RP:Greg McConnor v Lloyd Fayweather

Part of the Larketian Fault Lines Arc

Part of the The Dust Up In Cenril Arc

Summary: Tempers flare (surprisingly not Macon's??) at the Grand Cenrili arena where spectators attend a high stakes boxing match between possible Larketian Greg McConner and his opponent Lloyd Fayweather. The Royal Couple, Macon and Josleen are accompanied by Kam and Kanze East, as well as Fitz Johnson and Uma Abelin, and the Landons. Fitz gets drunk and questions Macon about the witch prosecutions in Larket before Hudson pulls him off, Josleen is triggered by Hudson's blatant affection, and chaos ensues.

Grand Cenrili Arena, Private Royal Box

Josleen made no mention to Macon of the big match in Cenril, which had been announced in all the papers and was eagerly anticipated worldwide. The Red Ogre Inn planned to hold a private scrying party, wherein, for an extortionate fee, the nobility of Larket watched the match long distance via a mage’s scrying glass. Macon made some noise about attending the scrying party, but Josleen played her hand with cool disinterest. The day of the match, she booked his afternoon schedule with meetings with prominent literary characters such as (Hollow’s version of) Elizabeth Bennet, Ebenezer Scrooge, Anna Karenina, and the brooding centaur from E.L. Landon’s 50 Shades of Neigh, Kristian Neigh. The bard bet that her husband, who only ever read non-fiction (the bloodier the better), would have no idea who these characters are and thus find nothing peculiar about his meeting list. When Macon expected to meet with Elizabeth Bennet, into his office walked Josleen, dressed for a trip, and tailed by a servant carrying a small suitcase. Darling, she announced, we’re going to Cenril for the game. En route, she showered him with attention and pretended to know something about boxing, though she quickly revealed her ignorance by unwittingly calling the match the ‘swelterweight championship’ which, first of all, the category is welterweight, and secondly, this is the heavyweight championship. In Cenril, they dine together at the best steakhouse, naturally. Josleen had considered inviting Hudson and Alvina to dinner then decided against it as this trip is not primarily for the boxing match or to visit their friends (though it is those things too, in an incidental way), but it’s primarily for Josleen’s marriage, which she fears is crumbling all too soon based on Macon’s recent, passionless behavior. At the VIP entrance, eight passes to the Royal Box await the Jauzons, the Landons, the Easts, and the Johnsons. Josleen had not yet met the Johnsons, and only ‘met’ the Easts through tabloids, but she trusted Alvina’s judgment in inviting both couples. When Macon and Josleen arrive, Kam is already in the Royal Box, having arrived early. Kanze is backstage as he is the night’s opening entertainment. “Hiiiii, oh my godssss,” Kam greets Josleen and Macon in turn, bowing her head a little as royalty etiquette dictates, but not too much, as she is some form of entertainment royalty herself. Kam’s assets are on full display in a form-hugging dress that, under certain lighting, looks sheer as it stretches over her enhanced butt and breasts. The two centermost seats are reserved for the literal King and Queen. Entertainment moguls, drug kingpins, and mayoral pretenders are free to sit wherever they like. The royal box has a private bar and bartender, and access to the VIP bar reserved for other box ticket holders. There’s also food service, and Josleen, despite having already eaten, orders those tiny quiche she loves. She is eating for two, after all. Oh they don’t have the quiche on menu anymore? Well, she’s sure the kitchen can figure something out. Thanks.

Hudson and Alvina arrive, having carriage-pooled with Fitz Johnson and Uma Abelin, the former of whom is a mayoral candidate in Cenril, the latter of whom is his wife and a competent witch who works in big agriculture and is the person who made seedless oranges A Thing. (Thanks, Uma.) The past few days in the Landon household have been a bit tense, ever since the reveal of Alvina's role in the creation of a witch detection machine and, incidentally, the sex of their child (it's a boy!). Huds has already decided that he's getting tanked at the boxing event, mostly because it's what men do at these events, and also because getting tanked at home in the presence of salty and pregnant wife Alvina will only lead to an argument. And right now the ceasefire is working, just so. He and Alvina had agreed to invite the two couples, Kam and Kanze, Fitz and Uma, for express political reasons - they should know the rulers of Larket - and possibly also for unstated reasons, like the fact that they might take the spotlight off of the tense situation between Hudson and Alvina. (This is especially true with the Easts.) Hudson is already grateful they'd invited the Johnson-Abelins on the way over: Uma (who looks mom-hot right now in a printed wrap dress) is engaging Alvina in some light hearted gossip about the infamous Kam. (Had Alvina heard that Kam's hired a mage to put her and Kanze's latest baby in a THIRD PARTY SURROGATE? Who does that! What are "health reasons!" What about "health reasons" for the baby being in a complete stranger!) This discussion is curtailed by their arrival at the venue, and Hudson and Fitz - already deep in some casual man-betting over the two boxers - steer the group to the Royal Box. "Your Grace, Jooooos!" Hudson waves to the Queen, whom he sees first, like he didn't just call her a friendly fascist to his wife the other day. He touches the small of Alvina's back in a way that silently communicates, I'm getting a drink, hold down the fort. Uma is already introducing herself to Kam, of course she is, it's a preemptive defensive maneuver, to endear herself to this woman so that she doesn't flirt with her husband (who is trying not to gaze at her, like she's the sun - in fact he'll follow Huds to get a drink).

Macon is pleasantly surprised by this little ruse Josleen has played on him, indeed having not seen through the list of fictional meetings on his schedule, or rather seen through just the name Elizabeth Bennet, as he is usually briefed on one person at a time just before they are shown into the throne room, or his office in this case. The queen gives away her lack of expertise in this sporting event perhaps even before she thinks she did, almost immediately, when she calls it ‘the game’. Come on. Match? Fight? Bout? You think this is a game, Josleen? These dudes are going to beat the pulp out of each other. The Rage Knight hadn’t bothered to put a wager on this match when he thought he was watching it from the Red Ogre, and hasn’t had time to find any action in the whirlwind that has whisked him away to Cenril. Maybe he can bet an exorbitant amount with Kanze when he arrives in the box. The King goes through the motions during the trip to Cenril and dinner, correcting his wife’s boxing ignorance in some places and letting her remain adorably uninformed in others. He goes through all the standard greetings when they arrive at the arena, and only barely looks at Kam’s butt. A drink seems like the consensus good idea, so he shuffles away to get one himself, in the Rage Armor and marble crown, because this is technically a public appearance, by the way.

Alvina is glad Jos and Uma are here. She's even thrilled to see Kam, who is quick to make her rounds and press her nearly uncovered body against the bard with such enthusiasm. While Kam and Uma continue exchanging introductions, (gosh Uma is so nice, how does she doe it?) Alvina makes her way over to Josleen with a thin lipped smile. Boxing wasn't her strong suit. She'd never been, heard about, or cared about boxing. She was lucky to give a damn about kickball or baseball or whatevertheheck Hudson was into that wasn't mobster business and potentially teleporting guys into vats of poo. The women exchange greetings, it's such a shame you missed the wedding, you are positively glowing are you feeling better, things of the like before Uma and Kam make their way over to the pair so they can all gossip together about the latest news (Kanze thinks ninjas are cool, the lastest botique portrait shop, some political thing from Uma to Jos that Alvina doesn't understand....) And Alvina is doing her damndest to smile and nod while not regretting this decision. Uma asks to get her something to drink, asking the Queen as well before her and Kam chipperly saunter off towards the bar to order mocktails for the expecting women. Here Alvina pauses, looking Josleen over with a careful awareness that she was not a monster in sheeps clothing, like Hudson seemed to think. “How have things been going with the...machine?” She asks in a hushed voice, like it's somehow a secret.

Josleen greets Alvina and Hudson with brief hugs, bright smiles, and ‘so good to see yous’. “I’m so sorry we missed the wedding,” she says yet again to Alvina, having already written as much at least twice. She introduces herself to Uma who is instantly likable, and Fitz, who is instantly bewildering in a ‘she married him???’ sort of way. When left alone with Alvina, “The machine is remarkable. It’s better than I could have imagined! You’re so talented. The mage technicians have already broken it, and fixed it, lest their heads roll!” She laughs falsely as she recalls that Macon let them off easy. On the one hand, that’s a sane response to a workplace error. On the other hand, he is so changed. She watches him mingle with the men as Kam brings a mocktail for Josleen, Uma brings one for Alvina. Although Kam looks like a vixen and possible succubus (literal succubus, cause this is Hollow), she quickly reveals herself to be quite endearing and uninterested in flirting with any of the men present, and more interested in talking about herself and her new make-up line, which is fine. Josleen’s really just fiending the mini quiche will still haven’t arrived, her mind split between Macon, her cravings and Kam’s ravings. Speaking of rhymes, Kanze’s up. “Uh,” he announces himself, arcane lights buzzing around him. “Uh uh. Huh. Check it. They told me not to compare myself with kings and queens, no Sato or Macon, just an artist--to be seen, but my genius is expanding, my skills possessed, until I change the consciousness, I can’t rest.” When Kanze compares himself to Macon, Josleen doesn’t want to laugh in front of Kam, but it’s tough not to react at all, so she hides her laughter by raking her loose hair back and to one side of her face, turning towards Macon to share a private, tickled glance. Did he hear that?

Hudson rarely really drinks these days, because he's doing work during the day and has a pregnant wife at home in the evening. He is convinced by Fitz that they should drink Hollow's equivalent of Irish car bombs, which summarized in a Hollow appropriate format is comprised of two shots of different types of highish proof alcohol in a stout beer. The entire shebang is meant to be chugged, or else the milk of the coffee-liquer shot curdles. They are just finishing this idiotic booze ritual when Macon rolls up. Hudson burps into his hand, gracefully. "Your Grace, Macon, hey," he says, gesturing at Fitz, "My friend and Cenril mayoral candidate, Fitz Johnson. Fitz, this is His Royal Highness the King of Larket." Unclear if it's appropriate to just introduce him as 'Macon,' so he lets Macon handle that. The introductions halt briefly for the men to take in Kanze's pontificating/words of wisdom (commencing with a comparison to Macon but also including: "I am the number one human being in music. That means any person that's living or breathing is number two," "I love you like Kanze loves Kanze," "I hate when I'm having a nap and I wake up with a water bottle next to me like oh great now I gotta be responsible for this water bottle," etc.). Eventually, however, Kanze begins his set, and Kam is able to resume a normal smiling expression that does not appear to otherwise conceal creeping horror. Hudson and Fitz have obtained second beers. "There's more or less no alcohol allowed at home," Hudson jokes, telling the men, "We're having another one, a boy, I guess because we hate sleeping through the night." Fitz, also a parent, tells the both of them the story of how his son won't stop bragging about his p**** to total strangers ("Well... same?" says Hudson, LOLing), but also his son is very precocious and already uses the big boy potty except sometimes he crawls into their bed at night and wets the bed. (This is horrifying to Hudson, who looks to Macon for validation that it is horrifying.) Hudson tells a story about how his daughter once literally vomited into his open mouth, which is funny in retrospect but so disgusting time-of. This is what parenting is like, he and Fitz are basically tired parental warriors. Which is why they're getting drunk and excited to watch some guys beat the piss out of each other. The man summit on boxing takes up the entirety of Kanze's short set. The consensus, at least between Hudson and Fitz, is that old man Lloyd Fayweather wipe the floor with Greg McConnor, even though McConnor has talked a load of crap in the lead up here. "I kind of wish McConnor would win though," Hudson is saying, as the ring is cleared for the main event, "like can you imagine putting a wager on that guy and he somehow KOs Lloyd? What a payout!"

Macon raises a brow when he becomes a lyric, (or is Mr. East just talking?) The Rage Knight exchanges a look with his wife that shows he isn't sure whether to be flattered or offended. Also, we learn today that nothing rhymes with Hildegarde, which is why the previous Ice Queen likely got the nod here. The King of Larket does Hudson no favors in indicating what he would like to be referred to as, content to let the Cenrilii mayoral candidate squirm just a bit while dealing with that decision of etiquette. He listens to the tales of infant horror while nursing a beer and assumes that he will be immune to all of these horrible sounding things because he lives in a castle and has people that can be vomited onto and into, and urinated around for him. Still, he nods in secret agreement with Hudson that this story is horrifying. “‘Ow do you know it is a boy?” he asks while thinking to himself that Alvina must be eating a lot of bananas or whatever Veratoakan old wives tale his mother, Augusta, insists is a way to guarantee a male baby. Macon likes McConnor, and that is who he will wager on once Kanze joins them. First of all he appears to be Larketian (his name is Greg, dead give away),and second he is not one to dance around like Lloyd. Greg will throw haymakers, and this is a style The Fury Knight can appreciate. “I think he can catch ‘em.” Is Macon’s contribution to the boxing talk.

Alvina nods at Josleen's reply, moving back as Uma brings her a drink and thanking the witch with a broad, tense smile. What did 'working great' mean? Had anyone been accused of anything because of it? If Hudson had freaked out at her why hadn't Uma? Just because she lives in Cenril and is a powerful political figure? Maybe she's just too polite or Hudson is too sensitive! The last two portions are the most likely. Alvina turns to watch Kanze perform, noting Josleen's laughter. Kam doesn't seem to notice until the outbursts become extreme (who can't take of a water bottle even?). Macon has vanished with the guys(?) and now it's a lady jamboree before the fight itself takes place. Having never witnessed a fight, Alvina finds herself drawn to the announcer that's...making announcements. Stats, about the boxers and otherwise unless information. She's already bored with this so called 'blood bath' as she'd heard Fitz or Hudson say earlier. Instead, she asks Uma about the campaign, and Uma gracefully redirects the question back to Josleen and her pregnancy. When was she due? What was she having? What did she hope for? Had they picked out names in either case? Kam joins in, talking about the aforementioned THIRD PARTY situation and names they've picked out after giving Josleen the floor to discuss her names and admitting she loved absolutely ALL of them.

Josleen keeps watching Macon, only partially listening to the women around her. Does he seem himself? Her anxiety about their marriage has her itching to go to him, but she stays put, her own thoughts drowning out the roar of the crowd around them as the combatants pump their fists and walk out onto the ring. “Hm?” she says as Uma asks questions about her pregnancy. As Uma restates the question, “Oh, yule. A yule baby.” Her lips twitch in and out of a smile as if on cue. “And lots of bananas, for a boy.” Or so her mother-in-law claims. Uma masterfully reads Josleen’s distracted expression and drops the subject, focusing on Kam instead. It strikes Josleen as curious that Kam would pay a mage to put her baby in another woman, when Josleen hired a mad scientist to make sure a baby would take in her womb. It’s what she’s always wanted, to be a mother and have a child of her own, but, now, looking over Kam’s flawless figure and the way Kanze looks like he could eat her up as he joins the Royal Box--those facts coupled with the fact that Macon hasn’t looked at Josleen that way since she started to show just a little (she’s in the ‘bloating-or-baby?’ phase), Josleen wonders if perhaps Kam didn’t make the right call. Josleen likes being pregnant, she wouldn’t change it even for that wolfish gaze she misses, but it hurts her heart to feel like she has to choose. “I’m a little dizzy,” she lies to withdraw from the gaggle of women and sit in the Queen’s seat to look at, but not actively watch, the match. She winces and grimaces with each reverberating blow. She’s forgotten about the quiche entirely, as has the waitress.

Hudson will have Alvina give the details of her pregnancy clinic to Josleen. In any event, the match is underway now, so the men are motivated to move back to their seats. (Sorry Jos, if you wanted to sit alone.) The match turns out to be closer than any expected, Greg does hit rather hard. If there's a conversation occurring among the women, Uma has somewhat unplugged from it, apparently boxing is her jam, and she can't take her eyes off of Greg and Lloyd as they circle each other. Hudson realizes, all of a sudden, that he's become drunk. Kanze is not really watching the match, has started telling the group as a whole about how his new Thing is only eating cereal out of Ancient Frostmawian Porcelain bowls, which each cost about 40 thousand gold. He thinks Macon should try it, it really enhances the experience. Hudson knows that he is drunk because he literally says to Kanze, "That's awesome," dead seriously. He also puts an arm around Alvina, who does look really pretty tonight, he's now rather sorry they're fighting / she's lowkey fascist of late, it seems a little deal, and it's very sweet of her to make boxing happen. Plus, this match is great! And she seems to be having fun, even! He drops his hand and squeezes her on the butt, leaning close to whisper to her that he misses her. He slow-motion retreats, however, when he realizes Josleen totally noticed because they just made eye contact. He grimaces sheepishly at her. Fitz is drunk as well. This is how Hudson knows that Fitz is drunk: Fitz says, to Macon, literal King of Larket, "I'm drunk so I'm gonna say this. What the f-- is up with you and the witches? Calm down with the witches, man!" "Fitz," says Hudson, grimacing anew, now in the manner that one does when one's friend is being embarrassing. Kam is also grimacing, perhaps because Fitz's outburst has triggered her. "You calm down, people are fighting here," says Kanze to Fitz, "Go get some water." Apparently Kanze is the voice of reason here. Kam pats him on the thigh, mouths the words, "I wuv you baby," in a way that makes Hudson cringe. Fitz complies. "Get him!!!" screams Uma, who isn't even listening to her husband's inebriated efforts to defend her people. Hudson looks at Uma, and then at Alvina next to him, like, did you know she was like this? "Dude can't come up in here acting crazy to the King," comments Kanze, clearly referencing Fitz. Hudson nods. "Yeah, though it's his wife," who is literally dead to the world right now, so engrossed is she in boxing. Hudson continues, addressing Macon, "please forgive him, women make men crazy as we all know. The witch thing... it's got some bad press in Cenril, you know? People sort of... well get the wrong idea maybe." (Or maybe the right idea.) "You should run an ad campaign about how you wanna HELP witches," Kanze says. "Turn those haters Inside OUT! I got an idea, like an I love witches music festival, which I'll headline." "Great idea, baby," says Kam. Hudson bug eyes quietly into his beer, tries not to laugh, "I'm sure you're live to the issue and working on it," he says to Macon. Time to shut the topic down before Fitz returns.

Macon , believe it or not, is more of a bacon and eggs (the latter of which Josleen is currently not allowed to eat while pregnant because they are ‘a chicken’s menstrual waste’ -Augusta Jauzon) kind of breakfast guy rather than a cereal one. So he just nods to Kanze before making a semi-distracted (because of the fight) pitch for Hard Larketian Stone bowls instead of the Frostmawian porcelain. The King raises a brow at Fitz’s outburst, though none of the traditional growling or headbutting makes an appearance from the Rage Knight. He is prepared to make his argument that he is acting for the good of all of Larket and that Cenril should be more concerned with her own problems, but the rest of the party does their part to clean up the mess and send the drunken candidate off to hydrate and cool off. Macon appreciates Kanze for expressing how off base Fitz is. In response to Hudson, the King nods, but defends his position. “I cannot concern myself with Cenril press. They ‘ave attacked the Queen directly. Your wife understands the necessity of wha’ We are doin’. ‘Er machine ‘as led to the capture of several criminal Witches already.” He leaves out that being an unregistered witch has recently and silently become a crime. Kanze pitches his music festival and Macon takes a long gulp of beer to avoid addressing it.

Alvina is not having a bad time but the drunk guys seem to be less aware of the reality which is; Josleen is moping about Macon and Alvina is likewise moping about this possible machine she's made exclusively for the racist treatment of witches and how Hudson has been bashing her ethics over it for days. Now he's palming her and telling her she looks nice? Confusing and alarming but also...???? Before any feelings have a chance to develop, Uma gets into boxing and Fitz starts mouthing off to Macon. Alvina promptly stands up, stiff and unsure what to do with herself as she watches this drama unfold. Her mouth is open, silence and ever frozen. This witch thing was getting huge, Fitz and Macon and....Kanze? Did he just follow up some insane sentiment like eating cereal out of a forty thousand gold bowl with this is idea of shutting Fitz down? What. Is. Happening? Alvina looks at Hudson in a way that's somewhere between 'See it's working for the good of witches' and 'Is that really what they were arrested for?' Her resolve starts to flicker and she feels her stomach turn. “I....” She whispers, in no particular direction, before rushing off to the ladies room.

Before Fitz triggers Kam, Hudson triggers Josleen. When he puts an arm around Alvina, touches her butt, whispers sweet nothings into her ear, she can’t help but compare his behavior with Macon’s, who hasn’t touched her much on this outing, not even in the carriage, which is a favorite move of his. She flashes a kind smile as Hudson withdraws (‘don’t worry about it’) then glances back at the match just in time to see McConnor take a jab to the face, his eye swelling and purpling into a cleft plum. “Holy sh--” She winces as she throws up her hands and peeks through her fingers and lashes. Her entire body flinches with each subsequent body blow. The drama of the ring is outmatched only by the drama in the royal box when Fitz confronts Macon on a sensitive topic. Josleen braces herself for his rage aura, and, out of force of habit, places a hand on Macon’s thigh to calm him before he headbutts Fitz, another one of his favorite moves. However, he doesn’t even growl, and she feels like she’s losing her grip on who he is. Logically, it’s for the best that things didn’t escalate, but it doesn’t feel that way to her. She’s tempted to say something in defense of Larket’s policy on witches, but thinks better of it when Macon himself doesn’t say much. Fine. This is a social gathering, anyway. Alvina rises to leave and Josleen looks after her exit, asking if she’s alright as she flees. She’s about to follow the redhead when McConnor’s haymaker cracks Fayweather’s jaw so hard it looks like it’s made of rubber as it loosens on the hinges. Fayweather spews blood in an arc across the ring’s floor, past the ropes, onto his coach. His body drops like a puppeteer cut his strings. K.O.

Hudson keeps a careful poker face about the reference to Alvina's machine. He can feel her bristle beside him, though. He can't exactly belabor the point with his audience, but he is provoked by the reference to the machine to say, "Yeah, Alvina's brilliant." A beat. "Kanze's got a point with some feel good thing for the witches, though, you might want to consider it. The law abiding ones are your citizens after all, share the love a little, get them on your side--" He stops there because the match just got LIT UP. McConnor!!!!!! What an UPSET! He doesn't even notice that Alvina's just literally fled. Hudson's mouth is just open. "Holy Sh-!" he is screaming, Fitz has run over to also start screaming, Uma is screaming, Kanze is screaming, Kam is angling a magic-coated canvas at herself, immediately generating a flawless painting representation of Kanze screaming and holding his head, Kam beside him with her perfect smile, and Fayweather's limp body in the background. Hudson looks to Alvina to scream at her, did she see, OMG baby, he should have placed a wager, etcetera, but she's out of her seat. Fayweather is being carried out of the ring, and they're putting the champion's gear on McConnor, who is holding his arms up in the air in the universal sign for victory. "Where's Alvina?" Hudson asks Kam, who points toward the bathroom. "Did she say anything?" No, of course not. Now that the match is over, the crowd is starting to disperse. Uma and Fitz, despite Fitz's outburst, manage a gracious goodbye - they've got a sitter to relieve. Kanze and Kam head out next, although Kam to her credit checks in on Alvina in the ladies' room and tells Hudson that she's throwing up, she's a pregnant woman, he just has to wait. Finally, Alvina surfaces, looking pale and shaky. They say goodbye to Macon and Josleen. "I wish we could grab a drink but we should get home. Thanks so much for the invite," he says to them, stirring a hand against Alvina's back as she echoes the sentiment but otherwise looks like she's doing everything she can to keep the contents of her stomach inside. He has warmed to her, and he kisses her on the temple as they make with the crowd and move on out to head home.

Macon bobs his head from side to side once when Hudson reinforces Kanze’s suggestion to do something to smooth relations with the good Witches rather than focus solely on punishing the bad ones. “I will consider-” He misses the decisive blow watching Alvina exit and responding to the lycan, but his attention is drawn back to the ring by the absolutely deafening roar of the crowd, and he stands from his seat reflexively to see what no one has seen before, Lloyd not get up during a ten count, while McConnor stomps around the ring, barking wildly at the crowd in triumph, again, a very Macon/Larketian thing to do, at least when all of the Rage hasn't been sucked out of the King by some quack snake scientist. Anyway, everything is crazy for awhile after the upset of the century, so the celebration, Hudson finding Alvina, and all the goodbyes are a bit of a blur, leaving Macon and Josleen and whatever royal guard is on duty as the last ones in the box.