rakesh used to flinch when he watched the fights. not that he really remembers it, but they were once a young little thing, someone that winced and hissed with every blood splatter coming from the cage. now, this ritual feels like communion. they stand near the cage, close enough to smell the ichor and the grit, but just far enough that the coat of old, matted down fur doesn’t get newer bloodstains on it. he chews on the side of his nails, teeth picking at skin, destroying flesh out of boredom as their eyes watch the fight unfold.
this one is different. rak finds his eyes trained on the man inside the cage – someone close enough could’ve told them their pupils were wider than normal, but it would be a foolish decision to approach when he was this focused. the thing that fascinates them is that they haven’t given this man much thought before this. the newcomer’s name is something starting with an L, rak is almost sure; he didn’t bother committing it to memory, sure as he was that this man would be just someone else they could watch get torn apart in the cage, nothing more. but now– oh, now. now he is covered in sweat, and infected gunk, and he’s ramming his knuckles into a clicker’s skin before pulling its spore-y skull apart with bare hands and it is… well. rak didn’t know that watching the cage fight could get them to squirm in their own seat.
they are the first to offer taking care of the newcomer, when it’s pretty obvious yen is willing to give him a chance after surviving the cage. he keeps the thinly-veiled second intentions far from his voice, but yen still gives him a disapproving look before he allows it.
their expression is schooled to be something utterly unimpressed as they wait for leon to step out of the cage. their gaze lingers over quickly rising shoulders, a sweat droplet running down his neck, the blood on his hands, eyes squinted in forged scrutiny. “that was shit. you’re lucky yen wants to keep you.” it’s a lie through bare teeth: the strength and determination shown in the cage were pretty impressive for a rookie. rak has no intention to let his admiration show though, not when it would be far too much trouble for them to get involved with a newcomer they don’t even trust yet, and they refuse to let leon feel like he has that kind of higher ground here. “what’s your name again? luke?”
from what he knows of the grizzlies, they thrive on a good show. and it's what he gives them. “let me have a knife, and i'll kill all five of them,” he says nodding at the rabid runners locked in a tight cage. yennefer accepts, and leon steps into the cage, unbothered when the door locks behind him. he has no issue with getting dirty to prove himself.
they're all released at once, and leon's quick to jump up onto a crate, why it's there, he isn't sure, it's hardily cover. perhaps yennefer thought it needed a little more flare. the two that reach him first scramble to get up onto the crate, giving him time to land a deadly kick under one's jaw, hearing something snap as the body flies back and hits the ground. it's not dead, but the spine is broken, and all that moves is its hungry jaw. the second scrambles up and leon meets it with a knife under the chin as the last three swarm the crate. the body in his grip falls limp, and he throws it at the infected, knocking one down, giving him the opportunity to jump off.
the impact if felt in his knees, breaking his focus for a moment, and when one lunges at him, he almost doesn't dodge in time. but it lunges with all its might, so when the runner flies past his ear, it crashes into the cage wall behind him. the next moves predictably, like they all do, and leon manages to counter how it swipes infected nails, ducking behind and restraining the screeching thing as the one who crashed into the wall charges again. the third, still luckily pinned down by the body leon threw at it, is briefly glanced at before the second lunges again. but leon can see where it's headed, and uses the body he's grappling to catch the bite meant for him. with the second runner's jaw embedded in the first, leon takes the opportunity to stick his knife through the eye of the one biting down. wiggling it enough to ruin the organ inside. leon pulls the blade out, sticking it straight into the temple of the first. the two bodies drop and with a laboured breath, he faces the last one as it finally scrambled out from the body weighing it down.
he plays with it, like a cat does with its dinner. dodging again, and again, and again. each time, getting a slash in. leg tendons, major arteries. until it can no long run, and it's just an oozing thing pulling itself across the dirt for a taste of him. leon stops moving, and waits for it. when it's within reach, he aims another powerful kick, snapping it's neck. there's cheers over the load roaring blood in his ears, and he doesn't look to the exit until the one still snapping it's jaws has its skull crushed under his boot.
when he looks to yennefer, they are laughing.
but who he's most interested in, is the one who meets him outside the cage. rak, yennefer said. leon grins as he gets close enough for rak to smell the infected blood. “you think?” he asks casually, “yennefer looked like he was having a good time.” he knows people like rak, guarded and distrusting, demanding you be worthy of their time. leon likes people like rak. his eyes take over the other as he wipes his bloody hands on his shirt. so you wanna play games? we can play games. “leon,” he corrects with a smile, “how many times have you been in the cage, rak?” leon takes a step closer, ever so slightly tilting his head, “is that short for something, by the way? or is it just rak?”