Jan 03 20:18:44 109 PA - A Nice Dinner With Odd Conversation

From Chronicles

Jan 03 20:18:44 109 PA.

SILVER FORK

Dinner time for everyone and the Silver Fork is where tonight's action is happening. The restaurant is matching, credit-for-credit all proceeds, going to the Hope for Humanity charity fund. Double matching on all drinks from the bar. Gabriel is standing near the maître d', chatting him up in between new customers passing through. Perhaps waiting for someone to arrive. It's good to be indoors, because the winter continues to rage outside. It's also nice to have an excuse to get a little dressed up. Nothing fancy, but nicer than what a person kicks around in day-to-day. Hopefully there will be a table open.

Not dinner fer ev'rybody. More like breakfast fer some people. Like Bella. Ain't the best place fer her ta go. But the best one ain't really the best no more. So she's here. Lookin 'round mostly. After she comes walkin in anyway.

The cold wind blowing in through the large doors to Happy Days grabs Gabriel's attention enough that he turns to look - Bella! Which is what he exclaims. "Bella!" A hand is waved gently in the air, and he immediately starts to make preparations for a nice table for two. Preferably one of the ones off to the side with the plants and waterfall. "Come on, eat something with me. Their steaks are fantastic."

Bella blinks a li'l. Then smirks alot. "Heya. Sure." Bitta shrug in there too. But she's walkin his way. "Whatcha doin? Sides lookin ta eat."

"I'm looking to eat. It's also good for charity tonight." He points above the entry to the restaurant where an elegant maroon banner with golden letters - painted, obviously - declares tonight's event. "See, good things for everyone." One of the hosts comes along to escort the due to their table... a fountained table with plants. Booth, too. Nice. The music is quite pleasant, and Gabriel waits at the end of the table for the lady to scoot in first. Even if 'lady' is only defined more by chromosomes than anything else in this particular case. "If you would," follows a mildly swept hand.

"Looks like yer lookin fer a date." Bella winks at 'im. Don't stop her from sittin though. "I miss somethin big yer celebratin? 'R ya just inna good mood 'n stuff?" Ok. She guess it's maybe just cause there's some poor kids inna hospital 'r whatever the fancy stuff's for.

Gabriel sits down and fluffs his napkin into his collar, where it's supposed to be, unrolling the silverware exactly in order for a meal. "Well, it's more fun with a date, that's for sure. I'm glad you came by, Bella. I was beginning to think that my date wasn't going to show. Maybe she won't!" The waiter comes by with a menu for spirits, and he looks it over for a moment. "Brandy, please." It's passed across the table. "Order up, Bella, it's on me. But.. what are *you* doing here?"

Bella grins some. "So. Ya really gotta date? That's a new one." Then she shrugs. "Whatcha mean what'm I doin here? Same's ya. Lookin fer a meal." She waves a li'l round at the place. "It'sa buffet. Sorta."

"I suppose you can order your steak rare, huh?" The man passes the wine menu back to the waiter - apparently his impromptu date wasn't interested in anything. "Thought you had your own restaurant. Not really into the buffet anymore. Or are you just looking for a change of menu?" Gabriel smirks and opens up his own men. A human menu. That serves humans. Not literally.

"Kinda had a place. Ain't lookin so great ta go now though." Bella frowns some. "Maybe ain't so safe. So now guess I'm back ta pickin 'n choosin."

"Really?" Gabriel's attention is piqued, though he continues to look over the menu. It's not everyday that he gets a genuinely tasty meal. "Went bad even for you? They change the menu, or change the staff? Either one can ruin a place." He chuckles, "There was this place in Constantinople, they... well, you don't need to hear about it right now. Sounds like they started to contract with different security, too. Hate it when places do that."

Bella shrugs. "Like I was sayin. Was thinkin maybe she knows somethin. Knows people don' like 'er. Prolly knows somethin's comin. Knows I been askin a buncha stuff." She don't worry boutta menu. Perks up instead. "Wait. We were waitin on asshole 'fore. Now what're we doin?

It takes Gabriel a moment to figure out what his date is talking about, but eventually he gets it. "Oh, still waiting on him. Certain members insist on speaking to him before agreeing to do anything. So what, all it is, is the management? That sucks." If there is any irony in the final statement, he doesn't seem to notice. "You still planning on throwing in? I'm thinking of changing up the plan."

Bella perks up a brow. All curious. "Changin? Like how?" Smirk comes back. "Just gonna blow shit up now 'r somethin?" Then there's shrugs. "Still thinkin bout't. But still kinda thinkin not startin shit ain't a bad idea neither."

Gabriel shrugs. "Probably nothing's going to happen for a while. A long while. Just don't know enough, and frankly a lot of people are scared at this point. Just ready to let 'em do their thing. But yeah, I'm thinking that perhaps planting a few fusion blocks around the back side where the staff doors lead might be a good way to get in. But no lights, it could be too obvious." He flags down a waiter and orders nice slab of salmon. Then a sixteen ounce steak for Bella. As for how to prepare it? "Just cut it off the cow and show it the kitchen before bringing it out." A quick appetizer of loaded potato skins is tagged on right after he orders... a soda for Bella, then passes the menus away.

"So. Kinda sounds like we're all agreein. I guess." Bella eyes the waiter. Grins at him 'til he walks 'way. Then she's shruggin s'more at Gabe. "Guess't don't bug me so much. Let things settle 'r whatever. Course maybe ain't gonna be inna spot ta do nothin after too long. 'R maybe somebody else'll do ev'rythin fer us. Who knows?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know. What do you think about it? Do you want to do something?" Gabriel shrugs sadly. "Because I'll tell you honestly that I'm sticking my neck out vouching for you. No one else involved would believe you if you told them that the sky's blue. I hate to put the burden of proof on you, but without anyone listening to my planning, they're going to screw themselves over, because none of them know a damn thing about proper military operations." Gabriel sits back in his cushioned bench seat and clasps his hands gently in his lap, offering a sorrowful expression. "If there were any way that you could prove that you are who you say you are, want what you say you want, aren't teamed up with people being opposed? It would help greatly. Sorry."

Bella tips her head. She ain't lookin all s'prised by what he's sayin. Smirks way more though. "Gee. Whatcha now. Ev'rybody blames the big bad monster." She rolls her eyes. Then points 'em back't him. "Ain't thinkin they're gonna trust nothin I say. Just like ya said. Ain't like I figgered they trusted nothin I said 'fore neither." A li'l snort. "so much fer comin out 'n not hidin nothin."

"What do you mean not hidin' nothin'? If you could show people or point the way or something, that would help." Gabriel suggests something quickly as a passing waitress teases him with the scent of a giant baked potato.

"Mean not hidin me." Bella points out. Uses a finger ta point too. "Shit lotta good't done me huh?" Now she's frownin. "People're alla same. Don' like somethin? Shoot't. Dunno whatta think? Shoot't more."

Gabriel shrugs. "I'm keeping people from shooting you, you're still safe. No one's going to kill you. Or un-kill you. Whatever the terminology is." His face screws up as he isn't quite sure what to say. "I appreciate everything that you've told me. Been friends forever, right?" Then his forearms are leaned against the table, and he lowers his voice. "There's one thing that you could do to earn everyone's trust, but I know that you're not going to like the concept."

Bella's brow goes up again. "Keepin people from shootin me? Why? Oughtta let 'em try." She snorts again too. Gettin annoyed. But she's still curious too. "'N what's that? Shoot myself?" She prolly ain' gonna like that.

Gabriel frowns a little. "I know you're tough, but if you get people who know how to shoot with the right things, and enough of them, it would hurt. A lot." Then a long sigh, and he even deflects his gaze over to the fountain for a few seconds. Eventually, he turns back to look Bella in the eye. "Volunteer for a mission for all to know about. I'll find you a safe place out of the sun, out of the rain, where no one else on the planet knows about. No one in the team, no one but me and Natasha. Then?" He shrugs and his expression is one of unfortunate and hope at the same time. "You let me stake you. When the problem's solved, it comes out, and everyone can see that you're as trustworthy as I've been telling them, because you didn't hesitate to make it clear that you *couldn't* even be working with the... staff at the other restaurant. I realize that it's a rotten option for you, in the short term. But in the long term? As the kids say, it would buy you a lot of 'street cred.'"

Ok. That ain't what she was expectin. She werne't knowing what he's gonna say but that sure's shit ain't it. "Fack that." Now she's eyein him way harder. "Y'already did that once. No. Twice." She can count that high. Ticks 'em off on 'er fingers even. "No fackin way. Even if I figgered ya was good fer it." Now she's pointin at him. "'N ain't so sure I do. Still leaves me stuck 'n stuck inna dirt somewheres. Maybe ya don't talk 'em down. I'm facked. Maybe yer just talkin shit. I'm facked. Maybe ya just get hit by a truck 'r somethin. Still facked."

"I understand, and didn't really expect anything else. It's just an unfortunately good option." Then Gabriel points across the table. "I would never have done anything against you if I'd known that it was you in a goddamn wolf suit, and after that, maybe a little crazy for showing up like it." He then leans back as their meals are served. "The problem is that I trust you, and I also trust the other guys, but neither of you trust each other, which is a sticking point. What I know is being passed aside in lieu if wrong intelligence. How about this." He pauses to sample his salmon. Looks good. "Everybody meets with Sebastien. Everybody gets to talk and ask questions. People can hear that you're telling the truth - though you'll have to work on your grammar. It often sounds like riddles and dodges, which is another reason that people don't trust you." That said, he lays into his slab of fish with great enthusiasm.

"Talk like I talk." Bella shrugs. "Gonna have ta deal. But sure I can see Seb with ev'rybody. Long's he don't try 'n come at me." She eyes Gabe. "He does 'n he's gonna be one gettin somethin shoved through 'im."

Gabriel nods and takes another bite of salmon. "Try working on how you talk. You do sound dodgy at times, not answering questions posed to you even in simple yes-no, black-and-white. People aren't going to believe you if they think you're trying to play word games. As for Sebastien?" A light shrug. "You know that I can't give you any guarantee that he's not going to go after you. But you did tell me the other day that he just got his horse to stomp on you. Doesn't sound like trying to kill."

Bella nods. "Yeah. Was weird. Why I's thinkin she had 'im doin it." She's shrugging again. "Dunno. 'N whatcha mean I'm soundin dodgy?"

"I mean that you often seem to answer a question with an incomplete answer as if you're hiding something," Gabriel says, setting his fork down for a moment. "So if we do all get together and meet, and discuss.. just answer questions. Don't editorialize or give opinions until we all get to that part. Try not to get upset if someone doesn't believe you, or questions your answer. Look, I'm not trying to tell you how to act. Just how to behave around these particular people, for this particular moment in time, to get this particular job done."

"Ok." Bella takes that much. Pokes at her steak a li'l. Even takes a bite. "So. What happens if they don't believe nothin I'm sayin?"

The old fellow at the table shrugs and purses his lips. "Then I have to take your word for it, and try to convince them myself. I'd like to know why there are so many more girls. I guess they're just being targeted with the psi-cola. But now I need to know where the psi-cola's coming from." Gabriel frowns. "If I don't, then this might all start over again, even without Donna. Just a new person comes in and thinks that it's a good idea."

Bella shrugs. "Maybe that. Ain'ta first time somebody's got girls hooked on somethin ta get what they wanna get from 'em. Fack. Ain't even nothin new if that's it. Dunno nothin bout the stuff."

"Think you could find out where all the psi-cola's coming from? Cut it off at the source?" Gabriel is brief, as his mouth is needed for a piece of fish.

"Dunno." Bella's still shruggin. "Guess I can poke 'round some though. Figger out what I can figger out."

Gabriel gives a solid nod. "Yeah. Who's supplying it, and *where* the damn stuff's coming from. It has to be coming in from outside the city, unless someone's opened a factory in the 'Dregs for the stuff. Where's the distribution site? Maybe it's time to just grab some of those little grammar-school thugs and beat the shit out of 'em until they talk." He stops. Looks at Bella. "That thing you tried to do to me when we were at the Lady. With Lance, behind the curtain. I don't know what it was. But I know that you can control minds. If I went along, could we just nab one of the little bastards and make him talk? Or even just say, 'take me to your leader?'"

Bella smirks. "If we can find one of 'em. Sure. Maybe. Prolly." Then she's noddin 'n grinnin. "Beatin'a fack outta 'em sounds good ta me. Fun too."

"Doesn't sound like it's hard to find them. Not from what I've found." Gabriel thrusts his knife gently to mid-table. "I do my own poking, too. A lot of my own poking. Just want you to know that I'm asking you to do things that I wouldn't do myself. Only things that you'd be much better able to do. A good commander never orders his soldiers to do something that he isn't willing to do himself." There's a soft nod, as he forks another piece of salmon into his mouth. He shrugs and swallows. "It's not just you, either. I have others. Just don't want you to think that you're being picked on, or leaned on unfairly."

"Ya know. If ya were it'd figger more ta me." Bella just shrugs a li'l. "But least I know if I don't find nothin somebody else maybe will." She stabs her steak. Picks up the thing. Chomps a bloody bite outta it.

Gabriel looks on Bella for a time. "Huh? What does 'figger more ta you' mean?"

Bella smirks 'round a mouthful. "Sendin me in 'steada somebody else. Usin me. Pickin on me. Whatever ya wanna call it."

"Ah. Got it," Gabriel says with a smile. His hands come back to slice a small piece off of his slab of salmon. "How's the beef? Did they not cook it right for you?"

"Ain't thinkin they really cooked it." Bella puts the drippy thing back onna plate. "Ain't bad but prolly taste better if they made it a li'l brown. Threw some onions on't 'r somethin." A new li'l shrug. "Don't matter much."

A light chuckle. "You *could* have asked for it, you know. Just because I ordered something didn't mean that you had to take it without question. You know, Jaxain half-thinks - or maybe more - that you've let go of Sebastien and are up in my head now." Gabriel meets Bella's eye. "I know one thing that would help your cause? Tell me, did you do anything more to that arrogant ass than keep him from coming after you? Because Monique and Jaxain think that you did, and apparently Sebastien isn't talking about it for some reason. Make's 'em curious about that, too."

Bella smirks. "If I was in yer head Gabe think I'd know bout it. 'N nope." She shakes her head. "Never made Seb do nothin. Cept not wantin 'im ta go all vampire killer hero shit on me. Ok. Told 'im ta be nice ta Moni." A shrug. "Cause looks like he's an ass ta her sometimes too. Course now I'm thinkin I oughtta had 'im go shove 'is head up 'is ass 'r chop up 'is horse 'r somethin." There's a little grumble.

Gabriel leans far across the table to pat-pat Bella's shoulder. "I know. If they ask you whether or not you were in his head, though? You have to be honest. You *were* in his head. Even if you didn't make him do anything bad. Because people are taking your words literally, not the way that they're intended. Full and unconditional truth, right?"

"Yeah." Bella nods a li'l. "Sure. Just hopin it works better 'n has so far."

"Well, look on the bright side. No one's tried to kill you yet." Gabriel holds up a finger and narrows his eyes in amusement - "and that one time with me doesn't count!"

Bella just smirks. "Uh huh. Guess we're gonna see how long THAT'S gonna last." She pokes at her steak s'more but don't eat any more. "So. When're we all roundin up fer this li'l chat thing anyways?"

"Don't know. Just came up with the idea over dinner," Gabriel says, grinning just barely enough to still be polite with his mouth full. "I assume it'll be a nighttime affair. Enclosed, due to weather. But I don't know. How about you? Any ideas on what kind of good information I should try to find about this business that's going on at the Ivory Lady? And obviously points beyond?"

"Prolly." Bella nods. "'N dunno. Said ya wanna find out where't's comin from. Start askin bout that?"

Gabriel's eyes are on his fish for a moment. "Sounds like a good place. Maybe I'll take a different friend out to pound on the teenagers. Hopefully they're the normal kind that doesn't walk around in body armor."

Bella jabs the meat one more time. "Maybe. Course they ain' stupid. 'N if they're gangers they're gonna be packin. Prolly armor too." Then she's standin up. "maybe you'll get lucky."

"Aww? Leaving already?" Gabriel stands politely - because that's what gentlemen do when the lady gets up. "If they're just a bunch of teenagers looking to make quick cash by catching women and putting them into servitude, someone's going to slip up and get cocky. But... you look like you're off. Thanks for the company, Bella."

"Yep." Bella nods. "Gotta go 'n get some real food." Brow perks up. More smirk. "'Less yer offerin that up too?"

Gabriel waggles his finger. "No. One time for cover, that's it. Make sure you find something that no one's going to miss, okay?" He grins. Be kind of creepy if other people around knew what he was talking about.

Bella grins some. She weren't thinkin he was gonna anyways. "Just lemme know when we're talkin." Then she's headin out. Ta find somethin't ain't gonna be missed.

Gabriel stays standing until his "date" has left, then sits back down and enjoys the rest of his dinner - leaving a nice tip for charity.