Party Time! [Gabe]

"Lipstick, check. High heels, check. Hairstyle, check", Brittany chanted as she analyzed her own image in a small, round, pocket mirror she brought along, before returning it to her clutch. She almost never wore this puffball, yellow dress and now she had a reason to remove the dust out of it. A specific occasion demanded a special preparation after all, and she praised it so much to not try to be at least impeccable for the meeting. It's been a while since she was this excited to experience a bit of Endymion's night life with a reasonable company. Having sent a message to his cellphone, all that was left for her was waiting. She did tell him to expect a phone call, but a message was a much less...desperate type of approach. Besides, she wouldn't want the risk of calling him while he was busy or on duty.

The local for the meeting: the entrance of the Concert Hall. Brittany figured it would be easy to spot her if she chose a recognizable enough place that wasn't too "hit or miss"; one thing to avoid was the chance of mismatch. Picking a famous spot for an encounter was the safe bet, and then they could agree on somewhere else to go from there.

Took a while for Brittany to actually notice her cellphone ringing buried under the myriad of girly stuff in her clutch and if it weren't for the vibrating "buzz" (which at first she deduced to be just a fly or any other winged insect bugging her - no pun intended - at night), she would never pick it, being a natural airhead. Once she spotted it, her smile took scene and covered almost all of her face. "Gabe" was the name displayed in the screen, and the message from him was exactly what she was expecting.

It wasn't hard, after some time of walking around actually paying attention to every single guy she stumbled upon, to spot the guy in nearby distance. The meeting place was a very recognizable hot spot for encounters, yes, but her description was rather vague in regards to WHERE exactly she was supposed to meet him. Some could argue that Gabe's appearance was rather common to stand out. To Brittany, he was noticeable, distinct enough and, if she should add, equally distracted with the environment or perhaps his own thoughts. Or maybe it was just the nightlife atmosphere in Endymion. Despite all possible dangers with the demonic issues, Endymion, as the city that never sleeps, also becomes a confusion of scents and noises that could easily sway anyone, something that Brittany, as a pretty urban girl, greatly appreciated. Gabe not having noticed her meant the opportunity she was waiting for. By walking carefully behind him, making as little sound as she could and at the right moment, Gabe could feel hands enveloping his eyes and suddenly everything in sight turning black. Hands that would later reveal their identity once a merry voice announced what could be taken as a harmless threat:

"Halt! Pass the money!", the cheerful giggle would take over right after, leaving no doubts that it was Brittany all along.

"Ahahaha, no worries, I'm fine! Super fine, really!" The cold nocturnal weather wasn't a concern. At least not now; Brittany wasn't bashful to the point of refusing kindness or any free rewards of sorts, so if feeling cold, naturally she'd accept Gabe's offer. Right now, the girl was more surprised, however, that he noticed the sweet scent of her perfume. He wouldn't know it, but it was her favorite perfume A good surprise, proving that he payed attention to her and one thing she loved is when she can catch eyes for the right reasons! Though, if the cheerleader were to be totally honest, there's more to how Gabe's gentlemanly ways affected Brittany's mood than her predilection for praises. Her smile and high spirits were there, but tinted with a different kind of gleam this night.

"Oh. Uhhhh... I... kinda, uh, have nothing planned?", she chuckled, mild embarrassment over her poor decision. Having focused so much on being impressive by her appearance and effort to be visually flawless, she forgot the most important part of the date: the date itself! "You know, the best things in life are done by improvisation, so that's what we're gonna do! How about we just, you know, walk and chat? We can do that, right? And you can talk more about your work or...something? Or we can stop by somewhere else and have something to eat. How does that sound, hm?"

"Alright! You're the boss tonight!", her amusement with his companion's had also tickled the corners of his lips ever transiently until the shape assumed an obvious command of a large joyous grin. Relief was the accurate statement; she was relieved that Gabe apparently didn't mind her lack of preparation for a proper meeting. At the same time, her amusement became amazement with the good manners displayed; Gabe was the purest definition of a courteous gentleman, so much that she almost felt embarrassed to let her arm entangle with his like simulating the intimacy of a couple. Is that how they look like now? Like a couple? She could only wonder.

"Hm? Oh, my days have been...fine. Uh, school is alright, work is alright. Oh yeah, I reunited with a friend from before the Divide. Like...we only met once before it all happened, but then five years after, we recognized each other...", she giggled, staring at some random point in the path ahead. It was a fun thought. She could swear she would never meet the boy again despite Endymion being a metropolis, and yet, he ended up being in the class right next to her. Who'd have imagined? Who'd have thought they'd still remember each other? "Gabe, do you believe in destiny? Like, certain things are meant to happen and you're bound to be there, like the right person at the right time?"

"Yeah, but..."

She pondered a bit over what Gabe said before she could retort with something of her own. The theory about our choices affecting the next course of action and the happenings in succession sounded pretty accurate. But...is that all there is to it? Could we really believe that everything in our lives is fruit of our sole decisions? Do we really have that much power to decide?

"What if some things happen regardless of your choice? Like, important people you thought you'd never seen anymore happen to cross your path again... Or the state the city is in now..."

"I know, but it's different, silly. Like, a few of our encounters could be just, you know, chance? I mean, we haven't always met because we arranged a meeting, right?" She smiled, taping his arm lightly in demonstration of a good humored stance. The day on the Backlight District and the first meeting at the train station were all coincidences, or perhaps the universe working on their favors. However, there was further reasoning for her inquiries and they were far more obscure, not related to occasional cheerful meetings. Enough to wipe out the smile on her face and give place to a more serene, pondering, worried even countenance.

"Oh no, nothing with the city. I was just thinking about it all. Demons, the Eternal Divide...we didn't choose this but we're in the middle of it anyway. Like, the Divide was meant to happen, wasn't it? We don't know what caused it, or how it started... but it's there and we have to live with it whether we like it or not. And all the demons around at night... Do you think there was something we could have done to prevent it back then?"

For some time, Brittany didn't know what to say immediately. Carefree demeanor allowed her to have a prompt response at the tip of the tongue for these kind of instances, but not when she felt like she had accidentally set herself up. Being a Terrorist is a death sentence and the least thing she needed is, in her typical naivety, denouncing her secret identity to someone she doesn't know the presumable reactions should it be truly revealed.

"Oh it's not like I have seen them either. I'm just thinking out loud..." Shaking her head, it was better to dismiss the topic. Why she brought it up anyway? "I don't remember much of what happened after the Divide. I know some people who say they have seen demons at night, being chased by some even, there was even a girl who went, you know, missing after talking about the Queen and stuff. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit? I dunno, everything's possible in this world but rumors are just that, rumors. Right?" Hopefully Gabe, being the smart man he is, would look over it and not come up with any compromising conclusions with her speech.

She had to admit, Gabe's gentleness in handling Brittany's confusion was soothing enough to make her forget about such a distressing, controversial topic as demons, tyrants ruling the city and cadets. It was a date, after all (was it?), not particularly an occasion to discuss deep matters. Instead, her eyes laid at the wondrous vision of a part of Endymion she didn't know: the luxurious part.

"Woooow... like...wow... Is this... wow..." If it wasn't for Gabe pulling her in and leading the way, Brittany would definitely stay outside, mesmerized wide eyes, agape mouth in awe staring at the imposing construction. Is that really a restaurant? Once they were in, that's when Brittany's less composed and more childish side came to surface, with an excitement rarely seen even for her usual cheery self. "Really? I never had eggnog! Ooooh can we go ice skating too? Please, tell me we can, I never tried it too! Oh my gosh, I'm gonna fall so many times I'll come back sore from head to toe! This place is so, like, huuuge! I've never been here before!"