Jul 22 03:45:54 108 PA - How to Chat When the Lady's Away

From Chronicles

Jul 22 03:45:54 108 PA.

THE NIGHTINGALE

Erica is sitting at a booth. An open bottle of red wine is sitting on the table next to a half full wine glass. Erica is done up for a night on the town. Her lips are painted a dark red that almost match the color of the wine she is drinking. Her eyes watch the dance floor as a few of the young good looking people are mixing it up. Her eyes move around as she watches the people dancing, as well as the waitresses in their skimpy outfits. Her lips are curled into a sly little smile as she enjoys people watching. Her painted nails take the wine glass, and she takes a small sip from it.

Gabriel steps into the Nightingale... dressed up. Quite a bit. Everything but the saber, really; even his cover is with him, though tucked neatly beneath his arm. He moves into the club, not really looking for someone. Just looking for anyone and deciding where to go from there. When he's eyes snatch sight of Erica, he smiles and moves in her direction, nodding his head with a hello that may or may not be heard over the classy music.

Classy music played at a nonlethal volume, in fact. A primary reason that Leonard enjoys dining and socializing here more often than other locations. He enters, dressed well enough to blend with the majority of the decor and patrons, even if he isn't exactly dressed up.

Erica spots Gabriel as he walks over to her booth. Her painted lips curl into a little smile as she nods her head in greetings towards the man. She pinks up her bottle of wine, and pours refills her glass. Once she spots Leonard she also nods her head in his direction, if he sees it. Her eyes then turn to the rest of the crowd at the club this evening. She watches the dance floor for a moment before picking up her wine glass and taking a small sip, trying not to smudge her lipstick.

Upon reaching Erica's table, Gabriel offers a polite military bow. "You're looking quite lovely tonight, Erica. Just imagine, only a few hours ago you were sweating in a pink tank top with your hair done up in a ponytail." After a glance at the bottle, he asks - his twang unusually distinct - are you alone tonight, or may I join you?"

Leonard's first stop is the bar, to acquire a glass of wine. En route, he does notice Erica. For mysterious reasons, finely attired women here do tend to attract his attention. Her nod is caught and returned, along with a smile. Gabriel is also noted, if only initially by proximity.

Erica's lips curl as Gabriel comes over to her table. "Thank you Gabriel. Well when I go out, I like to dress up." She says with a bare shrug of her shoulders. "I am alone you can sit down if you want." Her hand gestures over to one of the empty seats before returning to her wine glass. On seeing Leonard she offers the other man another warm smile. "Hello Leonard. Please have a seat. How has the city been treating you since your return?" She asks before lifting the wine glass up to her lips for a sip.

As Gabriel begins to sit, he happens to spot Leonard out of the corner of his eye, and waits to offer a hand to shake before seating himself. "You do look lovely dressed up, Erica. Really know how to hit the town. Make all the nice men jealous." He offers her a surreptitious wink offers, "Can I get you anything while I'm up?"

Now with drink in hand, Leonard takes the invitation and approaches. "It's treated me well enough. As pleasant as some other places may be, this is still my home, more or less." He takes up Gabriel's offer of handshake, as well. "I think she makes many envious. Isn't that the idea?" A chuckle follows.

Erica chuckles a little bit as she shakes her head. "If you say so Gabriel." She says with a slightly bemused smile on her lips. She picks up the bottle and takes a look to see how much is left in it. Pursing her painted lips in slight irritation she looks back up at Gabriel. "I would like another bottle of wine. Some of their Pinot noir please. Thank you Gabriel." She says before her fingers move back to her wine glass. Picking up the glass she swirls the red liquid around a little bit before taking a little sip from the glass. She laughs a little bit, and shrugs her bare shoulders. "Envy isn't really my goal. There are are more beautiful women then I about. I don't have the grace of an elf. I'm just a muscled gal who can manage to fit in a corset from time to time."

The older fellow ducks his head. "Good to see you Leonard. After seeing you the other day, I was worried that you were just a figment of my imagination. Still, all of the people who taught me anything said that it's only done right and true if it's done three times.." he narrows his eyes ".. so I'm still waiting for one more." Then he laughs and nods his head at Erica. "A Pinot noir. I'll see what they have. Can't really imagine that there are many aged wines left," he says as he departs.

"Should I leave and return?" Leonard can't help but chuckle and waves his glass towards the door. He settles himself into a seat and sips wine before addressing Erica. "You look lovely all the same. I'm sorry that I didn't find another to bring to join you."

"It is just a type of dark grape that they make this wine from." Erica says with a slight shake of her head. "I am sure they have some more." She chuckles a little bit at Leonard's joke. "It is fine Leonard. I think I am lucky for the company that I do have. It is always nice to have handsome men praise me." She says with a bemused smirk. "I can't say that it doesn't inflate my ego though."

Dressed in his finest, Gabriel comes back to the table holding out a bottle, wearing a dubious expression. "Unless my understanding of the modern calendar is off, this stuff is, at best, seven years old. Not exactly a fine and aged vintage, is it?" Still he sets it down before the pretty woman at the center of attention, and searches for a place to sit, eventually finding one that doesn't intrude on either person too badly.

Leonard lifts his glass to Erica. "You're welcome, and thank you." Gabriel receives a bemused shrug. "Seven years is not bad, all things considered. Unfortunately, some people are lucky to age that long."

Erica looks at the bottle briefly before her bare shoulders move up and down. "It will have to do." She says as she pours the last of the first bottle in her glass, to empty it. She raises her glass to her lips and takes a long sip from it. "So what have my escorts for this evening been doing with themselves? Any interesting tales?" She asks after savouring the taste of the wine on her tongue.

"Actually, I have been trying to teach the basic fundamentals of competitive sports of the variety that do not require death and maiming, to a recalcitrant student who couldn't even grasp the finer points of blocking for her halfback." Gabriel glances between his tablemates suspiciously. "I'm sorry, was that my outside voice?" Smirk.

"I've been occupied with research and study," Leonard admits, "for the most part. Nothing terribly exciting. Not nearly as entertaining as sports, for sure." Gabriel's smirk is mildly contagious as Leonard eyes Erica, then the older man, brows lifting in question.

Erica smirks a little as she rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Well I guess it is good to have a patient teacher." She says with a little laughter in her voice. Swirling the wine in her glass she looks at each of the men in turn. "Well could be worse. At least you don't have stories of weal and woe. Those are much too frequent for my taste."

"Yes, indeed," Gabriel allows. "I was along on a trip to a place called 'Boneridge' the other day. Think I may have found an important guy that I've been lapse in meeting. You know -" he points at Erica and give Leonard a humorous wink. "I should have shown you how to do the pole vault. That one can actually come in handing in a combat situation, the kind of thing that no one ever expects!" He waves down a passing waitress.. and orders a bottle of soda.

Leonard nods in agreement with Erica prior to considering Gabriel. Somewhat oddly. "I'm far from an expert in athletics or tactics, but most sports are difficult in full body armor, are they not? As impressive, or even effective, as they might be, fancy isn't the first thing that comes to my mind when I'm being threatened with bodily harm."

"Hmm interesting. That is a ways to the south, if I remember right." Erica says with a slight nod of her head. "Well you can always show me how it is done later Gabriel." She chuckles a bit as she looks towards Leonard. "It depends on the type of armor, but yes they can be difficult. Practice makes perfect though." She sips on her wine finishing it up, before picking up the new bottle.

Gabriel nods along as Erica talks. "Just about anything can be done, Leonard, if you take the time to study how to do it. Mages must use that as a mantra, don't they? Study to perfection?" He chuckles. "Not that I could ever learn your arts. That's clearly beyond me - but.. you could probably learn mine.. ours.. with some practice." He sips from his bottle and asks with a chuckle, "How do you feel about long-distance marksmanship while covered in mud to hide yourself?"

The mild shudder that runs through Leonard speaks volumes to his feelings on that. "I'd rather not. My marksmanship is spotty, and I doubt mud would help. Much better, in my mind, to find other ways. If you know where they are, disintegration from a continent away is always a possibility. No need to get cold and filthy in the process. We all practice to perfect, just not always the same means."

Erica sets down her glass and stands up. "I am afraid you will have to excuse me gentlemen. I must go to the little girl's room." She says as she smiles at both men before she makes her way through a crowd of people.

With a chuckle, Gabriel states to Leonard, "Yes, clearly different means." He stands as Erica stands, because that's the polite thing to do. Watches, then sits and says, "You know, Leo, I've seen that look in a woman's eyes. I think that she's going to slip out the back."

Leonard watches, as well, over top the rim of his glass. "Possibly. There are probably hidden portals /in/ the ladies' room, as many as can seem to fit in it at any one time." A mild chuckle before he asks, "How did your trip go, by the way?"

"To Boneridge?" Gabriel allows himself a mild and childish chuckle at the name. "It went well, everyone survived without harm. Although I have to admit... I'm a little curious as to how they were ambushing a truck.. they caught the truck and all of the other folks in the properly planned ambush..." he arches a brow as the thought fades out. "And yet someone had the presence of mind to be gazing a thousand feet into the sky to spot me and scar my armor. Odd, but I suppose that things happen when you least expect, right?" He shrugs at glances at the wine bottle.

"Well," Leonard shrugs, "There are many ways to fly, and many do. That and most people are wary, if not paranoid. I'm glad that no one was injured." He finally nods with the last. "They do, and, please, help yourself."

Gabriel smiles at the bottle of wine, but raises his bottle of soda in salute instead. "I try to stick to things that won't chance my reflexes and judgment. Even if a tiny bit might not seem to do any harm. You never know, so why take chances? So... have you been anywhere exciting? Across the world, visiting places that no one else ever gets to see? They tell me that Europe isn't the same as I left it." He then becomes amusingly stern. "Do you have *any* idea how much time and effort I put into making it that way? Now it's gone? Very frustrating."

Leonard shakes his head. "You need to relax at some point. A little lapse of judgment is not a bad thing, in moderation." He holds up thumb and forefinger to accentuate. "I've not traveled to Europe, though I suppose I should. It fared comparatively well, from what I understand. Most of my sojourns were around North America, and a few wonderful beaches in Australia."

Gabriel lifts a querying brow. "Australia? Beautiful? Heh. In 1942, my unit was based out of Cairns. It was a jumping point for raids on the Jap positions on the South Pacific." He frowns. "Some bastard talked, though, and a sub surfaced, shelled it. Almost everyone in my team was wounded or killed. I'm afraid that I don't actually have many fond memories of the island continent. No, but at least the weird Australians were somewhat like us." He smiles. A small smile.

"I never saw anyone else there, aside from invitees." Leonard's smile isn't large, but fond. "Which was the intent. It was a welcome break from the snow, here, at the time." He breaks from his recollection to arch a brow. "1942? The second world war? That was in that time frame, yes?"

"Yes, the second world war. Began in '39, ended in '45. Of course, it had just come out of the pretending time after the first world war where everyone whistled and looked the other way like we were all friends. The first world war ended in 1918. My birthday, ironically, November 11. Anyway," Gabriel waves a hand, "When it ended in '45, it was just another time of quiet war, this time between the US and Stalin - the other powers insisted that they were important too, but they weren't. Then there was Korea, which was a proxy war, I fought in that. Then '59 is when I vanished. After '42 though, when my Raider unit was destroyed, they gave me a rank in the OSS, which then became the CIA... so I never stopped fighting, because there was always something bad that needed to be put down." Blushing just a tad, he says, "Sorry. Rambling. Invitees?"

Leonard chuckles and dismisses it with a wave of his hand. "Quite alright. Yes, invitees. Or, rather, invitee. I took Vixen there... on our first significant date, perhaps." Another fond smile that turns thoughtful. "If you're keen on timekeeping, and you only slipped through time and not dimensions, you only missed out on a few centuries. By most estimates, we're somewhere in the twenty-third century by that calendar."

"As far as I know, I only missed time. I try to keep my watch up to date to keep my time alive," he says, smiling and tapping the military chronometer - 1959 version - on his left wrist. "But a date? I thought that you and Vixen were married. First date? Thought you were already, you know..." he balls up a fist and moves it slowly forward and backward making an 'eenk-EENK-eenk-EENK' sound as he does so.

"The first time we went was," he pauses to consider, "a year or more ago." That is a mild shock, or possibly consternation that he had to think about it. It turns into a smirk at Gabriel's assumptions. "Yes, we are"

Gabriel chuckles at the last, tilting back his soda once more. "Please, don't misunderstand. I'm not calling judgment on you, because this is *your* time, not mine. Things are different, far beyond what I would ever have expected. But a man and a woman? Shall I say... 'together' before being married? Even if they were engaged? Very, very bad. Particularly for the girl. Sexist, I know. But," he shrugs and winks. "There's something to be said for not 'knowing' the woman who you love until your wedding night. Anyway, how'd the two of you meet? You seem quite incompatible, on the surface."

Leonard's shrug is slightly sheepish, current social conventions aside. "There was no rush to make anything... formal. Official isn't the right term, as there is no real authority over us aside from ourselves. In practical terms, don't you think it wise to learn if you can live with someone /before/ you commit to?" The smirk becomes a larger grin when he mentions the apparent. "We met in The Alibi, as I recall, and yes, we're very much not alike."

An eyebrow goes up, and Gabriel offers a final thought on the subject. "I've always assumed that if you were supposed to be together, you'd just know it, and when it came to living together.. love always finds a way." He then waves it off. "But no more teachings from an old, outdated man. They say opposites attract, is this what happened? She was eavesdropping on someone with a cyber-ear, you were on the same job but doing it with.. uh.. sorry, forgot the bird's name. You both leaned in, accidentally kissed... so very romantic?" He chuckles and drinks, waiting for a reply.

That provokes a rather hearty laugh and shake of Leonard's head. "If only." When he regains his composure, he explains, "No, it was far more realistic and awkward than that. She was one of the first people I met when I came to the city, and one of those who tolerated my naivete. Helped to save me from it, I suppose." He sips more whine and smirks. "Naturally, I eventually pursued her, in my own clumsy, utterly naive fashion."

"Really?" Truly intrigued. "You've been here for.. quite a while though, yes? Far longer than me. But only caught up to her so soon?" Gabriel taps a finger on the table's surface. "A man who takes things slow. Some women like that quality. Other girls are just out hunting for a husband, and only have time for slow if the guy has something significant to offer. For instance, money was very popular, even in my time. Or power," Gabriel says, stretching a hand outward. "It's a lucky man who can find the right, good woman." He does a quick double-tap of his own ring - the right-hand ring - on the bottle he's holding.

"It is." Leonard lifts his wine to that and dips his head to the other man's ring. He subsequently empties the glass and rolls his shoulders. "As I said, marriage was not a target, or even much of a consideration, and not to say that we were not committed to each other. We've certainly had our share of bumps and issues, maybe more than other spouses might have in a lifetime."

Gabriel shrugs. "Most couples don't stay together, kind of makes you wonder why they stood up before God and everybody to say their vows. Have to wonder what they thought the word 'vow' meant, doesn't it?" He dodges aside as a scantily-clad waitress stumbles past as she trips on a too-high heel. "Vixen, then. Did you leave her in Australia to enjoy the beaches, or is she avoiding you right now, and you've just failed to mention that small point?" Another grin before he looks at his bottle to determine how full it is.

Leonard smirks again. "I expect most do what they think is expected of them, often only because it is. Neither of us are that way. We've already proven our vows, regardless of whether they were formally spoken before witnesses. Ceremony doesn't make it any more real," his lips curl wryly, "and Vixen is very keen on keeping things real." the last questions get a shrug. "She is laying low, so to speak. Whether working on one project or another, or simple not working when I can convince her, she wanted some time out of the public eye. Mostly, we both have a terrible tendency to stay very busy."

"Busy is good. A lot of people laugh at me for hauling bricks around construction sites when I'm not doing the more 'exciting' things that people expect of me. But there's plain few problems that can't be solved with a little sweat and hard work... and being bored is exactly one of those problems." Gabriel raises his bottle. "To sweat, and hard work. I see a lot of people laying around, just waiting for merc missions and such to fall into their lap, hoarding credits in between. I'd blow my brains out from boredom if I tried that!"

"To hard work," Leonard lifts his empty glass, then refills it. "I can't say that most of my work is not boring to most others, but to each his own. Some prefer toil of body, I enjoy exercise of the mind."

Gabriel lifts a brow this time. "Are you suggesting that just because I lift bricks, I'm not just as thoughtful as you? Or more?" He grins. "Sure, it's easy to get in and out of dangerous places, learning things or doing whatever foul thing needs to be done, if you can just blink and wave away with a slight of hand." He bonks the neck of his bottle against his temple. "To be able to get in and out, and do all of that without get caught or killed? In a city, in the wilderness? To ascertain how to survive, and... well, how to solve problems? That's some decent mind exercise. Not that the nuns ever told me that it was my mind I should be proud of." A smirk and a smile.

Leonard shakes his head. "I meant no offense, and I'm well aware it takes a keen mind to do those things. Yes, I can do things you can't, but it's not as easy as you imply, either. Neither of us are made of metal, or empowered flesh, so we have to use tools to enable ourselves. They just happen to be slightly different tools." A light shrug and a large swallow of wine.

A thorough chuckle. "Oh, for certain, different tools. But speaking of different tools, all of these weapons that put holes in tanks and vaporize people.. my era's tanks, I should say. It's very odd. Truly, wounding someone is more efficient on the battlefield than killing them. But if that's the way it is... not sure why it's necessary, but it's still strange," Gabriel says quietly.

"The results of any arms race," Leonard offers. "Better armor drives the need for better weapons, and vice versa. I believe that the current scale of military weapons were just barely in use when the world tore itself apart. That brought beings from other realms, so empowered by all the energy that such weapons are the only type that could scratch them." A wave of his hand. "Nature, as we're concerned, just fell far behind in that respect."

"Of course. The funny thing is that people continue to slam my tendency to carry the Newton Tech equipment. I admit, I'm not comfortable depending on one location for ammunition... but I like firing something at a person or creature that actually *hits*. Knocks 'em off balance or something. I suppose magic can't do that, unless.. you're tossing rocks or something?" Comes Gabriel's question. He then laughs and points to the chair previously occupied by the attractive woman. "I take a lot of grief holding on to my 'primitive chemical weapons' but I feel much better knowing that my magazine can get hit without the danger of detonating like a Daisy Cutter."

That provokes a chuckle and a tip of head in thought. "Everyone has their preferences. There may be times when one weapon is decidedly better or worse than another, but overall, so long as it stops your opponent from killing you..." A half-shrug and grin in mouth and eyes. "I'm sure there are invocations to propel solid objects. There is very little that magic, itself, cannot do. The primary limitation is any one being learning to manipulate it in a reliable fashion. Thus, similar effects, passed on from mentor to apprentice, peer to peer, even genetically in the case of some creatures." Some nodding. "I can't imagine what that's like. Learning to screw with energy and make it do what you want. I don't know if it feels like something in your hands, or in your head.. but it makes a little sense. You know the thing that I *really* don't get?" Gabriel asks. "Psychics. I mean, everyone's read about wizards and evil sorcerers, they've been a staple of folklore since the first caveman thought about it after watching a bolt of lightning. But psychics? I've seen people try to guess your weight for a nickel, and gypsies who claimed to see your future. But none of it was real mind work in my time. So... it's very strange."

"Oddly enough," Leonard swirls his glass, "there is still much debate and suspicion of psychics, even now. Although some of that may be practical, given that they can enact their will with little or no warning. While I may need to gesture or speak, a psychic could have you murder your dearest friend while sipping their drink in another room." After a moment, he adds, "Theoretically."

Gabriel chuckles, "I've recently met and made an early friend with a being who has self-proclaimed, 'cannot be killed.' A psychic who can float around the Astral Plane - I don't even get that word - and pop up here, or there, or wherever she wants. Ugly little blobby, shapeless body gets beat to death.. It's not death, she just takes a day to relax. Some people would say it's not fair, and I can understand that. I will say that it's damned strange." He uses his nearly-empty bottle as a pointer, aiming it at Leonard. "Don't get me wrong, Dirai's a friendly, lovely girl, though not physically."

Leonard's brows arch at that. "Interesting. I can easily see how that could be envied, in some ways. It doesn't sound the easiest to enjoy company, though." He lifts his glass. "A drink with a friend, for example. As for strange, it is nothing more than unfamiliarity. I'm sure that there's a perfectly sound metaphysical explanation for what she does."

The older fellow actually laughs at that. "Yes, an explanation, and quite a complex one that has been said to me at least three times now, using different words and phrases each time in an attempt to help. I still really don't get it. Your body is hooked up somewhere like you're in a coma, but your mind can wander - and actually take physical form to do things? Very strange." Gabriel nods and allows for, "True though that people generally recoil when she walks into a room. Though I'm sure that you have some kind of terrifying trick up your sleeve to do that very same thing."

"Ah." It is a sound of realization, perhaps expected. "That is a significant handicap. Astral forms are not the simplest concept to explain, but the layman's comparison, so to speak, would be a ghost or spectre." Leonard shrugs lightly. "I suppose that could come up with something similar, if I had the need."

Gabriel grins. "I had no idea that I had the option of punching Casper in the face! In my world... ghosts were without physical form." He then holds a hand to his side. "Of course, ghosts weren't real to begin with, either."

It's now Leonard's turn to point, though the glass isn't as effective as Gabriel's bottle. "I believe that they were real, simply... less real. The ambient level of psychic and magical energy is likely a thousandfold what it was before. That has a great impact. There were no Ley Lines roiling with power hundreds of feet high, after all." The glass gestures now towards the magic district.

"Heh, no. Just thousands of miles of copper wire on wooden poles," Gabriel says with a chuckles. "I really don't know what screwed things up, either. A war? There have been hundreds of wars. Millions of people died - in any given single war." He grins awkwardly. "Seems like God fulfilled his promise of never again wiping out Man.. so He's just screwing with all of us so that we kill ourselves. I plan to live for at least three more decades to my statistical maximum, at least, then go quietly in my sleep." He thumps his chest softly and with amusement.

"Is it poor taste to wish you luck with that?" Leonard lifts one brow over a sip of wine. "I've a theory on what caused the catastrophe, or contributed, at the least, but it's all speculation. Granted, I'm not the only one who subscribes to the train of thought."

Gabriel and Leonard are still seated where they'd been, Gabriel holding onto an empty soda bottle, the two men in quiet discussion.

Erica returns from the restroom and smiles at the two men as she makes her way back to her old seat. She sits down, and picks up her glass of wine. "So what have I missed?" She asks as she takes a small sip of wine. "Anything interesting?"

After rising as Erica returns and sits, Gabriel reseats himself with a smile. "Oh yes, very interesting things. Deep thoughts. Lots of philosophy. Like, a funny thing to do if you're out hiking and your friend gets bitten by a poisonous snake, tell him you're going to go for help. Then just go about ten feet and pretend that *you* got bitten! Then start an argument with him about who's going to go get help. A lot of guys will start crying. That's why it makes you feel good when you tell them it was just a joke." He directs his bottle toward the person at the table who makes it a pretty place to sit.. his face deadly serious on those important thoughts.

Leonard nods, attempting to maintain a solemn face. "High philosophy. You missed quite the discussion." His attempt is less than stellar, so a sip of wine becomes an impromptu shield.

Erica laughs softly with her little voice as she shakes her head. "That sounds like it is a pretty cruel little prank to play. Not to mention it would make your friend want to kick your ass. Remind me not to get bitten by a snake while you are around Gabriel." She chuckles again and then takes a small sip from her wine.

"Hey, if your friend's dead, no worry about the ass-kicking," Gabriel says with a laugh. His empty-enough-to-be-dry bottle is set gently on the table and he rises, giving Erica what would for him be a polite gentlemanly kiss on the cheek as he stands. "Sorry guys, it's time for me to run. Wish that the line in the little girl's room hadn't been so long! Leonard, good talking to ya. Maybe you can tell me your theory on the Apocalypse sometime. Erica." He tucks his cover back beneath his arm, nods to the lady at the table, and departs for points unknown.