reallyaduck | (no subject)

Duck scurries to keep up.

"But - why is he so upset?"

"History," says Trowa, with helpful specificity.

"History nothing," Duo says, obviously having overheard them as they approach. "Try my whole fucking LIFE."

He spins around to face them with an angry scowl.

Duck's eyes are large and anxious.

"B-but -"

Wrong Gundam pilot if you're looking for sympathy, Duo.

Trowa's hair masks half his face; what's visible is completely impassive. He says nothing.

"Just leave me alone!"

He doesn't want to talk about this! Why is he yelling at Duck, she didn't do anything. Dammit, he can't do anything right!

Interesting.

". . . If you want," says Trowa, mildly.

And now, Trowa is silently judging him!

"Shut up!" He takes a step closer. "The last thing I need is you telling me I'm ineffective and overly emotional!"

Duck's mouth opens and shuts several times.

But - but feelings are important - but Duo's feelings aren't happy feelings and he said he wanted them to leave him alone - but -

Is this how Duo really feels?

"I wasn't saying that."

"I know you, Trowa. I know what you're thinking half the time, and it's a good thing I do, 'cause it's not like you ever god damn say anything!"

It's amazing how Trowa can, impassively, convey if you say so without ever shifting a facial muscle.

What he actually says, however, is: "You're welcome to draw conclusions."

Duo proceeds to draw his own conclusions, and punctuates them by trying to punch Trowa in the face.

- OKAY THINGS ARE GETTING OUT OF HAND.

Duck flinches away and then dives for Duo's arms, trying to pull him back from Trowa. "Duo, you don't really mean - I know you don't feel that way really - Trowa didn't mean what you said, I know it!"

Duck's ability to pull Duo away does not remotely rival Duo's ability to throw a good punch.

For an instant--

No.

Trowa's eyes widen slightly -- lashing out at a friend, Duo? really? -- and if he could dodge, he doesn't try; the strike connects.

"Duck, leggo!" He tries to pull away from the flailing girl without just giving her a shove.

Trowa's head snapped to the side -- he knows how to roll with a blow -- and he's turned a little away, and

(time to alter tactics)

Oh hey there's the sucker punch.

(If it hit hard enough, Duo might be jolted free of Duck! You're welcome, Duo.)

Duo staggers back a step, which does yank him away from Duck. For now, anyway. He doesn't bother with any more posturing, and immediately lets loose with a kick at Trowa's knee.

Duck's a civilian: an encumbrance, and a complicating factor. Staying clear of her is the sensible tactic. (For now, anyway.)

Trowa twists and moves in, to catch the kick on his thigh -- it'll bruise that way, but no worse -- and to grab at Duo's arm while he's on one foot.

Ideally, he'll manage a throw; if not, elbow strikes are always nice in close.

And Duo's face is at a nice convenient elbow height!

Duck's gaze jerks back and forth from one to the other, growing more distraught and frightened every second.

"Stop it, qw-stop it, stop it!"

Holding onto Duo didn't seem to work; she can't think of anything else to do besides fling herself bodily between the two combatants, heedless of the risk of catching a stray punch.

"I know you don't want to hurt each other, I know it!"

Two hands reach out simultaneously to push Duck to the side. They aren't gentle, but they obviously aren't trying to hurt her.

Duo takes Trowa's elbow high on the cheek, but he doesn't back off. Trowa's longer reach is no advantage when Duo is in this close.

It's true.

On the other hand, most of Trowa's fighting skills were learned when he was a kid, without the advantage of longer reach on anybody.

What this means: dirty tactics all around!

Trowa's not trying to hurt Duck, but Duo is a different matter.

Duck stumbles backwards, her heart beating fast.

She's never seen people fight like this. They're moving so fast, and hitting so hard, and someone is totally really gonna get hurt if she doesn't do something - but what can she do?

Trowa's latest hit drives Duo back far enough for him to circle warily around, looking for an opening.

There's a bloody cut above his eyebrow, and he spares a second to wipe at it with one hand.

It's...red. He blinks.

Something's wrong. This is wrong. Duo's fighting stance falters a little, his fists unclench.

Somewhere someone is watching. Somewhere a voice rambles to its owner in amusement. That no one else is there to hear it is not something to be worried about, or even something to be taken as a sign of insanity. Everyone talks to themselves from time to time, after all!

"Two fast friends fighting one another? The tragedy. The horror." Oddly, despite the words, the voice sounds nothing less than delighted. "But the poor little duck, what can she do? She isn't a hero. The fighting friends barely notice even her most fervent efforts to intervene."

"If only someone else were there to help. If only... it were Princess Tutu!"