the Rift


[JUDGED] The Lamb and the Lioness

Kaj The Aurelight Posts: 381
Hidden Falls Conscript atk: 4.0 | def: 9.0 | dam: 7.5
Stallion :: Pegasus :: 17.2hh :: 8 Years 9 Months HP: 69.5 | Buff: ENDURE
Arabella :: Common Zephyr :: Wakiya Brit
#1

She turned to face her guardian, her companion. Her eyes are cold and hard, sharp words resounding in her head. There will be no returning to the Foothills. Ktulu had lost all respect Hotaru had once held for her. She had kept her words quiet, her disruption as small as she could, and the leader she had idolized gifted her with the cruel dismissal before all of the herd members, in a spotlight she had not deserved with how she’d gone about her goodbyes. If she returned, it would be to topple Ktulu from her throne of righteousness, to spit on her and show her just what she thought of her. Anger flashed in her mismatched orbs, no longer hidden behind her pale moonlight locks. Tingal is within her vision.

They must train. She is young, too young to hold any real position in a herd, but she cares not. Hotaru has suffered much in her youth, she is far older than her body portrays. Fight me. It is not a request, a question. It is a statement, a demand. She doesn’t want to feel this numbness, this simmering betrayal. He is far larger than her, but life has been larger than her for many seasons. Unequal as it may seem, she is fearless, she is prepared for the pain. The bigger they are, the harder they fall after all. He will fall like the giant he is. Beauty will slay the beast with a heart of gold, her own hard and dirty like coal. She tried to place her heart in the hands of others, and all it did was stain and taint them with darkness, and they would drop it and rush to try and remove the blackness she’d infected them with.

Face to face, standing upon the pale white beach illuminated by the moon’s glow, she lets her emotions drip like honey to the rough particles, becomes hollow. There is no other way to continue on, to live. It is all she knows. She lunges forward without warning, using her shorter stature to aim her wicked horn towards Tingal’s right shoulder and chest area, slowed by the sand and chilled by the air off the ocean, but warming as she began to move. Now, all she knows is battle. She refuses to listen to her heart, to face the conflicted mess of emotions tangled within her thin breast.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

@[Tingal]
Word Count: 414
Attack: 1/4
Defense: 0/1
Notes: I hate starting -___- meh

Hotaru
you never know the power of yourself, until that is all you have left to rely upon</style>

image credits
table by whit

Tingal Posts: 110
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Hybrid :: 17 hh :: 9 years HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
dark
#2
I followed Ru wherever she went, and apparently, she led us to the Blue. I gazed off in the distance, turning to her. I was going to keep my promise now, no matter what. I was going to help her in any way I could. I was going to do it, I was going to help her untangle any threads of worry, trouble or pain. Our walk to the Blue was silent, my lips sealed together for the way. I looked at Ru, our shoulders brushing once or twice when we arrived. I smiled, turning to her. I strode forward a bit, looking at the moon's reflection in the water, ripples breaking it up into pieces. I turned to Ru, just to catch her lips begin to move.

"Fight me."

WAIT.

WAIT.

WHAT.

I froze, my leafy green eyes widening to their full extent. What did she just say? I looked at Ru, her expression hardening. I opened my maw, but shut it. I... I couldn't fight her, nor could I harm her. She was so small, I could crush her. I could bite her and hurt her so much she could hate me forever, I could leave a scar. I couldn't control the force of my jaws, the sharpness of the canines within my mouth. It was impossible. I twitched, my tail having dropped. I shook my head, unable to. How the heck was I supposed to fight one so small? It pained me to even think about attacking her. I didn't want to crush her petite bodice. I didn't want to see her lovely two tones coat, stained with her own blood. And this was a horrible time to start fighting her. I was losing all of my winter coat, my long coat dropping off me like leaves dropping off trees in the fall. She would likely get mouthfuls of my autumn orange fur, rather than my tender flesh beneath.

I was in shock, and suddenly my heart dropped as I saw Ru charge me, her hooves slicing through the sand. "Oh sh*t." I muttered, watching her sharp horn as it neared me. My brain screamed at me, and I watched in horror as Ru came dangerously close. Was she really doing this? Sure, I had hurt her a little by leaving her after so long, but she doesn't need to try and kill me for it! I growled, instincts kicking in. I threw my body to the side, but her horn snagged a bit of my fur, slicing it down, brushing against the skin on my right shoulder. Closing my eyes, I reached for her withers, hoping to only nip a little bit of skin, not wanting to harm her too much. I only assumed she was still there, but I wasn't sure. She could have high tailed it after scratching me. I dared not harm her too much. I was scared, fearing my canines may do more damage then Ru's little teeth. I hated this.

I reared up, chasing after Ru, attempting to throw myself at her left, my massive shadow looming over the beach. I reached down, snapping out at her as a warning. I tried to snip at her hind end, hoping my teeth would only graze the skin, not take a full chunk out. I would only attack full on if she began to taunt me, tease me, call me a wimpy kitty kitty. I bared my teeth, showing her she did not want to do such a thing. My nostrils flared, and sweat was already beginning to collect on my skin. I halted, letting Ru go wherever, and shook. I cursed this stupid winter coat, I swear it weighed a few pounds on its own. While I shook, I felt a bit of the hair as it was flung off of my body. It fell to the sand, scattered everywhere. Rearing up, I tried to find Ru again.

So, what now?

"Talk talk talk"
[Word count : 666
Attack : 1/4
Notes: He's being gentle at the moment. Since he cares about her. <3
@[Hotaru] ]
Tingal

image credits
table by whit

i am a king
and the world is beneath me

Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#3

Fool.

He does not move, his large frame towering above her even as she lunges for him, horn wicked and more than willing to pierce his skin and thickly furred hide. He does not take her seriously, surprise and unwillingness more than blatantly apparent in his mottled orbs. It does little to stop the smaller fae as she charges along the slowing particles beneath her snowy hooves. Something quiet falls from his lips, mumbled and too soft to catch as she races towards him. Tingal stood frozen for many long moments, only moving at the last moment to save his own hide- quite literally. Hotaru felt dead, uncaring as her horn snagged upon his ginger fur, and she feels a ghost of a breath over her right flank. She knows what is going to happen. Unable to manage a full strength buck with how she was running, she crow hopped and lashed her hindquarters out towards Tingal’s right elbow and shoulder, teeth scraping across the top of her hindquarters towards her left croup, nothing more than a deep scratch. Even so it stung in the way an annoying, miniscule bite of a fly may be, but stretched out across her skin like ribbons.

Her attack does not do more than falter her step only a bit, and she continues her lunge across the sand, knowing she had speed and agility on her side in comparison to the bulk and brute strength of her friend and opponent. She could not stop, not when he had no momentum and she did, for he could turn and attack her just as easily as she attempted to stop. It would be better to circle back around, put distance between them with her speed. It helped her, for he raced up next to her, teeth snapping warningly across her hide. Hotaru’s dual eyes narrowed in a fierce glare at the weak attack, stopping abruptly. The sudden movement would hopefully put Tingal a few strides ahead of her, the sand helping her in her halt. With this done, she lunged forward once more, regaining her gait.

With a quick dart to the left, she aimed her horn for his right thigh, teeth bare and ready to sink into his fur and skin if her horn would jab upwards through his skin instead of horizontally. Simultaneously her forehooves reared up, seeking revenge against him when he had done nothing wrong, wanting only to gain vengeance against a foe she could not face just yet. Someday, she swore. Someday, she would return and rip the Queen of betrayal into shreds. Her sharp little hooves aimed for Tingal’s right hind cannon bone, a sequence of three attacks prepared while her mind roiled.

She missed Raeden. She missed Stella and Phaedra, Mesec and Apollo, and Irrydae. Yet she was still enraged at her family, and she would show them that she was strong. Worth something. And she would start by defeating the hybrid stallion who towered over her, a gentle giant. Cinderella was tired of the whip against her back, and it was time she used that persistence for something else.


Word Count: 524
Attack: 2/4
Defense: 0/1

Hotaru
you never know the power of yourself, until that is all you have left to rely upon</style>

image credits
table by whit
[Image: 515265280ffff]

::Strong like the sea is stormy::

Please only tag starting posts, spars, and threads collecting dust!
Plot with me here!

Tingal Posts: 110
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Hybrid :: 17 hh :: 9 years HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
dark
#4
I hated this.

Hated it, hated it, I hated it.

I wasn't a fighter, not at all. I wasn't built for battle, nope, nope, nope! I wanted to talk Ru into stopping this, stop making me her doll. Not a doll to play with, a doll to torture. Tear me up; use me as a way to take out her rage. I wasn't going to be one of those; I didn't want to be one. I wanted to be her friend, her guardian, not her big fat punching bag. I couldn't believe she was actually doing this, actually trying to hurt me. What was her problem? Was it me? Or was the rage inside of her bubbling over the top, forcing her to do this to me? She must hold some anger against me if she's actually attacking me.

I grunted, not wanting to do this anymore. Of course, the grunt came after I left a wound on her quarters. I widened my eyes, realizing what I had done. I pulled myself out of the shock just before her legs came swinging towards my current little slash. Frowning briefly, I shot my head down, teeth open, hoping to snag her leg and yank her back. Or, at least, try to. If not, at least try to catch her leg and give her another little scratch. Her hoof hit my skin, but it was nothing. A minuscule bruise may be left, but nothing serious.

While I am beside her, she narrowed her eyes at my weak attack, or, attempted attack. I had only snapped my jaws in warning, weak because I did not want to harm her. Was that a problem? I snorted, thinking that she was probably mentally teasing me, making fun of how weak I was acting. Fine, I growled, watching as she dropped from my view. I halted, spinning around, my hooves dancing in the sand. I was kicking sand everywhere as I spun, purposely kicking some towards Hotaru, and hoping some would splatter her in the face. I placed a stern look in my eyes, leafy gaze hardening. She wanted to fight me? Fine, I could fight. Why was I wasting my strength, she was clearly going all out. So I would too.

I watched her as she lunged forward. I grinned, running to meet her halfway. I watched as she lowered her horn, aiming for my leg. Snorting, I grinned. Not today, dear Hotaru. I swung my weight to the side, hoping to slam her down using my strength. Her horn still poked into my skin, but I didn’t mind, I was too busy trying to bite her hind quarters again, tear that other wound even more. Assuming she was still beside me, I swung my hind leg up, a little lower than usual, hoping to hit her horn or to the right side of her face, I wanted my hoof to scrape across her face, show her that I was strong, and that she shouldn't have attacked me. She then reared up, standing tall. I had all four hooves back in the sand, my stance balanced. I whipped my head towards her stomach, or her left side, as close as I could get to her soft stomach. I snapped my jaws towards her underbelly, watching as she lowered herself. She brought her hooves down, scraping along my cannon. I let out a snarl, a roar. I lifted up my right hind leg, hoping to hit Ru with my hock or with some part of my leg. I finally went into motion, my right hind leg screaming at me, the blood moistening my fur. I lunged forward, away from Ru. Spinning around, I did a small rear, trying to protect my stomach. I roared, my throat ringing out. I threw myself at the water, snorting. I kicked some water towards her, moist sand flying up as well. I snorted, eyes narrowed.
Bring it.

"Talk talk talk"

[Word Count: 654
Attack post: 2/4
Notes: i swear my post got worse. x.x
@[Hotaru]]
Tingal

image credits
table by whit

i am a king
and the world is beneath me

Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#5

He is not hesitant, he is unwilling. Hotaru eyes him coldly as they dance around each other in a tango of touch-and-go. Would you be proud of me, mother? In her mind it hisses, Phaedra’s and Raeden’s faces flashing in her mind’s eye. Her heart twinges, in remorse, in anger, in loneliness. But her anger, her righteousness, it is far too strong. It only fuels her fight, and the disappointed look in her best friend’s eyes did nothing to dissuade her. Let him misunderstand, talking could come after they were bruised and bloodied. Would you be proud of me, Rae? I will not tarnish our family name. I will not be some broodmare fluttering her eyelashes. I will fight, and I will win, or I will walk away bleeding. A fire glows inside of her breastbone, eating the timber Tingal offers to her with his pathetic, half-hearted blows. His teeth scrape her left hind hock as her hooves thud against his solid chest, not more than a scratch. Is that what he intended? To cover her in annoying little scratches and scrapes? Her teeth grit until her jaw and cranium ache in protest. Her snowy hooves touch down on moonlight sand once more with nothing but a sting to remind her of his passing.

Speaking of.

How someone of his bulk could stop so suddenly, well, she doesn’t know, but things change because of it. He spins sharply to face her, but they are too far apart and she is tall enough to not be hit by the sting of sand he intends to spray in her face. Already she is adjusting her target, horn aimed for his right shoulder. It pierces, but lightly, and she swears internally. He isn’t taking her seriously damn it!

But oh, what is this?

He is far too large to hide movement when they are so close, and sidestepping removes a lot of the force that he could have managed had they not been moving so slowly, so it barely shoves against her. Already she had seen his movement, her eyes focused on his legs after all, and shoved the point of her bony shoulder towards his left flank and belly. Taking the bite to her hindquarters that she hadn’t been able to see coming, she let out a nearly inaudible gasp and silently praised him for becoming more serious. His hoof comes up, but her head is not so far down, and in fact he is only helping her. Her teeth had been prepared when she’d first targeted his legs, and she snapped them down towards the meat of his right hind thigh, hoping the height would only help her blow land.

Her rear could hardly be considered such, as her legs aim for a low part of his leg, and so his teeth bite into her right flank and the jut of her hipbone sharply. She gasps loudly this time, a burning brand upon her body as gravity yanked her down to crash her hooves solidly where she’d hoped they’d land, his teeth ripping through her skin in a far more noticeable wound than the other childish scrapes as she jerked down and away from him. Her forehooves leave his cannon bone, and he roars in pain, which makes her flinch away to the left quickly as her ears were assaulted. She didn’t like being at a speed disadvantage, and that’s where this was heading as their momentum slowed and became a close-quarters fight. His injured leg strikes out at her, but his bellow of hurt had shifted her, and it only hit solidly against her right forearm. The muscle twinged, sure to bruise, but only a soft huff escaped her at the contact.

They spring apart, and he lunges into the water, a spray following him, but she is moving opposite of him, circling wide to her right as she used her light frame to her advantage, scrapes stinging as she cantered evenly into the ocean and they were subjected to the salt. Pivoting, never once letting herself stop, only slow, she charged Tingal head on, head high instead of lowered in attack.

Your move.


Word Count: 706
Attack: 3/4
Defense: 0/1

Hotaru
you never know the power of yourself, until that is all you have left to rely upon</style>

image credits
table by whit
[Image: 515265280ffff]

::Strong like the sea is stormy::

Please only tag starting posts, spars, and threads collecting dust!
Plot with me here!

Tingal Posts: 110
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Hybrid :: 17 hh :: 9 years HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
dark
#6
I could sense it; she was burning her gaze into me, a cold, harsh stare. I shivered, was she thinking of how wimpy I was? How wimpy I was making my attacks? I gazed back at her, frown on my lips. Was she really not pleased with me? What was I supposed to do? Go all out and attack? I couldn’t do that, no no no. It won’t end well. Maybe I could try to control myself, but I doubt it. I was going to fail, I knew it.

When I spun, feline flexibility kicking in, but my bulk slowed the spin. Despite the feline blood within me, I was still a big fat equine, and spinning on a dime is difficult. So maybe my flexible feline blood isn’t as efficient as I hoped. I grunted, lashing my tail. This was tiring, I wasn’t built for fighting! Defending, maybe, but fighting, no. Lost in my stupid thoughts, I’m oblivious to her bite to my thigh. I grunt as her teeth sink into my flesh, hair and skin caught up in her little maw. I shut my eyes in pain, but reached out, bending my neck. I grumbled as I snapped my teeth in the air, trying to grab a piece of her flesh. Anything would suffice right now; I would probably snag her back or rump. But that was if she was still in front of me. She could be running away while I shut my eyes looking like an idiot, snapping at the air.

When she reared, and my teeth met her flesh, I heard her gasp. I felt horrible, I hated this. Hearing her shrill gasp of pain, it hit me in the chest, it made my stomach cringe. I was hurting her, what was I doing?! I was ready to stop now, tell her I was so sorry. Did she not see the signs? Couldn’t she tell I wasn’t enjoying this? I felt no rage, no anger, no reason to fight her. It pained me to force myself to do this. My heart thumped, the emotions raging around it. I winced at her gasp, almost imagining her pain. I felt her little body as she jerked away, a frown seeping onto my lips. My green gaze watched her closely; I had begun tracking her like a hound.

When my hoof came in contact with her soft flesh, I twitched. I was going to twitch and cringe and whimper every time I hurt her. I knew I would, because this was pure torture. But I didn’t want to show that I was a pathetic, worthless stallion. Despite her huff being fairly quiet, I heard it. I whimpered as we spread, my eyes flickering to her hooves. She waltzed into the water after me, salt stinging my wounds. I winced, but passed through the pain. I would not distract myself with the stinging scratches; instead I would focus on Hotaru, my brows narrowed. She began charging me, her head held high instead of aimed at my breast. Snorted, I raised my legs up as a sort of half rear. I swung them as quick as I could before throwing myself forward, meeting her halfway.

As our bodies reached one another, I threw myself head on, twisting my neck to bite her neck, my body being thrown at hers. I side step, attempting to pass her by, or have her pass me by, depending on if she has halted or stopped. As I pass her, I turn parallel to her, trying to bite her back or side yet again, bending my neck down in an attempt to do so. Hoping she was still behind me, I bucked out swiping my legs down a little to upper cut her with my hind hoof. I felt the cold saltwater clinging to my coat, the water stinging my wounds as I hurled myself through the water, my large body barreling through it. I was tiring, and it was obvious, although I attempt to hide it. As I spun to face Ru, I’m slower than before, forcing myself not to yawn for fear Ru might take that the wrong way. She might think I’m bored, or she might know I’m tired and make her attacks stronger. Hopefully not, because I was done with this, I would throw in the towel soon. I was in pain, the stinging wounds taking its toll on me. I looked at Hotaru, her small frame glittering in the light. Her horn shimmered, her eyes glowed. Her body looks so smooth and perfect, but then there were the cuts along her, interrupting the beauty. I was the one who had ruined it. I was the one.

"Talk talk talk"

[ Attack post: 3/4
Word count: 786
Notes: @[Hotaru] ]
Tingal

image credits
table by whit

i am a king
and the world is beneath me

Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#7

Teeth sink into flesh, fur thick and drying on her tongue, an uncomfortable sensation that makes her throat convulse in displeasure. Her jaw aches from having to clench through the thick hair, from the impact of her herbivore teeth clenching tight against the muscle of his leg. In retaliation Tingal's teeth, the lower set, snag her right croup, and she hisses and drops the hold she has on him. They are a flurry of movement, and the wince that shudders his large frame as she cries out hurts her, but the blood oozing from the burning wound on her flank is far more physically painful. His whimpering could not be heard over the soft panting of her own breath, the slow drip of her life substance hot against her skin as he landed one more minor blow on her. At least she had scraped him rather unattractively, and quite possibly rather painfully, down his cannon.

They separate almost violently, she pleased with his dedication blooming in the fight, and he whining like a kicked pup. Running for the waves, she scowls angrily, and hopes his leg is burning because she seriously doesn't want to play these games. It is so dark, but she can see from the glimmer of the moon off the water, though it makes her vision swim uncomfortably as she charges towards Tingal, her own legs stinging from the small scrapes as the salty water pierced them angrily. It isn't hard to shove through it if she lunged through it more than ran, and the large stallion charged her similarly. Instead of feeling fear, intimidation, regret...everything is just quiet. The thundering of their hooves through the water, the laboring breaths that escape the both of them...finally, she is at peace. Everything is so much easier to think about now, and when he comes close she plays a little game of chicken, keeping her posture until the very last moment when he craned his head towards the left side where her neck arched, teeth flashing pale in the quicksilver lighting. Hotaru grit her teeth, ready to take the pain so that she could do what she wished.

Pain struck her like lightning across the top arch of her neck, where her mane sprouted from her skin. Her step faltered, eyes bleary from the force of the blow, but she couldn't give up now. Once more she lowered her tiara, the tip aiming for Tingal's left thigh, the spray of the water disturbing her view and making it harder to see. She hoped it would pierce him, as he was unable to see she was aiming for him with his face in her neck, and hoped even further that his guilt over hurting her would further distract him. Was it a cruel move? Perhaps, but she would do anything to get the upper hand, even if it meant playing on her opponent's emotions and morals.

The salt of the water that sprayed up around them as they battled stung her eyes so fiercely that she had to clench them shut for a moment, faltering. He sidesteps as she swings her head away, ending her attack whether it landed or not. Damn it, this is why she didn't want to fight in the water! Stupid tall opponents. Didn't they understand the pains of being short? But Hotaru does not feel comfortable with her spine bare to him, for she knows it's one of the most vital parts of her body, and he is so much larger than her...

It's ridiculous to think he'd ever take advantage of her weakest point like that, but instinct demands she get away when he is so much larger, that she not give him the opportunity to plunge his hooves against her spine or neck. So she lunges forward as quickly as possible, more willing to sacrifice her haunches than her spine, and narrowly escapes his bite as it passes over the lowest sway of her back. Okay maybe being short wasn't such a bad thing? At least it had gotten her out of that one. Blinking her irritated eyes quickly against the salty spray, she only saw the movement of his hind hooves, but because she'd lunged forward out of fearful instinct she was struck in the back of her left forearm, making her legs wobble and to strike out to her right towards shallower waters as her eyes objected and her leg throbbed. Right leg taking the weight off her aching, newly-wounded one, she pettily snorted inwardly as she objected angrily to having been forced into this kind of environment. She was tiring in the water, the liquid slowing her movements drastically and forcing her already tired muscles to work even harder. So she ran towards the shore once again, tiring.


Word Count: 800
Attack: 4/4
Defense: 0/1

Hotaru
you never know the power of yourself, until that is all you have left to rely upon</style>

image credits
table by whit
[Image: 515265280ffff]

::Strong like the sea is stormy::

Please only tag starting posts, spars, and threads collecting dust!
Plot with me here!

Tingal Posts: 110
Outcast atk: 5.0 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5
Stallion :: Hybrid :: 17 hh :: 9 years HP: 62.5 | Buff: NOVICE
dark
#8
My sweat is flooding my body, covering the surface. I blink away the salty droplets, trying to avoid them from burning my eyes. Our breathing is synchronized for a moment, our chests heaving and our bodies burning with intense pains. I can tell our fight has reached its end, yet I push us onward. Ru wanted a fight, didn't she? So I gave her a fight, putting the last bits of energy remaining into the final few moves.

Hotaru seemed displeased upon watching me hurl myself into the water, and I understood why. My open wounds burned with a hateful passion, my eyes stinging from the salty water. I blink constantly, trying to force out the irritating water. As we begin to battle within the water, my body twisting, my neck arching over hers, I find myself biting her, getting mane and flesh together in one mouthful. I squeeze my eyes shut, hating myself even further. I held on however, despite my heart screaming for my to release my jaw and let the girl free. I feel her muscles change and shift beneath my maw, and from the corner of my burning eye, I see a pearl horn settle into position. Water from the waves spray my face and cause me to blink, pulling away and causing me to yelp. I rear slightly, stumbling back. Movement in the water is taxing, and as I raise my forearms from the water, my energy nearly drained from just those movements. My eyes are shut as I flail helplessly, in pain from the water. I would be surprised if I struck Ru, for I wasn't trying to attack, merely striking out in a painful manner.

As she pulls her head up, her horn slides along my left side, the cut beginning shallow and slowly deepening before her horn is removed from my skin. My salty sweat combined with the raging water causes the deep would on my side to burn immensely, my pain tolerance threshold suddenly broken. I couldn't handle much else. The towel was slipping from my hands, and I was glad that it was. My forelegs reach the sand sea bottom before I buck upwards, my smoky grey daggers hitting Ru's left foreleg. I wince, almost falling forward as I imagine her pain, the phantom wound stepping to my skin for a mere moment. My movement was slowed, and I watch as she races back towards shore. I myself am eager to leap back to the dry ground, my long legs no aid as I splash helplessly in the water.

I reach shore, looking at Ru with a solemn look. My feelings were finally going to be said, I would finally tell her that I no longer held the towel, that I had thrown it down to the ground only moments ago. "Stop... please. No more of this torture. I murmur, barely able to speak between my heavy breathes. My lungs grasp for air, straining and forcing me to cough and gag. I could not hold my weight any longer, so I throw myself against a rock structure, using it to support my weight. Was it finally over? My heart was crossed as I wished that the fight was finally over.
"Talk talk talk"
[this is sososososoooo late i'm so sorry ; n ; can official still count this despite this being uber late?
Attack: 4/4
Word Count:540
Notes: @[Hotaru]]
Tingal

image credits
table by whit

i am a king
and the world is beneath me

Hotaru the Valkyrie Posts: 295
Outcast atk: 7 | def: 10.5 | dam: 3
Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3hh :: 6 Years 3 Months HP: 67 | Buff: NOVICE
Alice :: Royal Hellhound :: Acid Brit
#9

Salt water is good for infections, she hissed idly to herself to deal with the stinging pain that dug deep into the root of her muscles like a syringe containing nothing but raw heat and shards of titanium. "Small but mighty" had never been used in such a strange manner, and yet been so fitting. The water slows her movement, tempts her to draw her knees up and out instead of their normal outward gait, if only to overcome the drag the water has on her. Were this a real battle, it could mean the difference between victory and defeat, life and death. It angers her that Tingal does not gaze at her seriously, for how will that ever teach her how to defend herself? How will that help her out there in the world, the one she knows is harsh? It is useless to spar without trying, for there would always be someone else out there, an enemy, who trained day after day, gaining multitudes of scars, who would crush those inexperienced imitators of warriors.

Deep in her thoughts, she is wrenched away, and pain is upon her nape. Ironically she can't help but think, bitterly, that Tingal might have a bit too much tiger in him. After all, she is no child, no kit, to be grabbed by the scruff and hauled around submissively. No, Hotaru had had enough of being submissive. It was time, now, to grow into her skin. Her worth.

Yanking away from sharper-than-normal herbivorous teeth, her blood goes with it, and she snarls like a crazed demon as their dance continues. As she lunges to pierce his flesh, he simultaneously launches his forehalf into the sky, dull hooves barely brushing her hipbone, a solid graze that would likely bruise a little. It is worth it, to pierce the fluff of his protective fur, to know she has dealt him a blow to remember. Despite her love for him, it does not mean she knows how to express it. All her life she had been fighting night and day, tooth and nail, for affection, attention. For the right to hold her family's attention, to know she was just as perfect as they portrayed themselves to be. Fighting for the right to be respected. And tonight, that is what she does, she fights for Tingal to respect her. No longer can she be considered a child, the frail and helpless thing she had been when they first met.

Together they break away, he from her horn and she from his flailing limbs, knowing better than to remain prone and hurting at the side of a massive creature such as he. As she lunges for the shore, birdlike chest fluttering anxiously for breath after working her muscles in the cold substance, he knocks into her ever harder, sending her foreleg into a skid away from her body as it tries to move with the force she exerts as well as the one he places upon her. Relying on any leg is painful, with his little nips and cuts, and she wishes instead that he had put strength behind each blow. These are more annoying than debilitating.

At separate times they touch shore, and she lifts windswept, salted forelock to gaze at him with a blazing look that is hot and fierce in her silver and sea-foam eyes. Bloodied horn rises high into the sky, dripping hot in small streaks down the side of her muzzle, warm with life. She may not be victorious, it is debatable, but she has not fallen. For her, it as a triumph. "It is over." That is all she has to say, in order to confirm to Tingal that it is indeed done.


Defense: 1/1
Word Count: 621

Hotaru
you never know the power of yourself, until that is all you have left to rely upon</style>

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table by whit
[Image: 515265280ffff]

::Strong like the sea is stormy::

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Official Posts: 847
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Stallion :: Equine :: ::
Official
#10

H O T A R U | T I N G A L
- - - - -
By my verdict HOTARU is the winner.

Hotaru does not receive any VP, due to her being under the age of 2.



Hotaru -- post 1 (attack only)

[Realism]
+ 1| Attack: Horn jab to Tingal's right shoulder/chest area.


[Prose]
+ 1| Emotion.
+ 1| Easy Read
+ 1| Flow.


Tingal -- post 1

[Realism]
0| Defense: No direction indicated as to which way Tingal moved.
+ 1| Attack: Bite towards her withers.
0| Attack: What does 'throwing myself at her left' entail? Is he body slamming? Teeth? Claws? What part of her?
+ 1| Attack: Bite towards her hind end.

[Prose]
+ 1| Emotion.
- 1| Flow: This was really confusing: I reared up, chasing after Ru, attempting to throw myself at her left. She is galloping straight at Tingal, and then presumably runs by him after he bites her. What's the point of the 'rear'? There's no mention of him turning around, so how could he chase her?
+ 1| Easy Read.

Hotaru -- post 2

[Realism]
+ 1| Injury: Scratch from her hindquarters to her croup.
+ 1| Attack: Crow-hop towards Tingal's right elbow and shoulder.
- 1| Dropped Attack: No mention of Tingal's lunge towards her.
- 1| Dropped Attack: No mention of Tingal's bite towards her hind end. For both of these, I know that she stopped short - meaning she would evade them, but this needs to be explicitly stated.
+ 1| Attack: Horn attack to his right thigh.
0| Attack: Bite. If you hadn't written 'simultaneously' I would have given you +1 here, but if this attack really is simultaneous with her horn attack, she can't be biting him. The bite would occur seconds after - hence why 'simultaneously' become problematic.
+ 1| Attack: Kick to Tingal's right hind leg.

[Prose]
+ 1|: Emotion
0| Flow:
+ 1| Easy Read.


Tingal -- post 2

[Realism]
- 1| Counter-attack/Injury: Hotaru crow hops almost right away, once she feels that Tingal is going to bite her. There isn't time for him to #1 See the wound he created #2 Frown about it and then #3 Lower his head and try to grab her leg.
+ 1| Attack: Kicking sand
0| Defense: I swung my weight to the side, hoping to slam her down using my strength. ... what side?
- 1|Injury: Her horn still poked into my skin, but I didn’t mind. You didn't mind? Of course you would mind! There's also no mention of the severity.
- 1| Dropped Attack: No mention of her bite.
- 1| Dropped Attack: No mention of her kick with her forelegs (you mention it later, but this is chronologically where it occurs).
+ 1| Attack: Bite to her hindquarter again.
- 1| Attack: Kick. Originally when Hotaru was running away, you said Tingal aimed to hit her left side. That means they were facing the same direction, with him on her left. She stops abruptly, and he turns around to face her. That means she is now on his left side, but because they are facing each other, it is her left side as well - so he couldn't kick towards the right side of her face. She also writes her post as attacking him three times right away - her head wouldn't be in range for this sort of attack.
+ 1| Attack: Teeth to her left side.
0| Defense: Spinning around, I did a small rear, trying to protect my stomach. Rearing would leave your stomach unprotected.
+ 1| Defense: Kicking water.


[Prose]
+ 1| Reason.
0| Emotion: I wasn't a fighter, not at all. I wasn't built for battle, nope, nope, nope! I wanted to talk Ru into stopping this, stop making me her doll. Not a doll to play with, a doll to torture. Tear me up; use me as a way to take out her rage. I wasn't going to be one of those; I didn't want to be one. I wanted to be her friend, her guardian, not her big fat punching bag. I really liked this (hence why it's a 0, and not a -1) - but if this is how Tingal really feels, why does he keep fighting her? Why isn't he yelling at her to stop? To ask why she's doing this in the first place?
- 1| Flow: The timing was off in this post, and it made it very confusing. Hotaru wrote that she stopped, then immediately lunged forward and attacked three times right away. You wrote it as if there was more time between when she stopped to her first attack, and acted as if Tingal had time between her attacks to act, when she wrote that he wouldn't have.

Hotaru -- post 3

[Realism]
+ 1| Injury: Scratch from Tingal's bite.
0| Injury: Even though the sand isn't hitting her in the face, surely it hits her body?
+ 1| Injury: Bite: ...and silently praised him for becoming more serious.
+ 1| Counter-attack: Biting towards his kick
+ 1| Injury: His second bite.
+ 1| Attack: Running at him in the water.


[Prose]
+ 1| Emotion.
+ 1| Flow.
+ 1| Easy Read.


Tingal -- post 3

[Realism]
- 1| Injury: I’m oblivious to her bite to my thigh. You aren't a robot, and it isn't cold enough for you to be numb. There's no way you'd be oblivious to this attack.
- 1| Attack: I grumbled as I snapped my teeth in the air, trying to grab a piece of her flesh. Anything would suffice right now; I would probably snag her back or rump. But that was if she was still in front of me. .... There's no directionality, nor is there any indication of where chronologically this happens in the fight.
- 1| Attack: As our bodies reached one another, I threw myself head on, twisting my neck to bite her neck, my body being thrown at hers. This doesn't make sense to me - are you throwing yourself directly at her? Which side of her neck are you biting?
0| Attack: Bite towards her back. No mention of what side you're passing her on, or where the bite is meant to land.
+ 1| Injury: Buck


[Prose]
+ 1| Emotion: Her body looks so smooth and perfect, but then there were the cuts along her, interrupting the beauty. I was the one who had ruined it. I was the one. HNGGGGGGG.
- 1| Flow: Again, this was really hard to read. Sentences like, As I pass her, I turn parallel to her... don't make sense. If you're passing her, you ARE parallel.
0| Easy Read:


Hotaru -- post 4

[Realism]
+ 1| Injury: Tingal's bite.
+ 1| Attack: Horn to Tingal's left shoulder
0| Defense: I don't think she could have reasonably avoided his bite. It might have been lessened, since the area was lower than expected, but I think force + momentum would have allowed him to make some contact.
+ 1| Injury: Kick to her leg.

[Prose]
+ 1| Emotion.
+ 1| Flow.
+ 1| Easy Read.


Tingal -- post 4

[Realism]
+ 1| Injury: Ru's horn attack.
- 1| Defense: In your original post, Tingal did not rear and flail his legs, therefore, you cannot go back and write him as doing that in response to Hotaru.

[Prose]
+ 1| Emotion.
+ 1| Flow.
+ 1| Easy Read.


Hotaru -- post 5 (defense only)

[Realism]
+ 1| Injury: Tingal's flailing hooves.



Hotaru

[Bonus]
+ 2| Breed Comparison: You were very aware of what you thought the strengths and weaknesses of both Hotaru and Tingal were within the fight!
+ 1| Surroundings: Good use of surroundings.

[Injuries]
0

[Creativity]
Nothing of note.

Comments: Really great job! I liked how almost mechanical Ru's thoughts seemed - like when everything just seemed to get quiet before her first attack.


Tingal

[Bonus]
+ 1| Breed Comparison: Good awareness of their breed differences.
+ 2| Surroundings: Tingal used his surroundings a number of times to his advantage in this spar.


[Creativity]
Nothing of note.

Comments: Great spar! Be careful of the timing of attacks. Sometimes it's helpful to write out what your opponent has done, and reply in sequence. I found in your posts that you would try and insert new emotion in a different post, or re-write attacks which makes things very awkward and difficult to read.


TOTAL
Hotaru- 75
Tingal- 56

image credit to Paulo Brandão


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