[Day 1, Late Evening] Calling it a Night (Expecting)

[Calico Carter]

Under the normal run of things, Calico would have been out much, much later.

But when the "fun budget" consisted of two onz, with a tournament to compete in the next day...

Yeah, there was no sense in going to the bar when a single drink cost more than you had in the world.

So she and Orlok were hanging out in the lobby, looking out the windows, and trying to avoid the inevitable, "go back to your room and stew in nervous agitation all night" thing that was looming on her personal horizon.

She'd set aside her nicest (for a given value of nice) clothes for the next day, since the first round was the only one she could count on being in for sure, and thus, she graced the lobby in a ragged sweatshirt, bluejeans so worn they were clearly due to become cutoffs the next time she got anywhere near scissors, and a pair of heavy boots that had been very nice once, and whose essentially high quality shone through in how they were still functioning as footwear what looked to be a century after their creation.

To say she was bringing the tone of the hotel down a bit was flattering her.

Orlok had flown up to the ceiling, the better to lurk and await victims- er, prey... er, new friends.

[Felix Lang]

As she looked out the window and continued to avoid fretting over tomorrow's match a loud crashing sound could be heard coming from the main lobby area.

Looking that direction she would see a young Temprill, a little over three feet tall running through the lobby triumphantly as they held a shiny briefcase over their head and made happy grunts and squeaks. Behind the monster an unamused and severe looking man stood looking shocked, the steamasaur that had been helping the man with his luggage looked as well. Between them and young Temprill was a mountainous young man easily six and a half feet tall.

The man's run was slightly off, not quite a limp but he had an odd gait favoring one leg and, based on his size, should be easily able to catch the monster but he seemed to struggle.

At this point Calico would notice the young monster seemed to be heading straight for her now. Seconds before a collision the man jumps and tackles the Temprll

"Sumu! No! Stop! Give it back!" The pair wrestled only a couple feet away before the man would wrest control of the briefcase from the monster.

The man looked up from the ground in front of Calico and gave her his best smile, the effect somewhat ruined by his prone position. "Um. Hi!" He said brightly standing and turning to look, the man had stomped over "Hey sor-"

"I don't want to hear it! Just give me my briefcase!" He said snatching it before stomping back to the elevator.

The tall man turned to Calico again "Guess that briefcase must be pretty important huh?" He rubbed the back of his neck a little "Hey again hope you didn't get too started or hurt." He said genuinely.

He wasn't dressed particularly well, just a form fitting workout tank top and some athletic shorts. It was easy to tell he was not only tall but also incredibly muscular, not the bulky muscle of one who just lifts but the athletic muscle that is built by doing strenuous activity.

[Calico Carter]

Hooboy.

"Uh... it's fine?"

She pointed up, to where Orlok had unfurled his wings.

"He's the one who might need reassuring. My name's Calico. Here for the tournament. And you are...?"

[Felix Lang]

"Felix!" He declared and a large hand reached out toward her "Felix Lang. You're here for the tournament? So am i!" He said excitedly.

He looked up to the monster "oh yeah sorry Suramu here can get a little...mischievous sometimes." He gave the smaller monster a little nudge with his foot and had an admonishing tone.

[Calico Carter]

Orlok chittered and held his position.

Calico rolled her eyes.

"Mischievous monsters. No idea what that's like. None at all."

She paused.

"Ever tussle in one of these before?"

[Felix Lang]

He shook his head "Nope, can't say that I have. I just started working with this little guy a few months ago. I'm pretty new to the whole wrangling thing."

"First time for you I take it? I recognize prefight jitters." As he spoke his smile softened a touch.

[Calico Carter]

"Seen a thousand of 'em."

Hyperbole? Yes. But her betting losses sure made it seem like a thousand.

"And Orlok there and I have had a couple of informal scraps with wild monsters, but..."

She shrugged.

"I guess I drew a friggin' warwolf for round one? I'd never even seen a warwolf before coming here. And now I'm looking up at Bugsy there-"

Orlok chittered.

"- and thinking I just put him in front of a damn energy cannon."

[Felix Lang]

"Little different going up against another wrangler I get it." He said nodding.

"Hey I got a Warwolf round one too. But I'm sure Temprill will show that bag of bolts who's boss." He extended a fist down and Suramu made a little fist and bumped Felix's.

"Hey being able to fly will probably give some advantage right? Even with the ceiling in place."

[Calico Carter]

"Not high enough to really force it to rely on only its cannon. Might have to see if Orlok there can jam out an ice wall fast enough..."

She seemed to be mulling strategy.

"I mean, they're armor-plated, fast on the ground, got a gun... I think Orlok's gonna need to flitter around and try to keep his distance as best he can. Melee's no good for us. Of course..."

She chuckled.

"The upside to being light on supply is, I won't really need him to come over to my corner. Long as he's in shouting range, he's getting all the help I can give him. What's Suramu's usual M.O.? He gonna go tangle with it face to face?"

[Felix Lang]

Felix nodded at her assessment of Orlok's ability "Yeah trying to stay out of biting range seems like a good idea."

"Suramu here is gonna get up in their face and slam em!" He exclaimed "He can bulk up a bit and then start using his electric slam. He does have a little zap he can do but I don't think it'll be useful against the robots armor."

[Calico Carter]

"Not an expert on constructs, but... I think most all of us here are only gonna have a couple of tricks in our bags. We'll have to see how it goes."

[Felix Lang]

He shrugged a little with a chuckle "Yeah guess that's the point of an armature tournament. I'm just glad there is at least one other adult at this thing."

[Calico Carter]

"Right? All these kids, I mean... I was starting to feel like somebody's granny!"

Calico lacked the context to understand that at worst she was in older sister or young aunt territory to most of the competitors.

"They're all so sure of themselves, it's kinda... I mean, all but one person here is going to take it on the chin at some point in the tournament, so..."

[Felix Lang]

Felix smiled easily at the statement "Well hey definitely the best looking granny I've ever seen." He let's out another small laugh before considering her statement.

"I mean yeah, kids tend to be like that right? I mean I'm sure one or two are nervous but a lot of these kids young hot shot wranglers, probably best in their town, maybe just fought a bunch of wild monsters. It'd not hard to think you're invincible until you actually do take it on the chin."

[Calico Carter]

"I'm also worried about the beloved pets out here. Like, I care about Orlok, but I don't baby him. He was a blood-drinking ambush predator when I met him, and he still is. Some of these kids..."

She shook her head.

"I worry about how seeing their friends get hurt is gonna impact them."

[Felix Lang]

Felix thought on that another moment before he shrugged "That's just kind of how it goes right? I mean yeah I think it's a little crazy we let kids run around the country taking care of, in some cases, literal military weapons. If you think too hard about how our world works you'll drive yourself mad. And this is just part of that, I guess."

[Calico Carter]

"I suppose."

She sighed.

Glanced back out the window.

"How do you think your interview went?"

[Felix Lang]

He snorted "Terrible. I usually don't have an issue talking to people but cameras and reporters always get my tongue tied. Always have."

"What about yours?"

[Calico Carter]

"Wasn't my first go-around, but luckily, Orlok behaved himself. Thought he might try to zonk the interviewer, but he just put on a bit of a show. And luckily my, uh... previous brushes with fame were back-burnered."

[Felix Lang]

Felix raised an eyebrow "Previous brushes? You were famous? What for?" His curious and earnest expression hinted that he completely missed any context that it might not be something she was proud of.