Rhythm had not yet said a single word to the sister of a man she'd found herself becoming rather close to, so when she assumed that she was 'Valentine's Girlfriend' and Lysis was the Armada girl she felt a little nervous. This was her first real spar in seasons. Recently she had some very revealing training, and the outcome of this spar really could have been anything. Though she knew very well that this woman had more fighting experience than she, her rank said that. They were quite similar in height and body type, Rhythm found herself feeling much more confident facing off with her than she had been with Valentine. She'd find herself smiling, maybe she really could start to enjoy this whole fighting thing. She'd take in a deep breath, she'd never had any desire to hurt anyone ever, knowing she had to toughen up and get dirty like she'd been taught. She had nothing against Lysis, this wasn't personal. Rhythm felt like this would be the moment she either proved herself or failed. She did not want to fail. "Rhythm Destruction," she would offer her name as her opponent approached, "Who would you prefer goes first?" She hoped her lack of practice wouldn't be incredibly obvious. ""

Lysis couldn't help but be grateful she wasn't fighting Kyarst. She'd had far too much practice fighting her half-brother; and while she hadn't won against him, fighting against someone new would certainly give her the drive to win and not hold back. Of course, she didn't know quite who she was fighting but she followed Hati's gesturing and found an admittedly sweet-looking woman with brown fur and blue eyes. Valentine's girlfriend, eh? Interesting. She was quick to pull away from the group with the rest, trailing close by Rhythm as they prepared for their fight. "Lysis Armada," she'd echo the straightforward greeting with little hesitation. The other woman asked who ought to go first, and for a moment Lysis would fall silent as she considered. Usually Kyarst let her go first when they fought, perhaps out of politeness, or maybe even because he found it easier to follow her own movements and react to how she had placed herself. But now, Rhythm knew nothing of her and definitely had no idea about her fighting style. Her expression was amused as she waited for a moment, quietly wondering if Rhythm would strike first without being prompted to, and that was when she decided what to do about this predicament. Her muscles stiffened as she shifted her stance into a more defensive one, her limbs spreading as she let her slight weight settle evenly on all four limbs. Her tail, once waving freely behind her back, now unfurled to stand evenly with her back to help further her balance. Her head would duck a bit lower, lying evenly with her back, as her shoulders rolled forward in a more aggressive stance. Meanwhile her toes would spread for traction, claws biting into the soil as her hackles raised and her eyes would narrow to protect them. Was there anything wrong with taking advantage of a good opportunity? Either way, she didn't really care; if anything, it was a good lesson for Rhythm regardless of her fighting experience. An opponent's moves couldn't always be predicted, especially in a real fight, not a practice one. After setting her defenses, lips curling into a snarl as she felt adrenaline begin to pump through her veins, her snout wrinkling in turn, she aimed to run straight at Rhythm. She'd come first from directly in front of her, before attempting to dive slightly to the left side of Rhythm's head, her head aiming for the sensitive spot that lay in the crook of Rhythm's neck and shoulderblade. Though she was small, as her jaws unhinged she would aim to collide with her with all of her might, hoping the force of her body might be enough to send Rhythm stumbling, while also trying to bite down and grab hold of the skin between her neck and right shoulderblade. Though she was small, Lysis knew she was fast.. and she certainly didn't lack in tenacity. Round 1 / 3 : Regular spar

The pale girl she was assigned to would follow after her easily, keeping close as they chose their own separate place to spar. She would come to a stop with five feet between she and Lysis.(Nyx said this distance is fine) Rhythm's heartbeat was erratic, her nerves already flaring as she turned around to catch the brilliant hazel eyes of her opponent. She'd also receive a name but as she asked her question only silence would reign between them. During the moments of silence Rhythm found herself slipping into her defenses, she'd narrow her gaze her ears falling to the back of her skull as she watched the other woman. Rhythm had no intentions of attacking with out notice, another indication of how.. un-dirty she was. She wasn't terribly unobservant though, her bright blue and purple stare didn't leave Lysis. She would see as the other woman prepared herself and she couldn't waste any time in doing so as well. Her thoughts were on the day that Valentine had taken her out to train, her stance would widen as she bent her knees significantly. Splaying her toes and digging her claws into the earth she centered her gravity. Rolling her shoulders forward and tucking her chin to protect her neck in the way she'd been taught. Her tail would line up with her spine and neck as she looked straight at Lysis, her hackles raising as she saw the other woman snarl. Lifting her own lips Rhythm would show off her brilliant fangs as she watched Lysis suddenly move towards her. It was like she didn't even have time to think, thankfully she had been ready just for this type of attack. They were much too close for her to be able to dodge anything, though with Lysis being so close to her own height and weight that meant there wasn't much room for momentum either. Rhythm would hold her ground as Lysis came at her from slightly left of center at the last second. Instinctively the girl would shift wanting to push herself into Lysis' powerful leap, the point of her left shoulder aimed at the other woman's wide open jaws. [counter, damage pending] She'd shift her weight into her front left leg,hoping that her counter might over-extend the woman's jaws causing pain and ripping in the muscle. Rhythm would unhinge her jaws, as her shoulder was caught up in the action she'd want to come down on the other woman's head. Rhythm would tilt her head and aim her top jaw at the sensitive area behind lysis' left ear at the base of her skull. Her bottom jaw would seek to grip the same place on the right side. Rhythm wanted to grip and gain control of the other woman's movements as well as distract her with pain in such a sensitive place. Rhythm v Lysis for Spar round 1 of 3

Though she wasn’t necessarily a skilled fighter, she was fearless in the face of the unknown. Pain was certainly something she could deal with -- she’d dealt with it for most of her childhood. Of course, despite her lack of worry, it didn’t stop the slight feeling of anxiety that had begun to creep through her veins. Being slightly on edge wasn’t necessarily a bad thing though; she kept her gaze locked on Rhythm as they moved together, narrowing them as she decided to make the first move. Though she’d been quick, Rhythm was quite alert and seemed to predict that she’d strike first as she set her defenses. Good -- she wasn’t fighting an idiot. Luckily, the other woman was nearly the same height and weight as herself, making her a quite good opponent. Especially compared to Kyarst, who was considerably larger than herself, who she’d had the most practice fighting against. It wasn’t surprising that the slight force of her weight didn’t Rhythm crashing to the ground, as much as she had hoped it might. Instead of stumbling, Rhythm would push back into her with similar force. Not wanting to be knocked off balance herself, she’d straighten her back and try to keep her tail aligned with her back. Still her toes spread, trying to grip the soil as she lunged forward and made impact with the ground as she tried to bite at Rhythm’s shoulder. Feeling a new burst of strength, letting a snarl rip from jaws as her jaws were pushed further apart in the midst of the attempted bite. Pain ebbed through her skull as the muscle of her jaw overextended itself, though she would attempt to pull her head slightly back and once again close her jaws as she aimed once again to bite down on the crook of Rhythm’s neck and right shoulderblade. Despite her initial failed attempt at an attack, she hoped badly to maintain a firm hold and inflict enough damage to force Rhythm to falter. Meanwhile, she felt Rhythm duck around the right side of Lysis’s head and aim to bite behind her ear at the base of her skull. The area was sensitive and the bite would hold, causing a moderate wound where she’d grasped. Though her instinct was to pull away, she knew that doing so would only cause more pain than she’d receive by simply taking the injury and letting Rhythm keep hold of the flesh there. Lysis swore she felt a gentle trickling of blood run from the inflicted wound but she would continue to aim to grasp Rhythm’s own neck, trying to keep her weight shifted to all four of her paws, her head wanting to jerk lower to level with her back. Meanwhile, she’d aim to left her right paw, letting her weight settle on her other three paws, aiming to have it collide with Rhythm’s front left paw, hoping it might force her slightly off-balance. Round 2 / 3 : Regular spar

Rhythm was humble, but even so her opinion of her fighting skills were less than astounding. So long had passed since she'd been in this situation, facing an opponent for real. The adrenaline was incredible, time seemed to slow and she was sure that her heart might burst from her chest and at the same time she loved the thrill it brought her. The incredible high she felt as the pair of them engaged was intoxicating. At least until she felt Lysis fangs dig deeply into her shoulder. However just as soon as the moderate bite was issued Lysis would recoil from the pain of the extra pressure to her jaw. She could feel the blood from her wound start to leave her shoulder, but the pain wasn't too distracting to interrupt her from her bite. She would feel her jaws make contact, and though Lysis had no intention of pulling away Rhythm found herself wanting to shake as soon as her teeth found their purchase. Rhythm would attempt to thrash her head back and forth, wanting to grip down tighter to rip at the flesh and rend her opponent incapacitated for the rest of the fight. With her shoulders rolled forward the renewed bite Lysis offered would only grasp hold of the loose skin at the base of her neck by her right shoulder, the wound leaving only minor punctures. With her ears still slicked to her skull and her hackles still raised Rhythm's defenses wouldn't falter. Her tail was extended behind her for balance, her knees were bent and her stance was widened so she would not so easily lose her balance. She'd tighten her core and flex her muscles as she watched her opponent through her narrowed gaze. Her toes were splayed and her claws would dig into the earth. With most of her weight to the front left leg Lysis attempt to uproot her was unsuccessful, however Rhythm would redistribute her weight to her other three paws. Wanting to lift her left front paw Rhythm would aim to try to stomp on Lysis front right paw. She would also try to push Lysis over, aiming to push the broad center of her chest into the center of lysis front right shoulder.   Rhythm v Lysis for Spar round 2 of 3

Ahh, this was much better than fighting Kyarst. She didn’t love this girl -- hell, she didn’t even know the first thing about her save for her name -- and she had no reason to hold back. She also had no idea how she might react, no indication as to how her attacks might go. The unpredictable nature of the fight was what made it so exciting. The thrashing of Rhythm’s head, with her teeth grasping the flesh at the left side of her neck near the base of her skull, sent a shudder of pain through her. The bite, while only moderate, still was quite stinging in intensity. Her own attempted bite, at the base of Rhythm’s neck near her right shoulder, wasn’t as strong as intended. Though she punctured her skin, rewarding her with the metallic taste of blood on her tongue, the bite would not hold as she had hoped. Feeling suddenly more determined -- perhaps it was merely from the strong adrenaline that coursed through her, masking the pain for now -- she’d attempt to stiffen her limbs, still wanting to keep her balance in the possibility of a more vigorous attack. She’d try to keep her legs spread as well for balance, attempting to keep her head tucked down level with her shoulders while her tail curled slightly where it stood straight behind her. Still, Rhythm would push her weight into her, namely her chest into Lysis’s right shoulder, and instead of fighting the push she would attempt to regain her balance as her whole body was shifted backwards. Since her bite was unsuccessful, she would instead attempt to release her hold, and try to pull her head back and aim it sharply to the right to grab at the right side of Rhythm’s cheek with her parted jaws. Wanting to bite around her cheek and the lower part of her jaw, putting all the force into the bite. Round 3 / 3 - Regular spar (Note: Kat OK-ed this being late <3)

Her attack would be rewarded with a shudder from her opponent, the grasp she'd taken on such a sensitive place reaped much benefit. The woman was distracted enough that in addition to her defenses, Rhythm would remain relatively unscathed though feeling the blood was unpleasant. Rhythm wouldn't remove these defenses, she'd keep her shoulders rolled forward no matter how much her neck hurt. Ears pinned to her head, eyes narrowed to slits, and her hackles raised Rhythm was hardly ready to back down yet. She'd feel her paw collide with the other's though her force was hardly enough to break any toes surely the other she wolf would have felt her stomp. As Rhythm pushed Lysis withdrew, she'd pull her head from Rhythm's jaws though Rhythm would try to chomp down harder on the wound she created Lysis would rip from her grasp. Her opponent's attack would land, Rhythm would feel the woman's teeth puncture the skin, though where tooth met her jawbone was painful indeed the bite was bleeding and bruising. Not quite reaching the severe category it wouldn't feel good in the morning. Rhythm's focus wouldn't waiver as she aimed to grab Lysis's right ear base in her jaws. Though it seemed a bit childish she wanted to bite down on the appendage and hear her squeal, much like she would have done to her siblings when they were small little pups. She would again try to push at the woman with her left shoulder point, aiming again for the woman's center chest. With her injured paws surely she would fumble. Rhythm would distribute her weight into mostly her left front paw, keeping her legs bent and her stance widened as she dug her claws into the earth for a better grip. Tightening her core and flexing her muscles she'd wave her tail out to help correct her balance. Rhythm v Lysis for Spar round 3 of 3

LYSIS vs RHYTHM for SPAR Lysis ROUND ONE LYSIS: 10 for clarity:   -1 She aimed to run straight at Rhythm (How much distance is between them? How far away did she start?) -2 “would aim to collide with her with all her might” (where? What part of Rhythm’s body is she trying to hit, what part of her own?) Total: 7 10 for powerplaying. -0 Total: 10 10 for defenses. listed in post 0 for attack. +2 Collision +3 Grip attempt Total: 5 10 for injuries. First Round Lysis's round one total: 42/50 RHYTMN: 10 for clarity:   All Clear! Total: 10 10 for powerplaying. -0 Total: 10 10 for defenses. listed in post 0 for attack. +2 shoulder throw +3 grip attempt Total: 5 10 for injuries. -2 lacerations along shoulder Total: 8 Rhythm's round one total: 43/50 ROUND TWO LYSIS: 10 for clarity:   All Clear! Total: 10 10 for powerplaying. -1 “as she lunged forward” You need to attempt movements, especially at such close quarters. Total: 9 5 for defenses. listed in post 0 for attack. +3 grip attempt +1 toe slam Total: 4 10 for injuries. -1 overextension of jaw -3 moderate lacerations Total: 6 Lysis's round two total: 34/50 RHYTMN: 10 for clarity:   All Clear! Total: 10 10 for powerplaying. -2 for missing/unacknowledging Lysis’ toe slam Total: 8 9 for defenses. listed in post 0 for attack. +3 Grip/shake +1 toe slam +2 shove Total: 6 10 for injuries. -2 puncture wounds along shoulder -2 unacknowledged toe slam Total: 6 Rhythm's round two total: 39/50 ROUND THREE LYSIS: 10 for clarity:   All clear! Total: 10 10 for powerplaying. -2 missed/unacknowledged toe slam Total: 8 4 for defenses. listed in post 0 for attack. +3 grip attempt Total: 3 10 for injuries. -3 moderate lacerations -2 unacknowledged toe slam Total: 5 Lysis's round three total: 30/50 RHYTMN: 10 for clarity:   All clear! Total: 10 10 for powerplaying. None Total: 10 8 for defenses. listed in post 0 for attack. +1 shove +3 grip attempt +2 chomp Total: 6 10 for injuries. -2 moderate lacerations along cheek/jaw Total: 8 Rhythm's round three total: 42/50 Lysis: 106/150 Rhythm: 124/150 And the winner is... RHYTHM! Lysis must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: LYSIS: Minor overextension of Jaw – 3 OOC days to heal naturally moderate lacerations along base of skull – 1.5 OOC weeks to heal naturally, will scar severely unless seen by a healer toe sprain along right front foot – 3 OOC days to heal naturally RHYTHM   Moderate lacerations and puncture wounds along shoulder – 1 OOC week to heal naturally Minor toe sprain along left front foot – 3 OOC days to heal naturally moderate lacerations along cheek – 1 OOC week to heal naturally Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): Well done for the fights! The only real thing for both of you is to make sure you don’t miss or skip over any moves, such as toe slams. I know they probably aren’t the most…severe of attacks, but just keep an eye out. Great job both of you! For Nyx: Good fight! Watch for defenses, you never quite made it to 10 in most of the rounds. Those are very easy points that you could get just by keeping a checklist. Please watch you damage and your attempts, but otherwise you were perfect! For Kat: Great job as well! You had some great counters, and most often all the defenses. Also watch for damage and acknowledge every move of your opponent. - By [Arin]