Mar 26 18:55:56 108 PA - Casual Tuesday
From Chronicles
Mar 26 18:55:56 108 PA.
THE ALIBI
Lots of music. Lots of dancing. Even more booze. It's a pretty normal night for a club. A table in the corner doesn't have much of any of that. Just a coat with someone in it. And a beer. Bella's watching people from her hood. More than drinking anything.
Gabriel seems to be in a fairly good and bouncy mood as he comes into the club, slapping some friendly flesh with the bouncers, receiving a perhaps overly-hard shoulder punch in return. As he moves in, there are a couple of people who seem to be very casual friends, including a number of young women - who seem to see him as a friend, not a person to pick up and take home tonight. After wading through the crowd, he makes it to the counter, leaning on it. With a grin, he just waves his hand to get the bartender's attention, and simply holds up two fingers. Two brown translucent bottles are delivered, credits are passed, and he does a one-eighty to lean his back on the counter, unopened bottles in his hands.
Bella is watching people. That means she sees them. Since Gabriel is people, that means him, too. A litle more watching, then she has to go for a closer look. She shuffles over his way.
The older man is not particularly looking for anyone. He seems very relaxed tonight, a rare thing for him. Not that he's high strung, not that he isn't always very relaxed. It's just somehow unusual. More light in his eyes, more bounce in his step. He continues to speak with perhaps casual acquaintances, buys a girl something that's served in a martini glass, laughs it up with a nearby fellow... and then just finds a stool nearby and plants himself on it. Yeah, Gabriel always sits oddly on these stools. One foot on the ground, one foot on a rung. Basically one cheek-on, one cheek-off, to get barely anatomically correct.
She's small. She's quiet. She can be ignored when she wants. Bella slips her way up behind Gabriel and announces herself. By swatting the off cheek with her cuff. One more girl shouldn't bug him, right? "Ain' you all dressed up."
So many years of life experience and his personality, Gabriel is not one to start at such a swat, though he does turn to find the source. Oh, look. A coat. "Hello, Miss Bella. Fancy meeting you here." He looks down to see - yes, she already has a beverage. "Sit with me, or you feel like dancing? Have to warn ya, though the only non-contact dancing I do is the Charleston and swing."
"Non-contact? That ain' dancing. Don' even sound like fun." Bella snickers and is probably smirking. "Why ya s'prised ta see me here? Good place ta getta drink. Of all kinds."
Gabriel pokes the neck of his still unopened bottle at the short girl. "Ah-hah! There, you brought it up. Don't get on *my* case about it," the man says, his own smirk in full force. "What're you drinking? The bottle," he clarifies. As he awaits a response, he sets one bottle on the counter and pulls off one of his signature tricks - whacking the neck of the bottle against the edge of the counter, which somehow sends up a harmonic resonance that pops the metal cap into the air. His eyes track it, and he catches it in his hand, grabbing it and smacking it over the top of his other hand. With a glimmer of amusement in his eye, he looks to Bella and just instructs, "Call it."
Bella knew she forgot something. "That." That's her answer. She must mean one of his bottles. Since she grabs it. " Bella's a little surprised at the toss and call. "Uh. Pointy side? Ya makin bets 'r somethin?" She sticks the bottle in her head and pops off the top.
The Kentucky fellow allows the bottle grab to go without being noted - that's what it was there for, she'd left her beer at the table. But then he nods and chuckles a little. "Yeah, call it. Think of it as a bet if you want. Flat side, we hit the dance floor like you want. Rough side, we do it my way and who you how to *actually* have fun. Of course, this music is rotten, but you make due with what you have, right?" Gabriel cringes as a half-drunk woman slams into the counter next to him, drools a little, then apologizes and wanders back to wherever she'd come from.
"Guess that means ya called it." Bella smirks. He might even be able to see it. After a drink she points her bottle at him. And his hand. "So. Show what ya got."
Tuesdays at the Alibi are pretty hopping times. It's just after sundown over Kingsdale. People getting off of their second day of a regular work week and trying to seek refuge from drudgery by finding some exciting entertainment. Thus, the club isn't actually packed like a Friday or weekend, but it's one of the more populous days of the week. Gabriel is dressed in his casual clothing tonight, sitting on one of the stools right up against the counter, one foot on the floor, one foot on the rung. He's speaking to a short person in a rather ratty coat who's holding on to a bottle that looks suspiciously like the one he's holding in his own hand. The man looks particularly cheery tonight.
Erica walks in wearing some of her usual club wear. Her dress swirls around her legs as she walks into the club and over by the bar. Her head starts nodding in time to the music as she arrives at the bar. Her lips curl into a smile as she looks up at the bartender. She orders herself a mixed drink before she takes her time looking around the club.
Bella ignores the drooling woman. She prods Gabriel with her bottle instead. "So. Which one is it? The wait's killin me." Ok, it doesn't really sound like it is. Another swallow goes away. Or something. The bottle is stuck in her hood again.
Gabriel slowly uncovers his hand. Bottle cap down, rough side up. "I win. We do some real dancing, Miss Bella. Why don't you leave the coat off for this one." He tosses down some of his drink - the iconic 'Donovan's Fizz' that he enjoys - and sets it aside out of reach of normal people grabbing at it. Sure, it's a Tuesday night, but that's probably why the place has a good crowd. People coming home from work and attempting to wipe out of their mind that three more days lay ahead. He's leaning - and getting up - from the bar counter, speaking to a short and ratty coat, looking to the dance floor.
Erica takes her time climbing up into a bar stool near the dance floor. She sets her mixed drink on the bar. She recognizes Gabriel after a few moments and she raises her hand to wave at the man in greeting. Hopefully he will notice. Raising the mixed drink up to her lips she takes a quick sip while her other hand is busy tapping the rhythm of the music out on the bar.
"Figgered ya's gonna say that." Gabriel can really see her smirk this time. So can anybody else since Bella drops her hood. Then she shrugs out of the coat. Yep. There's a body hooking her head to her boots. Not much of one but it's not just the coat. She's maybe a little trusting. The chunk of table leg is unhooked and tucked in the coat, too. "So. What kinda swingin' me 'round ya thinkin' yer gonna try?"
Gabriel's eyes glance at the door for a moment, even as he reaches down to escort Bella to the floor, one hand on the flat of her back, a gentle guiding push. "We're going to try an easy one, but a fun one. It's called the 'Foxtrot.'" Upon reaching the edge of the floor, he will make sure that he either finds or makes room for some brief lessons. "This is called the box," he explains as he takes the short girl up in the proper man-woman dance form. Gabriel's hand on Bella's hip, Bella's hand on Gabriel's shoulder, their other hands clasped and held to the side. "You ready, Miss Bella?" he asks with a grin.
Erica briefly looks over at the exit as Taz enters before turning her attention back to the dance floor. She sips on her mixed drink as she settles into her bar stool, making herself a little bit more comfy. She dangles one shoe from her foot as she enjoys the sounds and sights of the club. She watches Gabriel and Bella for a bit, while sipping on her drink.
Bella is pushed. Gently. She almost sees he big guy come in, but then he's gone. Hard to see over people taller than her anyways. That's pretty much everybody. "Easy? That mean I don' gotta move?" She eyes him. Brow quirked. Then she's looking at hands and feet. Back up. "Looks like it ain' gonna be that easy."
Gabriel smiles. "No, no. I'll make it easy for you, but you do have to move. Try not to look at your feet." He steps forward slowly with his left foot, then follows it up slowly by his right foot, which will eventually pass the left one, which has come to a halt only a short distance forward. Basically, like a smooth, dancing motion of walking forward - or backward, in Bella's case. "There, you feel that? Don't pay attention to the music right now."
Erica turns back to the bar as she finishes off her first drink. She gestures to the bartender for another drink. While she is waiting she picks up her purse and opens it up. As she is looking through her purse she gnaws on her lower lip. Soon enough though she picks out her lipstick to freshen up a little.
Bella mimics Gabriel pretty good. Just backwards. Right way, wrong feet. Almost gets her boots stepped on. "'Bout felt it but ya missed my toes." She's still smirking. Then she peers a little harder. "Ain' gonna start swirlin' me 'round 'r somethin, are ya?" He probably could easy enough.
For some reason's Erica's motion of getting out her lipstick catches Gabriel's eye. Perhaps it was a reflection off of a metal tube? As she's near the dance floor with her drinks and stool, he does his best to address her. Of course, his right arm is momentarily free, lifting it from Bella's side. "Evening, Erica! Out alone, or waiting for a date? I *know* there's someone out there looking for you." He winks toward his pal, then returns his attention to Bella. "Not bad, not bad. Yes, I'm going to spin you - eventually. But right now? Just keep trying to walk backward. But feel it in your hips, even if we aren't with the rhythm. They should sway, just... naturally..." He will move slowly forward, just a very simple forward movement.
Erica looks up as she is addressed by Gabriel. "No I am just having a nice night out. Thank you much though." She says with a little laugh in her voice. "You are sweet for asking." She turns back briefly to pick up her new drink. She starts stirring it while watching as Gabriel goes to spin Bella.
"Ain't ya the one feelin' my hips?" Bella smirks less. More grin. She looks out to where he waved. To the girl that looks here for dancing way more than she is. Gabriel gets brows perked up at him. All when they're moving again. "Maybe ya oughtta asked 'er fer dancin." Bella moves the right feet this time and her hips, too. There's not much butt, but she knows how to sway it. Everybody has to have something to catch eyes when they want to and it sure ain't her top half.
Gabriel grins at Bella. "Oh, Erica and I have danced a few times. She's quite the dancer, very elegant and controlled." He smiles down at the girl. "You're getting there. That's it, sway yourself. You're kind of young... looking... but think sexy. You want to be the center of attention. You want every man and woman in this room looking at you. It's not about me, it's about you. My job is simply to help you out. Now.." he will execute a very gentle spin. Completely out of time with any of the dance, but holding her upper hand, cupped, so that it can rotate, and working her through a spin as best he can, guiding with his right hand - which of course would never be done in a real dance. While this is happening, half of his gaze is still on Erica. "You want to show Miss Bella what this is supposed to look like?" Gabriel winks, and his mouth quirks into a half-smile.
Erica chuckles softly to herself as she shakes her head slightly. "No I think you are doing a good job." Her eyes look over Bella as she moves to the dance. "Yes she seems to know how to move enough that I need not interfere." She chuckles again before sipping on her cocktail.
The swirly part. Great. So Bella has to twirl. She's not practiced at it, but she doesn't fall down. Being light lets her be light on her feet. "What if I don' want everybody lookin' at me? Ain' somethin I do much. Ain' sexy neither." Except for maybe to people that like stick figures alot. "Thanks" gets tossed out somewhere too.
"Oh, come one, you're beautiful. Just because you aren't six foot tall, with a huge rack and no hips doesn't mean you aren't beautiful. Every woman is beautiful." Gabriel wiggles his eyebrows. "You woman just can't help it, it's a natural ability. Like breathing." A big grin follows her as the man sucks her back into the dancing box form. "Okay, now just a couple of more steps back.." then he will do the next Foxtrot change-up, by pulling her back toward him. But not without giving her about a half-second warning: "Now to me." A glance is shot to Erica, a nod, a he mouths, "Could you grab my soda?"
Erica rolls her eyes slightly as she shakes her head with a grin. "Get your own soda." She says with laughter in her voice. Picking up her drink she takes a little sip of it while she enjoys the music of the club. "Sides you don't need your soda right now." She says before sipping on her mixed drink through the straw.
Bella likes warnings. She can keep up with him that way. The rest just makes her smirk, but it's a mostly grinning kind. "Yeah. Guy's can't help sayin' shit like that neither. Natural thing fer bullshit. Mostly when they're tryin'a get some. Bella takes a little extra step after Gabriel stops. It makes her run up against him. Maybe on purpose.
Perhaps feeling his fatherly soul, Gabriel brings the little dance to a halt, taking Bella's impact as an opportunity to ruffle her hair as he might one of his own children. Honestly, it's probably reflexive. Still, he takes her by the hand and walks her over toward where Erica is seated. "That was fun, Miss Bella. Don't worry, I'll turn you into a *real* dancer yet. None of that crazy floor stuff they're doing." 'They' is indicated as a mildly-derisive nod back toward the individuals jumping around as individuals, flailing their arms around to the music and flashing lights. Once Bella is planted nearby, he'll return to the counter, gather both of their sodas - yes, they were already there, it wasn't a request to pay for them - and goes back to Erica's table, eyeing it to consider if there's enough room for three. Bella's soda is handed to her. "Enjoy."
Erica looks up as Gabriel and Bella are guided over towards her. She offers them both smiles and gives them quick nods in greeting. "Well that was a lovely dance. She is catching along quickly to your older dances. But Bella the regular dancing is just as fun. Trust me." She says with a little laugh in her voice. "So what have you both been up to? Any interesting news?"
"Course it's fun. Mosta it's just like fackin' 'cept ya got clothes on." It's how Bella sees it anyways. She grabbed her coat before the drink. Both get carried over. "Why the dancin, anyways." That's for Gabriel. "Thought ya weren' wantin people ta think ya liked me 'n stuff?" A little curious. A lot teasing.
Gabriel smiles. "Like you, love you, and want to screw you are three different things, Miss Bella. I certainly don't mind if people think that I like you, because I do. You're a new friend, but you're a nice person..." slight hesitation "... and I like nice people." He then gives Erica a mock evil-eye and stage whispers to Bella, "Don't tell her how I got the cap off!" Then back to Erica. "Nothing special. Watched a good man nearly get killed by a lunatic - but that's more along the lines of the company we've been discussing, so I'll bore you with it later. How about you? You're certainly fetching tonight. A special Tuesday?"
Erica shakes her head while stirring her mixed drink. "Nope just having a nice night out. Always enjoy getting out and about." She says with a little laughter in her voice. "How about you? You seem to be enjoying yourself well enough. Have you stopped drinking that silly soda yet?" She asks with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
Bella helps him answer that one from Erica. She shakes her head and waggles her bottle. "Nope. That's all he's buyin. Maybe I can get 'im ta drink somethin else." A little smirk and a brow his way. "So ya like the nice ones." Now she's asking Erica but her bottle points to Gabriel. "What's he do with alla naughty ones?"
There's mild roll of his eyes, but Gabriel takes the jibe will. "Actually, Erica, I am celebrating. March 26, 1945. The US Marine 3rd, 4th and 5th Divisions along with some Army pukes there for backup officially declared the island of Iwo Jima secured. Kill 21,000 of those little nip fuckers. You know taking Iwo Jima cost us more men than the D-Day landings?" He then sucks at his bottle. "Of course, I was with a Raider unit. We hit their command posts, radar, comm, that kind of thing. More of the scalpel to the blunt force of the other Marines. Good men, all. I salute them." His bottle is hoisted in the air for a few seconds, then returned to his normal level. "But no, I'm not going to stop drinking my soda. Like I said, you can't get yourself into trouble drinking too much soda, unless you count having to run to the men's room. Or women’s room."
Erica offers Bella a quick grin as she shakes her head slightly. "Beats me. I don't think he dates much. More interested in what he has lost then what he can gain. At least as far as I can tell." She says to Bella with a little smile. Her attention turns to Gabriel and she raises an eyebrow. "Oh and you don't think being part of an offensive against Splugorth slavers was a picnic? You think fight viciously to save thousands of people from a life of slavery and pain against superior technology and superior magic. Trust me I have fought my own battles." She pauses to drink her mixed drink before speaking again. "Yes but soda is a whole lot less fun."
"Whole lot less fun sounds like 'im." Bella's bottle points at Gabriel again. Erica seems more interesting. At least for the talking about Gabriel parts. All with a little grin. She shrugs. "People die alla time. All over the place. Makes good reasons ta drink since ya never run out."
"I never said anything bad about fighting slavers, Erica. Sounds like a real bitch. I just saluted my fellow Marines, who were victors on this day," Gabriel says, looking at Erica with a genuinely innocent look on his face. Then with what others would possibly consider sounding absolutely insane, he addresses his interest in women and dating, a soft smile on his face. "I may lost my time, my place. I've lost Natasha in body, but not in soul." He holds up his ring and taps it gently. "We're still married. The Orthodox Christianity that married us had no vow of 'until death do we part.' We don't part - it's us forever, and I like it that way. Though I suppose I'm very old fashioned. Doesn't mean I don't love her, talk to her -" he nods toward Bella "- keep her company." His interest in people dying all the time is rather muted. Not ignored, just not celebrated at this moment.
Erica raises up her glass to both Gabriel and Bella before finishing off her drink. "Well it was quite nice seeing you both. I am sorry but I must make my exit." She puts her glass on the bar and turns back. "Bella we need to get you in a place to live. You know I have extra space. And I am also a teacher." She says with a slight smile. "Not to be too generous, but can always use new recruits. Anyways I'll see you both later." She says while climbing down from her bar stool.
Bella snickers into her bottle. "Maybe I'm more sexy 'n I figgered. Everybody's tryin'a drag me ta their place." A little drink and she waves the bottle to Erica. "Maybe. Dunno." Gabriel's the one that gets more surprise. "Wow. Ferever? Kinda works better when yer both 'round, ya know." Not really a jibe. Just a fact.
Gabriel bows his head as Erica begins to leave. "Goodnight, don't walk in the shadows, bad things live there." is said with a grin. "Miss Bella has some unique lodging needs. I offered my place, some different ideas... she seems happy with what she has. Can't force a person, right?" Then to Bella a very solemn - and very happy - "Yes, forever. I'll see her again sometime. Not in this world, but in the next."
"Yeah. Dark's scary." Bella smirks big. Jabs Gabriel with her bottle too. "If yer place were dif'rent, wouldn't be so bad. Just need ta undecorate. And move." See, it ain't impossible to make work. He just has to change it.
"Never offered to change it, save for draping something over the hammock. I'm set in my ways as far as my home is concerned," Gabriel offers in between sips of his soda. "Has everything I need. Cover and sunlight, water for drinking, washing, and fishing, thick wood and brambles to keep people out, and of course, Natasha. Not going to change any of that." He waves as bottle at the now-departed Erica. "Whadda think? Room with her? Miss Monique? Or you going to keep to the streets? I know you don't need warm, but permanent shelter? There has to be something to be said for that."
Bella eyes him. She isn't even smirking. "Say ya run inta some thing out inna dark. Seems nice. Ya just gonna go sleep 't their place? When they can just eat ya 'n ya'd never know? Sounds fackin' stupid ta me. Same thing." That's pretty heavy towards no.
Again as before, something catches Gabriel's attention, and he looks down at his wrist, that good ol' analog wristwatch that runs on a wind-up dial, and can never go dead. Truly a miracle of engineering. He takes a final sip from his bottle, then sets it down on the counter. "Miss Bella, thank you for the dance, but I need to be off. Got a fella who wants some pistol training, but is apparently only free late night like this. So.. I need to be going." He tips a nonexistent hat. "But I'll see you around. If not tomorrow night, then the next." The older man begins to move off toward the door.
"Sure I'll see ya 'round." Bella sets down the bottle of fizzy stuff. "Oughtta find somethin good ta drink, anyways." She waves a hand. "Don't trip, good guy."
Gabriel wave back to Bella, and is then out the door after slapping hands with the bouncers.
