Mochi wasn't sure how to process her mother's absence. Keeping mostly to herself as it was, it wasn't a huge change for her siblings to struggle to track her down. Now she found herself driven into the open, small critters and insects seeking warmth from their frozen surrounds among the pelts that lined her den.

The girl scowled as she dragged the bedding out to throw over the makeshift frame. Usually it would be used for tanning hides, but now she used it to air the furs, while she beat at them with a length of bamboo to chase the little invaders off. Her owl and fox were having a field day with the easy pickings, while the yearling paused to try and scratch some of the bugs from her own fur. Perhaps she would need to seek a remedy from Fuji, if the bracing cold wasn't going to be enough to freeze them off.

"speech"

Mochi looked like her Mother the most. Hattori did not like that fact, even if reasonably speaking he knew he couldn't blame the girl for that. He moved with impatient strides, not in a particularly sour mood but not in high spirits. He just was, eternally and forever, always frowning. The bugs were indeed a problem, but Hattori had something else in mind. His children were no longer pups, as far as he was concerned he would test their fighting skills one by one if need be.

It was Mochi's turn.

"Spar with me." He said in place of a greeting.

Mochi might have taken after her mother in appearance, but she had inherited her father's habit of frowning. Lifting her chin ever so slightly in defiance and narrowing her eyes, the girl barely managed to keep a wrinkle from her snout, the expression bordering on a sneer. She exhaled sharply, rolling her eyes as she grabbed another fur and dragged it into the elements, insects scattering. She couldn't keep the revulsion from her face at their flight. "Nande?" She asked flatly, knowing it was far from a tone that one should take with their father, but why should Mochi care?

Still, she spread her front paws ever so slightly for balance as she moved to grab the blanket. She prepared to swing it over the frame with the others, only keeping half an eye on her dark pelted progenitor as she worked.

"speech"

Hattori's eyes narrowed into thin, judgemental slits. He had been her age once, moody and pensive as teenagers tended to be, but he had never once dared to speak to an elder like that, least of all his own sire. He had no idea where she had gotten such an attitude, but it simply would not be tolerated. Hattori would have been beaten, she was fortunate he was so lenient. His stare was cold, his displeasure making itself known in the sneer on his muzzle, whiskers twitching.

And yet he said nothing, he had not made a request. It was an order, and he was intent on insisting if need be.

Barging forward, Hattori slammed into Mochi, did not pull his punches as he ought to. As if he'd forgotten that she was his daughter, not the woman he felt betrayed by.

Hanzō vs Mochi for dominance
Round 1/2
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Tanto
Defensive Battle Accessory: Shinobi cuirass
Companion 1: Asian Golden Cat, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Mountain hawk-eagle, Male - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Akita, Male - Battle - Boosted
Mutation 1: Enhanced vision - Perception
Mutation 2: Antelope horns - Offensive
Mutation 3: Reinforced bones - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

Mochi's teeth made it to the fur before her father moved and she grunted as his body slammed into hers. She did her best to hold her ground, swinging the blanket like a (harmless) weapon as a growl ripped from her chest. She didn't ask for this. Why was she suddenly being tested? Right now, when she was in the middle of something else? Anger boiled in her belly, anger that her mother had left, that her siblings seemed to be coping just fine with her absence and her father... had he even cared? Choice or not, she didn't need to be okay with it, or was she just supposed to bottle it up and let it eat her from the inside out?

An uncoordinated and wild thing, Mochi snapped her teeth and shoved back, paws struggling to find purchase on the frost bitten ground. It was an unleashing of sorts, far from graceful or dignified.

"speech"

Mochi vs Hanzo for spar
Round 1/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Companion 1: Ural Owl, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Ezo Red Fox, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Enhanced Night Vision - Perception
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Intermediate Hunter

Hattori did not even react to her feeble attempt at using the blanket to swat him away, simply barged through it with enough force to wrench it from her grasp. He had been sparring with most of his children, Hattori could not see why it was something to be offended about-though anyone with sense would realise it was the way he was going about this. Not the intention, but the mood he carried along with it. And needless to say, he was now in a bad mood and using more force than in hindsight he would deem necessary. He snapped to grab at her muzzle, after this they would need to speak. Or rather, Mochi would need to listen.

Hanzō vs Mochi for dominance
Round 2/2
Age: over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Tanto
Defensive Battle Accessory: Shinobi cuirass
Companion 1: Asian Golden Cat, Male - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Mountain hawk-eagle, Male - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Akita, Male - Battle - Boosted
Mutation 1: Enhanced vision - Perception
Mutation 2: Antelope horns - Offensive
Mutation 3: Reinforced bones - Defensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Hunter
Specialty: Bloodletter

Teeth about her muzzle had her ears lying flat against her skull, head whipping to try and break free of the hold. It was futile, she knew, but still the girl thrashed and raged, all the pent-up emotions finally seeing the light of day in an unbridled breaking of her composure. Claws slipped on the ice-slick ground, limbs flailing, breath heaving...

She wouldn't recognise herself in the movements, but perhaps at her core she had always been this messy and unrefined. Maybe this was her true inheritance from her mother, these unpredictable and wild feelings that were usually so tightly reined and now rebelled in full-force. Run! her blood was screaming in her ears, in her heart, in her very soul.

Run.

"speech"

Mochi vs Hanzo for spar
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Light
Companion 1: Ural Owl, Female - Flying
Companion 2: Ezo Red Fox, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Enhanced Night Vision - Perception
Skills: Beginner Fighter & Intermediate Hunter

And the winner is...

HANZO

MOCHI must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: HANZO: Attack Roll: 54 Defense Roll: 12 Agility Roll: 50 Perception Roll: 38 Total: 154 Attack[54] + 120% Bonus[64.80]: 118.80 Defense[12] + 20% Bonus[2.40]: 14.40 Agility[50] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 50.00 Perception[38] + 10% Bonus[3.80]: 41.80 Total[225.00] + 40% Bonus[90.00]: 315.00 MOCHI: Attack Roll: 80 Defense Roll: 43 Agility Roll: 40 Perception Roll: 84 Total: 247 Attack[80] + 30% Bonus[24.00]: 104.00 Defense[43] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 43.00 Agility[40] + 5% Bonus[2.00]: 42.00 Perception[84] + 20% Bonus[16.80]: 100.80 Total[289.80] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 289.80

It was as expected, though he did not anticipate the fervour. That his daughter was closer to a wild animal, feral, almost panicked in her movements. No thought or consideration, just reactions. As his breathing slowed, he found himself wondering if he'd pushed too hard and been unreasonable. He would not admit the latter, but perhaps the former...

"Breathe." He told her, voice more level than before, a sturdy firmness in his tone like a stubborn oak tree that refused to die. "You know I will not hurt you."Because they were kin and in general Hattori did not make a habit of hurting those around him.

He moved then, pacing away a few steps to give Mochi some space. Never had been one to appreciate being crowded, personal space was a commodity in the Maze as far as Hattori was concerned.

Curved in on herself, ears pinned to her skulll and head held low, stars danced in her vison and her chest constricted. Her breath was coming in shallow pants and ruby eyes narrowed on her father as he spoke. You know I will not hurt you. She bit back the urge to snap Do I? in impertinence, if nothing else, because deep down, she did know it. But teenagers were messy things, and back-chatting was in their nature. If only she could force words past the stone like lump in her throat.

When he stepped back, she made an effort to breathe through her nose with mixed results. Short, shuddering breaths slowly evened, though her fur refused to lay flat. She bit back on her molars, muzzle wrinkling with defiance yet. "Proved your point?"

"speech"