You Make Me Burn || Anthony Lockwood X NB!OC

Chapter four: Floating Joe and Lady Esmerelda

The straw dummies never stood a chance against them, their beady eyes may have given a child nightmares but their padded bodies were easily ripped through by their blade. Of course they wouldn't do that, just settled with smacks and faux stabs, George would yell at them if they pierced their potato sack bodies once again after having him fix them almost once a week the other month.

Their rapier jabbed at the air in front of floating joe, the dummy that hung from the ceiling of the basement slash training room. The house was quite quiet; Lucy was in her room getting settled in, George was probably in his room tinkering with an old artifact or the ghost jar or even some other source and Lockwood was... somewhere doing... something. They didn't notice the green glow from the desk nor did they notice the footsteps descending the stairs.

"so... lucy..." The man of the hour broke their focus, Their twirling and stabbing coming to a halt as they heard his voice.

"what about her?"

"how do you feel about her?" lockwood moved from his leaning against the bottom of the stairs, slowly stepping towards them.

"she seems nice. She's obviously been through something but not my place. You know how my life was." They look back over their shoulder before turning and engaging in the conversation properly.

"mmm" he hums in acknowledgement "she seems a bit..."

"a bit what?"

"I don't know... there's just something about her."

"she's a girl?"

"what! no!"

"Not gonna out number me now. Got someone on my side to help win those bets." they chuckle "Queen and queer against the whiney little boys."

"you don't need help winning bets." He chuckles "I must owe you a grand by now"

"hmmm. And when am I getting that?"

"when you can beat me at this" he grabs a rapier

"ooooo Locky stepping up." they mock

"come on you know you want to" he smirks at them, adjusting his tie so it can comfortably hold his inflated ego.

"hmmm." They hum in amusement "do I though?"

"you do."

They chuckle before quickly swinging for his ankles. He dodges and grins at them

"oi! Play fair." He steps back into the game

"what? Come on. You started it," they mock glare at him taking a step to the right "giving me that smirk." They shake their head watching as he mirrors their steps "that should be illegal. Its distracting." They circle each other

"do I distract you, stray?"

"hmm? I said nothing of the sort, AJ."

They both swing at each other at the same time. The sounds of metal hitting metal crashing through the room. The two step closer to each other, rapiers still held against the other.

"you're cute when you lie, Meelis."

"you're cute when you lose, Lockwood" they turn and take a step away, him automatically following their lead. They turn on their heel once again to face him, still taking steps backwards, swinging the weapon around on their right side. Lockwood takes another swing at them. They deflect. They both knew each other's moves like the back of their hand so as one attacked the other parried. As one parried the other turned and attempted to attack again. Lockwood was always an offensive swordsman, Meelis knew this. So as he attacked they defended until an opening arose. Sweat adorned their forehead as the opportunity opened, his stance was off, his right side left open as he drew the rapier back. They wiped the sweat from their brow and took the chance in one smooth swoop. They tapped his rips lightly, his tie moving with the slight breeze it created. In that move they had made it behind him, now changing the game. He too was sweating, though a smirk adorned his face as he lazily turned to them once again, forgetting how close to the back wall he was. A cascade of metal striking and panting erupted around the room as they continued. The sunlight filtered through the window, splashing through the droplets on their face as they spun and parried and lunged at each other. Lockwood stumbled back, further and further. Meelis was fast, Lockwood had an ego to lug around with him. They could always lose, sure. Let him keep his grin and money. But as they said, Lockwood looked cute when he lost.