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From the Pinnacle to the Pit; [Private: Iris]
Topic Started: Sun Jul 30, 2017 10:32 pm (308 Views)
Vaska
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A little winter storm never stopped Balefire from moving along. Even when the blowing snow made it tough to see past her own carriage-horse, Vaska still spotted the occasional person carrying their groceries or cleaning their storefronts. She'd left the weighty Sykora Family Registry inside her empty carriage as a way to protect it from the elements, but the half-vampire herself sat on the driver's bench and squinted through the ice on her eyelashes.

The further she drove from the center of town, the more resourceful the architecture became. Citizens were also more obviously armed. Vaska made eye contact with a minotaur who wore two greatswords crossed at his back. She smiled politely at him and touched the brim of her high-topped hat out of reflex. As soon as his back was turned, Vaska glared at those ridiculous weapons. While he's fumbling to unsheathe them, he'll be killed. Or his charge will be.

Similar idiots were massed at the entrance to a large patchwork building shooting lantern-light into the sky. Something was holding up the line to get in through the double-doors at the front. Vaska parked her carriage along the side of the road and tied the horse to a lamppost. There was no one to let out of the carriage itself, so she simply jumped down from the driver's bench and switched out her driving gloves for a white pair. Once she was at street level the half-vampire reached into the folds of her fur-lined greatcoat and withdrew a gold-rimmed monocle on a chain. She inserted it into the space in front of her eye and proceeded toward the building.

The holdup was a person at the front of the line arguing with the worker at the ticket booth about prices. Vaska listened in as she cut to the front, withdrawing her billfold. She tossed the disgruntled customer money even as she muscled into his spot. "Pardon my impropriety, but I need to get inside right now. One ticket, please."

"Pfft, who cares about lines when you're rich?" the worker deadpanned, taking Vaska's neatly pressed notes and exchanging it for a ticket.

"Lack of money is merely an excuse for other shortcomings," the half-vampire shot back as she stowed her things and received the little admission slip. "The reason why this area is poor is the same reason why no one thought to cut in line."

Naturally, the line went to chaos as soon as cutting it worked. Vaska was already inside before she could have faced the consequences of her comments, though.

Vaska took off her hat and dusted the snow off her coat once she was inside. She walked down the incline and into the main room of the gambling den. The main feature, which was attracting the largest crowd at this hour, was the pit. A few dogfights and cockfights were going on in the periphery, but their popularity paled in comparison to the more humanoid bloodsports.

This, according to the event program, was where Vaska would find her target -- and remove her from this ill-suiting place. She could already imagine the kind of praise the spirits of the Sykora family would give her once their servant brought back the first surviving member.
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Iris
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Minotaurs did not smell good. Ungofin, an eight foot tall slab of beef, smelled mostly alright. He was preened, shined and smelled vaguely of lilac. A huge meaty fist fell on her shoulder. "Don't worry, young one! This is a wonderful place." He stepped out from the hidden fighter 'bunker' beneath the ring and approached his foe, a large human male wielding a mace and sporting a shield. Ungofin flexed for the crowd while the fightmaster counted down. A split second after the fightmaster's hand dropped, Ungofin surged forwards in a mass of brown fur. The human was a wreck on the ground a moment later.

Iris flinched. Bloodlust met reality. The dirt was churned, freshened as an unconscious man was drawn away. Iris rose from her seat and checked her weapons, her shield and her simple traveling garments. Ungofin stepped back inside and flexed. "I do enjoy a good first blood fight. Fight, young one." Iris nodded and climbed into the ring. Her neon blue hair was caught up in a quick ponytail. Her clothing was so mundane, a patterned felt-like button up tunic and dark brown trousers, that if it wasn't for her cat ears or exotic bone-hafted axes she'd probably be mistaken for a delusional farmgirl. Across from her was a delusional farmboy, holding a two-handed blade he obviously held in high regard.

The fightmaster's hand dropped. Iris barely noticed beyond the farmboy charging her. She sidestepped and raised both axes, catching the falling blade between the hafts. She pushed forward, forcing the blade towards the ceiling. She stomped on his foot while wrenching the blades to the side, using the beards as leverage against the blade. Iris slammed her forehead into his, sending the boy sprawling to the ground. She kicked his weapon aside then quickly leveled an ax at his neck. The boy signaled that he forfeit. The world returned, a morass of color outside of the darkened, brown pit. Shouting as well. Iris looked up to the crowd, raised a single ax horizontally above her head, and let the adoration fall on her in waves. She ran partway up the wall, grabbed the edge with her hands and pulled herself into the adoring crowd.

The night became a blur of alcohol and maidens on her shoulders, moving from room to room in the private sections, but she was glad that she had pre-set where her fight money and cut of the bets on her went. Most went to the bank. Only a little went to the arena, part for room and board, part for the joys of whiskey. On her third bottle of the best in the house she was cut off by the man running the tavern, whose name she couldn't hope to recall in her stupor. The maidens disappeared to other sources of free alcohol, leaving Iris alone. She looked down at her hands, a blush spreading across her face. "This is the goddamn life." She whispered. Then she caught the sight of a woman just her size, with black hair and a suit fitted just so. Iris approached with a half-drunken half-grin, and a little wave. "You look a little lost. Want me to show you around? I just won a fight. I'm something of a champion, you know."
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Vaska
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Since the event staff had been rather unhelpful, Vaska helped herself to the holding areas for the fighters. As she was moving down the corridor, a drunkard with bright blue hair hailed her and offered to show her around. Vaska narrowed her pink eyes, not letting her face betray the full extent of her... suspicions. Judging by the alcohol on her breath and the look in her eyes, this one wasn't just here to help. The vampire bowed shallowly from the waist, pressing the brim of her high-topped hat to her chest. Her fur-lined mantle draped in front of her from the motion. "Good evening, 'champion.' My name is Vaska Lakatos Sykorasek. I'm looking for a fighter by the name of Serah Sykora. The matter is urgent."

Iris looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I don't know her. Let's go ask the minotaur, he knows everyone here."

"You're too kind, miss..." Vaska said, trailing off in search of a name.

"Iris." She nodded proudly. "Do you...like kitty ears?"

Vaska shot Iris a sidelong look, then returned her gaze forward. "An odd question. I suppose I have to. My masters are feline demons."

"Oh! Right, the suit. Are you a butler or something, Vaska?"

"I serve the House Sykora. In return, they shelter me and provide me blood to drink."

Iris shrunk a little bit. "A...vampire then?"

Vaska flashed a grin at Iris, showing off her two pairs of elongated canine teeth. "Don't worry, miss. I'm samotaric."

"Does that have anything to do with good samaritan...ic?"

Has this one gotten hit in the head a few too many times? "Err... no, miss. It means I'm not undead. If I ever was rude enough to bite you, you wouldn't change into a vampire or ghoul yourself."

"So like a vampire but you bleed and [removed]. Neat."

Vaska pinched the bridge of her nose and then resettled the monocle over her eye, letting out a long exhale. "Is the minotaur close?"
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Leyanni[Adm]
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Iris nodded and drew Vaska towards the front line of the pit. Wine splattered across the lower stands as a wealthy bettor went into a rage, dumping half a table's worth of glasses into the air. Iris scratched her head after one plunked against the back of her head. She stumbled up to the wall around the edge of the ring and then rapped down at the top of the left-side fighter's bunker. "Ungolfin! I've got a lady who wants to speak to you!" Ungolfin's massive head poked out and then turned upwards. A meaty fist rose up to ring level, held out as though he wanted to shake hands.

"A pleasure, madame. What do you need of this humble fighter?

Vaska was busy dabbing wine off of her suit with a handkerchief, but extended a tiny gloved hand to shake the minotaur's. "The pleasure is all mine, Master... Ungolfin, was it? My name is Vaska Lakatos Sykorasek. I'm searching for a young woman by the name of Serah Sykora. A feline demon, humanoid. Have you seen anyone of that description around here?"

"I don't know any Sykoras. But a demon? Well, many here fight like demons but that is half the fun!" Ungolfin scratched his chin. The two fighters slammed into the wall near his head. "Perhaps...height would be more useful. Very easy to cover ears like miss Iris's and your own, just wear a nice hat!"

The vampire's eyes widened and she seemed to almost recoil. She leaned back from the handshake and adjusted her monocle. "I'll have you know that I do not, in fact, have ears quite like miss Iris' here, sir. Serah Sykora was of average height for a demon of her particular species. Five foot and nine."

"Five foot nine? I can think of quite a lot of people around that height! Most humaniforms are all quite small. Why, Iris is about that tall isn't she?" Ungolfin replied. He looked mildly pleased with himself. Iris was taking a moment to examine her ears with her fingertips. "Any other questions?"

Vaska sighed. "Right. Thank you for the tremendous help you've been." She ran her fingers through her hair. "My last question is actually a request. May I please have permission to walk about the back end of the pit freely? I'd like to search for her among those going to and from their... holding areas or what have you."

"You need to fight or work here as a waitress. Those are the simplest ways of getting into the staging area." Ungolfin looked over to Iris. "What do you think, one who didn't actually spill blood in her first blood fight?" Iris paused.

"Uh. She'd be a reaaaally good waitress. Really good!" The young lady made an hourglass motion in the air with her hands.

"I'll gladly perform whatever petty tasks you need. I'll also put up with sexual harassment from the fighters and spectators, I suppose," the vampire deadpanned, looking at Iris sidelong.

Ungolfin stared blankly. "I need a back groomer but I think you want to talk to the manager of this establishment, not myself. I just fight here!" Iris's eyes bolted open wide and she dragged Vaska back across the stage, to the top, and got her a job. It only took a few pointed finger thrusts before they were heading to the staging area, Iris ogling the tiny little waitress outfit as she went.

"This reminds me of one of them Istani one garment swimsuits. I always wanted to try a beach day but the alpine lakes are really cold!" They entered the backstage. It reeked of blood, sweat and alcohol, much the same as Iris. "So you are looking for a feline demon girl? Why?"

Vaska kept her eyes forward, face cemented into an annoyed frown. "I need to bring her home. Her relatives are... worried sick, you might say." She paused. "You've been oddly helpful. Don't you have other matters to attend to besides following me around? Are you expecting some form of payment? I'm afraid I can't provide."

"I'm not doin' much and you are super pretty." Iris nodded. "Payment? Uh...uh..." She blushed, blazing red. "I mean...uh. I wasn't lookin' for any..."

Vaska parked in a high-traffic area, carefully watching the faces come and go. She folded her arms in front of her. "What are you doing in a place like this, anyway? There has to be a better way to earn your bread."

"I really like to fight. It...it feels right. Like its what I should be doing. If I don't fight, I start losing my grip on myself. Bad things." Iris handed Vaska the waitress outfit. "You should get me another drink."

Vaska made a thinking sound and looked Iris in the eye for a second or two. Then she took the waitress outfit, backed away, and left. "At once, miss."

She returned with one less waitress outfit and a drink in her hand, which she offered to Iris with a shallow bow. "No feline demons since I left, I take it."

"No!" The drink which turned out to be some sort of rum, disappeared down Iris's throat in about thirty seconds. "I'd notice another kitty. Say, if you aren't going to waitress are you going to fight? If you are looking for this lady here...wouldn't she be dressed like a fancy kitty, like you?"

color=#6b8e23]"I am not a 'fancy kitty,'"[/color] Vaska blurted out. "You're right in suggesting my plan to monitor the area is garbage. She would be doing everything she can to avoid me and maintain some sort of disguise. I suppose my only option is to join the fighting and hope I recognize her up close."

"Oo, fighting. I recommend it! I don't know how easy it would be to fight in fancy get up like that. Well, I mean, someone like you would get all uh...wobbly!" Iris flailed wildly. "They've got some arena raiments around. Blue and yellow only though."

"Wobbling is for people who have no class," the vampire said, dead serious. "Any actual tips? I've never fought in a structured setting like this before."

"We could do a team fight. It'd let you learn the ropes, and I'd get my second fight in! Uh, tips though. Well, you don't want to kill anyone. People don't like matching up against killers. So you hit them again and again until they give in but you don't actually beat them into mush. Ungolfin rarely even really hurts people, usually just knocks em' out. I...I picked this arena because it was a bit safer than some of the uglier, nastier pits but the payouts are worse or so I've heard." Iris tapped her axes. "Will you need a weapon? I've got a spare ax."

"I see. This 'team fight' sounds like a good idea." Vaska cracked her knuckles. "I need no weapons. Thank you, though." Bowing slightly, the vampire extended an arm outward to gesture for Iris to take the lead. "After you, miss."

"You won't mind getting blood on that, right? I've got like a dozen other shirts just like this one, so I don't mind getting blood on mine but that's like, a suit. A suit that's tailored. Really tailored! Would you like one of my shirts?" Iris asked.

"Please stop offering me clothing. I've been trained well with what I have."

Iris was already halfway through the process of signing up for the fight properly with a pleasant young secretary. Vaska became Hasta and her own name was near illegible as her hand slid about on the paper. "Uh, I think we'll be going up against Mister Britt and the Amazing Sykic. Sorry about the clothing but I was thinking you could just wear it over your suit?"

"That would be silly. I'm fabulous enough as it is," Vaska remarked in a dull tone. She quirked an eyebrow. "Sykic? Like with an S?" She made a disgusted scoff.

"Uh, yea, with an S." Iris dragged Vaska into the waiting room, which was now empty other than the lingering, floral scent of Ungolfin's fur oil. "So, uh, first The Redeemer and Count Bashem have to fight then they have to clear the sand, then we can go. I'm really excited." The hasenka was quivering. "This is good. Back at the orphanage I didn't get much fighting in, then they let me learn some dwarven martial arts which was fun but it was hard to hold back. And there was so much waiting and discipline. Here? Just fights."

The vampire looked Iris up and down. "You aren't one of those sick people who gets off when you're hurting people, right?"

"No! If...If I'm not getting my adrenaline up enough, I start losing my grip on reality. Everything gets weird. It got worse after I turned fifteen. I...I know I need to do it. I don't know what will happen if I don't, and I tried to ask my mom - but she doesn't remember my father or even how old I am." Iris leaned closer to Vaska. "I'm not dangerous."

"Well, I guess I'm not one to judge. We all have things we need."

"I need to get la-" Iris's last threads of sobriety stopped her from finishing the statement. She blushed. "Uh, so, what...are you after Vaska?"

"This task. Restoring the House Sykora is my life now. There is nothing beyond it, besides the blood I need to keep going."

"So you...are a vampire beneath a demon house? I didn't think a vamp would serve anyone but someone scarier than them!"

Vaska leaned back in her seat, looking at the ceiling. "They are scarier than us. Samotaric vampires are nothing but parasites. Without protection, we're easily snapped up by werewolves or senka or other predators. We're not the vampires that loom ominously in the shadows -- we just skulk around, trying to survive, maybe lapping up a quick meal while nobody's looking. Pathetic."

"That's mighty defeatist. I'm a hasenka and I haven't snapped you up yet!" Iris replied. "Are you seriously a parasite? Like a...worm? Or was that a figure of speech? I'm not much of a vampire expert, I'm better with telling my deer from my elk."

"We suck other people's blood in order to live. Sounds like parasitism to me." Vaska took off her monocle and rubbed her eyes. "I hope there's a blood merchant nearby once all of this is over, to be honest with you."

"How much do you need to drink? Are you going to feel low before the fight?" Iris asked.

She gave a dismissive handwave. "I'm fine."

"Oh, good." Count Bashem put Redeemer into the ground and then got to work with his hammer. It only took a few blows before Redeemer gave in. Crews stepped out and quickly refreshed the sand. "Only a bit longer. Heh. Mister Britt and the Amazing Sykic. I wish I knew something, but Ungolfin is out for the night. I think." She peered out and her eyes wandered the stands and quickly spotted Ungolfin in a form-fitting suit with a pair of human men sitting on his lap. "Oh. No, he's indisposed. I am so jealous! How much does a suit cost?"

"More than you can afford," Vaska said. "Let's go, miss Iris."

Iris's ears drooped. "Oh." She rose and stepped into the arena. Her ears had already perked up again. Mister Britt had a properly Cascadian outfit on, looking something like one of their Merchant-Guard that stood outside of their capitol building. He wielded a sabre with a free hand. Iris drew her axes from her hip and gave them a quick spin. "You take the Sykic."
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Vaska
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Vaska had a terrible feeling that "The Amazing Sykic" -- with an S and, probably, a K -- was actually a pun. A horrific, embarrassing pun.

And if that really was the case... if this cloaked and scarf-wearing opponent in front of her really was Serah Sykora, then Vaska needed to personally ensure such shameful wordplay would never happen again.

"What the hell are you supposed to be? A butler?" someone shouted from the stands.

Vaska didn't care. She tugged off her black driving gloves and stowed them, then cracked her knuckles. "You! Sykic! Are you aware that your stage name is horribly misspelled?"

The vampire ducked as a mace came whirling out from nowhere. Even more weapons floated around the Sykic, forming a protective shield. Telekinesis? Or...

She had to leap before the next swing of the mace would have taken out both knees. More weapons came shooting out toward Vaska, forcing her to land in a messy roll that covered her back with sand. The vampire shot into a sprint, but couldn't press past her opponent's guard. The floating weapons forced her to lose ground until she was back-to-back with Iris.
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Iris
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Mister Britt waved around a colossal oar above his head. "For Taras!" Iris quickly swapped ax for shield and hefted it above her head a split second before Britt brought his oar down. She sunk into the sand and pressed forward while twisting her shield aside to knock the oar away. She kept the shield and oar on her right side as best she could while rushing Mister Britt with her ax ready. He flicked his grip and the haft caught Iris in the chest. She reeled backwards and found herself colliding into Vaska. A weapon swirled past then changed direction.

"Vaska. Switch up. I've got a shield for those weapons!" Iris twirled around Vaska. A weapon hurtled towards her but she managed to get her shield up just in time. A mace clattered to the ground. Iris rushed in. A sword caught her across the hip before she laid her shoulder into Sykic's sternum. The woman was knocked off guard. The weapons swirled in confusion. Iris brought her ax home. It was just barely blocked by Sykic's longsword.
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Vaska
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"Not a chance, ma'am," Vaska said, even though she was flipping her spot and closing in past the oar-wielding Mister Britt. She nailed him in the stomach, making him double over. Then she darted back over toward where Iris and Sykic were fighting. More specifically, the former was putting the latter on the defensive.

Skulking around behind everyone's backs? My kind's specialty.

In a moment of weakness on the Sykic's part, Vaska came barreling into the cloaked woman. Her hand went straight for the scarf even as both of their bodies were falling. She ripped it off until both ends flew into the air, cast it aside, and then forced down the hood as well.

The woman beneath had sandy blonde hair tied into a low, loose ponytail. The crimson stripes under her cat-slitted eyes matched the color of her ears and five-inch-long horns.

Serah Sykora spat in Vaska's face. A heavy mace fell on the vampire's back. She collapsed onto her hands and knees, shuddering in pain. Mister Britt came in a second later, coming in swinging with the flat of his oar. Vaska shot into a roll as Britt helped the unmasked Serah up.
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Iris
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Iris found herself twirling again as Vaska forced her way around to get a shot at the Sykic. She just barely caught the swung oar with her shield, but it took her clean off balance. Iris hissed and charged back in but was smashed to the ground before she could get her balance back. Iris rolled across the ground and rose to her feet only to watch as Mister Britt pulled the Amazing Sykic back onto her feet. Iris rushed to Vaska and pulled the vampire on her feet. "You go after Mister Britt, I'll handle the Sykic." She repeated.

Iris surged back in, hoping dearly that the oar wouldn't crack into her again while she used her shield to deflect hurtling weapons. She dove and rolled as they turned back to catch her once more. She snapped back to her feet and in one smooth motion, brought her ax down at the Sykic.
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Vaska
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This pain is nothing, Vaska told herself. You've suffered far worse. And if you can't bring her back...

Blood flowered across the back of the vampire's suit jacket. She staggered to her feet, raising her fists once more into a guard. Iris had already recovered and was going after Serah again, but this time Vaska opted to take the hasenka's advice. Rather than go after the girl revealed to be one of her masters, Vaska started running toward Mister Britt. Her pace picked up. The Tarasian braced himself.

They collided in a flurry of rapid-fire blows. Vaska managed to get close and stay there. The vampire pummeled Britt in the stomach and chest, then followed up with an uppercut to his jaw. He staggered. She cranked his arms, forcing him to drop his weapon, and then aimed another debilitating blow to his head. The man collapsed, unconscious.

Serah was holding her own, but was quickly fatiguing. Her floating weapons moved more slowly and packed much less power when they attempted to deflect Iris' blows or strike back. In a two-against-one, she'd be finished.

"You're coming home, Serah," Vaska said, licking blood off her knuckles as she approached.

The Sykora's face twisted into a horrified scowl. "I refuse!"

Every weapon jolted toward Vaska. She ducked her head and held her arms up in a guard as all kinds of weapons laid into her. "Iris!" the vampire roared, baring her fangs.
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Iris
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The axe strike connected but not brutally enough. Sykic still stood, and a blade caught Iris across the back. She stumbled as Britt fell. She lurched as Vaska called out for aid. Iris crashed through the hail of blades diagonally and then brought the edge of her shield into Sykic's chin. The weapons quavered. The shield swiped across her face. Sykic went down. Iris remained standing, unsteady and bleeding.




At the very least the medical care was free. Iris rubbed at the mass of bandages on half her body through the loose fitting scrubs. "Oh man, my clothes got wrecked!" Iris lifted up the scraps of cloth they had left her as some sort of memento. "Uh. Was the Sykic the girl you were after? Are you still after her?
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Vaska
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Vaska, who took a seat on a chair next to a bandaged Iris, adjusted her monocle with a gentle scoff. Though her wounds were bandaged, the vampire's suit was now free of sand, blood, and rips. She offered Iris a clean set of clothing. "Here, miss. It's important to look sharp at all times."

Iris took the garment. "A...suit." She held it out, putting the jacket between herself and Vaska. "I'll try it on." It didn't appear to have been fit to her, it had just been eyeballed. Iris slowly rose out of bed and disappeared into a convenient side room and put the garment on. She returned and tried her very best to hide that it was uncomfortable. Her normal clothing made her near formless, so the suit wasn't quite right either. "I like it!" Iris idly wondered how much it would cost to get it fit properly.

The vampire gazed on Iris with a look of abject horror. Then she tore herself away dramatically, baring her teeth. "Ugh! I'm truly a sub-par servant. I couldn't even match your measurements properly. Take it off! I'll fix your old clothing. Give it here."

Iris squeaked and returned the snazzy garment. Her ears drooped as she stood in the loose-fitting medical garments again. "That was the most expensive thing I've ever worn..."

When Vaska turned back around, she held out Iris' old shirt and trousers immaculately folded. "I'll fix it later. For now, I must plot the acquisition of Serah Sykora. I attempted to force my way to her quarters and was rudely accosted by some barrel-chested ruffians."

Iris disappeared to change once more and poked at the immaculate stitch job. "Uh, yea, that's a safety thing Vaska. You'd need to pick her up outside of the arena, they'll protect her here."

Vaska touched her chin. "How problematic. It would look like I was kidnapping her if I took her outside and shoved her in my carriage."

Iris nodded. "I...I could tail her back. Probably. I'm kinda sneaky. I'm a hasenka after all!" She looked proud for a split second while flicking back her neon blue hair.

"I can't afford to lose her. What if you seduced her? Brought her back to wherever it is you live?" Vaska leaned forward, looking dead serious.

Iris blushed bright red, red enough it lit up her dull copper skin like a fire. "Uh." She turned to the side. "I'm not...dressed for it. I've also never actually had a girlfriend!"

"Well, I obviously am unsuited for the task." Vaska gestured at herself. "We'll need to go with the kidnapping plan. Or rather I should, since this is my business. If you keep helping me at this point, I'll have no choice but to begin compensating you as a mercenary under temporary contract with House Sykora."
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Iris
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"Ah, uh, kidnapping? Breaking the law? I'd lose my ability to fight in real matches if I ended up going to jail." Iris replied. "We'd need to be subtle. Maybe there's a place she likes to go that we could grab her from without alerting the authorities?"

"Ah, miss, I'd never want to tarnish your immaculate reputation as a 'good girl.'" Vaska cracked a grin. "Although I do think you're getting us somewhere. We could be even more resourceful, can we not? What if we didn't merely kidnap her, but instead provided her some extrinsic reward for her cooperation? Like bribery but fully legal, and more successful than seduction. I should have never suggested seduction. It never works."

"A reward? Uh, we'd need to know what she wants, and one of of the things she wants is to avoid you, Miss Vaska." Iris put a finger on her forehead. "What about money? Everyone needs money."

"Something tells me she wouldn't want Sykora money. It's worth a shot. Now! Shall we stalk a young lady like common lechs, my newest friend?"

"Lechs? Err, okay?" Iris followed after Vaska dutifully and only just managed to not scratch her wounds as she went.

Right as they were in the middle of turning the corner, Serah Sykora walked out of the holding area. Vaska backpedaled, thrusting out an arm to scoop Iris back around the corner as well. From their hiding place, the butler peeked around and sighed with relief when it was clear that Serah was walking the other direction. Vaska motioned for Iris to follow her and, after a short time, they began to tail her from afar.

She left the fighting pit and took a winding path down the snowy streets of Balefire. Vaska encouraged Iris to stick to the crowds and blend in whenever possible. When they couldn't blend in, they'd have to keep a good distance without losing Serah's trail. Eventually the feline demon entered a building on the other side of the neighborhood.

"I can't afford to go in there! That place is expensive, I've been relying on a wet towel," Iris squeaked.

Vaska raised her eyebrows. "Dead gods, you poor girl. I'm starting to wonder if I should bring you back to the House as well, like some kind of stray kitten." She gave Iris an encouraging pat on the shoulder, then pushed her forward. "Come on. I'll pay. You can have multiple towels, all of them dry. Say, 'thank you, Vaska, for this truly amazing gift.'"

They entered the baths. Vaska did pay, and surely enough they were in the baths. Iris's ears twitched as she wrapped herself tightly in a towel over the already tight bandages across her chest and the other bandages around her body. "So, uh, what...do you do here? There's gotta be a code of conduct with this many naked people."

"Act natural. No one actually cares about you being naked. This is more of a social opportunity for a lot of people." Even though Vaska was wearing a towel, she carried herself like she was still wearing a suit and monocle. "We'll keep an eye on her, and then pop the question when she can't escape. If she says no, I'll kidnap her and you pretend you never knew who I was."

"Oh, okay. Natural." Iris did her best, but walked like a child's toy come to life. She picked and plucked at her towel with each jittery step. "I think we should pick her in a back alley, not here. Hard to move in water." The room opened up, and truly it was full of naked women of all description. Iris pulled her towel tighter and pulled Vaska to a quieter bath, that was elevated on a second level and could look down upon the rest. "I wonder why no one uses it?" Iris asked as she pulled the dignified one along.

Vaska gave Iris one of her looks. "Yikes, miss. Did you grow up with all brothers? You look like you've never seen tits before." Without fanfare, she whipped off her towel, folded it with a series of quick motions, and was already in the water. The vampire leaned back, sighing in the steam. "Some strains of vampires are afraid of water. Bunch of savages," she scoffed. Vaska leaned toward Iris, lifting a finger out of the water as if she was about to make an important point. "Now here's my real question. Why hasn't our little friend shown her face yet, even though she arrived well before us?"

Iris watched as the towel was removed. Then she looked at the water. Then she sat on the edge with just her knees in it. "Uh, well, I grew up in an orphanage after mom lost it, and it wasn't really a great place. So I avoided the other girls." Vaska asked another question. "She might have purchased a massage or something?"

"Perhaps, but then there's the issue of her even coming here in the first place. I don't know about you, but my injuries are making this whole experience downright unpleasant."

Iris slipped the rest of the way into the water. She left her towel behind. "Naw, barely hurts." She sighed. "I should enjoy this after you were nice enough to buy it for me!" Iris's eyes dipped down past Vaska's face then snapped right back up. "I didn't really cut her, just smacked her with my shield so she's not going to be in all that much pain. So a massage and maybe a face treatment to help with the bruising? I didn't break her jaw, didn't hit hard enough."
Edited by Iris, Wed Aug 9, 2017 3:17 am.
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Vaska spread her arms across the rim of the bath, pink eyes narrowed in a thoughtful expression. Without any gloves to cover them, the vampire's hands upon closer inspection were not thin and delicate like a proper lady. They were covered in scars and calluses, and a couple of the joints were inflamed from poorly healed injuries in the distant past. Vaska tapped her fingers against the stone. "That does seem like a Sykora. Unless foregoing those sorts of niceties is part of her whole rebellious streak that I seem to be sensing here."

"Is it 'rebellious' to want freedom, now?"

Part of Vaska's training from childhood was in some of the basics of keeping a cool head. Even though her heart damn near jumped out of her chest, the vampire merely turned to look at the new arrival with the familiar voice.

Serah Sykora was a young woman with a shag of dusty blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun. Her short horns were filed sharp and her feline ears, dark red in color, were pressed back. Even with nothing but a towel to cover up her front, she held herself like a noble pretending to be a slumrat. And it was plainly obvious, too; all of her scars were new, and the rest of her body had the smoothness of the sheltered.

It wasn't much Serah that Vaska was worried about, though. It was the actual ruffians flanking her. Two of them: a half-orc and some kind of human hybrid with patches of scales on her body. Scarred, no-nonsense, had the eyes of city-slickers.

"Why have you two been following me?" Serah growled. Her speech made her bare the thin, sharp teeth in her mouth.

Iris rapidly came up with something approaching an excuse. "She offered to buy me a bath after the fight because I'd never been in here before!"

Serah folded her arms and gave Iris an appraising look. "You just met this lady?" She gestured toward Vaska with a thumb.

"Today!" Iris replied with a big smile.

"Yeah, you got duped. I don't know what she told you, but she's probably just using you to get closer to me. I heard rumors that one idiot samotar stuck with the Sykoras even after they went crazy and murdered each other."

"You knew about that, and yet you refuse to help bring your family back to its former glory?" Vaska stood up, turning to face them. "You'd be nothing if not for them, Lady Serah."

The demon wrinkled her nose at the formality. "I'd rather be nothing, then! Leave me alone. Let me deal with my own problems."

"I'm sorry, my lady. That isn't an option. I have orders to bring back every Sykora that still breathes."

Serah's friends stepped in, cracking their knuckles. The half-orc flashed a crooked grin at Iris. "You better run along, kitten. Seems like we gotta sort out your new butler."
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Iris cocked her head to the side. "No, no, you've made a mistake. Why would I leave because you want to start a fight? That's wonderful! I love fights!" The petite cat-senka rose out of the water. She clenched her fist. Droplets ran down to her knuckle. She stepped onto the slick marble while ducking underneath an incoming blow. It caught her, but her body shifted with the blow. Water rippled outward. Iris grinned and stepped forward and slugged the half-orc across the face. The woman fell backwards. Instantly the other companion was on her, a blur of light muscle and scars. A fist took Iris across the face. She lurched. Blood splattered into the water and across the pristine white marble. A free hand flicked the blood free. Iris's eyes narrowed as she took another blow from the orc. They were heavy. She felt her flesh ripple with each big hit. Her feet slipped in the water. Iris's grin widened, her white teeth offset by the stream of blood running along one of her long canines. The pain faded with each traded blow. A solid strike took Iris in the eye. She lurched to the side just in time to be thrown into the water. The half orc jumped in after her. Heavy hands forced Iris under the water. Iris squinted through the red-tinged water. She reached up and clawed at the haggard face.

But the smile didn't fade.
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Vaska had moved at the same time, but her target wasn't those cronies: it was Serah herself. She threw her towel in the demon's face and then pounced on her with a hail of strikes. The Sykora kept her guard up, likely waiting for an opening. Then the vampire heard a splash. She turned to see who'd gone in -- and took a staggering blow as punishment.

"Iris!"

A snap decision. Save someone she'd just met, or go after her main objective while the underlings were distracted?

Serah Sykora's laughter echoed through the bath as Vaska broke away from combat to rush the water.

She took the half-orc in a messy tackle, screaming and pounding her in the face with her bare fists. The violence was incoherent amid all the splashing. Vaska was faster, but the orc was tougher and stronger. She managed to regain control of the situation even with a bloody face, but Vaska fought back with all her strength. The vampire kicked out of the half-orc's grip and waded over to Iris, ripping her out of the water if she hadn't managed to get out herself.

Serah and her other minion were halfway to the exit by the time the half-orc noticed. She cursed and spat to the side, moving to follow them. Vaska's face contorted into an ugly scowl. Her heartbeat thumped in her chest. She rushed the retreating orc, grabbed her by the hair, and slammed her forehead-first into the rim of the bath. While she was stunned, Vaska bit her on the neck.

Her eyes widened. The moment she realized what she'd done, the vampire pulled away and let the orc half-run, half-stumble away. She issued only a brief terrified glance over her shoulder on the way out. Had her palm pressed over the bite wound, too. Vaska fixated on it, but remained in place. The bite was still bleeding vigorously, catching her eye.

Vaska pushed past her own stunned silence and waded back over to Iris. "Y-you okay?" All that confidence and bravado she normally exuded was gone. The decision she'd made without thinking, plus the taste of fresh blood in her mouth, left her quiet and shaky.
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