[PRP] ... I Hit a Pole? [Backstreet Batz / Hecate]

[AlicornPlayhouse]

Batz is not remarked as.. the smartest pony, amongst his peers, but he is one of the larger ones! He uses this to his advantage, most of the time, when trying to make Bits. You can always find some fighting club hiding in the streets, ready to pay any of those who look like they'd put up a good fight. And, hey, it isn't too bad of a profession. He likes the adrenaline, and his tail seems to agree, always feeling.. bitey. It especially likes biting BATZ when he isn't looking.

Batz enjoyed tonight, particularly, or the start of it.. As he approached the ring, the slight grind of the boney-armor that lined his back sending a chilled silence over a crowd of excited bidding ponies. His claws creating a resounding clack along hard uneven stone. Even as he approached, before he was in view, the fear from his opponent.. he could feel it, pulsing through the ground. He was not evil, by any means, Batz never permanently hurt a pony, and wouldn't go further than necessary to win, but he still.. liked the power he felt.

His first round went amazingly, the other pony didn't even seem to put up a fight. It a matter of minutes the fearful new fighter tapped out, scrambling to the side of the ring and subsequently off. If only he didn't push it.. if he'd just left with that money there. But no, he HAD to ask for one more round.
He was not afraid, no.. but as a dulla twice his side entered from the opposite side of the ring upon his demand for a new match, Batz was rethinking his decision.

The fight lasted hours, a flurry of teeth and claws. The sound of echoing screams of joy by an entertained crowd nearly terrified the otherwise unshakeable ghoulie. There was something so bone chillling, about listening to a pony enjoy your suffering fight. Batz was positive the armor on his back saved his life more than once. In fact, it wasn't him that won this fight, but his tail. Pinned to the ground, writhing to get free. He had bills, food! He needed that money..!
Before he could blink, his tail managed to grip his opponents leg, ripping the dulla away and throwing them to the ground. He would have lost, really, all the pony had to do was stand up and slash him once or twice more.. But, in what seemed to be a moment of mercy, the dulla forfeited, claiming they were impressed by Batz and his tails perseverance.

Ugh. This ponies pretentious too.

Batz didn't wait around to argue, though, as various friends he had brought took the bits back to their place to hold for him. Batz was hurt, he couldn't feel his leg, and one of his eyes had begun to force itself shut, all combined with the taste of blood on his tongue.. He couldn't go to a NORMAL doctor, no, but he DID have a friend.. a friend of whom he trusted.

"HECATE!" He cried out as he approached the home of the elusive healer of a ghoulie, limping along towards the entrance. "Hecate! Are you home..?" He groaned, his tail letting out what sounded like a pathetic whimper to try and draw out Hecate.

@KisaValkyrie​

 

[KisaValkyrie]

Hecate loved their little home out in the forests up the side of the mountain. They had all the access to most of the things they needed for their potions and salves to help those that came seeking their services, most of their work was healing or general good nature based treatments, charms or bags to lend luck or babies or keep away things, but they had a dark network of a few trusted that they worked with who needed...not great things. Hecate only worked that way with those that came recommended to them and or who they knew did this dark work for the benefit of things.

They, she...what have you she wasn't particularly concerned about gender but would call her self female before she called herself male for sure, looked at her slumbering tail as she finished making a few charm bags for different things. Salem never remembered to call her a she or they. He only called her a he or man. It was annoying. A sound from outside and the approaching smell of blood had her looking towards her opening as a familiar face came around the corner.

"Batz...again with the fighting." Came a soft neutral voice from Hecate as she kicked at Salem to wake him and then grabbed the basket she had been keeping ready for when healing was required. "Just let them beat you up pretty good this time huh? Did you at least win?" They asked as they gestured with Salem to lay in the treatment pile of soft grasses and hays they kept around for injured visitors. "Lay. Chew this." They said as shadow magic shoved a bundle of leaves in his mouth for him to chew for pain.

 

[AlicornPlayhouse]

Batz was ever so fond of his friend, even if he would keep any affection towards other ponies to himself. As such, he couldn't help the soft pang that sprung forward. Even if their voice were neutral, he felt scolded, just a bit. "Of course with the fighting, Hecate. What do ya want me to do, aye? Starve? I got stuff to do!" He huffed, grumbling the whole way as he made his way fully into the home.


"Do you know me at all?" He accused, gasping slightly. "Let em best me? Never..! I just.. well. Ah.." Batz seemed at a.. loss for words. "They were real big, and real mean, alright?" After a moment of silent protests that he didn't seem to want an actual argument out of, he plopped himself down into the soft grass, a relieved sigh rearing it's ugly head. Or, well, he saw it as ugly, a small sign of the meak nature of the injured.

"I won, don't you worr-." Perhaps it was good, his sentence was cut off by the abrupt shoving of.. who knows what into his maw. Had he continued, his choices would've been to lie or to admit the defeat that had befallen him, the pitiful win he had dragged himself home with. And, well, he wasn't a good liar.. and was far too prideful to say otherwise.. he fell silent, for a moment, chewing on the herbs as his head lay to the ground. Batz tail on the other hand, seemed far more awake, clicking and yipping excitedly at Hecate.

@KisaValkyrie

 

[KisaValkyrie]

Hecate rolled their eyes and looked over him as they made him eat the herbs. "Really? This is the face of someone who won their fight?" They said as they used a paw to move his face around and examine the damage. "Is there not something else you can do to earn money? You could help me sell my goods since I do not go into town often. I could train you in some of this to go wander about and do something useful with yourself that isn't get beat to a pulp." they said as they grabbed some paste to put on the cuts to help stop the bleeding. Looking over the rest of them their tail looked over the tail of Batz and seemed to try and check it over for injuries his self. "Seem fine. No blood." He said as he licked Batz's tail and seemed to be checking it for blood.

@AlicornPlayhouse

 

[AlicornPlayhouse]

Batz felt a small growl rumble amongst their chest, muffled between leaves and herb stuffed into his jaw. "If I-" He cut himself off, shaking his head and shoving the savory mush to his cheek. "I didn't.. WIN.. They forfeit the fight.." His voice was almost a whine as he pawed at the ground, a slight scowl on his face. Batz was never a fan of being cared for, but he allowed Hecate to move his face without arguing, other than the tiny grumble.

He nearly scoffed at their suggestion, rollling his eyes a bit. "I ain't a healer, Hecate. I'm not cut out for all that fancy work.. you know that." Batz's sarcasm slowly turned to a whisper as he slowly shook his head. "I like the fight, I can't live without it. Anyhow, what kinda friend would that make me, mooching off of you for easy work? You know I'd take your supplies into town to sell anyhow! I'm all good! Just a little scarred is all. Tails fine. I'd never let myself go and die, not to some showy stuck up pony like that! I got too much going for me." He hummed triumphantly, raising his head to the sky with a sharp exhale.
@KisaValkyrie

 

[KisaValkyrie]

Hecate rolled their eyes as she smeared the paste on his wounds. "Well say what you want i still think if you want to live as long as you should, you should try to not get beat to a pulp. Are you sure I cant find something better? Ever thought of being a body guard?" they asked as they poked the bruise on his shoulder. "I think your going to be feeling all this in the morning." they said as Salem licked the bruised shoulder. He liked to think that his saliva was helpful and Hecate didn't have the patience with him to correct him.

"What has you in such a good mood? If you have so much going for you?" they asked as they checked over anything they missed before sitting back and watching him to make sure that nothing changed for the next 20 to 30 mins. "Your going to hang out here while i wait to make sure you don't have any MORE brain damage." they said calmly.

 

[AlicornPlayhouse]

Batz laughed to himself, seemingly satisfied with his argument until Hecate continued to mildly scold him. He waved one paw a bit too casually for the topic at hand. "Ehhh.. a bodyguard? Me?" He seemed to truly be thinking on it for a moment, staring off into the distance beyond Hecate. Could he..? What snapped him back was the abrupt lick tot he shoulder from Salem, which he seemed to smile at. His tail was continually yipping for attention and nipping lightly at Salem. It was a miracle Batz wasn't dragged around by that thing.. "I think being a bodyguard would be nice. But I don't know.. Adrenalines addictive, yaknow. I'm in real deep!" Batz seemed to be trying to laugh it off, but his smile was painfully forced by now. "I got a high pain tolerance, I'll just.. nap tomorrow."

That switched to a true smile, the moment Hecate asked what had him all giddy. "Well, that forfeit did go and earn me a lot of bits! Not the joyful win I like, but plenty of fun to be made with my earnings!" He snickered, excitedly wiggling around at the thought. "Brain damage, me?! Excuse you- No." Batz stated firmly. "I will not be arguing at you.." He whispered before continuing onto his original topic. "I MAY.. have met a pony..~." Batz was still smirking to himself as he quite purposefully went to change the subject. "Oh but enough about me. What have you been up to these past days, Hecate?"
@KisaValkyrie

 

[KisaValkyrie]

Hecate looked over him and shook their head. "I know someone who has an in sometimes with guarding vampires. Might be more interesting then the normal body guard stuff. Just a thought." they said as she yawned and watched as Salem interacted with Batz's tail. Smirking a little as the large tail groomed the other one they looked back at him. "Met someone? Well fancy that so did I." they said as a small smile graced their lips. "Sybilla, my assistant, went to the circus when it was near by recently and found that one of the performers there have a brother who is dealing with some...interesting afflictions. And i'm helping try to deal with it and make them comfortable. Its fascinating really. Well I might have developed some feelings in this treatment of this pony." they said as they turned their eyes to him and smiled. "I did not think i could have feelings. Emotions that are not anger or panic over someone injured are rather unfamiliar to me." they said softly to him.
@AlicornPlayhouse