starhuevalley | .1 caliber [Intro]

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.1 caliber [Intro]

[ACTION]

[She steps down from the bus and tugs at the strap around her shoulder tighter - she travels light, but there's something rather long, carefully wrapped, strapped between her bag and back. Squinting lightly at the warm summer sun, she sighs. Mixed feelings, all in one breath. This lady travels light except for the baggage in her mind.

Still, as she treads through the beaten paths towards an x in a map (excellent orientation skills, for one), she looks around carefully with what seems like a half smile in her piercing gaze. Yet, when she finds the place in the map, she keeps walking around, checking the Community center, the city, - greeting a couple of kids playing outside with a smile - walking through the beach... ending up finally at the Saloon around the evening, asking for a cup of tea at the counter.

Where do you meet her? ]

[VIDEO]

[That's exactly where she is when the video feed opens up. She's looking down at the screen, kohl rimmed eyes scrutinizing the device with a somewhat disappointed expression to them. She tsks.]

So unintuitive. How old is this?

[Dexterous fingers reach the screen and blip! goes the feed

Ring ring?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She grins.] You're going to have to teach me, then. I know nothing of your corn demons. [A sigh, the hand that had been covering her mouth rubbing the line from the corner of her mouth to her nose before dropping it. It's been a while since she's actually laughed and it felt good, especially coming from that rare fond tone in Gabriel's voice.

But that earns him a curious look.]

Did he know? Or was that just one of those things Jack does? [Either luck or intuition, sometimes he just seemed to be in the right place at the right time.]

[There was the dramatics put in to his voice that the discussion of corn and corn demons clearly demanded—] Then tomorrow we shall gather what we need for the sacrifice and hope they both bless us a good harvest and leave Jack be.

It will be worth it. [Laughter in his voice near the end there. He tried, he did.]

Clicked his tongue in thought then.]

Think it might just be one of those things he does. I hadn't touched that.. Jpad thing until a day or so after.

[That.

Yes, that earns a laugh, especially at the end, and she has to tug her bag up a bit because of her shoulders shaking, her hand waving at him in a 'oh you' manner.] I'm sure they will be very pleased.

Well, you saw what happened when I used mine. [A bit of a roll of her eyes. She may have broadcast a misfire at a hundred people, but she's taking it in stride.] Anything I should know about it?

A pleased corn demon is very good, what you need to watch out for are the ones not satisfied with their sacrifice. [He could honestly go on, because he knows he's talking shit, but it's funny.] Those are the ones apt to drag you in to the corn field, never to be seen again.

More so if they're on the side of a road. [He'll stop.]

Yeah, they're old tech, but can get used to them. Though I wouldn't trust them for anything requiring a secure line. [Reason he had made it over before dipping in to certain subjects.] Anything in particular I haven't covered?

[Trying to keep from laughing still, and failing, because goddamn you, Gabriel.

Though she wasn't the one instigating this. Not at all.

Shh. ] Oh no, what a terrible, terrible fate.

[A shake of her head.] I'm not sure. But I think I have been thoroughly debriefed, Commander Reyes. Thank you. [She's sure that he also has questions for her, even if she knows he's saving them for when they're all sitting down together.]

[The side that only a small handful of people ever got to see, right there.]

Such a terrible fate, and why you should never walk in to a corn field at night. [He's keeping that 'deadly serious' dramatic voice up, somehow.] That is when they're at their most deadly, and easily make you get lost as it all seems to grow around you.

Horrible business, dealing with corn demons.

[The basics were covered, anything else was likely best discussed when all of them were sitting in Jack's house. All get on the same page and go from there.] I'm sure the Strike-Commander will wish to inform you of anything I've forgotten. [They'd be fine.]

How do you know all of this, Gabriel? [She actually manages to school her face into an expression of amazement and curiosity, even if her voice is still laced with laughter.

She tilts her head.] I'm sure the Strike-Commander will have forgotten whatever you have.

That is a very long story, and best not repeated. [Such a gravely serious tone, a hand even going over his heart

before opening the gate and holding it open, and god was that damned rare smile still very much there. This was good, honestly.]

Might come up when we're covering everything best left for a sit down.

That sounds promising. [Sometimes, a smiling Gabriel could mean trouble. An edge of mischief here, a challenging tone there. That was the smiling Gabriel she was most used to. But other times, rare as they are, he looks like that, and it never fails to have her smile back. She takes it as the silent welcome that it is, even if she never thought she'd see it while he opened the gate to a farm.

She tips her head low in a mock-bow (her dramatic antics aren't as good as his flare, though), muttering a thank you and crossing the gate, eyes sweeping through the grounds and the house.]

Well, this is actually quite nice. [Is it ok to sound surprised?]

[It was fun to get in to the topic of some outlandish story like that occasionally, let that get through his system and all before things would have to come back to some sense of reality.

Closed the gate just behind them, hand sliding back into the pockets of his hoodie.] Been working on clearing up the area, all of us.

The house itself is a little bit of a mess inside with Jack's remodeling, though.

You've been doing quick work of it, I can see. [That she isn't surprised. They're overachievers, anyway.]

What is he working on? Maybe I can help.

Nothing else to do other than either investigate the mines, look in to these monsters, or see what else we can learn about the people here. [And sometimes it was just better to drop that and do something that actually left you feeling accomplished.

Farming.]

Working on getting a third bedroom or something in there.

And here I thought you'd be into fishing. [This is teasing, but it actually... maybe... kind of appeals to her.

Especially if she gets her hands on some scuba gear.

And a speargun.
Just maybe.]

Do we have enough room for that? Or does he actually have to expand the house?

Didn't you know? I always wanted to go spelunking in to caves. [He could honestly enjoy fishing.

Tongue clicked again, head tilted back for just a moment.]

We do or not he's going to try his damnedest to make it work. You know how he gets when he wants to get a project done.

[A twitch of her lips.] Fair enough. I can see that, too.

[She shakes her head.] True. Well, if anything, we get a new pantry, I guess.

The trick will be not getting eaten by whatever monsters live in there. [Gabriel, no.

He rubbed the back of his neck.] Yeah. Feel up to some lemonade? Still fresh.

[Once inside the house.]

[Gabriel no indeed.] Oh, I think the monsters will soon learn who's boss soon enough, anyway.

[That sounds delightful, actually.] Yes, please. The tea back there was... subpar. Would be nice to wash it off.

[Gabriel shrugged his shoulders slightly.] Going to have to find out what types are around here soon enough anyway. They apparently like the woods.

[Thumbing towards the ore heavily treed area visible from near the porch, and already walking up them for the door.]

Come on in then and make yourself at home, just watch the floor from Jack's project. I'll get the lemonade, can join me in the kitchen.

[Her gaze goes to the woods Gabriel points at, cybernetic eye trying to scan everything - a hint of motion, something.

Nothing that she can see at the moment, anyway.

She steps into the house and immediately looks around. It looks only kind of lived in, save for the spot on the floor where Jack apparently took over.

Stepping into the kitchen behind him.] How do you get supplies in town?

[They were close enough that it wouldn't be that long until they encountered whatever monsters lurked out there. Fine with him.

They'd be able to handle it.

Gabriel was already pulling down two glasses, along with that pitcher of lemonade to fill the both of them with, even as he spoke.]

Jesse's been running in to town to pick things up, got a bit of money to start out with. Jack found some tools laying around in the barn. [They'd have to start selling or trading some sort of produce.] Apparently people also mine for things they need.

Or gold. [Glass of freshly poured lemonade held out in offering.]

[She takes it with a thanks, sipping at it. ] I didn't get much when I arrived. Guess we're going to have to start working, then.

[A double take. This is actually good lemonade, or maybe it was the tea that had been so bad that it had lowered her standards. Another sip. ] I will be honest, out of everything I wasn't expecting to go back to using gold.

The corn was growing wild, but I figure we can still harvest enough to sell. [So it was a start, at the very least.

Gabriel was leaning back against the kitchen counter, pitcher put up and glass in his free hand. Had to get to work to actually live here while doing everything else. Either Jack made it or they both participated with that lemonade.]

Probably why no one thinks twice about going in to the mines. Safety be damned.

That's a good start. The corn demons would be proud.

[It's good and familiar and hits the spot. She drinks up quickly, and steps up to wash the now empty cup in the sink as if she had been living there for weeks already.] Is there a bank, or do the stores take care of production value? I heard something about a [a pause as she squints, picking her brain] JojaMart?

We'll be blessed with a bountiful harvest, clearly.

[Long and slow sip of that lemonade—] I'd hope there's a bank, since places take currency. I haven't done too much searching in town outside of my trips there with Jack, and coming to find you.

Been staying around here, getting a better feel for the land. [So he knows where they're covered and where they could go should they need to leave the house, so on and so fourth.] Could be a mix.

[It's part of their usual proceedings, really. Checking the area, looking for vantage points, weak spots, clearing what could be obstacles. They've always done this whenever they were deployed somewhere, new or old, rushed or planned.

Still, she nudges him with her shoulder playfully while grabbing a rag and wiping the cup clean, putting it in the cupboard where Gabriel took the glass from.] So you've been a hermit, is what I'm hearing.

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