Ancient Greece, Saturday Morning Fandom Time
Don't ask where Gabrielle had found the sword that she was using to take practice cuts at the tree trunk. The stupid thing was clumsy and unfamiliar in her hands, and she really wished she'd gone into the salle some Monday morning or wheedled one of the Reserves people (well, maybe not Arthur) into teaching her something about it before now.
Not that she'd ever wanted or needed to use a sword before now. But that was a train of thought for the rational. So when Xena came up to tell her it was time to go, Gabrielle wasn't her usual receptive self when it came to Xena's advice:
"Gabrielle, when we find her, don’t go up against her one on one. You’ll be dead in seconds."
"If she dies with me? That'll be fine," she retorted.
"Not with me, it won't," Xena answered. Impassive and unperturbed and half-drawling as always. She wasn't bothered, or upset, just perfectly calm, and that just made Gabrielle mad. "And I'll bet it won't be with your friends in Fandom, either. Besides, she'd chop you into little pieces before you even struck a first blow."
She expected that kind of cool, unemotional assessment from people like Arthur, not her best friend. "That's because you never taught me to use a sword!" Gabrielle exploded, placing the blame where it was most convenient right now. "That's going to change. Right now. I want a lesson."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I won't help you destroy all the ideals that you live by."
"My ideals were a lie," Gabrielle shot back. "I thought love was the strongest power on earth. What a fool -- love is helpless in the face of cruelty."
"Gabrielle," Xena tried to protest, "if you're taken over by hatred, Callisto wins."
She'd said the same thing a million times to other people, and right now she didn't care. "I've got news for you, Xena: she's already won." How was this not painfully obvious? She brought the point of the weapon up within inches of Xena's chin. "Now, show me how to use a sword."
"Not a chance," Xena replied, and turned to walk away.
"XENA!" Gabrielle swung the blade hard into the tree trunk; it was enough to get Xena's attention, and she turned back around. "Teach me!"
She refused again, and Gabrielle persisted, prodding at her armor with awkward stabs to emphasize the demands until finally Xena kicked the sword to the ground . . . and still said, "I won't do it." And turned her back on Gabrielle. Again.
"Xena, wake up and look around you! The little innocent Gabrielle is dead, and there’s no getting her back." The things she had to say just to get Xena to look at her right now -- but the look in Xena's eyes when she did leached off a little of Gabrielle's fury, and her voice dropped a little, cracking. "Just teach me how to use a sword, so at least I stand a fighting chance. Please."
"All right." Xena unsheathed her own sword. "First thing is that a sword --" She smacked her blade hard against Gabrielle's. "-- is not a staff. You have to learn how to parry so you can look for an opening. And keep eye contact. That's how you anticipate the next move."
And again, Gabrielle felt like she was listening to Arthur rather than to Xena, but she didn't really care right now, choosing to follow along with the lesson instead and imitate the moves Xena was showing her.
"Again," she demanded, lunging at Xena's parry. "Teach me how to kill her. I'm gonna cut her open and watch her bleed."
[OOC: Yep, still NFB/NFI/TBC/OOC-okay. Still adapted from "Return of Callisto." I am going to be happy to get this headhurty but necessary bit of development over with.]
Not that she'd ever wanted or needed to use a sword before now. But that was a train of thought for the rational. So when Xena came up to tell her it was time to go, Gabrielle wasn't her usual receptive self when it came to Xena's advice:
"Gabrielle, when we find her, don’t go up against her one on one. You’ll be dead in seconds."
"If she dies with me? That'll be fine," she retorted.
"Not with me, it won't," Xena answered. Impassive and unperturbed and half-drawling as always. She wasn't bothered, or upset, just perfectly calm, and that just made Gabrielle mad. "And I'll bet it won't be with your friends in Fandom, either. Besides, she'd chop you into little pieces before you even struck a first blow."
She expected that kind of cool, unemotional assessment from people like Arthur, not her best friend. "That's because you never taught me to use a sword!" Gabrielle exploded, placing the blame where it was most convenient right now. "That's going to change. Right now. I want a lesson."
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I won't help you destroy all the ideals that you live by."
"My ideals were a lie," Gabrielle shot back. "I thought love was the strongest power on earth. What a fool -- love is helpless in the face of cruelty."
"Gabrielle," Xena tried to protest, "if you're taken over by hatred, Callisto wins."
She'd said the same thing a million times to other people, and right now she didn't care. "I've got news for you, Xena: she's already won." How was this not painfully obvious? She brought the point of the weapon up within inches of Xena's chin. "Now, show me how to use a sword."
"Not a chance," Xena replied, and turned to walk away.
"XENA!" Gabrielle swung the blade hard into the tree trunk; it was enough to get Xena's attention, and she turned back around. "Teach me!"
She refused again, and Gabrielle persisted, prodding at her armor with awkward stabs to emphasize the demands until finally Xena kicked the sword to the ground . . . and still said, "I won't do it." And turned her back on Gabrielle. Again.
"Xena, wake up and look around you! The little innocent Gabrielle is dead, and there’s no getting her back." The things she had to say just to get Xena to look at her right now -- but the look in Xena's eyes when she did leached off a little of Gabrielle's fury, and her voice dropped a little, cracking. "Just teach me how to use a sword, so at least I stand a fighting chance. Please."
"All right." Xena unsheathed her own sword. "First thing is that a sword --" She smacked her blade hard against Gabrielle's. "-- is not a staff. You have to learn how to parry so you can look for an opening. And keep eye contact. That's how you anticipate the next move."
And again, Gabrielle felt like she was listening to Arthur rather than to Xena, but she didn't really care right now, choosing to follow along with the lesson instead and imitate the moves Xena was showing her.
"Again," she demanded, lunging at Xena's parry. "Teach me how to kill her. I'm gonna cut her open and watch her bleed."
[OOC: Yep, still NFB/NFI/TBC/OOC-okay. Still adapted from "Return of Callisto." I am going to be happy to get this headhurty but necessary bit of development over with.]