Closed The Beautiful Hustle

[Shai]

Timestamp: 47th of Winter

The smell of urine and vomit were slowly being swept away beneath the white blanket of snow. Sunberth looked almost peaceful from a distance, but once you were among the streets the facade broke down. Shai had convinced Bitzer to run a racket with her, at the blood pits.

She’d taken precautions and was actually only carrying around twenty gold-rimmed chips in her pouch. It was mostly for later in the plan, Bitzer wouldn’t lose her fight. Instead the Spider, fully armed and armored beneath her fur-lined cloak, leaned back against a crumbled timber. A blank book out in her hands, as she took bets. Odd against ‘Skyler’ were plenty poor, new the arena and unknown. Shai didn’t even have to try very hard to get people to bet against her fighter.

They had planned it out, Bitzer would bumble around in the first bout; winning by a hair. That would only add to the odds against her in the second round. In the second round, Shai would place her bet with another bookie and put every scrap of money anyone bet with her, with the other fellow. It would be a quick run as soon as the winnings were collected, then meet Bitzer back in the Quay for accounting.

The spider tapped her black boots against the earth, shouting out. “Odds three to one, the new kid loses! Taking bets for two more chimes.” Another take came up and she wrote him down in the book. With a throwing knife she sliced a leaf off next to his name, all it said was 3:1, 2 gold, BP-18. All of this information was also written on her half within her book, but she gave him the cut out ticket. “Keep that, if you lose it, you don’t get your money back.” The young man took his ticket and wondered off.

Shai accepted a number more bets, placing all of their coin in a separate pouch, before the fight was ready to begin. The spider kicked off her post and waded through the crowd. Ducking beneath arms and twisting around grimy bodies, Shai got herself a front row seat. Chell were you keeping track of faces?

That you took money from? Not in particulur but I still know them. None are around us right now. The Irylid replied telepathically. He hung on his customary chain around Shai’s neck; only just peeking out from the tightly held cloak. The winter had not been kind, but for the frigid darksider it was by far the most comfortable season.


Shai leaned forward. Time to see Bitzer do some damage.

[Fallon]

Fallon's nostrils flared, taking in the scents and keening it within her mind. For a moment there was a stillness, the thinnest plume of white escaping from between her lips as she sought control within her senses. For a moment there was nothing, her fingers laced behind her back, her eyes having come into a narrow. Her ears twitched, hearing the patters of footfalls, the humming cord of voices above it all - the distinctive and more clear as she let herself fall into focus. Calm the core, steel the mind and flow like water, the mindset of a fighter and a duellist. Whilst she had fought within ring fighting before, this case was for different and less personal reasons. Coin.

But this time under a different identity, a supposed made up name of Skyler - apt and close to her own a little too much. Still, there was no use arguing with it. Her job was set and she was to put upon a show under this new name and identity, which meant annoyingly she had to forego some of her usual garb and adopt a leather mask. Hide the features, hide the identity. The rough coat was around her, seriously frayed but working enough to cover her armour. The Tulwars were upon her waist, the kukri strapped to her thigh and kept largely out of sight beneath the folds. It was down towards the ring that she lurked, looking through the gate inwards from behind leather and across.

She knew the plan, repeating it in her mind. Act badly, be rough and sloppy, up the stakes to gain a larger cash back. It was logical, but it was a dangerous game never the less. The Bloodpits were filled with those who knew how to fight, so achieving the right balance was vital. Her fists curled, knuckles bumping together as she drew back, straightened and clicked. Clumsy and inexperienced, her mind flickered back to when she was a squire, then brought forth the unpractised mindset. Her fingers pulled back, gently tapping upon the hilt of the tulwars - tentative before she stepped forth. The fight was about to start after all.

Let in through the gate, it was the light that struck her first, the fraction of silence as the nervous other came out the opposite gate. Tougher, stronger, weapon already drawn and looking mean. Fallon blinked, the voices fluttering past her ears into nothing by noise - she did not hear what was said truly anymore. Her hand juddered out the blade, letting it obviously tremble as it came out with a clatter and then nervously point at the other. A spit, that mean look of a bully onto his victim before he came at her with his own blade.

A thrust, that skewering tip of a sabre - no, rougher, stubbier, filled with knocks however. She did not have time to truly register more than it being a sword. She had to hold things until the last minute, keeping the eyes wide within their sockets. With a jerk she brought the right tulwar between her and it and let it scrape loudly across the edges. Staggering away she did not waste time reverting back into that nervous outline of a squire - wet behind the ears and just getting used to the ways of combat. Waggling it at him she let the aura consume her, and in return it was gladly taken into the observation of the other. Over eager, his swings grew rougher and stronger, violence becoming the forte as he made his advance - she would allow herself to become his combative plaything. The rest of her backed away, taking up the defence, leaning and playing badly where she could afford to. Ducking as the blade swept towards her head, she scuttled off and away, swaying to and fro as she tightly grasped the pommel with her free hand. Just a while longer, she just needed to bring it towards a climax. And hopefully a good one.

[Shai]

The fights were beginning. Shai didn’t need to watch, she had no doubt Bitzer would slay whatever malnourished slave they tossed against a few time combatant. Old habits died hard though, and so her eyes were watching for style and weaknesses even if she never wished to fight the Scar leader.

Shai, we have an observer Chell toned through her mind.

The Thief focused on her peripheral vision for figures that moved against the undulating crowd. A short one, stood too still against the crowd.

A little hand slipped past Shai’s side. A young pair of cerulean eyes blinked up at her. The symenestra struck quick grabbing the boy’s wrist off her money pouch before he could abscond with it. They stared at each other a heartbeat too long. He had found a monster on accident and she the worst pickpocket she’d ever encountered.

The ragamuffin pulled against her grip, but he was weak and underfed and Shai was apply to pull him in closer and spin him against a rock. “This is a bad place for this kind of thing boy.” The Symenestra watch him squirm speculatively. He had dusty blonde hair and was pressing in every direction against the rock that give him another hair of distance between them. It mostly surprised the woman he hadn’t yet screamed, although to what end? Bloodsport battle took place as entertainment here, screams not form the fights were from the rambunctious crowd. They were as crowded as one could be, but still far too alone to find assistance.

“Le’go of me, Monster!” he squawked.

Shai’s brow furrowed though her grip lessened not at all. “It is rude to ignore someone, child.”

“I’m not a child, Monster!” Was the most biting reply his adolescent ego could conjure.


“And I am not a Monster. Come…” She said it like an invitation but it was through force of limb, she twisted the boys arm until his back was to her. There she moved her grip to the back of his head and pressed against the tender points in his neck. “Watch.” For a few chimes the boy stood enthralled by the clashing steel and bloody cries. Shai interrupted. “Any of the others here would have thrown you into the pit when they caught you. It would even make them money to have more tender fodder for their sport.”

“I wouldn’t’ve gotten caught lady, you’re just a monster that’s how you caught me.”

“Oh Boy, you would have been caught. It takes no monster to snatch up a bad thief.” Shai replied quietly. His fate was averted only by her inability to harm children. She couldn’t slay that potential, it broke a piece of her every time danger forced her hand. There were ways to avoid bloodshed. Still just letting him go gave her a queasy feeling as well. No doubt the child would just try again and find his end amongst the crowd. Letting him go would kill him as surely as her own claws at his flesh.

[Fallon]

The crowd gave its cries of amusement and the loud whooping as she allowed herself to fall into the defensive. There was no rush, it was merely a novice struggle against a stronger and better opponent. Least, that was in the ring - she had no doubt that in the streets they would have been dealt with the moment they came at her. Taking a step back, she forced the blade between them, catching the blows that came at her and - jerkily - pushing them away. She did not want to risk receiving actual damage, knowing far too well the potential dangers that could come with it. All it would need would be one misstep, one tick of time to make the difference between a graze and something much more serious.

Rocking up onto her toes she gave another step away, faster, more avoiding as the annoyance in the other slowly begun to bubble and boil. She could see the pulling of lips, the angered creasing of the brow as he stared, swinging and thrusting his own sword at her. Faster, less thought, more pressing. She could almost see him already pulling back to make some stupid mistake. The wrist gave a twist, feeling the disc pommel tap against her bracer before she brought it slashing round and forwards when the opportunity came. She heard the man curse, first blood enough to send him reacting - a knee jerk of swears and aggression.

He retaliated, red with anger the hot breath creeping out from between his teeth as he snapped. Charging he came at her, arm coiling back and the broad hack downwards. Feet lifted, that sharp lean back that turned into a step, the jolt to the side and around as the opponent gathered himself the best he could. He came at her again, shoulder leading as he barged into her, sending her sprawling backwards into the dirt. She winced, slamming to the earth as any balance she did have was lost to her and the defensive was purely taken up. Peering through the mask she caught the look of the blade coming at her, the flicker of alarm as she lost her grip and focused only upon survival. She rolled, scrabbling up to her feet unarmed, her eyes darting back to the lost tulwar - just as he stepped over it.

She grimaced, raising her hands up before her, curling inwards into fists as she moved. Cautious, careful, watching and staring deeply into those eyes as she looked for a glimmer of insight for where he would strike. She swayed, fingers wriggling as she tried to weigh herself up, deciding on what the next possible move should be. That cruel grin, that glint causing only her skin to prickle, the mind beginning to creep up into that loud blaring warning to the obvious danger.

Adrenal begun to spike, the jaw setting as she stepped away once more from the wavering sword tip. Faster, she had to go faster and reclaim her blade, swiftness, cunning and grasping the opening. Her form dropped when the sword came once more, one foot forward into the range the left arm coiling back into a punch as she sprung. A flail of a strike, it was enough to cause a flinch, that fraction of relapse in working out her plan. She shot on past him, left swatting and pushing away as her next target came to her sight - the tulwar itself. The right hand reached to it, stooping and forcing the body to contort round as the opponent gained his bearings. Steel sung, grinding between the blades as she forced the tulwar up and between to block. It juddered, slipping down across her shoulder and slicing into it, the hissing grunt of pain before she forced it away with the firmer, harder bash of her own.

Wrenching herself away she pushed herself up once more, chest rising and falling, the quickened breathing notable upon her consciousness. Her shoulder throbbed, tensing and restricting within her layering. Fingers gave a flex around the hilt, the tip waving to and fro, the sounds of the observers drowning out into a muted noise. Breaths stifled behind the mask, the sticking of leather to her skin as she peered through the gaps - restrictive but not enough to hinder, least just yet. Regardless, there was the knowledge she needed to finish this round pressing louder than before.

She let him come at her, grip tightening around the hilt, her form twisting so it was side on and the blunted curve ran against her. Pommel high, she gave a barge into him - fighting back for once within this fight. A recoil, she pulled back again, the broad slash coming at her once more as she recoiled. Eyes burned, the leap back in closer and firmer. Slashing, that was his weakness, a repeating motion that was growing easier to read by the chime. She gave a step back onto her heels, tulwar pulling back and the step forward once more, her free arm knocked his to one side the swift opening hers to take. It shot out and forward, no holding back as the tip met flesh. There was no more after that. Just the surprised gurgle, the slugging weight as she pulled away.

Fallon did not hear the crowds, but she did feel the sting of pain and discomfort. Wincing, she returned to the gates, the green-blue orbs scanning the crowd of watching faces, searching almost for the glimmer of her associate for this task, before she returned back through the gates of the ring. She gave a spit, fingers massaging the rent in her armour, "Petching Hai."

[Shai]

Shai nodded as the bout finished, meeting Bitzer’s eyes however briefly before turning away. It wouldn’t do for people to see them in communication. “Boy, in the ring are the monsters. When you see monsters in foreigners you make more enemies than you could ever hope to defeat.”

“Sure lady, if you say so.” He replied.

The spider grimaced before pitching him back into the buzzing crowd. “You will either learn or you will die. Either way you are not my problem.” She announced and began handle the bets again. Though she had thrown him away the boy never strayed far, he always seemed to stay in eyesight of the Symenestra. Shai could only imagine he was setting her up for something, but the risk had to be managed. If she ran out of this con now Bitzer would be abandoned, but more than that nothing tangible had threatened her yet. No heist was devoid of risk.

Tracing the notations in her ledger, shai noted three individuals had bet on the new comer ‘Skyler’. Adding up the sums, 15 gold-rimmed chips she mentally noted to put that sum aside in case they came to collect in this first round.

The next fight was announced, it was Skyler again. Shai spun on her heels back towards the arena, it was too quick. Usually the fighters were spaced out so they weren’t consecutively fighting. Her lips formed the words ‘Somethings Wrong’ though she never gave the thought breath. If push came to shove the thief could ditch the scene but she had to make sure Bitzer had an escape route too. So the game had to continue.

The man they had pitted against Bitzer this was time was a giant. He must have been seven feet tall to Shai’s five. He was tanned and scarred horrifically, mostly he was nothing but a slave but Shai couldn’t help feel uneasy looking at him. The odds were going to climb, rapidly. Shai set out the odds ,” Five to one against Skyler. New kid taking on a giant? Not this century!” Scribbling out the bets as before and providing the written slips, Shai began to fill her coin pouch.

Only one of the betters who had believed in Bitzer last ran came for his winnings, Shai paid out the seven gold-rimmed chips and deducted it from the total. She always collected the stub she had given him, so no one could try to counterfeit and recollect.

Originally the thief had intended to invest their take with another booky, but the house was winning. Was it even worth it at this point to double up on the con? What if the other guy failed to pay out? Then they would be out their original take and with no profit. There was acceptable risk and then there was risk management. Shai deviated from the agreed upon plan but hopefully Bitzer would understand. Turning this con into a crooked booky hunt would only make them more visible to whatever elements had already identified them.

Out of the corner of her eye the widow spotted the boy, still lurking. Something would need to be done in that regard on the way out of the pits. The urchin boy had already seen too much, and he’d need to convince both women he was just being curious.

[Fallon]

Fingers loosened the buckles the grunts escaping as she wiggled her hand beneath the leathers to the rent, gently pinching and feeling the tear through the fabric. There was the small lift of the fabric, a peer to the slashed flesh below. Cursing she gave a tug upon her sleeve, feeling the threads give as she pulled that bit harder. It gave both hands looking to work torn fabric into a temporary bandage. Lifting the mask, she took a better grip upon the fabric, making quick and light work where she could, ripping it into the strips. There was a grunt as she slid it under the armour and fabric, fingers pressing it down whilst the other shook the other lengths out. It was carefully she pulled back and wrapped the material across her shoulder. It would have to do for now, she reasoned as she haphazardly pulled and knotted the fabric. From there she pulled the leather back round, slick fingers pulling at the buckles as she adjusted it back into place. She needed to replace the armour really, she reasoned as she looked at the previous attempted repairs - it no longer held the strength it once did. Buckles tightened, the testing flex as she waited for the next call of names.

Which came disturbingly quicker than expected. Tugging the mask down she turned her gaze upwards to the watching eyes upon the arena, a rising press up as she tapped her blades once more. Checking and ensuring they were there and in place. She heard the shout from the gate, "Skyler, get in there. Your round."
"Bit early?"
"Fights got reshuffled. Now get going." She felt the forcing shove, pushing her onwards with her weapons and restraining shoulder. Flesh pinched, the groan being masked by the hooting shouts and cries of the on lookers. Her hand rested upon the hilt, beginning the process of drawing out the thoughts. It was too soon, she tilted her head to look up at the crowd. It was far from right, too soon, too early and the tell tale signs that something was coming sprung to the forefront of her mind. Her mind went to the original plan, lips coming down into a purse as she released a hiss. No, she realised as she watched the lumbering giant of a man come out to face her.

Fallon's blood turned cold, the arm halting mid-draw as she watched the man come forward. Her head craned up, eyes blinking dumbly at the sheer height of him alone - a giant among men. Her throat constricted, shoulders dipping and rolling as she stepped, drawing the rest of the way. Her left tugged upon the other tulwar, feet taking her round to circle the giant, the spiked bat tight within his grasp. Part of her was left wondering how he managed to maintain such fitness in Sunberth, most here were malnourished and scrawny. The fact that he had some weight on him alone with his height made some suggestions in her mind. Her stomach lurched has his gaze fell upon her, something dark resting behind it and beyond the usual wanted blood the previous fighter wanted. Both blades held before her now, she decided to bring the fight to him. Her skin prickled and shuddered, the previous idea of appearing as a novice being discarded - this did not feel right, and she was not about to wait around to receive damage or worse.

Charging, she took a broad, fast stride. The right was brought arching back - preparing for a hack - the left being the main side of focus this time round. Pressing onto the toes she twisted and pivoted, muscles straining as she brought it swinging round. She watched him step back in response, knowing his size and weight. Another step back was taken as the hack came downwards, the bat being grasped as he brought it reeling back.

Fallon was taken off her feet in one swing. Straight into the side, the bludgeon striking round and sending her stumbling. Air was ripped from her lungs, the burning cracking sensation crawling its way up through her. Her form bent double, arms trembling as she felt the waking pain scorch and flare through, her vision watering as it rested there. She wheezed, finding her footing, lips trembling as she tried to suck in much need air. She spat, fingers curling as she staggered, vision dancing as the brute eyed her up and down, the rumblings of laughter coming from his throat. She stepped, slower this time, hunched in as pain maintained a steady level of throbbing, her feet patting and trying to find security. So a straight on charge was not the answer in this case. Speed, fitness and cunning verses force and strength. Fallon gave a spit, wrists turning and rotating as the pair circled, eyes flickering and looking for that gap. The tendons, the joints, lock it up for movement. And that required speed. She gritted her teeth, forcing the adrenal to rise one more time before she stepped and forced herself into the fight. Blades back and ready to lunge forward with them.

[Royal]

 

Shai

If you return to Mizahar, please PM me and I’ll upload your grade.

 

Fallon

Skills
Acting +2
Disguise +1
Planning +1
Logic +3
Weapon: Tulwar +3
Tactics +2
Endurance +3
Acrobatics +1
Bodybuilding +1
Medicine +1
Dual wield +1

Lores
The beautiful hustle
Acting: The birth of ‘Skyler’
‘Skyler’: Fighter in the Pits
Acting: portraying false nervousness
Tactics: Searching for an opponent’s next move
Tactics: Bringing the fight to the opponent


Other
Various bruises and cuts from the fight: will heal in 4 days

Questions? Comments? Please don't hesitate to PM me!