Feb 10 22:23:34 109 PA - Some Girls Never Tell the Truth
From Chronicles
Feb 10 22:23:34 109 PA.
SILVER FORK
Nine in the evening is a wonderful time to have a pleasant dinner. Why not make it a quick one somewhere close? The Silver Fork fits both of those requirements. It's busy as normal, where people come and go without noticing anyone because they're too caught up in either keeping children in line, or impressing their date - or charming the person they're trying to nail that evening. Gabriel is seated near the middle, at a small round table, currently looking over the menu. Except, it's not exactly Gabriel. It's Gabriel but... no one who didn't know him very closely would know it was Gabriel Blaze of Kentucky. His clothing is very working class. There's no gray in his hair, and his cheekbones have been softened, though his brow mildly enhanced. There's a vague five o'clock shadow over his face, like someone who wanted to shave, but just didn't have time. His neck is barely puffy at the back, as if he spends a lot of time sitting around without doing much. Even his skin is a lighter hue than normal. Obviously he hasn't gone all the way, but it's amazing the kinds of things you learn to do in his trade. For now he's likely waiting to see if his fangy little date shows. After all, he got her on the communicator an hour ago. Is she standing him up?
Bella comes in 'n she's lookin 'round. Ain't fer a waiter neither. She's lookin fer the one't called her. Course she ain't bein sneaky 'r nothin. Looks bout 's pale 's she always is. Alla black's the same too.
Gabriel, or faux-Gabriel seems to be in no hurry to keep an eye on the entry. Just musing over the appetizers and entrees after a bottle of upscale beer was delivered. A few nibbles of bread sticks keep his stomach occupied for now.
Lookie here. Lookie there. Bella ain't spottin Gabe. Or sorta Gabe. Maybe cause there ain't no gray. She's gotta while though. Don't gotta keep 'er stomach busy.
Eventually, Gabriel takes a glance at the entry, if for no other reason perhaps than he's getting bored of trying to decide between steak and potatoes, or steak and a second piece of stake. Bella's seen, and he just offhandedly waves his menu at her before going back to the menu. Hmm. Maybe nachos?
Bella spots wavin. Huh. that's him? Ok. Kinda looks like he did that one time. Maybe? She heads over. Grinnin. Plops her butt down. "So. Hungry? 'N wassup? Didn't ya say ya didn't want me 'round?" She don't look too hurt though. Shrugs. "Course was kinda lookin fer ya too."
Gabriel puts his menu down, smiling. When he speaks, there is no hint of his normal drawl or twang. "I never said that I didn't want you around. I said that I thought it would be better for you if you stayed away. A significant difference," he confirms. "You're looking nice. I'm sure you've been missing me terribly, right?"
"Cause Donna's mad 't me?" Bella smirks. "Know that'sa buncha bullshit Gabe. Just chatted 'er up th'other night." Then she grins some. "Course I missed ya."
"Awww. Now I feel special," Gabriel says with a wink. "So what'd the cold-hearted bitch have to say? 'Please let him know that I'm offering an unconditional surrender?' I'd love to hear that, and can probably scare her into it." He nods, solidly. Ah, acting!
Bella laughs a li'l. Shakes her head. "Nope. Be nice fer ya though wouldn' 't? Ain't thinkin yer gonna scare 'er. Ya go at 'er betcha ain't coming back."
Gabriel pushes his menu away. "Yeah? Don't suppose you'd care to elaborate on that? Otherwise, it's not information or advice, it's more of a threat." He stops to consider. "Though technically you phrased it as a bet. Okay, you tell me why I'm going to die, but if I live, you owe me a thousand credits." Hmm. Perhaps he's keeping on top of current terms and using 'credits' rather than 'dollars' on purpose. Or it was luck.
"Was s'poseda be a warnin." Bella's back ta smirkin. "Ya know. 'Tween friends. Weren' no threat. So. Why ya think it's better fer me ta stay way anyways?"
"Because there are people who would like to see you dead, and might even be rather single-minded in their entire lifestyle right now," Gabriel says with a shrug. "But c'mon, what makes you think that Donna's so tough I can't take her? Sounds like you're holding out on me."
Bella smirks more. "Kinda used ta that. Case ya didn' know." Don't mean she ain't curious though. Brows pop up. "But sounds like ya got somebody special yer talkin bout?" Then a shrug. "Donna's tough. But ain't just her. Know she's maybe got hundreds more backin 'er up. Figgers she's got least a few. 'N that ain't countin the bouncers 'n people."
Gabriel keeps his own information his, for now. "So she flies out to sleep somewhere? Because I'd think that an armored fort that the Coalition would have a hard time taking would be a snuggly place to bed down for the night. Err, day. Yeah. I heard that there are times when she's not much safer than you are. No one can have a hundred guards around all the time." He shrugs. "Or... there's something special, and she can?"
"Dunno where she crashed." Bella shrugs. "But nobody else's gonna know neither. If she's smart. 'N she looks kinda smart ta me. how ya gonna find 'er?" A li'l smirk. "If she's got friends she can get 'em there quick. Shit. I can getta buncha help pretty quick. 'N that ain't countin people."
Gabriel leans forward and makes himself comfortable with forearms on the table, fingers clasped. "Well, maybe she thinks that she's more wily than she actually is. Or is too overconfident. Or simply didn't expect an old man from 1959, trained in espionage and discovering secrets to come along and become her worst enemy." He shrugs in amusement. "I mean, it's all very plausible, isn't it?" A finger is waggled. "This isn't the first time I've had to assault a fortress, and I've never lost yet. Of course, sometimes people don't understand the concept of 'acceptable losses.' Besides, I haven't been sitting on my thumb for all these months."
Bella shrugs a bunch more. "Ain't sayin ya ain't gotta plan 'n shit. 'R that yer gonna lose. Just sayin I ain't thinkin it's good. Do whatcha wanna. Guessin' I ain't even gonna getta watch." Brow pops up 'gain. "Gonna tell me bout't after ya do it?"
"Every last detail, my dear. Even in the end, where I win the girl and ride off into the sunset," the man says with a grin. "If Vixen were still around, I'd say that you could hire her to capture it on video, but I haven't seen her in a long, long time. "As for helpful information for you? Also of the brand that yes, you also probably knew already? Stay away from short, naked Eskimo chicks who use polar bears as a means of transportation." Gabriel shrugs solemnly. "Or at least, I assume that's what she does with him."
"She ain't never liked me." Bella don't sound s'sprised. Not worried neither. "Think Seb's got 'er onna leash though. Talked ta him a li'l too. Sorta. If he ain't startin shit I figger she ain't gonna be neither."
Gabriel stops the odd conversation long enough to place his order. He doesn't go with any version of steak. Just a bunch of appetizers and, "Anything with a high iron content for my date, please." Even a wink and 'subtly' slipping a five dollar bill to the waiter. "Anyway. Yeah, Monique's funny. I'd feel safe talking tough too, if I had a giant bear protecting my balls. Speaking of balls, most of the time I see her, she's swimming naked in the park's pond. Gotta wonder what a girl does with idle hands all day swimming nude in public."
Bella smirks. "Guess she likes ta show off? 'R yer just good 't catchin her nekkid." Li'l more smirkin. "But Seb already said I oughtta stay 'way from botha 'em."
Gabriel sits back a bit and waves a hand. "People who constantly make loud noise are often the ones you can safely ignore. What's either one of them going to do? Catch you here in town, start hacking? I think that even the inept cops would manage to show up for that one. But. Yeah, I'm getting my affairs in order, just in case I die. Which leads me to a bit of an odd question, what with you being my closest friend, and all."
"Yeah. He talks lotsa shit. Way more 'n he does." Bella's gotta grin at that. Then she's blinkin. "Huh? Whatcha askin?" Whatever he's talkin bout ain't somethin she's expectin. "Course ya don't gotta go ya know."
"Yes, I do gotta go. It's what I learned to do, not for recognition or fame or money. Started out growing up. Then protecting my family. Then? Taking down evil seemed to be a calling." Gabriel holds up a hand to stay a complaint. "Not like running around picking up muggers and kids who spray-paint 'fuck' on a wall. Real bad guys. I think she qualifies."
Bella shrugs. "So ya wanna be a hero. What's't gotcha so far? Protectin yer family?" She looks round. Justa li'l. "Don't see 'em. Savin'a world? Looks pretty facked ta me." A new shrug. Waves her hand to brush stuff 'way. "But anyways. Whatcha wantin'a ask me?"
"They were all protected in my world, and my world was pretty good. This world isn't mine, but I can try to make it a little better, right? But NO. Not a hero. Heroes are the guys who run around doing things and then making sure everyone knows about it. I'm happy just doing them and then fly under the radar." Gabriel makes a long horizontal sweep of his hand. "But anyway, yes. Should I die. You've seen my home, and Natasha's grave."
"Yeah? So?" Bella perks up some. "Didn't think ya were stayin there no more though? Didn't see ya 'round when I was lookin."
Gabriel shrugs. "I'm sleeping around right now." Pun? Joke? Poor choice of words? Who knows. "I know you're not fond of the big cross, but I don't have anyone else to ask. If I die, and there are any pieces left, would you please make sure that I'm buried beside her? Even if there aren't any pieces, would you look in on her now and then, make sure that her grave is clean and respectable?" The man is obviously very sincere about asking a solemn favor of a close friend. Of course, grave-tending probably isn't very common anymore.
Bella shakes her head. "Ain't my fav'rite thing." Then she shrugs s'more. "But sure. Can dump whatever's left over there. 'R clean it up. 'R whatever. Course." She points a finger at 'im. "Ya ain't allowed ta die though. Can't tell me what happened if ya do."
Chuckle. "Fair enough. Maybe you start praying for me and it'll work out that way?" Gabriel smirks. Or faux-Gabriel. It's still a little weird. "If I survive and win, do you think I should write a book about 'The Adventures of a Three-Hundred Year Old Man'?"
"Oughtta do somethin 'sides stickin yer nose in shit." Bella's back to smirkin. "Course I know ya ain't never gonna stop. 'til yer dead. 'R maybe not. Maybe ya give Donna a good show 'n stuff. Could be sharin a drink next time I see ya." Smirk gets bigger.
"Eh. I'm sure that Donna's very smart, or she'd never have gotten where she is, doing what she does. Still not sure why she cares... but that doesn't matter. Strong, too. But there's really not anything more special about her than anyone else I've ever had to deal with. Figure out what the problem is, find weaknesses, plan ahead, know that there will be things you didn't plan for..." Gabriel allows it to fade out, then nods his head once in a very shallow motion. "I really don't stick my nose into anything unless it addresses lots of people. Most of the time, individual issues are left to themselves. However. If I show up in blood-drinking form? I guarantee that I'm going out to see one last sunrise - and keep sitting there, if you know what I mean."
Bella's expression falls off at the last part. Just a li'l nod. Maybe she thought 'bout that once. Long time ago. Then she shrugs. "Eh. Ya get over it." She goes back ta the big main stuff. "So. We're gonna be partyin 'r I'm gonna be cleanin up. That all ya wanted? Any night I oughtta come lookin fer ya?"
Gabriel seems to be ready to happily enjoy an anonymous meal of appetizers. "You should probably be getting along. Better for you if Sebastien doesn't catch you here, better for me if Sebastien doesn't catch me here with you." He rolls his eyes. "You have no idea how much conversation has been wasted telling him to drop it. Night to come looking for me? Yeah, after you hear about Donna being taken down." He smiles as the delivery of his food is perfectly timed and begins to be set before him on the table.
