It is a perfect summer day on Shell Beach. Not a cloud appears in the brilliantly blue sky, and a pleasant sea breeze keeps the sun-kissed ground comfortable
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If ever there was an unexpected guest, it is the man in black who sits at the very back of the place. He was hesitant to make any promise to come, since his work is by its very nature unpredictable, but he is here. The cut of his suit is modern, light grey, and precisely the sort of tailored clothing for a beach wedding. There was a time he moved with a crowd to which that sort of thing mattered.
He sits through the ceremony ready to make a very quiet exit if he should receive any emergency calls from Burbank, but the day is a blessedly quiet one back home. Perhaps he'll manage to stay at the reception a short while. His gift is left on the appropriate table, and he signs the guestbook as simply 'The Shadow', assuming Sarah would expect nothing less.
The young man a couple chairs down from The Shadow keeps looking at his watch. Uh, no, wait, he's talking to his watch. Just the occasional comment. Since he's not part of the wedding party, he gets to watch his beautiful Melinda stand up next to the bride. He sneaks in a wave at her once, but tries not to be disruptive.
On the way out of the aisle, he almost bumps into the Shadow, fumbling clumsily with the wedding program. "Oh, geez. Sorry!"
Mel is dressed in a blue dress, formal enough to look good at a wedding, but she's not trying to draw attention to herself. This is the bride's day. When she sees him wave at her, she beams, but she doesn't try to be disruptive.
When the ceremony is over, Melinda goes off to find Gibbs. The bride and groom are swamped with people already, so she can wait her turn. "Hey, baby." When she sees the tall man Gibbs has bumped into, she smiles as well, although she doesn't recognize hi. "Hello." She's practically beaming. The attitude at the wedding is infectious.
The Shadow is quick enough to move out of the way, if barely. "That's all right." Tall and imposing, with piercing blue eyes and a fierce nose, he could nearly be some distant cousin to Aloysius. He looks to be in considerably better health, of course.
When Melinda approaches his eyes sweep over her face and narrow briefly, just for a moment. She looks... familiar, but the hair is the wrong colour, and there are a number of subtle differences. He gives them both a polite nod, and stands to one side to let other people pass by.
"Hey pretty lady. Can I have a dance?" He kisses Mel on the cheek, then looks embarrassed because he just kissed her right in front of this spooky stranger...
"Uh, are you a friend of Sarah's?" He asks politely, offering a handshake. "I'm Cornelius Gibbs."
Mel grins at the kiss, and gives him a smooch back, not concerned with the spooky stranger. She places her hand in the one Gibbs isn't offering a handshake with.
"I'm Melinda. Melinda Athenasia." She'll offer a handshake when Gibbs is done.
He gives them each a formal, polite handshake. His grip is powerful, but he's careful to only give marginally more pressure than he receives. "I know Sarah, yes, through the Nexus." If he is smiling, it's difficult to tell, but his expression is not unfriendly. "You may call me The Shadow."
Gibbs squeezes Mel's hand gently and nods to the Shadow. Strange name, but that's the Nexus for you. "Mel is from the Nexus, but I'm native. Uh, welcome to the City?"
If they try to call him 'The' as a first name, he will be very disapproving, but they seem polite enough. "Thank you... I've never visited here before, but it's very picturesque." It might even be nostalgic, but he hasn't seen enough of the place to know that yet. He is trying to be polite, but friendly has always been a forced act for him, and he no longer puts the effort into it that he did when he was younger.
"Something to drink would be good," Mel says. "I didn't get so nervous I forgot to breathe, so hey." She glances over at The Shadow and smiles. "Would you like to come with us?"
"...I may not be able to stay long, but thank you." He makes a vague gesture to let them go first, and the heavy girasol ring on his hand flashes in the light, spinning.
Gibbs links arms with Melinda and heads for the refreshment table. "Breathing is important," he informs her, then asks the Shadow, "What kind of work do you do," just for the sake of making conversation.
While Gibbs should certainly get credit for his attempt, he will likely pay for that innocent question. It might have been worse, however, had he made some comment to the effect of assuming the old man is retired.
He follows them, footsteps nearly silent in the sand. There is the briefest moment of hesitation, only because he wonders what Sarah will have to say if he frightens away her other wedding guests. "Vigilante crime-fighting. Mainly in New York." At the very least he wishes to clarify that he doesn't operate in this city.
He sits through the ceremony ready to make a very quiet exit if he should receive any emergency calls from Burbank, but the day is a blessedly quiet one back home. Perhaps he'll manage to stay at the reception a short while. His gift is left on the appropriate table, and he signs the guestbook as simply 'The Shadow', assuming Sarah would expect nothing less.
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On the way out of the aisle, he almost bumps into the Shadow, fumbling clumsily with the wedding program. "Oh, geez. Sorry!"
Reply
When the ceremony is over, Melinda goes off to find Gibbs. The bride and groom are swamped with people already, so she can wait her turn. "Hey, baby." When she sees the tall man Gibbs has bumped into, she smiles as well, although she doesn't recognize hi. "Hello." She's practically beaming. The attitude at the wedding is infectious.
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When Melinda approaches his eyes sweep over her face and narrow briefly, just for a moment. She looks... familiar, but the hair is the wrong colour, and there are a number of subtle differences. He gives them both a polite nod, and stands to one side to let other people pass by.
Reply
"Uh, are you a friend of Sarah's?" He asks politely, offering a handshake. "I'm Cornelius Gibbs."
Reply
"I'm Melinda. Melinda Athenasia." She'll offer a handshake when Gibbs is done.
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He follows them, footsteps nearly silent in the sand. There is the briefest moment of hesitation, only because he wonders what Sarah will have to say if he frightens away her other wedding guests. "Vigilante crime-fighting. Mainly in New York." At the very least he wishes to clarify that he doesn't operate in this city.
Reply
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