Apr 04 08:53:34 109 PA - It's Better to Stay Out of It

From Chronicles

Apr 04 08:53:34 109 PA.

TRADEWINDS COFFEE SHOP

Late night added to a rainstorm means that Kingsdale's favorite coffeehouse is packed. Most of the seats are taken, and the long 'conversation' benches have humans and D-Bees smashed shoulder-to-shoulder, rear-to-rear with each other. Somehow, Gabriel has managed to find one of the corner tables, keeping it free to himself by dumping his greatcoat and other gear in the seat opposite him. Perhaps he got here in today's distant past, a possibly good guess based on the fact that his things - including himself - are dry. On the table's surface sit a few mugs, a plate of pastries and one large, hand-held military-grade field radio, its antenna raised.

Maybe he's just good't dodgin rain? Bella's gettin pretty good. She comes in. Dry as a bone. but her coat looks a li'l tore up. She ain't lookin too happy neither.

One little door opening doesn't take Gabriel's attention away from the radio, particularly with all of the other noise and activity in the room. Though the smell of coffee is briefly diluted by the outer storm, he simply continues to sip at his beverage and idly munch on a brownie.

Bella looks round. At people. Not coffee. Only coupla things she looks fer here. Ain't normally coffee. She spots Gabe 'n heads his way. "Talkin ta anybody in charge? If ya ain't thinkin ya oughtta be." She plops her butt inna chair he saved for her. After pushin his stuff out it.

"Pick that up and put it over there," Gabriel orders, directing his gaze at his things on the floor, and a safe spot on the table. "Not talking to anyone, just listening. Sounds like a mess going on in the 'Dregs and nobody's winning. Morons." The last word is spit out like something foul had actually been in his mouth. He nods to Bella again. "What's with the coat? You finally piss someone off for real this time?"

"No shit. Just came from there." Bella snorts. "Live there 'member? 'N yeah. Got jumped just walkin long the road. Guess that pisses people off now."

Gabriel thrusts his chin across the table. "If you live there, you should be bright enough to avoid walking along the road where a fucking battle's going on, Bella. You suck the blood of a Mongoloid idiot yesterday and it rubbed off on you?" Yeah, he's being gruff right now, but based on what's been coming over the airwaves, that might be expected.

Bella eyes him. "Ain't fackin stupid. 'N ya oughtta watch yer fackin mouth." She adds a pointy finger at him too. "Weren' no fightin when I got there. Showed up right after. The people got magic monster somethins workin fer 'em. One popped up 'n figgered it's smack me 'round."

"Fuck off," Gabriel replies flatly. "You're not gonna die, but a lot of people are, and just did. The goddamn threats are getting tiresome, just drop it and we can keep smiling." He shakes his head and does his best to be more polite. "Just stay out of the area. It's not our fight, and your coat won't get beaten. See anything other than a 'magic monster somethins'?"

"Buncha mercs." Bella shrugs. "Refugee people. Ain't gonna stop no time soon ya know. Guess they owe the Family a shitload. 'N they're offerin up big cuts fer people ta go collect 'em. Bart was there ta pick up some." She smirks. "Guess he's still there. 'Less somebody picked him up."

Gabriel listens along and nods, still listening to the radio. "Yeah, I know. Family wants money, Marcel doesn't think he owes it. Like I said, not our fight. Don't have a dog in this one, only stuff to lose. Somebody whang Bart on the head and take him prisoner? Happens to guys in helmets sometimes. Big shell hits near 'em, concussion whacks their skull against the side and *BOOM*, they're out for the ten-count."

Bella shakes her head. "Nah. Put a hole through 'im. Guess maybe they shoulda stuck more juice in 'im. 'N didn't give two shits bout't 'fore. 'Til they started comin after me. Pissed me off. Maybe go find some. Make 'em hurt. Getta buncha creds." She smirks. "Same's what yer gonna pay me fer."

The old man sits up straight and then leans forward. "Bart's dead?" he asks, the tone of voice indicating that he might not be too surprised. He shakes his head. "Man was a good soldier, when he had someone around to tell him what to do. That conversion didn't help the matter, made him rash. Shame, he was kind of a friend. But, friends drop along the way. I don't suppose he actually did anything tactically intelligent?" As he picks up his mug again, he adds, "Oh, and you completely lost me as to what you were trying to say when you got into the 'two shits' part."

"Ran up. Got shot at lots. Ducked mosta 'em?" Bella shrugs. "Dunno if't was smart. 'N was sayin the shit weren't my fight. 'Till they picked it with me. Now I owe 'em. Somebody handin out piles a creds's just frosting."

Gabriel then nods in understanding. "Stay out of it, Bella. It's not your fight just because someone picked on you. Hell, if you're going to beat the shit out of people, and then their friends, and then their friends friends when you're on security, I'd have to fire you." There's a subtle head shake. "Being pissed off isn't a decent reason to fight. Particularly not for this. As for credits, I'll be paying you. Just let it go." He shrugs, adding, "You walked away with a blasted coat tonight, but the refugees aren't stupid, even though they might not have a good leader. Living on the edge of the 'Dregs, they'll have someone who knows how to hurt you. Wouldn't want to lose you, too." He smiles sadly. "You're the little girl I bought dresses for because all she had was a dingy, dirty, worn out coat."

Bella smirks and tugs her coat open a li'l. Shows off a li'l spotta white skin. Through a hole in her black bra. 'N white shirt over it. Maybe that li'l bitta push up helped. Just enough. "Don't wanna lose me neither. 'N yeah. They knew. Was ready. "

'Wow. She really doesn't have any boobs,' may be what Gabriel thinks. Or he may simply consider the wound for a moment. At any rate, he nods sagely. "There's your answer, then. They can kill you, and there's no point to fight this fight. Stay up here. Go to a movie. Sleep. Let me take you to the Silver Fork. Money isn't a reason to fight, either. Especially when you're going to paid well," he adds, tossing it off with a wave of a hand. His fingers then crawl across the table like a spider for a while before ending up at his own breast pocket, where he pulls out the small photograph of his family. "Fight for family, friends, your country, a cause against evil - what's happening down there?" He jerks his head in the direction of the 'Dregs. "To you, to me, that war's none of 'em."

"Sure." Bella nods. "Yer right. Oughtta fight fer that. Lessee..." She points a finger at 'im. "Aint got no family." Two pointy fingers. "Coupla friends. But half wanna kill me. 'R got dead." Three. "Ain't got no country. So. What kinda evil I oughtta be fightin? How bout people't kill other people?" She goes back ta two fingers. Snaps 'em. "Oh. Wait. Said I can't do that."

"That's right," Gabriel says easily. "You have friends who don't want to kill you. Me. Probably Valeriya. I think of you almost like a step-daughter, even though that might piss you off, so you have family. No country? Fine." He raises his shoulders and palms, admitting to that lacking point. "People are always killing other people. It's the way people are, and we've been doing it ever since we *were* people. Grog the caveman wanted what Bork the caveman had, hit him with a femur. Fine. Doesn't make it a huge evil to waste your life against." As evidence, he taps his own chest. "If it were, I would be out there, on one side or the other, fighting. The fact that I'm not means that there is no cause to fight. But you're a grown woman. Sort of." A brow is arched, and he finishes with, "You want to fight people who've already damn near pierced your heart, fine, go for it. I'll remember to spread your ashes somewhere pretty."

Bella smirks. "Ain't sayin I'm just gonna walk up 'n punch 'em inna face." Then she shrugs. "But Ok. Gotta point. Guess I gotta figger somethin out." Bella hops up. "So I'll go figger. Maybe ya hear somethin good." She waves at the radio. "Like they run outta mercs 'r refugee people 'r somethin."

Gabriel nods his head, his face as bland as when Bella came in, just intent on listening to the radio. "Off to figure something out? Be careful, Bella." He nods, and then goes back to his work.