February 18th:

*Z laughs again.*

"Sorry dearie, but I prefer the real thing and in this town that's just not likely so I'll be hanging around."

Z wrote:*Z laughs again.*

"Sorry dearie, but I prefer the real thing and in this town that's just not likely so I'll be hanging around."

Rory shook his head in frustration. He turned again. "Is this happening?" He raised his arms, gesturing the surrounding region, and let them fall to his sides unceremonioiusly. "Am I in a chair right now? I'll tell you anything."

*Z cocks her head to the side.*

"No you are here and I don't particularly want to know anything except why you are massacring the local wildlife. I mean you have nothing to gain from this *she gestures to the myriad of corpses laying about.* waste."

"Clearly I do, I killed them, after all," Rory said, raising his voice. "And what of it? I've got nothing better to do, plus it makes me feel better. I was gonna gather up all the pelts and meat, but...y'know, since you're here, maybe we can partner up. I hunt, you gather."

implication:

*Z lets out a long exasperated sigh.*

"You know killing innocents in order to simply make yourself feel powerful is extremely childish. I don't know how your people believed, but life here is considered precious."

On his way to Ritholme, Zeiss takes some time to examine the objects they found on the dead elf in the ruins.

Spoiler:

Z wrote:*Z lets out a long exasperated sigh.*

"You know killing innocents in order to simply make yourself feel powerful is extremely childish. I don't know how your people believed, but life here is considered precious."

Rory put on a dark-eyed scowl. "Don't preach right and wrong to me as if I don't understand it. If that were the case, I would have sacrificed that boy trapped in the catacombs to have my way with the enemy, for one, but I don't recall advocating that, or allowing it to happen."

"I was blowing off steam." He gave her a pointed look, clearly referencing an earlier conversation. "A lot. Then you came along and started giving me shit. and now there's more steam. Deal with it."

*Z gives a giant grin.*

"You really sure you want me to 'deal' with your steam?"

Z wrote:*Z gives a giant grin.*

"You really sure you want me to 'deal' with your steam?"

Intent on being prepared for whatever happens next, Rory grabs his axe. "I want you to stop bothering me. You ought to know by now: you give me shit, I'm going to give it right back."

*Z's grin gets even bigger and lightning crackles on her fingertips*

"I believe I shall enjoy this."

*a bolt of lightning goes whizzing past your ear lighting a small fire behind you. Though it clearly missed and you are 99% certain she could have struck you if she'd wanted.*

How PvP is working (at least in this instance) :

Rory shoots her a disgusted look and charges her, swinging the axe toward one of her arms.

*Rory's swing grazes her arm. She has a decent sized gash on it which is welling up blood. Despite what must be a very distracting pain her grin only grows. and she moves backwards several feet and a roaring inferno erupts at your feet. It is suuuuppper hot.*

Rolls:

HP at end of turns:

A bewildered look graces Rory's features at Z's uncanny tolerance of pain. He swings the axe again, intending to sweep her feet.

*Rory swings at Z's feet while she is still out of range. He does a pirouette and ends up standing with is back to Z. Z laughs and takes her stave and plants it firmly in his back pushing him to the ground. He quickly rebounds though and stands facing Z fuming.*

Rolls:

HP at end of turns:

Rory takes his axe in both hands and closes distance with Z to slash at her flank.

*Rory's slash hits her in the side a bit with the dull end of the axe. Its likely to leave a nasty bruise later...*

"Your aim is getting better, but how are you with your fists since Bonebreak gave you that training."

*Z is rubbing her side and has made no move to attack you, clearly waiting for you to drop the axe.*

Rolls:

HP at end of turns:

Rory glared back at her, and warily lowered his axe, switching to his fists. He closed in and stuck to the offensive, aiming for her bruised flank or the gash in her arm.

*He lands a strike on her flank and Z lets out a groan... make that a massive bruise on that side. She is still grining though it is a bit strained now.*

"Nice one."

*She whirls her staff smacking you on the right arm.*

Rolls:

HP at end of turns:

Irate, Rory continually slugged at Z furiously. "You say I've barely known you long enough to have you figured out," he said between breaths. "That's fine! You're barely worth the effort!"

*Z grining dodges his punches.*

"Well you haven't known me long enough to know anything about me. Nor have you asked. Nor have I shared. As far as effort..."

*She whips her staff around knocking him to the ground... again.*

"I'm assuming you mean respect and or trust, both of which take time and EFFORT to be gained."

*She backs away giving him the space he needs to get up.*

Rolls:

HP at end of turns:

"You're wrong about respect," he spits, panting as he gets to his feet. "For one, everyone deserves a little respect simply for being alive. Beyond that, you ought to respect people's private lives, past or present--which I've demonstrated--and leave room for their viewpoint instead of filling the gap with your own!"

"With you, it's all 'childishness' and 'bunched up underwear,"

he continued, charging at her stomach with one arm to knock the air out, and uppercut with the other hand,

"and at the first mistake, you feel the need to chastise them as if they were children!"

*Both hits strike the second sending Z to the ground.*

"I agree all people deserve a bit of respect simply because they are people. All living things deserve that. However, when I say respect what I mean is the kind of respect earned from proving yourself to be trustworthy, and dependable, whether in a fight or just in general. That kind of respect has to be earned."

*you notice she hasn't said anything about your confrontation about chastising people. You aren't sure if this is because she is considering your opinion or if she is just like "yeah, what of it?"*

*She whisks her staff out sending you to your bum now sitting across from her.*

Rolls:

HP at end of turns:

"I know I've made mistakes before, and I readily admit it," Rory continues, rubbing his singed skin and bruised arm. He gets to his feet. "So far, I haven't seen you step down from your pride, not once."

Spoiler:

He goes on the defensive this time, delivering strikes when he sees a window of opportunity. He pants from the exertion, surprised that the mage could even keep up.

"Some of them were pretty dumb, but intelligence pales in relation to insight and social grace. I know I'm not smart, but I am not a small-minded fool."

He risks a leg sweep that would leave her vulnerable to an inevitable counter attack.

*Z graciously accepts the hand up.*

"Pride is important. In my experience your comrades may leave you but if you still have your pride then you have something to stand on."

*She shows off a big grin. You notice she is breathing fairly heavily as well. So she's not 'keeping up' as well as you might think in fact you notice she is favoring that arm you struck with the axe a good bit. But you also find her surprisingly agile. You don't manage to lay a blow on her, nor catch her with your leg sweep. She makes a circling motion around you fists up in good if not practiced form.*

rolls:

hp at the end of round:

Rory finds himself feeling more and more calm, which is clearly associated with the banter. With each blow he withstands, he feels himself fading.

"Sure it's important," he reciprocated, "but you need to be careful you don't lean on it like a crutch. Otherwise, you're bound to have it kicked out from under you. When that happens, you will find yourself in need of a few friends. You better hope that you still have friends by then."

Suddenly, he goes against her circle motion, seizing the opportunity to grab at her arm by the gash to squeeze it.

If it connects, he follows through with punching her in the stomach to knock the wind out of her, thus causing her to fall, leaving her vulnerable to a blow to her back.

If she avoids it, he blocks the incoming counter attacks and rams his forehead into hers.

Spoiler: