Friday 6:50 PM - The Centerpoints Park - Meteor Festival
After Pris had treated him to a frozen ant shake, they made their way to another park. This one was much cleaner than Kado and more populated. There were vendor stands, large crowds, statues of large creatures San had never seen before, and what looked like a large platform with a lot of animals putting it together.
"Did we come at a bad time?"
"What? Why would we have come at a bad time, it's...it's the Meteor Festival."
"Meteor Festival?" He asked, confused.
"Oh, come on, you've never heard of the Meteor Festival?" He really is out of the loop.
"What, is it like the Day of Depravity?"
Pris slammed her head into her palm.
"No, it's not a turf war! It's when the town celebrates our ancestors, the dinosaurs, who all died when a large meteor crashed into the earth. It's a big festival that happens every year, some of the schools come down for the decorating and hosts a big performance on the stage over there. Usually some bigwig school has been chosen a few years in a row, Cherryton I think.
"So, you knew about this place?" He asked in awe. "It's amazing."
"You know... I had really thought you said yes last week because I thought maybe you might want to go!" She said trying to hold in her laughter.
The festival was something else, to him it almost felt like the crowded Back Alley Marketplace or the packed arena, however the mixture of herbivores with carnivores still felt alien to him. Usually people like this would be haggling over prime body parts or guts in bags, but here they were interacting with the same people they would be buying. And tame or not, it was just weird seeing how friendly everyone was to each other. He usually only had brief glimpses of this when they visited the general store or the shops outside the market.
Despite the uneasiness, San was able to enjoy himself. Priscilla was his guide and she explained everything from the dinosaur statues, to history of the festival, to even the lighting of the candles to honor the fallen dinosaurs. She even treated him to the nice cuisine that was prepared for visitors. After the two had found a secluded table, San however couldn't help but keep looking towards Priscilla's coat. He nibbled on his fried banana as she ate pan-fried teriyaki tofu rolls. His eyes darted back and forth, from his plate to her fur. It still fascinated him how she was white last week and now grey. It wasn't long before she noticed.
"What?" she asked a tad bit peeved.
He tried to play it off as nothing, but he knew he was caught. He had sipped the last of his tomato juice before he returned his glance. "So, if you don't mind me asking. Um... can i ask more about your fur?"
"Really?!" She asked, a bit peeved as she narrowed her eyes at him "I told you that it changes with the seasons. It's natural." She said angrily scarfing her tofu.
"Well, you mentioned inheriting something from both your father and mother separately. Can I ask what your parents were like?"
Priscilla stopped mid chew and stared at him. The silence Priscilla gave San weighed down on him like an anchor of guilt. Shit, that definitely was a landmine. He thought. She's going to kill me! I just know it. I shouldn't have asked it like that!
Priscilla glared at the llama, studying him before speaking her mind. "Usually when people ask me or my girls about their parentage, they just mean to ridicule us. So, you'll understand that I'm hesitant to answer that question." She took another bite of her teriyaki and looked at him again. After shaking her head frustrated, she relented. She knew there was a sense of naivete and sincerity on the young llama's face. Besides what's the harm, she thought.
"You don't mean anything by it, I'm just being a little too defensive. You're like just a curious little kitten."
"S-I didn't mean to upset you, I am just curious." He stammered, trying not to say sorry. "Tell you the truth I can't really talk about my parents either, I never knew 'em that much."
"Let me guess, the market orphan? " She asked in a matter-of-fact tone, as if she had been expecting him to say that.
"Yeah." He replied, finding it a bit odd.
She let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes. "Great another one of those stories." She groaned, resting her head on the table.
San frowned a bit at her doubts. "It's true! I never knew my people when they sold me."
Pris looked a bit remorseful after he said that. "That was probably too rash of me, it's just...well.. you kind of expect horrible shit coming from the market."
"You see... a lot of the guys I date, always try to get the sympathy fuck with some sob story. People's parents were eaten. They ran away from home. They got kidnapped. They just were poor and started selling body parts to survive...it's typical most of the time. And usually it's bullshit and that shit got old when I was 19. So, I'm afraid I'm a little leery about the validity of orphan stories when I hear them most of the time."
"Well my parents sold me as livestock when I was young and I got a tattoo on my foot if you want proof." San said with furrowed brows.
"Oh? Is that right?" That raised her brow, not many would bluff about such a thing.
"I can show you right now." He said, reaching down to untie his shoe. 'You want me to just slap my leg up on the table?"
She just shook her head and raised her hand, trying to stop him. "No, just swing it under. We're eating here. We're not savages."
Once finished, San extended his foot into view where she could see it. There it was plain as day, a large black 3 character stenciled into the arch of his foot.
"Livestock huh...makes sense why you're so attractive when you think about it."
"Huh?" He asked puzzled, his tall ears wagging curious as to what she meant.
"Y'know, they wouldn't have really taken you if you weren't quality meat after all, if not that they probably fed you the right amount of nutrients to keep you in shape."
"Oh, I don't know about that, remember me and Kyuu never got sold when you think about it." He said putting his shoe back on.
"Probably because they had you at a high price, given you lasted so long. Higher quality goes for a high price. If you were a cheap product you would have sold for cheap. At least that's how my aunt ran her business."
"Well, that's a confidence boost, I guess. You're dating high quality meat Ahaha!"
"There you go with that barrier again trying to play off horrible stuff. I'm not going to get ya now, but maybe later." She said playfully.
He took a bite of his fried banana and leaned over unafraid of her playful threat. "We'll see." He said chewing, echoing back to her statement from earlier.
"Oh! I like this confident side of you. Probably make it more satisfying when I break it." She said tapping her nails into the table. Then a thought popped in her head. "Oh...I just got your names! Your name is San like three and her name is Kyuu like nine. Wow...so is it like an 'owning up to it' thing?"
San smiled, but didn't want to lie. "No. More like we had nothing else to think of really, we were always called by our numbers and we couldn't speak properly anyway at the time when we came up with 'em'."
She nibbled on one of her tofu-bites and scratched under her chin.
"Go figure, well now I really feel like an ass for ridiculing your story earlier, livestock is pretty heavy, practically slavery. Makes more sense why you were so concerned when we first met."
"It's okay. It is typical in the Market like you said." He said.
"Can't say I'm no stranger to that business San, why people like you go through hellholes like that and I also profit from other people's suffering just through that dreadful arena alone. I'm surprised you don't hate us or me."
San just dryly smiled at her. "Well, I'm not mad at you in particular, plus you treat us pretty well so there's that. Besides I've had many years for that anger to fade and there's no point. Our captors are long gone. My parents are long gone. If I met 'em now or did anything to them, what would that get me?" He asked.
"You realize that life, it's not always a clean deal anyway. Some people are just dealt a bad hand. I mean Kyuu a few months back told me that 'life isn't fair.' I think she was right about that somewhat."
"Yeah...maybe." Priscilla said as she scarfed down her last Tofu bite. She cocked her head at him, intrigued as to see where he was going with this.
San leaned forward and rested his head on his knuckles. "But I also feel like it's up to you to make it through this mess despite what obstacles get put in your way. I mean if that's the case... why worry so much and make yourself too scared to take risks?"
Sigh...He's still a bit naive. She thought.
"Like there is always danger and I'm not saying outright ignore it, but if death is so near and life so short anyway, might as well try to enjoy it and take the risks you feel good about, right?"
"Huh. When did you become a preacher?" She said picking her fangs in casual fashion. What he was saying was a bit too naive for her taste, but it still was an interesting take for her.
San closed his eyes and smiled. "Well it's the reason I said yes." He said. "Y'know when you asked me? You were the first person I really felt any attraction to and well I knew you were a carnivore, but you seemed nice enough despite your rough exterior. I deemed you a risk worth taking. Ahaha!"
The young vixen couldn't help but laugh at the llama.
"Fine then. My old man, was a sailor from up north, Arctic Fox. Mother was a white furred Red Fox, she was his favorite prostit...well, she was a working girl for the Inarigumi, back when males were running the show. They saw each other a lot and eventually when I came along, he bailed. I don't know if he had a family elsewhere or he wasn't up to raising some kit from a whore, either way that was the last we saw of him. My mother moved on and she raised me while working her way up in the Inarigumi. She got clipped later in a turf war when I was young. Been in this life ever since." She took a deep breath. "There. I took a risk like you said."
"So, you really are a hybrid?" He asked with childlike fascination.
"YES! And I shouldn't have to care what anyone thinks of it! I'm still a person damn it!" She exclaimed defensively.
"No, I agree. Just like I am a person. Just because you are mixed or I was raised solely to be someone's meal, it doesn't change that we are people, just like everyone else. We wouldn't be where we are now if we just remained in the same place society set for us."
"Hmph...You know for someone uneducated; you got a good head on that long neck of yours. Here I was thinking you were just a nice cute face."
San actually took the compliment and smiled at her. She returned his smile, but her face became really serious soon after. "Still though, your logic is a bit flawed. I get what you mean, but I feel like you in particular are still a long way from a better life." She said pointing a chopstick at him. "I mean you are still in the back alley and you're still living off the scraps that I give you. You are surviving, but you could probably do a lot more like if you ditched that psycho cue-ball you hang out with. You could probably make something of yourself."
"Well, I'm here with you at least. A date with a beautiful female. That's something for a former livestock animal."
Priscilla smiled. "That's true, I guess. But that's not exactly what I mean."
"Also, you meant Kyuu, when you said cue-ball right?"
She laughed at her own pun. "Yeah."
San sighed and shook his head. "I can't deny she hasn't been a real pain lately."
"Lately? Honey you can't tell me a little bag of trouble like Flopsy hasn't always been a liability."
"Liability?" He asked confused, though he felt he knew what she meant.
"A burden." She simplified.
"Oh... oh, I see. I guess."
"Seriously why don't you coach like a real fighter? I can tell you got the talent of a good corner man. Why don't you get a job at a gym or something? Work your way up from that? Why stick with her?" She gestured.
"She's all that I got really. When we were little, we made a pact with one of our livestock friends. We'd always be together... till the day we get eaten."
He let out a soft chuckle, remembering the time they were allowed out of their cells.
"Kinda ridiculous now that you think about it. It wasn't long after our friend was taken from us anyway, kicking and screaming. Never to be seen again. Till then just been us ever since."
"Yeah that's...that's pretty heavy." As sad as it was, it was pretty comforting to Priscilla to hear about someone else's struggle. She really pitied him, maybe she could offer him a way out once that rabbit's luck ran out.
"I can relate really," She said. "I've lost many of my sisters over the years, you know the crushing nature of this life we live. I got someone too that's practically inseparable from me as well. Been there since day one and we watched each other's backs. So I know how you feel about...her. The desire to look out for someone that stuck with you through hell. However while my sis' can be pretty wild, she at the very least isn't a liability. She knows when to not make a scene or start shit. Your rabbit however seems to stay with a stick up her ass 24/7. It rubs people the wrong way."
"Well it's how you get when you have to fight to survive." He said, defending his friend. "When you are born so soft and weak, you need to create your own rough and tough exterior so you don't get crushed underfoot."
"Yeah, but you've had to have gone through the same thing she has and you're not a jerk like her! Not that I can tell at least."
"Well something happened when we were younger and now, she never truly trusts anyone anymore, especially me now..."
"What because you are on a date with me? That's her loss-" Priscilla's eyes darted away and San caught it too. San sniffed the air, something warned him and he moved out of the way just in time as a male red fox rushed over and sat down in his seat across from Priscilla. He appeared to be a student from the way he was dressed in his blue uniform and pinstriped pants.
"Well hello, beautiful. Haven't seen you around these parts before." The intruding fox said, trying to sweet talk. Pris didn't know who this guy was, but she didn't appreciate him just hopping in to their table.
"Who the hell do you think you are?" She asked.
"I'm just the next best thing girl. Let me talk to you for a minute." He said with a smile while brushing the hair atop his head back trying to seem suaver than he actually was. Who the fuck is this guy with these corny pick-up lines? Priscilla thought.
"Hey could you move, that was my seat." San asked, trying to be polite.
"Yeah it was your seat. So?" The fox retorted looking at San with contempt.
"It means get the fuck up clown!" Priscilla answered.
"Hey come on, we can ignore this guy or go to another table if you like. I just want to talk to you." The fox continued on.
"You're much too immature for my tastes." Pris said trying to make it clear she wasn't interested.
"Look babe, if it's a college thing or something, we can work around that. I'm a third year at Cherryton and I'm well off. I can get into any college I want next year. Just tell me where you are studying at."
"What? Is that supposed to impress me? How about you split before I chew you up and spit out the bones." She said flicking her chopstick in his face. She didn't want to just threaten him, but there were too many witnesses about for her to handle him her own way. But they weren't in the market, and the last thing needed now is get the Inarigumi in a police investigation.
"Excuse me, she doesn't want to talk to you, so please stop harassing her." San said, a bit annoyed.
The fox didn't even acknowledge him as he continued to try and woo Priscilla with his lacking charisma. "Come on babe, we can light the candles later, wouldn't that be romantic huh?"
"I said no , now back off jackass." A low growl could be heard in her voice and her snout began to noticeably wrinkle.
"C'mon don't be like that. Just a few drinks or something."
This fucking jackass, Pris thought as she stood up and cracked her knuckles.
"Do I look like I want to play with you piss ant?" Pris's face twisted more and more violent as she started baring her fangs. "Move the fuck on or I'll gut you."
"Oooh spicy. C'mon... you're just being difficult. You really don't want to hang out with me?" The stubborn male insisted.
San read the situation well and had gotten up to confront the interloper. While an herbivore, he still was taller than the fox and his species naturally heavier. Sometimes just being bigger could be enough. "She said no. Now take a hint and lea-."
No... don't get yourself hurt., Priscilla thought to herself not wanting him to get hurt because she couldn't act.
The fox didn't even let him finish before casually trying to shoo him away. "How about you take a hint, Oatmeal. I'm busy here. You can have your stupid seat back when I'm done talking your friend."
I'm going to kill him; I'm going to fucking kill him, Priscilla fumed as all thoughts of restraint started eroding away. She looked around to make sure no one else was around, before she tried her other ways of making this punk leave. She didn't want to make too much of a scene, the cops could be patrolling the area. One had to be careful in the city especially after last year's festival where a rabbit was kidnapped.
"Please don't bother I got this honey." She told San, while glaring utter death at the rude fox, who still couldn't take a hint.
San however was determined to correct this problem as he loomed behind the fox with a determined look. The cheerful persona she was accustomed to had vanished completely, now replaced by a scowl that looked more at home on the surly rabbit. He had suffered enough that this guy's attitude and was about to do something rash. She, herself had to do something now, he was going to get hurt and plus she wanted to teach this bastard a lesson herself.
"She said leave!" The llama shouted.
The jerk finally turned to face San and threatened him. "That's it. I swear if you don't get the fuck out of here 'Grass Munch' or I'm going to bite your fucking throat out!" He yelled, jabbing his arm out, poking his claw into the llama's chest. However San didn't flinch or back down. Instead he just looked at the canid's arm, studying it.
"Don't talk to my boyfriend like that!" She yelled in his defense. Boyfriend? She asked herself. Fuck did I say?
"Boyfriend?!" The fox exclaimed.
His arm is exposed. San observed. Alright you want to be rude. He thought. Here we go.
The fox had given San all he needed to take him down. In quick succession, the llama hooked his own hand under the male's arm, forced the fox's arm behind him and gripped the back of his neck. The fox was in total shock, as he found himself shoved to the ground with San on top of him shoving his snout into the dirt.
"Who's eating grass now, huh?" San spoke into his ear as he held him down.
Priscilla had reached into her purse for her Beretta, but it was over so quickly. She was in shock by how fast everything had escalated and de-escalated. His technique shocked her the most. That was like a police take down, she observed, her jaw slacked as she saw the helpless herbivore hold the fox down.
The fox tried to force his subduer off, but llama weighed a lot more than he did. San kept him pinned to ground as his weight pressed into his spine. With the fox fully immobilized, San held his arm in place with both hands.
"You're going to say you're sorry." San told the male as he held him down.
"Get the *cough* fuck off me *cough* I'll bite you! I swear!" The move had happened so fast that the fox didn't even have time to react and move his arm from under him. Now his arm was pressed into his chest and it was hard for his lungs to expand. *cough* You bastard! *cough* Get off of me! I-I can't...breathe!"
"I'll let you up, but you have to promise to leave." San stated.
"Fine...Fine. Get off. Get off!" The fox cried frantically, trying to get some leeway.
San removed his knee and yanked the fox to his feet by his arm. "Alright. I'm going to let you go, but first apologize."
"You herbivores are always trying to put us down." The fox muttered. He didn't intend to let this slide, he quickly turned and attacked San. "You idiot, give me your neck!" He growled as he rushed San.
However, it only took San seconds to see an opening and exploit the weakness of the fox's attack. His stride. He reacted instantly, tripping the young fox with a kick aimed at the fox's ankle. The fox yelped as he stumbled right into San, who grabbed hold of his arm, slid his elbow right under the fox's armpit and lifted with his legs. The larger animal had the advantage here.
Well you're heavier than you look! The llama thought, using the fox's momentum to send him careening over his shoulder. It was a judo toss. The fox crashed hard on his back, but it wasn't long before he began to stir. His table cloth on his snout wrinkled as his lips curled back, ready for reprisal. He's just going to keep coming.
I'll have to use it. San thought as he reached into his windbreaker pocket. Seizing the moment, the llama hurled himself on the fox and pushed him back down. The Fox reared back up to bite his neck, but the blunt instrument San had pulled collided into his skull. The fox was completely neutralized, and forced back with each strike, as San continued to slam the metal object just over the animal's temple again and again. The fox stopped resisting after only three blows. "You-should-have-apologized!" San shouted between each swing, like a mother or father administering physical punishment to a child.
Pris, her handgun drawn, but was left frozen and dumbstruck at the ease and speed that San had exhibited handling the situation. He was supposed to be the weak one. She thought. I thought Flopsy was the only one that could fight! "W-w-where did you learn that?!" She nervously asked, lowering her weapon.
"Our teacher… *pant* taught us both how to… *pant* fend for ourselves as herbivores. Well *pant* he taught me enough, Kyuu was his full disciple." The llama explained, winded from the ordeal trying to catch his breath. He stood up and nearly tipped over, catching his hand on his knees.
"You... should have listened." He said, looking down on the poor fox with a bit of remorse. Still breathing and barely conscious. The rusty orange fur on the fox's head had turned an ugly damp burgundy color when it mixed with blood seeping from a couple of cuts and bruises. As he looked down, he also could see some of the fox's blood had splattered on his t-shirt right on the MACHO stencil. He himself felt a bit macho after defending Priscilla.
He looked over to her, her expression still a mixture of confusion and amazement. It made sense, given the natural order of things. He let himself calm down, before standing straight and explaining what had happened proper.
"The technique utilizes the control of motion and surprise. You see, most carnivores don't expect herbivores to be a real threat because we are physically weaker, but it's surprise that aids you. So, in that situation I had my body weight, leverage, and surprise. Our master explained it best, excessive force... only threatens you if you aren't ready to control it. You need to be calm... and observant. Something I'm really good at."
He paused and weighed his actions, deep down he felt a bit of remorse. San knew that pistol whipping the male all bloody like that was probably a step too far.
"I only use it for defense, that's what we were taught. Kyuu uses it for attack and that's why she's the fighter." He hung his head down as he let out a heavy sigh as he thought about his cellmate. "And Kyuu... probably would have gutted or strangled him so...he's lucky I'm not her. He'll live to learn from this maybe."
Pris picked his head back up and looked him in the eyes, the gratitude for his actions on full display. The llama's serious look really brought about a sense of admiration in her.
"Well, I'm glad you didn't kill him." She explained, concealing her weapon in her purse while scanning the area for any onlookers. The coast was clear, most of the people were busy with the performance that had just started on stage. "Our night could have been considerably worse." She added.
"I still shouldn't have gone that far." He said, still looking a bit forlorn.
"Buck up, that was amazing." She said nudging him in the chest. "I also learned something new about you. That's something." She looked down at the bloody object still clenched in his hand. It was a steel revolver, the very same she had given him that night at the arena all those months ago. The fox's cheeks became rosy as she blushed at the thought that he had kept that memento after all this time.
"Aw you kept the Special! Have you been practicing any?" She asked with peaked curiosity.
"Uh...not really." He replied, kind of ashamed.
"Oh, come on..." She whined a little as she lightly punched his shoulder. "Why? That's a very valuable tool to have in these times, especially in the market district. That's why I gave it to you."
"I never really had time to, between training with Kyuu and really most of our money going towards food and essentials y'know. I only recently got the bullets because of that extra cash you gave me."
Just then a thought popped in her head. "I got it. Let's blow this stupid festival..."
San's brow raised confused as he looked at her puzzled. "But, what about the candles?" San asked with an air of concern. "Don't you want to go light them?"
Huh?" She turned around confused. "Candles?"
"You know... what he was talking about earlier." He said thumbing behind him, to the spherical dome a crowd of people were standing in front of.
"I'm your boyfriend after all, right?" The llama began grinning the most smuggest grin Priscilla had ever seen from him. "I think I got you to look even more attractive, come to think of it. How about we go to light those candles, supposed to be romantic right? Ahaha!"
Priscilla actually blushed at his new found swagger. "Oh, you're cute, but you're not that cute. Hehehe" She laughed as she poked him on the snout and gave a wink. "Maybe another time."
"So where are we going then?"
"We're going to have some more fun. You just gave me the best idea."