InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Conduct the smell test."

zaria (bravely) wrote in labyrinth_rpg,
@ 2009-03-01 21:47:00

Entry tags:

arrival, complete, day one, gabrielle, xena

Day 1
Who: Xena and Gabrielle
What: Finding Each Other
Where: Somewhere about the city
When: Evening
Rating: PG?
Status: Complete

Xena felt the absence of warmth next to her almost immediately. Her blue eyes flashed open, though she had no need for alarm just yet. Still, she couldn't help but feel a measure of concern as she sat up in bed and glanced around the room, the room they'd been given on the godsforsaken planet that had snatched them both there. She could hear no running water in the bathroom, and the immediate room surrounding her held no traces of the blond bard. Her breath went still in her chest and she listened intently for breathing or anything else that would indicate that Gabrielle was within the sound of her voice.

There was nothing. Xena launched herself out of bed, because she could, and because she was in a hurry, and landed on her feet, still glancing around in case her hearing had been wrong. It wasn't. She half wondered if the bard had let her sleep and had gone to get food instead of waking her. After dressing as appropriately as she could in such a hurry, she left their room fully equipped with her weapons and went searching for Gabrielle. Normally, Xena wouldn't harbor such worry for her friend, but the circumstances of late had not been altogether pleasant.

First of all, Gabrielle had been badly hurt and she'd barely survived the trip to the Amazons who, although they were able to save her, said that she needed a lot of rest. Then, Xena had been brought to this damn planet and had worried and fretted over Gabrielle for a day or two before she was finally brought to Mirage, too. But also, there was a deep sense of dread that had settled in her stomach and she couldn't shake it. She searched high and low over the vast expanse of the Planet, covering much of it on Argo's back. When there was no sign of Gabrielle after several hours, Xena knew something was wrong.

As night fell, her worry increased. Nothing physically could harm Gabrielle on Mirage, at least not to the point of death, but that didn't cover kidnap or torture or any other unpleasantries. Both she and Argo were exhausted when she felt a tug on her skin. It tugged in no specific place, but seemed to tug everywhere at once. And suddenly, she was sitting on Argo's back in the middle of what looked to be a medieval village. Her piercing blue eyes surveyed the area for a moment. The snorting of other horses had Argo whickering in response and had peaked Xena's interest. This was not Mirage, of that she was certain. But it wasn't home either. Where the hell was she?

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bardictraveller
2009-03-02 09:22 pm UTC (link)

The blonde bard was still a little shellshocked. Yes, she'd been through a lot back home, but it was all stuff that she knew how to deal with. Being pulled onto Mirage had been hard enough, really. Yes, in a way it had been a relief to get away from the stuff that she'd left behind. But there was no such emotion now. She'd hadn't even really had time to get used to Mirage, and bam! She was pulled somewhere else. She couldn't help feeling it was a little unfair. Especially since Xena wasn't here.

It might seem a little strange that she could miss the warrior woman after so short a time, but it made sense in her mind. Xena was her best friend, after all, and she knew that neither of them really liked to be apart from the other for very long. Sure, Xena didn't really talk about it all the time or anything, but Gabrielle knew the truth. And she found herself worrying how she could even handle this weird new place without her best friend. It seemed impossible.

She wandered away from the middle of the village, not sure what she would do. She felt lost, scared, and very much alone. Surely she wasn't the only person feeling that way, many other people had been taken from their homes, but she didn't feel a real connection with any of them. There was really only one word to describe how she was feeling, and that work would be forlorn. She wasn't sure what to do, other than wander and hope she eventually found herself at her room, or some other place she could find something to do.

She wasn't lost enough in herself, however, that she couldn't notice what was standing right in front of her. She gasped when she saw the tall, muscular female, looking around and seeming just as lost as Gabrielle was. A sudden grin lit up her face, and she was running as fast as she could. In seconds, she was there, smiling at her best friend and feeling more hopeful than she had in a long time. "You're late! You missed the speech!" She was trying for casual, not pulling it off. All she wanted to do was lunge at the other woman and hug her.

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bravely
2009-03-03 10:14 am UTC (link)

Sitting on Argo's back gave Xena a very different view of the village than one on foot. She could see over the tops of some of the buildings and the land around them seemed vast. She could see a labyrinth in the distance with a large castle in the middle. This was definitely not Mirage, and if it was, it had to be the Planet's idea of a joke. She was getting ready to kick Argo into a trot when a familiar head of blond hair running toward her came into her peripheral vision.

She set her face in a stony, disapproving expression. It was a familiar one. One she wore when she was relieved but wanted the other person to feel as if they'd done something wrong. "Late, am I? I didn't know I was expected anywhere." Her gaze swept over her friend, checking for injuries. The last time they'd been separated, Gabrielle had a wound in her gut. She seemed to be perfectly fine now, except for the lack of weapons. Xena smirked and slid off the horse, taking her reigns and leading her toward the shorter bard.

"I see you've come on this little adventure unprepared. Lucky for you, I'm always prepared." She stood near Argo's saddle bags and began to unbelt one of them. She pulled the bard's sais out and held them out to her. She hadn't brought the staff, but it wasn't the same one Gabrielle had carried for years anyway. That one was long lost in some river in India. If Xena was being a little harsh, it was because she had been worried. She didn't exactly blame Gabrielle for leaving, but she had a difficult time expressing herself.

"When you decide to go off on your own, I'd appreciate a little warning." She raised an eyebrow and punched her gently in the shoulder. "That way I don't wander all over a resort looking for you." She was starting to soften, but she had been really worried. The knot in her stomach was unravelling slowly, however, and her expression wasn't quite so severe. Finally, she hooked her arm around Gabrielle's neck. "So... tell me about this speech I missed."

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bardictraveller
2009-03-04 12:03 am UTC (link)

There might possibly have been a time when Xena's expression would have fooled her, but that time was now several times in the past. She'd simply been through too much with the dark-haired warrior to think it was anything but the front that her friend put up to hide what she was feeling. She gave her a knowing smile, but didn't say anything about it.

Gabrielle watched as Xena slid off the horse and came over to her. "Hi, Argo!" She greeted the horse warmly, and then turned her attention back to the warrior. "Yeah, well... I was expecting you!" It wasn't entirely true. It would be more accurate to say that she'd been hoping Xena would be pulled here as well, but didn't have much faith in it. But she was definitely the sort of person who would always keep hoping for something, no matter how unlikely it was.

When Xena pulled out her sais, her eyes lit up with a curious mixture of exaltation and dismay. Her feelings about fighting were very mixed. She'd come a long way from the girl who had naively proclaimed to her sister that she would be a warrior. She had become that warrior, but had paid a price. She accepted the sais, feeling a sort of relief to have them back. At least, no matter what else happened, she was no longer unarmed. "Thanks." Her voice was a little quiet, but she soon gave her characteristic bright smile.

"Hey, no fair! I didn't know!" She shook her head, pretending to be stung by the injustice of it. "One second I was in bed, the next I was being pulled!" She glanced around, and then turned her attention back to Xena. "You really did miss an amazing speech, though. We're prisoners of a guy with very strange hair. He wants us to solve his labyrinth. Or we can just stay here in this city." She looked around at the place, which seemed perfectly normal to her in its Ren Faire guise.

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bravely
2009-03-04 10:55 am UTC (link)

Xena hated that knowing smile, and loved it at the same time. Mostly she hated it when it was aimed at herself. Like now, for instance. She gave Gabrielle a partial smirk, eyes half lidded. She watched the interaction between Gabrielle and Argo with some amusement. There had been a time that the two didn't get along, and Xena was glad the rivalry was at an end now. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"

Xena recognized the familiar mesh of expressions that always came with the mention of fighting or weapons. Even the weapons Gabrielle now used as an extention of her own arms could bring her dismay. Long ago, when Gabrielle still had her blood innocence, she'd wanted to fight and had even angered Xena into teaching her how to wield a sword so that she could kill Callisto, the woman who murdered Perdicas. Even then she couldn't do it. And it had been a long time of using a staff before she ever started using other weapons. Xena was used to it now, seeing Gabrielle fight and kill when she had a need, but there was still that knot in her stomach that made her wish that she could have stopped time back before Dahak had ever entered their lives.

She nodded at the quiet thanks and began to walk with Gabrielle as they talked. Xena wasn't really one to sit or stand still for long. She had to be doing something, and walking was something. She chuckled when Gabrielle pretended to be stung by her words, but she quickly turned back to the subject of this speech she'd heard. "Prisoners, hm?" She too, glanced around and saw nothing that gave her pause. She wondered if she would ever see this man with strange hair and decided that if she ever did, she'd probably kill him. Best not to meet him, then. "Solve a labyrinth? Does it have a Minotaur in it?" Xena's blue eyes gleamed with a fire. Maybe she'd get a chance to use her skills here, unlike she had in Mirage. "Stay here? And do what?"

She was suddenly very annoyed. She didn't like being told what to do, and even less liked the idea of being someone's prisoner. Being a prisoner to a planet seemed different somehow, and she wasn't taking kindly to this man with very strange hair. "Have you done any exploring yet? What's this place like?" She knew from the familiar pull she'd experienced before arriving that this was not Mirage. She knew she was moving through time, space and dimensions. It had felt the same when she'd been taken to Mirage. "Better start from the beginning and tell me what he said, as close as you can remember it."

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bardictraveller
2009-03-04 02:25 pm UTC (link)

The blonde smiled when the horse made a noise of welcome to her. She was glad that they could get along now, though it hadn't always been so. But she was more than willing to put it in the past, and she was glad to see that the horse apparently was, too. "Yeah... and you're not that late, anyway." Of course, Gabrielle knew that if Xena was late, she would forgive her. There was little than Gabrielle wouldn't forgive, especially when it came to her best friend.

The conflicted look lessened as she became used to the familiar weight of her weapons, and in fact, it almost vanished. But there had been a sort of freedom to not carrying weapons. It had felt dangerous, too of course. So all in all, she was just as happy to accept the sais and strap them on. Anyway, she was far too cheerful a person to really get too down about the whole thing, not for very long.

There was no question about what she would do. When Xena started walking, Gabrielle followed. It had always been that way, and she couldn't honestly concieve of it being any other way. It felt natural to fall into step with the tall warrior woman. "Oh, I don't know! The only person I've talked to, Robin, had no idea. He was new too. I think we all are." She saw the gleam in those icy blue eyes, and it made her smile a bit. Though it undoubtedly bode ill for anyone that got in her way. She wouldn't want to be the person who did, that was for sure. "I don't know... he kind of said we could figure it out ourselves, but our needs would be met."

The blonde shook her head. "No, I haven't. I just got here in time to hear the speech. I was thinking that I would go find my my... our room." It didn't even occur to her that she and Xena wouldn't share a room. There was just no other way it would be. "Well, so far it's pretty much like you see it now. The air feels weird." She wrinkled up her nose. "And the King who gave the speech was not impressing me much." If she had given a speech, she likely would have convinced most of the people that they wanted to be there. Instead, Jareth had just told them they had no choice. Gabrielle disapproved.

"Well, let me think." She continued walking in silence for a moment before she started speaking again. "He said that we were in a place called the Underground, and that he was King. He said he'd brought us here and we couldn't leave." She held up the book she still held. "He gave us this journal, but wouldn't tell us what it was for. And he told us that if we wanted, we could solve his labyrinth. And then we might win our freedom. But he didn't make any promises."

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bravely
2009-03-04 08:29 pm UTC (link)

Xena put on her amused look. She wore it often when she talked to Gabrielle. Not because she was making fun of the bard. No, she enjoyed her company, and it helped that she could tell a good story. Xena found her amusing, and usually it wasn't as patronizing as it looked. "Robin, hm?" She slid her icy blue gaze toward Gabrielle, raising a brow ever so slightly. Xena wasn't exactly the jealous type. At least not outwardly. Sure, she got a little stiff whenever Perdicas was mentioned or Gabrielle turned her affections on someone else. But it was because she was concerned about her friend's feelings. Well, that's what she tried to tell herself anyway. Whenever either of them had decided that they actually cared about someone else, the other always supported them. Even if it was hesitant.

She scowled a little, "Figure it out for ourselves. Perfect." She hissed the last word and gripped Argo's reins a little tighter. She narrowed her gaze as she looked around while they walked. The air did feel strange, and she couldn't account for it. She couldn't put her finger on why it was strange. But Gabrielle was right, it felt weird. It didn't exactly take a lot to impress Gabrielle, so Xena had to wonder about this guy. She pursed her lips and sighed. "We'll have to explore it at some point. It seems very different from Mirage, even the little I've seen." She wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not. Whether the change was good or not was yet to be seen.

Her keen eyes didn't miss much as they walked. While she listened to Gabrielle reiterate the speech the so called King had given, she was cataloging various buildings and filing away the words on signs for future use. She also didn't miss a word of what Gabrielle said. "Underground. Could possibly explain why the air feels strange." The only problem with that was that there was sky, and sun and it didn't appear as if they were underground. "Nothing strange about not being able to leave. We weren't supposed to be able to leave Mirage, either. And here we are." She sounded tired and irritated. "Solve the labyrinth, gain our freedom. Sounds easy enough." But she knew it wouldn't be. Nothing ever was.

"Might as well find this room. You have that key?" She wondered if she'd get her own key as well, and another one of those books Gabrielle had.

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bardictraveller
2009-03-04 10:35 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle nodded. "Robin. He was very sweet. He kissed my hand!" The tone that she announced this pretty much implied that this was the best thing ever. If Jareth hadn't impressed her, Robin had. Though she'd sensed that he'd been nothing more than polite, and though she'd been interested in very little other than trying to figure out a way to get to Xena, his chivalry had made a very strong impression on the blonde bard. "He had a sword and a bow, at first I though he might attack me but he didn't. I think he was just checking to make sure he still had his weapons..."

Gabrielle had been much less happy about the whole thing before Xena had arrived. Now, the reunion had knocked any negative thoughts out of her head, not that she had had many in the first place. It wasn't exactly her style. But she nodded, knowing that it would chafe at the warrior woman to have these restrictions placed on her. "It is different from Mirage. It feels... newer." Mirage had always felt ancient to her, somehow. It didn't make sense, but she tended to trust her feelings.

It was rather convienant, she felt, that the odd stone builings they walked past were labelled. Her key said F 118, so she just looked at the buildings until one of them said F. It was on the opposite side of the village that they had started from, so they walked past much of the town on the way there. "You think someone else will take us? I'm kind of getting sick of it."

She pointed as they arrived at the building that housed their room. "Here!" It matched her key, so she basically just assumed that she was right. It made sense. "I think that's what we need to do, solve the labyrinth. But I don't think His Royal Highness is likely to make it easy on us..." Which was fine with her. She was hardly opposed to a challenge.

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bravely
2009-03-08 12:55 am UTC (link)

"I see." Xena had her amused face on again. She was glad that this Robin had treated Gabrielle with respect. If he hadn't, she might have something to say about it. Lucky for him he had good manners. "Well, if this is anything like Mirage, he wouldn't have been able to attack. Not to kill anyway." She didn't say that without her weapons, Gabrielle didn't look much like a threat, either. That might not have gone over so well. So she just smiled slightly and continued on.

Xena had to agree with Gabrielle's assessment. It did feel newer. The planet had felt older, like there had been people there before. This place almost shined and sparkled with newness. And Xena didn't like it. At all. She glowered at the buildings as they passed them, only smiling when she caught Gabrielle looking at her. She knew the bard was eternally optimistic, and she didn't really want a lecture or the chance to bring her down. It was much better when Gabrielle was happy, cause when she wasn't she really really wasn't.

"If someone else takes us, they'll wish to the gods they didn't. I can promise you that." Really, it was irritating. What good reason did anyone have for taking the two best friends from not only their home, but the last world they'd been in. Twice was really pushing it. A third time was definitely asking for it. As Gabrielle announced that they were at their destination, Xena tethered Argo to a post outside the building and patted her neck before glancing up at the abode.

Her dark brows knitted together as she glanced at it. Well, the outside of the building was nothing like the ones on Mirage. She could only hope that the inside was a little better. It wasn't as if she was used to luxury or anything. Usually at home she and Gabrielle slept on the ground. Her room on Mirage must have made her a little soft. Maybe it was better that these places didn't look all that comfortable.

"No, I don't think he will either from what you've said. But we've never said no to a challenge." She grinned mischievously as they climbed the steps to the lodging building. Xena needed a challenge, something to keep her busy. Mirage was making her lose her touch. She needed a way to get it back and she was hoping she'd get the chance here.

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bardictraveller
2009-03-08 07:50 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this guy who calls himself the king said we weren't allowed to kill each other." But, of course, that wouldn't stop hurting. She was glad Robin had been friendly. And, in truth, it had seemed everyone was just too confused to get into fights. Although, some people would probably be more likely to get into a fight the more confused they got.

She returned the smile, glad to see the happy expression on Xena's face. It was a good sign, she thought. In all honesty, she had noticed that Xena tended to smile more around her, but she was glad to see the expression on her face given the kidnapping to a new place and all. It was encouraging, though didn't necessarily mean Xena was feeling happy about this change. Which was fair enough, because she wasn't feeling that way herself.

"And you can count on me for that, too!" Gabrielle might be conflicted about fighting, but in a very real way, she went wherever Xena did. And, of course, she was more than a little bit unwilling to be pulled around anymore. It was getting out of hand. "Bye, Argo!" She waved to the horse, who tolerated the sillyness, and went to stand by her best friends side.

"It's really ugly..." Though she'd stayed in worse places, she'd been used to Mirage. This was completely different. She really didn't like it. But maybe it wasn't a bad thing that it was different, not really. It made it feel a bit less surreal. In Mirage, some things had always been the same, and this place had none of those things.

"There was this really strange little creature that the king said we could ask questions... I wonder what other things we'll run into here?" The Minotaur still lurked in the back of her mind, but she shoved that thought away. She would deal with that when it came up. She looked at the place for awhile, then gestured to her friend. "Come on! Maybe we can find you a room key and one of these books!" She smiled winningly at her friend and pushed open the door to their dorm building.

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bravely
2009-03-09 10:52 pm UTC (link)

Xena nodded, acknowledging the rule about not killing. She was glad to know about that. For the most part anyway. It was what she did, who she was, and the fact that she couldn't do it irked her somewhat. But it was good for Gabrielle's safety. And that's all Xena really cared about in the end. Xena had risked life and limb on more than one occasion to make sure that Gabrielle was safe. She did blame herself for the life that Gabrielle now led. If it hadn't been for her influence, Gabrielle would be a famous bard with no idea about war or violence.

They ascended the stairs and stepped inside the drab building. "I agree. I've seen better." She looked down as Gabrielle spoke of a strange creature that could be questioned. "Maybe I should talk to him, find out what he knows." Not that she didn't trust Gabrielle to relay the information gathered earlier in the day, but it seems the "King" hadn't explained everything. Like, how to leave, for instance. A vague reference to the Labyrinth didn't count in her book.

Stepping inside the building, Xena knew it was new. It smelled new. It didn't smell dirty or used. It was very strange and slightly unnerving. She didn't like it, and it showed in the furrow of her brow. She noticed a desk to the side of the door and on it rested a book like the one Gabrielle carried, and a similar key. She reached out and picked up the key, looking at the number on it. "F 118." She turned to glance at Gabrielle, raising a dark brow. "Suppose this is mine or are you shacking up with someone else?"

She smirked and tucked the key into a pouch at her waist and picked up the book, too. She wasn't one for books. Oh, she was educated. She could read, but she couldn't write the way Gabrielle did, though her skills were adequate. She simply wasn't a storyteller. She tucked the book under her arm after she flipped through the pages briefly, then turned to Gabrielle. "Alright, let's find this room of ours."

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bardictraveller
2009-03-10 09:03 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle was getting a little confused. She had known from the first that this place was new. It just felt like it. But the dwellings seemed like they had the look of something old, somehow. In a strange sort of way, though, it felt like something had sort of deliberately tried to recreate that look, and hadn't quite succeeded. Why would anyone try to do that? But she was starting to think she was never going to understand the sort of person who would do these things.

"That might be a good idea." She frowned slightly. "I bet the best way to find him would be to go through the Labyrinth. I haven't seen a castle or anything around here, so I bet it's somewhere in the Labyrinth." It was a bit of a leap of logic, but not much. Especially where Gabrielle was concerned.

"Yeah, actually." She shot a teasing smile to her best friend. "It's not your key. I thought the weird King was kind of cute so I invited him to move in with me." It was a sarcastic comment, but said in a innocent sort of way that didn't make it as offensive as it could have been. "I've only been here an hour or two, Xena. I don't move that fast. You're stuck with me." She flashed the warrior woman a brilliant smile, and watched as she got her things together.

"I wonder if it will be like Mirage?" It was quite impossible for Gabrielle to shut up for two seconds at a time, as Xena should well know. The blonde bard did like to talk. "I mean, how our rooms would change to whatever we wanted? And we could just think about things and they would just appear?" She thought about that as they walked along the first floor hallway, looking with half an eye for the room marked '118'. "I mean, this place seems like Mirage, only different, don't you think?"

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bravely
2009-03-11 08:05 pm UTC (link)

Xena nodded her head in agreement. If this man called himself a king, more than likely he had a castle. Most kings did. And since it couldn't be seen in the immediate area, it was probably safe to assume that it was somewhere in the labyrinth. Although, Gabrielle did have a vivid imagination. Even still, it made sense, so she went with it.

Xena scoffed. "Figures. I guess I should have known I was so easily replaceable." She smirked and then elbowed the bard as she spoke up. "Mmm, you move pretty fast." Xena had that gleam in her eye, the one where she could be a merciless tease. "Damn, maybe I could bunk with Argo." She fought to suppress a grin and dropped her head so that her dark curtain of hair nearly concealed her face.

Good thing Xena was used to incessant chatter. It had been a little difficult to stomach at first, but it had grown on her and she knew it was just part of Gabrielle's charm. It also meant she didn't have to do a lot of talking herself. Which she was more than grateful about. "Well, with any luck at all it will be different. And maybe we'll be able to get home." On Mirage, that notion had been entirely impossible. No one left unless the Planet said so. Here, at least they had the prospect of an "option" if they completed the labyrinth successfully.

"Yeah, similar in some ways, different in others." Such an overwhelming chatterbox she was. Her icy blue gaze scanned the numbers on the doors until they fell on 118 on the right hand side of the hall. She gestured to it. "Well, let's see if these keys work, huh?"

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bardictraveller
2009-03-12 11:04 am UTC (link)

Xena was fairly quiet, but that didn't exactly shut Gabrielle up. It was likely that very little could, actually. She could carry on an entire conversation with herself, and while around the Warrior Princess, she usually did just that.

The elbow in her side could have been worse. If Xena had been in a worse mood, it might have actually hurt. As it was, she only felt it as a teasing sort of pressure. "Hey, I don't move that fast." She made a face. "Anyway, I wouldn't have someone who kidnapped me as a roommate." She flashed a smile to Xena. "If you want to go sleep with the horse, though, have fun!"

She frowned. "Oh yeah." Though it would be convienant in some ways to have the stuff Mirage had offered, it would also be better, just like Xena pointed out, to have a way home. Sometimes she didn't see obvious things, things right in front of her face, because she was too focused on some romantic vision. Xena always brought her back to reality.

Once at the door, she flicked short blonde hair out of her face and glanced at it. "Here we go!" She grinned and slid the key home in the lock. "I wonder what it's going to look like..." Which was a useless thing to say, because she was about to find out, but she did enjoy talking. The door slid open, and Gabrielle frowned. "What a strange place." It looked like something the blonde had never seen before, a motel room. She'd stayed in inns, of course, but this was different.

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bravely
2009-03-12 06:23 pm UTC (link)

It certainly wasn't worth arguing the point. Mostly because the same thing could be flung right back at her. Both of them moved quickly when they were in "love". It had happened to Gabrielle with Perdicas, Iolaus, and a few other boys in the early days. But the same thing had happened to Xena. She'd fallen for Ulysses, Marcus, Draco (although that had been entirely Cupid's fault) and there was always that niggling little thing she had with Ares. But it wasn't worth the argument, so she let the point drop. She only rolled her eyes when Gabrielle encouraged the sleeping with Argo idea. "I'll have a look at the room before I decide."

Her hand was on her chakram as Gabrielle opened the door, prepared for anything. Nothing jumped out at them immediately, so Xena pushed past Gabrielle to enter the room first, putting herself between the bard and potential danger. Keen blue eyes scanned the area, but saw nothing. She opened the closet and peered inside, opened the door to the bathroom and checked that as well. Nothing out of the ordinary. But then, the whole room was out of the ordinary. It had a bed, which was not so different from the cots and beds they had back home. The coverings were different and it seemed more solid, rather than stuffed with hay.

But there was carpet. And that was strange in and of itself. Xena bent down and touched it with her hand, feeling the texture and decided that it was nice and would probably feel good on bare feet. The strangest thing, Xena felt, was probably the fact that the inside of the room didn't match the outside of the building. This room didn't look as old as the outside. Aside from a table with two chairs, a single dresser and two night stands, the room was fairly bare. The bathroom had a toilet and shower (which she'd become accustomed to in Mirage) as well as a sink, but nothing else.

After her cursory inspection, she turned back to Gabrielle and shrugged. "It's strange alright, but it seems okay." She jumped back a few feet and landed squarely on the bed, testing it for bounce. A facial shrug later and she was lying on her back staring at the blank ceiling. "Well, it's shelter. Good enough for me."

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bardictraveller
2009-03-13 12:41 pm UTC (link)

As usual, Gabrielle could make a good guess at what Xena was thinking. It had really gotten to the point where they had been together so long, she could read Xena as well as anyone could, she supposed. And she knew the same was true for Xena reading her, though that wasn't as hard a thing to do. But she made an educated guess at her friends thoughts, and flushed slightly. Moving fast... yes, she could admit to that. But she just smiled, her color high, and nodded. "Alright, because I'm certainly not sleeping with Argo."

She let herself be moved to the side, since that was pretty much how things went everytime they moved into a room together. Xena was protective, and deep down, Gabrielle kind of liked it. She tried her best to glance over Xena's shoulder, but the warrior woman was much taller than her. So she ended up sort of peering around her side to try and see what was going on. Green eyes widened as she took the odd place in. She'd never seen anything like it, not exactly. The basics were the same, but the details... so strange.

When nothing attacked, she walked into the room cautiously. Soon, however, she had forgotten to be careful as she bounced over to the nearby wall. "Look at this picture, Xena!" The thing showed a red-cheeked little boy holding a puppy. She wrinkled up her nose. "It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen. Who would want something like this were they slept?" But it was relatively inoffensive, as was everything here. Even if it was odd looking. She wandered over to the bedside table, seated herself on the bed, and pulled out a book from the drawer.

"The Holy Bible... alright, then." She flipped through it briefly, decided she would read it later, and then turned to face Xean cross-legged on the bed. She flashed her a smile and nodded. "Yeah, anyway, maybe we can solve the labyrinth and be out of here before too long. No sense settling in."

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bravely
2009-03-15 04:41 pm UTC (link)

Xena sat up, propping herself on her elbows as Gabrielle exclaimed over a painting on the wall. She tilted her head, raising a brow as she looked it over. It really was pretty hideous, but it was neutral and seemed appropriate for the room they'd been stuck with. She shrugged at Gabrielle's question, trying not to smile at her obvious disgust. When Gabrielle left the painting and headed for the bed, sitting down on the opposite side of Xena, she rolled onto her side and settled her arm in front of her. She dropped her head into her opposite hand, elbow still bent to prop her up and watched Gabrielle rummage in the bedside table's drawer.

Her dark brows furrowed slightly when Gabrielle read the title. She'd never heard of it before, but she could see from the look on the bard's face that she was interested enough to read a little of it at another time. She raised both brows as Gabrielle turned around to face her. Nodding, she crossed her ankles and pushed herself onto her back again. She laced her hands together on her stomach and looked back up at the ceiling. "No, not really. We'll stay in the city for a few days, get to know the land, see if there's another way out besides the labyrinth." She was a firm believer in getting to know your surroundings. It was harder to be surprised by the unexpected that way.

"And then we'll try the Labyrinth. We should gather enough supplies to get us through there, and we need to have a way to track our progress. I don't want to get in there and then get so completely lost that we die of starvation or thirst or exposure." Xena could think of no worse way to die. She'd rather die at the end of a sword than without food in her belly. She closed her eyes, not intending to sleep, but merely to rest her eyes for a moment. It had been a rather eventful day and she was a little tired. She was also a little hungry, but she was enjoying the momentary rest. She cracked an eye open and glanced at Gabrielle.

"What's that book we were given?"

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bardictraveller
2009-03-16 12:52 am UTC (link)

The odd black book that she didn't understand, she set aside on the desk. It looked like the sort of language she enjoyed, actually, full of epic stories. And she had no way of knowing that it was the same book found in motel rooms all over earth of the 20th century. To her, it was just an interesting book. She turned her attention back to her best friend, however, as Xena rolled over to face her.

"Okay. I'll look around a bit, then." She was good at that sort of thing, especially the parts with talking to other people to get more information. She enjoyed it, and actually found herself looking forward to the adventure. Sure, it was crazy, but Xena was by her side and that was good enough. The would get through this together, as they had gotten through everything else. "I'll start tomorrow."

Gabrielle continued to sit on the bed, facing Xena, but pulled her legs up onto the bed so she was perched cross-legged. She looked at her friend thoughtfully. "You know, I bet I could write a really great epic poem about us going through the labyrinth." The idea appealed to her, obviously, by the smile on her face. "Can you imagine? Xena and Gabrielle brave the labyrinth! Daring escapes! Harrowing fights! Cunning riddles!" She thought for a moment. "I hope all that stuff is in there, though, or else it's going to be harder to write."

For a second, she didn't know what Xena was talking about. But finally, she clued in. "Oh, this?" She held up the journal. "I don't know, really. I haven't looked yet. It seems to be an empty..." She opened a page and frowned. "No, wait! It was empty, but now there's writing in it!" She held it up for inspection.

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bravely
2009-03-16 06:59 pm UTC (link)

"We'll both start tomorrow." Xena spoke, eyes closed. She brought both of her arms up behind her head and sighed softly. She might be able to get used to the softness of this bed afterall. She cracked her eye open again and smirked lightly as Gabrielle got that faraway look on her face. She always got that way when she talked about her stories. "Sure, sure. Why not?" She closed her eye again, but the smirk remained. It amused Xena that Gabrielle got so excited about possible fights. It was like she was the innocent young girl from Potidaea all over again. That Gabrielle had been excited to get into fights, had wanted to use a sword.

The Gabrielle she knew now was more cautious. She knew what it was like to kill someone now. She knew how much it had changed everything. For both of them. Before Xena had felt no guilt about Gabrielle's part in their adventures. Xena had done all the fighting, all the killing. The bard had helped once she'd gained skill with the fighting staff, of course, but she'd never killed with it. Xena still felt guilty that her lust for revenge on Caesar had taken them to Britannia where Dahak had gotten his hands on the innocent young thing she'd been back then. But she knew that if anyone was to blame, it was the Dark Lord himself. Still, it made Xena happy to hear Gabrielle touting the idea for a new poem the way she had in the past.

When Gabrielle finally got around to figuring out what book Xena was talking about, a full on smile was stretching her lips. "Yeah, that." She opened both eyes this time and sat up, crossing her legs the way Gabrielle was. She frowned almost immediately, however, when she saw the writing in the book. "You didn't write that?" She pointed to the scrawled letters that were nothing like her own, but that she could strangely read as easily as if it were. Narrowing her gaze, she reached for her own journal that she'd set aside on the nightstand. She hadn't bothered to look in it before, but she opened it now and saw that the exact same thing that was written in Gabrielle's journal, was written in her own.

Her icy blue gaze went to Gabrielle's for a moment before she glanced back down into the journal and began to read. Her lips moved ever so slightly as she read silently to herself. It didn't make any sense. Why would two books have something exactly the same in them, and handwritten at that? But then, before her very eyes, on a blank page, ink began to run. It formed letters, then words, then sentences and paragraphs. She slammed the book shut and tossed it back on the nightstand. That was more than a little creepy in her opinion and more than she was willing to deal with at the moment. "What do you make of it?" She wanted to know Gabrielle's grounded opinion before she set the thing ablaze.

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bardictraveller
2009-03-16 11:22 pm UTC (link)

Excited, Gabrielle bounced slightly on the bed. And then had to scramble for balance, since it was much more springy than anything else she'd ever sat on. She didn't fall off, but it was a near thing. The bard shot a sheepish look at her friend, and then shifted to sit more firmly on the bed. "This thing is way too bouncy!" She poked at the bed with one finger, and then shrugged. It was strange, but a lot of things here were.

Gabrielle didn't even realize how much like her old self she sounded. Maybe it was just the fact that she was relieved, in some shameful way, to be away from her own world. She felt more like she could be innocent, in a place where killing wasn't involved. It was complicated, but she didn't think about it that much. She just half-admitted it to herself, did her best to ignore the rest, and kept on doing what she was doing. Maybe they would get home. If anyone could, she knew that the warrior woman would find a way. And, of course, she'd follow. But she was enjoying being away from it all, and it showed in her demeanor.

She flipped through the pages idly, stopping at a random entry. Frowning softly, she read it. It seemed to be written in symbols she didn't even know, and yet, she could read it. It confused her, but unlike Xena, didn't freak her out. After all, think of the uses for such a thing! So she kept flipping through it, reading entries at random. Finally, she replied to one... and a few moments later, got a response back. Her green eyes widened and she gasped softly, but was not displeased.

"No, Xena, don't you see? It can be a way of communicating! We are reading the entries of other people here!" She was delighted by it, actually. "Think of the advantages to this! No matter where you are, you can talk to everyone else!" She set the book aside and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "I can tell from your expression that you don't like the idea, but come on. It could be useful." She wheedled the warrior, not wanting to see the book get destroyed. The look in Xena's eyes said that wasn't an option that was completely out of the question.

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bravely
2009-03-18 10:45 pm UTC (link)

When Gabrielle started bouncing, Xena shot out a hand to rest on her leg, hoping to still her. She caught the look and smirked. Once the bard was still, she removed her hand and replaced it back behind her head. "I fully agree. You'll be sleeping on the floor if you keep that up."

Xena was happy that Gabrielle was acting a bit more like her old self than the one that had rescued her from death back in Japa. That Gabrielle had fought a master Samurai and won, and only to take back Xena's head. It was refreshing, in a way, to have the innocent Gabrielle around for a while. No matter how long it lasted. Xena was kind of enjoying being away from the crazy life they both led back in Greece. They were world travelers, and people came to them for help solving problems. She didn't mind doing it, it helped her feel less guilt about the things she'd done in her early days as a warlord. Not that it would ever go away, but it helped.

Xena kept a watchful eye on Gabrielle who seemed rather keen on the idea of a book that wrote itself. But when Gabrielle wrote in the book herself and got a reply, Xena knew it was more than fishy. "So, communicate, but don't expect me to write my ideas down in that thing. It's obviously magic and who's to say that this King isn't trying to control our thoughts with it or something?" Xena was always immediately wary of anything, especially if she didn't know the source. She was going to keep her eye on Gabrielle, especially when she used the journal, she didn't need her best friend being sucked into it or something.

Xena wouldn't destroy her journal, but she sure as hell wasn't about to use it. Besides, she wasn't one for writing things down anyway, that's why she kept the bard around. At least, that's one of the reasons she told herself she kept her around. The other reasons were much too deep to be comfortable thinking about. Besides, she didn't need this King raining down some retribution cause she destroyed something of his.

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bardictraveller
2009-03-19 06:33 pm UTC (link)

Gabrielle sighed softly, but then turned a brilliant smile to her friend. "I don't think that's entirely fair. I was here first, you know. So this is my room, and I'm just letting you stay here." Which was the biggest pile of crap ever, of course, and entirely playful bluster. There was no chance Gabrielle would ever say anything like that and mean it, she was obviously just teasing.

But she did very obviously stop bouncing, and instead just turned her green-eyed gaze thoughtfully toward the warrior princess. "There seems to be all sorts of people here, too. I wonder if they'll need help getting home?" She shrugged slightly. "But then, they can always do the Labyrinth, too."

Reluctantly, Gabrielle put the book aside, knowing that she would probably play with it later. It was unlike anything she'd really ever seen, this ability to communicate with people. She wanted it so bad to be a good thing that she sort of made it into that in her mind. She was good at that sort of thing. "No one expects you to! I can't even say how shocked I'd be if you did."

She stood up suddenly, not being all that good with staying in one place too long. "I'm going to have a shower, do you want to come?"

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bravely
2009-03-23 09:04 pm UTC (link)

Xena snorted. She knew Gabrielle was teasing, she also knew there was no way in hell that she was going anywhere. She was worn out and the bed was, although too bouncy, far too comfortable to be leaving it anytime soon.

"Tell you what, as soon as we find a way home, we'll let everyone else know, alright? We'll help as many people as we can." It was what they did, after all. Not necessarily in this manner, usually it involved more ass kicking, but helping was helping, one way or another.

Xena smirked, the familiar expression crossing her drowsy features. "Good." No expectation meant not letting anyone down. And really she didn't care about letting anyone but Gabrielle down. If she really wanted her to write in it, she might have, but there was no expectation so there was no problem.

"No, no. Go ahead. I think I'm just going to rest my eyes for a while." She slid off the bed and reached back to unbuckle the scabbard from her back. She piled all her weapons onto the floor beside the bed so she could access them easily if anyone managed to gain entrance to their room and then lay down on her side, tucking her arm up under her head and closing her eyes. It wasn't long after that she was completely asleep, snoring ever so lightly.

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bardictraveller
2009-03-23 09:26 pm UTC (link)

For awhile, Gabrielle just stood there. It was always interesting to watch Xena sleep, actually. Everyone wears masks of some sort, of course, but she'd found that, in sleep, even Xena's got set aside. At least partially.

She leaned down affectionately and pushed a strand of dark hair that had fallen into Xena's face back into place. Smiling fondly, she watched for awhile and then turned away. She would probably join the warrior woman soon enough, but for now, she really did need a shower.

In her typical sort of way, she hummed under her breath as she wandered off to the bathroom. It wasn't as nice as Mirage, but it still worked. Sighing happily, she stepped out of her clothing and shut the bathroom door behind her.

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