Ric nodded. "He was an Acolyte, too." He thought that might help bring home the point. "It's been... a few months, maybe. At the most." He shrugged again and dropped his now spent cigarette to the ground, crushing it under the toe of his shoe. "Alex is a good guy, he's just... strained right now. Not making excuses, amigo, but you should know the facts." He flashed him another little smile, though it was somewhat forced.
"Hey, I'd be pissed about a black eye, too. Only gotten one once when I wasn't pissed about it." Oh that black eye had been so worth it, even if it was not a story to be shared with the general public. Was he a friend? Ric's lips settled into a thin, thoughtful line. "He... Gabe had issues," he stated flatly. "I'm not saying he was a great guy, but at the end of the day, he tried to do the right thing." He shrugged and settled his back more comfortably against the post he was leaning against. "That's more than I can say about a lot of people."