Rhythmic Pulses (Patricia Berkley (D) vs Shanty (D))

[DSX93]

Damn, she was fast!

Even with the set up with her hands and arms ruined, there was still the matter of slipping free from her legs. Shanty accomplishing both as quickly as she did told Patricia that she was dealing with a mixed martial artist who knew a thing or two about working on the ground.

When Shanty approached to take a position over her, she was met with open legs that were ready to pull her into a closed guard. Patricia raised her hands to her chest, wrists crossed and a tad higher than normal so she'd be better able to defend against any sudden blows to her face while still denying her opponent the opportunity to better posture up immediately in their current position. With this defense in place, she would make an attempt at using her legs to pull Shanty closer, using her hands to grip at her attire if the Stowaway didn't keep them busy; the goal being to break her posture, roll her onto her back, and claim the full mount.

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Shanty managed to pull back from the closed guard before gaining side control and putting her in an armbar.

Shanty: Heh, I wasn’t born back a cow! If you wan’ta roll around, den let’s see ya roll ya way outta dis one!

[DSX93]

Welp, the Stowaway kept her hands busy. But Patricia didn't see it leading where it would.

They spent what felt like ten minutes but was probably just a couple at most in a struggle for posture. Shanty to gain it, Patricia to break it. It was clear that she'd spent some time learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well. A quick study, if not having been devoted to it for years. She had a good handle she was doing, down to the simple nuance of having her toes placed on the mat, even.

Patricia thought that she might've caught slacking her on one of her shuffles to the side. Added some momentum with the legs she still had wrapped around her waist, broke her down enough to get her to put a hand down on the mat to put the brakes on. That was when one hand grabbed at a strap of her Jamaican flag top and started pulling, with the other at her wrist. Shanty would straighten herself up and pull back, with the added technique of flattening her feet right then for leverage.

Her core strength was impressive. She didn't lift her far or for long, but she didn't need to. Just enough to make the waist lock easier to break, after which she'd swiftly passed to side control with some bad intentions in mind for her arm. Patricia was already making moves to escape, first turning her hips, then swinging her legs round to capture the half guard around one of Shanty's.

And just in time, right when her arm was being extended. The redhead still wouldn't get by without experiencing some pain, but it could've easily been worse. She turned onto her shoulder, lessening the strain and creating some much needed space to maneuver. With her free hand already moving behind Shanty's knee, Patricia slipped her targeted arm free and had it join the effort to the get her leg deflected to the side, which would also see the tanned martial artist turned over enough for her to maybe, just maybe prove able to slither behind her for the rear naked choke that popped into her mind at that moment.

She trusted in her agility enough to go for it.

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Shanty: You ain’t gonna be choking me out anytime soon! (She would start to roll herself over to the ropes, planning to secure a rope break)

[DSX93]

What the...?!?

This was...a new approach. And that was the synonym: After the second roll, Patricia realized that after she'd made her entrance from the inside of a barrel, she really shouldn't have been surprised that Shanty would've tried getting out of a sleeper hold the same way.

And not just try. She was actually doing it too. Patricia did her best impression of a backpack anyway. If Shanty wanted to use the extra fuel just to get to the ropes, she wasn't about to stop her.

She rolled away to create some space after the break, squaring up once she was on her feet. She considered giving Shanty props for her ability to pull that off, but the thought quickly passed. The Stowaway seemed a little big-headed.

She made a slow, shuffling approach, watching her foe's movements like a hawk. She would stop just outside of striking distance, an intentional move on her part that would hopefully spur Shanty into making another mistake.

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Shanty: *While swaying back and forth* I can tell you’re impressed, but’cha don’t seem like much of a talker..

[DSX93]

"Uh...It's not personal." Patricia kept up her stance as she spoke, just in case this turned out to be a play to set up a strike the moment she let her guard down. "I'm just...not."

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Shanty: Hm.. maybe after dis match is over, we can be friends?

[DSX93]

Was she for real?

Patricia couldn't tell for certain. But then again, she was never that great at reading people.

What if this is a trap?

What if it's not?

Those differing sides of her argued with each other, and still hadn't stopped when she dropped her stance. In absence of a sure decision, the redhead defaulted to trying. She extended her fist towards Shanty -- the MMA sign of respect. "Sure."

[ClockwerkSamurai12]

Shanty bumps fists with her before regaining her stance.