[ the second he feels evan's grip lax, david jerks backwards out of it, already trying to think on how to press this advantage, slight as it is. a good hit there can hurt for weeks, but that's in the real world against a normal person, david doesn't doubt evan could recover from it within the next few minutes. enough to act like it's not a problem at the very least. ]
[ the smart thing to do is go for the glaring weak points sticking out of evan's body, he knows that, but for some reason it's something david is hesitant to do unless he really needs to. probably ego. he can beat him without it. that's all. ]
[ evan's still hitting him and even off-kilter as he is it fucking hurts, but he can handle pain. he can handle bruised ribs and ringing in his ears and a nose stuffed up with blood. opts for a risky play; feints a punch to evan's throat and drops, shoulder to his gut, arms around his thighs, surging forward to try and get him off his feet and slam him to the ground. ]
[ he falls for the feint and realizes it immediately when there's no fist flying just past his face. it's too late to do anything about it; david's down already, shoulder at his gut, grabbing him, trying to drop him.
evan braces himself even knowing he won't manage to stay up. he can still manage to keep some control here. he has to. the pain of the hit cleared some of the rage, and he realizes, again, how easily david's able to bait him into a fight.
that doesn't help the anger any.
he snatches at david's hair and shirt as he stumbles back and falls; he can't keep himself standing, especially not in the leaves around the trees, and when he goes down, he goes down hard. metal stabs further into him where it's poking out, and it's only by sheer force of effort that he manages to land more heavy on his left shoulder than his right. but the pain still rips through him, as effective a distraction as anything.
he manages to keep his grip on david, though. keeping him in place, unable to get up and start attacking his face and chest. but his arms are still free, because evan can't quite get a grip on those. ]
[ david falls with him, doesn't exactly have a choice, all he can do is do his best to stay tucked against evan so he lands on him instead of next to him. not that it does a great deal with the hands gripping him, the one in his hair that makes him hiss and snarl in complaint as he tries to right himself. ]
[ it's an awkward position, david struggling to get his legs right, moving to straddle evan and reach out to do something. anything. a hand at his throat — more for stability than anything, he doesn't expect it to do anything — and the other he uses to try and push evan's mask off his face. at the very least david refuses to be the only one with a busted nose here. ]
[ now it's a brawl, them fighting in the dirt. how often has he done this? not often here, in the darkness of the fog, but before - not something he wants to think about. not right now.
david's trying to get further up on him. evan jerks his head aside as hard as he can, fingers twisted in his hair, and tries to roll them even as there's hands at his throat and mask. he tries to lever another punch but the echoes of pain are keeping him from using his full strength, especially since seeing is becoming a problem as those hands drag his mask around and block his vision. but hell, he can feel him. he'll land a hit somewhere. ]
[ he tries to plant his weight to stop evan rolling them over, but it's difficult to do, not with the way he fell, not with the hand in his hair or a hit that unsteadies him even if it doesn't hurt as much as david thinks it should. ]
[ evan's going to get him on his back, it's a fact david has to accept, but he's single-minded about getting that mask off his face. that stupid fucking smiling mask, he hates it so goddamn much. he adjusts his grip when evan jerks his head, keeps pushing at it. if he can get this guy in the face at least once before his world gets tumbled, well. it'll be something. ]
[ to get them turned, he has to drop the defense. it means that as he hooks his hand into david's arm and jerks his head by the hair and throws them both, david's own hands tear the mask off his face, the straps cutting into his scalp as it goes. again with this. again it's off. it's infuriating, and he doesn't get why david's so insistent on getting it off him.
but that's an argument for later. he manages to get david on his back and lets go of his hair once he does, because that won't help as much in keeping him pinned down. he's going to take hits here. he already has. the fist in his face puts his already-broken nose in a bad state, making him snarl and try to get david's wrists in a hard grab. ]
[ david grunts as he's rolled, wincing at a couple of rocks that press into his back, but that's really the least of his concerns. the pissed off monster of a man who has his wrists pinned demands a lot more of his attention. ]
[ his instinct is to thrash, to try and push him off that way, but it won't do anything. he wraps his legs around evan, locks his ankles behind his back to maintain at least a little control here, though he can't do anything with it just yet. staring daggers up at evan, waiting for his face to get close enough david can throw his head forward in a headbutt. ]
[ evan tries not to get in range of a headbutt, but it's hard when he's this pissed off. without the mask, the first crack against his forehead is almost enough to get him to let go; it's been a while since he's had to deal with that. but he stays focused. at least, partly focused.
he's almost got david pinned. there's pressure at his back, where david's probably going to try and squeeze the life out of him, and if he gets any closer again it's probably his nose that's due to break against the bastard's forehead, but he's got a very slight advantage. of course, he also can't use his hands if he wants to keep david in place. it's a dilemma. again.
he tries to put a damper on the rage. key word being 'tries'. ]
[ they've been here before. the realisation they're at an impasse triggers the memory of evan pinned under him in the mine, the awareness that using his hands to pin his wrists meant there was no move he could make that wasn't a risk. it's kind of funny to see evan in that same position now. ]
[ he's trying to think of how to get his hands free, highly doubtful he could just push against evan's weight to get loose that way, and the question surprises him when it cuts through. he'd almost forgotten that was what sparked this. ]
You don't wanna know what I think.
[ both a callback to evan's insistence david never says anything worth hearing, and a note that his opinion's probably just gonna piss evan off all over again. ]
[ there's ways to fight back now. ways to kill, now. if he squeezes hard enough, twists viciously enough, he could break david's wrists. or if he can manage to get both in one hand, he'll have an opportunity. he could bite, even if that would be sinking beneath his own standards. there's options.
but for the moment, he doesn't take any. david's comment makes him sneer, blood following the split across his mouth to drip off his chin. ]
You wanna know why I keep saying you have a death wish?
[ probably some shit about starting fights he can't win or whatever, like this is over and done with. he stares up at evan, watches the blood travel down his face, considering his options. not that he really has any but waiting right now. ]
[ they've had this discussion, he's sure. david won't learn. david doesn't understand. but evan keeps trying to hammer it into his skull. why? he's not sure. pride, maybe. his own stupid pride, trying to prove that he's right and david needs to recognize it. ]
You knew saying that shit would set me off. You know starting a fight ain't gonna end in your favor most of the time.
[ he hates that he has to add that qualifier, now. ]
This ain't a trial. You ain't got anyone's life to save but yours. But you keep doing it. To me, that looks like you wanna die.
Woulda started shit way before now if you were right.
[ it makes sense to him at least, because if anything his nonviolent conflict resolution skills have really gotten a workout ovee this past... however long they've been fucking for at least. ]
Been on my best fuckin' behaviour for ages now. Not my fault you decide you wanna fight this time.
[ makes perfect sense to him. how is it a death wish just because evan decides today he's gonna fight about it? david rolls his eyes, tugs at the grip on his wrists in wordless frustration. ]
[ he winces at the way evan's grip tightens, but he doesn't retaliate. or try to. he's stuck here, waiting for what evan's going to do. eventually he'll get pissed or impatient enough to try and kill him, david's sure. ]
You can't handle normal fuckin' conversations and that's my fault?
Nah, go fuck yourself. You wanna act so hard done by because you can't take it when somebody bites back?
[ he shakes his head, lets it fall back against the ground. he's so sick of this, the way evan acts like he's the victim in these situations when david would swear he's trying to wind him up or win somehow. and david's the asshole? nah. ]
[ the truth is: yes. it burns him. it burns him because people didn't used to do that, and anyone who did ended up in much worse positions than david has, and nobody would defend them or back them up. nobody argued with him, ever.
it makes him feel like he's not the man he's supposed to be.
it's an unpleasant piece of knowledge that's been curdling in his brain for a while, and he considers tearing david's arms off for making him realize it again. his grip tightens even more, but he just barely manages to get a grip on himself. ]
All I see when you pull that shit is someone tryin' to get out of this place as fast as they can.
[ he shoves himself up to sit back, freeing david's arms, but doesn't get off him just yet. ]
[ this is... confusing. david winces again, lets out a quiet noise at the way evan's grip tightens on his wrists again, and then he... sits up? it confuses the hell out of david enough he doesn't even react at first, barely even registers what evan said. ]
[ david doesn't move other than pulling his arms back to himself, rubbing his wrist with one hand, looking up at evan first in open confusion, and then he rolls his eyes. of course evan would think that. ]
'Cause I'm not here tryin' to stroke your ego by never talking back?
Be a lot less dead a lot more often if you kept your mouth shut.
[ he should be breaking david in half for this. turning his face in a bloody pulp. but there's a headache coming on, probably from all the punches, and just talking to david can be exhausting. so backing off seems like a better option.
maybe that'll be true if he keeps repeating it to himself. ]
You, the saboteur, that shit with the cap - never know when to back the fuck off.
[ speaking of never knowing when to back off. he knows he's in dangerous territory but if david ever let that stop him, who would he be? not himself. ]
Be less pissed all the time if you learned to keep your ego in check.
[ you've never met anybody like me before. david seems thoroughly unbothered by the statement-- truthfully, part of it is the fact that part of him already knows how this goes. he's gonna burn out long before the others, it seems obvious when he's racking up a death count in trials double what some of the others who've been here just as long have. ]
[ there's no way to explain this shit is what helps keep him going, keeps him from losing himself to this place, the endless cycle of helplessness and death. not without sounding like more of a lunatic than he probably does anyway. ]
[ he realises after a second that he still has his legs wrapped around evan, lets them fall and plants his feet to push himself back a little, keep a little distance. he doesn't understand why this is such a sticking point for evan, would think he only brought it up because it pisses david off, except for the fact that he seems really intent on making him believe it. ]
Still don't understand the fuck it matters to you so much for.
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[ the smart thing to do is go for the glaring weak points sticking out of evan's body, he knows that, but for some reason it's something david is hesitant to do unless he really needs to. probably ego. he can beat him without it. that's all. ]
[ evan's still hitting him and even off-kilter as he is it fucking hurts, but he can handle pain. he can handle bruised ribs and ringing in his ears and a nose stuffed up with blood. opts for a risky play; feints a punch to evan's throat and drops, shoulder to his gut, arms around his thighs, surging forward to try and get him off his feet and slam him to the ground. ]
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evan braces himself even knowing he won't manage to stay up. he can still manage to keep some control here. he has to. the pain of the hit cleared some of the rage, and he realizes, again, how easily david's able to bait him into a fight.
that doesn't help the anger any.
he snatches at david's hair and shirt as he stumbles back and falls; he can't keep himself standing, especially not in the leaves around the trees, and when he goes down, he goes down hard. metal stabs further into him where it's poking out, and it's only by sheer force of effort that he manages to land more heavy on his left shoulder than his right. but the pain still rips through him, as effective a distraction as anything.
he manages to keep his grip on david, though. keeping him in place, unable to get up and start attacking his face and chest. but his arms are still free, because evan can't quite get a grip on those. ]
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[ it's an awkward position, david struggling to get his legs right, moving to straddle evan and reach out to do something. anything. a hand at his throat — more for stability than anything, he doesn't expect it to do anything — and the other he uses to try and push evan's mask off his face. at the very least david refuses to be the only one with a busted nose here. ]
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david's trying to get further up on him. evan jerks his head aside as hard as he can, fingers twisted in his hair, and tries to roll them even as there's hands at his throat and mask. he tries to lever another punch but the echoes of pain are keeping him from using his full strength, especially since seeing is becoming a problem as those hands drag his mask around and block his vision. but hell, he can feel him. he'll land a hit somewhere. ]
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[ evan's going to get him on his back, it's a fact david has to accept, but he's single-minded about getting that mask off his face. that stupid fucking smiling mask, he hates it so goddamn much. he adjusts his grip when evan jerks his head, keeps pushing at it. if he can get this guy in the face at least once before his world gets tumbled, well. it'll be something. ]
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but that's an argument for later. he manages to get david on his back and lets go of his hair once he does, because that won't help as much in keeping him pinned down. he's going to take hits here. he already has. the fist in his face puts his already-broken nose in a bad state, making him snarl and try to get david's wrists in a hard grab. ]
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[ his instinct is to thrash, to try and push him off that way, but it won't do anything. he wraps his legs around evan, locks his ankles behind his back to maintain at least a little control here, though he can't do anything with it just yet. staring daggers up at evan, waiting for his face to get close enough david can throw his head forward in a headbutt. ]
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he's almost got david pinned. there's pressure at his back, where david's probably going to try and squeeze the life out of him, and if he gets any closer again it's probably his nose that's due to break against the bastard's forehead, but he's got a very slight advantage. of course, he also can't use his hands if he wants to keep david in place. it's a dilemma. again.
he tries to put a damper on the rage. key word being 'tries'. ]
You think owning land ain't worth anything?
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[ he's trying to think of how to get his hands free, highly doubtful he could just push against evan's weight to get loose that way, and the question surprises him when it cuts through. he'd almost forgotten that was what sparked this. ]
You don't wanna know what I think.
[ both a callback to evan's insistence david never says anything worth hearing, and a note that his opinion's probably just gonna piss evan off all over again. ]
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but for the moment, he doesn't take any. david's comment makes him sneer, blood following the split across his mouth to drip off his chin. ]
You wanna know why I keep saying you have a death wish?
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Not really.
[ probably some shit about starting fights he can't win or whatever, like this is over and done with. he stares up at evan, watches the blood travel down his face, considering his options. not that he really has any but waiting right now. ]
Gonna tell me though, ain't you?
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You knew saying that shit would set me off. You know starting a fight ain't gonna end in your favor most of the time.
[ he hates that he has to add that qualifier, now. ]
This ain't a trial. You ain't got anyone's life to save but yours. But you keep doing it. To me, that looks like you wanna die.
[ david wouldn't be the first by a long shot. ]
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[ it makes sense to him at least, because if anything his nonviolent conflict resolution skills have really gotten a workout ovee this past... however long they've been fucking for at least. ]
Been on my best fuckin' behaviour for ages now. Not my fault you decide you wanna fight this time.
[ makes perfect sense to him. how is it a death wish just because evan decides today he's gonna fight about it? david rolls his eyes, tugs at the grip on his wrists in wordless frustration. ]
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[ best behavior? evan doesn't smile at that, but he almost laughs, in an unamused sort of way. ]
You started just as many fights. Besides, it's easy to play nice behind a goddamned screen.
[ his grip tightens, not entirely of his own volition. ]
Every time you get me to smash somethin' while you're not here, that'd be asking for a broken neck if we were face to face.
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You can't handle normal fuckin' conversations and that's my fault?
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[ not that evan would really know what that entails, in all honesty. but he's angry and david's right here. ]
How many other people you do this shit with? Tell 'em the last thing they want to hear just because you can?
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[ david laughs, but it's sharp and unamused. ]
Nah, go fuck yourself. You wanna act so hard done by because you can't take it when somebody bites back?
[ he shakes his head, lets it fall back against the ground. he's so sick of this, the way evan acts like he's the victim in these situations when david would swear he's trying to wind him up or win somehow. and david's the asshole? nah. ]
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it makes him feel like he's not the man he's supposed to be.
it's an unpleasant piece of knowledge that's been curdling in his brain for a while, and he considers tearing david's arms off for making him realize it again. his grip tightens even more, but he just barely manages to get a grip on himself. ]
All I see when you pull that shit is someone tryin' to get out of this place as fast as they can.
[ he shoves himself up to sit back, freeing david's arms, but doesn't get off him just yet. ]
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[ david doesn't move other than pulling his arms back to himself, rubbing his wrist with one hand, looking up at evan first in open confusion, and then he rolls his eyes. of course evan would think that. ]
'Cause I'm not here tryin' to stroke your ego by never talking back?
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[ he should be breaking david in half for this. turning his face in a bloody pulp. but there's a headache coming on, probably from all the punches, and just talking to david can be exhausting. so backing off seems like a better option.
maybe that'll be true if he keeps repeating it to himself. ]
You, the saboteur, that shit with the cap - never know when to back the fuck off.
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[ speaking of never knowing when to back off. he knows he's in dangerous territory but if david ever let that stop him, who would he be? not himself. ]
Be less pissed all the time if you learned to keep your ego in check.
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No you wouldn't. I ain't your only problem here. Just one of the big ones.
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[ crazy how huge egos and anger issues are common themes out here. ]
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I saw a lot of people act like you back before. Every one of 'em ended up dead. 'S what makes me think you're aiming for the same thing.
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[ you've never met anybody like me before. david seems thoroughly unbothered by the statement-- truthfully, part of it is the fact that part of him already knows how this goes. he's gonna burn out long before the others, it seems obvious when he's racking up a death count in trials double what some of the others who've been here just as long have. ]
[ there's no way to explain this shit is what helps keep him going, keeps him from losing himself to this place, the endless cycle of helplessness and death. not without sounding like more of a lunatic than he probably does anyway. ]
[ he realises after a second that he still has his legs wrapped around evan, lets them fall and plants his feet to push himself back a little, keep a little distance. he doesn't understand why this is such a sticking point for evan, would think he only brought it up because it pisses david off, except for the fact that he seems really intent on making him believe it. ]
Still don't understand the fuck it matters to you so much for.
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