Welcome to Gaia! ::

There is a second hand book store in a not so wealthy end of town known to regulars as the infoshop, although it does not advertise as such. It's sign merely says "USED BOOKS". An infoshop for those who don't know is a meeting place for anarchists as well as environmental and political radicals of other kinds. Something that is frowned upon in today's society. The main section of the store looks and acts just like a normal second hand book store, but the back area and the basement are something totally different. They are meeting areas for people who secretly commit crimes ranging from minor things like vandalism, shoplifting, and trespassing to more major things such as assaulting government officials, insighting riots and mass corporate sabotage.

During the day It is a book store, but at night it is a place of musicians, political dissenters, and minorities of most kinds. Many of the infoshops main supporters have a tandacy to live in the basement as well as it's three owners, Leo, his daughter Annie and her boyfriend Bobby. Leo is man who as it seems is in his late sixties who used to be a professor at a small liberal university in Boston that got shut down by the government. Now he works full time in the Infoshop, teaching others about many things from alternetive education to bomb making. Annie, works part time at the book store and also works as a weekend secretary for some pointless department in the Viasoft tower. And Bobby is a music producer and promoter who has invested a good amount of money into the Infoshop (the legitimate and the illegitimate parts.) The patrons come from all walks of life, some are your average white coller middle class type and others are gutterpunks. But in the infoshop they are all equals. The owners and patrons have a tendancy to get along with members of the theives guild and some go as for a BEING members of said theaives guild, whereas they rarely get along well with those that frequent the undercity, and rarely associate themselves with mofia members.

Gabriel walked through the door, announced by a tinkling noise from the bell above the portal. He browsed nonchalantly through the racks until he was approached by a young lass with strawberry blonde hair, tied into a ponytail.

"Hello sir, how can we help you?" She said.

"I'm interested in the poetry circle tonight... It's in a couple of minutes, isn't it?" he replied, without looking up from his book.

"Well, yes, it is, but it's sort of an invitational event, you see..." She said, trailing of at the end.

"Does the fact that I know about this well kept secret of a poetry circle count me in as an invitee?" The tone of his voice neared frustration.

"Well, Let me go talk to the boss real quick, and I'll see what the plan is... What was your name again?" She said, turning at first to find the manager, and turning again for the introduction.

"I am Gabriel. You are Annie, correct?"

"Right!" she said, and scurried off to find the manager.

He put the book back, and wandered around the store. He found a young boy of about sixteen sitting in a chair, pretending to read, waiting impatiently. "Are you here for the 'poetry circle', kid?"

Eddy, disoriented, walked along the street with the saunter of a man with a purpose that he forgot. The large green steel toed boots that he wore almost seem to defy the loose way that he almost threw his feet past on another. It was in this shaky way that he approached, and entered the quaint book store. He looked around rapidly in the store, seeing that no one was in the front. Instead of calling out, he just went and found a nice fiction book suitable of his skill, sat down on the floor, and waited, reading.

Leo came re-entered the store from a back storeroom and began walking the aisles, it was almost closing time. Almost time for the real work to begin. As he ushered people to the front to check out. As he was doing this he saw a man sitting on the ground reading. "'scuse me sir." he said, "it's about closin' time, so unless y'r here for the poetry circle 't'd be nice if yeh finished up soon."

Jester watched as the well dressed stranger followed them in. Jester had never seen him here, which ment that it was unlikely that he had been to one of these things, well, not here at least. Everyone else was uneasy, most of them were fairly new to this type of thing. Dissent of any kind was a crime, and most of these people had not yet come to terms with the fact that they were, or would soon be, criminals. Jester smirked then pulled a book out of his bag. It was a graphic novel called V for Vendetta it was, of course, black listed by the church. It was said to have themes of terrorism and anarchy, so in Jester's mind it must be good. He had yet to read it though too busy, Bobby said it was good though.

Jester grinned, "just started it." He looked at Annie who was looking uneasily at the man. Then he looked at the man. "I'm Jester by the way." He held a hand out, "what's your name?"

Annie looked over at the man and gave him a look of confusion, "I'm Annie, you knew that. You said my name in the store. Gabriel, right?" She looked from Gabriel to Bobby to Jester, and smiled weakly. Bobby looked at Jester in a very confused manner and then shrugged and went back to talking with the kid on his other side. Jester laughed softly and began reading his book.

Eddy looked up at Leo, slack jawed, from the cat in the hat. He paused for a bit then nodded.
"Yea, I'm here for the poetry circle."
He seemed to be searching his thoughts with his eyes. After a second, his eyebrows popped up.
"I got me poem all prepared 'n everything!"
He began searching his pockets.

The man shook his head.
"No, I do not have any invitation. But would you do me a favor, sir? I want somebody to read my poem."
At the end of this sentence, He finally pulled out what it seemed he had been looking for.
"Please read it. We put a lot 'a time and effort into it, and we think it should be read."
At this point, if Leo would accept it, Eddy would drop a folded up piece of paper into Leo's hands. If not, it would be dropped on the floor.