[Bela was absolutely loving the attention he was paying to her, finding it quite gentlemanly of him. It doesn't take her long to get settled in her seat, smiling over at Leon.]
Can't go wrong with wine and fresh bread. You can choose the wine if you like.
[Her expression softens at his words, feeling touched by them.]
Thank you. I really like your suit, Leon. You look so good in it.
Shit. So, it's on me if I pick something awful, huh? [He asks with a soft smirk, but he feels oddly nervous all the same. He looks down the list, not really knowing the first thing about any of the wines listed. So, he ends up doing what any sane guy would do and he picks one that's just on the upper end of the mid-priced wines.]
You really think? [He smiles sheepishly at the compliment.] All the black isn't too much? Thanks.
What're you thinking of having? I got a steak last time I was here, it was great.
Not too much at all. Although a spot of blue would really bring out your eyes.
[She adds with a soft smile, letting her gaze linger on his face for a few moments before his next question draws her out of it.]
Hm, I'm not quite sure. Steak sounds tempting. [Bela scans through the food menu, humming to herself.] I think I'll have the same as you, if you thought it was great.
[Placing the menu down, her attention goes back to him.]
Hmm. I might need to look at the dessert menu again, so I'm good for now.
[She gives the waiter a smile as well, then glances back at Leon when he asks her a question.]
I've came quite close to being arrested. Particularly when I first started out and I wasn't as skillful as I am now. I'm pretty sure I'm on a few police records. [Bela laughs softly, looking amused.] Possibly in several countries.
[Then she shakes her head.]
That seems like such a long time ago. I live a completely different life here. Crazy, right?
Well, if you decide to order anything, I'll be a gentleman and nobly force myself to try a bite or two, just to make sure it isn't poisoned or anything, y'know? [He gives her a playful smirk and a wink.
He listens with obvious interest, though he finds himself wondering how he's ended up entangled with yet another thief. Though, he can practically hear Ada chiding him and correcting him. She specialized in corporate espionage... it just seemed to involve a lot of theft in his eyes.]
A few police records, huh? So, is Bela your real name? Or an alias?
[He tilts his head a little before frowning slightly in thought.] I... guess so. Kind of. I mean, it's more like a strange vacation than a different life, don't you think? It's not like we're not going back.
I will happily allow you to be my tester first. [Bela laughs again.] How could I refuse such a noble and gentlemanly act from someone like you?
[She's teasing in return.
When he asks her about her real name, there's a brief pause from Bela as she considers how to answer it. While she wants to tell him the truth, she also doesn't want to bring the mood of the evening down.]
It's true. Bela isn't my real name. The surname is real though. [ A beat, ] There's more to the story, but I don't want to ruin our evening.
[The wine is brought to their table just at that moment.]
I suppose describing it as a strange vacation is valid. I don't know if I ever will go back, or if anyone I know here will either.
[He smirks at her response. Very gentlemanly. The most gentlemanly, obviously.]
Mm. Reminds me of someone from home. Pretty sure I've mentioned her to you before. She probably wouldn't call herself a thief, but it's definitely part of what she does.
[He raises an eyebrow.] We don't have to talk about it if you don't wanna, but if you're avoiding it because it'll bring the mood down, don't. We're getting to know each other, right? The good and the bad. 'Cause I promise you most of my history is fucked.
[He swishes his lips.] I dunno, seems everyone goes home. Eventually.
Oh, I like the sound of her. Perhaps we would get along.
[She wonders if he had an interest in this other woman, but Bela keeps that thought to herself.]
Maybe everyone will go home at some point. When the city is done with us.
[Pouring out a glass of wine for each of them, she continues.] And we are getting to know each other, you're right. If you are prepared to share your fucked up history, then I guess I should do the same in return.
[Bela takes a sip from her glass.]
My real name is Abby. I grew up in a nice house. Rich parents. Huge backyard. Anything I could ever want. Speaking of my parents, they were shitty people - ignorant mother and an abusive father. He did things - [She pauses, taking a breath] - he did things to me that a parent should never do to their child. I've only ever told two other people that about me - you would be the third.
When I was fourteen, they died in a car crash. Unknown to me at the time, I had made a deal with a demon disguised as a little girl to 'take care of them for me' and it wouldn't cost me anything for ten years. The cost? My soul. The demon tricked me. Manipulated my pain for her selfish needs.
So if I go back home, I will need to face up to that.
You two joining forces? That'd be terrifying. [He smirks.
Honestly, her ponderance isn't far from the truth, but their relationship was complicated, to say the least. He's perfectly happy not to go into it.]
I mean, if you want to hear anything about my past... it's gonna end up fucked. I wish I was exaggerating. [He's serious as he grimly reveals that. Things haven't really gone well for him.
His expression shifts to anger when Bela goes into talking about her father.] That's awful that happened to you.
And... fucking wild that a demon is involved.
So... if there are demons, I'm guessing that means you know for sure there's a heaven and hell? [He lets the weight of that sink in. He'd been raised Catholic but didn't really believe any of it anymore. For her, it's not like she can avoid believing something when there's proof.]
I do want to hear about your past. Good or bad. [ Didn't matter to her. Bela wants to get to know Leon better and hopefully build up some more trust between them. She likes him. A lot.]
Yeah. It was a shitty thing to go through, but thank you for your sympathy. [Bela lets out a breath, feeling a little less burdened.]
I wasn't sure there was a heaven, until I met an angel from my world here. We never met back home, but I know he's from the same place as me as we both know another person. Who is also here.
[Bringing up Dean would be part of her complicated story. Which she'll probably tell Leon eventually.]
I'm a fan of old horror films. You know, Dracula and the like. One of the actors is called 'Bela Lugosi'. I thought it was a good name.
[He leans back a bit, taking a deep breath before giving her a single nod. He cares about her, as much as he doesn't want to admit it or allow himself to get attached here. And he's more than willing to open up to her like she'd done for him.]
Anything specific? [He plays with the corner of one of the fancy cloth napkins.] I guess, since you gave me childhood stories, I can tell you mine. No demon-pact, at least not that I know of, but my parents died when I was young too.
I was seven, but my memories of them are pretty vague and... sometimes I kind of wonder if anything I do remember might just be me trying to fill in gaps with memories I don't really have, y'know? But I remember my mom being nice. Caring. I don't really remember much of my dad. And I don't remember that night, but I've read the police report. [He sounds fairly detached as he talks about it all. It's always felt like he's talking about somebody else's life when he talks about his parents.] There was a shootout. The official report is it was a hit, maybe from another family. The whole thing was implied to be tied to organized crime.
So, I ended up in the system. Mostly raised in a Catholic Home for Children. St. Joseph's.
[He gives her a nod when she brings up heaven, but it's still such a difficult concept to get his head around. It'd be like someone telling him unicorns existed, or something.
But his face lights up when she mentions movies.] Well, that makes your name a thousand times cooler. I love old movies. And new movies, honestly. Movies in general. Are you mostly into monster movies or everything? Hitchcock? Old war movies? Actually, terrible old scifi movies can be fucking great to watch with someone. [He chuckles.]
[Her eyes widen when he reveals the fate of his parents, unsure if there was anything she could say to make a difference.]
Fuck. Leon, I am so sorry. To go through something like that at such a young age. [Reaching across the table, she places her hand atop of his and lets it rest there.] I could have ended up in the system, but I know that it's not always easy for kids to experience. Thank you for trusting me with this.
[Bela cares about him too, and has felt like that recently, even if she hasn't exactly told Leon that. Forming attachments here was a tricky thing, especially when people could just leave one day without warning.]
Mostly monster movies, but Hitchcock is a pretty good filmmaker. War movies, I can take or leave, but I do enjoy a good drama. [She gives him a bright smile, glad for the lighter conversation topic.]
You know what we should do sometime? Watch a terrible old scifi movie together. Curled up on a couch, with a blanket and popcorn.
[He shrugs a little, still not really showing much emotion about it. The actual event itself barely felt like his life. Had he struggled without parents? At St Joseph's? Absolutely. And those things... those could get rough talking about. He rubs his neck.] It is what it is, y'know. I really don't remember going through it.
[He nods when she mentions potentially ending up in the system, too. He'd wondered about that.] Were you already too old? Or did you have family that took you in?
[He'd also heard of friend's families adopting their kid's friend. Anything is probably better than ending up in the system, but it'd been the early 80s and placing older kids wasn't easy.
Movies are definitely a much easier topic.]
Alright, mostly US monster movies or like Godzilla, too? [He gives her a genuine, warm smile. A rarity for him.] That sounds awesome. Have you ever heard of... Night of the Lepus? Oh, shit, or, even better... Boggy Creek II? Maybe we could each pick a disaster of a movie and make it a double feature, hm?
My parents had money so I didn't have access to it until I turned eighteen. So I had people who came into my home to look after me. No other family.
[Maybe if she did have other family, she could have lived with them. It might have made her life easier when her parents were alive.]
Never seen Godzilla. Pretty much classic monster films - US or otherwise. [Bela returns the smile easily.] I haven't heard of either of those, but yeah, let's go for it. Pick those movies or something similar, make a night of it.
[She looks genuinely pleased, glad to find something in common with him.]
You know, despite some topics we've covered so far, I'm having a good time. I like your company.
I think mine did too... but it was all seized by the state.
Sounds kinda lonely. Did you still go to school? [He's not sure about the idea of having hired help come look in on him, though he guesses it wasn't that different than living with nuns in a group home.]
No Godzilla? Really? Some of the old ones are hilarious. A lot of the old fights are clearly guys in costumes and it's just great. [He smirks, smile turning into something more forced and polite when the waiter arrives with their steaks.]
Same. I always have a good time with you. [He says as he gives her another lopsided smile and gets his knife and fork.] Looks like they cooked these perfectly.
Lonely? Yes. Went to school? No. I was educated at home. [No one else really knew that about her.] Maybe we could rectify it and watch Godzilla here? Or Duplicity's version of it.
[She takes a sip from her glass, looking pleased when their food arrives and they could get stuck right in.]
Always? You're sweet. [Bela smiles fondly, placing down her glass so she could pick up her knife and fork as well.] Right? They look incredible.
[After half her steak is gone and a fresh glass of wine is poured, Bela puts another question to him.]
So, back home, did you work alone or have a partner?
Hm. Sounds super lonely. [He nods though, happy to switch topics to Godzilla.] They've gotta have a version here, right?
[He pauses mid-thought and then makes a face.] God. It's probably weird monster fucking in the suits stuff.
I mean. I'll watch it, but a good mascot suplex is gonna beat bad porn any day.
[He starts to cut into his steak, taking a bite and having to finish chewing before responding.] I mean. It's true so far. Each time we've hung out, I've had a good time. That counts as always.
[His jovial mood falters slightly at the question but he tries his best to take it in stride.] Usually alone. Sometimes I have a team or meet up with other operatives. But it hasn't been the same person twice. [He slices another piece of steak off, keeping the 'everyone I've worked with has ended up dead' part to himself.]
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if it was some kind of bad porn.
[She wrinkles her nose before shaking if off, an amused look crossing her face.]
Oh. That's interesting that you've never kept the same partner. I've worked with people in the past, but like you, I've mostly been alone. Found it easier, you know? Only having to worry about myself.
[Taking a sip of her wine Bela considers asking some more questions about his life back home, but she's also aware that the circumstances weren't so great.]
Yeah, we were all trained for solo missions, but being able to link up with others is pretty vital.
[He says with a shrug, staring off for a moment as he remembers a few of the teams he'd ended up with. So many people dead. Clearing his throat, he sets his fork and knife down, a mix of full and just done with the steak.]
You worked alone but you got hired, right? You took jobs or something?
[He looks at her with a soft smirk, shrugging.] I dunno. If anything comes to mind, I'll just ask. Feel free to do the same.
Yeah... sounds familiar. At least from what I know about my friend's clientele. [Psychotic bioterrorist and corporations looking to steal scientific research. Definitely not great people. And he can only imagine the types who would be looking for magical artifacts and cursed shit. Yeah, definitely not people anyone would want to cross.
To help lighten the mood a little, he crosses his legs under the table, lightly nudging her ankle with his foot with a little smile.]
I'd love to split something with you... and I'd love to spend the night.
[His action does lighten the mood as Bela grins at him, nudging his ankle back in return, sliding her foot up a little before she stops, not wanting to take it too far. Not yet anyway.]
Good, I'm glad to hear that. Let me know what dessert you fancy and I'll call the waiter over.
Do you like chocolate? Last time I was here, I kinda eyed it but uh.... we decided on a different kind of dessert. [He gives her a quick, subtle wink.] No reason for us to be in that kind of hurry though. We can always have both. Dessert here and "dessert" back at your place.
I think they have cheesecake too if that's more your speed.
Oh, I fully intend to have "dessert" with you back at my place. [ She says, nudging his foot again. ] And I love chocolate. You can order us both the same or something to share if it's too much for one person.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Bela was absolutely loving the attention he was paying to her, finding it quite gentlemanly of him. It doesn't take her long to get settled in her seat, smiling over at Leon.]
Can't go wrong with wine and fresh bread. You can choose the wine if you like.
[Her expression softens at his words, feeling touched by them.]
Thank you. I really like your suit, Leon. You look so good in it.
no subject
You really think? [He smiles sheepishly at the compliment.] All the black isn't too much? Thanks.
What're you thinking of having? I got a steak last time I was here, it was great.
no subject
[She adds with a soft smile, letting her gaze linger on his face for a few moments before his next question draws her out of it.]
Hm, I'm not quite sure. Steak sounds tempting. [Bela scans through the food menu, humming to herself.] I think I'll have the same as you, if you thought it was great.
[Placing the menu down, her attention goes back to him.]
Did you have dessert?
no subject
[He nods as he glances at the menu as well.] It was. I feel like I shouldn't be boring and should try something else, but, man, it was really good.
No dessert. Did one catch your eye?
[He gives the waiter a polite smile when they return with the wine and gets their steak orders in.]
So... if you stole stuff back home, you ever get arrested or anything?
no subject
[She gives the waiter a smile as well, then glances back at Leon when he asks her a question.]
I've came quite close to being arrested. Particularly when I first started out and I wasn't as skillful as I am now. I'm pretty sure I'm on a few police records. [Bela laughs softly, looking amused.] Possibly in several countries.
[Then she shakes her head.]
That seems like such a long time ago. I live a completely different life here. Crazy, right?
no subject
He listens with obvious interest, though he finds himself wondering how he's ended up entangled with yet another thief. Though, he can practically hear Ada chiding him and correcting him. She specialized in corporate espionage... it just seemed to involve a lot of theft in his eyes.]
A few police records, huh? So, is Bela your real name? Or an alias?
[He tilts his head a little before frowning slightly in thought.] I... guess so. Kind of. I mean, it's more like a strange vacation than a different life, don't you think? It's not like we're not going back.
no subject
[She's teasing in return.
When he asks her about her real name, there's a brief pause from Bela as she considers how to answer it. While she wants to tell him the truth, she also doesn't want to bring the mood of the evening down.]
It's true. Bela isn't my real name. The surname is real though. [ A beat, ] There's more to the story, but I don't want to ruin our evening.
[The wine is brought to their table just at that moment.]
I suppose describing it as a strange vacation is valid. I don't know if I ever will go back, or if anyone I know here will either.
People can just leave without warning.
no subject
Mm. Reminds me of someone from home. Pretty sure I've mentioned her to you before. She probably wouldn't call herself a thief, but it's definitely part of what she does.
[He raises an eyebrow.] We don't have to talk about it if you don't wanna, but if you're avoiding it because it'll bring the mood down, don't. We're getting to know each other, right? The good and the bad. 'Cause I promise you most of my history is fucked.
[He swishes his lips.] I dunno, seems everyone goes home. Eventually.
CW: reference of child/sexual abuse
[She wonders if he had an interest in this other woman, but Bela keeps that thought to herself.]
Maybe everyone will go home at some point. When the city is done with us.
[Pouring out a glass of wine for each of them, she continues.] And we are getting to know each other, you're right. If you are prepared to share your fucked up history, then I guess I should do the same in return.
[Bela takes a sip from her glass.]
My real name is Abby. I grew up in a nice house. Rich parents. Huge backyard. Anything I could ever want. Speaking of my parents, they were shitty people - ignorant mother and an abusive father. He did things - [She pauses, taking a breath] - he did things to me that a parent should never do to their child. I've only ever told two other people that about me - you would be the third.
When I was fourteen, they died in a car crash. Unknown to me at the time, I had made a deal with a demon disguised as a little girl to 'take care of them for me' and it wouldn't cost me anything for ten years. The cost? My soul. The demon tricked me. Manipulated my pain for her selfish needs.
So if I go back home, I will need to face up to that.
no subject
Honestly, her ponderance isn't far from the truth, but their relationship was complicated, to say the least. He's perfectly happy not to go into it.]
I mean, if you want to hear anything about my past... it's gonna end up fucked. I wish I was exaggerating. [He's serious as he grimly reveals that. Things haven't really gone well for him.
His expression shifts to anger when Bela goes into talking about her father.] That's awful that happened to you.
And... fucking wild that a demon is involved.
So... if there are demons, I'm guessing that means you know for sure there's a heaven and hell? [He lets the weight of that sink in. He'd been raised Catholic but didn't really believe any of it anymore. For her, it's not like she can avoid believing something when there's proof.]
How'd you land on 'Bela'?
no subject
Yeah. It was a shitty thing to go through, but thank you for your sympathy. [Bela lets out a breath, feeling a little less burdened.]
I wasn't sure there was a heaven, until I met an angel from my world here. We never met back home, but I know he's from the same place as me as we both know another person. Who is also here.
[Bringing up Dean would be part of her complicated story. Which she'll probably tell Leon eventually.]
I'm a fan of old horror films. You know, Dracula and the like. One of the actors is called 'Bela Lugosi'. I thought it was a good name.
no subject
Anything specific? [He plays with the corner of one of the fancy cloth napkins.] I guess, since you gave me childhood stories, I can tell you mine. No demon-pact, at least not that I know of, but my parents died when I was young too.
I was seven, but my memories of them are pretty vague and... sometimes I kind of wonder if anything I do remember might just be me trying to fill in gaps with memories I don't really have, y'know? But I remember my mom being nice. Caring. I don't really remember much of my dad. And I don't remember that night, but I've read the police report. [He sounds fairly detached as he talks about it all. It's always felt like he's talking about somebody else's life when he talks about his parents.] There was a shootout. The official report is it was a hit, maybe from another family. The whole thing was implied to be tied to organized crime.
So, I ended up in the system. Mostly raised in a Catholic Home for Children. St. Joseph's.
[He gives her a nod when she brings up heaven, but it's still such a difficult concept to get his head around. It'd be like someone telling him unicorns existed, or something.
But his face lights up when she mentions movies.] Well, that makes your name a thousand times cooler. I love old movies. And new movies, honestly. Movies in general. Are you mostly into monster movies or everything? Hitchcock? Old war movies? Actually, terrible old scifi movies can be fucking great to watch with someone. [He chuckles.]
no subject
Fuck. Leon, I am so sorry. To go through something like that at such a young age. [Reaching across the table, she places her hand atop of his and lets it rest there.] I could have ended up in the system, but I know that it's not always easy for kids to experience. Thank you for trusting me with this.
[Bela cares about him too, and has felt like that recently, even if she hasn't exactly told Leon that. Forming attachments here was a tricky thing, especially when people could just leave one day without warning.]
Mostly monster movies, but Hitchcock is a pretty good filmmaker. War movies, I can take or leave, but I do enjoy a good drama. [She gives him a bright smile, glad for the lighter conversation topic.]
You know what we should do sometime? Watch a terrible old scifi movie together. Curled up on a couch, with a blanket and popcorn.
no subject
[He nods when she mentions potentially ending up in the system, too. He'd wondered about that.] Were you already too old? Or did you have family that took you in?
[He'd also heard of friend's families adopting their kid's friend. Anything is probably better than ending up in the system, but it'd been the early 80s and placing older kids wasn't easy.
Movies are definitely a much easier topic.]
Alright, mostly US monster movies or like Godzilla, too? [He gives her a genuine, warm smile. A rarity for him.] That sounds awesome. Have you ever heard of... Night of the Lepus? Oh, shit, or, even better... Boggy Creek II? Maybe we could each pick a disaster of a movie and make it a double feature, hm?
no subject
[Maybe if she did have other family, she could have lived with them. It might have made her life easier when her parents were alive.]
Never seen Godzilla. Pretty much classic monster films - US or otherwise. [Bela returns the smile easily.] I haven't heard of either of those, but yeah, let's go for it. Pick those movies or something similar, make a night of it.
[She looks genuinely pleased, glad to find something in common with him.]
You know, despite some topics we've covered so far, I'm having a good time. I like your company.
no subject
Sounds kinda lonely. Did you still go to school? [He's not sure about the idea of having hired help come look in on him, though he guesses it wasn't that different than living with nuns in a group home.]
No Godzilla? Really? Some of the old ones are hilarious. A lot of the old fights are clearly guys in costumes and it's just great. [He smirks, smile turning into something more forced and polite when the waiter arrives with their steaks.]
Same. I always have a good time with you. [He says as he gives her another lopsided smile and gets his knife and fork.] Looks like they cooked these perfectly.
no subject
[She takes a sip from her glass, looking pleased when their food arrives and they could get stuck right in.]
Always? You're sweet. [Bela smiles fondly, placing down her glass so she could pick up her knife and fork as well.] Right? They look incredible.
[After half her steak is gone and a fresh glass of wine is poured, Bela puts another question to him.]
So, back home, did you work alone or have a partner?
no subject
[He pauses mid-thought and then makes a face.] God. It's probably weird monster fucking in the suits stuff.
I mean. I'll watch it, but a good mascot suplex is gonna beat bad porn any day.
[He starts to cut into his steak, taking a bite and having to finish chewing before responding.] I mean. It's true so far. Each time we've hung out, I've had a good time. That counts as always.
[His jovial mood falters slightly at the question but he tries his best to take it in stride.] Usually alone. Sometimes I have a team or meet up with other operatives. But it hasn't been the same person twice. [He slices another piece of steak off, keeping the 'everyone I've worked with has ended up dead' part to himself.]
no subject
[She wrinkles her nose before shaking if off, an amused look crossing her face.]
Oh. That's interesting that you've never kept the same partner. I've worked with people in the past, but like you, I've mostly been alone. Found it easier, you know? Only having to worry about myself.
[Taking a sip of her wine Bela considers asking some more questions about his life back home, but she's also aware that the circumstances weren't so great.]
Is there anything else you want to know about me?
no subject
[He says with a shrug, staring off for a moment as he remembers a few of the teams he'd ended up with. So many people dead. Clearing his throat, he sets his fork and knife down, a mix of full and just done with the steak.]
You worked alone but you got hired, right? You took jobs or something?
[He looks at her with a soft smirk, shrugging.] I dunno. If anything comes to mind, I'll just ask. Feel free to do the same.
no subject
[Finishing off her meal, she takes another few sips from her wine before topping up her glass.]
Okay, I'll ask you if I can think of something I need to know about you. [With her free hand, she runs her fingers along the inside of his wrist.]
Oh. I just thought of one. Well, two. [She grins.] Do you still want dessert and will you come home with me tonight?
no subject
To help lighten the mood a little, he crosses his legs under the table, lightly nudging her ankle with his foot with a little smile.]
I'd love to split something with you... and I'd love to spend the night.
no subject
Not yet anyway.]
Good, I'm glad to hear that. Let me know what dessert you fancy and I'll call the waiter over.
no subject
I think they have cheesecake too if that's more your speed.
no subject
I can get cheesecake some other time.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
ooc: I think we could wrap up here :>