Welcome to Gaia! ::

There were some interesting perks about becoming a Negaverse lieutenant, first of which was the feeling of power within him. He felt invigorated, stronger than he ever could as a regular civilian, and he only regretted not finding out about this war earlier. Sure, the weapon he received was a little dinky, but he suspected that he would have to work his way from the bottom, and if that meant spending some time fiddling with a pinwheel, than so be it. He accepted his situation, though perhaps with rose-tinted goggles, and he was eager to get things started!

So he followed Serpentine around like a little duckling, or rather, more like an overly excited puppy that was nipping at its master's shoe laces, yipping happily and wagging his tail so fast that he threatened to take to the skies. He couldn't wag his tail as he did not have one, but he could certainly yip. And by yip, he meant talk. A lot.

"So, what is our first order of business, Lieutenant Serpentine? How long has this war been going on? Who exactly is our enemy? Do they have weapons too, or do they fight with something else? Do they too have secret identities- oh... I wonder if that means I've been running into them this whole time? What if I've been assisting the enemy with my wares? How could I tell who is who?"

He had a million questions, and in his excitement, he never once paused to give Serpentine a chance to answer a single one. In fact, he hardly noticed the lieutenant say anything at all, and it wasn't until they had made it onto the slippery grass of the soccer field that Buddingtonite finally heard Serpentine say something. It was so quick and soft that the newly awakened lieutenant wasn't sure if he had heard something at all, and he asked the question before even noticing and recognizing his stance. "Come again? Oh, you wish to spar? Very well... but do you think you can go easy on me? Being it's my first day, and I have absolutely no idea how I'm to fight with this?"

He pointed to his pinwheel, neither with disdain or disgust, and he postponed the fight if only to get a single answer out of him. He wasn't sure what was suppose to be told to him or what he should learn for himself, and he figured that Serpentine would be the type to tell him straight.

"Beg? No, that's not begging. That's merely making a simple request, one that I'd imagine many newcomers would make given the circumstances," Buddingtonite said, not even noticing how Serpentine wrapped his rubber snake around his wrist, nor how he approached him. He was simply stuck on talk mode, and he was determined to get out even more questions, even as Serpentine approached him. "Begging would be with me on my knees and screaming at you to not hurt me. Don't worry, I might be new at this but I'm certain not the type to resort to begging. I'd like to think of myself as being more of the 'trick them to look the other way and flee' than be-"

That's when the punch came, and it seemed that Serpentine's method of getting him out of talk mode was to simply walk up to him and punch him right in the gut! What kind of person would do that?! Despite the increased in power and Chaos pulsing through him, he wasn't immune to the blow, and down Buddingtonite went with a breathless moan.

He hit his knees and wrapped his hands around his stomach, fighting the urge to spill his alcohol and dinner all over the lieutenant's boots, even though that would have been a good retaliation in the long run. When he finally caught his breath again, he made good use of his words, and he turned hurt, red eyes to the rainbow-haired man. "What... a callous thing to do! You... you could have made me lose my lunch! Don't you even care that I could have just thrown up on your boots or pants at all?"

He did get up, albeit slowly, and it took a moment for him to straighten up, though even that sent spasms of pain in his stomach and torso. Now that Serpentine made it obvious that he wasn't in the talking mood, he figured now would be a good time to try to get a blow of his own in, and he aimed his next punch right for Serpentine's face. Maybe he was going too far, but dammit, he interrupted his banter!

Buddingtonite had thrown the punch but he honestly wasn't expecting to get a hit in. Not because he lacked faith in himself (which was a lie) nor was it because he thought Serpentine to be the better of the two (which was something he didn't take a single moment to humor in his mind). More like... he was admittedly a little drunk and no amount of Chaos pulsing through him would counter that.

Also, he had never really thrown a punch before in his entire life, if one would believe it. He's thrown beer bottles, glasses, shoes, car keys, hats and even tried to throw his dog (an experience that ended in failure on his part as he actually pulled a muscle in his back and was bedridden for a week). But a full blown punch? AND it connected?

Buddingtonite wasn't quite sure how he felt about it, if only because there were so many thoughts and emotions running through his head. It hurt like a b***h to his gloved but sensitive knuckles, but it strangely felt good. There were so many time he wanted to punch someone, anyone, but was forced to refrain himself, and now that he had the power to punch someone else, he was wondering why he didn't get in on this deal sooner?

Well, the thought of Serpentine's retaliation got him a little nervous and he actually rose his fists to protect his face when Serpentine gave his wager. He had almost forgot what he was seeking the answers to, but that didn't matter if he didn't win. And Buddingtonite always played the game to win. "Very well... prepare to eat grass then! Engarde!"

He went for another punch, using his other hand and this time going for the same cheek. Perhaps it was beginner's luck, or perhaps he was feeling a bit overconfident, but that didn't stop the eager lieutenant from trying his hardest!

Both blows connected, much to Buddingtonite's dismay. He may have willingly joined the Negaverse and was granted an increase in power, agility and speed, but that didn't save him from the more experienced lieutenant's blows, and he had to admit that he had waltzed right into it. So, it was hard to be angry at Serpentine for the strike on his open shoulder blades, but the rubber snake to the face was a bit harsh. He gave a pained grunt, hitting the cold grass and skidding a few feet as though he were a keeper diving for the ball, though nowhere near as graceful.

When he came to a stop, he took the time to spit the grass from his lips, before pushing himself back up to his feet and straightening his attire. Surprisingly, he kept his hat and pinwheel, but the grass stains in his new uniform made his blood boil. He was so caught up on how painful they'd be to get out that he barely missed what Serpentine had said, and he was so taken surprise by his words that he unintentionally snapped at him. "If you win!?"

He paused, clearing his throat and taking a moment to collect himself, before addressing his senior officer in a more respectful and sickly sweet tone. "If you win? Besides bragging rights on how you mercilessly beat down a poor lieutenant on his first day... hm... what would you desire of me, Serpentine?"

"All I have to offer? What is that even suppose to-"

He was cut off by the attempt at his ankles, and Buddingtonite was caught completely unaware by the action. He was more stunned that Serpentine seemed to fight so damn dirty than he was injured from the blow itself, and the only good that came out of the attack was that it caused Buddingtonite to wobble and fall on top of the other lieutenant.

Once again, Buddingtonite was on the ground, but at least Serpentine kept him from getting his uniform messy again, and now that he was grounded on top of his enemy, he sought to use his own weight against him and hold him down. He gripped his wrists and tried to pin him down, and now that he had him where he wanted him, he gave a triumphant laugh. "I have a lot to offer! And I'm willing to do anything to get it, too... care to see?"

If he could get Serpentine's feet still, maybe he had a chance of winning this spar, and while Buddingtonite didn't want to get blood on his newly obtained uniform, he wouldn't refrain if push came to shove. For now, he had Serpentine where he wanted him...

The problem with this situation was that Buddingtonite did not want to yield. But he also did not want to fight. He was never a fighter- yes, he had the occasional fantasy where he punched his problems, aka other people, in the face, but he had never thrown a punch in fear of the consequence. He never had the power to act upon those impulses until now, and now that he had it, why did he find himself beginning to fall back into those same constraints?

He wanted to stay on top of Serpentine, beat him and rub his victory in his face. A day one lieutenant defeating a slightly more experienced one? That would have gained him much ground in this business, and for a moment, Buddingtonite could see that coming to pass. This was mere moments before Serpentine dug his feet into his stomach and flipped him over, where he hit the ground with a startled 'oof!'

Buddingtonite saw many stars that evening, none of which seemed to stay still, and by the time his ears stopped ringing, he found that the situation had been reversed! How the hell did that happen? Buddingtonite wriggled and strained to break free, but Serpentine wasn't going to budge, and it didn't take long for the lieutenant to consider his options. What a fool he was to think that a day one lieutenant could defeat an experienced one? His struggles had ceased, and he gave an indignant sigh, before he muttered softly, "I yield."

He didn't want to say it, but what choice did he have? He let Serpentine see a mere fraction of his damaged pride, hoping to appeal to his better nature and get him off. Perhaps drop his guard, even... Serpentine was a hard fellow to read, but Buddingtonite wasn't quite done yet. When Serpentine didn't move immediately, he acted even more hurt, and rose his voice to a shrilled squeak. "I said I yield, alright?"

The newly awakened lieutenant was surprised when Serpentine rolled off of him, and part of him wanted to c**k an eyebrow and bring to question if he was truly that naive or gullible. Not that he brought it up, of course, because that would have been stupid, even for him. No, for now, he continued to play the role of the submissive omega, allowing Serpentine to become complacent before making his move.

No, he wasn't quite willing to give up yet. He still had an ace up his sleeve, and if he couldn't win fairly, then he'd have to rely on more dastardly tactics. After all, games were only fun when you're winning.

When he received the compliment from Serpentine, as backhanded as it could be, he bobbed his head, kept his head down but his gaze pinned on the man clad in the gold uniform, and when he questioned his prize, that was when Buddingtonite struck. "Your prize... will be a backhand to your skull!"

He lashed out, jumping to his feet and aiming for the back of his head. Buddingtonite knew that it was a cheap tactic, but no one cared for chivalry and few remembered those that fought honorably, only the winner! And that person would be him!