(Untitled)

[gabriel_grey]

Gabriel sat at his desk, pouring over the photographs and paperwork Eiko had given him. The house was a few miles east of the Shropshire Hills, and due south a half-mile from St. Albans. He could stand out in the garden and see the mountains separating England from Wales. It was beautiful country, and he remembered how much he'd missed home. It

Comments

[objective_ali]

Most of the vegetables have learnt to fear Alistair over time. He makes a mean veggie ratatouille. The turnips, however, never learn. They're bellicose things, you see.

He clomps up from the cellar with a few of them in a basket and sighs. "Anyone for stew or should I just toss these to the Nexus again?" A pause. "Hey, nice photos."

[gabriel_grey]

"Ah. Up to you. I'm trying to abstain from things that have the ability to tell me to piss off." He turns in his chair to look at Alistair.

"It was a gift."

[objective_ali]

He sets the basket down and peers a little closer at the photos. "What, the photos were--oh." His eyes flicker over the other papers and then he looks at Gabriel. "You're moving." It's not a question. He can recognise a relocation when he sees it.

[gabriel_grey]

Gabriel sighs. This is the part he wasn't wanting to deal with. Alistair was a very good, close friend of his, and was one of the largest reasons for staying so long.

"After I came back from the killer universe, she offered the place to me. It's on a mundane world, no Nexus whatsoever. I... Ali, I'm tired of being pulled every which way. I'm tired. I'm..." He makes an empty gesture with one hand. The scars from the glass are thin, white lines over his forehead and his cheekbones; they still haven't faded, and likely wouldn't for some time. A reminder of how lucky he was. Again.

"I'd like to give you the cottage, if you want it."

[objective_ali]

Alistair sits, listening to this, blinking. At the offer, his eyes flick about the room. "I..." He blinks more, shaking his head slightly. "I..." A deep breath.

"I don't blame you." A pause and he grins a grin a four-year-old wouldn't believe, not completely succeeding in keeping the slight waver out of his tone. "A place of my own... wow. Thanks... I mean, seriously, thanks... I just..." He pushes a hand through his hair. "All my own."

[gabriel_grey]

It feels like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders, and his heart.

"I assume you'll plow the garden over, aye?"

[objective_ali]

Alistair looks out the window. The carrots are attempting to form ranks again. "Ohhhhyeah. I'll just uproot the whole thing and give them to somebody. Maybe build a porch or something."

He looks at the photos again. "'S gonna be ... pretty quiet... without you guys."

Which is Alistair-ese for 'AWGAWD WHAT AM I GONNA DO ALONE?!?!?!?!'

[gabriel_grey]

"It's not as if we're goin' t'die, mate. We'll be around. And you're welcome to come for visits. Dinner. Breakfast. A walk around the countryside..." Smile. He no getting away from them, you know.