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Post by Celebes on Nov 13, 2019 21:18:53 GMT -5
YAH!
**For the first time, it seemed Isaiah's attack landed as intended. Though Dewy would have trade away all those previous near missed to not be smacked on the snout by a spinning pommel. Dewbelle wasn't even entirely sure what had hit her when she felt the crack on her nose, but pain or not her momentum kept carrying her forward even as she hit the ground. Her paw immediately went to her face, retracting it slightly as it stung. The force of the thin weapon had managed to break the skin, if slightly. She was probably bleeding, but she didn't want to look at her paw to check.
She was still belly down in the loam, and with a bleary glance she looked up for her opponent. He wasn't far away. But despite her continued seething, Dewy didn't want to attempt another painful grapple to close the distance; it had already failed twice. Maybe she could get him to come to her. With a little moan, she kept her paw along her snout and let out an pithy accusation.**
Yous...yous made'n me bleed!
**With any luck, he'd be curious enough to see if it was true. Failing that, she could always threaten tattling on him. The Elders didn't seem to appreciate when dibbun scuffles began to run red.**
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Post by Isaiah on Dec 20, 2019 2:40:44 GMT -5
**The sword made a terrible cracking noise as it collided with the oncoming Dewbelle. The hit was direct, and much more brutal than Isaiah had intended; was she okay? Isaiah kept his eyes trained on the squirrel who now sprawled face down on the ground, inching towards his fallen weapon with great unease. Of course, Isaiah had meant to hurt Dewbelle, but he hadn't meant to hurt Dewbelle. There was a thin line that separated the kind of pain that sent a dibbun to their bed for the rest of the day to assuage their wounded ego and the kind of pain that sent a dibbun to the Infirmary. Depending on Dewbelle's temperament, the second kinda of injury could get Isaiah into serious trouble. It also wasn't any fun to push his opponent out of the battle so forcefully. He wanted more of a game out of it. And, he felt a little bad.**
Yous...yous made'n me bleed!
**Isaiah let out a little sigh of relief. She wasn't unconscious; that was a good sign. There seemed to be mostly surprise in her voice, not agony. Still... Isaiah leaned in—forgetting his weapon in the soil for a moment—trying to make out the blood that Dewbelle's paw blocked. She was okay, wasn't she? Sometimes it only took past the initial shock for a dibbun to run screaming into the Abbey.
It was time for damage control.**
Um... Yousa' okay, righ'? Aw' ya?
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Post by Celebes on Dec 22, 2019 11:46:12 GMT -5
**Dewbelle's ears flicked as she could hear Isaiah shift his weight in the crinkling grass. The reflex sent a twitch of movement down the rest of her furry face, culminating in a painful tug on the corner of her cut. The strike really had hurt. The young squirrel began to wonder if it wouldn't be better to just lay in the grass. To accept being a wounded gazelle instead of trying to make a gambit out of it. But she hadn't been injured by a fearsome predator. Just some short annoying mouse she could very easily take.**
Um... Yousa' okay, righ'? Aw' ya?
**No. She wasn't. Dewy was still in pain, and Isaiah was skirting just out of range of an easy grab. She brushed her paws slowly along the grass, trying to subtly feel out the range between her and her opponent, even as she kept her face lowered. As she did so, she let allowed for a halting mumble to escape from her lips.**
Beh...betta 'dan...
**Her paws continued to crawl through the grass, her claws tugging at the furls. Whoever the groundskeeper was around here, they certainly kept the lawn well cropped. It was easy to brush her paw along. Suddenly, her pad bumped into something hard. Dewbelle began to rapidly feel out the outline.**
Better 'dan...
**It was Isaiah's dagger! It had landed in the grass near her. She made a move at shifting her weight to try and distract her opponents attention as she took wooden toy up into her paw. Most of Isaiah might still be out of range, but as he began to lean in his footpaws certainly weren't!**
Better 'dan yous gunna' be!
With the quickest motion her vindictive energy could force, she grabbed the dagger by its blade, and jammed the pommel downwards towards Isaiah's foot.
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Post by Isaiah on Dec 23, 2019 16:50:35 GMT -5
Beh...betta 'dan...
**Isaiah screwed up his face into a distorted mixture of concern and confusion. He couldn't quite make out the strangled words coming from Dewbelle; the muffled groans combined with the odd writhing about on the ground for a worrying image. Temporarily, Isaiah forgot about his weapon. For the time being the fight was over; for the time being he should be nice. She was moving and talking, both good signs. There was a chance Isaiah could regain her favor if he redirected his attitude into a more helpful approach, or maybe she'd see his kindness for what it really was, a desperate attempt to avoid trouble. Isaiah shook his head at the thought, he preferred to win without painfully disabling his opponents—unless they deserved it of course.**
Better 'dan...
**A coincidental breeze snatched the words away, but they were definitely words, not just groans. Dewbelle was trying to get his attention. Isaiah leaned in a little further.**
Do ya need m'ta git sumbeast?
Better 'dan yous gunna' be!
**A cascade of conflicting emotions slammed into Isaiah all at once, as suddenly his brain caught up with the situation at hand. First, there was relief that Dewbelle seemed relatively unharmed with energy to spare. Then, paranoia as he finally processed Dewbelle's words. There was half a moment to consider a witty retort before the panic set in as Isaiah felt movement by his footpaw as Dewbelle brandished his weapon. In a rush of pure fright and sugar-fueled energy, Isaiah yanked his paw backwards, sending him several steps backwards in the process. And that's when the pain set in, as had not only his paw been bruised by the wooden pommel in passing, but the mouse had backed his head forcibly into the tree that overlooked the training yard.**
Yowch, ahghFLUBbatterAAAshhgh. **Isaiah grimaced, forcing a pained smile through clenched teeth.** Yousa' durty fighta'! I wa' trynna help ya!
**As he talked—biting back all the naughty words he could think of—Isaiah's paws felt around the base of the trunk he was backed up against, searching for a branch, anything that he could use in self-defense.**
Ya ready t' sta't da akshual battle now?
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Post by Celebes on Jan 4, 2020 0:08:47 GMT -5
**Dewbelle was elated, her ruse had worked! Isaiah would think twice about messing with her now! The squirrel let her paw flop to the ground as her opponent yanked away his paw, dagger slipping limply from her grasp. For a moment Dewy was able to enjoy his clumsy antics.** Yousa' durty fighta'! I wa' trynna help ya!**Dewbelle couldn't help but stick out her tongue at this (it was much more visible display of disgust than the classic eye roll). That wasn't the first time she had been told her way of fighting was dirty, so she hardly minded that insult. Her rivals always said that when they were on the losing end of a good trick. But Isaiah insisting that he was trying to help her?! Puh-leese! It was him who had got her tangled up into this tripe in the first place! His best help would have been to leave her alone!** Ya ready t' sta't da akshual battle now?**Dewy was crouching now, tail lying limp in the cropped grass. She decided that she needed to get up on her paws before Isaiah could recover himself, and she stood up quickly to hide how wobbly her legs actually were. Despite her opponents temporary daze, Dewbelle would need a moment to orient herself before she could pounce again. She contented herself with a little boasting instead, now that her anger was beginning to fade with the advent of her successes.**
Puh, 'ardly evens'a battle with yous! I can whop any dibbun in da dorm, an' they'd all puts up a betta' fight than yous would!
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Post by Isaiah on Jan 26, 2020 19:44:02 GMT -5
Puh, 'ardly evens'a battle with yous! I can whop any dibbun in da dorm, an' they'd all puts up a betta' fight than yous would!
**Isaiah felt warm blood rushing to his face as Dewbelle stood over him; a dull throbbing in the back of his head adding injury to insult. For a moment, Isaiah was overwhelmed, and he almost felt like crying. Then, shaking his head before tears could visibly sprout and his humiliation could become even more solidified, Isaiah gritted his teeth. A low growl—or as low and threatening as Isaiah could manage—came out in response to Dewbelle's proclamation. The mouse's sparring skill was a point of pride. He'd never lost one. If anyone was asked, Isaiah offered to fight them lest they answered incorrectly.
Who did this squirrel think she was? Had Isaiah not just beaten Celebes in a spar? Granted, Celebes didn't seem to be much of a fighter, whereas Dewy posed a direct challenge.**
I'mma da best fighta' in all'a DAB! Buh'sides, dis battle ain't even close t' ova'...
**Isaiah grinned. Dewbelle still had not seized her opportunity to pounce while Isaiah remained dazed; now Isaiah's paw wrapped around a dead branch that lay in the dirt beneath the trunk. Dewbelle was not getting away with saying those words, and Isaiah was going to prove that to her.
Launching himself off the ground, Isaiah slung the dead twig towards Dewbelle's standing form. Not even waiting to see if it hit, Isaiah flung himself forward, arms outstretched; he wanted to take Dewbelle down.**
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Post by Celebes on Jan 29, 2020 16:03:55 GMT -5
I'mma da best fighta' in all'a DAB! Buh'sides, dis battle ain't even close t' ova'...
**Dewy had been watching her opponent's paws as he began his gripe. Having just pulled off her own ruse, she was not about to be sneak attacked. Isaiah was fast, and the big stick that he grabbed wasn't the one that Dewbelle had thought he would go for. Still, she had barely enough time to bow backwards. The branch raked her front with a row of mostly harmless twigs and a bushel of crinkly leaves. It was a luckier dodge than she had probably realized. With the amount of force Isaiah had slung the branch with, getting hit with the branch's more substantial middle would at minimum have left a fine bruise.
Isaiah was soon on her, his tackle connecting while Dewbelle was still concentrating on the dead tree limb. His weight was enough to pull Dewbelle off her foot paws, and the squirrel landed with her back on the grass and more mouse on top of her than she would have liked.**
Yeep!** she yipped.
It wasn't all bad. This entire spar she had been trying to get Isaiah down into a grappling match, for Dewbelle was confident that she could overpower him once they were both down on the ground. Twice she had attempted to start one, twice she had failed. What luck Isaiah had started one himself, she figured. Dewy made her first priority immobilize her opponent's arms. With him on top of her, that would be difficult, but she settle for attempting a forceful hug, trying to pin his limbs against his sides. If she could just manage that, then she would have a solid go at rolling him off her and switching their positions.**
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Post by Isaiah on Jan 30, 2020 0:29:25 GMT -5
Yeep!
**The mouse almost knocked the air out of himself as he tackled Dewbelle to the ground, surprised by the initial lack of resistance. One in the dirt, however, Isaiah found his opponent to be much more slippery. He leaned into Dewbelle, doing his best to sit squarely on her, using sheer force of weight to keep her on the ground while he planned his next move. Immediately, Isaiah's paws went for Dewbelle's arms; he was only one move away from victory. Instead, his paws grasped dry grass as Dewbelle had already shifted beneath him. Suddenly, an immense pressure squeezed around Isaiah's midsection. He thrashed momentarily, only to find his struggles constricted. Dewbelle had him contained. She was stronger than he'd thought.**
Let go!
**The voice was high pitched, whiny, and tinged with the faintest sense of unfairness. Isaiah hadn't been expecting this. Wiggling, Isaiah found his efforts fruitless as the squirrel's hold on him only seemed to become more secure. Desperation struck, and Isaiah yanked his body sideways—rolling onto the ground himself—hoping against hope that the sharp movement would cause Dewbelle to release her grip, not settle on top of him.**
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Post by Celebes on Jan 30, 2020 1:16:45 GMT -5
Let go!
**Like jam she would! She had Isaiah now! Dewy held fast to Isaiah like a branch in the wind, straining to keep a hold of him amidst his spasms. Suddenly, the mouse threw himself to the side, dragging Dewbelle along with him. Slamming downward with the mouse beneath her, she felt her grip immediately loosen as her elbows were jarred by the impact. She only managed to just keep her opponent under wraps by quickly grabbing her wrist with the opposite paw, giving Isaiah more leeway to move as a consequence.**
Imma tell da WHOLE dorm I beat yous, den' no one will botha' me again!
**This was the ultimate prize Dewbelle was shooting for, even more than personal revenge. She hated that Isaiah had managed to shame her into a spar, and she was determined that no one would challenge to a fight ever again. Well, at least not when she was unprepared. Dewy was not above rough sports, but she despised looking weak by refusing a sudden call to battle. No dibbun would dare to scuffle with her if she made an example of one of DAB's proudest sparers!
A sudden wriggle from Isaiah bonked Dewy on the snout, inflaming the still-fresh cut inflicted by the mouse's dagger. Almost reflexively she released her grip as she sucked in air. Dewbelle tried to correct her mistake by digging her claws into Isaiah's midsection, but it was likely too late.**
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Post by Isaiah on Jan 30, 2020 2:56:21 GMT -5
**A gasp of air gave Isaiah some relief as the snare around his midsection loosened—though only slightly. He strained against Dewy's grip, but continued to find himself immobile, only in an even worse position now. The dibbuns were nearly butting heads now, the squirrel's whiskers tickling Isaiah's face. Isaiah had never felt so humiliated in his life. He was pinned to the ground... By Dewbelle! While his earlier boast that he'd never lost a spar may not have been exactly correct, Isaiah was sure he'd never been in such a lost situation before. The usual determination that characterized the mouse—along with any sense of wit—evaporated; defeat was a very real possibility.**
Imma tell da WHOLE dorm I beat yous, den' no one will botha' me again!
**Isaiah bared his teeth; his vision was turning a faint red. He had half a mind to bite Dewbelle in response, but something in him stopped that idea—despite the anger. Still, Dewbelle's threat had ignited something within the mouse. This wasn't over. Seizing on the hope given by Dewy's momentary lapse in grip, Isaiah wriggled desperately, his paws flailing beneath Dewbelle's prison. Without meaning too, Isaiah whacked his head against Dewbelle's, and the mouse had freedom of movement again.
But pain struck Isaiah before he could act as Dewbelle dug her claws into his torso, agonizing even through Isaiah's spar-worn tunic. Dewbelle was still on top of him, that was the other problem, but the pain was more urgent. Grabbing Dewbelle's paws in his own, Isaiah tried to tear her out of his midsection, hoping to leverage control of her limbs into twisting her body onto the ground next to him.**
Youse not beatin' me t'day!
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Post by Celebes on Jan 30, 2020 10:30:16 GMT -5
**Dewbelle was in pain all over, there was no doubt about that. What worried her, and what was more difficult to just ignore and fight through, was the fatigue. Her limbs were becoming increasingly leaden, and every gasp of breath she drank in came through her mouth, her snout no longer sufficient for the amount of air she required. Dewy had already exhausted most of her adrenaline in earlier bouts of excitement, and that manic energy was all she had left. She had to win soon.**
Youse not beatin' me t'day!
**Isaiah's snarl and subsequent herculean effort to overthrow Dewbelle were more than the exhausted squirrel could handle, and she felt her wrists being crushed beneath her opponents ferocious grip. She struggled in vain, finally letting loose his flesh to try and wrench her paws back. Unsuccessful, Dewy was forced to follow the momentum of his movement, falling sideways to the ground and landing on her shoulder beside him. She had just managed to tear loose her opposite paw, but the remaining wrist closer to him seemed to be locked in a vice of iron.**
I hate'ch yous!
**Dewy didn't have breath left to say anything more menacing than that, but she wanted to get something out as her body grew increasingly unable to demonstrate her strong feelings. Dewbelle knew she would have to act immediately if she didn't want her opponent on top of her in a role reversal, but she was too winded to make a full effort of it. Instead, she felt around the lawn beside her for something, anything to use as a force multiplier. Finding nothing in her frenzied search, she curled her free paw into a fist and brought it sailing over her body. She aimed to smash Isaiah in the face.**
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Post by Isaiah on Feb 2, 2020 3:09:08 GMT -5
**Isaiah was hot. Sweat was starting to permeate his fur and cause it to stick together in matted clumps. Every effort was draining; it was straight up uncomfortable. Even the late afternoon sun seemed to beam down with a greater intensity now than it had just minutes previously. Fortunately, Isaiah no longer had a bushy squirrel sitting on top of him. Unfortunately, he quite liked laying on his back. Although he maintained his grip on Dewbelle, it was getting harder to move, and worse, harder to think.**
I hate'ch yous!
**The mouse knew what he had to do now. He saw himself throwing himself over on top of Dewbelle pinning her arms to the ground, and taunting her until she relented, apologized, and claimed Isaiah as the ultimate victor. Yet Isaiah remained, unable to move, content in his position to keep Dewbelle stationary.
She seemed too exhausted to move as well.
Then, Isaiah's vision went black and pain shot through his eyes. Dewbelle had brought down her limb like a club, causing Isaiah to immediately release his grip on Dewbelle and bring his paws up to his face. Lacking the brain power to think of anything more creative—or more clever—Isaiah slung back his paw in reply, aiming to bring it down on Dewbelle's face.**
Why dontcha give up a'ready!
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Post by Celebes on Feb 5, 2020 23:24:22 GMT -5
**Isaiah's retaliatory strike was expected, if still quite painful. But surprisingly, the paw she had just struck him with seemed to hurt more than her face. Sure, he bopped her on the nose quite finely, but that part of her face had already begun to numb up. Whatever she had hit, it had been hard, and now her knuckles were on fire.**
Why dontcha give up a'ready!
**Dewy hardly knew how to respond. She was dead set on humiliating Isaiah after his perceived slight, but Dewbelle was depleted. It took all the energy she had to keep from simply crying she was in so much pain. The very thought of that embarrassment almost set her off at that very moment. It was the toughest spar she had ever had with another dibbun. That spat she had had with Lily not so long ago had not become this brutal, at least physically.
Still, it was clear Isaiah was at least as weary as her, otherwise he would have flattened her by now. There was one possible out. And it certainly wasn't through fighting. Summoning whatever will she could scrape together, she made a spectacle of dramatic rise to her paws, though "dramatic" could have been substituted by "slow and groaning" at the viewer's discretion. Making it eventually into a hunched standing position, she quashed whatever insane particle of her that itched to resume the fight. If she threw herself on him and still ended up losing, the game would be all up. She wasn't about to take that risk after paying for it with all the scrapes, bruises, and worse. Instead, she spoke with a level voice that quavered.**
Well, seein' I'm tha las' squir'l standin', I guess I won, yeah? I'm gunna go tell da dorm.
**With that pronouncement she made to walk away. Dewy wasn't about to let Isaiah try break the news to the dorm first, if that is what he intended to do. If it was one word against the other, she was determined hers would be first.**
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Post by Isaiah on Jun 22, 2020 18:32:31 GMT -5
**An unnatural silence hung in the air for an unbearably long moment, the fighting momentarily halted by the exhaustion evident on both sides of the fray. Isaiah let the moment be, ragged breaths struggling to regain some semblance of energy as he lay depleted on the ground. His eyes remained fixed on Dewbelle, who seemed equally unready to make an attack. Stinging pain sprouted from a number of unidentifiable sources. Places that Isaiah was sure had not been struck now burned or throbbed with achiness. Still, Isaiah kept a smirk transfixed upon his face; it was the only retort he still had energy to make. He watched as Dewbelle slowly got up, and Isaiah barely fought back a groan.
Did she want to continue?**
Well, seein' I'm tha las' squir'l standin', I guess I won, yeah? **Isaiah snorted.** I'm gunna go tell da dorm.
**And just like that, Isaiah found the willpower to drag himself up onto his paws once again. He felt cheated. As Dewbelle walked away, Isaiah felt compelled to shout after her, but his voice caught in his throat. Seething, Isaiah stumbled forward, arms flailing like a babe who had just learned to walk. His eyes narrowed; there was only one target in his vision. With his last remnants of energy, Isaiah flung his body towards Dewbelle's back. It was a last ditch effort.
Isaiah knew that if he landed on the ground again he probably wouldn't be getting back up for a while.**
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Post by Celebes on Jun 27, 2020 20:48:39 GMT -5
**As Dewbelle started her traipse away from the sparring ground, she was already thinking of her appearance upon arrival at the dorm. For all her bumps and bruises, her legs had managed to come off pretty unscathed, so a limp wouldn't do. No looking the triumphant wounded hero. Then again, having a spry gait and a sunnier disposition might make her seem even the better fighter, having bested Isaiah with nay an injury. No beast would mess with her then!
A scuffling in the grass behind Dewy alerted the squirrel, but with limbs weighed down by fatigue she only managed a halfhearted turn before Isaiah closed the gap. His limbs whirled like windmills, and it was only that brief half-turn Dewy had made that kept Isaiah from latching onto her back. His paws grazed her shoulders as he fell. But before he hit grass, Dewy felt a hard tug on her tail. The mouse's fling had latched onto something after all! Dewbelle screamed.**
AAAH!
**Dewy was forced to the grass in a sitting position, and her paws quickly whirled to her rump to try and pull her fluffy tail free in a kind of strangely organic tug-of-war.**
Leh go!
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