Apollinaire was a spider in wait, lying calmly in his web and observing this new world he'd stepped in. He believed himself to be a quick learner, especially when it came to politics and hierarchies. It has been a month or two ever since his arrival, and he was quite enjoying the opportunities for the bloodshed that the starry-furred High Sovereign had presented on a silver platter. He expected no less from a Dieudonne ruler, although he would enjoy this land far more if he could tap into its full potential.

There was a lot to do here, and he wanted to do it all. The plan will always be to rise and take until he's full. The thrill and titles that came with his ambition were part of the reward. This was simply a first step to a well-crafted method for the madness. The neat man stood confidently, staking his claim upon the title of Noble. If he wasn't noble, then who was?

Apollinaire vs. ???
WB Noble

to be quite frank, cassine had grown to loathe politics. she despised the games (when she was not the one leading them), and often felt as though the construct was more for show than anything else. the technicalities, the drama, the details — it was mundane in the eyes of someone who believed that power came from taking. and so it was no surprise that the parisian was arrogant enough to believe that she could play within her own rules as she saw fit, ignoring what might have been expected of her in favour of her own self-desires. that did not mean, however, that cassine did not like a good show.

her chest rumbled curiously at the sound of the call, attention peaked as she approached the plateau on which her kin stood, ambition oozing from his pores and coating the air around them. at first, she simply regarded him, lips curled up at the edges in a satisfied expression, before she cooed: "bats-moi pour ça." (fight me for it) a request, and a chance to get her paws dirty against someone that she knew was a formidable and worthy opponent. he was dieudonne, after all, which was enough of an indication of his worth to cassine — but still, she wanted to have some fun, too. if only to test him, and have him do the same to her.

cassine vs. @Apollinaire
for wolfbron bluffs noble
round zero out of three

table code by ferus

Then he waited.

The sun shined pleasantly against his back, and from the plateau, he stood on he could see the mist's tentacles curl and twist around rocks and trees alike. Pale streaks of hair shielded his sanguine eyes from the sunshine, painting half of his face in shadow.

At last, a familiar face approached. At first, @Cassine looked intrigued by the call, a spectator and nothing more, but her slow approach marked a change in her purpose. His lips twisted in a suave smile as his kin ( and unknown to him - his Matriarch ) stepped to test him. He was thrilled at the opportunity to fight another Dieudonné. It has been too long since he'd met an equal in battle. "Je suis plus qu'heureux d'obliger." The heathen dipped his skull in a courteous bow.

He lunged, then, shortening the distance between himself and the russet parisian in a few swift leaps. When they were face to face, his unhinged jaws attempted to latch onto her right cheek. Simultaneously, his left paw lifted, claws unsheathed and attempting to rake across her right front limb, along the length of the shin.

Apollinaire vs. Cassine
WB Noble
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 16 + 20 + 4 + 13 + 1 + 7

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 9 + 14 + 10 + 1 + 11

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 20 + 7 + 8 + 1 + 17 + 12

Her ears flicked. Interesting. She lifted from her den and made her way to where the challenge had been made. Amara called for @Xerxes to attend as well. If no one showed, Amara would have him fight the lion. No rank would be earned without blood being spilled and she was sure that Xerxes would enjoy a little spar. She arrived to see that @Cassine had already gotten there and was intending to fight. Did @Apollinaire know who she was? Amara wasn't here to question what Cassine thought was a good idea or not so she took a seat to watch how things unfolded. If she was going to lead the family then Cassine did need to start stepping up more and not living in Amara's shadow as much. Hopefully, that is what this was. Her golden gaze watched carefully to make sure the male didn't harm her too badly.

code by corvus | art by BETHIA

her gaze was unwavering, taunt with both curiosity and zealous intent — intent to not hold back, and to enjoy their fight and the thrill if it while the opportunity presented it. the parisian could not even help the instinctive flicker of her lips as Apollinaire agreed to her request, defences settling as her shoulders rolled and unsheathed class hooked eagerly against the stone floor below. even better still, he did not keep her waiting for very long before they began.

he swallowed the distance between them, her body screaming in vibrant, eager anticipation for what was to come as he did. and so it was instinctively that she would look to meet his charge, pushing forward as she attempted to jut her left shoulder forward and into the centre of her kin’s chest as they collided. apollinaire was quick to act, however, and it was only a moment later that she felt the hot sting of fangs within her right cheek and his claws raking down her right forelimb, both in quick succession to the other. blood pooled freely from the new array of lacerations, the smell of iron spurring something deep within the dieudonne’s chest as the pain urged her onwards, seeking redemption just as quickly. mirroring his intentions and hoping to take advantage of their moment of close proximity, cassine would Attempt to snap her own jaws along the right side of apollinaire’s face, albeit the strain that the movement may cause. and whether it was mane, or flesh, or jaw that they landed upon, she would be content.


cassine vs. @Apollinaire
for wolfbron bluffs noble
round one out of three
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 16 + 9 + 15 + 17

Dodges:

Rolling 6d20: 11 + 19 + 6 + 3 + 5 + 13

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 10 + 13 + 20 + 9 + 7

table code by ferus

There was a collission he couldn't anticipate let alone intercept. Cassine's shoulder hit the center of his chest, driving out some air from his lungs and slowing him down considerably. It left a dull ache and the promise of a bruise blossoming beneath his long, sleek mane. His teeth met their mark, the metallic blood of his kin tasting bitter-sweet. Simultaneously, his claws drew blood on the flesh covering the opponent's shin.

She retaliated - as he'd expected - her own teeth looking for purchase across his right face. The heathen attempted to block her gaping jaws with his own, spread wide and trying to sink in whatever flesh of her muzzle he could find. He realized the consequences of this action but relished in the gambling aspect of his attack.

His right foot would rise this time, unsheathed claws attempting to hook behind the woman's left shoulder, just where her armpit met her ribcage.

Apollinaire vs. @Cassine
WB Noble
Round 2 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 15 + 7 + 3 + 13 + 8 + 12

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 1 + 6 + 12 + 17 + 16

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 3 + 10 + 5 + 12 + 8 + 19

A call rings out, an extension of bloodied claws for bloody power. Xavier is intrigued by it, having not heard a challenge for rank yet. He becomes especially interested when he hears maman call for Xerxes. Jealousy bubbles up from his breast -- why wasn't she calling for Xavier instead? The obvious reasons aren't obvious to the prideful boy, the one who feels immortal and powerful in the way that all growing cubs and yearlings do.

The stoic yearling prowls upon the scene, eyes quickly finding the brawling figures of Cassine and Apollinaire. He wanders over to his mother, seeking to settle down beside her, perhaps a bit pointedly -- see, I came first, call for me next time, I'll fight 'em -- even if his point is far from apparent, with the usual stony look plastered on his features.

Apollinaire is an impressive lion -- family, he's heard, though he hasn't talked to the man much. While his physique draws Xavier's intrigue and admiration, seeing their matriarch locked in combat ultimately trumps his attention. He watches the way she moves and where she attacks, filled with the proper fierce reverence he's been told a Dieudonné should have for their matriarch.

"Cassine gagne, oui, maman?" Cassine wins, yes, mama? he inquires to his mother. The fight has only just started, but Xavier assumes Cassine will win. She must, naturally, as the matriarch. What else would happen?

Art by Rabbit, table by cala

He was nothing if not reliable, he supposed. Xerxes came to the call of the sovereign without a second thought, though he certainly wasn't in a hurry as he sauntered into the small gathering. He turned to watch Cassie and a man he did not know locked in combat and could only assume there was a rank at stake -- perhaps his own. Was that why he had been called? Xerxes settled onto his haunches without a word, keeping his attention focused solely on Cassine. It was impressive to see her work, he had to admit, and could pick up small pieces of their mother as she moved.

with withered wings and broken bones

these vengeful thoughts trapped underneath / rage, scorn, misery / payback for what you took from me / hope, love, sanity / i heard that you reap what you sow / so here's to believing in ghosts

code by corvus

The parisian could feel the eyes of others looming upon them as they continued with the challenge, though the spectators only served to enhance her focus on @Apollinaire, and further fuelled her desire for victory. it was an honour, of course, to go tooth and nail with her own blood — but that did not mean, in any sense, that she did not want to win.

they met one another with a resounding thud in the centre of the arena, her jutted shoulder having managed to land across the brute’s chest, much to her satisfaction. it was the quick, harsh collision of their jaws, however, that caught cassine off guard, his fangs finding immediate purchase against the bridge of her muzzle in the process. crimson flowed and spilled anew, pain flaring along the width of the fresh lacerations, but cassine would attempt to keep her jaws parted, pushing forward still as she aimed to snap her teeth across the right side of his lower jaw. it seemed as though she, too, did not mind a little gambling, given that their close proximity could easily mean trouble if things did not go her way.

a moment later, another rumble slipped from her chest as his second attack landed as intended, his claws hooking behind her left shoulder and igniting further fires across the flesh there. she moved just as quickly then, looking to raise her right forelimb before attempting to reach up and curl it around his neck, unsheathed claws attempting to rip at his mane and, if she were lucky, find a hold within its dark tendrils.

cassine vs. @Apollinaire
for wolfbron bluffs noble
round two out of three
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 5 + 6 + 9 + 19

Dodges:

Rolling 6d20: 20 + 10 + 3 + 6 + 7 + 5

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 1 + 7 + 4 + 8 + 10

table code by ferus

Their jaws collided and as a result, his teeth pierced through the bridge of the russet woman's nose. They retracted, his tongue tasting the metallic of her red blood. Cassine's jaws stubbornly urged on and managed to leave teeth marks across the right side of his jawbone. The wounds began to throb, pain spreading across his whole face. He mirrored her, his teeth attempting to snap at the right side of her cheek.

His claws raked across her shoulder, and his foot returned to the ground to aid his balance. He felt her own talons bury themselves within his mane, and he lifted his left paw this time, attempting to snatch the back of her wrist with his unsheathed claws to try and shake her balance.

Apollinaire vs. @Cassine
WB Noble
Round 3 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 10 + 16 + 4 + 14 + 11 + 18

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 14 + 9 + 19 + 18 + 20

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 15 + 11 + 13 + 18 + 8 + 14