[1v1] Office Humor (Pickworth + Zar)

[Baneful]

"I'm not a good fighter either." Zar volunteered. "So there should really be no need. I spent the last few years cooped up in my stuffy dormitory, it is hardly the environment to get physically dangerous. You will be fine, I'm sure."

 

[Toshihiko Two]

Pickworth examined the gym curiously once they were outside the lockers, taking his time to knock on the bleachers, and tap a toe against the clear, magical forcefield over the pool.

"Wow," he said, looking up at the vaulted ceiling.

"Over...over here?" He asked, edging out onto the water.

He could read the signs plastered against the wall advising pool times, he assumed the forcefield stayed over it in the meantime. He summoned Buzz, who snickered in his hands. The main body of the chainsaw was wrapped in chains, and a thick, heavy lock dangled over the left hand side. The lock was a swirl of color, but mostly a leafy green, like a summer tree.

"What are the rules?"  

[Baneful]

Zar was more accustomed to the gym by this point and had steeled himself that the pool wouldn't open while he was standing on it. "Yes. There." He moved to stand daintily opposite the other boil, but when the chainsaw summoned, he reflexively coiled his tail about his hooves. It was not a friendly looking weapon by any stretch of the imagination.

"The rules are that there are no rules in combat."

And with that he hopped over his tail and charged forward, throwing his weight back onto it and kicking out with his hooves.

HP: 40
DMG: 5

 

[Toshihiko Two]

Pickworth seemed somewhat embarrassed by the chainsaw.

His father's own weapon was a sword: Long, straight, stern, true. The cold weight of the silent steel did its job without any complications. Very much like his father.

He often said Pickworth's weapon was a tool, and properly handled, would do good work. Like any other tool.

Pickworth brought the spinning blade up defensively.

"N-none?" he asked, momentarily stunned by the idea of any situation where there would be no rules.

HP: 25
DMG: 1  

[Baneful]

Discard, I am a moron.  

[Baneful]

"Not unless do not lose is a rule." He added, reeling back from the blade as it clipped him. It tapped into some primal fear in Zar, the idea of the weapon was so inherently messy. He held his wings folded just a little tighter against his back as he tried to sidle around and find room to lash out with his claws.

He really did not want to get too close to the chainsaw though, and what attack he managed was fleeting and nervous.

HP: 39
DMG: 1
 

[Toshihiko Two]

Something lit up behind Pickworth's soft brown eyes.

"Oh," he said, simply, and he passed the chainsaw off to one hand, digging around in his jacket pocket with the other.

"Catch," He advised, throwing something soft and clothy at Zar. He immediately jumped after it, bringing his chainsaw along for the ride.

The weight of the fear was comparably soft, but the roar of the chainsaw increased, and the jagged edges bit into Zar with mechanical glee.

HP: 24
DMG: 3  

[Baneful]

Zar caught the thrown object and left himself wide open to the attack that followed, hissing in surprise at the chainsaw connected with him. "Oh that was sneaky." he snapped, bringing his tail around to wrap forcibly around Pickworth's wrist.

"Not clever." And with a snap he flared his wings and flapped them hard, yanking both of them backwards before swinging the other boil right around and tossing him aside. It meant having the chainsaw connect full-on with his tail for far too long, but was worth it to get a bit of revenge. Only when he'd let go did he check what he was holding, and seeing it was simply a handkerchief, tucked it in a pocket. Spoils of war.

HP: 13
DMG: 18

 

[Toshihiko Two]

Pickworth didn't think of himself as clever.

He was often told he wasn't.

Squeezed hard by the tail, it felt like all of his breath exhaled at once, and he was thrown across the gym, tumbling on the floor. He rolled, and came to a stop in a heap.

"You, you said you would go easy," he said. Except there were no rules. He dug the chainsaw into the forcefield, and wrapped himself around the main engine, pulling himself up shakily.

The chainsaw roared into life with a fierce, bright hum, shaking even harder than Pickworth, then in a rampage cut across the surface of the pool and surged forward. It was all Pickworth could do to hold on as it ripped back and forth in crazed, random zigzags.

When all was said and done, Pickworth was still clinging, stunned, to the handle and Zar was untouched.

HP: 6
DMG: 0  

[Baneful]

"I said it would not be necessary, and it should not be." he let his tail reflexively seek out his hand, stroking it soothingly as he waited on the retaliation, which incidentally did not actually come. He was glad, the unpredictable zigzags would have been completely impossible to evade had they not petered out before they made contact with him.

The truth of it was that he wasn't going easy on the other boil because deep down, he was still rather afraid of the chaos which lurked beneath the surface. Chaos which - because he had no idea why it had been repressed, he had no idea when it might return.

When his tail went from soothed to agitated again, he shoved it off his hand and once again nimbly sprung forward on his hooves. This time the kick was glancing and cautious all over again.

HP: 13
DMG: 3
 

[Toshihiko Two]

Pickworth managed to roll over, but mostly took the blow to the stomach. His chainsaw, like before, he held in front of him.

"Z-Zaram...? Haha, thanks for, for showing me the gym and everything...but-"

HP: 3
DMG: 1  

[Baneful]

It shouldn't have been hard to hurt someone, but for some reason it was. He was just a terrible demon, absolutely terrible, and the twinge of guilt and regret he felt at the trouncing he was giving the other boil made him both bitter and angry. It felt like he was really attacking part of himself and Pickworth had just somehow gotten caught in the crossfire.

He shook his head and gave him another kick for good measure, before stepping back, angry and somehow unsatisfied.

"You need to study here more." he said coolly. "It would do you good."

HP: 12
DMG: 3

 

[Toshihiko Two]

Pickworth sucked up the exclamation of pain. The last hit with the hoof really got to him. He rolled onto his knees, sore, and stood.

He looked at Zar a long moment, then desummoned Buzz, clearing his throat.

"I know. That I should. Well. Thanks again."

HP: 0
 

[Baneful]

Zar felt nothing of the satisfaction he'd felt fighting Hel, Lily and Muka, and he couldn't place exactly why. "You did fine." he said uncomfortably. "If you want to spar again, just say, I'll try..not to be so harsh on you next time."

 

[Toshihiko Two]

"Alright," Pickworth said, more genuine this time. He brushed off his jacket, winded and genuinely beat up, but determined not to show it. "Practice makes perfect, after all. I think, I'll do better next time. Now that I understand the rules. Does this facility have water fountains? Or...other areas besides the main building?"