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The sound of metal clashing reverberates throughout the once abandoned lab, a symphony reserved for two — A tango of brutality. This was a frequent brawl between the two animatronics, tomfoolery in exchange for instruction. Earth currently bent to his will in a similar manner of malleability, raggedly stabilizing herself with a knee. The dents littered on her frame not unlike his own, although conditioning varying. The fatigue in her actions quicker than usual. Too easy.
With a sneer, he spat, “...You who claim oh so persistently of improvement fall with such ease? I expected more from you, Earth.”
No response. The usual sickly sweetness of her personality he’s come to reluctantly tolerating not at all present. She lifted herself back up sluggishly. He almost assumes she’d be calling quits, running with her tail between her legs —
As of which, was sorely an incorrect conclusion to reach.
Their bodies met in a sharp collision, Harvest biting back a garbled grunt in the process. Her cumbersome frame made easy work of downing him. The nippy floor served as a stark contrast to the warmth of his frame as they met, face pressed up against it by a hand — although lacking the intent to crush. He was pinned down like a minuscule bug with the maneuver to get atop him.
The thrill of the abrupt change in tune ran renewedly fervent throughout his circuitry, the ache dancing across his frame, a wide grin threatening to split his faceplate in half. So she hasn't yet yielded. He can play into her hand, all the more fruitful for his eventual truimpth.
"Giving a valiant fight, I've observed— Although you move recklessly, like there's a weight bestowed upon you when your actions should flow like water. Hit harshly with the means to drown. Are you not aware how foolish it is to submit to such fretting mid battle? Your opponent will not be as merciful as I."
Her grasp on him falters inconsistently as if contemplative. The hustle of fans desperately attempting to regulate filling the empty space between them, nipping at his already short impatience upon the constant lack of answers.
"Harvest…" Subsequently, she tentatively began to speak, "…I don't want to hurt you."
It was a simple declaration. No more, no less.
He still made a funny face at such words ; A grimace, specifically.
It was ridiculous, her feelings of needing to "help" and be "soft" with him — It wasn't necessary. He didn't need or desire it. It was an agitating push and pull. She must've been aware if the hesitation was any indication.
He should just jostle her away from him. He'd dexterously be victorious in the end, she may be getting more skillful but he'd reign supreme.
Yet, he didn't budge.
By some unreasonable means he barely budged, something he found himself doing more often than he'd have liked to admit — Compromising. Clenching his fist against the hard floor, he spoke, "…Tch, we've had this talk many times, haven't we? What's the term used for a situation such as this… Déjà Vu. You have yet to comprehend the end results, always the same."
"I think it gets further validated the more you rashly throw yourself into fights — Harvest… they could've killed you, more than once! I mean —!" Flustering and stumbling over her words, she retracted her hand from his head, noticing the fact he seems to have dismissed the idea of continuing to fight by now.
"And you — You didn't even bother to inform us they could easily electrocute you with a flick of the wrist if they so pleased! Was it not important to tell us—….Me, that they could just incapacitate you like that? I can't, with an inkling of my good conscience, let you go after them alone! I'm sorry they refuse to give you a fair fight, I understand but it shouldn't get to the point that you constantly need to gamble your life! I don't want to hurt you either knowing you most likely barely fixed yourself up!"
Scoffing, he spoke lowly, "Please, you know I'm abundantly capable of fighting those cowards and handling you." bitterness seeped into his tone, not at all pleased when he should've had them subdued swiftly, alongside the hesitance in properly giving a fight for such a ridiculous reason. "They use technology as a crutch, beknownst to the fact that without it, they're weak and pathetic…Let it be clearly spelled out there and known that I have no plans to succumb — nor give away such obvious vulnerabilities I, myself, can not remove or improve upon. If they want to rid of me, so be it, but I will not spare them anything less than what they ordered of me. This holds little significance to myself as it should for you too. I do not understand the point of these continued…emotions."
Her expressions contorted into a blend of dejection and distress, stretching herself thin for the pleasing of others, he was quite familiar with her little habit of doing so. The dependency present upon her miffed him in an unidentifiable way. It was shameless, pitiful even — how the rest of her acquaintances got so comfortable.
"Harvest…I know I'm not good enough to fight besides you yet —…but you should've told me. Sure, you can still give a good fight but the playing field is drastically leveled out of your favor with that component they hold…do you not trust us? Me? I wouldn't…. you wouldn't be seen as weak to me, y'know. Nor to anybody else in the Pizza-plex. it's not like we can take you in a fight! We already established that pecking order — What's not working for us, man?? I don't.."
Her tizzy tangent was one he's grown more accustomed to with these types of discussions, although it was less a discussion and more so her driveling. Typically discussions are back and forth. This was tedious at best.
"Your drivel proves once again a bore, Earth. My patience withers so make haste." Sharply cutting her off, he awaits the grand point that has yet unraveled itself.
"…Look —…This just isn't going to work out…you…jumping head straight into the next fight that crosses your peripheral. It's helpful, yes, but man —…you really need to stop doing that. You do matter, if that wasn't stated enough and we can not afford to risk that.. and I don't mean that as like — you're an 'exotic commodity' or for your strength, or whatever. But as a person too." Gesturing wordlessly she continues on-wards, uncertainty and softness lacing her tone, "…I've said this multiple times but I do enjoy your company, Harvest —…A good amount, I must admit. I've grown…used to your quirks and honestly have grown to hold affection for you —"
Her words die out as quickly as they came.
Both of them sit there absolutely rigid, suddenly painfully aware of the contact. Her straddling him. The weight suddenly felt crushing.
His processor lagged with the attempt to comprehend the words spoken ; Much more than a simple declaration of care.
Instantaneously, his arms shoot out to push her all too pressing frame off him, ignoring the yelp that left her in favor of adjusting his hat upon his head — having got disheveled in the heat of battle.
"Harvest —…I…"
Scoffing, he spoke, "…Mistaken you are, foolish. Infatuation holds no ground within the battlefield — Go. Return once you learn that softness will be your downfall." He didn't look her way, blissfully unaware of her movements and expressions. The words came out his vocal box choked in a voice he was unfamiliar with.
"…Talk to you later, Harvest…" The dejection was clear in her tone, hesitating upon saying more — but it never comes. Falling flat.
With that, she turns on her heels and exits the laboratory, foot steps echoing into eventual silence. The distance carrying it until he knows he's in proper solitude.
His fans stutter on to hastily attempt at self regulation as soon as that assurance came, having had to manually hold off even if his frame burned from the interaction between the two.
He was utterly pathetic, hopeless in the purchase of unfamiliar feelings that seemingly ignored the programming that drove him. Scoffing at the idiocy of himself and his predicament, his optics land on where her body was once sat upon his waist.