10877/Out on the town

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Out on the town
Date of Scene: 23 April 2022
Location: Somewhere in Gotham
Synopsis: Gabby and Robbie have the most awkward chat ever. Then they show up at Rien's place, because things weren't awkward enough.
Cast of Characters: Gabby Kinney, Robbie Reyes, Rien D'Arqueness




Gabby Kinney has posed:
Rather than just stop by the garage unexpectedly for the umpteenth time, Gabby decided to text Robbie asking if he wanted to meet up after his work. She'd given him some time to deal with things as he'd asked but that didn't mean she wasn't going to check up on him. However it happened, he was now labeled as a friend in her book, which meant she was going to be nosey now and again. Besides, they never had grabbed that dinner they talked about.

With an affirmative given and an offer of picking her up, Gabby gave the location for an address near the college. Not that she was attending it herself of course. A friend was, though, and she could give out this address more reasonably than the secret hideout that she usually stayed at. One of these days she'd have to look into a legitimate address somewhere.

For now she waits occasionally glancing down to her phone when not keeping an eye out in case someone decided to randomly mug her or something. Given it was a friendly visit she's wearing leggings, some comfy sneakers, and a t-shirt that acted more like a dress than a shirt. There might be shorts under there. Maybe. The shirt itself was black but had a bright colorful design on it of feathered dinosaurs.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He's a little late in pulling up, but there's no mistaking his car. The throaty purr of eight cylinders that would much rather be street racing than lounging about.

There's a quick tap of the horn, just in case Gabby's not paying attention, and Robbie leans over to pop the passenger side door open. What sounds like Spanish rap music filters out from inside the car; the interior smells like chow mein. "Hope you don't mind, I grabbed dinner," the young mechanic points out, indicating the two sealed takeout boxes sharing the back seat.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney smiles brightly when she hears the familiar sound of that engine. It was hard to miss, even in Gotham where it seemed muscle cars were still a hot commodity all around. Even as he honks she shoots her hand up to wave at him with excitement, slipping her phone away into a fanny pack of all things. It was stylish dangit. And useful. She hops off the curb and heads over to duck into the passenger side with a single sniff of the air at the smell of food.

A glance is cast back to the seats only to shake her head at the remark. "Nah that's cool, I was going to suggest we grab something anyway." The door is tugged shut, and as she starts to buckle her belt she looks over at him with a softer expression. "How're you doing? Good day at work?" That was something people usually talked about, right?

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The fanny pack gets a dubious look from Robbie over the rims of his shades. No comment. "Good. You like chinese food?" He studies her as she climbs inside, shuts the door and belts in. With the slightly warmer weather, he's ditched his usual leather jacket in favour of just his hoodie with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows.

As for work, he purses his lips like he's thinking about that, and one-hands the wheel as he kicks the gas. "Decent enough. Not too busy. You feel like finding a quiet spot to eat, or?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney doesn't seem to mind the temperature at all herself with the short sleeves she has on as she was thoroughly enjoying the weather. The look to the fanny pack earns a blink herself, and she looks down toward where it cinches at her waist as she finishes tugging the belt on. "I feel weird carrying a purse. And my sister Laura keeps insisting I should just have a tactical gear pack on me at all times which kind of sticks out..." Shrugging she moves off the topic entirely. No need to defend her choice of Kitten-Princess-Rainbowcorn fanny pack. Even if it didn't really match the rest of her.

"Quiet is fine yeah. Easier to talk without getting odd looks that way. I'd invite you to my place, but it's kind of in the group hideout." Her nose crinkles a little. "Unless you wanted to go to the school but that's got problems, too. Quiet works. I think there's some cliffs or something around here with a cool view if I remember."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"I didn't say a thing," Robbie counters to the fanny pack defense, lifting his fingers off the steering wheel in a sign of surrender. "You wear what you wanna wear." He veers back onto the road, and guns it for the highway. "Sure, but you're gonna have to direct me. Don't know my way around Gotham too well."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I know, sorry. I get teased about it sometimes. Don't really care but sometimes I start to wonder." Gabby flashes a sheepish smile with a duck of her head. Even she could be uncertain if she was 'cool' or not at times. The topic of directions however earns a quick nod. "Sure! I'm good at navigating. You'll want to head for the bridge but then hook a left and follow the road for about two miles," she explains gesturing off where she intended. With that she then falls silent a moment just staring out the window and listening to the music.

At least until a point.

Looking surprised she glances at the radio with a quick, "Oh! I know that phrase! Julio used to say that about this boy he had a crush on!" Then without thinking about it she repeats, "Tu eres muy caliente papi chulo."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The sheepish smile garners a twitch of his lips that might be amusement. Hard to say with him. Left arm slung along the open window, he keeps his right hand on the wheel, and heads for the bridge with a tap of the gas.
He looks over at Gabby briefly when she mentions some guy and his crush. "Your accent needs work." Then back to the road, and he swings left like she instructed him. The Charger responds with a toothy growl. "Means he thinks he's hot," he translates with a low chuckle.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The sheepish smile garners a twitch of his lips that might be amusement. Hard to say with him. Left arm slung along the open window, he keeps his right hand on the wheel, and heads for the bridge with a tap of the gas.

He looks over at Gabby briefly when she mentions some guy and his crush. "Your accent needs work." Then back to the road, and he swings left like she instructed him. The Charger responds with a toothy growl. "Means he thinks he's hot," he translates with a low chuckle.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney laughs easily at her apparently horrible pronunciation. Reaching up she runs her fingers back through her hair smoothing it out just a bit from the wind that came in through the window. It just took a quick adjustment to the barrette in her hair to help keep it further out of her face. "Yeah I think I understand better than I speak. I'm too hyper to pay much attention." Grinning again she adds, "I guessed based on context."

The traffic starts to fall away, along with some of the buildings, as the road stretches on. It seems more like it was an access road for trucks to deliver to warehouses, but the ones further out had collapsed or been knocked down long ago. Some actual trees came back to fill the gaps as the elevation starts to climb slowly. The guard rails kept them away from the rocky waters below. Then the trees give way to a clearing that was at one point a picnic overlook. The benches were still there, and there was parking. From here the lights across the bay could be seen. "This is it."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"You know Spanish?" He doesn't sound surprised; merely curious. His gaze flicks back to her briefly, then away, once they round the corner on what's evidently the lookout point. There's a small gravel lot nearby with room for a handful of vehicles, and he swings in with just enough speed to skid the tires and kick up some dust.

"Here, I think this one's yours." One of the takeout boxes is held toward Gabby by its handle, once he's unbuckled his seat belt. "Chopsticks or a fork? Didn't know which you wanted." He grabbed both, it looks like.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney can only shrug slightly in response to the question. "A little, and I'm not great at speaking it. Between Roberto, and Julio, and a few others at school I picked up a bit. Just never actually tried to learn it all. I probably should consider it though. Seems to come in handy at times."

Reaching up she takes the offered box in both hands careful not to do something like spill it in his car. "I'm good with either. What'd you get anyway?" Curiously a sniff is given before she opens the top to peer inside. "Thanks for getting dinner, too, Robbie."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He looks over again briefly when she mentions another Roberto, but doesn't bother asking about it. Not strictly his business. "Could teach you some, if you want," he offers, after passing across a pair of chopsticks. Then he fetches his own box, pops his door open and climbs out. "Oh, I got us the same thing. Chicken chow mein?" He slides his sunglasses off and tosses them onto the dashboard, since they're of limited use with the sun going down soon.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I'm good with that. Chow Mein is good," Gabby agrees readily as she takes the chopsticks herself. Following suit she opens the door to hop out with a little stretch up onto her toes to relax herself some. "So." A glance is cast over toward him along with a little bit of a guilty grin. "How are you *really* doing? All things considered? I want to check in on Rien again soon given everything." Lightly clearing her throat she adds, "Or if you don't want to talk about that, I was wondering how you got your vengeance demon friend? Like, what happened there?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie glances over his shoulder at the *so*, and pauses to wait for Gabby to catch up. Then resumes his slow amble toward one of the benches overlooking the bluff. "I dunno, I'm fine? I uh.." He glances away from her, shoes crunching the gravel as they walk. "I heal fast. So getting hurt isn't like it is for some people." His jaw goes a little hard when she mentions the the vengeance demon. "Ain't my friend," he tells her tautly.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Oh. I guess demons rarely are friendly." Gabbie has to admit while she follows along. She could rush to keep up but she doesn't for once, just taking the time to follow after. Trying to let him set the pace. "Sorry then. As for healing fast..." Here she pauses as she reaches the benches. Her gaze sweeps out over the water watching the setting sun a long moment. "Even for those of us who heal fast, doesn't mean something can't hurt."

Looking back toward Robbie she allows herself a friendly, bright grin that turns just a bit teasing. "By the way I never did thank you for the zombie thing. And... You looked cool as hell when you grabbed that chain to help me out."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Not this one, no." It's offered with a slight smile that disappears almost as soon as it's shown up. He sinks down on the bench, and pats the spot beside him before opening up the box on his lap.

"Yeah, your sister tells me that it still hurts, too." His gaze lifts toward her, then roves away again as he starts eating. "De nada," he murmurs to her thanks. He might just be blushing a little under the smattering of freckles, when she tells him how cool he looked. More chow mein is stuffed into his mouth, but he stays silent.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney sinks down to sit beside him with a silent nod of thanks. The box is set down as well, and she cracks it open while listening quietly while tearing open her chopsticks. "Yeah? Rien's got more experience than either of us in that, I guess. I think she's like seventy or eighty?" A smile cracks over her as she nudges him gently with her elbow. "Looks good for her age, huh?" A little teasing back at him given that bit of blushing she isn't entirely sure of. Darn fading sunlight.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The comment about Rien looking good for her age makes him sputter like he's been startled. Box set back on his lap, he takes a minute to clear his airway, then rubs his knuckles across the bridge of his nose. Yep, he's definitely blushing.

"She told me about that." He pauses, then scoops up more chow mein with his chopsticks. "Yeah, uh. Yeah. She does." Look good for her age. "Are you.." He chews, swallows, and waves his chopsticks at Gabby vaguely. "Old, too?" Real smooth there, Robbie.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney sets her own box down on her lap to reach out and lightly pat Robbie's back, right between the shoulders, when he coughs like that. It takes her a moment to realize he's blushing and not just choking. Instantly she snags her hand back dropping it to her own lap looking as if she had just swallowed a bug. "Sorry," she mumbles awkwardly.

Quickly taking a bite of her own food it's shoveled into her mouth. There's no choking at his question though, lack of subtlety or not. Just a shake of her head, and she quickly snags a napkin to swipe over her mouith. "Nah, I'm the youngest. I'm just seventeen." A pause before she hastens to add, "Be eighteen in a couple months." Sayinkg so just reminds her of the conversation with him and Rien the other day at lunch. It's her turn to duck her head with a little blush, "Er, you already knew that part. I'm just me. Not normal but not ... Yeah."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He did know she was about to turn eighteen. Because they *did* have that conversation the other day over cookies. But Robbie being Robbie, he has to be awkward about things. "Right, right," he mumbles back, stuffing more food into his mouth and taking his time chewing on it.

"Ain't nothing to apologise for," he offers eventually, reaching over to lay a big hand on her leg for a moment. He gives it a squeeze, then goes back to eating. "Guess I ain't used to.. knowing so many people with.." He makes a noise in his throat like he's looking for the right word, and can't find it.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney pauses in scooping up some more noodles to monch when his hand rests on her leg. Instead of eating she bites down on her lower lip trying to restrain the feeling of her face reddening. Even the tips of her ears felt hot. A quick swallow allows her to find her voice again. "Awesome healing powers? Or powers in general. I guess I can understand that a bit."

There's a bit of hesitance as she contemplates asking another question while watching him from the corner of her eye. The bite of chow mein is taken without really tasting it from her mind wandering elsewhere.

"Do you... LIKE my sister?" It's barely heard, a little squeak of air rushing out quick, and she stuffs another mouthful in before she risks saying more.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie's mostly quiet as the younger girl mulls over things. Just a grunt and a nod, that don't really answer at all her question about powers. Either he's really hungry.. or he senses where this conversation's headed, based on that long, thoughtful pause from Gabby.

This time, at least, he doesn't choke on his food. Just finishes chewing and swallowing slowly, and pushes some chow mein around with his chopsticks, before glancing up in time to find her blushing. A few possible answers run through his head as he gazes at her profile; eventually, he picks the simplest: "Yeah. I guess I do."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney clenches her jaw just a little bit as she feels her face burn hotter now at the answer with a sense of embarassment over it all. A jab of her own chopsticks is bestowed to the poor food. A little clearing of her throat comes along with a simple, "Oh." With that she just takes a slow, deep breath. It's held all of two seconds, maybe three, before she puts on a bright grin.

Looking back toward him she gives his arm a little nudge with her elbow again. "Well I can see that I mean she's pretty awesome and all, hard not to. I can put in a good word for you with her if you want? Or I dunno maybe you guys already figured things out so that's cool too."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Well, Robbie, you done fucked that one up.

This time, the silence from the boy seems to stretch on uncomfortably long. He pushes his food around a little more, then blows a breath out his nose and sets the box aside, like maybe he's lost his appetite. Elbows on his knees, he gazes out across the city as dusk settles over it. Starts to speak, and stops, brows furrowing slightly.

Then he tries again. "You're upset with me, huh? You wanna tell me about it?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Nope." Is the instantaneous reply from Gabby while she fixes her gaze on the chow mein container in her hand. Chopsticks stab into it a moment, before twirling up the remaining noodles on the ends like spaghetti around a fork. It's dropped back into the container without taking a bite. Instead she sets it down to the side with a little huff of her own breath.

"Sorry," she tries again while just fidgeting her fingers together. Scratching a bit of nail polish off her thumb she suddenly rambles off with, "I'm not upset at you. You can't help who you like, and Rien's great so I can't be upset at her either and anyway. I kind of like you but it's okay I'll get over it. Just..." Here she pauses, digging her fingernails into the pad of her thumb roughly. "PLEASE don't say you 'think of me like a little sister'." Up until now she'd managed to keep her voice level but now it tightens, pitching up a notch. "That gets really old to hear after the third or fourth time."

Dropping her hands entirely she turns away giving a quick swipe at one of her eyes. "I should go. Thanks for dinner."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He doesn't try to touch her, much less interrupt her while she's speaking her thoughts. But to say he doesn't look a little nervous and unsure of himself would be a lie. Give him a pack of zombies, he'll take them out without batting an eye. But girls? He's a lost cause.

"No, I--" He scrapes fingers through his short hair. "I ain't gonna say that, because I don't. Think of you like my sister." He starts to reach for her, then stops himself. She might not like that. "Lemme drive you back. You don't gotta talk to me. But you ain't walking home alone." He pushes to his feet, and collects both takeout containers. His Mama raised him proper, damn it.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney risks a glance back looking a mix of emotions she wasn't even going to try to name herself. But a bit of confusion was certainly there. "What else would there be to even talk about?" A shake of her head comes, and she scootches off the bench back to her feet. "I don't really have a home. Just places I stay. I'm fine, I can call a ride or ... Or take a swim or something," she mutters glancing off over the cliff edge momentarily. That would be a bit too melodramatic though. Something her brother might do but not her.

A defeated sigh comes as she nods, and ducks her head to head back for the car. "Back into town. S'fine."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"I dunno," Robbie confesses, head down, eyes ticking up to watch her from under his lashes. At least he has the good grace to look chastised about all of this.

When she agrees to the ride, though, he looks a little relieved. Chasing her down those cliffs and into the water was not an idea he was relishing. Robbie is many things, but an excellent swimmer isn't one of them.

He digs his car keys out, flicks them into his palm, and trudges after her. Once inside, he pops her door open, and digs his hand into his hair with a sigh.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney is already inside the car by the time he catches up, and while her posture is normally perfect or darn near it, right now she's doing the emo-teen-slump where she's wiggled herself down in the seat making her seem even smaller than she actually was. The good thing about old cars was the sheer amount of leg room it gave her though to stretch her legs out completely. At least she hadn't put her feet up on the console or anything horrible like that.

Feeling awkward when he gets in she looks over and attempts a half-smile. Half heartedly she jokes, "Told you I'd get your mind off things!" Looking down again she gives a shrug wishing for once she had pockets to stuff her hands into. "Gimme a few days I'll be fine."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
What's left of the takeout boxes was dumped on the way to the car, and once he's regained his composure slightly, Robbie keys the ignition with a throaty growl and belts himself in. "Yeah, you sure did," he murmurs with a rueful little smile.

Arm slung around the back of her seat, he swings the Charger into reverse, then fishtails to a stop, and shifts gears in nearly the same motion; the car surges forward, spitting gravel before gaining traction. "Look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if you liked me. But I thought you might. I shoulda said something sooner." He keeps his eyes resolutely on the road as he drives.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney opts for crossing her arms over her chest a little as she half-watches him. The tension was kind of obvious though, and she glances out the window again. "I did. I brought you cookies. Kept stopping by." There's a long pause before she adds with a little huff of breath, "Took Rien's advice about flirting with you. I'm not good at this stuff. Last guy I dated..." Here she trails off just shaking her head. "Nevermind."

Lifting her hands again she digs the heels of her palms into her eyes trying to force herself to stop being stupid. "It's okay. I mean. I barely know you. Just a crush. I'll get over it. Like I said, it's not the first time."

Her throat clears and she drops her hands back to her lap with a little shrug, unsure of what else to say. "I'm good at getting over things. Seen enough of my sisters die, this is nothing compared to that."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
To be fair, some of that tension's probably just Robbie being Robbie. He acts the tough guy, but he's really kind of a dork. "The cookies were real good," he tells her softly, darting the girl a quick look before focusing on the road again. There's that little twitch of muscle in his jaw when she mentions Rien's 'advice'. Maybe a note to himself to have a word with her about what the fuck that's about.

"Don't think you'd like me much if you knew me, anyway," he adds. Then, after more of that awkward silence, "What happened? To the last guy."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
The question causes her to glance back over toward him a long moment. They did still have a ways to drive though, and talking about that wasn't something she was upset over anymore. A small shrug is given. "Wouldn't know till I knew you. Besides, most of the people I know have interesting stories." A wan smile comes, and she risks sitting up a bit more. Slumping wasn't as comfortable as she'd hoped. Instead she props her elbow on the open window edge, resting her chin in her hand.

"Julian? He was older. We dated awhile. Then found out that his parents had made a deal with a devil known as The Kingmaker when he was born. They sold his soul, and his dead brother, to have their entire family be stupid rich." Here she grows quiet a moment. "I mentioned I'd been to Limbo before once. It was for him. A bunch of us went. We gave up peices of our soul to create a new 'fake' one to trade for his. A pure, innocent soul, and then he had his back."

A stiff shrug comes. "A week later he comes and tells me I'm 'too good for him' and he doesn't want to 'keep dragging me down to his level', and I haven't seen him since."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie gives a low whistle at the conclusion of the story. "*Joder*," he murmurs, "I'm sorry." His forehead creases slightly as he mulls that. "I kind of.. sold my soul, too, I guess you could say. You got a thing for demons, or what?" He chuckles, trying to make light of it, but the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Whether it was said as a joking question or not Gabby actually looks over at him apparently contemplating it. "Dunno. Never really thought about 'my type' before," she admits with a faint half-smile of her own along with a shake of her head. "So far seems to be tall grumpy guys with dark hair." Not that he was being grumpy right now, but there were times he'd certainly seemed that way. "What happened to you?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
There's a snort of amusement from Robbie at the descriptors given. "What's that thing about keeping quiet so you don't look like a fucking idiot? Something about fools, or.." He frowns. "Look, I didn't finish high school. Reading ain't my thing." Another glance is sent sidelong to Gabby, his mouth curling in a smirk.

"What do you mean, what happened? With the Rider?" He works his jaw slightly. "Made me a deal, and I took it. Where'm I dropping you off, by the way?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I haven't either. Neither has Rien, or my dad, or my sisters. I think my brother did but that's it. We just learn things from other places mostly," Gabby states without thinking much about it. "Doesn't mean you're not smart or important." Even now she finds herself falling back into old habits, and her nose scrunches up. A little huffed sigh comes, and she gestures vaguely out the window. "Pick a fast food joint. I could use a milkshake. Doesn't matter otherwise, I can get where I need to go."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He gives her a funny look at the bit about being smart or important, but decides not to comment on it. A little while passes before he nods his acknowledgement, and swings off the main road, threading between traffic as he takes them deeper into Gotham. "Milkshakes, huh?" he murmurs. "What's your favourite flavour? And what, you worried I'll find out about your hideout's secret location?" He makes spooky fingers with the hand nearest to her.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney snorts faintly at the mention of the hideout only to shake her head. "Robbie, you know ONE of my sisters. The most social, well mannered one. If I go back to where Laura is while I'm upset, she's liable to literally sniff you out and hunt you down for making me upset." There's a pause before she adds, "Some people used to joke that's why Julian moved to California after he broke up with me."

After all of that, she adds, "Honestly I kind of like mint chocolate chip but Oreo shakes are good too."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The thing about Robbie is.. he's a kid who was accustomed to getting through life purely on grit. The force of his own will. Until the Rider showed up in all its terrifying glory. So she'll forgive him, perhaps, for cracking his neck like the overconfident ass he is, and telling her, "She's welcome to try, chica."

Because killing him is no easy feat.

"Mint chocolate chip it is," he adds, rolling up to the window of the drive thru, and digging for his wallet in his jeans pocket. "Uh.. one mint chocolate chip milkshake, one strawberry," he tells the tired looking girl browsing her phone behind the counter.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney smirks faintly back over at him with that cocky response. While she had seen him fight and knew he was no pushover, she also knew her sister. And Laura was... Something else. Her head tilts back into her hand half looking out the window as they roll up to the drive through.

"Laura once set up pitfall traps, snares, and a sniper stand to make sure I was 'still practicing my skills', without warning me about any of it," she informs off-hand as if this were normal. For Laura, it was. For the rest of the world? Not so much.

Still there's the promise of icecream. Sometimes simple things could actually cheer someone up so she looks back with a grin. "Thanks."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Once he's paid, and is told it'll be a couple minutes' wait, Robbie turns back to the girl beside him. He cocks a brow at her. "Me?" He makes one of those little moues with his mouth. "Yeah, she could probably take me. The Rider?" He blows a breath through his nose. "We ain't gonna have this conversation. I am not fighting your sister."

Thankfully, he's saved by the bell. Literally, the girl has to ring a bell to get his attention, and he mumbles an apology as he goes to retrieve the milkshakes. "Now. Where'm I taking you?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"And that's why I'm trying to avoid that. Laura isn't..." Gabby sighs softly. "She's my sister, I love her, she is slightly insane and has a temper that burns hot and not quick. Best to avoid bringing that situation up if possible in the first place," she points out. Still, she had to come up with where to go, so she pauses to pull her phone out of her fanny pack. A quick typing comes along with a soft 'hmm' at the question.

When the milkshake comes she's snapped out of whatever she was doing in favor of taking it. And taking a long slurp off the straw until she feels that familiar pang of brain freeze that earns a crinkling of her face as it scrunches up. "Mmmmyeah. Okay. I don't want things to be weirder between all of us than it already is gonna be, so let's go talk to Rien, too. Get it over with."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Whatever you say," Robbie murmurs. "Though if you think you need to protect me. You don't." He takes a long slurp of his own milkshake, but doesn't seem inclined to move the car until he knows where they're headed.

Her answer, though, has him frowning slightly and tensing up. He sets the shake down and slides her a steady look. "Get what over with? What's there to talk about?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney tilts her head back toward him with a slight raise of her eyebrows. "See, this is why I answered that way earlier, too," she points out only to shake her head and look badk down to her phone. "Well, either you two are already an item, or else you like her but she is unaware and likely to keep nudging me at you. One way or another it's going to be awkward. But she's my sister. I'm going to have to live with her all my life. And," she pauses to take a deep breath which she lets out slowly. "Even in spite of how I might feel I'd like to still be able to call you a friend, too. So. Let's go chat."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He sits for a little while after that, simply watching her in the burgeoning dark as shadows spill along the sharp contours of his face. Milkshake all but forgotten for the time being.

A little twinge of his upper lip, like he's going to object to her executive decision making. Then he puts the car in gear, and peels out of the lot with a growl of the Charger's engine. Not a word from him the rest of the way there.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
The drive out to the Hamptons is generally a pleasant one. The streets are in excellent repair and kept meticulously clean. There's no garbage or strays or homeless wandering around. It is most definitely the Rich part of New York. Houses start in the millions and go up from there. But amidst all the McMansions and fancy houseboats, all the old money estates... there's one rather unremarkable house that sits on a double lot of yard, surrounded by old trees and high bushes. This is where Robbie takes them. From the exterior it has a simple stone and plaster exterior, lots of windows. Simple two story house with a semi-detached garage, a huge yard, and a small deck that leads out into the waterway. When the pair pull into the driveway, Rien waits just outside the front door, watching their approach and sipping from a mug of hot tea.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
In a neighbourhood like this, a car like Reyes's is hardly a dime a dozen. But there's always that guy who collects vintage cars, and has a garage full of them that he takes turns driving when he isn't busy playing golf at the country club.

Robbie's not that guy. And his car's as demon possessed as he is. The beast comes roaring up the road doing twice the speed limit, and lurches to a halt on the driveway like a great bird coming in for a landing.

"Out," he tells Gabby, a little sharper than necessary. He grabs his leather jacket and pops his door, slinging into it as he climbs out.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
It had been a long ride even if it was one that Gabby normally would have enjoyed, demon posessed car or not. This time it was a bittersweet ride. When Robbie bolts out of the car ahead of her, and demands she get out, she does so with a small dip of her head.

Stepping out, milkshake in hand, she continues to sip off the straw. Rien gets a look in her direction that wasn't as cheery as usual. In fact, it's not cheery at all. She'd done her best not to but she had cried a bit causing her eyes to be a little red rimmed. Apparently healing factors did jack all for that sort of thing.

A stiff nod is given and she clears her throat. "Rien. Inside?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Oui, that would be best..." Rien nods and holds the door open for them both, noting Robbie's expression, Gabby's eyes. She draws in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, then follows them both inside. The interior is as nice as the exterior, all stone and wood, the furniture is nice and comfortable, but the place manages to seem spartan all the same. No knickknacks or pictures, no trophies or plaques, a single box of tissues almost seems embarrassed to be on the side table.

Rien motions them towards the couch and chairs, "Make yourselves at home. If anyone wants something to drink, now is the time to say so." She stays standing, leaning against the mantel over the unlit fireplace, holding the mug with both hands.

Once they're settled, she looks between them, taking a sip. Then she looks to Gabby and murmurs, "I owe you a damn big apology. But why don't you get everything out first."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie *might* be a little tetchy at the moment. The kid always looks like he's had a poor night's sleep, and now he's got an unpleasant conversation to deal with on top of it. He pockets his car keys, stuffs his hands into his jacket, and follows Gabby inside. Where things are pretty well exactly as he remembers from last time.

"Grab a glass of water, if you don't mind?" he tells the blonde, slouching down onto the couch with his knees sprawled wide and that hard look remaining on his face. The tissue box is eyed for a moment, then his hands as Rien starts talking.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney moves for the couch to tuck herself into one corner of it, legs brought up to sit beneath her. She'd at least taken her shoes off at the door so there was no harm to the furniture this way. She just lifts up her milkshake indicating it at the question of drinks. "Got one."

Then the remark ofa n apology is given. Her gaze flits from Rien to Robbie, and back again. Then drops to the floor with a single curt nod. "So it was the first option: You two are already an item." The remark comes from something she'd said to Robbie earlier about why she was dragging him out here to talk. Her lips purse together very tight and thin. Get it out, huh?

"Why?" Is all she asks. Simple. Honest. Straight forward.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Nodding, Rien sets her mug on the mantle and gets a bottle fo water from the fridge, handing it over to Robbie with a quick glance, then retakes her place at the mantle. Picking up her mug, she watches Gabby as she takes a sip of the tea.

The question has her glancing to Robbie again briefly, sighing, then looking back to Gabby. "It wasn't something we planned, Gabby. It just.. sort of happened."

Pausing, she purses up her lips and she offers, "We went through a few.. intense.. situations. Shared experiences. And we.. found out that we like each other." Rien frowns, "I didn't know how to tell you. So I didn't. And... that was wrong. I should have told you immediately." Setting the mug aside once more, she approaches Gabby, kneeling on the floor and looking up at her, "I won't apologize for liking him, Gabby. But I am -so- sorry for hurting you. I should have told you as soon as things started to happen. I was afraid of your reaction, of what it might do to our relationship. That is not an excuse though. I should have told you. And I am sorry."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The water's accepted with a low murmur of thanks, and he unscrews the cap before downing about a third of it in one go. For now, he doesn't contribute a thing to the conversation. Though his eyes come up briefly when Rien mentions them 'finding out they like each other'. That's certainly one way to put the events of that evening. He drops his gaze again, looking thoughtful. Might just be the demon whispering at the edges of his mind, making unhelpful suggestions.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney listens quietly. It's all she can really do at the moment as she sits with her jaw clenched tight trying once again not to lose her grip on her emotions. At least she'd had time to calm down some, and the repeated doses of brain freeze from the milkshake as a distraction helped. A little.

It's Rien's responses, and the almost guilty silence from Robbie, that cause her to look between the two again. "Shared experiences. Last time we were all talking together, it was about dealing with the Angels. At that time you were still urging me to go after Robbie," she points out looking back at Rien. "'Shared experiences.'" You can practically hear the air quotes there. A sad sigh comes, along with a shake of her head. "You of all people treating me like a dumbass kid... Yes, you should have told me. Should have told Robbie, too, so he wouldn't have been surprised by it when I made a complete *ass* of myself earlier tonight." It really wasn't like Gabby to swear, usually, but for once she looks actually angry.

"I get that things happen, that people can't helping to like who they like, but... You didn't even try."

Reaching up she runs a hand back through her hair hitting the barette she usually had in the side. Her face scrunches up in annoyance and it's scratched at until she grasps it to pull out completely letting her hair fall forward again. "You're my sister. And it's not as if I were already dating Robbie or ... or that he was even interested in me. You should have told me. TRIED to tell me."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien wears her guilt plainly, meeting Gabby's gaze unflinchingly, letting her talk without interruption. She doesn't flinch from the words, just nods her agreement to Gabby's assessment and accusations. "You're right. I should have. I am asking you to remember that despite my age, I am little more socially adept than you, or Robbie, or anyone else in our little world of strangeness and danger. I made the mistake of not telling you when it happened. I convinced myself that if I waited a little longer, I'd find the right words, something that wouldn't sound... so terrible. But that was just me excusing myself from having to tell you."

She looks to Robbie and offers an apologetic glance, "This is my fault. And I'm sorry to you for making you part of it." Turning back to Gabby, Rien sighs, "Ultimately this rests on my shoulders, Gabby. I've apologized. I'll go it again if you think that will help. Hell, I'll put on a hair shirt and go do the macarena in front of your friends if it will help." She lifts her hands, palm up, "I can't take it back, and I won't apologize for growing to care about someone... but if there is something I can do to help you feel better, then say so and I will do it."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie? Doesn't seem guilty so much as confused. This is *not* the conversation he anticipated having tonight, and it's clear he's experiencing a touch of whiplash as he puts the pieces together regarding what's happened here.

"You told her to come onto me?" he pipes up after catching something Gabby's said. It's Rien he's looking at, brows furrowed, his bottle of water dangled by its neck between two fingers. He works his jaw slightly and looks away. "I need a smoke. Should I just.." He nods toward the door questioningly.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney goes to take another sip from her milkshake. It's already drained down though, having had the last sip a few moments ago. A little distruntled sigh comes as Rien apologizes again earning another nod without thinking of it. Unable to really find anything else to say now that all the details (besides the most personal) were out, she just reaches out toward Rien to flick her finger right between her eyes. A good little thwack but nothing serious.

It's Robbie's question of what was said that earns a look back in his direction along with a sheepish duck of her head. "Not in so many words, no. She knew I liked you and was ... I dunno, kind of cheering me on while I tried to flirt with you." Another shrug comes. "The cookies and inviting you out, remember? She wasn't telling me to throw myself at you or anything."

A little puff of breath is blown up toward her hair and she shakes her head. "Okay. At least I know everything now. I'm... I could use to go splash some water on my face a second." With that she swings her legs off the couch to get to her feet, nodding slightly at Rien. "I'll get over it. Just give me a bit."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lets out a small breath and looks to Robbie, "You know where the deck is.. help yourself." Turning back to Gabby, just in time to get the thwack between the eyes, she blinks in surprise, then nods, "Of course, chere. You take whatever time you need. You know your way around, when you're ready, we'll be on the deck. I could use a cigarette myself just now."

She moves like she's going to huge Gabby, then halts and offers an awkward smile, "Sorry, instinct. And thank you, for being so understanding."

Rising up, she motions towards the bathroom for Gabby and moves out of her way, adding, "There's some Cherry Garcia ice cream in the freezer if you want it. I'd been saving it for later, but I think you get dibs." Since Gabby doesn't smoke, she gets the option to indulge in sweets! "There's even some whipped cream and chocolate sauce in the fridge if you want to have a sundae." Because age doesn't matter, ice cream is ice cream.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Yep, not gonna have any trouble finding the deck.

The mechanic rolls to his feet, downing the last of the water on his way through the kitchen. The empty bottle is tossed into what looks like a recycling bin, and he's already digging out his pack of smokes as he prowls off in the indicated direction. No lighter needed, when you're a pyromaniac.

He leans over the railing once his cigarette's ignited, and takes a long drag.