On their last date Rhythm had admitted that she'd never really gotten dirty before. In any context that was unacceptable, and for that reason Valentine had drug a groggy Rhythm from her den and hauled her to the swamp. The day was still young, the sun was just rising, and mudding was on the agenda. At the end of the day they'd go home absolutely filthy. "Alrighty, here we are," he boomed playfully, "Take a deep breath; breathe in that delightfully fetid, swampy air." They stood on the edge looking in; before them rose up a thick tangle of marsh grass, the long strands hiding a thick soup of smelly mud, bugs and slithering creatures. Valen's lips lifted in a teasing smile, "You're not scared of snakes, are you?" The corners of his lips rose higher. "Or alligators?" He was just teasing, of course. The alligators and snakes were the least of their worries here. ""

She wasn't really sure what time he'd come to find her but she knew that she had pretty much been dead asleep. Though she did not hesitate to follow him however groggy she may be. Her brain didn't really seem to wake up until she say the first bits of the sun's rays, even still it was their arrival to the muddy swamp that really brought her to her full senses. Her eyes would finally take on their usual bright sheen as she did as he told her, the deep breath would bring in the essence of the swamp. So far she wasn't much impressed, there wasn't much question of why she'd never been here. For the majority of her life she'd remained rather well groomed, Shaye had brought out a more pup like side of her but still she was sure she'd never experienced this level of dirty. Valentine made mention of snakes, but this would cause little fear within her. She'd never been scared of snakes but she did hold a very high respect for them. Especially the venomous ones. However alligators were a different story, those were worthy of being scared of. She'd not had much experience with the creatures but she knew of their power and incredible ability to stalk their prey. "Mud I can handle, snakes I can handle, but alligators.. those make me nervous." Her voice wavered slightly, but she did give him the truth. "You've got those handled though right?" She'd ask humorously, knowing he was not about to let her be injured. ""

The brute had been to the swamp on more than one occasion. He wasn't familiar with it enough to know the habits of the creatures that called it home, but he had a fair idea of what to avoid. The slight quiver to Rhythm's voice brought Valen's head around. Alligators were formidable creatures. Finding them worrisome was an understandable (and wise) reaction. He'd taken one on once with Esti. It had been a scary, adrenaline-laced adventure and one he had absolutely no intention of repeating. "Oh, yeah," he snorted as if the question was a silly one. "Of course. Alligators tremble at the sound of my name." ...did alligators even have ears? "They won't give us any trouble." With a confident lilt to his step, the brute crossed into the swamp and promptly sunk slightly into the muck. Each step made a slick sucking sound and he intentionally squished it between his toes. That feeling would never get old. Valentine turned back to grin at Rhythm. With feinted concern his smile faded and he stepped closer. "You've got..." He attempted to step closer and point a filthy forepaw at her chest, hoping to hover it scant inches below her chin. "Something right there." ""

He managed to mirror her humor in a potentially deadly situation, there was no need to worry about the gigantic reptiles. Hopefully. She had a healthy dose of respect for the creatures, though she wouldn't hold onto her fear of them. She'd been in a couple dangerous situations with the tall brute before, she held complete trust that he would allow no harm to befall her. He'd promised to protect her and she was not going to doubt that pledge now. She would nod amusedly at her escort's words, her nervousness retreating from her from as Valentine drew more near to her once more. Rhythm couldn't help but giggle softly at the squelching of the mud underneath his paws, she felt like a little pup about to experience mud for the first time. Where had she lived to not ever have been completely covered in mud as a child? She'd always been rather well groomed, there wasn't too much question about her hygiene. Maybe it had always been an unconscious decision to steer clear of the icky stuff. Though the more she thought about it the more desirable clean up sounded, surely she wouldn't be alone in returning her coat to its former glory. She'd settle her thoughts of Valentine grooming her before her face grew flush. Her attentions would return to the present as Valentine drew more near to her she'd feel slightly alarmed as his expression changed and he looked at her much more closely. "You've got... Something right there." With widened eyes she would instinctively look down, "Were?!" completely unaware of the prank she'd just stepped right into, her voice a bit more concerned than it should have been. Maybe he'd found a bug on her fur? ""

She fell for it completely. Either that or she was a really good actress and he was about to get his paw chewed on. Quickly, Valentine attempted to swipe the top of his muck covered paw across Rhythmn's chin. He then lifted his forepaw higher in the hopes of wiping the filthy underside of it across the bridge of her nose. Heh. The brute very clearly remembered telling her he was going to have to get her dirty. He was just keeping his promise. Grinning impishly, the brute was suddenly off like a shot. He spun on his heels and darted away, hoping to sprint deeper into the swamp. If she wanted revenge she was going to have to chase him down for it. Running in the swamp was a little tricky and his paws kept sliding around so he was only moving at half speed, but he wasn't trying too terribly hard to get away, and while he liked the thought of winning, Valentine kind of wanted to be caught. ""

She realized about the time his paw touched her chin that she had been completely devoid of any and all debris, he'd looked in to the future was all. Suddenly the green tinged decomposing much was all over her chin. Before she could even cry foul it was also staining the creamy marking on her nose. The expression that lingered on her was one that mixed mostly confusion with a hint of disbelief and disgust. At least that was what she felt until Valentine bolted. Her wits would completely return, she'd narrow her gaze at him as she growled deeply. The only noise she'd be able to offer since the surprised squeak that had snuck out of her as the cool mud touched her chin. With out any more hesitation Rhy leapt fully into the swamp. She'd sink more than a few inches, that was a little surprising, but she was obviously getting around better than her sneaky counter part. "Where do you think you're going?!" She'd call out as she (slowly) bound after him. Her feet liked to get stuck as she stepped, but slowly her arms and legs would more fully be saturated with the mud. It became somewhat of a lubricant and eventually she'd become much faster. He didn't have any hope of escaping her rebuttal. Her limbs were not the only parts of her that the mud was starting to coat. as She moved faster the mud would fly up at her steps covering her belly, chest, and tail. It was a real workout, and her tongue would loll easily out the side of her mouth, a huge grin on the rest of her features. Rhythm would want to outdistance him, running ahead so that she could flick the mud from her covered tail at his face. Hopefully he closed his eyes, she'd feel really bad about the hearty laugh that left her if she somehow injured him with her carelessly thrown mud. ""

Her growl reached his ears as he darted away, the sound drawing a victorious cackle from him. Soon the rapid squelching of pursuit reached his ears and Valentine's grin widened. "Where do you think you're going?" she called. In response he just snickered and picked up the pace. The brute was confident in his ability to stay ahead. His stride was longer and he had a head start. He decided he'd keep ahead for a bit, lord his superior size over her, if you will, and then le- Rhythm suddenly surged by him with ease, punching his confidence between the eyes as she did so. Mud from her tail splattered his face as she breezed by, his eyes closing instinctively as the drops landed. Momentarily stunned by the swift change of events, Valen slowed for a second, blinking in surprise. Well, that just wouldn't do. His eyes narrowed as competitiveness set in. It was so on. Bounding forward, the brute forsook safety in an effort to "win" -whatever that meant. He slid and he wobbled, almost careening out of control as he leaped over and slid around obstacles. Darting after her in an attempt to catch up, Valentine fixated on Rhythm's heels. Like a cheetah on the hunt, he sought to use his forepaws to trip her. He didn't want to hurt her, but the idea of her rolling head over heels in the mud and getting completely coated was too good to pass up. If that didn't work he had a plan B. One way or the other, she was going down. ""

Rhythm was not to be underestimated when it came to her speed, she'd trained as a messenger for so long in Abaven, she hadn't lost her touch with those talents. Even though she might have pursued some very different skills these days she would always be a quick and flighty little thing. She wouldn't even notice the reaction Valentine had about her sudden burst of speed but she would guess before she'd even flung the mud at him that she'd need to expect another rebuttal. As she hit her mark the obvious surprise brought about an even more amused reaction from the girl, she wouldn't stop or slow down but she did look back. She would lose enough attention to the ground she had been gaining to keep it for long. Then the beast was after her. Rhythm would squeal as she tried to renew the speed she'd had, but Valentine was pushing much harder than she found herself overwhelmed. Not that he'd attack her anywhere she would have expected. Once her paws were in the mud they weren't going to be moved, but Valentine would catch her at just the right moment. With her legs thrown out from under her she'd easily lose what little control she'd had to begin with of her sustained momentum. The sudden push of course would indeed send her tumbling through the mud. With a quick squeak her hind end would fall to the ground and though her front legs tried to continue running the offset he'd sent her into would cause her to tumble over herself. Of course coating her in mud as her rump first rolled in the much and then around her side to her shoulders and head. After that tumble it was going to take a second to recover. With a final umph she would come to a halt, sinking slightly into the gooey muck. Though she found she wouldn't stop sinking, it wouldn't take too long before she was uncomfortable. She'd struggle to bring herself from the goo, for a moment she was pretty worried that it was not going to relinquish its hold. However with an odd sounding 'pop' her head would become unstuck and she'd push her shoulders back into the air. Rhythm wasn't quite sure how to react to that one. First her bright eyes would try to find the cause of her trip, the obvious suspect being the giant that had been behind her. ""

Success! One of his forepaws made contact, hooking around her ankle and causing the little fae to stumble. In a matter of heartbeats her stride broke down further and her balance was thrown off irreparably. Rhythm tumbled end over end before her momentum finally gave out and left her laying in the mud. She lay still for a second before wrenching her head free and turning to look for him. A cheshire grin lifted his lips and, tongue lolling, he pranced up to her. She didn't look hurt, just stunned, so for the moment he was unapologetic. Tipping his head, Valentine stared down at Rhythm curiously. He took in her mud slicked fur, noting the various places that were covered, before his gaze fixed on a relatively clean patch on her left shoulder. Casually, as if she'd intended to get coated, he said, "You missed a spot. Here," He swiped his left forepaw through the mud to capture a small mound of it. "Lemme fix it..." Lazily he then attempted to deposit his catch on Rhythm's clean spot. ""

Her bright gaze would find its mark, a rather smug looking Valentine strolled up to greet her. He'd take in her appearance as she scowled at him, pretty sure she was muddier now than she had been her whole life. Well until the Imperator acted on his findings. "You missed a spot..." and as his muddied paw was wiped on her shoulder she knew that no, this was the most muddy she'd ever been. Her jaw hung open as she watched him, but as he relinquished his touch she'd grow much less concerned about the mud on her and much more about the mud that could be on Valen. She'd stand, another sucking sound coming from the mud as she freed her hips. Without another thought she would shake herself, freeing the muck from her covered form. She had to shake with extra vigor to get the droplets off, but every movement was worth it if she helped add a bit more to Valentine's dark coat. ""

The brute fought the snicker that rose in his throat upon seen the look on Rhythm's face. Aw, what the hell. He snickered unabashedly, his lips pulled back in a goofy, lopsided smirk. For several seconds she open-mouthed stared at him and it was only when her mouth slowly closed and she began to look...well, a bit keener that his smile faded and his expression morphed into one of suspicion. His suspicion grew stronger when Rhythm got to her paws. A split second too late, Valentine realized what she was about to do. There wasn't time to run, duck or even flinch away, so instead he simply braced himself, closed his eyes, and let it happen. Wave after wave of droplets landed on him, spotting his face and chest, and occasionally arcing over him to land on his back. When at last she was done he relaxed, opened his eyes, and gazed down at the damage done. You could still tell his coat was various shades of slate, but now he looked more like a creature of the swamp than like a wolf. Valentine harrumphed as he continued to stare wordlessly down at his chest. After a few beats of silence he looked up and searched for Rhythm's gaze. "If I remember correctly, we came here to get you dirty not me." ""

He really didn't try to hide his quick little snicker as he smeared the mud from his paw to her clean fur. Though it seemed that her surprised and offended reaction was enough to distract him from the plan forming in her mind. Obviously standing with out a word would be a bit suspicious, though she'd done something right as he wouldn't even try to duck as she started o shake herself. Rhythm would close her own eyes as she rid herself of the excess earth from her pelt as she opened her bright orbs once more though the sight of Valentine simply delighted her. His own gaze would turn to himself as he looked over her handiwork. She'd take the moment of distraction to inch closer to his now muddied form. Her elated emotion did not remove itself from her face as he watched himself in shock, her grin grew the longer he stared. Finally though he'd look back up, obviously less than amused. She'd take her turn to giggle this time. By now she really was completely covered from head to toe. "Oh, but it's so much fun to share." She'd try and close the rest of the distance between them, wanting very much to rub her filthy shoulder and right side all down the length of him. ""

Her smile never wavered, the wickedly amused cheer held firmly in place by his stunned expression. He had half a mind to stick his tongue out at her, maybe even blow raspberries for good measure. However, the nagging suspicion that he'd get mud slathered across his tongue kept him from doing it. She was alight with amusement and he found himself studying her, taking in her obviously delight. Being with Rhythm was different than being with anyone else. She calmed him. Relaxed him. He was unafraid to be himself without all the trappings of a self-assured alpha or a lady's man; he was unafraid to expose his inner workings to her. It was a dangerous thing. Was she aware of the effect she had on him? What kind of damage she could do? He himself was unaware, his mind elsewhere. "Oh, but it's so much fun to share," came her quick response and in seconds the fae was leaning into him, her intent clear. She managed to cover what few clean spots on his right side that had remained. "Hey now," he said with a laugh, his voice filled with mock reproach. Immediately he sought revenge by jutting his right shoulder out and attempting to rub the mud she'd left there back into Rhythm's fur. By this point her right thigh was even with his right shoulder so it was that point that he concentrated on. "You're already brown; what's a little more?" ""

Valentine fostered a part of her she;d never really know, he brought out a confidence that might not have blossomed with out his influence. She had grown incredibly since coming to Imperium, though she'd been through difficult trials getting to know Valentine had been her highlight. She felt more than at ease around him, completely safe and really at home. The more time she spent with him the more she realized this too, and the more at ease she became around him. He was swiftly becoming her best friend, he'd been with her through so much. It felt right being at his side, especially when they were having such a care free time just playing around in the mud. He didn't attempt to move from her way as she leaned into him, sharing the mud that so easily got everywhere. She'd giggle ever amusedly at his mock distress, though even as he tried to give it back she was unbothered. She was literally covered in the gooey dirty substance. "Well you've certainly achieved your goal," She'd tell him as she looked back over her shoulder at him as he reapplied the mud to her hips. "This has to be the dirtiest I've ever been." ""

"This has to be the dirtiest I've ever been." Success! Valentine beamed cheekily down at her. On a whim the brute laid down and rolled onto his left side. Beneath him the mud squelched and blurbled, and a small rush of bubbles escaped from beneath his left armpit. His amusement still very much with him, the brute continued to beam at Rhythm. "Then I can die a happy man." He rolled onto his back and pulled his forepaws to his chest. More mud fart noises resulted from this. "So what now? Mission accomplished and whatnot, so do we call it a day? Pack up, go home, wash off?" Tipping his head to the side, Valentine peeped at her from one eye. "Of course," he mused absentmindedly, "There's still loads of swamp to explore..." He would leave the decision to her. She'd allowed him to drag her to the swamp and cover her in mud. If she decided she was done with his shenanigans he'd accept that and willingly head home. Should she decide not to go home, Valentine was debating rolling her in leaves and taking her out to scare Imperium's neighbors. ""

She hadn't expected to see such a huge grin play across his features, th joy he showed at his accomplishment was infectious and her own grin was bright as she watched him flop down and cause some earth-farts. She'd giggle softly as he leaned over into the mud and rolled onto his back. With his paws on his chest his adorable factor was through the roof, she just wanted to snuggle his cute muddy belly. Rhythm would move closer to him, wanting to stand over his belly as he questioned her. What did she want to do. "I think I need to tickle you first." With out much else warning she'd descend upon his exposed middle, aiming to use her paw pads to tickle the muscles along his belly. She didn't know how much more time she really wanted to spend in the swamp but she knew she wasn't through spending her time with him. ""

Brow quirking, Valentine watched as Rhythm moved to stand over him. Suddenly he felt very vulnerable. Not in the sense that he was open for an act of malice, no, what he feared was an act of mischief. His belly tightened at the thought. She wouldn't dare, would she? She would. Suddenly she was on him and running her paws up and down his belly. Immediately he devolved into a wordless, writhing mess and after a few attempts at voicing his displeasure in a tease, Valentine gave up and settled for revenge. He curled up and in on himself in the hopes of seizing Rhythm's left forepaw at the wrist. If successful he intended to drag her down on him and put an end to the tickling. ""

He wasn't oblivious to her mischievous thoughts, she could see the look he gave her right before she attacked but that wasn't enough to save him. Her paws wouldn't be stopped as she ran them all over his tightened core. She couldn't help but secretly enjoy putting her hands all over him. He was a lot more ticklish than she'd expected though he didn't hesitate to try and stop her. Rhythm got away with her antics for a while, she was quick and the very much distracted brute wasn't able to deter her until he caught her off guard by lifting up to grab her. She'd squeal excitedly as he took hold of her and pulled forward, causing her to lose her balance and fall on his chest. She'd land with a slight jolt, surely her weight hadn't fazed him. She'd open her bright blue and purple gaze to find Valen's deep blue eyes. Her grin would return, though it was much more innocent as she beamed up at him. "Hey there." Goodness they really were absolutely covered in swamp muck. ""

His attempt was successful and Rhythm fell onto his belly with a muted, muddy smacking sound as their sticky fur met. Valentine had released her paw the moment he was certain she was falling hopelessly, and he'd tipped his head back a bit to avoid getting his nose thumped. He rather liked having her laying there on his belly. Mud aside, it was a comfortable pressure and warmth, and he enjoyed her nearness and the way their bellies met when they breathed. Instinctively her eyes had pinched shut as she'd fallen but they opened against almost immediately and given him the closest look at her eyes he'd ever had. The crystalline contours jumped out at him and divided her deep blue and purple eyes into a countless shades. Unperturbed she grinned at him and, finding her smile irresistible, he grinned back. Casually he slid his forepaws up her sides, seeking to rest them heavily just behind her shoulder blades. On the heels of her smile came two little innocent words. "Hello," Valen simpered back. He was tempted to fling her into the mud. As it had been his intention before he'd even drug her down, his forepaws were already in position for it. It would be easy. She was as light as a feather and it would be nearly effortless. But he didn't. He was rather comfortable with her sprawled across him and in doing so he'd be throwing away that comfort. Selfish as he was, he just couldn't deprive himself of this simple pleasure. ""

She'd find that as her eyes fluttered back open she'd relax into his form, even through the sticky mud his warmth spread through her underside. Rhythm wouldn't try to stop the grin that played across her features, nor did she deny how much she liked being close to him. It seemed Valen couldn't help the emotion from showing in his features, as his eyes sparkled and he smiled down at her. He'd slip his paws over her shoulders as she greeted him in such close proximity, his gentle reply earning a quick kiss upon his nose. She'd giggle softly to herself as her tongue sought its retreat. His devious thoughts would not be suspected as she gazed at his amused features, her tail wouldn't be stopped from wagging contentedly behind her. Ignoring the mud that coated them both she'd snuggle into his covered chest. "You're so snuggly," she'd make sure he knew this fact as she smiled into his swampy fur. "We should go clean up so i can snuggle you and not the mud." She'd add, lifting her head from his chest. ""