Sergei lost his grip as his target went rolling away--far too large, far too much momentum for him to keep any sort of hold. He himself went tumbling over stone like nothing more than a teddy bear--not that he'd know what such a thing was, himself--and picked himself back up with a dazed shake of his head and a brief sneeze.

To his surprise, Zeke was lying motionless on the ground. Hesitant he turned to the judges.

"Is he dead?" he asked, bass voice rumbling with his thick accent flavoring the words. But he heard Zeke breathing--slowly, steadily--a moment later.

The bear was unsure as to what to do. Did he... attack further? He hesitated a moment longer before lurching into another gallop. If he was gonna do this, he'd better give it his all and do it right; hesitation would get him nowhere.

He ran for Zeke's head, and lifted one big paw, aiming to bring it down in a powerful smack onto the big dragon's skull. It was too big a creature, he thought, to really be harmed by such a strike. He hoped, though, that it might stun the dragon either awake or... further unconscious? Until the judges told him to stop, he wouldn't, but he was at least careful with his claws. He kept them carefully turned upward, away from Zeke's head as he brought the heavy paw downward in a swiping arc.

He hadn't forgotten the rules.

Round: 4/5
Attempt: Smack Zeke's head
Defense: -
Injuries: -

@Zeke

Zeke did have his eyes open for one sec maybes to check on whether his 'opponent' was OK in case their fall there did some actual damage, which Zeke doesn't care if this is a kinda fighting thing he'd prefer not to cause some real permanent damage here. Thankfully besides being a lil stunned and dizzy with it and a lil sneeze, they seem to be OK, and with this Zeke covered his tail feathers over his eyes again as a sleep mask as he had such gall to try and take a nap midway through this battle here.

Still for some reassurance, and for Zeke's joke here, when they asked if he died he responded with a pretty loud snore, which mayy have been a snort from his joke here bout taking a nap during a battle, before letting himself try to return to lulling sleep again as wow is he tired now.

The ground under Zeke was shaking as what seemed like something was dashing to him from what those sounds are, what he didn't expect was to get tapped on his head, were they trying to pet it or something?

Still, he kept his eyes closed, prepared to snooze right now honestly. Before he does though, he needs some more fun for his joke here.

Zeke goes bout moving around in his supposed sleep, stretching himself out into a more relaxed sprawl, with this he presses his nose on his opponent's he was kinda gonna try to as a playful attempt to push them away from his face a lil. But as he does, they were uhh, more massive than he thought it seems as the dragon doesn't believe they are succeeding in pushing them a reasonable distance away from his face. Welp, oh well, heh booping them is a fun lil joke as well, it'll cause a lotta confusion as to what he is even trying to do.


Pippy thinking. "Pippy speaking." Zeke thinking. "Zeke speaking."



Round: 4/5
Attempt: Push Sergei Away From Face With Snout
Defense: -
Injuries: -



Tags: @Sergei

Sergei at last understood, as he was shoved at by the lazing dragon: Zeke was mocking him. Pretending to sleep. He was--Sergei was--such an insignificant foe that he was pretending not to even have to concern himself with the bear.

Sergei felt a slow rage rise in him, indignation mixing with shame and anger.

"You show... disrespect, and no honor," he rumbled. He raised back his paw, putting all his might into this blow--still keeping his claws back, but not holding back with his strength. He aimed this one straight for Zeke's snout--a powerful slap, though now, past his angered shame, he realized that it would likely do little to the dragon.

Round: 5/5
Attempt: Slap the side of Zeke's snout
Defense: -
Injuries: -

@Zeke

Wellll, mocking wasn't Zeke's intention, he's kinda playing a prank on all here, and he honestly doesn't wanna get up now, if he must still do battle he'll do so while laying down thank you.

One eye opened up to a slit as his opponent seemed to close in on him again kinda, no charge or anything, but well ticked off words which did make Zeke's ears droop a lil at what was said, guilt filling here. Kay, uhh maybes he shoulda took a nap when this commenced cuz now he has managed to genuinely upset them, not what he intended such as confuse or annoy them over his lil prank here at falling asleep here.

Ahhhh noooo, his punchline got ruined by such lousy timing here, and now he's made them mad. Quick he must pick things back up here! He rose his head back up a lil, still laying down, as his eyes were entirely on them again.

"Ohhh, uhh sorry bout that bud didn't mean for it to seem uh disrespectful there, ya pretty damn good actually pal. I'm just prettyyy tired here and standing back up is far too much effort right now buddy, and uh fighting isn't kinda my thing really," probs sounds so silly how fighting isn't Zeke's forte when he is well, here.

"Heh, funny story actually, I legit thought I was entering a 'resting' contest, where we have to take a nap to win, but ehhhhhh yeah couldn't be more wrong, hehe," giving them a lil slow wink as he explains himself. Probs weird how he is telling them all this, but best to clear some things up, sides mentioning how he ended up here in such hilarious circumstances will make for a funny punchline on its own for all really, heh.

"Uhhhhh, soo we cool maybes bud?" awkward to do this now midway through the battle, but well, was weird from the get-go with how he accidentally entered a fight competition, goes to show how much fighting isn't his thing.

Zeke's tired eyes caught something at the corner from them as something flashed towards his face with such speed and aim like a descending eagle. It left him no time to respond, leading Zeke to give out what coulda been a yelp, a deep-pitched one though where it sounds more like a growl, his jaw and facial muscles tensing as he got whacked clean across his face. Tightening his jaw was a big mistake though as he ended up biting the inside of his mouth from it, which caused him to draw in a slow, deep breath from his throbbing mouth, each breath giving a pained hiss sound as he breathes through his gritted teeth from how much it hurt.

OK, ow, ow, ow... Ouch...

"Kay... I... Guess I deserved that... Ouch..." they probs were only planning to whack him, not many not even him will account for it causing him to bite his mouth's inside in the process accidentally, and while deserved yes, holy crap... It hurts...

Kay fine, he'll make another move here with how they managed this much, he's still not gonna stand up though, heh, he doesn't need to stand.

Zeke shifts himself a lil to get closer, bringing a foreleg out, trying his best not to use it to massage his cheek and reach out to his opponent, but ah Zeke had to move it above his foe with some carefulness, he doesn't want himself to get his claws out accidentally. Might be crazy to suspect how his talons could get out and cause some accidental damage could happen, but he sure didn't expect the whole biting his mouth happening either, so best be cautious bout this, still as best as he could with his reach without moving his entire body. Zeke manages to get his over his opponent's back, with claws thankfully, maybes he could pin them there, heh maybes they can join with this nap he was gonna have and make this a real 'resting contest'. Make his dream for a napping contest a reality.



Pippy thinking. "Pippy speaking." Zeke thinking. "Zeke speaking."



Round: 5/5
Attempt: Put a foreleg over Sergei and pin them a lil.
Defense: -
Injuries: - Slapped in the face, has accidentally bit the inside of his mouth.



Tags: @Sergei @Glory

Character: @Sergei Age: +7 (7 Cycles) Magic Level: +3 (Brawler) ROUND 1 Attempt: +17 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +8 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +5 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 Total: 80

Character: @Zeke Age: +8 (8 Cycles) Magic Level: +1 (Fledgling) ROUND 1 Attempt: +15 Penalties: -0 ROUND 2 Attempt: +13 Penalties: -0 ROUND 3 Attempt: +20 Penalties: -0 ROUND 4 Attempt: +3 Penalties: -0 ROUND 5 Attempt: +10 Penalties: -0 Total: 70

WINNER: Sergei

The lion-stag watched dutifully from above, silvery eyes watching every odd movement the large, fluffy dragon made. Was he--- was he sleeping? Did he think this was... a sleeping contest? Azizos spared a confused glance to Glory, exchanging a hurried word. Perhaps the instructions had not been clear enough for the larger of the two beasts.

"In light of... hm, unclear instructions," he began, as he stepped down from the judging ledge, "we have elected to announce Sergei as the winner of this match. Zeke will move on, still, but wrestle with another in a separate bracket." Then, in a tentative aside, the lion-stag approached the immense dragon. "Could you, perhaps, release your friend, here? There are quite a number of others wishing to wrestle, here."

Then, "do you still wish to participate, knowing that this isn't a... ahem, quote-unquote, resting contest?"

@Sergei @Zeke

Vladis was almost dumbfounded by the match. Seeing that it was pretty a large bear and a monstrous creature of sorts, the tanuki had expected a terrible fight to occur with much action. He had been very much eager to see the excitement play out before him. And then one of the competitors … falls … asleep? It was absolutely ridiculous to think of.

“Well den, this was ah bit of a letdown. We came to see ah fight an’ instead see some cuddlin’s for a nap!”

Vladis shook his head in disbelief. Hopefully, if both of them continue in the competition, he would eventually see some real action. Though he was beginning to wonder about the state of the caves.

“Like you’re one to talk,” a bit of snark appeared in his mind.


Speech. Thought. Ratty's Out Loud Ratty's Telepathy

Tag:
Notes:

The bear pulled loose, shaking himself free.

So he was the winner? Good. He would continue to fight. He enjoyed fighting.

He wasn't sure what role Vladis played in all of this, so just gave him a brief glance before turning to pace away. He'd eat, drink, and rest, preparing for his next fight--the dragon could just sleep, for all he cared. He was forgetting him already.

He'd probably have responded to Zeke, but he didn't grasp half of what the dragon had said. Its mannerisms and speech were strange, and so he simply lumbered off.

exit Sergei

Zeke's foe had an easy time freeing themselves from his grip. Zeke was barely applying any pressure with his paw; his pin was more like they got buried under a multitude of thick blankets maybes from how light his grip. And unlike so many cosy blankets, his paw sure isn't warm and comfortable to compel his captor to remain, so he brought this said paw to his cheek to rub at it, hoping to help soothe his mouth only a lil.

Taking in another breath with a hiss as wow it did hurt quite a bit there. With trying to tend to this pain, Zeke's mind was a tad preoccupied to pay attention much. Due to this Zeke do not quite spot one judges walking off their post to speak to them directly at first till they made their first announcement on how Zeke has technically lost, which yeah fair there, he did kinda refuse to battle midway through. But man, it was pretty funny, and not a single laughter here. He paid attention to what this judge said when they spoke to him directly asking him to free his bud here who had pinned down a lil, though he thankfully has already done so, still as another judge remarked how much of a disappointment this was.

Yeeeeeshhhh... What a tough crowd, need to lighten up a lil round here.

Still when asked, well pretty delicately on whether he wished to proceed with this or not did he consider, though wow, yup real tough crowd here. Ahhh gee, y'know... Sure he's gonna keep on going; humour is his speciality he can improvise here to help people here lighten up maybes, sides walking away now would be like being in a middle of some stand-up and leaving when it bombed instead of saving it, not funny for anyone, merely horribly awkward. So OK sure, he's up to it, least since Zeke has an idea what's happening now, it'll be less compelling to have a nap again midway, well if he has a chance to have an actual rest before his next supposed wrestling anyways.

"Hmm actually yeah buddy, think I will stay and participate some more. Got more ways to spice things up if I do, heh. Yup, you're all gonna look forward to what happens next you all," he gave the judges, a teasing wink with one eye. Standing back up Zeke goes to leave this ring. Zeke didn't go too far though but wow he needs to nap now, sides no way was he gonna remain awake and suffer each second with this aching mouth, nope, though the dragon does hope to properly apologise with his opponent maybes if he gets a chance.


Pippy thinking. "Pippy speaking." Zeke thinking. "Zeke speaking."

@Azizos @Vladis


-Exit Zeke-