Haunted Wood the joker is a wanted man

in the month she's been here, she's put on equal amounts of muscle and scars. she growing quickly now, too, faster than she'd ever had in her short life. she's amassed a fair amount of goal, too, and chief among them (and most attainable in this moment) is to take Valour's spot. despite their neutrality towards one another, awakening slowly in the girl is a fierce ambition. it had always been there, to some extent, but surrounded by it now as she is, with each vying for power, their lust is contagious. 

and so she howls for @Black Hat, a half hour since the most recent quake had rattled the Teekons. she waits on all four paws, alert and already suspicious, remembering what he'd said last about first moves and expecting he might take his own advice.

Black Hat had grown numb to the frequent quaking. Disconcerting as it was, they seemed to be here to stay, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Life would either adapt to this change or die, just like all the other natural happenings.

So it was without much concern he moved to answer Hela's call, though he didn't dawdle. Upon arrival, he looked the girl over. She appeared hale, he was pleased to conclude. Ready for your next lesson? He presumed aloud.

he arrives with a glance and a question, and she allows him the courtesy of a nod before she moves. this time, it's a feign to the right before she makes a grab for his left shoulder, intending to deliver a sharp nip that could just as easily become something more damaging in a real fight. she's learned her lesson, and thought carefully about their next lesson before calling for him. 

just as quickly as she makes her attack, successful or not, she pulls back, remembering too the adverse effects of hanging on too long and expect him to react swiftly.

She was ready to hop right into it, as she was upon him without a word. First came a feign to the right, then a bite to his left shoulder. He swung his head down with gaping jaws, but they only closed around the chilled air with a light clack of his teeth. Before him, Hela stood on her toes, already prepared to spring into action again.

Black Hat straightened up. Good, He praised, but it was a precursor to his criticism. But the shoulder isn't an ideal place to target. Do you remember the three target points I mentioned last time?

she withdraws, never falling entirely still and instead resorting to pacing. "snout, flank, scruff." she latter was out of reach, at least at the moment, but she other true were workable. shifting her weight as she turns the other way, she adds, "I was trying for surprise. those three seemed obvious; you pointed them out." she'd come to learn, on her own and from lessons with cass, that speed, wit, and surprise would be her best attributes while young, and outsized by most. how to properly utilize those; well, that was where her knowledge faltered somewhat. again, she shifts direction, remaining in his line of sight at she waits for him the speak, or move.

Tiny PP; I know I didn't specify his chin's position in the post prior, so lmk if anything needs changing. ♥

Abuzz with energy, Hela took to pacing as she listed off the three points with ease. So she hadn't forgotten. He listened to her reasoning and hummed, finding it sound. Fair enough. However, you failed to take note of something crucial — my throat was left wide open. If you see the opportunity, seize it. Take what you can get, but the throat is your end goal, He explained coolly.

Feeling that he'd given her enough to chew on for offense until their next lesson, Black Hat took the initiative and made the next move. Without any forewarning, he lunged for her throat. His hold, if gained, would be firm and unyielding, as he wanted to see how she would try to remove him.

@Black Hat would you be up for finishing this one off in a couple posts? :)

when he moved, she was quick to tuck down her chin and twist away, the advice he'd given her last time still fresh. still, it did not stop him from grabbing hold of the side of her nack in a way that wasn't immediately threatening, but a powerful hold all the same. she realized fairly quickly that she had little idea of what to do next.

she pulls back as violently and swiftly as the hold will allow, craning her neck as she aims snaps at his muzzle, neck and chest. at this angle, she has no idea if any of them will land.

Of course! Thanks for picking it up again.

His bite landed on the side of Hela's neck, giving her some room to snap back. She snagged her teeth at the base of his throat, but he could tell she wasn't sure what to do in this scenario from her frantic snapping. Black Hat released her to speak, assuming she would let go in turn. Not bad. When your neck is in another's jaws, your goal is to persuade them to let go. What you chose is one option, though your hold likely won't be as good as your opponent's. You can scratch at the eyes, grab their foreleg, or shred their ears, depending on what you can reach, He explained.

To get to their face, you may need to rear up. Let's say you have my neck. He stepped forwards and craned his neck like it were in another wolf's grasp. She could grab on if she wanted the full experience. Then, he reared and draped his forelegs over her shoulders. I can still reach your ears from here... He pointed out, speaking into an ear. Hopping down, he also demonstrated how he could go the other way and grab her leg. ... or your leg. Black Hat finally backed off then, having given her a lot to memorize.

Practice getting a wolf off of you. I'll test you on that next time.

he offers clear instruction, and she dips her head in understanding when she's able to step back again. eyes; foreleg; ears, this she commits to memory easily enough. "I understand." when he steps forward to offer an explanation, she takes hold of his scruff carefully, wary of what he might do next. 

the simple act of him rearing up made her hold tenuous; she could imagine how easily she would relent it should he attack any of the targets he'd mentioned. she'd never considered rearing like he had in a fight; already, she begins to build on the idea. 

he retreats, and so does she, brow furrowed slightly in concentration. it's a lot to ponder, and a lot to utilize should she have the chance. with his next words she comes to understand their session is more or less come to a close. "thanks, Black Hat. I'll get more practice." she's genuinely grateful, something she hasn't truly felt in a long while. something nags at her then, elusive and hard to pinpoint. ignoring it for now, she offers a silent goodbye, turning on her heel and of half a mind to seek out Valour.

Black Hat saw the gears turning in her mind, and he had no doubt she'd catch on fast. She thanked him, and he gave an uncharacteristically warm smile. All of his expressions came off reptilian and cold due to the nature of his sharp features, but this was no smirk. Hela was a star pupil, but how he felt was... deeper than that. But he couldn't put a finger on it, and Black Hat was as detached from his feelings as the moon was to the Earth. So he shrugged it off and dipped his head in a returned silent goodbye and went on his way.