Mar 15 03:03:30 109 PA - Security Women Can be Sexy Too

From Chronicles

Mar 15 03:03:30 109 PA.

EAST 'DREGS OUTSIDE THE IVORY LADY

The nighttime shift is on outside of the Ivory Lady. Gabriel is still there, once more clad in armor for the night. A night which thankfully is devoid of wind and rain. Still, it's clear that the man is tired, even though the men of this shift are still working quite efficiently. Most of the activity seems to be up on the roof right at the moment, but there's a gang of urchins going through the area picking up bits of trash right now.

Night time means fun. Cause that's when alla fun people're out. Like Bella. She comes walkin up from the even more broke down stuff south. Heads straight for alla busy stuff. 'N Gabe. "How's alla it goin? Ain'tcha done yet?" She's grinnin. Not really thinkin it'd be done yet neither.

"Nope," Gabriel says wearily, turning to face his friend. As he's never been the kind of guy to tire out, this is a significant milestone. "Just been working and working. I've got good guys working, but there's a lot of stuff to be done before I can open the club." He smiles and taps a finger in Bella's direction twice. "Before *we* open the club. I've also hired Fizzlesnoot onto the staff. Keep it under your hat, but I thought you should know. So.. how's the night?"

"Darn." Bella smirks. "Was kinda hopin ya got my club ready ta go already." Then a shrug. "Night's Ok. Course ain't done nothin yet. So figger it's gonna get better."

Gabriel allows - continues to allow - the possessive to pass. For a little while. "Oh? Someone promise you the club? Here I thought I was the first one to be given management of it." He seems to be without much levity at the moment, at least not enough to chuckle. "The night's late, Bella. What's keeping you?"

Bella grins. Shakes her head. "Nah. Nobody promised it too me. Was thinkin maybe I'd earn it though." Then she's back with more shrug. "Course that was 'fore ya got it. Now I gotta start all over witha earnin I guess. 'R get it the good guy way?" Now grins. "Worked fer ya pretty good right?"

"It did. Told you that the good guys always win, just have to be patient sometimes," Gabriel says with a tired nod. "Bad guys get arrogant, and have huge plans with grasps beyond their control. They push past anything that they've planned for, and without looking around at the other dominoes that will fall when it happens. Then they make a mistake, and then they leave an opening." He shrugs slightly. "Then it's over. Are you still looking forward to the security job?"

"Course." Bella nods. "Getta throw people out. 'N get creds fer it. My kinda workin." And there's more grinnin. "So. Gettin uppity 'n stupid's whatcha use? Ta know who the good guys are I mean. Know lotsa people like that ya know. Guess maybe I ain't meetin the right kinds."

Gabriel smiles, then laughs softly. "Not every good guy is an angel, no. We aren't usually the types to make ourselves known," he offers with a humorous wink. "If I hadn't inherited the place, I'd have been just as happy to have come and gone unnoticed. You know, you might have to deal with people who may feel that you've wronged them in the past." The older fellow eyes Bella. "What're you going to do when they come to the club with an attitude?"

Bella perks a brow. "Whatcha mean? Somebody gives me shit I'm gonna give it right back. They start somethin I'm gonna end it. Why?" Other one pops up. "Who's gotta chip 'bout me?" Then she's gotta smirk. "Ok. Sides ev'rybody that maybe wants me gone just cause."

The older fellow shrugs, his hands out and palms up. "Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Not the 'just cause' part, but specifics. Like we both know you had Sebastien running up and down - or at least, potentially. What if he shows up, sees you, and gets pissed off? This is a serious question, Bella. I don't want people being tossed out, even when they get tossed out, know what I mean?" Gabriel takes in a big, tired breath of air, and waits. "Security is to be a quiet thing. Every other spot in the city is obvious and oppressive. Not here. So? How would you handle it? Or if not Sebastien, than someone similar with a personal grudge?"

"Depends." Bella shrugs. "They go nice I be nice. They start shit I break off their leg 'n kick their ass with it. 'R maybe just get in their head 'n make 'em get out. Then I can break off legs."

Gabriel shakes his head slightly. "Okay, right there. No breaking legs unless someone really starts something bad. *NO* getting into people's heads. Enough people around here are already going to be a little wary because of what Donna did, okay? So you can't do that, ever. If someone starts something, just get some of your people together - yes, you'll have people - and quietly escort them off the premises. Only get openly violent if there's no other alternative, okay?" He pushes his hands down as if fluffing a pillow. "A subtle security. Use a lever, rather than just lifting."

Bella's brows go up. Again. "So. Somebody comes comin at me ta tear me inta pieces. 'N ya want me ta just talk nice? Stick other people inna way? 'N no just makin 'em wanna leave all nice? Whatcha want me ta do? Just ask realy nice 'n hope it works?"

"No, no. Someone comes in all mean, you kick 'em out. You're head of nighttime security, you do your job as necessary. All I'm saying is try to keep it as low-key as possible, okay," Gabriel asks. Laying out guidelines is different than micro-management. "Just remember that you'll have a crew, so you don't have to deal with everything all by yourself."

"Yeah yeah." Bella nods. "Can be nice. 'N not do ev'rythin all by myself. 'N th'other stuff too." Maybe she's hopin ev'rybody'll be comin in all mean. Way more fun that way.

"Right now, if the money works out, you'll have two strongmen at the front, along with a mage and a psychic. Two or three guys in plain clothes out in the crowd on the floor. All we're doing is taking away the heavy stuff when people come in. I'm personally sick as shit of being completely unarmed when mages and psychics are standing right next to me. In the end, though, you're the one on immediate hand to make the call." Gabriel manages a chuckle, perhaps coming out of his standing slumber for a little while. "I'll ask this knowing that the answer is 'no.' You ever heard of the United States Secret Service?"

Bella shakes her head. "Nope. But yer already knowin that." She smirks. "Why ya askin if ya know already? 'N why ya want me doin yer security stuff anyways? Sure it sounds like fun. But betcha got lotsa soldier guys ya can ask."

"Sure, I could hire experienced guards off the street, but I wouldn't know 'em. There's nobody better than you for working the night shift, and I'm just trying to do something nice for you, Bella," Gabriel says, his palms out and up again. "I've been trying to do good things for you since the day we met. This is just something else I can try to do to give you a better life. You don't have to take the job. I'm just offering it. Anyway... the Secret Service protected the President, and nobody ever knew they were there. That's the punchline to that story, and that's why I'm offering you the job rather than some 'Borg that looks like a giant, rusted out water tank with arms."

Bella laughs. "Yeah. Can blend in a li'l better 'n some big borg. 'R a jumpy juicer." He's gotta point there. "But lotsa people still know 'bout me. Only gonna work so good. Fer the sneaky parts."

Gabriel reaches out to bop Bella's nose with an index finger. "I'm going to turn you into a very official head of security. Someone of proper stature and look. By the way, I'm changing the club's name slightly, but that's not important right now. You've never seen me in my semi-dress CIA uniform. It's what I'll be wearing when I'm at the club. Everyone working security - except for the plain clothes - will be dressed similarly. Very snazzy. Flat black, you'll have your name emblem over the left breast. I'm giving you a field commission of Major. Two steps beneath me as far as the Corps is concerned. So you'll be identified by clothing and by name, yes. But you'll also be covered by the rest of us. As far as 'sneaky' you'll have the plain clothes, but when you need the others, just as softly as you can. Don't let shit start, but just do it quietly. How you do it though, is up to you - except for the mind thing. Fizzlesnoot's sewing up the uniform right now, and I think you'll like it. Very fitting for you, where you are, and what you'll be doing." Something catches in Gabriel's throat, necessitating a moment to cough, otherwise he probably would have kept talking.

Bella smirks. "Chokin on somethin?" She don't mind him stoppin though. Too much wordy 'n she'd prolly start gettin bored. "So alla that stuff. 'N I getta wear all black too. Sounds good ta me." She grins big. "'N I'll 'member ta not fack with heads 'n stuff." Then she's gotta ask. "Wait. Not even ta make people more thirsty? Buy more drinks 'n stuff that way ya know."

There's a chuckle. "No, no. Interesting idea that I hadn't considered, but not even to make them buy more drinks 'n stuff. There should be plenty to keep people coming in, staying in, spending money but leaving with enough left that they'll come by the next night," Gabriel smiles. "I do need to take care of a few more things with your image though, Bella. This is a beauty club. Hot women, even the head of security. Now..." he hesitates "... clearly I can't make you next month's centerfold, but I want to take you over to the spa on the River Walk. Give your hair something a bit more stylish. Also, makeup. Not a lot, you're not supposed to be a dancing girl - but people will expect something, even from head of security. So whaddya say? One of these nights maybe we can swing by the place and get you fixed up? I know you'll need to reapply the makeup everyday, but I'm sure one of the girls can help out with that until you get it down."

"First clothes 'n now I getta spa makeover?" Bella grins bigger 'n before. "Ya really wanna get me workin fer ya don'tcha?" She points a pointy finger at him. "Doin a damned good job of it."

Gabriel grins widely and happily. "Indeed, I am, Bella. I know you've been... less than perfect in the past. Even against me sometimes." An eyebrow is raised. "But you've got a good heart, and you deserve to be given chances - and I do like you as a friend, and I think you'd be a great colleague, as well. Glad I'm doing a good job of interesting you. You think we might catch the place tonight? Still a good six hours before you have to be home and in bed."

Bella shrugs. "Maybe? Know Sage does some night stuff. Guess we can go look right?" Maybe she's a li'l late. Cause now she gets curious. "What'd I do 'gainst ya? Sides tryina maybe eat ya that one time. But that weren' my fault. Ya started it." She smirks. "On accident."

"Well, trying to eat me that one time wasn't great, no. Trying to take over my mind at the club, that wasn't to great either," Gabriel says with a raised brow. "Never blame your own actions on someone else. C'mon, let's wander to the River Walk. If nothing else, it'll give me a change of scenery."

"Sure." Bella nods. At alla that looks like. Then she starts walkin. Changing scenery's fun.

SAGE ALTERNATIVES HALLWAY

Normally in the early hours of the morning isn't an hour where one can expect to get an appointment at Sage Alternatives. There are lights on, but the place isn't light up as much as it could be. A note at the doorway for Gabriel is about the only thing that gives any indication that the visit is expected. When they follow the instructions are followed, it takes only a few minutes before the hostess arrives.

Gabriel greets Sage with a smile. Oddly enough, he's wearing his environmental armor, but with the lid popped and tucked under an arm. His eyes are sagging slightly under what is obviously a need for sleep - as in after days, with him - but his spirits are still good, and his mouth still happy. Bella is in tow. He offers a, "Good morning, Sage. Thanks for shoe-horning us in. I doubt you're usually up this early."

Bella comes in the the lid popped metal guy. She ain't all dressed up though. Not more 'n her normal leather 'n coat anyways. "Heya Sage. I'm back." She grins. Points at Gabe. "But think he's buyin this time."

Sage nods faintly to the man, even if she looks significantly more rested than Gabriel does. "There are some benefits from being able to meditate instead of sleeping at times." She comments before she glances towards Bella with a small smile coming to her lips. "Hey Bella." She replies, "Are you saying you want the most expensive things then?" She asks with a teasing glance towards the man.

"There are benefits to having the trained and practiced experience at staying awake for five-days straight too, Sage, but then I eventually have to collapse, or I start to hallucinate pink bunnies in doorways and the corner of rooms," Gabriel chuckles, starting to peel off the armor to expose simple street clothing beneath. Bella gets a pat on the shoulder, and he answer's Sage's question with, "The works. Hair, makeup. Anything that will, ah... stick."

"Yep." Bella grins bigger. "The fancy pricey stuff. Course dunno whatcha thinkin 'bout doin. Ain't so much that'll stick so good. 'N ya can both stay up late 's ya wanna. Won't see me doin that."

"Try five days of treating patients with little rest..." Sage counters the man, before offering a faintly amused look at the pink bunnies comment. Then she turns her attention back to the younger-looking woman as her lips purse, "Well, come into the spa and we'll see what we can do..." She invites, before she begins to move to the spa door to open the door for her clientele.

Gabriel gives Bella a pat on the back, and follows Sage, holding his tongue as per specific instructions until they get where they're going.

Bella makes a face. "Five days? Don'tcha take breaks 'r somethin?" Then she's walkin on ta see what they can see ta do. Last time she was here was pretty good. Just not prettifyin stuff.

SAGE ALTERNATIVES SPA

Once they enter the spa, Sage has enough lights on to be able to see clearly as the task at hand requires the ability to see. She gestures towards a chair that's been prepared for Bella's arrival.

Gabriel steps aside. "Long time since I've been in a place like this," he comments, gesturing Bella toward the chair. "Sage, she needs to be very functional, strong. Take notice that she's there, and in a tough way. But also attractive. Modern. Sexy, even. If you could do something with her hair, and show her some makeup.. that would be good."

Bella even gets her own chair. Fun! "Ya know." Bella smirks at Gabe when she's sittin down. "Can do makeup 'n hair 'n stuff. Just cause I don't don't mean I dunno how." Her tongue pokes out at him. "Course it's fun havin somebody else do it too."

Sage's gaze shifts to Gabriel when the man begins to give instructions and raises a brow faintly to the request. "Functional, strong, tough and sexy?" She asks softly, "Is there something I should know, Gabriel?" She adds with a faint tease in her tone before she looks over to Bella. "And, choice of clothing can go a ways to create an image as well." She comments, before she moves over to reach out to lightly take Bella's head with her hands to better be able to consider its features. "So, the strong and tough part to keep people in the Dregs from taking you as a prissy girl?"

"I've got the clothing part covered, Sage. It's for a job. Bella's going to be working for me - legitimately, I might add. So envision her wearing a flat-black uniform. Little bit of shine off of black leather, dappled color of yellow and red piping. So functional and strong for the position, but also of necessity, rather sexy and alluring." Gabriel holds his hands out. "Hair modern, face done up right... mix and match, I'll leave it to you. My vision of modern is different than yours," he says, addressing both women.

"Cause he's old." Just in case Sage didn't know that. Bella's all helpful. Black ain't so hard ta think of her bein in. She's got lots on right now. Her eyes rolls up to try 'n look at Sage. "So. Got any good ideas?"

"Ah..." Sage replies with a glance towards the man before looking back to the woman, "Well, we should clean up the hair cut to make it look a little more orderly... use some hair styling gel to make the most of what we have to work with. It might be worth considering colouring the hair to be darker. Her paleness can be used to make it striking." She comments, "May need to even out the skin tone some with a toner..." She continues, "And, a dark lipstick to draw the eye to it..." She raises her gaze to the eyes, "Lengthen the lashes, and perhaps add a little colour with eye liner..."

Gabriel nods along in approval. "Yes, orderly hair, give it a wave if you think you could fit it in. I'm not sure that her... skin tone will be something that she can realistically put on every day, so you may have to just work with that, like you said. Play off the striking contrast. Bright red lips is actually what I'm thinking, but something to darken the eyelids. Bright eyeliner works." He tries to get directly behind Bella for a moment. "Yeah, lengthening the lashes. Some nice mascara in there."

Bella's the big center of attention. Ain't so bad a place ta be. "Yeah. Ain't thinkin yer gonna make me look all tan 'r nothin. Sides. That'd look really weird. Don't wanna get too fancy neither." She smirks. "If I'm puttin it on can't really see what I'm doin."

Sage purses her lips, "Perhaps a simple style then... mostly normally combed hair with a slight change where the hair in front can be held by hair styling gel like this..." She comments before taking a strand of Bella's hair in a small curl towards the right side of the woman's face. "Just need to get some gel on the finger tips... grab a strand near the front and put a curl in near the end." She offers, before hm'ing softly. "Perhaps no eyeliner then as it would take a fine careful touch. A eyelash brush is simpler. And, a lip gloss that makes the lips look red then... applied with a brush so that you can feel where you apply it. Just remember to press your lips a little to make sure it spreads evenly."

Gabriel nods more. "That sounds good. But if there's something relatively simple that just needs more fine motor control, please go ahead and do that. I have people who can apply that to her before the jobs starts. It's only the large things like skin tone that are unrealistic. I like the hair. Bella?" His eyes glance down, questioning.

"Can slap onna buncha gel 'n spike it all up too." Bella offers up. Grinnin. "Done thatta coupla times. Can put lip stuff on just fine too." She turns her head to look at Gabe. "Can just kiss ya a buncha times ta check that I did it right."

"I can give you a little kit, Gabriel." Sage replies to the man before she considers the woman's response with a nod to the first part. A soft chuckle coming to the comment about kissing, "You do that." She muses before she moves to grab the large hair-cutting bib she has, "Shall we begin then?" She asks before making any move to drape the bib around Bella and tie it into place.

With an approving nod, Gabriel gives Sage the go-ahead to start cutting and styling. "Work your magic, and I'll be sure to take the kit, as it will have to be a daily exercise. There won't be any kissing though, Bella. Natasha would never approve." He waggles his ring and winks, before fading back to give the two women room.

Bella blows Gabe one then. Just in case his other dead girl's watchin. "Ok. Let's see whatcha got Sage." She sounds kinda excited. Course gettin all prettied up ain't somethin she does alla time. Not really at all. Maybe cause sleepin in piles of rocks or rubbler or trash or wherever else in the Dregs gives really wicked bedhead.

Sage nods herself before taking a moment to settle the bib around the other woman to prevent the hair bits from getting entrenched in clothing. She takes up her scissors, but doesn't begin cutting right away. She takes in the hair as a whole. Once she considers the hair as a whole, she sets about trimming it even it up in spots. In the end, there probably won't be that much hair removed considered what little is actually there.

At this point, the vitally important mission is out of Gabriel's hands. He's given his opinion and guidelines, now all he can do is stand back and allow the expert to do the job.

Once the hair is clipped, Sage switch overs to combing it into place and using styling gel to make the front look as she suggested. She looks it over, making little adjustments as needed. When she seems to be satisfied with the hair, she moves onto the face. The toner is easiest and she experiments with options before settling for the one that seems to best match with Bella's skin type. Then, the lips as she applies the lip gloss and has Bella press her lips when she feels the spreading job is done. And, last, the more patient job of working around the eyes as the eyelashes are focused with a small brush and a container of the formula used to make them look longer. Finally, she uses a soft eyeliner applier to avoid having to use a pencil that would take a lot of fine touching and applies just a thin line of the stuff. And, as an afterthought, she uses a tiny brush to style the eyebrows. "We could always thin them if need be, but what do you think?" She asks.

Gabriel dips his head down so that he's looking right over Bella's shoulder toward the mirror. He looks on for a long time, before stepping back to circle her as if judging a sculpture. "I like it, Sage. Good red on the lips. Is there any chance... hmm.." His hand cups his chin, head tilting sideways. Another slight hesitation. "Is there any real light blush that you have to sell? Something to give her just the barest hint of color around the cheekbones? Something easily applied."

Sage hms softly before she moves off to consider the options she has, before she comes back with a container and a brush. It's a powder in the container that she picks up with the brush and moves it along both cheek bones with care not to add too much.

The only man in the room steps up again, once more beginning by looking over Bella's shoulder. Then slowly circling her. "Yes. Yes, Sage, I think you've got it!" Gabriel says happily. Bella's shoulder get's a squeeze. "Whadda think?" Then perhaps oddly, "Sage, do you have a camera laying around?"

Sage considers her work briefly, as if looking for both what went well or could have been done better. She lets her gaze towards the man. "There might be one around somewhere." She replies simply.

"Great," Gabriel says happily - and somewhat tiredly. "I'll need to get a close-up taken of her, so that I can have one of my other employees help her reproduce it. Maybe get a nice buddy shot for the wall, while we're at it?"

Bella sits still. Mostly. Ain't her best thing. Even worse cause she's kinda tryin ta see what Sage's doin. So just lotsa eyes rolling round everywhere. But Gabe likes it so she's gotta grin. "So. Take it it looks good? 'N ain't lookin like a dancin girl. 'R worse?" Then she's gotta wonder. "Not messin with me are ya Gabe?"

"You're on your own for those questions." Sage replies as she slips off to find the camera that's used for before and after pictures for those customers that want to see the improvement that's happened as a result of their treatments. The camera, she offers over to Gabriel as she seems to figure he'll obsess over details if she took them. Then, she goes back to begin putting together a kit.

"No, not messing with you, Bella. You look perfect. Strong and alluring at the same time, exactly what we need. Now just imagine yourself in a functional but sexy uniform, and you'll be set. Welcome to the Ivory Lady: Odyssey, Major Bella, Head of Nighttime Security." Gabriel pats Bella's shoulder and gives Sage a smile as he accepts the camera. Then fumbles with it. It's not like any camera he's used to operating. After a few seconds, he offers it back to its owner. "Ah... could you just get some head shots? Front, back, side, you know. I have experts who can fix it up again, as long as they know what they're supposed to work with."

"Good." Bella smirks. "Don't wanna have ta hurt ya fer messin. But I can get up now right?" She don't wanna mess up nothin neither. Since it must really be good.

Sage comes back with a brand bag that contains the kit, before setting it down long enough to take the bib off Bella careful not to land any of the trimmed snippets of hair on her client. The floor may have to be cleaned but that's easier done than getting it out of clothing. "Yes, you are free to move about now." She replies before she looks over towards the man. "Figure 70 credits should cover everything." She comments with the kit being held up and open for the man's inspection.

Gabriel hands over the required credits - and a tip. "Thanks for doing this, Sage. I know that it's not exactly your hour. But you've done a great service for me, and for Bella. I'll take the head shots, keep 'em in the kit. But... if Bella will hold still for one damn minute, would you take a shot of us? Maybe out front where you've got the pretty plants set up? Or maybe that garden over there?" He points to the corner.

"You're welcome and thank you." Sage replies to the man as she takes the payment and slips it away. Then she offers the man a faintly amused look at the request for a pleasant picture. "Just make sure it's ready for me to use then." She replies, before offering an exchange of the kit for the camera. "And you'll have to convince her to stand where you want." She adds.

Gabriel gives Bella a little push toward the exit. "C'mon, Major. Let's try to get one with the River Walk backdrop before the sun comes up." He gives Sage a questioning look of, "Okay?" Then steps through the exit and into the main hall anyway.

SAGE ALTERNATIVES HALLWAY

After a few minutes, Gabriel turns to hear the door to the spa open and waves to a spot near the window. "How about here?" It would give a good backdrop.

Bella comes on out. With Sage probably not too far after. "Ok. Mister Kernel Sir. I'm comin." She even sounds like she means it. Sorta. Kinda. Maybe? "Sure." She can walk over to the window just fine too.

Sage takes a moment to consider the light levels present and making a little adjustment, then she aims the camera towards the two. "Just say when." She comments, ready to snap the picture in a moment. Once taken, there'll be a promise of delivery once its been developed.

Gabriel puts an arm around Bella - a friendly arm, nothing more - and smiles. "Okay, here we go, Bella. Cheese!" Of course, who knows if 'cheese' has transcended the dark centuries. Eventually, a picture will be taken, and he smiles, promising to swing by and pick it up, as he has no real place to have it delivered right now. He offers a quick, "Thanks again, Sage," and is then on his way out into the waning night.

RIVER WALK OUTSIDE OF SAGE ALTERNATIVES

Sabbat was taking a walk after being told that the River area was rather scenic and not full of two bit muggers looking to get a facefull of energy-derived fury and hatred. Why is she out and about? Because she couldn't sleep, because she isn't used to sleeping like normal people, she's used to being strung out on adrenaline for days on end, with the stink of burning ozone and the ilk filtering into her cockpit and hazard sirens going off, so she's walking along out here, eating an apple.

Gabriel emerges from the spa first, the jingling of the little tinkle bell above the door his final percussion accompaniment. Unusually, he's clad in environmental armor, though his helmet is popped off and currently carried in the crook of his left arm. With an expression of weariness on his face, he still manages to look happy as he carries a frilly little kit of makeup in his free hand. After blinking his eyes deliberately a few times, he moves out a short distance, waiting for his friend.

Bella comes out after. But pretty much right after. She ain't dressed up like him. But she's dressed up. Sorta. The li'l bitta hair she's got's standin up. Gelled 'n kinda spiky. Her face is done up too. Bright red lips. Dark longer lashes. Her cheeks're even a little pink.

Sabbat deliberately watches Gabriel, I mean he did just leave a Spa, wearing body armor. She also has that predatory feel to her, like she's imitating the Raptors from the Swamps, knife moving to slice through part of her apple to bring another piece to her lips. It's the way she tends to watch people from the side that is peculiar, and misleading.

Gabriel can't help but notice an unusual and unrecognized girl standing outside of a spa during what are not normal working hours of the early morning. His eyes take her in and sum her up quickly and rapidly as he was trained to do, and has been doing for a long time. The verdict? A soft "Eh," and quiet greeting in a Kentucky drawl. "So Bella, what do you think? All ready for the job? Put on the uniform when it's ready?" He quickly points a finger at her. "No, I am not telling you to change in front of me. You get a room." A small smirk crosses his lips, likely only small because of the apparent weariness.

"Yeah. How many cameras ya got in 't?" Bella grins at him. "Know ya wanna get me outta my clothes." She's teasin. Probably. She don't worry too much about people around. Not when she ain't hungry.

Sabbat finally catches sight of Gabriel's company and calls out from across the way. "Hi Bella!" She says, the loudest any one has likely heard her, and even then, she isn't all that loud. "Aren't you afraid of being caught in the sun and getting his morning wood?" She says, this would also be the most mean she's ever been, and she isn't even all that mean!

Gabriel blinks, but seems to be in no mood for any real levity. Not that he appears angry, simply tired. "Friend of yours, Major?" Otherwise, he hangs back and allows Bella to approach - or not. Who knows, perhaps one of the street lamps with catch a glint of silver off of his right hand. He stands quietly, holding on to a helmet, a large makeup kit and with pistols hanging off of him that would do a good job of killing just about anything in the city as long as it didn't get the jump on him. Or at least giving them pause long enough that he could make an escape.

Bella looks over now. Grins at Sabbat. "Heya. Out lookin fer fun? Oughtt ignore him then." She thumbs back Gabe's way. "Used up alla his already I think." Then she looks his way. "Yep." Ok. She can get used ta the soldier names maybe. Way better 'n bein minor anyways.

Sabbat begins to walk over, the light glints off her sidearm too, though it's harder to exactly tell the make at range. "Can't sleep, right about now Finley would be waking me up to take over on sentry duty and prep my Unit for combat, or we'd be in combat. You know how it is, once you settle into a habit, they happen to be hard to break." She says in her normal timid quiet tone and smiles at Gabriel. "Want some apple?" She says, offering a slice on her small blade.

"Thank you, no," Gabriel says politely. His weapons aren't shiny. In fact, on close inspection, they have been deliberately dulled. Nothing flashed off of them. If it had, the old soldier would be falling down on the job, something that he doesn't ever do. The young girl's hyperactivity doesn't seem to get to him. No, the man has infinite patience, as anyone will learn. He's simply tired right now, which is fair, as he's been quite busy and no one has been phasing him for sentry duty. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

Sabbat shakes her head a bit at Gabriel. "I don't think so, I've only been here a week or so. Bella hasn't dragged me out to meet every guy in town yet. I should likely be thankful, right?" She asks, teasing Bella a bit with a grin, and then eats that slice of apple.

"What? Don't I get some?" Bella grins at her. "That's Gabe. Good guy gabe the big vampire killer. Kernel good guy Gabe I mean." She turns ta give 'im a li'l salute. Two fingers. Still better 'n just one. Back to Sabbat. "'N don't think ya wanna meet alla guys 'round. Most ain't so nice 's Gabe here."

Gabriel is quiet, offering a smile to a person likely two decades younger than he is. "Hello, then. Yes, my name's Gabriel, as our apparently mutual friend has indicated." He pats Bella's shoulder, though needing to do it by bopping her with the base of the makeup bag, as his hands are full. No comment is made on whether or not he's a good guy, or a vampire killer. Or anything else. Only the advice, "It's not a nice town, I'd be careful about who you get dragged off to meet, miss." As he has no other name, 'miss' will have to suffice.

Sabbat flashes Gabriel a country girl smile, if it wasn't for the heavy pistol she carried, she might come off as innocent. "You want a slice of Apple Bella?" She asks as she cuts another slice and holds it out towards Bella. "Well Mister Gabriel, I'm Sabbat. I grew up near The Swamps, meeting unfriendly people seems about normal now. Bandits, screwjob Coalition kill teams. Talking dinosaurs bent on destroying all of us.."

Bella grins 'n snatches the piece up. Pops it in her mouth. "Yum. Sounds like ya fit right in here. Always some kinda somethin tryin ta screw ya over somehow sometime."

"Oh, something new trying to destroy the world, great. Where are the swamps? It almost sounds like a place deserving of a capital letter, but I'm not sure," Gabriel says, obviously by his tone not mocking, but simply interested. "We have talking dinosaurs now, too?"

Sabbat bobs her head a bit at Gabbie's question about talking Dinosaurs. "Yep, talking Raptors, they even know magic the Indians say. Carry weapons and the like, force the tribals to fight for them as their gods, other dinos will even die to protect them. The Swamps are dangerous, people say they have dozens of ley lines and rifts in them, ancient evils slowly coming back to life. It's not a good place, don't go there." She warns.

"Don't sound like lotsa fun." Bella nods. "Runnin round. Worried somethin't's got big teeth's gonna eat ya. Gotta be shitty."

The older fellow has to stifle a yawn and visibly open his eyes. "Okay. But where is 'there'? Maps aren't exactly labeled clearly around here, as you've probably seen, and I haven't gotten out much farther than Whykin or Laramy." He stops to shrug. "Well, northwest Missouri, but that doesn't really count." Gabriel claps his hands lightly. "So you're here to escape the infinite evils? I wouldn't blame you."

Sabbat moves to dig something out of a pocket, an oversized PDA and taps it on and begins to scroll through things. "Uh..well nominally, it's in this place they called Florida before the whole ..cataclysm thing. Most call it Dinosaur Swamps." She says as she finds what she's looking for, and shows it to Gabriel, it's a pretty crude map of the exterior of the swamps, some areas inside of it, and then a map of her route she took to reach Kingsdale. "I came here to find some thing specific, some way to understand how these Rifts work, and if you can make them bring back things that got lost."

Bella just listens. Mostly. "Never been there. Dunno nothin bout no rifts neither." A shrug. "Farthest place I been was somewhere ain't s'poseda be talkin bout I think." Ain't much helpin from her. "Whatcha lose that yer lookin fer?"

Gabriel looks at the digital map and nods his head, smirking a little. "So the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is now a land of terror and dinosaurs? I'd have thought it was the mosquitoes growing to gargantuan size or something. But, I can't see any need for me to be going there. I'll keep the information in mind though, thanks." Bella gets an eye at flapping her lips about not being supposed to flap her lips, though he allows it to pass without comment. He does offer the girls a sad shrug. "Sabbat, they tell me that going where you want to go is impossible. Even a guy who specializes in time travel told me I can't go home. I don't want to rain on your parade, but I wouldn't get my hopes up. Might as well live with what you have, do the best you can."

Sabbat sighs a bit, not a sad sigh, but one that means she caused a misunderstanding. "I don't want to time travel, the village I grew up in quite literally disappeared with out a trace. Nothing left, the Indians think that a Rift ate it, and it might come back some day. Only way to really find out would be, well.. going inside one of the things." She says with a half grin.

"Dunno if ya wanna to that." Bella shrugs a li'l but smirks more. "Ain't been in none. But seen some'a the shit't comes walkin outta 'em. Pretty much all bad shit too. Ain't thinkin they all go the same place."

Gabriel shakes his head as Sabbat speaks. "Yes, yes. Me too, except I got the rift and time-travel twist at the same time. What I arrived here with vanished. Some people say that it came back a few months back, but if it did, it's gone again. Family's still gone. Country's still gone. Company's still dead." He opens his hands, leaving them more-or-less palms up. "Maybe you can find a more powerful shifter or temporal specialist than the ones I know, and if you can? I wish you well. It's a terrible thing to lose the place you live," he says with the tone of a person who genuinely knows it.

Sabbat grins a bit at Bella when she speaks. "I thought you came out of one." She teases before listening to Gabriel and gives a some what knowing smile. "I think even if I can't bring them back, I still need to get to the bottom of how the Rift opened where it did. The village was founded and fortified where it was due in part because of stability. They said they'd never seen a Rift there, never even had a magic fueled storm." She adds with a light roll of her shoulders. "I'm not afraid of the things that come out of the Rifts Bella, I've fought the spirits of soldiers from wars before any of us existed."

Bella shakes her head. "Nope. Not me. Didn't lose no home neither. Just got dead. Tell ya ain't no fun." She looks eastish. "Speakin'a that. Thinkin I oughtta get going. Cause I sure's shit don't wanna do it 'gain."

"I've seen a shifter open up a rift, Sabbat. Doesn't mean it happened to you, though. Just something to consider, I suppose. So you made your way up here on foot from Florida?" Gabriel turns to Bella, then his eyes turn east to a horizon that's just beginning to be crossed with deep reds and oranges. "Wow. This marks the beginning of day five without sleep. I can keep going, push back to fully functioning, but construction can go on without me for six hours. I think I'll escort Bella toward Main, and then head home for some rest of my own. Nice to meet you, Sabbat. I'm sure we'll run into each other around here, and you can tell me of your exploits fighting Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar." A head is bobbed politely, and he prepares to depart. "I'll keep the makeup for now, Bella."

Sabbat gives a soft wave with her apple filled hand. "I actually came here with my Ulti-Max, but that is another sad story." She comments and giggles a bit at Gab's words about her exploits. "See you two, don't get caught in the sun Bella, or I can't hit you with an apple later." She taunts.

Gabriel heads east toward Main, giving Sabbat a friendly wave as he departs. "You'll have to tell me what an Ulti-Max is, Sabbat. See you around." With that, the duo disappear down the River Walk toward the increasing activity at the center of town.