The next day - The Foxcatch Hostess Bar and Restaurant
It was a cold and rainy morning. There was a loud and obnoxious atmosphere inside The Foxcatch, a hostess club located not far from the B.A.M District. Usually a mild establishment that catered to everyone, as the name implied it was mostly frequented by foxes. Typical diners included couples, or salary men looking to enjoy themselves, currently the eatery was being used as a hangout for the members of the Futekigō Clan. They had just pulled off a cunning heist against one of the rival back alley gangs, the Shishigumi, making off with roughly 1,900,000 Yen in merchandise and cash. Even though they had reserved a private room, they were still loud enough for other patrons to hear them. It was generally rude to be this loud, but most of the occupants and the owners knew who they were and it was best they just minded their own business. Nothing good came from upsetting gangsters.
Raira the Silver Fox was being especially loud as she recalled what went down during the heist. "So, we're in the warehouse. About three lions are on our heels and Pris is empty. So... we split up. I go down an alley and she gets cornered by this dark lion. You'll never believe what she did."
Priscilla became flush with a bit of embarrassment, but still let Raira tell the story. Normally in other crews, the leadership remained a very rigid slope of respect and obedience, but Pris ran her crew differently. Because they were already the black sheep of the organization, no one really gave Priscilla any grief over fraternizing with her subordinates, at least when not dealing with business. When it was business, Priscilla was strict and inflexible. But "off duty" she became one of them. They were all sisters, she was just the Big Sister, it worked out between them, because they were already a small group, and they all respected Pris enough to follow orders without question. So, Priscilla would allow a little ribbing here and there.
"Dig this, she flat out throws herself into his arms and tries to flirt with him like he's some high school flame. I can't make this up. Like you should have seen her, just like Hold me and let me caress your luscious mane."
All Priscilla could do was shake her head and attempt to hold back her laughter. It all did seem pretty silly to her in hindsight.
"It's worked before Rai, besides you saw how big he was! I had to do something. In any case I saw you sneaking up behind him anyway. So, I thought why not try it, I don't know maybe get his number?" She said as laughter began to break through.
"Pris, those guys were just a bunch of horny street thugs, they probably can barely get a hooker. This was a Yakuza gangster, a lion mind you. Like flirting with him is going to stop him from clawing your face off? Did you also forget to consider that we were robbing them at the time?! Besides admit it...the only thing big you were thinking about was in his pants!" Raira yelled, cracking up.
Almost the whole table burst out laughing. Even Priscilla laughed at her own expense.
"Oh my god! I mean...you're not wrong! HAHAHHAHA!" She said. "You got to admit he was pretty ravishing." Pris said defending herself, chewing on her straw as she sipped at her daiquiri trying to stop giggling.
"Pris you were lucky I was there with my bat. If I had not doubled back, he would have ravished you alright, but not in the way you wanted! Seriously I was looking her in the face just mouthing, what fuck are you doing?" The silver fox shouted, trying to keep herself from laughing. "I mean I will admit he was pretty handsome for a Lion with that ebony fur and mane of his, but come on! Priscilla, I love ya babe, but I swear you need to keep that libido in check!"
Pris snorted and pointed at the gray furred fox. "See! See you thought he was hot too right? I mean you saw how much of a hunk he was."
Raira almost choked on her juice. "Please! He didn't even want you! He was all like YOU'RE NOT MY TYPE! and girls this was the best part."
Priscilla rolled her eyes as she cut off Raira, intending to tell it herself. "I said, What? So, are you only into guys? I basically was thinking figures, handsome guy like that and being just my luck he'd be into his own kind."
"That wasn't it though, Pris!" Raira added in a singsong manner. "He said, I would never date a filthy dog like you! Then of course that's when I whacked him upside the head and let me tell you Priscilla's face was fucking priceless. Like not only did she get rejected, she got called a filthy dog! A dog!" She exclaimed, barely able to finish without cracking up.
"Guy like that, sucks he had such a hang up, but c'est la vie (that's life)." Priscilla said, stirring her drink with her straw.
"Honey, he was a lion and you're a fox. You know those cat's already hate our kind, then there is the fact that, I don't know...we're in RIVAL GANGS! It never would have worked." Raira said with riotous laughter slamming her cup on the table..
"Pris...there are better guys out there. Why would you even want a guy in such a shitty gang like the Shishigumi to begin with, they are clearly in decline as simple as it was to pull that off." Loba said as she chewed on a grilled veg-kabab. "Must be getting weaker too, I got in a scuffle with one, but he was so weak like he had been starving for days. Dropped him like a pile of bricks." Loba, the biggest girl thanks to her wolf heritage, stood at 175 cm so taking down a lion wasn't that hard a feat for her at least. "You'd probably have him screaming for mercy in the sack anyway as weak as these clowns were.
Ferro the Tibetan Fox mix was chuckling softly at Loba's claim as she filed her nails. "They are just a bunch of Silver-vine sniffing has-bins. That herbivore boss they had last year was the best thing they had going for them and now that he's gone." She said pointing down and whistling. "Right down the drain. Can't even keep up that King of the Jungle or whatever image they boast so much about."
Priscilla sighed; they were right. While she had done that on impulse, she knew it really wouldn't have worked out with that lion. He was too close to home in this life and realistically speaking if by some astronomical chance they had hooked up, she doubt it would be anything more than a few nights of passion before she kicked him to the curb. She had as much of a chance with him as that Llama she sent Lùn to protect last night. Herbivore like that, probably would be too scared to even try to talk to her, let alone go on a date with her. Shame for someone so handsome. Something about him, it was just, it curbed her appetite. If he didn't have that damn rabbit there, she probably could have made a more focused move on him than just some light flirting. Maybe next time. She had only wished she had sent Lùn with them to begin with. The news that he had suffered some injuries kind of wounded her a bit. Speaking of Lùn, she peered down the table as the other girls converse with one another to see her picking at her food.
Fa the bat-eared mix looked over to Lùn who was behaving very distant and just silently eating her Tofu or at least attempting to. It appeared she didn't have much of an appetite as she prodded at the food aimlessly. Fa could clearly read her little sis' sour mood.
"Come on "Loony", don't be so down. I mean the raid wasn't as fun as they were making it out to be. We still took a few scrapes here and there."
Lùn didn't respond outside of a deflated sigh. Maybe that wasn't it the fox thought as she massaged the black markings over her eyes with the tip of her fingers, something else must be on her mind.
Fa eased over away from the other girls to sit closer to her little sister and softly caressed her shoulder. "Sis... tell me what's up."
Lùn still didn't answer and Fa could tell she was actively trying to ignore her. Out of all the girls in the crew, Fa was always there for Lùn. They came from the same housing complex, practically next-door neighbors. Growing up they might as well have been sisters, especially after Lùn's parents went through a messy divorce. Her mother became an addict and her father skipped town not long after, Lùn was essentially adopted by Fa's parents. They used to do everything together, to the point where Lùn was often mistaken for her little sister. (Even though they were the same age) This also meant they got into trouble together, so much that when Fa dropped out of school and ran away from home, Lùn turned delinquent alongside her. Even when Fa joined the Inarigumi, while initially not allowed in the gang because of her size, Lùn still hung out with them because of Fa. She even helped her learn how to fight and utilize weapons to fend for herself. Fa even got them to look past her stature once she had the pull, even vouching for her after her initiation and breaking in.
Of all people, Lùn could talk to her about anything. Now here she was, shunning her big sis. Fa's face grew more concerned and her hand gripped into Lùn's shoulder.
"Lùn just tell me what's bothering you."
Lùn finally caved as she knew Fa would just prod at it all day until she finally told her.
"Look sis, I'm not upset about getting left off the heist, not anymore at least. I actually got to have some enjoyment out of last night. Those herbivores had a bad run-in with some rioters so I had to take care of them. That was kinda fun, I guess. I even got to use the harpoon technique like I'd been practicing."
Fa tilted her head and a smile almost formed out of admiration for her sister, but she knew there was more coming and stopped.
"It's just the rabbit, alright." Lùn's expression soured just thinking of her. "Everything about her just vexes me and last night... last night... I could have taken her out easily, but I didn't. I mean Pris ordered me not to, but the little bitch almost caused me to snap on her and I was stopped by a feeling that came over me... that told me just made taking her then in that weakened state would be...wrong. It's just eating me up inside. Why would I care that she was hurt? I hate her."
Fa began rubbing her sister's back.
"Lùn that's just your pride messing with you." She leaned down to have level eye contact with her caressing her cheek. "You just want to prove yourself. I guess that beating this girl for good is your way doing that. Right?" She said as a grin started to form on her face. "She would have it coming."
Lùn still looked dejected. "Yeah...and it just sucks that I'll have to wait ages before I get a chance...or worse she'll probably get herself killed."
"Don't worry Lùn. I know almost for a fact you'll get your chance soon enough."
Lun's ears perked up as she looked at Fa with a curious glance. "Fa...You know something?"
Fa looked over her shoulder to make sure the other foxes weren't listening in. "Kiddo, Pris and I were talking about getting you started in the arena in a few weeks' time. You'll have your shot there. Now go on and eat up. You are going to need your strength to fight in the arena." She whispered in Lùn's ear.
Lùn gasped as her ears twitched with eager excitement, a grin began to form. Suddenly as if fire had shot up within her, she had found her appetite again and began chowing down on her food, even if it had gotten cold.
A brief smile formed on Fa's face before it faded almost appeared as she leaned over to whisper. "Don't get too excited, the arena ain't no joke." The masked fox still feared for her little sister. "Between you and me, I think Pris is really doing this because it'd be easy to get rid of you this way." Fa cautiously looked over her shoulder as she confessed what she and Priscilla had discussed. "She wasn't really happy about your behavior lately and well...I'm trying to smooth things over, but you know how she is about profit. So do not take this lightly, you're going to squaring off against other people, tough people, some much bigger than you, all who want to win just as badly as you do."
"I'll do whatever it takes to win, if I can just get another crack at that bitch, Fa." She said with vigorous determination.
"You'd better, I don't know what I'd do if you end up laid out, with Baraki doing color commentary. It's bad enough for me when you tag along for our turf wars, the arena though...all those people staring, judging, the pressure it's- I mean I trust in your skills, it's just-"
"Fa?" Priscilla must have overheard them or maybe had been spying on them the whole time, because now she had stood up and walked over to the two. The white fox stood behind Fa with her arms crossed and looking down at Lùn. Gone was the jovial girl, now replaced by the stern leader.
The small fox had tried her best to hide her joy of the good news, but to Priscilla it was clear as day that she knew. Her big ears were wagging with excitement.
"I trust that you were filling in Lùn on my offer? I had wanted to tell her later when she had earned it, but I guess sisters will gossip." The arctic fox's tone surprisingly lacked any displeasure, in fact she actually sounded relieved. Still Fa wanted to apologize for blabbing.
"Sorry Onēsan..." Fa said as she looked up. "I was just trying to cheer my sister up."
"No-no. I'm not upset." The white fox said waving off any misunderstanding. "Why wait for the right time, when we can get down to business now?"
She towered over Lùn who had just stuffed her face with a piece of inarizushi trying to be oblivious. "I expect you to do well and draw a crowd like last night's fight." She said pointing in the girl's face. "Just remember that you are only allowed to do this for the Inarigumi, not for your personal grudge. Don't embarrass us."
Lùn readily nodded to the stipulations.
"Do that, you can have your rematch with the rabbit, but not before. We'll discuss propping you up as a proper challenger in the coming weeks, so Fa I'm going to need you to talk with Baraki."
"Me, Onēsan?" The Bat-ear mix asked.
"You've been Lùn's sponsor so far, might as well be you." The white fox said.
Lùn gulped down the piece of tofu and stood from her seat. She really didn't care for how Pris phrased 'propping'. Deep down a big part of her did not want her to face her adversary again so cheaply, she wanted to earn it and prove her worth to the gang, to Priscilla. "I'll do it on my own merits."
"What?" Pris asked, raising her brow at the smaller girl's declaration.
"I said I'll do it on my own merits. I don't want any handpicked weaklings. I want the same type of people the rabbit faces." Lùn said as her fur bristled. "I don't care if I'm short, I'll cut down whatever you put in front of me! I swear it!" She shouted.
Fa hastily tried to calm her sister down as the other girls began to stare. A devious grin formed on Priscilla as she smiled and craned down to look Lùn in the eye. The fire in Lùn's was genuine. She was determined to see this through, which suited her goals just fine.
"That was what I wanted to hear Shorty," The snow fox replied with a chuckle. "Exactly what I wanted to hear, because I never intended on having things fixed for you. Because you want this so badly, you are going to have to work for it. So, keep that mindset. You'll need it."
She looked to Fa and turned to call over Loba. "In fact. I want the two of you to get her ready in two weeks. Fa, you will handle the business with Baraki and Loba, I want you specially to train her how to deal with taller opponents. Teach her how to slay giants."