VI

[foreverphantom]

Comments

[foreverphantom]

[ at this point he's just cackling--and not in like a diabolical way, just in a genuinely delighted (if unhinged) way. the slap only increases it

i rolled another 14 for his next bout of punches. imagine a tickle fight but with fists ]

[doublefists]

[ despite herself, she's actually having a decent time too. this is essentially just roughhousing and horsing around, which is something she hasn't done in years.

stays on his legs, slapping at his hands, to try and block them. nyeh!! ]

[foreverphantom]

[ enrichment for them both

anyway i guess this just turns into a slap fight ]

[doublefists]

[ it started so well with actual punching and then it just turned into squabbling

eventually she gets bored of this, and just reaches to shove his face with a laugh, before rolling off him and to her feet, looking over her arms for bruises. ]

[foreverphantom]

[ rolls back over onto her because it's affection week ]

So? What's the damage, huh?

[doublefists]

[ she does not protest this, just ruffles his hair absently. ]

You got in a couple good hits.

[foreverphantom]

Of course I did.

That first punch was a good one too. [ hers, that is. his too but he means hers in this specific case ]

[doublefists]

Thanks.

[ said like, I know. ]

Told you I would.

[foreverphantom]

Finally, a person who's willing to punch me. [ sighs contently ]

[doublefists]

Don't get weird about it.

But yeah, I'll punch you whenever. You want a fight, come find me, but eventually I'm gonna stop going easy on you.

[foreverphantom]

Stop going easy on me now, because I won't be going easy on you from the get-go.

[doublefists]

If I punched you at full strength, you'd hit the pavement so hard you'd wake up next week. Let's not test fate, huh?

[foreverphantom]

If I punched you at full strength, you'd be a mist of blood and viscera.

[doublefists]

Not here, you wouldn't.

[foreverphantom]

You wouldn't either. [ desperately grasping at superstrength straws for his own ego ]

[doublefists]

[ help me ]

I wouldn't - what did you say? Turn you into blood and viscera? I wouldn't be able to do that at any point, no.

[ reaches and ruffles his hair in his face. ]

But I don't need to brag about what I can do, either. This isn't me trying to rope you into a I could beat you into a pulp argument because I don't give a shit who is stronger.

[foreverphantom]

[ doubt.jpg

(because everything is always a who's stronger argument with him) ]

[doublefists]

[ i and jiaoqiu's infinite source of patience remember this well

she gives him a ? look. what is hard to believe about this!! ]

[foreverphantom]

...You're...serious.

[doublefists]

Yeah?

[ there's confidence, to that. like, why wouldn't I be. ]

[foreverphantom]

Just...seems like a waste, is all.

[ why sit there just knowing you're stronger when you can prove it by pounding someone into paste ]

[doublefists]

A waste? How?

[foreverphantom]

What's the point in being stronger than others if you're not going to use that strength?

[doublefists]

[ a beat. and then - she laughs, a bit, just a huff. ]

I do. Just because it's not what you think I should be using it for doesn't mean I don't use it.

[ ... ]

I use it to make sure brats like you don't take the brunt of the damage. Make sure that kids like Kate don't have to fight, or boys like Jonas don't always have to hold the world on their shoulders.

[foreverphantom]

Ah, of course. Altruism. [ she was so rowdy, he's actually kind of surprised ]