Holding The Gates Of Dawn

Participants:

hagan_icon.gif huruma_icon.gif isabelle_icon.gif miles_icon.gif rupe_icon.gif

Scene Title Holding The Gates Of Dawn
Synopsis Rupe gathers more shedu for the holding of Shamash's sun-gates.
Date January 4, 2009

Old Lucy's


Though Huruma is hardly one to play into the more subtle stereotype of a black woman in animal print, sometimes it just works out. When the bouncer saunters into Old Lucy's for the evening, it is in a tube-shaped dress of tiny leopard print, with short sleeves up over both shoulders. She doesn't need to wear pants to be able to kick someone out. She just needs her hands and those two sharp heels on her feet. Huruma is purposeful in her being here, and immediately heads behind the bar to clock herself in.

It's a few minutes later that two men walk in from the street. Rupe walks a few steps ahead of Hagan and is carrying a black laptop bag. He looks more like a professor than a terrorist, that's for certain, especially with the thin tie and ruffled hair. "Hagan, you stay out here and have a drink if you like. I'm going to go to the back room and do a little work while I'm waiting for Isabelle and her friend."

Hagan was over at Rupe's place when the other man mentioned Lucy's. Seeing as the bar has become his local, he volunteered to take the trip over with the academic. "Right. I'll tell her you're here if I see her then, shall I?" And then he's lighting a cigarette and taking a seat at the bar. He's the kind of regular that gets a pint on the counter before he's even chosen a seat or taken his coat off.

Rupe grins and nods to Hagan, then makes his way to the back room. The bouncers would have all been notified on who is allowed use of the back room. Rupe's high up the list. He catches Huruma's gaze as he passes, then nods to her before disappearing into the back room.

In her place behind the bar, Huruma checks up with the bartenders on call while Rupe and Hagan enter, and as the latter slips into the back- she gives him the cursory lookover, inky pupils settling on him even as her breath is being used speaking to one of the women. When the checkup finishes, Huruma seems settled in enough to muscle her way back out from behind the counter. Most of her attention is on the man that has gone into the back, and the one he came into the car with. Seeing as the woman is unable to go back there herself- Huruma resigns to pursue the latter.

While Hagan is getting that pint, the tall African- even higher on heels- slips silently up beside him, acting first as if her purpose is to pick up some of the empty glasses to the man's left. Curiosity allows her to listen in on his emotive states.

Hagan's general, baseline emotional state is pretty much 'grumpy.' He radiates grump waves. He's not exactly a giant of a man, so her presence nearby startles him a little. He blinks up at her, eyes wide. Then he forces his gaze away, back behind the bar. He takes a pull from his pint.
Huruma waits until she feels him looking away to look back down at him, pale eyes lidding and those grumpy waves almost look like they are leaking out of his ears. Not in a good mood, hm?

As a precaution, she readies a better one, holding it back while she opens her mouth to speak. "'Ou seem.. unhappy." Huruma's velvet voice floats up as she collects a small stack of glasses, hands them to the bartender, and decides to lean back into the counter, shoulders facing the room and face on Hagan.

Grumpy turns to…something else. Startled. Intimidated, even. Hagan blinks at her, "Hm? I'm perpetually unhappy, that's why I drink." The words flick carelessly off his tongue, but his posture reveals the opposite of carelessness. He finds himself staring again, but forces himself to look away. He pulls his fingers quickly through his hair. It sticks right up.

This is no problem. Huruma can manage to disconcert his moods without artificial means, and so that readied mood sinks back into her. Instead, moments after he brushes through his hair and it arrives at a state of disarray- she lifts her own hand up behind his head to do the same- yet properly do so so it doesn't stick up in such an ungainly manner. Boo.

Hagan bites his lower lip and then takes a swallow of his beer. Beer he nearly spits out when she touches him. He blinks and stares owlishly at her. A bit of hair drifts down into his eyes. "So, uh…you work here, yes?" Sparkling conversationalist. The stare remains. Why did you do that, giant elegant scary lady?

Sparkling like diamonds. "I do." Huruma adds a purr to her vowels, the hand that had run through Hagan's hair draping over her leaning lap. The near spit-take doesn't seem to phase her any particular way, and truthfully- he's not the first one. As for what she does; Huruma is not behind the bar, and not on the stage where the bands play- so there are only a couple things she could be, and only one that she looks like. It's not a hostess.

"You…you…you…" Hagan'll start working his tongue properly again any minute now. "….you throw guys out on their arses, don't you? I mean, if they start causing a ruckus and get yelly and grabby and give the girls trouble, right?" That all comes out in one big stream. The only way he can shut himself up is to put a pint in front of his mouth.

Not that Hagan is having enough fun already, but enter the body snatcher! Or as Hagan knows him, that suspicious guy! Miles aka Sammy, or Sammy aka Miles, whatever! This guy had stepped into the bar and just intime to see Hagan getting macked on by this rather large, intimidating looking woman. Miles just grins sheepishly and struts his way over toward them, flopping down onto a barstool next to Hagan and says as he puts an arm around Hagan,"Hey Buddy! Good to see you again."

Why does this bar attract the ones that stutter and mistrust? As far as Huruma can tell- they gravitate here. Possibly for some sort of thrill in being around the things that make them even more nervous? "I do." The tall woman rests her gaze on Hagan, but as always, her ears and peripheral vision is open. As a result, she does glimpse that strutting buddy even before he gets close enough to throw an arm around Bedhead-Guy. Huruma can see his grin, but even despite that she tests this new man's emotions. However many he is going to have, that is.

Hagan doesn't usually stutter. Then again, he doesn't, on a daily basis, have a gigantic, lioness of a woman fingering his hair. He opens his mouth to say something, but then someone is TOUCHING him. Again. He turns and blinks at Miles. "Oh. It's you. Why do you have your arm around me?" No sutttering there. Just annoyance and a bland look for the other man.

"Oh… no reason. Just being friendly. It's me, Sam, you remember right?" He smiles politely at Hagan, then glances over toward Huruma and grins slyly, a bit perversely as he looks back to Hagan,"You going to introduce me to your hot friend here?" He wiggles his eyebrows up and down playfully.

There is something there, tucked away- but there are more than a few explanations for something such as that. The Sanders Sisters were a whole other ballgame. When he looks up at her for that moment, her eyes are narrowed and brows lifted- and just one corner of her lip is pulled flat in an expression of consideration. The expression twitches into mild distaste at his new words, and one hand runs smooth over the leg side of her spotted dress.

"I remember that you're not my buddy," says Hagan as he roughly pushes 'Sam's' arm off. Then he looks back to Huruma. "I don't know her name. We just met." And then, rather politely, he says, "My name's Hagan. I'm a friend of Isabelle's." Friend works well enough. 'Teammate' is suspicious, after all.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be." Miles says, glancing over toward Huruma as his arm is shoved away he turns his attention back to Hagan just for a split moment, noticing that expression on Huruma's features. He gives her a slightly quizzical look but only briefly before he smiles pleasantly again, he boasts alot of confidence upfront but there's certainly hidden depths to be explored. "I am Sammy, I'm also a /friend/ of Isabelle's."

Depths to explore, huh? Huruma silently allows herself to feel Sammy's state better. She looks at both of them in turn, slow at first. The left corner of her mouth flickers in a remote smirk. "I see." Her eyes now set sharply on the two from her lounge against the bar. "Well, boys- I work f'her." Which means one important thing: Behave. "M'name is Huruma." The tall woman cranes her neck slightly, stretching it languidly.

"Herrumah?" That's what happens when a thick Irish brogue tries to prounounce an African name. He makes it sound Gaelic. Hagan glances to Sammy, then back to Huruma. Hey, there's one thing that came from the conversation the other night. He's not blurting out the fact that 'Sam' gave him two names, though the thought has crossed his mind. "Y'think Isabelle's going to be in soon then?"

"I hope so. Cause I ain't waiting on her all damn night again." He frowns at that,"I've got better things to do with my time than sit around here waiting on her." He sighs, tilting his head foreward slightly, looking back at Huruman curiously. "A pleasure, Humura." He's just got the typical Yorker's accent is all, nothing special about his tone of voice.

"So, Huruma, what is it you do here exactly? Are you a waitress?"

Huruma pushes a bit further with her digging into Miles' head, but only far enough to touch upon that initial pool of deceptiveness behind his big wall of bravado. What's this, here? She remains as she is, thoughtful.

Contrary to her stalled interest, Huruma lifts her lips in a short smile at both men- though moreso for Hagan. The brogue doesn't butcher her name as bad as it could have. "She will b'in soon. She takes'er time on th'weekdays." As far as Huruma knows. "I'm th'bouncer." Her answer to Sammy is punctuated by what could possibly be a click of teeth on teeth.

Hagan casts a glance towards the back door. He considers going to tell Rupe there's a delay, but Miles might get tipped off. And something tells him he doesn't want the boss alone with that guy. Now it's time to attempt conversation again. He looks at Huruma, in what he means to be polite eye contact, but he finds himself staring again. He forces the look away after a moment. There appears a hint of colour on pale cheeks for a moment. "So've you been here long?" He clears his throat and drains another mouthful of pint. As for Miles? He only gets a bit of a glance. He doesn't trust himself not to be rude, and something tells him making trouble in front of Huruma would be a bad idea.

"Ah. Well then. Tempting." Miles says cockily,"Mm. Should I or should I not get into some trouble just so you'll bounce me?" He chuckles playfully, unlike Hagan he doesn't show too much concern about stirring up trouble, thus rises the mischievousness in him to the forefront as he grins at Huruma sheepishly. He leans on the counter at that point, curiously paying attention to Humura's answer to Hagan's question.

"A few weeks, a'th'most." Huruma shifts, turning her side to the counter instead, so that she also faces the two men with obviously more than her face. "I woul'reccommend tha'ou do not." She will take you outside, mang, make no mistake.

Hagan wouldn't make that mistake. For one, he doesn't want to make trouble. For two, he's not exactly a big guy. For three, he'd never hit a woman. For four…he doubts he'd come out of it in one place if he did throw down with her. So he just quietly drinks his pint and seems at a loss of how to add to the conversation. If Huruma wasn't here, he'd be snarking at Miles.

Miles tilts his head to the side slightly, giving Huruma a funny look for a moment, that mischievous grin still on his face, he then shrugs his shoulders saying,"It was a joke, and a compliment. Geez.. what is it with people these days?" He sighs, looking around for a bit,"Welp… I'm tired of waiting on Izzy, so I'm outta here." He slides off his barstool.

And in walks Isabelle, wearing as little clothes as possible per usual. Tonight Izzy is wearing a black and red plaid miniskirt and knee high, high-heeled boots along with a deep red tank top. Her hair is tousled about and her eyes are smoldering as she enters the bar. "Hey yall." She shouts to the patrons and in response she gets cheers and applause. Isabelle spots the three people at the bar, two of whom Isabelle wants Rupe to meet. "Well hello there fine gentlemen and fair lady." Izzy winks as she slides over the top of the bar and leans against it facing the three. Her legs cross behind her and she has a wide grin on her face. Obviously she is in a good mood tonight.

Huruma might enjoy that snarking; and it is better to be too serious than not serious enough. As Isabelle returns, the leopard-printed bouncer does not seem to watch her until she slips over the bar and turns to face them with a smile. "Good evening, Isabelle. I was-" Huruma runs the tip of her tongue over her teeth, eyes flicking towards the two men near her. "-entertaining your personal guests. An'there is someone in th'back, waiting." She fails to specify who, or who he had come with.

Hagan looks relieved to have the distraction of Isabelle's final grand entrance. He looks up as she approaches. "He's in the back. Doing some work." He doesn't have to specify, and calling him 'the boss' or by name seems like it would be a breech of security. Not that he knows much about that sort of thing.

Miles arches his eyebrows, delaying his exit as Isabelle finally decides to show up just before he could make his leave. He smirks a bit mischievously, lowering his head slightly, giving her a rather perversely sinister look. "Izzy." That's all he says, lifting his head upright again, he glances over at the other two curiously as they mention a man in the back, it makes him wonder suspiciously just who might that be.

"Sammy." Isabelle replies and nods at Hagan, "Well ain't that just perfect? Mind staying out here and manning the fort as I take these two to come meet our friend back there?" Already Isabelle is leaving the bar without a second glance. Huruma and Miles will undoubtedly know who the 'two' are that she is speaking of. Isabelle ruffles her hair a bit as she nudges open the backroom door with her hip. "Hey there Rupey." She greets and waits by the door for the other two to join her.

Huruma leans her side and elbow on the counter, watching Hagan and 'Sammy' respond in kind. The latter gets gazed at for a few extra seconds even while Isabelle speaks. At first, Huruma is not certain that she heard correctly- Isabelle is asking the Irishman to stay instead, and asking her along to the back. The woman's light stare switches to her occupational boss, hesitantly narrowing in suspicion. She has nothing to mistrust Izzy with, however, and so after a long, deep sigh, the African rises to stand straight and saunter after the brunette.

"I'm going to mind the barstool, make sure no one's too interested in where you go," says Hagan. Almost like he's stood watch before. He watches the two follow Isabelle towards the back room with some manner of anxiety. But this is Rupe's show.

Speaking of, the lanky academic stands from behind the table as Isabelle enters. He smiles in a genuine warm way, "Isabelle. You've brought me some friends?" His gaze goes to each of them in turn. Eye contact with him is hard to break. His power gives him a certain air of authority, in that he seems worth listening to.

"Mmm. What's going on?" He tilts his head to the side slightly, giving her a quizzical look along with Hagan and Huruma. He follows behind Isabelle, glancing over at Huruma again more intently now, sizing her up, then back to Isabelle and says,"Well, you know I'd follow you just about anywhere but.. " He gets to the back room and glances inside curiously.

"Why yes I have." Izzy winks at the academic and then walks over to stand by Rupe's side. "That tall exotic beauty is Huruma, a very special woman. Not Evolved, or at least I don't think but she can kick ass. I know that much." Izzy winks at Huruma as if to convey to her, don't freak out! Just hear us out! "And this sir.. well Miles is going to have to explain all about himself." Isabelle grins wickedly and puts her hands on her chest. "Take it away Rupey." She says to the obvious 'boss'.

Whereas eye contact with Rupe is hard to break- the opposite goes for Huruma many times. Most cannot look her in the eyes for too long- it can start to feel as if she's going to come down on you like a boot with teeth. As the three settle into the back, Huruma hangs in place like a statue as Isabelle starts talking, and the fact that the woman is her only true link to a fake new life is possibly the only thing keeping Huruma from laying her into the table.

The darker, older of the women stares at the backside of Isabelle's head, arched brows creased delicately in the center. Then, her pupils shift slightly and center on Rupe, and her eyelids narrow. No comments.

"Rupey?" Miles laughs at that, his gaze immediately falling upon the man in the back room, narrowing his eyes, studying the man intently, sizing him up it would seem by his body language — or through other methods.

Miles looks over at Humura whom is in silence after being introduced — Right now the man is thinking about how his cover was just blown? Uh, hello, Sammy, not Miles… He sighs dramatically, shaking his head, he then steps forward, offering a hand to Rupe,"So you're the one at the top then?" He smirks mischieviously — devious thoughts cross his mind, as well as perhaps some devious emotions, but he holds true to his wall of confidence, both on the outside and in. "Miles is my birthname, but currently I am going by the name Sammy, so if you'll refer to me as that in public, then we're good."

Rupe seems to have no problem keeping his gaze on Huruma, despite any looks of violence. He keeps a softly neutral expression on his face, one that's almost kind. "Well, I'm sure Isabelle has brought you to me for good reason. It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Rupert Carmichael, and I'm looking for people to help me." He glances from Miles, over to Huruma, then back again. "If you're…not an idealist, I do pay for services, depending on what your skills are."

"Huruma.. I'm /different/. There are some things that you don't know about me. I can't just come out in the open and say it but I figure I can trust you. And that's why I want you in on this operation we have going." Isabelle nods her to indicate Rupe. "Ya see.. I can make things.. /hot/." For demonstration, Isabelle holds her hand out and flames instantly spring to life. They glow brightly and Isabelle feeds them more power and they grow hotter. "See?" She grins at Huruma to see her reaction, Miles has already seen her demonstrate her ability. A fireball is created and Isabelle tosses it back and forth between her hands. "I tend to let Rupe here, explain everything else." She steps back a few to allow Rupe the floor.

Huruma listens. And listens. Right now, she is making attempts to figure out who this man is, exactly. There is uncertainty over whether she should know why he is here and Isabelle has introduced her. Silent and unfelt, Huruma reaches out with her mind to investigate his emotions, little by little.

Her ears pick up most of Isabelle's speech before her eyes turn for a moment. If Huruma is surprised, it is not obvious. Likely not, with what has been coming at her for the last few months. In response to Isabelle, Huruma purses her lips slightly, the sharper contours of her face peaking. Eventually, her attention breaks again from Isabelle.

Huruma's physical body is more obvious in action than the probe investigating Rupe; she takes a half of a breath before lifting her feet and strolling forward, eyes on Rupe, scrutinizing. She stops at the opposite side of the table, white-tipped hands moving down to the surface, where she leans enough to appear both interested and critical at the same time. "I don'know wha'she has told you, bu'she has told me nothing about…you." Huruma's voice is smooth and largely void of a specific tone. "Or what, exactly- this 'operation'-" A sharp look is passed to Isabelle, and Huruma peers at Rupe with slightly narrowed eyes and the barest hint of a smirk. "-is. So I woul'like an explanation-" The skin around her nose wrinkles just enough for Rupe to see so close. "-for this, b'fore I decide tha'it is no'wort'm'time." Are we crystal clear?

"A good reason huh? Aww. Izzy, I didn't know you thought of me that way." Miles says sarcastically while winking at Isabelle teasingly with a cocky attitude that always seems to be on display. "I am but a humble servant… but if you're offering cash, then you're going to go bankrupt, Rupey." Miles shakes Rupert's hand firmly saying boastfully,"Cause I'm worth a fortune." There's certainly no lack of confidence from the man.

Miles then takes a step back as Huruma approaches the table, watching the woman's interaction with Rupert and of course curiously studying each of their reactions. Miles lifts a hand to his chin thoughtfully,"Hmm."

Even in the face of such a formidable woman, Rupe remains calm, keeps his eyes on hers. His emotions reflect the surface. He's not afraid of her, but not in a mocking, superior way. It's more like the way that a man who wears a seatbelt and drives a car with safety features feels secure on an icy road. And there is respect in that gaze, not for anything she can do, but the way she presents herself. "You're right. And Isabelle has only mentioned you in passing. So it seems some introductions are in order." His tone of voice stays steady, calm, respectful. "The short answer?" His brows arch together. "…we're picking up where PARIAH left off. Except they'll never know we exist."

Isabelle has doused the flames and is now watching the exchange between Rupe and Huruma. She is pretty sure that Huruma will jump aboard but you never know.. Isa rolls her eyes at Miles.

If PARIAH had not been the ones to free her and the others from Level Five- Huruma would not care enough to know the name. But, she does.

Huruma leans on one arm more than the other, the nails of the latter scraping against the table as it leaves the surface behind. "…Which is frankly th'best way t'andle anything, isn't it." The woman stands straight, chin tilting up and eyes examining Rupe once more. "They were children." Is all she has left to say about that.

Miles doesn't notice the eye rolling he gets from Izzy, instead he is curiously watching Rupe and Huruma converse. The man folds his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side slightly, when he gets bored of watching those two, he occassionally glances over toward Isabelle again, smirking mischievously at her from his side of the room.

"They were. Playing with toys far too dangerous. But their hearts were in the right place. They just need some…guidance. A way to do things without so much loss." A wave of anger bubbles from Rupe before he reins it in. He was clearly affected deeply by the loss. "I've been a supporter for years. This…tragedy makes me wonder if I stepped forward too late. But I have to try, Huruma, Miles. And I need people who want to help expose the anti-Evolved for who and what they are. Bigoted. Violent. Fearful. Intent on locking away or exterminating what they don't understand. As I said before, I can pay," a glance to Miles. "And I'm not sure your definition of 'rich' quite…fits the kind of resources I have." A smile flickers. "I did the calculations once. It's nearly impossible for me to go broke. There are not enough hours left in even my longest ideal lifespan to spend it all." Hard to tell if he's exaggerating. He's got a bit of a cheshire grin.

"/We/ aren't children. Something new, greater than PARIAH." Isabelle steps forward to lean against the table next to Rupe and look at Huruma. She crosses her legs at the ankle and she notices how Miles is looking at her. She is /showing/ a lot of leg afterall. Izzy chuckles softly to herself looking back to Huruma, "You can see why I hadn't asked you about it earlier. We are a pretty secret faction. If not, then the whole concept doesn't work."

Huruma allows herself to give a tilt of the head as that anger bubbles up and dissipates almost as soon as it had come. As soon as he says that- locking away- the woman's souring mood betrays her and her lips pull into a sneer. Even her hands flex irritably at her sides.

"So'ou wan't'run th'newest Secret Society, hmmm?" Huruma's teeth click a little too loudly together, and the woman takes a moment to stand with her frame rigid. Her voice is now the only soothing thing about her. "Then you'ad best make an impression on me. I will b'willing t'give this a time- seeing as I owe PARIAH f'something, from a time ago."

Miles is definately checking out those legs… Mmmhmmmhmmm… Censored emotions and thoughts coursing through the boy's body and mind at this point. He'd certainly like to do something-something to you-know-who.

Miles finally turns his attention back to Rupert when the man decides to speak to him, he just grins, nodding his head,"That's good to hear, cause I got what you need and I'm willing to do anything as long as it means getting rid of anti-evolved bigotry."

Miles shrugs his shoulders helplessly, giving Rupert a rather serious look now as he states,"I'm sure you know my position and understand it, and if I were forced to register and come into the light, then you know very well the reaction I'd get, not to mention the treatment." Miles let's his arms fall down to his sides, looking in Isabelle's direction as he says,"I may not have been around long enough to fully understand my situation as of yet, but as far as I know, people around me act one way and when they find out what I'm capable of; they start acting another." He sighs, glancing toward Huruma, and then back to Rupert intently,"As far as I'm concerned. If it's going to help me and those in the same boat as me, then I'm all for whatever it is you plan to do."

Rupe keeps his gaze on Huruma, because she needs the most convincing. And because she seems to be a force of nature barely contained in human form. He can respect that. "This isn't a one-time, or a time-limited offer, Huruma. You don't have to say you're in today, tomorrow or a month from now. You can help us with one operation, or throw your hat in with us full time." There's a glance now and again to Miles to show he's included in this. "You can wait until you see what we have in mind before you have anything to do with us. But I will say that many of us were PARIAH." He walks back to his laptop case and pulls out a piece of folded paper. This he hands to Huruma. "Have a look at that. Later." After she's had a chance to have the conversation sink in.

He turns his attention to Miles. "You're…not the only one who would be locked away. Some of us have been already. We know what waits for us if we comply. So we fight. But we don't let them target us, blame us for horrendous actions. They can't tarnish a name they don't know." Then he looks down, then up again. "Take some time to think, both of you. You can contact me through Isabelle if you want to speak again."


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January 4th: The Scars are Merely Hidden
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January 4th: Sweet Naivete
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