11352/Date Night with Gabe

Date Night with Gabe
Date of Scene:	27 May 2022
Location:	Around NYC
Synopsis:	An excellent date with an excellent guy!
Cast of Characters:	Robbie Reyes, Rien D'Arqueness

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Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie's got about ten minutes on the clock before he heads off to work, and he's getting restless. He's been waiting for his brother to vacate the bathroom for a little while now, and thumps the door with a booted foot when his other attempts are met with 'just a minute'. "C'mon, man, you've been in there for like half an hour, I need to take a leak!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be out in a minute!"

"What are you doing, dolling yourself up? I gotta get to work." Robbie jams his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, and leans against the wall by the door, scowling.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien opens a portal into the living room of their apartment from the safehouse, stepping through with a smile and calling out, "Hey Gabe! I've got the car out front, whenever you're ready!" She's looking STUNNING in a flouncy little flirty skirt with scalloped edges and eyelets, a halter top that shows off a lot more skin than she usually does, and a pair of wedge-heeled sandals that do fabulous things for her legs.

Smiling at Robbie, she steps forward and kisses him hello, "Hey. I figured you would have headed out already. No work tonight?" THen she's glancing around, "And where's Gabe at? I wanted to get to the manga shop before sundown so we have plenty of time to make our reservation..."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie looks over briefly as the air shifts, and the hairs on the back of his neck prick like they do when Rien's magic is afoot. Then has to do a sharp double-take at the sight of her. He whistles low, eyes glued to the blonde as she steps close to give him that kiss.

"Uhh." Was she talking to him? He's pretty sure words were coming out of her mouth. Something about work, and Gabe. "God, you look hot," he murmurs, playing with the hem of her skirt from where he's still leaning against the wall. "He's making himself look pretty for you. Why don't you wear this when we go out, huh?" The razzing is mostly playful, but Robbie being who he is, there's perhaps the tiniest undercurrent of jealousy there.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Recognizing the shift in his attitude, Rien chuckles softly and pulling him in for a deeper, hotter kiss before pulling back to murmur, "Thank you." She smiles, then leans in to murmur, "Because the last time I showed up in something like this to take you out, we ended up spending the time at Canelo's and picking up takeout on the way home." Winking at him, she grins, "Not that I'm complaining, it was a -great- evening. But if we're going out then I want to actually get to the 'going out' part."

Rien steps towards the bathroom door and knocks lightly, "Hey Gabe? We're gonna be late if you don't finish up in there! I don't want to lose our reservation!" Then she's turning back to Robbie and winking, "You let me set up the next date night and I'll wear something even better than this."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
She's got a point; he can't really argue with her. But he can and does feign indignance after she releases him from that searing hot kiss. "Okay, point taken," he murmurs in return, jamming his hands back into his jacket pockets. He's wearing the black half inch gauges tonight, too, for maximum street punk flair.

"Coming, sorry!" Gabe calls back out, followed by the bathroom door being hauled open, and the younger man wheeling himself out. "You two have fun," Robbie tells them both, ruffling his brother's hair on his way past to claim the bathroom. And for bonus points, he doesn't even say anything to Rien about making sure to keep Gabe safe!

As for the teenager, he's styled his dark hair, which is considerably less curly than Robbie's, and put on a sport jacket and jeans, paired with polished black dress shoes. "What do you think?" he asks, grinning up at her.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien runs a last look over Robbie that says he's absolutely getting lucky later, then winks at him as Gabe opens the door to wheel out.

Turning her attention to Gabe, her smile brightens, "You look great! I like the jacket and shoes together, brings the jeans up a notch." She motions to the portal in the living room and smiles, "So, I know this is the first time but it's really simple. Just roll on through and you'll be in the safehouse. Before you go, find a point in the safehouse to focus on with your eyes or the first few moments can be a little disorienting."

After a moment, Rien adds, "There's a car out front, I just figured it would be easier to get where we're going from the safehouse, so we'll be travelling normally the rest of the night." Leaning down, she busses a kiss across his cheek and smiles, "Ready for an adventure?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Rien's blown a kiss and given a solemn-faced wink from the older boy, before he disappears to take his much-needed leak and head to work.

Gabe, meanwhile, is blushing up a storm when Rien tells him he looks good. "Yeah, I figured I couldn't pull off a suit, so I thought this might work better." Then he pauses to listen to her instructions, chewing on the corner of his lip when she points out the portal. "O-- okay," he acquiesces hesitantly.

Bolstered by the kiss, he nods to her question.. and eases himself forward. Then into the portal itself with a confidence he's not sure he feels.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
The transition between apartment and safehouse is a smooth one, her portal placement chosen carefully to give him plenty of room to maneuver. Rien steps through right behind him and the portal closes with a small flash of that light blue glow. Smiling to Gabe, she offers, "And that concludes the magic portion of the evening. Ready? First stop is Kinokuniya, the biggest manga store in New York."

Turning, she starts for the front door and holds it open for him with a smile, "Lets go ogle some manga and then we've got an 8 o'clock reservation at Gallagher's... and then we hit up the mall and you can show me all your favorite places and maybe we can pick up a few things." When he rolls out the door, there's a Porsche Panamera 4 sitting in the driveway, a gleaming dark sapphire color, backed in so he can roll right up to the passenger seat. "And you just let me know if you want help getting in or out of the car, okay? I know it sits a bit lower than the Charger."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Kinokuniya? Oh my god, I *love* that place. We're goin' there? Robbie *never* wants to go with me!" Gabe spins around once they're through the portal, and immediately looks a little green. Yeah, probably should've taken Rien's advice about getting his bearings first. In a minute or two though, he's ready to wheel toward the door.

And, "Holy fuck, is this *yours*?" The porsche, he means. Not that his brother's car is any kind of slouch, but this thing is gorgeous. "Umm.. small amendment?" he suggests, as he unfastens himself from the chair and lifts himself inside, "Can we skip the mall? Don't wanna rush dinner." He flashes her a sparkling grin.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Well of course... unless you've suddenly lost your love of all things Japanese in the last few days..." Rien chuckles and shakes her head, then follows him out the door, locking up behind them. "I wanted to do the things you like doing and seeing the places you like going." As they roll up to the car, she chuckles, "Only for the week. I couldn't rent it for a single night, so it will sit here looking pretty for another 6 days."

She opens the door for him, assisting him into the seat if he wants it, otherwise collecting up the wheelchair and tucking it into the back seat. Moving around to the front again, she slips in behind the wheel, then looks over to him with a grin, "Of course! Would you rather see if there's a movie playing when we're done with dinner? I don't want you to feel like you're not getting your full date night."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
While not as fit as Robbie, Gabe's a young guy, and one who's seemingly put enough time in at the gym to make getting in and out of his chair fairly effortless. He's checking out the sports car's interior when she returns, and climbs into the driver's seat. "Man, Robbie would go gaga over this thing," he murmurs, turning to smile at Rien. "You look *really* good, by the way." He blushes hotly, and glances out the window. "Yeah, movie sounds great."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Chuckling, she lifts a brow, "Should we show it to him? We could spin by the shop between the manga and dinner." Rien leans across and kisses his cheek, then straightens and starts the car with a rough purr. They head out, the ride amazingly smooth and quick, the road sounds fairly muted. She glances sidelong towards Gabe now and then, smiling, chatting. Asking him about his classes, his friends, what manga he's currently reading. "So, I've been wondering... if you would let me make you a personalized line of products. Like.. just for you. We can work together on it to make sure that it's only using scents that you like. So like.. a shampoo/conditioner. A body wash. A shaving butter. A cologne. Whatever you want."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"He'll be so jealous," Gabe confides with a laugh, turning his head just in time to catch that kiss aimed at his cheek. Which makes him blush even more.

For the rest of the ride, he alternates between watching her and watching the road outside his window, happy to chatter away about this or that. Opinions on everything, plenty to say. His classes are going well; he's started a study group for finals. And no manga at the moment, but he *is* reading a book about Jim Crow that he's happy enough to discuss with her, until she brings up the cosmetics.

"Wait, just for me?" he wonders, watching her with an uncertain smile.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Chuckling, Rien gives a small nod, "I imagine he will... but I think he'll also be happy to see you enjoying yourself so much." She winks at him and turns back to the road.

She reiterates her offer to help him study for any of the non-engineering classes that she might be able to help with, expresses gladness over the coming break from classes. She might have asked aobu tthe book but when he asks about the line of personal products, she smiles at him, "Yeah, just for you. We can make it at the safehouse, using all natural products and it will be solely yours. I was going to surprise Robbie with something similar, but it occurred to me that you guys might like a say in stuff like this. And, you seem to like taking an active hand in stuff, so I thought maybe you'd want to really be involved in it?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"I mean, I'll have to think about it," Gabe confides, watching her here and there as she drives. "But it sounds pretty cool. Robbie told me you.. don't like strong smelling stuff? Do you have, like, sensory issues or something?" He bites his lip, then glances away again. "I got a friend who does. So I know a little bit about what that's like."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien glances sidelong towards him and smiles, "It's a little more complicated than that. I get my sense of smell from my father. It's exponentially enhanced, potentially beyond even a canine's sense of smell. So extramely strong or bad odors can be crippling." She smiles faintly, "So in a sense, yes, I have sensory issues. In this case, I can actually smell the chemicals in the products that you and Robbie use. I don't really get the scents that you guys do because it breaks down into it's components, and so few commercial products use natural ingredients, so it's just.. chemical compositions. It's why I don't wear perfume often."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Oh. Huh." He considers that for a while, having never considered that Wolverine too might have trouble with certain scents. "I guess that's why Robbie told me not to wear cologne tonight." He smiles over at her. "And went shopping at that specialty store in the mall, to try to find natural stuff." Something he never went out of his way to mention to Rien, but perhaps she's noticed that most of the bathroom's contents have been replaced with milder, essential oil scented versions.

Then he glances out the window again, clearly eager to get where they're going. "I still can't believe Logan's your dad. That's so amazing."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
She grins at him and gives a nod, "But that same sense of smell makes us -excellent- trackers and hunters. So it's a tradeoff." Rien's smile softens at the next bit and she gives a small nod, "It's the things he does, the things like that, that I truly appreciate." She flicks a glance towards Gabe, "Let me tell you this Gabe, when you find that special someone... it won't be flowers or candies or expensive shoes that -really- matter. It's the little things, the small changes that you don't even mention, that will mean -so- much."

She notices, and appreciated, Robbie's efforts for them to use less harsh products for her sake. And he's likely enjoyed that she's snuggling up against him more often. Letting out a small chuckle, she lifts a shrug, "To be fair to him, he wasn't exactly consulted about my conception." Pulling up in front of Kinokuniya, she waves for the valet to come over and take the keys so she can get Gabe's chair and have it ready for him. "Alright! Are you ready to go wild with manga?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Gabe looks distinctly uncomfortable when she starts talking to him about his 'special someone'. He's quiet for a few moments, before blurting out as the car comes to a stop, "Please don't talk to me like I'm a child, Rien." He forces himself to turn and watch her, even though part of him is clearly intimidated by her. "I've dated more girls than Robbie has, and I know what I want."

Then the valet's arriving, and he pops his door open in preparation to climb back into his chair.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
She doesn't say anything until they're out of the car and the valet has gone to park it. Pausing as they near the building, Rien turns and looks at him directly, smiling faintly, "I'm not treating you like a child, Gabe. That's advice that I would give to -anyone-. There's a lot of... generalizations... about what will make a woman happy, or how to show that you care about someone. A lot of them are social fallacies. So. As a woman. To a man. When you get into a relationship? Just make sure you do the little things. She'll appreciate it more than you might think."

Lifting a shrug, she smiles, "You've dated more people than I have, Gabe, since I've only ever dated one person. You're both far more experienced in that arena than I am. I'm just trying to pass along the thing that -I- appreciate most." Then she's holding the door open for him to usher him into the store.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Kind of felt like you were," Gabe confides, rolling up to the door of the building, and tipping Rien a lopsided smile. "Don't worry, I'm not upset at you or anything. I just.. I get a lot of people trying to talk down to me. Because of the chair. Robbie's the one you should be telling this stuff to. I mean.. he's been with a few people. But not, like, girlfriends. They usually leave him when he either flips his shit at them, or doesn't want to be tied down."

He watches her for a long moment, then makes his way inside, since she's been holding that door for a while.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing lightly, Rien gives a nod, "Well I'm sorry if it came off that way. I was just trying to share something with you from my own experience." She smiles at him and murmurs, "You know how well that would go over with Robbie. If he even acknowledged all the things he's been trying to change, he would just brush it off anyways." She looks him over, then shrugs, "I mean, I see the chair, but I don't... the chair is just a thing. It doesn't make you any less capable as a person, and you're certainly more stable than a lot of people your age."

Once they're through the door, she drops a hand to his shoulder, squeezing, "Whoa... this is a LOT of manga..." Rien is looking around the store with wide eyes, then back to Gabe, "I... where do we start?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
More stable, and in many ways more emotionally mature. Certainly when compared to his brother.

Gabe wheels inside, and grins at the question, glancing up and over his shoulder at Rien. "Well, I know what *I* want to look for. What kinds of stories do you like? I can make some recommendations."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Hmmmmmm... well, I loved Princess Mononoke, of course. But I like Inuyasha, too. Oh! And what's the one on Netflix... Uhhhhhhhm... Fairy Tale? Fruits Basket? I can't remember. That was funny." Rien shakes her head and gives a shrug, then smiles towards Gabe, "How about you recommend something you think I'd like and I'll start there?"

She's still looking around, smiling at some of the little stuffies or figurines of characters from various manga. Looking back towards Gabe, she chuckles, "I'm... what's the term? A newb? To most of this."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Hmmmm." Gabe pretends to think about that, squinting up at Rien slightly. "Actually, Fruits Basket is a good one for you. Or, uh.. Fushigi Yugi. Or-- oh!" Gabe wheels away, beckoning for Rien to follow him. Once he's figured out the organisational scheme, he veers off down one of the aisles, and thumbs along the row of spines until he finds, "How about Yu Yu Hakusho?" He slides out what looks like volume one, and holds it out to her.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing, Rien moves after him, hurrying to keep up as he wheels off down the aisles. She loses him briefly when he turns a corner but his scent doesn't like and she picks him up again quickly. When she catches up, he's already pulled a volume and it offering it out to her. Amused smile on her face, she takes the book and looks it over, "Sounds interesting. I'll try it!"

Then Rien is smiling at him, "Any other recommendations? I tend to have a good bit of free time on my hands when I'm not actively working." THen she's nudging him lightly, "Don't forget to pick some stuff out for yourself, too."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He smiles, watching her look the book over. "I mean, if you don't like it, that's okay too. It's, um. About this guy who's good at street fighting. Kind of.." He makes a face that looks an awful lot like one of Robbie's scowls. Then instantly brightens up again. "And he dies, and fights demons." Gabe shrugs. "It's kind of fun. I mean, dark, but fun."

Wheeling away again, he slides out another book and waggles it at her. "You could also try Tenshi Muyo. It's a lot more well known. And don't worry about me, I know what I want." He looks her right in the eyes when he says it.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"You'd be surprised the sorts of things that interest me, Gabe," Rien takes the book with a smile and wink for him. Then he's off again and she's chasing after him. The next one is accepted without hesitation, "Oh I've heard of this one! I kept meaning to do something and look it up but I kept forgetting until it was too late."

Tucking that one next to the Fruits Basket, she looks up just in time to catch his look, his words. She blinks, letting out a breath, "Ohhhhhhhhkay.. Gabe." SHe cuts herself off, then smiles at him, "C'mon, lets get your books and we'll swing by to make Robbie jealous before we head off to dinner."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Okay, okay," Gabe laughs, letting her know he'll meet her at the checkout line before disappearing for a few minutes. When he turns back up again, he's got volumes three and four of 'My Hero Academia' on his lap. "Ready to go?" he asks, digging out his wallet.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing, Rien nods and agrees, moving towards the checkout, lingering here and there to look at some of the silly cutesy stuff. When he meets up with her, she's smiing and giving a nod, "Ready if you are!" She glances to the wallet, then purses up her lips, "Mmmmmmm, okaaaaaaay, but I get to pay for dinner. Deal?" She holds her hand out towards him.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Gabe slides his purchases onto the counter, then glances at the hand offered toward him. Does she want him to.. shake it? It's the best guess he's got, so he reaches for it, and grips it firmly, returning her smile. "Okay. Deal." Then he has to release her to go pay for the books, and pauses to ask softly, "You want the keychain, too?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Shaking his hand, Rien uses the grip to tug him in and kiss his cheek, "You're wonderful, Gabe. I hope you never, ever forget that." Then she's releasing him and placing her books on the counter as well. The question has her looking towards him, brows raised, then to the keychain with a smile. "...yeah, actually. I think I would. If you don't mind."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The kiss, of course, makes him turn bright red. And the girl behind the counter smiles brightly at them both as she checks out their items. Including the keychain, which he snags and drops atop the pile with a wink to Rien. "You're the one who's wonderful," he tells her. And blushes more when he realises he's been staring, and the girl is waiting for him to pay. Mumbling an apology, he taps his credit card and grabs the paper bag. "Ready to go?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Chuckling, Rien looks to the girl behind the counter and smiles, "First date for us." Then she's looking back to Gabe with that bright smile, squeezing his shoulder, "I'm ready. Actually, here, let me run ahead to make sure they're getting the car." She drops her touch to his hand and squeezes once more, then turns and heads off to get the valet to pull the car around.

Once she's handed off the ticket, she goes back to hold the door for Gabe, beaming at him, "I hope you're having as much fun as I am."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The cute couple has clearly made that girl's day. Most of the people she has to deal with are probably considerably less pleasant. As for Gabe, well. He just looks pleased as punch to be able to show off the girl he's spending the evening with.

"Are you kidding me?" he retorts, laughing. "This has been amazing. Wait till Robbie sees what we got. And he's gonna be *so* jealous about the car." He beams back at her as he wheels through the doorway, and rolls up to the passenger side of the porsche.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Grinning towards Gabe as she climbs in the driver side, the valet nice enough to put Gabe's chair in the back for them, she tips the man generously and off they go! The Porsche really is like a large cat, just purring it's way through the city. They take the streets and corners through the city before pulling up outside of Canelo's. The honk is given a small tap and the window rolls down so Rien can smile and wave at the working men.

"Hola Robbie! Gabe queria pasar y saludarnos de camino a la cena!" She leans back to Gabe can lean forward to wave, "Quieres que te llevemos algo a casa?" Like they aren't in this utterly GORGEOUS car, just chatting.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
By the time they roll up to the shop, business seems to be in full swing. There are a couple of cars being worked on in each bay; one's hoisted up on a lift, having its innards dismantled, while the other appears to be in for a simple oil change.

Robbie, as luck would have it, is just finishing up with a test drive of a hatchback that came in for some brake work. He pauses once he's climbed out, clipboard in hand, and squints at the gorgeous car that's rolled up. And cracks a rare smile when he spots who it is.

The hatchback's door is shut, and he makes his way over amidst a few wolf whistles from the other guys. Hey, it isn't often they see beautiful machines like *this*. "Hey, babe," he greets, a little shyly. "You two ain't done with your date yet, are you?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien chuckles as he approaches them, smiling up at him and shaking her head, "No, we just had a few minutes before our dinner reservation. Gabe wanted to drive by and say hi and make all the guys jealous with the hot car." Winking at him, she adds, "We're changing plans a little, though. Instead of the mall, we're catching a movie. Gabe reminded me that the mall tends not to stay open too late."

She turns and smiles at Gabe, "We should probably head out soon, though, if we want to make the reservation. And we still have to pick which movie we want to see." Looking back to Robbie, Rien grins, "Maybe we can bring ice cream home?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie tucks the clipboard under his arm, and leans across the open window to steal a kiss from Rien. "Well, mission accomplished. I'm gonna be hearing about this car all damn night." He lingers there a moment, lips nearly grazing hers, then pulls back and stands up, giving the porsche a solid thump atop the hood. "You two have fun. Hey, bring me back *paletas* instead of ice cream?" Then he's prowling off to go turn in the paperwork on the hatchback.

"See you, Robbie!" Gabe calls out, grinning over at the blonde beside him. "C'mon, let's go. I'm starving."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Returning the kiss, Rien smiles up at him, "Paletas, it is. You enjoy all the griping about your rich, hot girlfriend and her smoking hot car and just rub it in all their faces." Winking at him, she waits for him to take a few steps away before wheeling the car around and heading off. She grins at Gabe, "If you want, we can take the car out the next time you want to hang with your friends. I'll drop you off so they can go green, too."

The trip to Gallagher's doesn't take long, and soon enough they're pulling up in front of another valet, with Rien handing off the keys and getting a claim ticket while someone gets Gabe's chair out of the back for him. She smiles at him as they enter the restaurant, "This used to be a speakeasy in the thirties. Now it's one of the most exclusive steakhouses in the city. You order -whatever- you want. Okay? Don't even look at prices, just order what you want."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie turns to shoot said girlfriend a wink over his shoulder, and keeps going. Meanwhile, several other sets of eyes are on her borrowed car as she whips it around and zooms off.

"Wow," Gabe laughs as they head for the restaurant. It's a cool, slightly crisp evening, and the sun's gone down by this point. "How do you afford all of this? I never asked you what you do." For work, he means. "You live in the Hamptons, and rent high end sports cars.. shit, you're not some secret Fortune 500 CEO or something, are you?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing lightly, Rien shakes her head and glances at him, "No, but you wouldn't like the answer, and it's not really good dinner conversation. If you still want to know when we're headed out, I'll tell you then, okay?" Because getting into how you make money as a demon hunter gets... grisly. She steps up to the podium and smiles, gives her name. Then they're lead to a table, one that's near a window (not the bathroom or kitchen), that will leave plenty of room for Gabe's chair.

Once they're settled, she smiles across at Gabe, "So what sort of movie would you like to see? Gods know there's plenty of them showing at the moment. Anything that's caught your interest?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He looks puzzled at that reply, and more than a little curious. But doesn't press for the time being. Instead, once they're escorted to their table, he shrugs out of his jacket and drapes it across the back of his chair. "Umm." His brows furrow slightly, then smooth again as he fingers the menu. "Let's talk about the movie later."

He glances up at her quickly, then back down again, blushing. "Rien, I uhm. I really like you."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Settling into her chair, she lifts a brow at him and sets her menu aside briefly. "Okay." She peruses the wine list to see what they have on offer, then looks back to Gabe when he starts to speak. She sets the wine list down as well and smiles softly at him. "I know you do, Gabe. And I like you, too. You're a lot of fun to hang out with and talk to."

She still looks a little worried, however, and her fingers continue to worry at her napkin. RIen's been dreading this, if only because she would rather but off her arm than hurt Gabe.. but she also can't reciprocate his feelings.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Gabe, however, isn't stupid. Nor is he blind. He's seen the way she looks at his brother, and the fact of the matter is.. he'd also rather bite off his own arm than betray Robbie.

Taking a deep breath, he opens his menu up and pretends to read it while they talk. It's a decent enough distraction. "I know you don't want to.. date me. And I only just broke up with my ex, like, two weeks ago. So I'd hate for you to be a rebound anyway." He grins up at her nervously. Then the humour fades. "I really do like you. But.. what I was gonna say is, I think we'd make better friends. So you don't have to worry about anything, okay?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien's relief is palpable, even if she's still in a bit of turmoil. Taking her cue from him, she draws the wine list back over and murmurs, "I would be... insanely lucky, to have you for a boyfriend, Gabe. And were I still single, I wouldn't hesitate to explore it with you." She glances up with him, waiting until she can catch his eyes, "I love both of you. Yes, it's in different ways, but that doesn't make it any less real."

Smiling softly at him, she murmurs, "I'm honored to be your friend, and... I am thrilled to be part of your family. I don't think you fully understand yet just how much it means to me that you've both accepted me in. That we can have this here, tonight, together." Drawing in a deep breath, she glances away, blinking lightly. "But I hope one day I can share with you, why family and being part of one, has been so important to me."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
The younger man looks pretty damn relieved, himself. He's probably been psyching himself up for this conversation all night. Swallowing, he flips the page in his menu to peruse the main courses. Since he can't exactly *drink* yet. "I know," he tells her softly, lifting his eyes to meet her blues. "Don't tell me I don't understand, because I do. Me and Robbie.. we lost all our family. All we got is each other. That's why he's so.." Prickly? Angry? Distrustful?

He watches her still as she looks away, then reaches across the table to try to squeeze her hand. "I hope you can, too. I wanna hear about it."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien offers a flicker of a smile, but it's weak and she can't hold it for long. He'll find out soon enough. Or not. She doesn't want to see the pity on his face. On anyone's face. Returning the squeeze to his hand, she murmurs, "It's... you need to understand. THer'es nothing, nothing, normal about my life. Everything is going to require a big dose of keeping an open mind and accepting that there's... that a lot of the things you might have only thought of abstractly... are real."

That said, she looks back to the menu, "Do you want some of their coffee? They make an excellent cappuccino." Rien glances up at him, her smile a little stronger. "Oh, also, they have a shareable steak, if want to try that. Otherwise, the strip here is possibly one of the best cuts of meat I've ever had." She pauses, then adds, "And they have onion rings for a side. But like.. seasoned and battered."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Hey-- hey, it's okay." He keeps his hand on hers for a few moments, and gives it another squeeze before withdrawing. His palm isn't calloused like Robbie's, but then, he's more of an intellectual than.. someone who works primarily with his hands.

"I'm sorry. For what I said before, about.." He bites his lip. "About wanting things to be normal. It's just.." He glances back to his own menu, silent for a long while. Then a slight nod. "Yeah, sure. The coffee and the steak, sounds amazing." He laughs a little. "Is there any other way to have onion rings?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien smiles, returning the squeeze before withdrawing her hand, "I'm not embarrassed, or ashamed, of my heritage. My upbringing was.. extreme.. but I only want you to know going in that it's.. going to be a bit of a wild ride once we start going into my past." She lifts a small shrug, then looks back to the menu, "I know, or, at least, I understand. You two have had a lot of upheaval and craziness over the past few years. You want something.. easier. Uncomplicated."

Glancing up at him, her smiles twitches upward, "So do I. Instead, we got each other and even though it's not what we'd originally wanted, I think we can both agree that we're all better off for having found each other." Then she's looking back to the menu, "Do you want shrimp or lobster with yours?"

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"I can handle it," Gabe promises, seeking out her eyes again with his far darker ones. "Wanted," he corrects, when she talks about upheaval and complications, and what he wants. "I wanted something easier." He smiles when she asks the question. "Lobster."

The server returns a few moments later, and asks if they're ready to order. Gabe's happy to rattle everything off, and allow Rien to add anything he's missed, before the young woman smiles at them and bustles off to relay it to the kitchen.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Adding her wine order and a side of brussels sprouts to the order, she smiles at the waitress before turning back to Gabe. "Wanted," she agrees with a smile and lifts a shrug. Rien clears her throat, then looks at him, "I have no doubt that you can. It's just... a lot. And it really only gets crazier the deeper in or farther back I go into my past." She smiles faintly.

"You asked what I do for a living. I hunt demons. It's.. why I exist." Rien flashes a wan smile and glances down at the table.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
He nods slightly when she gives him the warning, and takes another steadying breath. There's no menu to fidget with now, so he's forced to focus on her face while his hands remain knotted loosely in his lap. "Hunting.. demons," he repeats. "Like Kimetsu no Yaiba." An awkward laugh. "It's, um. About a kid who becomes a demon hunter after they kill his family and turn his sister into one." Because to him, she's an awful lot like an anime character.

"Do you.. does someone pay you.. for it? Like, in money?" He's trying to keep an open mind here.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"It's... not that simple." Which, given that she's saying that about an ANIME should say something. Rien draws in a breath and lets it out slowly, "I exist today, because my grandmother summoned a demon to protect her child... my mother... in the 1930's. That demon turned out to be.. rather nasty. It couldn't die, and any time it was defeated, it simply returned, stronger than it had been. My mother trained to fight and banish it, but.. my mother's family, while sorcerous, are still only human. They needed someone that could -fight- the demon while they banished it. Someone the demon couldn't easily kill. Then my grandmother remembered a man, a mutant, who had helped to save her daughter when she summoned the demon. My father." Yeah, Rien's parents first met when her mom was a little girl.

She sighs softly and sips from her water, "So my mother was tastked with seducing Logan, sleeping with him, so she could conceive. The clan's magic ensured that the baby, me, was both mutant -and- sorcerer. I got all my father's mutant abilities, plus the magical abilities of my mother's family. For the first... sixty years of my life, that's all I did. Train to fight the demon... and fight the demon." Pausing, she shakes her head, "But this is getitng into background, and that's a much longer story."

Looking back to Gabe, she smiles faintly, "Not generally. But.. demons take hosts. And hosts don't tend to survive those incursions. Nor do demons choose often to live in squallor or poverty. So.. you could say I collect my fee when there's nobody to oppose it." She has quite an art collection. Wine collection. Money. Stocks and bonds. All of them acquired through demons masquerading as people.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
It's all.. a lot. Like she warned him it would be. Midway through her story, his cappucino's arrived, and he takes tiny sips of it while listening to her talk. Once she's finished, he blows out a slow breath. "I mean. I've wondered.. about Robbie. He comes back hurt all the time. Stays out late at night. He won't talk to me about it, but.." He looks up to her slowly, like he's been afraid to ask this for a while. "Is that something to do with you?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Her wine also arrives, leaving her to nod her thanks to the waitress before she's looking back to Gabe. There's a wince and a small shrug, "Not always. We're part of the same group that deals with... oddities. Not always demons, but sometimes. But Robbie has knowledge all his own that got him into this world. Not everyone in it is like me, or even like Captain America or Spider-Man. Some of them are just... people, that happen to know things or are good at something that we lack." Rien hates this part, not lying to him, but also not telling him the full truth.

But she also has to respect Robbie's wishes.. and so she does. Sipping from her wine, she murmurs, "But occasionally we do end up out together and get interrupted by... non-human assholes."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Part of a *group*? This is clearly new, and uncomfortable information for him. The youth is quiet for another long while, sipping his coffee and looking out the window contemplatively.

Eventually, he leans back in his seat. "You're not telling me everything," he observes quietly. There's no real censure in his tone, but perhaps some sadness. "I hope you will, when you're ready."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien looks at Gabe and shakes her head, "Not all of it is mine to tell. But you need to let him tell his part when -he's- ready. His biggest fear in all of this, has been that something might happen to you. He loves you Gabe, so much that he refused to even entertain having a relationship." She pauses, then smiles faintly, "Until I bullied him into it." Sobering, she watches him, "You're his greatest strength and weakness all at once. And I know this is frustrating, it has been for me as well. But.. give him some time. He's coming around."

She smiles across at him, reaching over to lay her hand over his. "Just.. trust him. Okay? Trust him to tell you when he's able."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Yeah." Gabe makes an amused snort. "He does that a lot. Pushes girls away, because of me." The way he says that, the kid's probably not entirely happy about it.

"Anyway, enough about my brother. Are you, um. Are you a superhero, then? Like Wolverine?" He grins at her.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Well, to be quite fair... they probably weren't the kind of girl you would want sticking around anyways. I get the impression Robbie wasn't exactly picking them up from reputable places," Rien chuckles softly and lifts a shrug at him. She glances down at her hands briefly, then back to him with a small laugh. "Fair enough."

His question has her smiling softly and lifting a shrug, "I wouldn't call myself a superhero, but I probably fit the criteria. I am one of three leaders for a sister group to the Justice League. We specifically handle magical, mystical, and otherwise occult happenings."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Not really," Gabe admits, looking awkward as he glances down at his cappucino. His brother's destructive sexual habits are.. hardly something he wants to discuss, though.

Thankfully, Rien changes the subject, and their food arrives; and god, does it smell good. "I didn't realise I was so hungry," he tells her, reaching for an onion ring, and raising his brows when she mentions being.. a leader? "Seriously? I mean. I can see it. You're very.." He blushes. "Um, assertive."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Chuckling softly, she gives a nod, "It's a fairly new development, but it was a role I was happy to step into. I have more practical experience with these things than most people in our line of work. If only by dint of age." Rien lifts a brow at him and smiles faintly, "Yes, though that's not why I took the offer. I see being a leader more as... helping to direct others towards what they want to do. Teaching, talking to people, leading them in battle... they all share similar aspects."

She sips from her wine, then draws in an appreciative breath, "Oh yes... all natural meat, no harsh chemical additives, no steroids... this smells wonderful." Hence why they've gone to one of the higher end places. She can tell when a place uses inferior product.

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Whatever you say," Gabe answers with a laugh, and slices off a piece of steak. "I mean, I'm sure you're a great teacher and everything, too. At least, you're good at explaining Japanese to me. But you're also.. not like other girls." He watches her a few moments, then smiles and looks back to the window. "Don't know what to call it."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Cutting up her own steak and lobster, making sure she drizzles some of the clarified butter onto a bite of lobster, then spears it and a brussels sprout half and a bite of steak onto her fork so she can enjoy the whole bite together. Chewing on it, she manages a grin for him. Shaking her head, Rien murmurs, "I'm not like most -people-." She smiles softly, "But I hope that that's in a good way."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"It's in a really good way," Gabe promises her, winking. Then the rest of the meal is diverted to lighter topics of conversation, including the question of the hour: which movie to see?