chill [open]

[ocean]

Ess sighed and leaned backwards in her chair, a bit of a bad habit of hers. She’d heard time and time again about how one day she was going to flip over backwards and crack her head open, mostly from Angel mentors. But she always seemed to find herself tilting back on the hind two legs, and she’d given up on trying to break the habit. She figured there were worse things she could be addicted to, like chewing gum or…or…darts. Yes, darts were a dangerous hobby. You could impale someone without a second glance.

Heaving a sigh, Ess flipped the page of the dusty volume before her. Reaching down towards the plate that rested on the rickety table in front of her, she scooped up a piece of cheesecake on her fork and popped it into her mouth. After washing it down with a gulp of coffee (Ess wasn’t one for delicate sipping), she heaved a sigh and returned to browsing the text.

Sometimes old-school method was best for these stupid fledgling papers she was still required to do; she’d yet to happen upon a high-tech gadget that could tell her what material the Gates were made out of. In fact, she had yet to find a book that told her, either.

[Raron]

Tarsus groaned loudly in pleasure as the waitress delivered his food at last, he had been waiting a bit but that was okay. It gave him time to think about what went wrong with his last job. His arm was still sore from the bullet graze. It should have been simple, in and out, no one sees him, he grabs the stolen goods and brings it back to the rightful owner... turns out the thieves had been a dab hand at traps as a scratch down his backplates attested to. If he had been born a less armored being he would be dead.
He shook his hand and rubbed his hands together in properation for the food in front of him. As he grasped his fork and knife he looked round the table. He looked again and then frowned.
No syrup. There was the holder it was supposed to be in... but no syrup was in it.
He looked around for his waitress but she had vanished, grunting he looked back at his plate. He was a sixty two year old Ankyosaurian. He should not have to hunt down a waitress for syrup... granted he was a sixty year old who made a living fixing problems that rarely required a peaceful solution but there was the principle of the thing to consider. Tarsus looked around and spotted what appeared to be a giraffe/canine hybrid almost falling backwards in he chair as she read a book. From time to time she sighed. More importently she had syrup at the appointed holder at her table. Putting on his most friendly smile the seven foot tall saurian stood and walked with suprising grace over to her table. When he got there he scratched the top of his plated head.
"Um... excuse me ma'am... my waitress forgot syrup, I was hoping you would not mind me borrowing yours."
He pointed with his free hand to the syrup in front of her.
"I mean what is pancakes without syrup."
His grin became a bit on the helpless side, through it did not look quite as helpless when you noticed that his coat had opened wider on his right side with the action exposing the butt of a firearm that was NOT meant for casual self defense.
He peered down at the young lady and the book in front of her.
"Ooo.... studying gate theory huh? heh, reminds me of when I was a kid, tried to figure out what the gates are made of and... opps, sorry. Better not start that habit. I don't wanna end up the crazy old man who tells his stories everytime someone looks in his direction."

[ocean]

Ess glanced up from her reluctant study as a gentleman approached her table, looking a bit awkward but otherwise kindly. She couldn’t suppress a grin as he told her his woeful tale; that sounded like something Ess herself would have been faced with. “It's yours,” she said breezily, reaching forwards and picking the jug of syrup up to offer it to him. “I don’t like it anyway.” That was true; for all Ess’s love of sweet ingredients (she had a certain affinity for brown sugar…mmm.), she had yet to take a liking to the artificially-flavored gunk.

“And yes, unfortunately,” she replied to his question, albeit a tad warily; it was a little off for anyone outside the Angels to be looking into the Gates. Their nature was so remotely known that usually only Angels could get a hand on the books that contained information about them. Was this man an Angel? Perhaps; he seemed lean and agile enough, despite his age. Maybe he was a confidential member, like Ess.

Despite the sensitive radar in her head blaring full volume, she brightened noticeably at the mention of his previous knowledge on the subject. “Oh, no, please feel free,” she insisted hastily, reaching over to give his sleeve a tug. Not brutal, but enough to nearly seat him in the chair opposite herself by force. She faced him with expectant eyes, pencil poised and ready upon a sheet of looseleaf paper.

[Raron]

Tarsus looked from her to his pancakes... he paused for only a moment before holding up a finger in the universal "one moment" gesture and then walking briskly back to his table, grabbing his pancakes, and rushing back and sitting at the chair opposite the Furre he has struck up the conversation with.
"Sorry."
He grabbed the syrup and poured it over every inch of the pancakes before continuing.
"I am starving, don't mind talking but if I don't eat soon my stomach will start grumbling and that might shake the building apart."
He smiled and winked as he took a bite.
"Ahh..."
He talked between bites.
"When I was a few years younger then you... I heard about the gates from an old man who lived on our street... heck of a guy."
He looked around and whispered confidently.
"I always suspected he was a retired angel or still one."
He winked at her again.
"Anyways he loved to tell stories about this and that and when he brought up the gates well... I had to find out more. I went to the library... oh gosh these pancakes are great... sorry, anyways I went to the library and looked up them. Could not find out much at all... well..."
He looked around a bit and then admitted guilitly.
"Well there were a few authorized personal only areas and well... I found a hole in the libraries security and snuck in on a nightly basis."
He grinned sheepishly.
"I know, I know... it was pretty stupid of me, and risky as all hell but I was a kid. I thought I was invincible back then."
He rotated his shoulder and grunted.
"Life sure proved me wrong on that account... anyways I eventually found some books on the gates and read up on it as much as I could. Unforntunatly they eventually fixed the hole in their security so I could not sneak in, but not before I found a real old, old book on the gates."
He pursed his lips a while.
"It was a long time ago so I can not remember exactly what it said... something about the theorized construction of the gates.... umm... I think a Doctor Osmund or something like that wrote it..."
He shook his head as he devoured his pancakes.
"Can not remember what was in the book... it seemed so importent back then but now..."
He sighed.
"Getting old sucks. My advice. Put it off as long as possible."
His fork hung in his mouth as he finished off the pancakes. He blinked a few times and then took the fork out.
"By the way stranger, my name is Tarsus Ridge, just in case you were wondering what is the name of the crazy old man giving you advice."
With that he pulled a card out of his coat pocket and handed it to her... it would be a little sticky from the syrup.

-Tarsus Ridge- Repairman for hire
You got a problem, he is the solution.

this and a phone number on the back was the only infomation on the card.
"So what name do you go by young lady?"

[ocean]

She resisted the urge to chuckle as the man plodded off to retrieve his meal. She gave a nonchalant shrug as he apologized, gesturing that she didn’t care. Keeping her gaze steady, she one more leaned back in her chair and settled in to listen, her pen and pad of paper resting on her knees.

One ear pricked inconspicuously as he mentioned a possible ex-Angel spreading stories on the street. She wasn’t sure what troubled her more, the possibility that a retired Angel’s jaw was unhinged far too freely or that a complete stranger with no ties to the organization at all might know about the Gates. It wasn’t as if they were a secret or anything, but any citizen with information like that…well, she wanted to know exactly who and where he was. Most likely dead by now, though.

Her eyebrows jutted upwards involuntarily when he spoke of slipping past the security. Quickly quieting her facial expression, she nodded evenly and began to write on her pad.

Male, some kind of ancient reptile (?). Maybe in sixties or fifties. Obvious strength and scars suggest some kind of unknown operation.

Then again, unknown operations weren’t uncommon in St. Lucent. Nevertheless, she found herself writing down what the man was saying word-for-word after that. She silently accepted the card he gave her, hastening to copy down the information located on it just in case she lost the card. She knew exactly what to do with this.

“Gabrielle,” she spurted out. At the same time, she unfolded herself from the chair, clutching the pad of paper to her chest. “Thank you very much for your time but I…er…I have a date! Yes, can’t keep him waiting.” She was rambling but she didn’t care. Ess quickly stuffed her arms into her multiple jackets that had been resting in a careless heap in the floor, taking care to slip the pad into her bag before pushing it up onto her shoulder.

She turned towards the door to go, then thought of something; how was she ever to find him again? Then, glancing down at way he obviously mourned the shortage of pancakes on his plate. Resolutely deciding that she could find him here again if need be (she had no issues with staking out the Wallside Café; she’d really enjoyed that cheesecake), she took a step backwards and offered him a wide smile.

“Again, thank you. I’m sorry to run off like this…” She trailed off, inching towards the door once more. Once close enough, she threw open the door and sailed outside, offering a loud “goodbye!” as parting.

END SCENE.

She’s crazy, I know…she won’t send the Angels on him, I promise.