ooc; spar thread, [M] for violence and possible language, spectators allowed if they don't get in the way

He had chosen a particularly high rolling hill as their battleground because, why not make things interesting? The knoll was plenty large enough for the both of them, with just enough room for a tight, oblong battle arena. He took position on one side, his defenses falling into line instinctively despite the large length of time that had passed since his last battle. His shoulders rolled forward whilst his neck fell into line with his spine. Paws and claws took root upon the earth in a slightly wider stance than he would normally hold on a normal day. His tail flagged out behind him proudly, waving gently in the breeze. He allowed his ears to fall back against his skull as a howl ripped from his lungs. He would call her forth with a medley of battle, his head falling back down smoothly when he was through. The tip of his tail twitched anxiously, hoping she was nearby and would respond to him at once. He was in the mood for a little action. "SPEAK"

It was only partially surprising when Kyarst called her to battle. They had fought once before, when she had been regaining her strength as a young girl, and he had beaten her quite easily. Still, the thrill of battle had been exhilarating and the possibility of feeling such raw adrenaline again was quite tempting. With ease, Lysis would move toward her half-brother's call, feeling overcome with giddiness suddenly. Though the woman had never been fully convinced she wanted to be a fighter, it seemed to be a better idea with each season that passed. Their father had been a fighter, and what other purpose could she serve a pack? Though she was small, she was agile, and could certainly use her slight build to her favor. A sweet smile would decorate her features as she made her way up one of the large hills, her tongue lolling from her jowls as she panted softly. The summer was still stupidly hot, though perhaps after they fought they could refresh themselves in the lake nearby? "Itching to taste my blood, brother?" came her playful greeting, her eyes alight with amusement as she drew close to him. "And don't say ladies first. You called me, so you get the first move." A teasing smirk would light up her expression as she backed away from her, mirroring his defenses quickly as she shifted her weight to all fours as she crouched down directly in front of him. Her tail would flick behind her before curling slightly behind her, nearly even with her back, feeling suddenly just as anxious to practice fighting with him.

He remembered the last time they had fought. She had been a sickly thing then, and he'd beaten her with relative ease. He knew better than to underestimate her this time, for she had grown strong and undeniably fiery in the past few years. A smile creased his features as he saw her coming, ascending up the knoll panting as he was. 'Itching to taste my blood, brother?' He let loose a chuckle as he retained his defenses. His head remained in line with his spine whilst his paws were spread just a few inches wider than they normally would be. His ears had already fallen back against his skull, though he relaxed them slightly as she spoke. 'And don't say ladies first. You called me, so you get the first move.' He allowed the breath inside him to slip through slightly gapped teeth, his shoulders rolling a bit more forward than before. "I wouldn't dream of giving you the first move," he hissed, though there was a lightheartedness to his tone. His tail flagged upward and out in an instant. It was all the warning she would get before his paws dug into the earth and he propelled himself forward directly in line with her. This wasn't a surprise attack, for she knew he would be launching his move first - so he didn't bother being crafty or artsy in his method. A growl ripped from his throat as he placed more of his weight on his right front paw than his left, utilizing this shift in weight to allow his left front paw to reach forward and attempt a sideways swipe from the outside of her right front leg inward, toward her center of gravity. At the same time, his head would snake to the right, chin twisting toward the inside of her body as he aimed a bite to the thick fur and fat that clung around the left side of her neck. This being a spar, his intent would merely be to take a firm hold - not to inflict serious damage upon his half-sister. "SPEAK"

Though she craved his gentle touch at times, she was far more familiar with the fiery sort of relationship they shared. Fighting him -- though she knew it would ultimately be a friend spar -- was thrilling to the core, and she found her body begin to wiggle as she readied herself for the assault. Lysis was far stronger now and wouldn't be beat as easily as she had been once before. 'I wouldn't dream of giving you the first move,' he'd spit at her and she found herself smirking in return. Her gaze swept over his form, aiming to settle into a defensive position as soon as she saw his limbs shift and a muscle begin to move ever-so-slightly beneath his dark coat. Not wanting to be caught off balance, she would shift her own position, lowering her body slightly with her legs bent at a slight angle, her center of gravity aligning with the middle of her back as her legs and her toes stretched to dig into the soil for traction. Her own tail would unfurl where it lay curled at her hocks, aligning with her spine as she dipped her head low, eyes narrowing as she zeroed in on him.  The girl's normally sweet expression would harden substantially as her ears pulled back against the top of her head, eyes narrowing. It wasn't surprising that he ran straight for her, instantly aiming to swipe at her front right leg. The pressure, though it didn't come at a surprise, was a bit more than she had anticipated -- perhaps she had forgotten that he had grown significantly since their last fight, but the pressure of his limb sent her stumbling ever-so-slightly to the left, but she would try to regain her balance as she felt his parted jaws colliding with the left side of her neck. Though firm, the bite was not meant to harm and would merely seek to hold her tight by the scruff of her neck. A delicate bruise would spread over her flesh, a soreness that would likely fade by the end of the day. Adrenaline flooded the small girl's frame as she felt the slight pain ebb through her neck. A snarl of her own would rip through her throat as she aimed to part her own jaws, wanting to snap them at the side of his chest, the slightly sensitive spot where Kyart's chest met his side. Though she wasn't intending to hurt -- not much, at least -- the force in her attempted bite was strong enough to hope to grab hold of his flesh and perhaps cause a fair bit of pain if possible. Round 1 / 2 for regular spar

As he moved his ears tucked back defensively - he loved her but he wouldn't put it past his own idiocy for one of his ears to miraculously get torn off during even the simplest of spars. He wasn't the most delicate of beings. His tail flagged out behind him, working as a rudder to contain his momentum and drive it forward and straight at her. Claws dug into the earth for traction as he narrowed the gap to nothing between them. He found his paw meeting its mark, though with less intensity than he'd perhaps hoped. It struck, nevertheless, and sent her stumbling. He grabbed hold of her neck and intended to keep it, planting his previously raised paw back onto the earth. He wouldn't dare loose his hold on her neck once he had it. No, she would have to wrench herself free if she wanted it to be so. Instead, he would retain his firm but gentle hold on her flesh while aiming to move forward and butt his chest against her own hard enough to jar her or make her stumble. As he moved to do this he felt her fangs sink into a sensitive portion of his flesh near where his side met his chest. Her bite landed further along his side than chest due to his forward motion, but it was certainly enough to make him wince. He could feel a burning sensation in the area where she'd gotten a hold and he knew that blood was rising to the surface of the area and soon a bruise would form there. Great. He growled through the pain, his eyes narrowing to slits while he bent his legs slightly and hoped he might push her back an inch or two if his chest collided with hers. Round 2/2 for SPAR

His strength was undeniable as he collided with her, keeping his hold on her neck with more force than she had expected. Still she struggled to maintain her own bite that she'd placed on the right side of his neck. Her tail remained lashed out behind her while she aimed to keep her paws spread, her toes digging into the earth for traction. He pushed forward, intending to make her lose her balance and again she would temporarily, feeling his bite deepen into more of an actual bite than just a hold; was that blood she felt, trickling down her fur? The pressure of his body against her own sent her stumbling backwards slightly. She felt her eyes narrowing as she finally moved to release her hold on the skin of his chest. Instead, she would aim to duck her head a bit lower. Her jaws unhinged as she tried to lower her skull, wanting to grasp at the upper section of his right foreleg, If successful, she hoped the bite would knock him off balance, but his steadily tightening bite on her neck made it difficult to tug her head much lower and she felt the soreness begin to ebb through her body as a light trickle of blood stained her white coat. Round 2 / 2 for regular spar

KYARST vs LYSIS for SPAR ROUND ONE KYARST: 7 for clarity:   -1 “...his head would snake to the right...” Whose right? -1 Where is he trying to strike on her foreleg? -1 Where exactly on her neck is he trying to bite? 9 for powerplaying. -1 “he propelled himself forward directly in line with her” Movements towards your opponent need to be attempted 6 for defenses. +1 for each seen (Those listed before the official start of the fight don't count) 5 for attack. +1 for leg swipe +4 for bite/grip 10 for injuries. First round. Kyarst's round one total: 37/50 LYSIS: 5 for clarity: -1 Where on her foreleg did Kyarst's paw land? -1 Where exactly on her neck is Kyarst biting? You said scruff, but where exactly? It's a fairly large area. -1 “...the slightly sensitive spot where Kyarst's chest met his side.” I feel this is a bit vague. Is her intended bite more towards his shoulder? His jawline? -1 Which side is Lysis trying to bite into? -1 “...her stumbling ever-so-slightly to the left..” Whose left? 10 for powerplaying. None seen. 8 for defenses. +1 for each seen 4 for attack. +4 for bite/grip 10 for injuries. First round. Lysis' round one total: 37/50 ROUND TWO KYARST: 6 for clarity: -1 “...aiming to move forward and butt his chest against her own” What part of his chest is he hoping to use and what part of her chest is he hoping to strike? -1 Where exactly did Lysis' bite land? 8 for powerplaying. -2 “Instead, he would retain his firm but gentle hold...” You need to attempt to maintain a hold. 5 for defenses. +1 for each seen 5 for attack. +4 for bite/grip +1 for chest bump 9 for injuries. -1 moderate bruising (severity assigned by judge) Kyarst's round two total: 33/50 LYSIS: 8 for clarity:   -1 In your first paragraph you state that Lysis bit into Kyarst's neck but in your second paragraph you have her release her grip on his chest -1 “The pressure of his body against her own...” Where did his shove land? 9 for powerplaying. -1 You mention more than once that Kyarst's grip is tightening, but there's no mention of that in his previous post 5 for defenses. +1 for each seen 3 for attack. +3 for bite 7 for injuries. -1 for moderate bruising -2 for minor puncture wounds Lysis' round two total: 32/50 Totals: Kyarst: 70/100 Lysis: 69/100 And the winner is... KYARST! Lysis must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: KYARST: Moderate bruising – 3 OOC days to heal LYSIS   Moderate bruising – 3 OOC days to heal Minor puncture wounds – 1 OOC week to heal Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): For Andy: You lost a lot of easy points by not listing ten defenses. If you draw a blank when thinking of defenses it doesn't hurt to go back through old fights to get ideas. Also, remember to specify left/right/front/back in your attacks and where your character is trying to strike. For Nyx: Same as Andy, a few more defenses would have brought your score up. You lost the most points in clarity, but they were all easy fixes so don't be discouraged! Just remember to elaborate a bit more on attacks/hits and you'll be golden. For both: Good fight, guys! You both did well and it was a clear and easy judging. Something to consider: try experimenting with multiple attacks. A solid combo would add to the complexity of your fight and double your attack scores. - By [Lazuli]

It was hot, ungodly hot, and he found himself panting as he held firm upon her neck. Her fur began to mat and mingle with his saliva, and he began to wonder why he'd chosen a neck hold in the first place. Oh yes, because it was a very good attack. He felt her move for his forepaw, and he fought to retain his grip without seriously harming her. His tight grip prevented her, it seemed, from bending far enough to truly grab hold of him, and so her fangs merely glanced off of his limb leaving very mild scratches behind. He chuckled, though it was muffled, and allowed his grip to slacken as he drew himself away from her - panting harder now than before. "That's enough, sweet sister. I believe I made my point," he smirked smugly as he eyed her, still feeling undeniably protective in the event that she wasn't through fighting him. He ached, but it was nothing he couldn't deal with - in fact, it felt good to feel a bit of pain. His tongue lashed across his lips like a jungle cat as he tasted her blood, a satisfied shimmer in his eyes. "Shall we get a drink?"

There was no doubt that Kyarst possessed more brute strength than she did, but she knew that was not always enough to win. Lysis was slimmer and more graceful - but it seemed those qualities were not working in her favor today. His grip on her neck was strong and she'd relax her posture in a silent show of submission as she arched her head toward the ground. The fight, though friendly, had taken quite a toll on her. Panting, she gazed a Kyarst as he pulled away from her.  "Indeed you have," she'd retort sharply, though despite the thin veil of annoyance she wore, amusement flickered in her eyes. Was it really surprising she'd been beaten by her half-brother? No -- but that wouldn't stop her from trying anyway. She'd move away from him slightly, lifting her shoulders and trying to stretch away the pain she felt ebbing in her neck. Though the bite hadn't been bad, blood had stained her fur quickly and the injury looked far worse than it felt.  "You can have a drink," she'd comment with a smirk, turning to head toward the lake.  "I'm having a bath."

The bird winged high above them, having lost track of her cobalt companion in her travels. When she found him she fluttered downward, just as the two were unlocking the holds they had upon each other. "Did that one hurt this one?" she crooned, alighting upon Kyarst's shoulder and blending in with his dark coat. Beady eyes glared at the female, having not met her before - or else not having remembered it. She continued to glare with an accusatory glean in her eyes, noting that the woman seemed more hurt than her companion did. "We're fine, Bryn." he commented with finality, twisting to align himself with his sister's side. "I think I'll join you for that bath," he drawled in Lysis' ear, the smugness still evident in both his voice and posture. "This is Bryn, by the way." he commented whilst gesturing toward his shoulder with his muzzle. "Fly ahead of us and lead us to the lake, Bryn." She wasn't so annoying when she had something to do. With a huff the grackle released her grip on his shoulder and rose into the air, winging above and beyond them both. One green eye remained on Lysis as he paced alongside her, neither in a hurry or delay. "Kyarst talks," "Bryn talks,"