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

: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. ]

[wytchkkrafts]

[ His outburst startles her. She's never seen someone be so repelled by cats before. (Well, besides Davesprite, but he's kinda part bird and has an excuse.) She walks up to him, picking up one of the cats to stroke protectively. ]

Hey! You shouldn't be so rude to them. [ Her attempt to sound stern fails because this is a pretty funny sight. So instead she grins. ] Dang. You must be like, a cat magnet, or something.

[invoking]

[ The crowd passing by immediately disperses seeing Gil's overreaction to the cats. There's a whisper or two ("Gotta be imPorts...") and they're out of Gil's way. Though he's backed himself into a corner and looks as if he's about to pass out at any second, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple and his entire form still quivering. ]

GO AWAY! Damn... damn cats!

[ Because cats can comprehend the human language. ]

[wytchkkrafts]

Uh... Are you okay?

[ Roxy only figured that Gilbert must have not liked cats, not that he was afraid of them. What was even happening? ]

Is cat magneting some sort of curse you have on you?

[invoking]

What? [ He merely stares at her like she just spoke to him in a foreign language.

But he's quickly distracted when the cats mew again. Food! ] Shoo!!

[wytchkkrafts]

C'mon.

[ feeling like she has no other choice, she grabs him and makes a break for it. ugh, what a waste leaving all those cats in one place! ]

[invoking]

H-Huh?! What are you-- [ But he's tugged along and though he stumbles the first few steps, he follows her wherever she's leading him. Stranger or not, he doesn't want to be anywhere near those cats.

Nor does he want them stealing food he needs to eat later. ]

[wytchkkrafts]

[ They run pretty far, until the cats are out of sight nor following them anymore. She stops to catch her breath, one cat still in her other arm. One diamond out of the treasure trove is better than no diamond at all. ]

You okay now?

[invoking]

[ He's clutching the fabric above his heart, practically wheezing. He does take deep and heavy breaths trying to calm himself. They've escaped those fuzzy little dangers. Nothing to worry about! Not even that one furball in her arm.

Wait.

Why is there a cat in this girl's arm? ]

You took one?!

[wytchkkrafts]

You make it sound like I'm stealing an apple from the grocery store.

[ In other words, calm down. ]

[invoking]

[ He keeps as far back from Roxy as possible. He's not about to bolt, but he is visibly disturbed by the cat. ]

Who are you, anyway?

[wytchkkrafts]

Is that the way to treat your savior?

[ she releases the cat. jumping from her arms the cat, already purring, starts to rub against her legs. ]

It's Roxy. Better remember that, or I'll be totes offended.

[invoking]

[ He realizes she's right and that he is being impolite. She might have kept one satanic furball, but she did pull him away from those other troublesome cats who probably would have torn his grocery bag.

Gil heaves a heavy sigh, finally able to breathe properly again. ]

Roxy. [ He still maintains his distance, eyeing the cat warily for a second before focusing on the young girl before him. ] I'm... Gilbert.

[wytchkkrafts]

Nice to meetcha Gil. Guess what I'm going to name this cutie?

[ she notices how uncomfortable he still seemed because of the cat in her arms, but she didn't care. it really just didn't hit roxy how scared of cats a person could really be.

jake had given her a list of ideas for names... but wait! ]

Oh my god, nevermind that. What if I named him after you?

[invoking]

That's hardly necessary! [ One would usually say it's harmless, but Gil doesn't want his name given to a cat. It's bad enough people make fun of his name here!! ]

[wytchkkrafts]

But he totes looks like a Gil, don'tcha think?

[invoking]

Totes?

And no he does not.

[wytchkkrafts]

Totally, it means totally.

[ le sigh! old ppl. ]

And yes he does. I'm going to get him a cute collar and then name him Gil. I used to have a lot of cats back home, you know. But seriously, you're a total cat magnet.

[invoking]

Why not Fluffy or Paws? [ NO. IMAGINATION. ]

It was probably the food. [ He holds up the bag and then inspects it to make sure there's no tears in it. Nope, it's fine. He had to pay extra for the plastic bag since the cashier went on and on about saving the environment and all. ]

[wytchkkrafts]

[ sorry, she's set on gil! ]

Oh, well I guess you better head home then now that I saved you from the furrocious hoard!

[invoking]

[ Eventually he'll sort of appreciate the fact she's not making fun of his name.

When she mentions home, his whole form sags under exhaustion. Right. It's cold out and all that running has made him tired and even hungry. ]

You're right... this food will go bad if I don't put it away soon.

[wytchkkrafts]

Well, you're tote welcome and I'll see you around okay?

[ she actually had a lot of fun and gilbert is funny. ]

Don't be a stranger next time you see me.