THE FIRST RULE ABOUT FIGHT CLUB IS THAT THIS ISN'T FIGHT CLUB

[saam]

WHO:Eshal and EVERYBODY, you're all invited. You don't have to have expressed interest oocly or icly before now to participate!
WHAT: The first inaugural Riftwatch underground boxing tournament... thing.
WHEN: Feel free to hit this up whenever, presumably it's taking place at various times over the month.
WHERE: The back room of the Boar & Bat pub.
NOTES: Violence! Gambling! Anything worse than that, I'll let you know.

The back room of the pub is no special beauty, but it's workable. A dirt floor, a bar with drinks and a bartender, and a circle drawn in the middle with chalk. Eshal is on the side, acting as referee for matches, and moving through the crowd in between bouts. She's convivial, crassly cheerful, and, at 6'2", impossible to miss.

But perhaps most notable is the sign stolen from the front, and pinned to the wall, in clear view of the crowd. Beneath it, someone has scrawled into the wall: LEAVE SOBER.

(credit to Beka for the wonderful sign!)

THE MATCHES

It's time to fight! The rules are simple, as outlined by Eshal and her booming voice at the beginning of every match:

No kicking. No punching below the belt. No hitting while they're down. Stop when the referee says so. First person who can't get back up after a five count loses.

She also introduces each participant to the crowd. She gives their name (or whatever name they gave her, if you want to go under a pseudonym), and a fact about them, perhaps ...a little made up. Nothing terrible, but always something to spice up the match. Are you fighting an elf? She may imply you have something against elves. Are you rich? She may imply your opponent has a grudge against Hightown. Little things.

(Feel free to godmod what she says as needed for comedy or plotting, but keep in mind it wouldn't be outright derogatory or obviously insulting. Just some slight implication to spice things up.)

THE BETTING

Are you a bookie? Are you making bets? Time to make some money.

Feel free to handwave who's fighting or who's the crowd favorite, what the odds are, etc. Don't get too bogged down in the details. Just remember: People love betting, and bookies get a cut. It pays to know the odds.

For those betting? Sometimes you win big. Sometimes you lose. Try and be polite about it.

THE SPECTATING

It's time to just sit back and watch the fight. Boo or cheer. Who's your favorite? Your least favorite?

Or maybe you're here for another reason. Gossip, making connections, pick-pocketing... Plenty of people here, plenty of connections to make... or you could just get drunk.

IN GENERAL

Hey, just have fun. In the future, there might be signups or more complex structures for the fights, but for now, let's just be chill and punch each other senseless.

Top level and comment around, fight whoever you want or handwave; there are presumably NPCs fighting and betting, make them up as needed for your threads. Please note if you're okay with threadjacking and etc.

Let me know if you need Eshal to step in as a referee (PM, whatever)! And note: She will not be fighting, just making herself very visible as the ref.

Comments

[justashotaway]

Her brows draw together. The possibility of betting had not occurred to her--for that, she might've brought a bit of gold. "No. I did not bring money."

[saam]

Eshal shrugs. Poor fucking kid. She takes some coins out of her pocket and slides them over. "There. You gotta have fun with it. No point otherwise."

[justashotaway]

Laura looks down at them, tempted--and aware of the fact that they will weigh heavy on her thoughts if she takes them. The responsibility to win Eshal's money back for her, not to mention the debt she will owe, is not one she has any desire to carry.

After a moment, she pushes the coins back toward Eshal.

[saam]

Eshal can understand that. She thinks so, at least. She understands money about as well as one can in her situation, and she knows a lot of pride and worth are tied up in it, for some people.

She shrugs.

"Well. I'm betting on you, Sharp." She takes the money back. "Can't not, with that look of yours."

[justashotaway]

"Sharp," she repeats, rolling her eyes. This is a much better thing to talk about than the coins Eshal pockets. "Not my name."

[saam]

"I like nicknames," Eshal shrugs. Under the Qun... she doesn't want to think about the Qun right now. "If you don't, I won't."

[justashotaway]

Laura considers it, genuinely. She is not sure she cares to be reduced to her claws--but other things are sharp as well. Teeth, and voices, and...

"Call me what you want," she decides, shrugging. Sharp is not the worst thing she has been called.