Her paws are heavy as she steps into the pit again, but she does not falter. There is no room for weakness in her mind—not when her devotion to Vellen is at stake. The limestone beneath her feet feels familiar, a path she’s walked time and again, but it never loses its significance. She knows why she is here, why she must continue to push herself to the edge. Her strength is a tool for her god, and it must be honed with precision.

The arena rises around her, a quiet reminder of the countless battles that have taken place here. She does not smile as she thinks of her last fight—there is nothing to celebrate yet. There is still more to be done, more to prove. She waits, eyes scanning the ledges for a challenger. Her patience is part of her strength. She will not rush the fight, but she will be ready when it comes.

Solanine vs. ???
For Dominance
0 of III

_{BG — ART — CODE}

My mind is like a puzzle or a Rubik's Cube
But figuring me out is something that you shouldn't do.

---

He knew what this place was for now, and was delighted that there was an arena within the lands. It was lovely for both observing others and getting into a fight himself, which he was always ready to do. Especially when a young woman from the lagoon was seeking a battle. It was tempting to try to cause some serious trouble for her, but for once he was holding himself on a marginally short leash and paused for a moment when he reached the bottom of the Pit to give her an opportunity to ready herself.

But that moment was all the warning he gave her before he charged, acting as though he was going to barrel into her but at the last moment ducking his head, ears disappearing into his mane, and attempting to get his jaws around her right front ankle. Yes, yes, get the ankle-biter jokes out of your system now. He didn't have all day for that.

Akuji vs. @Solanine
for Dominance
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 10 + 12 + 1 + 13 + 20

Dodges:

Rolling 7d20: 8 + 17 + 20 + 2 + 5 + 6 + 13

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 12 + 16 + 5 + 14 + 20

---

Trouble's what they told me since the day I was born.
Evil's what they stamped upon my hospital forms.

code by scorpixia♡︎

She felt the sting of his teeth sinking into her ankle, sharp and unforgiving, but she did not let it shake her.

As his jaws held firm, she shifted her weight, calculating her next move. She would not let him control the pace of this fight. Her mind worked quickly, discarding old habits in favor of something more decisive. Instead of lashing out at his side, her gaze sharpened on his face. She aimed higher, her paw arcing up toward his jaw, intending to force his grip to loosen with the blow.

The pain in her ankle throbbed, but she did not allow it to distract her. Her every motion was deliberate, each strike aimed to break his hold, to reclaim control of the fight. There was no need for unnecessary aggression—just purpose, pure and unrelenting.

Solanine vs. @Akuji
for Dominance
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 16 + 11 + 3 + 19 + 10 + 1

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 14 + 8 + 3 + 9 + 12

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 17 + 15 + 16 + 11 + 12

_{BG — ART — CODE}

My mind is like a puzzle or a Rubik's Cube
But figuring me out is something that you shouldn't do.

---

He wasn't surprised when he caught a blow to the face, though the pressure at just the right point did indeed loosen his hold despite that lack of shock. Nothing to be done about that. So he opted to release it fully in favor of aiming higher, attempting to bite into her shoulder close to her chest, midway up. His left front paw came up in an attempt to sink his claws into the outside of her shoulder for balance and to have another hold, because at some point he was quite literally biting up. Not just yet though, thankfully. Hey, at least it made it harder to knock him over... sometimes. He'd found that out the hard way while fighting alongside some of his pride mates. Thankfully, he didn't mind a bit of rough and tumble.

Akuji vs. @Solanine
for Dominance
Round 2 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 20 + 12 + 11 + 6 + 4

Dodges:

Rolling 7d20: 14 + 13 + 7 + 9 + 2 + 4 + 12

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 8 + 7 + 6 + 2 + 9

---

Trouble's what they told me since the day I was born.
Evil's what they stamped upon my hospital forms.

code by scorpixia♡︎

The fangs digging into her shoulder was fierce, the pain a sharp reminder of the burden she carried, the path she had chosen to walk without complaint. He held fast, claws sinking in as though determined to leave his mark. She did not flinch away; she accepted the suffering as part of this struggle, a test she would not shy away from.

Rather than pull away from his hold, she shifted her weight, every movement calculated. Pain echoed through her shoulder, but she leaned into it, her body moving with intent. In one decisive motion, she rolled her shoulder forward and let her weight drop, attempting to crush him beneath her. She aimed to make each action count, to use the strength given to her not in reckless fury but in steadfast control.

If she could force him to release, to feel the weight of her resolve, then she would do so, without hesitation, without wavering.


Solanine vs. @Akuji
for Dominance
Round 2 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 9 + 11 + 8 + 1 + 18 + 17

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 14 + 4 + 13 + 8 + 3

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 6 + 1 + 20 + 3 + 4

_{BG — ART — CODE}

My mind is like a puzzle or a Rubik's Cube
But figuring me out is something that you shouldn't do.

---

Uh oh. OOF! Some of the breath rushed out of him between his teeth and around her shoulder as she fell onto him, flattening him to the ground like a miniature lion pancake. Listen, he didn't usually poke fun at other lions' appearances because he didn't like it when they did that to him, only doing so if they started it, but damn if she wasn't heavy. In comparison. Only in comparison.

He growled from his new position of beneath her, and indeed he let go in favor of not breaking his own neck as his head bent backwards trying to keep his hold. It wasn't worth it, not when he could attempt to sink his teeth into her leg again. His claws resolutely dug into the ground beneath him, determined not to allow himself to be flipped over. Luckily, his odd stature offered him a low center of gravity, so it could be more difficult to shove him around when he was properly braced, unless one picked him up by the scruff like a petulant child or something.

Akuji vs. @Solanine
for Dominance
Round 3 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 1 + 15 + 11 + 16 + 5

Dodges:

Rolling 7d20: 7 + 6 + 3 + 17 + 14 + 4 + 20

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 6 + 20 + 10 + 14 + 11

---

Trouble's what they told me since the day I was born.
Evil's what they stamped upon my hospital forms.

code by scorpixia♡︎

The sharp ache radiated through her side with every shallow breath, but she pressed on, grounding herself against the pulsing pain. She felt his claws grip the earth beneath him, resisting her weight, yet she would not relent. The advantage she held was a small one, but she knew better than to waste it.

As he released his grip to shift and strike at her leg, she sensed the move and twisted sharply, pulling her limb back just enough to evade him. The motion pulled painfully at her side, the sting fresh and unforgiving, but she leaned into it, refusing to let pain define the battle’s outcome. She adjusted her position, her gaze steady and focused.

With her weight pressed firmly into him, she shifted her shoulder down, aiming to trap his head and restrict his reach. Her body bore the strain, each muscle tensed and deliberate, her intent clear. She would give him no space, no quarter. It was not enough to simply endure—she would dominate, each motion deliberate, a testament to her god-given resilience.

Solanine vs. @Akuji
for Dominance
Round 3 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 13 + 20 + 6 + 8 + 4 + 5

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 19 + 20 + 2 + 9 + 17

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 10 + 20 + 5 + 3 + 4

_{BG — ART — CODE}

@Akuji VS. @Solanine FOR DOMINANCE
— RESULTS —

Akuji Hits: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 luck = 12
Akuji Dodges: 3 + 3 + 3 = 9

Solanine Hits: 3 + 3 + 2 + 5 luck = 13
Solanine Dodges: 2 + 2 + 3 = 7

Akuji Successful Hits: 5
Solanine Successful Hits: 4

AKUJI HAS WON THE CHALLENGE FOR DOMINANCE!

The results of this fight cannot be acknowledged ICly until either both challengers have responded or 3 days have gone by — whichever comes first. Any posts breaking this rule will be removed.

My mind is like a puzzle or a Rubik's Cube
But figuring me out is something that you shouldn't do.

---

She pulled out of his reach and a discontented rumble left him. Though he was quite literally beneath her he felt like he had come out on top in their little game, obviously not literally there. Just barely, but barely still counted. It had been close, his diminutive stature making it easy for her to get leverage over him, but at least he hadn't been rolled over by her.

He lifted his head just enough to snap his teeth together with a sharp click of warning, suggesting that if she didn't get off him he'd start gnawing on her again. Unless she was inclined to start playing an entirely different game, then maybe he'd think about it. He still needed to not be on the bottom for that though.

---

Trouble's what they told me since the day I was born.
Evil's what they stamped upon my hospital forms.

code by scorpixia♡︎

As it were, he has served his purpose in her eyes.

There is a welling of indignation in her chest in the face of her loss to the creature, but she is quick to push it down. Her pride has no place here. This is but another lesson from Vellen and she will learn from it.

That is the only way she will be of use to her husband.

She removes herself from him, taking his warning for what it was. She is done here, she thinks, as she turns from him. Before she leaves, however, she offers him a parting gift—her name.

Solanine.

And that is all.

exit solanine

_{BG — ART — CODE}