[Training] [se] I wanted them to fear me

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

She waited and watched – because something was amiss with Koa, and she couldn’t quite pinpoint it. Didn’t have the luxury of viewing it either, for it seemed to be intangible and internal, stifling and grappling with the Dragoon after a few moments. All the while, she listened too, head tilting vaguely at the mention of how they’d studied mortals and demigods (still, kinda weird but maybe it was because her formal education had been on survival and not much else). “Huh. Well. Hope it doesn't last too long.” Then she cringed, a little, uncertain about the apology floating through her teeth. “Sorry.”

But then he was slugging at her, and she had to do something else with this Wild Magic. Backing away, she could feel the fringes of his fist slide across her upper arm, not as strong as it could’ve or should’ve been, but enough to feel as she summoned another portion of Ludo’s incantations.

And another loud round of applause from the expanse.

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

Words hung above but never would form
Like a cry at the final breath that is drawn

"'s fine. It's what we're here for." He tries a reassuring grin that comes out rather haggard. Weak and tired and maybe half dead, that's how Koa feels.

It gets better when he lands a hit- not because he's damaged Mel, but because he's healed himself. It's one of his first times properly testing out the gloves, and the success is brightly satisfying. "Neat," he declared, holding up his wrapped fists for Melita to observe. "Ludo made them. One hurts, one heals. Not bad in a pinch, right?"

The description is met with a round of applause from their ghost audience. Taken off guard and unsure of how else to respond, Koa bends into a stilted half-bow, his handsome face bemused. "Um... thanks?"

Koa Carpenter

Mama said, burn your biographies
Rewrite your history, light up your wildest dreams

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

Not to worry Koa, more ridiculousness was on the way.

She rubbed her arm at the slide off and graze, mulishly wrinkling her nose, listening to the alterations in punching notations. “Huh. Cool.” As long as he remembered which was which, she supposed.

Pretending the round of applause was nothing, because she’d already had to do that once or twice, she instigated another crescendo. Except, this time, it was just…a seemingly endless surplus of rubber ducks reigning from the sky and drifting downwards; all shapes and sizes, all wondrous hues, coming from nowhere and everywhere simultaneously. She didn’t even have the heart to look mad – simply a glorious queen in her wake of…fake waterfowl.

Maybe one would hit Koa in the head.

“No explanation for this one either,” she managed to quip with merely a shrug.

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

Words hung above but never would form
Like a cry at the final breath that is drawn

He's been applauded. She's punched herself. Half his health has magically left his body.

What could possibly top all that?

Ducks.

Ducks could top it.

He doesn't see them coming. Why would he? His opponent is right in front of him, on the same (or perhaps a slightly lower) plane. What reason would Koa have to suspect danger might come from the sky, that the shadow blotting out the sun would do anything other than a cloud? He doesn't even realize what's happening as the first duck falls, cheerful yellow body bouncing benignly by his feet. "Huh?" Kneeling down, Koa picks up the fallen fowl, turning it bemusedly in his hand. "Is this... a duck?" he wonders, looking up at Mel with an expression of puzzlement that quickly and comically shifts to terror as another duck falls.

And another.

And so many more.

One duck. Two duck. Red ducks. Blue ducks. Springing back up to his feet, Koa snarls a series of curses as ducks of various shape and size pelt him from above. "What the fuck--?" he begins, the exclamation followed by an unmanly squawk as he dodges to the left, just in time to being crushed beneath a truly massive mallard.

Slack-jawed and flabbergasted, he stares at the monstrosity that may have been his death.. He's too distracted to continue dodging, and so when a particularly vicious rainbow duckling zips down from the sky, Koa is not prepared. It beams him square between the eyes, and with this final affront the Dragoon crumples, sinking down into the sand among the sea of birds, his expression dumbfounded and his copper eyes blinking as he looks from duck to duck. They've won. It's over. Let this be known as the day Koa Carpenter was thoroughly defeated by a rubber-wielding pretty girl.

Koa Carpenter

Mama said, burn your biographies
Rewrite your history, light up your wildest dreams

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

Melita wished she could say you ain’t seen nothing yet or some other fantastic quip for the ages. That she must've seemed mighty and vicious and gloriously powerful.

Instead, she simply watched as the ducks began their miring of the Dragoon, burying and blotting and treacherously snaking and sneaking around as exclamations were unfurled and crushing began. It had to be one of the most ridiculous scenes anyone could ever come across, which was why the Honeybee was suddenly doubled over in laughter.

It was a good-natured set of giggles extending from her chest and stomach with rapt enthusiasm and ardor she hadn’t felt in ages - good - even if the spar had been spectacularly stupid. Eventually she had to sit down, moving several ducks out of her way so her ribs would stop aching and she could catch her breath, before looking over at Koa’s dumbfounded face and starting the whole thing over. “Gods,” she managed to whisper, shaking her head. “I wish I could say I was sorry…,” but it’d be a lie and they both knew it.

Rubbing at her eyes, she dashed away a few tears laden with humor instead of sorrow, a little breathless. “You all right over there?”

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

Words hung above but never would form
Like a cry at the final breath that is drawn

You know that moment right after a toddler falls down? When they're sat on the ground, blinking bemusedly, clearly unable to comprehend gravity in any meaningful way? And behind their eyes you can see their tiny little brains struggling to decide on an appropriate reaction: laugh, cry, scream, hit the ground because how dare it hurt them like this, maybe just lie down and accept death?

Turns out it happens to grown-ups, too. Or, at least, to Koa. Who basically counts.

It's only a second, maybe two. And then the stunned paralysis cracks, and the Dragoon begins to laugh. A chuckle, first, but the snowball is rolling, and pretty soon he's doubled over, roaring a full-blown belly laugh. "You-- you--- Ludo's taint-- YOU HIT ME WITH A DUCK!" Tears sting at his eyes, cling to his lashes, but still the young man cackles and howls, a much-needed wave of catharsis washing away any self control.

By the time he's able to regain any composure he's leaning on the massive rubber mallard, his high cheeks rosy and chest heaving as he works to catch his breath. "Okay. I'm good," Koa gasps, grinning maniacally at Melita and wiping tears off of his face with the back of his hand. "I'm-- shit." He battles to get out through his giggles, expression finally schooling into something moderately serious. "Nope. I'm good. It's good. Just need to do one thing..."

He snatches up the rainbow duck, hurtling it toward the Honeybee's head before succumbing once more to the absurdity of the situation, his laughter warm and bright.

Koa Carpenter

Mama said, burn your biographies
Rewrite your history, light up your wildest dreams

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

Melita had at least the wherewithal to blink and shrug at the belly laugh incriminations, because they were true and she wasn’t going to deny the notions. “Thank you Ludo,” she hummed in praise anyway, gesturing towards the shrine off along the watery expanse, grateful for the absolute insanity that had prospered here today.

Fangorn had already claimed a tiny yellow duck nearby as some sort of prize, and Sila was busy trying to decide if she should’ve lit the closest one to her on fire, while the Honeybee managed to glance over at the Dragoon again. She had enough time to see the duck being hurtled in her direction, and she ducked adequately, listening and watching as it crashed into another pile of the rubber waterfowl. It sent the adjacent toys careening in various locations, and caused another loud round of snickers, giggles, and then aching ribs as the Honeybee cackled again.

Eventually it'd warm and war away into something other than ridiculous notions, but presently she just wrinkled her nose in Koa's direction. "And thank you too. This was way better than fighting Sah." Not that the asshat wouldn't be getting his in the next couple of days, or that the bar was incredibly low.

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun

Words hung above but never would form
Like a cry at the final breath that is drawn

Pipsqueak joins the other companions in collecting fallen ducklings, her draconic need to hoard all things set ablaze by this bounty. When Koa gets back to his abandoned pack, he will find it spilling over with fowl, some of his own possessions displaced to make room for the lizard’s cache.

“Yeah, thanks, Ludo,” Koa mutters almost testily, picking up a yellow duck and chucking it vaguely toward the distant shrine. There is no true ire to his tone, of course, the still echoing laughter and enduring smile preventing ire from entering his heart. It is mirth emboldened by Melita’s gratitude, the boyish smile now truly threatening to stretch his face to the point of pain. “Good!” Koa cheers with great self-satisfaction, slapping a hand on the pool-float-sized mallard that nearly claimed his life. “Though next time we spar I’m bringing an umbrella. This was definitely the weirdest rain I’ve ever been caught in. Cute, though.” Again he laughs, merry and warm.

He’s been collecting errant ducklings, stacking them absently in a pile atop his large green foe. The tower is five toys high then it inevitably crumbles, leading Koa and his ADHD to begin to stack again. To Melita he asks: ”So you wanna go back and see how they’re doing? Or should we clean this up first?” A sweeping gesture to the array of birds; while Koa itches to see the conclusion of the battles, he’ll defer to the Zombee and what she needs. It’s what friends do - and by Koa’s estimation, they certainly are friends.

If surviving a rain of ducks doesn’t bind you together, he doesn’t know what does.

Koa Carpenter

Mama said, burn your biographies
Rewrite your history, light up your wildest dreams

Melita

Eating fire is your ambition
to swallow the flame down

Bounties quantified by each companion, all there was left to do was rejoin the hellish festivities. Melita sighed, amused but already dreading everything to follow. “Maybe. Though I don’t know what else it can do,” what the limitations were, what the boundaries contained. At some point, probably during the potential for lightning (that they weren’t going to talk about right now), Koa likely wouldn’t want to be holding an umbrella. “And yeah, we can.” Eventually she’d have to wind her way back upwards, find Ronin and extend her gratitude there too, and everything else mustered in her heart and lungs.

Glancing at the ducks, she shrugged. “Eh, maybe someone will enjoy them.” Like little finds and pockets of amusement – treasure for another being on another day. “Thanks again though,” and she really did mean it.

{FIN}

to be lit up from within, vein by vein
to be the sun