Sparrow was in an unexpectedly sour mood. She felt as if she hadn't been making any progress or connections lately. She needed to feel like she was getting somewhere. The anticipation of a raid in the future made her even more restless. Sparrow felt the need to do well and to impress those around her. She wanted to be someone they thought was cool and maybe not totally serious, but still somewhat respectable. Not that she would admit it, but she wanted to be a lot like her uncle. He was an alpha, but he kept his relationships normal. She wanted to be someone like that when she was a leader.

But she was also torn- leader of what? She was going to be an adult sooner or later and that ate at the back of her mind too. Did she want to continue here under Tyr or did she want to really strike out and try to become a pirate? She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted anymore. All of this added to her inner turmoil and grumpiness. She spend the morning tearing out the inside of her den, getting it ready to lay down new furs in the widened space as she grew even larger.

After that she took a while to bathe off, fix her fur, and now she stretched herself up the trunk of a tree, her nails plucking away at the bark to sharpen them. She felt like she had gotten too fat to really use them to climb. Not that she was actually fat, just growing into her form. But she wanted to be lithe and agile, climbing through the trees and taking down unsuspecting enemies by swooping down from above. Why couldn't she have been born a cat instead of a wolf? Why was everything so annoying today?

WC: 305
Fall, Year 14 Fighting prompt

Tyrian was in a fantastic mood. He'd met a rogue girl outside the packlands, been brave enough to ask to see her again, and after getting a shy yes in response he was riding an adrenaline high. He was feeling good but didn't have a good way to describe it. Feisty? Frisky? Scrappy? He just felt good, okay. Like really good. Like a goddamn hero. Like a man. He was in a strutting mood so that's exactly what he was doing as he made his way across the knolls. His head was held high, his chest was out and if not for the stupid shit-eating grin that wouldn't leave his face he would have been a damn regal sight.

He was still strutting like a rooster when he stumbled across Sparrow. His spirits were so high that her foul mood escaped his notice. It was such a nice day how could anyone feel any differently than he? Cockily he called, "Eyy pirate princess! I found something for you the other day that I think you'd like. Would complete the pirate look ya know? You could almost be twinsies with your daddy. It's about yea big," he measured out a reasonable distance between his forepaws. "And yea long," he used his paws to measure again. "And it has a hole right in the middle of it that you can slip your head through."

Tyrian canted his head to the side in mock consideration, then pressed on, "Of course if you stick your head through then the tail will hang down in your face..." He trailed off and the shit-eating grin returned. Oh, she was going to get a kick out of this. He'd been thinking about this joke for days. He'd even saved the ass skin off a buffalo just in case he could carry the joke further.

WC: 307

"Eyy pirate princess!" rang over the knolls like a buzzard over dead meat. Sparrow's ears flicked back. Was Tyr drunk? She was immediately convinced he was intoxicated in some way, shape, or form. Briefly she glanced around for a way out of this situation, but escape was not in the cards today. She tried to take a breath and brace herself for the conversation. For a moment, she was genuinely interested in what he had to say, but as he rambled on, her expression fell flat. She wasn't really sure what to say. She thought her father's shirt was bright and loud and because of that, she really liked it. Furthermore, she didn't understand how wearing an asshole would make any connection to the pirates. Her expression soured further as he wrapped up the bit about the tail. His stupid grin came back. Somehow she wasn't really sure how to put that all in words and stood in a dumbfounded stupor for some time.

"Seriously?" she finally blurted, her voice falling into a scoff. He had to be drunk. "You think being a pirate is like some butt end of a joke? Is that what you really think?" Okay, maybe she was taking it a little personal that he suggested she wear a butt and that it would somehow make her more piratey or more like her dad or that a literal asshole would resemble her dad's attire. He stood there grinning ear to ear like some sort of dumbass who just won the idiot award. Just to make a point she reeled back- keeping her claws sheathed- and aimed to smack her uncle across the face. "Why don't you wear it since you insist on being an ass!"

He was probably drunk, she figured. It would make more sense. And hurt less.

Sparrow Imperialis vs Tyrian for scarring of the left leg
Round 1/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Healer
Specialty: N/A

WC: 306
TWC: 918

He blinked and recoiled in mock astonishment at Sparrow's response. Hey she was really getting into it today. Usually they just bitched back and forth at each other, a quick little snark fest to start them off on the right foot, and then went about their merry business; two snippy frienemies none the worse for wear. ""You think being a pirate is like the butt end of a joke?" His grin returned in a flash. Ah, come on now, she was making this easy. "Well..." since she'd asked... "Yeah?" he said in a 'no shit?' tone.

The strike came as a surprise to him and wiped the grin off his face. Sure they tussled and whatnot occasionally, but a bitch slap out of nowhere was insulting. Today he was the man. He'd asked a girl out and she'd said yes. He wasn't going to take a bitch slap like a- well like a bitch. His surprised and frozen stare lasted for half a second and then he lunged for her with a muted snarl.

Tyrian sought to plow into Sparrow's upper chest and neck area with his lower chest as he rose up on his hind legs. His goal was to get his forelegs around her neck, gain control of her head, and wrestle her to the ground. If he managed to get a hold of her neck he'd wrap his arms around it tight enough so that his claws could dig into the tops of her shoulders. He wasn't seeking any real harm, but he was looking to gain a firm hold of her with his claws. If successful he had a mind to stick to her like velcro. No way she was getting away with hitting him like that. He'd only been teasing like they always teased. She'd been distant and weird ever since he became an alpha and he was damn tired of it. Either they were still partners in crime or they weren't, but something had to change.

WC: 332

Tyrian versus Sparrow for Minor Maim (scarring tops of shoulders)
Round 1 of 2
Age: 1+
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bladed forearm bracers
Defensive Battle Accessory: Polar bear cape
Companion 1: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Black-footed Langur, Male - Battle
*Companion 3: Striped Skunk, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Retractable Claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Saber Teeth - Offensive
Skills: Master Intellectual & Expert Fighter
Specialty: Bard (not applicable in this fight)

She sort of kind of expected Tyrian to recoil in a drunken manner and babble off something about her hitting like a girl or something. But he didn't. He paused for a good moment, sure, and that was at the very least expected, but then he lunched for her. She went to growl back at him, but it came out more of a breathy hiss than an actual growl. Had she been in a better mood she might have later joked about her really turning into a cat after all, but today was not the day.

Speaking of cats, however, Sparrow was quickly reminded that she was not the only one who bore this mutation as Tyr reared and knocked his chest into hers, his claws latching hold of her shoulders. Sparrow  pulled her back legs up- hoping there was still enough distance for good, clawed bunny kicks- doing her best to tuck her chin and throw her weight back, hopefully pinning Tyr's paws beneath her- no matter how much that might hurt her in turn. Simultaneously she would seek to bite and grip onto his left forearm just for good measure. She knew she couldn't be too careful when tussling with her uncle. She figured if she could get a few good bunny kicks into his stomach would get him to leave her alone and maybe if just by accident she kicked him in the balls, well, they'd burn that bridge when they got to it.

Sparrow Imperialis vs Tyrian for scarring of the left leg
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Mutation 1: Cat claws - Offensive
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Intermediate Healer
Specialty: N/A

WC: 247
TWC: 1497

Sparrow turned the fight into a proper cat fight by pulling her paws up to kick him; the first he'd ever had with someone who wasn't an actual cat. He did have plenty of experience in that department, though, as he had been tussling with Zahir since he could toddle. By falling onto her back she pinned his forepaws beneath her, but that was alright with him. So too was her biting his foreleg; he could handle that. He was pissed and he would take it knowing he could give as well as he could receive.

Tyrian too drew his legs up under him and did his best to trade kicks with Sparrow as her hind paws drummed mercilessly against his belly and ribs. Two could play at that game. He jerked back in the hopes of rocking the pair of them back in his direction thus enabling him to kick without having to lift his body weight first. At the same time he twisted his head around to slash as Sparrow's forehead with his fangs.

Tyrian versus Sparrow for Minor Maim (scarring tops of shoulders)
Round 2 of 2
Age: 1+
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Offensive Battle Accessory: Bladed forearm bracers
Defensive Battle Accessory: Polar bear cape
Companion 1: Snow Leopard, Female - Battle
Companion 2: Black-footed Langur, Male - Battle
*Companion 3: Striped Skunk, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Retractable Claws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Saber Teeth - Offensive
Skills: Master Intellectual & Expert Fighter
Specialty: Bard (not applicable in this fight)

And the winner is...

SPARROW

TYRIAN must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. SPARROW'S maim (scarring of left leg) is successful! Totals: Sparrow: 203.67 (59, 41, 4, 59 - Adjusted to 64.9, 49.2, 4, 59) Tyrian: 128.82 (32, 20, 5, 23 - Adjusted to 49.6, 24, 5, 28.75)

-nyx

With  snarl Tyrian kicked hard with all four paws in the hopes of flinging them apart. He was done with this bullshit. If Sparrow wanted to be a crybaby then fine, he'd leave her to it. No skin off of his nose. He'd find someone else to pal around with; someone in a better mood who wouldn't take offense to piddly insults and instead give them right back as nature intended. He wasn't sure why he'd expected anything different, but it just went to show no matter how well you thought you knew someone you didn't really know them. She was a Destruction after all so he shouldn't have been surprised by her sudden bitchiness. They were all alike, weren't they? Just like dad had said.

While brushing leaf litter out of his coat, Tyrian growled, "The fuck is wrong with you?" Actually, no, he didn't care. He'd leave. "You know what, never mind, clearly you need to work through some shit so how about I leave you to it, huh? If you find your sense of humor again, lemme know."