[center][h2]Evening in Esaka II[/h2]
[color=D34C25]Primrose[/color] & Ms. Fortune
[sup][@Yankee][@Lugubrious][/sup]
Word Count: 4225 (+5 exp)[/center]
The cantina's combination of modern convenience and sensibility with its rustic, more familiar aesthetic was something Primrose could appreciate. The earlier conversation with Nadia still lingered in her mind, but for now, she was more than content to play a pair of wealthy ladies looking for fun together with her friend. As a way to show she wasn't among those who would spurn Nadia's money making ways (which, to be fair, had never really been in question) Primrose accepted the feral's offer to treat her. The dancer's choices were a modest plate of spiced potatoes, peppers, and sausage in a thin red sauce, along with a glass of wine - and a small plate of garlic shrimp to share, before the entrees arrived. Not the only thing they'd split, since the drink Ms. Fortune ended up ordering was large enough for a whole table, let alone just two diners and a smug pup.

[color=D34C25]"If you insist,"[/color] Primrose laughed when Nadia asked for help with it. Since it seemed as though she may not get a chance to perform tonight, she didn't mind. She had definitely planned to give dancing there a go, perhaps make a few coins and get a cover for staying in Esaka, but she also didn't mind being entertained rather than being the entertainment... though bloodsport was not her first choice. 

Still, she sat back and turned her attention to the center of the room, a little caught up in Nadia and the other patrons' excitement. Given everything she'd already seen in the world she wouldn't have been surprised if the King of Dinosaurs was in fact a dinosaur, but as the fighters squared up she noticed that was not actually the case. She glanced over at Nadia then, amused.

[color=D34C25]"Which pair are you rooting for? I'm partial to the one with the man dressed in that lizard costume myself."[/color]

Nadia nodded. “Yeah, I’m with ya! I don’t know what it is about those kinds of wrestlers, but I love the spirit of it.” That said, the luchadore’s partner was a little bland for her taste, and their opponents weren’t without their charms. Something told Nadia to keep her eyes on the frizzy-haired, surly-looking one. She tried not to worry too much about the ethics of the exhibition and just focus on the thrilling spectacle, though she knew that things could get ugly between gleaming competitors. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

Of course, Esaka fighters were no strangers to how combat tended to go, so there seemed to be some precautions in place. While the organizers briefly went over the rules, Nadia’s attention drifted to the newly-arrived food. She eagerly sampled the clams and other appetizers, making sure to dote upon her new canine companion, but she kept the bulk of her attention on perhaps her most daunting opponent yet: the Forbidden Fruit watermelon sangria. Her regenerative abilities made her a real heavyweight when it came to drinking, able to withstand a lot more booze than the average woman, but she was not without her limits. Tonight, the massive cocktail she’d ordered would be putting the Life Gem to the test. Her first few gulps, sweet and fresh without any discernible alcoholic burn, were deceptive; it would only be a matter of time before she began to feel the effects.

A moment later, the tag-team clash began. As one might expect, the showy King of Dinosaurs took center stage first, and against him the other duo fielded Gerelt. They met in a storm of muscle and metal, and the applause and cheers quickly gave way to an elegant, yet upbeat Spanish pasodoble, the duelists’ face-off elevated by the mix of acoustic guitar, vigorous drums, and dramatic violin in ways Nadia wouldn’t have thought possible. Once the action really kicked off, she could scarcely look away, so it was fortunate her drink came with a long straw.

Both men possessed a great deal of skill, while also showcasing very different skillsets. As with any grappler, the King of Dinosaurs wanted to get as close as possible to ensnare the opposition with brutal, theatrical grabs. Nobody knew this better than Franco Gerelt, of course, and his strategy spoke volumes to his experience. He kept his distance, poking and punishing his foe with the speed and reach of his rapier. Lithe and unerringly precise, the man in red darted around the King of Dinosaurs like a matador with a bull. Neither specialized in long combos, so their battle became a delicate dance of spacing.

At first, things looked bad for luchador fans like Nadia, since the King of Dinosaurs seemed to have a huge disadvantage. The big man had seen his fair share of zoners, though, and he fought back with more calculated cunning than his larger-than-life persona might suggest. He approached carefully and tirelessly as he alternated between blocks and walks, never losing his cool even as Gerelt cleverly changed up his timing to score hits. When the King of Dinosaurs did get in, he made it count with bombastic grabs like Dyna Bomb and Zetsumetsu Hurricane, a flying, spinning pile driver. The first time he actually managed to make it through Gerelt’s offense and land that grab, Nadia joined in on the cheering. Against all odds, the King of Dinosaurs definitely had this in the bag!

Or so the crowd thought. Gerelt had proven himself to be a nimble fighter despite the heavy-looking armor he wore, and not only did he swiftly recover from being made to eat the tavern floor but he did so by lifting himself into handstand (on just one hand!) and spinning, using his glowing weapon to sweep the dino-cosplayer off of his feet. Gerelt was back on his a moment later, taking his fighting stance with one hand on his hip and his sword leveled at his challenger once more. The move earned a swell of gleeful shouts from the cantina's patrons, and when Dinosaur stood up and roared to show he wasn't beaten, another round of cheers rippled through the building.

Primrose had yet to cheer aloud herself, instead just enjoying the dinner and a show. Throughout the match she glanced at the two combatants' partners, who both stood on opposite sides of the caged in area where they could, she assumed, be tagged in at any time. The girl who'd introduced them even said as much. Of course, Primrose doubted that once the fighting was underway that any participant would be willing or able to tag out. If one were to fall, would their partner step in right then or would a new match with the fresh pair begin? They'd be finding out soon enough, as the first bout was nearing a victor.

Gerelt's elegant fighting style meant more sweeping strokes of his rapier, quick stabs and flowing dodges, and more bravado as the King of Dinosaurs began to slow down. He side stepped one of the luchador's charges and paused to clap his hands together, baiting the other man to try it again. When the muscular tyrannosaur-headed fighter turned and barreled towards him just as planned, Gerelt hit him with a few rapid strikes head on that sent Dinosaur to the ground. He landed heavy on his front, seemingly dazed. The audience and even the MC looked ready to declare a winner, until the King of Dinosaurs bit down on Gerelt's calf from his prone state and surged upward, tossing the armored man into the air with a loud battle cry. Primrose blinked in surprise. Was that head not just an elaborate mask after all...?! 

While Gerelt twisted to regain some control in the air during his fall, below him Dinosaur ran to meet him where he was about to land. The luchador shifted into a shoulder charge and crashed into Gerelt, slamming the red-clad man into the wall of the cage near the two Seekers. The impact rattled Gerelt, and once the King of Dinosaurs stepped back the mustachioed matador couldn't support his own weight, falling hard to his knees. After a moment-long dramatic hush fell over the diners, they came back to life with both shouts of praise and boos that seemed to appeal more to the costumed combatant. 

"Wahahaha! It's common sense that you can't beat a dinosaur!" He roared, raising his arms to flex his muscles. 

"Epa! What an upset!" The MC said over her microphone, her voice cheerful and just as excited as the audience's.

Though things had gone back to looking dicey for a few moments, Nadia was delighted by the outcome. It had been a welcome surprise when the King of Dinosaurs actually put his supposed mask’s fanged maw to use after all; maybe he really was more monster than man. Gerelt certainly had a share of appreciators, but it seemed like the patrons here were eating up the luchador’s come-from-behind victory, with a lot more folks in the grappler’s camp than the zoner’s. While people generally did like rooting for an underdog, Nadia knew there was more to it than that. To an extent she felt the same way; compared to the reliable but repetitious skillset of the zoner, who spectators often perceived as being much less skilled than they were, who didn’t want to see a wrestler weather the storm and land a sensational grab? Nadia couldn’t help but wonder, though, if these onlookers had the same hands-on experience with grapplers that she did. Those so-called heroic, hard-working underdogs could be unabashed war criminals too!

During the brief lull Nadia looked down to discover that her food had arrived at some point while she’d been engrossed in the fight. “Wow, that was fast!” Of course, even if that first round lasted fifteen minutes she might not have noticed. With the second round poised to begin, however, she quickly stuffed her mouth with her meal and then washed it down with sangria, not even really taking the time to savor what she’d ordered. Not a moment too soon, the bells went off to signify the explosive start of round two, with both previous fighters substituted out for their tag-team partners. With the match-up between Jose and Miguel less obvious at a glance than their more archetypal predecessors’, it was time to see what these two could do.

Miguel came out swinging, quickly approaching with an odd, stuttering dash-dance before closing the last bit of distance with a wild string of lunge punches. He made no bones about his fighting style, that being the all-out offense of a back-alley brawler, undisciplined but brutal. Though his exaggerated wind-ups and follow-throughs left a handful of openings, his sheer speed and strength made exploiting them difficult, and that wasn’t all. Even in the arena Miguel practically oozed braggadocio, interspersing his attacks with taunts meant to keep his opponent guessing and chip away at his mental.

His opponent was not a man to be taken lightly, though. Pepe Rodriguez favored kicks to Miguel’s punches, preferring to fight from a little farther away. He also possessed a bright, upbeat demeanor that contrasted his foe’s churlish aggression. A sunny outlook wasn’t the ace up the shirtless young man’s metaphorical sleeve, though. After Pepe managed to take his turn back from Miguel and push him back with a handful of quick wind kicks, he followed up with a low dash into an upward gut punch cloaked in crackling electricity. Miguel did not look anywhere near as surprised as Nadia did, though, and after toughing out the blockstun he leaped up and forward to deliver a flying punch to Pepe’s face. His disadvantage gave Pepe the time, however, to jump up, snatch him with his legs, and flip him to the ground in an impressive Frankensteiner airgrab.

“Whoa,” Nadia remarked, her voice a touch loopier than usual as her sangria began to kick in. “Guess this guy’s saucier than he looks…”

Primrose nodded in agreement, though her friend wouldn't see it as fixated on the battle as she was. 

One bad exchange wasn’t enough to discourage Miguel, though. When Pepe tried to continue his offense, the brawler cut his blockstring short with a brain-rattling quick double punch that knocked his foe on his back, and Miguel added insult to injury with an upward snap kick that rolled Pepe over backward. He followed up with a furious assault of high and low punches, quickly pushing Pepe toward the edge of their arena. Between the electric Mexican and pissed-off Spaniard, Nadia had no idea who to root for–she just hooted and hollered indiscriminately, her allegiance changing at a moment’s notice.

The men kept up the momentum, trading punches, kicks, knees and elbows as they fought for every inch their opponent might give them. As the battle kept on, Primrose eventually followed the lead of the other patrons and joined in with a few words of encouragement thrown the fighters' way - mostly Pepe's. It was unlikely her voice could even be heard over the cheering, the band, or the sounds of the match itself, but it was fun. In the back of her mind she noted how the fighters, and their partners from the previous match, moved; it may have been obvious to anyone steeped in this kind of martial arts culture but for her, an outsider, it hadn't been as clear before then just how different a hand-to-hand master was in a one on one fight versus the sort of warriors she was used to. Even the duels in Victors Hollow from her home world couldn't compare. And these were the kinds of people that the Seekers were going to go face to face with over the next few days... would they really be alright?

Well, even if they all got knocked out then the group could try something else. Still, she kept the mental image of the martial artists' movements as best she could for tomorrow, even though she wouldn't be one of the Seekers competing. She wasn't sure if any of it would actually help, but it couldn't hurt either.

The second round ended with a decisive string of vicious strikes from the home team's rep. Though Pepe landed a roundhouse kick and sent static electricity coursing through the connection point, Miguel withstood it with grit teeth and lunged forward to trap his opponent in a shoulder lock. He delivered two strikes to Jose's back and abdomen at the same time with a knee and his free fist before shoving the other man away and lurching forward in an unsteady looking stance. When Jose recovered and moved in to interrupt whatever it was Miguel had planned, the Spaniard crouched into a heavy uppercut that caught the dragon-blessed fighter by surprise - followed by a straight punch to the chest and twisting backhand. As the fist struck his face Pepe staggered backward. He fought to remain standing for a few moments before he dropped flat onto his back.

Once more the patrons shouted their pleasure while Miguel cracked the joints in his neck. [i]"Te vas de gratis."[/i]

"Awww, Pepe!" The woman announcer Pupa said as she slapped a hand to her forehead dramatically. Clearly she had a favorite between the two competitors. She clicked her tongue and shook her head, then took the mic in hand once more. "It's one for Team México, one for Team Espanha! There's a lot more to go after a quick break, you won't want to miss it!"

The noise level in the dining room hardly lessened once the break started; if anything once the cheering stopped and the conversation started, excited discussions mixed with friendly debates, it seemed as though the tavern was livelier than before as the four fighters got patched up and ready for the next round.

Primrose had clapped politely at the end of the match, only mildly let down that her favored fighter lost, then turned back to their table. She's been taking her time while eating, though her own meal was near finished. She'd also been pacing herself with the drinks, as it was a little awkward to scoop the sangria into her glass whenever she emptied it, unlike Nadia across from her. Primrose placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin in her folded hands as she smiled at her friend's flushed face. [color=D34C25]"Having fun, I take it?"[/color]

“Oh yeah~” Nadia was already full, both of food and of liquor, and sadly the watermelon wasn’t anywhere close to empty. Her lapdog had polished off more than his fair share as well, and now lay at the feet of the catgirl’s chair, sprawled out and sleepy. Though Nadia herself fared a little better, it wouldn’t take much more drinking to leave her wiped out as well. After a few moments another round in the tag team’s best-of-ten got underway, but with the novelty slightly diminished, Nadia wasn’t quite so enraptured. She watched idly, allowing the spectacle to fade into the background as she relaxed in her chair. It had been a long day of running both to and all around Esaka, with a couple heists and no shortage of fights sprinkled in, so the feral was pretty gassed. As her alcohol-induced haze thickened, she sunk into the brain fog like steam in a sauna, warmly and gently enveloping her as existential thoughts drifted away. It reminded her of the peace she’d sought after returning to Limsa Lominscuttle Town from Carcass Isle, though that night had been far, far more grueling. Hopefully the World of Light had no more surprises in store like the dreadful Maw or that nightmarish Beach.

After a few moments Nadia’s eyes slid open. For a brief moment she considered another go at the watermelon, but she stopped herself when her eyes settled on Primrose. She didn’t want to get so drunk that her wellbeing became her friend’s problem. Her instincts, honed by a childhood spent scrounging streets and never knowing when her next meal might come, urged her to drink and devour every last morsel, but she’d come a long way since then and knew that it would be smarter to practice a little temperance for a change. She smiled. “Man…those puh…poor Lost Numbers. They don’t know what they’re missin’ out on, hidin’ up in the Avenger all day long…I know it’s risky for ‘em, but there’s more to life than survival, y’know…”

Primrose hummed in general agreement. She really should be the last person to talk about there being more to life than 'x,' but every now and then she did at least stop for a little fun, like now. Ultimately though there seemed to be little choice for the Lost Numbers though; it would be too dangerous to live in a city still under the Consuls' control, but equally as dangerous to live in one outside of it in case Moebius came looking to reclaim it. The dancer also didn't want to bring up the "after" even if it was to suggest the Lost Numbers would probably have more fulfilling lives once everything was over, on the off chance it triggered more despair about the potential future. 

She still had her filter, but after a moment Primrose realized she was taking longer than normal to reply to Nadia, so she mentioned one of the first things that popped into her head after that. [color=D34C25]"We'll have to bring some of the spectacle to them. Hm... maybe not the cage matches, but perhaps a keg or two, or..."[/color]

Nadia brightened up immediately. “OH! That’s a great idea! I could steal ‘em some booze to liven things up a li’l, heheh…” She blinked a couple times, then shook her head and did an offhanded facepalm. “I mean, or just buy them, I guess! Not used to havin’ money. Probably too…uh, sloshed, heh, to steal anythin’ anyhow…”

Primrose chuckled. [color=D34C25]"Honestly either way works, but it doesn't have to be tonight."[/color] 

Though if they wanted to stay on the cantina staff's good side, a purchase would definitely be preferable. Primrose then recalled that they'd been given free reign to decorate their borrowed quarters on the ship, but maybe they could deck out one of the shared living spaces every now and then for some parties to liven things up. Primrose knew it wouldn't be the same as experiencing it for themselves, but until the world at large was safer it couldn't be helped.

Primrose glanced back at the stage on one side of the room, where the band continued playing the mood-setting theme for the night's main event. [color=D34C25]"I'm sure we could even convince a musician to come along and put on a show~"[/color]

A thoughtful look crossed the catgirl’s face for perhaps the first time ever. “Hey, maybe. Now thatcha mention it…kinda weird there’s no musicians on the team. Right? What’s life without a li’l music? Boring, so boring.” She narrowed her eyes as she scratched her chin. “Y’know, I’m startin’ to think…” A few seconds passed by in relative silence. She pursed and unpursed her lips, then sighed. “Nah, false alarm.” With a giggle she laid her head down on her arms, her eyes closed once more.

[color=D34C25]"We have Detective Band I suppose,"[/color] Primrose said with a tilt of her head. She wasn't entirely sure if the man counted, though. The dancer waited for Nadia to continue her thought, even after the cat burglar seem poised to slip into a nap. She didn't mind the companionable silence really, not that it was anywhere near silent in the tavern, but after a few more seconds she ended up asking, [color=D34C25]"what is it?"[/color]

And then it was few seconds more before Primrose caught on that the phrasing might have been one of Nadia's many jokes. The delayed realization and the joke itself threatened to draw a rather undignified snort of laughter from the once-noblewoman, though she tired stifling it with a hand raised to her mouth and an [color=D34C25]"Oh."[/color]

The catgirl snickered. “Nyeheheh. Sounds like ya got it. I uh…did forget about Band, actually. Never heard him play, though…” A loud crash drew her attention toward the arena, where the King of Dinosaurs had just landed a Zetsumetsu Hurricane against Miguel to win a slobberknocker of a match, amidst the uproar of the crowd. That put the tag teams’ score at 5-4, favoring the Spaniards, which meant the exhibition was down to a climactic final match. Nadia pushed herself up and rubbed her eyes awake, surprised that Miguel and Gerelt had scored so many rounds in what felt like a short time. Then again, time always flew when having fun.

She watched as Pepe and Gerelt fought the final bout, a contest of spacing and skill rather than raw strength and tenacity. With his rapier, Gerelt expertly warded off the worst of Pepe’s thunderbolts and struck back with well-placed thrusts, but Pepe gave as good as he got with energetic kicking combos that seemed to dilate time as a red aura filled the area. In the end, it came down to a final scramble as Gerelt, disarmed and on his last legs, had to fight unscathed for almost thirty seconds as he wore the healthier Pepe down to his level, then finally seized victory with a throw. The crowd practically erupted in favor of the home team, and money traded hands as celebratory cervezas appeared.

Nadia clapped along with everyone else, but she was very tired at this point. While the night air outside and the crisp, pleasant smell of rain-soaked earth could clear her head a little, it was clear she needed to get moving now if she meant to pass out in a bed tonight. She paid for her and Primrose’s meals out of her ill-gotten gains and got ready to go. After finishing the last of what was in her cup and nudging the dog Yappy gently awake, who true to his name let out a few high pitched barks that blended in with the celebratory mood in the cantina, Primrose moved to join Ms. Fortune. 

As they left the dancer made sure to catch the attention of some members of the staff, smiling, winking, and waving at them so that hers would be a familiar face to them in the near future. The possibility of dancing for tips on a slow night combined with the less-than-legal betting on Esaka's tournament series meant that Mesón De Las Flores would be a good option to keep in mind for money making while the other Seekers were embroiled in their battles up the brackets. Though Primrose would be sure to catch a few matches in person to support Nadia and the others, of course.

Once they were back out on the streets of Esaka, Primrose breathed in the night air and then curled her arm, holding it out towards Nadia in an offer to link arms. Tressa would often do the same on the way back to whatever inn the Travelers were staying at for the night, and Primrose had grown to appreciate the gesture. 

[color=D34C25]"I'll treat you next time,"[/color] she said by way of thanks. [color=D34C25]"For now though, shall we head back, Ms. actual fortune?"[/color]

Laughing, Nadia playfully accepted the arm to lean on. She didn’t think she was drunk enough to stumble and fall flat on her face, but it never hurt to be sure. “You’re the boss, Rosey!”

Primrose let out a puff of a sigh at the nickname, but she let it slide with a small smile. Together the two women sauntered down the road back towards Banishing Flats, ready to turn in for the night.