World Tree MUSH

     This is the Digital World. Well, part of it, at least. This area isn't too much different from how one might imagine land out in the country. There are fields, patches of woods, some rolling hills, a few computer components growing from the ground or landscape, and a variety of 'wildlife' to be witnessed. In general, it's peaceful here. Strangers might get a few stares from the roaming Digimon, but there are no immediate aggressors. One may be a bit surprised to see near-identical chunks of meat growing on some of the trees, though -- that tends to be something that bothers visitors that aren't made aware. 

     In this area, not too far beyond where there is some undergrowth, comes a steady rhythm of a thwack....thwack....thwack. There is a notable pause in-between each impact, but the sound seems a little dull. In reality, a tall figure stands in the middle of a makeshift training area. A few targets are set up, a few dummies have been crafted, and off to one side is a large boulder. 

     Thwack~! The figure extends an arm to strike a fist against the hard surface.

     The computer parts and... meat, are pretty unusual to the mouse warrior who finds himself wandering this countryside. However, that (and the locals) aside, it's not too different from some places he's visited in his own world while living the life of a nomad. In fact, it feels almost... comforting, gazing out at those hills past the fields and trees, feeling the breeze blow past his ears and the smell of grass playing at his nose.

There's also the sound of... er, someone chopping wood? No, that's not quite right. Scurrying toward the sound to investigate, the mouse peeks his head around a tree in case it's a threat of some sort. That caution is quickly allayed, however, by another familiar sight.

"A training ground? Strange place to find one, I think, but a little exercise never hurt anyone." he remarks, staying a respectful distance from the leonine fighter. A curious tone underlines his voice as he calls a greeting. "Hail, good sir! I am Martin the Warrior, son of Luke the Warrior, or so they call me. Are you practicing the arts out of passion or necessity? Perhaps both?"

     Words reaching the lion-like individual with his arm extended, knuckles and fingers pressed against the unmoving stone, the masculine figure turns his head to look. The breeze ruffles not only his white mane but also the garment he wears draped over his shoulders: a long coat, of some sort, fashioned with chain that rattles, too. A stalk of dried grass pokes from the feline's short muzzle and he seems to mouth on it for a moment while regarding this new face. It's not a Digimon that he knows. 

     He draws his arm back and rubs at the fingers a little while taking the turn to reply. "I am Rez, bearer of the title Banchou. Fighting is what I do. Training is how I get there." Honestly, the setup isn't the most well-crafted. The other things were almost shoddily put together and look almost unused compared to the worn spot on the side of the boulder. "Youkoso, senshi." Strange. Those words didn't sound 'translated' like most are. Still, the words spoken are welcoming, said with a bow, and the last word was emphasized as if it were a title. "If you wish to train, please do! Food grows nearby if you are hungry. I would be interested to see how you fight, senshi." Turning away from that direction once more, the lion seems to have no issue at all with company. He swings again. 

     Thwack!

     Martin is no stranger to friendly cats either, but this one seems a bit odder than most! The grass puts him in mind of a farmer, but nothing else about the lion seems to suggest it, from his clothing to the way he carries himself. Then there are those unfamiliar words, strange to Martin's ears. He can still guess their meaning, though.

"I'll assume passion, then. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, in any case." he says, inspecting the dummies that seem somewhat haphazardly set up. Then again, he's also seen much worse. "It was necessity for me. As a lad I wished to be a strong and respected leader like my father, so I trained to protect my tribe. After that, it was revenge that motivated me. Once I got my revenge, well..."

He shakes his head. "None of that matters to you, I'm sure. I do have to wonder, though, why you're punching a boulder and not these dummies? Deadening the nerves I can understand, but you're liable to break your hands in the process."

     The tall lion gets a few more hits in against the unmoving rock as Martin makes an approach and looks over the crude targets and dummies set up. It really does appear to be a quick construction that isn't meant to fully last. "Vengeance is easy to understand, but only by those that need it," he comments with his back turned to his guest as the large stone seems to keep the attention of the taped-up brawler. Perhaps it's a matter of imparting trust? 

     However, there's the matter of punching the boulder so asked that really catches Rez off guard. "How else will I crack it into two?" It's a very odd answer, but there is a chance it's meant to be purely philosophical. He turns to look over the other targets so point out and his partially confused expression changes into something else entirely. Something positive; his eyes brighten, even. 

     He turns to the boulder once more, reaches over to its side, and pulls out from hiding a short sword. It is, however, not a European-style short sword, but a Tantou. Also of note, it's a short sword for somebody the lion's size. "Those targets are for Otokodama to taste, but perhaps..." Eyes look back and forth between Martin and the nearby dummies (distinctly having a good look at Martin now due to being so close) before reaching out in gesture with his free hand to offer the use of them to the warrior. 

     "I can share."

     Martin chuckles at Rez's answer, until he realizes he's being serious. "Ah. Well, there are much easier ways to crack it, of course. A friend of mine, Timballisto, he built these great devices that could hurl rocks at incredible distances. But somehow, I think it's more the principle of the thing in this case... am I correct?" he suggests, then eyes that tanto as it comes into the light.

"I take it that's the name of your blade, then? Otoko... I'm sorry, the word is unfamiliar to me." Drawing his own sword, he holds it up for Rez to get a look at it as well. It's a European long sword of simple design, bearing a red pommel stone and black leather-wrapped handle, as well as a fairly normal crossguard. The blade is straight and keen, tapering to a fine point at the end, with a blood channel running down its length on the flats of the blade. "This was once the sword of my father. He gave it to me before he left to pursue the corsairs that slew my mother, and I have carried it with me ever since. The blade was broken at one point, but reforged using metal from a fallen star by Boar the Fighter, Badger Lord of the mountain fortress Salamandastron."

With a light chuckle, he adds, "Not much to look at, I know. It fulfills its purpose admirably, though. Lighter than steel, sharper than anything, and I have yet to see it lose that edge. They say badger steel is the finest in all the lands, but badger starmetal... haha, I almost feel unworthy of such a gift."

     A pair of red eyes study the tall Lion digimon, and the not so tall, but still weapon holding mouse man! The owner seems to mostly fixate on Rez, watching closely, waiting for the right time. When Rez looks away to examine the target dummies, a tall, crimson and black figure rushes out in a blur, jumping at the Bancholeomon and swiping a paw at the visor cap on the lion's head, "Snipe Steal!", before landing on all fours close to the two. 

    Now that the creature was no longer running, it was somewhat... disturbing, it looked kind of like a very tall fox, but it was way out of proportion, the limbs were long and thin, wrapped in what looked like dark leather with long, shrp looking purple claws, and it's muzzle was unnaturally long, with far too many fangs!. For a split second it might have looked threatening, until it begins to pant and wag his tail, "Darn it, I missed, one day I'll snag that hat from your head, Rez." The voice was quite familiar to Rez" the odd fox says, before blinking at Martin, "Oh... sorry! didn't mean to scare your friend." before he attempts to bow, "I'm Bewul."

     A soft smile crosses the leonine fellow's face as Martin loses the name of his sword so quickly. "-dama," finishes he for the mouse. The sword is pressed into the ground with a solid thrust before attention can be truly paid to the other blade on display. It's certainly a very different style of craftsmanship. "Interesting design. Good to hear that you care for it so well. Says a lot about its wielder." 

     Leaning forward a little more to peek closer, a flash of movement has him jerk upright as a paw comes very close to grabbing the brim of his hat. A spark flashes in his eyes as they widen, mouth slightly agape, until the sudden appearance of Bewul reveals his mischievous plan. 

     Rez closes his mouth and crosses his arms with another fanged smile. "This is Martin Senshi, who was just showing me his blade, perhaps in action. Maybe his blade wants to meet Otokodama, as well." The dummies would give decent resistance, but wouldn't hold up super well under most focused strikes. Better than nothing? Maybe that's why the lion has been focused on the boulder.

     "Otoko... dama." Martin tries again, mouthing the word silently a few more times. "It still feels strange in my mouth. This world may feel similar to my own, but clearly there are things I still need to get used to." He sighs and shakes his head.

Once Rez is done inspecting his sword, Martin lowers it to his side and nods. "I suppose so. As the last memento of my father, and my tribe, I just... don't want to lose it. Not again." It's around now that Bewul springs from the shadows, and Martin's blade flashes through the air before stopping mere inches from that red pelt as friendly greetings are exchanged. Quickly returning the sword to its relaxed position, he takes a breath, lets out a small sigh, and bows to Bewul. "Forgive me, I thought you an enemy. As he said, I am Martin... er, Senshi? Most just call me Martin the Warrior, or Martin."

Stepping back a bit, the mouse warrior raises his blade once more, gracefully going through what seems to be some sort of drill, almost resembling a dance. "It has been some time since I've gotten a chance to use my sword. A little sparring session shouldn't hurt, surely."

     The tall fox creature does not seem too perturbed by being almost sliced by Martin, instead smiling and nodding, "Pleased to meet you, Martin." the large 'fox' offers, long tail wagging slowly behind him before he sits down on his haunches, watching curiously. "I think I'll just watch, even if I tried harder... I don't really have a weapon to spar with, unless you count being a large hammer to be a weapon."

     One may soon find, even in this land, that Rez holds a number of eccentricities that aren't universal to others from it. Then again, a lot of Digimon are unique in ways that set them apart from others of their line. It's a fact that most learn fairly quickly through exposure to the natives of the Digital World. 

     Rez closely watches the display of this sword dance with great interest. Most of his personal style is less elegant and far more brutal, but seeing a different take on swordplay, or fighting in general, really brings a light to the lion's eyes. He loves training against those with fighting styles he doesn't know. 

     There is a laugh, deep and genuine (and without that grass stalk falling away), as the tall lion finds himself both eager and amused. "Well, there's no good in getting soft. Take a few practice swings if you want," he mentions of the dummies. "Or, if that isn't good enough, you can give me your best shot. Or Bewul; he can use the practice, too. Just don't let him steal your sword from you."

     Martin stops his drilling as he's offered the dummies to practice on. "Well, it can't hurt, can it? Honestly, those drills are more for maintaining muscle control than anything. Having something to actually /hit/ helps more with the practical side of things." he explains, having guessed what Rez was thinking. "However..."

A flick of his arm toward one of the dummies sees its head neatly severed from its body, falling to the grass below with a perfectly clean cut through the material it's made from. Martin wasn't kidding about the sword's sharpness, it seems. "One never truly forgets. This sword is as much a part of me as my very whiskers, and even if I haven't had to use it in earnest, that doesn't mean I've ever stopped training. If you'd like, we can cross blades now."

He also gives Bewul a nod and a smile. "Nothing wrong with a hammer, although... you said /being/ one? I'm afraid I don't understand."

    Bewul perks one ear and smiles, "I mean, most of what I do is not quite... close combat, beyond some fancy claw motions." he says, moving closer to Rez and making a few very quick 'swipes' to the air, somehow juggling a rock from the grouhnd with one claw. He even looks back at Martin at the question, smiling and wagging his tail, "Well, I can turn into a stronger digimon still, a large, heavy thing, that can transform into a large hammer to... hit things with."

     And the concept of Digivolution is now out of the bag and in the air. Just what strange and peculiar place has Martin found himself this time? "It's always possible to become stronger than you are," Rez says with a nod. The training area has plenty of space. Sure, the dummies and targets may get in the way of a spar, but they aren't irreplaceable or anything. 

     The lion stands there with his arms still crossed, his blade stuck into the ground near his feet, and he watches Martin while the breeze continues to ruffle his mane and gakuran coat. "As a holder of the title Banchou, it is important to test myself in new ways without restraint. Therein, give me your best shot, Senshi." The leonine brawler isn't even holding his sword yet and he's asking Martin to strike anyway? Rez is patient, though. He can wait if other things need more elaborate discussion first.

     Bewul's response gets a raised eyebrow from Martin, who just... has no idea whatsoever to make of any of that. "I don't follow." he says, then shakes his head and returns his attention to Rez, who doesn't seem to have picked up his sword yet. "If you wish to fight my sword barehanded, then we can do that too. I've rarely seen it end well for the unarmed, though."

Taking his sword into a two-handed grip, the warrior mouse rolls his shoulders and neck, flicks his tail, and plants his feet. A moment later, that blade is singing through the air toward Rez's neck... although it slows as it approaches. It seems Martin isn't confident yet that he won't kill the lion.

     The fox just watches for now, wagging his tail and taking a few steps back, "Good luck Martin!" he cheers the mouse person, kneading the ground with those forepaws of his excitedly, "You can do it!" he adds. He does not seem concerned over potentially hurting Rez either!

     It's a good strike. A real good strike. The blade, even if there's a bit of hesitation to bring it fully to bear, strikes the very top of the lion's collar before following through to pinch that fabric between the vorpal edge and the fuzz of the neck. However, strangely, no fabric is cut and no arteries are severed. There is a certain amount of give, as much as if one gave another a slap on the shoulder, but no laceration is present. 

     Rez does not flinch at this. 

     Rez, does, however grimace after a second or two and reaches up to rub that spot. "Ow, that actually stung a bit." His face and tone of voice do not reflect sarcasm. It's an honest statement as a flat glance is given over to Bewul. "Hey, you better be careful when it's your turn." 

     "Good blow!" says the white-maned fellow with a broad black-lipped smile as his tail sways twice behind him. "An oddly-specific place to hit me, but I really felt it. I'm impressed, even if it felt like you were holding back." It's a level of technical precision that Rez doesn't have. Leaning down to grab his own blade and pull it neatly from where it stands, he rests Otokodama over his shoulder, one-handed, in anything but a typical defensive or offensive stance. "Now, let's see what else you have." 

     A glint in the light is what follows as a streak of metallic blur falls overhead toward Rez's sparring partner. This is sparring, right?

     Martin looks shocked as his blade makes contact, a flash of fear in his eyes as he worries he's just done serious harm to his new friend. "I-I thought you would move to dodge, or block, or..." he stammers, but the lack of an actual cut surprises him still more. "I even pulled it at the last second, but... just what are you made of?"

He shakes his head, trying to get his mind back in the fight. "I just... sorry, it seems there are even more things I need to get used to. Let's continue." It's about at this point that Rez's blade comes down toward him, and the mouse steps to the side, his own weapon moving to deflect the blow before using that same momentum to circle down for a slash at the lion's midsection.

     Seems that Bewul is quite enjoying the display between the two warriors, tail wgging and ears swiveling as they speak. He seems to be getting quite relaxed, now settled on the side, when there is a small burst of light, and the weird fox is replaced by a rather small... lizard... reptile? wearing a fur coat that looks similar to the previous shape, still cheering at the pair of blade users.

     "Hey, I did tell you-" 

     The side-stepped and deflected downward strike gives opening for another attack, but this time the lion is quick to move and doesn't just tank it. Rather, his free right hand swings upward to parry that counter with the back of his half-gauntlet. The lion has very large fists, at that, so there's a lot of surface area to work with. Still, the deflection may not be the smoothest; depending on Martin's reaction and recovery, it could be jarring. 

     "-to give me-" 

     This, overall, allows the lion to follow up with his own strike. Pressing the offensive to test the mouse's defensive ability, this wide horizontal slash already begins to cleave the headless dummy in half nearest him in the process. Sparring with friendly strangers in a strange World can lead to a lot of excitement. Rez's coat flutters in the broad swing that would, no doubt, open up his left side completely to retribution if it can be afforded. 

     "-your best shot!"

     The parry does throw Martin off for a moment, but he didn't get to be a veteran by not being able to adapt. He leans into the redirected momentum, using it to turn around as he lowers himself to the ground, his small stature allowing him to more easily duck underneath Rez's swing. And since that strike was so wide to begin with, it gives Martin ample time to follow through with his counterblow, a full circle into a slash at Rez's exposed flank.

And since he knows that Rez can take it now, he isn't holding back anymore. "I'll give you as many as needed." he remarks in the meantime.

     The momentum of the Leomon's swing -- a slice through the air that sings even as the practice dummy's headless upper half somersaults through the air and away -- brings him around to where his side is exposed and, so trained, his opponent is able to take advantage of that. However, the shift in weight and position allows the tall lion the perfect angle of which to meet Martin's counter with a lifted leg in a followed sweeping kick. 

     Rez himself is very much like a practice target for weapons and fists. He seems to be able to soak a lot of damage up without any physical harm or injury, yet has already expressed that feels every point of contact. It may be hard to judge how solid a strike is against him if one is not used to it. His bladed attack is fierce, but his kick is less explosive. While it is meant to strike at sword-holding hands to disarm, he is far larger in size and his aim could be a bit off.

     Even if Rez isn't formally trained, Martin can definitely tell he makes up for it in experience. This is an opponent who knows how to use their body, with every movement being more tightly controlled than they might at first appear, never leaving an opening unless he can capitalize on it somehow. Or at least, that's how it comes across in the brief moment that the mouse warrior has to judge the situation when that kick comes in.

His own momentum is too great, a mistake on his part, but Martin has never been one to just give up. As his sword is sent spinning off to land point-first in the dirt several meters away, he wastes no time in wrapping his arms around Rez's leg and kicking off the ground to launch his entire body into a tackle at the Leomon's midsection, aiming to take his opponent to the ground where that blade will be much less useful, and reach won't matter.

     Martin's sparring partner wears a coat over his shoulders, as well, and it flutters in the spin about. Still, momentum pulls the lion around nearly all the way; the mouse winds up tackling him front the front, albeit from the side. This is done before the lion can reestablish his ground. At any other point in time it would be like leaping against a furry concrete pillar. That isn't what happens. 

     The whirling dervish was planning on bringing that blade around one last time for a tactful slap with the flat of the sword to show why you shouldn't lose your blade in battle, but instead it is his forearm that winds up intersecting Martin's path in that tackle -- an unintended blow if contact is made, although not exactly with as much power as what would have already been a 'gentle false strike' compared to the strength he may appear to have. 

     Rez falls backwards, the gakuran he wears billowing upward around his sides as gravity takes the two, and a momentary look of surprise washes over the brawler's face. His broad back slams into the ground with a loud thud while the chain on his coat rattles in defiance. Otokodama winds up wedged into the ground once more. And, yet, Rez doesn't stay still. His legs lift quickly and then kick upward to continue the overall momentum with a sudden potential vertical roll backward!

     Rez's greater size and weight mean little if he's off balance, which is what Martin was going for. He didn't expect to hit the Leomon's forearm, but the effect is still the same as they both end up on the ground... only for Rez to try to kick into a backwards roll? The mouse won't have any of that!

Still hanging onto the lion's leg, Martin naturally goes along for the ride, though he manages to use his agility to his advantage to land on his feet, arms still firmly around that leg... or more accurately, ankle. Firmly planting himself, he takes advantage of his position to roughly /twist/ that ankle to one side, refusing to let up on the pressure until something, or someone, stops him.

...Can Digimon's bones break, anyway? Do they even /have/ bones? Strange things to ponder during a spar.

     The roll and dismount do not come off cleanly due to the hanger-on pressing a close advantage; the roll is only half as effective and the result is a Leomon face down on the ground, hands planted against it, ready to stand up...until he feels his lower right leg lifted. His foot is then twisted in an uncomfortable way; Rez has no biological parts of which to target, which is what makes such a hold in a grapple rather devastating, yet it still has an effect, even if lessened. 

     Rez digs his claws into the ground and peers over at his tanto, yet the blade is just out of reach. It might seem silly that such a buff creature is partially subdued by such a simple hold. All the same, the lion pulls against the ground to try to inch closer to his blade. It may not be a serious fight, but -- wait, is it? Teeth clenched in a low growl, the feline plays tug-o-war with his leg, but to what extent? 

     "How about you let go now and save yourself the disappointment?" he taunts anyway, cocksure.

     Martin, noticing Rez's attempts to reach his tanto, decides to switch positions a bit. Without releasing his hold, he steps over the Leomon's body, placing his feet on either side of the larger combatant's torso, and pulls that leg along with him, using the extra torque to add even more pressure to the lock.

"Not... until you admit defeat..." he grunts through gritted teeth, putting all the strength he can muster into what might best be described as trying to fold his opponent in half. Surely, this would be much more excruciating on a biological creature, but so long as it's having /some/ effect, and Martin doesn't have his own sword, it's best to keep the playing field as level as possible...

     "Glk!" voices the lion and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment as he endures this sudden turn of events. Even as Martin steps all over Rez's coat in the process of not only maintaining but increasing the effectiveness of the hold on his ankle, the larger of the two seems to lose a bit of focus from the attempted force of submission. Too prideful to acknowledge this, the Bancho Leomon fumes a bit. 

     Otokodama is too far away. Besides, Martin shifted position so the angle to swing to encourage a release is gone. He needs something else. Because of the grip on his leg and the pressure maintained, it prevents him from lateral rolling or crawling forward much. There's no doubt that Martin is in a far superior position and it's not a good turn of events for the big lion. 

     Inspiration makes an appearance, though, as he tries to glare back at the mouse standing over him. The only way Martin can maintain the proper hold to do such ramping damage is if he's able to stand his own ground. A large hand grasps about to try to snag one of Martin's own feet. But why? Does he intend to try his own twist of the ankle in retaliation? That could be harmful! Maybe he wants to give that leg a good yank to the side? But, no. No. 

     Rez attempts to latch onto one of the mouse's feet so that he can attempt to snake a single claw underfoot, to tickle.

     Martin is pressing the advantage as hard as he can, leaning his full weight back so that there's no escape from the predicament Rez finds himself in. He's leaning so far back, in fact, that he's very nearly sitting on the Leomon's back, still twisting that ankle while yanking on the leg, making sure to apply damage everywhere he can.

And then he feels something on the sole of his own footpaw, and he cranes his neck to look down at what Rez is doing. "You... dirty rapscallion..." he mutters through gritted teeth, his entire body tensing up as that claw tickles at one of the most sensitive parts of his body. It's a Herculean effort to maintain his hold, but eventually he can't stop his body's involuntary reflexes from kicking in.

All it takes is just one movement of that foot. One slide to get it away from Rez's claw, and lo and behold, the mouse warrior slips on the splayed jacket beneath his foot, causing him to tumble onto the lion's back and release his leg. Quickly, he tries to roll into position to apply a sleeper hold, but with that moment's distraction, it may already be too late.

     While Rez may not succeed in eliciting a laugh from the mouse from the devious (yet playful) counter to the hold, he at least laughs enough for the both of them even as Martin rolls to the side on the lion's back to face him for a different hold altogether. This is accompanied by a roll from the Leomon, as well, in the opposite direction. 

     This, very likely, could result in a somewhat awkward face-to-face moment with an extremely amused feline peering at him with a lopsided smile. It's been a long time since he's had this much fun. Most people aren't the best trained at such close quarters combat. 

     Rez makes no motion to attack, yet, perhaps allowing Martin the chance to make a move himself. He simply chuckles there upon the ground and teases, "I know one of your weaknesses now."

     The two of them end up face-to-face almost close enough for their noses to be touching, and an awkward moment of silence follows. Clearing his throat, Martin rolls his eyes and sits up on Rez's chest, flicking the tip of the lion's snout. "Maybe. Or maybe I'll just never give you the chance to use it again. When a crack is found, fill it." he responds, his tail flicking irritatedly behind him.

He probably isn't making the situation any less awkward.

     Flicking Rez's nose is like pressing the laugh button. His mouth opens wide and he guffaws in absolute delectation while a single arm is tucked underneath his head. Nobody said the match was over, though, and, despite how relaxed the lion makes himself appear, there may yet be a bit of competitive tension there as if waiting for the right opening to act upon. 

     Therein, the lion guy rests atop his gakuran, probably giving Martin the closest looking over since his appearance, and, for the studious expression that reflects in his eyes, the mouse can probably tell that the large brawler is thinking about something non-combat related. 

     Finally, Rez observes, "I haven't met a Digimon like you before." Is this a distraction or sincere?

     Martin doesn't join in on the laugh. He's not really sure what Rez is laughing /about/, and besides, laughter hasn't come easy to him in a long time. He does notice that the lion is still rather tense, and so keeps his attention ready as he thinks about his next move.

Until Rez takes him off guard with that question, anyway. "Erm... I'm sorry, Digimon? I'm afraid I don't understand the question. I'm a mouse, hailing from a tribe in the Northlands. I doubt that means much to you, but..." he trails off, obviously confused.

     That stalk of grass still sticks out from the lion's mouth. It moves about a little as the part inside is tongued over which accompanies even more thought. Rez doesn't make a move yet. He has always seemed to have difficulty with anything outside of Digimon and Humans for classification. He's even met and fought Pokemon before which, honestly, feels as much like Digimon sparring as anything else. Non-human non-Digimon are something of a question mark in his coding that has difficulty being rewritten to a point where it makes sense. Then again, his code is pretty well-scrambled after his many years spent in captivity. 

     "Wait, are you sure you're not a Digimon?" he asks, eyes squinting a little in matched confusion.

     Martin eyes the grass stalk for a moment, wondering if Rez ever spits it out, even unintentionally. Is it glued to his mouth? However, he's even more surprised by the followup question, and just shakes his head as he jumps off of the leonine fighter. "I'm pretty certain. I don't even know what a Digimon /is/, and I'm definitely not from this world."

     A sense of darkness seems to wash over the lion's face as his joviality made confusion turns into something much darker as realization sets in. "But-!" From his experience, those from the Physical World are very fragile. Humans can barely take much of a hit at all before they go down. 

     After Martin disembarks from the Leomon, the tall guy pushes up to his feet and looks Martin over with a mortified expression that shows as a bit of anger in the way he talks. "Why didn't you say you weren't a Digimon? You could have been hurt!" It might seem almost strange in how Rez makes such a big deal out of it. With the way the World Tree works, it really isn't quite as severe as he suspects, but there is still concern. 

     Heavy footfalls, a billow of the coat, and a sway of the tail (which has a ring resting just above the tuft) marks the short journey the Bancho Leomon makes over to the boulder. "Come punch this." ...what?

     Martin recoils from the sudden angry shouting, though he can understand Rez's feelings in a strange way. Thinking someone is more capable than they are, only for them to get hurt or even killed because you put them through something they weren't ready for... yes, he can understand that.

"Er, I didn't know what a Digimon was, much less that there was a difference? Besides, injury is always a risk in sparring..." he says, though he's a bit confused again as Rez asks him to punch the boulder. Striding over to it, the mouse inspects the rock for a moment before asking, "...Why, exactly?"

     Most any Digimon would understand the need for training and while certain types of training are better than others for different Digimon, just about would know that something good to just punch for a while can help build strength. Martin doesn't have to punch anything. The question as to why confirms it all. The lion draws back an arm and gives the mouse very little time to dive out of the way; is Rez trying to punch Martin?! Yet, the Leomon doesn't give the Warrior much other choice in the matter as he begins to swing. 

     "Flash Bancho Punch~!" 

     It's almost as if the air itself gives resistance to his fist as the mighty swing extends forward. A glow envelops the lion's hand from the swift effort and, in barely more time than there is to dodge the telegraphed attack, his true target becomes clear. 

     A resounding THWACK, as before but only so much greater, comes from the impact of fist to stone. For a moment longer Rez holds that pose although nothing at all seems to happen. It was an impressive display, of course, but for all of the effort and show you'd think that something important would come to pass. There's an almost imperceptible bit of dust that shakes from the boulder, then a thin crack creeps along surface like a bolt of lightning in slow motion, only to end as the stone heaves and about one third of the total volume falls off to one side onto the ground.

     Martin instinctively ducks as Rez starts throwing that punch, though he quickly stands again as the lion's fist instead strikes the boulder. The crack, and then the falling chunk of the boulder both elicit a surprised squeak from the mouse. "Wow, I wasn't... /really/ wasn't expecting that to happen. That's some strength you've got in those fists of yours. I don't think I've ever even seen a badger do something like that..."

Holding up one of his hands before him, he gives it a good, long look before clenching it into a fist. "I guess it couldn't hurt to try? Crazier things have happened since I left my world, I suppose." he says, mostly to himself, then rears back with that fist, planting his feet firmly in the grass, and swinging the mightiest hook he can possibly muster at the rock.

He's still a mouse about half Rez's size though, and a being of flesh and blood besides. Speaking of, the punch ends up skinning his knuckles, leaving small blots of quickly darkening crimson on the stone and the warrior himself wincing in pain.

     There's no getting around the fact that Rez takes a moment to just soak up the amazement, arms crossed, smiling smugly, so he's too slow to actually react in trying to stop Martin from attempting to do the same. His arms separate and he reaches forward, but...the deed has been done. 

     Digimon can hold very special and unique relationships with those that aren't. Those have always been human before the introduction of the World Tree, and Rez's relations with humans have been strained due to the decade of confinement and abuse he was made to endure, so there's something about a non-human non-Digimon that pulls on that drive, that urge to protect and nurture, when they find injury under his watch. 

     "Here. Let me see." 

     The voice is no longer angry nor tinted with confusion or filled with boastful joy. It's spoken with fatherly concern. The lion reaches out, palm upward, to offer a gentle place to rest the hand so he can give the scrape a discerning gaze, if allowed.

     This time, it's Martin's turn to laugh. It's not a loud, boisterous sort, but rather a quieter, more reserved one as he lays his hand on Rez's palm for the lion to inspect it. "All of a sudden you're a den mother, huh? All that bravado and you're concerned over a little blood. Really, it's nothing serious. I've had much worse..." he teases with a wink and a smile.

     His experience in the past with humans was mostly awful, but there was one person to whom he was very fond of and is still thankful for her efforts in helping him be free. He recalls a time she was playing in the lab, but tripped over a shoelace and skinned her knee on some equipment. Her father was very upset because she could have damaged something, but Rez learned then that non-Digimon not only bleed when hurt, but get bruised and sore. It was a terrible mark that lasted for almost a week. 

     To the teasing question over his sympathetic care, Rez simply smiles and turns away to head toward a place where he keeps a bucket of...what seems to be water? He hefts the rather stereotypically-appearing thing, for when somebody says wooden bucket and the image that comes to mind, and walks back over to the injured mouse beside the injured boulder. 

     "Here." Putting it down, the liquid doesn't even seem to slosh much, if at all. "It's cold. Stick your hand in it for a short while." 'She' had an ice pack put on her knee, but Rez doesn't have access to ice anywhere around, nor does he have any abilities that could freeze water. "You don't want to risk losing strength for holding your sword. Or feet." 

     Sure, Martin doesn't have to if he doesn't feel like it, but the lion is just going by limited previous experience. It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt, right?

     Martin doesn't know anything of Rez's thoughts, but he shrugs and complies nonetheless. The water is indeed very cool to the touch, and small clouds of red form within it as he places his hand inside the bucket. "Well... it feels nice, at least. And it'll clean the wound, although I'll need to dry it before it can start healing properly. Really though, it's not as bad as you might think." he continues to reassure the Leomon.

     Rez watches the details unfold with a sense of curiosity. He looks relieved to hear that it feels nice, at the very least. "It was still very brave of you to try." There's a pause. "Perhaps you simply need more practice." A single eyebrow lifts after this as if seeing if it sounds as funny as he hopes. 

     "How about...we stick to you punching me. I'm a little bit softer! Ha ha ha ha ha." He emphasizes this by patting his tummy where the athletic tape winds about his midsection as if it were a target. While Rez now understands that Martin has limitations that he doesn't, he might still yet underestimate the prowess of the mouse for when round two begins. That's one major advantage Martin yet holds in his favor, at the very least.

     "Yeah, maybe. I doubt I'll make much progress on that front, though." Martin says with a chuckle, then gives Rez a small, friendly punch on the arm. "By the way, I see you've got some on your belly, but do you have any extra bandages laying around? We'll need to keep it clean and dry while it's healing."

     The Bancho Leomon knows almost nothing about first aid. As such, he's not sure which items or things would best suit recovery. Because of this, Rez seems to stare blankly for a moment, perhaps a moment too long, while pondering what to do. At length, he decides to do something that is...unorthodox, but not impossible. He reaches his right hand over to his left and begins to unwind some of the tape that's there. 

     He doesn't bleed. He doesn't even seem all that dirty after a roll about on the ground. The broad strip is really too long for the application needed, but he holds it up anyway. "Do you, uh, want me to do it?" There's some hesitation there, but he wouldn't offer if he didn't mean it. Rez isn't one to lie about much of anything at all.

     Martin has picked up somewhat on the fact that Rez isn't used to this sort of thing, yes. In fact, when he sees the Leomon unraveling some of his tape, he chuckles and says, "That's a bit much, but... well, it'll have to do, won't it?" At least it seems clean. "Maybe it'll be good experience for you. You know, for next time."