Oct 05 03:03:53 108 PA - Three Out of Four Don't Belong Here
From Chronicles
Oct 05 03:03:53 108 PA.
THE NUT AND BOLT
The evening is active at the Nut N Bolt, a new band has come to town and is making their debut here. Why here? Who knows, but it's the familiar industrial sound as some of the other bands that frequent the place. It's loud and jammed, if nothing else, the band is popular.
Bart is leaning on the bar as he stands next to it, a beer and a shot sit in front of him. For the most part he's just enjoying the show, which has a pretty good light show goin on.
Jaxain enters the bar, grimacing at both the unfamiliar music and the decor. He's not the most technological person, and though he will use any weapon to fight his war against darkness, he still finds those who rely entirely on technology (like borgs and robot pilots) to be... hard to understand. Seeing Bart, he makes his way over and gives a friendly wave, wishing he could block out the sound of the 'music'.
Not long after Jaxain enters that bar comes Gabriel, at the end of fitting earplugs snug within their proper canals. He looks quite relaxed today. Not much beyond his long-barreled pistol being obvious. His own expression is bland. He's not a techie, he's not a non-techie, but he uses techies, and right now it looks as if he's looking for one in particular.
Bartholemew gives Jax a friendly smile when he walks up, "Get ya a beer or somethin?" he shouts, slidin over a bit to give him some room near the bar. Bart seems to enjoy the loud music, head every now and then actually moving to the hardcore rhythms.
Jaxain is young, and maybe given time he will get used to the music, but it is different than what he grew up with. <<Foreign devil music.>> He mutters to himself in fluent Chinese, smiling at the private joke (and at seeing his friend again). "Yeah, sure man, that would be wicked!" he yells over the music, pointing at his pocket. "I'm worse than broke, at least until the savage gets split." He smirks and looks up as he notices Gabriel entering. "Glad to see you made it back!" he calls, though surely Gabriel made it back almost a day before he did. Walking isn't fast, especially when one is also trying to cover one's tracks.
With a big smile, Gabriel approaches the other two men. Then attempts to swat Jaxain's head with an open palm, hard. "Can't imagine what kind of salvage you might be talking about. I mean, you and I've been on a hunting trip for the past few days. Deer kick ya in the head, make you forget or something?" Not that he'd normally try to beat a friend or insult him, but he had done his best to make it clear that the operation that may have led to any current salvage was not a subject to be spoken of, ever. At least not in a public arena like this, even with the noise. Techies can have super ears, and you'll never know it. "Hey, Bart. How's it going?" He switches back to nice-guy mode as easily as he slipped into the disciplining one.
Bartholemew orders Jax a beer from the bartender, and with Gabe showing up he makes it two real quick. Jax also gets a friendly nudge in the arm to go along with Gabe's swat, "Heh. Musta been all that shine he was drinkin all week." he chuckles. The bartender is pretty quick with the two beers and slides em over to the other men. After payin for em he turns back to the other two raising his own beer for a gulp, "Can't wait till the next hunting trip. Dino's should make more of a challenge than deer."
Jaxain gets hit in the head, hard, by Gabriel's open palm. Luckily he didn't have a beer in his hand, as he rocks forward in surprise, nearly falling off of his stool. "Oh, shit." he says, looking embarrassed. "Uhhhh, uhhhh...." He thinks for a moment. "I just meant some crap I found on my way back from the hunting trip." He shrugs, "Musta been the scrap of some robbery." He smiles at Bart, glad the other man is quick to change the subject. "Yeah, man, that will be even more fun!" He still seems a bit off balance... both mentally and physically as he steadies himself on the stool.
The older fellow just nods to Jaxain, recognizing his wisdom. Then a grin. "Wow, thanks, Bart. Won't turn down a free beer. I get a lot of jabs around here for drinking soda." He pops the top off in his normal way, one learned long ago. A quick whack of the bottle's neck against the counter, sending the metal top flipping into the air, and which point he catches it and flops it as if calling a coin. Which he does. "Heads!" He peeks. "Damn. Tails." The cap is tossed back onto the counter, and he takes a sip of beer, making an odd face. "Dinos, huh? I'm still not sure those are for me. Sound awfully damn large."
Jaxain watches Gabriel's old bar trick, obviously impressed. "Huh, that was cool." He says, looking at his own beer, and considering .... and then he brings it down on the counter, breaking the entire neck off cleanly. He reacts fast though, shoving the broken end of the bottle in his mouth before too much is lost. "Guess it takes practice." He mumbles as he chucks the beer, reaching into his mouth to extract a piece of glass and place it on the counter. "Hey, you know what? That reminds me of something..." he looks at Gabe, suddenly serious. "You think maybe I could learn some of that irregular tactics stuff from you, maybe?"
"Damn!" Gabriel shouts as he watches a man shove broken glass into his face. Then pull it out without any apparent blood. "What the fuck was that?" he asks, his Kentucky twang out in full force. He takes another small sip - apparently he is not a heavy drinker. "What kind of tactics, my friend? Took me, oh... started in '38, I departed in '59, and I've been here for a year. It's not something that you can just learn overnight. But I could certainly help if you have specifics. Answer any questions you have." Then as he leans back against the counter he calls as loud as he can, cupping his hands around his mouth, "HEY! ANYONE SEEN A GUY NAMED GALVIN?!"
Jaxain takes a napkin and wipes his mouth, clearing some of the beer away. It does indeed come back streaked with red, though not very much. Maybe he's human after all... However, beer is obviously more important than a bit of pain, and Jax doesn't seem to care. "I dunno, man." He sighs. "Listen, I've been training since I was 4 or 5, learning everything my grandfather could teach, and more. But..." He gestures, and falls silent. "Sure I can kick a tree in half. Yeah I can take a laser blast between the eyes, if I'm ready for it. But what good is that, by itself?" He sighs with obvious frustration. "Last time I sparred, I got my ass handed to me by a blacksmith." He pauses for a moment, "I went and helped Erica on some job she did, and despite everything, I was more useless than anyone else, not to mention slower."
The Kentuckian smiles as if he would to one of his own children. "I'm not special, Jax. It's unlikely that I could go up against you and win, or up against Erica and win. Or a blacksmith, apparently. Or most anyone. Not without using my head, that is. You have to figure out what's going to cause the most trouble for the other guy. It's often something that may seem stupid, such as - just a random example - playing an aerial Bruce Smith. Just ramming a guy off of his platform instead of shooting him." He shrugs and sips. "Thoroughly prepping for attack, but also knowing when to run. It's all about hitting where it hurts most, delivering the best return on your investment. It might not be killing the man in front of you who's got a knife. It may be dropping to the ground to get a shot off at the man fifty yards back who's carrying an assault rifle. Sow confusion." Gabriel then just smiles and shrugs, some tidbits of information having been offered.
Bartholemew ends up listening to the two for a bit, well trying anyways, some of it gets drowned out by the music at times. "Well, I hate to just slam one an go, but just remembered I got something I need to do. If ya see Galvin, tell him I got some business for him. Upgrades and repairs."
Jaxain nods along, listening to these offered words. "Yeah, ok. It's basically the same as what I do with demons. You always gotta keep them off their guard, have at least a couple aces in the hole, or things get way too heavy way too fast." He looks thoughtful, "I may not have much money, but I am sure I can offer something of value. What I am asking is, if you could, if you could teach me to fight like you; like a military man. I'm more than willing to put in the time, and I swear I'll make it up to you somehow."
The man shrugs, setting his nearly full bottle down on the counter and pushing it away. "Sure, I suppose," Gabriel says. "I know some old things. Things that a lot of people around here don't seem to have a clue about. But..." he turns to face Jaxain fully. "I'm a very nice guy, I've always loved my wife, my family, my God and my country. In that order." He pauses and glances around before lowering his voice slightly. "Often what I do to survive, to make sure that *others* survive, is nothing honorable. Nothing to be proud of personally. In fact, there's a reasonable chance that when I eventually die, however it happens, that I'm going straight to Hell. So you need to ask yourself if you're going to not just learn things, but be willing to put them into practice so that you haven't simply wasted your time." With that, he goes back to a more comfortable leaning.
It's day at the Nut and Bolt, and as usual, it's crowded and loud with mechanics, technicians and all of their ilk. A band has apparently been called in special for the day, and is up on stage with flashing lights and strange electronic instruments that make it even louder than usual. A number of different layers of smoke fill the air. Up at the more distant end of the counter stands - or rather, leans - Gabriel, dressed as normal but lightly armed, essentially with only his long-barreled pistol. He has an open, yet essentially full bottle of beer near him, but obviously not being used. The much taller and much younger Jaxain is standing right next to him, in conversation. A quiet one. Depending on when someone comes into the bar, they might pass Bartholemew rushing out.
Jaxain nods slowly as he *carefully* finishes off a broken bottle of beer, avoiding the worst of the glass. He looks down at Gabriel, apparently taking the older man's last question seriously. "You know, I've been thinking about that a lot lately... Sure it's easy to want to run away from your past, but..." He looks at the older man, "If we... no, if I... don’t step up and help people, who will?" He sighs, taking up his broken beer and *carefully* draining the rest of the bottle. "I'm more comfortable fighting vampires and demons than ... " he gives Gabriel a look, "other forces. But, similar tactics and training apply. And I like Kingsdale - I think might stay here." He smiles, looking somewhat nostalgic for a moment before refocusing is gaze. "And I want to protect the people who live here."
A day, indeed. Perhaps even a fateful one. Stepping up to the door of the bar, the small Inuit woman pauses at the touch of the great white bear's nose to her shoulder. Lifting a hand, she lightly brings her fingertips to his black leathery nose, and then she gives a small nod before reaching out to open the door. The great white bear rumbles, grumbling, and he settles on his rump outside the door and a little to one side. By no means far from his shaman, but understanding he cannot venture in with her to everywhere that she goes. And so he sits, protectively watchful as she steps into the establishment. Just within, Monique pauses, and she lifts her right hand to catch a lock of her hair, brushing it away from her face as she starts to move away from the door and further into the place. She doesn't really look around, but since she's inside, she lifts a hand to lightly brush aside the hood of her leather jacket, one that has a lighter fur lining in it than her winter parka. Still made from hides she 'harvested' herself, though.
Gabriel looks off to another corner while he listens to Jaxain. When he responds, it's, "I don't know much about fighting demons and vampires. But I do know a lot about fighting men. I'll leave demons to others, and continue doing what I know how to do. I have no quarrel with anyone who isn't trying to hurt someone else, whatever or whoever they may be. My country may be gone, but its ideals live on in me, as does my family." He stares somewhat seriously at Jaxain, turning his head just enough to expose the earplugs that he's wearing to keep his hearing from deteriorating in this place. "I'll teach you what you're willing to learn, and what I can teach. But ask yourself what it is that you want to learn, before you learn it. Because you can't un-learn it, you can't forget it." Then a rather loud laugh. "Hell, maybe you can. Psychic does a mind job on you or something. Strange place." The atmosphere of the Nut and Bolt is such that he certainly doesn't notice anyone entering, even if it's a small woman who looks out of place who just parked her bear near the handicapped zone.
Nodding to Gabriel, Jax takes a moment to collect his thoughts. "Ok." He says. "I got you, and..." He starts to say, cutting off in mid sentence. Not only does Monique contrast brightly against the technological background, she's probably the most 'out of place' looking person in the bar aside from himself. In fact, the darn music is starting to give him a headache. He looks between Gabriel and Monique for a moment, then nods his head, apparently having decided something. "Hey, do you ever wonder where Bella's family is?" He asks of Gabriel casually, focusing his attention on the man fully for a moment, then nodding his head and changing the subject before Gabriel can even reply. "Hey, do you know that girl? Is that, uhhhmmm, Monique?" He asks of Gabriel. He raises a hand, waving at the Eskimo. Heck, even if it isn't her, she's cute so no loss.
Lifting her left hand, the small Inuit woman rubs at her outer right shoulder before giving a little sigh. It's still tender, but she's not overly surprised. It is, at least, improved, which is a step in the right direction. She gets jostled a bit by the crowd, because without the great white bear there at her side, some people just don't look where they're going. She moves a little to the side, finding a way out of the crowd, and then she eyes them almost as though to discern the flow and how to get through them unscathed. After finding no apparent pattern to their movements, Monique takes a moment to look over some of the others. And when the wave comes, she isn't totally sure it's meant for her. But a quick look to either side, and just over her shoulder yields no one else it could be for. And so, she lifts her left hand to give a wave in return, a little smile coming to her expression. Since getting through the crowd to reach the bar was relatively not an option, she starts instead to make her way over to the man who waved at her. It can't hurt, right? And it's easier to stick to the fringes anyways.
The elder man shrugs and looks up.. up.. at Jaxain's face and frowns sadly. "She told me that they died in the 'Dregs. From what I've seen, death is pretty common there. Hell, that lost offensive with the refugees, I was there. Hit the leaders myself, with Sage and Bart, too. It's a bad place. I've seen it before, though. Berlin after the war. Cambodia. Seoul, the whole fucking Pacific Ocean. Leningrad. Those poor people were eating sawdust bread over the harshest winter in a decade, while being constantly shelled by the Nazis. Yeah. The 'Dregs are nothing new. The only difference is that they have magic and creatures from nightmares now. But essentially the same. Places where people live and usually die violently and early." To the other question that comes quickly on the first one's heels, he peers around for a moment. "Oh, yeah. Monique. I've met her a few times. Little Eskimo girl, usually rides around on a four-cylinder polar bear. Don't really know her much though, but she's always been nice." He looks back to Jaxain, wondering of the questions.
And with good reason, the questions being rather odd and out of context. Jaxain nods at the other man, not understanding many of the references he uses, but understanding the general theme of it. The human condition, at it's worst. He looks up at Monique as she approaches, and stands up to give her a Chinese style bow. "Name's Jax, nice to meet you." He gives her a smile, then tilts his head to the side in question. "Monique, right?" He looks at the stool next to him, and seeing it has some kind of oil on it, offers Monique his own char and sits on the stained one. "Do you have time for a quick drink?"
It takes a bit of time, but the small Inuit woman reaches the pair of men sitting at the end of the counter. A little smile is offered to Gabriel, and a nod of greeting before her attention returns to the man who had waved to her. She studies him for a moment, no doubt trying to determine if she knows him or not. Yet she comes up empty in the way of names. "Hello, Jax... it's nice to meet you, too," she says softly, a small smile coming to her lips. Gone, it would seem, is the haltingly broken speech that she used to have. "Monique is me, yes," she affirms, giving a nod. A bit of colour comes to her cheeks when he proves himself gallant in offering her his stool instead of her taking the stained one. She settles onto it, and then she gives a nod. "I have time, yes... thank you," she says, a smile returning to her features.
Gabriel stands as well when Monique approaches. Of course, he stands when every woman approaches. And sits. Or stands back up. Or needs to have a chair pushed in. Basically, everything expected of a gentleman born in the 1918 version of the United States of America. "Hello, Monique, it's good to see you again. Been a long time." It may or may not be picked up that he has finally dropped the 'Miss' that he had been using with every woman's name for months. Habits can be hard to break, particularly when your parents told you to do them. "How's ah... Torque-wrench?" You paged Jaxain with 'He isn't having any Bella-direct vampire related thoughts.'
Jax may have picked up a few things from here and there, but his grandfather raised him VERY differently than Gabriel's parents raised their son. He looks to be about to say something, but stops and gives Gabriel an odd look when he asks Monique about her wrench. "Uhhh, anyway, this might not be the best place for it, but I wanted to talk to you about a problem we are having here in Kingsdale." He looks around the club, then back to Monique. "Do you actually like this music?" He asks, curiosity plain on his face.
Having reseated himself, Gabriel looks at the beer bottle, which is already not quite near him.. and pushes it further away. Teetotaler? No. Non-drinker? Yes. "So, Monique. I think the last time I saw you, you were fishing Sebastien out of the river. Or was it... you were fishing someone out of the river and Sebastien dove in after you?" He considers for a moment. "Yeah.. you were on the ice. Sebastien was in the river and I was sitting with.. not Torque-wrench. Ah, Torn.. Torn... Tornaq! Sorry, yeah that's it." He taps his forehead, directed at Monique, whatever that may mean. "Yeah, I was standing next to Tornaq, and I remember that I wasn't worried." Gabriel's brow furrows. "Who the hell was in the river?"
Another smile is given to Gabriel, and she gives a small nod. "Yes, it has been quite some time. But it's good to see you again, too. I was away for a little while," she says softly, her tone holding a thoughtful cast to it. She doesn't offer for what, though perhaps it's not hard to guess considering the way she's speaking. "Tornaq is well... he is outside. I do not suspect he is welcome inside, here," she says softly, her dark eyes showing a slight shine to them. Her gaze turns back to Jaxain, and she tilts her head to one side before shaking her head. "I ignore the music, usually. It is... very loud, and very... mixed up. More than I am used to, where I am from," she says, wrinkling her nose for a moment. Yet she's here, for whatever reason.
Jaxain nods along with Monique, "Me too, actually. I gotta say, it's kinda grating on me." He grimaces, but it turns to a grin a moment later as Gabriel starts speaking. He is silent, wanting to hear the rest of this remembrance as it seems interesting. "In the river?" He asks, prodding them both so as to hear the rest of the story.
Monique tilts her head slightly to one side as she looks to him, studying him quietly for a moment, and then she gives a small nod. "Something along those lines, yes," she says softly, a slightly wistful tone to her voice. "I was in the river, to start with. Sebastien was worried, he thought I would drown. So he came to the river to fish me out. I was fine, but he wouldn't listen, and jumped in after me. Then he was in the water, and I went back into the river to try to get him out," she says, her brow furrowing a little bit. She looks to Jaxain, and a small smile touches at the corners of her lips. "It was the middle of winter, but a warmer spell... the ice had turned kind of slushy."
"That's right, I remember now. Thanks for reminding an old man who is apparently starting to go senile," Gabriel says with a chuckle. Finally, he gets back to the odd point. "So, Jaxain. What's with the burr in your pants about the 'Dregs, Bella and Kingsdale all of a sudden?"
Jaxain laughs along with the story, enjoying the image of the knight flailing in the water (obviously it turned out alright, so it's OK to laugh). "Oh, man that would have been wicked to see." He says with a smile. When Gabriel speaks up, Jax nods and gives her a deep look. "I hear you are a priest? If that is true, then I'd like to see if you can help. You see, I am a vampire hunter, and things aren't as safe in Kingsdale as they could be. But..." He looks around the bar, "This might not be the best place to talk of such matters."
The small Inuit woman smiles gently at Gabriel, and she gives a little smile to him. "It's all right, I don't mind telling the story," she says, her tone holding a thoughtful cast to it. Her gaze returns to Jaxain, and she chuckles softly before giving a small nod. "I tried to tell him I would be fine, and that I was fine in the water. I grew up where the water is colder," she says, quirking a little smile. She blinks, then softly shakes her head. "No, not a priest. At least, not in that term. I am a shaman, a holy person of my people. Chosen by the Spirits," she says softly, her brow furrowing a little bit. Tilting her head a little to one side, she gives a small nod to him. "I will help if I can. Though I am not sure how much good I am against vampires," she says softly, a little wistfully. "You would suggest somewhere else to go to, for talking?" she asks, curiosity to her voice.
Gabriel seems now to be a bit on the outside of the conversation. Vampires are certainly not his thing, unless you count Bella Lugosi or the dozens of 1950s B-movies that featured Count Dracula. "Can you be more specific, Jax? Just blurt it out. No one's listening; of course, we won't discuss our hunting trip, that was a guy thing, right?" Nudge.
Jaxain mulls this over for a moment, clearly at least a little surprised. "Oh... I thought..." He pauses again, and looks at her hopefully. "Can you make holy water?" He looks between Gabriel and Monique, nodding his head. "If you say so, boss." He says to Gabe. "The quick version is, there is a large group of Vampires laying low in the dregs. I know where some of them are, and I know some of their patterns, but we need both more information and more manpower to completely take them out."
"Alas, no... I cannot make holy water. I can bring daylight, and I can turn the dead, to some degree," she says softly, sounding apologetic in tone. A glance is given to Gabriel, studying him for a brief moment, but her attention returns to Jaxain, watching him. "Tornaq and I will help in dealing with this evil infestation," Monique says softly, her dark eyes showing a flicker within them. Perhaps she has her own reasons. But either way, she will help. "But if Bella is among them, she is mine to deal with." A promise, that is.
Gabriel looks surprised at what Jaxain has to say. "Oh, them? Yeah, you brought 'em up the other day. If I recall, you said that you could take out one group all by yourself, then *I* suggested that you hold off and conduct some intelligence gathering so that you could hit the heart of the matter and eliminate the threat at one time, rather than tipping them off." He grins. "Does that about cover the memory of an old man?" A light chuckle follows as he looks over at the band. "These days, you guys.. I know that you're good at what you do, and I can't even imagine what it's like to have all the powers that people have. But damn, you really don't know how to conduct warfare without simply being blunt and sloppy." As he falls silent, he then asks quickly, "What, has holy water gone up to a whole dollar a gallon or something so it's cheaper to make your own?"
Jaxain snorts, shaking his head. "Yeah, you pretty much got it, though a couple details are a bit off." He looks like he's about talk but thinks better of it. Then he starts, as if suddenly realizing he left the oven on and the fridge open, and he gives Gabriel a *VERY* odd look after Monique starts speaking, and his face goes slightly pale. He coughs into his palm, regaining his composure quickly. He looks at the Shaman. "Agreed. Though... perhaps we should speak more in detail about Bella later on." He gives Gabriel another strange glance. "Don't you think, Gabriel? That we should discuss Bella the Vampire later?" He puts a strange stress on the title.
The small Inuit woman raises an eyebrow slightly as she looks over to Gabriel, listening to his words, and a hint of a smile comes to the corners of her lips. "We have not all fought wars, Gabriel," she says softly, a gentle nature to her voice. "It would be easier if they could all just be blown up, all at once. It would eliminate the need for much in the way of fighting," she says quietly, her brow furrowing. Tilting her head slightly to one side, Monique looks to Jaxain, studying him for a lingering moment before giving a small nod. "As you wish," she says softly, accepting the verdict presented. At least for the time being.
Night has somehow rapidly fallen during the time that Gabriel has been at the Nut and Bolt. The annoying band that was there all day has finally unplugged itself, at least for a little while. Unfortunately, the crowd has grown, and hence the decibels removed by the band were added back by the patrons. Thus, the older man is leaning up against the counter with a neat set of earplugs in his canals, for those who might look very closely. An essentially full bottle of beer that was obviously his has also been obviously pushed away, quite distantly. Jaxain is sitting nearby on a stool, speaking with Monique, also sitting on a stool, her polar bear having been parked outside. Jaxain and Monique are in far more of a conversation than Gabriel is, but he's still hovering on the periphery. "No, no. Blowing up is easy. Winning wars without fighting, that's hard. That's what I do best, as best I can." He peers between them then at what seems to possibly be some unspoken words, and more damn psychic powers. Or, his guess could be way off.
Speakin'a not fightin. 'N winnin. 'N blowin stuff up. Bella comes in. Course she ain't really doin any a those. Cept fer not fightin.
Jaxain remains looking at Gabriel for a moment or two more, a somewhat stricken look on his face (for no apparent reason). He lets out a sigh, and nods to the older man. "Yeah, exactly, and it's not so much the price, as the quality. You never know for SURE that holy water you pay for is as good as advertised. And... then it could be too late." He says with a smile before he turns back to Shaman. "I am glad you will be with us, Monique. Do you have any unusual avenues you can use to gather intel?" He asks with an arched brow. Unfortunately, he is pretty intent on his current conversation, and has not yet noticed the new arrival.
"Yes, well... sometimes, there is no harm in easy. But I know little of such things," she says softly, a little smile touching at the corners of her lips. Though the sound comes from outside, even over the music a person might be able to hear the rumbling roar of the polar bear which almost sets a vibration to the earth for the tones he puts behind it. There are few reasons that such a warning would be given by the great white bear. One of her eyebrows quirks upwards slightly, and her position shifts. A bit more tension to her, her back a little straighter, and her left hand lowers for her fingers to lightly touch along a metal rod that hangs at her belt. It doesn't look like anything special, really. "I have a very large polar bear just outside, if he counts as unusual. But the Spirits are sometimes willing to speak to me," she says softly, a smile touching at the corners of her lips as she looks to Jaxain, her dark eyes showing a hint of amusement to them.
Bella coulda spotted the big fluffy white bear. If she didn't the growlin woulda helped a li'l. She's gotta smirk when she's lookin round. Ain't no big surprise when she spots Monique. But there's Jax n Gabe too. Bella walks at them. "Heya! Whatcha doin?"
Gabriel just hangs around and continues to listen. Listening is usually better than speaking. He can't help but smirk however at the idea that some holy water is better than another. "Um... how do you get one bottle of holy water that's better than another? A holier man blessed it? Is there some kind of one through ten chart of holiness?" Then his hand goes up as Bella appears close enough to be noticed. "Hey! Evening, Bella. Lucky to catch me here, I'm just looking for the tech that's run off with my rifle." Monique's words are simply listened to. MAIL: You have a new message from Adad.
MAIL: Folder 0 ----------------------------
[-S-----] 1 (2823) From: Adad Sub: Whykin Assault Losses & R [-S-----] 2 ( 242) From: Gabriel Sub: Cost Option [-S-----] 3 ( 854) From: Jaxain Sub: Re: Cost Option [-S-----] 4 ( 112) From: Rubidia Sub: rewarding [-S-----] 5 ( 155) From: Sage Sub: Re: Cost Option [N------] 6 ( 439) From: Adad Sub: Log Posted
MAIL: Unread Msg #6 cleared! Use @mail/unclear 6 to recover.
3 From: Jaxain At: Thu Jan 13 20:03:13 2011 (Conn) Fldr : 0 Status: Read Safe To : Adad, Bartholemew, Jaxain, Leonard, Rubidia, Sage, Gabriel Subject: Re: Cost Option
Jax needs some firepower, having been really out-gunned on that mission. Aside from these items he really wants, he's more than happy to split and cover the costs of everyone elses repairs. He needs at LEAST 20,000 credits in cash though, as that's how much he owes the bank and he's gonna be in BIG trouble if he can't pay his rent or buy food.... Here are the items he'd like to get out of this:
"Ohhhh, uhhhh. Ok then." He looks at Monique, "About that chat, later on, well... Bella has promised to help hunt the vampires infesting the city." He doesn't answer Gabe's question, for now, but he does give Bella a slightly pointed look, meaningfully flicking his eyes back to Gabriel. The look in his eyes is hopeful. He's obviously been shocked by something, but is hoping for the best.
"Yep." Bella nods at Jax's talkin. Then perks a brow. Eyes him funny? "Whatcha talkin bout? Th'other stuff I mean." She looks at Gabe too. "Ain' really my place neither. Inna Dregs most times." Monique gets a li'l smile. "Yer awful jumpy ya know."
The small Inuit woman, oddly, doesn't give much in the way of response to the fact that Bella has entered. A faint nod is pretty much all, at least initially. Monique's dark gaze turns to Jaxain to study him for a lingering moment. "We will see," she says quietly to him, giving a small nod. She makes as though she didn't realize that the latter part of Bella's words were aimed at her, her attention shifting towards looking for the bartender to see if she can snag their attention for some service.
At this point, Gabriel is just taking his time to listen, his face possibly showing some confusion at the oddities of the smattering of words and body language. Ears open, he turns to the bartender and raises a finger, "Donovan's Fizz, please." He's roundly mocked by the others in the bar, amused at the wuss that would prefer a soda over hard liquor. He doesn't seem to mind, just whapping the top off, calling 'heads' - and winning this time - then turning back to the conversation. "Um.. hey." Great input.
Jaxain still wants to learn that trick. He gives a frustrated look around the place, feeling *VERY* much the rock in a hard place. The club is noisy, and probably one of the best places in the city to speak of things and not be overheard. He turns to Monique and seems to be about to say something before he stops and thinks better of it. "Listen, Bella. Gabe here can't wrap his head around the fact that you are a Vampire. That's what I mean. And I don't mean he has trouble dealing with it, I mean I read his mind, and he *CAN'T* wrap his head around it. Sure, maybe someone else did it, and even if it was you I know you are just trying to protect yourself, but Gabriel is a good guy... It hurts me to see him like this." He looks at her with his puppy dog eyes.
Bella's other brow pops up. She eyes Gabe again. Grins more too. "Maybe he ain't got no 'magination? Course think he's still tryin'a wrap 'is brain 'round demon monster things 'n laser guns too. 'R he's justa really good liar?" Now a shrug. At Jax. "I didn' do nothin."
A glance is given to Gabriel with Jaxain's words being spoken, but then she turns her gaze back to searching out the bartender. A glance is shot over her shoulder to Bella, and she raises an eyebrow. "Just like you didn't do anything to Sebastien?" she suggests, her tone having a slight chill to it. Yet her gaze parts from the vampire, returning to the fruitless seeking of the bartender. It would figure for it to be busy enough to keep him from coming this way, but she doesn't mind too much. She probably doesn't know what to order anyways.
Gabriel just continues to smile softly as he listens to Jaxain explain to Bella an old man's apparent complete inability to function in this new world. When Bella's eyes land on him, and none others are looking his way, he twitches his head ever so slightly toward the other two in attendance, followed by a very, very shallow shake of his head and a quick wink. Doesn't matter where in the conversation it fell, it happened surreptitiously.
"Nope." Bella moves over some. Just 'nuff so she can grab a beer. Puts her closer ta Monique though. Just for a bit. "Never said I didn' do nothin ta Seb. Course..." Sip from the bottle and a shrug. "Ain't really done nothin with that neither. Ain' figgerin I'm gonna. Him playin' nice's good 'nuff fer me. I can play nice too. Sides. He likes ya way more anyways." Then she's steppin back ta the boys. Prods Gabe. "Jax's right. Yer actin weird. Whatcha do?"
Jaxain nods slowly, seeming to come to some revelation. "Ooo....ok." he seems a bit hesitant to accept that, and turns to Gabriel. "Listen, Gabriel, straight up. Sorry I read your mind, but right now I'm thinking she did something to you. Do you know she's a vampire, or not?" He seems to be putting a lot of weight behind the answer, showing a rarely seen intensity. "I know about Bella. Hell, if she could hide from me, even for a week, I wouldn't be much of a Vampire hunter, would I?" He smiles, "I also know she's a rebel, and the other vampires probably hate her more than they hate us, and she can help us route out their nest once and for all."
Monique raises an eyebrow slightly and looks to Bella, her dark eyes turning unreadable. "That's pure bullshit if I've ever heard any," she says, then shifts her weight to move off the stool, regaining her feet. Her gaze then turns to Jaxain, and she gives a small nod to him. "Seek me out if you have a wish to do so," she offers, her tone calm. "Good night," she adds, her gaze holding to Jaxain, skipping briefly over Bella, then falling to Gabriel. She steps back, and unless she's stopped, she turns to start to head towards the door.
Gabriel looks Jaxain in the eye and answers his question with surprise in his voice. "No! Bella, a vampire? I had no idea. I guess... I guess she is a nice and rebellious vampire." He then turns to Bella herself with a nervous laugh. "Sorry to talk about you like you weren't here." Unfortunately, despite his words, they likely don't come off entirely convincing, even though his face might seem appropriate. Then, however, there's a genuinely surprised and mildly angry, "You were reading my *mind*? God, find anything in there interesting? Poking around to find memories of Natasha naked? C'mon, Jax, stay outta my head unless it's a real emergency. Just fucking ask next time." He's quite surprised by Monique's tone and vocabulary, however. She actually talked like a real person! However, he knows better than to get in the way of a moving and pissed-off woman, simply waving as she departs.
Don't ferget bout the scary bear too. Bella don't. She could say somethin back maybe. But just shrugs. People're gonna think what they wanna think. Hard to make 'em think other stuff. 'N still be nice anyhow. Gabe gets her smirkin instead. "Yep. She's right. That's a buncha shit yer spewin." Bottle gets pointed at him 'fore she drinks s'more beer. Even bigger smirk at Jax. "'N coulda tricked ya too if I wanted. Ain' that hard."
Jaxain looks up at Monique as she leaves, nodding his head. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I would like to talk again soon." He smiles at her, before turning a wary eye back at Gabriel. He lowers his eyes at first, "I did what I thought best. I would never route around in your, or any mind, but I couldn't ask you... because I promised to keep Bella's secret, so... I had to know if you knew before I spoke to Monique. That's all." he looks at the other man, "I never used my gifts if I don't think it's important, but still... I'm sorry." He shrugs, not sure what else to say. He looks at Bella, "Ok, so... I guess that clears that up." He still seems a bit unsure about what just happened... He doesn't bother to correct Bella's assumption that her powers would work on him. It says something to her credit that she didn't even try. He gives Bella a weak grin, still feeling a bit off balance.
Gabriel turns off of the subject of a threat to Kingsdale. "Jaxain, you've asked me for advice both as a soldier and as a life adviser. I had a secret to keep to. You say that you had to know if I had a secret. Perhaps I wanted to know if you had a secret. If I used my own interrogation techniques - which are very uncomfortable and not to be discussed right now - to simply attempt to find out *if* you had a secret... would that be any different than you invading my mind to root around to find out *if* I had a secret? You have powers, but you're still just a man, Jax." He shakes his head. "Don't abuse what you have just because you have something that you can use. Splitting hairs between how things are done is only a way to make someone feel better about what they're doing when they know deep down that it's not entirely proper." All of that said, he smiles to Bella before sipping from his soda. "Bullshit, perhaps. But at least you know that I kept my promise."
Bella grins at Gabe. "Kinda figgered. 'N knew ya kept it when a bunch people." She points her bottle at Jax. "Like him didn' all come runnin at me with sharp sticks 'n stuff."
Jaxain seems to be about to say something, then just opens and closes his mouth. "Huh... Yeah, I guess not..." He says, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I dunno man. My grandfather told me, anything you have to do, do it. Doesn't matter, only the hunt matters. But..." He looks up at Gabe, "It's just surface thoughts, not much more than you'd get from reading a guy's face, really." He seems a bit confused, not quite able to gather his thoughts into any kind of coherent defense. He lets out a sigh, and stands up. "Ok, I'm gonna call it a night, guys." He gives both of them a grin. "Y'all take care."
"Stay safe, Jax. There's monsters out there, y'know." He gives Bella a heavy and visibly stupid wink and allows the man some time to move off. "Just think about what I said. I won't try to contradict your grandfather, but you can always try to assimilate new information." He then turns his full attention to Bella. "So, what're you doing here if it's not your kind of place either? My excuse is that I'm looking for a guy who has my rifle. What's yours? Want a drink?" He slides his full-yet-open beer down the counter toward her.
"Sure." Bella passes off the almost empty. So she can grab the full one. "Can't sit inna Dregs alla time. Gotta go out 'n meet people 'n stuff. Free drinks're good too." She winks back.
"Fair enough. So you know Jax, I take it. He needs to learn to control himself. Not everyone is as pleasant as I was when they find out that someone's been reading their mind without permission. I guess Monique isn't a fan, though, huh?" He pats his thigh idly. "I'm taking off, Bella, sorry to cut the conversation short. Too damn loud in here, too many mechanics, and too many people with metal stuck in their bodies." He quickly finishes off his soda, nods politely, says some more kind words of departure, and will then be soon out the door.
