(no subject)

[runningjoke]

CHARACTERS: Peridot, Pearl, and OPEN!

DATE: After Oska-sim, before the Team-Bonding tasks event

WARNINGS: Robotic dismemberment, maybe.

SUMMARY: Robot fights??? Robot fights.

• BEFORE THE FIGHT •

[Now that Oska has been "fixed"… it's about time to mess it up again. At least in a contained way that doesn't involve any "false realities." Two large, pilot-able robots stand opposite each other in a large ring, circled off with linked rope and poles.

One robot is a bright green color, diamond shaped with claw-like hands, and shorter than the other robot. The second robot is tall, smoother looking, with longer "legs" and pastel colored.

Both are unoccupied… for now, but outside of the ring is a crudely, and almost lazily painted sign with the words: ]

BUY TICKETS HERE

[…Someone's selling tickets to this??

Maybe someone else is nearby who can answer some questions… Or maybe also has no idea what's about to happen, but hey, feel free to look around anyway. ]

• THE FIGHT •

[A. - Closed to Peridot and Pearl]

[Now that the tickets have been sold, both Gems arrive at the arena.

After inspecting the area marked for their fight, and then inspecting her own robot to make sure Pearl hadn't tried to CHEAT while she was away, Peridot climbs into her own robot, testing the controls. It works just as well as it did when she first assembled it, so everything seems fine. As Pearl climbs into her own robot, Peridot calls out a taunt.]

I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO PRACTICE BOWING AGAIN, RENEGADE SCUM!!

[B. - Open To All]

[Oh, so that's why those giant robots were there. An old fashioned showdown, This Town Isn't Big Enough For The Both Of Us-style... But no guns and quick drawing, and with robots instead? Seems like it. Feel free to watch, and maybe wind up dodging some torn up dirt as the fight processes.]

Comments

[unoradinary]

Great! Hand to hand's kind of my only thing, but I'm already better than my dad, and considering he taught me everything he knows you've got a guaranteed good teacher.

Just, uh, I try not to hold back even when it comes to training, so whenever you wanna swing by, make sure you're ready.

[Well, not entirely true, but there's a difference between the fact she always holds back subconsciously, if only because she doesn't really wanna hurt people, and if she were to take it into consideration.

Which, in truth, she's bad at. Ran's hopelessly heavy handed.]

[beyourrock]

[Pearl looks a little uncomfortable as she looks down at her fist. While she isn't used to hand to hand combat, she knew her strength was more than the average human's.]

So you never hold back when you train? What about if you spare with someone? I mean... did you ever hurt your dad while training?

[While, yes, no pain no gain, but she was used to training with her fellow gems. Not... organics.]

[unoradinary]

Well, yeah. We both do. I mean there's no point in training if you don't give it your all; people ain't gonna pull their punches in a real fight.

[Although she tends to get hurt by her dad a lot more than she hurts him, and it isn't because of training. So if there's one thing she's used to, it's pain.]

Look...I'm only goin' out on a guess here cause of something Peridot said, but you ain't worried you're gonna hurt me too much, are you?

[beyourrock]

[Pearl shifts uncomfortably as she stares down at her feet.]

I'm used to fighting Gems. I may not be the strongest Gem type, but I'm still tougher than an average human being. Fighting organics is a completely different story!

[Her hands ball into fists at her sides as she shrugs her shoulders up to her ears.]

Back in Chantes, when we had to get rid of the demons and chimeras... I didn't want to kill them. It wasn't what I believed in. All living things are to be cherished! But I... I didn't know what to do when I was cornered. I was afraid to shatter. I had to defend myself...

[She had to kill. A long pause follows before she looks up at Ranmaru again.]

Gems don't bleed. Gems... don't die like organics do. They don't get hurt like organics do.

[unoradinary]

[Pearl practically spills her heart out to Ranmaru, and by the end of it all she can't say she doesn't understand. Ran herself has a no killing policy; no matter how dangerous the situation or how bad the other person is, taking a life isn't something you can take back. She doesn't think she has the right to do that either...in any other time, she'd try to be encouraging, and she'd reassure her it's fine and admit to respecting her more for that kind of thinking. Everyone always talks about how eventually you need to be willing to do something like that, but she never wants to hear about it. It's too terrible. So hearing someone agree with her is nice.

But on the other hand, as someone who understands, she wants to help.]

Pearl. Hit me.

[beyourrock]

[She blinks away tears that had stung the corner of her eyes. The Gem furrows her brow as she registered what Ranmaru said. What on earth was she getting at with that?]

W-What?! Why?

[unoradinary]

C'mon, you don't need a reason.

[Well, okay, she does; it's just that she's not going to be given one. Ranmaru points at her face with one hand, following it with a "come on, do it" gesture.]

Give it everything you've got. If gems are so tough, prove it.

[beyourrock]

[Pearl narrows her eyes at her and bristles a little.]

So you just want to see if you can withstand a punch? To see how strong you are?

That's ridiculous! That's not how you measure how strong someone is!

[In the real way.]

[unoradinary]

[She's really no good at being deceptive like this, but at the same time, she can't just ask Pearl to punch her for the real reason. She knows she'll hold back, and that's no good, or maybe just not agree altogether.

...she'll have to apologise for this later, but-]

This isn't about me. I know I'm strong.

But Robots don't prove a thing, leaving the fighting to something else like that. The person I'm not impressed with is you.

[beyourrock]

[Pearl steps up to Ranmaru and jabs a finger accusingly at her.]

Don't start. This is complete nonsense. This fight was between Peridot and I. It was mutually agreed upon. I didn't sign up for another fight.

I am not going to hurt a friend.

1/idk

[unoradinary]

[The whole time Pearl's speaking, Ranmaru's uncharacteristically quiet, even a little after she's done.]

Oh yeah? Well, too bad, because-

[unoradinary]

Because...

[unoradinary]

Dammit, I can't do it! I can't do things this way!

[unoradinary]

Ugh, now I feel like an asshole...

Alright, I didn't mean it! I didn't mean any of it!

[unoradinary]

But I'm still trying to make a point! The point is I get it, okay?! I totally get it! And I didn't mean what I said about holding back! I hold back, like, all the time! I have to! And even when I do, I still break stuff! I can't even wash a plate!

Because if I didn't hold back, everyone I've ever punched would be dead!

[unoradinary]

I don't wanna kill noone either! Not even people who might deserve it, cause it's fucked up! Super fucked up! I couldn't even watch everyone die during the riots! I threw up in an alleyway and I didn't sleep for like a week!

I don't even like thinking about it!

[thanks gilgamesh]

[unoradinary]

But do you know how you protect people!? And I don't mean protect people from being killed by other people! I mean protect the person you're fighting from yourself! You wanna know how?

You get strong! Super strong! Needlessly strong! You have to be the strongest Pearl who ever lived!!! Because the less of a threat they are to you, the easier it is to spare them!

[unoradinary]

But you can't do that as you are now! You need to get stronger! And more importantly, you need experience fighting people who aren't gems! But you won't get that if you spend the whole time worrying about hurting us!

ok done

[unoradinary]

And I'm telling you here and now that if you need a human to beat up, I'm your girl! Because Ranmaru Rindou isn't going to die against someone who hesitates! Aliens, Gods, Kings, Demons, whatever! It'll take more than that to take me down! I've come too far to be beaten in combat! I just refuse to let it happen!

NOW ARE YOU PREPARED TO PUNCH ME IN THE FACE OR NOT!?

1/3

[beyourrock]

[Her voice seems to ring loud in clear in Pearl's mind. The intensity of Ruby's fury, the passion of Rose Quartz all rolled into one. Her tense shoulders slowly deflate at her statements. She was right. She was totally right.

She wouldn't improve if she held back. Pearl would be like any other Pearl out there. If she held back, there would be no room for improvement. Far too familiar with fighting Gems. There weren't any Gems to fight here, besides Peridot. Even then, she didn't count. She had to deal with organics. Organics in which could rival the strength of Jaspers, Amethysts, and possibly even the Diamond Authority themselves.

She stares in awe at the pink haired girl, suddenly feeling very small under her gaze.]

R...Ranmaru...

[beyourrock]

[She takes in a deep breath, collecting her thoughts as she regards Ranmaru for what seems to be an uncomfortably long time. Staring her down with those intense pale blue eyes of hers.

They seem to search for something. As if there were some kind of lie in Ranmaru's words. But she could find none.]

[beyourrock]

[He words had lit something deep inside her. Confidence. Passion. Pent up anxiety, worries, self confidence issues, all rising up in her chest.

Ranmaru had the confidence to take on anything. Gods, Demons, whatever. If she says she can take a hit, then so be it! It was the kind of confidence in which Pearl envies in most of her friends here.

With a sharp intake of breath, she pulls a balled fist back, and with all her Gem might.

She throws a punch right for Ranmaru's jaw.]

1/2

[unoradinary]

[Annnd she's pretty much thrown off her feet. Pearl's a strong gem after all, and even if someone's able to take a punch whether or not they're still gonna be thrown back by it is a different story altogether. In this case, it's completely unrelated to the former.]

Ghk!

[unoradinary]

[Yet any concerns she might have about whether or not she overdid it should be dealt with pretty quickly, because...Ran's laughing from down there all of a sudden. Ranmaru sits up and rubs at her jaw briefly, looking up at Pearl from her seated position on the floor.]

Hahh...okay, I'll admit, not what I was expecting.

[Still, despite everything, this is someone who falling 13 stories and landing directly onto a car is no big deal for. She stands back up, hands on her hips.]

So? You believe me now?

[They're not going to fight now after all; not after everything Pearl's been through already. But she just wanted to prove her point, so she can help Pearl become stronger later, once she's in better shape. Trust was the first and most necessary step.]

[beyourrock]

[Pearl looks like she immediately regrets the decision as she rushes over beside Ranmaru, letting a flood of apologies escape her mouth. She didn't mean to knock her down like that! Then again, she took the hit better than Chantes' guard back during the jailbreak.

She quiets down once Ranmaru speaks and furrows her brow, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.]

Well it look like you can take quite the punch! I'd be interested to see what you'd do stacked up against a Jasper or an Amethyst.

[A bashful laugh escapes her before she moves to a kneeling position, instead of on her knees and offers a hand down to her, to help her up.]

I suppose it will just take some... time.