Vanta had been chasing the trail of the thieving rogue so long, that she'd almost forgotten what she had planned to do once she found him. Chances were that the man would refuse to simply give back her beloved bracers, and if that was the case, Vanta would have no other choice but to fight for them in true Fatalis fashion.  It had been a while though - a long while - since she'd had any practice at all on anything that wasn't a lowly prey animal or a hot headed predator. To guarantee her the win, Vanta needed a refresher.

Stepping up to find a clear space among the bloodstained grass, the woman sent out her challenge in the form of a powerful howl. She was seeking a skilled opponent - one who wouldn't be offended when they inevitably got their ass handed to them by a girl.

"Speech"

Luckily for Vanta Flurry was pretty damn used to getting her ass handed to her, and she even tended to enjoy it when a pretty girl was the one doing it. There was still a lot swirling through the young woman's mind but she knew she had to return home, maybe a good old fashioned fight would help to get out some of her feelings. The damn cat had followed her somehow and now it trotted happily after her, bushy tail raised and somehow looking very proud of itself. Flurry supposed she ought to figure out a name for the thing... Or ask it for its name? She wasn't sure, the cat had yet to speak to her but she wasn't sure if that was because it couldn't or because it simply hadn't. Didn't matter, it was here now and seemed happy to follow Flurry onto the blood soaked grounds in response to the call. Hopefully she wasn't too late. Didn't look like it. Flurry let an easy smile slide along her face as she approached the young woman standing alone, almost defiant, on the battlefield. No pack scent, that was bold! "Don't know if you know this but unless your eager to get snatched up I'd really not recommend anyone without a pack linger here too long, someone might take it as an invitation." She let that hang in the air for a moment before she shrugged and continued: "Not me though, I have the authority to do so but honestly I prefer a good fun low stakes fight, especially against a pretty lady." She tossed the unknown woman a wink. "Assuming it was you who called for one." Flurry took a moment to observe the woman closer, she really was pretty. Sure Flurry tended to find most women pretty but could you really blame her? She liked to consider herself someone who could notice the unique qualities they all brought to the aesthetic table. Flurry probably did not look ready for a fight, her stance was casual, she was observing her potential opponent sure but she wasn't exactly readying for an attack. It was a risk she was willing to make, what Flurry needed more than anything right now was just something fun, casual, maybe to even get to flirt a little. Maybe she was just trying to manifest that. Flurry vs Vântoase for spar Round 0/? Age: 1+ Size: Extra large Build: Light Companion 1: Maine Coon, Female - Battle Mutation 1: Water Deer Fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Pronghorn horns - Offensive Skills: Beginner Intellectual & Advanced Fighter "Speech"

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A challenger approached, one who was gracious enough to warn Vanta of the rules of this land as if she had not grown up directly alongside it. She gave the girl a grin, tail raising high over her back as she took a single step forward. Imperceptibly her nostrils flared, taking in the stranger's scent. It was oddly familiar, yet not. Like stumbling over a species of deer you didn't often hunt.

"Let them try." She dared. The stranger had not-so-subtly laid bare her status and rank, and while Vanta cared little for such formalities, the knowledge made her grin. If only her opponent knew that this 'pretty lady' before her was a Fatalis - daughter to one of the most successful fighters in this land. Vanta was no mouse to be caught, nor a random loner who would be easily claimed.

She adjusted her stance, crossing one forelimb over the other as she moved to slowly strafe. Sizing up the stranger just as she was also being observed. "I hope you don't mind if we skip the introductions for now." She offered. "I'd much rather earn your name then have it just handed to me." Waiting to ensure her opponent was ready and the fight would be on fair terms, Vanta readied her defenses, gave a long pause, and initiated. Her first move would be a simple one - to bring herself in nice and close, where her teeth might be able to tickle the fur along the other girl's jaw. No harm in starting off slow.

Vântoase vs Flurry for Spar
Round 1/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Hidden crystalline blade
Defensive Battle Accessory: Black leather bracers
Companion 1: Channel-billed toucan, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Bush Viper, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Thicker crystalline fur - Defensive
Skills: Expert Fighter & Expert Hunter

"Speech"

Oh? Flurry quirked an eyebrow as the other woman spoke. She'd been right, it seemed her opponent was pretty damn bold. Was there something else there Flurry had missed? Yes, an undertone of something she'd smelt before... Where? But that thought was banished from her mind as the woman asked to skip the formalities, for now. Flurry grinned, worked for her! And what a proper lady she'd found too, her opponent even waiting until she'd readied herself for what was to come. How could she say to someone being so polite? Flurry allowed herself to drop into a defensive posture, her tail hovering in line with her spine, knees bending, toes splaying, head lowering to cover her throat and without even thinking about it, her fangs shifted into a more forward alignment. Flurry braced for a collision, expecting the bigger woman to slam into her. Years of scraping with her siblings had prepared her for wolves of a superior size to use that to their advantage. It had really only been her bastard brother Rexx who'd been of a size with her. That was not however what happened, as her unnamed opponent dashed in close instead she nibbled along Flurry's jaw. Flurry's eyes widened, and then she grinned. "At least take me out to dinner first." She teased softly, reaching to try and playfully tug on the other woman's closest ear. At the same time she tried to snake a fore paw around one of her opponent's fore paws and pull it out from under her, though she had no intention of ripping the other woman's ear, she'd let go if her opponent did start to fall or stumble. Flurry vs Vântoase for spar Round 1/2 Age: 1+ Size: Extra large Build: Light Companion 1: Maine Coon, Female - Battle Mutation 1: Water Deer Fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Pronghorn horns - Offensive Skills: Beginner Intellectual & Advanced Fighter "Speech"

Art by Perencreste

As Flurry reached to snag her ear, Vanta's agility came into play. She allowed just a moment's contact before deftly pulling her head back, evading a firm grip. Flurry's teeth grazed the skin, only teasing. Her grin widened, tail lashing playfully behind her.

As she felt Flurry's paw snake around hers, she could guess what was coming. It was a move her father used often enough. Her opponent was quicker then the aging Warlord, but Vanta was prepared.

"Dinner? Well, then." Vanta quipped, her voice playful. "Let this be the appetizer."

She shifted her weight, attempting to counteract the pull with a gentle but firm shove into Flurry's shoulder. If she wanted to destabilize Vanta, then her entire weight would go into bringing Flurry down with her.


Vântoase vs Flurry for Spar
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Hidden crystalline blade
Defensive Battle Accessory: Black leather bracers
Companion 1: Channel-billed toucan, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Bush Viper, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Thicker crystalline fur - Defensive
Skills: Expert Fighter & Expert Hunter

"Speech"

Flurry's attempted tug fell just short but she wasn't too upset about it. The other woman was a little too captivating for her to feel much of anything but enjoyment. Dinner eh? Her brows shot up and as she was trying to come up with a comeback when Flurry found her own balance being challenged. "Whoa!" She scrambled to keep her paws under her though she also did her best to keep the other woman's limb tucked close, maybe to her own detriment as she found her tripod stance harder to maintain than her usual one. As her weight was pulled towards the other woman she decided falling onto her wouldn't be the end of the world, hey maybe she could even consider it pinning her. Not quite like the control she'd had when she'd sat on her younger sister but hey she wouldn't complain if she ended up on top of a pretty lady. "Well then, enjoy." She grinned and then Flurry let herself fall towards the other woman. Flurry vs Vântoase for spar Round 2/2 Age: 1+ Size: Extra large Build: Light Companion 1: Maine Coon, Female - Battle Mutation 1: Water Deer Fangs - Offensive Mutation 2: Pronghorn horns - Offensive Skills: Beginner Intellectual & Advanced Fighter "Speech"

Art by Perencreste

And the winner is...

Vântoase

Flurry must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Flurry: Attack Roll: 44 Defense Roll: 63 Agility Roll: 42 Perception Roll: 68 Total: 217 Attack[44] + 25% Bonus[11.00]: 55.00 Defense[63] + 5% Bonus[3.15]: 66.15 Agility[42] + 5% Bonus[2.10]: 44.10 Perception[68] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 68.00 Total[233.25] + 15% Bonus[34.99]: 268.24 Vântoase: Attack Roll: 68 Defense Roll: 89 Agility Roll: 72 Perception Roll: 75 Total: 304 Attack[68] + 70% Bonus[47.60]: 115.60 Defense[89] + 20% Bonus[17.80]: 106.80 Agility[72] + 5% Bonus[3.60]: 75.60 Perception[75] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 75.00 Total[373.00] + 20% Bonus[74.60]: 447.60

It probably should have been obvious that her own weight wouldn't have won in this match up, with both young women pushing against the other Flurry was the one who was destined to give, and give she did. Her paws slipping out from under her and then she was on her back the ground having slammed into her spine but that was the least of her worries as the bigger woman was now on her. "Guess I should yield." She said laughing. "Don't think I stand much chance against you. Not too used to being the one under a woman, not that I'm complaining." That wasn't entirely true was it? The purple girl hadn't been nearly as big but she'd- Oh. That was what had been nagging at the back of Flurry's mind. "Or maybe I'm just weak for you Fatalis girls." She was guessing, Flurry supposed it was possible that there were branches of that family that didn't use that name, or maybe she was totally wrong but she was pretty sure the familial scent was there, hard to pick out though. Well did that make things awkward? Flurry had promised the warlord that if she had any say the hostilities would never get as bad as they had been in the past. But she didn't have a say, not really. Flurry knew that. Her father had the say and Flurry had every reason to assume he would disregard her... He had been the one to keep his own harassment of the speckled woman hidden from her. He didn't trust her and was minimizing his own crimes, to what end? Well, Flurry had an idea. Maybe she shouldn't be flirting so openly with a young woman so directly tied to a pack her father seemed determined to hate but fuck she just wanted things to be fun again! Maybe Deluge had had the right of it. It was past time she get back home and figure out if she mattered enough for anything to change or if she was about to run off to chase down a Fatalis of her own. Assuming any of the girls were actually even interested. "Speech"

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Vanta eased off Flurry, a flicker of confusion crossing her features as she processed her opponent's words. The mention of 'Fatalis girls' caught her off guard - how did this stranger know of her lineage when they hadn't even exchanged names?

"That obvious, huh?" She supposed it was an inevitability, the Fatalis lineage was indeed widespread and... notorious, but Vanta had always preferred to be recognized for her own merits and not merely as a product of her bloodline. Moreso, she did not like being at an informational disadvantage. This stranger clearly knew who she was, but Vanta was left in the dark. Her tail flicked, betraying her unease.

"Perhaps it's time for us to drop the mystery." She suggested. Despite her confusion, Vanta's tone remained friendly, albeit tinged with a newfound caution. "I'm Vanta. And you are?"

"Speech"

Flurry hid her disappointment as her opponent eased off her. "Not really, it was only when you pinned me that I figured out what about your scent was familiar. The only other woman who's ever done that was a pretty purple girl from the Armada when they raided us, about our age." Flurry hadn't gotten her name unfortunately. As she spoke she picked herself up off the ground, stretching herself to test just how badly she'd fallen. Her back hurt but nothing that she couldn't just walk off. She grinned as the other woman suggested they drop the mystery now. Vanta... What a pretty name. "Flurry Fallen, currently scion for Raiders Hollow, formerly known as 'the pirates.' Who knows how long that'll be true for." Flurry failed to keep a tinge of bitterness from her voice. "Oh, don't worry though I'm not interested in stirring up shit between us and your family. My family does a terrible enough job of that all on their own." This time she didn't even try to hide the bitterness in her tone, but she shook her head and was all smiles again a moment later. "I'd much rather flirt with pretty women as they hand my ass back to me on a silver platter, much more fun in my opinion." Flurry tossed Vanta a wink. She didn't want to think about all the shit her family was involved in right now. "Speech"

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Vanta wasn't sure what to think, though she somehow managed to keep the cordial smile upon her lips while she considered the implications of Flurry's words. This, right here in front of her, was a pirate. Well, a raider, but a new name did not (in Vanta's opinion) remove the negativity that went along with the group. She couldn't help but feel a surge of instinctual wariness bubble forth.

"You're supposed to be attack-on-sight." She wasn't sure why she was volunteering this information, but out her mouth the words came anyways. "We're enemies. Not the 'I mildly disapprove of your actions' kind, but the 'legends and bedtime stories warn of our family's feud' kind." This wasn't just an adversary; this was a living embodiment of every cautionary tale she'd heard growing up. At least, that was the case the last time Vanta had been home. The irony of this peaceful, even flirtatious interaction was not lost on her. Was this what a pirate was now? What else had changed while she'd been gone?

As Flurry picked herself up from the dirt, Vanta busied herself with a fluid, almost feline stretch. Her tail curved over her back in a proud, lofty arc, her forepaws lifting slightly off the ground as she relished the satisfying burn that coursed through her muscles. As she indulged, Vanta's head and neck made slow, deliberate turns -  first to the left, then to the right. The movement served a dual purpose: first as a much needed release of tension, and second as a discreet sweep of their environment. The Armada was a stones throw from here, and the last thing Vanta needed was her father to stumble upon his recently-disappeared daughter and find her here, conversing pleasantly with a pirate.

With their surroundings assuredly empty, Vanta allowed the rest of her lithe form to fold and smoothly follow the front, settling on her right hip and kicking out her rear paws comfortably out to the side. Propping herself up slightly on one elbow, she fixed Flurry with a gaze now imbued with a playful yet cautious shimmer. "As for flirting with pretty ladies." Her voice dipped low, picking up the other girl's flirtatious cadence with ease. "One could argue it to be it's own form of shit stirring, don't you think?"

"Speech"

Flurry nodded slowly as Vanta spoke of them; her, her family and pack mates, were supposed to be attack on sight. This wasn't surprising to her at all, and she basically didn't even try to hide the regret that she felt. "I'm not surprised but for what it's worth, my worst nightmares are haunted by one of you. Just the one, but hey when you watch someone kick your sister when you're that young, I'd hazard a guess that tends to stick with you." Flurry tried to keep her tone light, she wasn't totally lying. In her worst nightmares, in the moments where she worried about her family the face of their destruction was very familiar, a face she had a name for finally. "In all honesty that's part of why I'm out here. I wanted to ask about the other side of the story. Talked to the Warlord, and far as I can tell we're both in agreement we'd rather this end before things go too far, unfortunately I lack the pull he seems to have." Who knew what power she might have at all once she spoke with her father. Maybe she'd be back out here tomorrow, looking for a place to go. Flurry hoped not, she was doing all this to just try and protect her family, her younger siblings. But she also wasn't fooling herself into thinking her dad would be happy. Still she wasn't about to get into that, right here and now, so instead she shrugged and brushed it off with a slightly self-deprecating comment. Flurry couldn't help herself, she found her gaze wandering over the other young woman as she stretched. Though her own body was slowly starting to tell her where she would be sore in only a few hours she was much more interested in the shapes of the other woman's form. It was almost like she was being taunted. Realizing she was staring Flurry's eyes flew away off into the sky and she felt heat flooding her own face. Though she didn't quite know it yet, the real problem was that she was so much like her father, she came by her tastes honestly. She just lacked the experience he had. As Vanta's voice reached her again Flurry slowly let her gaze slide back towards the other woman, a lopsided grin pulling at her lips. The bigger woman had laid herself out and Flurry found herself lowering onto her own stomach. "Oh no doubt, but there are... Ways of going about it, y'know?" The bitching of her sister constantly bringing up getting stabbed came to mind and made a soft chuckle bubble forth. "For instance agreeing to 'kidnap' a young man even at his own request seems ill-conceived. Liable to get you stabbed in the leg." Flurry gave a wink, unsure if Vanta had heard about that little misstep. She still did not know how she was related to the young "victim" Dread had tried to make of himself. "My style is a lot more subtle, what fun is there in immediately moving in together? Where's all the 'will they/won't they'? Where is all the tension, the running into each other at perfect and also inopportune times? The lingering gazes and not wanting to let go?" Flurry decided to let herself look at Vanta openly this time, running her gaze over the tan and turquoise woman. She let herself linger on the toned shapes of her limbs and then the oddly textured bright parts of Vanta's coat. Tilting her head to the side she scooted towards Vanta slightly. "Got a siblings with whole crystal spurs growing out of his back like spikes but I've never seen anything quite like you." Okay so technically Rexx had gotten them from their father but she didn't want to talk about either of them much, but Rexx seemed a safer alternative right now. Flurry tried to figure out exactly what she was looking at, as much as she wanted to reach out and touch what appeared to be a hardened part of the other woman's fur she wouldn't do so, not without being told she could. Flirting didn't give her permission to touch someone who was virtually a stranger. "Never seen anyone quite as stunning." "Speech"

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