In search of a new line of work (open anything)

[Rizel]

Rizel, the former dancer, is out in the streets today, jostled about by the swelling masses as she walks from one point to another, unable to afford cab fare. Her shoulders are hunched as she tries to make herself as small as possible, weaving and ducking through the crowd unsuccessfully as she struggles to make her way around. She only needs to make the corner and she'll be at the next place on her list.

At last she breaks free, turning into a relatively quieter sidewalk. She's alone now for the most part, except for the scattered businessmen here and there. Just two more blocks ahead. Rizel sets off with a sigh, ignoring the urge to look around and see into the alleyways.

[Abel Kannan]

Abel was still posting pictures of Kwiet about, trying to get any leads at all about the missing boy's whereabouts. A young woman walked past him, looking worn out and sad.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but are you all right? You don't look to be too cheerful."

[Rizel]

Rizel simply casts a side glance at him. When he doesn't follow up with an offer on how to make her happy, she gives a tentative reply.

"I need a job and can't get one."

[Abel Kannan]

Abel nodded sagely. "Jobs can be hard to find. So what did you do before?"

Abel never passed up an opportunity to help someone who needed it, but if he was going to help, he had to know some things about the problem.

[Rizel]

Rizel cocks a fist on her hip, giving Abel an appraising look.

"I was a dancer."

[Abel Kannan]

Abel nodded. "I see. Well, not anymore."

Abel thought over what job opportunities he could get for Rizel. He prayed about it and prayed about it as he and Rizel walked down the streets.

"My church runs an orphanage. Are you any good at handling girls? I'm afraid that I'm always understaffed. And if caring for children is not your idea of a job, then there is plenty of other positions open."

[Rizel]

"Ehm...no..."

Rizel's father was an atheist, and it's mostly worn off on her. She'd like to believe in an all knowing being that's out to see to her good health, but her life in general is fighting that with all its might.

[Abel Kannan]

"No?" Abel grinned. "Well, there's cooking, cleaning, teaching..."

Abel's voice trailed off. "I guess the whole idea that this orphanage is run by the church is a bit of a turn off. I'm not looking for any religious people. Just some good people. People can be good without being religous..."

Abel paused for a second. "I suppose you have something against the church, or God?" There was no scorn or anger. Just concern.

[Rizel]

"Nothing against them."

Rizel doesn't necessarily hate the church or God. It's just that she's had no reason to believe any of it.

"I don't know. I'm no cook, and I'm hardly the sort of person to be teaching children anything."

[Abel Kannan]

Abel thought some more. "Well, until you find a job, come stay at the church. It's the least I can do to see that you have food and shelter while you find a job."

[Rizel]

"Uhm...I'm not so sure of that..."

She catches sight of a clock; she's late for her interview, late to the point of it not mattering.

"Or not..." she says with an irritated sigh.

[Abel Kannan]

Abel looked hurt. "I'm bothering you, aren't I? Well, I'm praying for your success in finding a job. Um, have a nice day."

Abel retrieved the notices about Kwiet and started to post them up again.

[Rizel]

Rizel sighs.

"No, wait a minute."

She follows him quickly, putting a hand out to stop him. It touches his shoulder lightly, flexing as she forces herself not to turn him around.

Chill Rizel, you don't have to seduce anyone anymore.

"It's just that I missed my appointment is all. It's not your fault, really."

[Abel Kannan]

Abel looked over his shoulder at the woman and grinned. "Well, if you don't have anything else to do, you could help me to put up these pictures. I'll take you out for lunch as payment. Sound good? And you can apply at the restaurant while we are there."

[Rizel]

Now he wants her help. Kind of a selfish man, if you asked Rizel. Still, she takes some of the sheets with an exasperated sigh, looking at the image and words.

"Kwiet Ideya? What happened to him?"

[Abel Kannan]

Abel raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted work. Granted it's not an hourly wage thing, but at least you'll get food in your stomach for it. If you don't want to help I can understand."

Wow, but this woman was fickle. Abel began to say a silent prayer for patience and understanding. This was going to be a challenge to be sure.

"Kwiet was kidnapped from the orphanage a long time ago. I saw him being put into this car by a woman a while back, and ran into a man that was seeking to adopt Kwiet. Now I've lost him. But he's safe. I have faith that God will keep him out of harm's way."

[Rizel]

Rizel tacks a flyer up with a glare. She never said she didn't want to do this job for him.

"So he's been kidnapped and you're looking for him. Do you remember what that woman looked like? The police make sketches of criminals from what others describe of them in order to make arrests and such. Did you think of trying that?"

[Abel Kannan]

"No, the streets were crowded. I couldn't see her face."

Abel put up another notice. "He's always wanted a mommy. It makes it easy for just anyone to get him to come along. I always had a hard time keeping up with him, but I always found him safe and sound."

Abel sighed. "The police are searching too, but they aren't doing a good job, I'm afraid."

[Rizel]

"Well what do you want? They're the police. They're meant to be inept."

[Abel Kannan]

Abel shrugged. "Well, it's hard to be good at finding someone when you don't know where to begin. But I'm praying about it."

Abel posted another flyer up on a lamppost.

"I think maybe He's testing me with all this."

[Rizel]

"The kid or God?"

Rizel tacks another up with a sigh. She doesn't like his chances of finding the boy.

[Abel Kannan]

"God tests me through the boy," Abel said with a wry grin.

"It's about lunchtime," Abel said, looking at his crono. "How about some food?"

[Rizel]

"Food is good," Rizel says with a forced smile. She should at least try to be confident in him.

[Abel Kannan]

"All righty. I know of an excellent sandwitch shop. The food is good and not too expensive, if you're interested."

Abel pointed down and across the street to indicate where the restaraunt was.

"Good atmosphere too."

[Rizel]

"Sure," she chirps, paying only half attention to him. Her thoughs are elsewhere, wondering about this boy of his.

"So...what's this kid of yours like?"

[Abel Kannan]

"Kwiet?" Abel asked.

"Oh, he's maybe 5 or 6 years old, and obsessed with women. He doesn't have a mother, so naturally it's his heart's desire to have someone to call his mom. He'll follow any woman around asking if she's a mommy. He mostly follows around the pretty women, so it makes things difficult for me sometimes. Every once in a while I find a woman who thinks that I'm using the kid as a way to get to meet her. He's always disappearing when I don't need him to."

Abel chuckled. "He's a good kid."

They walked the block until they reached the restaraunt. "Here it is. I recommend the turkey sandwitch with everything on it."

[Rizel]

"I'll decide for myself," Rizel says, walking inside and immediately ordering a BLT. "So he follows girls around looking for a mommy, huh? Where was the last place you saw him?"

[Abel Kannan]

"In his bed, fast asleep with his teddy under his arm. The boy was kidnapped, and I don't know who did it."

Abel was beginning to wonder if God wasn't testing him by having him help out Rizel. She was certainly trying his patience with her rather rude and arrogant attitude. Abel steeled himself, prayed for patience with Rizel, and ordered his usual turkey with everything on it.

"You can choose where we sit."

[Rizel]

Rizel sits in the closest chair, a thoughtful look on her face as she ignores her lunch and focuses on what to do about this kid.

"Where else have you ever been with him? Maybe he goes to one of those places with whoever has him now?"

[Abel Kannan]

"We never visit many places more than once. He usually just manages to slip by me and enter any random shop or restaraunt that has a cute woman in it."

Abel prayed over his food and began to eat.

"Who knows where he is? If I knew the places that the kidnappers usually went to, I'd have a lead. But Kwiet usually just stayed at the orphanage, except for when I had to take him along."

[Rizel]

"Well...is he obsessed with anything other than mothers? Like the Jedi or something?"

[Abel Kannan]

"Oh, not really. Just mommies. He plays all sorts of pretend games but nothing fixes his attention more than a mommy. Any beautiful, busty lady will do. I'm praying about that."

[Rizel]

Any beautiful, busty lady will do. Where does she know THAT description from?

"What if...I help you lure the kid out? Just find a place where he's been seen recently and let me stick around there. If he's as obsessive as you say, he should walk right into my lap."

[Abel Kannan]

Abel smiled. "You'd do that for me? I sure do appreciate it, but I have no idea where I would find him."

Abel took a gulp of his water and thought a little bit. "I suppose..." Abel sighed. "I don't get it. Where can I find the types of women that Kwiet enjoys? He knows not to go to any dangerous places."

[IQ-5000]

IQ Sits in the corner of the quiet restaurant.
His telescopic hearing could hear every word they are saying.
He had been following the one called Abel all morning and into the evening. When he met up with the woman, he thought this may have been it but they finished putting the flyers up and ended up in this restaurant. He waited a few minutes before exiting his craft and joining the flesh bags in this feeding area.o_O :smokin

[Rizel]

Rizel clears her throat loudly as he mentions "the types of women that Kwiet enjoys". Is he that blind and dense? Or does she have to stretch and show off her body and seduce him to make him get a clue? When she speaks, its not of that, but of the remark about "dangerous places".

"Then we'll just look in safer places, like parks, or places that are well guarded, like the Jedi bar."

[Abel Kannan]

"A Jedi bar?"

Abel thought about it. "Yeah? Sounds good. Thing is, I've been so busy recently with my other stuff that all I really have time for anymore is putting up flyers on my way to different places."

[Rizel]

Rizel thinks that if its so important to him, he ought to spend more time on it...finding the kid, that is. At last she unwraps her sandwich and begins eating it.

"I'll head down there around dinner tonight and see if anyone has seen him. Deal?"

[Abel Kannan]

"Thanks..."

Abel took another bite of his sandwitch and looked at her with an expression of guilt. "I know you probably think I ought to spend more time trying to find him, but all I can feasibly do is pray. I have hundreds of other children to take care of. If I neglected them to find Kwiet, it'd be selfish of me."

Abel took another bite and then a sip of his drink. "Oh Lord, give me strength," he muttered under his breath.

[Rizel]

Rizel doesn't say another word, finishing her meal and finally getting up to leave.

"I appreciate lunch. I'll see what I can do about finding the boy. Good luck."

She walks out, pitching her garbage into one of the trash bins, fully aware of the stares following her out. If she just keeps doing what she's doing, finding him should be no problem.

[Abel Kannan]

Abel didn't get time to say good bye before she was well out the door.

"God provides..." he said with a grin, throwing his garbage away and walking off to his church.