[ AS LONG AS HE FEELS HE'S IN CONTROL. ] -- OPEN

[gabriel thierot]

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lately it's been a big hassle to make sure he's
FITTING IN AND LIVING LARGE
DISREGARD ALL THE LIES HIS CHARM IS GONNA GET HIM THROUGH THE NIGHT

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The muggle song kept looping through his mind as Gabriel Thierot stared up at the glass-paned ceiling of the astronomy tower. He absolutely hated the song most of the time, not only because of it's annoyingly catchy beat and half-baked lyric -- but because the first part of the song tended to hit too close to home where he was concerned. At least, some days. Today in particular. Then again, his day had been pretty shitty all around so it made sense that he'd be slowly driven insane by an annoying pop-rock song that was so disturbingly accurate about him. Grimacing, he shifted the position of one of his legs to a bended position, tingles alerting him to the fact that the appendage had fallen asleep. If any one walked in on him in this state, they would probably think it odd that one of Slytherin's quidditch starts was laying flat on his back on the carpet floor of what was usually the astronomy classroom. Being who he was, and having a habit of trying to keep a certain image up about him, he'd made sure that no classes were scheduled for that night.

Gabriel stared up at the night sky through the glass of the ceiling. Somehow the stars seemed so much brighter out here than when he was home in London. Then again, it was country versus the city. There was a sense of calm that he got whenever he looked at the night sky. Though it made him feel small and almost insignificant, it also didn't ask anything of him. He could look and look without ever having to give up something in return. Ever since he'd been little, all he'd ever had to do when he was upset or angered by something was to look at the stars and the moon, to recite the stories that were behind each constellation, and his soul was peaceful. Very few people, if anyone, knew this about him. To Gabriel, it was his Achille's heel almost. He feared that his love of stars would someday be used against him, thus ruining the only constant he felt that he had.

So he hid his secret, guarded it almost. Sure, he knew he could be an asshole -- it was partly a defense mechanism, he knew, and partly just because it was fun. You never got a truer reaction out of somebody than when they were angry. Well, maybe when they were drunk but it wasn't as fun to fight with a drunk person. When people become angry while their sober, you learn their weaknesses, their buttons so to speak. This is how Gabriel learned about people. It was a much easier way to get to know a person than actually becoming their friend. And you avoided putting your ass on the line for them. Of course Gabriel had true friends and all that, but he'd gotten them because they put up with his shit and eventually pushed past his guard. In Gabe's mind, if you wouldn't fight for him he wouldn't fight for you. A friendship was a fare trade, in his opinion. You didn't just do stuff for people without expecting something back. Even those 'selfless' people expected gratitude and admiration -- if not from the person in particular they helped, they by everyone else.

People in the world were far to jaded these days to just be nice to one another. In fact, Gabriel doubted there was even on truly pure-of-heart, Mother Theresa type of person out their. The fact was, everyone wants something and everyone has a price. Maybe not in monetary figures, but everyone can be bought some way or another. It was a sad fact, true, but it was one of the few real ones he'd ever been taught. Sighing, he tucked his hands behind his head and smirked at the night sky. A moment later he realized he'd finally gotten the song out of his head. As usual, however, it came back with the realization. Groaning, he rolled his eyes at the moon, unconsciously tapping one of his feet in rhythm with the song playing in his head.

[braden connely]

Braden Connely wandered the halls. He was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be out, but he had never been one to worry himself about rules. rules were made to be broken, right? Still, he really didn't want to get caught, mostly for the hassle, so he ducked down another corridor or into a closet whenever he heard someone coming. It jsut made his life easier when he didn't have to worry about serving a detention or something. Those were definitely a pain in his ass.

Eventually his meandering steps brought him up to the towers, and then up toward the astronomy tower. He wasn't sure why his steps brought him there, but they did. It didn't have to be anything in particular. They just did. He didn't really pay attention to where his steps led. He just went wherever his feet took him. That was minor. So long as he didn't get himself caught.

He heaved a slight sigh as his legs started to get tired from the ridiculous amount of stairs that led to the astronomy tower. This was insane. He didn't know why people bothered with astronomy anyway. He saw it as a waste of time. Finally he reached the top and glanced down at the floor where someone was lying. He laughed slightly under his breath. Of course, he knew instantly who it was.

"Hey Gabe" he said, wandering over, his hands still shoved in his pockets. He flopped down next to one of his few friends. For whatever reason, Gabriel and Braden got along really well. They had from the beginning. Just clicked, sort of, in a manner of speaking. Their personalities meshed pretty well. They were the "two peas in a pod" sort of friends. Both complete asses a vast majority of the time, but loyal when it came to their good friends.

He glanced over at his friend. "You look like you're thinking about something pretty hard" he said with a slight smirk, though it wasn't his usual condescending smile. It was just...a smirk. Sort of a "you goof" smirk. Whatever the case, it wasn't as mean as he usually was. Usually his face had the appearance of a complete ass, which he was, but when he got around his friends he tended to be a fairly decent person.

[OOC: Sorry love. This sucks. Better replies coming, I promise, but I'm a little pressed for time at the moment.]

[gabriel thierot]

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lately it's been a big hassle to make sure he's
FITTING IN AND LIVING LARGE
DISREGARD ALL THE LIES HIS CHARM IS GONNA GET HIM THROUGH THE NIGHT

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Gabriel's mood had grown surlier by the moment as he stared up at the night sky. It was not even improved the by the arrival of one of the few people he considered a friend. Most likely because he and Braden were the type of friends that roughed each other up and went in on pranks together -- not the sort to sit around an whine about each other's problems with over a cuppa. Not to say they wouldn't help each other out from time to time, if absolutely needed, but theirs was not a friendship of sensitivity. Mayhap, because they were both assholes by nature and couldn't suppress it even around people they liked it. Gabe always thought of it as a deficiency in their natures. A character flaw, so to speak. But, as far as flaws go, being an all around git the majority of the time was one flaw that he favored. It was better than being snivelly and...sensitive *insert mental shudder hear*. The point being that Gabriel was quite content the way he was, which, at the moment, happened to be grouchy.

So when Braden came sauntering over, hands in his pockets, and a mild smirk on his face (shocker, considering the boy was usually more surly looking than him most days), Gabe could not help but be irritated. It was the mood he was in and it would only be satisfied by the irritation of the current host: him. (Somehow, it's starting to sound more and more like an intelligent virus?) Without moving, Gabriel's eyes slid to Braden's in a sort of muted glare. Muted, because it was rather dark in the tower room and even he couldn't make his eyes glow. "Maybe," he grunted, his reply noncommittal. His mouth tightened into a straight line as he battled the urge to growl. (Honestly, was this virus starting to turn him feral?). "What do you want, Connely?" He asked, some of the irritation coming out in his voice. At this point, he really had no control over what his mood was causing him to think and feel.

Of course, it was possible that Braden would simply roll his eyes and leave him be. It was a very slight possibility, seeing as how they were two of a kind and Gabriel usually relished the chance to annoy someone beyond belief. Now, however, there was one of those rare moments where he wished the whole treat-others-as-you-want-to-be-treated thing had had a bigger affect on his actions than it had. He might've been sulking in private if he'd had a little bit of foresight. Too bad hindsight was 20/20 and all that. Turning his eyes back on the glass ceiling above him, his tone of voice turned dry. "Or were your spidey senses tingling and you felt your presence being summoned for maximum annoyance? I must say, if that's the case, you are to be commended for your speed." A responding smirk crossed Gabriel's features as he remained unmoving, his pride stiffening his spine and preventing him from sitting up. He'd been there first, after all, he'd be damned if he would be forced to leave to find another spot to be alone and surly in.