.with. a. beating. heart. Weldon/Maia vs. Bakupps.

What made Io love the freedom in the Arena was the fact that there was hardly a thing to enter in on their - Io's and Lactose's - territory. Most creatures would not be able to withstand the might of the Bakupps. Of course, she was not as protective as her male counterpart; nonetheless, their land was their land. She could eat what little grass there was in the barren parts; and, to much of Lactose's dismay, the female Bakupp could vacuum up the herbaceous supply. Neither did such a consumption make her fatter, though, because the two had to walk around quite a bit in order to find more grass. As much as she was smiling and mooing pleasantly, Lactose would grunt in anger.

Today was no different. Io and Lactose stomped off perhaps a mile from their starting point in order to crunch on grass. Even though they considered the whole barren lands to be theirs, they could not possibly maintain the area by themselves. Whatever they did happen to find, they would attack; however, that had not happened yet. This was just the plan that they told themselves as they became nomads in search of edible grass. It was those their creators purposefully put them in the barren lands in order to patrol around. Not that they cared.

In actuality, Io did not mind finding creatures in their lands - at least, not as much as Lactose. Well, he was a brute. She mostly went along with what he wanted because, without him, she would likely die. Who else would take care of the grass in the area? Certainly not Lactose, despite his grunting. He was too busy trying to please Io and making sure pesky animals and humans did not dare to take a step in his territory. After all, he wanted a couple children here and there; only Io was in the Arena. Upon any advances, she would just wag her tail lazily and moo with sarcasm.

Io stopped suddenly. What was that? out there, in the distance? And what was that? That brown stuff on that one's head? Io stared. To her, it almost looked like grass. Tasty grass. Better than what was found out in the barren lands. She waved her tail and mooed in a chirpy tone. Much to Lactose's anger.

Grunt. Lactose looked at Io munching on the grass. Dang, she was one fat cow. He meant one fat cow. He thought she had issues, always eating, always masticating on his portion of food. What? Did she think that protecting the territory meant he did not deserve to eat too? If anything, he deserved more! That was what made him grunt every day: her obliviousness. Sometimes, every once in a while, he just wanted to ram his horns into her and try to save the rest of the food for himself. Either that or eat her meat (after all, her meat must consist of all the grass she ate, would it not?).

But no. No. He kept himself cool. As the only sign of male and female Bakupps in their view, they were the only ones to make egg-born children with fluffy wool and cow bodies. Honestly, Lactose wanted children. By gosh, he would make a good parent! Better than Io, that is for sure! He had to cater to Her Royal Highness in order to get what he wanted. Lactose wanted land and children; and, even if he had to put up with Miss Fat Lard, he had to do so. She was abusive, he thought. Every day, the male Bakupp went through starvation, maybe twenty blades of grass a day. (Or more; not like he could count).

Once he got what he wanted, Lactose would end Io's life. No joke. If he was already starving, someone know that his children would be starving. And---

What was that? out there, in the distance? And what was that? That brown stuff on that one's head? Lactose stared. To him, it almost looked like grass. Tasty grass. Better than what was found out in the barren lands. He then turned to Io. She was staring - and mooing in a tone that he never got in his life.

Lactose looked from Io, to the being, and back to Io.

Oh hell no.

Loud grunt and snarl. Air went out through his nostrils, and the front hoof was striking against the ground, rearing up to go. That being with the brown hair was not going to take Io. Not when he was so close to his own goal! Not only to add but those two were in his territory.

This was war, you son of a Fat Lard-stealer.

Lactose reared up, emitted an air-erupting roar, and charged straight at the being with the brown stuff on his head, that shiny, well-kept stuff. Straight on with his own sharp horns, of which Lactose was most proud of.

[Attacks Weldon (Horns/Knife)]
[dice=200+2000]
Deep Gash on Left Thigh - 8.0

Blink. Io did not understand what was going on. One minute, Lactose was there, right beside her; now, he was charging-- Oh, wait, she knew now. He was protecting the territory. Good work, Lactose!

She then went to assist him, charging at the one he was not going for. More, more grass! Io wanted them all!

[Attacks Maia (Head/Blunt)]
[dice=200+7000]
Broken Right Collar Bone - 6.5

Lactose grunted in disapproval. His opponent must have moved slightly, because he did not get a good hit on the fellow. It was not his fault that the attack he did was pretty shallow of a wound. He would do better next time, he thought. There was no way Grasshead was going to overpower him in the next few seconds. No way. No how. Bakupps were the beasts of the Arena, and beasts they were.

Unfortunately, Grasshead did overpower him, striking him badly in the other front leg. Wool was dirtied and the legs of a chicken were bloodied. Lactose was not going to be this guy's dinner. The Bakupp snorted and mustered all the angry energy he could gather. No, not just Grasshead's hair was he going to be munching on, but his still-beating, bloody heart as well! How dare this being think that he could be better than the single male Bakupp in this part of the Arena! Lactose thought that this being had such a nerve.

Who was going to bear Lactose's children? Certainly not the female being. How deformed their children would be!

[Attacks Weldon (Horns/Knife)]
[dice=200+2000]
Shallow Cut on Left Hip - 3.5

Scared was Io now. Her partner in territorial protection was getting the better beating. Oh, woe was her! Art thou Lactose being fair? Io could weep for her companion - if she had the emotional capacity for that. She did not really love Lactose in such a manner; but, she could weep just a little, for she had the thought of being turned into ground beef for these beings. She did, after all, get to see the other Bakupps in the lab get turned into something not pleasant.

Moo! Moo! What a world, what a world! Io did not want Lactose to be gone and turned into ground beef. There would be no one to tend to the grass with their teeth; she was not the strongest one in this unit. That being with the grassy hair was really going to get it, and then she was going to eat his fine hair! Oh how succulent it must be! Oh how moist it must be! She was watering again.

[Attacks Weldon (Head/Blunt)]
[dice=200+7000]
Gash/Bruised Left Femur - 4.0