[BATT] Ground Ice (Sascha + Zeylla)

[seekingCylem]

Continued from Blended Fruit Concoctions.

 

[seekingCylem]

"I'll show you what happens when trolls don't listen."


To say Sascha was seeing red was an understatement. A younger him would have undoubtedly broken something by now--either by accident or on impulse. The older, debatably more mature troll at least had the sense to march himself outside first. His plan was to soundly thrash Zeylla and make it back inside before his smoothie melted. He paid good beetles for that, dammit.

In accordance with said plan, Sascha didn't move far from the outside of the cafe. The building was already set far enough away from the main drag that the pair of trolls weren't at risk for getting run down by a scuttlebuggy. What few other patrons were still loitering around the shop seemed only mildly interested in the goings-on outside now that the shouting had cleared out. Fights were cheap on Alternia.

Having decided he'd walked far enough to keep cafe management off his back, Sascha turned on his heel to face his opponent. He seemed a smug sort of pleased that Zeylla had joined him outside.

"After you," he offered.

stringency

 

[artificial bones]

HP: 20/20
Damage dealt: 6

All Zeylla could think as they walked outside was she was going to punch that smirk off the yellowbloods face. She was going to prove to him she was no coward and she could take him, even if he was an adult!

So when he spun on his heel and proffered her the first hit, Zeylla leaped at the opportunity. Perhaps not literally, but she did take two quick steps into the taller trolls face and felt her fist crack with a fair amount of force against the bottom of Sascha's jaw. Knock that smile right off his face!

seekingCylem

UPPER CUTTTTTTT

 

[seekingCylem]

HP: 14/20
Military Weapon: +1 DMG
Telekinesis: 1/1 Offensive Style B: Attack does double damage, and detracts 1 health from opponent every remaining turn.

He did ask for this, after all. Multiple times, technically.

These were the thoughts Sascha would have been thinking if his brain wasn't full of his own teeth. At least, that's what it felt like as Zeylla suckerpunched him directly in the jaw. (And what a sucker he was.) Surely that starched-up jacket couldn't be hiding ridiculous guns. Sascha immediately began to doubt himself on a variety of levels.

While Sascha's feet didn't leave the ground at any point, he did stumble backwards and wobble precariously. He touched his chin gingerly as though making sure it was still there. He followed the gesture by spitting a disconcerting amount of blood onto the asphalt. A tooth "tink'd" sadly in the puddle. He looked back at Zeylla as though she'd somehow transformed into a completely different person.

The bloody grin he gave her was truly disgusting.

Sascha does 0 damage!

stringency

talk s**t get hit

 

[artificial bones]

HP: 20/20
Damage dealt: 3

Zeylla was quiet proud of herself for that punch, and couldn't help the smirk that covered her face as Sascha looked less then certain now. But the smile quickly broke as he spit up blood.

She had forgotten about that, but it was too late now. She couldn't back out until it was all done and over with! So Zeylla gritted her teeth as the feeling of her palms growing sweaty and her bloodpump racing as Sascha smiled at her. He didn't even move, just smiled that blood smile. Her eyes flickered to the puddle of blood with his tooth laying in the carnage. She wasn't sure how, but she was feeling both terribly disgusted with the blood but at the same time..thirsty to spill more. How could she feel both?

While part of her was suddenly not so sure, the subconscious and violent part jumped in, eager for another swing. This time she aimed for his gut, a growl rolling from her lips, but her all wasn't in this one. She just couldn't shake the feeling seeing that blood gave her.

seekingCylem

oh man, she's not so sure now. silly zey of course there is blood in a fight

 

[seekingCylem]

HP: 11/20
Military Weapon: +1 DMG
Telekinesis: 0/1 Offensive Style B: Attack does double damage, and detracts 1 health from opponent every remaining turn.

Sascha's face was beginning to develop a pulsing numbness to it. He dimly realized his face was going to swell up ridiculously from a hit like that. All the more reason to end the fight, get back to his smoothie, and book it.

Zeylla wasn't about to let Sascha go so easily, however. Rather than retreat after her one good punch, she immediately followed up with a swift strike to Sascha's stomach. Sascha doubled over, wheezing a wet mix of saliva and residual blood. An unflattering retching sound punctuated the hit.

That sealed it. Sascha placed an open hand on Zeylla's collarbone. It seemed he was going to push her off, but he paused for an odd second. The immediate atmosphere turned thick and staticky. Sascha pulled himself up by his aching abs. His eyes flickered red and he shoved.

A red burst of psionic energy smashed through Sascha's palm. 'Let's see how hard she hits from the other side of the street.'

Sascha does 13 damage!

stringency

 

[artificial bones]

HP: 7/20
Damage: 3


When he wheezed, dribbles of saliva and blood flew forth, landing on Zeylla's retreating arm. Her eyes couldn't tear away from the flecks of yellow bleeding into the cloth of her jacket. Her pump biscuit was in her throat, along with a fair amount of bile.

Perhaps that's why she didn't move when he placed his hand on her collarbone, or when the air got hot, buzzing like a hundred thousand angry buzzbeasts. Her eyes just managed to glance up right as Sascha's own flashed red. And then suddenly she could hear was the air screaming passed her, and the pain resonating from her surely broken collarbone. For a moment she wasn't sure what had happened, one minute they were fighting, the next she felt like a beast had flung her through the air. Though the flying was much better than the landing. The ground raked her face as she came down hard on the street, a decent running distance from her opponent. Zeylla could taste blood in her mouth, and her body shook with the realization she was bleeding.

No, no, no no! She struggled to her feet, anger blossoming again deep inside her as the tangy, hot taste of blood filled her mouth. She could also feel it trickling down from her hair line, where her head had cracked the cement. The world spun for a moment, but she focused on that metallic taste and the way her bloodpump pounded in her ears.

Then she spit, blue blood dribbling down her chin as she grinned, much like Sascha had earlier, and with all the adrenaline pumping at full blast through her body, Zeylla closed the distance between them, but as she swung at Sascha's side, she felt her collarbone scream in pain, so while her hit connected, it was not the strongest of swings.

She wasn't giving up though, not until she couldn't move. She had to prove herself now.

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

HP: 8/20
Military Weapon: +1 DMG
Telekinesis: 0/1 Offensive Style B: Attack does double damage, and detracts 1 health from opponent every remaining turn.

Oh she did not stick the landing. A more empathetic troll would have winced at the ugly smear Zeylla left on the asphalt.

Speaking of...

"Ha-HA! I CALLED IT!" Sascha crowed triumphantly at the blue trickle streaking down Zeylla's face. He'd actually made assumptions based on both high and lowblooded options, but Sascha wasn't about to admit that now (or ever). Sascha pumped his fist despite the sharp protest from his abdomen. "How's the high horse treating you now!? You can always order me to stop if you-"

Sascha yelped as he was sent stumbling sideways. He wanted to accuse Zeylla of sneaking up on him. Bluebloods were notoriously underhanded after all. Even Sascha knew he'd been the one running his mouth like an idiot, though.

He supposed there were worse things to be than dumb muscle.

Sascha caught himself on one foot. Rather than stabilize himself, Sascha allowed his momentum to carry. Telekinetically, Sascha pulled himself around in a pivot. He struck out with his free leg, kicking Zeylla across the middle.

A small shower of red sparks erupted from his legs as he released the psychic hold on his center of balance. Injury and exertion left him awkwardly staggering himself in a three-point stance. He looked far too pleased with himself to be phased by his own ragged breathing.

Sascha does 8 damage!

stringency

 

[artificial bones]

HP: 0/20!!!

Zeylla felt the air leave her as Sascha swung his leg into her middle, her own mixture of spittle and blood flying from her lips as she exhaled sharply. The world spun for a moment and her knees cracked against the pavement. The warm trickle of blood down her forehead and chin felt insanely intense as pain rushed through her system. s**t, that hurt. A lot. It felt like broken ribs, but for a moment Zeylla was determined to go on. She managed to get up on one knee before the pain became nauseating.

Definitely broken(at the very least, bruised) ribs, she could barely breath. Zeylla glared at Sascha though, his laugh ringing in her ears as she realized he knew her blood now. In her lusus's rules, that would mean(ironically) that he had power over her. Her stomach twisted in knots and she looked away, angry with herself now for several reasons.

"Keep that info to yourself, why don't you," she managed to squeak out with minimal pain on her face. Hopefully his 'lowblood' status could keep him from ratting her out to other trolls. And she would just have to be respectable around him....as much as she hated the idea. She couldn't have him blabbing. She carefully sat back on her rump and held her sleeve up to her head wound.

She had to admit, as she sat there for a moment, that fight had felt...good. Like almost want to smile through the pain good. She would have to resist the urge to do it again.

seekingCylem

poor zey she got so close doe, so close!

 

[seekingCylem]

Zeylla was down for the count. Sascha hadn't exactly been thinking this fight through. He was a touch relieved that Zeylla hadn't been knocked unconscious. She didn't look like she was in great shape, but Sascha was satisfied to not have metaphorical blood on his hands in addition to the literal stuff.

Wiping his hands across his back pockets, Sascha sauntered over to where Zeylla had propped herself up. "Replace my smoothie," he said.

"There's no way it hasn't gotten all lukewarm and watery by now. If I wanted watery fruit juice I'd have just gone to the corner store by my hive."

Sascha realized after he'd spoken, that his thinking (beyond wanting a replacement smoothie) was probably not making itself apparent. He leveled his gaze at Zeylla. "You might be a highblood, but unless you're some kinda famous person or on the run from the cops, you'll be hard-pressed to find someone who actually cares. Your blood gets you cushy government jobs, not my concern. All I want's a frozen produce beverage 'fore my lip swells up and I eat my own face." Sascha broke his stare to look off into the middle distance. A bird could be heard filling the noticeable silence.

"I legit don't even know what your name is."  

[artificial bones]

Zeylla couldn't believe her ears. They had just beaten eachother silly, and here the yellowblood was, talking of replaced smoothies. He was talking so casually, so carefree. She bit back a cough that hurt her ribs and stared up at Sascha with a look that said 'really?' but not 'no'.

"It may not...matter to others but it matters to me, okay?" she stressed the okay, hoping he understood and would hopefully not care enough(he obviously was a carefree troll) to bother even remembering her blood color. She carefully got herself standing as he finished speaking, and groaned as she stood straight(or at least as straight as she could stand). Her face, as well, was feeling quiet unpleasant and honestly a smoothie...sounded good.

Not that she wanted to hang out with the yellowblood, but he did have a point.

Two points actually.
And after their little squabble, she might as well give him that much, "Zeylla," she said simply, offering a hand in the usual greeting gesture she had seen other trolls do, before adding, "I will get you a smoothie, but nothing more expensive than the one you already ordered," she wasn't made of beetles after all.

seekingCylem

aaaaw AWKWARD FRANDS

 

[seekingCylem]

"Yeah, I sleuthed that much out," Sascha replied dryly. He was a little surprised with how quickly Zeylla got herself standing after all that. He wouldn't bet money on how long she'd stay standing, but she appeared to be doing relatively alright for herself.

He raised one eyebrow questioningly at Zeylla's (Officially Zeylla's) offered hand. That much was entirely unexpected on Sascha's end. Few trolls were willing to play so nicely with him post-fight, much less post-asskicking. (Sascha himself wasn't one to play so nicely as to let her forget that last part anytime soon.) Stilll, Sascha wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth--especially when the horse used to be so high in the air. He accepted the handshake with minimal fanfare. "Sascha. Diasis," he countered. On reflex, he gave Zeylla's hand a firm, business-y shake. He then remembered her collarbone.

"Oh- Oh god. Sorry- That one was on me. My bad."

stringency

 

[artificial bones]

Sascha, she would remember that name. The name of the annoying troll who came around and gave her a serious whooping Zeeylla felt her breath rattle in her lungs as she tried to breath as gently as possible as to not be pinched by her broken rib, and winced painfully as Sascha squeezed her hand. Her whole arm and shoulder area flared up with pain, but she let it go. He was actually apologizing.

And here she thought he wasn't capable. With another groan(she would hurt much worse once all the adrenaline wore off), she turned with a shake of her head and walked towards the shop, quipping, "And here I thought apologies were beyond you," before slipping up to the front doors where the crowd of trolls who had been watching pretended like they hadn't at all, and added as one last comment, "are you coming or what?" before sliding inside.

Today? Today was an odd, frustrating and kind of exciting day. Zeylla would have to thank him later, but Sascha had given her some much needed stress release. Not that she would thank him now, but perhaps far down the road- if she saw him again.

seekingCylem

 

[seekingCylem]

Zeylla seemed too caught off-guard by Sascha's abrupt apology to give him much of a hard time for injuring her in the first place. Sascha noted the exchange with equal parts relief and humor. It was rare for his obstinate personality to pay off in such ways.

The two of them seemed equally eager to head off their aches and pains before they could set in fully. Zeylla had already beaten Sascha back to the cafe. (He could give her at least that much, he thought through his haze of post-victory smugness.)

"Yeah, yeah," he waved her off with a smile. Sascha sauntered back across the street, sidestepping the blood spatter with not so much as a glance. "After you."

stringency

*party poppers*