Nov 01 00:29:56 107 PA - New Acquaintance and a Plan is Formed

From Chronicles

Nov 01 00:29:56 107 PA.

PLAZA PARK

Night at the park and Vixen is taking a stroll about the place at a modest pace. This in and of itself might be odd enough, but she's also got a sleep pair of shades on, the wrap around specs not doing much for her visibility at night. Though she doesn't seem hampered at all by them in the dark. She looks around smoothly, hands sunk into her pockets, her path deliberate, if not quick.

There's an older man, at least older for the general adventurer type, lounging around on a park bench far from the nearest light. It sits between two large trees that would otherwise cut out the light. He occasionally moves his arms off of the back of the bench to point up to the sky. It may appear, at least from a distance, as if Gabriel is talking to someone.

Vixen spots Gabriel quickly, despite the lack of light and the odd shades. And though her attention will fix on him, other than that her step doesn't falter. She's going to pass by him, though for the moment her steps only bring her closer. Steadily moving in on a modest speaking distance. Though her ears will preceded her, so to speak. A filtered ultra ear that will draw in any soft sounds on approach.

Well, a filtered ultra ear probably might pick up on his very quiet speech. Indeed, he is speaking to someone, a "Natasha" who may or may not actually be there. It's tough to know these days. Gabriel's fingers seem to be sketching out various constellations that currently sit overhead this time of year. As the woman approaches, a woman who is really only his own height, he nods a polite head, warm smile, and a simple, "Evening, miss," but with a long Kentucky drawl - if anyone could identify such a tone in Kingsdale.

Vixen slows at the nod, then pauses as he speaks to her. There a moment of silence after, perhaps mingling with the moments before as time to examine the older man. Her expression doesn't seem dour or low, but balances in a neutral place. "It is that, yeah," she replies after that extra moment. A subtle downward inclination of her head suggests the drop of her attention to his weapon. But a lift quick enough after suggests no great concern. "Talking to someone?" Her head turns just slightly, widening her view of the area without him leaving her field of view.

Gabriel's head quirks up. "Oh yes, she's always at my side. Looking over me, protecting me. Just being here. Can't ask for much more than that. Helps a man stay sane." His eyes gaze up for a relatively long while. "She's as beautiful as Cassiopeia up there," his chin nudges toward the sky, and his eyes then firmly fix on the new woman. "Except that she isn't a bitch." After short moment of looking over the girl, he asks, "Out for a stroll, or out for business tonight, miss?"

Though her eyes remain veiled, a subtle twist of Vixen's lips comes as Gabriel speaks of 'her'. Hinting at a lack of broad acceptance of what he says. Her head lifts slightly, though pauses almost at once. Then lifts in a slower manner. A certain casual caution in it, that stays just below the level of paranoia. She peers at the sky a moment, then shrugs her shoulders and says, "I dunno who Cassiopeia is. Or what that's got to do with the sky. As to me, I'm out testing equipment. So a little of both."

Leaning forward with his hands resting on his knees, with his elbows bowed outward, Gabriel asks, "If you don't mind my being nosey, what exactly is it that you're testing out tonight, miss? You recently have some holes drilled in your head?" Judging by the tone of that last sentence, it's one of genuine curiosity, one of disapproval, and one of "OH HELL NO" would he even consider doing that to himself. Still, he probably seems maybe, fatherly. Friendly enough, at least.

Vixen smirks faintly and lifts a hand to lightly tap the stylish shades she's wearing. "Passive night sight. A bit obvious at this time of night, but I don't have a reason to be secret right now. Sound like you don't care for cyber. I don't have to test those, I've already clocked months on my latest additions. All green and smooth running."

Gabriel cracks his back a couple of times by flexing it sideways, then looks back to the girl. "Passive nightvision? That was brand new at the time." As per 'the time' that goes without any explanation. An arm points to her head. "Is it the glasses? Or, well... something you've drilled into your head? Meaning no offense, miss."

Vixen shrugs at the mention of offense. "You don't want certain tools close to hand at all times, your loss," she offers. "And they're in the specs. I've considered getting it in my eyes, but it costs more than this and I don't usually wander around in the dark." She lifts a hand, casually pulling the shades off to hand them over to Gabriel with just a step forward enough to be within their mutual arms length. The interior of the specs are a mess of artfully inlaid wiring and tiny gadgetry. A testament to miniaturization. "Don't know what time you're talking about, but it ain't hard to get those. If you have the creds."

Gabriel gently accepts the glasses. Keeping them at arms length, he seems to analyze them carefully. Probably not exactly nightvision, but good enough for human-vision as far as he seems to be happy with. When apparently satisfied, he raises the set to his eyes, offering "My name is Gabriel, pleased to make your acquaintance, miss," right before the glasses are popped on. His head turns on its pivoting neck for a few long seconds before he removes them, stating, "Well, I sure saw like it was day. But now my own nightvision sucks. Can't even see the stars anymore." There is no statement of bad or good, just an opinion. His arm is extended, returning the glasses.

With the light of the lamps nearby and the stars, the nightsight will work well. It feeds off more light than the human eye is set up to do itself, drawing it in to let one better see. So Vixen's form will be more visible, along with the discreet items shadowed by her coat, not that she makes a grand effort to hide things. "Vixen," the young woman offers. "Maybe you've heard of me, maybe you haven't. Depends how long you've been in the area and who you've talked to." A faint smirk returns and as the glasses are returned, she gives them a once over before settling them on once more, adjusted a moment for comfort.

Gabriel's face lights up with good-natured amusement. "Vixen? That's quite the name to live up to. The only person I've known of who many people called 'Vixen' was Rita Hayworth." His mouth quirks up on one side. "You might not be a distant, distant descendent, would you?" He then waves it off, knowing that there's unlikely to be a real answer, just some humor. "Did you grow up here in Kingsdale, Miss Vixen?"

Vixen frowns faintly at the unfamiliar name, a shrug coming regardless to show her ignorance of it. "Born and raised, though I had some time away. But this is my home, yeah. Such as it is. Why? You got something you want to know about it? Suppose you're a new around here, huh?" She lifts her arms, lightly crossing them over her chest.

"Yeah, I'm a new one," the man freely admits before leaning back in the bench, his hands gentle in his lap. "Both of us." One eye is then closed, and he peers off into the distance, not really seeming to focus on anything in particular, before returning to the girl. "The technology that I'm familiar with is not quite up to par with what you seem to be considering normal. I suppose we're all products of where we were raised," Gabriel offers with another one of his usual nuggets of wisdom.

Vixen's lips twitch faintly again when Gabriel speaks of more than one person. Her head turns slightly again, but she doesn't look away as she says, "You from the sticks then? Cause ain't many places but the sticks that don't have access to the sort of stuff we got here. Maybe not everything, but enough of it." She focuses on him again as she adds, "That gun does look a bit strange? What sort is it?" She tips her head towards his hip.

Gabriel seems to consider his answer for a long while before stating, "I grew up east of here. A good distance east of here. You may even call it a distance back." He then shrugs, and says, "But it doesn't exist anymore. Nothing that I grew up with really exists anymore. But I do what I can, just keep doing what I'd devoted myself to." He huffs a little and then looks at the girl. "Are you well educated?" It's a very blunt question.

Vixen tilts her head slightly at the odd feel of his words for her and the blunt question. "I suppose that depends what you mean by educated. But yeah, I know plenty. Only reason I'm where I am today and not rotting in the Dregs. What's it to you?" Her chin tilts upward slightly and she asks, "You from Tolkeen or something? Or some place between there and the Coalition? Probably a lot of shit over there that's just gone."

Gabriel holds up his hands placatingly. "Just asking. I'm sure that your knowledge is a lot more useful than mine. I don't mean any insult, I'm just still drying to build a picture of this city. I'm not from Minnesota, I'm not from Chicago, I'm not from down Texas' direction, and I'm definitely not from Canada." His eyes close for a short bit, but he does open them again and says, "I won't pretend that I know what you've grown through, but I assure you, I know what it's like to grow up with little to nothing. But please, we've just met. Certainly there are better things to discuss. Tell me about your tech. It's fascinating." Any questions about his background seem to be either deflected, or just bluntly ignored. Not that he would really seem exceptional to anyone beyond the obvious drawl.

"Lets just say, I know communications. Radios, computers, security. Most things that deal with those areas are where I live and breath. Sensors, optics.." Vixen lifts a hand to the glasses casually. "What do you want to know about it? That's a bit like asking a librarian to tell you about their books."

"Oh, I don't know. How much better does it make you - or anyone - than your average, normal, boring, squishy human like myself? I understand how tech is a good thing. Binoculars, high-power scopes, other kinds of regular optics. Radio, even known how to listen into sonar, not that it does me much good right now." Gabriel then shrugs again. "I can fly tanks and drive planes... err, you know what I mean. Firearms and training make me better than you average guy." A hand is raised toward the woman, palm out it he physical question, "And you?"

"You think I'm a partial?" Vixen seems amused by this. "I've got some metal and ceramics in my head, but the rest of me is a hundred percent flesh. Not planning to get any limbs chopped off or organs replaced unless they stop working right." She rolls her shoulders slightly. "Other than that, you know what I can do, I just said it. I know how to fight as well, but that's not what I like to do. I like living and not being shot at."

“Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you've found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.” Gabriel shrugs with a mild grin, and offers, "You should never close your mind off to possibilities. It's great that you know what you want to do with your life, but if you don't stop and look around once in a while - you just might miss it." The man always seems to be full of these little bits of philosophy and wisdom, which may or may not irritate people. If they do, well... that's who he is. Not that he'd be consciously rude, but that he's known enough life to know who he is. "Miss Vixen, do you work at a business, or are you ah, well, I guess 'freelance' might be the best way to put it?"

"Freelance," Vixen replies simply. "Casual work, since I ain't really poor. I dunno what you're talking about when it comes to closing my mind. I've done merc work. It was fine when I was hungry, but now that I'm not, the desire to get shot at is less. Doesn't mean I'll never do it, but best be worth my while enough to risk getting shot up." Her lips purse and she says, "You looking for something? If so, might as well spit it out, man." Not annoyed by tone, but businesslike.

Gabriel's face turns up, impressed. "So, a wealthy young woman around town. Or at least, not really poor. Doesn't seem like a very common thing these days. Doesn't seem very common for most anyone in this city." His mouth quirks again. "Putting down the peasants? That can work for a very long time. But in the end, someone who thinks himself important ends up getting beheaded. Or so terrified of the retribution coming their way that they take the coward's way out with cyanide capsules." After a short hesitation, he apparently feels the need to clarify: "You know, Louis the Sixteenth at the end of the French Revolution. Hitler when the Red Army was about two blocks from his bunker in Berlin, 1945." He then shrugs, hoping that the woman will be able to converse.

Vixen frowns faintly and shakes her head slightly. "I don't know what all you're talking about, man. I ain't rich, I'm comfortable where before i was fighting to be comfortable. And I tend to keep to myself, last thing I need is to make trouble. You sound like you're interested in something I've got, though. If you are, might as well spell it out. If not, I guess I misunderstood what you were saying."

Gabriel holds his hands up in mock surrender again. "Oh no, you've nothing I want save perhaps a new acquaintance, someone to meet and talk to, someone to explain what all of this tech stuff is." He then rolls his eyes. "You see, Miss Vixen, since I've gotten here, I've run into what can barely be called people. But they walk and talk, and as long as they're not belligerent, I don't mind. I've met many people who told me over and over - really I think they were just trying to impress me - that they could do amazing things with their minds. I have heard of people who do magic, the kind not done by Harry Houdini. Haven't met much of them, and probably wouldn't understand if I could." His chin is then inclined toward the short woman. "But technology? It's far beyond what I know - at the moment - but at least it's something that I can understand. I'm looking for someone to explain these things to me. Maybe you'd want the job. Not that I can pay much beyond some fresh food and friendship."

Vixen purses her lips faintly at Gabriel's words and replies, "Psychics and mages.. yeah, who can understand that shit?" She shrugs, a faint disdain in her voice. "Just have to watch those psychics. Some of them can do bad shit with your head. Can't relax around most of 'em." She then shrugs her shoulders. "I ain't really no teacher, but I guess I can tell you things. Depends just what you're after. Like I said, just asking about tech in general don't help much since that's a lot of ground to cover. And I don't really know what you don't know."

The man stretches again, arms popping behind his back before they're set back on his thighs. "Well, let me try to keep it simple - not for you, but for me - radio and optics. Particularly optics. My scope is just that - optics. Lenses. Elevation and windage." Gabriel shrugs. "Anything in particular I should be saving up for? I'm talking about extraordinarily long shots. I can hit to 1,000 yards by sight, easy, but that's about the maximum resolving distance for my eyes. Optics make for longer shots, with the slugs that I know. But these lasers and so on? What can I do with them?"

It's night in the park and Vixen is standing about two arms lengths in front of Gabriel, who is currently sitting on a bench. She has her arms crossed over her chest and is currently wearing a pair of stylish, dark wrap around sunglasses. Though she doesn't seem to have any trouble seeing despite this. "Not sure what you're expecting in that respect. I don't do gun sights much. Usually cameras and the like. But Wilks and Northern Gun sell a lot of accessories. Some telescopic sight will be probably do what you want. Lasers are just like any other gun. You point and shoot. Usually not the strongest ones, but quiet and no kick. Which is nice, though I don't tend to use them when I want to stop something hard." She casually lowers a hand to brush the large pistol at her hip. "NG-45LP. Not a lot of pistols that hit harder. Some do, but this one is good for what I need. Just need to get a power pack some day."

Rubidia is out on a stroll. Nope nothing special today, just a stroll. She hums a clear tune as she walks through the park, smiling serenely. Of course her luminescent clothing makes her noticeable. But for once she doesn’t look to be after that. Her somewhat meandering path takes her past one of the larger trees where she pauses to expect something in her blueish hue.

Gabriel rolls his eyes slightly. Obviously not at the young woman, but at life in general. "I really preferred it when two men would just get into a fistfight, get broken apart, then meet the next day and settle things up over a few beers. Unless you were out on a mission, there was rarely - in fact, never - a need to kill a man."

Vixen glances to the side, catching on the sound before the sight of Rubidia's nearness. Though not yet enough to remove Gabriel from her sight. More listening than looking as the man speaks. A faint smirk comes to her and she says, "Man, I don't know where you're from, but it must have been way east over the water or something. But then it's probably like this everywhere. Kill or be killed is how most people live life. Me, I prefer to not get into that mess when I got a choice in the matter. But I ain't against killing. Done it before." For someone who looks to be hovering between the twenties and teens. Then she looks more solidly towards Rubidia and a brow lifts, notable over the edge of her dark shades, which she lifts a hand to push up from over her eyes. Blinking them closed for a few moments before they open again.

Rubidia is involved in her own little space for a moment, her headphones clearly not conducive to eavesdropping. Once her fascination is sated she takes a look around to be sure she is not making to much of a scene. That brings her attention to the benches where Gabriel sits talking to a girl. She smiles widely and starts walking over, giving a wave.

The older man nods sagely to the new barely-acquaintance, Vixen. "I know what it's like to kill when you're young. Out of necessity, not want. It's not good for you." His arm is lifted in a gentle wave toward the incoming musician, a smile on his face. At the time, the remaining clouds blow out of Kingsdale's sky, and Gabriel comments, "Hey, look at that, a blue moon. Second full moon this month. At least, if I understand the current calendar." Then, however, he returns to his original statement. "It isn't good to kill when you're young. It isn't good for anyone, unless you've chosen it. Chosen it because you might feel like you and a loved one would keep the world safer, your children safer." His head nods toward the direction of the invisible person to his right.

Vixen seems vaguely amused with Rubidia's outfit after a few moments of taking it in, but before the other woman has drawn close, she lets her shades drop over her eyes again. She lifts a casual hand towards Rubidia, then looks to Gabriel with a slight frown. "If you feel like getting philosophical. I kill anyone that's looking to kill me. Or otherwise make my life end, fracture or otherwise cause me harm. Don't figure anyone who is looking to do that deserves a bit of kindness. Sometimes people that just need killing." She shrugs, the topic of death and killing not something that seems to trouble her greatly. Her eyes do flick towards Gabriel's right and her lips twitch again.

"HI Gabriel!" Rubidia greets forwardly as she closes the gap, moving in to give him a hug even if he'll allow it. "How are you? Who's your friend?" She asks in her usual chipper demeanor before giving the girl accompanying Gabriel another lookover. "A little dark, but I'm no model of taste either." She remarks to Vixen's outfit.

Gabriel repeats, apparently in agreement with the new young woman, "Some people just need killing." He does rise then to his feet, bows slightly and offers a welcome hand to the always bubbly and flashy musician. "Dark night, troubadour. Up late or out early?"

"Vixen," the young woman provides, considering Rubidia from behind those shades. "Bright tends to make you a target. I like being understated," she adds. "Not hard to see you coming. Though I guess that's what you're going for, since it would be hard to do that sort of thing on accident."

"It was like noon back in Orkney. Silly time difference." Rubidia answers in reply to Gabriel's question before finding her attention fixed on Vixen. "Yeah, being noticed is good as a performer. This is mild too, I can be much brighter, blindingly so. I'll save you from the demo though." She offers before taking a moment to consider with her finger on her chin. "Vixen.. You're the girl in charge of the radio aren't you?"

Gabriel begins with, "Is that Orkney as in those damn cold islands off of Brit... I'm sorry, you're in charge of the radio?" His head had smoothly sequenced itself over to the other woman. An eyebrow is quirked, but otherwise, he just remains quiet to glean information, because learning without asking is the best way to learn.

"I used to do some radio work, but it wasn't working out how I wanted," Vixen confirms. "Still got the gear, but I just keep it in reserve. Considering how much work I put in to set it up, not going to toss it." Her eyes flit towards Gabriel and she nods again. "Used to do a personal radio show. Probably still some PDDs floating around about it. Sold some, made it easy to copy. Don't know how many people still have them, though." She shrugs, her lips pursing faintly. "Folded it up, though like I said, I still keep the gear. It wasn't cheap."

"Yeah, Orkney Scotland." Rubidia confirms to Gabriel before looking back to Vixen. "Might you consider selling it? I'm a performing musician and that set up would be rather invaluable to me. Of course this is the part where I tell you I'm not rich. But if I know how much its worth to you I can stop spending so much and meet the mark." She explains, fidgeting with anticipation.

The man nods. "She really is quite a good musician. Knows her rock and roll." Gabriel winks and Rubidia in appreciation, then turns back to Vixen. "Having a radio show is pretty impressive. Probably more exciting than what I used to listen to."

"No," Vixen tells Rubidia flatly and with a sense of finality. But she doesn't pause there. "It's custom. So it has a lot of sentimental value to me," she adds. "I might let you make use of it, but before I'd do that, I'd have to know what sort of things you'd want to do with it. It wouldn't be hard, I had it set up so I could manipulate and broadcast on it remotely. Equipment and all. And in case you're wondering, the whole thing has a two hundred mile range. Good quality military radios."

Rubidia almost looks heartbroken up until she hears the possibility to make use of it without buying. "Well I would pay a reasonable fee to use it. I want to use it as a radio, incorporate my songs into it. Do a weekly live show and request line. Offer advertising for the clubs I perform at. The whole nine yards really." She explains with much enthusiasm.

"I don't want to play matchmaker, so I'll just say one thing, and be done with it, for my part. The two of you sound like you have business match made in Heaven." Gabriel shrugs, and offers a smile to both women. His eyes close, pressed together hard for a few seconds before he opens them again. "Ladies, I hate to turn to dreary matters, but have either of you seen Tirzah over the past, oh, maybe two or three days?"

Vixen considers that quietly for a few moments, half of her expressiveness veiled by the shades, Though a thoughtful twist of her lips and the set of her brows hint at her thoughtfulness well enough. "A fee would do," Vixen decides. "We can talk specifics later. I'm not long for consciousness and I'd rather deal with it in depth when I'm not tired and potentially irritable." Then she considers Gabriel and shakes her head. "I don't really look for Tirzah, but no I haven't. Why?"

Rubidia nods in acceptance to Vixen, looking quite ecstatic. The expression holds as she turns to regard Gabriel with some curiosity. "Who's Tirzah?" She asks, looking quite oblivious to the name. "Does she perform too or something?" An odd question perhaps, but it is what she is familiar with.

"No, no no." Gabriel shakes his head to both. To Rubidia, "Short woman, likes to wear flowy dresses. Redheaded. Does magic stuff that I don't understand, but I've been with her on one operation, and she was quite powerful. She is, ah..." he hesitates for a while before adding, "... the, ah, partner of a woman called Sage. Sage was the host of the party the other night, Rubidia." Perhaps that's too obvious, but at least it's better to give too much information than too little. "Anyway, no one has seen her - Tirzah - for a few days, and that's not like her. There's a certain individual who's being scrutinized at the moment, but I don't want to skew your perceptions by giving a name. In any case, she's currently missing."

"I'll give you one bit of advice when it comes to Tirzah. If you ever see action with her, stand behind her," Vixen offers. "She tends to be a bit loose with the whole magic thing." She then considers Gabriel. "Entirely possible she's picked a fight she can't handle. She likes the whole merc thing. One reason I tend to avoid it is eventually someone will get you, no matter how strong you are. Looking for her, I suppose? Sage would probably know more about her activities than most. Like you said, they're close."

"I like Sage, she's nice." Rubidia confirms before taking a moment to consider whats said about Tirzah. "And I'd have to agree with Vixen on mercenary work. Short life expectancy. You'd never get me out doing that sort of thing. Anything that can do me harm and I'm gone in a flash. Though if this Tirzah is as powerful as you say she has either survived or was taken out by something even more powerful. So be careful."

Gabriel shrugs, his palms up. "Right now, I'm just trying to gather information. I'm no fool. I wouldn't try to kill *her* much less something that *did* kill her. But passing along information to the right people, I can do that." His eyes then turn to Vixen, with a look that attempts at least to be very clear about his next statement. "I am not a mercenary. Mercenaries do whatever they're told to do by whomever pays them the best. That's not what I dedicate my life to. I help those who help themselves, and I've never asked a cent for it in my life. Spent more than half my life freeing the oppressed because it was the right thing to do." He shakes his head strongly, but not quickly. "We aren't, and never have been mercenaries." There goes a plural again.

Vixen shrugs her shoulders at Gabriel. "What you do is yours, so long as you don't make my life harder it doesn't bother me," she says. "I suppose if you're worried about the chick, I could put an ear to the ground. I have sources. Places and such." No great enthusiasm, but the offer seems honest enough. It's evening and the three stand and talk near a bench, Vixen wearing a sleek pair of wrap around shades despite the darkness. "Though where would I find you if I do find anything?" Her head turns towards Rubidia and she shrugs. "It can be worth it. Work your ass off for a year and you won't make as much as some jobs will net you at times. But it depends on the work and the price for me. Though I don't plan to fight nothing in this case. But yeah, I can listen." She looks back to Gabriel casually.

Rubidia shifts her glance between Vixen and Gabriel as she looks to run out of things to say on the topic. But not of things to say. No she looks very hopeful to speak more as she focuses on Gabriel but hesitates to change the subject.

Gabriel shrugs at Vixen and chuckles. "I'd be grateful if you'd 'keep an ear to the ground.' As for getting to me, well.." a very large shrug this time, and his face screws up in a 'hey, what the fuck' expression, "I'm very old fashioned, as you might expect. I don't pay for a radio frequency or one of those phones, or anything. I live outside of the city, but I come in every day. There's a place in the Merchant's Plaza, an antique dealer, store's called 'Venus Envy,' yeah yeah, laugh laugh. Guy who owns it lets me use it like a mailbox. That's where to get me, if you have need to. How do I reach you?" But then, he quickly turns to the girl of light who is at the moment, only fashion flashy. "C'mon, Rubidia. Don't take this the wrong way, but I raised more daughters than you'd believe, and I know that look. What are you so anxious to say?" He winks knowingly, with a wide smile.

Vixen slips her fingers into her coat and pulls out a plain, white card. "The name is obsolete, but the PO Box is still mine." She offers it over. The card has a few simple lines of text. The first reads 'Vixen's View'. The second has a radio frequency and the last, a PO Box number. "Don't bother with the frequency, it's dead air currently. Though I guess that might change eventually." She glances at Rubidia casually.

"I'm in need of a date." Rubidia replies boldly, before considering alternative wording. "Or an escort, no an agent. That’s the word." She concludes with a firm nod. "I'm gonna go to the Coalition thing in Laramy. Figure its a good way to find out if I'm what they consider undesirable. If not I will be looking into touring the Coalition States, could be a very lucrative endeavor." She explains before cranking up the puppy dog eyes with Gabriel. "But, I'm not very familiar with them and you're the first person that came to mind who might know more."

Gabriel accepts Vixen's card with a nod and a silently-mouthed "thank you," quickly slipping it into one of the smaller pockets over his right upper-torso. But this gaze then quickly settles onto the other young woman, looking at her for a long while, the expression that most human-children at least, would see as a father in deep consideration, weighing what a child wants against the benefits and dangers of doing that very thing. He then sighs slightly, and says, "That's a very interesting idea, but if I may ask you a few things? Try to do two things. First, just say the first thing that comes to mind. Second, think about it, and see if you still agree with yourself. Okay? First question: knowing what the Coalition States stand for, would you really be happy touring them?"

"Yes, provided I don’t have to adopt their ideas to tour there. Entertainment is always an excellent model of free speech. If anything knowing what the Coalition stands for make me want to tour there more if I can manage it." Rubidia answers without hesitation.

"Best thing anyone can do when it come to the Coalition is stay away. Especially if you hang out here," Vixen offers to Rubidia. "Don't know if you can do anything 'special', but if you have that, doubly stay away because they tend to shoot things that do that sort of stuff. Even psychics have trouble with them, if with less shooting. Though even I stay away and I don't have any powers or anything. Because the Coalition is inherently trouble." As Gabriel starts to play word games, Vixen breathes out and says in a more general sense, "Unconsciousness calls." She points at Rubidia and says, "Meet me at the Nightingale tomorrow. Early evening. We can talk then." That said she turns, starting to walk off towards the street.

Gabriel quickly says what he says to all departing women, of all ages, of all breeds, of all types of day. "Goodnight to you, Miss Vixen. Stay safe." But now, as the radio-woman is departed, his full attention is focused on the musician of light. "Okay, that's a very interesting take on things, I'll give you that. They say that music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul." He shrugs then and adds, "Natasha played the mandolin." But then he is back to business. "Let's say that we do somehow 'get in' to CS controlled territory. How do we get out? I mean, I realize that this is purely selfish, but if my cover is blown, I can't just light-flight myself away."

Rubidia wrinkles her brow with confusion. "Cover? We? I don’t follow. If you need to get in with me then we need so do so completely legitimately. This is no covert mission with a secondary agenda. I'm quite certain if I took someone of ill intent into their cities I would not be safe here, or anywhere else on this continent."

Gabriel waves his hands off. "No, no. No. Perhaps I've misspoken. I'm not intending this as some kind of secret mission. Not at all. But if I walk into CS-controlled City 'A,' and I'm with you.. and they decide that they don't like 'your kind' then I could be in trouble. I shouldn't have used the words 'blow my cover,' I suppose that was just habit." He offers a friendly wink and a grin. He then looks rather slyly and curiously at the musician. "But why do you really need me? You can come and go as you please, right?" The older man is quite obviously *not* saying 'no' in any way. Just asking what are probably some very reasonable questions.

"Two heads are better than one right? And you seem to know a fair bit about getting through foreign customs." Rubidia replies to Gabriel's last question first. "That’s where the trip to Laramy comes in though. A CS representative is apparently going there to recruit. I can go there and find out if I can be welcome without being shot first and questioned later."

He considers for another long moment. Then, assuming the next movement would be accepted, Gabriel will extend his arms to their full length and clap the girl on the sides of her shoulders. If not, they'll remain clasped at the small of his back. He nods lightly as you would to both a friend, a grown woman, and a child, all at the same time. "Miss Rubidia, that sounds like the happiest, most peaceful thing that anyone has yet asked me to do since I was dragged here. There are obviously more details to be discussed, but I'd be happy to escort you as an agent, or even be your agent, if you need it." He nearly blushes, adding, "I can read, and write, and do math. That's more than many can say. I don't know about you. But please, I would be honored."