4/27/2003
10:44
PM
Logfile
from Gabriel.
Gabriel's
Opening
from the front facade is a rather simple plate-glass door, banded on one side
by a showroom front window giving hint as to what is currently available and
trendy at this moment in time for the fashion conscious. Once within, the smell
of new fabric mingles with that of jasmine and tea rose.
The
flooring is old wood varnished to new glory, but the entryway is set with a
stone mosaic in the form of a starburst, both relics from the original building
and diligently revived. Pale blue, nearly white, adorns the walls where brick
and mortar do not just as the lighting is warm, hopefully inviting patrons to
spend some time within. Clothing racks are set here and there along the floor
just as the walls as well, a handful of clothing articles to each setting to
dismiss any cluttered appearance.
Trendy
desires are in evidence, along with that which might be considered more
understated and simple in design -or as the proprietor would say: more able to enhance
the person wearing the clothing, not the clothing itself. Along the back wall
are a trio of changing rooms, and off to the left side is a long counter where
transactions can be made.
Obvious
exits:
Exit Stairs
Isn't
it lit up so pretty? All of the lights within this rather out-of-the-way store
are working just perfectly, or nearly so. Actually, not exactly. With the
constant traffic of workmen slipping in and out (but now long gone to home),
the front doors of the facade are left open, allowing in a soothing spring-time
breeze. No, the only one left is Gabriel, perched upon a step-ladder as he
reaches up, up, up to reset a specific spot light to highlight a corner of the
store.
And
who'd know that it wasn't ready to go yet. Well, the simple fact that the place
is still in some terms a wreck, clothes absent, would be a big clue. But the
lights and perhaps its out of the way nature have brought at least one brave
soul to look into the window and see just what's suppose to be here. Her outline
can be seen at the window, just before
the sign, but soon enough she's peeking in once the door is open. Why? Shinobu
is a nosy little thing, but upon doing so, one of the workers leaving notes,
"It won't be open for a few more days, Miss."
"Remind
me to have a sign made and set in the window," Gabe mutters to the lone
assistant left over after hearing her speak. He continues to stretch up, giving
the quickly heating light a couple of gentle taps to get the illumination just
right. "You can go now, Naomi. Give your husband my regards."
Satisfied with the light, he starts back down the ladder, one rung at a time.
Fingers curl about the ladder and he prepares to pull it to a new point. As he
does so, the man glances up, and just then catches sight of the woman without.
No. It simply couldn't be that easy...
Well,
one isn't sure that this chance meeting could be easy; considering the young
woman's dark eyes widen upon the sight of Gabriel, then lowers, who knows
what's going on in her head. "I knew the sign said this place would be
open soon, but not an exact date." Shinobu quiets a little as Gabriel
dismisses Naomi for the night, wondering now if she herself should move along
to. She didn't know this was /his/ place. And after meeting Mitama..... should
she really go through this again? A step taken back, and then another, she
finally says aloud, "I... should probably go, since you're still getting
things set up?"
Gabriel
is completely dismissing any further thoughts about track lighting and ideal
illumination for another time. Instead, the man is immediately striding
forward, only to hesitate as the woman backs up. "No. Wait," he is
quickly speaking, hand extending forward as if in entreaty. "Please, don't
go." He isn't even paying attention as Naomi disappears for the evening as
well, simply watching Shinobu. "Please don't leave yet."
Shinobu
continues to stand by the doorway, nodding to Naomi as she leaves, one hand
reesting against the doorframe comfortably. She should leave. She promised
herself.. after all of this, that she'd do her best to make sure everyone was
happy. Her appearance in their lives didn't help much... should she change
that? .... No. Definitely not. ".... alright." She said that to
Malachai, too, and that ended up a mess. When will she learn? No time soon...
one can hope. "... I didn't realize this was your place. Did you get home
alright, when we last met?" Yes, keep it casual for now.
Gabriel
simply must get her away from that door, before she feels a need to slip out of
it before he can do anything. "I'm sure you didn't know..." Even if
there is a touch of consternation over the fact that she might not have tried
to actually seek it out. "But, yes, it is... and yes, I did. It would have
been a long walk had I not been able to hitchhike back here. A very nice young
woman was kind enough to give me a ride." Even if he had to put up with
questions and commentary about a renaissance faire. "And you are well
also?" He takes a step closer to her, smiling warmly.
Getting
her away from the door probably would be a good thing, but the task itself will
be somewhat daunting. Especially when it seems she has one foot -- or rather
hand -- out the door. Dark eyes lidding a little, perhaps in a complacency that
she is close to an easy out if she needs it, Shinobu nods slowly, before she
muses, "I didn't think anyone would leave you walking for long. I'm...
sorry to have run off like that." She was certainly shocked at Gabriel's
appearance... and his actual arrival into the city. It was something that was a
touch incredulous if one were hearing the story; being there didn't help
Shinobu's mind at all. "Oh, I made it back alright... oh, you mean
now." There's a pause, even as she glances down, missing that first step
forward. "Well... I can't say I've been worse?" is given wryly.
"I'm sure there are worse things that could have happened just now."
This is
almost like trying to get a robin to come and feed from out of his hand. Gabe
draws another careful step towards her, easing his movements. "You don't
have to apologize, Shinobu. It was a strange evening. But I'm very happy to see
you again, pleased to see you actually here." He frowns just the slightest
at her following words, watching her curiously for a moment, before his hand
extends again to her, "Please... Shinobu. Can we talk? Somewhere more
comfortable for you, instead of having you stand there. Please?"
Or more
like a frantic butterfly that knows that death or capture could be moments
away, only to flutter off pre-emptively for seeing another flower. Dressed in a
simple business suit, she wouldn't seem to be the sort that goes so nervous
easily, but there she is, looking somewhat worried despite the general composed
presence she gives off. That hand flexing against the door frame, she begins to
shake her head, before that hand is extended to her. "Well... I should
apolo...." There's a pause then, blatant, as her gaze moves from the hand
to its owner. "....." She should say no. She should walk away, and
not get another chance glance back. This can only bring trouble. "....
Alright. But I shouldn't stay too long. I... You've got a lot of work to do,
right?" is finally said, even as her hand reaches out to take Gabriel's.
Pregnant
pauses like that can really be a killer. And it is throughout Shinobu's
hesitation, that Gabriel simply watches her, hope in his gaze. But as she takes
his hand, his smile warms even more, hopefully reassuring. "Nothing that
can't be put off for a little longer," he answers softly, giving her hand
something of a soft squeeze. "I can offer you a moment to sit... and
something to drink as well, upstairs. If you don't mind? This here is no place
to entertain guests, at least not yet. Simply to talk... If that would be
alright with you." But still, he'll try to lead her towards the stairs
with a gentle urging.
4/28/2003
09:01
PM
Logfile
from Gabriel.
It's
the pauses like that which could mean she'd stay or run. She could easily do
one of the other, and somehow, it is the former that she sticks to for the
moment. That hand squeezed, a nervous smile fluttering to her lips before
fading completely, Shinobu nods, replying with, "If.. if you're
sure." Upstairs? That only causes a tiny panic that causes her hand to
squeez Gabriel's tightly, before she takes a deep breath. "I..."
There really is a war going on in her head over this. Should she go, should she
insist the talk remains here, or should she follow him. It's another one of
those pauses, one to the point one can see the gears working in her head, before
she finally nods. "... Alright. But only for a little while." If
nothing else, she can feign illness and go, right? She certainly looks pale
enough. "You know," is finally said softly, "You almost act as
if you know me."
Gabriel
offers her another soft smile, almost fond. "As long as you wish, although
I hope you won't mind if I try my best to keep your company as long as
possible. You can't blame me, really." He flashes her wink before moving
around to close the front door, locking it to keep any more unexpected visitors
out, and then moving to lead her towards the stairs. "No, I don't know
you, Shinobu, but I would certainly like to. I think that I not only owe it to
myself, but to you as well."
You
take the stairs into the the loft.
Upstairs
Apartment
There
is almost a raw, unfinished feel to this apartment, filling the entire second
floor of the building, and harkening back to building's original roots -and
purposely so. High ceilings are left bare with mortar, brick, and metal,
vaulting over the pale wood floor at least twenty feet high, and adorned here
and there with the opaque glass of rectangular skylights. Large windows nearly
six feet tall dominate, panelled in glass that at times can be either frosted
or clear enough to show the sight of Carmine Street below.
From
the staircase leading to the store below, the loft flows outward in a rather
dramatic display of space. There is comfort to be had in the pair of dark red
couches that are set near to the front facade windows, while just a little
further from them is something of a kitchen area, separated with a counter and
a dark table. Various entertainment purposes are served with a modest
television and stereo, but the majority seems to have been invested in a pair
of large cases, filled with various books from pictorals of architecture to
modern pop-culture fiction, historical novels to whatever else seems to have
claimed the owner's fancy at the time.
Off to
the back of the loft is a closed off area, divided by paper-shrouded panels that
only extend about ten feet high. Beyond such is afforded the privacy of the
bath area, as well as the bedroom. Simple elegance in all things.
Obvious
exits:
Downstairs
You
arrive in the loft.
Houki
arrives from the stairs below.
As long
as possible? Oh, this could be trouble, indeed. But the smile is somewhat
comforting, though the wink is a bit of a shock. ... Maybe she should have ran.
But it's up the stairs, and into a loft that brings the woman's gaze around;
before, he lived in a palace, didn't he? He was an emperor, and everything he
had was of the finest. Now... well... in her modern mind, this makes more
sense, than perhaps a part of a global empire. He's out of the spotlight. And
she could keep him that way... just... remain friendly. "... Oh. I'm...
sorry. It just seemed as if you were acting as if we were familiar." She
isn't running, though, once up into the loft taking a good look around.
"..... what... what makes you say that?" comes to the last, Shinobu's
brows rising a touch. ... Does he remember already?
Gabriel
grins wryly, "It isn't much, but it is far better then what it originally
was. Not quite the trappings and opulence from before, but it suits me
fine." Reluctantly, he releases her hand, gesturing to one of the couches.
"Please, make yourself at home. Can I get you something to drink? Water?
Tea... something a bit more fortifying?" With that last, the tone of his
voice almost grows amused. He slips away to the kitchen area, his voice
floating back to her, "If you don't know the answer to that, then perhaps
this might make this all the more difficult."
There's
a pause at that first comment, one that brings her brows to hitch just enough
for curiosity to pique into her features. That... she didn't expect. She
expected either for him not to know his past or to know it. But now, she isn't
quite sure if her first estimation was correct. Continuing to look around,
Shinobu doesn't say much, instead listening. That is, until she's given a
choice on something. "Oh, water's fine." Alcohol, while more
fortifying, wouldn't be the best thing right now, really. Finally perching at
the edge of a chair, Shinobu glances toward the kitchen area, before she muses,
"I'd figured.... you hadn't... well... I'm just beginning to discover things
just aren't quite what they seem." And she wishes they were, again.
Gabriel
is returning a moment later, a glass in each of his hands and both filled with
water and ice. As he approaches Shinobu, he bends forward a little to offer her
the glass, bound hair slipping over his shoulder once again. "I hadn't.
Until Nuriko called a man to come and look into my mind to see what the problem
was." He moves over taking a seat near to her as well. "He managed to
pull some things out, but the rest have been stolen from me, more than likely
owned by the man who has been impersonating me. And, apparently, those are
memories of you, which was why... when I suddenly appeared on that street, I
had no clue who you were. And I still don't, Shinobu." He watches her for
a moment, a touch of melancholy in his gaze, "You deserve more than that,
but other forces are at work here. You've become more aware too, I see."
The
water is taken, and Shinobu nearly gets to sip from her glass. Nearly, save
Gabriel mentions Nuriko. Eyes widening, she nearly chokes, coughing suddenly
even though she hasn't tasted a drop of water. Don't mind her, she just got
shocked to bits. That name, Nuriko... it brings a sudden tightening in her
chest, a pain that just won't go away no matter how hard she thinks otherwise.
Taking a deep breath, waving off any attempts to help, she notes, "I'm
fine, just....." Blink. Did... he say that he didn't remember her? ....
This might make things easier than she thought. It really might. "There was
someone imitating you? I would think that would be easy to spot...." All
that sparkle... ahem! As for the rest... "I... ran into someone from my
childhood." Who just happened to remind her how fickle love and apparently
Suzaku can be. "... You really don't remember your later years?" How
few there were. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Gabriel
doesn't quite wince, but he looks a little repentant. "Oh, I probably
could have said that better, couldn't I have? Nuriko. And Nuriko has changed
from when you remember. This time, he is actually a /she/, and her name is
Kourin, and she is very anxious to find you. Just as anxious as I was, to see
you again. If you'll allow me, I can tell her how to find you...?" Of
course, he is going to need a phone number and address to do that. "From
your childhood?" There is just the slightest of frowns to his features,
looking thoughtful, but apparently nothing is going to come from it as instead
he simply looks frustrated.
"There
isn't a last thing. There is simply holes. I'll remember one string of events,
and suddenly there will be nothing there." Frowning, golden-irised gaze
shifts back to her, peering through his wayward forelock, "I cannot bring
together any thoughts of Houki. None. Just a faint sense of... warmth, and
something else. But..." He releases his breath in a sigh, aggravation
showing once again. "This needs to be changed."
5/6/2003
08:38
PM
Logfile
from Gabriel.
"She's...
actually female?" She remembers the last time she ran into the one she
knew as Ryuuen back then; the bath was the wrong place to find out one of the
harem girls was actually a boy. It lead to some very interesting conversations
back then, including the thought that 'Kourin' would be fighting for Saihitei's
hand. But now.... there is a thought. And an idea that forms in the back of
Shinobu's mind... at least for now. Lips pulled into a soft line, she listens
as Gabriel admits that he indeed doesn't know who Houki is.... who she was to
his past counterpart, and while she could easily not say anything at all, if
Nuriko is still her basically personality, she'll fill in the blanks. Dead at
the time or no. "Houki.... was Saihitei's wife." It's given in a
rather montonous tone, as the woman's gaze comes to fall on her glass.
"She bore him a son... but he died before the child was born. He did get
to see him, to hold him... but only after he was dead, and had to possess
someone else to do so." ..... Shouldn't she sound a little happier about
all of this?
Gabriel
is moving once more, only this time to take a seat beside her upon the couch.
Once more, confusion litters across his features, turning down his brows and
causing his lips to draw into a thin line. "I have been told the stories,
Shinobu. More than once, in the hopes that it would trigger something. But
there is /nothing/." A touch of annoyance darkens his tone once again.
But, a breath later, released slowly, and he is looking back at her, studying
the woman, "You remember these things?"
"I...
remember your heartache over another." Shinobu is honest about that, at
least, even as her hands form a rather painful grip upon that glass of hers.
"I remember Boushin." A silent child over his mother's heartbreak.
One that, in Shinobu's mind, should have occurred. If only Nuriko remained
alive.... then what? Would she have gone back home, to Tendou? .... Sigh. There
really isn't a good answer to this in her head, so she turns her thoughts back
to speaking. "I've only caught glimpses... I'm guessing I lived to a
rather old age..."
Gabriel
sits back in the couch, dropping back into the corner with one elbow braced
against the arm. He peers back across to her, watching Shinobu silently, almost
sadly. "You didn't remember me before, when Suzaku deposited me right in
front of you, just as I didn't recall anything either. How do you remember
these things now?" His head tilts a little to the side, curiosity making
an almost gentle appearance.
Shinobu
pauses at that question, flushing slightly. "Ah... actually," she
gives, looking somewhat embarrassed, "You did seem familiar then. But I'd
given those sort of thoughts to delusion, really. Living in a castle, being
empress. But nothing was really quite as vivid until...." The woman
quiets, before she settles her drink into her lap, hands cradling it gently.
".... Until I ran into your brother." Oh, if she only knew everything
about Malachai. "... He didn't like me too much... considering I married
you over him." And... it makes sense. It seems everyone around her had a
tragic end, and she had to live to watch it all. "... Do you remember
him?"
Gabriel
frowns across to Shinobu, but it only disappears after a moment to be replaced
by a faint grin. "Deja vu, then? I think I felt that as well -but you'll
have to forgive me, especially at the time, considering just a moment before
that I was standing in Konan and being immersed quite harshly into what I
/should/ have remembered." He reaches over as if to give her knee a soft
pat. But he is frowning once more, confusion evident, "You are not the first
person to tell me this. Is this the man that is an artist? An... onsenshi.
Malachai De Courtenay? Who claims to be a relative of mine? I don't know
anything about those claims."
Shinobu
nods slowly at that, musing, "Yes, that was it. Seeing that outfit, you...
it made a lot of sense to Houki, but not much to me." There is a
distinction the woman makes, though only on a mental level... which is a lot
more than a lot of people would do nowadays. That knee pat nearly makes her
jump, before she calms herself, head shaking slowly. "He /is/. Don't
mistake it as otherwise, Gabriel. Nor don't mistake his dislike of you. He
tried...." Frowning slightly, she continues, "He tried to kill you
once. Under the influence of someone, but... that emotion... that dislike, it's
still there. If I hadn't..... well, I guess that's hard to say now... it's
past."
"And
you aren't the first person to warn me about this man either," Gabe speaks
slowly, as if pondering his own words. "I can't see to remember any of
that. None of it. I'm assuming those are some of the things that have been
taken from me." As he speaks, his gaze slips away from her and towards the
windows to look at the lights of the city beyond. "And he managed to cause
you to remember some things then?" There is a frown there, a flicker as he
peers back at her, "He didn't try to hurt you, did he?"
Definte
hurt? Physically Shinobu came out of the whole affair unharmed. Mentally?
That's another story. "Then they have good reason to warn you. Tendou....
I guess I should start at the beginning. Tendou and I grew up together. It
was... assumed we'd marry." There's a deep frown for that, but she doesn't
pause over the matter long. "However, after I was taken to the harem, our
village was attacked. I'm guessing that's where he found out he was your older
half-brother. He attacked you....." She doesn't give the rest, how he
ranted about the man taking his kingdom, his wife... it wasn't true. The
nightmares proved that, but it doesn't make them any less real. "No,"
she answers at last. "He simply reminded me that, it seems everyone I come
in contact with... well, they don't meet the best fate. Him, Nuriko...
you.."
Gabriel
listens quietly to her, his frown deepening once more as she speaks. He is
searching through his memories once more, despite the fact that he finds
nothing, he mutters, "And I killed him." Silence reigns for the
moment. But then he is frowning at her, shaking his head slowly from side to
side, "Please tell me that you aren't blaming yourself for these things?
That is ridiculous, Shinobu. Did this Malachai try to feed you some sort of
guilt trip? And you aren't listening to it, are you?"
"....
That's right." There's a deep sigh that escapes the woman, bringing
shoulders to hunch slightly, but soon she rolls them back into a more
comfortable position. "You didn't want to, but there was very little
choice." To put it kindly. It was either kill or be killed. Not a good
thing, either way. "Well, if I hadn't chose... if I'd gone back home....
but you.... Saihitei left Houki so soon after marriage... she floundered quite
a bit after his death. Maybe, maybe if he were able to go to Nuriko, he
wouldn't have died." Shinobu shakes her head to the last, only noting,
"No... I think that's why I've been trying not to remember. There was so
much trouble I caused... I'm afraid to do that again." Setting down the
glass, she does something unexpected... she begins to stand. "I should
go."
It
isn't until Shinobu is standing that he seems to come out of his own thoughts
at her movement. Gabe startles, immediately shooting to his feet as well, a
hand reaching out as if to take her's. "No. Wait. Please, Shinobu. I might
not remember everything, but there is no way that you could have caused... so
much trouble. I find that highly unlikely. Impossible. "Nuriko's death was
tragic. It was... There isn't words to describe it. But that is no reason to
try to blame yourself for it, and Nuriko will be just as quick to say the same.
Please don't leave."
Shinobu's
intent is to get out of here as soon as possible. But a hand stays her,
bringing her head to jerk up and look at Gabriel almost owlishly. No, there's
no tears, but those overbright eyes suggest it isn't too far off at all.
Perhaps, in time, or maybe that's why she was rushing to get away. "If I'd
married Tendou, if I had helped in getting the money with him in order to keep
me home, he wouldn't have died." Lower lip chewed upon, the woman
continues, musing, You seemed to be rather enamoured of Kourin, too. I think it
would have been for the best... but we'll never know...?" Unless she keeps
from repeating that this time. Still, she doesn't move away... not just yet at
least. "You don't remember now... but when you do, will you be able to say
the same things?"
Gabriel
isn't quite sure what he is doing, but his hand seems to know what it is about.
His wrist turns, fingers attempting to interlace with her's. His own eyes try
to seek out her's, searchingly looking into them as if trying to find the
answers. "No, we won't know, but I am not about to consider all of the
'what if's of the past. It will do nothing but eat you alive, Shinobu. There is
no point in it. What happened, happened, and while I will still try to
understand what I remember from then, and what I felt, I don't think that my
opinion will change."
Shinobu
doesn't resist, at least not yet; fingers are easily interlaced, her hand
initially grasping tightly. Slow down... just a reaction... nothing more. At
least, that is what she's thinking. Her gaze is hard to keep at first, mostly
because she's looking toward the ground. What to do, what to say... "Well,
it is something to keep in mind. That we don't make mistakes from the
past." Is she saying that marriage was a mistake? Or maybe his thinking of
doing so is? Who knows, even as once catching his gaze, she looks away.
"I... don't want to hurt anyone again. Not this time. Not because of
me."
Gabriel
gently draws her hand upwards. He might have been denied any further memories
of his past with this woman, but he can still feel the warmth and kindness
there by simply being there and with her. He free hand reaches over as if to
try to take her chin and gently turn it back so that she is looking to him. If
she resists though, he isn't going to force her. "Please don't try to blame
yourself. You are strong, I can see this... but blaming yourself for things
that happened in the past -it doesn't feel right with me."
Shinobu
should be leery of that hand being drawn upwards, but really doesn't do a thing
about it. At least, not yet. No, she's caught within her own thoughts,
wondering about this and that, and particularly how to get out of here when her
chin is caught and turned toward Gabriel. Those dark eyes nearly border on
violet now, still bright, though she doesn't just stand and listen. No, not
this time. "But... so much happened. You loved so many... you were emperor
because you had to be." Chewing on her lip again, she lets it out with a
sigh. "You have a second chance. At... a lot of things. I'm not going to
stand in the way of that."
"I
know that I have my freedom now, something that I wished that I had then,"
Gabriel answers softly. "I prize my freedom, to have a chance to be able
to be there when needed. Yes, Shinobu. I am sure that I loved you and Boushin,
just as I loved Miaka, and Nuriko, the other seishi, the people and the land,
if not more." His head slowly shakes from side to side, lifting her
clasped hand up to gently press his lips to her knuckles, "I want you to
stand here, Shinobu. Please? I want to see if I can love Shinobu as I am sure
that I loved Houki."
"You...
you deserved it back then. You did so much for Konan... you gave
everything." Even his life. And while there is a smile that is beginning
to come at the fact that he relishes his freedom, it freeze at the last, how
his past counterpart loved his wife and child, and a part of her really
knows... that is the case. Why can't she say it? She doesn't want to influence.
But it seems she's doing that anyway, if only perceptively. "... But, if
you don't remember....?" Where's the logic in this? Agh! But she doesn't
move, murmuring, "I don't think I can say, one way or another."
Gabriel
shakes his head from side to side, "Shinobu, while I might not have all of
my memories, I can still..." His eyes drift close for a moment while he
tries to find the best way to explain it. "I can still sense feelings.
They are vague, and as soon as I think I can grasp them, they disappear again
because I cannot seem to link them to any one instance. There is warmth..."
And now he opens his eyes once more, "And I must have loved her. How could
I not?" A soft smile, almost crooked, makes its way onto his lips as he
looks down at her. "Are you going to simply deny the chance?"
Just
based off of emotions, feelings? That's... well, all that Gabriel can do.
"I'm not sure the extent of their feelings, to be honest. I know she was
shocked when Saihitei finally came to the harem... to visit her, but.... no. He
would have never married out of duty." And it really isn't the point for
her. But that crooked smile brings her to grin, before she shakes her head.
"I simply do not want to hurt you. Or leave you in a position where I
could be used against you."
Gabriel
doesn't look as though he is about to release her hand any time soon either,
simply holding it against his chest as he looks down at her. Just hearing her
talk like that makes him want to know more than ever about these gaps in his
memory. But, instead of scowling in futility, he instead offers her a soft
smile, "And so you are willing to give up even trying because of those
reasons? Not even give it a chance? Shinobu... I do not see how I could be hurt
by this. As for being used against me... I am willing to chance that. Don't you
think it is worth it to even try... Houki and Saihitei hardly had a chance last
time. It ended all too quickly."
Shinobu's
hand seems to be caught at the moment. Still, she hasn't tugged it away just
yet, instead concentrating upon that smile... is that what Houki saw that was
so facinating? That look that made her feel as if she were the only woman in
the world? ... Perhaps. And maybe that is why Shinobu is having such a hard
time with it. Malachai merely reinforced her ideas, where Gabriel seems more
than willing to shatter each and every one. ".... I... I don't know if I
can, Shahit.... Gabriel." Flushing slightly, she finally looks away to
note, "Yes.... they didn't have a chance at all. She ruled in his
absence... and watched her son rule after her for so long.... but she never
took anyone else. She... didn't want to." Is there any wonder she's
afraid?
Gabriel
nods his head in understanding, free hand slipping over to lightly brush his
knuckles over her turned cheek. "Shinobu? I'm not sure if I can either,
but I would simply like to try. To at least give it a chance. We owe it to
them... and to ourselves." He seems to sigh softly, the breath leaving his
lips slowly and as if in reluctance, "I am sure that took great strength.
Amazing strength. And I'm sorry that it happened like that."
Shinobu
leans into that touch instincitvely, eyes shutting for just a moment.
"Are... you sure? I can't make any promises..." Nor will she.
Instead, there is a pause, in thinking over giving this a second chance, on
strength, before she shakes her head. "It was what he would have wanted. A
mother to take care of his son. Her want to see him grow strong and not be as
hurt as his father." And it's something she means, even as she pause,s to
pull out a card. ".... I probably shouldn't, but here." It actually has
her number on it, though she adds, "I mean... if you want to, and
all." Leeery? Yes, still, but at least she's not trying to bolt. Until...
"I should let you get back to work, though. This place opens in a few
days, yes?"
Gabriel
takes the card in hand, giving it the barest of glances before slipping it into
a pocket. Seems like an exchange is in order, and he gives her one as well.
"You know that you can come here at any time, day or night... for any
reason. If he gives you trouble again, tell me immediately. I don't want him
trying to hurt you, Shinobu." But he is bowing his head, nodding, "I
am sure. And I promise not to try to expect too much. Things are different, our
lives our different, but I still want to give this a chance. Thank you,
Shinobu." He offers her another gentle smile, lips drawing upwards at the
corners with the movement just as the warmth echoes in his eyes. He leans over
as if to give her a kiss to the top of her head before moving away, "I'll
call you a cab. This time I actually have the money on me to do it." He
gives her a wink before moving away to do so, and then escort her out once it
arrives.