only earn it." She smirks faintly and adds, "You also gotta learn how to read people and the right way to deal with 'em. And that includes when to not say anything. Its hard, I know."
"Hard to be sympathetic to people when you see them get taken down a peg and you start thinking they could stand to go down a couple more." Stasi walks with Vixen out of the meal tent, stewing worse than the stuff back in the pot. "She got offended at the idea of charity, then got offended at the idea of paying. You wonder if they had it coming up there?"
Emily arrives at the fireside and slowly, gradually, others join her and the low murmur of voices is heard as words are exchanged. Heated debate breaks out across the camp, discussion with glances thrown at the three women, as the refugees discuss their future. Emily cooks with an appearance of calm.
Tirzah shakes her head, combing the water through her hair as she finds a small smile. "Not exactly Anastasi. Its not that she doesn't want help or doesn't want to pay. She doesn't see what you want. I gather she's lived a long hard life that has shown her the true vision of reality and humanity. So anyone acting a part is clearly hiding something. Telling people what you think they want to hear is sometimes not advisable."
"You're dealing with proud people, chick," Vixen offers to Ana as she walks, the umbrella shifted a bit to offer some protection to her. "They don't wanna owe and they don't wanna be carried. But they don't got inroads here. So they need us." She glances towards Tir and muses her words before she adds, more generally, "I figure we might meet up again once I take a look. If nothing else to see what we need." Her attention focuses on Ana again as she adds, "Once I get a sense of things, I'm sure there will be something you can do to help. You seem way better at sneaking than I am. That could be a big thing." She leaves the refugees to their talk without a backward glance.
Anastasi gives Tirzah a wry look at her final comment, finding it funny. "Been sneaking around the Dregs for years," she tells Vixen. "Let me know what you need." She doesn't look back either, but she's not too proud to turn down the offer of an umbrella shared.
Tirzah nods to Vixen, accepting her in the lead for the venture. "Tell me what would be ideal when you know, and I will see what I can make feasible." She swears with a measure of conviction before walking off to return to the city.
"Good good," Vixen murmurs in reply to Ana, lifting her cig for a light draw from it. She then, as she holds the smoke, casually offers it to Anastasi. "Just weed, if you ain't against it," she notes casually. Some are, some aren't. She nods towards Tirzah at her offer, keeping her own pace slower as she moves back towards her cycle. "I guess you must be good," she notes to Ana. "Haven't see you about, after all." A sly little grin tossed in with the casual jest.
Anastasi takes the cig and takes a drag. "Like you said, you've been gone a while." Standing at the edge of the camp, she finally gives a look back in at the tents. "I'll tell you one thing. I really hope they don't start thinking that the world owes them something for landing them in the Dregs."
"True, but I've been back a little while," Vixen notes casually. when they pause at the edge, she turns to face Ana, a brow lifted slightly. "I doubt that. Don't let Emily get to you.. she's one of the sort I like. No nonsense, no bullshit. You don't get that often and it makes things easier once you get into the flow. She and hers.." A head tilted back towards the camp. "They're going to work and work hard. That's key. Just have to deal openly with 'em and don't expect 'em to fall all over you in gratitude. At least, not with her. A few of the others might." She rolls her shoulders a little, though in the wake of that she falls to considering the other woman intently.
Anastasi passes back the cigarette and isn't convinced enough to do more than shrug. "Just seems like there's a lot of wilderness out there waiting for proud, capable people to claim it, and instead they show up here." She shrugs again. "Seems to me that something's not on the level in that."
"The wilderness is hard, Ana," Vixen notes. "Dregs ain't that much softer, but there are people here. Out there.. you're alone. Dunno how much time you've spent in the real wilds, but I'm always eager to get back to civilization after some time out there." She holds the cig casually at her side, then wonders, "What are you looking for in this? Everyone is looking for something.. good bad or indifferent. What's your angle?"
Anastasi takes care of the important point first. "My name's not Ana, so don't call me that and I won't call you 'Vi'." She gets her own brand of cigarette out of a pocket - old-fashioned all-imitation tobacco. "As for what I'm doing in all of this? I've got an interest in seeing how things work out for them."
Vixen nods her head once at that. "Fair enough, on both points." She grins a little and wonders, "What do you prefer, then? And if I need to get into contact with you, what's your preferred method? Wouldn't want to compromise nothing for you by making no waves, yeah? Not always good to toss a name around and all."
"It's Anastasi, or just Stasi." She flips the cigarette up and catches it between her lips, turns it around so the right end is sticking out and lights it. "I've got a place at Raleigh's, just ask for the white-hair girl. Or leave word for me on the 'nets. I'm not hard to find."
"Alright then, 'Stasi," Vixen replies casually. "I'll be in touch." She pauses, then casually flicks closed her umbrella. Laid down beside her bike as she picks up the cycle helmet left on the seat, fitting it on smoothly. THe umbrella bundled into her bag as she prepared to head back into the city.
Anastasi rolls up the collar of her trenchcoat - a poor substitute for the umbrella - and turns her head to shield the cigarette from the rain. "Nice bike," she comments, eyes lazing over the motorcycle's curves like a hopeful lover. "See you around."
Vixen pauses after she's mounted up, considering the young woman for a moment. She then digs into her bag and offers up the umbrella. "You can give it back later if you want," Vixen adds along with offering hte folded up 'brella, words softly muffled by her helmet.
Laughing, Stasi takes the umbrella and pops it open over her head. "Thanks. It'll stop raining eventually." She gives a wave with her other hand before turning and heading up the road towards the gates.
"But it always comes back," Vixen notes, her tone given a sly lean before she pulls the bike around, skirting the other young woman carefully before she opens up, cruising apace back towards the city rapidly.
