You Might Not Believe In Me

Who: Gabriel and Anais
What: Commiserating with a co-worker over drinks
When: Evening
Where: Canidae

London had been a disaster. Gabe was utterly convinced that no matter how long he spent moseying around the Earth, he’d never quite get used to just how cruel humans could be to one another. Evidently the old gypsy had been right about what he’d seen and there was nothing about his visions that could be avoided, there had been nothing the OSI could do to stop the riots that erupted. Gabe and Anais had left so quickly, they’d hurried across borders and tried everything in their power to identify the groups that were destined to clash, to find out how and when and where, to stop it… And they still hadn’t been able to. They’d run themselves ragged and still had to watch as humans and supernaturals alike collided with both themselves and one another. It was at the point that their mission had turned from one of prevention into one of containment. They were directed to, at any cost, keep all news about the ‘London incident’ from leaking out; at that, they’d managed to be successful, at least. Only the most vague whispers of something having happened had reached Amsterdam; Gabe had kept an ear to the ground just in case, just to make sure that he and his partner had done what they could. News of something like London would only to serve to spark the idea in other parts of the globe and there weren’t enough OSI agents to go around. Police and military alone weren’t quite capable of handling such large, supernatural-heavy incidents just yet and it was scary to think what could come of an inappropriately managed riot. It could end up so much worse than London had.

Once they’d returned to Amsterdam, sleep had been the main thing on Gabe’s mind since he’d foregone it for most of their time out of the country. He’d taken a couple of days to relax, to recoup, then promptly invited his partner to meet him for beverages where ever she wanted. That’s what co-workers did, right? They commiserated over some horrible aspect of their job, usually over alcohol. The stuff might not have been capable of having much of an affect on a seraph, but that didn’t mean Gabe didn’t enjoy it just the same. He’d heard about Canidae but had never been – then again, working for the OSI in the unofficial supernatural capital of the world didn’t leave you a lot of time for socializing. So tonight was the rare chance to just out and be amongst his own kind, even if they weren’t his own race, to relax and get to know a bit more about his new partner in a non-occupational setting.

There was already a line outside the bar by the time he arrived and Gabe had no problem waiting patiently, I.D. in hand for the doorman when he finally reached him. Even dressed in one of his suits for work, he was aware that he barely looked the legal drinking age in most countries, let alone his actual age, so it was no surprise when he was continually carded. Tucking his wallet back into his back pocket, Gabe stepped inside the bar, letting his gaze sweep over the sizeable crowd gathered inside. An earlier text from Anais had informed him she’d be waiting at the bar for his arrival and, sure enough, he could see her towards the end, a fresh drink sitting in front of her. He set off to weave his way through the mass of bodies, emerging to lower himself onto a stool at her side, “Hey.” Flashing a lightly dimpled smile, he turned to the bartender for a minute to place his order, “Gin and tonic, please. Top shelf.” If he was going to drink and not be able to get drunk, he at least wanted to do it on quality alcohol. “Have you recovered from the trip yet?” Gabe inquired after a moment, adjusting his glasses as he glanced her direction. He wasn’t over what he’d seen, he probably never would be, but rest had left him feeling a bit more like himself.

Who: Gabriel and Anais
What: New partners meeting up for the first time
When: Mid-Morning
Where: An upscale hotel downtown

Gabriel would never be able to say for sure what had driven him to enlist into training to be an OSI agent. Maybe it had just been that, after all these years, it finally seemed like things were coming to a head for his kind, that supernaturals were starting to pick sides either by choice or because their hands were being forced. Pruflas, the stubborn old man, had made the decision for all of them, had ‘outed’ them on national tv without a care in the world. Now they were all feeling the effects in some way or another; if a supernatural hadn’t felt that call to action yet, they would soon. Some of them, though it couldn’t be helped, were turning against the humans and it was difficult to watch the violence, especially when you were hard-wired to be a guardian, a protector. Working his way into the ranks of the Office of Supernatural Investigation seemed to be the only way, the best way, to serve his natural purpose.

And now here he was, freshly flown in from the stateside office of the OSI and being ushered into an unmarked car, to be whisked off to some fancy hotel to meet his new partner. He’d heard that she was good, one of the brightest that they had to offer and that his stellar record had landed him a place at his side. He assumed she wouldn’t be all that welcoming, that she’d see him as a burden, a punishment that they were all saddling her with. Surely no one with as much as experience as she had would want to have to baby-sit the new kid. It would simply be his goal to prove her wrong, to show her exactly what had made him the best. People tended to like Gabe, they tended to feel calmed by his presence. It was something about being a seraph, it always left people feeling soothed, protected by his kind. Taking into consideration how some races were reacted to, his was looked upon more favorably than most. Hopefully his new partner wouldn’t be immune to his ‘charm.’

Settled into the back seat of the car, Gabe watched the streets of Amsterdam fly past the window, the car rolling to a stop in front of an impressively large building. The doorman moved to open the door for him, his escort, Agent Denman, climbing from the front seat to join him. “You’re partners name is Anais Capra. She’ll be waiting for us in room 1211 on the east side of the building. We’ve arranged for the two of you to have breakfast, to get to know one another.” Gabe nodded, a slight smile at the edge of his lips – it all sounded fine, unless the two of them hit it off like a lead balloon. He followed Denman into the elevator, leaning back against the mirrored walls as it carried them up to the secured twelfth floor of the building, a soft ding signaling their arrival before the doors swished open and they were moving again. The pair paused long enough at the end of the hall for Agent Denman to knock loudly before using his key to enter, leading the way into the heart of a rather impressive suite. A table set with a variety of breakfast items and two steaming cups of coffee sat waiting. “Agent Capra, may I introduce your partner, Agent Desmarais.”