AP Target Practice | Page 1 | Gone But Not Forgotten | Guild Forums

Beyond The Time
Vice Captain

Dapper Dabbler

Offline

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 9:19 pm

Characters: Gabe and Xena
Plot: Gabriel finds a bangle and seeks to return it to its owner. Its owner finds him first.

Posted: Fri May 09, 2025 12:07 pm

ＧＡＢＲＩＥＬ ♫ ＭＯＮＴＧＯＭＥＲＹ
ＤＵＫＥＯＦＭＵＳＩＱＵＥ

As the days got colder, it was getting harder and harder for Gabriel to wake up and get ready for the day. Mornings were already a hurdle for him, but as it got chillier, he just felt an increasing urge to stay wrapped up in a blanket and snooze. It didn't help that he'd been having trouble getting to bed these last few weeks. Ever since that torturous return to Arioso, that reopened wound continued to fester and either kept him from falling asleep or woke him up in the middle of the night. Tossing and turning had become the norm. Even worse, he almost found himself going out of his room with a plaid top. If he hadn't picked up on it as soon as he did, Anika most certainly would've had him walking the halls shirtless.

Thankfully, he was clearheaded enough today to avoid such worries. That wasn't really saying much, considering neither tea nor espresso seemed to be doing a thing for him, but at least he wasn't dozing off...often. There may or may not have been a point during breakfast when he almost slumped over. But a few squints here and a few extra blinks there, and he was back to tip-top shape. Well, relatively speaking anyway.

Making his way out of the dining hall, Gabe was proud that there was at least no stumble to his step. He was so ready for the day. That's it, Monty. Just fake it 'till you make it. Giving himself a nod, he began to make his way to one of the lounge areas. Today was a free day, but he still wanted to stay productive so he'd have less trouble come the next day of classes. With that in mind, he decided to sit down and finally read a novel he had checked out the day prior. It was a recommendation given to him by little Lei, and he was looking forward to seeing what else caught the eye of one of his most attentive readers.

Speaking of something catching one's eye, there was a glimmer in the corner of Gabe's that caught his attention. Almost surprised I noticed that, all things considered. I guess that newfound light sensitivity I got from spending time with Michael has paid off. Smiling warmly, he found what he'd spotted on the floor and close to the wall. It was a gold band with diamonds encrusting the edge about a half-inch apart from one another. As it was rather small, the way the jewels shone under the right light made his spotting the band quite the stroke of luck.

Picking it up, Gabe took a close look at it. I wonder who left it. Probably shouldn't keep it lying around here, but how would I even get this to its owner? Gabriel stood there for a second, thinking of how best to go about this. Through the haze still hanging over his groggy mind, he vaguely recalled a student who helped Anika find Syena. He couldn't think of their name, though, so he'd start with his princess. The dorms were a long walk from here, but he really did want to make sure the band went back to the right person. And so it was that Gabe began his detour from the lounge. While it might cut into his reading time, the grim reminder he'd gotten of things he'll never get back made him especially conscious of something like this. If he could do his part to save someone from that hurt, he would.

Location: Hallways
Company: No One
OOC: Outfit, Sunglasses

Beyond The Time
Vice Captain

Dapper Dabbler

Offline

Ristar Black

Sparkly Bookworm

14,375 Points

500
500
500

Offline

Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2025 11:00 pm

LOCATION: Her dorm - Academy halls xxx COMPANY: No one - Thief xxx CLOTHING: Xena’s outfit (Middle one)

"Speaking #7900ac""Thinking #7900ac"

Clothing flew through the air as Xena tore apart every inch of her room. The damn thing just HAD to be here! She remembered putting it on the last time she had left to visit with Ducky. It was one of her favorite bracelets, so she always wore it whenever she could. Her arm felt weird without it and it was driving her mad not knowing where it was. Shoes, books, and then her comforter followed her clothes as she moved onto the next part of her dorm. Where in the bloody hell is it?!

”I really don’t want to have to call for the hounds…” She grumbled the words to herself as she searched, her mind drifting off to her beloved pets. Dixie, Cooper, and Roscoe were her usual way of finding her lost thing, since Rah used a special kind of metal they had been trained to find. But it was sure to be at least two days before they could get to the academy, and she couldn’t go that long without the bracelet. So, she would continue tearing through the place until she found it. Or she’d go crazy trying.

After another twenty minutes, with no luck, she growled out an annoyed curse and snatched up a pair of black boots from the pile she’d made. She plopped herself down on her bed and pulled them up over her navy fitted pants. Next came her corset, setting it over her shirt and tightening the laces all the way to the top. Xena didn’t bother with a coat, not at all bothered by the cold, then stormed out of her room. She was going to find the damn bangle if it was the last thing she did. And heaven help whoever happened to find it before her.

As she stalked through the halls of the academy, she did her best to retrace her steps. She had gotten breakfast with her siblings, argued with Richie over who was the best wrestler of all time, then had gone off to visit Ducky. She was fairly certain that she had been wearing it during their time together. She usually didn’t take her jewelry off during their time together. Not unless she felt it got in the way. Usually her necklaces, yeah, but never her bracelets. Panic began to roll through her the longer she went without finding the bauble, not wanting to have to face her sister when she told her she had lost it. Not that Rah would be upset. No, her sister had the kindest heart of all the Martian children. Xena would punish herself far harsher than her little sister ever would.

Her mind was so lost to her surroundings that she didn’t realize she had company until she nearly walked into someone. His presence registered just in time to have her side stepping, annoyance dancing over her features as she looked up. She didn’t immediately recognize him, but she knew he had to be a royal or noble of some sort. He was too nicely dressed to be a servant. Though, what was up with that vest? Xena was tempted to comment on it, but knew she didn’t have time. She had to find that bracelet!

”Hey, why don’t you watch where you are going? There is all that other part of the hallway, you know? You could always…” Her voice trailed off at the glint of something in his hand. Shock and delight flashed in her eyes at the sight of her bangle, followed closely by vengeance towards the man currently holding her possession in his slimy grip. ”Where did you get that?” Her voice was low, deep, and deadly. There was only one right answer she would accept, and the man standing before her had better figure out what it was before she took matters into her own hands.

OOC:

Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2025 9:00 am

ＧＡＢＲＩＥＬ ♫ ＭＯＮＴＧＯＭＥＲＹ
ＤＵＫＥＯＦＭＵＳＩＱＵＥ

As he neared the dorms, Gabe realized he really didn't have much of a plan on how to ask whose bracelet this was. He never actually asked who the mystery investigator Anika hired was...maybe they have a sign or something on their door? Then again, that would be pretty silly... This meant his best bet was going straight to his princess, which wasn't the worst thing. There would probably be bartering involved, but it's not like he didn't enjoy their banter sessions. Part of him wondered if it would've been better to have just left the piece of jewelry there, but what if it had gotten knocked around at some point? He had to help in some way, right?

Gods, I am such a Leo.

Snickering to himself at his own foolishness, he hadn't noticed the footsteps coming his way until it was too late. Or...almost. As the whisper of someone's presence deftly avoided him at the last second, a dark-haired woman with eyes of powder blue came into his purview. He'd seen her around before in class, but she wasn't someone Gabe had gotten around to speaking with yet. She seemed to be pals with the great wall-breaker from passing glances and that sort of trouble was something he would rather avoid. Today, however, it would seem that he would not be so lucky.

"Hey, why don't you watch where you are going? There is all that other part of the hallway, you know? You could always"

"Uh, excuse you t-"

"Where did you get that?"

Before he could finish his retort, his classmate was on him like ink on paper. With the way she was looking at him, it was as if Gabe could literally feel the daggers being shot his way. There was a wrathful air to his peer's stance that had the hairs on the back of his head stand up. Gabriel stopped walking at that point, getting the sense that he should proceed with extreme caution. Perhaps all those near-death experiences were starting to amount to something. "So, uh..." began Gabe slowly, standing stiffly in place and keeping the bangle held up in place. "Maybe we can take a breath and handle this calmly, yeah?" Unlikely, he surmised. Taking a breath, he eased his posture as best he could. If he was gonna try and deescalate whatever this was, he'd have to be calm. Concise.

"I found this on the ground and all I'm trying to do is bring it to its owner. That, uh...would that happen to be...you?"

Stellar work as always, Monty.

Gabriel was really hoping that his classmate wouldn't notice the bead of nervous sweat that he felt forming on his forehead after his absolutely A+ speech. But maybe things would be fine. This was fine. Right? He did what he was asked to do. He was polite, more so even than the person currently grilling him. If it's hers, than he just gives it to her. The end. Please let it be the end.

Location: Hallways
Company: No one -> Xena
OOC: Outfit, Sunglasses

Beyond The Time
Vice Captain

Dapper Dabbler

Offline

Ristar Black

Sparkly Bookworm

14,375 Points

500
500
500

Offline

Posted: Fri Jul 04, 2025 4:41 pm

LOCATION: Her dorm - Academy halls xxx COMPANY: No one - Thief xxx CLOTHING: Xena’s outfit (Middle one)

"Speaking #7900ac""Thinking #7900ac"

The words that spewed from the man’s lips had her eyes widening a bit in surprise. Did this guy have a freaking death wish?! Those were definitely not the right words to say to her right now! Red began to fill her vision, her hand moving to the dagger she kept tucked into the back of her pants. A quick flip of her wrist brought it out of its sheath, turning the point onto the man. She was going to gut him and leave his carcass for the servants to find. It would be a suitable punishment for what he had just said to her.

”Oh no, my good sir. There will be no breathing and definitely no ******** calming down from me! Who the hell do you think you are?! Do I look like the type that would be okay with what you just said? Or are you just so ******** slow that you don’t understand when you are in a situation far outside your realm of understanding?” As she spoke, her feet moved her closer and closer to the man before her. Her ears began to ring as the barbarian within her began to take over, her powers kicking in to give her the best way to end his short and pitiful life.

It wasn’t until his lips began to move that she realized he was speaking to her again. Probably begging for his life. No, she wasn’t going to show this one mercy. She was going to enjoy cutting him up into human carpaccio. Maybe she’d bring her hounds to the school and feed him to them. Let him watch as her pets devoured him inch by inch. The idea sounded perfect, even better than the idea to leave him in pieces all over the school for the staff, and his friends or family, to find.

”You found it on the ground, huh? Funny thing about that.” Another inch brought her closer, her blade moving in closer to where she could see his heart racing in his throat. He was starting to sweat, to panic over the situation. Good. She wanted him to be freaking out right now. To worry over what horrible things she was going to do to him. Maybe he’d even try to run. It had been so long since she’d had herself a good hunt. Just thinking about it had a wicked look passing over her features, the expression turning her face from pissed off to almost demonic.

”I don’t just throw my things carelessly on the ground. And that was made to fit me and only me.” Her voice deepened with every word she spoke, taking on an almost growl-like quality. Yeah, she was slipping into dangerous territory. Did she care? Not in the slightest. He had to pay for thinking it was okay to touch something of hers.

”So, tell me this, how could it have ended up on the ground? Are you sure you didn’t try and swipe it for your girlfriend? Or to try and sell it to get yourself some more of those seriously ridiculous looking vests?” Xena paused for a moment to wave her dagger in front of his chest, motioning to the outfit he had chosen to wear out in public that day. In the back of her head, she knew he didn’t look all that bad. Right now? She saw every inch of him as ridiculous. Nothing more than a pitiful excuse of a thief.

”Because from where I’m standing, those seem like a much more plausible reason for you having something of mine than me just losing it.” Her blade returned to where she’d had it pointed at his throat, not wanting to have him thinking she wasn’t serious. There was nothing she took more seriously than people touching her things. Especially the gifts her little sister had made for her over the years.

OOC:

Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 1:40 pm

ＧＡＢＲＩＥＬ ♫ ＭＯＮＴＧＯＭＥＲＹ
ＤＵＫＥＯＦＭＵＳＩＱＵＥ

There were multiple tells that informed Gabriel of the fact that his attempt to de-escalate the situation were decidedly not working. Her glare only intensified, like she was a predator who'd found her next target. The dagger she pulled out in a heartbeat really helped sell that. Gabe took an instinctive step back, only to realize there was a fairly decent amount of wall behind him. Well that's not good. His nervous sweat increased as he realized he was cornered by someone who had very little interest in talking things through. Because why not just stab first and ask questions later, right? That there had been peace across Lomacht for this long was real proof that there were higher powers at work in this world.

Hey there, great symphony in the sky, it's Gabriel. You wouldn't happen to have a number that could get me out of this mess, would you?

As the women before him continued to close the gap between them, he got the vibe that he would have no such luck. Yeah, I'd probably ******** it up anyways. As his hands now found their way to the wall as well, Gabriel contemplated screaming for help. However, the way his classmate's stare burned into his soul made him feel as though any sort of sudden movements or loud noises wouldn't help his case.

”You found it on the ground, huh? Funny thing about that.”

"Like take your blade away from me funny?"

Instead, her blade came closer still. His breathing was becoming increasingly ragged as the raven-haired rogue continued to be dead set on not listening to a word he was saying. Having something be so irreplaceable that it drives someone this crazy...Gabriel could understand value like that. So many priceless things had been taken from him and countless others. Things that, if the opportunity to reclaim them presented itself, he'd go great lengths to get. In a way, Gabriel almost couldn't blame her for getting on him as she did. However, he also couldn't focus as much on sympathy as he otherwise might have. The mortal peril he was experiencing took precedent.

”So, tell me this, how could it have ended up on the ground? Are you sure you didn’t try and swipe it for your girlfriend? Or to try and sell it to get yourself some more of those seriously ridiculous looking vests?”

Right, because he was a witness to when it fell in the first place. And what was wrong with his vest? Was he just doomed to have everyone mock his fashion sense no matter what? Because assassin's garb is all the rage these days. With her blade lowering to circle around his chest, Gabriel decided not to voice that thought. Unfortunately, the "U-um, well..." that he stammered out wasn't much better. If only he could apply white out to spoken word. Then again, that probably wouldn't help him much. By the low snarl her voice had to, he wasn't sure if there was anything that could keep him from being gutted like a fish. But maybe that same weakness could be used to his advantage.

With her dagger back at his throat after she continued to concoct a narrative that only served to justify her aggression, Gabriel took a very careful breath. "Okay, so...I stole your bracelet? Snagged it off of your wrist and ran? I just, uh...I mean no disrespect, but I'm seeing a few...plot holes." Gabe stood as still as possible. That he was still able to speak at all was lucky enough; he wasn't about to risk it any further. To compensate, his voice performed the trembling that his body could not. Or should not, rather. Try as he might, he was definitely still a bit shaky. Luckily, that could very well help his case. As beads of sweat continued to form, a nervous smile grew on his face.

"F-for example...how could someone like me pickpocket someone as ferocious as you?" Reflexively, he let out a ragged chuckle. "If you couldn't tell, I'm not exactly the most elusive guy around. And how could I be good enough to snatch this off your wrist...but not smart enough to avoid walking down the hallway with it? That doesn't make too much sense, r-right?" Then again, it hadn't seemed like she was too worried about making sense so far. Nor was he too worried about spending too much time rambling, apparently. Turning his head away from the, his eyes desperately darted about to find anyone he might be able to get the attention of. Someone who could save him from the beast of a woman before him. But there was no one.

The Montgomery luck strikes again. ********>

It also dawned on him that his classmate might pick up on his search for a rescuer. Golden eyes hastily retreated back to her unwavering glare as he shot his head back forward. "Please don't kill me," he just barely mumbled out. His powers were useless this close, let alone against someone with such lightning fast reflexes. He'd just have to hope that he could either get her to see reason or keep her talking long enough for anyone to show.

Location: Hallways
Company: Xena
Wearing: Outfit, Sunglasses
OOC:

Beyond The Time
Vice Captain

Dapper Dabbler

Offline

Ristar Black

Sparkly Bookworm

14,375 Points

500
500
500

Offline

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 11:16 pm

LOCATION: Her dorm - Academy halls xxx COMPANY: No one - Thief xxx CLOTHING: Xena’s outfit (Middle one)

"Speaking #7900ac""Thinking #7900ac"

The question he tossed her way had a dark laughter rolling out of her. Oh, this guy was too much! First, he stole something from her. Then he had the balls to try and be a smartass? Like it was going to save him from the horrors she had in store for him? Had she not been nearly blind by the outright rage that was pumping in her veins, Xena might have found amusement in the question. Might being the operative word in that sentence. She was still going to stab him, but it could have been his saving grace. Oh well, tough cookies for him.

”’U-um, well-’ That’s not a reason, pretty boy. Definitely not a good enough one to keep me from carving out the heart I can hear slamming into your ribcage.” Another wave of her dagger followed her words, this point over the exact location she knew his heart to be. She could see it bouncing like a caged animal in his throat, his pulse racing so quickly Xena was kinda surprised the organ didn’t just burst free and leap into her hand itself. What a sight that would be! It gave her a wicked thrill and had her grinning chaotically at him, every pearly white on display like the shark she knew herself to be.

When he finally managed a semi-coherent response, her dark brows furrowed together in consideration. Well now, maybe he was smarter than he looked. Not that she wasn’t over the idea of gutting him like a fish and dancing in his blood. But, he was making a few fascinating points. And he was sweating like a sinner in church. The former kept her from doing as she pleased, while the latter had her wondering if he was trying to pull one over on her. It was quite the conundrum she found herself in, but it was worth it if she got to punish the thief that stole Rah’s bangle from her.

”Hmm, I suppose you do have a point. You don’t really look the type that’s capable of pilfering my jewels from me without me knowing.” As she spoke, her eyes moved over his body in a slow study. He looked more nerd than warrior, a thought that did not work in his favor. She hated nerds. They were a waste of space, in her opinion. If he was one, and he had done the act she was accusing him of, she was sure to never hear the end of it. Especially if Seth heard about it. No, there had to be a better reason. One that, perhaps, went along with what he was saying.

Xena shifted the blade away from him as she pondered, tapping the point of it against her lips as she considered what to do now. If she disagreed, she could be seen as a fool. If she agreed, and was wrong, she would be seen as weak. For showing mercy was just a way to have ruthlessness brought down upon you later. She chewed on the blade as her mind raced, sharp eyes watching him as if it would give her more answers to the questions she kept asking herself. It didn’t, of course, but it did allow her to catch the way he looked around for someone to help.

”Damn it. I’m going to regret this, I just know it.” Snatching the bangle from his hand, she stepped back and sheathed her dagger back onto her hip. She made quick work of returning the bauble to its home, finally feeling whole with it back on her wrist. Not done with him, though, Xena motioned towards the direction he’d come from with a jerk of her thumb. ”Show me where you found it. Maybe there’s a clue there that can show me who really took it. If there is, you might be able to save your a** from getting my name carved into it. Work for you, handsome?”

OOC:

Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2025 1:06 pm

ＧＡＢＲＩＥＬ ♫ ＭＯＮＴＧＯＭＥＲＹ
ＤＵＫＥＯＦＭＵＳＩＱＵＥ

Gabriel was reaaaally starting to feel like he was between a knife and a hard place, which, realistically, wasn't saying much given how literal such circumstances were for him. I've just gotta hope that I'll get to say much of anything after this... The fact that his deadly classmate brought her blade right around her heart wasn't giving him much hope. The mocking that accompanied the movement of her dagger didn't make him feel much better either. If not for the fact that his life hung in the balance, Gabe might've said something about the way she mimicked his voice. Unfortunately, doing so did not seem to be in his best interests at the moment.

When he noticed her brows scrunch in, Gabriel tensed up even more than he already had been. Had his attempt at talking some sense into this ruthless assassin been for nothing? Was this it? Gabriel closed his eyes shut, hoping the embrace of death was as swift as they say. ”Hmm, I suppose you do have a point. You don’t really look the type that’s capable of pilfering my jewels from me without me knowing.” Wait, did he...actually get through to her? Immediately did his shoulder drop, a sigh escaping his mouth. But maybe too soon. Upon opening his eyes, Gabe noticed the way she was sizing him up and immediately went back into panic mode. What was it now? Some final assessment?

Whatever it was, it did yield some benefits. Primarily, the blade she had so far kept barely an inch from him finally got pulled back. Gabriel cautiously took his hands off the wall right behind him, still keeping his actions minimal for the time being. ”Damn it. I’m going to regret this, I just know it.” With no other kind of warning, she just took the bangle right out of his hand and made his heart almost jump right out of his chest. Not surprising, but still unnecessary. His classmate would go on to point in the direction he came from. Intending to find out how she lost her bangle in the first place, she made it clear that there'd be consequences of the getting murdered variety if he refused to comply with her demands.

"S-sure. Sure, yeah. Let's do that."

Gabe was choosing to count this as progress, even if he knew she would still murder him in a heartbeat if she so pleased. He began to retrace his steps back to where he had found the bangle, just barely keeping his breathing steady as he did so. His eyes remained forward, no longer looking around for someone to help him. The leash he felt that she had on him was far too tight already; no need to worry about getting choked and getting stabbed. Ending up at the hallway by the dining hall that he found the bangle at, he made a slow stop. Motioning with his hands toward the ground to the side of them, he turned to look right in those frigid blue eyes of hers. "So it was about here...were you maybe...fidgeting with them or something? Why did he ask that? That wouldn't go well. Not for him, anyway. Time to backtrack as quickly as possible.

"O-or maybe not! Who knows, right?"

Okay, that wasn't great. But hopefully it was better than nothing. "Hey, did you know that I'm, uh, way less pretty with my organs removed? Crazy, right? Ahah!" That, however, was not great at all. Please, please shut up, me. After such great progress, the very nerves that had gotten him this far threatened their little stroll all for not.

At this rate, I really need to look into getting a security detail of some kind...

Location: Hallways
Company: Xena
Wearing: Outfit, Sunglasses
OOC:

Beyond The Time
Vice Captain

Dapper Dabbler

Offline

Ristar Black

Sparkly Bookworm

14,375 Points

500
500
500

Offline

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2025 5:21 pm

LOCATION: Academy halls xxx COMPANY: No one - Thief xxx CLOTHING: Xena’s outfit (Middle one)

"Speaking #7900ac""Thinking #7900ac"

The shift in his stance after she’d spoken had her almost laughing in response. Did he really believe himself to be safe from her blade? Perhaps he wasn’t as smart as she was giving him credit for. All it would take was one wrong more, one misstep, and she’d happily turn him into a human pincushion. Maybe she’d do it anyway, just for the fun of it. The thought improved her mood immensely and had her grinning as she watched him.

At his easy acceptance of her words, she stepped back another foot and followed along with him. Her mind raced as she tried to remember the last time she’d been in this part of the school. She’d been talking to her siblings, mentioning a letter she’d gotten from their father. Richie had bitched about something. Elizabeth had said something that made him all huffy and then he stormed off. Rah had followed after him to make sure he was okay. She’d stuffed the letter back into her pocket and then…her mind went blank. What in the hell had happened next?!

When he stopped in the middle of the hallway and motioned around them, Xena snapped out of her thoughts. Where were they? The sounds from the dining hall registered in her head, reminding her that she should probably get something to eat soon. Maybe, after she got all the answers from him that she wanted, she’d hit up Ducky. He was sure…Wait! Ducky! Memories flooded her head and…His voice cut through them and had her shooting him an annoyed look, her brows furrowing over her eyes as she listened.

”Fidgeting with them? Do I look like some stupid sheep that fawns and fidgets when I’m around people?” Irritated with such an insulting assumption, she shook her head at him and looked around the hall. He continued to babble as she walked around him, trying to bring back the memories she’d been holding onto moments before. It was like trying to pour water into a sieve, the images forming only to drain away in the next second. Damn it, this was going to drive her mad until she figured it out!

The sudden admission the possible thief gave her pulled her up short and had her head slowly turning to look back at him. Had she broken him or something? It was a possibility. He didn’t look the type that was used to dealing with someone waving a blade in their face. Which was perfect for her, unless she really had cracked his brain in some way. Xena stepped in close, putting herself in his space as she tipped her head back to look over his face. Yeah, he was pretty. And he wasn’t completely wrong in his statement. Of course, she was the one that would be the judge of that.

”You sure about that, honey? They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If I’m the one beholding you, wouldn’t I be the one who can say if you’d look better in one piece or many?” The wicked grin returned, her eyes growing wild as the barbarian she’d been trained to be made another show on her features. Xena snapped her teeth at him, leaning up on her toes to try and get another rise out of him. One more was all she really needed, or so she told herself.

”I bet you’d look lovely splayed across the floor and walls, handsome. You really sure you don’t want me to give you a little slice so we can see for ourselves?”

OOC:

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2025 4:26 pm

ＧＡＢＲＩＥＬ ♫ ＭＯＮＴＧＯＭＥＲＹ
ＤＵＫＥＯＦＭＵＳＩＱＵＥ

For a man cursed with silence, Gabe wished he were better at shutting his mouth. Unfortunately, his would-be murderer was not helping on that front. Although she hadn't yet cornered him with a knife again, the looming threat lingered in his mind as she vehemently rebuked having possibly knocked the bangle off herself. Other than that, though, she largely ignored his presence as she continued to search. That was a good thing, right? Something that should tell him he should stay quiet? But of course, Gabriel did not do that. He had to keep talking. He had to try and get some sort of confirmation for his safety. Instead, he led the knife-wielding lunatic right back to him.

When she first looked upon him with an agonizingly slow turn of her head, Gabe cursed how arresting the mere thought of her stare was. By the time her eyes had once again locked on his, he was frozen as the blue of her eyes. The chill her gaze brought to the back of his spine was honestly quite troublesome. When she swiftly came upon him once more, his heartbeat went from a delicately balanced Andante to a turbulent, rapid tempo. ”You sure about that, honey?” With an exhausted grimace, Gabe's stance stiffened up once more as she continued to critique his words. Looking down upon her, there was once again a distinct quality of unbridled malice to her grin. It was as though there was a part of her even more savage than her normal self was bubbling under the surface, some fury beyond fury that she willed out just to toy with him. It was honestly really unnecessary given how concerned by her Gabriel already was.

”I bet you’d look lovely splayed across the floor and walls, handsome. You really sure you don’t want me to give you a little slice so we can see for ourselves?”

Gabe really wanted to roll his eyes at that, but decided against it. At this point, he wasn't sure if there was a single thing he could say to her that could unilaterally get her off his back. Or his chest. Or his neck. Or anywhere that could be sliced, really. Still, he nodded in response to her question. At the very least, he could make it clear that he is very against turning into filet. "I think I've made my mind up on that one, y-yeah." That bit of a stammer at the end surely would give rise to more mocking from his executioner. Not a great start. Nonetheless, it was better than just standing still while she eased herself back into the idea of making sliced Gabe for the pigs to eat or something.

"If you really want something to sink your teeth into, though, I'm sure the butchers could get something far better than a slice of me! I'm super plain, promise."

For better or worse, Gabe's stance had slackened some. The way she tried jump at him as if she wanted to bite a chunk right off of him was still quite threatening given who he was talking to, but also a little amusing given her stature. If it weren't for the help of her heels to get her that smidge closer to his face, or the fact that the act made him wish there were several metal walls between the two of them, he might've thought it was cute. Or was he just gaslighting himself to be comfortable with the situation? Or maybe I'm just so stressed I've slingshot myself back into some very dissonant form of serenity. Whatever the case, his new state of mind had him confident enough to look over the warrior woman's head to look around where she herself had been searching.

"So I can...go now, right? I'm really not sure what all went down before I found your bangle, so...I just don't think I'll be much help anymore," continued Gabriel, his voice having gone down much closer to its usual baritone compared to the panicked tenor he'd been giving her previously. That being said, his speech was still rather stilted. While he couldn't think of any reasonable excuse for him still acting as this woman's captive, reasonable didn't seem to be a word in her vocabulary. Needless to say, he was never picking up anything that didn't belong to him ever again. If he got out of this alive, anyway.

Location: Hallways
Company: Xena
Wearing: Outfit, Sunglasses
OOC:

Beyond The Time
Vice Captain

Dapper Dabbler

Offline

Ristar Black

Sparkly Bookworm

14,375 Points

500
500
500

Offline

Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2025 12:47 am

LOCATION: Academy halls xxx COMPANY: No one - Thief xxx CLOTHING: Xena’s outfit (Middle one)

"Speaking #7900ac""Thinking #7900ac"

The stumble in his voice had her chuckling softly under her breath. As much of a nerd as he appeared to be, he was rather amusing. And he had definitely given her more than a bit of entertainment with his stammering and panicking. It made up for her being unable to gut him like a fish for ending up with her property. If she couldn’t stab him, laughing at him was the next best thing. In her opinion, anyway.

”Pity. I think you’d make one hell of a masterpiece, honey.” She flashed a wicked grin his way at the words, not bothering to go any further on the topic. His comment on the butchers pulled a laugh from her lips, her head shaking softly in response. Like anything those peasants could give her would be better than his fear. Xena was tempted to tell him exactly that, but left it alone in the end. She had already pushed the limit of what she was capable of with him, there was no point in trying to make it worse. As much fun as it would be to see him sweating even more, of course.

”There you go again, assuming things to be as you believe they are.” An exaggerated sigh left her as the words did, trying to play up her disappointment in his lack of understanding. ”Who are you to tell me what tastes good? From where I’m standing, you look pretty tasty. Might want to watch yourself, handsome. I might just take a bite out of spite at this point.” Once more, she flashed her teeth at him before shrugging a shoulder. Of course, she had no desire to get a taste of him but that didn’t mean she couldn’t play around. At least a little bit, anyway.

When the response she had expected didn’t come, irritation flashed in her eyes. Okay, she should have known better than to try that tactic. The distance between their heights was rather large, even with the heels she was rocking today. She was tempted to bring her dagger back into the interaction, but just thinking about it made her feel worse. No, she’d played that card. Waving it in his face now would make it seem like she needed the weapon to get a rise out of him. Her hands were more than capable of such a feat. Another temptation, but she kept them to herself, for now, and waved a hand dismissively at him.

”Yeah, sure, whatever. I’m bored now, so you go ahead and scurry off. Just keep your hands off my stuff from now on, got it?” A hard edge took over her voice as she turned away from him, annoyed with him and herself at this point. She was going to have to step up her game if she wanted to keep those that towered over her on their toes. Her mind raced with ideas as well as memories of what had been, trying to piece together how she’d lost her bangle and how she was going to torment the taller students in the academy from here on out. It was madness in her mind, but Xena embraced it as she stalked away from him.

OOC:

Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2025 11:01 pm

ＧＡＢＲＩＥＬ ♫ ＭＯＮＴＧＯＭＥＲＹ
ＤＵＫＥＯＦＭＵＳＩＱＵＥ

Gabriel wasn’t sure he’d ever met anyone quite as excited to slice someone up just as the blue-eyed would-be butcher before him. Normally he’d take being referred to as “tasty” rather well, but in this context he couldn’t say he was quite as enthused. That being said, the glare she had been giving him at the start had eased up some. And as she shrugged and gave him a toothy grin, he started to feel less distraught by all this. He was closer to being just sort of…traught now. Such relief wouldn’t last for long, though, as the way her anger surged at his suggestion that he go free brought the fear crawling right back up his spine. Gabriel immediately froze again, going right back to being fully distraught until he was waived off.

Wait, waved off?

”Yeah, sure, whatever. I’m bored now, so you go ahead and scurry off. Just keep your hands off my stuff from now on, got it?”

Confused by what he just heard, Gabriel blinked. Was he really being let off the hook that easily after nearly getting turned into deli meat several times over? Pinching one hand with the other, he quickly deduced that he wasn’t dreaming. Okay, so she didn’t knock me out immediately after I asked to be free. That’s good. On the other hand, he was still quite surprised. And a bit frustrated too. From her tone of voice, the woman had sounded mad at him. What, should he have been asking to be roasted and plated with care? Even worse was the thought that she’d just run off to antagonize someone else now that he wasn’t doing it for her anymore. After all, she seemed to far prefer speaking in stab over common.

The thought of finding a guard came to mind, but would one come in time? Or would there already be a dead body count by the time they got to her? And just where did she get off being pissed at him anyway? Gods forbid a guy doesn’t feel like becoming charcuterie material. Without even thinking about it, Gabriel took a step forward. Then another. Slowly picking up his pace, the part of him that was either brave or just plain stubborn came out. ”Well…w-wait a second!” exclaimed Gabe begrudgingly as he approached her. Definitely the latter. Here goes nothing. Now walking right by her side, he gave her a worried look.

”Maybe I could…help you brainstorm whodunnit, yeah?”

Because of course he had to involve himself again mere moments after seemingly escaping the woman’s crosshairs. He couldn’t just let it be. After all, why would he do that? For safety? Peace of mind? Maybe someone with some survival instincts would think to not do so ever again, but apparently Gabe’s were entirely burnt out at this point. Running off of that logic, he continued to dig his own grave. ”If you want something to bite, though, we could head back and grab something to eat first. I bet you can, um, get the steaks there extra bloody or something!” This definitely wasn’t his best dialogue, but he was hoping that he could at least try to keep her in a public area long enough to figure out a better plan. Plus, if there really was someone snatching jewelry off of people he’d want them brought to justice. Just maybe not her brand of justice. Gabe would have to figure out how to keep her from stabbing the culprit to death later, though. For now, he just smiled nervously and hoped that he hadn’t just put himself back on the menu.

Location: Hallways
Company: Xena
Wearing: Outfit, Sunglasses
OOC:

Beyond The Time
Vice Captain

Dapper Dabbler

Offline

Welcome to Gaia! ::

Gaia Guilds

Utopia Academy: Between the Pages

Quick Reply

More Information