𝕊𝕒𝕗𝕚 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔼𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕕𝕟𝕒

𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧, 𝘼𝙢𝙮 𝙍𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 .ᐟ

you try first! You probably need the meal more than me.

sounds of chopping, and a stove going off. Before long, Safi would return with a bowl of what looked like vegetable stew. It wasn't anything gourmet, but it smelled good. It certainly helped to sell the "homey" feel of Safi's home more. She sat with her own bowl in hand, ready to eat. ]

Go ahead, +

Sounds good to me. I had to skip breakfast, anyway, so this'll be good for me too. Just gimme a bit, okay?

[ Safi reassured the former monarch, excusing herself back to her kitchen. It sounded as though she was quite busy for the time that she was gone, judging by the sounds of running water, +

Well, come on! Hurry and shut me up if you're gonna, or is everyone where you're from all talk like this?!

[ She just needed one slip-up from Zeena, the two were practically along the edge of the arena now. ]

Who's gonna MAKE ME? It definitely isn't gonna be- WHOA!

[ Before her next taunt, she had to silence herself and focus on getting out of the way of the incoming blows. Only, it was getting harder, Zeena was getting more aggressive than Safi had planned for. She had to seal the deal, and fast... ] +

how much she taunted, that last punch was dangerous. She could tell Zeena was starting to lose her patience. Things were gonna start getting dicey. ]

Getting mad now? Temper, temper~

[ All the while she teased further, Safi started backing her way up to one of the arena's edges. ]

Should I be? I should've been KO'd a few punches ago.

[ Safi teased with her tongue stuck out, only narrowly avoiding the second punch before retaliating with a kick to send the Zeti back. ]

For as sleek as you look, you aren't all that fast on your feet, and if I'm dodging you...

[ But for +

fear

own punch aimed for Zeena's side, following up with another attempt at an uppercut. Gaining more grouind was just as important as riling the Zeti up, so she had to try and do both as much as possible. ]

I thought you'd be a little more dangerous than you are. I was worried coming into this...

You can't be THAT easy to read!

[ Another taunt, anything to make her more aggressive and prone to mistakes; that was going to be Safi's ace in the hole. As the next punch came her way, the echidna once again kept on her feet and avoided the oncoming blow, dipping to the side as she let loose her +

before setting her own extreme gear up and hopping on; a bike type. ]

We should find some good grounds to do this on. Someplace nice and open.

Trust me, I get sick of those types real easily. I don't get them myself. And if you mop the floor with them, then they're drawing weapons, threatening to tear up your smithy, calling me a bunch of words you shouldn't say around kids...

[ A snicker, and Safi's turned her back to Jet briefly +

foot was launched out in the form of a kick, aiming to knock Zeena down. All the while, Safi continued to taunt. ]

Come on, you're slipping up!

[ And, just as she was prepared for, Safi moved out of the way of the next strike, if only slightly, with her foot stock out and tripping the Zeti once she had advanced close enough, so the only person meeting the ropes was going to be Zeena. And once she was bounced off said ropes, the echidna's +

before we step out again!

Safi, or coming to her home. Meanwhile, the echidna was stowing away the goods in their respective spaces, very briefly poking her head out of the kitchen to call out,]

Hey, did you want anything to drink or snack on? I dunno how long it's been since you ate, but I figure you could use something +

Hey, I don't mind showing you around! The place isn't super quiet, but it isn't super busy like one of the major cities, either. Just gimme a sec to put all the stuff away.

[ Safi responded, not exactly picking up on any of the audible cues from Sally regarding her difficult past prior to meeting +

not here to talk idiots. We're here for a race, aren't we?

up, now facing the hawk rather than simply acknowledging his presence. ]

Those people are the worst. Their first thought is to throw a punch when they know they can't win any other way, or thinking that a threat is gonna be enough to push someone down. It's so... smoothbrained.

But hey, we're +

Duh, of course there's more class to it. The only injuries you get in a race are gonna be caused by the rider slipping up... or if someone decides to play dirty. Still, I think my chances of escaping unscathed are better in a race than in a fight. I totally get what you mean, though.

[ Safi stood +

ground? Why? Are you scared that if I were to go all out, I'd beat you?

[ She taunted in a smug voice, already readying herself up for the next move. Safi was going to need to do a lot of evading soon... ]

going to be easy, if possible at all. As she stood back up after getting knocked down again, a lightbulb seemed to go off in her head, thinking back to one of the previous fights in this tournament. The echidna grinned and faced her opponent once again. ]

You're worried about fighting on even +

[ So far, she's only gotten one good hit in, and she wasn't even sure how good that hit was. Safi wasn't up against another being like herself, was this stranger an alien of some kind? She didn't have time to try and understand, but merely think outside the box; a victory by KO or ringout wasn't +

banter, and some mutual trash talk. Did you actually WANT to throw down that bad?

In my defense, we've only spoken to each other twice. I barely know you beyond you being a racer.

[ ... this was very awkward now. ]

Sorry to get your hopes up for something else... besides, I wouldn't take trash talk THAT seriously. It's not like our lives are on the line over it. Just dumb +

him. Not in a serious fight, which the hawk seemed to be gunning for. ]

Beating up girls wouldn't make you look good, either. Unless you hang around people that are into that. Not a good look for a racing champ...

. . .

W-wait a sec, we ARE racing, aren't we? That's what I thought your challenge was.

[ Not the direction she expected this encounter to go in. ]

I don't doubt you could take me in a fight. I'm kinda terrible in a fight.

[ Not entirely a lie, but she couldn't use her real "strength" against +