[1 v 1] Flight or Flight (Xavier & Maple)

[kuropeco]

Xavier Hollow, raum demon not-so-extraordinaire, had discovered the answer to the Great Mystery of the Universe:

The Universe hated him.

There could be no real explanation other than that, because if the Universe liked him, he would not be stuck in places he didn't want to be stuck, he would not be floundering around uselessly in the gym, and he most definitely would not have had to stand by while those around him made snickering comments behind their hands as he yet again failed to hit the test dummy and wound up face down on the gymnasium floor.

Xavier wondered why it was that the Universe held such a grudge against him. It wasn't like he'd done anything, except for maybe be pathetic.

Or maybe that was just it. Maybe the Universe did not care for pathetic creatures such as himself who couldn't even hold their own against the humans or the hunters that fought them. Xavier had fought against Helmut, and that had been terribly embarrassing, and he'd fought against that other ghoul, and that had been mortifying.

...now that he thought of it, everything he did was mortifying.

chirigami

 

[chirigami]

Not that Maple felt the Universe like her any better, karma liked to prove itself time and time again with going against her just as she thought things were going to plateau to something not so horrible. Being stuck at that place in the desert should have been proof enough that everything was just horrible even if Miss Amrita assured her that she had done okay.

Not to mention that dream. A dream she didn't actually want to think about to be honest even though it had some pretty solid advice and things she honestly wanted to avoid at all costs. But still, she didn't want to think about it.

Maybe that's how she ended up in the gym herself, trying to keep her mind off many things despite how much she disliked being in the gym. True enough, it was a good learning experience just watching others fight despite her resolve to try to avoid them. But here she was. On the floor. Like she wanted to go a round or something even with her face that screamed she oh so wanted to.

Though, someone else caught her attention, "O-oh.. you're th-the.. b-boil.. I m-met..." Maple realized before she bumped right into Xavier head on.

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

Xavier, to his credit, at least had enough sense to attempt to get off of the floor instead of just lying there pathetically like he would have done normally. But his attempts were interrupted, Xavier only halfway done standing up when someone knocked into him, and then he was right back down on the floor, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Erm," he said, flailing around, and a few feathers fell free from his hair, sliding merrily across the gymnasium mats. "Erm."

She was somewhat familiar, though he couldn't quite discern why that was. Xavier struggled weakly, worming himself away and then got up on his knees, brushing his hands over his pants and his coat to get some of the dust off of them and look vaguely presentable.

"Erm," he said again, and then, in a much quieter tone of voice, "I, er...y-you said we've m-met before?"

chirigami

 

[chirigami]

Obviously, a look of horror spread on her face when she saw the boil descend to the ground. "I'msos-sorry!" She stuttered out, ideally she would have gone immediately to him to help him up but there she was frozen in place and just feeling awful. (Of course she would just run into someone, literally).

She did gain some mobility, thankfully perhaps, though after he had gotten up all on his own. Maple took a step forward carefully and held out a hand just in case. "Are you o-okay?" She asked at first before address his own question which made her squeak a little. "I.. er... I th-thought you l-looked like a b-boil I m-met.. recently.. at.. erm... an office b-building?" Everything had been a blur, she had forgotten the agency's name!

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

Xavier swiped a hand to push his hair out of his face, feathers flying free all over the place. He sat back on his legs and twisted his hands together nervously, but when she said where they had previously met, a note of realization suddenly hit him.

"Ah!" said Xavier, and then flushed "Y-yes, erm...yes, I...I remember that, it, erm...it was very c-confusing in there, but t-thank you for being kind to m-me while we were there."

Flustered, he blinked rapidly, hesitated, and then blurted out,

"W-would you practice fighting with me?"

Embarrassment coursed through him, a sort of pathetic humiliation as Xavier's face reddened. He tried to explain himself, his hands disappearing into the draping sleeves of his overlarge coat. "I, erm...ever since t-then I've been trying to, erm...improve myself."

chirigami

 

[chirigami]

Maple pulled back once the feathers drifted into the air, her usual hesitations getting the best of her. Prolonged further, with a series of apprehensive blinks from his forward question. (At least she could have the peace of mind she had been correct in her identifying of the other boil, but she wasn't expecting him to ask something like that. Even though they were here in the gym. Duh).

She was trying to improve herself, albeit slowly as progress was - resolve was so much easier than action after all. "Um." Remember that terrible vision after the black door. The witch let out a steady breath.

"O... okay...." She agreed in a small voice.

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

Xavier twisted his hands together nervously, more feathers flitting out of his hair and twirling merrily to the ground. "I-I don't like feeling, erm, w-weak," he said, shuffling his feet. "I, erm...it's b-been rather, erm, u-upsetting, and I would very much l-like to, erm...improve."

He shifted his feet again, but she'd agreed to help him, and Xavier felt relief course through him. He curled his fingers together in a vague semblance of a fist, and took a deep breath, pushing his hand towards her.

"I'm, erm Xavier, b-by the way."


HP: 30
DMG: 5

chirigami

 

[chirigami]

Maple found herself nibbling on her lower lip, unable to even mumble how she shared his sentiments. She had seen so many different versions of herself that were so much better and it was so frustrating. How she couldn't feel that kind of power or even confidence.

And that vision.

Though, really she shouldn't have gotten lost in thought at that moment as she had rightfully agreed to a spar. Because all of a sudden she was punched. "Aa!" She jumped in surprise when his fist connected with her cheek, knocking her back a little and bringing her back to the moment in hand.

"O-oh, I'm Maple..." She replied as she rubbed at her cheek with the palm of her hand.

The ghoul flicked her other hand and summoned her broom and held it out before her.

Quote:

hp: 35/40
defending for: 1

kuroopu

might be a while until I reply, will be on a plane in a few hours ~

 

[kuropeco]

Xavier was equally as surprised that he'd actually hit her, immediately stumbling backwards in mixed horror and astonishment.

"I - I'm sorry!" he said hastily, waving his hands. "I - It's, erm, nice to m-meet you, Maple."

Even if the circumstances were awkward. Xavier floundered a bit and tried again.


HP: 30
DMG: 0

chirigami

No worries! <3

 

[chirigami]

Apologizing was usually the position she found herself in, followed by similar reactions as he had. "I sh-should have b-been... paying attention..." She replied. It had been something just about everyone would have told her (her aunt, her parents... AJ...).

At least she was now, Maple kept her eyes on Xavier - something AJ had told her in their last spar, to keep her eyes open - and even her weak little defense had managed to hold up against what the boil was trying to do. Somehow, things just got itself to work in this situation, she managed to hold him off with her broom and in one swift motion, she brought the head of her broom up and whacked him with it.

Apparently hard. "Aa!" Now she felt really bad.

Quote:

hp: 35/40
damage: 8

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

Xavier twisted his hands and gave a little nod. They were sort of similar, he guessed, but at least Maple seemed more capable than he did. If he had to take a gander, he was relatively certain she was not a first year student like he was; but he didn't even really seem like a first year himself, more like a negative first year.

The broom smacked him across the chest and Xavier gave a startled little squawk, stumbling backwards. "T-that was a good hit!" he said encouragingly, in spite of it stinging, and he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he moved towards her, hesitantly poking her in the side.


HP: 22
DMG: 1

chirigami

 

[chirigami]

"Usually.. its.. n-not.." Maple mumbled after she let out a very mousy squeak from his unexpected poke at her midsection; her body might have over done it a little on the reaction, over emphasizing her leaning away from it and her jumping back from it. But, old habits when being attacked.

Followed by swift retaliation as she swept her broom right back at Xavier once again. Maybe she was getting into the spirit of all of this finally, her maybe being in the desert - after that misfortune of running into a weird AJ after a spar with the normally behaving boil - was a good swift kick in the pants.

Or something.

(She was sure her luck was going to run out at some point).

Quote:

hp: 34/40
damage: 4

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

The broom smacked him in the side again, and Xavier gave an ingrained little squeak, his feet shuffling to try and put himself in the proper position again. But he gave Maple a very small, very hesitant smile, taking a breath, and swiping out with one of his clawed hands.

"Y-you're doing g-good!" he told her.


HP: 18
DMG: 0

chirigami

 

[chirigami]

Maple was kind of feeling awful for managing to hit him as much as she was - and really wondering how much she could press her luck with the assault. Was she actually learning or something; were her few pitiful spars actually getting her somewhere?

Honestly, she had no idea as she decided to hold up her broom in defense this time around.

Quote:

hp: 34/40
damage: DEFENDING

kuroopu

 

[kuropeco]

Xavier shuffled his feet and attempted to swat at Maple with one of his clawed hands, though he looked hesitant about doing it, his face flushed with embarrassment - which was probably why he totally and completely missed hitting her.


HP: 18
DMG: 0 omg xavier pls

chirigami