It had been a couple seasons since he had been here, and Enrico glanced around at the changed face of the battlefield with idle curiosity. The fast melt of the spring had left the usually verdant field a muddy morass interspersed with scraggly, mud-coated grass that strove valiantly for the sun despite the constant beating they took from both traveling and battling wolves. Not many prey animals dared venture in here with the constant scent of blood and wolves, or there might not have been any grass at all at this point. He knew, though, that in not so long a time this whole land would be green again in a blanket unbroken except by the flowers that bore silent witness to the many battles here.

He wasn't sure if it was battle that had drawn him here - he did need the practice, having spent several years as a hunter in Celestial rather than as a fighter, and before that long seasons that stretched on to years on the run. He hadn't practiced those skills in quite some time. But, too, his pack needed members and he'd had some luck here once. He would search out possible members, then, but he wouldn't say no to anyone seeking simply to spar. Asriel padded beside him with obvious interest - being solitary and very few, snow leopard culture didn't particularly promote the idea of setting aside an area to learn to fight, though he'd learned from his littermates and parents when he was a cub. The blue-eyed cat kept craning his neck to stare at the wolves they occasionally passed who were already locked in battle, twitching his whiskers at them and lashing his tail in uncharacteristic excitement.

OOC: recruiting or spar, either one or both! Whatever happens.

Speech

Wicked sneer washed over angelic features, crimson orbs scanning this new land.. a land untouched by her tainted paws. Serpentine tongue slipped free of its moistened cave only to run slowly along glistening canines, dripping of saliva. The sounds of snarls echoing in the distance, the loud audible bodies colliding like freight trains against one another, while other hungry spectators circled the blood thirsty fools. But she paid little to no mind. There was something else that captured her attention, a form that was not engaging but oh how they watched so excitedly. As if eager, to participate.

Each deep gray paw delicately placed to not stumble over some small debris that could catch the unsuspecting off guard. After all, what sort of impression would she make.. stumbling face first into the dirt? Not a very good one. The way the mud sloshed between her toes, made her face desire to twist in disgust, but she refrained, for the time being. Crimson orbs targeted on the creature clad in silken strands of various grey. Licking over the from slowly, taking in its well defined muscle definition, a gleam of approval shone in her cold eyes, for but a moment before it flickered out like a dying flame.

The closer she got, the more dominant the others features became.. The scent that came from its pores, that of a spice like aroma. Causing a single brow to inch upwards. Her hips swayed delicately, each step calculated. Until she stopped still a few feet away from the man. Restraining from being within striking distance. After all, with all the hustle and bustle about, there was no telling how the strangers testosterone worked. But what intrigued me most.. Was the felidae that stayed next to the man.. a Predator, a lethal animal it was, clad in shades to blend with freshly fallen snow. How do two.. so different creatures.. stand so calmly side by side? The thought lingered for only a moment before thin black lips would open, words thickly accented in German rolling off her salmon tongue.

Excuse me, Mein liebes (My dear). I vould appear to be.. lost. Perhaps you can help shed some light on my situ-ation.. Vere exactly.,. are we

Charcoal dipped ears would shift slightly. Her body relaxed, as to not  come across as aggressive, or threatening

Image by Vhitany

Enrico came to a stop as a female voice addressed him, and his gaze flicked over her in a brief study. Her voice was as accented as his own, though accented through a different mother tongue than his, and it was with more difficulty than usual that he could translate those words from the common tongue. "I would be happy to, signora," he said finally, with a quick, polite dip of his head. "You stand in a land long ago agreed upon as a no-man's land set aside for battle and for packs to claim rogues. From my understanding it has been set aside for so many generations that the custom is unbreakable."

At the first sound of a voice Asriel too, had stopped, but merely glanced impatiently at the female's interruption before returning to his thrilled observation of a distant battle. Though of a generally polite disposition himself, the cat's hackles were up and his pupils wide with excitement, the blood and violent movement of the wolves arousing in him a natural frenzy, just like many a housecat upon seeing a twitching feather on a string, or a laser light. Conversation alone would not draw him out of that fever pitch, and Enrico certainly wasn't going to remind a creature nearly as big as he with so many more pointy ends that he was being impolite, so he merely glanced over at his companion before returning his attention back to the taller female.

"My name is Enrico Falcone, Tiercel of Niente, and this is Asriel. Might I be so bold as to inquire as to your own?"

Speech
His eyes of crystalline waters landed upon her frame, and although they were vibrant and alluring.. there was a coldness there. One that she had, over time, learned to notice. His lips would part, and words rumbled from the depths of his being. His tongue, too, accented thickly in a language she knew little about.. But the sound of his voice was lovely, the way his words dripped from his lips, the sylabbles pronounced far less... harsher.. then the way hers had sounded. His ecplanation of the land,  sent a chill down her spine, and excitment bubbled within.. Never had she seen a land, set aside for battle. Her ears perked up and eyes widened like that of a curious child as she looked upon the mushy field. The scent of blood thick upon the fingertips of the springs breeze. She could almost feet the warmth of the bodies that fought nearest to them.

I can now see vy others be drawn here. Back home, ve have no land like zis. A land sacred, and created to absorb the bodies zat fall.  

A sickening grin pulled the corners of her lips upwards. Her body longed to engage just as those around were doing. How long it had been since her last quarrel. The feel of flesh between her jaws. Her eyes flickered to the feline, observing him closely. His spotted hackles raised, and  tip of his tail flicked eagerly. Oh my how trecherous would that be if the cat simply wished to join? His claws far more lethal then our own. Unsheathed they were dangerous daggers. She had first hand seen the damage a feline could do, when provoked.

E-enrico. It is a pleasure. As well as you Asriel.

The names rolled off the succubus' tongue, with mild speed bumps. Harder to pronounce, but done none the less. Followed by a politeful dip of her slender crown.

I am Verena. Verena Andre'. Vould you care to possibly join me? The smell upon the air.. Vell, it brings out... how do you say.. da wolf in me.  

Another, sly and devilish grin was offered the man in steel gray. But a certain shimmer shone in her eyes.




< /div>

Image by Vhitany

Enrico listened carefully to her words, but already he was beginning to see the differences in the way she spoke common compared to others, and to automatically begin to account for the dialect. "There are not so many bodies to absorb as you would imagine, I believe," he said politely. The way she had said the words reminded him of many a young associate long ago, and more than a few of his fellows as well, that faintly hair-raising bloodlust thickening their tone as they spoke of death and destruction. It was a type he'd tended to avoid in his own recruitment, but they had seemed to work out well enough for others so he had just shrugged pragmatically and moved on. "The culture here seems to be overwhelmingly lighthearted,and killing is... frowned on." Which made it as difficult for those, like him, who tended to inhabit a more gray area as it did for those of a far darker bent. Lighthearted wolves tended to disapprove of and try to stamp out any other mindset. He, at least, could hide the more subtle nuances of his personality behind the more approachable side of himself. He saw it as a simply illogical waste of options.

Asriel, at hearing himself addressed, dragged his attention away from spectating for a curt nod of greeting. His claws flexed in and out of their sheaths in an unconscious gesture of excitement, but he made no move to answer her question to Enrico. A low rumble that was part amusement, part excitement vibrated his chest, though, because he doubted that any wolf here would want to see him enter into a spar alongside his friend, regardless of how much shorter he was than most wolves. He resigned himself to sitting on the sidelines this time. Surely eventually someone would set themselves against Enrico, or Niente, enough that even the fairly even tempered Enrico to seek a more serious battle.

Enrico, following a similar train of thought, glanced over at the feline. Seeing the resignation written on the whiskered face, he felt fairly certain the cat would keep himself out of any spar Enrico were to accept, so it was with a good amount of comfort that the mafioso gave the woman a nod. "I would be gratified if you would care to spar." He tilted his head in a thoughtful gesture. "It would please me to offer you the first move, as you are a newcomer to these lands."

ENRICO vs VERENA for SPAR
ROUND 0/?
Height 34"
Build Light

Often rated M for mature language.

❧Verena ❧

He spoke of the culture around these parts, and tsk tsk sound rolled from her lips. "Such pity, it is. Vere I come from, alot fall. Circle of life, if you will. The weak become a meal for the ground worms, and hungry vulturs." A venomous chuckle escaped her lips. Remembering the damage her pack mates had inflicted on those poor unsuspecting victims. Even as a young pup, she could recall the screams, and the pathetic begging that left their delicate lips, as their bodies were torn to shreds. Leaving them unrecognizable. What a transition it would be for her to have to mesh in with those light of heart, but being as manipulative as she was, it was possible. Her mother had taught her well.

The feline tore his gaze from the fight not to far off. Enough time to dip his head slightly, and refocus. She would  pity the fool that went up against the large cat. Sure he may be smaller, but that does not mean he is any less deadly. Even she knew they were far more agile, and stepped nearly  inaudibly. And those claws.. deadly weapons. With a single swipe could lacerate ones flesh. Rumors had it, even the larger ones could pull a gator from the murky depths. Although, she had never seen it herself.

And when Enrico accepted the offer, her smile only widened. Jus' as long as he does not join in, I vould like to have half a chance." A chuckle slipped from her maw. Ears flicked slightly, eager to loosen taunt muscles from the long travel she had endured. When he subjected that she start,  she nodded slightly, preparing herself. " How polite of you, Mien Liebs."

With that, she allowed her ears to flatted against her skull, hackles raised to trail down her spine, and eyes narrowed. Her tail extended to better help for balance, as she sprang forward, pressing back paws hard against the ground to have more leverage and kick off more speed. Spring towards him, in attempts to slam her own chest had against his own tring to use her  weight to knock him off balance.  Jaws agape, attempting to connect with the left side of his neck to gain some sort of hold. Although, not aiming to apply enough force to break the skin.

OOC
Verena VS Enrico - Round 1 of 3 - Spar
Height and Weight: 35"in || 135 lbs
Build- Medium

Defenses: Ears flat against skull, eyes narrowed, hackles raised, tail extended for balance.

Attacks- Attempting to slam chest first into Erico's chest, trying to knock him off balance. Attempting to get a grip on his left side of his neck for some sort of hold.  

Injuries:  none as of yet.

Ooc- Is three rounds okay for you? and I apologize, not sure how the fight system works, and it has been quite a while!!- Also edit witnessed and approved by Tealah. :-)

thanks!

Even in battle, Enrico was a dancer, grace and elegance writ large upon his lithe body. He waited, poised, with his ears pinned back against his skull and his glacial eyes narrowed. His weight was centered and held lightly on all four legs, his joints bent slightly and held loose, ready to dance aside at a moment's notice. His chin tucked slightly to protect the vulnerable throat from the possible attentions of the stranger, and his black-tipped brush of a tail was held ready at the level of his spine to balance him at need.

Ready.

The stranger charged him, and he sidestepped lightly to his right. The front of his left shoulder against the front of her own left shoulder took the brunt of the impact, but he sagged that shoulder back as it touched hers so that the motion was absorbed by his own movement rather than trying to stiffly withstand it, so the damage was fairly light, simple bruising.

Her jaws clipped shut without their grasp of his neck since he had moved laterally away from it, but he winced at the sting as a tuft of hair pulled away clasped between her teeth. That would leave an abrasion that would no doubt be quite bothersome when the adrenaline wore off, but he'd had as bad from Asriel's rough tongue when he'd caught Enrico on the nose.

Enrico snapped back immediately, attempting to close his own jaws directly over her muzzle head-on, his upper fangs on either side of the bridge of her nose and his lower teeth beneath her chin. In a real fight he would have tried to bite with enough force to crack her nasal bone, but now he tried only for a firm pressure that would keep her jaws shut.

As he did he pivoted his hindquarters slightly to his right attempted to drive forward hard with the point of his right shoulder, seeking to slam it into her ribs right behind her elbow on the right side as hard as he could with the confined quarters. He was slightly smaller and lighter than she was, but there was a pressure point there that could be very unpleasant when struck, and he hoped the sudden shock would throw her off balance. Lifting his left forepaw he attempted to assist in that endeavor by striving to hook his paw around the front of her right wrist to jerk it towards him.

He was terribly out of practice in fighting, but he could hardly have been out of shape with all the hunting he'd done for Celestial. But now that he had his own pack it was time to get back into top fighting form to better protect what was theirs.

ENRICO vs VERENA for SPAR
ROUND 1/3
Height 34"
Build Light

OOC: sorry it took so long, I completely forgot about this thread.