[1 vs 1] Picking a fight (Zar + Muka)

[Baneful]

Zar had been spending much of his time of late in the gym. It was quite a change from the last few years where the majority of his time had instead been spent shut in his room, not eating or sleeping if he could avoid it, simply working non stop, pushing himself to greater and greater limits of efficiency like an addict.

It had had to stop, and he had finally managed to wean himself off of his hermit-like tendencies. Fighting was his focus for the time being, a tool he felt he required if he wished to avoid ending up back at the school nurse ever again.

It was just a matter of finding a likely candidate for a practice spar, and he sauntered unhurried through the gym, measuring up the other students for their feasibility to challenge.

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Muka had been thinking about his future, oddly enough. It was strange enough for him to think on anything besides his ghoulfriend, food and creature comforts but his second year of school was coming to an end and he was positive that the day would be coming where his father would have a talk with him about what the future would bring.

He'd begun to work on the business angle, meeting with a few students here and there on campus but besides talking nothing had happened yet. There was also the problem of being a proper monster. Which included 1) being scary [check] 2) Being the best strix he could be... hrmmm.

The rotund owl-boil was standing off to the side of the gym looking down at himself and slapping his large stomach as he contemplated the shifting issues he'd never shared with anyone (not even Needle). He tucked his pin into his pocket and with the sound of stretching sinew and a painful grinding bone noise, a huge owl monster stood in his place. He shuffled, stretched, examined his body and then with the same painful noises shifted back... except this time, in the final stage of change, his wings quivered and twisted on his humanoid back as if they were trying to shift with him. Muka wore a bit of a panicked look before he chickened out and left them as they were.

His usual smile had flipped to a frown and the strix actually stomped in frustration.

baneful

sorry word vomit of muka issues

 

[Baneful]

The movement of Muka's shifting was enough to seize Zar's attention and he lazily wandered over to the strix, watching his shifting intently as he got nearer. There was always a twinge of envy when he met creatures with proper theoretically functional wings, his own were growing a thin and flimsy membrane between the ruined bones but for the time being it was nothing close to useful.

"Excuse me." he finally piped up. "I sincerely hope I am not interrupting you, but I am presently seeking a partner for a spar. Would you be interested?"

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Muka's head bobbled with a twitch, turning sideways and then back right up. The momentary frown flipped once more. He vaguely recognized Zar from seeing him around but they hadn't ever had a formal interaction if his memory served correct. A quick visual assessment was approving.

A suit, wings and a polite conversation? APPROVED.

"Ahah..Yes of course!" Normally he didn't fight unless it was for food, but his shifting issues were frustrating and working out the energy with a roll in the hay with his ghoulfriend wasn't exactly possible at the moment.

"Sparring it is then!" He hooted satisfactorily. "My name is Ulmuka." The strix bowed politely in introduction.

Baneful

 

[Baneful]

Zar returned the bow with one of his own, the only contrast to the poised stiffness of his posture being his tail which curled and waved behind him in time with his curiosity. "Zar.", he said with a smile. He didn't actually rate his chances against the other boil, the fleeting glimpse he'd caught of his more monstrous form had been worrying to say the least, but he was no longer afraid of defeat.

"Pleasure to meet you." And just like that he let all the tension and formality drain from him, spreading his weight across his hooves, splaying his wings and readying his tail for a fight.

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Yes indeed!" Muka moved back away from the wall a bit and shook. His body rippled downwards like a shivering bird and he flexed his tattooed hands a moment in preparation. He did enjoy new friends, even if fighting wasn't much of an interest.

"You're a demon? I quite like your suit!" His gold eyes locked on Zar, unsure who would leap to strike first.  

[iloveyouDIE]

With no indication that Zar would impulsively make the first move, Muka decided to instead. His wings flared and leapt at the other with a slash of talons. With his size, the strix's movements were predictable, so the strike was easily avoided.

HP: 40/40
Dmg: MISS
FEAR: Y2 Battle Cry - Fear Talons | Y1 Battle Cry - Swoop Slam

Baneful

 

[Baneful]

"Indeed I am." Zar said with a rather proud nod. "An Incubus." his grin broadened with an edge it was hard to place. "Likewise, your suit is rather impressive."

He was glad the strix struck first, it gave him an idea at least for now, of what he was dealing with. He sidestepped the initial attack but brought his tail around in a swipe for his trouble.

HP: 40/40
DMG: 4
Fear: Y2 GC
 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Why thank..hee.. you!" The tail hit him but Muka didn't let it get him down. Defter on his feet than he appeared (and impressive in his slightly heeled dress shoes), Muka caught hold of Zar's tail and turned with it in an attempt to fling the incubus away from him.

He hopped backward with a giggle and heartily patted his round belly. "As you can see I need.. heh.. special tailoring!" He wondered if Zar's family ran in the same circles as his father.

"Do you know of the hrmm.. Knobwalkers? My father is in the hotel business." Amongst other seedier, sexier businesses but Muka truly wasn't aware of that.

HP: 36/40
Dmg: 8
FEAR: Y2 Battle Cry - Fear Talons | Y1 Battle Cry - Swoop Slam

Baneful

 

[Baneful]

It was the first time anyone had actually thought to use Zar's tail against him, sent reeling with the momentum and only stopping himself from keeling onto his face with a frantic scrabble of hooves. He hadn't quite expected the other boil to be as swift, given his impressive bulk, but birds could be most deceiving it seemed.

"The name sounds familiar." Zar said, as always unwilling to give away exactly what he knew and from where. He was sure it was a name that had cropped up once or twice in his father's correspondence, but he as always kept the details back. Zar never got the full picture. "I don't even know what my father gets up to, from what I can gather he facilitates correspondences between other companies and deals with modular activities on the side."

He hardly seemed to break the stride of conversation as he ferally leapt forward with his claws at the ready.

"Beyond that, it's anyone's guess what he gets up to. My mother goes by the name Aura however. She's in the. Wealthy companion business."

HP: 32
DMG: 3
 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Companion?" Muka hopped backwards, Zar's claws slicing through the front of his waistcot and shirt. The cloth curled downwards until it fell in ribbons leaving an open slash across his chest. His chest-fluff poked through and when he glanced down to spot it the strix unsurprisingly, giggled.

"Is that like a prostitute?" His head turned to the side and he rubbed the exposed spot on his chest through the slashed shirt. "I've.. heh.. known a couple!" He hadn't the judgement that others did for that sort of work. To him they were just skilled workers at a job that not everyone wanted to do.

HP: 33/40
Dmg: 0
FEAR: Y2 Battle Cry - Fear Talons | Y1 Battle Cry - Swoop Slam

Baneful

 

[Baneful]

"Somewhat higher class than that. More exclusive, tend to work primarily for one family, sometimes with extended commitment to an individual. Specialists of the truly wealthy who do not wish to simply dabble in the common." Zar said as he nimbly regained the distance between them, it was such a pity to damage such well-tailored material, but claws were, what they were.

"It becomes more of a tailor made experience from a professional."

His follow up was a glancing kick, still not entirely confident in his own strength or agility.

HP: 32
DMG: 2

Iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

"Ah!! So.. heh.. fancy!" He'd remember that, fancy prostitutes. His father probably knew all about that... and from the description he wondered if perhaps his brother Stache was one of those.

Zar had hopped backwards so Muka, not one for strategy really, went on instinct. His wings spread and brought him up in the air and with a giggle he slapped his belly. With a powerful burst of wing strength his FEAR seemed to coalesce around him in a shimmering aura and the strix swooped down onto Zar. He essentially landed on him in a solid crouch, his feet and belly slamming. It was essentially a predatory swooping pounce and Muka was pleased to have hit his prey. He grinned from his crouch, wide golden eyes and snapping sharp teeth leaning into Zar's face, before he giggled and hopped back again.

"Let's be friends!" A blunt yet jolly demand.



HP: 31/40
Dmg: 11
FEAR: Y2 Battle Cry - Fear Talons | Y1 Battle Cry - Swoop Slam

Baneful

 

[Baneful]

Zar hadn't been expecting Muka to be capable of so much momentum and was once again taken off guard, the air knocked right out of his lungs as he was left gasping on the floor, getting up again was always a bit of a complicated affair with huge horns, tail and hooves to contend with. When he managed it he spread his bony wings for balance and smiled.

"That sounds like a fine idea to me. I could certainly use more alliances."

And feeling like he had something to prove, he readied himself and leapt forward, flapping his wings for balance as always, but this time rather than falling flat on his face, he got off the ground enough with a combination of leaping and the feeble membranes he had to land a rather brutal kick.

There was a lot to be said for the landing however as he ended up flat on his face.

HP: 6
DMG: 20
Fear: Hostile Takeover - GC - used

iloveyoudie

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Muka took the kick with a his usual stare. It was hard to tell if he was surprised or not because he made no noise or change of expression. His body bobbed back on his heels, forward again, and then back once more. He teetered on the edge of his shoes before falling backwards as stiff as a board.

There was a hoofprint on his face.

He was too stunned to move for a moment but as the seconds ticked by his body loosened and he ended up simply giggling, wings splayed behind him. He peeked up to see Zar had also fallen... and this caused a whole new round of giggles.

After a moment he sat up, wings fluffing and resettling as best they could and without missing a beat on their previous conversation he grinned, "If you know anyone with a good idea.. heh.. I'm looking to invest."

Why did he bring it up? Zar wore a suit which meaned he knew about money right?

HP: 11/40
Dmg: --
FEAR: Y2 Battle Cry - Fear Talons | Y1 Battle Cry - Swoop Slam

Baneful