An Offer Declined

From Redwall MUCK Wiki


Setting:

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Halyard Village ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The pit you are standing in lies in the very center of the room. It is about

two feet down from floor level, but there are no steps; one must merely jump

down. The pit is the only portion of the room that is kept at all clean, the

sand raked smooth and appearing fresh. You stand in a fighting pit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Character:

Lutea, the Taggerung

Vixen Opponent, provided by Vannon

Crossfang and Rsk, thieves (provided by Vannon)

---

It's a rowdy night in the pits, and Lutea /loves/ it. The otter, as is her custom on her nights off, got a little tipsy and loose with her coin, and has inevitably wound up plopped into the sand of Halyard's bloodiest sand box. She stands, arms raised, and allows the hooting, hollering, and general chaotic disarray to wash over her like a mother's warm embrace - there is just something so /comforting/ about the sense of brotherhood senseless violence brings about. The fight coordinator gives his obligatory introductions - No weapons, this time - she is to face her opponent mano a mano. Shrugging loose of her cloak, the otter rolls her shoulders, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Let 'et at 'em!

There is a puff of sand as the opponant lands. The fox gestures to the crowd, causing them to hoot and howl. A vixen with a cross fox pattern the beast is dressed in a simple red tunic. She is a slender creature but not with out some muscle to her arms.

She is also just as full of ale as Lutea if not more. "Alright ye lilly livered land lubbing otter (hic) we is gonna see how well you kin put up yer dukes. Have at thee!"

Lutea doesn't waste time. She gives a gleeful woot and /flings/ herself at the vixen, arms spread about to grapple her about the waist. She is a sinewy creature, solid muscle, and uses her body itself as a club. The force of her leap closes the distance, but her lower half is kept loose and nimble, allowing inertia to keep whipping her about her opponent until she collides with something soft and fleshy, trying to tangle the beast up and get her on the ground - like an ottery bola-bola.

Alas the vixen does the same thing. Trying to wrestle the beast to the ground and presumably punch her. Or bite her. Which ever comes first for a fox in combat. Finally the vixen tears herself away, trying to take a swing at the otter.

"You really let me down out there." Says another vixen meanwhile, up stairs above the pit.

"Me? It was you're idea to attack the merchant in the first place, I'm the one who suffered..." The lizard says, rubbing his black eye.

"And what about me? I was nearly gutted like a fish I was!" The vixen points to the bandage across her portly stomach. For a marbled fox she lives up to her name.

The lizard thinks this is about the only way Crossfang would lose a pound or two but keeps it too himself as they both sit down to a table next to the fighting pit.

The otter is oblivious to the conversation, and only has eyes for the beast currently trying to gnaw her face off. Well, two can play at that game. Digging her feet into the sand, Lutea pushes back, thick-set arms seeking purchase about the vixen, snapping at her shoulder as she imposes her weight forward. The fox's punch catches her on the side of the head, with a yelp. Shaking it off, she steals after the opening the swing left, leaping forward to jam her weight up and under that armpit. Gross, but effective.

"You know what we need? More members." The lizard almost spits at the fox's statement.

"Crossfang. I got beaten up by a hare with a /frying pan/. Who would be dumb enough to join us?"

The vixen peers over the fighting pit, "How about her?"

The fox in the pit is thrown for a loop. She staggers backwards, ale in her gut causing her to be even more unbalanced. At the end she barely manages to stay upright on one paw, leaving her completely open...

Lutea is relentless - but isn't in the pits for the sheer joy of winning. Despite the screeches and boos of the beasts surrounding her, the otter jumps towards the vixen - and grabs one of her paws to help steady her. It just wouldn't be any fun if she went down /that/ easy, would it? Of course not! The otter bounces back several paces, shuffling from side to side, waggling a paw towards her. "C'mon!"

The vixen blinks in surprise then smiles in evil delight. "Gel, you just earned yourself a propper whoopin." She dashes forward then leaps and rolls behind the otter only to spring upward and try and tackle her.

Lutea does the only thing she can in this situation - she hits the ground and lays flat, allowing the vixen to simply soar over her. "I'm over 'ere, lass!" She calls, leaping upright and dancing several steps away from the fox, now behind her, giving an almost girlish giggle. "Was tha' my whoopin'? I think I missed it. Mind showin' me again?"

The vixen hits the wall of the fighting pit, hard. She crumples like a fuzzy accordian before laying flat against the ground. To her credit she get's back up, if a bit more awkwardly. "Laugh all ye want. I'm making stew out of yer tail ya...all three of ya. So why don't you just stay still an..."

And that is as far as the fox get's before she leaps forward to try and punch, kick and head but the otter.

Lutea stands stock still this time, widening her stance and holding her arms out to snatch at the fox as she attacks. The flurry of attacks berates her about the head and shoulders, and she finds herself tucking her chin to her chest, curling in tight to absorb the brunt of the strikes like a solid, little punching bag. And then all at once she just springs apart, kicking off the ground to gain some leverage, with which she climbs the fox like a cat on a curtain, trying to weigh her down to a point of submission. As she throws herself up and forward, she swings that thick, rudder tail at the vixen's side, wincing as a claw nicks a thin line of ruby across her cheek.

THe vixen yelps as the rudder hits. She stumbles and falls flat on her back where she struggles to get up. Alas the otter is too heavy and all the fox manages to do is flail her legs and tail about. "Ah blast it..." The vixen goes limp, tapping twice on the sand to show that she yields.

Up top the two thieves glance at each other and begin to smile.

Lutea leaps upright and extends a paw down to the vixen, offering her help for the second time. "Y'alrigh'?" She grins, rolling her neck out and popping the vertebrae. There really is nothing quite like a good fight to get the blood pumping and the juices flowing - even if she /does/ have to be up early in the morning. She is still completely oblivious to whatever sketechery is taking place in the stands.

The vixen chuckles as she stands, taking the offered paw. "Ye kin fight well ye rudder tailed mongral. Winner get's de pleasure of buying the first round of drinks!" She takes a step forward then staggers in place. "Or...you know...helping the loser get up the stairs. That...that works too..."

Lutea laughs, dutifully depositing herself under the vixen's arm to help haul her out of the pits. "Dunno 'bout drinks, but stairs are somethin' I cin get you up." The otter is a well-seasoned wingman and drinking buddy, and as such knows /every/ trick in the book for getting a lopsided mate up, down, and around a set of stairs - this slip of a vixen is no issue.

"Perhaps I can help with drinks?" Positioning herself at the top of the stairs Crossfang leans against the railing with her arms crossed. "Spectacular fight, both of you. It deserves a bit of a celebration it does!"

"Thanks but...no thanks." the fighting fox unwraps herself from Lutea, "Them orphans won't feed themselves in the morning you know...take care! Hope to knock yer socks off sometime maty!" The fighter stumbles away towards the door.

"Did she say she worked in a..." schemes aside Crossfang just has to pause and adress that.

"What a stand up, model citizen." Lutea grins, waving to her opponent as she collects a small pouch of prize money. "Celebration, y'said?" Again, you would think that this otter would have learned not to trust strange foxes by now. But, apparently, she hasn't. "/Drinks/ y'say? I'm listenin'."

Especially grinning fox's. The tubby thief gestures to their table, "Please, join me and my associate." The fox leads the otter closer to the table where the lizard is sitting. He is a simple lizard with green scales and a black stripe pattern down his back. He is wearing a small dirk at his belt.

"Rsk! A trio of the finest ale from the bar!"

"We only have 10 coppers leftsss."

"Rsk! A trio of the cheapest ale from the bar!" The lizard picks himself up, rolling his eyes as he goes to do just that.

"Please! Sit! Sit! You must be tired after such a brilliant fight! No offense but you don't see too many of your folk who take to fighting like they do water..."

Lutea raises an eyebrow, bouncing her pouch of winnings in her paw with a grin. "No' real tired, nah." She replies, oblivious. What kind beasts to just sit her down and offer her a drink like this! "No offense? I take /great/ offense - otters'r known f'bein' warriors, mate, who screwed y'head on?" But she says it with a laugh, reaching out to land a "gentle" punch on the beast's shoulder.

Crossfang smiles as she winces, "Ow." Rsk returns with the surprisingly cheap drinks. "Yes, and foxes are supposed to be sly and cunning! But I try not to stereotype."

"Funny, I never thought you sly nor cu-OW!" Rsk rubs his shoulder from a very ungentle punch.

"Anyway. Enough beating around the bush. It's come to our attention recently that our little group of...adventurers...are in need of some muscle. Someone who likes to get paid and not ask a lot of questions over where it comes from."

"Or afraid of Jail time." Rsk says as he drinks from his mug.

Lutea blinks. At least /this/ lot is upfront about it. "No thanks!" She replies, bright and with a grin. "Thanks for th'drink, though. Where're you lot from?" It doesn't occur to her that this would be the /reason/ they bought her a drink; for her it's just some nice conversation among new friends! It's not hard to see how she's landed herself in so much trouble.

The creatures both pause in mid-sentence, taking this time to drink their wasted ale apparently. "Ok...even less beating around the bush. You help us with a little job and we pay you a month’s wages of whatever you, do for a living."

"assuming she survives a month to use it..." Crossfang shoots her lizard pal a look, "Not. Helping."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks f'th offer, though!" Lutea continues to grin, and downs the ale in one fell swoop. "Money ain't th'most important thing, you lot should take some time t'really appreciate where y'at - walk in th'forest, go fish-er, don' go fishin, actually." She sets the empty mug on the table as she pushes herself upright. "Pleasure sharin' a drink with y'kind souls. Hope t'see ya aroun'!" And with that, she just...leaves.

And thus leaving the vixen stretched across the table, "W-wait! No! Come back!" Crossfang slumps into her chair, arms crossed and growling.

"Well, that went well..."

The vixen only growls.