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Tales from the Cat House

How You Play the Game

Tanner sighed, slumping a bit against the bar. "And they've already left? You're absolutely certain?"

The bartender was a heavy-set tiger, similar in appearance to the dejected warrior, but only due to their shared species. He was easily three stone heavier, with a bent ear and a slightly crooked muzzle that gave testament to his bar-fighting prowess.

"Sorry," the bartender grunted after a moment. He glanced away, absently pouring a shot of whiskey before pushing it over. "I'm sure. Whole lot of'em left early yesterday mornin', in an awful big hurry."

Tanner sighed again, hesitantly picking up the shot glass. It was chipped on one edge, and the amber liquid swirled with gritty chunks of some unidentifiable grime and errant strands of beastkin fur. Apparently, the owner of the tavern didn't believe in washing the glassware.

He waited until the bartender was looking away, then quickly poured the contents into a nearby spittoon. As the other tiger looked back to him, he slid the empty shot glass back across the bar. "Thanks. I needed that."

"No problem, pal." The bartender paused, then offered a gap-fanged grin. "'Nother one?"

Tanner winced, but he did his best to conceal his distaste. "No! Ah, I mean, er... no thank you. I really shouldn't be drinking too much. Not while I'm trying to find a job, at any rate."

The tigerkin behind the bar shrugged, then picked up the whiskey bottle and took a healthy swig. Wiping his muzzle with the back of one stained sleeve, the feline then shoved the bottle back under the bar.

"Er, so..." Tanner was doubly relieved now, thankful that he hadn't actually drunk any of that slop. Who knew how much of it was backwash at this point? "Do you know if there's anyone else hiring?"

"Well," the bartender's face scrunched up a bit as racked his brain. "There was this real creepy lookin' fellah, dressed all in black. He came 'round yesterday, askin' about mercenaries. Oh, and there's some crazy gal from the Eastern-lands lookin' fer a bodyguard. Name was, uh, Kinata, I think."

The tigerkin warrior sat back up, his ears twitching forward. He certainly didn't like the sound of a 'creepy fellah', but a 'crazy gal' didn't sound much better. Still, he needed the money, so he opted for the less dubious of the two plot hooks. "The, ah, bodyguard job. Could you point me toward that one, if you would?"

"Sure thing, pal." The bartender offered him another gap-toothed grin, then snagged a piece of rumpled parchment from behind the bar. Plucking up a well-chewed pencil, he scribbled out the address.

"And, ah..." Tanner hesitated, then fished out his last silver coin. "You know what? I'll, er, have another drink after all..."

He had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to need it. But still...

"Something other than the whiskey, please."

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

An hour later, Tanner was navigating his way through the back alleys of the Trade District. The narrow streets were laid out like a maze, and the bartender's instructions were... questionable, at best.

The tigerkin slowed, squinting at the rumpled parchment as he tried to decipher a few words that had been lost beneath an ugly black stain. Well, he was either getting close to the right place, or he was in the wrong city entirely. Knowing the bartender, he really couldn't be certain which was more likely.

He abruptly stumbled, tripping over an old rug that someone had haphazardly draped across a filth-stained gutter. Catching himself against the stucco wall of the alley, he glanced back toward the obstruction-

And he stopped short. That wasn't an ugly rug, it was an ugly ratkin!

"Er, are you...?" Tanner turned about, taking a few steps back toward the fallen beastkin. He was large and muscular, perhaps even more physically intimidating than the tiger, but at the moment he was just pathetic. The unfortunate fellow was weakly retching through a grate, his watery bile dripping between the rusted iron bars and into the sewers. "Are you alright?"

The rat groaned, then uttered a pained squeak. "F-... fuck off, asshole!"

Tanner grunted, an ear twitching slightly. Well, if the rat really wanted to stay in the gutter, then it wasn't his problem. He looked back to the alley, moving from door to door as he checked the numbers mounted above each one.

Glancing back to the paper, he furrowed his brow. "Let's see, I'm looking for... 147 Bleaker Row-"

He stopped short again, as a mangy sand cat came stumbling through a doorway just a few paces ahead. The feline stood a good half-foot shorter than Tanner, but was festooned with knives and belts that clearly marked him as some kind of brigand or rogue.

The sand cat coughed, squinting against the light of day with one bleary eye - his hand firmly pressed over the other. The bruising was obvious even behind his fingers, making it clear that the lid was swollen shut. Blood flecked the feline's split lip, and when he moved, it was with a pronounced limp. "Oh, Gods."

His one good eye fixed on the tigerkin, a grimace settling onto his muzzle. "Don't go in there, buddy. Just walk away and find another job. That bitch is insa-GAH!"

"Enough," came a new voice. A length of shaped wood whipped out, striking the sand cat smartly over the ear again, eliciting a pained yelp. "Your abilities are unsatisfactory, and your services are not required. Leave at once."

Tanner's eyes traced along that club - or, no, it was a wooden sword? Yes, it was a finely shaped and sanded practice blade, roughly seven hands in length. At the far end of the faux-blade were gray-furred fingers, each of the black-clawed digits wrapped so tightly about the handle that the knuckles were whitened even through the fur.

The newcomer stepped down from the doorway, her arm casually flexing as she menaced the sand cat with the weapon. "Or else."

The rogue's bloody lip curled, and his free hand drifted toward one of the many knives resting at his hip - but the slightest narrowing of the female's eyes was enough to make him rethink his current course. The sand cat's gaze was quickly averted, and he backpedaled so quickly that he almost tripped over his own tail. Within seconds, he had retreated down the alley and entirely out of sight.

"Now then..." The female turned toward the tiger, her expression even and her faux-blade lowered. Her words were clipped, the pronunciations perfect but the phrasing just off enough to mark her as a foreigner. "You are here for the job, yes?"

Tanner blinked, turning his attention fully to this daunting figure. She was, ah... well, she was a SHE, that much was obvious. She stood just a hair shorter than the tiger, with a slender frame and modest garb. Her fur, or what was visible of it, was short and sleek - slate gray with black highlights. Her face was lovely, her muzzle blunted and her hazel eyes peeking out from amidst thick, pitch black rings.

"I, uh..." the tiger's brain failed him, his ability to form words rapidly fading.

The female snorted, then swiftly turned away as she stepped back up onto the stoop and moved toward the gaping doorway. Her thick tail was banded in alternating stripes of black and gray, the appendage twitching with barely restrained agitation. "Well if you are, then follow me. If not, then please depart."

Oh! She was a raccoon! Tanner had met one or two in the past, in farming villages or rural hamlets. She hardly had the look of a farmer or peasant about her, though, and from her faint accent he could guess that she hailed from the Isle of Yezo. She had the look of a warrior, and the tiger had to wonder just why someone so capable would ever need a bodyguard.

He took a quick step forward, moving to the foot of the stoop. "You're, ah... Kinata?"

She paused, glancing back over her shoulder before curtly correcting the male. "Kinuta."

"Er, right." He hesitated again, then drew himself up straight as he remembered that he was trying to make a good impression. "Kinuta. Of course. I've heard that you're seeking a capable escort."

The raccoon paused deliberately, eying the tiger for a few long seconds before responding. "I am. Unfortunately, so far the inhabitants of this filthy city have been..." Her eyes flicked to the side, in the direction that the sand cat had vanished, then turned to the other side as she eyed the fallen ratkin. He was still lying fetal in the gutter, mourning his injuries.

Kinuta's lip curled, and she finished her thought with undisguised loathing. "... lacking."

Tanner traced her gaze, glancing back toward the fallen rodent. Clearing his throat, just a tinge nervous, he murmured. "Well, ah, yes. But you need look no further, Miss Kinuta. There are numerous merchants in Karash alone that will attest to my skill with the blade, and courage in the face of-"

The female snorted again, stepping through the doorway without a word.

He quickly ascended the steps, and followed the raccoon into the chamber beyond. He was a bit rattled by her brusque manner, but he quickly regained his train of thought. "In, ah, the face of danger. I've faced bandits and beasts, and have yet to meet one who could best me-"

Kinuta strode onto a wide, cushioned mat - the only thing that furnished the otherwise entirely uninteresting room. A single door graced the far wall, and a small window was nestled near the peaked roof to let light filter in through grime-covered glass. She turned to face the male once more, gesturing with her wooden blade.

"Quiet." Her voice held the steely edge of a command, and the tiger couldn't help but comply. "Now draw your sword."

Tanner hesitated to follow THAT order. "Er, what? Wait a minute. What about my, ah, references...?"

The raccoon chuffed softly, setting the tip of her weapon to the mat. "I care nothing for your references. If you are a capable warrior, then you will show me."

He arched a brow, stepping gingerly onto the mat as one hand drifted to the hilt of his blade. Tanner had always favored the longblade, and that was what he wore at his hip. It was a weapon forged by his great grandfather, and handed down to his father and then to him, when they had each come of age. It was keenly balanced, perfectly weighted, and sharper than a razor.

He hesitated again, easing his fingers off of the hilt. "Well, ah... wait, do you have another wooden sword? I'm not sure if I'm comfortable using a real blade for this."

Kinuta's lip curled, her eyes narrowing and her black ears flattening against her skull. "You waste my time. Draw your blade or leave, but I will tolerate no more stalling."

Tanner cocked his head slightly, one brow arched. Was she for real?

His gaze flitted over her frame again, now that she was facing him. She was shorter than he had first thought, but a pair of thick-soled wooden sandals gave the impression of added height. Her thin shoulders and narrow midsection were both bare, with nothing more than a tightly wrapped layer of off-white cloth about her torso to mute her curves. Lower, she wore a simple pair of black-dyed pants, cinched tight at her waist but with baggy leggings that obscured the lines of her calf and thigh.

The tiger sighed, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement before drawing his blade. Whether the client was insane or not, he needed the money. He decided that he might as well humor her, for a time.

Kinuta brightened slightly, but stopped short of actually smiling. Her stance shifted subtly, and her wooden sword dipped to chest-level. "Good. That is a fine blade."

"Oh, um..." Tanner straightened once more, taking two cautious steps toward the raccoon. "Thank you?"

Kinuta smiled now, but the expression held no mirth. It was more an expression of bemusement, thin-lipped and patronizing. "You are welcome. Now strike me."

The tiger blinked. "Are you-?"

She hissed viciously. "Strike me!"

"Fine!"

And he stepped in, instinctively falling into a more defensive stance as he probed the female's guard. Twice he twitched his blade outward, darting the tip of his sword at the female's gut, and twice she turned his sword away with a deft slap of her weapon.

Tanner drifted to the side, warily circling the other beastkin with carefully measured steps. He stayed three paces distant, close enough to reach her with his blade, but far enough that he had time to react if she decided to strike back.

But she made no move to attack. Not yet, at least.

Instead, she held almost completely still but for the twitch of her tail and the roll of her eyes. She followed the tiger's movements smoothly, and when he finally circled behind her she deigned to turn her head just far enough to continue watching him from the corner of her eye.

He struck again, from what he hoped to be a blind spot - but the strike was still wary. He didn't want to actually hurt the raccoon, so he kept the edge of his blade averted. Perhaps if he slapped her across the shoulders with the flat of his sword, she would concede his skill...?

Kinuta twisted about in one smooth motion, her wooden sword hissing through the air like a whip. It struck the metal blade soundly, flicking it upward, and her wrist twitched to bring her own weapon back downward in an instant. The smooth wood rapped Tanner firmly across the knuckles, numbing his fingers and sending his sword clattering to the ground.

"Ah," he grunted. He shook his hand, trying to take the sting from his stricken joints. "Shit!"

The raccoon slid one foot out, kicking the fallen sword back toward the tiger. "You attacked me from behind."

Tanner rubbed his knuckles, scowling slightly as he looked to the female. Was she-? Well, she didn't sound particularly upset. If anything, her even tone made it sound more like a clinical observation than a chastisement. He stooped down and quickly recovered his blade.

He murmured carefully. "I did. So? You didn't say that I couldn't."

Her head cocked ever so slightly, her blade lowered defensively as she began to circle the tiger now. "You mistake my meaning. I approve. My bodyguard should be willing to do whatever it takes to become the victor of any conflict."

Tanner said nothing, circling in the opposite direction now. His tail swayed slowly behind him like a snake, and his eyes focused on Kinuta's wooden sword. He had only known her for a few moments, but already he could tell that she was well-practiced with that thing. Harmless or not, he had to remind himself that it was still an effective club. The tiger wasn't particularly eager to have any of his bones broken.

The two circled each other in silence for another long moment, until finally Kinuta made the next move. Her wooden sword jerked outward in a smooth swipe, but Tanner was ready. Emulating her earlier movement, he slapped the wooden blade away with his own sword. Twice more she repeated the probing strikes, and twice more he deflected them.

She reversed direction, circling toward his left side now - and without warning she reversed the angle of her blade. Each of her prior strikes had targeted his left shoulder, but now she aimed for his right hip with a sharp thrust of the tip.

"Ah-!" Tanner was almost caught off guard by the sudden reversal, but his sword darted down to catch Kinuta's weapon and dash it away. She staggered, almost losing her grip on the curved wooden blade, and the tiger was quick to take advantage.

He stepped forward, his sword rebounding off of the raccoon's stricken blade and rising toward her ribs. He had no desire to cut her, but again - perhaps a shallow gash or ugly welt would be enough to prove his skill? He hesitated for a split second, trying to reorient his strike so that it would bruise her ribs without sawing through flesh-

And that was all the time that the female needed to right her stance. One corner of her mouth quirked upward, and her feigned stumbling came to an abrupt end. Her free hand lashed out to strike at the tiger's elbow, pushing his blade away from her side, and her wooden sword darted upward to smartly slap the feline on the jaw.

Tanner stumbled back, a hand set to his jaw. "Nf! Gods damn it!"

Kinuta clucked her tongue in disappointment, the tip of her faux-blade set back to the mat. "Were this a real sword, you would have just been maimed. Perhaps not dead, but scarred and torn enough to wish that you were."

He was quick to protest. "I was trying not to hurt you!"

"That is your choice," she snorted. "But I have no intention of holding back, myself."

Tanner gritted his teeth, glowering at the female, but she simply peered back at him with a look of practiced indifference. His jaw throbbed, and he could taste blood where the inside of his lip had been cut against one of his sharp teeth. He was slow to anger, but this woman was steadily goading him toward losing his temper.

Finally, he spoke. "You're insane."

"No," she smiled. There was still no warmth behind the expression. "Simply unconvinced of your ability. If you wish for employment, then you will shed my blood."

Tanner scowled. "That's crazy! I don't want to kill you!"

Kinuta laughed now, a single bark of mirth that was weighted heavily with skepticism. "Ha! Well I do not wish to be killed, either. Fortunately I do not think that will happen. Not with the level of skill you have shown thus far."

The tiger grunted, but forced himself to begin circling again. He still had no desire to kill the raccoon - nor to even hurt her, honestly. But he WAS starting to develop a distinct urge to teach her a lesson. She had an unpleasant demeanor, obviously stemming from some odd sense of superiority.

The female stopped once more, falling still but for the roll of her eyes. She simply watched the feline, much as she had the first time. She waited patiently, biding her time while she tried to anticipate the tiger's next attack.

Her tone fell back to an even neutral, her mirth gone. "If you can shed even a single drop of my blood, then the job is yours. If you strike me with a mortal wound, then you can claim my coin and my possessions. Now strike me."

Tanner grunted again, and quickened his step. He circled to the right now, his eyes darting from the raccoon's face to her blade and back again. She didn't move a muscle, not even when he feinted toward striking at her muzzle. Another two quick steps brought him toward her rear, and his gaze shifted to that long and bushy tail.

Well, she might be good at defending her body, but that tail was probably her most vulnerable appendage.

He took another quick step around the raccoon, and then swiped his blade outward. He didn't hold back this time - if he accidentally severed her tail, then he'd deal with that after-the-fact. There were plenty of healers in Karash, any one of them capable of reattaching a severed tail.

"Hn," she grunted. Her tail flicked to her other side, lashing out of the line of fire. It curled neatly around her hip and against her chest, leaving Tanner's sword swiping through nothing but thin air. Just as quickly, her arm jerked backward, slapping her wooden blade firmly against the tiger's shin.

Tanner winced, almost losing his footing as pain seared up through his leg. Quick to press her advantage, Kinuta jerked her faux-blade about to smack his other shin as well, prompting the tiger to reflexively pull his leg away from further abuse.

She smirked faintly, jerking her practice sword upward now, right between the male's freshly spread thighs. The smooth flat of her wooden blade smacked into the tiger's groin hard enough to send a sharp 'smack!' of impact echoing through the empty room.

His eyes went wide and the tiger quickly stumbled backward. "Guh!"

"Tch," Kinuta clicked her tongue against her teeth. "If this were a real blade, you would no longer be a man. Thank your Gods that it is not."

The tiger stifled a groan, taking another step back and then another, until he was certain that he was safely out of reach. His free hand dipped to his crotch, rubbing gingerly against his freshly bruised nether. Intentional or not, the wooden blade had crushed perfectly into his left nut, and now the unfortunate organ was sending a steady stream of searing pain straight into his gut.

His breathing quickened, his ears skewed, but he managed to steady himself. It was hardly the first time he had been stricken in the groin, and far from the hardest blow he had ever suffered. He might have even been able to shrug it off entirely, if not for the fact that the stricken gland was the same one that had almost been ruptured during his last trip to The Cat House. It had taken him two weeks and much of his coin to recover from that injury, and it had still left the orb rather tender.

Even more tender, now.

Kinuta waited a moment, but the tiger didn't approach her again. One brow arched, she lowered her blade. Another moment passed and she finally prompted him. "Are you giving up?"

Tanner drew in another slow breath, forcibly calming himself. "Of course not," he murmured through clenched teeth. "I'm just- hah!"

He lunged forward suddenly, his blade snaking through the air toward the female's left thigh. He had hoped to catch her off-guard, but Kinuta deftly deflected his blade with her own once more. Tanner pressed the assault, though, and this time his free hand lashed out in a fist.

Honestly, he was almost more surprised than she was when it struck her right in the nose.

"Agh!" She squeaked, her head jerking back as she lost her footing and fell right onto her rump. Her wooden sword fell to the mat, and both of her hands flew to her face. "You bastard!"

"Oh shit!" He stammered, stepping forward to help her back up. "I'm sorry! I really thought you'd see that coming!"

"Hn," she grunted. Her fingers parted slightly so she could peek from between them, and as the tiger took one more step toward her she rolled onto her back. Rocking the momentum from her upper body to her lower, her left leg lashed upward in one smooth motion to plant the wooden heel of her sandal right between the male's thighs.

Tanner almost swallowed his tongue, his eyes wide as the two-inch wedge of wood caught both of his testicles this time. The soft, plump little organs were both lifted swiftly, their sudden flight ending rather abruptly as they were slammed into his unyielding pelvis. The force of impact lifted them a few more inches, until the tiger was up on his toes, and then the raccoon's leg dropped.

"Ahhh...." he gasped. As Kinuta's foot pulled away, he stumbled down to his knees, both of his hands planted against his groin. His balls were almost tangibly throbbing in his grip, loudly protesting their recent transition from round to flat. His tail lashed behind him, and tears welled up at the corners of his eyes as he stopped just short of planting muzzle-first against the ground.

"Fffffffuck...!"

The raccoon scrambled backward on all-fours, then rolled back up onto her feet. A petite hand rose back to her nose as she wriggled it experimentally. No, it wasn't broken. In fact, it wasn't even bleeding. That was a relief.

"Tch," she clicked her tongue again. "Sneaky. But I think I won that exchange."

Tanner coughed a few times, his head still lowered as he tried to fight through the pain. His adrenaline surged but the agony of his most recent abuse dulled the rush, leaving his head fuzzy and the world indistinct. "Gods...!"

Kinuta snorted, indulging herself with the slightest smirk. Casting her gaze about, she spied her wooden sword where it had fallen - just a few feet in front of the fallen tiger. She gauged his position and his demeanor, then decided that he was clearly too pained to stop her from recovering it.

She took a step forward, stooping to recover her blade - but yelped as the tiger suddenly straightened back up. His blade swiped outward, cutting the air so harshly that it almost whistled, the tip missing her hand by less than a finger's width.

"Enough," he groaned, "Of that."

Tanner forced himself back to his feet despite the sting in his groin and the nausea in his gut, taking one unsteady step forward to pin the practice sword beneath his heel. He drew in a quick breath, and another, blinking away pained tears as he fixed his gaze on the female. "You've been disarmed. Yield."

The raccoon paused, seeming genuinely surprised once more. The tiger's sword rose, the tip hovering in the air just a foot from her chest - but she didn't withdraw. Finally, she broadened her smirk, her ears twitching forward. "No, I do not think I will be doing that."

He stifled a sigh, but steeled himself. Tanner knew that, given his bruises and his pain, the lithe female would be able to outrun him with ease. But that was just as well, since he didn't want to leave her sword behind for her to recover. Holding his breath, he ducked down to recover her weapon with his free hand-

Kinuta took a quick step towards him.

"Uh-uh!" He hissed, jerking back upright as he darted his sword toward the raccoon. Kinuta stepped back again, still smirking. Her narrow shoulders rolled and her fingers flexed, but she stayed back.

Tanner stooped once more, this time scooping up the wooden sword. Rising again, he glanced around in hopes of finding somewhere to discard the weapon - but there was nowhere that he could throw it. Nowhere that wouldn't leave it open for easy recovery, at any rate.

Looking back to the raccoon, he shied back a few more steps before pointedly tucking the weapon under his belt. It was a little awkward and each movement made the wooden blade slap against his thigh, but at least now he wouldn't have to worry about dropping it.

Kinuta set one hand to her hip, her head cocking as she watched the feline. Her other hand raised before her, palm upward, and she crooked a finger to beckon him over. "Come on, attack me again. You are doing better than most."

The tiger held back, though, taking another long moment to steady his breathing - until the roiling pit of sickness in his stomach had settled to a mild nausea. Then, and only then, did he step forward once more.

He said nothing now, intent on finishing the fight. Without a weapon there was no way that the raccoon could block his strikes, and a gash on her hands or arms would mean victory for him - at least, based on the terms that she had stated.

Tanner swiped his blade at her and she ducked beneath it. He took a quick step back, and slashed again - but this time she darted to the side. He turned, pursuing her, and she suddenly reversed direction back toward him. Startled, he swung his blade wide in hopes of forcing her back, but she came in beneath it in one smooth motion.

Dropped to one knee in front of him, Kinuta snatched for the hilt of her weapon and caught it in her grip. Yanking at it, the tigerkin stumbled toward her as the weapon caught on his belt. The raccoon blinked, finding herself face-to-crotch with the male, and quickly changed her tactic. She abandoned the hilt, instead darting her hand toward the crux of Tanner's legs.

"Shit!" Tanner took a quick step back, instantly realizing the female's intentions. She quickly slid forward after him, dropping to her other knee. Both of her hands darted for his crotch, this time.

"Damn it!" The tiger took another step back - but not before the raccoon managed to snag the smooth wooden blade of her practice sword. She yanked on the wooden blade, hard, and this time Tanner stumbled forward instead of backward.

Kinuta grinned viciously, her other hand slapping firmly upward against the soft cloth of the feline's trousers, her gray-furred fingers scrabbling for purchase. Almost instantly she had something tender in her grip, and she clamped down as hard as she could on the awkward handhold.

"Nguh," the tiger grunted inarticulately. The female was too close for him to bring his sword to bear, but even if she hadn't been, he was hardly of a mind to swing it.

The female shifted her grip, her blunted claws digging into the fabric of the feline's pants as she tried to get a better hold. What was this? It felt like- ah, yes, that was definitely one of the unfortunate male's testicles. It wasn't the largest she had ever laid her hands on, but it was sizable enough that she could easily wrap her fingers around it.

That was unfortunate for him.

Her fingers clenched again, the soft organ squashing and deforming grossly as it tried to conform to the shape of her fist. The tiger practically howled, doubling at the waist as his captured ball quivered violently under the fierce pressure.

Tanner struggled to recover his wits, twisting the sword in his grasp to turn its edge toward the raccoon. All he needed to do was nick her. It was hard to focus on that thought, what with the new surge of pain shooting through his right nut - no, wait, that was his left nut. Er, well, regardless it was very hard to focus through the pain, but...

Kinuta abandoned her grip and instead sent one sandaled heel kicking against the tigerkin's ankle to force his feet wide. Ducking low, she darted between his legs, and a split second later she was back on her feet behind him. One arm flew around his neck, and the other came in low, grabbing just below his tail as she again sought purchase.

The tiger just gasped as Kinuta jerked him back upright. Really, at this point he just wanted to double over and tend his wounds, but the raccoon apparently objected to that notion. Her lithe arm - surprisingly strong despite appearances - locked at his throat as she tried to choke him into submission. Honestly, at this point he couldn't help but think that surrender might be his only option. Clearly this wasn't the job for him.

Then the fingers of her lower-placed hand locked back around his pouch, and his urge to fight back was instantly rekindled.

"Hnn," she grunted, her blunted muzzle splitting into a predatory grin. Blunted black claws tore through soft fabric and gouged at tender flesh, and both of the tigerkin's egg-sized jewels were securely trapped against Kinuta's palm. Her hand flexed briefly, testing her grip, and then clenched tight as she did her utmost to squeeze the life out of those little organs.

"Nnnk!" Tanner uttered an agonized squeak, trying hard to double over again. Kinuta kept her other arm locked at his throat, forcibly holding him upright.

The raccoon leaned forward a bit, trembling against the tigerkin's back as she jerked and twisted at the precious bits she had laid claim to. Her nose brushed at the edge of the feline's ear, and she almost purred into it. "That is enough. You have lost."

Tanner shuddered a bit, his gaze flicking downward, but he couldn't even see the female's hand. He could just feel it, jerking and twisting at his kittenmakers like some hungry pup with a brand new chewtoy. If it had been a steady pressure, a firm grip causing an even level of pain, he might have weathered it better - but Kinuta seemed intent on keeping him guessing. One second the pain would be intense, and the next it would stop. One second his balls would be pinned harshly between his crotch and the heel of the raccoon's hand, the next they would be yanked fiercely downward as if she were trying to tear them off.

The tiger coughed again, or at least he tried to, but the firm pressure at his throat turned it into a choked gagging. He struggled to breath and to fight through this fresh new hell, but he made little headway. It was only after a long moment, and a sickening amount of pain, that he made his move.

The sword dropped from his fingers, his arms going limp.

Kinuta almost seemed disappointed, her ears twitching forward as she relaxed her grip. Her arm eased off of the male's throat, but stayed close enough to allow her to regain the choke hold should she need to. Lower, her squeezing and jerking hand stilled - but she set one thumb-claw firmly to the side of the male's left nut in warning.

The threat was clear. If he tried fighting back again, she'd pop it.

"So," she panted softly. She was a little out of breath herself, although nowhere near as breathless as the tigerkin. "Is that it? You give up?"

Tanner managed to cough this time, his throat raw, and with effort he managed to swallow back the bile that was rising from his gullet. His eyes rolled a bit, the lids squeezed shut, and he finally managed a lilted reply.

"N-... no..."

The raccoon's brow shot skyward, and her normally impassive voice sounded incredulous. "R-really? Are you sure?"

He shifted, one hand rising as if to pry her arm from his neck, and Kinuta pressed her thumbclaw more firmly into the tiger's left nut. The feline tried to choke back a pained mewl, with limited success.

"I will pop it," she growled. "One jerk of my hand, and you will be half a man."

Tanner steeled himself, subtly planting his heel against the ground. He struggled to speak evenly, but his words were still lilted at the edges. "W-... wouldn't be the first time!"

And with that, he drove himself backwards against the female.

Kinuta squeaked in surprise, her eyes widening as the heavier feline suddenly toppled backward onto her. She tried to resist, but there wasn't much point. He was larger, he was heavier, and she just didn't have the leverage or positioning to stop him.

"Whooof-!" she gasped as her back slammed to the mat, and the tiger crashed down on top of her. Stunned and winded, she lost her grip on the feline's more vulnerable parts and instead went spreadeagled against the ground.

They both laid there for a long moment, both gasping and wheezing for breath. Kinuta groaned, her ribs aching and her lungs burning - it was hard enough to breath after being driven into the ground, and harder still with ten stone worth of tigerkin sprawled atop her.

For his part, Tanner was less winded by the fall and more winded by the wet agony that had taken ahold of his most treasured parts. His hand was set gingerly to his kittenmakers, his eyes closed tight as he fought the urge to vomit or pass out. He had been abused before, of course - but usually at his request, with some busty young girl that was sure to pull her punches. This, though... this was different. Very different.

The tigerkin was the first to stir, accustomed as he was to that unique brand of male agony. Still, his movements were slowed, his reflexes dulled. He was having a hard time focusing, and the waning trickle of adrenaline in his system was beginning to take its toll.

He was tired all of a sudden. Very tired. And the raccoon was soft. Would it be so bad if he just went to sleep on top of her?

Tanner groaned, shrugging off that absurd idea. He forced himself to roll over, to face the female. One knee planted against the mat, and one elbow pressing to the stunned raccoon's throat as he tried to pin her.

Kinuta gurgled, wincing as her throat was forcibly closed off. Her fingers reflexively jerked upward, and she tried in vain to pry the tiger's arm out of place. Several long seconds passed, and her efforts grew steadily weaker, before her eyes fluttered shut and she finally fell limp.

Panting hard, Tanner eased his weight back off of her neck. He wanted her unconscious, not dead.

Almost immediately, one of the raccoon's eyes flicked back open. A smirk was already on her muzzle before she jerked her own knee upward, right into the crouching tiger's increasingly impotent nuggets.

It was an awkward blow, and she hadn't had time to properly line up the strike, but even a gentle impact would have doubled the feline back over - and the impact was far from gentle. Kinuta's knee slapped into the side of the tigerkin's sac, jerking it sideways into his tensed thigh, and briefly flattened one of the organs from end-to-end.

Tanner yelped this time, his body jackknifing at the waist and his head lurching forward. He almost inadvertently headbutted the raccoon, but she just barely managed to squirm out of the way, his muzzle instead slapping against the cloth mat with enough force to bloody his nose.

Kinuta was quick to throw her arm around the tiger again, this time pinning his head against her shoulder. Her other hand jerked downward, blindly grabbing at the male's crotch, but she couldn't quite reach - so she jerked her knee upward again. And again. And again.

The first shot missed entirely, as the tiger's body pulled back - but he fell forward again just as quickly, given the tight grip on his neck. The second blow was a little more successful, the raccoon's knee glancing firmly off of something hard enough to make the tiger squeal. The third blow missed again, but this time her knee thudded firmly into the male's gut, hard enough to blast the air back out of his lungs.

He shuddered, then slumped again as he struggled to recover his breath.

Kinuta's hand grasped low again, and this time found purchase on the hilt of her wooden sword. It was still caught under the male's belt, but she used it as a handle and jerked his hips closer to her own - and then tried kneeing him again.

The blow struck perfectly this time, skimming up along one of the feline's inner thigh as it traced a path straight into his bruised and swollen sac. The rounded bone of her kneecap crushed into the bottom of that soft pouch, and then drove it mercilessly upward until the contents were once again brutally flattened between bone and bone.

Tanner uttered a plaintive squeak, his entire body going tense as the raccoon ground her knee viciously into those oft-abused spuds. She could almost feel them squashing and deforming against his pelvis as she roughly rocked her leg back and forth, but finally she had to lower her knee once more. The instant she did, the tiger fell limp against her.

"Hhff..." she gasped. Kinuta could feel the male drooling against her shoulder, and hear his ragged breathing in one ear, but it seemed she had finally beaten the fight out of him. Again, it was almost disappointing - he had done so well, but apparently he just wasn't what she was looking for.

"Gods..." she groaned now. Her whole body ached, and she just knew that several of her ribs were bruised, but she had won. The raccoon planted a hand against the male's shoulder, and with a mighty heave she forced him up and off of her, rolling him onto his back before twisting about to sprawl atop him. With their positions reversed, her eyes flicked to his face-

"G-... got'cha," he grunted.

And then the tiger's knee slammed up between her thighs, harshly ending it's ascent against her own nethers. It was a nasty trick, but one that she had used first - and with great success. Desperate as he was, he had decided to emulate it, and apparently with just as much success. Tanner was weak from the prolonged struggle, and the strength had been leeched from his muscles, but he still managed to give it his all.

Kinuta's jaw clenched tight as her hips were bounced in the air by the impact, her muzzle pressed to tanner's chest as she drew in a sharp, pained hiss of air. It was nowhere near as effective as her own knee-strikes had been, but it was still agony. The raccoon bit into her tongue to prevent herself from crying out. She forced herself to twist at the waist, to pull her lower body out of alignment with the tiger's legs.

Then she jerked her hand downward again - not to her crotch, but to the male's.

Finding a grip, she bore down on it, crushing what she could in her grip. It was going to take her a moment to recover, but damn it- she was going to make sure she did it before the male did.

Tanner grunted softly this time, his hands jerking downward as well - but they accomplished little. One pressed to her rear, just to one side of her tailbase, and the other gripped weakly at her crushing and grinding fingers.

Kinuta bit back a groan, clenching her own thighs together protectively, and jerked harder at the organ in her grip. She was blinded with pained tears of her own now, and she was fighting blind, but it seemed to be working.

A long moment passed, and her fingers began to cramp from the effort. The male had ceased to struggle, and instead was now intent on just forcing one ragged breath after another into his aching lungs. He still had one arm curled about the raccoon, pulling her close and burying her muzzle against his warm chest, but his other hand had stopped trying to pry her fingers from his crotch-

She couldn't help but think that was a curious reaction. Had he just given up entirely? Was he just going to let her castrate him? He obviously hadn't passed out, but...

Kinuta jerked firmly at the thing in her grip, and the tiger gasped harshly in response. She did it again, and this time she took advantage of the male's distraction to forcibly wrench herself from his grip. Turning her gaze downward, she tried to take stock of his nethers - had she already succeeded in neutering-?

She blushed hard, her eyes locking onto the hot, rigid organ that was caught firmly in her grasp. As her fingers stilled, no longer tugging at that heated flesh, the male uttered an almost pitiable whimper. It was hardly the pained sound she had been hoping for.

Her eyes widened, then squinched shut as she tried to deny the sight. Had she really been jerking the tigerkin off for the past few minutes? By the Gods, why did he even HAVE an erection? She'd just spent the better part of the last half-hour blasting his gonads into a thin paste!

She dared to sneak one eye open again, and that was all it took to confirm her initial suspicion. Blushing again, she quickly loosened her fingers from that bobbing, reddened member. Somewhere during their grapple she must have accidentally pulled his length free from his pants, and then-

Kinuta panted hard, planting a hand against the tiger's chest as she hauled herself up over the male. Gods, he was going to pay for this indignity. He had... somehow this was... clearly this had all been part of his plan! Somehow! And now he was going to pay for it.

She wavered above him, sliding both of her legs between his - careful to avoid letting him kick her again. Surprisingly, he didn't try to stop her. Maybe he thought she had turned her attentions from violence to sex?

Well, when she was done working him over, he'd never be having sex again.

The tiger twitched, then shifted suddenly beneath her, and a searing pain traced up along her body as his claws came into play. Red lines were traced along her belly, running from navel to collarbone. Had they been any sharper she might have been disemboweled, but they were short and trimmed. Just sharp enough to scratch deep into the flesh, but no more.

And then her top fell open, as the swipe of those claws cut through her cloth wrap.

Kinuta uttered another startled squeak, her eyes darting downward to her suddenly exposed chest, and then to the male's face. Her breasts, suddenly unfettered, hung heavily over his muzzle and just inches from his nose - and from the wide-eyed look on his face, he was well aware of what he was seeing.

Honestly, she was bustier than the tiger had expected her to be. Apparently that cloth wrap had been pulled very, very tight.

The raccoon glowered down at him, one arm quickly folding across her chest in a vain effort to hide them from view. Her other hand stayed planted against the male's chest, and her knee hauled back.

"Say goodbye to your testicles," she growled.

Tanner's eyes widened, and his hands swiftly raised defensively. He mewled desperately, his voice lilted well toward the soprano. "W-... wait! I won!"

That gave her pause. Kituna hesitated, then glanced down again to follow the male's gaze. At first she blushed, thinking he was staring at her barely concealed cleavage, but then she noticed it. The feline's claws had scored her flesh, but there at her collarbone it had bit just deep enough to draw a lone drop of blood.

She groaned, her ears twitching back. "Damn it."

Tanner uttered a sigh of relief, his head settling back against the mat once more. He silently thanked the Gods for their small show of mercy, then looked back to the panting raccoon. "S-... so, ngh... does that mean...?"

"Eh," she grunted noncommittally. She regarded the tiger for a split second longer, then slammed her knee into his crotch anyway, aiming just below that proudly jutting erection.

The tiger bucked beneath her, his eyes wide, then crossed, then closed tightly as his balls were crushed firmly into the ground. Kituna shifted slightly, doing her best to pin at least one of those swollen orbs beneath her kneecap as she slowly pushed herself upright. Grinding her knee back and forth viciously, she relished the feel of the male's gland flattening out beneath her weight.

"Th-... that is for..." She blushed again, her hands working desperately to pull her cloth wrap over her chest again. "That is for trying to trick me into giving you a handjob!"

Tanner's eyes rolled back, his chest heaving as the raccoon bounced atop his pinned 'nads one last time. Finally deciding that he'd learned his lesson, the female eased herself off of him, and rose unsteadily to her feet.

Kinuta wavered, letting her gaze drift over the prone tiger. He was... promising. Perhaps not quite what she had been looking for, but he still had potential. Er, assuming she hadn't just castrated him. She could see that he was still sporting a rather impressive erection, but she had no idea what state his balls were in - the cloth of his pants wasn't quite torn enough to afford her a good look.

She slipped her padded foot out of one sandal, gingerly probing between the gasping male's thighs. Her eartips burned with embarrassment - she was far more accustomed to killing and maiming, and less accustomed to feeling them up - but she forced herself to persist. Her toeclaws hooked against the ragged tear that had revealed his cock, then dragged downward to shred the crotch of his pants entirely.

Oooh, yes, there it was. His sac was well swollen and darkened to a deep shade of black and purple, the bruising visible even through the thin layer of orange fur. Her padded toes settled lightly against it, and she bore down softly until she found one grossly swollen orb... and then the other. The tiger uttered a pained whimper at even that gentle pressure, but apparently they were still there.

Well, that was a relief.

Her concerns assuaged, she curled her toes and indulged herself in one last little kick, slapping the ball of her bare foot against those bruised and broken balls-

Tanner uttered a moan, his cock twitching hard as it weakly spit up a short line of his impotent spunk, spattering pearly beads of the viscid stuff across the bottom of Kinuta's foot. It wasn't quite an orgasm, but it was clear that he was still somehow right at the edge of climax.

The raccoon's eyes widened, then lidded half-shut as she uttered an incredulous laugh. She shifted her stance and pressed her toes just a bit more firmly against the male's sac, watching as more of his addled sperm oozed down the side of his aching shaft.

A small part of her wanted to finish the job - to finish milking those heavy balls of his, or to just flatten them completely. Maybe both. But she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

Kinuta swallowed hard, quickly wiping her foot against the male's pant leg. Stumbling back a few quick steps, she mumbled uncertainly. "I-... I have to go, um... j-... just, uh..."

She retreated a few more steps, pausing to quickly scoop up her practice sword from where it had fallen. Oh yes, she was going to need this. The wooden hilt was smooth and hard, with a flanged and rounded pommel. It was perfect for what she needed to do now. She had never used it for quite that purpose before, but in retrospect she had to admit that it seemed perfect for the job.

She blushed hard at the thoughts racing through her head, and made a beeline for the door set into the back wall.

"I'm going to clean myself up and t-... to, uh, change my clothes. You will stay here and wait for me to return." And a pause, as she set one hand to the doorknob. "If you come into my chambers without permission, I really will castrate you."

With that said, she quickly vanished from sight. The door eased shut behind her with a soft click.

Tanner slowly rolled against the ground, curling into ball as he finally found the strength to cup his bruised and battered bits. Far too late to be of any help, of course, but it was better late than never. His balls were twin pits of pure agony, the searing pain of the abuse fresh and throbbing, but mingled with the ache of denied release.

The sensible part of his brain was screaming at him to get back up. To run, walk, or crawl through that door, so he could join that hapless ratkin in the gutter far away from this place - but the rest of his body disagreed.

The door eased open again after a moment, and Kinuta's muzzle briefly leaned into sight.

"By the way," she purred breathlessly. "You're hired."