7/13/2003
04:51
PM
Logfile
from Gabriel.
Gabriel's-Upstairs
Loft
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 pictorials of architecture to
modern pop-culture fiction, historical novels to whatever else seems to have
claimed the owner's fancy at the time. Littering one of the back walls is an
array of framed pictures, mostly black and whites and showing a variety of
scenes of both city and country, nameless faces and glimpses of life, all
seemingly beautiful in their own way.
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
She
left a message before she came over; apparently, the reason she's been gone for
so long was thanks to a family issue that needed to be taken care of back in
California. Figures. She's been out there since, making sure that that
everything was settled, and then she came back home. One extra quarter of
classes. Augh. She's probably missed so much as far as everyone else. /Augh/.
And now, she finds herself here, because someone left a message and she was
nowhere to be found in answering. Nevermind it was left over a month ago. He's
probably so mad.... /AUGH/. Eeep. So now, Shinobu is knocking on the door,
hoping that it'll actually open, than remaining shut.
Gabriel
has actually been spending a pleasant afternoon at home, preferring the quiet
of a good book as he is settled upon the couch. At the knock though, the man
sets it aside, draping the book over the couch's armrest and then moving over
to open the door. "Can I help... Shinobu." He blinks for a moment in
surprise, and then is taking a step back to usher her within. A smile alights
upon his lips and he nods, "Please, come in. It is wonderful to see you
again."
That's
a good way to spend the time. Shinobu is honestly regretting doing that later
on, because all she's going to be seeing for a very long time is nothing but
textbooks. Oish. There's no fun in that at all, is there? Not in her mind. When
the door opens, there's a look of relief on her features, one that brightens
when Gabriel moves aside to let her in. Oh good... she isn't going to be tossed
back out after all. "Thanks. I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me
after... well, I didn't call." There's a sheepish smile, even as Shinobu
turns once she's inside, hands behind her back. "The shop... it's looking
really good. I like what you've done with it." Small talk? Her forte,
today, it seems.
Gabriel
gently shuts the door after she enters, and then follows after. He echoes,
"Because you didn't call? Of course not, Shinobu. I don't think that I am
quite that vengeful. How have you been though? I admit to being a little
worried about you. Everything is alright now?" He offers her a wry smile
and then waves her to the couch. "Can I get you something to drink?"
Shinobu
takes that seat on the couch, dressed simply in shorts and t-shirt, all that
purple hair pulled back in a messy bun. Whatever happened to that fastidious
woman? Out the door, for the moment, thanks. She'll go back to being impressive
when she gets her life back in order. "Well, I mean, I disappeared for a
month, and... oh? Well, everything's okay, now." Her head nods as if to
accentuate that point. "No more running off for me for a while. Made my
head hurt, somehow." Darn memories. Keep trying to leak out. "Just
water, please? But... how have you been?" comes at last, hands in her lap,
that sheepish grin creeping back into her features.
Gabriel
slips off to go fetch that water for her. "Well, I have no doubt that you
had your reasons for it, but you have been missed." He returns, glass in
hand that tinkles with the sounds of ice cubes hitting the sides. "It'll
be very good to have you around again." But he frowns once more,
"Your head hurt? Does it still?" Yes, that is the sound of concern in
his voice as well as on his features when he sits, waving his hand negligently
about the question as to his own welfare. Really now, the tale ending up with a
hole in your tummy and nearly bleeding to death in the park is not so important
as the poor girl's head.
Really
now. Just wait until Shinobu finds out about that. Tch. Headache, smeadache,
compared to that. Feh. She can deal with a headache, but something in her would
probably collapse if Gabriel died, without remembering everything. However,
that isn't the case right now, is it? Good? Good. "It doesn't now,"
Shinobu gives after a moment. "I don't know. There's always something about
going home that makes me...... antsy." Maybe because the last time Houki
did it, there was quite the... affair. Eeek. "I'm really sorry about
disappearing like that. It wasn't exactly fair to you."
Gabriel
doesn't quite allow the concern upon his features to leave as he peers at her.
Offering her the glass of water, he speaks, "Then it is even better that
you are here. Less... antsy." Something like that. Or not. A faint smile
finally makes an appearance once again, "Don't worry about that, but I am happy
that you are back, and came to see me."
Shinobu
takes the glass, though she almost blanches at the look she gets. "Hey
now... I'm fine. Really, I am." Taking a sip, letting the glass rest
loosely between her hands, she adds, "It went away as soon as I got back
here. Like I was expecting something... bad?" It's almost a question. She
certainly remembers parts of it, particularly Tendou being back in the village,
but the rest...? It comes and goes, depending on who's around her. A month away
has allowed her to push a /lot/ back, now. "Well, I figured it would be
fair to come see you, ne?" Fair? Not the term that she was thinking to
use, but one given all the same. "There hasn't been any more
trouble?"
Gabriel
took note of that 'fair' in her words, provoking a bit of a blink from him, but
nothing else. "Your headache did? Well, then that settles it, you need to
be around here more, if not always." He echoes her though, "Trouble?
No, not really. But, it seems as though I am drawing ahead of you in remembering
things. there are more holes in my memories. I recall Houki now." How
embarrassing. Forgetting one's own wife. He isn't blushing, but is going to
offer her a warm smile.
One of
these days, she might find an eloquent way to speak. Maybe after she's drained
that glass of water, which it doesn't take her that long to do at all. Whew.
That was needed. Head bowed slightly, Shinobu pauses at the commentary, before
making a somewhat amused face. "I hope you mean the city at large, and not
just here. Not that here would be too bad, but it would be a lot of trouble in
getting to class." Not that it matters right now. She'll have to make it
all up next quarter. However, the last bit, that Gabriel remembers, brings the
girl to blush wildly. "Oh... ah... you remember now... huh...." Oh,
maybe she should have stayed at home. Cough. "... You remember
everything?"
Gabriel
blinks, because that wasn't particularly what he originally meant either,
but... He seems to consider that for a moment, "You could, you know? Stay
here more. If at least because I do worry about your welfare." But it is
her blushes that has him trailing off on that, smile stalling. "Yes,
everything. Or, at least I think so... You don't seem to be as pleased as I am
about this, Shinobu?"
Shinobu
is giving more of a sheepish look than anything. As if she hadn't quite
expected that when she got here. But it has been a month... who knows. He could
have remembered as soon as she left. However, there's the comment of her living
here, which brings her head to shake slightly. "Iie. I don't want to
impose." Not that it would be weird, for she's done it at least one
lifetime before, but... really. She doesn't want to impose. It's the latter
comment that brings her head to jerk up, to shake quickly, almost to the point
it might snap off if she's not careful. "No! I mean... no, it's not that.
I guess I'm just... surprised. When I left, you didn't remember me... well,
Houki at all. I don't... think I'm too much like her." How about not at all.
Gabriel
drops back into the corner of the couch, closing his eyes and sighing. He
reaches a hand up to first rub over his forehead and then back through his
hair. Eyes open back up and he looks back to Shinobu, carefully studying her
features as if he hasn't seen them before, "You wouldn't impose, but it
would make me more at ease if you were. I won't insist, because it would be up
to you." A breath, and he continues and at almost a sigh, "No,
possibly you aren't. But neither am I all that much like I was then."
"Really?"
She pipes up, glancing down to her glass for a moment, before she gives a
somewhat wry smile. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to... or not. I admit, my
memory's a little spotty on some things... okay, a lot, but Malachai... really
brought home our relationship. Yours and mine, that is." Well, theirs,
too, but she'd prefer to forget /that/. "Oh, I know I'm not like Houki...
well, what I remember." There's a pause, before she muses quietly,
"She... never stopped loving him, you know. She focused her life on making
sure Boushin was protected until he was able to rule."
Gabriel
continues to look across to Shinobu for a moment, and then his features finally
lighten with a smile, "Yes, really. But it would be up to you, and if you
would be comfortable with the arrangement." He frowns though at her last
words. Ouch. Guilt for not being there. "I'm sorry." And then that
nagging need to repent for it.
"Well,
let me think on it? I mean, my life is rather hectic. Staying up until all
times of night and morning, scrambling out to get to either work or
school." ... Oh. He hasn't seen her work uniform, has he? ... Ah heh. She
might not get to leave the house with that one, huh? Ahem. Still, Shinobu
continues, mostly from that frown that Gabriel gives. "It was her choice.
She very much loved him... and wanted to make sure all that he put into place
went through." She lived.. a very long time, by herself. She'll never give
how long, because it was extraordinary, really, and there's just no need to put
Gabriel through any more stress. "You have nothing to be sorry over. He
was protecting the country... and them. She knew that. I just wish I could
remember the stuff before she got married fully." Feh.
Gabriel
lifts his gaze back to Shinbu, still not looking all that mollified at her
words. He shakes his head slowly from side to side, and just the slightest. He
doesn't respond further though, but adds onto something else, "You really
do need to see Kourin. I am sure she can help you with that more than I ever
could." Faint smile shows once more, finally. "I would not mind that,
not at all. Had the same schedule myself when I was going to school."
7/14/2003
11:06
PM
Logfile
from Gabriel.
Kourin?
She was afraid Gabriel was going to say that. She hasn't seen Kourin yet, only
having run into her sister, but there's something about that whole meeting that
has her dreading. Gabriel probably has a good idea of what it is, considering
how Kourin in the past behaved toward Hotohori. Chewing on her lower lip, she
nods, but she doesn't bring herself to speak, at least, until, "Well, if
you think so. If you think she can help...." And probably shake her silly,
which is what she needs. At the last, she can't help but to laugh, before she
waggles a finger. "Well... I insist on paying my part of the rent. I'm not
going to sit and mooch off you!" ... Did Shinobu just agree?
Gabriel
will bring up Kourin quite a bit. Oh yes. He has complete faith in her, and
possibly in the firm shaking, but he'd probably really rather not know about
that part. "I am sure that she can help. She has managed to help me on
more than one occasion." He offers her another warm smile, before nearly
blinking in astonishment. Actually, he really didn't expect that either,
"You will? I mean, you will. Oh, you wouldn't be mooching at all."
Yes, his grin is widening, actually a bit of a chuckle happening as well.
"There is no rent. I own the building."
Shinobu
will be grateful for it when she remembers herself completely. For now, she's
dreading it, and she isn't quite sure why. There is something that is settled
in her, her memories know good and well why there's a feeling of worry, but
right now she can't place her finger on it. Eying Gabriel when he looks
astonished over her answer, it's her turn now to be amazed when she finds out
he owns the building. "... Well, I'll still have to pay you back somehow.
I am not going to sit here and live scot free." Besides, if she could do
that, she wouldn't work. She'd change majors... or something like that. Don't
tempt her, Gabriel. "I mean, I think I'd feel a little guilty just...
living here without providing some sort of rent in return."
Gabriel
chuckles once more, head bowing forward just the slightest, "If you think
you need to... you don't happen to be good at cooking or anything?" Please
say yes. Please say yes. He has been living off of takeout quite a bit lately.
"I manage to burn toast on my best day." Tragic, really. "Oh,
don't feel guilty. But if you want to, then fine. It is really alright, Shinobu."
He frowns for a moment, and then slides to his feet. "There is a room off
to the back that I've been using mostly as storage, but I think we can make it
up for you. Want to come and take a look?"
Can she
cook? "Actually... as a matter of fact I can." Well, blessed be the
day for that. "I guess I can make it up in getting things here to cook
with?" She's seen this apartment... it screams bachelor. "I'll make
sure to get all the things I'll need myself... and pay for groceries.
Deal?" Hey, getting actual tools to cook with is an expensive process in
itself. "But, we'll see on the rest when we get there, okay?" Pausing
as Gabriel mentions the room, she nods, getting to her feet as well.
"Sure. I don't have that much... and the rest can be sold, truth be told.
A lot of it's old." ... Well! She's a student!
See,
the thing is... he is a bachelor. At least it is fairly neat though, even if
the kitchen looks like it has a fine coating of dust over everything. And,
possibly, there are a few loose articles of clothing cluttering up the bedroom
from the morning. Gabe blinks though, and then smiles down at her, "You
are a godsend, Shinobu." Do we really want to get into that? "Yes,
that'll work." He bows his head to her, before reaching over as if to take
her wrist and lead her towards a room near the back. Door is pushed open,
revealing a room lit only by the lights pouring through the windows. Lamps
would be good. There is a moderately cluttered desk with computer that see some
action, if only for accounting purposes, and mostly quite a few boxes and such
piled along the back walls. "Most of that is what I found where when I got
this building, and a few things from the store that can just as easily be set
into storage down there. It shouldn't take that long to clean out."
Godsend?
Considering You Houki means beautiful male phoenix... let's not get into that,
okay? It would be very easy to think that considering all that happened back in
the past, and Shinobu... hasn't quite figured all that out yet. Once she does,
she's going to wonder why she was even reincarnated at all. Not that Shinobu'd
complain. "Don't say that. We'll see if you think that if you like my
cooking." Well, she's better than Miaka... that's not saying much, but she
does eat her own food. That says a lot. Wandering behind Gabriel to see the
room at large, she nods, eying the situation thoughtfully, before she muses,
"Even a desk... I won't have to bring mine, then." What? Just junk it
all and move in? ... Apparently. Maybe Houki's peeking out every now and again
after all. "Do you mind if I help? It won't take me all that long to pack,
if I'm getting rid of a lot of the stuff."
Gabriel
chuckles under his breath, flickering a glance down at her, "I am sure
that I will." Hey, if he can force himself to smile after eating Miaka's
food, he can do the very same for Shinobu. Although he doubts, heavily, that
will even be necessary. He moves over to wipe a hand over the window, clearing
up the film of dust there and managing to make the room a little more
illuminated. "Help? Oh, sure. But that means I have to help you pack at
your place as well," he adds, eyebrows lifting in challenge.
Well,
rest assured she isn't going to kill Gabriel by cooking. There's a good thing
in that, to be sure. Fingers brushing against the dust, fingers ending up
slightly dusty, Shinobu looks around the place before she finally muses,
"Well... I suppose. I mean, someone will have to help in carrying the bed
out." Sure, it's not huge, but it does need to be carried out... not
dragged like Shinobu would do by herself. "In fact... I should head back.
I'll give you a call when I'm ready?" She's... actually moving in. Without
remembering everything. Is this a good idea? Well... she's going to find out
soon enough.
Gabriel
casts a final glance about the room, frowning a little at all of the boxes in
the back. He draws back over to the doorway though, smiling down at her,
"Oh, certainly, even if I'm going to be enlisted to do all of the grunt
work." Maybe Kourin will be brought into the mix by then. He flashes her a
grin and then moves to close the door to the soon-to-be bedroom. Smile warms as
he looks back down to her, "Thank you for agreeing to do this. I
appreciate it more than you know."
Shinobu
pauses at the smile, another one coming to her lips as Gabriel decides to shut
the door on what will be her new room in... days? Perhaps. At least that is
what Shinobu is hoping... just a little. She'll have to talk to the apartment
manager about the lease, and selling her stuff, and... so much to do. But she
does hear Gabriel's parting words, before she gives sheepishly, "Ano...
I'm still... well, I think that's due to me not remembering everything
else." Kourin's help is definitely needed. But she does reach up, to touch
the man's cheek lightly, before she pulls back. "I should go. But I'll
give you a call, okay?" And this time, it won't take months, but just a
few days if she's lucky.