WHAT IN THE LIVING SPIRE WAS WRONG WITH THIS CREATURE?!

A hard smack whapped the charging bile back down Madhukar's throat. OOOOH that felt EGREGIOUS. Blood began to run down her cheek-- WAIT, WAS THAT THE SAME CHEEK IT HAD SCRATCHED BEFORE?! Madhukar couldn't tell. All she felt was the blood, the sting, the scent.

"WHAT--" a cough "IS WRONG WI' YOU?!"

Madhukar was very, very, VERY done. Adrenaline pumped into her; this shouldn't have been a threat. This creature, The Cat, couldn't possibly be a thing like Madhukar, no matter WHAT it claimed. Perhaps she'd underestimated the situation. This could very, very well now be life and death. Was she baited? Was this some creature she knew nothing about? Something about that assumption felt wrong...

But attempting to swing up her legs and right paw, claws unsheathed, to rake wildly at The Cat's chest, with the intent to SPILL BLOOD, didn't feel wrong, somehow. The moral deficiency of cutting up a child wasn't haunting for even a second.

If anything, it just felt fair.

Round: 4/5
Attempt: Rake madly (haha) at Twisted's chest w/ right paw & feet, claws unsheathed
Defense: Eyes still squinted, ears still pinned, but she ain't doin' so hot right now.
Injuries: Immobile paw + scratch on belly + big scratch on cheek + DAZED + scratch & bruise on face!!! >=(

@Twisted

The Cat felt a smug satisfaction as the smack sounded off into the air. That felt good. Yes, the morals of making your enemy choke on electrified bile was... questionable, but Mad deserved it, okay?! She had to get a taste of her own medicine.

Which made it even more hilarious when the torbie's attempt to claw at her back only ended in weak pawing against her chest. 'So this is what she's like when she had no magic, huh? Weak?' Mad sure seemed like it.

Now, as much as The Cat wanted to torture her forever, she'd better end this soon. After all, there was a literal entire world she'd yet to explore. Of course, it's best to leave your opponent with a parting gift...

"Nothing," she sneered, before suddenly lunging forward. Pearly kitten teeth snapped forward...

And chomped down on nothing but empty air.

Round: 5/5
Attempt: Bite down on her right shoulder
Defense: None for this round, she's too smug
Injuries: Sore, previously electrocuted and eardrum-shattered

@Madhukar

Madhukar had seen it coming.

Fear and anger, two sides of the same coin (as Tahi had thought about it), were what grasped Madhukar's heart and made it pump blood.

Blood didn't spill. Madhukar couldn't make it. She didn't even have the strength to tear this tiny thing to shreds. Once again, she was failing. Failing! She remembered the cold striking every molecule of her body, striking her heart, her desperate attempt to climb to shore--

When The Cat's jaw came down, she saw it coming. And she twisted her head.

As the bite concluded, Madhukar's hackles bristled at the words that accompanied it. This was no civil creature. There was no soul, no remorse in there. Unlike Sniffles, or any of the goopy ones actually, it just didn't care. It didn't even try! This thing was worse than her-- worse than ALL of them. This thing was just like that first brat. This thing would pummel her and leave her abandoned, cold, wet, helpless. Out of control. WHY was she ALWAYS SO OUT OF CONTROL?!

Madhukar attempted to reposition her head so that her jaws could almost clamp down on The Cat's.

Then she would try one. More. Time. To make this charged bile work.

The "kiss" of death. There was nothing friendly in this. There never would be.

Round: 5/5
Attempt: Shoot an Electroball directly at Twisted's mouth/face.
Defense: Eyes still squinted, ears still pinned, maw wrinkled, hackles raised, nothing else :P
Injuries: Immobile paw + scratch on belly + big scratch on cheek + DAZED + scratch & bruise on face!!! >=(

@Twisted

Character: Twisted Age: +1 (1 Cycle) Magic Level: +1 (Fledgling) ROUND 1 Attempt: +16 Penalties: - ROUND 2 Attempt: +17 Penalties: - ROUND 3 Attempt: +20 Penalties: - ROUND 4 Attempt: +20 Penalties: - ROUND 5 Attempt: +7 Penalties: - Total: 82

Character: Madhukar Age: +2 (2 Cycles) Magic Level: +3 (Pupil) ROUND 1 Attempt: +16 Penalties: - ROUND 2 Attempt: +9 Penalties: - ROUND 3 Attempt: +12 Penalties: - ROUND 4 Attempt: +2 Penalties: - ROUND 5 Attempt: +7 Penalties: - Total: 51

WINNER: Twisted

Twisted: Note that Kick should not actually do any real damage; it isn't a counterattack PLUS an attack, just an interrupt.

Madhukar: Remember to only take one Critical Action per round: running far away or keeping someone pinned should be its own action, if it's clarified in the post. Remember also to specify the success of an enemy's succeeded attack (round 1).

@Madhukar @Twisted

Her jaws were snapping. Tiny kitten claws scrabbled against stone as The Cat leaned in, trying to get in another bite. She'd teach this dumb sparkle-cat who she's messing with! Her legs were tiring, though, and stars still danced in her young eyes from all that thrashing about. She didn't realize what was happening fast enough when Madhukar suddenly leaned in to her face. Wh... what was this, exactly? Do enemies suddenly press their maws together in this strange new world she woke up in? The Siamese kit didn't move, dumbfound, until--

Thwiiick!

A steaming lump of electrified bile shot into her mouth. Two thoughts ran through her head.

1. 'Eewww, that's so gross!'

And 2. 'OH MY FUCKING-'

The Cat gagged, scrambling backwards as the world's worst smoothie came down her throat. Tiny zaps of electricity illuminated her jet mouth as she frantically tried to cough up the magical ball. It wasn't the worst electroball Mad could have given, but her singed throat begged to differ. She hunched over, cream fur pricking up and green eyes staring warily. That was it. As much as she wanted to keep fighting, her body didn't want to be destroyed the same day it was made.

"Fine," she muttered, her hoarse mew sounding almost defeated. The moment of vulnerability passed, and her gaze hardened once more. "I'm still better than you. And you know it." The "newborn" angled her head upwards, pridefully, looking at the larger cat with scorn. "So don't mess with me again."

@Madhukar (sorry for the late reply!)

FINALLY Madhukar's magic decided to work for and not against her. And the plan succeeded. Madhukar scrambled up to her paws as fast as she could, backing away from the rotten enemy hissing, maw still wrinkled, ears still back, eyes still unwilling to let The Cat go. Madhukar wasn't just gonna open up for another attack. She was done. So done. Every single detail in her posture said 'BACK AWAY. RIGHT. NOW.'

The Cat relented at last, but Madhukar wasn't convinced. Yet again, it felt the need to present itself as her better. What was it aiming to accomplish?! What did it think would happen if it did that to everything it met?!? If they met again, which Madhukar prayed would never happen, then Madhukar would just have to take it out. Keep it down. Never let it up, ever again.

Because being rude at birth was one thing, but being relentlessly cruel at birth? That was another.

"YO?! Wha' ARE you??! MESS wi' yo'? YO'RE a mess! Rotten! TWISTED! If yo' speak ta' me ever again, I'll destroy yo." What exactly was meant by those words, Madhukar wasn't yet sure. She felt insecure about it, but the bile in her words was determined and potent. All the more reason to try as hard as she could to become better and better, to gain control. So she wouldn't fail against a literal newborn again.

She would never be bested by twisted fools such as this one. She would make sure of that.

Madhukar continued backing away. She wouldn't leave until the other did. She wouldn't take her eyes, gleaming, flaring with enmity and rage, off the hooligan. She would not allow another attack. She couldn't.

@Twisted (('twas not an issue but thnank you for the reply! uwu))

The Cat's body was tense, fur pricking upwards and a few drops of blood still on her muddle. Still, she kept her head high and broken tail raised as best she could. Madhukar, on the other hand, looked defensive. Defeated. 'Good.' She taught her not to mess with her, and she'll teach the entire cave!

Large kitten eyes glimmed towards her rival as she spoke. Twisted's claws scraped against stone at the accusation. "I'm not-- ... fine, I'm Twisted." Hell, maybe she'll call herself that from now on. Just to mess with her.

Her crooked tail lashed in the breezy air. "Oh, and I'll make sure to see you again. I beat you already, so I can do it again." Twisted wasn't all too sure on her remark-- from what she gleaned, these caves were big, and the larger it was the smaller her chances of crossing paths. But she just knew it.

@Madhukar

Defeat, defeat, defeat, defeat, defeat, DEFEAT, DEFEAT DEFEAT DEFEAT DEFEAT DEFEAT DEFEAT--

It wouldn't leave her mind. The words bundled up into giant clouds, evaporating and clinging to dust particles rapidly, as if time had sped up. The clouds grew thick, dark, deep grey like the hide of a shark in the deep, the flesh of coal about to be burned, the dimness of light in the arena where predator stalks prey. The fizzing, sparking sensation of something about to happen.

'I'll make sure to see you again. I beat you already, so I can do it again.' Combust.

"REALLY?" She stopped backing up. "YO THINK THAT YO-o-U CAN DO THA-T?" She didn't like how her voice was so prone to malfunctioning. It was as if all the screaming messed with her vocal cords. "TWISTED. STUPID." She forced her mouth to cooperate, and commanded one paw to take a shaky step forward. Her fur was puffed out immensely. "KNO-W NOTH-ING." Another step closer. Still wobbly. ARGH!! But this was important. "SMALL. WEAK. YO. YOU. YOU WILL DIE BEFO...RE SEE--" Why was this so hard for her mouth to manage?! "--M- ME AGAIN." And if the idiot wasn't dead by then, Madhukar's solution was simple.

She'd kill it herself if she had to.

Rage. Rage flowed through Madhukar like a stream through a waterwheel. It generated power for her. Or, it could. Magic attempted to reach out. Maybe just one more, just one more shock would shut the fool up, and then Madhukar could feel something like victory. Something close. Something similar.

Like the violent, electric wrath crackling in her flurry of insults, a charge ran through a shot of bile in Madhukar's mouth. Ready... aim... FIRE!

And out the lightning bullet would go, aimed directly at the newly hatched abomination standing all triumphant before Madhukar.

@Twisted
((DON'T EXIT YET!!! MAKE ONE MORE POST BEFORE THE EXIT POST!!!! MAD WILL EXIT FIRST))

Defiance. Smirking in the face of this angry, no-good kitten. It was what defined Twisted for her first hour of life. Madhukar wanted to get her down, to control her, so she taught her what she could do with those claws. It made her feel good.

Twisted wanted to continue. Gloat all up in her face. Raise that crooked tail high like a banner. But she was getting weak, and tired. Newborn bodies aren't meant for brutal fights. She didn't notice the final charge of magic, the last strike of the defeated army. She didn't even bother listening to the words, too busy in her self-congratulations. The siamese just glared forward, eyes wrinkled in pride-- and soon surprise-- as the asteroid came barreling down...

Bingo.

It connected with her chest fluff like the world's most aggressive bean bag. Twisted hissed, reeling back as little currents of electricity spasmed her muscles. She was so done with these little sparkle-poofs. Her face was sore, her mouth was charred, and now her front fur was sticking up like some science project. She batted it away quickly, little zaps going down her paw as she watched it tumble down the tunnel.

And then-- a sharp glare at Madhukar. "Is that the only thing you can do? Spit up little furballs?" Mouth opened, claws flexed... and then relaxed once more. "... Fine." The slightest twinge of defeat went through Twisted's voice. She couldn't fight more, she knew it.

Four black paws slinked backwards, towards the shadowy edges of the tunnel until she was completely in the shade-- and hopefully out of the way of another attack. Out of the way, the tunnel space open for Madhukar to walk through.

And a few last words of spite just to end it: "Then kill me."

@Madhukar

Madhukar stared in vengeful, smoldering silence as 'The Cat' began to spasm. Still testing her. Still trying to push her buttons. Madhukar was also tired -- she'd been tired of this brat from its first word spoken. She was going to leave now. Leave and hope to never see this little idiot ever again. One bad interaction was enough, it seemed; she needed to more to understand exactly why whatever this creature was, it wasn't worth a second longer of her time and attention.

Madhukar didn't bother answering the questions of her own abilities. She was much more focused on that ending, that last parting 'gift'. A million things Madhukar could've spat back, a million things she might've done at such an open invitation. But all she said was, "Yo' can do tha' y'self."

And as The Cat retreated back into the shadows, Madhukar would back away down the tunnel, not turning her head around until she was sure she was in the clear. Maybe it was too much care taken for something so inane and insignificant, but whatever. She didn't want to keep fighting, she didn't want to be caught off guard again.

She was sure was right. Good frickin' riddance if she was.

- exit -

@Twisted (LET'S GO GET SOME S T O N K S FAM!!)