no-file:
He heard noise but didn’t feel any further pain - and so took that as his cue to try and make the climb to his feet. His hand flew for the back of his head. Cracked. And wet. Wet wasn’t good. He had probably had the Karma for a diagnostic checkup to see if anyone had gotten in his head, but did he have the Karma for this? His options in Rengkok for this level of repair were limited, to say the least, especially regarding those he could actually trust.
For the time being, he managed an unsteady stumble to his feet, turning and straining to make sense of whatever was left of his adversaries through his dizzied senses. A third was down. Someone else had taken their place. Someone in a… mask? His vision was still blurred and swaying with his shaken balance. 14′s display flickered red at first and then, where he perhaps tried to summon any other imagery, his entire face glitched through broken colors instead.
He wasn’t sure if the stranger was here to help or just to take advantage of the situation. 14 didn’t have a weapon. He glanced down for where he’d left the crowbar he had seized before, but he knew that if he bent for it now, that would give the stranger all the opening in the world to lunge for him - or worse yet, his own balance would topple him right over before the stranger even reached him.
If he stood still like this, he could at least stay on his feet, for now. Then maybe, maybe the stranger would elect to loot the others and leave him be.
𝘋𝘌𝘓𝘈𝘠𝘌𝘋 𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘊𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕 𝘞𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 𝘏𝘈𝘝𝘌 𝘏𝘐𝘔 𝘎𝘐𝘝𝘌 𝘗𝘈𝘜𝘚𝘌, some mutual misunderstand and distrust of one another. and not unfounded, truly. for the last person who had stood before him wearing the same ‘face’ was yet another who aimed to control him. a thought as quick as a blade shatters thoughts : 𝙄𝙁 𝙃𝙀’𝘿 𝙎𝙐𝙍𝙑𝙄𝙑𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙇𝙊𝙉𝙂, 𝙃𝙀 𝙆𝙉𝙀𝙒 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘿𝘼𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙍𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙎 𝙒𝙊𝙍𝙇𝘿. a stuttering screen shows a question mark to further his inquiry, a show of good faith. surely, he could discard his own weapon ... but that would leave him open to any incoming attacks. from either the stranger, or any of the remaining opponents who dared to step forth. the flash of broken colors from the other seems to twist something in PUPPY’s chest, a feeling of near concern. thus far he seemed not to be a threat, struggling to stand, yet shot a glance towards the weapon on the floor. an old stand off, something darkening in PUPPY’s demeanor as a reflex as he somehow narrows that look from genuine curiosity to silent warning.
𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘊𝘏𝘌𝘋 𝘕𝘌𝘈𝘙 𝘗𝘌𝘈𝘒 𝘖𝘍 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌 𝘒𝘐𝘕𝘋 𝘖𝘍 𝘚𝘐𝘓𝘌𝘕𝘊𝘌, locked in and waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak. any light twinge or darting movement would be seen a threat, left without answers [ 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙇𝙊𝙊𝙆 𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙎𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙀𝙎𝙎 𝙑𝙄𝙊𝙇𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀 𝙂𝙊𝙏 𝙃𝙄𝙈 𝙏𝙃𝙐𝙎 𝙁𝘼𝙍 ! ----- 𝙐𝙎𝙀𝘿 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙐𝙎𝙀𝘿 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙐𝙎𝙀𝘿 ] tightens upon the grip of his own weapon still in hand, before he makes a different choice. never afraid of violence but fearing his own reluctance to lay down his weapon would result in the unfair demise of someone he thought to be a threat. a clatter shattering what little silence they shared, sound of him dropping the blistering sword he’d brandished in the first place. shuffling position, a look that seems to convey he stands by the act, and a nod. 𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙆 𝘼𝘽𝙊𝙐𝙏 𝘼 𝙏𝙍𝙐𝙎𝙏 𝙀𝙓𝙀𝙍𝘾𝙄𝙎𝙀.
