epidemiology | (no subject)

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[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.~~]

[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.

[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.

Edited 2016-03-07 14:46 (UTC)

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

Oh yeah? Well, too bad, because-

Because...

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

Ugh, now I feel like an asshole...

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

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!

Edited 2016-03-07 22:07 (UTC)

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]

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!

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!

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!?

[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...

Edited 2016-03-08 00:45 (UTC)

[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.]

[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.]

[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!

[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.]

[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.

[Fairly pleased with the compliment she seems to brighten further, if that's even possible, taking the offered hand to pull herself up. Once she's up, Ranmaru moves to readjust her hat and brush herself down, speaking as she does.]

Well, s'all I can hope for right now. One thing at a time, right?

[She's not naive enough to think it could all be smoothed over in one moment...but it's a start. A good one, at that.]

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