The Race is On! [Winners Posted]

[FORTUNA]

place your bets! pick a winner, get some dinner! Fortuna's eyes roved around the room, scanning hands and faces for any signs of trouble before the race. The surprisingly large, fabric-draped room was sparsely lit with hard-won lanterns, giving just enough light for her to see everything. The air was heavy with smoke and the hum of excitement. She sat in her cushioned corner, on what used to be a futon but was now buried under comfortable mounds of cloth she'd accumulated over the years, fingers curled around a slowly dying cigar. Every now and again  she would draw it to her lips, and a small, quiet girl would flow like a shadow behind her, whisper something in Fortuna's ear before drifting back to the crowd. Fortuna's eyes trailed Mercy through the milling crowd of gamblers until she lost sight of her. Janko stood by the door, bouncer extraordinaire, his natural blue-collar charm drawing them in in droves. They'd be full up soon. She grinned down at the old traveler's trunk in front of her as more and more patrons dropped their bets in the pot before turning to the makeshift bar to pour themselves some whiskey; her finest stuff was on the house for those who gambled. It wouldn't be long now before she'd bring in the rats and start the race, but she'd give them just a few minutes longer for any stragglers to come try their hand at fate. Welcome to our first official rat race! Here's our lineup of this week's race. Black Betty Named so for her jet-black coat ... and her jet-black heart. This rat is vicious! RACES: 0 WINS: 0 Big Bertha Sooey! Sooey! This local beer-and-bread-fed beauty really ... dominates the track. RACES: 0 WINS: 0 Cheese Louise Cheese Louise, this lil' fella is simply too gouda to pass up! RACES: 0 WINS: 0 Sewerbiscuit The one and only bald blazer, the hairless wonder from down under,  Sewerbiscuit! RACES: 0 WINS: 0 Cheese Lightning Cheese Lightning, go Cheese Lightning, you're burnin' up the quarter mile! RACES: 0 WINS: 0 Monterey Jack You Up No matter how you slice it, this guy is a muenster. RACES: 0 WINS: 0 Eat My Squeaks Hope you other rats got a big appetite! RACES: 0 WINS: 0 The Verminator Target acquired. Get out of his way if you want to live! Oh, and he'll be back. RACES: 0 WINS: 0 Those Aren't Raisins I wouldn't eat those...definitely not the chocolate-covered kind ... RACES: 0 WINS: 0 The Artful Dodger You've been struck by a smooth criminal! RACES: 0 WINS: 0  Read our Guide to Racing Here & Find the racing form before replying below.

[Redd Russo]

OOC ACCOUNT: Noxx
RAT NAME: Cheese Lightning
SPONSORING: Yes
BET TYPE: To WIN!!
BET AMOUNT: 500 CP

Redd beckoned over his shoulder. "C'mon, it'll be fun," he promised, smiling brightly at the red-headed, freckly girl tagging along behind him. He'd only been to the rat races once or twice and didn't usually come away with any winnings, but it was a nice enough way to spend an evening. He and Devin had been spending much too much time cooped up working inside anyhow; they deserved to have a little fun! Redd made his way over to the woman in the corner. His eyes glanced over the roster for the race and he was pleased to find that one of his favorites was running. "I'll place my bet on Cheese Lightning," he began, tossing a bundle of rations and a pair of boots into the pot. He paused before specifying his bet; the safest thing to do would be to bet to show-- then at least he'd get something if Cheese Lightning landed in any of the top three. But he looked over his shoulder and saw Devin watching him, and suddenly his chest swelled with confidence. "To win."

[huntress]

OOC ACCOUNT:
Silfrvarg
RAT NAME:
Sewerbiscuit
SPONSORING:
Yes
BET TYPE:
To show
BET AMOUNT: 200cp

Huntress glared venomously at the cluster of shifters that were between her and the woman who ran this place, daring them not to get out of her way. She normally wouldn't have minded going around, but they were males, if she had been back home she would have taken the disrespect out of their hides. Unfortunately, she had to make do with glaring, starting a brawl would probably get her kicked out, and then she wouldn't be able to bet. It wasn't like there was much else to do.

She eyed the board curiously, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a half smile when she read one name. Why not?

"Sewerbiscuit will do well I think," she said, tossing two fresh caught rabbits and a slightly beaten up jacket onto the pile, "I bet that he'll show." She was tempted to mention that slow rats were tasty, but she decided against it; the owner of this place might be offended if she talked about eating one of her pets. It was a shame, she had a few good recipes for rat.

[Kite Ostling]

OOC ACCOUNT: Etch
RAT NAME: Those Aren't Raisins
SPONSORING: No
BET TYPE: To Show
BET AMOUNT: 300

The press of the room was a familiar discomfort, and Kite slipped ignored through the crowd of people with the ease of practice. The only eyes drawn to him were directed at his haul; two seasonably fat grouses hanging from a cord over his shoulder. He'd left the bow that brought them down with his ring-mates back in the forest, the only thing it would be good for in here is getting stolen. An encouraging elbow to the ribs got a sullen looking man to move enough for him to come face to face with the proprietor, who honestly looked like she could eat him alive. He unshouldered the game birds before he could get verbally savaged for wasting time, pointed at the dark looking rat that suited him as good as any, shrugged agreement to the offer of a show placement, accepted the glassful of amber liquid he assumed was thanks for not being a pain in her ass, and retreated to the back of the room. A spot next to a short girl with bright purple hair presented itself, and he accustomed himself. Hair color aside she didn't strike him as likely to start stabbing people for no reason, something he could not say about the shady looking man hovering by the bar. Again Kite wondered why the hell he was here, though honestly he knew. Carranzo had pegged his type the minute he laid eyes on Kite in Fallen, and he was fairly sure he was the one behind sending Kite here to deal with this kind of situation. "Because he was going hunting in the area anyways," as if the patrols were up to Kite. If they were, he probably wouldn't shoot anything that couldn't be got from the top of the railroad cars.

He raised the glass in a tired toast to the girl, and knocked it back in a go. Better down than knocked to the floor by some rowdy idiot.

[Py Ackerman]

OOC ACCOUNT: Grace
RAT NAME: Black Betty
SPONSORING: Yes
BET TYPE: To place
BET AMOUNT: 400CP

The excitement that hummed in the air was nearly tangible and completely infectious, and soon Py was bouncing along with the rest of the crowd, completely sober but feeling drunk all the same. Maddox was by his side, looking a little skeptical to the fact that he swore he hadn't been drinking. A few knocked ribs, some creative cursing, and several elbows to the chest later, and he and Max had successfully made it to the line of people waiting to place their bets. Tucked under his arm was a basket full of...a very much alive and wiggly ferret who just couldn't stay STILL, and strung around his neck was a pair of fox-fur gloves - fabulous, fashionable, and warm. Who wouldn't want that? As for the ferret, well, he'd found it in his bed. How it got there, he had no idea. Things just had a way of ended up in his bed. It was simply far too squirmy for his liking, and he figured that it'd make a pretty good pet for someone else. Or a good snack. But mostly, he hoped, a pet. Besides, Max had cured meat to add into the mix so it wasn't like the pot would be starved for rations, so to speak.

He recognized several people nearby from their ring, and nudged Max eagerly, pointing them out; they both raised their hands in a greeting and got a few energetic waves back. Py did, however, notice that one of them was that Trevor kid, and immediately blanched, dropping his hand. He still hadn't quite forgiven him for the whole Tain-thing. "Y'know, if you frown any harder, Py, they're going to mistake your shrimpy ass for a rat and start betting on you - he's a good kid," Max quipped, giving him a playful shove on the shoulder. He snorted laughter, rolling his eyes at her, and said rather matter-of-factedly, "Yeah, and he's also about as sinful as a Bible doorstop."

When they reached the betting desk, he leaned over it and offered the woman sitting there a charming grin, dropping the basket and the gloves into the pot with an unceremonious thump, the meat tossed in shortly thereafter. He peered over at Max, eyebrows raising, then back again, "My bet's on Black Betty to place. I heard she's always ready. To win, that is. Or place, whichever happens." A quick wink and a few exchanged words later and both of them agreed that a drink would definitely make this race a whole lot better, as long as Py didn't accidentally spill any on his shirt if good ol' Betty actually won the damn thing. He was in it for the cheddar, baby. 

[Noisette Todd]

OOC ACCOUNT: Fuleao
RAT NAME: Monterey Jack You Up
SPONSORING: YEAH LET'S GO
BET TYPE: Place
BET AMOUNT: 500 cp

Noisette's cigarette ran out during the slow push to the betting station. Darren had refused to loan his lighter when he'd lit her up back at Fulsi, but no matter. Noisette had marked out one girl here at least who had one, to save asking around blindly. She fished her contributions from her pocket: a rabbit and a box of pens, battered but all with full ink. "The Monterey one. To.....mmm, place." With a satisfied nod, Noise went off to hunt lighters.

Her target was in the back of the room, and agreed with buzzed enthusiasm to share the lighter. Noise glanced around lazilly while the stranger dug around for it. Her eye caught with some lone drinker, who hoisted his glass at her. The fulsi dipped her head in acknowledgement, but raised her eyebrows at him and his mood, wildly contrary to the atmosphere. Maybe he had a perfectly good reason, she thouht as the she felt the girl clumsily take her cig and light it.

....

Noise decided she didn't care. She took the proffered cig and stepped over to the guy. "I don't know what's up, you miserable noodle, but you're with me now. Come on." And with that, she looped a firm arm behind his waist and dove into the crowd.

[FORTUNA]

RESULTS OF THE RACE   THE WINNER'S CIRCLE  Redd Russo / Noxx earned 1,750 CP with a bet to WIN on CHEESE LIGHTNING Py Ackerman / grace! earned 1,200 CP with a bet to PLACE on BLACK BETTY huntress / Silfrvarg earned 500 CP with a bet to SHOW on SEWERBISCUIT BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME Noisette Todd / Fuleao lost 500 CP with a bet to SHOW on MONTEREY JACK YOU UP Kite Ostling / Etch lost 300 CP with a bet to SHOW on THOSE AREN'T RAISINS