cos i'll hammer your toe like i'm a pediatrician

[glowsferatu]

WHO: swwag and tastingcolors
WHERE: An alleyway not far from Nygma Manor
WHEN: Friday morning
WARNINGS: Definite violence
SUMMARY: A long-awaited confrontation turns out to be a little less than expected, and happens for a completely different purpose.
FORMAT: Para

She hadn't slept at all that night. There were more pressing matters at the moment.

She was well aware of the strain on her eyes and the bags underneath them, they were from focusing on the same spot for more hours than she'd kept track of at this point. This is something that simply had to be done, and she was the one to do it. But it would take patience. It couldn't be done here, there were too many others to be dealt with. No, she'd have to wait until he was more isolated.

But he was arrogant. Getting him alone would be no chore.
It was almost too easy.

The only regret she had, as she watched from the hidden spot across the street she'd been waiting from all night, is that she wouldn't have opportunity to relish this confrontation as much as she may have otherwise liked. It's true, she would cause as much pain as necessary to Eridan Ampora today, but he wasn't her ultimate goal here.

She had bigger fish to fry.

Comments

[amoray]

After his recent activities (getting thrown through windows and tag-team murdering his helpless platonic nemesis and the like), Eridan had decided to maybe settle down for a bit. Take a break, get back to his plotting, let the shit settle and deal with Sollux when he came back from the dead pissing and moaning about having his eyes cut out or something else stupid like that. He inevitably would, if he came back at all. He'd remind himself of the simpler pleasures of life, like a good coffee on a Friday morning.

That was what he was planning for today, strolling into the mouth of a somewhat shady alleyway and stepping airily over a broken bottle. It was the normal route he took to the local Starbucks, and despite it being a relatively isolated alley in a big, crime-infested city, Eridan was confident enough in the quickness of his wand hand to ward off any would-be attackers.

There certainly weren't any people in the City wanting his blood or anything, or at least none that could ever take him on. Never.

[glowsferatu]

Nor was there one dashing along the rooftops above, looking for the soonest opportunity. And there it was.

She leaped down to the fire escape below, landing gently, almost noiselessly, but made sure to be heard when she hopped from there to the ground behind him. She'd had the foresight to wear that skirt with the cute bow on the hip. The one that was a very familiar shade of purple. If she couldn't rip each of his limbs from their sockets this time, she could at least taunt him slightly.

She stood tall and pointed one glowing finger in his direction. "Eridan."

[amoray]

Eridan glanced idly over his shoulder at Kanaya's landing, hands in his pockets, and carefully hid his surprise. He'd expected maybe some punk, not one of his biggest threats in the City.

"Kan." He turned to face her, lip curling with the faintest traces of a disgusted sneer. He was still in less than prime condition after his showdown with Rose, during which he'd already been at less than his best due to fighting Gamzee a while earlier than that. A full-out fight with Kanaya after all that looked grim. "Didn't expect to see you draggin' your corpse into my presence again so soon."

He had by now acknowledged that Kanaya was no longer something natural, but seeing her glowing and most certainly dead was always unsettling. Eridan covered it up with an unimpressed scoff, pulling out his wand as it flickered to life. The coffee could wait.

"That skirt looks like fuckin' shit, by the way."

[glowsferatu]

She let the hand drop to her side. Her heart was already in her throat just being this close to him, but she could swallow that down. There were important things to do here.

Even so, she managed to bring a smile to her lips. "Yes, well the material I had to use was inferior by far, and the color is simply dreadful, but I did the best with what was available."

She swung a foot around till she had her side facing him and stood at the ready. It was true, Eridan was not her immediate target at the moment, but there was still one thing she needed to drive home to him either way: she was watching him, and she had full capability of bringing him to an end. The humiliation would have to be a key aspect.

And so, "I'll allow you one free shot."

[amoray]

"Well, only certain people hawe the capability a lookin' good in magenta. One a the many reasons sandsuckin' gutterbloods shouldn't be wearin' it."

Despite the cocky lightness of his words, Eridan's eyes narrowed. He recognized the skirt for what it really was; a trophy, no doubt, something to lord over him as proof of her victory back in the Veil. Well, it didn't matter; he'd set it straight here and kill her again. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so embarrassed about dying.

"Aw come on, Kan. I just wouldn't feel alright with takin' adwantage a your generosity like that." He was more than a little wary of just rushing her, especially not knowing the full capabilities of a rainbow drinker. And people only offered the first shot when they were positive they could survive it. "You first. I upright fuckin' insist."

[glowsferatu]

"Such a terrible shame, then, that I have yet to meet such a person." She could take petty digs as if they were going out of style soon, though she never did pay fashion cycles so much heed to begin with. She was always fonder of adopting her own.

"If that really is the case, then it's a shame I'll be unable to spare you the indignity this way. Though perhaps I prefer it that way!" And with that she took off running in what looked like it would be straight at him, but soon she veered to the side and leaped right past him with tremendous speed. Kicking off the bottom of the fire escape above, she shot back around with a kick aimed at his back.

[amoray]

Kanaya charged, and Eridan fired at her. Then she wasn't where he thought she'd be, the stray blast biting into a brick wall, and he had just enough time to whirl around before taking the kick straight to the stomach, knocking him back wheezing if she didn't just take him to the ground entirely.

Snarling, he fired again. A few of his shallower wounds from his semi-recent tiff with Rose had reopened, and stung.

[glowsferatu]

Not being where he thought she'd be was the game she planned to play here, so she strafed around the blast and made a move to grab his wand-hand. Wouldn't do to let him keep it here.

[amoray]

He fought her grip for a moment, but then reversed his tactic and instead shoved it back at her, aiming for her heart or lung or whatever he could manage. And he fired.

[glowsferatu]

She twisted his arm a bit to recenter where the blast would hit and took it point-blank through the stomach, not far from his original kill blow. Leaning in, she bared her teeth and snarled.

Then she decided to twist his arm a little more.

[amoray]

For a brief second, Eridan thought he'd managed to win. He had hope, because not even a rainbow drinker could survive that kind of wound, right?

Then she broke his wrist.

"Fuckin' shit," he snarled back through the pain, as his wand fell from his hand. He lunged, grabbing at her shirt to (hopefully, he wasn't exactly on his game before the fight even started) drag her head down for a very unprincely headbutt.

This was not going as well as he would've hoped.

[glowsferatu]

She was still a little woozy from the loss of blood, that hit took more out of her than she'd expected, or than she'd let him realize. But she did take the headbutt, but caught herself as she fell backwards.

Close quarters like these always left one very serviceable option.
And so she swung a foot right into his bulge.

[amoray]

He had maybe expected a punch, or a kick, or even a bite - then she did kick him, but not where he was expecting it.

Eridan grunted low, sinking to his knees. On instinct, he pawed blindly for his wand, looking to finish this.

[glowsferatu]

And yes, they would finish this. She dusted of her skirt gingerly, then frowned at all the blood that her hand came away with from doing so. Taking a step closer to Eridan, she kicked him in the stomach a few times for good measure.

She'd need a quick nip of his blood to take care of this wound, and she wasn't looking forward to that. And because she couldn't let him bleed out and die, (and gog how that frustrated her,) she'd have to dress the wound afterward. She may even set his wrist, if she's feeling generous.

But he'd still have to look good for it. And so, she punched him in the face, in hopes he'd finally black out already.

[amoray]

After the humiliation of being beaten so soundly (not to mention the kicking, that sort of hurt too), blacking out was almost a relief.

Almost.

[glowsferatu]

And so, she picked him up by the back of his collar and darted off into the night morning light.

There would still be much to do today.