>>538913
GOD but this dude is lanky. Still, I doubt he's gonna be totally useless. Be guarded, but honest. Dont let on the full deets, just basic info.

tell him they just let you out after being thrown in the drunk tank for public drunkenness and the only reason you're still here is because you don't have enough cash on you for bus fair.

Well, you can completely and honestly state you were involved in an altercation earlier. No need to mention that it has nothing to do with why you're here now...

Suggestion 2013/10/20(Sun)18:38 No. 544809 ID: 8ab426
File 138231951058.png - (202.65KB , 800x800 , GBTRa15.png )

>>538929
>>538929

Noffe spent the money she had on her earlier bus ride, she has nothing with her at the moment.

>>538918
>>538937

Waczowski didn't slip anything into Noffe's pocket, she doesn't have any idea what he could be referring to.

Noffe decides to play it safe, not letting this new weirdo know any more than she needs to.

'Nothing. Got in a fight.'

'A fight, huh?' He plops down on the stairs next to her, 'Don't suppose you feel like getting in another one? Eh?'

Noffe glares at the guy, and he makes a sound halfway between a chuckle and a sigh, waving his hand between them, 'Yeah yeah, I didn't think so. I mean, who would, right?' He leans back and blows upward at his bangs.

'It's all just really frustrating, yaknow? Just tryin' to get by, everything's great, then something throws a big damn wrench into everything and you're just not sure what you're gonna do. It just sucks. Everything just sucks.'

He is talking a mile a minute, and Noffe starts to realize if she doesn't say something soon she's not going to be able to get a word in edgewise.

'Yes. Don't even have bus fare to get home,' She sighs. 'Everything sucks.'

'Haha, really? Small world. I mean, money troubles. I'd help ya out, really. But I don't really have enough to get back home myself. I'm not even from around here at all, I'm from back across the gate. And because of ... uh ... various reasons I can't really afford the train back when my job's done.' He kicks his legs idly 'My boss is gonna be pissed if I can't scrape up the cash to get back, I'm not sure he'd float the cash to get me out.'

'Ah,' Noffe looks back downward, 'just end up walking, then.'

He hops quickly up to his feet. 'What? Nah, come on. I don't have the spare money for a bus, but my car's all gassed up. Just let me know where you live and I'll give you a ride. I'm pretty much already boned on the job front anyway.'

Noffe perks up a bit, taken aback by the guy's apparent generosity. 'ReallY?'

He shrugs. 'Yeah, sure. Just point out the way and I'll drive you home. We ragamuffins gotta stick together, right?'

'The name's Cardigan, by the way. Cardigan Strawk. What's yours?' He offers his hand to Noffe.

Sorry for the long delay in updates, a whole lot of shit happened all at once. They should happen more regularly from here out

Don't tell a stranger your address. Give him a general location so he can drop you off a block or two away.

But uh, ask what he meant about getting into another fight.

don't trust a guy how doesn't wear sleeves . . . it's kinda creepy

his name is CARD? REALLY? hmm hmm hmm. play him right.

>>544812
Oh my god. You're right. This guy is our only chance. Noffe, shake that hand.

>>544812
...oh my goodness, you're right.

Although we're still left with the question of what we're meant to do. Waczowski seemed to realize he couldn't help us within the system, so he tried to give you something else to work with. A reporter he knew was going to show. But... is just getting your story in the press the way to fix this? Nothing personal, but your brother didn't sound like he'd get much sympathy in the court of public opinion. Wrong race, wrong place, wrong time, wrong past.

>What's yours?
Noffe. Your name is Noffe.

...so, what went wrong with your job back there?

give him your name and maybe see if you can't get his story, at least on the way back to your place. and yes take the ride. It's either that or hoof it.

He's the card isn't he? If he doesn't have a place to stay he can crash at our house in exchange for the ride. Also get his story.

Suggestion 2014/07/03(Thu)08:37 No. 582620 ID: 6e85c8
File 140440185022.png - (283.23KB , 800x800 , GBTRa16.png )

Noffe decides to take Cardigan up on his offer, and takes his hand to stand.

'Noffe. Noffe Cheid.'

'Well, great to meet you Noffe! Your name seems kinda familiar, you ever spend time across the gate?'

Noffe hesitates, glancing off to the side.

'Just Once.'

'OH well, maybe it's just a really common name for you Mita folks or something. Come on, I'm parked over this way.'

Noffe follows Cardigan along.

>>544810

'Why asking about a fight?'

'Oh, just job stuff. Don't worry about it, it's got nuthin' at all to do with you!'

They reach the car, and Cardigan hops into the driver's seat. Noffe hops in the back.

'What are ya doing back there, Noffe? It's not like anyone else called shotgun.'

'Just like the back better. More comfortable.'

Cardigan Shrugs, 'Suit yourself!' And begins driving off. Noffe leans against the back of the cabin, feeling the vibrations from the engine through the walls.

>>544814

'What went wrong with job?'

Card bites his lip, starting to get visibly flustered, before he begins speaking.

'Those jerks, throwing me out. Makes it really damn hard to do my job, and I'm on a deadline here!'

'What job?'

'Oh, yeah. Guess you wouldn't really know. I'm a 'caller.' Sort of a ... recruiter, or a talent scout or something. Anyway, I was there looking for someone to help me out, it's basically the best place to look in a hurry. But everything's all crazy in there. These guys, they got this kid ...'

He starts to look visibly angrier about it.

'This Mita kid, they brought him in earlier. All kinds of people started comin' and goin'. They weren't regular cops or anything, and they sure weren't visitors of the regular sort either. There was all this big hubbub, sayin' this kid was a terrorist or something. But I was there all day, I heard the truth of it. They got nothin' on this kid. Nothin'. They're just stringing him up 'cause they need someone to blame, just cause he got a bit unlucky. And that pisses me off! I know what it's like, you know? Not being given a chance, getting stuck in a rut. These guys, what they're doin' isn't justice. I feel for that kid, you know? They weren't even listenin' to him because he's got family that's supposed to be some sort of crazy army badasses from the war, something about his sister Nof.....'

Cardigan suddenly slams on the brakes, and the car skids to a halt in the middle of the street.

He turns around, a shocked expression on his face as he gazes back at Noffe, 'Wait, it's you isn't it? You're Noffe Cheid, right? You're the one they were talking about!'

Noffe is taken aback by his rambling and the sudden stop and change in attitude, and can't think of a response.

'No, it is! It's gotta be. You were in the Khemdri Mat during the war!'

Noffe clenches her jaw and nods her head slowly, waiting to see how Cardigan responds.

Cardigan leans back into his seat, sitting quietly and tensely for several minutes before turning back to Noffe.

'I ... we might be able to help each other.'

The words hit Noffe like a jolt of lighting. 'What?! How?!'

Cardigan pauses for a moment, considering, and then speaks again, 'Well, going back to an earlier question. Don't suppose you feel like getting in another fight?'

>>582620
Depends. Will it help get our brother out of the clink?

>>582620
Yeah basically only if it'll help our brother. Because honestly, what else is there in our life?

>>582620
Well, could the fight make things worse for the brother if it goes bad?

>Don't suppose you feel like getting in another fight?
I don't really like fighting, and I sort of think I'd only be confirming their wrong ideas if I did.

...but how could it help, here?

"After I got off work I was mugged today, by a human. He pointed a knife in my back, wanted my money. All I had was bus fare and he was angry about that, so he decided he wanted a little something else for his trouble. I got out of that mostly unhurt but I went straight home after because if I report the crime it's the word of a mita against a human and chances are I'm the one taking it in the face.
"When I got home cops kidnapped me on threat of arrest. They interrogated me, looking for something plausible to convict my brother for. When I was a little indignant about that they told me it would be really easy to arrest me and put me in high security: Apparently one of the excuses they're using to keep my brother is telling people I'm some special forces monster here to eat your babies instead of a construction worker employed by her slumlord. That means it's only a matter of time before they arrest me just to keep their story straight.
"Now I've got a stranger offering me a chance for a fight. What's the point? Stick a fork in me, I'm done. If I somehow get my brother out of jail I can't take him across the border because he'll be put in the war camps. I won't be able to stay here with him because he, me, or both of us will be targets: It's pretty obvious that my brother's arrest is about collective reprisal or extermination, so getting him out of jail isn't enough. Heck, if the irregulars these cops say are bombing things are real instead of a fabricated excuse to pick on mita they'll be after us for our recruitment or our skulls as well. Can you think of a happy ending, or even a safe ending for this story that's actually plausible? I can't think of one.
"I'll put my money where my mouth is: Even odds, I bet you twenty bucks I don't have yet or an offer to make you dinner a couple times that I'm walking into a trap when I get home. I figure an unarmed victim with a predictable destination and schedule is awful tempting to cowards and that's been the way my day has gone ever since I got off work."

>>582620
"I will beat the shit out of anyone you point me at."

... Depends, what do you mean by fighting?

I mean if he's suggesting grabbing a gun or something like that that's probably just going to make things worse, even if you do pull it off. If he means fighting in a different since though... We should hear him out at least before we decide anything.

Suggestion 2014/07/11(Fri)11:02 No. 583784 ID: 6e85c8
File 140510174017.png - (146.12KB , 800x800 , GBTRa17.png )

>>582622
>>582631
>>582717

'How would Fighting Help? Would only make more trouble, can't cross the border even if Rahak was freed.'

'Oh, nonono. Not like that. You said you'd been across the gate, right?'

Noffe Nods.

'Well, do you know about The Ring?'

'Know 'ring,' but is specific?'

Cardigans nods before continuing, 'Okay, well, The Ring is sort of a big festival that happens in The Confederation. It started as some sort of old ritual, and some people still get kind of religious about it. But it started to get really big, like a big international event.

It's basically a big fighting tournament, alright? It's got rules and stuff, and the winner gets a lot of prestige in a lot of circles. And, I mean, it's probably the biggest sports event in the country, possibly the world!'

'What, so fight in Ring? Not even from the country, or even the people.'

'Yeah, well, the thing is ... The Ring has been gone for a while. The last two times it should have come up it didn't because of, you know, the whole 'war' thing. So they're making it bigger than ever. They even want to bring in people from out here in the territories.

That's why I'm here. I'm a Caller, remember? I'm down here to try to find competitors. I just sort of ... lost all my money and didn't have anyone scouted out, so I was hanging around the police department looking for some ruffian to at least get an entrant.'

'Oh, so that..'

'Oh no, I don't mean to say you're just some ruffian! Don't get me wrong. It's just, I tend to talk a little faster than I think is all. Don't wo...'

'WAIT.' Noffe shouts to cut off Cardigan, 'Why tell all this? How would The Ring even help?'

'Well, see, people fighting in The Ring? They're like superstars. And with the size of the thing, and the whole event being a big thing while they bring it back, they wouldn't want anything to interfere with it. Like ...'

'So?! How does that h...'

'...LIKE they wouldn't want to put a competitor's brother on trial for terrorism without evidence. And they really don't seem to have much more than suspicions.'

...

'Look, it might not save him or anything, but if you're in The Ring he'll at least be safe. I'm sure of that. The only thing is ...'

'Is what?'

'Well, there's a qualifier to enter, and it's tonight. S'Kinda why I'm in a hurry to find someone. If you want to do this, we're going to have to go now.'

Noffe stops to think for a second.

'Why wanting to help me? What do you get?'

Cardigan shrugs, 'I'd like to say it's because I want to, you know, undo the injustice for your brother. And that definitely does get me pretty heated. But also, I mean, I'm broke. I can't get back home without money. If you can win the qualifier, as a certified Caller I'll get a bonus that will let me catch the train back. And you were in the Khemdri Mat! So I'm pretty sure you're tough enough to win it.'

Noffe clenches her jaw again, sighing heavily. She's going to need to decide if she wants to accept Cardigan's offer quickly, and if she does accept she needs to figure out what to do with the short time before the qualifier.

>>583784
Accept. This is the only real option to save your brother.

In the time you have before the qualifier you should prepare yourself for the fight. Shake off the rust and re-familiarize yourself with the basics of CQC.

accept! fightin is fun!, be sure to find out the rules though, you wouldn't want to get disqualified

whelp, gotta get your 15 minutes of fame sometime. You should aquatint yourself with the rules, and form a contingency plan if someone wants you to throw a match.

Beats going home to an empty apartment with genuine worries of blackmail, kidnapping and other forms of traps, ambushes and cowardly attacks.

ask if there's prize money in this thing? I mean he said that your brother's trail will at least be put on hold if you enter this thing but he's not sure. If you can get money off this thing then you could at least buy a good lawyer if nothing else.

Also accept, unless you have some other way you know about to free your brother.

If the media will react as he claims, it will at least delay the issue concerning your brother. The farther from the incident you can stretch it, the less pressure there will be on the authorities to bag someone for it.

>>583784
unless you've got another plan in mind other than "visiting your brother in jail every now and then", i'd say you're gonna have to go for it.

>>583784
Accept.

Get hype.

Ask what the rules are.

...what happens if and when you lose? You're good, but no one wins every fight, especially if they go looking for them like this. Does this fame and protection for your brother disappear?

Grumble to yourself about how stupid this all is. You try and help rebuild, and people think you and your brother are the enemy. But if you keep fighting, people like you, you're famous? This country is friggen crazy.

Suggestion 2015/01/02(Fri)19:49 No. 617590 ID: db2d60
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'Don't see any other choice ... so okay'

Cardigan's eyes suddenly widen, he almost seems shocked by Noffe's quick decision.

'o-OH! Ok, alright. Uh, then, we really need to get going. Like now. we're probably going to be a smidge late, but I can still get us in.'

Cardigan immediately slams on the gas, pulling a U-Turn and driving back into town with haste.

'What if lose?'

'Oh, well, don't lose, okay? If you get to the ring itself it's fine if you lose every now and then, it's a long event. But for these qualifiers only the top 3 get to go on.'

'What is top 3?'

'Well, the qualifier is basically a normal tournament. Win, you go to the next round. Lose, you're out. The only fiddly part is third place.'

'Fiddly?'

'Like, not normal. See, in the ring matches are scored, and the scoring is how third place is determined in the qualifiers.

There are three ways to win in the ring. One, you knock out your opponent. Two, you get your opponent to surrender. Three, you knock your opponent out of the ring three times.'

Noffe nods, listening intently as Cardigan drives.

'Each time you knock your opponent out of the ring, you get a point. If you get 3 points, you win the round and they're added to your total. You get an extra point for winning with a KO or surrender, so 4 total for any rounds like that. If you also got knocked out of the ring, you lose a point from your total for each time. These points are a lot of the point of the ring itself, but in the qualifiers they just matter for third place. There's no loser's match or anything, the semifinal loser with more points gets third. Got it?'

Noffe wasn't really sure that she did, but she nodded anyway. As long as she got as many points as possible, she shouldn't need to worry about the minutia.

'What other rules? For fighting?'

'OH! Those rules. Yeah, okay, so... Qualifiers use the same rules as The Ring for that part. No outside weapons, No biting, And no gouging at the face, throat, or groin. Pretty much anything goes other than that. Well, other than, you know, don't kill a guy or anything. There's special laws for if people die accidentally in The Ring, but it's still not a good idea. And they don't apply to the qualifiers, so, you know. Don't kill anyone. I'm sure that you wouldn't anyway but just so we're clear.'

Noffe stays silent, turning to look out the window. The streets are mostly empty, and as they continue driving they enter a section of town with a lot of warehouses. Cardigan parks his car.

'Well, here we are. You should probably let me do the talking, you know, Caller and all.'

He leads Noffe to a nondescript door on the side of one of the buildings and they head inside. Inside there is a man at a desk, and Cardigan immediately strikes up a conversation with him. They speak to quickly and quietly for Noffe to really understand what they're saying specifically, but Cardigan seems to be insisting on something that the man is refusing. Eventually, Cardigan shows the guy something from his pocket and the man eventually relents.

Cardigan walks back to Noffe.

'Okay, we gotta hurry. everything is supposed to already have started, but I managed to get you in. You're gonna be fighting right away, though. So we need to get you out to the ring right now.'

Suggestion 2015/01/02(Fri)20:10 No. 617594 ID: db2d60
File 142025825338.png - (226.81KB , 800x800 , GBTRa19.png )

Cardigan quickly leads Noffe down a hall and through a few more doors, and she gradually becomes aware of a growing sound. She recognizes it as the sound of a lot of voices shouting loudly.

'Noffe! Hey, before you go, you gotta take your boots off. They'd count as a weapon, you know.'

Cardigan opens a final door, and they enter a huge room. The room is Noisy and Dark, with People crowded into the bleachers around the edge. In the center of the room, surrounded by a chain-link fence, is a large rectangular platform raised a few feet above the ground. All of the lighting in the room is pointed directly at it, and there is a man already standing on it.

There is a crackling, and a voice comes over some sort of poorly-functioning intercom, failing to silence the crowd but still audible over it.

'WHAT A LUCKY NIGHT, FANS! WITH ONE LAST-MINUTE ENTRANT, THERE IS NO LONGER A BYE FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF THE TOURNAMENT, AND YOU GET TO SEE AN EXTRA MATCH!'

A roar rises up from the crowd long enough to drown out even the intercom.

'-DUCE THE FIRST FIGHTER OF THE EVENING, A FAVORITE TO WIN WHO HAS COMPETED IN THE RING BEFORE! CASEY RYBACK!'

The man on the platform raises his arms, posing for the crowd. They roar in response.

'AND MAKING HIS WAY TO THE RING, RYBACK'S FIRST OPPONENT IS A NEWCOMER, OUR LAST-MINUTE ENTRANT! NOFFE CHEID!'

The crowd begins to cheer, though not quite as loudly as for the previous fighter. As Noffe approaches the gate to the fence and enters the light, the roar of the crowd quickly dwindles to a low murmur.

Noffe sighs, and then goes to open the gate. Cardigan stops her as she reaches for the handle.

'Hey'

The crowd's volume rises again, sounding angrier than before. 'boo's are audible.

'What?' She turns to face him.

'Your boots. Gotta take off your boots.'

Noffe stops to remove her boots, handing them to Cardigan.

'Alright, well, that's all I can do for now. Try not to let the crowd get to you, I guess? Just, I gotta go. Won't be able to talk again 'til after the fights. Kick some ass, alright? We both have a lot riding on this.'

Noffe enters the gate, which closes behind her, and begins climbing onto the platform. The crowd continues to hurl what Noffe assumes to be insults at her, though with all the voices and noise she can't actually understand what they're saying.

The intercom kicks back on 'AND NOW THAT OUR FIRST COMPETITORS HAVE ENTERED OUR RING, THE FIRST ROUND CAN COMMENCE! THE FIGHT WILL START IN TEN!'

Casey holds his fist out toward Noffe, the crowd cheering in response

'NINE!'

He shouts out to her 'I was supposed to skip this round, you know!'

'EIGHT!' The crowd ceases its mostly incoherent murmuring, joining in to chant the countdown.

Noffe remains silent, Tensing herself for the coming battle.

'SEVEN!'

'But now you had to show up.'

'SIX!'

'And I don't get to just relax until round 2.'

'FIVE!'

'You really piss me off.'

'FOUR!'

'The hell are you doing here anyway, trash.'

'THREE!'

'This is our ring!'

'TWO!'

'You monsters don't have any place in it!'

'ONE!'

'SO I'M GONNA KICK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU AND TOSS YOU OUT!'

A Chime sounds over the loudspeaker, and the crowd roars into activity.

Noffe's first battle has begun. Casey raises his guard and walks directly toward her. She'll need to figure out how to respond, and quickly.

>>617594
Put up your dukes and wait for an opening. That's how fighting works, innit?
Keep your profile as slim towards him as possible, and keep your hands near your face and midsection for quick blocking.

>>617594
hah, this guy has a lousy stance.
Just keep doing moves that will put him on his ass. Basically, girl, play the counter game. Make him mad and clumsy. Dodge his hits, and trip him.

try not to stab him with any of your sharp bits. punches, palm thrusts and kicks.

Nail him with strikes until he's softened up then put him in a submission hold until he taps out.

be dodgey let him get angry and reckless trying to hit you, then when he leaves an opening take him out

This guy looks like a showboater. Like he's gonna try to ham this up for the crowd.

Respond with brutal efficiency. You don't care about a good show. This is about your brother, and winning. Doing what you need to to make that happen, as soon as the opportunity present itself. Hard.

Suggestion 2015/03/25(Wed)20:47 No. 630993 ID: 69994e
File 142734167880.png - (309.35KB , 800x800 , GBTRa20.png )

Noffe thinks that this guy seems like a showboater, and tries to fight cautiously to get him off his game.

Casey seems to have a completely different mindset once the fight has started, however! His bravado and boisterousness drop away and he keeps his own calm watch on her as he approaches.

Noffe tries to get in a quick hit or two, take him off his game, get him angry, but his defense is strong enough to stop her offense.

Suddenly, Casey lunges forward inside Noffe's own guard! After a quick strike to the gut, he reaches around behind her and grabs a hold of her collar and hair, dragging her off balance and wrenching her to the ground! He quickly pulls her into a headlock, twisting and pulling the collar to tighten Noffe's shirt around her neck as he holds her down.

'I'm feelin' nice, monster. So I'm gonna make this quick. Say goodnight!'

Noffe is in a tight spot!

don't try to break his grip, apply elbow to guts!

rip out of that shirt it's proving to be a major hindrance

alternatively throw him off

>>630993
Repeated elbow strikes to the groin.

>>630993
Get closer. Grab under closest thigh and his opposite hip. Lift, tumble, whatever.
Get out of that headlock.

We were told... wait, was the rule not to gouge the groin, or not to hit the groin? I assumed the latter because nobody would want to gouge the groin.

I say break his nose. That's usually pretty distracting. Also when you get a chance, lose the shirt. It has been shown to be a liability.

Elbow whatever you can and when he reacts, try to hook his nose with your left hand and pull up. See if you can turn towards him when his grip loosens to keep him from going into another hold, and maybe uppercut the grin off that square-ass jaw.

If you can't shake him, it might be worth throwing yourself, and hopefully him too, out of the ring. Not sure if you can manage it, but since you have to be ringed out 3 times to lose, it would buy you breathing room.

That pun wasn't intentional.

Stop trying to break the hold and slam your left elbow into his gut as hard as possible. Try to knock the air out of him (if this was real fight, I'd say to put your elbow into his groin).

Immediately after the hit, throw yourself at or away from him, attempting to knock him over slash break his weakened grip.

Make a mental note not to underestimate showboaters. You have to take everyone in the ring seriously- they'll all threats to put down fast.

grab the guy's fingers on his are that is around your neck and and try and pull his arm off of you. either you'll break his fingers or loosen his grip enough for you to slip out.

>>631020
Card said it was no gouging the groin. I think the idea is fighting dirty is fine but they don't want permanent damage in those areas.

So go ahead and stick that elbow wherever it's convenient. Gut, groin, whatever.

>>630993
clear window to the groin is a rookie mistake by him.

>>631391
we can't hit the groan, it's against the rules. remember the rules state no face gouging, not groan shots, and no weapons.