Finch's eyes widened at the glint of the blade through the leather, reacting before rational thought could register. She leaned backwards, as if she were attempting to limbo beneath the blade. The sword didn't even come close as Mezolene stretched over past the point of maintaining her balance and fell backwards.<br/><br/>Finch lifted her arms up over her head, the tip of her staff clanking against the ground as she stopped her fall. It was a move that Jakka had seen before though, she followed up with her dagger lunging down towards Mezolene's exposed abdomen. Finch kicked off of the ground, twisting her body awkwardly out of the way, the dagger missing by an inch. So close was the downward strike that the cool skin of Jakka's hand brushed across Finch's taut stomach.<br/><br/>Her breath tickled against Jakka's shoulder as she warned, "Step back." Jakkalin had to know she was too close. Mezolene was a grappler at close range, and they were skin to skin. The proper move was to step back for some room. Instead, Jakka continued to spin, bringing her leg about for a roundhouse kick.<br/><br/>Finch bobbed beneath the flailing leg, the gravel biting through her gloves as she pushed off of the ground and back up onto her feet. Standing back to back with Jakka, she jerked her arm back sharply, the tip of her staff whistling past the fiery girl's ear before it came to a halt. The hollow weapon's keening howl faded slowly, the two girl's back to back, Finch's staff had only missed the back of her head by the narrowest of margins... and it was clearly intentional. Finch leaned back against her, whispering, "Thank you for sparring with me, Jakka."<br/><br/>What? Thank you? Did she think it was over?