#— interaction : karuna / juliana .

[gildcdglory]

Juliana had been warned about the city's brutality when she first moved to the location. Her cousin gave her the run-down on how to stay out of trouble--- carry pepper spray, don't talk to anyone on the subway, don't stay out too late, don't talk to strangers, etc. She had told herself that she'd be fine, but as she glanced around at the boxing gym, she realized she didn't understand half of the violence that took place under her thumb.

A light frown formed on her lips as the stranger declined her offer. She had meant no malice when she offered her services-- only the desire to heal the wounded and clean away some of the gym's blood. ❝Are you sure? I really don't mind taking a look at your wounds. I'm not going to charge you or anything.❞ Juliana wasn't sure if they were declining due to potential costs or if something about her scared them off, but she figured she'd try one last time.❝...No, I had no clue there was a boxing gym over here. I guess that makes more sense than a book club meeting. I was concerned that it was an elaborate initiation like in one of those TV shows.❞ 

KARUNA WAS FAMILIAR WITH THEIR FAIR SHARE OF SCAMS. They always reach out to you first, dangle the supposed free goods in front of you in a way that’s far too good to be true, and demand payment immediately after. Karuna’s been around the block enough to understand actual free shit came few and far between. A suspicious once over, and Karuna’s belief in the scam only furthers. Sending a pretty woman to a fighting ring to create debts through supposedly free nursing care? Fucking genius. They’re only disappointed they hadn’t thought of it first. 

“No thanks. I can take care of myself, sweetheart.” They’re no nurse, not even in the slightest, but they’d been patching themself up for years and managed to make it this far. A half-ass job, but a free one nonetheless. Not without a few infections or butchered stitch jobs— but that was neither here nor there. “I’m sure if you keep looking around, someone will definitely bite.” It’s not every day— in fact, she’d be willing to bet good money it’s not any day— that these smarmy fucks have the opportunity to get patched up by a beautiful woman. They can only imagine how readily they’d be willing to throw an entire night's earnings to even just be in her presence. She sighs. “Pathetic little fucks,” she mutters to no one in particular. "Oh— this is Ralph's Boxing Gym. So you really didn't know that already?"

[paradiserottttt]

KARUNA WAS FAMILIAR WITH THEIR FAIR SHARE OF SCAMS. They always reach out to you first, dangle the supposed free goods in front of you in a way that’s far too good to be true, and demand payment immediately after. Karuna’s been around the block enough to understand actual free shit came few and far between. A suspicious once over, and Karuna’s belief in the scam only furthers. Sending a pretty woman to a fighting ring to create debts through supposedly free nursing care? Fucking genius. They’re only disappointed they hadn’t thought of it first. 

“No thanks. I can take care of myself, sweetheart.” They’re no nurse, not even in the slightest, but they’d been patching themself up for years and managed to make it this far. A half-ass job, but a free one nonetheless. Not without a few infections or butchered stitch jobs— but that was neither here nor there. “I’m sure if you keep looking around, someone will definitely bite.” It’s not every day— in fact, she’d be willing to bet good money it’s not any day— that these smarmy fucks have the opportunity to get patched up by a beautiful woman. They can only imagine how readily they’d be willing to throw an entire night's earnings to even just be in her presence. She sighs. “Pathetic little fucks,” she mutters to no one in particular. "Oh— this is Ralph's Boxing Gym. So you really didn't know that already?"

If Juliana wasn't a nurse who dealt with blood and injuries all day long, the sight of the bloodied individual before them would've been enough to scare them away from the establishment for good. Instead, they merely examined her like a nurse would a patient, mentally noting her injuries and what medicine would be needed to treat the affected body parts.

They pulled away from their examination when she spoke. Juliana never thought about the unsavory individuals they might run into on their own, but the fighter's warning made them stand a bit straighter. ❝Sorry, I just wanted to know where I ended up. You were kind of the first person I ran into.❞ They stared at the fighter a bit longer before adding, ❝I can take a look at your injuries if you want. I might not have all of the necessary medical supplies, but I am a nurse.❞

[gildcdglory]

If Juliana wasn't a nurse who dealt with blood and injuries all day long, the sight of the bloodied individual before them would've been enough to scare them away from the establishment for good. Instead, they merely examined her like a nurse would a patient, mentally noting her injuries and what medicine would be needed to treat the affected body parts.

They pulled away from their examination when she spoke. Juliana never thought about the unsavory individuals they might run into on their own, but the fighter's warning made them stand a bit straighter. ❝Sorry, I just wanted to know where I ended up. You were kind of the first person I ran into.❞ They stared at the fighter a bit longer before adding, ❝I can take a look at your injuries if you want. I might not have all of the necessary medical supplies, but I am a nurse.❞

THE SWEAT AND BLOOD OF SOME UNLUCKY FUCK COAT KARUNA'S KNUCKLES. A glass of whiskey is nestled in their grasp— they down the majority of it in a succession of noisy gulps. It temporarily rids their mouth of its present busted lip flavoring. Another win (victory found her oh-so irresistible, after all), just at the cost of their gorgeous face. Still, they’re only grateful it hadn’t been an eye this time. 

A tug of Karuna’s sleeve sends them whirling around, fists lowering upon being met by a woman who could’ve only wound up here by mistake. She’d bet money that no one within 20 feet of her had ever read that many pages in their entire lives— even when their individual page counts are combined. “You should watch who you sneak up on in here, lady,” Karuna informs the woman with a huff. “You’ll find war here. Peace? Not so much.” Their eyes flicker momentarily to her book. “I would put that somewhere for safekeeping if I were you.” Karuna considers the amount of damage that could be done with a book that size and imagines she won’t be the first nor the last person with such an idea.

[paradiserottttt]

THE SWEAT AND BLOOD OF SOME UNLUCKY FUCK COAT KARUNA'S KNUCKLES. A glass of whiskey is nestled in their grasp— they down the majority of it in a succession of noisy gulps. It temporarily rids their mouth of its present busted lip flavoring. Another win (victory found her oh-so irresistible, after all), just at the cost of their gorgeous face. Still, they’re only grateful it hadn’t been an eye this time. 

A tug of Karuna’s sleeve sends them whirling around, fists lowering upon being met by a woman who could’ve only wound up here by mistake. She’d bet money that no one within 20 feet of her had ever read that many pages in their entire lives— even when their individual page counts are combined. “You should watch who you sneak up on in here, lady,” Karuna informs the woman with a huff. “You’ll find war here. Peace? Not so much.” Their eyes flicker momentarily to her book. “I would put that somewhere for safekeeping if I were you.” Karuna considers the amount of damage that could be done with a book that size and imagines she won’t be the first nor the last person with such an idea.

WHO: Juliana León & open WHERE: Underground fighting ring

Juliana hadn't realized just how big the city was. She was used to a small town where she could walk from one end to the other and still get back in time for dinner. This place, on the other hand, left her feeling like a deer in headlights. It didn't help that she was headed to a new place in the middle of the night, knowing exactly zero people who could guide her to the right place to go. No, surely that wasn't a recipe for disaster, right?

She was supposed to be headed to a book club meeting, but the poor girl had misread the address. Instead of showing up to a late-night lounge, she wound up stumbling her way through the dark and entering a world she had never seen before. Wide eyes examined the fighters as they moved around the ring, and her focus blurred with the loud screams of the audience. It took her several minutes to orient herself, but once she did, she managed to latch onto the person next to her and tug their sleeve gently. ❝Sorry, is this part of the book club? I know we're reading War and Peace, but I didn't think they'd take the title so literally.❞