[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

You stay poised and ready on your side of the doorway, looking at her with a cocky expression as you try to gauge the best place to hit.

POLKA DOT: Not even gonna let me finish!
CROSSBONE: Flirting on the battlefield’s a sneaky tactic.
POLKA DOT: Why are you doing it back, then?
 

Cross stances up, her chain tail lashing.

CROSSBONE: I think I can win.
 

You’re ready for her to move, but not ready for her to pounce, slamming her elbow into your shoulder to knock you down before your hammer swing can make contact -

And tap the top of your head with a hatchet.

CROSSBONE: Boop.
ORTHO: Point for Willow!
POLKA DOT: What the hell’s gotten into you?
CROSSBONE: Practicing my monster moves.
CROSSBONE: If I’m gonna be big and strong, I gotta get ready to throw that weight around.
CROSSBONE: Any complaints?
POLKA DOT: …nope. Not one bit.
CROSSBONE: Now…let’s see how you get out of this one.
CROSSBONE: Go ahead. See how you get out of being pinned.
 

She flashes you a little :) on her screen.

 

Tim closes his eyes for a moment.

He focuses.

This can’t be easy for him. He’s against his partner, and he doesn’t want-

He doesn’t want to hurt him.

But-

Devo’s saying to give it his all. To not hold back.

Something’s burning up in him.

He can’t pull punches anymore. It’d be worse in the wild.

Both plushes raise their weapons.

Tim moves his sword into position for an overhead slash-

Devo sidestepping before Tim shifts gears, slicing down across Devo’s arm-

There’s a flash of black in the corner of Tim’s vision, just for a moment.

The foam sword makes a goofy noise as it slips across fabric, taking Tim out of the intensity and snapping him back to reality.

ORTHO: Point for Tim!
 

When Tim looks back, the black is gone- just the blue of Devo’s cheeks and eyes, the expression on his face nothing but congratulatory.

DEVO: Whoa, you got me good!
DEVO: Would’ve taken my whole arm off, damn.
TIMOTHY: I-
DEVO: No, that’s good, man!
DEVO: Monster wouldn’t be able to do shit to that.
DEVO: Gimme a sec, though…
 

He places a paw to his head.

DEVO: Feeling a little dizzy.
 

Tim’s expression immediately turns to concern.

TIMOTHY: Are you okay?
TIMOTHY: Are you sure I didn’t go too hard-
DEVO: What? No, you’re fine.
TIMOTHY: Alright…
TIMOTHY: Ortho, can Devo and I take five?
ORTHO: Gotcha.
 

Ortho blows their whistle.

ORTHO: We're takin' a quick breather.
ORTHO: I'll be back in five.

The synthesizer makes their way out of the room.

With that settled, Devo turns to his partner.

DEVO: …what’s got you so worried, man?
TIMOTHY: …
 

Tim sits on the edge of the bridge, letting his feet dangle. Devo follows suit, resting a paw on his shoulder.

TIMOTHY: I don’t want to go too hard on you.
DEVO: …it is not physically possible to bonk me hard enough with a foam sword to take my arm off for real.
TIMOTHY: I know, I know-
TIMOTHY: I just…
TIMOTHY: I had a talk with Roulette about this stuff before we met up.
TIMOTHY: About how I’m scared of how angry I am.
TIMOTHY: About going too far.
DEVO: …
 

The bear looks down at the foam cubes, swinging his legs a little.

When he speaks, his voice is quiet, so as not to let any of the others hear.

DEVO: Is this like…related to dom stuff?
DEVO: I know you worry about going all out on me-
TIMOTHY: Yes, and no…
TIMOTHY: …I just… love you.
TIMOTHY: And I want you to be safe.
TIMOTHY: I don’t want to be a reason that gets endangered.
DEVO: …I’m not as fragile as you think, you know?
TIMOTHY: I didn’t say that-!
DEVO: You didn’t have to.
 

Devo gives him a soft, but stern look.

DEVO: I can hold my own.
DEVO: Take the kid gloves off and face me, alright?
DEVO: We might not have known each other that long, but like-
DEVO: If we’re going on an adventure together, I want you to have my back in a way that like…
DEVO: Respects my deal. And treats me like I’m on the same level.
TIMOTHY: I didn’t mean to-
TIMOTHY: …I never meant to make you feel like that.
DEVO: I know, man…
DEVO: But that’s why we talk about it, right?
TIMOTHY: Yeah…
TIMOTHY: You’re…you’re right.
 

Devo leans on his shoulder for a bit, Tim returning the nuzzle.

DEVO: …should probably get back to it. Ribbon and Willow are probably either beating the shit out of each other or making out on the battlefield.
DEVO: Possibly both.
 

Tim can’t help but snicker.

TIMOTHY: You think they’re into that?
DEVO: Probably.
TIMOTHY: Gotta ruin their fun, then…
 

He gets to his feet, extending his paw to Devo.

The bear takes it, hauling himself up.

DEVO: Let’s do this.
TIMOTHY: For real this time.

 

In the meantime, you and Cross have been shooting the shit.

POLKA DOT: And I’m just saying- a claw hammer can do more than a hatchet.
CROSSBONE: Hatchet chops.
POLKA DOT: Yeah, but claw hammer like- you can bash someone’s head in and tear with the claw end.
CROSSBONE: Sure, I guess…
CROSSBONE: But hatchet also has utility in the field!
CROSSBONE: What if we come across a tree that’s in the way?
 

You grin.

POLKA DOT: I’ll just smack the shit out of it.
CROSSBONE: Dork.
POLKA DOT: You like me silly, though.
 

The synthesizer steps back into the room, stretching out.

ORTHO: Alright-
ORTHO: Y’all ready to get back to it?
 

Everyone in the party gives the okay, and you get back into your places- Tim and Devo facing off, and Cross having you pinned.

 

The whistle blows.

Show ContentSpoiler:

POLKA DOT
EQUIPPED: Foam Hammer
STATUS: Fine

Polka Dot can always…
-Taunt the Enemy

TIMOTHY
EQUIPPED: Foam Longsword
STATUS: Fine

Tim can always…
-Channel his Rage