TRP: Gabriel and Larkin (Even)

Wolverogue:

[Setting: Day 179, the castle]

Larkin had been curious to talk to Gabriel alone since they'd gotten him out of the warehouse, but things hadn't worked out in that direction. Today, though, seemed to be the day. Larkin was back at the castle, they'd gotten rid of Amren and Gabriel's sisters had wandered off together.

Larkin went out to the guard house where the Melaines had made their temporary homes and knocked on the door. "It's Larkin Basha," she announced herself and opened without waiting for an answer.(edited)

Izzy:

A crash came from inside, and Gabriel rounded on the door as it opened, both longswords in hand. Assorted targets had been set up inside. Most of them had gotten whacked in half or severely scored during his training -- the crash had come from a blue glass vase of wildflowers hitting the floor and cracking.

Gabriel stared at Larkin, in the doorway, then glanced at the vase, then looked back to her, expression flat the entire time, not budging from his combat-ready stance.

Jen:

Larkin straightened, eyeing the vase, the swords and Gabriel. Dang.

"This a bad time?" She asked.

Izzy:

He kept staring at her. "No."

Only after a second did he lower his sword, spinning and slipping them back into their sheaths. He still wore the battle axe on his back.

Jen:

"Good," Larkin said slowly, watching him. Only after he'd put away the sword did she step in and pulled the door closed behind her. She took in the carnage of wood and stuffing and decided to lean next to the door for now, arms crossed.

"We got a training yard," she commented with a half smile, even thought Gabriel clearly knew- that's where the targets had come from.

Izzy:

"I know," he confirmed flatly. "No good for close-quarters."

Jen:

Larkin glanced around again, nodding. She hadn't considered this.

Izzy:

He stared down at her, breathing a bit hard from the exertion, and didn't say anything.

Jen:

"Anyway. I been meaning to talk to you. Just didn't work out sooner." She waved a hand at the room. "You know the two of you don't have to stay out here. There's room in the castle. It's..." She stifled a grimace,"alright, maybe not much safer, but warmer."

Izzy:

He shrugged briefly. "It's colder in Moorland."

Jen:

Larkin tilted her head, giving Gabriel a once-over. "You're very chatty, huh? Well, fair I guess. I'd still like to ask you some things."

Izzy:

He shifted his weight and crossed his arms, and nodded for her to go on.

Jen:

"What was the situation back in Moorland when you left?"

Izzy:

He was quiet for a second. "The city's safe. The town guard is fucking thriving, the Militia are backing them up. Crime was going down. Violetcaps are being harvested and processed legitimately. People are being given jobs." He said all of this flatly, then, more venomously, said, "My parents are prisoners in their home. They have no allies, they have no means of outside communication. Wyn slaughters any member of the Militia who seems likely to turn coat. Amethyst and my other siblings are in constant fucking danger for as long as Wyn assumes our parents care for us. What do you want to know?"

Jen:

Larkin narrowed her eyes. "So that's why your mother didn't reach out. We've been wondering." She bit on her lip thinking over what Gabriel had said about the city. Sounded off, somehow. "So what're you saying, Wyn's turning good cop on Morland? Using your name to-" she waved a hand, "set the city right or whatever?"

Izzy:

"Not our name." He scoffed, and tapped his fingers on one hilt at his hip. "Not the Melaines. Uncle Kyr is the face of Moorland's transformation," he said, dripping with sarcasm.

Jen:

"So he's the one representing her while she's in Skyport? Yout gotta tell me about him."

Izzy:

His lip curled in disgust. "He's a fucking coward. Inherited the lordship due to being older than my father, had no idea how to run a goddamn city. Had no idea how to keep my mother from taking it from him, never stood up to her -- we kept him well-taken-care of and loved by the people, mind you, and he was fine with all of that until fucking Morgan Wyn showed up and started whispering in his ear. I doubt she left him to run things in her stead." He shook his head. "Imbecile. I'd assume she left one of her own people in charge."(edited)

Jen:

"Hm, yeah. Would've guessed so. Doesn't sound like Wyn to leave a turncoat in charge. You don't have an idea who it could be, do you? Or how we could get to them?"

Izzy:

He narrowed his eyes, thinking. "There was a woman with her, sometimes -- pale, pale hair, always seemed to be wearing black. Carried knives." His grip clenched around the hilt of one sword. "Azriel said she was there when Wyn snapped his horn. Her, maybe. Seemed close to Wyn."

Jen:

Was there when Wyn snapped Azriel's horn. Well, whoever it was could consider herself on Larkin's list. She nodded again, then slowly said, "Is taking your uncle out on the table?"(edited)

Izzy:

"I wouldn't shed any fucking tears," he said bluntly.

Jen:

"Alright. I'll tell Renar that's an option then."

Izzy:

He tapped his fingers against the hilt he'd been gripping. "I don't see how much good it would do. Wyn would probably just make a martyr of him, replace him."

Jen:

Larkin bit her lip again. Fuck, he was probably right but... well, wasn't up to her anyway. Renar would decide. "So, that's her narrative? Wyn and your uncle saving the city from the evil Melaines?"

Izzy:

"Mm." He grit his teeth and slipped his longsword an inch in and out of its sheath. "Saving? Already fucking saved."

Jen:

Gabriel's knuckles were turning white around the hilt of his sword and it looked like he was about to swing at something. Explained the state of the training puppets. Larkin wanted to ask him for a round of sparring but- maybe not this exact moment. Instead, she asked, "Why're you not going to the Basha with this?"

Izzy:

"Pointless," he said flatly, not looking at her, then did look. "By the time we got to Skyport, we could see how far gone it already is. I won't be asking the Basha to split his forces and try to help my city when it couldn't help itself. Maybe Skyport can still be salvaged." He shrugged briskly. "Maybe then we can take Moorland back."

Jen:

Larkin nodded again, feeling a bit stupid. "Yeah, that makes sense. Sounds like strategy is your thing. Not so much mine, but..." She shrugged. "I'm good at other stuff."

Izzy:

"Punching," he agreed.

Jen:

Larkin grinned and rattled the brass knuckles at her belt. "Usually I'm more the... y'know, utility type. Got some good ones in, though. How's your face by the way?" Looking fine from what she could tell.

Izzy:

"I can still see and breath out of it. No permanent damage." He paused. "I appreciate what you did."

Jen:

"What, the getting your ass out part or the punching part? You're welcome on both."

Izzy:

He raised an eyebrow in something like amusement. "The former likely couldn't have happened without the latter, so sure. Both."

Jen:

"I got really lucky, there didn't I?" Larkin said, indicating the cut up training targets around. "One direct hit from you and that would've been it."

Izzy:

He shrugged it off, finally turned away from her to begin collecting up the scraps and clean up the mess he'd made. "It's the axe." He shifted it on his back, glancing over his shoulder. "Wyn gave it to me. It's cursed. They thought it would make me a more brutal fighter, I imagine. Only put me at the disadvantage of not fighting with my own swords."

He'd gathered up the scattered wood and stacked it on the table, then hesitated and knelt down to carefully pick up the remains of the blue vase. "Still no need to sell yourself short. You dodged every attack I threw your way."

Jen:

"Perks of being short."

Izzy:

He scoffed a laugh, standing to brush the broken glass onto the table. Then he glanced her way, sized her up. "Mm. Yeah. You're about the same size as Amy. She's a slippery little shit, too."

Jen:

Larkin grinned. "Gotta be. Else we'll be eaten by the big dogs. Hey," she detached herself from the wall to help gather up debris. "You think you'd want to sparr some time? See how well I do when you have your favoured weapons- well, or maybe better your favourite training weapons."

Izzy:

He was quiet for a moment, then blankly said, "Sounds enjoyable."

Jen:

"Really? 'cause... no offense, but you don't sound like it."

Izzy:

He paused to look at her. "Do you want me to fake it? I'm not Azriel."

Jen:

She snorted and waved him off. "Alright, yeah. I get it. Fun just isn't your thing."

Izzy:

He shrugged. "Sparring is practice. It's work. It's important. It's not a leisure activity." He brushed glass dust off his his gloved hands, onto the larger pieces on the table. "I can find it enjoyable without making a big deal about it."

Jen:

"Smiling isn't making a deal out of anything." Larkin grinned as if to prove the point. "Bet you I can make you smile... working? Hm?" She cocked her head at Gabriel and, for good measure, winked. Gabriel might not be into fun but that didn't mean Larkin couldn't get some out of him.

Izzy:

He gave her an unamused look, but raised his eyebrow slightly in a way that didn't seem annoyed. "You can try."

Jen:

"Now, don't do a backflip over it," Larkin teased. She leaned on the table with one hand, looking Gabriel up and down and around the room. He'd already been training but she was still fresh. Might give her a little advantage. "How about now?" She asked. "There was more I wanted to ask but it slipped my mind right now. Maybe it'll come back when I'm occupied with something else- making a stress training out of it, mentally and physically. What do you think?"

Izzy:

"I'm free." He glanced over the mess he'd made impassively and deadpanned, "Seeing as how my home's been overtaken and I've been forced out of my position." He looked back to her, arms crossed. "Inside or outside?"

Jen:

"Inside," Larkin said with a glance around. There wasn't much more that could get destroyed in here anyway. "Closest to an alley I can get around here, I suppose. You got training weapons? I'll have a dagger."

Izzy:

Gabriel raised his eyebrow again. "We don't need training weapons in Moorland."

Jen:

"And I don't need limbs cut off," Larkin said, mimicking the gesture.

Izzy:

"Fifteen years in the Masked Militia. Never cut off any limbs I didn't intend to."

Jen:

Larkin hesitated for a heartbeat. "Can't say the same for myself though."

Izzy:

He bared a few teeth in something adjacent to a smile. "I don't mind taking the chance."

Jen:

"Hm." Larkin appraised him, fingers drumming against the hilt of her dagger. She drew it, flipped it in her hand and pointed it at Gabriel. "Alright then. Let's go."

Izzy:

He unsheathed his longswords again, rolling them to loosen up his wrists, and dropped into a loose fighting stance. The close quarters of the room gave Larkin the advantage, with him having less space to swing, but his first attempt made contact -- the blow coming in fast, then barely touching her side. He went through the motion of slicing without leaving a mark on her.

Jen:

Larkin barely had time to get her dagger up- uselessly trying to block but knowing full well it wouldn't have been enough. Fuck. A hot prickle went down her spine. This could've been it for her, this blow would've ripped right through her.

She dried not to let it show but Larkin bet Gabriel knew he'd caught her pants down. She hissed out the breath she'd held, then took a step back and crouched low. Small target, weight on her toes. She drew the hematite dagger and held it guard position before her face.

Izzy:

He drew back, taking the victory. She was more maneuverable, as well, smaller, and when he he swung again the blade slipped past her entirely -- he flipped the other sword in his hand to guard the opening it left in his defenses, but the opening remained, nonetheless.

Jen:

This round she saw the swing coming in time to twist aside. Her first counter attack clinked off the blade of Gabriel's second sword that had appeared in the path of hers out of nowhere, but the second got through. She touched the blade to his side hard enough to make him notice without slicing his clothes or skin.

Izzy:

Gabriel grinned again.

And swung again, twice in succession this time, each hit only narrowly making contact, but making it -- lightly, again, one blade against what seemed to be her dominant shoulder, the other against the opposite thigh. He was gutted, but she was debilitated. Even points.

Jen:

"Fuck!" Larkin cursed loudly, but laughing as she did, and spun out of his reach. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with a sleeve, then pointed at Gabriel. "There it is! I knew I could make you smile."

Izzy:

He kept grinning, exhaling out a sharp, brief laugh, and kept coming at her, driving her towards the wall with a swordpoint coming against her gut, and the other against her throat, stopping there.

Jen:

"Oof!" Larkin's back hit the wall a split second before her head did. She didn't mind, though, neither did she mind that she'd just gotten her ass handed to her. This was too much fun. She dropped the daggers and raised her hands beside her head. "Man, I got really lucky back the other day, huh? Remind me to never get on your bad side."(edited)

Izzy:

"Not lucky." He withdrew the blades and sheathed them. "Maybe you're better off fighting with those brass knuckles, though. It's visceral. Seems to suit you better."

Jen:

She bent to pick up her daggers and sheath them, and pulled the knuckles out of her pocket. "Love those little bastards, yeah. I like having the range of the daggers, though, and the cutting edge. Makes up for my size better."

Izzy:

He tilted his head. "Your size is an advantage. Get in close. You're fast -- you'll be too small for me to catch." He backed up a few paces and beckoned for her to come at him, raising his fists. "C'mon." Then he grinned again. "Show me up. Knock me out again, Basha."

Jen:

"As you wish, Melaine." Larkin bounced after him on the balls of her feet, fists raised.

 She feinted a jab at his face, and turned it into a hook which Gabriel blocked effortlessly, then dodged his counter and made contact low on his stomach. She followed it with a knee between his legs but he was out of her range before it could hurt anything important.

Izzy:

He kept grinning as he weaved away from her, tightening at the hit -- then launching a jab and a cross her way that both missed. He laughed sharply, still slightly out of breath from the previous bout. "See. Too fucking fast and small."

Jen:

Larkin wiped the sweaty hair out of her face with a fist, returning Gabriel's grin. God, he was kinda hot like that. Made Larkin want to drive him back against a wall, give him no chance but to fight back or...

She feinted again, a jab at his face, then a cross, which he both blocked. Another feint, another cross, another block and counter. Larkin dodged it, coming around his side and drove forward for a third feint- then pushed through as soon as Gabriel neglected his high guard.

Izzy:

The brass knuckles cracked into his face, and he stumbled back, raising his hands a moment too late, but breaking out in actual laughter as he showed her one palm, indicated she should let up, the back of his other hand pressing against his now-bleeding lip. "There she is."

Jen:

"Oh shit," Larkin said, cringing. "Sorry. Hey, I told ya I'm not that controlled with my weapons."

Izzy:

"What?" He was still laughing a bit. "No. It's fine. I told you I didn't fucking cut off parts I didn't meant to. I didn't expect you to do the same."

Jen:

"Alright then." She gave him a lopsided smile. Gabriel was still attractive like that, bleeding and laughing about it. Much better than this cold facade he'd had up earlier. Larkin wondered, briefly, if all the Melaines wore fucking masks.

"You wanna go on then?" She asked.

Izzy:

He wiped the blood away. "Let's."

He slipped into his fighting stance again, giving her little time to react before he swung -- missing with a cross, but driving an uppercut into her belly, not holding back so much anymore -- and pushing further, an elbow connecting with the side of her head while another errant fist swiped at the air where she had been a moment before.

Jen:

The uppercut almost drove the wind out of her and the elbow made contact before she'd recovered, but then she saw the opening. Larkin ducked under the next swipe and moved in, landing two straight punches on his throat and jaw.(edited)

Izzy:

Gabriel snarled reflexively, teeth clenching and grinding together, and came back at her immediately, his first attempt going wide from disorientation, but the second landing a square hit in the same spot in her stomach that he'd struck before, his shoulder thrown behind it this time.

Jen:

"Oof!" This time, the hit knocked the air out of her lungs, making Larkin stumble to her knees. She was on her feet again a moment later, her fighting instincts takinh charge, but she held up a hand nonetheless. "Mask." She coughed and laughed weakly. "That was a good one. God."

Izzy:

He drew back again, then stopped and just stared at her for a moment, eyes bright and sharp. He wasn't smiling anymore. But he dropped his fist and wiped the blood off his face again, taking a step back. "Thanks." His voice was flat.

Jen:

"You know what, I think I'm done sparring for today." Larkin straightened as much as her aching stomach allowed. "That was fun, though. I guess you won, so... rematch some time later?"

Izzy:

He kept staring at her blankly, for a moment that was slightly too long, then said, "Right." He shook out his dominant fist, stretching the fingers. "We're even now, I guess."

Jen:

"Yeah." Larkin rubbed her stomach with a light grimace. "Next time I'm gonna repay you for that. Make you smile some more." She grinned. "It suits you."

Izzy:

"Hm." He raised his eyebrow. "Well, I guess you know how to, now."

Jen:

"Hmm." She made a vague noise of agreement. "Anyway. I gotta leave. Was nice, uh... punching you." She gave Gabriel another toothy grin, then waved and went for the door.

He nodded, raising a hand briefly, and turned back to clean up the splinters and broken glass.

[END]

Title: Even. Summary: Larkin goes to talk to Gabriel Melaine. He tells her a bit about Moorland and the Masked Militia, and then the two bond(?) over sparring. She promises to make him smile, and succeeds by punching him.