http://x_skin.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
x-skin.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
xp_logs2006-11-03 09:00 pm
x-skin.livejournal.com) wrote in xp_logs2006-11-03 09:00 pm
Entry tags:
The Gates: Snapshots
Angelo and Juliette get some pictures of Smichov and talk about some of their frustrations. The reality of Smichov is beginning to wear on both of them already.
"Make sure you get a good shot of that building," Juliette said quietly, gesturing at the damaged low-rise they were approaching. "I'm not sure what happened there, but those are bullet-holes in some of those window, at least. Shots of the damage to the neighborhood itself will be useful."
At Nathan's suggestion, Juliette and Angelo had headed out shortly after breakfast - such as breakfast had been - to get some more pictures. Stills, this time, but the neighborhood had seemed quiet enough, judging by the view from the hotel. Safe enough to go out for a bit and take a look around, despite what they'd heard again overnight.
Angelo, safe under his image inducer - and looking probably very like he would if he hadn't manifested - nodded and raised the camera. "If there's anyone around who'll talk to us, maybe we can even find out what happened."
"Remember that we're not here to get involved in the politics of all of this," Juliette said, still in that same even voice, although there was something very serious in her blue eyes as she looked sideways at him. "Don't think that I actually am deaf when I pretend I am in the office. Or that I miss that jet coming up out of the basketball court every so often."
"Never thought so for a minute," Angelo said with a half-grin. "Even if Nathan pretends he does. An'... yeah, I know. Just here to observe an' report back."
"This approach we're taking is a clever one. Not only does it work to ensure that at least some of us get out with visual records and hard evidence - it's entirely possible that the Czech government could order it confiscated when we leave Smichov, you know - but if all or most of us do, all of these pieces of evidence from different sources will reinforce each other. I imagine," Juliette said with what was almost a satisfied smile, "that those far more versed in lobbying than us are already preparing their approach."
"I guess they will be", he agreed, glancing again at their surroundings. "May it do some good."
"Yes... I've never worked in the field, you know. Worked in a few different NGO offices over the last six years, but I've never gone out even to do something like this." She sighed a bit wistfully. "I used to think I wanted to do that, that the office work was just a stepping stone to better things. I'm not so sure anymore. It's much harder to be depressed by something like this when you're reading about it, as opposed to being in the middle of it."
"Comin' out here an' doin' this is a way to make it better, though," Angelo offered. "Maybe even a better way than the office work. I mean... how much of the office work could we even've done without someone goin' out after the evidence?"
"Yes, but even the office work can be frustrating enough," Juliette countered, apparently unaware of the fact that she was having more of a conversation with Angelo than she had all the time she'd been working at the boathouse. "Being here, in the middle of this, knowing that there's nothing we can do directly..."
"I'd rather this than know it was goin' on an' not be able to do anythin' at all," he said simply. "Since I met Nathan, at least. Maybe longer."
"It would be easier if we had more freedom to work. Stupidity like this isn't supposed to happen in first-world countries," Juliette said - and then paused, seeing a middle-aged woman emerge from a storefront, sweeping broken glass determinedly. "Shall we?" she asked, glancing sideways at Angelo.
"I think we should," he answered quietly, already moving towards the woman as non-threateningly as he could manage.
Juliette spoke gently to the woman in Czech, hands outstretched. The woman responded, looking uncertain at first until Juliette went on, still in that same soothing voice. It seemed to trigger something in the woman and she responded immediately, almost tripping over her words in her hurry to get them out.
"... she says there were looters in her store last night," Juliette translated as the woman paused for breath. "They made a mess, took batteries and the little bit of canned food she still had left."
Angelo scowled. "Figures. Did she know who they were?" Not that it really mattered.
Juliette posed the question and got an answer. "Teenagers, she says. She didn't know them. And they..." Juliette paused, wincing as the woman pulled off the scarf covering her hair to show a livid bruise on her forehead. "Ouch."
He found himself, suddenly, wishing he had any chance at all of getting his hands on those particular teenagers. "For all the police presence, they sure don't seem to be doin' much to stop things like this."
"Well, the problem is, I think, that they're not police, Angelo," Juliette pointed out logically. "They're military. Different reason for being, different training..."
"No, but they're supposed to be here to keep control of stuff. Aren't they?"
Juliette gave him a faint, helpless smile. "You'd think." She turned back and spoke in Czech to the woman, who nodded enthusiastically. "She says we can take pictures of her shop. I think we should, don't you?"
He nodded at the last. "An' of that bruise, if she'll let us."
"Make sure you get a good shot of that building," Juliette said quietly, gesturing at the damaged low-rise they were approaching. "I'm not sure what happened there, but those are bullet-holes in some of those window, at least. Shots of the damage to the neighborhood itself will be useful."
At Nathan's suggestion, Juliette and Angelo had headed out shortly after breakfast - such as breakfast had been - to get some more pictures. Stills, this time, but the neighborhood had seemed quiet enough, judging by the view from the hotel. Safe enough to go out for a bit and take a look around, despite what they'd heard again overnight.
Angelo, safe under his image inducer - and looking probably very like he would if he hadn't manifested - nodded and raised the camera. "If there's anyone around who'll talk to us, maybe we can even find out what happened."
"Remember that we're not here to get involved in the politics of all of this," Juliette said, still in that same even voice, although there was something very serious in her blue eyes as she looked sideways at him. "Don't think that I actually am deaf when I pretend I am in the office. Or that I miss that jet coming up out of the basketball court every so often."
"Never thought so for a minute," Angelo said with a half-grin. "Even if Nathan pretends he does. An'... yeah, I know. Just here to observe an' report back."
"This approach we're taking is a clever one. Not only does it work to ensure that at least some of us get out with visual records and hard evidence - it's entirely possible that the Czech government could order it confiscated when we leave Smichov, you know - but if all or most of us do, all of these pieces of evidence from different sources will reinforce each other. I imagine," Juliette said with what was almost a satisfied smile, "that those far more versed in lobbying than us are already preparing their approach."
"I guess they will be", he agreed, glancing again at their surroundings. "May it do some good."
"Yes... I've never worked in the field, you know. Worked in a few different NGO offices over the last six years, but I've never gone out even to do something like this." She sighed a bit wistfully. "I used to think I wanted to do that, that the office work was just a stepping stone to better things. I'm not so sure anymore. It's much harder to be depressed by something like this when you're reading about it, as opposed to being in the middle of it."
"Comin' out here an' doin' this is a way to make it better, though," Angelo offered. "Maybe even a better way than the office work. I mean... how much of the office work could we even've done without someone goin' out after the evidence?"
"Yes, but even the office work can be frustrating enough," Juliette countered, apparently unaware of the fact that she was having more of a conversation with Angelo than she had all the time she'd been working at the boathouse. "Being here, in the middle of this, knowing that there's nothing we can do directly..."
"I'd rather this than know it was goin' on an' not be able to do anythin' at all," he said simply. "Since I met Nathan, at least. Maybe longer."
"It would be easier if we had more freedom to work. Stupidity like this isn't supposed to happen in first-world countries," Juliette said - and then paused, seeing a middle-aged woman emerge from a storefront, sweeping broken glass determinedly. "Shall we?" she asked, glancing sideways at Angelo.
"I think we should," he answered quietly, already moving towards the woman as non-threateningly as he could manage.
Juliette spoke gently to the woman in Czech, hands outstretched. The woman responded, looking uncertain at first until Juliette went on, still in that same soothing voice. It seemed to trigger something in the woman and she responded immediately, almost tripping over her words in her hurry to get them out.
"... she says there were looters in her store last night," Juliette translated as the woman paused for breath. "They made a mess, took batteries and the little bit of canned food she still had left."
Angelo scowled. "Figures. Did she know who they were?" Not that it really mattered.
Juliette posed the question and got an answer. "Teenagers, she says. She didn't know them. And they..." Juliette paused, wincing as the woman pulled off the scarf covering her hair to show a livid bruise on her forehead. "Ouch."
He found himself, suddenly, wishing he had any chance at all of getting his hands on those particular teenagers. "For all the police presence, they sure don't seem to be doin' much to stop things like this."
"Well, the problem is, I think, that they're not police, Angelo," Juliette pointed out logically. "They're military. Different reason for being, different training..."
"No, but they're supposed to be here to keep control of stuff. Aren't they?"
Juliette gave him a faint, helpless smile. "You'd think." She turned back and spoke in Czech to the woman, who nodded enthusiastically. "She says we can take pictures of her shop. I think we should, don't you?"
He nodded at the last. "An' of that bruise, if she'll let us."