Ramsay paced restlessly around the territory, his lengthy legs carrying him swiftly, tall ears pressed forward as he searched for something to do. He hadn't been to any training lately, yet he was eager to do something with himself. It was getting really old just sticking around in Ivalice, waiting for somebody to tell him what to do. Besides his own siblings, he didn't really interact with anyone else. He wasn't sure he wanted to. Were any of them really worth his time? Unless they had something valuable to teach him, he wasn't really interested in getting to know them. He didn't need friends just for the sake of having friends. If he wanted someone to explore with, that's why he had brothers and sisters. Speaking of which... where were any of them today?

Usually he could find Vadim not too far away, although he wasn't sure where the boy was right now. Probably off hunting somewhere. But Ramsay didn't feel like hunting today - instead, he was feeling more edgy. Like he wanted to beat the crap out of something. He supposed killing and devouring prey might satisfy that need, but something about it didn't appeal to him right now. Really, he just wanted to prove to himself, and someone who'd remember, that he was better than them. His brothers were growing heftier than him lately, but he wasn't going to get left in the dust. He was sure he could still compare with them, even if he inherited his father's leaner physique.

So, with a hurried bounce in his gait, he half-trotted, half-galloped to the mines, figuring someone ought to be around. Lo and behold, he would find his brother, seeing the boy's larger, ashy colored frame in the distance. A deep, sharp bark left his throat as he picked up his pace toward Vadim, quickly closing the distance between the. "Hey big guy," he greeted his brother with a devious grin, "What're you pigging out on today?" He wondered if he'd get a reaction out of his brother - he wasn't sure what it was, but he was feeling a quite snippy today.

The sound of his digging echoed lightly off of the deeper walls of the mine, reverberating there and traveling back to him at the entrance with ominous undertones to be caught with his ever-turning black ears. The muscles of his back tensed as his hind-legs anchored themselves in the loose soil to allow his forelimbs to shovel dirt between them repeatedly, coating his pale fur in a generous layer of soil and drenching him in the thick scent of earth. It was a shallow grave, he stopped the digging once he'd reached a good twelve-fourteen inches and then dropped the bones of the hen he'd caught inside. Instantly, his fatty body would twist and reverse the effects of his digging, locking the skeleton of the hen in her tomb for safe-keeping. It was a souvenir from his vacation- a trophy of his efforts, and within the safety of his make-shift lockbox he hoped for her skeleton to remain until he could add more to this little collection.

He finished it off by packing down the loose soil in an attempt to make it least noticeable, then walked the few feet it took to get to the opening of the mine and look around for anyone that might have seen him. That is when he heard the words of Ramsay, and something about them already seemed to start a prickling beneath his skin, one that bled out around his mantle as his hackles ruffled lightly. A slanted scowl plastered itself across his maw, his upper lip lifting just a tad to reveal the thickness of his frontal teeth, "Something I caught all by myself, Ramsay. Tease as you please, but what have you managed to prey upon on your own, hmm? Or are you hoping to suckle upon mother's teat again now that she's returned?" The top of his meaty muzzle wrinkled slightly as the corners of his lips pulled into a grinning snarl, his jowls then parting with the release of a chuckle while he laughed at his own joke.

The devious grin curving his ebony lips curled further, olive green eyes hardening into a positively wicked expression when he saw the subtle signs of Vadim's temper flaring. Ramsay's blond tail shifted into the air, his nose twitching and causing a slight wrinkle in his muzzle when his brother retorted with a smug jab. So, Vadim thought he was the better hunter already, did he? He heard the boy laughing at his own teasing remarks, causing a low growl to rumble in Ramsay's throat. "You think you're better than me, Vadim?" he snarked, not sure why he felt so aggravated today - it wasn't Vadim's fault, he was just feeling pent up, "We'll see about that! So you got lucky a few times, the prey is just fat and lazy right now 'cause it's summer - I'm gonna be a better hunter than you when things get tough! And I'm going to be the best fighter." He eyed his brother through a narrowed gaze, wondering how Vadim would take that.

Ramsay couldn't believe his ears when his brother mentioned Abelinda. He didn't want to hear about the woman who'd given them life. He'd never acknowledge her as his mother again, as he'd accepted long ago that she had abandoned them, and he wasn't going to let her back into his life. As if he'd ever depend on her for anything again. "Don't talk to me about mom!" he snapped, tail flicking as he stomped a paw in Vadim's direction, "She's not even worth mentioning right now. I'd rather starve than go to her." He turned his head, glaring into the distance. It was a touchy subject, and even though he was feeling snappy about it, he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it. Looking back to Vadim, he wondered what his brother was going to say next - he better not say anything else about that woman for now.

'You think you're better than me, Vadim?' Oh, the widest grin Vadim had managed to display yet slyly exposed his thick set of teeth, his molten gaze shimmering as he looked to his brother and offered an expression that could most certainly answer that question for him. At the moment, yes.. yes, he did think he was better than Ramsay. Ramsay was behaving like a toddler right now, in Vadim's eyes... boasting and declaring himself better than Vadim-- no, better than anyone at something he barely even practiced. Was Ramsay aware of the taunt he'd just spun in his brother's direction?

Then Ramsay mood seemed to switch just a tad as he brought up his soreness when hearing about mother, tch. Did he really think that he was the only one that had been effected by her disappearance? They all were, even Liar had been- the way Ramsay was acting was downright selfish as he scolded Vadim for mentioning her presence. So what if she was back? It was the truth, and the truth was something they'd all have to deal with sooner or later, whether Ramsay wanted to or not. Vadim nearly rolled his eyes at how little Ramsay seemed to be putting thought into the rest of the family.

It made sense to Vadim, though.. his aggression, his misdirected anger- Ramsay was itching for an outlet for the rage that was devouring him from the inside out. Vadim had felt that hunger, too.. and the hen that he'd caught barely sated the beast that gnawed on his soul. Ramsay might not understand Vadim's actions at the present moment, but they both needed this, they needed direction for their hormone-induced aggression and the family-fueled angst. For their sanity's sake.

"Best fighter? Is that right?" Grimly spoken words left the boy's throat in a growling rumble, increasing slowly over time as his wide head lowered and his blazing gaze narrowed. It all happened so fast, the way his body positioned itself in preparation for what was inevitably to come. They needed this, he told himself. His ears plastered themselves back against his head as his meaty visage contorted into something utterly hellish, his jaws drooling as his lips remained peeled back from the slopes of his teeth far enough even to reveal the tender pink of his gums. His growl increased in volume greater than ever now, acting like a choir for the wickedness that currently resided in his heart and needed to come out.

His knees bent just slightly as he aligned his body to allow his spine to level out, limbs held just slightly outward from his frame to distribute his heavy weight equally across them. He could feel the tension in his muscles build quickly as his hackles rose to life, fanning out around the youth's neck and shoulders as though he were wearing a mantle of royalty. His limbs began to shake just slightly in anticipation, but he wasn't done preparing yet. His toes stretched out from one another as his talons gripped the earth and his shoulders finally rolled forward- then, in an instant, his anger was released and his toes dug into the soil surrounding the mine's entrance for traction to aid in his launch.

He was searching for Ramsay's cheek with his teeth, a place he'd often nibbled at in affection during their younger months.. it would now be the focal point of his bite and the first grip on Ramsay he would seek. To accomplish this safely, his spine ultimately had to slope upward with his tense chest broadly displayed between his rising forearms; keeping all these parts of his body close so that his chin could remain tucked downward with his neck directly shielded by teeth, arms and the chest that he used like a battering ram into Ramsay's shoulder. He hoped to overpower his brother, make him lose balance and submit beneath the weight he so often ridiculed.

Vadim vs. Ramsay - Round 1 of 3
Spar for dominance.

Defenses: mouth open with chin tucked to protect his neck, eyes narrowed, ears pinned, abdomen tense, toes buried in soil for grip, hackles raised.

Attacks: launching into ramsay's shoulder, trying to knock him over. arms are rising to hook one over his shoulders and one under his neck/chest. teeth are snapping at his cheek in an attempt to keep a hold on his face.

He grit his teeth, his own hackles prickling a little bit as Vadim grinned wildly at him, and he could tell exactly what his brother thought through those fiery eyes. He glared back at Vadim, suddenly feeling stung, but he wasn't sure why. Why was he so aggravated, anyways? He whipped his head to the side, staring at the ground as he ground his teeth together and dug his claws into the ground. His breath came somewhat sharply as he struggled to figure out what he should do or say next, but Vadim broke the silence with a challenge. He lifted his head back up to face his brother, narrowing his eyes as Vadim sunk into a fighter's stance. So, this is how it was going to be. "Oh, you wanna fight, huh?" he growled, his tail curving up over his back, "Good, 'cause I think we need to settle this." He wasn't even sure what this was, and he knew he was the one who'd come over here with a great big attitude that he just couldn't seem to stifle. But either way, it looked like Vadim was just as eager to fight this one out.

Ramsay eyed his brother as the boy's face wrinkled up into a furious, hellish snarl, the expression striking a fleeting feeling of fear within Ramsay; however, the fear was soon replaced with the thrilling feeling of the risk he was about to face. Ramsay was ready for this, and he needed this. He didn't know why, but this just had to happen; why with Vadim, the brother he was closest to? Those were all unknown answers to him, and there was no time to wonder. It was time to release the demons.

The tall, awkward boy spread his long, lanky legs so that his paws were equidistant apart, his knees and elbows bending to lower his center of gravity and aid in his balance. Ebony-dipped toes splayed wide, nails digging in to the well-packed earth surrounding the mine's entrance for good traction. He mimicked his brother, lowering his head to align with his spine, tucking his chin over his throat and narrowing his olive green eyes. The black blaze on his muzzle wrinkled up, the skin bunching up on his face as he revealed pearly white, newly grown in fangs. Trying to remember the little training he'd had, he lashed his tail downward from its heightened position, tucking it between his legs for protection. As his brother's growl rumbled more loudly, Ramsay returned it with a thundering growl of his own, hay-colored hackles raising all along his spine.

With what seemed like a very sudden move, Vadim launched toward Ramsay, closing the 5 ft. distance between them startlingly quickly. Ramsay was a little dumbstruck and crouched a little lower with a bit of a flinch when his brother moved, the muscles in his legs tensing. But he collected himself, and just as Vadim reared up to ram the front of his chest against the outer surface of Ramsay's right shoulder, the blond male uncoiled the muscles in his legs as he attempted to meet his brother in a collision. He shoved forward the meaty part of his right shoulder, trying to counter Vadim's chest slam with a shoulder slam of his own, to prevent himself from being knocked off balance, and hoping to leave a moderate bruise in the middle of Vadim's chest. Of course, if he succeeded, he'd be left with a moderate bruise as well, but at least he wasn't losing his footing.

He found himself quickly grasped by his brother, the boy's left foreleg wrapping over the top of his neck, the right foreleg slipping underneath his neck at the front of his chest. As Vadim's fangs reached for the right side of Ramsay's face, Ramsay ducked his head downward and slightly to his left, causing his brother's lower fangs to graze over his right cheek to the base of his right ear, leaving mild lacerations but not attaining a grip. Ramsay snarled, a sense of rage flowing through him as he felt the sting of the fresh wound formed in his flesh. Now, with jaws parting wide, Ramsay turned his neck sharply to his right, while his head tilted left as he aimed to dig his fangs into the front part of Vadim's right shoulder blade - it was a tight and awkward positon, but he had to try. His lower fangs aimed for the flesh where shoulder blade met with the front of the chest, his upper fangs reaching for the outer surface of the shoulder blade, hoping to leave moderate punctures and attain a solid grip.

Vadim vs. Ramsay || Dominance || Round 1/3

OOC: Clarified with Sin that Vadim is going for the right cheek and shoulder, and they started 5ft. apart.

He'd been the one to turn things into becoming as physical as they were now, initiating the spar after justifying it inwardly by a necessity.. yet there was a stinging pain in his soul that came with the taste of Ramsay's blood as it speckled his teeth with those given lacerations. It was no surprise that the grip of a bite hadn't landed, because almost as soon as he could taste the blood of his brother on his tongue, his jaws lost their strength out of shock and he felt Ramsay's flesh slip across them while he simultaneously moved his head away from Vadim.

He remembered how surprisingly fragile the hen's skull had been, and he was still learning how much of his strength a wolf could take.. he was playing a dangerous game experimenting on his beloved brother. The sounds of Ramsay's snarling momentarily dulled out from his senses as the harsh realization of what they were doing hit him. This was not the blood of some hen on his tongue, it was Ramsay's.. and it was his, they were one in the same. Yet, Ramsay had threatened his growing pride.. and that... that would not stand. Vadim would not back down from a matter of pride, not even from his brother.. but he would not lose his head, either. They were strongly bonded, they were inseparable, and if anyone else were to attempt to show dominance over his brother like he was doing now? They would be dancing with a beast, because there would be no love to hold Vadim back.. only love to fuel his protective rage over family.

His ears remained flat on his head as they collided, he could feel the moderate bruising inflicted by his brother's surprising match of power spread across his chest. It had been unexpected and sent a sudden rush of adrenaline over him that nearly caused some hesitation, but Ramsay's snarling, returning to full volume in his ears, kept the thrilling event in full motion. Vadim would continue to release his own heinous growls, his hackles fully raised in dominant display as his toes indented themselves into the earth beneath the weight of his shuffling paws. The feeling of his limbs successfully wrapping around Ramsay (his left forelimb over Ramsay's shoulders and his right up underneath the base of his neck) did not go unnoticed or overlooked. Immediately, this hold was reinforced by the lower portion of his body, his hind legs moving to meet Ramsay's right hip with his left and give him more control over the position so that he would be less likely to lose it. The position had made Vadim surrender the defensive posture that he'd learn about, having his weight evenly distributed across all four paws, but he tensed the muscles of his abdomen and back to try to keep himself as solidly poised as possible. His goal ultimately was to get on top of Ramsay, to mount him.. which would be rather awkward for any onlookers, but in this moment it was to establish that the weight Ramsay picked on could be put to dangerous use, like forcing him beneath it.

His bruised chest radiated with pain as Ramsay moved his head to attempt to bite the front of Vadim's left shoulder, though due to their positioning, a solid grip would be nearly impossible for Ramsay to twist his neck and attain. However, the stinging presence of teeth scratching across the front of Vadim's own left shoulder, right where it met his chest, was certainly unpleasant to experience all the same and left moderate lacerations across it. Vadim inadvertently released a pained groan but remain focused on wanting to teach Ramsay that using him as a target for the demons that compelled his aggression did not come without consequence, Vadim had unspoken ghouls of his own behind those fiery eyes, and they could be summoned on a whim and without notice, just as his initial lunge had been.

While Ramsay's teeth grazed across his shoulder, Vadim's vibrant eyes, which currently remained protectively narrowed, kept his next chosen target in sight: Ramsay's scruff that lay so vulnerably before the open jaws that tucked down protectively on top of it and drooled into Ramsay's golden fur. They had always remained constantly agape as a lingering threat but now the axe would finally swing; Vadim's fangs aiming to land their widely parallel bite vertically over Ramsay's vertebrae and come together to pinch his flesh between them and ultimately puncture, and to do so relatively severely. This was done in hope to limit Ramsay's ability to move his skull and further attack him like he had been doing previously to his shoulder, and to further establish the control Vadim was so desperately thirsting for. The force behind his bite was not held back, as he thought of this area as safe and knew the flesh of their scruffs was loose and plentiful in their youth. He would never aim to land a bite that would fatally wound his brother, but pain? Pain was temporary, and this was necessary.

Vadim vs Ramsay - Round 2 of 3
For Dominance

Defenses: mouth open, chin tucked, hackles raised, toes spread into the dirt, abdomen tensed, eyes narrowed, ears pinned

Injuries: moderate bruising to the middle of his chest, mild lacerations at the front of his shoulder

Attacks: attempting to pull his weight on top of Ramsay with the hold that he has over Ramsay's neck, also widely biting Ramsay's scruff to collect the flesh of it and limit Ramsay's movements.

OOC; sorry... first fight on ardently, embarassed by my lack of clarity in the first post. hope this one is written better. ;3;

It was a strange thing, to feel the forceful collision between himself and his brother, without any laughter or amusement between them - it wasn't like they'd never wrestled before and tested each other's strength in the way that young boys would do, but this was not in play; there was nothing good-natured about any of this. The only vibe between them right now was a serious animosity, and perhaps a somewhat painful regret, but both young beasts were ruled by ego too strong to pay heed to the weaker emotions. There was a lot to prove, and their pride was at stake. His black-rimmed ears folded down tight against his head as he felt his own fangs skim over his brother's flesh, slicing the skin with relative ease, a startling realization. He would have relished the feeling and sought more of it with enthusiasm, had his opponent been someone he truly hated, but causing this harm upon his own flesh and blood in pure anger stirred a painful conflict within him.

Although on the inside his thoughts were disturbed, feeling his brother's grip tightening around his neck, and position shifting to grasp additional control, he knew he had to keep fighting. He couldn't just submit; he wasn't going to let Vadim walk away from this with a smug look on his face. Ramsay's hind legs moved, taking two big steps to his left, his forepaws attempting to follow (although the front end of his body was restricted by Vadim's forelegs wrapped around his neck), refusing to let the other boy take a fully dominant posture over him. So instead of Vadim being directly over him, their bodies formed an acute 'V' shape, the front end of their bodies closest while there remained space between their hips. He rolled his shoulders forward defensively, bunching up the thick layers of skin around his scruff as his neck lowered to align with his spine. His hackles remained raised as an extra layer of protection between his flesh and his brother's teeth. To brace himself against his brother's heftier weight, he locked his elbows and knees, re-positioning his paws to be equally spaced for balance and weight distribution. Toes remained splayed, claws digging into the sod for the greatest possible traction. His tail remained tucked, eyes narrowed, and his jaws parted wide with lips peeled back, the skin around his face bunching up to protect from serious harm. When he felt Vadim's fangs dig deeply in to the back of his scruff, directly in the middle of his neck and leaving severe punctures as well as attaining a firm grip, an enraged growl escaped from his open jaws. Now, he had to take action, and time felt like it began to speed up.

For just a moment his forelegs bent into a lower position, his head lowering straight down in a swift motion, his scruff being tugged painfully in Vadim's grip; then Ramsay forcefully tried to whip his head up and back, his forelegs unbending, pushing against the earth to thrust the front end of his body upward like a wild, bucking horse, while his weight and balance shifted to his evenly spaced hind legs, his abdominal and back muscles tensing for extra force and balance. His intention with this movement was to thrust the back of his neck forcefully into Vadim's jaws, hopefully to dislodge the boy's grip by moderately spraining the jaw joint. He also hoped to start to loosen the boy's foreleg grip around his neck - the longer he remained in Vadim's grasp, the more at a disadvantage he would be, and he knew it, as his brother was much heavier than him and could easily use that weight to smother him if he got the chance.

Ramsay's right elbow thrust backward, and although his elbow was not very flexible and he couldn't gather much force with it at his current angle, he would still try to strike Vadim with the point of his elbow joint right in the middle of the underside of his chest, hoping to leave a mild bruise. Now, craning his neck awkwardly again, his jaws still wide open, he aimed his muzzle downward and slightly to his right, hoping to bite down and snag his teeth on the soft inner portion of Vadim's elbow, attempting to leave severe lacerations there. He had to show his brother that he wasn't going to be dominated, and that he wasn't a push-over; and after all his big talk, Ramsay could not walk away from this without making a point.

Vadim vs. Ramsay || Dominance || 2/3

As Ramsay moved away from Vadim being able to rest his weight against his hips and take more control over that grapple hold, Vadim shuffled his hind feet through the dirt on splayed toes in an attempt to follow after him, all the while reinforcing his bite with slight squeezes as he'd try to pull and keep Ramsay from being able to do exactly what he was about to do. He felt the tug against his teeth as Ramsay lowered, man his brother was stubborn! Did he not care if Vadim were to shred through the flesh of his neck? He could feel Ramsay's skin ripping around the hold of his bite and he let out a loud and protesting growl as conflicting emotions swept over him, ultimately love won and he released his hold on Ramsay's neck so that those already severe puncture wounds would not tear and become lacerations that would cause more blood loss than Vadim had initially intended.

As Ramsay insisted on lowering, Vadim narrowed his eyes in frustration while removing himself from his brother's declining form; with his one forelimb wrapped around Ramsay's chest, he did not want it to become pinned to the earth.. the hold was quickly forfeited as he instead moved that limb back to support his weight now that his Ramsay crutch had been lost. He had been about to remove the other one and was backing away from his brother's frame when Ramsay bucked back upward, Vadim still being over him enough to feel the slam of his brother's buck against his chin (one that would undoubtedly leave a pretty heavy bruise), forcing his open mouth to shut quite suddenly. Instantly, he released a loud yelp as he felt his own fangs puncture through the tip of his tongue and a warm rush of his own blood quickly spilled within his jaws.

He'd been so stunned by what all had just happened in a matter of a few seconds, that as Ramsay elbowed him, Vadim did not have time to react and dodge the oncoming attack. With Vadim nearly level with his brother now that he'd let go of the hold around his neck, the elbow landed right in the middle of his chest where the first bruise had been made, turning what would have been a moderate bruise into a rather severe one as his already sore injury was struck again. Then, Ramsay's teeth made contact with his inner elbow and left lacerations severe enough to send waves of pain coursing through Vadim's body from various points of his body. Damn, this fight hurt way more than he expected and Vadim was beyond his breaking point; even if Ramsay refused to let go of his elbow, Vadim would pull away from him and throw his weight into his efforts enough to pull his own flesh out of Ramsay's mouth no matter the consequences, he had to get away.

At this point, while he was shuffling away, his wounded pride was the least of his injuries. He reluctantly cowered to the ground, his forelimbs outstretching in front of him while his tail curled up beneath his legs protectively. His hackles remained raised, his eyes begrudgingly narrowed on Ramsay as he watched him come toward him, but he kept himself low enough to the earth that his hind legs folded and his tummy and chest touched the soil. His jowls were clamped shut, protecting his bleeding tongue as he felt it dribble down his chin at a rate that quite honestly scared him. He hadn't wanted to hurt Ramsay severely enough to cause bleeding he couldn't recover from, and as a result he'd caused himself to suffer from his decision. That would be the last time he showed mercy in battle, he thought to himself.. and there was a radiating hate seething from his eyes now as he looked to his brother.

He had nothing to say, Ramsay had won and Vadim was over his brother's abusive outburst toward him. What had he ever done to Ramsay to cause him to feel the need to direct such anger toward him? If wolves could cry, he would have been.. his hormones denying him any control to be able to fight the emotions that came with defeat and betrayal. Instead, a whine slipped through his throat, defying his burning desire to remain strong despite the defeat. He could no longer look at Ramsay, his eyes turning away and lowering his ears as his head met the soil along with the rest of his body, pouting nestling his muzzle between his forelimbs.

Vadim vs. Ramsay || Dominance || 3/3

Defenses: hackles raised, eyes narrowed, tail tucked between legs, ears back

Injuries: severe bruise on chest, severe bruise on chin, severe lacerations on his elbow

Attacks: none

He was surprised when he felt Vadim's jaws released their hold on his scruff just before he bucked upward. Startled when he heard his brother let out a yelp, when he'd succeeded in rearing upward and smashing the boy under the chin with the back of his neck. Things moved quickly, and he felt his own fangs lacerate through his brother's flesh again. Expecting retaliation, he was again surprised when his brother instead pulled away - he parted his jaws to let Vadim get away, having no intention of trying to hold a grip. Without Vadim's forelegs gripping him, Ramsay dropped his own weight, placing his forepaws back on the ground, resetting his defenses when he did so. Four paws spread at an equal distance apart, toes splayed, claws digging into the ground. His head lowered to align with his spine, tail tucked, his chin tucking over his throat protectively and ears remaining folded against his head. His narrowed eyes turned to glance in his brother's direction, muzzle wrinkling to bunch up the skin around his face and reveal his now blood-stained fangs.

Seeing his brother upon the ground, he thought smugly to himself that he must have knocked the heavier boy down when he'd reared back. Now that he had the advantage, he wasn't going to let himself get get trapped in a compromising position again. He attempted to pounce closer to Vadim, jaws parted wide as a rumbling growl escaped him with hackles spiking dominantly, trying to bring his forepaws within 1 ft. of his brother where he lay on the ground. As he prepared himself for the next move, his olive green eyes locked stares with Vadim's fiery eyes; it was then that he realized something was different.

-end fight post-

Vadim had given up, and there was a cold sort of hatred radiating from his eyes as he looked up at Ramsay. Suddenly the adrenaline coursing through his veins drained, and he realized how hard he was breathing. His snarling visage quickly sunk into a frown, the tension in his muscles melting, and his vision returning to normal from its blurred, tunnel-vision state. Suddenly he could see all the blood; he could taste it on his tongue, and it soaked the fur around his mouth.

Ramsay didn't know what to do now. They'd fought. They'd gotten the rage out. They'd settled their dispute. But why didn't it feel the way he'd thought it would? He thought he was going to prove his point, and things were going to quickly go back to the way they were. However, it was very obvious that there was still tension in the air, but of a very different nature. In stunned silence, he watched his brother lower his head to the ground, blood dripping from his closed jaws. He heard the whine escape him, clearly upset. Ramsay took a step back, glancing around before looking back to his brother. "Vadim.... hey, don't be like that," the lame words came out of his mouth, "I-it's just a little blood... Vadim, I... this isn't what I wanted." His head moved back and forth, his breathing started to slow. Why wouldn't anything useful leave his mouth? He wanted to apologize, to take it all back, but wasn't it too late for that? Suddenly he thought to the rest of his family... how were they going to explain all the blood? How was he going to justify picking a fight with his beloved brother?

Vadim vs. Ramsay || Dominance || 3/3

There were a million thoughts racing behind those fiery eyes as he looked up to his brother, watching him walk closer. It wasn't quite what he had expected, either. In his eyes, Ramsay had put himself at serious risk and Vadim had backed down in order to protect his brother from doing any serious damage to himself. The result was the blood trailing down the light color of his fur and staining it with bold streams. And, of course.. the ache of his wounded heart. Somehow, he'd expected it to go differently, like a more serious version of their fight training, perhaps. He knew it would be brutal, but being his first fight, he didn't understand the reality of it. He couldn't look at Ramsay when he came closer, but his ears twitched to show that they were indeed listening to his words. He was yearning for that apology that Ramsay danced around, something to show him that their bond was still there and that Ramsay still cared. It didn't come, and as the words spilled from Ramsay's mouth he could only feel the rage seething within him. "Ramsay," his mouth parted finally, blood revealed in a pink froth that surrounded his lips while it had pooled within them. His voice rang clearly, holding a sense of resentment beginning with a bit of sarcasm, "You won, you are the best fighter. You proved your point, this is exactly what you wanted." His ears went back after he'd said his piece, after all- Ramsay had just won his right to hold dominance over Vadim. He'd proven that his heart was far more vicious than his own, but Ramsay's claimed status over him was not the only thing that Vadim had learned today. He backed away from Ramsay with his tail remaining tightly between his legs, attempting to get on his feet and walk away from this- his buried hen completely forgotten. With this lesson in mind, he sought a healer and he only hoped to do so without the company of his brother so that no one would know how this happened to him. Even now, he did not want to get Ramsay into trouble- after all, he was fully aware that he had been the one to strike first. He fully believed the outcome of this fight would have been much different if he'd allowed his teeth to pull through flesh like Ramsay had risked, but he had been weak. Love had made him weak.

Black-rimmed ears pressed forward as he heard his name pass the blood-stained lips of his brother. It was soon followed with resentful words, and Ramsay cringed when the last words were coldly spat at him. His ears folded back, and he took yet another step back from his brother, his body posture lowering, tail curling around the back of his hocks. No, this wasn't what he'd wanted. "You won, you are the best fighter. You proved your point, this is exactly what you wanted." Vadim's words echoed in his ears, his head shaking back and forth as his eyes squeezed closed, as though he would remove the words from his mind. "No... that's not..." he murmured. When he opened his eyes, Vadim was moving away from him. It was too late. He'd messed up and he couldn't fix it.

His head dropped as guilt replaced the rage he'd felt moments ago. He felt his own blood seep through his blonde mane, beginning to drip down his forehead and into his eyes, stinging them and blinding him temporarily as his brother walked further and further away. He shook his head, spattering the droplets out of his eyes, gritting his teeth. This was all wrong... huffing, a new anger began to fill him. He felt hurt, guilt overwhelming him, but... didn't Vadim start this? Ramsay had laid down the fuel, but Vadim had lit the fuse. Maybe his brother was right, maybe this was what he'd wanted. He'd won. Amongst the confusion, he felt a sense of power and pride - the cost had been hefty, but he didn't know how to go back on that now. His mind whirling, heart aching and emotions in turmoil, unable to comprehend what was going on, he turned and left the scene, heading in the opposite direction of his brother.

-exit-

And the winner is...

Ramsay! Due to Vadim submitting, the fight has been defaulted in Ramsay's favor. Ramsay has already exited the thread. Because the outcome of the fight has already been decided and posted, it will not be judged as it is an admitted submission.