.::Punch, Punch, Block::.::{{open}}::.

[Kirien Melantha]

"Well you started it!"

Kirien was frustrated. Frustrated that her attacks kept being blocked, and frustrated that it was taking so very hard to beat her target to a bloody pulp. She was a poor unarmed combatant, and Cylo wasn't giving her much to work with. She made a note to practice fighting like this so she'd be better if there ever was a 'next time,' but she wasn't sure how. Tying her hand behind her back wasn't exactly the same.

"This way is lots of fun! You don't know what fun is, Cylo!"

She ran through a list of options in her mind. She gave her foot a wiggle when Cylo moved it around, which was not a good idea. She wobbled and nearly fell backward. Still not a good idea to try struggling. Another kick would be impossible, and he'd probably just catch another punch. She'd have to get in a hit somehow, but he seemed to vast for her.

She tapped a circular red pendant she wore around her neck, and whispered, "Blind." A spell like that could do nothing but help her.

[Cylo]

"Hey!"

Cylo's hands shot to his eyes instinctively and he threw Kirien backwards as he clawed at the dark covering obscuring his vision, accomplishing very little. However, after the initial panic wore off, he started thinking clearly and sat on the ground with a huff.

"Graniteskin," he mumbled, touching one hand to his gun by physical memory and placing his chin on the other. "I don't find this very fun, but if you want to beat on me go right ahead. Get it out of your system," he said in no particular direction. He knew Blind usually lasted about an hour, so he'd have a bit of a wait. Maybe he could catch a nap or something...

Damn it. So much for her being cool... Why is it so damn hard to find another sane demon around here???

[Kirien Melantha]

Kirien shouted out when Cylo flung her back. She yanked her hand back the moment she saw Cylo move to 'release' her, causing it to turn at an awkward angle. It wasn't broken, but it was definitely sprained. She rubbed her hurt wrist with her other hand, as if trying to make the pain go away so she was well enough to swing an axe, but to no avail. Stubbornly, she mumbled some suspiciously foul words under her breath and stormed over to kick at Cylo's side. She tilted her foot so her toes pointed to the ground, and aimed to hit him with the top of her foot, protecting her toes from breaking or spraining as they made contact with his rock-hard body.

Expecting some form of retaliation despite the other's apparent reluctance to fight, she bounced away and reviewed her options.

Stupid boy hurt my wrist! I'll get him for that! I'll...I'll cut him up so small that the pieces can fit in a blender! I'll cook him so he's nice and crispy and crunchy! I'll...

She frowned and tapped her foot in thought, weighing whether it would be better to zap him or beat him with the weights she just returned. Weights are more fun! It's longer and prettier! But magic is pretty too, and it might be better against the spell he used!

There were so many ways she could 'play' with the blinded demon. So many options. She certainly wasn't lacking in creativity...but there was one problem, she realized, as she dropped to the floor by Cylo in a huff.

It's like playing with dolls. Kirien didn't like dolls. Dolls were boring because they just sit there. Playing was no fun if no one wanted to play with her.

"It's all your fault that it's no fun!"

[Cylo]

"Of course it is," Cylo replied, turning blindly to where he guessed Kirien was now. "I figured it would be no fun if I wouldn't fight back so I won't. But now that you know I'm manipulating you, surely you're mad enough at me that you still want a piece of me, right?"

Cylo wasn't really sure why he was bothering to play these mind games in the first place, let alone explaining them after the fact. He figured boredom probably had something to do with it, but in reality it was much more likely that it stemmed from the fact that despite all this, he still wanted to get to know this girl. And if that meant he spent a few days at Raewyn hospital, so be it. He was a tough guy, he'd survive it.

"Here, let me make it easier," he said, swinging an arm around lazily in front of him. "Come over here and I'll hit you. That'll make things more interesting right?"

He didn't sound very enthusiastic. In fact, he sounded about ready to take that nap he had been thinking about earlier.

[Kirien Melantha]

At the thought of being manipulated, her lips puckered out in a childish pout, and her brows furrowed in thought. She was no stranger to reverse psychology. Her parents used to use it all the time, to get her to do what they wanted her to do all along. If he was going to suggest that she should be mad enough to want to fight him, surely he didn't want her to. But if he was going to admit to be 'manipulating' her, maybe he expected that she wouldn't want to fight if he told her she wanted to, so did that mean he assumed she would want to?

I'm confuuused! That's like reverse-reverse psychology or something!

"Make up your mind!" She complained, ignoring the arm Cylo was hanging out to smack him upside the head with her uninjured hand.

[Cylo]

Cylo smiled at the hit and went with it, falling right over onto the ground with his legs still crossed in front of him, as if he was paralyzed as well as blind. He closed his eyes against the impact as his head hit the ground, which was (in this area) gym mats, and was quite soft.

"I made up my mind a long time ago Kirien," he said from his position on the floor. "You're the indecisive one. Now, either beat me to a pulp or take this spell off so I can be on my way. Please and thank you."

He didn't really have anything else to do, apart from maybe find Torin and blow up one of his cars or something for that pie nonsense, but he didn't feel like sitting around explaining himself any longer either. He did what he did because he wanted to do it, it was as simple as that. Not every action had to have a greater meaning behind it. If the girl would shutuppa her face and hit him, he could maybe fall asleep and wake up after the Blind spell had worn off, but if she was just going to sit there and be confused she might as take it off now.

And yes, Cylo could easily fall asleep while being beat up. Not that he was beat up often, but he had undergone some pretty intensive anti-torture training in his life. They can't get information from you if you're sleeping while they use the thumbscrews.

[Kirien Melantha]

Kirien gave a high-pitched shriek of frustration that was similar to the sound made by a pot of tea when it's ready. "You're...just...a...liar!" She accused loudly when he tried to tell her he made up his mind. She knew he was playing the reserve-psychology game, he wouldn't let him fool her! "You're a big, stupid, liar and and I can't take it off I don't know any defensive spells!"

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Oh well! I could set him on fire if he tries anything!

"I HATE YOU!" She made a fist with her good hand and brought it straight down toward his chest. It might break a couple ribs on a human, but when she was dealing with a demon protected by the graniteskin spell...she'd probably end up hurting her other hand.

[Cylo]

"Alright then," said Cylo ambiguously. He didn't mind her accusations much. In fact, he had made up his mind not to mind anything she did much. He laid out flat and put his hands behind his head, a far more relaxing position.

Can't take it off? Well, I guess it's option number two then.

Whether or not he even felt Kirien's punch would remain unknown, because he chose that moment to fall asleep right there on the floor. The way he saw it, there was no point in walking around blindly for an hour, waiting for the spell to wear off. And he doubted Kirien would want to guide him to someone that could remove it. So he would nap it off.

There wasn't much of a visible change, except that his chest would be moving up and down more slowly now, and he stretched out a little. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if Kirien didn't even notice until she realized he was no longer trying to say confusing things to her. The cover of darkness blinding him would prevent her from even seeing if his eyes were open or not.

In the midst of his sleepy haze, it occurred to him that he could simply have used Cancel to rid himself of the spell, but he didn't worry too much about it; he could never complain about a nap. And the look on Kirien's face when she realized he fell asleep would be priceless. It was a shame he'd miss it.

[Kirien Melantha]

Her good hand made contact with his chest with an unpleasant thwack. His graniteskin spell was enough to prevent him from taking any damage, but Kirien was not so lucky. She yelped and shook her wrist as if trying to shake the pain away, not yet brave enough to try wiggling her fingers. It felt like she'd just slammed her hand in a car door!

Kirien stared at Cylo, fuming and sniffling and eyes tearing, awaiting some other confusing response, or better yet, an apology. Few could resist her cute-little-girl charm, and her cute-distressed-little-girl act was flawless. But somehow, none came. He seemed to be just laying there, ignoring her. He looked like he was sleeping, but she ruled that option out entirely. She did not put people to sleep!

Cylo went straight to her bad list, for being stupid, conceited, confusing, boring, and just plain mean. She never thought once that she, a young demon who had no problem manipulating people to do what she wanted them to, was mean. She never thought that chasing people down with an axe or setting them on fire made her mean. All she knew was that was what she liked to do. It was fun. She didn't concern herself with how other people felt about her games.

But she didn't like it when people were mean to her. When they wouldn't play with her, or when they didn't like her, or when people talked down to her. Cylo was mean.

She gave a short scream in frustration, releasing her anger in her least-preferred way. The first being hacking the cause of her frustration up, the second, burning, the third, other offensive spells. Even unarmed combat was more preferable than what she was currently doing to the cause of her foul mood: nothing. She couldn't swinge an axe with both of her hands hurt. She wouldn't be able to use magic, in case he retaliated. She had no choice but to storm out of the room and kick the door open as hard as she could.

[Cylo]

Cylo awoke feeling the polar opposite of the way Kirien did. He was rested and relaxed, and now the demon weights were back again so he could get his workout in, which would in turn give him some time to think of a proper payback for the pie in the face from Torin. The crazy girl from earlier was but a blip in the radar.

Life was, in short, good.