Soliloquy Destruction had had just about enough of all of this. For so long now he'd kept his temper in check, just tried to support Isolde, cause no trouble in hopes that their children would be returned to them. Nothing at all had come of that though and even playing hero and helping Angelus and Mercy hadn't gotten him any brownie points. Now of course he hadn't been necessarily looking for praise at that point, though now it had dragged on with no recognition, still no clue how his own children were doing there was no more delaying what he should have done a long time ago. He'd fight the bastard again, and again and again if he had to. He was done keeping quiet he'd free his family if only for his own sanity. This imprisonment was driving him mad, even back in Uroril, whilst his family hadn't received the respect they'd deserved they'd still been higher than prisoners were not separated from their children. So with the sound of his summons for Valentine dying away here he was left stood still and waiting, an eerie calm before the storm.

Wicked amusement brightened his features as the call rang out. So, the slave man was ready for round two, huh? His timing was impeccable, coming right on the heels of a miserably wimpy siege. Valentine was itching for something, anything to release the sickness that had come over him in its wake. A fight, especially one so deliciously desperate, could do the trick. --- Filled with gleeful anticipation, Valentine pranced up to his challenger. His brow arched in a question and his eyes glittered in excitement. He would enjoy striking this brute, his Servus, down once again. To make sure his message was loud and clear, he'd give him something to remember him by too. Oh, today was going to be good. "Don't tell me Imperium is boring you, Soliloquy," he teased as he adopted a fighter's stance. Hopefully his opponent didn't have some long winded lecture cooked up and ready to deliver. It would fall on deaf ears; he was here for a fight, not a sermon. "Speaking" -- "Thinking"

ooc: First three paragraphs are pre-fight Perhaps his timing could have been better for this fight, though in Soliloquy's mind it had waited far too long the better timing would have been far longer. All he could hope for was that Valentine would have some honour within his body, enough that if Soliloquy won this fight his family would be able to go free. He couldn't be sure though and perhaps if he had dared to talk to anyone about this first of all they would have attempted to stop him from making such a reckless move. He could make things much better or much worse with this fight. It was too late to back out now though, not that Soliloquy was about to anyway. He hadn't backed out of the first fight, knocked out of it maybe though whether that was just as shameful or not was a touchy subject. The man had arrived though, perhaps the closest that Soliloquy had been to him since their last fight. Whether he had avoided the alpha or the alpha had avoided him he couldn't be entirely sure he couldn't even work out whether the lack of attention was good or bad if he was entirely honest. He disposed the idea of being belittled by this oaf, though longed for his family to be reunited and free from his pack. "It never entertained me."  Soliloquy retorted, though he wasn't interested in long drawn out conversation either. He had a lot to say to the man sure, though words had never been his favourite he much preferred to think of himself as a man of action and he was ready for some action now. Of course he longed for the positive outcome in all of this, though truth be told simply the idea of drawing more blood from the man that had disrupted his life and made his family suffer was pleasing. Soliloquy's stance widened now his target was before him, distributing his weight evenly across his paws as his toes splayed, gripping at the earth beneath them. His knees bent slightly, further lowering his centre of gravity whilst shoulders rolled forwards hackles on end between them. His chin dipped down to protect his throat, as his tail adjusted to align with his spine. Ears pinned back closely to his head, eyes narrowing and lips curled up in a grim snarl, skin bunching up and wrinkling to further help protect his features, teeth bared and ready. His body tensed, muscles tight and a fierce anticipation coursing through his body. Head to head with ten feet between them, one light, one dark; it was like old Western waiting for someone to yell 'draw'. Soliloquy wasn't waiting for that shout however, he wasn't waiting at all. Like a bullet released from a gun he would spring into action, that tension in his muscles used in aiming to close that distance between them quickly. His body remained lower to the ground, angling at 40º to Soliloquy's right for the last foot between them in hopes of hitting the prosternum in the middle of Valentine's chest with the bony front of Soliloquy's left shoulder, the white man's body tensing again for the impact as he exhaled with a short, sharp breath. Perhaps it would unsettle Valentine's balance a little though Soliloquy's intentions had been to cause bruising and crack a rib with the collision. Settling upon the ground once more, Soliloquy would redistribute his weight to settle his balance again, once more lowering his centre of gravity as his knees bent, toes gripping upon the earth again. Jaws opened now aiming to place a bite upon the inside of Valentine's shoulder, just where the front of the armpit joins to the chest, hoping to grip and rip the flesh. VALENTINE vs SOLILOQUY FREEDOM FOR SOL, ISOLDE, SHAKESPEARE, CAESAR & COLETTE ROUND 1 OF ? Extra note: Laz and I agreed to be a little flexible on the default times.

Valentine's defenses came together with practiced ease. His lips peeled back to wrinkle the skin around his eyes as his eyes narrowed. Ears folded to rest flat against his crown. Valentine's head lowered to become level with his spine as his chin tucked and his shoulders rolled forward. His hackles rose as his tail tucked. The brute's stance widened, his weight distributed evenly and his toes splayed, nails digging into the dirt as his knees bent slightly. As Soliloquy spoke and settled his own defenses, Valentine tensed in preparation of his opponent's starting move. As his opponent kicked off Valentine did too. He shot forward in a spray of loose grit in the hopes of rapidly picking up momentum and closing the distance between himself and Soliloquy.  He dodged to his right in preparation of his own attacks, seeking to glide down the length of Soliloquy's left side (attacks in next two paragraphs). This move spared him the brunt of his opponent's attacks. Sol's shoulder pushed into the meaty outside of Valen's left thigh and ran across the length of it. At the point of first contact, which was just behind his kneecap, a mild bruise would later blossom. Pain shot up his spine as his opponent's teeth clipped the top of the back of his left thigh. Soliloquy's teeth created a moderate gash and puncture wounds but was unable to grant him the grip he desired. Unperturbed, Valentine pushed through the pain. He sunk into a low crouch and sidestepped with his forepaws to his left in the hopes of changing the angle between himself and Soliloquy. One motion gliding into another, the brute then sought to dive under the left side of his opponent. His intention was to line the top of his right forward facing shoulder and lower neck up with his opponent's left kneecap while getting his jaws within reach of his true target. In one fluid motion Valentine jutted his right shoulder further forward while lifting his right forepaw. He sought to drive his shoulder into the front of Soliloquy's left kneecap in the hopes of dislocating it. The slight angle Valen's hoped-for positioning would give him would drive the kneecap slightly inwards towards Sol's tail instead of directly back into his leg. As his forepaw lifted, Valentine's weight redistributed. He sought to send his right forepaw rocketing earthwards in the hopes of crushing the toes of Soliloquy's left hind toes. To complete his round of attacks, Valentine's jaws parted as he lunged forward. He wanted this brute's pride and what better way to take that than to castrate his opponent? Valen's head rotated to his right so that his opened jaws were parallel to the ground as he sought to encircle Soliloquy's testicles with his teeth. His intention was to completely sever them from his opponent's body. Not once since he'd been taken prisoner had Soliloquy made a formal attempt to see his family. Not once. No, Valentine was willing to bet that, like his mate, the brute cared little for their children. They were nothing but a by-product of sex to them. Pride was what brought this Servus here today, certainly not love, and so it was pride that the Imperator was going to take from him. VALENTINE versus SOLILOQUY for DEFENSE OF OWNERSHIP/CASTRATION OF SOLILOQUY Round ONE of THREE OOC: Eld and I decided before the fight started that they're at a distance of 10 feet and facing one another head on. "Speaking" -- "Thinking"

The children that Soliloquy was fighting for now may have been an accident though he had certainly grown to care for them more than he ever thought was possible. Here he was now yet again fighting for the little pests. If he hadn't have cared he could have quite easily left them all to it on the first occasion, never even put his own freedom on the line and just allowed Valentine to take Caesar. Upon discovering his niece and nephew were in Imperium too, his first task had been to set Revenge watching over Shakespeare, Caesar and Colette. He still disagreed with the boy's loyalty to the pack though he'd used it to his advantage, Revenge could get closer to them without any danger falling over them, Isolde or of course Soliloquy himself. Soliloquy of course was no saint, though if anyone deserved to be castrated it was Valentine himself, accusations and crimes fired when he too carried similar if not worse sins. All Soliloquy was trying to win was his family's freedom, union and safety that this man had stolen from them in the first place. His attacks wouldn't quite go to plan, the male's contrasting manoeuvres to begin the fight leading to Soliloquy disadvantage, his shoulder simply grazing the side of the Valentine's, it's original impact and intention completely wasted. His bite still found some purchase upon skin, though not the original source Soliloquy had hoped for. Valentine's discomfort to the attack had indeed been well hidden, aside from the fact he had drawn blood and that the wound was clear, even Soliloquy himself had barely noticed any other reaction. Although Valentine was now at his back, Soliloquy's defences all remained in place, his lips still curled and teeth clearly on display, skin wrinkled around his features, eyes narrowed and ears pulled back tightly against his skull. His hackles stood on end, stance still wide and balanced though tail now tucking to prevent any grips upon it. As Valentine began to crouch, Soliloquy was already on the move, not wanting to offer his blind side to his opponent, Soliloqoy pivoted, his front half moving to his left and his rear moving to his right so it was out of reach and he could once more see Valentine and watch his actions. Aiming for their bodies to make 120º angle, Soliloquy straightened himself out, tail and neck shifting to align his spine and chin tucked to protect his throat, rolling his shoulders forwards as his balance adjusted in this new position. Keeping his stance low as he settled his weight across his widened paws and toes gripping at the earth again. The movement would save him from much of Valentine's attack, his body out of reach from the shoulder strike and the attempt to stamp on his toes would fall short as well. The bite however wouldn't be so easily escaped, whilst it of course was safely out of reach from the original target, Valentine's jaws would still manage to land upon the lower, left side of Soliloquy's chest just as it begins to curve underneath. There of course was little to grip there, though it would leave a moderate puncture wound behind and mild, shallow scrapes on the withdraw. The injury stung a little, though it wasn't anything that would hinder him in the fight, just perhaps make it a little uncomfortable to lie down on later. The adrenaline would spur him onwards to ignore the pain, and the wound itself would only fire him up further. Perhaps Soliloquy ought to have been careful, silly mistakes had cost him the fight last time though he was once again caught up in the moment, planning ahead only really stretching as far as hoping to win back his family and their freedom. Hoping to make the most of Valentine's low head placement, Soliloquy aimed a bite at the left side of the man's face. His upper jaws sought to find purchase in inner corner of Valentine's left eye whilst the lower jaws aimed for the lower, outer part of his face on the left side. Intending on sinking his teeth in and closing his jaws, he hoped to blind Valentine's left eye and leave a cut his face. Shifting his weight and balance to his hind paws and front left, Soliloquy lifted his front right paw and attempted to drive it down onto Valentine's front left paw, seeking to cause bruising and possibly fracture the toes. VALENTINE vs SOLILOQUY FREEDOM FOR SOL, ISOLDE, SHAKESPEARE, CAESAR & COLETTE ROUND 2 OF 3

The call had come for her father from across the border, which wasn't all that unusual since he was a very important alpha with very important things to do, but the call still made her narrow her eyes suspiciously. That didn't sound like another alpha coming with business, that sounded threatening. She did not like the idea of someone threatening her daddy. The seven month old pup, just starting the unfortunate gangly stage that would probably continue to haunt her the remainder of the months until she reached her full height and her weight could catch up, hopped to her paws and moved stealthily toward the border. If her mother noticed her leave, she didn't say anything, and Vana's sneak turned into a clumsy-pawed gallop. She skidded to a halt upon seeing her father engaged in battle with someone she didn't recognize who bore the scent of Imperium - the slave scent of Imperium to be precise, and she bristled. How dare this upstart attack her father? How dare he?! "Bite him to pieces, Daddy!" she yipped as she settled down to watch with a suitably sneery expression for the slave. ""

His efforts would earn him little; the bite was a useless one and he released it immediately. Already Soliloquy had begun to move and because of this, Valentine was a split second late in his counter. As his opponent moved to place them at a 120 degree angle, Valen moved to place them head on exactly. He swung his hips to his right and his forelegs to his left in the hopes of lining the center of his chest up with the center of Soliliquy's chest. As his opponent moved in to bite him, Valentine shifted his weight to his hind legs and stiffened his spine so that he could rear up. He sought to wrap his forepaws around the middle of Soliloquy's outstretched neck with the intention of gripping him firmly and choking him. As he did so he felt teeth glance along the skin over his sternum. Given that Sol's bite had been directed downwards as Valentine was rising, his opponent was unable to get a damning grip. Instead his teeth created shallow gashes that sank into the layers of skin and fat over Valen's sternum but went no deeper. To better his balance, Valentine's tail lifted behind him and he placed his right hind paw several inches behind his left hind paw.  His stance was wide, his toes were splayed and his weight was centered; everything coming together in the hopes of giving him a powerful position over his opponent. Because his forepaw was no longer there, Soliloquy's toe stomp was unsuccessful. Valentine's remaining defenses remained solid; hackles raised, muscles tensed, eyes narrowed and ears flat. His shoulders were rolled forward and he tucked his chin. The brute's lips peeled back to bunch the skin up around his eyes and muzzle and his jaws parted. His spine, once held rigidly, was allowed to relax in the hopes of dropping his chest into the back of Soliloquy's neck. The intention was to force his opponent to bear his weight or crumble, with the latter being the desired outcome as it would pin Sol to the ground. Neck snaking down, Valentine sought to bite into his opponent's spine just  in front of his shoulder blades. His head twisted to his left. He hoped to sink his upper teeth into the right side of Soliloquy's spine and his lower teeth into the left side. It would be ambitious of him to think he could permanently paralyze his Servus this way, so instead he was hoping for severe bruising and pain, and enough trauma to temporarily weaken or even paralyze. VALENTINE versus SOLILOQUY for DEFENSE OF OWNERSHIP/CASTRATION OF SOLILOQUY Round TWO of THREE "Speaking" -- "Thinking"

The sound of Soliloquy calling for Valentine was enough to bring Rhythm to a more than alarmed state. When she'd talked to the brute, and any time she'd seen him afterwards she'd assumed his status was similar to hers. As she listened to his voice though this was an obvious call for freedom. What had he gotten into? Why had Valentine taken her cousin into Slavery? Feeling more like she should stay away Rhythm couldn't help herself as she grabbed some of her herb store and head out to the battlefield. Someone was going to need her after this battle she was sure. She knew Valentine fairly well, she'd seen little of how harsh he could really be and as her form appeared on the scene she was reminded bitterly how different he could be from the gentleman who'd wooed her so easily. "Sol, what are you doing?" She'd call out, hoping she wouldn't distract him too badly. What was he thinking taking on Valentine like this? Her dark ears were pinned to her skull, the discomfort she felt obvious on her features as she helplessly watched the fight before her. She could only thank the heavens that Isolde hadn't shown up, the poor girl was already traumatized enough. Seeing her mate ripped to shreds... Rhythm found herself looking away. She hated the thoughts of either of them falling. ""

Soliloquy v Valentine for SOL, ISOLDE, SHAKESPEARE, CAESAR & COLETTE ROUND ONE Soliloquy: 8 for clarity: Which shoulder is Sol biting? 10 for powerplaying. 10 for defenses. 6 for attack. +2 slam to Valentine’s chest, +4 bite to inside of Valentine’s shoulder 10 for injuries. First round. Soliloquy’s round one total: 44/50 Valentine: 10 for clarity: 10 for powerplaying. 10 for defenses. 9 for attack. +3 attempt to dislocate Sol’s kneecap, +2 attempt to crush Sol’s toes, +4 attempt to castrate. 10 for injuries. First round. Valentine’s round one total: 49/50 ROUND TWO Soliloquy: 10 for clarity: 10 for powerplaying. 10 for defenses. 6 for attack. +4 attempt to blind, +2 slamming Val’s front left paw 8 for injuries. -2 moderate lacerations to lower left chest Soliloquy’s round two total: 44/50 Valentine: 10 for clarity:   8 for powerplaying. I personally thought this was a lot of movement in regards to attacks on Sol's neck for a single post. 10 for defenses. 7 for attack. +2 forepaw wrap, +2 pushing weight down, +3 bite to spine 8 for injuries. -2 moderate lacerations to chest along sternum Valentine’s round two total: 43/50 Totals: Soliloquy: 88/100 Valentine: 92/100 And the winner is... Valentine! Soliloquy must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. In addition, Valentine now has permission to castrate Soliloquy given that he won and a successful attempt was made during the fight. Damage: Soliloquy: Mild lacerations to lower left chest (1 OOC week), moderate lacerations to spine just in front of shoulder blades (2 OOC weeks). Valentine:   Mild bruise to left thigh (1 OOC week), moderate laceration left thigh (2 OOC weeks), mild lacerations sternum (1 OOC week). Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): For Eldarwen: This was a very close fight. In the end you had a few clarity issues and were lacking in multiple complex attacks. For Lazuli: You put up a good fight. For both: Good one, guys. I enjoyed reading it! - By [Andy]

He won and in doing so not only retained the right to keep his Servus, but succeeded in emasculating his opponent. Licking the blood from his lips, Valentine looked over the damage done to him. None of his injuries were life threatening, so after sparing a few seconds to lick at the stinging wounds on his chest, the brute straightened and looked his opponent over. He was pleased with his victory, with the humiliation heaped upon this newly castrated creature. Satisfied with it all, he rumbled, "Take your family and leave." They were of no use to him anyway. What had begun as a grand idea to employ slaves to feed his pack had ultimately proven too grand to be true, or perhaps he had chosen his servants wrong. Whatever the case, Valentine was content to wash his hands of them. "Do not return." The Range was no longer their home and they would be wise to not return while it was in Imperium's possession. "Speaking" -- "Thinking"

Her chocolatey jaws would fall open in shock and terror as Valentine easily emasculated her cousin. Confusion rippled through her, hurt and even anger welled in her breast. For a long moment she wouldn't move, completely in shock at the actions committed. Why had such a punishment been given? Her brain wasn't working and quickly she found her way to Soliloquy's side. She couldn't look at the slate alpha, and wouldn't as she nosed at the pale man's side. Blinking back her tears she'd attempt to help him to his feet. They needed to get out of here, and she needed to see to his wound. Could he even call for Isolde and their children? Would the babies even come? She felt herself shaking even as she attempted to offer her help. Rhythm didn't know what to think or how to feel, she couldn't digest what had happened. The senselessness in Valentine's actions. It was like he'd done the damage to her, though she couldn't even imagine what Soliloquy might be going through. She knew she had to go with them though, to at least patch Sol up. She had to be away from the Imperator as well, how could he justify himself? She might not have had the whole story but she knew enough that she disagreed completely with the decision. Why would he willingly cause so much pain? ""

Evangeline cast a glance, half bemused and half horrified, at the healer-woman who'd appeared at her side to call out - not to Valentine but to the slave - as the pair battled with ferocity. Evangeline sat up straighter, lifted her chin, and turned her attention away from the healer-woman and back to the fight instead. Hmph. Clearly the healer kept rather low company. Worrying about a slave when her alpha was in danger? Wasn't she supposed to be some special rank or something? The battle ended, leaving Valentine standing as the victor. Evangeline leaped to her feet and pranced up to him, beaming from ear to ear. "Daddy!" she chirped brightly, pride clear as she pressed her forehead against an uninjured part of him. "I knew you could do it Daddy! Did he hurt you? Should I go get Mama so she can help? Can I help?" Daddy's healer woman seemed too busy worrying over the other guy to pay attention to Valen - Vana resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at the healer, who should have been tending her alpha - but Vana had been learning herbs and stuff too! And, rabbit disaster aside, she'd been doing pretty good at practicing. But as unenthusiastic a healer as Cascade was she still knew more about this stuff than Evangeline did probably. ""

Even at full strength Soliloquy probably would have struggled with the Valentine's weight on top of him but his imprisonment had set him spiralling down a dark path that seemed would only get darker still from here on out. Legs gave way and he collapsed, the weight hitting him again with a blow that took the air out of him. He'd attempt to regain his footing and wriggle free but somewhere in the process he was turned over and the next thing he knew there was a sickening pain. It'd take a good while for the physical pain to subside though the mental was perhaps something he would never overcome as soon as he fully realised what had just happened. Had he known the hypocrite's reasons behind such an action as well, Soliloquy probably would have been furious, may have offered the very same treatment to Valentine but such thoughts wouldn't fill him now. The realisation was sinking in, and though it seemed he and his family were now free Soliloquy simply couldn't feel any joy at all. He had still lost this fight. Rhythm was at his side, offering help but it was all a blur if he was completely honest. How he gathered the family and finally got out was a story he doubted he'd ever recall.

His satisfaction quickly turned to fury as Rhythm sided with the enemy. She didn't need to know why he'd done it or if he was justified or not. No, he was her King and her unflinching loyalty was demanded in the face of his foes. He seethed, breath leaving in an enraged hiss as his eyes narrowed and his hackles rose once more. If not for the sunny voice of Evangeline, Valentine might have acted on the impulse to seize Rhythm by the scruff and drag her away. Instead he forced his gaze to narrow until he saw nothing but the face of his daughter beaming up at him. The brute held reason by a thread, but what little he had he gripped with an iron fist. Forcing the rage from his voice, he said, "I'd like that, sweetheart. Why don't you run ahead of me and get her?" He would deal with Rhythm later. -exit unless stopped- "Speaking" -- "Thinking"