make a fist.

[heartlessglitch]

WHO: karkat vantas & danger.
WHERE: a parking lot.
WHEN: night-ish.
WHAT: punching and stuff!
WARNINGS: troll on robot violence!

[ truthfully, it had been some time since she'd last seen karkat. somewhere between the end of their old world and the beginning of things in this new one, some distance had opened up between them, and she had found that she had started to miss him. it wouldn't the best state of mind he'd ever seen her in-- she existed in a perpetual state of frustration and confusion these days-- but he'd seen her worse.

besides, it was important for her to see how he was adjusting.

the streetlamps lit up the empty parking lot where she'd arranged to meet with him to spar. it was late enough that traffic in the area had thinned and most of the civilians were inside their homes. she'd worn her human-like skin, unwilling to attack him even for practice in her fully armored body. when she arrived, she shrugged off her jacket, setting it aside and sitting down on the asphalt to stretch her limbs. ]

Comments

[crab]

[ The distance was something keenly felt on Karkat's end, too, and it combined with the swiftly increasing restlessness he's been experiencing in day-to-day life were what motivated the impulsive call to spar.

That she's wearing her body of flesh and blood means Karkat is able to sense her before she arrives, and he feels a certain amount of uncertainty in the realization that she intends to fight him in that form (a form he has always viewed as fragile, something he is obligated to protect). ]

Are you seriously going to fight like that? [ He asks her, while she stretches. ]

[heartlessglitch]

Yes. [ her answer comes plainly as she lifts her eyes towards him, tilting her head slightly as she considers him, taking in the sight of him as if to compare it to the last image she has in her mind. ] Hello, Karkat.

[ finally, she stands and straightens to her full height-- imposing, even in this more vulnerable form. approaching, she leans to put her arms around him briefly in an embrace that seems more purposeful than natural, but is nevertheless sincere in its sentiment. after a moment, she pulls away. ]

I am pleased to see you again.

[crab]

[ The embrace is one Karkat returns readily and warmly, with a faint breath of a sigh when she pulls away. He's missed her -- how simple and straightforward things are, with her. Too much of his time has been spent second guessing, lately. ]

You, too. How are you settling in?

[heartlessglitch]

I am adjusting appropriately, thank you.

[ which is glossing over the events of the past few weeks, but it isn't something she would readily burden him with. she knows how things weigh on him. right now, it might be more productive for them both to deal with things more physically than verbally. she isn't really certain how she would describe everything out loud to begin with anyway.

stepping away from him, she gives them both a little space, absently popping her knuckles as she stretches her arms out. ]

Would you like to describe for me how you have been acclimating, or are you eager to begin?

[crab]

[ There's a pause, while he sizes her up, watching her stretch. He supposes, as far as humans go, her flesh-and-blood form is more intimidating than most. But still vulnerable. She could still bruise, and bleed. It's what makes him hesitate, eyes narrowing. ]

I can describe it to you in gruesome detail, after we're done. [ The heart-to-heart can wait until he's worked some of this restless, anxious energy out of his limbs. But first... ] Can you change, though? I don't want to hurt you.

[heartlessglitch]

[ she tilts her head at him slightly when he poses that question to her unexpectedly. she's aware, of course, that this human-like body of hers isn't as sturdy as her mechanical one-- but at the same time, it's all a bit relative. she's still strong enough, in her own opinion. her own body is too dangerous-- for lack of a better word-- to use for a friendly spar.

finally, she responds: ]

Karkat, I would not be willing to engage you in my robotic container. [ she doesn't say it condescendingly, but despite the quiet steadiness of her voice, she's firm. ] If you wish to train with me, then my condition is that you accept the form I have chosen to fight you in.

[crab]

Well, maybe I'm not willing to engage you in your fleshy container. [ His arms fold across his chest, and something in his jaw sets. Stubborn. ] Do you think I can't handle you as a robot?

[heartlessglitch]

[ there's a pause between his question and her answer, as if she needs a moment to consider the most appropriate way to answer him. ordinarily, she would have no issue with being frank-- but karkat is one of her closest friends, and offending him is something she'd rather avoid.

it's meant to be strategic, the way she finally replies: ]

It is important that I train this body. I am still very inexperienced with it. Please assist me, Karkat.

[crab]

[ His frown deepens, and his head tilts to one side, ever so slightly, as he considers her.

It's true, she hasn't been capable of shifting back and forth between and organic form and her true form for very long... ]

If I help you train this one, you need to help me train mine, with your actual container, after.

[heartlessglitch]

[ she makes no verbal promise to comply, instead easing her body into a combat stance, knees slightly bent, arms raised and poised. ]

We can discuss it later. [ she finally answers, her voice quiet and a bit unreadable. ] If you still feel that you require additional training after this.

[crab]

We will discuss it later. [ He hisses, following her stance, sickle in hand, held out and away from his body, sizing her up. She's taller than he is by a significant amount... but that also means she's heavier.

There are some deep, steadying breaths, before he tells her-- ] Ready.

[heartlessglitch]

[ there's enough room for a single breath between when he utters that word and danger moves. it's quick, confident footwork that closes the distance between them, efficient steps that bring her just close enough to take advantage of how long her legs are.

the swinging kick that lashes out at him is meant to serve as both offense and a means of keeping him at a defensible distance. ]

[crab]

[ He allows the kick to land, bruising his ribcage and drawing an involuntary gasp of pain from him, rolling with the impact in order to avoid being completely winded -- and hooks his sickle underneath her thigh, close to the knee joint, pulling up and toward himself, in an effort to unbalance her. ]

[heartlessglitch]

[ it's effective enough-- she can see it coming, and it her mechanical body, she would have been able to more quickly calculate the best way to evade such a maneuver, but flesh and bones are a different story. he throws her balance, and with her one leg pulled awkwardly, she hits the ground hip first. that'll bruise, later.

but in the moment, now, the pain is just a brief distraction-- from her spot on the ground, she still has good reach, grabbing him by the ankle and jerking roughly, trying to even the scales. ]

[crab]

[ Rather than fight the pull, he lets her jerk him forward, and down, instead attempting to angle his descent to some advantageous position-- if he can get a knee in her diaphragm, this round should be his.

But the full impact of his weight, coming down on that muscle...

He shies away from the prospect of inflicting that kind of pain on her, on himself through her -- he flinches out of his controlled descent, and instead crashes to the pavement beside her. ]

[heartlessglitch]

[ she senses it, the way he stops himself from retaliating against her properly. she was more than aware of the opening she'd been forced to leave for him, given her position and the weaknesses of a human-like body-- but he hadn't taken advantage of it.

danger purses her lips, pushing her offense as he hits the ground, attempting to use her longer limbs and taller frame to pin him underneath her. she didn't like to be this close, but at least this way, he wouldn't mistake her words. ]

You aren't trying, Karkat.

[crab]

[ His fall had left him in an awkward position, and he really only has time to roll onto his back, before she has him pinned to the tarmac, trapped underneath her. Personal space has never really mattered, with Danger, affectionate touches and easy companionship both given and received freely, but this is different.

It's a little easier to see why her name is Danger, when she reprimands him. His lip curls in a snarl, and the beginnings of a growl can be heard in the back of his throat. ]

Maybe I don't have to.

[heartlessglitch]

[ she shifts her weight, shoving her knee roughly into his gut and holding it there with the position of her body above his. ]

That would be a poor assumption to make.

[ hypocritically, she too is holding back-- perhaps not even entirely by her own choice, but simply by virtue of being in this organic body, she is giving less than she could. but that doesn't mean she won't expect karkat to fight her with everything he has. she's more concerned about hurting him than getting hurt herself. ]

[crab]

[ Much as it hurts, Karkat tries to arch up, bridge his spine between his shoulders and his hips, put space between his back and the ground. It forces more pressure onto that knee, and it means he's lifting her weight as much as he is his own, but he only needs enough leverage to tilt his body slightly to one side.

He won't be able to keep it up for very long, though-- the knee restricts his breathing, and hurts more and more, with every passing second that he resists its pressure. ]

We'll talk about -- [ Breathe. ] -- poor assumptions later.

[heartlessglitch]

I insist that you try harder.

[ it would be different in her mechanical body-- nearly well-over two hundred pounds of heavy alien alloy-- but in this lighter and more susceptible organic form, it's difficult for her to keep him completely pinned.

she feels him resisting the pressure of her knee against his gut as he twists, causing her to try and shift her position again to restrain him-- though the momentary shift in balance could prove a brief vulnerability. ]

[crab]

Shut-- [ He takes advantage of the momentary shift to tilt his body in the direction he desires, putting himself on his side, instead of his back-- an elbow thrust upward into her gut now, trying to make her weight work against her. ]

-- Up.

[heartlessglitch]

[ the takes the blow to her gut with an exhale-- she's still learning to cope with pain, strong as she is-- so it gives him just enough leverage, despite her advantage of size, to get her off him, forcing her to roll off to the side.

one hand gingerly touches her stomach. her eyebrows pinch. but still: ]

Better.