<span style="font-style: italic">Well... that went more smoothly than I expected,</span>Alyssa thinks to herself, glancing over the railing after Rutus. Despite the turbulent situation on deck, she can't help but pause for a moment to admire her work- training exercises aside, the young tiefling has never had an opportunity to apply her self-defense training to a combat situation. And yet, here she is, less than six seconds into the fight with one opponent already incapacitated. Not bad for an initial field test, as it were. Even Grim's typically derisive attitude gives way to a tingle of positivity for just a moment- a rare occurrence indeed.<br/><br/>But the moment doesn't last long. A snarl from Alyssa's right ends her moment of self-satisfaction as Pryah makes her displeasure known. Alyssa pivots to face her next opponent, gauging the tigress's movements in anticipation of her first strike.<br/><br/>Unbeknownst to her, another big cat has also picked her out among the combatants...<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>The precision of Isarr’s shot was terrifying. With barely a whoosh, the sleek streamlined projectile cut through the air effortlessly, whisking just past the tiger’s head towards the unaware tiefling. Then, with an audible thunk, the bolt embedded itself firmly into her right shoulder, coming to a stop only when it jarred painfully against the bone within. Even the snarky cat couldn’t maintain her apathy towards Alyssa, wincing at the sight of the projectile protruding from her slowly-reddening clothing.</div></blockquote><br/>Isarr's shot comes to quickly to register, much less react. A whisper from above is all the warning Alyssa receives before the cougar's bolt impacts, tearing through flesh as it lodges somewhere below her shoulder joint. A brief keen of pain slips from Alyssa as Isarr demonstrates aspect of combat spared by her lessons: a strike backed by killing intent.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Mustn't cry out... mustn't show weakness...</span>Alyssa's nails dig into her palms in an effort to draw her focus away from her shoulder. The exercise has served her well in the past for minor injuries, but the lancing pain is far more intense than a simple pulled muscle or doctor's needle- to distract from this will require something much more powerful...<br/><br/>Almost as if on cue, Mirage strikes the first note on her guitar, and Alyssa finds the distraction she needs. The heavy bass of the catgirl's performance easily drowns out the throb of her shoulder, replacing it with a much more useful rhythm; a combat metronome by which to measure the action around her. For instance, Pryah's pending attack in three beats...<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Escape Artist: 1d20 (11) + 21 = 32, success<br/><br/>5-foot step straight left, no AoO provoked</div></div></div><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Pryah wrote:</cite>“Aww, does that hurt? Too bad for you, I’m not done with you yet!”</div></blockquote><br/>"You've yet to begin with me," Alyssa responds. "Nor I with you." The young tiefling dances out of reach as Pryah lunges, leaving the tigress's claws to scrape ineffectively against her vest before seizing empty air. As she backpedals, Alyssa reaches into her belt pouch and scoops out a ball of waxed paper, cinched at either end like a wrapped candy. A quick tug unravels the paper, revealing a globule of thick, fatty bacon rind.<br/><br/>"Stró̱ma tou petrelaíou," Alyssa intones, flicking the globule in Pryah's direction.<br/><br/><div style="padding: 3px; background-color: #FFFFFF; border: 1px solid #d8d8d8; font-size: 1em;"><div style="text-transform: uppercase; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCCCCC; margin-bottom: 3px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; display: block;"><span onclick="if (this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display != '') {  this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = ''; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;hide&lt;/a&gt;'; } else { this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('div')[1].getElementsByTagName('div')[0].style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '&lt;b&gt;Spoiler: &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href=\'#\' onClick=\'return false;\'&gt;show&lt;/a&gt;'; }"><b>Spoiler: </b><a href="#" onclick="return false;">show</a></span></div><div class="quotecontent"><div style="display: none;">Alyssa casts <a class="postlink" href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/grease.htm"><span style="font-style: italic">grease,</span></a> placing Pryah in the lower right square of effect. Pryah must make a DC 16 Reflex save or fall prone.</div></div></div><br/>Halfway through its trajectory, the rind begins to swell, quickly doubling and then re-doubling in size as it arcs lazily towards Pryah. By the time it lands at the tigress's feet, the cherry-sized lump has expanded to the size and shape of a softball, or perhaps a rather bizarre water balloon. The effect upon striking ground is similar: the fat-balloon flattens, quivers, and bursts in a spray of glistening white lipid that coats the deck around Pryah's feet in a slippery sheen.