Aarani finds no joy in feeling his skin beneath her teeth. She supposes there is a sort of adrenaline that pumps through her body, but overall? Overall she feels downright awful about causing pain to anyone, let alone a pridemate. She can only imagine what Zoticus and Circe must think of her now, or if they will look upon both of the members with equal disdain. A thought for another time, certainly. She attempts to close her teeth tighter as he moves his head, the angle difficult to keep up for too long and therefore is abandoned rather quickly, though she jerks her head downwards in an attempt to do as much damage as possible when releasing. Aarani then attempts to drop her head, but she finds herself grasped by the scruff and unable to move as agilely as she typically does. The urge to squirm and flail against him is suppressed in order to simply move through the pain, ignoring what she could of the bite. There will be bruising, there could very well be cuts depending on how tight he seeks to grab -- but for now, she is grateful for the mane that sprouts along her nape. At least it provides some cushioning. In response, Aarani attempts to smash her head against his, an attempted headbutt to the side of his head in the hope it will dislodge him. He jerks his leg from her paw and she drops it back to the ground, unable to prevent his claws from raking down her forelimb. She hisses, surprisingly infuriated, and can feel the blood as it begins to spill down her legs. The lacerations are painful, but Aarani is horny determined. The lioness attempts to swing her opposite paw now, attempting to hook that one behind his right leg and shred the muscles there as well. She can only hope with his other busily slashing hers, she can capitalize on the opportunity to somewhat incapacitate the other. Aarani vs Seneca For AO Round 2 / 5 Hits: Rolling 5d20: 14 + 3 + 19 + 5 + 9 Dodges: Rolling 6d20: 17 + 11 + 12 + 15 + 2 + 5

Table by Ice. Graphic by Brooke.

dior devaux.

dior bustles as quickly as possible toward the sound of a challenge mixed with the voice of her spouse. there was a fight, and @Aarani...how'd she gotten into it? flaming titian eyes are wide and unbelieving as she arrives to see her spouse duking it out with seneca. her mind is blown, body skidding to a stop and jaw going slack.

rani? fight? dior had never thought of that possibility. and it appeared she was doing rather well despite the size difference.

jaw would be collected from the floor. chartreux beast would pace closer to the inner outskirts of the fight. a fierce pride burned in her, mixing quickly with concern. she didn't know how to heal, or the reason behind aarani's sudden want for another pride. she had said she wouldn't leave dior...but had she changed her mind?

no, no. rani would tell her.

so dior would decidedly support her spouse's decision. was she confused? yes. but if this is what her wife wanted, it's what she'd get. and if she lost, and this dude she was fighting banged her up too badly, it was on after the cubs popped out. either way, dior let the fighting spirit flow through her like an erupting volcano.

"BEAT HIS ASS, RANI!" she'd roar, fur fluffed and body tall. neck would strain to see each angle. she'd pace around to get the best view of each attack. she had pride and belief that her woman would win.

(in ur pride stealing ur erbs)

This was interesting. Slightly unusual but it was beginning to form a pattern. When one lion entered a territory and roared, it opened the way for many lions to enter. But borders were supposed to be inviolate. This was disconcerting. An exception. It did not stop Parvati's paws from crossing the fading borders with the others, but they did wear a somewhat distraught expression while they did so.

Ears slanted as they approached. There weren't as many lions here as there sometimes were, and all of them seemed focused on a single fight. Hopefully none of them would notice Parvati because the lions seemed scary. A large male beating up a girl - typical, echoed the voice of one of their father's. But Parvati wondered what sort of girl would stay and fight back. Because she was fighting back as though she had hopes to win. Maybe she would need some help afterward but Parvati wondered how that would even go, how it would be to be in the presence of someone so brave. Parvati would feel more like an alien than usual. They paused, stopped flustered, and looked around with eyes slightly widening. They needed a distraction. Some way to be useful.

The greenery sprouted back up around the oasis and much of it had a waxy sheen that Parvati had seldom noticed. It was much different than swamp plants. Some of the plants along the beach looked similar. But all the ones here were adapted to desert conditions, and some of them were in bloom. Parvati beelined toward an aloe with orange flower stalks shooting above it, stood near its spiny-poking base leaning in as near as they could, and started gnawing off the flowers as well as they could.

+5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds
+5 Collect herbs
+5 Test herbs for their healing properties (or lack thereof)

The downward wrench of @Aarani's jaws yanks free a chunk of his mane and some skin, allowing blood to rivulet down his throat. His teeth manage to grab hold of the flesh on her scruff, lowering her range of mobility. Seneca attempts to use his weight in a downward force against her, trying to push her head down towards the sand in brute force, determined to make her submit one way or another. Because his skull is already partway down her neck, Aarani's skull collides with the right side of his neck instead, shortly behind the ridge of his cheekbone and promising the welt of a bruise, though it does little to deter his efforts upon her scruff. He follows through with the motion of clawing her foreleg, his paw shortly falling to the earth to reseat his balance. She is somewhat predictable with the raise of her opposite leg, and he mimics her shift in weight, lifting his right for from her grasp before she can do more than leave thin scratches there. His limb continues to arch, attempting to sink his claws into the left middle side of her neck. seneca vs aarani for andal oasis move three of five Hits: Rolling 7d20: 20 + 1 + 11 + 16 + 6 + 13 + 7 Dodges: Rolling 4d20: 9 + 10 + 13 + 7 note: seneca has +1 hit die due to wolfbron bluffs pride tier 4

you better keep the wolf back from the door

image by koafox, code by koi

The abruptness of @Dior’s shout makes her realize how her actions have very real consequences. After giving her wife flack for acting without caution during the raid, now Aarani has made herself a hypocrite by immediately charging into battle. The difference, she will argue, is that she is not pregnant with the blessings of Maua. It is a flimsy defense, but truly the only reason she would ever prevent her wife from fighting. Trying to bottle lightning was impossible, she just preferred if there were no unborn lives at risk in the process. Still, the encouragement of her presence spurs her on. Aarani grunts as he forces her down, much bulkier than herself and therefore able to push her rather easily. It is not submission she will give, good sir! He continues to grasp her scruff and she continues to be grateful for the limited protection her mane offers, though as her head is forced down she takes the opportunity to shift her mode of attack. If he wants her head down here, she will gladly attack from below. She lunges like a snake, head tilted to the side as she attempts to snatch his right leg between her teeth as it hovers in the air, attempting to yank it out from beneath him and knock him off balance -- or, if anything, attempting to loosen his grip on her nape. Simultaneously she swings with her left paw, attempting to land a blow just beyond his shoulder and rake her claws back towards her. Aarani vs Seneca For AO Round 3 / 5 Hits: Rolling 5d20: 12 + 2 + 8 + 10 + 1 Dodges: Rolling 6d20: 6 + 7 + 4 + 20 + 10 + 15

Table by Ice. Graphic by Brooke.

She is fairly smart in her maneuvers, using what she can to her advantage -- but so too is he, a seasoned fighter. Her teeth manage to sink into the meat of his right forearm, producing a guttural snarl from the male, who retaliates by attempting to wrench his skull from side to side, hoping to roughly open the wounds on her neck. He continues to attempt following through with the swing of his right fore, pushing against her attempt to off-balance him, though now twisting his wrist inward to make it easier to try and sink his claws in the middle left side of her neck. Her claws hit their mark behind his shoulder, raking over flesh and muscle with wounds that happily spill his blood into the sand. seneca vs aarani for andal oasis move four of five Hits: Rolling 7d20: 10 + 6 + 2 + 13 + 20 + 14 + 9 Dodges: Rolling 4d20: 12 + 13 + 6 + 11 note: seneca has +1 hit die due to wolfbron bluffs pride tier 4

you better keep the wolf back from the door

image by koafox, code by koi

Stupid or smart, it's up in the air. She is surprised by how much damage she has managed to deal out regardless, even if every fiber of her being hates her for breaking her pacifist oath. This was different, though. This was for home. This was for Dior and Viné, her cubs both born and unborn. So when he begins shaking her by the scruff like a ragdoll, she does the only thing she can and attempts to hold on to his leg for dear life. A pathetic, painful mewl erupts from her lips as she feels the skin of her nape tear and feels the warmth of her own blood spilling down her neck. It hurts. It hurts so much, but she's come too far now. Aarani attempts to hold on tightly to his leg and attempt to shake her head as he shakes her, attempting to do as much damage to his limb as physically possible. With him shaking her, she's even got a little bit of help in attempting to injure him beyond her typical abilities. She snarls as he strikes out, further devastating the side of her neck. He lands his target squarely, drawing more and more blood from the gashes he leaves behind. Aarani feels Seneca's skin give beneath her claws, and once established, she does nothing but attempt to viciously shred the area she has already made contact with. Attempt to shake the leg, attempt to scratch the skin. She isn't a very good fighter, but she has twice the heart of any lion that walks on Amaryllis grounds. Or something. Aarani vs Seneca For AO Round 4 / 5 Hits: Rolling 5d20: 20 + 16 + 18 + 11 + 3 Dodges: Rolling 6d20: 17 + 14 + 3 + 11 + 18 + 16

Table by Ice. Graphic by Brooke.

There are repercussions to him shaking her like a dog with a bone, but Seneca can expect little else. He is an offensive fighter, often taking increased damage to himself due to his aggressive style, but adrenaline drives him still. @Aarani manages to considerably shred his foreleg, ripping apart tendon and muscle and sending white hot pain shooting up and down his limb. He attempts to wrench free, seeking to drag his claws down her neck as he does so, though he is more interested in ripping his leg free of her jaws. He attempts to yank upwards on her neck with the maneuver, hoping to somewhat force her teeth away from easily accessing his leg any longer. There is little he can do about her talons raking through the flesh of his right shoulder, further increasing the substantial wounds to his right leg in general. Win or lose, he will be in a world of hurt when this is over. seneca vs aarani for andal oasis move five of five Hits: Rolling 7d20: 17 + 13 + 8 + 4 + 19 + 1 + 5 Dodges: Rolling 4d20: 20 + 8 + 6 + 15 Luck: Rolling 5d20: 2 + 1 + 6 + 17 + 14 note: seneca has +1 hit die due to wolfbron bluffs pride tier 4

you better keep the wolf back from the door

image by koafox, code by koi

Tensions run high. Aarani has no idea who is winning, if either of them can consider it winning. She certainly would not regardless of what the outcome is -- even if she wears a crown within the next few moments, she will have abandoned all of her being to become one of them. Violent. Chaotic. There is no reason for Seneca to be merciful to her, and she knows he is not holding back. @Dior is nearby, however, and her wife’s presence encourages her to hang on for just a few minutes longer. Aarani attempts to cling to his leg like a tick. He finally breaks free and slashes her neck even further, bringing forth rivulets of blood pouring from her nape. She hisses in pain. With her teeth free, she attempts to slam her paw back onto the ground (abandoning her attack on his side) and uses all of her strength to attempt a last ditch body slam. Aarani attempts to slam into him, hopeful the damage she has done to his leg is enough to throw him off balance and send him to the ground. She is tired, and she wants this to be over with. Aarani vs Seneca For AO Round 5 / 5 Hits: Rolling 5d20: 5 + 6 + 16 + 1 + 3 Dodges: Rolling 6d20: 11 + 13 + 8 + 15 + 2 + 16 Luck: Rolling 5d20: 15 + 18 + 6 + 1 + 11

Table by Ice. Graphic by Brooke.

His wounds had slowed him down. The fight with the mire taken its toll on the Casimir male. Honestly, he wouldn't have come at all, had the out come not been so personal to him. After all; how could he not show when his mate had challenged for a pride. The bubbling nonacceptance was hidden expertly under the smooth mask of his impassive face. How fate mocked him. Had he not chastised Gywn months ago when his own spouse had claimed a pride? Now, he too suffered for his attraction to spirited women. To say he didn't wish her to win was unfair. He'd love nothing more then his chosen mate to be proven stronger then the other male. It was the complication of her winning that he did not want. There was no doubt he'd be expected to join her in the pride and that proved an unappealing prospect. He had, after all, sown the seeds of enmity actively between Wolfbron and Ecrosia. To leave Zoticus to what ever might come was not what the deity of deception had planned for. He had thought himself to be part of the pride for a while longer, actively taking part in the battle with Kiton and his kin in retaliation for attacking him for simply being. There was the prospect, however, of a ally to the Bluff pride. One that Viné would help to grow. After all; Dior, Aarani's other wife, was a woman of battle like himself. Once her cubs were free of her side there was no doubt in Viné's mind she'd be itching to fight. The fight was coming to it's end and his stony face did not betray his internal dilemma.

""

don’t get caught, i’m dangerous

it’s always been like that.

code by corvus