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

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.

Asking people questions with Jack was clearly way too much socializing for me in one day. Gotta replenish my energy. [Didn't miss a beat with it, even gesturing out one of the windows there in the kitchen.] One of them invited us in for cookies, Ana.

You know it's going to take me several day to recover from that. [Looking all the part of a withered man, hand slapped over his heart, half empty glass set o the counter.

Far enough away he wouldn't knock it over as he still leaned against said counter.]

[She does her part, faking a gasp.] Cookies? Terrible.

[She leans on the counter beside him and gives him a commiserating pat on the shoulder.] No wonder you've been cooped up in here. I would be bedridden.

[Either this person had absolutely no clue or they had guts. Maybe a mix of both. Regardless, Ana suspects she'd probably like them. But the most pertinent question, to fill out the mental image of a stranger offering both Jack Morrison and Gabriel Reyes cookies during plain recon work:] Were they good?

[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.

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