Usui waited patiently on the bank for both “dragons” to return to land. The rat was dead with blood dripping down the sides, although it was mostly encased in bits of wet grass, mud and dirt from all its scampering escapades. The lion kept his calm gaze focused onto the horizon and then…Baratheon scented the meat first and roared with astonishing ferocity, eyes turning to a scarlet shade. Immediately Usui scrambled to his paws and squared off his haunches, keeping his muscle crouched to the ground. This situation was not much different from Kerberos and he predicted that his friend would lunge at him. The pink dragon thundered towards him then but Usui kept himself still. Not yet…not yet…

Now! As a paw swiped towards him with menacing claws, Usui jumped out of the way and allowed Baratheon to relish his meal. Bloodlust was a phenomena becoming a little familiar to Usui and he thought that this condition, as he called it, must have hurt Baratheon very much if he were to react all the time to meat like this. The lion took slow steps back, allowing Baratheon to have his fill, buying himself time during that sequence.

The rat proved to be a piece of cake for Baratheon who now he swung his gaze over towards Usui. This gaze the lion was starting to be a bit more accustomed to (but which freaked him out all the same). Immediately, Usui let a low rumble rise from his chest and slowly, very slowly and smoothly, stood higher and raised his neck, but keeping his chin tucked in to protect his vitals, and stared down at Baratheon. Pale green eyes latched onto the other’s red one as he battled with himself. “Baratheon, you’re stronger than this. STOP THIS NOW.” Authoritative voice rang forth, coaxing the mild Baratheon to emerge. Usui remained alert, ready to dodge if this dragon tried to attack still.

________________

Dragon perked his head, arching it up over the water to better see what was happening. Baratheon had suddenly bolted off, and at first he couldn't see why. When he finally did he wondered exactly what the relationship was between Baratheon and Usui that his brother would just steal from the lion like that.

Strange.

He slipped a little closer to shore, watching the two with alert curiosity, but not interfering. He had no idea about any bloodlust, and wasn't sure what Usui meant by barking out that Baratheon was "stronger than this," so he just listened and watched, slightly puzzled.

________________

BARATHEON

"the world is mine for the taking"

---

The twitching intensified for a moment as he heard Usui's words. The crazed part of him didn't care but the sane side did. His head still shook, eyes blinking rapidly to try and clear away the mist. His mouth moved as if he were trying to speak and froth was starting to form as he clenched his claws into the earth. "No..." He grunted. It was barely a word spoken from between his lathered lips and more of a deep growl or a grunt. He didn't want to hurt Usui... but at the same time... he did. He wanted to feel the flesh ripping and taste the blood on his fangs.

His head lowered and he seemed to slouch, almost as if he were exhausted from fighting because he'd won his mental brawl. However, the growling half-spoken but mostly-snarled words would take away all of that hope. "I am this..." His eyes raised to Usui's and that crimson gaze met with the cool green eyes of the lion. His control was completely gone as he now advanced towards Usui with no reservation. He started off at a walk and then at a trot as he went to the lion, eyes locked onto his neck. The feral part of him didn't care for dominance. It didn't care for words. It didn't care how big you were. All it cared was that it wanted blood and it would get it somehow. Whether he got it from this lion or something else that didn't matter. He wanted some other prey besides one measly mouse.

Either this lion would get it for him or he would be eaten himself.
.

---

words: 275
tagged: Dragon, Usui
ooc: ---
muse: 7/10

"Talking looks like this."
Thinking looks like this...

Baratheon was making an effort. He twitched and clenched his jaws, battling the inner bloodthirsty monster that wanted to break out and kill blindly. Usui snarled softly in his throat and steadied his paws upon the earth, claws unsheathing. He felt his insides tear apart as this adorable, friendly dragon acknowledged the other side of him and managed a “No…I am this.” For all the struggle which the lion witnessed the other going through, he whispered in hushed tones back to him “Fair enough...you’ve tried.” Brother. That was enough for Usui, for now. With a nod to the dragon to come at him, Usui allowed his gem to glow a ghastly black shade as the dragon shifted from a walk to a trot and attempted to cast one of his safer magic, hoping that he could unbalance Baratheon and wake him up, wake up the gentle side that would have caressed Flafe and not chosen to murder her.

________________

The shiver of magic put him on high alert, and he swept toward the shore with a powerful thrust of his tail. He pulled himself out onto the bank, half-in, half-out, alongside and behind Baratheon. Then he peered between the two, looking as concerned as an alligator could.

"...What's going on?" he asked, words coming rapidly. He wasn't sure what had just happened--he'd been farther out in the pond--but now he drew up closer beside his brother. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Maybe they were just playing. Maybe one was showing something to the other. Dragon wasn't all that concerned, not yet--only enough to come closer, to investigate.

Even his mild distaste for the lion wasn't exactly affecting him--he seemed to be friends with Baratheon, after all. Though his brother had just stolen Usui's prey.

Weird.

________________

BARATHEON

"the world is mine for the taking"

---

He could hear the other dragon come from the water, could hear it as it came near him but it didn't matter. He simply noted it for later. Right now the fluffy prey that had been so closely associated with the mouse was more important. Not that watery smelling thing with the disgusting thick scales. Lion first, dragon later.

Besides, he wouldn't break his charge to address this creature. It was not important. This lion's flesh was important. His mouth opened as he gave a full-throated hiss. He only broke the charge when the ground suddenly heaved beneath him, causing him to fall onto the ground. He tumbled to a halt, unhurt but certainly not happy. Once he righted himself he threw himself back at Usui with an angry snarl. If no mice were being thrown his way then he would take this prey by force.

The young dragon opened his mouth, fangs bared, as he lunged for Usui's throat aiming to tear it out if he could. His ears were pinned at the sides of his head, almost looking as if he didn't have any.

Baratheon vs Usui for Dominance
Round I of V


Attacks: Lunging for Usui's throat, aiming to tear it out.
Defenses: Ears pinned.
Injuries: None

---

There was no waking up Baratheon. The moment he stumbled, Usui was able to dodge out of the dragon’s intended route. Swerving to the side such that his left shoulder faced Baratheon, he barely succeeded in dodging the full frontal attack of the pink dragon who wanted to tear his throat out. Thick claws scraped painfully against the portion between his neck and throat, narrowly missing his jugular. As the claws raked down, blood dripped from the side of his neck, staining his tawny coat. Usui knew then that he had two choices – either to wear Baratheon out or to fight in return and shock him back to reality with pain.

Not much time to lose or to debate between both options the cub chose the path to survival for this round and so continued in his swerve, landing both forepaws in front of him as he completed his defensive leap to the side, then he tilted his head and attempted to bite down on Baratheon’s shoulder, then swing his body to the right such that his right side would contact Baratheon’s left side, keeping him closely parallel to the dragon and away from his snapping jaws.

Round: 1/5
Attempt: Bite onto Baratheon’s left shoulder and using that as his anchor, swing to be parallel to Baratheon’s body
Defense: None
Injuries: left side of neck scratched and bleeding.

________________

As Baratheon leapt to the attack, Usui leapt to meet him. The alligator stared blankly for a moment, and panic briefly gripped him. These were his friends--well, Baratheon was--... Well, Baratheon was his brother, anyway!

The idea seized him that he had to stop them killing each other. It was blatantly obvious that the two were in serious conflict, and what was more, he had no idea why. It certainly hadn't looked like they'd been arguing, and his brother hadn't seemed to hold any grudge against Usui before? What was going on? Was it all down to the mouse Baratheon had stolen? And why had he done that, anyway?!

"WHOA! What are you doing?! Stop! Stop!"

Naturally, they didn't just stop, so in a brief moment of inspiration he attempted to seize Baratheon's tail, about a third of the way up its length, and just slide right back into the water, taking him with him.

________________

Round: 1/5
Attempt: Grab Baratheon by the tail and pull him back into the water!
Defense: None
Injuries: None

BARATHEON

"the world is mine for the taking"

---

His claws and his fangs didn't meet their intended target in the throat, or rather the jugular, but they did cause blood to flow from the side of the lion's neck. He felt his claws rake down on the flesh and smelled the lion's blood. This worked him up into even more of a frenzy, feral snarls wracking from his open maw as he tried so desperately to sink his fang's into Usui's body. However, the lion was able to maneuver away and to his side, avoiding those deadly fangs.

Teeth sank into his shoulder and his own hot blood oozed down his leg. In his state the pain didn't matter, he wouldn't care if his entire leg was ripped off. He wanted to kill and he would try to do so until he could no longer. If that meant death then so be it.

He was about throw himself at the lion, he didn't care about that bite and would rip a chunk of skin out if he needed to, but he felt something on his tail. He could feel himself starting to be pulled backwards but dug his pink claws, now stained red, into the earth to halt the progress. The creature pulling him backwards wasn't bleeding and thus he didn't care about it. He only cared about the lion's blood that was working him into a frenzy. He would get to the alligator later.

Before he was pulled too much further Baratheon lunged towards Usui with all of his strength. He was small but he was still a dragon and his size hid tremendous amounts of strength, especially when he was enraged. His mouth was opened as wide as it would go, prepared to chomp onto Usui's neck for a tight grip. If he succeeded he would try to latch onto Usui with all his strength and not let go. The alligator could still pull him but he'd be pulling Usui along too.

Baratheon vs Usui vs Dragon for Dominance
Round II of V


Attacks: Lunging for Usui's neck to get a grip and keep Dragon from pulling him further.
Defenses: Ears pinned.
Injuries: Puncture wounds in left shoulder and tail.

---

OOC: based on Dark’s barely successful roll (still a successful roll) in pulling Baratheon into the water, and Baratheon’s barely successful roll in wanting to grip onto Usui’s neck), I’m going to have Baratheon be successful in gripping his neck, but only for a moment since Dragon would have somehow managed to drag him into the water after that. Let me know if this sequence is not right!

Usui’s fangs sank into Baratheon’s shoulder, following which he successfully swung around such that his body remained parallel against the fluffy dragon’s body. Blood oozed out from Baratheon’s side – he’d half expected it to be as pink as the dragon’s fur but it was red – and he did take note of this – but the next moment, Baratheon got even ore riled up and thrashed about. Usui’s paws scrabbled against the his fur but wasn’t quick enough to disengage, following which the dragon’s teeth clamped down upon his throat, causing Usui to squeak and sputter as blood squired from the puncture wounds (not too deep) from the bite. He lost his grip and spun back around to be in front of Baratheon.

Then, Baratheon slid into the water as Dragon successfully dragged him in by the tail and Usui flopped onto the bank, choking and gasping for breath. Crimson liquid spilled not just from the side of one neck now but two sharp rows lining his neck as well. The pain made him feel hazy and angered, and his feline tail thrashed on the ground behind him. Brother… his thoughts echoed in his mind, but Usui shook it away. No, this was not his brother. This was a monster.

Now, both Baratheon and Dragon were somewhere on the bank or in the river, he didn’t know, but Dragon had gotten into terribly close range with Baratheon. With a roar, Usui gathered his muscles and attempted to lunge over Baratheon’s snapping jaws and land onto his back, roaring at Dragon to ”Bloodlust! Stop him!”, not having much more breath or time to inform the reptile of anything else, except that he attempted to use the gravity of his leap to push Baratheon down and subdue him with unsheathed claws, and hoping that Dragon would do the same.

Round: 2/5
Attempt: Lunge onto Baratheon and force him down under his weight
Defense: Staying away from Baratheon’s jaws, claws unsheathed
Injuries: left side of neck scratched and bleeding, two rows of slight bleeding puncture marks along his neck