A Beasthood · The Streets
Champions Court
To be from the Court is to lose in public, shake on it, and line up again tomorrow.
Their gift: The Result. A contest shaken on is true forever; the relay baton finds the next runner. The cost: Losses keep too; contests only, not a Beast's fate; the baton stays on the Court's ground.
About 500 Beasts call Champions Court home.
The place
Wide open ground: tracks, courts, a fieldhouse, and nothing decorated but the Scoreboard. Dawn is the Court's holiest hour; late night belongs to whoever needs one more set under the south lamps.
Their gift, and what it costs
The Result. A race or match shaken on is true for good: no Beast can argue or misremember it. It covers contests, never a Beast's fate. The relay baton finds the next runner on the Court's ground; it thins with distance and can't run into the Grey. The cost: losses are kept as surely as wins.
What they want, and what they fear
Want: the rematch. Fear: not measuring up.
People you might meet
- Sunny Barrow (Squirrel, Morning Court captain). Lost Tuesday's dawn heat by a stride and Wednesday's by half of one; shook on both. One of the Marathon's last two; swears Kip waited.
- Kip Morrell (Hare, Late Lights). The other. Wants no rematch: the tie is the best thing that ever happened to them. Swears Sunny waited.
- Old Twelve (Original, Scoreboard painter). Walks off every loss without shaking, so their column has none: "a scheduling matter."
- Bo Castillo (Hare, leads Late Lights' relay chains). Morning Court on Bo: "Wants the road runs counted. Would count a walk to the Beastro if it made 4–2."
- Nell Ferraro (Squirrel). Brought home by a relay chain; now runs for both crews, a colour on each sleeve.
Neighbours and old business
- The Beastro: feeds the Court; Court runners carry its pots.
- Gaia Grove: takes the Court's stiff legs, and sends back broth and stretching homework the Court skips.
- Trusty Lake Estates: sends new Hares for "character". The Court's Hares find this hilarious.
Books from Champions Court
A Beast's Book is written from their holder's choices. The newest from here:
More about Champions Court
Their scarForty years ago a hard shift in the Hum moved the old track overnight.
Forty years ago a hard shift in the Hum moved the old track overnight. It had looped outside the Court's border; the Court ran the morning heats on the new ground anyway, and every result shaken that day stands. In the Grey Year, Court runners carried word between cut-off Beasthoods on the Old Baton, set with a Mark. Last spring the Marathon's last two crossed together and shook on a tie.
What they argue aboutMorning Court against Late Lights.
Morning Court against Late Lights. Morning Court say the day is won before breakfast, in front of everyone. Late Lights train under the lamps and say the best results are run for their own sake. Relay cups: 4–1 to Morning Court.
This seasonRelay cups stand 4–1 to Morning Court, and Late Lights train for the next under the south lamps.
Relay cups stand 4–1 to Morning Court, and Late Lights train for the next under the south lamps. By night they run relay chains on the old road's dark stretches, bringing cut-off walkers home. They shook on one run to make a homecoming hold like a win; it didn't.
A customThe Loss Lap.
The Loss Lap. At each season's first dawn, every Beast runs a lap carrying a ribbon for their worst loss, and the stands cheer losses louder than wins. Old Twelve carries a blank ribbon and is booed, fondly, all the way round.
PlacesMain Track: lane three worn smooth; inside the border since the track moved.
- Main Track: lane three worn smooth; inside the border since the track moved.
- The Scoreboard: every shaken result painted, losses beside wins.
- The Moved Lap: where the old track went; run once a year by whoever can find it.
What they think is going on"Keep moving and nothing catches you."
"Keep moving and nothing catches you." Brave; bad at sitting still with anything, even a friend who stopped.