Welcome to Gaia! ::

Gabriel stepped from the bathroom with steam still rising from his black tresses, accentuating the Demonic look he had taken on. Freshly pale, creamy skin almost gleamed in the coming afternoon light. Exposed still from the hips up, the towel hanging at his waist failed to cover the only remaining wound from that morning: the deep gouge in his left shoulder. Although Kane's bit of magic had aided it and sped up the healing process, the hole was still quite apparent and none-too nice looking, creating a dark fissure along the smooth, unbroken pallid skin. He seemed not to notice, however, as he took a few steps into the room, blinking owlishly before catching sight of Kane. A small smile was offered before he turned to the pile of clothes for the third time, parceling out pair of black, loose-fitting pants and a likewise black T-shirt that was only a slightly tight fit, mostly around the shoulders. Stopping just before letting the towel drop from his hips, he glanced back at his room mate before shrugging and reentering the bathroom to dress. May as well adhere to "decency"; not so sure where she stands on that issue. Really, what's so wrong with the physical body? He had never understood.

Emerging again with hair pulled back into a neat pony-tail and clothes on, he stepped over behind Kane, taking a seat on the floor against the wall. Crossing his legs and propping an elbow on each, the Fallen rested his chin atop intertwined fingers. So what have you gotten us into? he asked himself, eyes traveling over Kane's form. For the first time, he allowed his mind to travel centuries back, to a time when he once knew a Vampyre by the name of Seras. Is this a taint to her memory, or would she rather it be this way? Surely even if cursed by the Heavens . . . I deserve some level of comfort and happiness as well? He shook his head. Or maybe I don't. I only met this woman a few days ago! Yet . . . No, she isn't like Seras at all. Far too domineering and argumentative. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. I like it. As he continued to ponder the other things he liked about this Demon, his mind took other paths as well.

She also has had a previous love. Perhaps just the one, perhaps more I know not of. Still, we're similar in that regard. Maybe the reason she's so ill at ease with all of this is because of him . . . Or because of Seras? But that wouldn't make sense; if we've both loved and lost, then why would a past so similar matter? Gabriel continued on his train of thought, unaware that he had drawn his knees up and laid his head down across his arms, drifting off into a half-conscious sleep. His breathing was still light, and the slightest noise could still awaken him. Yet to any other he would seem at peace, though in his mind waves of restless thoughts continued to rampage.

"A dance, you say?" A quizzical eyebrow razed along with his head, questioning her logic. Dancing? All he knew about that was that he had not used his time in the past few millennia to learn how to dance. A possible error, it now seemed. "I'm no good at dancing, to be honest. Unless you mean Dancing the Blades; I would say I'm decent enough at that." The lack of expression dictated only that he was making no wise-crack, only stating facts. The 'Dance of Blades' was a fighting style to him, utilizing almost any weapon imaginable. That was one thing the Fallen had bothered to learn in his extraordinarily long life: how to use any weapon under the sun. Even his own two hands could be as dangerous as any spear could be. He suspected Kane was little different; at least he knew she could be dangerous when she wanted to be.

"Actually, sparring sounds rather appealing right now. Maybe it's just the sleep, but I feel oddly energized. Perhaps hot showers do wonders." He winked, pushing himself up at the same time and stretching upwards. His slightly-too-tight shirt lifted above his waistband, exposing a bit of toned abdominal muscle before it lowered with his windmilling arms. "When do we start? And where, for that matter? The woods are just off that way," he indicated, pointing to the wall he knew the forest was behind. "Will that do?" A few stray hairs were brushed back from his shoulder, a frown creasing his lips for only a moment as he recalled that the tresses had once been a brilliant silver, now turned to dull pitch. Gabriel shook his head, putting on a wry smile to replace the downturn. "Shall we? Unless you'd rather finish your reading or get something to eat, that is."

Although somewhat surprised by the immediate change, Gabriel let on nothing as the world around him faded and dulled. He knew enough not to be taken off guard; Kane had an affinity for magical objects and the like, so it came as no wonder that she had planned this out already. Of course. We can't train outside lest we want Angels called to us, and fighting in her apartment would damage possibly priceless items. I'm glad she had a plan instead of letting me spew nonsense. Widening his stance a bit, he massaged his wrist for a moment, smiling absently to himself at some unspoken humor.

"So I expect that you wish to draw me out," He did not bother to elaborate. "Test my limits, see how I handle myself in combat; all of that kind of stuff," Tilting his head both ways - although this time not because of habit - loud cracks issued from his neck, which had grown considerably more stiff than he would have liked. "I guess I'm ready when you are," he said casually, spreading himself in a ready stance to indicate that he truly was prepared. "I don't think I have a grasp on myself enough to create such . . . Fantastic things, yet. I'll start with hand-to-hand. However," he added quickly, hoping she would not let the blade disappear, "Don't think about ridding yourself of that sword. My hands can be dangerous enough. Especially now that . . . ." Instead of finishing his sentence, he looked at his hands, seeming to concentrate a bit too hard. Slowly, tendrils of blackness weaved themselves in incredibly fine threads around his fingers and hands, molding and flowing as he flexed and clenched his fist. Nodding in satisfaction as he somehow made the magic bind and stay, he re-focused his attention on Kane, an innocent smile preempting a forward rush. He wanted to waste no time.

Not wanting to take her by complete surprise - not that he truly thought he could - the Fallen stopped abruptly before reaching her, having looked for all the world like he would have run directly through her. Instead, he pivoted and brought his back foot spiraling around, aimed at her head. Surprising even himself, he found the weaves of darkness also surrounding his leg from mid-shin down to his foot. Somewhere in his mind he knew - for some reason - that the tendrils would deflect any attack thrown at them, almost like gauntlets and greaves made of the hardest metal. The weaves would concentrate and coalesce on any spot he attacked with or was struck by her. In this lied the weakness, however, though he had not yet thought of it. If more than one spot was struck on the same limb in quick succession, the darkness might not be able to cover both. Maybe I'll work to solidify that. The thought came on the downstroke of his leg, still aimed squarely at her left temple. To himself, he hoped she would block the strike, though another part of him already had a counter-strike ready in the form of a right hook.

Gabriel's body froze after his follow-through hook, leaving an arm outstretched and side still exposed, not even thinking to lower his elbow to hit her hand away. For the briefest moment a blush lit his cheeks, though whether it was one of anger at his own incompetence or a genuine flush, it could not be said. However, for that moment, he silently questioned Kane's motive. That is, until her 'claws' raked across his abdominal muscles and nearly drew several streams of blood. He could feel something, a cold and eerie something seeping into him. A quick look down south confirmed what she had done. With a growl - now with no doubt from anger - the Fallen leapt back nimbly, flashing his right arm across at her head, hoping to catch her cheek with a claw in his retreat. It was meant more to show his indignant thoughts than to actually harm her; still, he may have struck harder than he had meant.

"That was completely unnecessary!" he demanded, one hand on his stomach as if he were mortally wounded. It almost felt like he was, in a way. The cold was seeping through him, bleeding into his blood stream as if it were a virus seeking his heart. He knew it was futile, but still he tried to stop it, reaching inside of himself, trying at every bypass to seize it in its flow. To no avail. The darkness spread to his heart in no time, and from there, through the rest of him. He would not give in.

"I-Will-Not." The snarl came as the fangs and claws did, elongating and taking on a dark look. Aside from that and his irises, which had taken on their tell-tale crimson color, nothing changed. Except his temper. A sweetly-sick smile spread on his lips, both of triumph at stopping it half-way, and one of taunting. "So is that how you want it? Alright, I'll play along." Without even a betraying hair to stray, he struck out like a Viper.

Instead of charging in as before, he thrust out his right palm, muttering a guttural something under his breath as it extended. As it reached its full extent, a ball of fire black as his hair shot from his palm straight at Kane's clavicle, another following from his other hand only moments after aimed at her stomach. If she ducked or jumped, either would hit, and even dodging left or right would be a danger. Blocking, in Gabriel's mind, seemed the best option. Even with his attacks out, he gave no time to breathe. Following close after his bolts, the Fallen brought his left foot around in a sweep aimed at where her waist would have been. If all went poorly for him, he was prepared to follow the kick through completely to replace behind him, only to lift his front - right - leg for a quick jab to her ribs. He liked kicking; hopefully she did not.

As soon as his second kick connected, he knew something was wrong. In a way, he disliked still maintaining his consciousness - which he was still fighting to control - for now any action he took was his responsibility solely. Not that he had expected he would need an excuse for anything, but it seemed this time the Fallen had done something a bit worse than he could have thought. The black ooze threatened to engulf his foot almost as soon as the blow landed, causing Gabriel to as quickly as he had struck. He could feel the vines of black encircling his foot and leg pulling towards the now open wound on Kane. It took an effort to tug it completely back to himself, in the same movement using the momentum to leap back a few feet.

Once steadied, Gabriel observed what he was sure that he had caused. But had his kick really done that? Unaware that he had merely broken open an old scar, his concern showed clearly in his appearance. His visually ferocity vanished, as well as the symbols that marked him as the more Demonic version of himself; claws shortened and fangs shrank, and even his eyes no longer shimmered with a crimson glow as they had when he turned. Now, he looked almost as he had before the pair had entered the strange world. Except for the dark tendrils embracing his limbs still. He was Gabriel almost wholly again, although whether this was to his benefit or not, it could not be said.

"Kane?" he all but whispered. "Kane, are you all right?" Obviously not. From her gaze it seemed that there was no longer a distinction that marked him as somebody she knew. More or less, it looked as if she had reverted back to a sort of primitive demeanor, willing to strike at any thing that moved or threatened her in the slightest. Silently, he hoped that he was still recognizable to her as she had been to him before. Best to assume not.

When he saw the flames, the Fallen's brow furrowed. What was happening now? Was this a will of Kane's, or a reaction to the strike and subsequent gash that he had caused? Note one: do not spar with these. He hoped he might have another chance to try without. Letting the spiraling darkness dissipate, he held out his hand to her, trying to show that he meant no harm any more. However, before he could get a word out to vocalize it, the flames hit him. A wave blasted right over him, singeing his wings, leaving his shirt - once again - nearly gone, and leaving a faint scent of burnt hair. Once gone, Gabriel lowered a protective hand, wondering at the black shield that he had somehow summoned. I guess I only need to see it done once. Useful. But now for the matter of Kane. He kept his hand out, continually offering it to her. "Kane, I'm sorry. Let's get you bandaged up before you lose too much blood." Or what ever it is you are losing.

It took a long moment after Kane's blinking eyes had fixated on him that he noticed his situation. Around the two of them a bubble of sorts had appeared, blocking out the fire and creating two small havens in the maelstrom. He could not suppress a small smile, knowing now that she had realized who he was - or at least realized he was a living being that should not be burned to a cinder. Probably the latter, he admitted to himself, not letting himself accept that he might mean something more than just a bystander. Just a stray . . . . The smile faded then as he was reminded of the reason why Kane had been angry with him in the first place, and why she and he had been injured. Again. Gabriel was beginning to think that his continued presence was becoming troublesome; a nuisance that only caused problems.

Just before he delved too deeply into his own thoughts, she spoke. Place that doesn't heal? Does that mean it had already been there, or that I just hit a sensitive area? He would rather it be the prior, though still either were not good news. The entire situation only confirmed that he did not want to Turn, no matter what forces or powers compelled him. I'll work on that when I must. For now . . . . His train of thought cut itself short as breath was taken in when Kane leaped at the flames between them. Gabriel flinched visibly, not because of the impending impact, but because he knew how those flames felt already. Hotter than any normal fire and most likely more deadly, they ate rather than burned, or so it seemed to him. Before he could think further on the heat of the flames - his thoughts seemed to be getting interrupted often as of late - Kane collided with him.

A very odd sensation took hold of the Fallen as the world flickered back to it's normal hue, flames and all vanishing with the faded realm. Kane had run into him there, and as he fell back from the force, the surroundings returned to normal. Therein was the oddity. Falling into darkness and flame became falling onto a hard wooden floor. A hard wooden floor. With a grunt he landed flat on his back, subconsciously clutching Kane to him as if afraid she would disappear. When he opened eyes that had closed with the fall, he blinked, staring down at her and clicking his tongue in disapproval. Any reprisal was gone, however, once he focused on the wound.

"We need to get that laced up," he said immediately, trying desperately not to notice the fact that both she and him were half cloth-less. "Luckily I've done my fair share of sewing up lacerations in the past. Mostly my own, admittedly, but it should not be a problem." Without waiting for a response, he gently removed her from on top of him; his limbs did not seem to want to work properly in that respect, but after a bit of twitching he had her down next to where he was. Remembering where the bandages and salves were kept from his time in the bathroom, he bounded up and toward the door faster than necessary. At least, faster than would be necessary for a normal person. This was important, although whether the importance lay in distancing himself from temptation or getting supplies, he did not know. Both are important, and equally so.

Taking as little time as needed, Gabriel emerged from the room with a roll of bandages, gauze, a needle and some strong-looking thread that could almost pass for thin wire. "This is what I could find. Looks like you're running low on first-aid supplies," he remarked, trying to remain casual-sounding as he knelt next to her. Keeping his hands busy with his task (mostly to keep them away from anything else), the Fallen set to work after a caution that it would hurt quite a bit. He knew she knew, but he had to say it regardless. Removing her hand from the lesion, Gabriel hesitated a moment before poking the long needle through her skin, wincing himself as the black ooze seemed to protest. He worked quickly, but deftly and flawlessly, making neat stitches all the way across to the end. Or an end, rather. It seemed that the old gash had not been completely torn open, so instead he ended at the point it had broken from, ending the stitching with a careful tie and snipping it with his teeth. His method of cutting the thread was the only he could think of, though it brought him within ear-heating distance of Kane's toned abdomen. That task finished, he sighed, rubbing on a light gauze before lifting her up with one arm, enough to slip a bandage around several times. Slicing the bandage - this time with a claw - he tied that off also, finally allowing himself to slump down on the floor next to her, staring at the ceiling to muse over what had just occurred.

A wound that could not be healed. That had been why he had been so careful bandaging it; if it would not heal on its own or with the aid of Kane's accelerated mending, then he had to do all he could to fix the fissure he had created. Absently, he brushed a few ashes from his chest, the only remains of the shirt he had been wearing earlier. His own trousers had been virtually unscathed. Gabriel's cheeks grew hot as he unsuccessfully refused to recall the state of Kane's clothing. To distract himself, he spoke.

"I did the best I could. For a wound that won't heal, that is. If I had known about it, I would never have struck you there, or even anywhere near there. Once again, I apologize." It was all he could offer. He expected some sort of irate response, but his apology was sincere and he would take any frustration Kane felt in silence. After all, he had almost gotten her killed at least three times now. The least he could do was sit through a reprisal.

As he had promised himself, Gabriel sat through her short speech in calm, serene silence. He understood why she was - at the very least - irritated at the fact that he had been offering so many apologies as of late. Even to himself, he pondered the reason behind the sudden surge. I suppose I never had anybody to apologize to. Or at least haven't in a long time . . . . To only himself he admitted the real answer behind it: he did not want to lose the friend he had gained in Kane, even if only thinly. Just a friend? That title did not connect with his actions earlier, and he knew it. So what? You've known her for a few days. Still . . . I like her. A small smile that no doubt would confuse or frustrate Kane even more spawned slowly. Despite some faults.

The state of her cursed scar interested him; a wound that would not heal unless purified by Angelic powers that he no longer possessed. For the briefest moment he let his mind play with the idea that he might have been able to do it before his persona had darkened. It was possible, but unlikely. Even then his powers had been waning. Maybe . . . . No. He would not use that option unless he had to. Kane had a sister who, as he understood, had ascended almost completely by now. And she was studying to further it. Yes, she can do it if it must be done. I won't have to ask either . . . Hopefully. In the end he decided not even to mention it unless absolutely necessary. After all, he did not want Kane to have to live with her scathe, even if she had lived with it for a long time as it was.

"I would not apologize for it if I had a hot coal in my throat," he remarked dryly when she had finished, folding his arms as he continued to stare at the ceiling. "And at least I can say I won't apologize for my apologies." True, he was not sorry for offering so many of them. The only one he might feel a bit of regret for was apologizing for the kiss. Stupid thing to do, even if you were flustered. This Darkness must be changing you. Or you're not used to this . . . . Either was likely. Propping himself up on an elbow as he turned towards Kane, he directed a question instead of stating more useless facts. "So what do you plan to do about it? Might you know any other . . . Agreeable Angels, such as your sister, the ascendant?" An almost unrecognizable moment of hesitation marked that he was apprehensive, although to Kane it might have seemed something akin to worry.