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

c.

[sulahnan]

At the moment that she's about to answer, the crowd roars, making it practically a necessity (don't argue) for Athessa to lean closer just to be heard. Luckily, from her perch on the bar itself, the height difference isn't an issue.

"Rather see you in action." Purposefully vague. Yes, she'd rather see Eshal in the right, beating the snot out of whoever goes against her, but action covers all manner of sin.

[saam]

Back to this game, then? Eshal's grin is easy, even in the dingy half-light. "Don't for sport. But I do like special requests."

[sulahnan]

It's always this game with Athessa. In part because it's fun, and because it gives the other person an easy out, but also because it saves her having to deal with outright rejection. Hey, wanna fuck? can be answered with No and sometimes, that's enough to hurt for a week. Not the good kind of hurt, either.

"There isn't a form to fill out for a special request, is there? My handwriting is awful."

[saam]

"No, never." She can't read Trade, anyway. But she can do this... "I heard you lot all went to some kind of fancy party. I didn't. Makes my skin itch. But from what I heard..."

She leans in.

"Think I owe you this."

And then, a kiss, slow and steady and tasting of cheap alcohol.

[sulahnan]

Cheap alcohol always tastes better with a kiss as its vessel, and it's always better than the bitter tang of wine. Athessa smiles into the kiss and hooks an arm around Eshal's neck to pull her closer--which doesn't really work at all. It actually works just the opposite, Athessa pulling herself closer to the larger woman, damn well near falling off of the bar because she was already perched right on the edge.

[saam]

Eshal laughs into the kiss, catching Athessa and folding her onto Eshal's lap to resume the kiss. "Better?" she purrs.

[sulahnan]

"Much better," she agrees, cupping Eshal's face in her hands. Athessa isn't one to half-ass kissing, and in her opinion, kissing involves more than just the mouth. It involves two bodies pressing together, hands roaming to become familiar with foreign musculature or tangling into hair, gripping tightly wherever they land because there's no such thing as close enough. And, of course, it involves teeth tugging at that bottom lip.

Kissing ain't kissing unless it's making out.

[saam]

Eshal is happy to oblige. Her kiss deepens, and she lets out a sign of appreciation. It's been too fucking long, especially for this type of girl. The cute ones, with wandering hands and big eyes. Eshal drinks her in, the warm softness of her back, her hair, her neck, her mouth.

[sulahnan]

It's right about the time that Athessa slips her hand down the back of Eshal's shirt that they're interrupted by a man jogging over from the ring. "Next match is comin' up, boss."

Boss. Athessa can't help but laugh as she breaks the kiss. How quickly Eshal is moving up the ranks.

"Looks like you're needed," she says, glancing down with exaggerated wistfulness at Eshal's mouth. "To be continued?"

[saam]

Eshal kisses once, quick and firm, to make an impression. She's good at that. Nobody's just part of something bigger if they can be memorable enough.

Then she lets off, moving away so Athessa can get on with things. "To be fuckin' continued."