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Post by Evangeline on Sept 7, 2009 18:51:06 GMT -5
Rihanna nodded, appreciating that this kennel was, in its own way, a pillar of the rebuilding community. "I suppose you know all the local cults here by now." Most would be the usual wacky but harmless sorts, Hare Krishna, Rastafarians, and all that. Now and then there would be an outfit that was less benign, like the "Christian" cult known for passing out near-pornographic comic pamphlets and sexually abusing children or the recrudescent Scientologists. They, presumably, would also be shown the door very quickly. "Any kennels in other places you regularly keep contact with?"
"To give the hashers credit, they were among the first to set up a civil network here when this place was little more than a "thunderdome." Beauchamps stated. "I've met a few of them, one is an EMT, another is a cop and there's one in the town planning department. All solid family types."
"So they've worked hard to bring about some sort of order here and don't appreciate the real crazies coming in." Bree glanced back in the downtown direction.
"Exactly, ma'am." the Captain nodded. "You should have seen the punks we had to root out."
"Oh, I've met the like." Bree made a face of mild contempt before turning back to Sandra and Dmitri. "You both might want to keep out of sight of the waterfront for now, but stay handy."
"You have to get your meaning across on all levels, voice and body." Teru said. "No mixed signals."
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Post by elizar on Sept 7, 2009 19:12:57 GMT -5
"Brownsville prints our merchandise for us." Heavensangel said. "The founders of this kennel came from Laredo, and we have radio chat with Victoria Kennel from time to time. You looking to spread the message around?" Heavensangel was far from being stupid.
Sandra nodded. "Of course." She said. "We can't go blow our plan with stupid mistakes." She said.
"Good thing Cyrus' not catching the horses." Jonathan said. "Because his signals say pretty clearly "I'm a pushover", I've not seen a horse that does respect him."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 8, 2009 2:45:58 GMT -5
As if to underscore Jonathan's point, Cyrus let out a yelp. "Hey! Do I look like a rubbing post to you?"
"That's the idea." Rihanna nodded. "Get the word out quickly and deny them a field for recruiting."
Porcelain pointed out, "There's a lot of kids coming into the city from the countryside. They might not have had enough time in the city to get information." "Porcelain Goddess" was Hispanic-looking, and her "hash name" obviously had nothing to do with her complexion. Rihanna couldn't help wondering about the circumstances under which she had acquired it.
Bree pursed her lips. "Let's just hope they're getting a little complacent."
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Post by elizar on Sept 8, 2009 16:03:39 GMT -5
Jonathan looked at Teru, then chuckled and shook his head for a moment. After gathering himself, he turned back to Cyrus. "Need any help?" He asked him.
"It's the base that attracts them." Heavensangel said. "They need the work force, and those kids need the opportunity to be somewhere else than slaving on the farm. Though they're ending up slaving for the base. There is a popular place packed with them down in the waterfront, but you look a bit too old to be inconspicuous there."
"We've already upset them a bit." Sandra warned. "We had that speech in the park today."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 8, 2009 19:45:21 GMT -5
"You can get Nelly here offa me." Cyrus tried to push the animal's head away. "That's my big problem with horses, no respect from them."
The doctor came up and growled and swatted at the horse's shoulder, and it stepped aside smartly. "You always have to be alpha with a horse, or they'll walk all over you."
"I realize that." Rihanna leaned an elbow on the table. "But I still want to keep track of them."
"So we'll have to lie low for a bit." Dmitri advised. "But they probably haven't seen too much of your friend yet."
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Post by elizar on Sept 8, 2009 20:47:34 GMT -5
"Remember that one." Jonathan said. "We can't also have you play omega whilst in the cult zone."
"That's not going to be easy." Heavensangel. "The proprietor of the place isn't part of the hashers, nor do we particulary share some customer base." He looked around. "Roundup isn't here at the moment, but he goes to the place from time to time."
"That's the good thing about pairing us up." Sandra smirked. "While she's the one giving speeches, she's not that memorable, people tend to remember the large helicopter with the unusual steering rotor."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 9, 2009 16:39:56 GMT -5
"For fun or does he work there?" Rihanna asked.
"Well, it won't by growling and swatting. That does tend to get a person noticed, unless you're a bear or just don't give a damn." Cyrus pointed out.
Dmitri smiled at Sandra as she made that remark. "Definitely memorable."
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Post by elizar on Sept 9, 2009 18:11:22 GMT -5
Again hitting on me. Sandra thought, but shrugged inwardly and smiled back. "Well, it does help Rihanna, she won't be known around here just yet."
Jonathan frowned but nodded. "You're right." He said. "I tire of playing these cloak and dagger games." He sighed. "Too bad I ain't a virgin or I would snatch that astrolabe as soon as possible."
"For fun." Heavensangel was quick to answer. "He's one of our younger folks, and enjoys running and isn't here just for the drinks and the view."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 10, 2009 1:44:48 GMT -5
Doing the math from that statement, Rihanna leaned in. "Am I to guess that there's a lot more to what he does than barkeeping?"
"And the virgins we know are either kids or completely unsuited for the work." Cyrus sighed.
"We have to find one, or turn one of the existing ones around." Julian groused. "Now THAT will be a feat of social engineering."
Dmitri, reading Sandra and noting his superior's raised eyebrow, backed off a bit. "As long as she's discreet. How long have you known her?"
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Post by elizar on Sept 10, 2009 5:55:09 GMT -5
"In the sense of the word you're thinking, and more." Heavensangel said. "He's also a jack-of-all-trades. Before he fled here, he was doing several things, among which was being a pure collector."
"We can't really do that with Ian." Jonathan looked over to Gideon where he was asleep already. "He's been practically raised by the cult and is too deep. We would need to find a recent addition to the cult, that hasn't been brainwashed yet. Or, as you said, bring our own in."
"Personally, it's less than a week." Sandra admitted. "I've though heard about her team. Pretty good relic hunter teams, though with 'family' connections they also get the high-paid jobs."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 10, 2009 20:50:38 GMT -5
"Hmmm..." Rihanna tapped her bottle while she thought. "You think he might have heard something or know something about some particular artifacts?"
Elena had been listening. "We know of one for sure... the boat that Rihanna and Sandra mentioned?"
"I've known several generations of that family." Bree admitted. "The Verants, especially the men, have been described as "human lighting rods."
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Post by elizar on Sept 11, 2009 4:49:26 GMT -5
((Pure Collector is actually a much different job. Google it))
"He has made his rounds to Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo." Heavensangel said. Those were one of the cities abandoned because they were too large to sustain a real population now in Texas, dangerous, and not near any body of water for boats. There were just abandoned and often overlooked cities. "I've seen him seek out some relic hunters, perhaps he's collecting some different sort of valuables now."
"Yeah." Jonathan said. "But the problem is exactly as you said. She's a boat. We would need to get inside the temple to grab the astrolabe. I mean, it's the most likely location for it."
"It looks like that Jonathan is about to continue that tradition." Sandra said. "Who knows what trouble the group is getting into by being smack dab middle of the mess."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 11, 2009 19:13:28 GMT -5
"Different sort of valuables? OK, something tells me I got part of that entirely wrong." Rihanna made back-up motions with her hands. "What exactly is a "pure collector?"
"Somehow the idea of asking strangers if they're virgins strikes me as, well, risky." Cyrus paled a little at the prospect. "And where do we find one of those?"
Bree sighed. "Knowing their tendencies, I think the worst is yet to come."
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Post by elizar on Sept 11, 2009 19:35:59 GMT -5
"It's a person who collects Pure." Heavensangel smirked to indicate he still hadn't said the punchline. "It's is in high demand with tanners, as the old methods have resurfaced after technology became impossible to maintain. You clean the hides of animals, and Pure works best with it."
"And Pure is dogshit."
Jonathan leaned forward. "Yeah, that's a big problem right there." He said. "If anything, we may need to call her over here. Unless you know of some." He looked to Elena. No one could argue against the fact that it was she who had the most contacts of all.
"Knowing their tendencies?" Sandra turned serious. "It sounds like you expect Jonathan to do something reckless instead of him getting in trouble by no fault of his own."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 11, 2009 20:46:50 GMT -5
Rihanna slapped her forehead, as if finally getting the punch line to a joke she'd only heard the beginning of a long time back. "So THAT explains the people who were going around picking it up! I always just assumed they were with the cleanup crews, never bothered to ask about it. God, if that's what they use for leather, I'd hate to be a tanner."
"If you think that's digusting," Porcelain smirked, "Don't even ask about how they prepare wool cloth these days."
Elena nodded slowly. "The only ones I can be sure of are the religious orders, and they would have had to come into it very young." She took out a thick, dog-eared notebook with well-beaten leather covers. "I've been around so long that I've forgotten more than I remember, but I should be able to find at least one bunch of Catholics who kept the old ways."
"It's a combination of the two." Bree lowered her voice. "The Verant men each have one particular quirk in addition to their complete blindness to "magic". I don't know Jonathan that well, but I'm told he's got this "finding" knack."
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