Mar 21 02:52:28 109 PA - Unusual Meeting in the Gardens
From Chronicles
Mar 21 02:52:28 109 PA.
KINGSDALE CITY MUSEUM GARDENS
The gardens are beautiful, as they are eternally beautiful in this place. Even during the winter, it's as if summer has never left. Gabriel is resting comfortably, not on one of the revered marble benches, but more by strolling through the trees at a nearly immeasurably slow pace. He's happily in warm weather gear as well, though none of his snow gear is to be found. Perhaps he either forgot, or has given up allowing Mother Nature to call the shots. He's humming along a tune, one of those that has been brought with him through time, one that no one knows the words to save for himself.
The gardens are often a place to draw Monique, even though they feel like summer within. She and the great white bear who is her companion wander inside, pausing there for a long moment. A smile comes to the corners of her lips as she looks around the gardens, her dark eyes showing a sparkle to them. She and the bear start to make their way further into it. She keeps her parka on rather than shedding it, and she lifts her left hand to lightly rest her fingers on the bear's leg closest to her.
Green is green. But it's better 'n alla books. Least to Bella. She comes walkin in from alla shelves. Mostly just lookin 'round. This ain't a place she's gone to much. But somebody weren't where she figgered he'd be and some somebody elses said maybe the old boss guy was headed this way.
Gabriel's own reverie is broken, not in a bad or unfortunate way, but still broken, by the entry of a bear the size of a large pickup truck and his guide, a woman of inversely small stature. However, rather than break the silence - or at least, the babbling water silence - of the gardens, he only offers a small wave and begins to move toward her, indicating the fountain as a meeting place.
Monique looks to Gabriel as he waves, and she gives a small nod to him before lifting her opposite hand to give a wave in return. A smile comes to her features, and she gives a small nod towards the fountain. She and Tornaq then start to head in that direction, with the intention of meeting Gabriel there. She doesn't break the silence, though, content to let it reign at least for a while longer yet.
"Gabe!" Bella ain't got no troubles breaking the no noise. Was WAY too quiet anyway. If nobody's talkin somebody'd maybe think they were dead 'r somethin. Course she can't spot Gabe 'n not see Moni 'n the bear too. "Heya Moni. He takin ya fer a walk 'r it th'other way 'round?"
Gabriel's head swivels, beautiful silence broken. "Oh, hey, Bella. Didn't expect to see you here. Not that I expected to see anyone here, but particularly you due to the, ah... " he waves at the falling water and minor spray as he finds a seat on one of the benches surrounding the fountain. But he then falls back into silence, waiting to see where the two women - and the bear - are going to end up.
The small Eskimo woman turns at the call as well, and she tilts her head slightly to one side as she looks to the source. She gives a small nod to Bella, a faint smile touching her lips. "We walk together," Monique says, her tone soft-spoken. She moves closer to the fountain, and while Tornaq settles his rump near to the bench, the small woman settles on the bench. She draws her legs up beneath her, sitting cross-legged, and she lightly rests her hands in her lap.
Bella smirks at Gabe. "Cause'a the books? Don't matter none." A li'l shrug when she gets closer. "Whatcha doin?" That's for all three of 'em. Even the bear gets a li'l pet. Or her hand goes that way anyways.
Gabriel smiles at Monique as she seats herself, offering a soft greeting, and extending an arm to Tornaq - even if he doesn't actually touch him. Bella gets an odd grin. "One of these days you'll have to tell me how you no longer fear getting wet, Bella. That's a neat trick, I'd open up a local shop to sell or train whatever it is you're doing." The evening in the gardens is otherwise a very peaceful one. Few are about, with Gabriel and Monique seated on separate benches right up near the splashing fountain, Tornaq protective as always, and taking up a significant amount of room. Bella stands nearby. Otherwise, the place is supremely silent, perhaps what drew Gabriel and Monique to it in the first place.
Jingle. Jingle. With as much as he rides one might expect Sebastien to walk bow-legged, but the leathered man who emerges from the green stands tall and straight. "Hold fast," comes Sebastien's familiar voice, his pale blue eyes fixed on Tornaq from half a dozen paces away. To whom he speaks may well be a mystery, however.
Tilting her head faintly to one side, Monique quirks a little smile as she looks to Gabriel. "Water is not so bad," she says softly, her tone holding a thoughtful and mildly amused cast to it. Even the temperature of the water doesn't bother her. Tornaq allows Gabriel to touch him, and Bella as well, though the latter earns a long look before the great white bear gets to his feet to shake himself off. The great white bear turns his attention over towards Sebastien, giving a whuff of breath and remaining where he is for the time being.
"Whatcha mean?" Bella eyes Gabe. Steppin a li'l 'way from the bear 'n water so she don't get runned over. "Ain't like I'm jumpin in ta go swimmin 'r nothin." She's bit late. But she turns to Seb's voice. Blinks. "Hold what?"
Sebastien receives a quick and quiet hello, but Gabriel can't help but address Bella. "C'mon, don't screw with me, Bella. A month ago you were dressed up in a deep diving suit every time there was a cloud or someone watering their lawn somewhere on the same city block. Now you're walking into the Nut and Bolt dryer than everyone else despite a downpour, hanging out near a fountain that in times past you've kept your distance from. I don't know what it is, but something's different." Then looks to Sebastien again, then to Monique. "Which I suppose will be good for her if she manages the job correctly. Just a curiosity. Good to see you, Sebastien."
"The bear," Sebastien is eloquent, as always. His slow advance swings wide around Bella, angling towards Monique. His eyes swing up, presumably at the ceiling but more accurately at the brim of his broad Stetson, and he elaborates, "The room is warded against violence. Mayhap it keeps the water clear of that one as well, but if you reach too close to Tornaq we'll find out if he can take the hand before the room finds how to deal with him."
Monique shifts her position slightly, and she unfolds her legs before getting to her feet. She reaches out a hand to lightly touch the bear's leg, and her dark gaze turns to Sebastien, watching him. "Tornaq would not do so unless there was a need for such. He is smart," she says, a smile touching her features. "We go to hunt. I will meet with you later, Sebastien," she adds, inclining her head to him. She looks to Gabriel to give him a small nod, and then she and the bear start to make their way out.
Bella shrugs at Seb. And Gabe too. "Weren't nothin special." Answers both of 'em. Sorta. "Have fun huntin! Best parta bout goin out." That's fer th'other two. Then back. "So. Whatcha boys doin anyways?"
Gabriel stands to offer parting words of, "Goodnight, Monique, and a safe hunt. Maybe next time you can stay longer. Keep Tornaq safe." Whether or not the giant bear understands his wink will forever be unknown. "As for what am I doing here? I came to relax. It's what the gardens are for, Bella." As he settles himself back on the partially-uncomfortable bench, he looks to Sebastien, and with a sweep of his hand, invites a wordless seating.
Sebastien reaches for Monique to give her a quick hug, burying his nose in her hair before pulling back. "Absolument mademoiselle," he replies, before inclining his chin and taking the offered seat. "Moi, I have come to think. It seems to me I have not had money in some time. I find I have little need for it. My last I gave away, to a man I scarce saw again." He smirks up at Bella. "If only my enemies were so easily defeated."
"Payin me ta go 'way ain't gonna work." Bella smirks hard at Seb. Then thumbs at Gabe. "Cause he's payin me ta stay." Now she switches up. Looks at the boss man 'n thumbs at Seb. "If he comes in that gonna be nice makin leave? 'R I getta just grab 'em by the dick 'n toss 'im out?"
Gabriel goes over instructions again. "If someone comes in and isn't causing trouble, nothing happens. They drop heavy gear at the door, then enjoy some relaxing time at the club. It's pretty simple. Or, I hope it should be pretty simple? If it's not? Well, I hope we don't need to go over it too many times, okay?" He fixes a gaze on Bella for a long while, then turns to Sebastien. "Gave all your money away to a man who you've never seen again? That was... noble of you?" He then offers a soft chuckle - soft so as not to break the mood of the gardens. "If you're not interested in money, I'd be happy to take it and use it on the club."
His name was Jaxain," Sebastien says simply. He shrugs, and tilts his head to the right, eyes on Bella. "It might still be. I'd like to think it is. His heart was in the right place. He needed seed money for a project. Yet he consorted with the wrong sort, and it may have been the end of him."
Bella's gettin eyed more. Eyes back. Shrugs too. "Oh. Jax. Ain't seen 'im inna while. If he got sorted bad I dunno nothin 'bout it." Then she's gotta eye Gabe. Not hard. More like rollin eyein. "Know the plan 'n shit. Ain't fackin stupid. Was just messin with 'im." 'im's gotta be Seb.
"Ah," is Gabriel's only reply to Bella's humor. "Jaxain, yeah he disappeared... what, back in December? Seemed like a nice enough kid. Not really sure how great he might be if he managed to both fall in with the wrong crowd and run off with a man's money.. but hope he's living somewhere, at least." He sighs and shrugs, then allows significant time to pass while the fountain makes its own pleasant babbling noises. "It's been slow getting the club rebuilt." That sentence just hangs out there in the ether.
Sebastien smirks. "If I show unannounced, you will not be able to disarm me. Your better plan would be to call Monique. She would drag me out by my pubic hair." He smirks, and then snaps his fingers. "Oh! I forgot. She has not a talking technology box we call a phone."
"Really? Bet I can pull yer arms off just fine if I gotta." Bella smiles at Seb. Shrugs a li'l too. "So. Where ya been hidin anyways? Figgered ya'd be all out goin after alla monsters still. Since ya did so good choppin up the last one's 'n stuff."
Gabriel looks to Sebastien and purses his lips for a moment. "Ask Monique, Sebastien. Maybe she's gotten one behind your back?" He shrugs. The young woman does have a life, after all. Otherwise he simply waits to see how things play out between Bella and the other man present.
Sebastien makes a little face, and dips his chin, though he doesn't answer Bella's question. To Gabriel, he replies, "Tornaq is more than a bear. He is a spirit guide, a link to the cold Northern Gods. Through him she receives many blessings. And, I think, if she were to grow too familiar with technology, he would one day leave and never return. So long as he is her protector, I'm cursed with simply ... finding her when I can. And when she wants to be found."
Bella gets ignored. That sucks. "He's big 'n fuzzy too. 'N maybe she does that on purpose. People findin ya alla time gets annoyin ya know." Maybe why she starts walkin back fer the books.
Gabriel looks to Bella's departure, offering only... nothing. His mouth opens to speak, but he remains silent. His face turns to Sebastien. "Certainly should could use something small? Tornaq's not going to abandon her because she owns a flashlight, is she?"
Sebastien smirks at Bella's back, though he shakes his head at Gabriel. "Absolument, no. He would leave her because she wants to own a flashlight. Gabriel, she is a priest. To her, technology is everything that is wrong with this world. And the love of technology is anathema to her."
"I would argue that love and use are two different things, but if that's the way her... 'spirit world' works, who am I to argue with a giant magical bear?" Gabriel gives Sebastien a grin and asks, "Maybe you could talk to her for me, because a few months ago I gave her my pocket communicator. She kept it, so I guess that was okay with what was happening. But if she's not going to use it, I'd be happy take get it back rather than buying a new one." He allows for a low sigh. "I'd really like it if the three of us could get together at my place one of these days. Maybe even with Bartholemew." A very small affirmative head motion follows his words.
Sebastien chuckles at that, and quirks an eyebrow at Gabriel. "I have not seen it. Perhaps she thinks she is doing you a favor?" He shakes his head, and adds, "I am also unsure of how her spirit world works. She used my bow, during the attack, and it has technologies that her tribe does not. To be sure, it does not have *high* technology, but this is a relative thing, non? What genuinely does separate a cam-operated compound or crossbow from a gun, when seen from the perspective of a tribe for whom the thrown spear is preferred to a primitive short bow?" Sebastien rises from his seat, nodding. "Of course. We should meet. Before it is too late?" He raises his eyebrows, and points. "And speaking of. If I get home before she sleeps, well." His brows wiggle.
Gabriel rises as well. All of his quiet time was shattered anyway. "Interesting take on the tech. But we should talk about it later, and yes, there are some problems at the club which need to be addressed. Swing by Coventry Place when you can, bring Monique with you." He'll then simply make his way outside.
