[BATTLE!] Pride vs. Mocha - Mischief vs. Nori!

Mocha

'Cause I'm having a good time

Oh what fun the day had been! Mocha had a new friend, and he had seen so many potential friends in the many, many, many gembounds that had attended. He had no idea there were so many! It was a good thing he didn't use his magic there. Too many heart beats at once really hurt his ears.

"Do you have ears, Nori?" He wondered aloud, twisting to look at the lesser snake that sat curled around his waist. It didn't seem very keen on moving unless it needed to, but he didn't mind being its legs. He saw no ears on it, though, not even ears like his that were functionally just holes. It still seemed to respond to him speaking, though, so he left it as a mystery for another day.

"This is your stop Nori! The final game!" He gave the snake a gentle lick and nudge, urging it onto the platform. He was glad he was the first to the stage! It gave him some time to coax his new friend down. "Have fun! I'll get you a fish when the game is done!" He chirped, giving the snake one last friendly nudge before backing up to the marked spots beside the stage. He was glad that their friends wouldn't actually hurt each other; he had started to worry about signing up for the event without hearing all the rules. He hoped his own eased nerves would help to keep Nori calm too. In truth his nerves weren't all that eased, and his anxiousness did seep through their connection, but Nori didn't much seem to care. The snake simply looked back and tasted the air, entirely unbothered. Nori was much more laid back than Mocha was, the perfect example of opposites attract.

"Pride?" The little shark dog called out to the crowd, a sea of stranger's faces and lessers. He had no idea who he was looking for, so he made himself comfortable with his tail as a seat to wait for his challenger to approach. Would they be friendly? He hoped so.

Pride picked his way across the coliseum floor. His opponent, or rather the director of his familiar's opponent, was a stranger to him and he greeted him with a dip of his head. "That would be me--and you are Mocha?" he asked, head tipping to one side. "It is nice to meet you. My familiar-" and here he turned as Mischief shot past him: a feisty little Arctic Hair with chalcedony gemstone forming small spikes above one eye. "...She wished to battle. She will not, I hope, try to draw blood," he added, eyeing the almost-legless lizard by Mocha's side somewhat doubtfully.

He had no idea if the little creatures were venomous. Probably not, as it wasn't an actual snake, but he couldn't be sure. He was worried, but in his mind, Mischief was living up to her name: eager, dismissing his concerns, and raring to do battle.

She rushed forward and hopped up and down midway between he and Mocha, ready to fight.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

Mocha

'Cause I'm having a good time

"That's me!" He nodded, greeting the other with a bright smile. "Nori will play nice too! Won't you Nori?" He turned to look at his lesser snake, who tasted the air in response. He didn't seem to do much, but he had managed to somehow jump a hurdle, so Mocha believed in the little guy.

"It's go time!" He declared as the hare got into position, both verbally and mentally urging Nori to begin.

The word 'go' seemed charged with lightning as the snake struck out, no longer the almost lethargic creature Mocha had known him to be. Despite its usual prey being much smaller, Nori opened his jaws without hesitation and struck true, a strong start for such a friendly competition.

Pride was halfway through wondering just what Mocha was (admittedly, distracted) when the seemingly slow-moving lizard abruptly launched into motion. Even Mischief, quick as she was, was taken off-guard; jaws closed around her flank and a squeal of frightened surprise rang through the forum's arena.

Use your hind legs! Pride thought at her. He'd seen her playing, before, kicking viciously and rapidly; maybe she could free herself that way.

He could feel, though, that despite the admirable strength and quickness of the strike, the little lizard wasn't actively trying to cause harm. And be careful, he added, cautioning her to not cause real harm.

It was a good thing he'd warned her; her strong kicks came with sharp claws, and he felt her turn them away just in time. The result was a potential battering, but without the potential cuts that might've otherwise come with it.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

Mocha

'Cause I'm having a good time

Mocha was glad to see that their friends hadn't caused much damage to each other, even with such a quick start from his. Nori had struck fast and hit the mark, but had only held on without digging teeth deeper. 'That's it! Just for fun!'

His focus on the fight was only broken by quick glances towards Pride, admiring their clean white coat and impressive antlers. Would he grow antlers? That would be so cool! He didn't think so, though. "You're pretty!" He chirped during a break in the fight's momentum. Pride was a blank slate, much like the stones Fahl had painted. It made him imagine the deer in the same shades of yellow and red, which in turn made him laugh, seemingly for no reason.

Mocha turned his positive feelings outwards towards Nori, trying to emphasize the 'for fun' point of the event. Nori seemed to take well to the idea and aimed to try and trip the opponent instead, slithering around its legs in odd patterns.

The compliment came as a surprise, and Pride blinked up, concentration broken for the moment. "Ahh--thank you?" he half-asked, amused, but his tone was still quite polite. He hesitated, because he honestly wanted to ask what Mocha was but it seemed a rude way to phrase the question. "May I ask... what sort of creature you are? You are quite unique," he added, struggling to make it sound nicer. It wasn't intended to be mean--he was simply curious. Fascinated, even.

The distraction took its toll, and he'd have sworn he felt Mischief swear at him along the link, although the hare was technically incapable of it. She was flipped and tumbled around, scrabbling to catch her balance, and Pride suppressed a laugh as he apologized to her through that link. My apologies--try to get up. Get some distance! Maybe flip it over, too, he suggested.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

Mocha

'Cause I'm having a good time

Mocha nodded at the deer's thanks with a smile before the question made him squint. He was Mocha! What more was there to it? Oh, but as much as Pride was a deer, he was something else. Not quite any one thing, though. More like a combination. A hybrid! That was the word!

"I'm a shark-dog!" He declared with a bark for emphasis, brow unfurrowing as the words came to mind. Those were the closest of creatures he could think to compare himself to. "I have lots of teeth!" He added, opening wide to show them off. Two rows of teeth, most not fully emerged yet, greeted Pride without warning. Not that it was a threatening display, given the pup's size. Mocha just thought they were neat!

Nori made an effort to work past the distraction, but it was of no use. The lesser snake tried to get a hold of a limb or an ear, anything to try and pin their opponent, but it was to no avail. The hare was much too fast for him this time.

A shark dog?? The thought was laced with question marks, ringing in Pride's mind, hanging there unresolved and baffling as the little fight continued. He eyed the rows of tiny, sharp teeth, blinking--not intimidated, no. Mocha seemed quite friendly. But they were... unexpected? In such a soft- and somewhat pudgy-looking creature. Young, perhaps. Well--that was a given, but-

Oh- Mischief was leaping for the Lesser Snake like a wrestler, jumping high to come down feet-first for it.

She seemed to be having fun, at least, eyes gleaming despite the light battering she'd already taken.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

Mocha

'Cause I'm having a good time

Mocha closed his mouth after a moment, trying to conserve some moisture. He could survive out of the water with little difficulty, but the longer he did the more dry, itchy and cracked his skin became. It wasn't bad, now, but the battle had required all of his attention and the distraction kept him from pulling water out of the air with magic. It was nearly over, at least, a neck-and-neck battle with both sides trying to secure the win in the last few moments.

'Are you okay?' Mocha's attention shifted away from the deer as Mischief landed on Nori, knocking the wind out of them. 'The battle's almost done! You're so close!' He aimed to reassure the lesser, spurring it on. The timer above was counting down, and he knew they would only have another attack or two to secure the win. He wouldn't feel bad if they lost either, and he made that known through the link. It was just a game, and he'd hate seeing either party hurt.

Unfortunately, Nori was having a hard time recovering, and they simply worked to catch their breath.

Pride was about to speak, wondering if he were reading a vague discomfort correctly, or if the shark-dog were simply distracted by the battle--when the battle distracted him, too.

His pale eyes shot to the Lesser Snake and he squinted, concerned. "Is your... creature, okay?" He couldn't quite tell if it were snake or lizard; but it seemed to have taken a bit of a battering. Don't harm it, he warned Mischief.

The hare, about to launch into a series of kicks, instead pulled back. He felt a sort of sourness along the link, like she wanted to press her advantage, but she also seemed to recognize what he was telling her: that she wasn't to harm the reptile, and that it wasn't looking very good.

She turned her back half-to it instead, scuffing in quick rabbit-like fashion in the dust on the stage, kicking it back toward Nori. Maybe she was trying to use strategy instead of brute force, blinding the thing briefly--Pride wasn't sure. But he was grateful she didn't actually try to cause it further harm.

Either way, it didn't seem to do much; the stage was less sandy than the floor of the Forum, and all the hare managed was a vague puff of dust.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave