Red Iris has a minion!

Scarlet the Betta

Aquaris is a dark city inhabited by sentient, marine-like humanoid critters. Those who run the city do so through greed of power and wealth, leaving those they exploit without the proper means of living comfortably. In this city, it is survival of the fittest.

---

Red is a mantis shrimp with a naturally powerful punch. She joined the underground ring as soon as she was old enough to. She figured her only good aspect was her ability to defend herself, which she had years of experience growing up in the middle of the slums of Aquaris. Her name: Red Iris, inspired by her best friend she grew up with who had lost his life serving the navy. Red Iris started to make a name for herself. She was a fast learner, and as finals grew closer tensions were high between her and her rival.

One night, Red found herself cornered by a dozen of underground fighters. At the head of them, was her biggest rival for the finals. As they held her down, they told her that she would never be able to fight in the ring ever again. With a raise of a bat, Red's forearm were snapped in half.

Unable to fight with broken arms, she learned her rival had won the championships while she sat in a hospital bed. Even after she had recovered, her arms were beyond full repair as she could not get the proper funds for the surgery. They had crippled them, and the inability to fight took it's toll on Red.

The hospital pain killers made her rely on drugs more and more, and she fell into an addiction she almost could not pull herself out of. What now could Red do? She had little means for ends to meet.

The answer came to her when she was walking down a street and someone attempted to mug a helpless city dweller. Even without her fists, she found the courage to go and save him. With a couple of well placed kicks, the mugger fled. The warmth from helping someone had settled into her heart. She vowed that if someone ever needed her help, she would protect them no matter what.

---

Scarlet traced the ink around Red's shoulder. It caught her eye the moment she first saw it. Red lay on her stomach on the bed, eyes closed but not quite asleep. With her heart full, Scarlet leaned down and kissed the middle of the tattoo. Red heaved a content sigh as soon as her lips touched. Scarlet returned to sitting up and staring at the beautiful tattoo.

"Why a red iris?" she asked. She wondered if Red would answer. She could feel the distance between what she knows about Red, and what Red was closing off to her. What Red was closing off to the rest of the world.

"Caius's favorite flower were iris," Red replied after a moment's thought. Scarlet glanced at her face. Her eyes were open, staring distantly at nothing in particular.

Scarlet knew little about Caius, but Red spoke both fondly and mournfully whenever he seemed to come up now and then. Scarlet could tell Red loved him.

"They looked like my eyes, he said," Red continued after a long pause. Scarlet wasn't expecting her to keep talking.

"Red Iris," Scarlet said softly, "What a name to make for yourself."

Red chuckled at her comment. Her eyes closed again. Scarlet continued to stare.

"I'm sure when they first announced the Red Iris in the ring, they weren't expecting a new top fighter," she mulled mostly to herself.

"I wasn't either," Red replied, "My first match, I lost completely."

"Oh?"

"Mhmm. I lost more times in a row than I want to remember, so I don't."

"So when did you become the Red Iris we all know?"

"When I stopped fighting for the money."

"Ah."

Red's eyes opened again.

"After being bullied constantly by some of the asses in the ring, it wasn't about the money anymore."

Something changed in Red's gaze, she was focused on something resolute. It gave Scarlet the chills, and she could feel her goosebumps rising.

"I started to fight for the right thing. To stamp those who bully those weaker into the ground. Suddenly, I was winning."

Scarlet gazed thoughtfully at Red for a while, even long after Red had closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.

---

Outfit created by Feraligatr

View In Wardrobe

STATS
name || Red
age || 20
birthday || September 18
gender || female
orientation || bisexual
height || 4'
eyes || light purple
hair || dark ginger; usually worn in a short high ponytail or a bun
build || lean and muscular; arms and fists larger than normal due to being a mantis shrimp
clothes || old and worn shirt and pants
occupation || just your friendly neighborhood vigilante

Story and character by Feraligatr
Overlay edit by Feraligatr
Aquaris city/world by Cometeer
Scarlet is by Eternity
Profile template by Lea.
Background by ilikemints on colourlovers.com
Mantis shrimp gif by Monterey Bay Aquarium