a little ficlet of kinda exploring my view of these two. Gabriel is a double agent, working with Talon for his own reasons, and Akande knows this and allows it bc he wants to bring Gabriel to full commitment. "Not that I don't enjoy this little game, Gabriel, but you have to know you could accomplish so much more if you would pick a side rather than straddling the fence." They were dancing, salsa music filling the conference room with a pulsing, vibrant beat. There was no one here to pay witness, and thus no one here to interrupt this most important of dances. "Who says I'm playing games, or that I haven't accomplished my goals?" Gabriel's face is split by a grin, his formidable mask abandoned in some far corner. There were no need for masks between the two of them - they were men made familiar to each other through years of allegiance and conflict, through hours of fierce argument and sweet nothings, and there was little they could hide from each other. The conversation they walked now was just another step in the game - Akande, pushing forward, ever striking first offense, seeking commitment. Gabriel, letting the taunt breeze by, hs effortless cool firmly in place. Akande, wanting the Reaper fully committed to Talon's mission, wanting Gabriel to embrace the nobility of what they were working towards. Gabriel, pretending ignorance and hinting at darker turns, never giving him what he wanted. "The future is now. Humanity's evolution will happen and Overwatch is to be the crucible upon which it is is forged. Overwatch, which your own prodigee has now embraced once more. If you had met your goals, Darkling, you wouldn't be here, in my clutches." A cool hand moves down Gabriel's back, interrupts the flow of the dance to draw him close. Robotic joints shift over the faints nods of his spin until he can they curl around his hip. This too, is part of the dance. "Mm, you might have a point. What reason could I have for being here besides work? Hmm... I wonder what could it be?" He shifts closer, tips his head back. "Could it be the benefits?" "If that were all it took to sway you, I'd already have a ring on your finger. You've made your point - we can discuss your commitments later." He dips his head; their lips meet. The music plays on, but the dancers are lost in their own world for the moment.
