if the elephants have past lives

[invoking]

WHO: GIL and YOU
WHERE: anywhere! The park, a grocery store, the streets, around his workplace, etc.
WHEN: between 12/10 and 12/13
WARNINGS: references to Thunderhungerdome events
SUMMARY: In spite of everything that's happened, Gil has to try and carry on with City life.
FORMAT: starting with quick but tagger's choice!


[ If there's anything Gil is always quick to buy, no matter how stingy he can be with money, it's cigarettes and a brand new lighter. He's not too fond of those cheap ones from the corner stores, even if they do work in a pinch. But so do matches. (The odd stare every now and then doesn't both him when he's craving a long drag of nicotine. While he's well are of the laws against public smoking, when he really needs (re: wants) a cigarette, he can't help himself. When he's working, he avoids it as long as he can before he lights one outside the building.

Attempting to quit doesn't cross his mind. There's a lot on it.

He's even lost count of how long it's been since that night in the stadium. There are fleeting moments it feels like it was a decade ago, buried under the other painful events that seemed to consistently plague his life-- and then the vivid moments like it was just yesterday and his senses are overloaded with the smell of copper and screaming ringing in his ears.

It's the brief seconds of remembering Lenalee and Damian's bodies that jostles him out of his daze and he needs to stop and catch his breath. ]

Comments

some park

[psychomancy]

[Overall, Gemma had been blessed with a relatively quiet month. She had watched all the awful things that had happened to other imports via the network and the news stations, but she had managed to avoid the fray herself. To say the least, she was thankful. To say the least, coming upon uneventful days in the City had seemed to happen more seldom as one spent more time trapped in it. After over two and a half years, she's due for some relaxation. Right?

Nowadays, she tends to spend as much time as she can in the park. Away from the worries of work and Matt's strangeness, away from the sadness of NOHoPE's patients. She knows that it isn't good and Christian of her to avoid them, especially with the holidays on the horizon, but she can't help it.

So this afternoon she's taking Pippa for a walk. She seems to like the cold, and wrapped in a fur-lined wool coat, Gemma doesn't mind it so much either. She's almost in a daze, letting the huge dog lead her around. Sorry if she comes up and noses at your hand, stranger.]

[invoking]

[ Firstly, that's not a dog, that's some kind of bear. At least, this is Gil's initial reaction when he feels something cold and wet bump against his gloved hand. He's seated on a bench, although upon a quick glance it would seem he's falling asleep or has already.

Which isn't the case, he's just slouched over and once again in deep thought until Pippa is entering his personal space. ]

Huh? What is-- oh.

[ Just a dog. A really large dog. ]

[psychomancy]

[She is a dog and a lady, and nobody will convince Gemma otherwise.

And unfortunately, she isn't able to stop the dog before she's already snuffling at Gil's hand and soon whichever of his legs is closest to her. The redhead's eyes widen and she gives a gentle tug on Pippa's leash--feel free to be amazed that this is clearly enough to get her to stop and, as it becomes obvious a few seconds later, sit. She is simply one hell of a well-trained animal.]

Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. She's just curious.

[invoking]

That's alright. [ He straightens his posture before rising to his feet before Gemma. ] She... [ SHE... ] didn't bother me.

idk probably the park or some shit, evening on the 12th

[foreshadower]

[ There are laws for the public good, and then there are people who are above the rules. The Shade considers himself above such petty, mortal concerns, but really. Fining him? Throwing him away to rot in prison? It would be an exercise in futility at best. So he also was the sort to break such ordinances, but he preferred to sport his pipe when he did, enjoying the finer things in life, such as freshly packaged tobacco, straight from the producer.

Not that they'd been paid for it, but little details, little details.

He recognized the boy, no how rude, man in his reverie, walking on the other side of the path, but when they drew close, he cleared his throat, like it would catch his attention. ]

shade stop being creepy

[invoking]

[ Gil would smell the pipe and it caught his curiosity. It's a particular type of scent he hasn't registered since... well, home. The thought of home seems so far away and bleak these days.

But he pushes those thoughts away, direction his attention to whomever it was making that noise. He tilts his hat upwards to get a better look. The figure is quite familiar, but he can't quite put his finger on it. ]

Hello?

no never it is his eternity's mission

[foreshadower]

[ Well, Gil may not recognize him, but he certainly recognized Gilbert. He tipped his tophat slightly, peering at him from behind sunglasses that were colored a peculiar shade of dark violet this evening.

Odd, perhaps, that someone would wear sunglasses at night, unironically, and look pretty decent and at home doing it. Of course, nothing about the guy was conventional. From the sunglasses and tophat down to the ascot and cane. Everything about him screamed that he was a constant, even if he looked perfectly content in a modern setting. ]

Yes, good evening. You wouldn't happen to be Mr. Nightray, would you? [ His voice was missing an accent, for the most part. There was the faintest hint of something that may have been the Queen's English, but it was so faint, only emphasizing the odd vowel or dropping the odd consonant. ]

what has gil done to deserve this

[invoking]

[ Parallel to Shade, Gil's like some younger representation of his choice in fashion; donning the hat Ada had given him (it's cold and he doesn't like to go often without it), black coat and of course the cravat.
One might think a periodic play might be in the works here.

Gil moves closer under one of the street lights, squinting his eyes to catch a glimpse of this other person's face properly. Really familiar. It's right on the tip of his tongue and somehow he feels at a loss. Maybe he's worked himself too much today... ]

Who are you?

[onetouch]

Ned opened the door to the Pie Hole, watching as if in slow motion, Digby rushed out and collided with a stranger innocuously strolling past. He never knew what to do in these situations!! "Digby, no." He almost didn't sound like himself when he was stern.......

Also I'm p sure their thread was voice so Ned doesn't recognize him, though he does look so apologetic, letting the doors swish closed behind him as he made his way further out onto the sidewalk.

"I'm so sorry about that, he's usually very docile."

[invoking]

At first, Gil isn't sure what just banged straight into his legs and swept him off his feet entirely. He yelps as he hits the snowy and cold sidewalk, hat slipping off his head. Not wanting to lose it to the wind, he quickly snatches it back and holds it close to himself. Then his head snaps back to see who or what it was that caused all this.

"A dog?"

It comes as a surprise, but now that he thinks about it, it's small enough for him not to have seen it coming. Slowly, he gets to his feet, dusting the snow off of his coat.

"It's fine," he starts. He opens his mouth to add to it, though it hangs open for a second as the voice registers. He should probably look over at the building's sign... "You're... that person from the Network."

[onetouch]

Digby barked once and panted cheerfully as if to say BINGO! Ned laughed, just a little, cutting himself off before it seemed he was laughing at Gil. "Sorry."

He reached out to try and help, but the man had already gotten to his feet. No injuries meant no lawsuits so that was always a good thing!! But then he started to place the voice. It was his alive-again "friend." Acquaintance. Not even that really. Whatever, it's all the same.

"Gilbert. Were you on your way inside?" He broke out into a grin, s-so hopeful.

[invoking]

What was this person's name again? He doesn't go digging in his recent memory for long, distracted by the question about the building. When he looks over at the windows, he realizes where exactly he is.

He's not certain how he passed by the Pie Hole and didn't even smell the different pie scents sifting through the door. He didn't feel hungry, however...

"I was just passing by..."

outside the store, late afternoon on the 12th

[swordedpast]

[ Gil may be flouting some laws, but the man who pauses a few feet away from him after emerging from a small supermarket is just flouting common decency. Because he's staring hard at the other man.

Archer's just gotten off one of his jobs and is preparing to stop at his apartment to make dinner before heading off to the next one. But the sight of a faintly familiar face gives him pause, and once he remembers where he's seen that face before, he lets the pause lengthen as he keeps looking.

He saw this man in the stadium at the time of the HABIT's games. ]

[invoking]

[ Gil's got a small plastic bag in his grip, filled with some necessities like bread, eggs, etc. It's not a lot of food-- he doesn't need too much. He had to pay an additional but small amount for the bag. Something about recycling that he'll need to read about when he gets back to the MAC.

For now, he'll enjoy his cigarette in peace. It seems to come at random intervals nowadays. This time, it's not too bad... just in time for the holidays. A little break for everyone. ]

[swordedpast]

[ For now...but not for very long. Archer continues to stare at him for a little while longer--and then he starts walking. Just before he passes the other man, he stops not far from him. ]

I see you're doing better.

[invoking]

[ Gil's head swivels in the opposite direction at first before he lays eyes on Archer. He blinks profusely, confused. He's never seen this person before and the voice doesn't register at all. ]

Excuse me?

[latrodectus]

[ Natasha doesn't believe everything they put in the papers. She knows how easy a story can be faked, how a reporter might be lied to, and how they don't print everything that's fit. But she still buys the copies. There's something to be said for routine.

And journalism is dead. She's always had an affection for the dead.

She hops into the store overdressed for the place, overdressed for everywhere, folds the morning edition under her shoulder, and sees a familiar face buying cigarettes at the counter.]

[invoking]

[ His purchase is quick and quiet. When the cashier asks if he needs a bag, he politely declines and pockets the carton of cigarettes and one of the cheap looking lighters he also bought before pivoting on his heel to exit the store.

That red hair is always the first thing to capture his attention.

He freezes mid-step, completely surprised to see her. Strangely, he felt Natasha was out of place in a cheap store such as this one. ]

Mi-- [ She doesn't like that. ] Ms. Natasha? Ah, this is a surprise...

[latrodectus]

I buy coffee every morning, too.

[ Though usually not here. Natasha was so used to dingy surroundings and cheap company that she probably wouldn't give them any notice, if she didn't notice everything. But she liked to be surprising. ]

[invoking]

[ He feels sheepish. He had been making some effort to avoid other imPorts, afraid of who had seen what and what they made of it. But he does relax enough so he doesn't look like a total fool.

He moves to the side and allows her room to pass to the cash. ]

Sorry, I was in your way.

sum street. (also i'm here i made it!!)

[wytchkkrafts]

[ Roxy Lalonde had been minding her own business, wandering the streets of the city. It wasn't the first time she had done so aimlessly, because who doesn't do some exploring from time to time?

A scarf wrapped around her neck she's currently craving some hot chocolate, wondering if she should do some Christmas shopping for her friends. It would be her first Christmas with actual people, it had to be extra perfect.

But this thought is cut short when gilbert catches her attention. ]

:D

[invoking]

[ Unlike Roxy, Gil was out walking with a sense of purpose and direction. He rarely bought already prepared meals and preferred to buy ingredients. Making everything from scratch was nicer, too; he could pick and choose what he wanted to add onto dinner.

He bought some meat, wrapped in brown paper and placed securely in the plastic bag he was carrying down the street. It's cold out, but he's not in much of a hurry.

Which is probably his big mistake.

Because there is a trail of several (stray) cats following him, their noses turned up and sniffing at the bag with the meat inside. He doesn't seem to notice. Yet. ]

[wytchkkrafts]

[ Although Gilbert has not notice the cats yet, he should be able to notice Roxy ogling in his direction. No one said that Gil wasn't attractive, but right now it's not him that she's paying attention to. ]

Oh em-gee. So fuckin' cute!

[ Now what could she have meant by that? ]

1/2

[invoking]

[ The sudden exclamation catches his attention, though he means to carry on back to the MAC. Was she talking to him? He doesn't have much time to contemplate, feeling something small and soft brush against his leg and then a quiet mew.

Roxy will see Gil's form suddenly rigid and pale as his eyes trail slowly and dreadfully to confirm that familiar, nightmarish sound. ]

[invoking]

[ CATS.

EVERYWHERE. ]

GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

[ And he jumps far back to escape the group of harmless cats, which follow him anyway because the smell of meat continues to lure them. ]

SHOO! SHOO! [ He waves an arm as they close in on him. ]