Gideon Bennett

Chris scrunched his nose up at all three of the names, shaking his head with a mock look of disgust on his features. “Alright, now you’re just insulting me with those names – I take it back, I don’t want a name if they’re going to be as daft as that,” he grinned.

Reaching for her now-cold mug of coffee, Charlie downed what mouthful was left before one shoulder raised and dropped in a careless shrug. "Well — unless you know a thing or two about rootkit malware coding and cryptovirology, I think I’m shit out of luck on that front.” Not many people who did know about hacking showed up in this cafe, or maybe they did because Lord knew the wifi was fast in these parts. She shook her head a moment later, “It’s fine. Just been staring at the numbers too long.”

“Oh I assure you, it is only an act. I have more skill actually playing poker to be honest. My mother taught me.” She smirked, making her move.

“She did? My dad taught me poker, against my mother’s wishes. I was better in Black Jack though.”He replied, overseeing the board to consider all his options.

“My dad lived 60s and 70s. He’s been in Woodstock, ugh I am so jealous of him to be honest. 80s was a great era too. God yes, the movies! I remember 90s too.”

“Woodstock? Can’t say mine was ever there. I mean.. I’ve never asked.” Gideon chuckled, facepalming himself when thinking back about the 90s. Awful! My school pictures of those years. Horrible. “

“I don’t think either Hitler or Napoleon were thinking when they did it, they were power hungry. I wouldn’t say dumb, more or less, very very naive. They didn’t have the technology we do now. How were they supposed to guess what the weather was supposed to be like in December, in the middle of the 1940′s?” Callie shrugged her shoulders. At least it was common knowledge now. 

“Because Russia is, and was a cold ass country back in the day. It’s cold in France in December. And they would’ve had people who had been in Russia or knew about it for military purposes. They probably thought it would work to their advantage.”

“Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. They got divorced and a lot of people are acting like their lives are over because of it.”

“Brad and Angelina.. Brangelina... Okay that’s clever thinking.” Gideon snickered, shrugging his shoulders before he uncrossed his ams. “If they divorced, it must’ve been for a good reason. None of anybody’s business.”

Oh, wow. You’ve been all the hell over then. Does your job take you from place to place or are you just a traveler? That’s really neat though. Different experiences all over! I’d love to be able to do that. 

“Oh no! Nothing like that. I lived in Derby until I was seven, moved to Montreal for my father’s work. I’ve been gone from Montreal for almost ten years, serving in the army. Back there for about ... two years. Now I’m here for a new start I suppose. Picked up my fiancee in California, moved here instead of back to Montreal.” He explained. Sure he missed home, but he was in a dire need of a clean slate, one that Montreal no longer offered. “Yourself? Lived here all your life or moved here too?”

“The only thing Napoleon proved was that he was a short motherfucker”

“Actually, and this was proven, he wasn’t short at all. Medium sized. He was about One meter seventy. I think that translates to... five feet five inches? Not sure though.”

“ —… Hey, man, y’look like shit. You alright? Need a cuppa coffee or something?”

“Please.” Gideon begged, rubbing his eyes. Sleep deprivation was really starting to bug him, especially after it had gotten worse when he moved to Brooklyn. He was just hoping he didn’t keep his fiancee up at night with his walking around and tossing and turning in bed. “You’re a hero.”

“Today I confiscated a pencil that some kid whittled into a sharp knife. I only knew he had it because he was threatening someone else with it in the middle of my lecture.”

“Why did I choose to teach at a high school in Brooklyn, again?”

“Because you just love to pass on intelligence to the next generations that will represent this country after we’re gone. Including those using pencils as shivs in classrooms. You gotta have those that stand out.”

“Uh, hey, hi. Excuse me?” Forced, overly polite smile pulling at her lips, Nora held out a neon flyer that pictured a bug-eyed dog, the words ‘CHIHUAHUA AT LARGE’ framing the photo. “Do you mind if I leave this at your table? Maybe you could even take a look at it.” In hindsight, ‘missing dog’ would’ve worked just as well, but she was running on little sleep and had already spent too much money on the copies to think of redoing it. She’d been canvassing the neighborhood for hours now, hanging flyers in post offices and leaving them on cafe tables, pushing them under people’s noses like she was now. “If you see him, his name is Snarls Barkley.” Nora shrugged, the dog leashes hanging around her neck jingling. 

His mind wasn’t with him today. Half sleep deprived from his twenty-four hour shift and the fact his insomniac brain had only given him three hours of sleep in the night, he had been hoping his ordered cup of extra strong coffee could chirp him up. It did not. So when the woman came towards him, holding a flyer in front of him with a chihuahua.... he was confused. Eyebrows furrowed, blue tired hues looking up to meet hers. “Snarls Barkley?” Gideon questioned, before taking the flyer, laying it down. “Yeah I’ll -- I’ll keep an eye out. When did you lose him?”

“Say Cheese”

“Go to college they said, it will be fun they said. No! I’m two failure grades away from jumpin’ off a bridge.”

“I’m sure you’ll manage. You just feel that way right now, focus on them one by one, it’ll be easier.”

Well, if you’re here on a visa, no. But if you’re legally an American citizen, of course. Because…then you’d be…an American citizen which would grant you the rights of every other citizen, you know? Where are you from? Story time.

“Guess I can vote then.” Shit. He didn’t particularly like any of the two options. “Montreal. Moved here a little while ago with my fiancee. I lived in Derby before that, England.”

Josephine looked up at the male with a raised brow. “You really don’t know? If so you’re officially my new favorite person.” She laughed. 

“Not a clue.” Gideon confessed, a tiny smile growing on his lips due to her laughter. “Seriously though, what is it?”