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Uppity? If the Leviathan had been privy to Rivener's thoughts, he'd have quite something to say about that. Just because the girls hadn't said anything did not mean they weren't upset. LuLu had even admitted she'd been frightened and the blond's reactions spoke volumes to the aquatic Frei, even if the Sigel was too blinded by his own ego to see it. Clear as day, Varun thought, he needed to step in. He needed to defend the girls. His girls. And if Rivener was too dumb to miss that as well? The seasonal Raevan would just have to enlighten him.

He didn't have time to react before Rivener had a hand around his neck, but Varun still refused to be intimidated. The odds were not in his favor, but the Leviathan much preferred words to numbers anyways. "This all?" came the gravelly challenge, sea green eyes meeting Rivener's for just a moment.

"Varun does better."

The Leviathan surged forward, jaws gaping as he launched himself for Rivener's neck. The attack had worked on Prajna brilliantly, so Varun had no reason not to try it again. (Well, Kinsey had told him not to get violent with anyone, but there was no reason to heed her rules if she wasn't watching.) Even if he didn't get his teeth into Rivener's skin, he could try, at the very least, to break his hold.

This was more like it!

Perhaps the absolute refusal to show fear was stupidity on Varun's part, but as far as he was concerned, Rivener had given him no reason to cower. Perhaps the Scorpion was older, and stronger, but there was no reason to believe he was smarter, or faster. His words were fancier, but he did not know what went racing through Varun's head, that much became apparent when he narrowly dodged the well-aimed bite. He wasn't expecting it and that, Varun knew, would be his advantage in this battle.

He was not able to get out of Rivener's way in time, grunting softly when the tackle landed them both on the hard floor. Varun tipped his head back and roared, the mightiest sound he'd produced in his short, short life and flailed, fighting valiantly against the older Raevan. The Sigel's strength was becoming increasingly evident; it was a fact Varun could not ignore. With that realization came a second: he needed to get free and regroup. Limbs thrashing violently, Varun attempted to scratch Rivener's face at the same time he attempted to twist and sink his teeth into the Sigel's arm. One never won a battle raged on two fronts, but he did not need to win, Varun thought, he needed to fall back and regroup.

The Frei was still blissfully unaware of the most powerful weapon in Rivener's arsenal.

The bite, he could deal with. It wasn't even enough to draw blood. Clearly, someone needed to instruct Rivener how to-

Varun couldn't help the agonized scream, writhing wildly as a stinger drove into his shoulder and injected him. Rivener's words were lost on the Leviathan and for a moment, it was all he could do but freeze and digest what had just taken place. As suddenly as the young Raevan had stilled, he began to thrash wildly, driven only by pain and anger. Whatever rationale the Leviathan was holding on to earlier was thrown out the window as Varun reached up and grabbed for Rivener's hair.

"Get closer and I will kill you," Varun hissed, even if he was in no position to do so. It was clear, however, that the battle had knocked him far from his normal state of being; the sudden shift from third-person to first-person always heralded a change in Varun's behavior.

"RIVENER!" he roared, still trying to fight the older Raevan off (and trying so very hard to ignore the pulsing pain in his shoulder, though it was obvious the Frei's strength was quickly failing him) "Stop using stupid tricks and honestly fight!"

Rivener loved how the Leviathan had stilled in shock for a second, looking completely taken aback. Ngh, that look made it aaaall worthwhile. Rivener laughed malevolently and grinned, even when Varun resumed his thrashing. The transition to using first-person words was lost on Rivener, much too busy dodging his head out of the way of Varun's clawing hands. Soon the frei would start to feel weak, dizzy, sick... Rivener wanted to see it happen, wanted to see the light of defiance leave those bright eyes. Varun should learn his damned lesson and shut up about it. He shouldn't have tried to fight Riv, that's all.

Vyn's voice only filtered in to the Scorpion's ear when the rose lowered herself to shout at him to get out. Riv blinked over at her, surprised at first and then furious. He bared his teeth at her. "What, are you taking HIS side? HE came up to ME picking a fight! I wasn't even talking to him! He-"

Varun called his attention again, roaring for Rivener to stop using tricks and fight honestly. Well that was the last straw. Riv glared at the pinned leviathan and flapped his wings, raising the both of them off the ground while still keeping Varun captive. "You want a fair fight?! You got it!" Riv released the poison-disoriented frei and cocked an arm back, launching a punch directly at Varun's cheek without holding back. It should be enough to send the young man flying back into the nearest wall, if it connected.

The pleasure Rivener was gaining out of the poisoning was just sick. Laughing as the frei beneath him was sapped of strength and vitality... Vyn hoped that was all that was leeching out of the frei’s body. Some last shred of respect for her older sibling told her that he wouldn’t use anything lethal, but the dizzying display of malevolence was starting to ever make even that hope waver. Then he snapped at her; his teeth bared as he accused her of taking sides. How dare he turn this round on her! Wasn’t it obvious that he was in the wrong regardless? It didn’t matter if it had been the samurai who had kicked off the trouble because it had been Rivener who had taken it too far. Her own wing’s twitched with inconceivable anger and some instinctive drive urged her to do as her brother had done and drive the thorny barbs into the person who was the route of her anger... But she restrained herself and was about to repeat her previous statement when Rivener hurled a punch.

If the force of it took the breath out of her she couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like for the boy on the receiving end. “Riv... You...” She couldn’t even begin to formulate a response... The fingers curled into fists and her glare, more poisonous than anything the scorpion could make, spoke for her. As far as she was concerned this cruel smirking creature couldn’t be her close friend and thus she would rally a lynching mob of fellow guests – or attempt to – if he didn’t make an exit from her friend’s party instantly.

He was only out for no more than half a minute, but the sea critter had had more than enough. More than disoriented when he came to, the redhead glanced around and quickly picked himself off the floor, mindlessly brushing the dirt off of him. His nose hurt. His shoulder hurt. He was a mess and suddenly, he was very dizzy, and very tired.

It wasn't hard to pick his guardian out of the few humans mingling around the party, and for once, Varun was very glad she had hung around.

"Home now," he asked quietly. Kinsey had opened her mouth to argue, but one look at her charge's face had her changing his mind. He looked horrible. Not about to cause any trouble, the young woman nodded and the pair quietly made their exit; Varun had more than enough attention for one night.

Lucia’s mouth hung open. What the hell just happened. She looked at the floor and Varun’s passed out body and then to her front door, where she had just seen Rivener saunter away. Floating low to the floor over Varun’s body, she rubbed his forehead gently, the pretty necklace around her neck doing little to subdue her feelings of guilt and despair. Rivener had looked so hot…and he didn’t even say anything to her. Maybe if she had looked better he would have noticed. He was definitely the stronger raevan and that was so sexy.

Her soft fingers brushed the smooth hair of the fish lying on her floor and she bit her lip. A wet salty tear rolled off of her cheek and landed on Varun’s as she tended to him as best as she could.

As Varun suddenly got up, said he wanted to go home and followed Rivener out the door, Lucia remained there on the dark wood floor, and sighed softly, her fingers tracing the pattern of the floor. Somehow this had all gone horribly wrong.

Before Tari had realised what was happening, the simple flare-up that Varun seemed to have with most people (all puffed up and in charge) had turned into a horrible, terrible fight. Punches were thrown, and Riv used his... tail? ... in some manner than had Varun down onto the floor, and then both males were gone. Tari wanted nothing more than to chase after them, but she'd promised not to leave the house until her mother arrived. And being lost once had been scary enough. She just wished she'd reacted faster and been able to stop the fight between two Raevans she knew and liked. (Never mind that knowing someone seemed to automatically mean Tari liked them.)

"Why everyone so mean?" she despaired to the room at large. "Party was fun. Why yell? Why leave?"

She noticed two Raevans still here. While she didn't know either of them, the girl seemed very upset, and the grey male must be nice if he was trying to comfort her. Tari floated over. Lowering herself to the floor, she reached out and patted one of the hands drawing patterns on the floor. "No cry," she agreed with the grey Raevan. Televee had taught her important things, which she now passed on to the other female. "Silly boys not worth crying. Can have good party without."