[2v2] The Beginnings of a Grudge

[The Semblance of Unity]

Hollandaise had shown up early and stood, half-tucked away in the only shadows she could find. She wanted to watch as the others arrived, study their walk, the way their eyes scanned the area. Nervously, she touched one of the flowers lazily bobbing in her hair. Where was Deszeld? She took a deep breath and stood perfectly still.

Despite her anxiety, a low, curling anger had settled in her gut. Hollandaise forgave, on occasion, but she never forgot. And Zar was unforgivable.

Face your demons

pinchmonster

Baneful

 

[bipolar bee]

Deszeld was there. She really wasn't sure what this was all about, because Deszeld did not hold grudges and usually she didn't remember conversations she had with lesser creatures.

And everyone was a lesser creature.  

[Baneful]

Zar wasn't really upset, he had a lot of things on his plate at the moment, ranging from graduation to his parents death threats and the issues of where he was even going to live when he got out of school. On the scale of things, the two first years he'd been bickering with were low on his priorities, but sometimes a good fight was exhilarating and he wasn't one to turn it down, especially when a kiss - and by extension - a taste of someone's fear was at stake.

He sauntered into the area without much concern for the fact he was the last one to arrive. Once upon a time he would have had a panic attack simply at the thought of being late, but no longer.

"Ladies." he said, smiling a smile that was all teeth. It felt wonderfully sarcastic calling Holly and Dez anything that approached ladylike.
 

[bipolar bee]

Deszeld grunted and stretched her wings out before twisting to lash her tail towards their opponents.

It didn't do much at all, really.

In fact, it didn't do anything.

HP: 30
DMG: --  

[The Semblance of Unity]

Hollandaise had never really done this before, so it wasn't terribly surprising when she reached out and promptly.... missed.


HP: 30/30
Damage: wat
Target:  

[Baneful]

It was easy for Zar to shift these days, practice had set him more at ease with his natural form, he wore it comfortably because it was who he truly was, he'd just been pinned for so long that he'd thought the two legged shape he wore to classes was his true self.

Shedding his awkward bipedal shape he dropped to all fours as he scaled up and scaled out, tail curling behind him. Being a demon he did not play fair, if for any reason he felt he had the upper claw on someone he always took full advantage of it. In short, he was a complete b*****d. This time it wasn't personal but the instincts came when called all the same, that bottomless hunger that was who he was.

There was no introduction, no monologue of his intentions, simply instantaneous action as he ignored all combat etiquette and leapt forward in long easy strides. He'd knocked Barth down a flight of stairs not so long ago, right now he didn't have the stairs but he did have the weight of his fear.

He pounced, talons at the ready, teeth bared and threw his entire weight against the other student, the strike was accompanied as all contact with him always was with the emotional link that was part of his very skin, a clear and potent dose of his emotions in the moment, rage, sensuality, grim intention and below it all a certain fondness for those who argued with him, and as always he seized for a sense of the other's fear, seeking for Holly's intentions in the moment however briefly before just as quickly as the storm of feeling came it broke away.

The sheer force of energy he'd spend left him rattled, his own fear shield tenuously held together as he moved away.

HP:29
DMG: 32
Target Holly
Assault - Gambler's Chance - Used

 

[bipolar bee]

Deszeld watched while Hollandaise was obliterated, a frown contorting her features as her (only) friend was taken down as quickly as anything she'd ever seen before.

She hadn't been aware of a wager, only that this spar had been pre-planned. However, the force of Zar's attack had her wondering what the wager had been.

The green said nothing, merely lashed out with her claws, effectively missing Zar entirely.

HP: 22
DMG: --
TAR: Zar  

[The Semblance of Unity]

Hollandaise groaned, a creaking, sad sort of sound, and held her head. The boil hadn't held back at all. It was quite clear that they'd lost and lost badly, but she supposed it really hadn't been much of a contest to begin with. Zar's attack had been powerful, but it wasn't beautiful. At least Amarus had moved gracefully, efficiently. Her eyes wandered to Deszeld, also down, but not in any grave danger. It was a spar, after all. She lifted one thin finger to point at Amarus.

"At least she had been graceful. You're exceedingly inelegant, Zar," she said haltingly. He was rude, and he hit hard, and she just flat out disliked him. That was all.  

[Baneful]

Zar smirked and it went to his ears. "Eleganccce is not my modus operandi" he hissed. He was not dancing, he was not performing some eloquent poetry, it was an assault and it was pure and simply what he was built for. His natural form was designed for that moment when he had his prey in bed or elsewhere, completely prone and helpless. It was the blow to the back of the head, the claws in the throat or the knife in the ribs. "Should I apologize for being exactly what I am?" And it felt good to be able to say that, good for the first time in his short life to know who and what he was, what his different shapes were meant for. If they'd met him in his first year they could have simply told him what to do and he'd do it, muzzle and all.

He sat and his tail coiled about his paws and hooves, his smile did not fade.

"Would a forfeit be sufficient apology?" he asked.

 

[bipolar bee]

Deszeld had been standing, but when Amarus attacked she was kind of enveloped in an odd sort of haze that was almost a knife's edge of pleasure /pain. The green slumped to the floor with a grunt, wings outstretched as she crumpled to her stomach with a weak hiss.

When the feeling wore off, there was only pain.  

[The Semblance of Unity]

The four of them made odd pairs, Hollandaise thought idly. Toothy and Lotus, green and plant. For a moment, she ignored the others. "Deszeld, are you alright?" Concern tinted her voice, It was, after all, she who had insisted. Des forgot things the moment they were said, never held a grudge. Hollandaise sat and stewed and thought things over, picking them apart for each and every grievance. It was not productive; it was not nice. But it was what she did.

JAck, everything hurt. Hollandaise bit back a scathing reply at Amarus' words. Content with her? As if Hollandaise truly cared. Although... Amarus could prove useful if she were to learn to fight. So, she merely watching, eyes narrowed, as the lotus ghoul continued to make abysmal choices in friendship. Finally, she addressed Zar.

Zar, full of toothy arrogance. One day, she dearly hoped, someone would knock him down to size.

"How can you speak of forfeits when you've so clearly won? It is not sportsmanlike." Rolling her shoulder delicately (her skin was already bruising), she pulled the end of her braid over it and fiddle with the loose strands of hair. "You've won our wager, then. Though I still think a muzzle would do you good."