Participants:
| Scene Title | How Do I Stack Up Against SIG? |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | There's a discussion about Flint, about where they stand with each other and a certain Kudzu covered island. |
| Date | August 3, 2009 |
New Orleans - French Quarter
It wasn't a long trip here but that much wind and speed and rapid movement can wear on a body. Once Vic tears into New Orleans past a blur of street lamps and cars which he passes like they're standing still, he is right in the middle of the French Quarter. There he sets Abby down and then wobbles on his feet. He looks pale and suddenly falls to his knees. "Whoa…" he says with a low chuckle, laughing it off. "Been too long since I went that far in one burst. Wow. Hoo!"
"I told you that you should have stopped part way through Victor" Abigail chides Childs as she hooks an arm under his to help haul him back up. "Convenient for us, you put us RIGHT in front of a restaurant" Abigail gestures to the two story building and the tables with people on them. People who are looking at the pair who seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Everything's in front of a restaurant," protests Vic as he winces a little, getting to his feet. The nuclear furnace of his metabolism is running on spent fuel rods right now. "No more crazy speed for me until I have some chow. Hey guys!" He offers a wave to the staring people. Then an arm to Abby to escort her with. "Shall we, madam?"
"Good point" Abigail laughs, a heat rising to her cheeks as the arm is taken, her slim arm sliding around his and heading in to the restaurant proper. "Thank the Lord above there's no big to do happening lest we not get a hotel room" She murmurs, resting her head for a moment on his shoulder. "And look, no phone calls about injured priests, serial killers coming for me or.. other things"
"I know. You're gonna be spoiled rotten with all the normal." he kids, grinning widely. Victor gets the door to the restaurant for Abby, and inside they are immediately assaulted by the jovial noise of zydeco music being played on a small stage by a live band inside. The lighting is reddish and subdued, with muffled hanging lamps at each table.
A cute college-age girl in a t-shirt about two sizes too tight for her greets them. "Table for two?" she asks with a winning smile.
Vic answers her with a nod and, "Yes, please. Non-smoking."
The couple are led to a table next to the bar and given menus, their initial drink orders taken. Vic asks for a Mountain Dew but has to settle for a regular Sprite. They don't have Mountain Dew.
Plain ol water with lemon for Abby, nothing stronger. The menu is opened, prepared for some down home cooking, and to burn the roof off her mouth. "Yeah. Well. One can pray to the Lord above that it will only just continue like that. Normal" But she and Victor both know that it's highly unlikely.
"I kinda think God intentionally puts us in positions where normal stuff doesn't happen. I don't mean everybody. I mean like you and me specifically. And the people we know." Vic peruses the menu and says with a pained moan, his brows furrowing, "Oh I'm so hungry…" He bites his lip and flips a page, mourning the fact that he has nothing to eat yet. "You know, I really like your dad."
"I think you are right on that. The Lord had a reason for me to have come to New York, for putting me in your path and you in mine" But the topic of her father comes up. "He likes you too. While we were fishing, I think.. he was meaning you when he said I had a nice catch"
That makes Vic grin widely. "He really said that? Oh man." Now the pressure's on, isn't it? "Well at least the parents approve of me." His eyes come away from hers as their waitress comes back with their drinks and then takes their order. Victor being the gentleman he is looks at Abby to let her order first. When it's his turn he gets an all you can eat dish. For a reason that he will not share with the waitress. Once she leaves he says surreptitiously, "I've had to learn to find the all-you-can-eats. They're the only way I can keep on my feet."
"You should just come to the bar Vic, I'd feed you" She chides again. "And yeah, he.. he approves. I'm sure Momma does as well." Parental approval is necessary. "Even with the canoodling and kissing on the porch" Being caught chastely kissing. Abigail orders to, not an all you can eat dish. "Still put out for the reasons why I brought you with me?" She's fishing, curious and wanting to know if he is still bummed and put out seeming.
Actually Vic seems quite over that. If he was ever on it really. He shrugs though and looks down at the table once they're alone again. "Not really." he admits. Then he says something that keeps him from meeting her eyes at all. "We're pretty far from home right now. Together. It's not the kind of place I ought to be trying my luck with you, Abby, but I want to ask you something and I want you to promise me you'll tell me the truth." Oh. It's one of those things.
"I don't know if you noticed Victor, but I tell you the truth all the time. You just choose to believe that I'm laying through my rear" Which is, sure, yes, go ahead to the speedster and she settles her hands around the glass of water and lemon slice.
"Oh come on that's not true." remarks Vic with a grin and a glance at Abby. "I know you're telling the truth, Abby. I admit I didn't used to, but I do." He sighs and looks down again, fiddling with his silverware. "What do you think of me?" he asks. Then, because he knows how non-specific that is, he asks, "And how do I stack up against Scruffy Illegal Grandpa?"
"Your not scruffy, your not illega. When you sit beside me, you don't shoot me strange looks, or get all nervous when I look in your direction. You Victor, are above scruffy illegal Grandpa" And he is. These two weeks, she's appreciating how … there Victor is, and how easy it is to be with him.
The answer brings a look out of Vic that is serious and not at all smiling or grinning. It's a solid locked-on look right at Abby. "I told Gillian I think I'm falling for you." he says simply. Then, "And I don't you're there with me." At least he talked to Gillian.
"Yeah, you'd said that before" Abigail murmurs. Seriousness marks her face too. "Do you want me to say that I love you? Because if I did, that would be true, but not in the way I'm sure that you do me. Am I falling for you too…" Abigail shrug gently. "I'm ankle deep, maybe. But I'm trying"
Vic shakes his head and lightly bumps the table with his fist a few times, looking down again. "No. No it's not like that. I don't want some artificial thing back. I just." He leans his chin on his palm and looks a little deflated. "I'm kind of in a bad spot, Abby. And it kind of sucks that your parents met me and like me. In a totally illogical way, I mean. Because I feel like maybe that's a little more pressure on you. And I don't want you pushed toward me. I'd kind of rather you were pulling. Does that make sense?"
'Victor, how long have we been dating?" She hadn't wanted to have this conversation, not here, not now.
"Seven weeks and three days." replies Vic, eyes shifting to Abby as he betrays a brief grin. Hey at least he's not being such a drama queen as some might.
"can we re-evaluate, where we stand at… twelve weeks? A lot has happened in seven weeks and three days. A lot more can happen in twelve weeks" She points out genially to the other guy.
At that Vic gives a nod. "Sure thing." he says warmly. Then reaches a hand for Abby's and looks her in the eye. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to drama up our time together. Truth is there's nowhere else I'd rather be right now. Even at work doing my job." he begins to laugh at that, "Really, especially not at work, doing my job."
"And i'm enjoying being here Vic, with you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have told them we were heading to Orleans, heck, we would be still on the porch. I'll make it up to you, that i'm not pulled towards you yet, like you are to me. I'll take you to my Island before we go home"
Her hand entwines around his, holding tight.
"Your island?" asks Vic. He raises an eyebrow at her, squeezing her hand. "What's with the island? Buried treasure? A Forrest Gump tire-swing?"
"Where I escaped to when I needed a break from my parents. I can get there by a dinghy, it's real easy and there's event this old shack on it, covered in Kudzu." She grins. "Never took anyone there before"
For some reason that makes Victor grin widely. "Wow." he says, voice soft. "Abby…" Were they an L-Word couple he would've said it just then. "I don't think I've ever had a girlfriend offer to do something that special before." That ought to say it all.
"Maybe we'll find a walmart and buy sleeping bags and head back there, at an easier pace, and spend the night there?" She offers. "Or a tent, the place is big enough to pitch a tent and a fire"
Huhuhuhuh, she said pitch a tent.
"Hey that's a cool idea." he says, grinning. "I'm not very good at camping though. Never been much of a country boy. Anyway if you wanna get back tonight I'm gonna need to feed like whoa. This is not going to be pretty. You've never actually uh. Seen me. Do this. Have you?" Vic starts to get a little of that worried sideways look at her.
"Nope, but don't worry, i'll leave a good tip, to compensate for your enormous appetite, besides. I used to eat a lot when I could heal" There's a flicker of a frown, really, it bothers her still, her heart tightens in her chest still thinking about it, but she smiles wide. "It's not far from home, if you get to chicken about the alligators and crocodiles, you can speedy us home" There's a soft chickenc lucking under her breath.
Vic smirks sideways. "You realize I can like, break walls down and stuff right? I seriously have never come across somebody I couldn't beat in a fight. Even though I busted myself apart on Gray, he lost that fight you know." Yes, he is a guy. Yes, he will take male pride in that. "I could whip a gator's butt." But he must sense the twinge of expression in Abby's features because he gives her hand another squeeze before letting it go. "You still miss it?" he asks.
"I don't think Victor, that I'll ever stop missing it. Like a man with an amputated limb still feels phantom pains" But she'll live with it, and the waitress is bringing food and plates. "Lets stop talking and get you fed, and I'll tell you, about a man name Francois, and what he did hmm?"
Oooh food! It's easy to distract Vic with that. "Sure thing! Hey wait…is Francois some Cajun guy from New Orleans?" He narrow eyes at Abby, giving her what is a fake-jealous look in play even while dinner is served.