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 Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:57 pm
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Fighting Spirit
The Story:
In the dark places of this city, people come to watch an amazing sight. Some come to sell drugs, some come to buy drinks, others come to gamble, but many come just to watch the fights between monsters while men can only marvel. These monster live among men, some even pretend to be men. But down under the hot spotlight they can be who they really are, and fight like the animals men imagine such creatures to be. Some love it, many hate it.
One thing is for sure: there are no rules. The winner is the one left standing and breathing. The losers are often neither. But the pay is good. Very good.
For one fighter, all he has left is the fight: the feel of his claws ripping someone else arrant after he's lost everything else. But when one fan catches his eye, will things change in his dark, illegal world or will blood keep spilling until no one is left alive when the police come to investigate the mess left behind?
Notes:
-This RP is between Rose and me. We know the rules C:
-Feel free to read along!
Characters:
Name: Samuel 'Tight Bite or T'bit' Stone
Age: 24
Looks: T'bit has a average height with a heavily muscled build. His hair is an odd gray/'blue' tone ( Like So ), while his eyes are a very deep red that appears black at a distance. Face has a sharply shaped jawline and crooked nose. He can change into a half-lion form, or full-lion form at will.
Species: Lion-man. Or, Werelion, lion shapshifter.
Personality/Bio: He is stubborn, but loyal. Brave to the point of stupidity, and hates traditions. T'bit was born on a farm outside of the city with his fraternal twin. His father works as a farmhand, and his mother as a maid. He didn't like the life his parents wished him to have, so he went to the big city to find a real life for himself, along with a girl he'd grown up with. Eventually he helped his brother find a job (as a butler of sorts) and life looked good as T'bit tossed his past behind him and lived the dazzle life with his girl friend. But all dreams have to end. She left him, and he lost his job. Ran out of savings. So, he turned to fighting.
RosesandBlood Name: Evan Free Age: 25 Species: Human Personality/Bio: Bright, honest, hardworking Evan gives his all to everything and anything he does. He's been working hard since he was a child to help keep his family afloat. However, because of this he's not exactly 'worldly' and is used by people sometimes. Being quiet and often a loner from not having the best social skills Evan falls in with the wrong crowd a lot. Recently the kind he hangs with after his construction job is done goes to underground fights to bet; not that he bets himself. Working about three jobs he uses every penny of it. Recently though he's become a fan of a certain fighting ring, or fighter more like. Looks:  |
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:46 pm
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The night began as nights like this always did; with T'bit changing from his day-job clothes and into his fight gear. The locker room stank of blood, stale sweat, and perhaps more than a little bit of hard liquor. The large male glanced around, pulling on his fighting shorts. He was shirtless and shoeless, the shorts elastic and meant to easily fit any form, human-sized or otherwise. Not to mention allow the fighters to show off their rather formidable muscles, while also allowing the shorts to be cheat and easily-replaced once they became blood-stained, ripped, or burned. Burning didn't tend to happen as much, T'bit knowing the last drake to have tried fighting here ending his career with a broken neck.
By now, fighting had become a welcome routine to the lionman, his fists clenching as he grabbed his water bottle and gulping down the H2O as he waited for his name to be called. The locker rooms were kept warm, to make sure the combatants were glistening with sweat and looking hot and ready to the spectators, not all of which were men. Or necessarily straight men. Sighing to himself, T'bit glanced over the chalkboard on the far wall once again, pondering the line-up of competitors for the night scrawled out for all to see. The fight schedules were drawn up weekly, giving the competitors time to ready themselves for good long fights, but the chalk board was put up just in case a fighter got sick last minute and changes were made. The lion considered himself lucky, he was still facing the competitor he was prepared for. He'd spent the last three days getting ready as much as he could ... though in the end it would be his own brute strength that would likely either bring him triumph or failure.
"Oi, Bitey," the woman next to him asked, similarly shirtless and in just a pair of shorts. The fighters weren't all necessarily male; here, the strength of species was what made you or broke you. She was known in the ring as 'The Constrictor' or 'Monster Melons', depending on what the fans chose to yell at her. To T'bit, she was a lithe competitor and a sort-of friend, considering she was one of the few he spared with on his off days to keep in shape in-between fights. "Good luck."
"Thanks Slinks," T'bit answered her, giving her a high-five before hearing cheering just beyond the locker room walls. Sounds like the audience had been quite satisfied with the winner of the last round ... or perhaps the last fighter had managed to cause a rather gory death. The humans did so much enjoy deaths, and were usual satisfied on that front at least once a week. There were always willing rookies to jump into the fight to replace lost fighters, after all. They weren't paid to live, they were paid to put up one hell of a fight.
Once his name was called, the lion grabbed one more swig of his drink before putting it into his personal locker and shutting the rusty door closed. Time to please the crowd. He strolled towards the ring, bare feet sounding silent against the ground as he walked forward. The 'arena' was nothing more than an old closed-down gym transformed into a fighting space, transportable bleachers holding the audience while T'bit and his competitor prowled into the ring. The 'ring' being nothing more than a roped-off square of space reserved for the fighters to maul each-other in while the crowd was forced to watch from outside those same ropes or from the raised viewpoint of the bleachers. Things were cheap, make-shift, and far from professional. But it paid well, and gave T'bit the excuse he needed to hit others very, very hard with his fists, and rend them with his claws and fangs.
"Ladies," the announcer drawled with a megaphone, "and Bastards! Next in show, Tight Bite!"
T'bit rolled one shoulder, purposefully flexing his abs and impressive build while a few cheers rose up for him from the crowd. He glanced around a bit with his red eyes, mane of hair glinting an almost-blue color in the arena lights as he tried to pick out those who might be cheering for him, but didn't see any familiar faces. He never did; these types of fights didn't necessarily inspire many die-hard fans, after all. No, most of these men and women were here to see any fight, not just him. He turned his gaze to the slightly-smaller sized male who he was facing.
"His opponent, The Hellhound!"
T'bit was not impressed. How many little werewolf 'hellhounds' and 'cerberus' had he seen in his short career so far? At least a dozen, for sure. He took his spot on one corner of the square, the werewolf on the other, and the announcer got on with it.
"Place your bets ladies and gents, place your bets! You have until the ring of the fighting bell to place your bets on the lionman or werewolf! Each proven fighters, ladies and bastards!"
T'bit blocked out the drowning, red eyes narrowed and focused on his opponent as he clenched and unclenched his fists, nails turning into claws and hair thickening into a real mane as he half-transformed, really making himself look impressive, the werewolf doing the same on the other side of the arena. He stretched his jaw in a roar, hearing a similar howl tossed his way as they waited impatiently for the bell. Rage bubbled up in T'bit, and he felt it put a purpose behind him as the ring finally sounded out, the lion lunging forward to swipe mercilessly at the wolf, the were biting at one of his arms. T'bit let the canine jaws snap around one of his limbs, pushing himself forward with the bit instead of trying to break free, and he saw brown paws fumble for balance while the lion brought his other paw down on the werewolf's face.
A screaming yelp rang out, the slobbering jaws loosening as T'bit's claws raked down half of the wolf's face and digging into his eye. The lion did not relent, bringing up one knee into the wolf's stomach to knock the competitor's wind out of him before kicking the werewolf away. Red eyes watching the wold fall back onto the rope ringing their fighting space, some people jumping back from leaning on those same ropes as they'd been yelling at the fighters either insults or encouragement. T'bit idly licked at his bleeding arm with a rough tongue, gaze turning from the recovering wolf momentarily to the spectators. He felt himself stop a moment, eyes catching with one pair of brown orbs before turning back to the fight. He heard a cheer and grinned to himself, wondering if it was the same man as he let the wolf leap at him, the two of them continuing to fight on two legs only a few minutes more before shifting to four legs, prowling around the arena.
T'bit felt his front leg still smarting and a lucky bite the wolf had gotten on the skin of his neck hurting, but the werewolf was definitely in worse shape, claw marks and bits all over his brown hide before T'bit went in to end it, bludgeoning the wolf with heavy swipes of his claws to bruise and bleed the other fighter until the wolf eventually fell down onto the concrete floor without getting back up. The lion stood, shifting his shape gradually back into that of a man and holding on his uninjured arm in a victorious fist-pump. He didn't mind the fact the crowd didn't roar his victory at him; he was used to it. Especially with such a 'slow' fight. No, the slow beat-down was one of the more boring ways to fight, and T'bit knew he'd have to literally tear an opponent apart to get the crowd roaring approval at him.
"Ladies and Bastards, Tight Bite, the winner!" |
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 6:16 pm
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The day started way too soon for Evan, considering he got off late from his night job and only had a few hours sleep before morning shift at the construction sight. In fact he'd be home right now if it wasn't a Tight Bite fight. This would be the seventh time in a row he'd came to watch the same fighter. The first time it was just on a friend's whim. Evan had never really been into violence or fighting but the insistence, and the fact he had nothing better t do, led him to going with. It had been an amazing fight to say the least. T'bit was stunning. Sleek and agile. He'd been impressed. So when he next fight came up he tried making it. Some days it was a bit harder than others.
Like today for example. Late night, early morning, and he hadn't even changed from his work clothes before coming. Having his blonde hair pushed back with pins, mud and dirt all over his pants and shirt, cement on his thick work boots; not that he cared about looks but for some reason he felt the need to at least not look like he had to rush from one place to another. In fact they were late even getting there. The bets had already been placed, which was too bad because Evan kind of wanted to place one on T'bit.
Making their way up into empty spots in the rickety old bleachers, Evan and his friend Tyler were able to catch the part where the Werewolf bit Tight Bite. Evan frowned and muttered but watched on the edge of his seat. Every time T'bit had a come back he hollered for him. Of course there was no way he'd hear just him over the roar of the rest of the crowd. Then again he could have sworn Tight Bite had looked his way a second ago.
Then the fighters shifted fully. It was amazing to see raw strength like that. Selvet feline grace over powered the werewolf's own canine prowess. It took a lot longer than what it seemed for T'bit to win but it was like a flash for Evan. So thrilling and amazing that he was speechless in the glory of the other's victory. Jumping from his seat though he wanted to go get a closer look. So what if it wasn't a bloody mess, gore wasn't everything in a fight. Pushing through the crowd it finally dawned on him that it might not be possible for him to even get close enough to the ring.
Pausing he looked down at the taped off area for the fighters, he'd already made it out of the bleachers and towards the area but still... Wait! What did he have to say anyways? He was only a fan. Wouldn't it be rather annoying for fighters to be flocked by fans? Eh, maybe not if they were looking to hook up but he was a man so other than being an annoyance there probably wasn't anything he could do or say.
Sighing, Evan ran a hand into his dirt filled blonde hair. Eh, maybe if he offered him a congratulations just this once and promised not to bug him it would be okay. Wouldn't it just go up to like talking to a famous person or something? Besides that bite had to hurt like a b***h. If he got medical here the stitches would be a bit unreliable maybe. Hey! Maybe he could offer to treat the wound and buy him a few drinks for winning? Yeah that would be cool!
With that plan in mind he fidgeted around for a while before deciding to wait outside where the he could catch the guy leaving. Maybe then he wouldn't seem so stalkerish. So, while he waited he talked with his friend then was waiting by himself. Leaning up against the wall, dark circles under his eyes and needing a good long soak in the tub. Yawning Evan rubbed his neck then rolled it. Yeah a few beers would definitely make today better.
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2013 8:57 pm
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T'bit left the square quickly, not caring to look back as some large men got to putting the werewolf onto a stretcher. Depending on the wolf's agent, the guy would either be tossed out as-is into the back alley to fend for himself, or messily patched up. The lion himself went straight to the locker room showers, washing off his body and bleeding wounds as quickly as possible. He didn't bother asking for stitches or medical attention; he would rather let the wounds heal on their own than let the half-drunk 'medics' here near him with a needle. No, T'bit just got himself clean before heading back to his locker and pulling on his regular set of clothing on over his damp skin before tossing his fighting shorts into the locker. He fished out his cell phone and wallet, then closed the locker for the night, deciding to just head home. His arm ached, and his neck was bruised as well.
He gave a wave to Slink before grabbing his duffel bag and heading out the back door. T'bit's hair was slick and flat down on his head, wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt with a worn, old brown leather jacket on to hide the bite wound on his arm and to keep him warm. Walking out, he noticed someone leaning against the wall yawning. Pausing, T'bit pulled the shoulder strap of his duffel bag higher onto his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the brown haired--no. This guys was blond; he just had too much grime in his hair to look blond at the moment. Not only was the guy not exactly clean, he looked almost as tired as some of the other fighters T'bit knew who tried doing one fight every single night. Though, it was the eyes the lion recognized, seen at a distance in a crowd now alone at this out-of-the-way back exit. This was someone who'd cheered for him.
That was enough to give the lionman pause for a moment, giving the male a smile when he finally noticed him. "Hey." T'bit tilted his head, dark red eyes looking almost black in the dark back-alleyway. "You need directions or something?" His voice was rough, with the slightest hint of country drawl layered into it. T'bit felt curious, and wondered what sort of fan this was. One who wanted a lay, or an autograph, or something. Some folks asked fighters for claws, fangs, scales, or even bits of blood. Whatever bits and pieces were up for sale.
But hearing the gist of the man's proposition, T'bit only grinned, feeling a drink or two would be nice after the fight he'd had. "Sure, so long as yer buyin'," the fighter said, turning and beginning to walk off. "Follow me; I know a place," he said, soon leading the fan to a nearby bar that was small, crowded, and had barely enough room for them to both squeeze in at the end of the bar. T'bit ordered a plain jug of beer, getting a nice iced cup of it before gulping the cool liquid down, giving the stranger a glance. Hm. Those eyes weren't brown on the blond ... more like a dark copper color, he mused. "So, what's a man like you doin' offering a lion of a man like me a drink," T'bit asked, eyes glinting curiously. |
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Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:35 pm
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The fighter was a lot larger up close and personal and Evan was positive his eyes dilated in a bit of fright when he first spoke to him. He had a nice voice, it was a bit rough probably from all the yelling and huffing he did in the ring. And the quip about directions actually made him have to look around to see if he was lost cause as far as Evan knew, he was in the right place. Thankfully though the blonde managed to blather out his invitation and not sound like a avid/stalker like fan but just an average joe offering a fellow man a drink after a long hard day. Whether to his doom or to a bar, Evan kind of just followed along, not really realizing he could have been raped, mugged, killed, or all of the above.
s**t, he was tired!
Turns out they did go to a rather small crowed bar. An affiliate of the one he worked at in fact! Evan had temped here a few times since the woman who ran this bar was like a sister-in-law, cousin or something to his boss. If the right manager was working he could probably get a little better price on their drinks; that perked him up a bit more.
T'bit ordered a draft beer and he ordered a few shots for himself. Downing one he shook his head then sighed. It burnt but felt good to. "Hm?" Evan looked back over at his companion, licking his lips he tilted his head. "Ah...well, I figured you'd need it," he began poking around the injured arm. "How about I sew that up for you? Or did you get it taken care of already? I've busted myself a few good times an' all at the site so I can stitch up a cut pretty damn well," Evan explained. Taking his second shot he only licked his lips and sighed. That warm feeling was creeping up, a few more of these and he'd be happily buzzed.
"Oh um but, I am a fan I guess.... I usually don't go to fights or things like that. A friend took me with him. You're pretty damn good," he smiled at the lionman. When the barista noticed Evan out of shots and T'bit half empty she shimmied over and asked if they wanted another round. Leaning forward the blonde asked for another woman, one named "Mary Breastein". The girl raised a brow, refilled them, and shimmied off to call for Mary. Leaning back the blonde looked over at the other man again. "Uh... you spotting blood on your jacket, man...." snorting a soft laugh he forced the other to pull his arm out and waved down another for a first aid kit.
As soon as he got it he threaded a needle, like a pro, dipped the needle in his strong liquor, only pausing long enough to wipe the blood away with an alcohol pad before stabbing T'bit with the needle. It took a minute, a full minute, for Evan to stitch the wound up then clean it again and finally sit back pronouncing it was done.
After a moment's pause a panicked look crossed his face. "Oops! I should have warned you it would sting!" Were the words that he blurted out right as a bright red headed woman with a curvy figure walked up and laughed. "Oi, that you Free? What the hell are you doing sewing people up in the middle of my bar?" She walked over and poked at the wound. "But damn, boy, you are a jack-of-all aren'tcha." The woman paused long enough to flash a smile at Tight Bite. "Ah, welcome back. Been a while, are you enjoying your drinks?" She asked sweetly.
Evan grinned at her. "Nice to see you too Mary. But it ain't my fault if he was going to bleed all over your pretty floors," he made gesture at the not so clean floors, must have been a busy night. Mary laughed again and tossed red hair over her shoulder. "I'll tell my girls to give you employee rates on your drinks hun, and tell your slave driver we miss having you here. You'll have to let us play with you again," She said cryptically and blew a kiss at the blushing blonde before joining the crowd again.
Sighing he rolled his eyes. "She's a hoot. So are you a regular here then?" |
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Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 10:29 pm
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T'bit didn't even wince as the stranger poked at his wounded arm, jacket already chaffing the torn flesh enough that a poke or two didn't matter now that a decent amount of cold beer was settling in his stomach. He did glance at the shots the other was having, raising an eyebrow but not commenting, keeping his thoughts to himself. The blond was likely to be off for the foreseeable future, T'bit figured, seeing as home was where the fighter himself was heading after he'd gotten a few drinks. "I usually let my scraps heal on their own," the lion said, sipping at his beer and putting the cup down. Though, soon enough the blond was ordering fresh drinks for them both, and forcing the fighter to let him see to the wound. With a sigh, the large muscular male with the air of a feline only reluctantly allowing the blond to tend to him because he was fought-out, being supplied with beer, and had nothing better to do.
His lips thinned and eyes closed at the rather unpleasant feeling of being unceremoniously stabbed and then sewn together, the fist on uninjured arm clenching as he closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the other to finish before opening his eyes and turning an unamused glance at Evan. "Oops is right," he snorted but grabbed at his refilled drink and took a calming swig of it before looking at his stitched arm for a few moments. Not bad, not bad. Even the red-headed woman's poking didn't shift the knots holding his skin together. He looked up at the familiar face, raising his beer in a sort-of salute. "I'm enjoyin' my drink just fine, thanks," he chuckled, stinging already forgotten as he pulled his jacket over the stitched wound now that it was no longer bleeding. At least the leather was brown and blood stains didn't tend to stick too much to it, and the blood that did stick just added a red-brown hue to the brown that easily blended.
T'bit settled into his chair, giving Evan a teasing grin as the redhead melted away into the masses crowding the small bar. "Play with you? Ah, so you're that sort of worker," he drawled, teasing and ignoring the question asked of him first, clearly enjoying pretending to mistake the blond as a 'boy toy'. "Employee rates for those like ya must be mighty fine," he went on, red eyes sparkling like rubies in the barlight before he let out a roar of laughter. "I'm just yankin' yer chain! You're not dressed nearly slutty enough for that line 'o work." Taking another gulp of beer and feeling pleasantly warm, the fighter rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck to keep from getting too stiff while sitting. And to keep moving; he wasn't the best at sitting still for too long. "Ah, I come here after work-outs, usually. Well, here or another bar a bit closer to my place, depends on when I feel like having a drink. Between my fight schedule and keeping myself toned combined with my day-job, sometimes I just head home," T'bit said, not seeming like a particularly secretive individual. Besides, the blond had gotten him stitched up and free beer; the guy couldn't be all bad.
"You can call me T'bit; most folks do. Tight Bite is a bit of a mouthful in day-to-day conversation," the lion added, then gave Evan a chuckle. "What's your name anyway, 'Free'?" He traced a circle with one finger onto the wood of the bar in front of them, drink once again refilled without a fuss. Though, T'bit was hoping the blond could handle all those shots. A friendly fan was one thing, and a drunk one another kind of beast entirely. Connecting the dots, the blond was clearly exactly what the woman had said: a real jack-of-all trades, if he worked on a site--T'bit guess that was construction--and in bars. And knew how to handle wounds in moments, while the 'professionals' at the ring could take several minutes to stick up scratches.
Glancing at the time, T'bit sighed. "I'd best be goin', I've got a mourning shift," he said, beginning to stand. |
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Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 10:51 pm
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Evan managed to look sheepish at being scolded but was happily knocking back his next shots. He preferred the hard liquor to beer. By his fourth or fifth he was warm and happy feeling that nice glow in his cheeks. "EH?!" T'bit was taking that all wrong! The more the other poked at him the darker the blonde's dirt smudged cheeks got. "That's--!!" right when he was about to admit they dressed him in drag to work with the girls the other man began laughing. Sulling up he huffed and knocked back his last shot. "a**...." he grumbled in good humor. "Nah, but if ya can't tell," he eyed T'bit,"everyone who works the bar here is a woman... I filled in a few times before... so they dressed me up. Wig and all." He made a hand gesture towards his head as if there were curls. "They had a riot doing it... ugh, never again. Women work too damn hard to be pretty...." he rubbed a hand down his face remembering all the scrubbing to get the gobs of make up off.
"Hn.... anyways, I'm Evan Free. I work here and there and where ever I can find the work. If you're free one night come to the bar on the other side of town. 'The Tow' is where I work steady at night. The daytime I'm usually at whatever construction site they want me to work. This time 'round we're doin' apartments near mid-town. I also do temp work work on weekends. I stay pretty busy so it's a surprise I've been able to catch your matches," he grinned happily. "Congrats on another win, T'bit."
When the other stood he blinked a bit. "Ah, yeah." Waving a girl over he paid their tab and got up as well. Stretching a few bones cracked. "Phew, well thanks for the company tonight, T'bit," Evan patted the other's back seeming only buzzed happy. "We should go for drinks again sometime." He chattered while they left the building together. Once outside the air seemed easier to breathe. "Hmm... Guess I'll go home then...." he muttered to himself. He had late shift for the site and later that night the bar's early shift, meaning he'd get off around midnight or so provided they didn't get a rush.
"Well, have a good night and don't forget to clean your neck too. Ah, and those can come out whenever you think it's fine. It shouldn't bust open unless you do some real heavy lifting... G'night," the blonde raised a hand in good bye, smiling happily. |
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Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:29 pm
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T'bit enjoyed the light happy rambling Evan tossed his way, the chatter smooth to his ears as the other spoke about work and whatnot before they left. The lion actually seemed interested, knowing of 'The Tow' from a few other fighters talking about it and having seen the hints of construction going on. In fact, his apartment was actually only a block or so away from where he'd spotted hard-hat men moving around with scaffolding around one building as well. Maybe he might spot the other coming-and-going one of these days, though that seemed unlikely. Looking at the buzzed and happy male, T'bit couldn't help but give a smile back, waving his own good-bye and an odd warm feeling in his chest as he remembered the congrats he'd gotten for winning his fight. It had been a long while someone had congratulated him without seeming to do so just because of the money the win gave them. "Take care, Evan."
With that, he walked away towards his own apartment building without fear of being mugged. No, if any person chose to jump him, they would be the ones in trouble, and not many tried going against a guy of his obviously-muscular build. T'bit was glad he didn't have to bother with a cab or the subway, home close enough for him to jog the several blocks it took him to get back to his apartment complex. Giving a wave to the security guard as he strolled in, the fat man giving an absent-minded grunt as he watched a show on his small tv in front of him and ate a microwaved burrito that filled the ground floor lobby with the smell of processed meat and cheese, T'bit went into the elevator and pressed the button for the third floor. From there he was son pulling out his keys and unlocking his door, heading into his apartment with a sigh. There was only one lamp in the place with a half-broken lampshade, causing half the living room/kitchen space to have very harsh and bright light as he flipped it on, and the other half to be more shadowed.
Dropping his duffel bag, the lionman sighed and undressed, tossing his laundry at the pile in one corner of the floor, a couch and tv the only bits of furniture besides the single lamp and it's table. The apartment was very naked of any personal goods besides the heap of clothing and half-broken lamp, but T'bit didn't mind as he strolled naked into the single bedroom to walk through the dark to his bathroom to take a piss before heading to bed. His 'bed' being a mattress on the floor with sheets tossed about half-haphazardly. He flopped down onto his bed and was soon dead to the world until a standard digital alarm clock woke him barely a few hours later at four in the morning.
He swapped angrily at the sturdy alarm until it quieted, laying in bed and sighing to himself before getting ready to face the day. The next several hours were spent on his morning job: collecting garbage. Well, working with a garbage truck was more like it. It barely netted him any cash, but it was a legal source of income that kept the city officials from wondering about one guy pulling money from illegal and undocumented fights out of his a**. Besides, with work at unholy-o'clock in the morning it gave T'bit an excuse to come and go at odd hours.
After work and a light work out, T'bit returned home to hide under the covers to sleep a few good more hours before waking with nothing to do but rest his wounds. And what better way to take it easy than trying out a new bar and visiting a fan who had seemed genuinely enthused to have him around? The lion got himself dressed in some casual sweats and a gray t-shirt, most of his shirts being either loose or close-fit enough to show off every ab. Tonight, the lion went with a shirt that showed off the mold of his body, figuring he could maybe pick up a nice woman or man for a one-night-stand if he got lucky. Smiling to himself, the lion went on the prowl, catching a bus heading to the right area of the city before wandering around a bit to find the bar.
The hour still relatively early, T'bit slid into The Tow with ease and found himself a lone table, this bar quite a bit larger and a bit less hectic than the one closer to the ring. The lion's eyes traveled the bar, smiling at a few single folks before finding the blond he'd come here to greet. He gave Evan a casual wave, wondering if the other was just as exhausted as he'd been the night before; it was hard to guess at a distance, when the blond seemed to have an air of energy and business about him most of the time, tired or not. T'bit kinda liked that though, tapping a foot himself as he ordered a drink from one of the passing woman a second after waving at Evan, settling into his chair. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:08 am
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A pleased flush came to Evan's cheeks as he gave a second wave and headed for the subway. It was only a short ride back to his place. Luckily even though he looked buzzed he never really was bugged much and if he was he took care of himself well. He'd done lots of hard work and labor in his short twenty five years so even though he didn't look it Evan could punch someone out in one hit. Alas~ he was not into violence, didn't pay in the end. Easily getting home the man stripped at the door and tossed his clothes in the laundry basket by the door. His own apartment was simple and cheap, he lived on the ground floor even.
Walking straight to the bathroom he kept on smiling, just puttering around in his boxers. He stripped at the door by reflex since he was usually covered in a ton of dirt and grime there was less cleaning if he didn't tract it in the house. He had a small kitchenette separated by a couch from his living room, his room was to the right of the front door, bathroom just passed it. Entering he stripped off his boxers showered off the day's dirt, rinsed the tub, then went to his room. A pair of fresh boxers and he fell onto his creaky old bed. It had a frame and box spring/mattress but he'd brought it from home with him. Sighing he passed right out with a giggle, lightly snoring.
The next morning he woke at seven am, left promptly at 7:15 and was at work by 7:30 or so. Donning his hard hat and iron toed boots the blonde set to work. There was a lot of bullshitting at the site but when it got hot enough for the guys to want to peel off their shirts they were all shamed by Evan's build. The tubby foreman would whoop at them all and a roar of laughs over pervy jokes would begin. All in all the guys he worked with were nice, raunchy, but nice. Getting off work around 4pm he hit up a friend's place for another shower and to change into his bar clothes. Just black slacks and a shirt and decent shoes.
Work at the bar didn't start until 6 so he took a power nap and tended to any small chores he needed done like shopping or something. Terrance let the employees like him store stuff in the locker room if they needed. Luckily if it was frozens day the lounge fridge was open for use. As long as you wrote your name on it most people didn't bother your s**t.
Evan was at the bar busy so he didn't see T'bit walk in. However he looked up when he noticed a wave. A shocked look came over his face but he gave his best 'smile' for the man and made sure one of the best looking girls got his order. Thankfully he wasn't as tired tonight as he was yesterday. He'd been stomped then from only getting like two hours sleep before having to work in blazing sun carrying heavy s**t all day... On an empty stomach.
The second wave bolstered the good will he felt towards the man. Filling the order he waved off the girl and walked the ice cold draft out himself. "Good to see you tonight, T'bit. Good day or long day?" he asked serving the mug and leaning back to smile. Tonight he looked sharp in his sleeveless button up, black slacks, and blonde hair smartly pinned back out of his eyes. "By the way the girl who took your order will keep you topped off, all you have to do is wave or call her." Giving a chuckle Evan's eyes light up a bit. "And by call I mean by any name, they're all used to it already. Speaking in their direction gets their attention...." looking over his shoulder he looked at the bar. "Unless you want a bar seat? It's still early you're more than welcome to sit up there." |
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:51 am
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T'bit chuckled at the shocked reaction he received, figuring the trip over here had been worth it just to see that kind of reaction from the blond who had been nothing but a bubbly friendly mood the night before. The lion chuckled as the blond bartender himself walked his drink over to him, noting the other's less worn-out state. "Good day; long days are fight days," the lion replied easily, raising an eyebrow at the nice service he was getting. "You know what? I think I'll join you at the bar and save the lovely lady the hassle of walking back and forth," T'bit announced, taking his ice cold drink in hand and heading to an empty bar seat, before grinning at Evan as the other resumed his post behind the bar. "Besides, I know your name better than hers. Well, I didn't have a chance to see her name tag, so I definitely know your name better than hers," he said, taking a sip of his beer and watching the other work for a bit before turning his eyes to the tv up above the bar set to whatever sports station was likely to be currently running. To the lion's surprise, it was news instead of sports, but he didn't mind. It was something to pay attention to when Evan was busy making drinks for the other few customers that were here at the early hour.
"Damn politicians," the lionman huffed, eyes on the screen but words aimed at Evan. The usual arguments were being tossed around as the up-in-coming potential government officials for vote were discussed. All the usual arguments trotted out; gay rights, abortion vs anti-abortion, and non-human rights. T'bit never saw the point in caring about big-wigs who only bothered to even have strong opinions when voting time came around. Plus, they used enough big or vague words to make what they were saying not exactly easy for a bruiser like him to follow.
"Hey Evan," he asked, grinning a little," what do you think about the whole non-human rights thing? This guy seems to think non-humans are little better than whales and dolphins." T'bit, of course, could pass as a human so long as no one noticed his eyes were a very dark red instead of a shade of brown. His hair was not the most natural of shades, which could also be explained by him dying it or something. Though, not all non-humans were lucky enough to be so convincingly human and often got singled out because of it. Hell, some people were still convinced anything not human was an animal, and therefore void of having any real rights.
"Oh, I'm sure if you're talking about yourself," a voice drawled from right behind T'bit, belonging to a gentleman in a suit as he sat down next to the lionman, "that would be quite insulting to the dolphins."
While T'bit looked a bit like then man taking a seat next to him was an unwelcome ghost, the businessman ordered one of the more expensive alcoholic drinks on the menu, giving Evan a toothy smile.
"The hell, Marcus," T'bit demanded in a less than friendly low growl, looking the red-head over. The man was taller than T'bit, but very, very thin with pale skin red-heads tended to have, though he didn't have a single freckle. His flame-orange hair was short and well-groomed, not a single bit of fabric on his black suit out of place. Really, sitting next to the lionman it was obvious these were two men from very different walks of life.
"I was about to ask you the same thing; as far as I remember, you don't tend to come to this side of town, Samuel."
"T'bit."
"Well, I was just in town on business, thought I'd have a drink. Low and behold, here you are," Marcus went on without a worry, even though it didn't take knowing T'bit was a lionman to see the larger male could snap Marcus in two like a twig. "I heard you've got a winning streak going. Nice job; I never thought anyone could last in that sort of business."
Sighing heavily through his nose, T'bit gulped down his beer and ignored the man, eyes on the tv screen but clearly just avoiding looking at the man sitting next to him.
"I suppose I'll tell Garfield you said 'hello'? He does worry about you, you know. Not that you deserve it. He keeps on trying your home phone--"
"It's disconnected."
"... So I've gathered."
The man raised one platinum eyebrow, eyes a very striking ice-blue in contrast with his fiery hair, but just finished his drink in silence before paying his due, telling Evan to keep the rather nice amount of change before leaving. T'bit turned only to watch Marcus go before heaving a sigh and motioning for Evan to refill his drink. "Agents. Worse than politicians," he growled. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 1:37 pm
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Evan grinned and showed the large man to a seat right in front of his station. It was pretty nice to have a customer come just for him; and not to flirt with him. Although he knew he was at work it was a bit disappointing not to be able to chat more with T'bit. Jumping back and forth between customers was easy and he even kept up with all the conversations and would make the appropriate gestures or quips. Evan was a serviceman for sure, bright smile and impeccable work ethic.
Turning back to his guest the blonde paused and looked up at the tv, smile falling for a moment, but it was back in a blink as more people walked in and he called out a greeting for them. "Hn.... I don't agree really. You might not be all human but I really can't see the difference between the two. I mean, you do all the sames things I do and the only difference is the fact you look different. Humans can change just like any non-human only you won't really see the outward change as much. If anything we're pretty monkeys," he spoke seriously while mixing a drink but grinned at the end. "Well, monkeys without tails that is, heehee."
The third man stepped into the conversation while the blonde was turned but he heard him. Not much he could say since he couldn't insult a customer. But then T'bit began talking back to the guy so he calmed down and kept serving his drinks. When the scrawny guy grinned it was more like a predator bearing it's fangs than a smile but as reflex implored the blonde smiled sweetly back, if not a little perplexed. Sliding the man his drink he topped T'bit off and blinked. "Samuel?"
Looking between the two Evan cocked his head but had to spin away to refill a pretty lady's margarita. A little flirting from her and he was back. He didn't mind giving out sweet words or false compliments to women, their egos needed it some days. A moment later one of his co-workers nudged him and served him a shot from the lady. Smiling he raised the tiny glass to her, tipped his head in acknowledgment and downed the shot, shooting her a wink as thanks. That was usual throughout the night for him to get drinks from women, or men, trying to butter him up or get him drunk. Thankfully he had a giant's tolerance when it came to drinking so it would take a lot more than shots to drink him under the table.
When he went back over to T'bit's seat the other was leaving, tipping him rather generously. It tinked his cheeks pink and he gave a handsome smile along with his goodbye. After sorting out the money he pocketed his tip and served up another ice cold draft for T'bit. "Next up is lawyers and dentists right?" He grinned making a joke.
"Is your name Samuel? Then your fight name is T'bit?" Evan grinned happily. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 2:24 pm
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"Well, I make it a point to avoid dentists," T'bit sighed once Marcus was gone, scowl still on his face, especially at the smile Evan had given the glorified leech over the good tip. Well, great tip was more like it, but the lion wasn't about to be singing any praise of Marcus. "And the day I get involved with lawyers is the day I eat my own shoes." Though, at the question of his name the lion couldn't help but cross his arms with a serious look at the bartender. "What my mama called me when I popped outta her is none of your business. Only family or jerks like my agent call me that anymore; most call me T'bit, and that's the way I like it. So don't go gettin' any ideas," he growled, more irked than really mad. He sipped more leisurely at his drink though, unbristling and soon joking with Evan again.
"So, what's a pretty monkey like you doing workin' yourself down to the knob, huh? Saving up for a ticket to some pretty island somewhere, or what?" T'bit seemed genuinely interested, though as Evan was called away for this or that the lion couldn't help but roll his eyes and quiet further questions. Instead, he waited and stopped drinking once he had a good buzz going, trying not to let his jaw drop as the hours went by and the blond bartender seemed to get enough free drinks from flirty customers to get T'bit himself as sloshed as a shipdeck.
The lion hung around until Evan was off from work, paying for his drinks against any protests the other might have, and leaving an alright tip. Not as hansom as Marcus', but enough to at least be nice. Then, T'bit decided to walk with Evan a ways, so they could hold a conversation without getting interrupted by the pre-midnight rush of customers. And to make sure Evan didn't end up a snack for his agent, though as far as T'bit could tell for what little he knew of the tall pale male, Marcus had very particular tastes. "Well that was nice," the lion said, stretching out his bear muscular arms without a single wince. The stiches seemed to be holding well, and the wound closing up nicely while his neck was hardly bruised at all anymore. One major must in the fighting ring was an above-average ability to heal; it would keep you fighting and, if the worst should happen, possibly keep ne alive long enough for real medical attention ... not that many ever went to the hospital even if they really needed to. There was only so much you could pin on 'a mugging' before the doctors realized you'd been part of something very illegal.
"Say, do you have a day off sometime?" T'bit asked, glancing at Evan with a small smile. It had been far too long since he'd pulled himself out of his routine to actually open up to other people. "Ya know, to just hang out. I usually have some time free after fight days for R&R, but I could probably invite you into my gym too. I work out most days of the week," T'bit explained as they walked the dark sidewalk. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 9:44 pm
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T'bit held back chuckles as Evan wobbled and lightly bumped against him, wondering if all the alcohol had finally gone to the blond's head. The lionman did roll his eyes at the subject of tall, pale, and sharp-toothed though. "Oh, he's just my agent. He doesn't hang around in the city enough to be a proper manager, but Marcus does do a good job making sure the folks at the ring take decent care of my needs." And don't toss me out like a dead deer in the back alley if I loose, eventually. "He gets a small cut of my winnings, and checks up on my sometimes." Only because Gar asks him to, the idiot. The large male did smile a little at Evan, glad the subject changed. "Glad to make your work easier, though you've got quite the fanclub yourself at the bar. Though, how about ... Sunday next week?" Hearing the blond not actually able to give him a solid timetable to a day off did make the lionman realize Evan was likely to work himself to the ground if he didn't let himself rest at least once a week.
"My next match is Friday so I should be up to working out again by Sunday." Besides, the weeks-notice should give Evan enough time to free himself up for the afternoon. "You might want to take a full day off. Ya know, give yourself some real rest before having a work out, if you plan on doing more than just watching me?" The man grinned, moving to stretch/flex is arms in a sarcastic showing-off of his large frame.
The question of housing surprised T'bit, though it was oddly nice to know the other lived close-ish to where he did, if it was near the construction site. "Whoa, put down the guns," T'bit snickered at Evan's show of muscle. Sure, it wasn't small, but the blond was just a human. Even muscle couldn't protect one against fang and claw if it came down to it, though as far as T'bit knew there hadn't been any violent and animalistic murders in a good long while in this city. "Despite your clear show of force, I'd like to walk you home. For one, so I can know where to send the police if you do turn out to be a crazy stalker. For another, you're the only real fan I've got. If I loose you, I'll never have any hope of eventually getting a real fan club," T'bit sighed gustily, but teasingly. It was nice to just knock back jokes with someone, even if as Evan jabbered on and apologized, T'bit shook his head.
"Damn, Evan. When do you ever have time to feed yourself something besides alcohol? Sleeping and cleaning are important, but you need to feed yourself too! Look, how about before we go to the gym on Sunday we grab a couple of hamburgers someplace? Just so I can say I've actually seen you consume some sort of food to keep yourself going." The dark haired man walked with Evan all the way to the other's apartment building, despite the late hour. Knowing a guy like Marcus was strolling around at night was one of the bigger reasons T'bit escorted Evan home, agent or not. But moving through the bustling city nightlife without too much further incident had T'bit smiling as he waved good-bye to the blond. "You take care, and try to get some shut-eye," he chuckled, but stopped Evan a second, remembering something. "Hey, lets exchange numbers. Damn, nearly forgot. Won't do me much good to flag you down at work for you to tell me whether you can manage to make some free time in your busy schedule."
T'bit held out his cell phone (landline, as Marcus had said, currently 'disconnected' and laying in several plastic pieces on the floor of his living room somewhere beneath the dirty laundry, he figured) so they could exchange devices to type in their numbers. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:51 pm
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The blonde just listened about the red head, not really interested in the guy as a man but learning a bit about how T'bit worked was cool. Despite trying not to be a freaky fan he was getting a bit excited about the news and things he was getting to learn about the other. Sighing he chuckled a bit. "I'll find time to get off. Promise. And I'll be at your match too. I can take breaks when needed. I'm a good worker so getting off early or taking a longer break is cool with most of my bosses." Evan smiled. He honestly didn't see the error in working so much since he'd been doing it so long it barely phased him anymore.
Laughing at T'bit and his own gun show he shoved at the larger man. "Shut the hell up," he laughed again. "Ah, but a day off would be awesome... Hm? When as the last full day I had off?" Suddenly his feet stopped and he got a troubled look. "Ah.... I haven't had one in...... well I can't remember." Evan blinked and looked disturbed by that. "Well, I guess next sunday I'll be taking off for sure."
T'bit's comment about being a creepy stalker he flushed. "I won't be a creeper, swear!" Then he laughed at himself. "Sorry that makes me sound creepy," Evan said with a giggle. "But if I can I'll help get you a fan club. I'm sure some of the girl's from work would love to see your prowess in the ring~" the blonde teased.
"Ugh, please... I don't starve. I eat. I do. I just... do it at odd hours." Evan said and ran his hand into his hair and pouted a bit. "But sure, but it's your treat that day," he winked and they continued on. His neighborhood wasn't run down but it wasn't top class. It was a neat few blocks of apartment buildings and a small corner store. Just as he was about to jog off the last bit the bruiser stopped him. "OH. Sure, hang out," pulling out his phone he exchanged numbers with the fighter and grinned. "Cool. I'll call if I can't make it or whatever. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get the day off and I'll leave a message for the temp agency that I won't be taking jobs that day." Smiling and shoving his phone into his back pocket he gave the other a flirty smile. "Then I'll see you Sunday for our 'date'~" Laughing he twirled around and went onto his door waving at the other before making sure he was off before closing and locking up his door.
Once again he did his strip and shower. This time though he ate something before going to bed. Somehow he felt lighter that night and slept pretty well. When he got up the day seemed to sped by too. In fact his mood was high so by friday he was happy to take off early to go to the ring. He'd managed to get all of Sunday off and Monday morning too. In fact he was planning on using a bit of his saved up money to bet on T'bit today, completely sure the man would bring it in for a win. Not only that but every now and then during the week the other popped in to see him at the bar. It was pretty cool even if the larger man didn't walk him home ever time just getting to chat with him was enough.
Arriving this time alone he shoved to the bookie and placed his bet on T'bit's round then got as close to ring seats as he could. This could be a guilty pleasure every now and then. Biting his lip he waited anxiously for T'bit to come out so he could scream a good luck for him. This was turning out to be a rather surprising sport for him. |
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