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?]

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[It's always fun when someone plays along, honestly.

She'll hear about the rock golem thing eventually.] After answering a few questions, even. Insisted we have some! She was so hospitable!

[Then there was that long moment of consideration after, as if he really had to think about it.] They were alright, been experimenting with recipes, apparently.

Wanted us to try the latest batch.

Who would do such a thing?

[That is ended with a chuckle. Resting her hands on the edge of the counter, she does think that she'd probably like this person who would be thorough enough to pull a taste test on two super soldiers because she had been experimenting.] Surprised you didn't think they were poisoned.

A very proud self-proclaimed housemaker.

[There'd been something else there, but he didn't feel as if it were anything too bad just yet. She had also apparently been living with the guy who showed up from the sheriff's office.

Been an interesting visit, that one.] When someone talks about baking like that? They wouldn't poison it.

[A chuckle. If there was something she could trust Gabriel of doing, was reading a room (or a person) quite well.

It worked with Jesse, there was no reason why it wouldn’t work with this baker.] Fair enough. It’s a good point of contact, at least.

[There’s an urge for her to hoist her weight up to sit on the counter. Snipers and their high spots. She shifts her weight on her feet, but doesn’t. Not yet.] So, I guess we have to investigate the locals, the people who came by bus, and the competition - see who else will be selling corn. Anything else?

[A slight nod of his head.] Yeah, seemed a bit cautious herself at first. Which is only natural considering. Still, friendly.

[Considering how Jack and Gabriel were when they did recon, and the fact they were armed for their own safety and habit of following protocol for it.]

Look more in to the fruit trees, see if we can use them as well. Either for ourselves or to sell, or a mix of the two. Maybe talk about what else we could get running. [Actually farm on top of everything else.]

As well as fortify our defenses, of course.

[A grin.] Completely natural. I’m surprised she had the guts to make you taste testers when you’re in interrogation mode.

Any weak spots in the perimeter? [She tilts her head thoughtfully.] Hm. Maybe herbs. For tea. They grow fast.

Think that speaks quite a bit about the type of person she is. [A reason to keep an eye on her of course, but not out of worry of what she might do. It was good to keep track of people who left good impressions in this situations.

Usually.]

Damaged fencing, closest to the woods. Like something broke it. [They'll have things up to snuff soon.] Can definitely make a place for that.

It does. [She says it with a clear tone that she’d likely get along with her.]

[A frown.] Animals? Or a storm?

[Ana would likely get along with her, yeah.

Then there was that business where there was definitely something close to Gabriel very much in the mind of talking it.] I'm not sure I can say animals.

Looked like claws and teeth, all the same.

[Here's her crossing her arms. That could be a bad sign.] Those monsters you mentioned?

More than likely. Might be time to sit up in to the night and see if whatever did it comes by again. [See what sort of 'monsters' they're dealing with.

Also see what else may need to be done to make sure the area was safe. The usual.]

[She nods.] Sounds like a plan. May be a good idea to check vantage points beforehand, then, to get a clean line.

[Although... ] What do we do once we find the "culprit", then?

Only good option is the barn. [It provided cover and a place to keep hidden.

Weren't doing much else with it. Yet.

Gabriel shrugged his shoulders, arms folded loosely across his chest.] That's the question. Figure out what we're dealing with and go from there?

I can climb up to the roof, if needed.

[A nod. It's wise to not make any assumptions. She wonders if it's a common occurrence, but supposes that it's something she will end up figuring out as time passes.]

Maybe people will need help with this, too. [It's concerning. If monsters or animals get near people's lands so often, some people with less means to defend themselves could be in trouble.]

[She could, humming in acknowledgement. Any plans would be finalized when they were all together, but it was definitely something.

Then came that scowl again.] When asking about the monsters, once they came up, Jack and I were told they stay away from the town. Haven't heard about any attacks on farms either.

Unless when we were asking around no one considered monster attacks as something people need to be told. [Which was absolute bullshit and also dangerous.]

[Tucking her hair behind her ear, she's thoughtful.] That sounds a little naive. Especially if there's not much information about them. Is there?

[Then, a thought. Bringing up the key from her pocket and the map to her house - a little x by a river - following the path they took from the saloon to their place with her eyes.] Do you think the houses are given randomly?

I think this is something we're going to have to dig in to ourselves. [There hadn't been anything about 'monsters' in the whole welcome spiel as far as Gabriel could tell.

He paused for a moment, brow furrowed.] Probably? I haven't even gone to look at the one I was given since Jack picked me up.

[They've no idea it's honestly the farm next door. Gabriel's farm was literally next door; next door as it got, at least. In the woods.]

[A look at the key - normal, as nondescript as it could ever be. And another at the location of the x and the spot where they both were. A relative distance, but not too much, now that she looks at it with a scale in her memory. Maybe a good scope away. But other than that, nothing that would be relevant.

The hand that tucked her hair comes to rest at the side of her neck. Too many question marks. Very little answers. No wonder Jack and Gabriel were concerned.] There’s a library here. Maybe there’s records, too.

[A sigh, and she ventures a soft smile at him.] Not curious about it? [It’s not like she can blame him.]

[Just make it all the more suspicious if their given areas were all grouped together, honestly. As if it were planned, and just stack all that much more heavily on some conspiracy going on.

Something to think on, too.]

Be a good idea, yeah. Dig in and learn as much as we can, since some people just won't say what they don't think of as important. [Just human nature, honestly.

Gabriel leaned off the counter just long enough to.. dig a key and a map out of his own back pocket. Why hold on to them? Because it's him.] A bit, but I don't know what I do with it. Considering things I'd rather stick close to Jack and Jesse.

It’s why most people don’t get into our line of work, right? [Only natural, yes, and only a couple of people end up having a first instinct regarding security either because they were grown or thrown into situations that demand it.

She leans in just a bit, takes a closer look at his key. It’s... honestly just another key. At least at first glance.] I don’t blame you. I haven’t felt the need to check out mine, either.

Though maybe I should, for the time being. [A snort at a mental image she just came up with.] I don’t want to sleep in the hay.

Yeah, can't really blame them. [It also made their line of work harder at time and a good reason why he had Blackwatch; Jack definitely had a better way with people. Wasn't for like of trying, Gabriel just took some getting used to, and sometimes he simply looked like he wanted to murder someone if they tried talking about things they didn't understand like they knew more than the people's whose job was to know.

Just a normal key.] All of this still feels unreal, in a way.

Knowing Jack he'd want you staying here with us, but there is a space issue while he's still remodeling. [There was a chuckle just under his breath.] Jesse's already acting like he wants to sleep out there and would likely give up his bed for you.

[McCree honestly was a good kid.]

Be lying if I said I wouldn't want you close, though.

Me neither. [While peace, safety, it all seems a nice thought and all, she knows that there will be a handful of people who find their purpose in protecting those that try to achieve it.

It’s kind of an ungrateful job, she knows. And she knows that both Gabriel and Jack know it

She reaches to rub distractedly at the top of her cheek, where her tattoo is..] It does. I thought I had one of those nights, where you don’t remember anything. But no hangover, so it can’t be. [There’s some humor in this overly simplistic way of explaining, but the point remains: it’s disorienting.]

Oh? Do you think he’d stay with that friend of his? [She chuckles fondly. He really is, but he really shouldn’t bother with that.

A minute of thought. She doesn’t really want to be far from them, either. Especially at this time, where everything seems so foreign in its bucolic state.] Well, these places already come half refurbished, right? I can still go there and bring the mattress. I can fit in a corner somewhere.

[Just the way it was.

It was easy enough to ease back against the counter, arms folded after that key was slipped back in to a pocket. Lips pressed briefly in a thin line.] I don't remember getting on the bus, or even seeing any bus until after getting off the damned thing. [Did not help the suspicion about what was going on here either.

Something had to be up.] Need to figure out if there are people who did come here willingly, along with how many didn't.

For all I know? He might. [They'd work something out later, once they were all in one place, or so Gabriel thought.

A slow nod.] They do, and it probably wouldn't hurt at all since it's better than the couch, floor, or out in the barn. [Why did he have a feeling things would not go so easily in sleeping arrangements...]

[At that, Ana shifts a little, head tilting only slightly mischievously.] Maybe that had been for the best. Wouldn’t you try to commandeer the bus if you found yourself in it? Then I’d have to deal with Jack on my own.

[And hop, push herself up to sit on the counter she goes. She nods.] I heard about this not being a singular occurrence for people, too. This not being their first time being taken somewhere.

[She shrugs, how hard can it be?] It will be fine. Like the slumber party we always wanted.

[The corner of his mouth twitched, some chuckle just barely cut off as Gabriel shrugged a shoulder.] That's true. Commandeered it and gotten right back to wherever the hell they picked me up from.

[He'd been walking through a Blackwatch hall last he knew, on his way to some meeting and then. Well. Here.]

Yeah, which is on it's own just as concerning as this.

[Gabriel snorted.] No that's definitely a more entertaining way to think about this.

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