[1v1] Whyyyyyyyy (Junko/Riley) FIN

[Eight]

"I hate this," Jump grumped, sitting on a bench outside the gym. She was back in her only pair of sneakers, shorts, and tank top again. Her hair was tied back to stay out of the way.

"Yes, yes. You've mentioned that. I think that's the fiftieth time today."

"It's not fair." She leaned forward to put her elbows on her knees and hold her head in her hands, pouting and just staring ahead.

"That is the twenty-fifth time you've said that."

What if she faked it?

"You'll never get away with it."

"I hate you."

"Yes, I'm aware."  

[Nio Love]

Junko hated fighting. How did Riley know this? Because she could hear the ghoul whining from a mile away. Fortunately, she was not a mile away, she was simply in the gym, preparing to leave. She'd just finished a real spar, and she was still sweating from the fight, but seeing the ghoul struggling with her unhappiness was enough to stop her.

Let me guess. Riley murmured gently as she put her gym bag down. Not very happy about the new graduation requirements, are we?

Eight

 

[Eight]

Junko blinked and looked up when she heard Riley's voice in her head, huffing and blowing her bangs out of her face. "They suck," she muttered unhappily.

"Thirty-seven."

Her eyes narrowed. "I've got almost all the classes I need, it's the sparring I don't like. Haven't we fought enough these past few years?"

"Seventeen."

"Do you have, like..a sock or something? A really big one?" Junko sighed and sat up straight, pulling some of her hair over her shoulder to idly braid it. "I've done a couple so far..Roch didn't even take me seriously until I threw him to the ground using only my hair." She pouted. "How're you doing on them?"

Nio Love

 

[Nio Love]

I do not wear socks. Riley answered in all seriousness, before heading up to her and holding her palms out. And I have completed all of my work. But I will assist you in the best way I know how. Here. Put your hands on top of mine. We're going to play a little game I like to call cheating.

Eight

 

[Eight]

Nio Love

I see no point in rolling when you just rolled a ******** 20

Junko frowned. Well, damn. She watched Riley approach her and hold her hands out, her brow furrowing with confusion as the mindflayer continued to speak. "..Cheating...?" Junko did as she was told. She placed her hands on top of Riley's, palm to palm, and stood just in case. How did you cheat a spar?  

[Nio Love]

It's actually really simple. Riley murmured with a chuckle. In order to land a hit on me, you have to hit my hands. If you fail, my hands will have pulled away before you can hit them. If you hit, you take some of my Fear with you. The harder you hit my hands, the more you take, until one of us concedes defeat. And if you feel so inclined to use your Fear attacks to make an overpowered slam, feel free. Now I will show you -

Her hands curved in a blindingly fast arc, and slammed down on Junko's hands with a smack that did not hurt so much as drain the ghoul.

-How to win at cheating.

HP: 50
Damage: 4

Eight

 

[Eight]

Junko wasn't..quite sure this was actually a spar...

...whatever. It got the job done. "Okay," she agreed with her eyes on their hands. This was okay. She could do this.

She squeaked when Riley hit her hands, settling hers on top again when Riley settled. "I've never done this before. Is it a game?"

HP: 46/50
Defending: 3

Nio Love

 

[Nio Love]

It is. It's a wonderful game. It tests your instinct, and it works on your reaction time. Both are very important skills in a fight. She flipped her hands around again, slapping Junko's so hard she felt it vibrate. And you could use the practice.

Riley's hands turned slowly, palms down. All right. This time you try to hit me.

HP: 50
Damage: 12

Eight

 

[Eight]

Riley suddenly hit her hands again and she squeaked, bringing her hands back too little too late. Owwww! She whined and shook her hands as if that would make the pain go away.

Fine. She'd try..

Junko waited, looking up at Riley and then down at their hands again. And then Riley. Hands. Riley. Hands. Riley...

She then quickly snapped her hands up to try and slap Riley. She managed it with her fingertips. Just barely.

HP: 37/50
Damage done: 3

Nio Love

 

[Nio Love]

Riley nodded, watching the ghoul's eyes carefully, until she managed a hit on Riley's hands before she could pull away. Her eyes crescented. Good. You caught me off guard. You see? Now, try again.

Riley focused her attention harder, intent on dodging this time around.

HP: 47
Defending for: 1

Eight

 

[Eight]

Riley's praise was a small boost of confidence for the ghoul. She, Junko, caught Riley off guard. She surprised her! Hehe! That was so awesome! She'd never done that before!

This time she didn't take her eyes off Riley's face before she tried slapping her hands, only this time Junko found herself swatting empty air. "Damn.." You tried, Junko.

HP: 37/50
Damage done: 1 (and she defended for 1 wtg Junko wtg)

Nio Love

 

[Nio Love]

Riley chuckled at the attempt, and took Junko's hands carefully, turning them around. I liked your strategy of watching my face for a reaction instead of focusing on the hands. Normally that would work. I think it might work better with someone who has all of those superfluous facial features. They're always such telltale giveaways. Her hands settled underneath Junko's. The twitch of a cheek, the slightest frown, a blink, a gasp-

She tapped Junko's hands before the ghoul noticed. Distraction helps, too.

Eight

HP: 47
Damage: 1  

[Eight]

Junko perked up a bit as Riley went on to compliment Junko's methods. This was so awesome! Though she looked confused when Riley said facial features were superfluous. "Why do you think that? I like being able to tell what emotion someone is feeling just by looking at their face. Like..when someone looks upon you with pure adoration, like you're the most important thing in their world? It's the most beautiful thing to look at. Or to see on someone's face they're getting annoyed so you can stop whatever it was you're doing that was bothering them..that's help t--"

Apparently distraction did help. Junko squeaked as her hands were tapped. She pouted. "That was a dirty trick."

HP: 36/50
Defended for: 8 (that 2d8 thing was habit..oops)

Nio Love

 

[Nio Love]

Junko's reaction had Riley jiggling with laughter. Her eyes had thinned to slitted crescents, and her laughter was mostly internal, because nobody should ever hear Riley giggle. When she finally let Junko hear her thoughts again, it was clear she was trying very hard to not laugh anymore. And failing. A little bit.

Well, it's a good lesson to learn. Besides, you know those things when you look at me, do you not? If I look at Malodore, those expressions are there. If I look at.. Calder, for instance, the annoyance is there. I don't need a face to express myself. The eyes are the windows to the soul.

She flipped her hands around, but Junko managed to get away just in time. Well done! She praised, her expression filled with pride. She turned her hands around, offering the ghoul a chance to hit. Your turn.

HP: 47
Damage: 0 due to defense!

Eight

 

[Eight]

Riley was laughing at her. Junko pouted up at the mindflayer. Why was she laughing at her? Not cool, Riley. Not cool. She didn't always know what Riley was feeling but she tried hard to figure it out sometimes. Malodore was difficult for her to read as well...but she tried.

The annoyance on her face went away when she managed to escape Riley's slap entirely and earned praise for it. Yeah, no laughing. Ha.

She waited a few moments before she slapped Riley's hands, giggling and bouncing a bit from foot to foot. "This isn't so bad. Thank you for this, Riley. This is way better than a spar."

HP: 36/50
Damage done: 9

Nio Love