flatteries | ⚔ ic inbox for labyrinthum

[ It would be hard to not see the sluggishness in the other's movement. Even more so for someone with a trained fighter's eye. If it was anyone but Cat, Inigo may have questioned why they would want to spar in a condition like this in the first place. But since it's Cat-- He already knows, right? The other is so prideful, so guarded. He'd likely want to keep training and be prepared for combat no matter what else was going on.

It's the sort of thing that would want to make him say that Cat doesn't have to worry, that Inigo would protect him if he'd ever need it, but that's exactly the sort of thing that pride wouldn't accept either, right?

So this makes the most sense. Being here right now, doing this with him. Inigo trusts his own fighting skills enough to know how to not really hold back, yet ensure that he isn't making a move that would seriously injure Cat if it went wrong. ]

I'm not worried. [ --is the answer as he dodges that weapon. He watches it, trying to memorize its swing, its speed. It isn't quite like anything Inigo has said anyone use back where he comes from, so it takes a little bit of getting used to. ] Because I know that today it's not like we are fighting to death.

[ Would that Cat back there have?

Inigo thinks so. But mostly because he did not see that as Cat. Not as the person standing in front of him right now, as Inigo twirls on his feet to move in for another strike of his sword. ]

Or would you like to?

[ There's something almost teasing in his voice. Like he's daring Cat to say he would want to, even though Inigo knows - trusts - that there's no way the other would actually want to kill him.

After all-- ]

You wouldn't do that to a friend, right?

[Cat hops back, holding his weight on one foot to make it easier to pivot, and follows through the motion with a twirl of his spear to get his next swing more momentum, already grinning before Inigo asks his second question.

Once he does, though, Cat has to laugh, thinking of a puppet handing him a golden coin without a hint of an expression on his face even as Cat chattered away about how, given time, they could become actual friends. Of saying, "I'll let you go," and meaning it, even though it went against the job he was given, and even though he had to beg without a hint of over-the-top coyness he usually got to cushion his feelings in. He'd known long before the words came out what would happen if his plea -- and bid for friendship -- wasn't enough.

He thinks of a wolf crunching down on a lighter spear, shaft made of wood but tip a sharp, deadly metal, as easily as one might a pretzel, and how it could have been his arm. His rib aches -- just barely, now -- where the paw pad hadn't done anything to soften the hard kick against him that caused all this extra trouble, and where cautious hands had later examined him to confirm what they already knew about how much he'd been broken, and by what. Cat knows he'd barely gotten away from the first one here he'd named a friend and meant it.

Unfortunately, he doesn't get a chance to answer outside of that laugh, because it's just enough to push him the rest of the way into a coughing fit that has him doubling over. His spear is planted clumsily into the ground so he can both support himself and hide behind the shaft as his guard if Inigo isn't able to pull out of a swing, or if he's like Cat, and would absolutely do that to a friend, whether he wanted to or not.

Damn it. He was enjoying this, the not having to.]

[ Thankfully enough Inigo is practiced enough with a blade that he's able to redirect the swing at the last moment - mostly because he hasn't seen in that split second yet that Cat is using the spear to guard him, and while Inigo can guess the other will attempt to do that, he doesn't want to risk it.

So he redirects the momentum of the swing of his sword upwards at the last moment. It's done quickly enough that it seems Inigo doesn't even suspect this may be some sort of distraction attempt on Cat's part. He just takes it entirely for what it is, dropping his sword on the ground to instead have his hands land on the other, one hand resting on Cat's shoulder and the other on his back. ]

Hey.

[ It's not said loudly, but there's an urgency in Inigo's voice. There's a worry in Inigo's eyes to match, even if Cat likely can't see it with the way he's doubled over. ]

Are you okay?

[It's too bad that there's no use to exploiting this reaction, in times where Cat doesn't actually feel like his lungs are too small for the breathing he needs to do. If anything, the reason he makes note of it is out of exasperation -- concern? -- over how trusting a boy this is. Every time they talk he proves to Cat that he needs someone to watch out for him before he gets himself killed, or worse.

He can't do too much about it now, though. Cat wants to jerk away from the touch, but it would only make it harder to catch his breath.]

Y-yeah... [Never mind that it took him some time to get that out, and that there's a little crackle on his inhale now.] Maybe I'm pushing it after all. Fighting already wore me out before all this, heh.

There's no shame in listening to what your body tells you.

[ Inigo isn't sure if the other is worried about that, but.. well, generally speaking, Cat does seem a whole lot more prideful than Inigo himself is. And Inigo already has a complex about often wanting to seem stronger than he really feels. He can't help but instinctively want to reassure the other because of it, his hands still not leaving the other.

Especially since he's thinking about maybe doing more here. Something along the lines of-- ]

Maybe you should sit down.

[ Not that he's guiding Cat to help him with that just yet. He first wants to make sure it's something the other actually wants before doing that, not wanting to force him. ]

Ugh.

[Underneath the privacy of his mask, Cat rolls his eyes. It's awfully patronizing...but at the same time, arguing would be a waste of breath, and he'll still fighting to catch that, so...

Leaning to rely more on his own feet and his longspear, he eases himself down with Inigo's help and splays his hand across his ribs as if looking for a piece sticking out he can simply press back into place and make everything better. Things are still a little tender, but from what he knows and can feel, the freshly healed break doesn't seem like it should be causing this current predicament. Why was he feeling so heavy and like he couldn't breathe?]

Just gonna take a few minutes, then... I hope you aren't thinking you can call this a 'win'. I was barely getting started.

[ Despite his worry for the other, Inigo does smile a little bit at the other when he also squats down to be on a more even level with Cat.

Unfortunately for Cat, it's a very sweet, sappy smile. And there's nowhere to run from it, given Cat's current state. ]

Don't worry, I will ensure you'll have plenty of time to kick my butt later. [ (Affectionate.)

Look, Inigo is not going to full on tease a friend after said friend has gone down, okay. This is a more fond joke than that, especially with the worry still on his mind. ]

Does it at least feel a little better now you're sitting down?

⚔ ic inbox for labyrinthum

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject