[Training] hold your breath and feel the tension

SUNJATA

the flood

i'm nothing more than a page unwritten
on the pavement, blowing in the wind

The pink coral, even if it was meant as a joke, certainly found a place along the wall. And with it, a few more varying things while Sunjata figures things out. It’s… Lonely, to be in Torchline alone, with Maea in Halo and everywhere else, and him claiming he needs distance to figure himself out. They had moved too fast, and with it… Well, he wasn’t sure where it left him. A bar to make in Halo, a headquarters to shift here at some point. For now?

Now, it was just him settling in the bar, shirtless once more with all those shark bite scars along his back that had flecked away a small amount of the tattoos that drifted down the backs of his shoulders, a sheen of sweat along his body as he throws a punch to the punching back, coiling up and winding down. To warm up for something, though he’ll take anything at this point. Something to get his mind off of it, aside from the bottles of whiskey that had also found their homes lined up on the opposite wall.

you win a lot, and you lose
just a little bit more than you gained in the end

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

Good days and bad days - didn’t everyone have them? For Ronin the good had outweighed the bad for a few weeks now, and upon reflection he had been waiting up for this depression. It delivered, of course, and the Fallen Star found himself hungover and very much needing an outlet after a disastrous night. He sported a shiner and a half as he appeared in the doorway of the boxing ring, unashamedly relieved to see Jata at one of the bags.

”Hey,” he called, voice rough. ”Got any free time to beat the shit out of me?” Not the most elegant way of saying how about some of that therapy, but fuck it. He just wanted to punch something.

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN

SUNJATA

the flood

i'm nothing more than a page unwritten
on the pavement, blowing in the wind

One punch to the bag sends it swinging, and he reaches out with a wrapped hand to catch it when it comes back to him. He doesn’t expect company, so when Ronin’s voice calls out he stills immediately – half expecting to tell the person to leave, not quite recognizing the voice of the hunter until he looks over his shoulder and realizes. And gods does Ronin look like absolute shit.

Great, that made two of them, even if Sunjata’s was more internal.

So he stills the bag, moving to give Ronin a nod of agreement. “Only if you do the same.” It’s half a joke, half serious as he slips into the ring beneath the ropes, abandoning the wraps to his hands to wrap new bandages around them, offering it to Ronin with a lingering gaze. “Feel free to start and I’ll return the favor.” A half smile to that – an offering of not holding back, a do your worst.

you win a lot, and you lose
just a little bit more than you gained in the end

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

Looking back, an invitation to do his worst was probably not what Ronin needed then and there. But sweet Safrin, he had come looking for Sunjata and the fight club and so far the guildmaster was delivering in spades. Already ducking beneath the rope of the ring, Ronin caught the wraps thrown his way only to set them down on one of the posts.

”It’s a deal,” he said. Ronin would indeed feel free to start, the Dark Star giving Sunjata a chance to join him in the ring - barely - before darting forward with a vicious hook aimed at the side of the other man’s head. He followed it up with a sweep of his leg, trying to get his opponent on the ground quickly.

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN

SUNJATA

the flood

i'm nothing more than a page unwritten
on the pavement, blowing in the wind

Okay, first off. Mistakes were fucking made.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have told the Star to do his worst – because barely a second after Sunjata watches Ronin place the wraps down, not even bothering, the man is swinging back at him. He’s woefully unprepared, stance not even particularly close to being ready, and that fist is heading straight for the side of his face.

And fucking hell it hurts when it hits, a fast and hard blunt pain sparks along the side of his jaw with enough force that he can feel his cheek pulse beneath the weight of the bruise that will surely sprout, the way his teeth had accidentally cut the inside of his mouth with the punch as well, and already he can taste the iron of blood on his tongue. Ronin’s leg works well to take him down too, taking him to the ground immediately with a loud thump as he hits the sand.

But he hasn’t blacked out yet, and he takes it far more seriously as he pushes himself up, leans over to spit out a growing mouthful of blood. “Holy shit, okay.” It’s half murmured out of surprise and the fact he wants to make sure his jaw still works. So when he goes to stand again, he can feel the dull thudding to his temple, squinting his right eye against it as he focuses on the hunter and evades to the side to try and catch him off guard, trying to swing with his fist to aim for Ronin’s head as well, hoping enough force and pressure might knock the hunter into the ropes.

you win a lot, and you lose
just a little bit more than you gained in the end

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

Part of him (it was the part still mostly asleep called morality) was utterly horrified at the way the blow connected and Sunjata went down. Pain pulsed through his right hand too - the payment for going into this unprepared other than with the intention of violence, and his knuckles would be cut and bruised by the time this was over. Still, as Jata spit blood onto the sand, the rest of Ronin rallied at the thought of further fighting, and he gave his opponent room to stand.

And kudos to Sunjata that he did stand, and then some, Ronin twisting to try and get out of the way of the punch sent in his direction. Through some flicker of fate (or some roll of the dice, ahem), the blow barely caught him, whispering against his skull as he stepped into it, bringing he and the guildmaster into very close proximity indeed.

"Hi," Ronin said unhelpfully, before he brought up his fist again - this time aiming low and for the diaphragm, that he might force Jata away by winding him.

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN

SUNJATA

the flood

i'm nothing more than a page unwritten
on the pavement, blowing in the wind

His jaw throbs but he tries to ignore the singing in his teeth as he focuses a punch to the hunter, hissing as the blow barely hits the man. So much for retaliation, huh? But of course, Sunjata’s tall and lumbering despite the agility he so proudly boasts. He’s no match really for the hi that Ronin gives him before the fist is already lifting and nailing him hard again.

He staggers back as all the wind leaves his lungs and he can feel the red hint of a bruise begin to peek from the compass tattoo so stark in contrast. He supposes it’s a good thing he’d learned to hold his breath a decent amount, trying to push through the shocking amount of pain that the Star wields beneath those unwrapped fists. And he pushes off the rope a brief second after regaining some sense of where he is, aiming a fist to Ronin’s ribs, hoping to knock him somewhat away.

you win a lot, and you lose
just a little bit more than you gained in the end

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

Ronin would be sorry for this, he was certain of it. Indeed, this was no shitty bar brawl, and the man under his fists was someone he respected and considered a friend. But for now his blood was up and Sunjata kept coming at him, and the Star relished every blow. He was ready for it, in fact, for the fist aimed skilfully at his ribs, and it would almost be nice to feel that sharp crack of pain. He wanted it, needed it.

And yet time seemed to move so slowly, and he sidestepped the strike as if Jata had been moving underwater. His hand snapped out, grasping the other man’s outstretched arm and pulling - hard - to try and toss him into the other set of ropes.

That done, Ronin would go on the chase, dashing forward for another punch. This one was aimed at the other side of Sunjata’s head, as if he meant to literally knock the sense out of him.

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN

SUNJATA

the flood

i'm nothing more than a page unwritten
on the pavement, blowing in the wind

A fist lashes out, aimed at Ronin’s ribs, and holy shit does it continue to go wrong. The fist seems to have the complete opposite effect, as Ronin grabs his arm and pulls him hard into the other set of ropes – and he lands equally as hard, hand crunching beneath the pressure of all of his weight and body colliding with a post.

So, what the fuck? (Thanks dice bot).

He has no time to recover, not between the vibrating pain in his dominant hand, so sharp and what not that he has no time to comprehend the one throb of his jaw when Ronin’s already on him again, a fist aimed at his head that Sunjata has the wise sense to stand a bit taller than his lowered form, taking the blow into his shoulder instead, joint popping with the pressure and a loud, almost feline growl that slips from his throat.

He literally can’t think with the pulsing pain in his hand, the feeling of it already beginning to swell beneath the wraps, and he holds it somewhat near as he tries to lash out with his leg, trying to bring Ronin to the ground hard.

you win a lot, and you lose
just a little bit more than you gained in the end

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

In reality it was a blessing for Ronin's fist to connect with the meatier part of Sunjata's shoulder rather than the hard bone of his cheek, or else they might both end up with broken hands. Even so, there was a lot less give in the shoulder, and Ronin had to disconnect, hissing a curse in the back of his throat. Jata did not look good, and a growing part of him was very sorry for all of that.

His temper, however, needed more feeding. Luckily it seemed the other man would finally get a shot in, and Ronin found his legs swept out abruptly from under him. He hit the ground hard, his breath leaving in a whoosh, and instinctively he tried to roll away from any pursuit. Whether or not he would be successful was another story entirely.

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN

SUNJATA

the flood

i'm nothing more than a page unwritten
on the pavement, blowing in the wind

Ronin’s hiss spurs something of a ‘thank you very fucking much’ to cross his mind in some small part of relief. But he’s swinging out now with a leg to try and bring the hunter down – and he pants through blood and almost too warm air to watch Ronin slip to the floor. But the hunter is quick and not nearly as fucked up as Sunjata is, and as he regains his bearings he notices Ronin roll out of reach, out of the ability of Sunjata to pursue.

He huffs a Korofi curse before pushing off the ropes, burning in the side of his face and in his hand, trying to surge toward Ronin to try and knock into him with a shoulder to knock him back once more – perhaps to disorient him a small amount. But gods is it hard when his head is throbbing and his mind is swimming, and he’s not sure whether or not he stumbles or actually surges.

you win a lot, and you lose
just a little bit more than you gained in the end

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

Ronin found his feet a lot more easily than the other man, it seemed, and by the time he turned around to face Sunjata again, his opponent was stumbling charging for him. Breathing heavily, Ronin seemed to see him for how he was at last; beaten and bloodied, with a hand that didn't look at all right and a head that might topple off at any second. So Ronin caught him as he staggered forward, hands braced against Jata's shoulders to steady him in the ring.

"Well fuck," he said, a touch breathlessly. "I really hurt you. Damn, Jata - I'm sorry, I..." Taking one hand to scrub it across his eyes, Ronin shook his head. He had no excuse. "Can I help clean you up? I owe you a drink or five."

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN

SUNJATA

the flood

i'm nothing more than a page unwritten
on the pavement, blowing in the wind

He’s certainly not looking good, and Ronin has the sense to realize that they’re likely done before Sunjata manages to pass out. So when he stumbles forward and is caught by the hunter, he pauses, breath panting as the adrenaline begins to subside and the throbbing in his jaw and hand begin to grow a bit more intense than the amount he had pushed away during the spar.

So he leans back against the ropes and one of the beams, finally letting his steel gaze settle on Ronin as he fights to keep himself upright, hearing the apology and wanting to shake his head but knows it’ll be more painful than necessary. “It’s fine.” He offers quietly, giving a weak smile. “I’ve had worse.” Though it has been years since then.

So he shifts a small amount in the sand against the beam, sliding down until he’s sitting and propped by the edge, tilting his head back and running a tongue along his split lip to poke at it with a slight wince before spitting more blood. “There’s whiskey over there if you wanna bring it over.” He manages, pointing with his not broken hand before he carefully tries to pick the wraps off of it, cursing quietly.

you win a lot, and you lose
just a little bit more than you gained in the end

gladiator, picked a fight with the gods, i'm a giant slayer

Honestly, whiskey was the least Ronin could do. He let Sunjata go that he might slump against the ropes and the beams, the hunter ducking out of the ring so he could get everything together. Along with the booze, he had the sense to grab a clean rag, putting (cut, bruised and reddened) fingers to his lips to let out a sharp whistle into the hot air outside the building. By the time he returned to Sunjata, a pale reptile had swooped in through the doorway, letting out a pitched chirp of greeting to both men.

Sugar landed about Ronin's shoulders, and he sank down to sit with Sunjata, opening the whisky to hold it out for him. "Drink that with your good hand - I'll get those off," he said, nodding at the wraps. "Worse or not, you still didn't deserve that from me," he said gruffly. "It has been... a rough few days."

bone shaker, dominator, freight train, wreckin' ball, i'm the gladiator

RONIN