#ears n horns are based off mountain goats

[coolzvillesuckz]

really glad to see we’re all obsessing over the snow creepers

[howling-harpy]

Soul wrestling [BoB daemon AU]

Word count: 1200 Rating: G

Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction based on HBO’s dramatic tv series and the actors’ portrayals in it. This has nothing to do with any real person represented in the series, and no disrespect is meant.  Previously about daemon AU: 1 & 2

A/N: I’m back on my magical realism nonsense and I cannot be stopped. Even by myself.

*

It was getting rowdy in a certain mess hall in the town of Aldbourne. It was a night during the first week in reserve safely back in England, and the men had had enough time to fully realize that they had made it that far. After settling in, getting a bath, changing into clean uniforms and getting a hot meal the atmosphere was steadily on the rise. Every familiar face that came along held a shot of pure joy and relief, and since beer was available as well, by the nightfall everyone was more or less drunk on company, life and alcohol. 

Groups for gambling were forming at almost every table, money, cigarettes, chocolate, bubblegum and loose ammo changed hands, and when men got more drunk and grew bored of the usual games, they invented new ones. 

Poker and darts morphed into one complex game with a side of truth and dare that ruined a few decks of cards, and after Luz demonstrated his perfect no-lean hand-stand, other games based on physical ability gathered a crowd. Special skills turned quickly into arm-wrestling, and arm-wrestling into regular wrestling. Tables were pushed aside to clear more floorspace, and it was on. The newest game and the height of the evening started – unsurprisingly – with Joe Liebgott and Alley More. Liebgott lost an arm-wrestling match to More, and the sore loser he was he pointed at his badger daemon and declared that even if he lost at arm-wrestling his daemon could beat More's wheaten terrier daemon any day. The daemons were naturally just as intoxicated as their humans, and since Liebgott's badger Tiki was maybe even rowdier than her human, the game of daemon fighting was on. The badger did win the wheaten terrier, for despite her cuddly appearance Tiki was as ferocious as a real badger. Next Tiki took on Muck's red fox, then Malarkey's raccoon, winning them both, but Joe Toye's wild cat proved too fast and tough an opponent even for her. Tiki had to give way for Felicia, who fluffed her impressive brown mane and let her piercing gaze circle other daemons in the audience, silently challenging anyone to try her. Toye applauded his daemon. “That's how it's done, Felix!” he said with a chuckle, and Felicia swished her tail back at him. Surprisingly, the first brave challenger for Felicia was Luz's guenon monkey Fael, who jumped from his human's shoulder to the wrestling circle and bowed and offered his hand to the wild cat like asking a lady to dance. The following match was not really a fight, but rather the monkey running screaming in circles with the single-minded wild cat on his tail, and when the cat finally leaped and got the monkey in her paws, Fael fell dramatically on the floor and acted out his death scene like an opera performer. Howling laughter from the crowd followed, and Fael did a round of deep bows to his audience before climbing back on Luz' shoulder, both of them grinning from ear to ear. After that, matches with daemons hilariously mismatched in size and power started to form as if the spectacle itself was more important than anything else. A new round of beers was proposed, and the earlier serious competitiveness was quickly forgotten. New victor in power was found when Buck Compton and his mountain goat got their turn, but when challengers started to test them the spectacle in the wrestling circle looked more like a cartoon rodeo than anything else. The goat was jumping, tossing and thrashing with Bill Guarnere's marten daemon hanging onto his horn, screaming “I got him! I got him!” when the fun was interrupted by a loud command and a sharp howl supporting it: “Company! Settle down!” The noise died down quickly, the circle broke and men searched for the source of the sound. Compton's daemon stilled with Guarnere's marten Tonya still hanging from his horns. The yeller had been Lipton and the howler his shepherd dog daemon, but with them were Welsh, Winters and Nixon as well, showing various amounts of amusement. “At ease, company,” Winters told them, “we came around to see what all the noise was about. Care to explain?” Glances were exchanged and throats were cleared as men tried to stifle their smiles and reach some mutual decision about whose duty it was to explain. Liebgott, the root of the chaos, had already shuffled aside and was sat down at one of the tables, innocently sipping a beer with Tiki on the bench by his side, as unassuming-looking as she ever was. Finally Compton did his duty as the ranking officer, raised his hand and spoke up: “We made some updates on arm-wrestling, sir. This is... Probably a daemon wrestling ring. A struggle of fighting spirits, I suppose.” He gestured towards the now clearly visible floorspace where his mountain goat stood with Tonya on top of his head. By the door Lipton looked down to hide his smile, whereas by his side Nixon and Welsh didn't even bother hiding their grins. Only Winters looked neutral, save for a quirk of brows as he took in the wrestling match between a goat and a marten. “Well that hardly seems matched,” he noted. “Only complaint I really have for you is the noise. I was told there's an actual fight happening here, so I suggest that you take it down a notch, put the tables where they belong, and enjoy your free evening with a bit more manners.” He eyed each one in the crowd, and got a mumbled “yes, sir” in return. A half of a smile twitched briefly on Winters' face. “Unless it's a winner you want before settling down? We could all go a few rounds.” He nodded pointedly at his daemon Ruth, who was calmly sitting by his side. As if to make the offering more serious, the lioness stood up and let her golden gaze pierce the daemons like her human was eying the men. A beat of time passed in silence before Compton saved the rest: “That won't be necessary, sir. Let's clean up, boys!” And with that, everyone hurried to put the mess in order like it was supposed to be, and despite not having participated Lipton excused himself from the officers and joined them to gather empty glasses. Winters, Nixon and Welsh watched them clean up for a moment to make sure they really took it seriously, and after making sure the situation was under control, they turned and walked out, strolling along the wide, green yard. When safely out of the hearing range, Nix let out a sharp laugh and elbowed Dick. “You just had to, huh?” Dick nudged him back and pretended he didn't get Nix's meaning. “They just needed to quiet down for the night. It's getting late and we are quests here.” Harry snickered. “Yeah, right.” Nix leaned forward and grinned at Harry past Dick. “Mark this day, Harry! The rule is, anyone with a lion daemon will show off, and no, our good Lieutenant Winters is not an exception.” “Oh, I thought you meant him showing he has a sense of humor after all,” Harry said. Nix raised a finger and threw an arm around Dick's shoulders. “An excellent point! Two marks for the day!”