Cascade watched with narrow eyed satisfaction as Imperium arrayed to go to the tournament. Her children were eager and ready to go, even Evangeline, and with the training Valentine had been giving them they were sure to do well in any kids' games Cataleya might come up with. Her gaze paused on Drashiel's younglings, Drashiel nowhere in sight, and her heart twisted in pity. Poor little ones - she knew all too well how it felt to lose the way they had. Her father dead, her mother's tumble into insanity right before she'd abandoned her children. And then she'd lost her siblings too when she herself had gotten lost and couldn't find her way home. To think she could have met the same end Drashiel's daughter had... Well, at least Integra and Atreides and Sirius would have a pack willing to care for and support them through this. And look at them - they were strong pups, as strong as Drashiel. Not like Cascade, who had broken beneath the stress of her early life... Her attention was pulled back to the present when Valentine led them to a stop before Cataleya, and Cascade made it a point to allow her features to morph into a smirk as she herded Evangeline and Seraphim to their father's side to join Angelus. Today though, she didn't put forward the effort to needle Valentine's mother, or even speaking to her. She was saving her energy for a far more important task - embarrassing Cataleya's warriors. ""

Evangeline paced elegantly at her mother's side, serenely ignoring the pack around her as she concentrated on moving in a ladylike, mature manner. Her head and tail were held high, because she was the alpha's daughter and she should always remind the lesser wolves of her superiority. Like Daddy... Daddy was the biggest and strongest and smartest wolf in all the packs and that's why he was alpha of the best pack everywhere. Though she'd only met wolves from one other pack, it hadn't been difficult to come to that conclusion. After all, her aunt had proven to have abomn... abobinal... abominable manners and if she was allowed to act like that as an alpha's daughter then the pack must be even worse - therefore all other packs must be like that. It was logical. Her mother escorted her and Seraphim to the front of the group with Daddy and Angelus. She sat next to Angelus - elegantly - and did her best to stare haughtily down her nose at her aunt. "Hello, Aunt Viola," she sneered with the minimum amount of politeness she could get away with and not have it get her in trouble. Oh and look... another boy. Ew. He was probably just as mean as Viola was. Well, Angelus would show him what was what, and Seraphim and her. And what was what was that the Imperius family was way better than their stinky family. That was what was what. Still peering with as much hauteur as she could summon the young girl frantically ran through everything Daddy had been teaching them. She had to make Daddy proud and be the best kid here and then she'd be his favorite. ""

Hati grumbled irritably as he stalked along next to Daegmar - though honestly the destination did put a gleam in his eye and curl his lip into... almost a smile. A tournament - against his former pack no less. Or rather the pack recreated after the last Arcanum had been dropped, abandoned like a pile of shit so Cataleya and Kylar could run off with their little brat and leave them... him... to the inept stooge of an equally inept red queen. It would be a pleasure to get a little of his own back after that clusterfuck. Speaking of brats... The little brats Drashiel had dumped on Daeg were running around among the group, and he eyed one with distaste. Stupid little rodents... they didn't even appreciate the opportunity they had here. Too busy whining about mommy and daddy and the weak little brats who'd already died. Well, Daeg's pups weren't going to turn out like these munchkins, he'd see to that. His mind turned momentarily to the squirming, blind little worm-babies hidden safely in Daegmar's den. They were... cute. Horribly, disgustingly, adorably cute. They couldn't grow up fast enough for Hati's comfort. And then maybe Daeg would let him help train them. His chest seized sharply when a memory rose unbidden of a child-Hati as his teeth closed around a child-Thor's leg and the snap of bone... He slammed down the lid on that memory, allowing fury to bubble up in him to obscure it. A low growl shuddered in his chest, and he stood braced like a bull ready to charge, head lowered as he stared fiercely at the Arcanum wolves gathered before them. He had a fire in his head that needed quenching in blood - how convenient that Valentine had arranged a tournament. speech

The girl heard Cataleya’s call and the golden babe felt a thrill of dread shiver through her. With her head ducked Freya slowly plodded off to the plains that the silver queen had chosen for the meeting of the packs. If there was anything good that came from this damn thing it was that she wouldn’t be forced to fight. She’d much rather look after the pups… even if it was meant as some sort of punishment. As she approached, she briefly lifted her gaze to search out anyone familiar. Neither her mother nor brother had arrived yet and she frowned. Then emerald gaze landed upon a blue form… one that resembled her father quite a bit. (Valentine.) She picked up her pace, a smile beginning to form and tail beginning to beat against the air, then she stopped suddenly. The boy sitting next to the silver queen… he looked so much like her father and yet he clearly wasn’t. Feeling the blood rushing to her face Freya ducked her head quickly and sped off to the back of the group, wishing for a moment the earth could swallow her whole. Talk like this

The behemoth is laying beneath a tree enjoying springs warmth when Cataleya's summon rings out across the territory. Without much effort he rises to his feet, Mevia, his wolverine companion, mimicking his movements. They both know why Cat is calling the pack to her feet- it is time for the tournament between their pack and the queen's son's pack. A bloodthirsty smile curls the corners of his velveteen lips, his piercing amethyst eyes staring toward the direction the call came from. Without another thought he begins to stalk toward the gathering, his swift movements silent and snakelike. It doesn't take long for a familiar scent to waft toward him within the breeze- the scent of his sisters perfume. Her scent causes his pupils to dilate, the way a sharks would after the sense blood in the water. The last time he had seen her she was pregnant... which meant she had been hiding out in Cat's son's pack with her children this entire time... Which also meant her little baby daddy should be that pack too. Oh, how fun this will be. Within a few minutes he reaches the large gathering, and his hell stricken gaze immediately sweeps the crowd for his sisters face. There. His sister is standing with a group that appears to be circled around Cataleya. How intriguing. He wastes no time approaching the group, his body language screaming supremacy. His tail is lifted above his hips, his skull is held high above his shoulders, and the hair along his nape and spine is erect. He aims to stop somewhere beside Cascade, his eyes aiming to glare at her face before dropping to see the little worms at her feet. "What a surprise this is, dear sister." Deep and husky lyrics rumble within his throat as he speaks softly to Cascade. His eerily large smile causes his fangs to shimmer in the daylight as he hungrily stares at her children, curiosity present among his gruesome features. "I was starting to think you were hiding them from me..." He pays no mind to the other wolves that are around them. No, he is far more interested in the Saxe spawn his sister has given life to.   Walk "Talk" Think

Her mother would call, and she would come. Granted she was late. The heiress would cross back into pack lands, sprinting across the plains in search of mother. It wasnt hard to find her with the huge crowd of wolves that sat awaiting her orders. A smirk would lift her lips. Only her mother could command two packs without even knowing one. Trotting in, she would weave a path, nodding only to Neios as she passed, a faint smirk threatening to grow on her lips as she took a seat beside her mother and father. Verdant gaze examined the crowd closely, this was after all, her brothers pack. It appeared that they were close in numbers, though it seemed her brother had brought more pups with him. Anticipation settled in her belly as she waited. There would be sparring first, and she was not afraid to take on any of her brothers wolves to make her mother happy.   WORDS HERE

She would be the last to arrive. She would sneak it, sitting at the rear of the crowd so as not to cause a disturbance. Emerald gaze swept the crowd, looking for the familiar golden shape of her mother. But her mother was absent. Again. A frown would pull at her creamy lips, displeasure filling her. Her mother had always stressed the importance of answering her queens summons, but yet she had failed to do so herself. Huffing, she would return her attention to her queen, anxious to begin. Spars and hunting would soon commence and she would determined to reign victorious this time around, especially against her allies. She was nearly a year now, and desperate to prove herself as an asset to this pack and not just dead weight. The girl stood at her full height, though she was still smaller than the queen herself, but now she was all gangly legs and lean muscle. It was ana awkward stage in her life, but she didn't dwell on it, all that matter was that her mother was happy and her queen was happy.

"Speech"
'thoughts'

Spars are to be completed by February 20th. Please start spars in new threads with the titles being the names of who is sparring. After spars are complete, I will post another thread for pups to play, and adults to participate in hunts.

She did not have to wait long. Kylar would be the first to arrive with their children in tow. A small smile would lift her lips as she peered down at her children, even as Viola took her self-proclaimed seat between her forelegs. Meinx would be next, the woman always loyal and diligent in her duties. Two pale faces would burst onto the scene, faces she did not recognize. Eyes would narrow until the scent of Imperium reached her. It appeared as though her son had wasted no time in gathering up his pack to bring them here. Satisfaction would settle into her features as she nodded to the pair. Her son would be the next, pulling dark lips into a smile. "It's good to see you again." She would murmur only for his ears. Her grandson would follow her son, taking a seat beside him before being joined by the rest of his children. Much to her dismay, though not surprise, Cascade followed, remaining pleasantly silent. Aislinn would arrive next, her warrior always dutiful, even if she was silent. Chione, her newest slave would arrive, remaining silent, trying in vain to go unnoticed. Her prized warrior, Aerndis was next, she already knew exactly would to pair the woman with. Another unfamiliar face (Daeg) would arrive next, finding a seat amongst the ground. Four more of Imperiums wolves would arrive, most of which were children. Skadi was next. And then Novocaine and Atka. Finally, a familiar face would arrive, but not one she expected to see. Hati. Freya was next, immediately earning the Queens gaze. With vague amusement she watched as the girl lit up with excitement, her gaze on Valentine, only to watch it fall and embarrassed horror cross her features. A low snicker would slip from her jaws. Oh how deceiving looks could be. Neios was next, immediately finding Cascade. There was no denying that two were related, and silently she would thank whoever that Neios was nothing like his sister. Her daughter was one of the last ones to enter, followed by Ecaterina, though her golden mother was missing. Without skipping a beat, she would cast a quick glance across all the faces before her. "I would first like to welcome Imperium to Arcanum, as our allies, you are welcome." Small pause. "We will begin todays tournament with sparring, followed by a group hunt. The pups will also get a chance to participate in some games of their own." Her gaze would flicker to the children who all sat before her. "To start the pairs, Viola and Angelus. Atka and you." She would gesture to Sirius. "Ecaterina and Evangeline. You two, unfortunately do not have partners, so you may spar with each other." She would gesture to Atreides and Integra. "Freya and you." She would gesture to Ellis. "You and Meinx." Daegmar. "Aerndis and Cascade. Skadi and Hati." "Novocaine and you." Revenge. "Neios and Valentine. Though I do wish to spar with you before you leave." She would smirk at her son, silently promising to kick his ass. "Basanti and you." Mercy. "And since we have some uneven numbers, Aislinn you will spar Chione for now, but you are welcome to take another partner." She would look briefly at everyone to ensure they all knew what they were suppose to do. "You may all begin." She would rise, seeking to herd the children away from the group so that she may supervise them. Last thing she needed was for her daughter to do some serious damage to both Angelus and their alliance. "Speech"

To avoid some confusion the pairs are as follows:
Viola x Angelus
Atka x Sirius
Ecaterina x Evaneline
Freya x Ellis
Meinx x Daegmar
Aerndis x Cascade
Skadi x Hati
Novocaine x Revenge
Neios x Valentine
Basanti x Mercy
Aislinn x Choine

ooc:  Luis is gone and not posting for Meinx. Dæg's gonna be a butt xD
ic:

Poison dripping off my fangs... Dægmar ignored the pups that trotted at her heels.  All they needed to do was show up and try not to embarass her, though really what could she do with them?  Drashiel had only dumped the brats on her in the last month, she certainly wasn't a miracle worker.  The meeting progressed as was to be expected.  However, as Cataleya started setting them up for their fighting pairs Dægmar's hackles rose.  Eyes lingered for a moment at the scarred woman who was to be her partner but the mottled wraith wasn't interested in the skull-faced opponent.  Cataleya had not even bothered to address her by name?  Well, well, well… Dægmar kept her tongue in check til the rest of the pairings were given and partly for Valentine's sake but she'd never been the kind to just cling to rules and manners.  Dægmar rolled her shoulders and strolled toward Cataleya, moving to leave six feet of space between them, close enough to get the Queen's attention but far enough back that she wasn't right in the other's space. "My dear Cataleya.  You wound me so… are you so quick to forget your former Marquis?  Did I not serve you well before you fled?" She hinted at the betrayal, the cowardice on the eve of battle that she had not fully forgiven this woman for but she would spare her the humiliation of bringing it out in front of her pack.  Dægmar was depraved but she was not furious enough to go that low.  "You owe me a battle.  I am here collect." Dægmar squared off against Cataleya.  Making the challenge known.  A simple spar was all she was looking for.  Something, some show of proof that the woman before her still held the heart of a warrior. Dægmar vs Cataleya For Spar Round: 0 of ? Attack:   Defenses: Injuries:   n/a   ooc:  <3

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Words would halt her movements, pulling her attention to a familiar face. Daegmar. She had not seen the woman in quite sometime. She didn't know if it was more surprising that Hati was part of Imperium or Daegmar. Betrayal leaked into her former Marquis's words, pulling lips up into a smirk. "Oh Daegmar, I had no idea you were so easily offended." She would purr, turning to fully face the woman. She was just waiting for the former Marquis to spill murmurs of the past, already it was hinted with just soft words. But instead, she had come searching for a fight. Her smirk would only widen into a sneer. "I'd hate to disappoint you." Words dripped sickly sweet honey, as she in turn squared off against her opponent.  Defenses slide into place: eyes narrowed, ears pinned, hackles raised, head level with her spine, chin tucked, neck scrunched, shoulders rolled forward, legs spread equidistant and bent at the joint, toes spayed, claws dug into the ground, tail aligned with her spine and weight evenly distributed. If Daegmar wanted a battle, then she was more than willing to give her one. She would move to try to close the six foot distance between them (as luns said) in a few bounds, sprinting in order to build some momentum. She would aim to come at her opponent head on, moving a small step to her own left at the last moment, wanting her right shoulder to be aligned with the center of Daegmars chest. Her right shoulder would jut forward, seeking to use her minimal height advantage to connect the point of her right shoulder with the center of her opponents chest, just above the hard bone in her chest. She sought to strike the lower portion of her opponents trachea, hoping that she had enough force to choke her opponent into submission with a combination of sudden force in her strike and pressure. Following her strike to Daegmars trachea, jaws would unhinge, her neck arching to her right, her skull turning fractionally to her right as well, so that she could aim to bring her jaws down across the right side of her opponents face. Her top jaw aimed to land just above her opponents right eye, while her lower jaw sough to hook under the bone of the right side of Daegmars lower jaw. Her goal was to put enough pressure around the womans right eye, threatening to remove it from its socket, so that she might submit. In sync with her bite, she would seek to lift her right foreleg off the ground, so that she might be able to to wrap it around Daegmars own right foreleg, just around her ankle so that she could seek to jerk her leg back towards her own body in hopes of disrupting her opponents balance. From the moment she lifted her right foreleg, her weight redistributed across her three remaining limbs, though mostly to her hind legs so that she could not be so easily toppled over. "CATALEYA vs DAEGMAR for SPARsurprise sexxy time: round 1/2?" ooc- eve for judge?

Poison dripping off my fangs... Oh, Dægmar had to admit she missed it.  The silken purr of the silver queen, the coy way she flirted around danger.  Shame fate had played out the way it had but she felt the adrenaline course through her veins, her heart fluttering in anticipation of the battle as Cataleya agreed to duel her.  Yes, so she was still a warrior.  Other wolves might try to hide behind station or offer some other excuse but Cataleya would fight her and that was all Dægmar needed.  Muscles flexed as she double checked her defenses, she wanted to give Cataleya nothing less than her best and also…. Dægmar wanted to show up Aerndís if she could.  The position of Marquis had been hers at one time, after all. Mottled hackles stood on end as her ears pinned tightly to her head, emerald eyes narrowing as her jaws parted, a snarl ripping from her maw, wrinkling the flesh around her face and serving to psyche herself up.  Dægmar's angular head dipped to tuck her chin as her head and tail moved to align with her spine.  Shoulders rolled forward as her neck scrunched back.  Her legs coiled, lowering her center of gravity and evenly distributing her weight.  Toes splayed and claws bit into the earth.   The battle would begin with earnest brutality. As Cataleya sprang forward so did Dægmar in an attempt to close the distance between the pair.  Dægmar exhaled sharply as she tried to confront Cataleya nearly directly head on, shifting several inches to her own left in an attempt to bring the top front of her own right shoulder in line with the groove between Cataleya's right shoulder and her chest.  She hoped to ram her shoulder into the grove and strain Cataleya's right shoulder or at least cause severe bruising in the area.  Though it would seem Cat would be the first to deal damage.   Dægmar's leftward movement saved her trachea but Cataleya's attack still landed with tremendous momentum, the silver queen's right shoulder blade smashing into the lower right front of Dægmar's neck.  Fur and fat rippled as pain burst into her skull, if she had not exhaled before attempting her own attack she surely would've cried out.  Her muscles shivered with the force of it and she knew there'd be severe bruising to contend with.  She was going to hurt tomorrow but for the moment, blood lust, adrenaline and sheer pride held her focus together enough. Dægmar sought to use her slightly lower height to her advantage as she attempted to rotate her head to her own left to form a 45 degree angle, splayed jaws seeking Cataleya's throat.  Her lower canine's looking to land on the front center of Cat's windpipe, just below Cat's jaws, Dægmar's upper fangs seeking to land on the upper right side of Cat's neck, just by the corner of the queen's right-sided jaw.  Dægmar hoped to get a crushing grip from which she could strangle the other woman til she passed out.  As Dægmar moved her weight shifted to her back legs, her tail flairing out behind her like a tripod as she attempted to throw her left foreleg over Cataleya's lower neck, seeking to land the limb just in front of Cataleya's shoulders with the goal of giving herself some added balance as well as to keep her opponent close and forcing the other to hold some of her weight. The position could also give her added height if it was needed to succeed in reaching the queens throat. As Dægmar rotated her head, fangs slashed through her visage, staining the ground with her blood.  While Cataleya did not get a grip, thanks to the leftward motion of Dægmar's head and body, the queens fangs tore moderate lacerations above and slightly behind Dægmar's right eye as well as along the corner of her right-sided jaw.  How vicious… how thrilling… Yet the queen was not done, as Dægmar moved to shift her weight to her back legs she felt Cataleya snag the ankle of her right foreleg, pulling the limb out from under her.  Dægmar's back limbs spread to maintain her balance as she tried  to jerk her front right foreleg up and out of Cat's grasp so that she could wrap it around the base of Cat's neck, to rest it in front of the queen's shoulders in a violent bear hug. Dægmar vs Cataleya For Spar Round: 1 of 2   ooc:  <3  Let me know if you have questions, I was trying something different with layering in attacks with responses.  Not sure how I feel about it yet.

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CATALEYA vs DAEGMAR for SPAR ROUND ONE Cataleya: 10 for clarity: Clear! 9 for powerplaying. -1 “Following her strike to Daegmars trachea” You're assuming it lands 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen to max of 10 6 for attack. +2 Shoulder throw, +3 bite, +1 leg swipe 10 for injuries.First round Cataleya's round one total: 45/50 Daegmar: 10 for clarity: Clear! 10 for powerplaying. None seen! 10 for defenses. +1 for each seen to max of 10 6 for attack. +4 Bite/grip, +1 for first foreleg throw & +1 for second foreleg throw = +2 for violent hug 10 for injuries.First round Daegmar's round one total: 46/50 Totals: Cataleya: 45/100 Daegmar: 46/100 And the winner is... DAEGMAR! Cataleya must give up by either submitting, fleeing, or passing out. Damage: Cataleya: None; one round Daegmar:  None; one round Notes: Tips for writing and some suggestions. (no points are deducted here): For both: Nothing to note. Good, quick fight! - By [Lazuli]