Private Adrenaline Crash

[Aren Vellin]

Cantonica
The Outer Rim Territories
Canto Bight
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The atmosphere in the room was intoxicating, though he had not had a drop to drink. Canto Bight was all glitz and glam, there were flashy lights and glowing bars, more casinos than commonsense, and the heavy thump of bass that pulsed through the blaringly loud music scene.​

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Not all of the racers had made it off the track, it wasn't uncommon in the fast-paced, deadly world of podracing but Cantonica's underground circuit had claimed a few that day. Hearing the cheers that cried out as the triumphant trio entered, though, you'd never have known it. Outside light was fast fading, laser shows danced across the skyline, and the racing stripes and numbers of the top three racers were projected alongside them.​

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BRAK-VIDA #83 stood out from the runner ups, his face lit up every holo-screen in the place, and he couldn't walk two feet through the club without someone waving a flimsiplast photo of him in his face. The Xexeto had a pen in one hand and something to sign in each of his other three; he still had his helmet on, and with his goggles up the sooty remnants of the race left outlines around his eyes.​

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In comparison to Brak's rugged appearance in the face of victory, Aren Vellin was primed for the catwalk. He wasn't wearing the same jumpsuit he had while racing Aferburn, it wasn't even a carbon copy, no this was something pretty but wholly impractical that left very little to the imagination. Exactly what the crowd craved, and perfect for lining the pockets of his sponsors when the cameras panned his way. The only consistency lay within the cobalt-and-gold colour scheme, otherwise it was wholly dependent on which brand had coughed up the fat ones for this particular race.​

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There was a fancy McYoda's patch on his right arm, for instance, and as he paused for the cameras he made sure it was in as many shots as he could. That was just the way of things in this world, at least it was for Sponsor Boy. Everybody wanted a piece of the Golden Comet.​

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Freshly showered, perfume in his hair not just on his clothes, Aren was killing it. It didn't matter that his body was battered and bruised beneath the jumpsuit, it didn't matter that he was so fething exhausted he could sleep for a week.​

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Didn't even matter that he was hungry enough to eat an entire herd of nerf.​

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"Over here, Vellin! Look this way, Golden Comet! Wait, just one more..."​

He was living most kids dreams, yet all he really wanted in that moment was--​

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"Nerf burger" he drooled, as his media handler offered up a McYoda's box. ​

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"Don't inhale it," she warned, "Make sure they get a good angle of that first bite, kid."​

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"But I'm sooOOooo hungry..."​

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"You can eat later" she reminded him, "For now, smile pretty boy... they're eating you up."​

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Tokki Utixo ​

 

[Tokki Utixo]

In the pilot of the #28, the Coachelle Special, soon joined in. Tokki to most looked like an overgrown, bipedal rabbit. Unlike the Golden Comet, she didn't have the luxury of a costume change. She wore the same royal blue flightsuit as on the track. She was in the middle of conversation with a Nautolan holo-blogger, an interview of sorts. It was for some young adult publication for racing fans.

"...And truly, Nikko, you can tell your audience this." She finish, "I started in the amateur circuits. While there's a degree of talent involved, hard work and training is what got me here. That goes for anything in life."

She concludes the interview and thanks the host before turning and seeing Aren showboating before the cameras. She rolls her eyes. There is a level of understanding why some racers gave in to the practice. Hell, Tokki could admit she was guilty of it herself. Yet, there were lines even she found distasteful to cross.

"L6, come in." She spoke into a wristcomm on her racing gloves, "I want you to start the post race diagnostics. Moreso on the energy binders. One of them sounded loose and rattling on that last circuit."

A series of astromech beeps came on the other end of the line. She smiles and then turns to the crowd. She looks up at the leader board, awaiting the announcement for second place. The Coachelle Special and Afterburn were practically neck and neck on the review holos. The judges were almost ready to make a call.

"C'mon, girl." She muttered as she watched her own racing, "Make everyone proud of us..."

Aren Vellin​

 

[Aren Vellin]

AAAAAAAANNNDDD IT'S OFFICIAL! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S AREN VELLIN WITH AFTERBURN THAT TAKES SECOND PLACE! THE YOUNG HUMAN GOT HIS START OUT OF....​

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The cheers which erupted around him were deafening, and he had to hastily swallow down his second bite of the nerf burger while his handler passed the rest of the McYoda's box to her assistant and reached up to tug at some of his curls. Perfectly imperfect, just the way she wanted it.​

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"Hey, I was eating th--"​

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"Shh, enough talking," Jenn wiped away any possible remnants of those two bites of burger from his mouth, free hand on his arm, "This is a big one, kid, no Rookie's hit second place on the Canto Bight circuit in decades. Big breath, bigger smile, and..."​

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She turned him to face the flurry of holocams now pointed his way. Brak-Vida's presence on the screens around the city was briefly eclipsed, suddenly all anyone wanted to see were the blue eyes and golden curls of Aurek Racing Group's pretty boy.​

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"Aren, Aren, who are you wearing?"​

"What do you have to say to the fans at home?"​

"You almost span out on that third to last turn, how did you pull through?"​

"Do you feel bad for knocking Zexan-Rath off the track? He has a wife and three kids who are never going to see him again---"​

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"No more questions." Jenn led him on past the media vultures toward the podium. Brak was already waiting beside it, and he reached out a hand toward Aren as they approached. The boy barely noticed, throat feeling tighter than before.​

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"He had kids?" he asked, voice wavering. His skin had turned several shades paler. "He never mentioned kids. I wasn't trying to ram him, he was just up my ars--"​

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"Enough. He knew the risks." Jenn patted his forehead dry with a small towel, then applied a little makeup to his cheeks to make him look less ashen. "Now, where is Utixo? Utixo?! It's important the three of you are seen together before..." The woman flagged Tokki down. "Come on, Tokki darling, nobody likes a sore loser, smile now, third place is still respectable, not once-in-a-lifetime material, but..."​

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Jenn Sykorra was a talker, feth did she drone on and on and on...​

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"Sorry about her" Aren whispered as an aside to Tokki once they were close enough, "Wish she'd just buzz right off." A pause, at no point did he actually turn to look at her, his focus remained on the media frenzy surrounding them. "Nice racing out there, you had me 'til that last turn."​

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Tokki Utixo ​

 

[Tokki Utixo]

The judges made their call. And there, frozen in the holoprojection, was the proof. The Afterburn, maybe an eighth of a meter ahead of the Special. Third place with a bronzium medal for Tokki. Her heart dropped into her stomach.

"....Dank ferrik." She mutters under her breath, trying to hold back disappointment.

She could see it now. She had some sponsorships in the wing that were contingent on her placing silver. She sighs, putting on a happier face for the cameras. Tokki was not going to let the loss weigh on her. She had to take solace in making podium, in Canto Bight no less.

"Hey, watch the ears!" The lagomorph hissed as the handlers for the group photos ushered her along.

And there she stood. Next to the Xexto in 1st place, and the golden man in 2nd. She kept her professional side up as the paparazzi did their thing. Her ear twitched as Aren spoke to her. She leaned a little toward him.

"You're not bad yourself, Sparkle Pants." She teases back, "Probably woulda got ya if I wasn't trying to flair on that turn."

The Lepi had a heart of a racer, but she also had a habit of performing dangerous maneuvers for spectacle. This time, it was attempting a 360 as she did the turn, but she had to readjust. She was mentally kicking herself.

"Next time I'll be wearing the aurodium. Around my neck rather than my whole jumpsuit." She challenged in her banter.

Aren Vellin​

 

[Aren Vellin]

Clicking his tongue behind his teeth, Aren had to resist the urge to shake his head. Instead he continued to smile for the cameras as he stepped up onto the second place podium and continued to speak to Tokki.​

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"Sorry to burst your bubble, ears," he said, quite enjoying the moniker she had given him though he'd never admit it. Sparkle Pants, added to the flair to be sure. "But the only one taking first place next season already has Gold in their name."​

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"BIG SMILES LADY AND GENTS" the circuits lead holocamera man urged, as he took the official photo to commemorate the race. Flash after flash followed, before they were pulled in different directions. "Alright, just the gents this time, no no Miss Utixo, no wandering, you wait right there..."​

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This time Brak was the one doing the whisper-lean, he made a comment about Aren scrubbing up nicely post-race, and how it must be nice to have a whole crew at his back waiting to work on him as opposed to his podracer.​

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"I don't need a whole crew to service Afterburn" the lad retorted, still smiling for the cameras, "She's my pod."​

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Another quip from Brak followed, something about how he needed help to bathe still. The Xexeto asked if his mother was waiting to tuck him into bed, too, but surprisingly Aren didn't fall for the bait. Or at least, not in the way Brak was expecting.​

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"Nah, man, your ma' is though."​

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Click, flash... the photo was ruined as Brak turned his head sharply to glare at Aren.​

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"Oh, come on, focus guys, focus!" Jenn was back to orchestrating the whole ordeal, "Eyes ahead, Vida, this isn't your first rodeo. Ready? Alright, again..."​

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By the time Aren was next to Tokki again he felt like a thousand years had passed.​

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"If they don't put us out of our misery soon I'm gonna atrophy" he huffed. "Say, what does a Lepi eat post-race anyway? Can't imagine veggies'll do you much good."​

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Tokki Utixo ​