Dec 04 19:22:03 109 PA - Diplomacy and Closure Through Threats
From Chronicles
Dec 04 19:22:03 109 PA.
MAIN STREET S - OUTSIDE THE GUNNERY
The evening is a decent time for Gabriel to make a trip to the Gunnery. Though not in any way packed for combat, he's obviously coming back from something, some decent weaponry hanging off of him, from pistols to swords. All legal, of course. His uniform doesn't exactly blend either, but then, it's not meant to. The crowd is good right now, many of them heading east to Steel Street and some of the more unsavory points beyond. The old soldier is speaking into a small hand-held communicator as he starts the final turn into Kingsdale's major arms dealer.
Sithik is leaving the Arena, still with the new look he has acquired. Armored trench coat, hooded mask, apparently unarmed. Well there is a knife in his boot, but who would that scare? Maybe it's fate, or just dumb luck. But the hunter catches sight of the armed man known as Gabriel slipping into the arms dealer. The soldier is inside already by the time Sithik is able to jog over and enter as well a few moments behind him.
THE GUNNERY
Gabriel gives Carter a brief wave when he enters, but then makes a quick beeline to the recharging station that had been recently established. One standard E-Clip is plugged in, credits fed into the device like a maniacal slot machine, and then five minutes later following an increasingly loud humming noise, a the now-warm energy magazine is removed and tucked into a safe pocket. "Carter! You get those snap caps in yet?" Of course, being who and what he is, he can't help but notice the stranger.
Sithik takes a moment just within the entryway to give a scan over the large store to find where Gabriel may have gone. The recharging station is easy enough to see from the front door, as is the soldier using it. Making his way over, about two-thirds of the way, "Gabriel. We need to talk." It's not a hostile tone, but neither is it friendly. His mask being pulled back in order to truly be face to face.
Gabriel turns, his hands rubbing as he goes. Faces may be covered, but voices aren't. "Hey, Sithik. Haven't seen you forever! What's the obviously heavy matter that we need to discuss?" He finds a comfortable shelf where his shoulder can lean. Thanks to genetics, it's not a high shelf. "Last time I saw you... not entirely sure, really. I've been busier than I'd expected," he explains, his hands coming open in an apologetic manner.
Sithik replies without expression, but then again, that could be an expression all the same. "You don't remember the scuffle between Valeriya and myself? Perhaps you remember shooting my pet that was defending me while I was trapped within a magic net. Perhaps the spider-folks are more memorable. Any of this refreshing your memory?"
"Oh, that," Gabriel says with a genuine chuckle as if he truly didn't remember. "Yeah, you were going to chase me down, kill me because I shot a demon when I saw one. I wasn't on Val's side, I was just anti-demon." If any insult was intended in the irony of the question, it's certainly not tickling the man's sense of honor. "So what can I talk to you about, Sithik? It obviously meant more to you than it did to me."
Sithik steps forward just slightly looking the soldier in the eye, "My pets mean very much to me, they are a part of me. At the time, my threat was true. Had I not been occupied with others, you would have been found. I have come to realize there was some toying with minds that started that whole thing, and you may not have known it was mine. You would have, had you remained in Tolkeen with us before it was razed. My reason for this talk is twofold. One, if we are to work together ever again. You needed to know of them. And two, to see what kind of man you are." Pulling open his coat and the shirt underneath, he exposes the tattoos on his chest. Four creatures are depicted, the demon dog that was seen that day. A half deer, half eagle type of creature. A mammal-like scorpion, and an elephant. "If you see me, and any of these creatures. You do not shoot them. I do not care what you think of demons or beasts of the rifts, these are mine and any attack on them in the future will be taken as an attack on me." He gives plenty of time for the man to look upon them should he choose. Still no hostility in his voice, he just means what he says.
Gabriel shrugs. "As long as I don't see them tearing anyone apart with undue reason, I won't. But please keep in mind, I'm not fond of demons and the demonic. Not holding that against you, it's who you are, as long as they aren't shredding without process as I said. But keeping them around to pop off of your chest or whatever it is that you or they do, could put us at odds on occasion. I'm afraid that can't be helped." He smirks and points north. "I even got the refugees to agree to keep demons off my land. What I've seen them do - your demons, everyone's demons - is violent beyond purpose sometimes. But you may rest free that I won't be sneaking up to slit your throat while you sleep. I've got no ill will toward you, Sithik, and I'm sorry that it happened. Good to know that it was someone fucking with your mind. Personally, I'm just going to put it out of my mind. I'd rather not be part of any of it. Is that it, then? Peace, or close to it?" He reaches out a hand in the old gesture to shake.
Sithik possibly smirks at the slitting of his throat comment, accepting the man's hand in a shake, "We have a mutual understanding then." Adding a slight bow of his head before releasing the handshake. "The past is now forgotten. I will leave you to your recharge of e-clips."
As Gabriel is actually done, he ends up shaking Sithik's hand on the way to the door. Despite the seriousness of the conversational matter, he has been unruffled. He's just that way. "Good to hear, I'll be seeing you around, Sithik. Try not to get into a fight with Valeriya again, I think she was winning." Then soon, he'll be back outside.
Sithik kinda chuckles, "That’s why she ran once I was free. We'll hunt together again." Turning towards the Dregs on the way out.
