[Of Dog, Volpir, and Man (Out of Cruel Space)] - Bk 9 Ch 26
James
The crowd’s far from the largest James has ever been in for a sporting event. The Crimson Tear doesn't have the space near Little Serbow - or, indeed, the population - to fit even two thousand people into the space around the tournament field for today's event. The ship’s massive, but there are limits to what they could do even with expanded space. Or, for that matter, want to do. Better to telecast the tournament and let everyone fill up the various bars and dining facilities with the in-person seating mostly reserved for members of the Apuk part of the ship's company.
Or for special guests and senior officers that know how to 'make arrangements'... which was how James came to be here in person instead of getting a table at the Cannidor izakaya or another eatery he likes. He's always enjoyed in-person sporting events, and the ship doesn't really have organized sports leagues besides various types of martial arts and combat shooting. The latter isn't super thrilling to watch live in most of its incarnations; even three-gun, very popular as a competitive sport aboard the ship, is best watched from a comfortable seat with a holo projector and a pile of snacks. You get better angles and you’re just not missing out on the same energy that you get at a major sporting event.
That you get at something like the Shellbreaker tournament on Serbow, apparently, or its miniature version here on the Crimson Tear. It just wouldn’t be the same on a holo vid.
James isn't a huge fan of fight sports, but he does like American football, and the sounds of American football don't fully carry through when you watch the game on TV. From good seats at a football stadium, you could feel the impact of the two groups of linemen hitting each other like two herds of bison deciding to have a throwdown. You could hear the quarterback's pads 'pop' from a particularly brutal sack. Same deal with his other sport of choice, ice hockey. Whether he’s playing or watching, there’s something about one player checking another into the glass with bone-rattling intensity that simply doesn't make the transition across a television screen or holo projector.
Just like some of the hits he’s hearing right now in the semi-finals.
He can almost feel the rush of air as a particularly savage kick hammers home into one woman's gut, knocking the wind from her as the other woman's mighty boot caves in the front part of her shell.
That could have been a victory right there, but the kicked woman snarls savagely, a low, guttural growl that sounds more appropriate to a wild animal than a person… or, perhaps more specifically, more like what James imagined a pissed-off dragon would sound like. She grabs the other woman's leg, and turns the kick into a lead-in for a suplex that shatters stone, leaving the first woman laid out flat as her original target starts to regain her feet!
It’s all happening almost as fast as his eye can move, but the two combatants both weren't quite fast enough; the winner of the last round, a woman named Cari'Koren, dashes in more or less as soon as the two are fighting again and defeats both of them in the literal blink of an eye, supersonic cracks heralding each blow... but still indicating Cari'Koren is in fact moving slower than she had in the last round of the semi final. James is damn sure the woman had thrown at least one hypersonic punch, nevermind her green warfire.
"Get 'em, Cari!" James's company for the night calls out enthusiastically.
Rose isn't much for sports in general, not after some traumatic childhood memories regarding the European type of football… but Mahai is quite the fan of fight sports or martial sports in particular. It isn't that much different from football among the Cannidor, though there are a wide variety of leagues and types, ranging from the traditional and highly ritualized to modern underground brawling rings that lack any form of finesse or technique that any reputable Cannidor martial arts school would recognize or teach. There’s even a Cannidor cousin to American style professional wrestling. Scripted? Sure, but big personalities, bigger physiques, showy performances and death defying stunts mixed with dramatic plots and cheesy dialogue are a popular recipe just about anywhere, it seems. Even the refined, generally speaking, Apuk have their own equivalent to that sort of business.
James looks over at the tawny furred blonde beauty and she eagerly meets his gaze, smiling at him with the signature Cannidor white and pearlies.
Why, darling, what big teeth you have.
Still, all the teeth in the world couldn't make Mahai any less attractive than the absolute bombshell she is... and she'd been getting fashion tips from Rose too, if James was willing to take a bet on it. Today's ensemble is a fetching sundress, one that showcases Mahai's long, athletic legs and show-stopping curves without being the slightest bit improper. He can tell just how stunning Mahai is, but there’s still plenty to see if they ever go that far together. Plenty to 'discover', plenty of 'mystery'.
Like, there’s the slightest hint that Mahai has full-on abs to go with her generally tight core: something James could appreciate in the athletic farm girl. There are also the more base interests generated by thick hips, a round, supple ass - even slightly obscured by Mahai's mighty tail - and, of course, the abundance of what could only be called a massive chest.
Rose is no slouch in terms of figure. His wild Scottish rose exercises aggressively, and the baby weight she can't get rid of is in all the right places; she had already been the most beautiful woman James had ever seen to this date, and now she’s a certified MILF.
And ILF he does. One doesn't wind up with six children by the same woman by accident, after all.
Still, Mahai has curves like no Human woman could, just on the sheer scale of her. With Rose opening them up to Mahai's courtship… well. Curiosity abounded. If it would hurt Rose, he wouldn't even consider it, but he has not only been allowed to consider Mahai as a potential lover, but encouraged even. So consider he has... and there’s a lot to consider.
Even setting aside his more base lizard brain focused instincts and desires - and those certainly approve of Mahai as a potential candidate to sire more of his children on - which James finds interesting is how damn attractive he finds her. Mahai is pretty damn different from a Human woman, with her tail, fur, decidedly non-Human facial features and so forth. Yet. The lizard brain completely approves… as does James's subconscious, based on a few very interesting dreams he'd had recently. Mahai had even been wearing clothes in a lot of those dreams, which James considers a positive sign. Rose had featured in similar dreams when they'd met by chance and started their whirlwind, long-distance romance. It’s different with Mahai, but it still feels good. Warm.
Another good sign in Jame's book.
"Begin!"
The next round starts with a violent flash of green warfire across the arena, one woman summoning an entire river of fire and making James look away from the brightness of the green flames. Even from a safe distance, the dramatic increase of temperature starts him sweating and Mahai panting.
To James' understanding, being able to call that much warfire, of any grade, takes a special level of combatant, even among battle princesses or contenders for a battle princess's crown. It’s also a bit of a gamble, as that kind of calling could leave a less experienced girl immobile - and, as he well knows, staying mobile in any fight is critical to survival.
At first it seems the move has worked, however, with two shells being broken under the assault of armor-melting heat… but one of the survivors displays lightning fast reflexes to go on the attack instead of defend!
It’s a damn good fight, and a damn enjoyable evening.
By the time Cari'Koren is crowned one of two victors by Admiral Bridger and Princess Aquilar, James and Mahai have had a few drinks each and are both laughing happily as they wander towards home; Mahai, as a lady of good breeding, has to escort James back to Rose, of course.
A thought that makes James chuckle, considering he’s the warrior around here. But it's not like it’s a hardship to spend more time with Mahai and...
He stops suddenly as he spots another couple - or throuple, rather - heading towards home, considerably more drunk, and considerably more 'friendly' with each other. It’s appropriate in this case, as both the Apuk women getting more than a little handsy with the man in question are his wives.
"Don't look now, but there's our illustrious leaders."
Mahai glances over and he can basically hear her blush.
"Oh! Goodness. I don't think I ever expected the princess to be acting like that with the Admiral. Mrs. Masha, either. I've met all of them once or twice, and they're always so regal!"
"Well, love makes you act a little crazy every now and then, and I don't think anyone doubts that the Admiral loves his wives with a passion. And they love him in return."
"True."
Mahai glances after the retreating group again and sighs wistfully, which gives James a slight pang of jealousy. She’s here with him, isn't she? He doesn't have to compete with the admiral for his own girlfriend's attention, does he?
Mahai, however, chases that errant and, in hindsight, somewhat silly thought away in an instant as she looks over and down at him, seeking out a deep, passionate eye contact with those big blue eyes of hers.
"Do you think... We'll ever act like that? The three of us? Or even just you and me after a date? If we keep dating? Not that I want to presume or impose or anything, but I'm really enjoying spending time with you, Rose and the kids and well, it-"
"Ah."
James resists chuckling. Mahai was envious, certainly, but not of the man the two Apuk warrior women were with - rather, of the relationship they shared with that man... and that’s fair enough, considering Mahai hasn't even been kissed before, and holding hands would probably be a fairly big deal for her.
"Well... not to get your hopes up or anything..." James reaches out and casually takes Mahai's much larger hand. "If we do get together, though... I promise we'll have moments like that. All kinds. Cute. Romantic. Silly. It's a whole life to live together, after all, with Rosie and the kids."
Mahai looks over at him again, and then she looks away. A blush colors the skin around her eye, her tail wiggles violently, and she says, "You know, for someone who just promised not to get my hopes up, you're doing a terrible job."
"Heh. How can I make it up to you?"
"I can think of some ways, but we're not there just yet. So let's just say you owe me one for now, mister."
"Hmmm."
James considers that for a moment, getting just a bit of eye contact from a suddenly much shyer Mahai.
"Alright. You're on. For now."
The tone between them shifts ever so slightly, the warmth growing. This is new for both of them, but James certainly is enjoying seeing where all this is going!