Doozy

[Julius Thonn]

Victoria,
Dosuun.

Victoria had been where Julius had grown up. It was where he had studied at the Academic Centre, and it was where his parents lived. Sometimes he ventured there from Prosperia to see how his parents were doing - from afar, naturally. He couldn't associate with them anymore, not unless he wanted to get them in trouble with the authorities.

But, he figured that had already happened some time ago what with all his arrests.

Raising a hand to scratch the back of his head, the young adult blended into the crowd of the Promenade. He had some friends here, back from his academy days, though he was unsure as to whether referring to them as friends was the best idea.

There was a cantina nearby.

At this hour? Most of those people should've been in classes, or so he thought. He had been up there in the higher scoring when it came to performance tests. Once upon a time he had been all about the stormtrooper life. To be the top of his class and enter the Stormtrooper Corps. He preferred slugthrowers, he was even a good tinkerer, but, he hadn't held an actual military grade weapon since the Academy days years ago.

He had gotten into the cantina, and was at the bar counter within moments. After a few minutes of sitting around, he finally got his drink, some hot tea of some sort, he hadn't really been paying attention when he made his order.

"Hey." Someone said behind him. He lazily lifted up his head, hardly aware of what was going on behind him. Guess he was too slow, since a heavy hand dropped on his shoulder.

Oh.

"We don't let scoundrels in here." Probably on account that he wasn't wearing some form of dress clothes. All casual, easy to blend in with the common folk.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Victoria was not what she'd expected. When she'd agreed to attend a seminar at the Academy, she'd hardly realized she'd be surrounded by academics and soldiers-in-training. She was never comfortable in such surroundings, having never been formally educated herself and finding the constant structure and rules suffocating. She was glad when the seminar was over and she was free to pursue her own endeavors before returning home.

She'd shed her cloak and robes for simple tunic, pants, and vest. Her belt was strapped around her waist but the saber hilt was notably absent. In truth, it was tucked inside a hidden pocket in her vest, snug against her rib cage. It would hardly do to go around openly armed in a city full of brazen youth trying to convince the First Order that they were worth more than their test scores.

She smiled and winked at a passing group of youths who openly ogled the girl as she passed, their jeers following her as she continued down the promenade. She'd always dressed to impress, even when wearing civilian garb. The sounds of music and riotous laughter drifted from a nearby cantina, drawing her attention and peaking her interest. A drink would be nice, especially after she'd managed to sit through three hours of monotonous droning on about the history of saber combat and how it had developed. She still wasn't sure why she thought it would have been a worthwhile endeavor, but it was too late to throttle the life out of the aging historian. Besides, the Order might frown on her murdering their very well-researched professor.

The bar was semi-full, mostly students skipping out on exams and classes. A few cat-calls were inevitable as she entered, tossing her hair over one shoulder and striding to the bar easily. She doubted any of the young men would have the gall to approach her directly, and so slipped onto a bar stool on the far end easily, her view to the door unobstructed.

She ordered a glass of Correllian Brandy and relaxed, her lips curled up in a smile but eyes floating over the assembled crowd with meticulous attention.

The few Force signatures that lit up in her mind were much too weak to bother acknowledging, besides, she was off-duty and they weren't her concern unless they cause a problem.

Somewhere down the bar, angry voices could be heard. She raised her eyebrow as she spotted a rather scruffy looking young man being apprehended from behind. Her eyebrows rose further as she realized he was the source of one of the signatures. She took a long sip of brandy and watched the encounter with rapt attention.

[member="Julius Thonn"]

 

[Julius Thonn]

Man. Coming back home to visit was a mistake.

"You should get your hand off me," Julius cautioned calmly, though there was a certain look in his eye. If one were able to read it carefully, they'd be able to describe it as... Fear? No, adrenaline. His heart was starting to beat faster in anticipation of the next coming moments. It wouldn't be the first time he had been in a fight, he knew the signs of a relatively drunk person. He blinked slowly as he came to terms. Either he'd win or lose, it didn't matter. It was all about standing your ground.

Slippery slope and all that.

He started to rise up out of the chair, and when he was out of it, he found that the hand was still on his shoulder.

"Hey look, it's that dropout!" The first one said.

"He's still alive?" Another called out.

Oh. He has friends.

Suppose it was a bad idea to come back home.

"What are you doing here, dead boy?"

There was a casual shrug, his lips slowly transforming into a grin. "Just checking in on the rejected Stormtroopers. What are you guys now? Sanitation Officers? How is tha-?" It took a moment, the first punch came from the leader, to which he swayed back from, but the man was bigger, but Julius was surprisingly strong for a person of his build. He came in from underneath his punch, driving into his body with a burst of speed that sent the half dozen group of young adults tumbling to the ground.

Julius was pure instinct, his arms and legs flew around him, wildly, as that's how street brawls tended to go. He felt as if he made contact almost every time, everyone in that cantina could've been considered apart of his group, and so they'd all fall if necessary. It'd just be another place where his face would be put up to look out for.

He started up to his feet, but he felt a hand grasp his ankle and dragged him down.

Someone was calling out for security. That wouldn't be good.

His foot came down around the wrist that held him. The only sound heard was a ear splitting crack that broke through the noise... And Julius was on his feet and rushing through the crowds to get out.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Her lips turned up in a grin as she watched the growing altercation and sipped her drink. Maybe she should step in and stop the escalating emotions and words, but some part of her enjoyed the show. When the first punch was thrown, Ara sighed, knocking back the rest of her drink and tossing a credit chip onto the bar.

Security was called as the boys began to tussle, the dsiciple's eyebrows winging up in surprised admiration of the way the boy fought.

She chuckled as she remembered similar brawls in similar clubs, some she had been the cause of, others she had been a participant. The sound of a cracking wrist echoed through the club as the young man was back on his feet and scrambling for the exit.

She slid off of her stool and sauntered towards the exit after him, barely sparing a glance for the pile of injured and angry youths she skirted. No, she'd follow and apprehend the former trooper-in-training. Find out what his story was.

She blinked as the bright light of the sun blinded her momentarily, her mind grasping the force signature moving away from the cantina at a rapid pace. With a sly smile, she took off at a job. Time to hunt.

[member="Julius Thonn"]

 

[Julius Thonn]

He broke the doorway, and he was running through the promenade. At this point in time it had begun clearing it up, likely because classes were beginning soon. This was good and bad. Positive because he'd have a clearer path to run. Bad because when security actually got there it wouldn't be difficult to say which way the 'culprit' ran. Besides, who would care what some former trooper said compared to two junior officers?

It also didn't help that there was one actual path out of the promenade and that led back to the academic centre, at least for the main part.

Just as he was going to make across the bridge, he slowed to a jog and shoved his hands in his pockets. It wouldn't be the first time he ran from authorities and he had been forced to blend in with the crowd. He excelled at looking like a casual person, for, as far as he thought, he was a casual person.

Naturally, he was unconcerned with the person following him because he didn't even know he was being tailed. In fact, security hadn't even arrived yet, just another bar brawl, they could hardly care he imagined.

Man I hate this place.

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

It was easy to stalk the young man through the promenade as it was clearing after classes. She was moving at an easy jog, keeping pace with the boy ahead of her. He seemed to be heading towards the academic centre deeper in the city. Ara slowed to a walk as he did, staying back far enough to avoid alerting him to a tail.

A group of young gentlemen approached, jockeying for each other for performances on the last test she could only assume. One of them whistled and elbowed his friend as they spotted her stalking towards them. She flashed the group a sly smile as they parted to let her through, ignoring the cat-calls and invitations for an afternoon drink. Her gaze honed in on the back of the young man. His posture had changed, his back slouched over, hands in pockets, looking every bit the bored academic out for an afternoon stroll.

She smiled as a plan formed, her strides speeding up and getting longer to cross the distance between them easily. She grabbed his arm from behind, looping her right arm through his left, her other hand resting on top of her wrist. To any passerby, it looked cozy and familiar, two people walking arm in arm down the promenade. In truth, her grip was like steel, waiting for a punch, an elbow, or even a desperate yank away.

"That was some performance back there."

Her words were low, almost a soft purr, meant only for him.

[member="Julius Thonn"]

 

[Julius Thonn]

Julius continued walking away from the Promenade. He heard the men whistling at [member="Ara Ren"], but he paid it no heed, especially when there were no shouts in his direction calling for him to stop. If anything, it made him feel more relaxed. He had gotten away, and all was well. Coming towards him, up ahead, the summoned security guards were strolling down the pathway back the way that Young Thonn had just come from.

There was a nod of his head in greeting, to which they hardly paid attention and just as he looked over his right shoulder to make sure they weren't watching him, just in case he needed to make another getaway, but in those moments, the brunette had slipped into his blind spot, and before he knew it he had a stranger - albeit a pretty one on his arm. In any other situation it would be pleasant, perhaps if he was anyone else, and he fought the urge to shift his weight and throw the girl head over heels away from him.

He remained silent after her opening statement, continuing to walk as he looked her up and down.

Who the kark is this?

"As pleasant as you are to look at," Julius said with a slowly forming smile, "You should let go of my arm - unless you like the taste of duracrete."

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Chuckling as the young man appraised her, she flashed him a coy smile and tightened her grip just enough to let him know that she’d be harder to remove than he might initially believe. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she batted her eyelashes at another pair of passing students, playing the part of an enamored academic easily.

”Sweetheart, you say the nicest things.” She said loud enough for their benefit, turning her face in towards the youth’s cheek, placing her lips close to his ear.

Her tone dropped into a lower register, backed with steel and confidence. ”You can try it, but I promise you would not like the results.”

She chuckled darkly and smiled up at him.

”What do you say you and I find a nice little place to chat, hmm? Unless you really want to see which of us would win in a scuffle?”

Shooting a look behind them at the security that had passed moments before, her smile turned up with sly thought.

”Although I do not believe they would like such a public display of aggression. And judging by your reaction in the cantina, I had a feeling that would also be a result you’d like to avoid.”

[member="Julius Thonn"]

 

[Julius Thonn]

Shot a look over at the girl as she continued holding onto his arm. After the passersby had well, gone past them, Julius came to a hard stop and rotated his head to look [member="Ara Ren"] in the eyes. "I don't like being touched, girl, especially by strangers." He said. His gaze swept over the promenade again. He was already calculating the steps. Within three seconds he could have her eating duracrete, and within fifteen he could sprint across back into the hustle and bustle of the Academy students and disappear into the afternoon crowds, those were likely leaving for home early.

He yanked his arm from her, a test if anything to see if she'd release him.

"It's no joke." He'd warn.

Public acts of aggression weren't beyond what Julius was capable of. These security types weren't soldiers, not in the sense that they trained to fight off world. These guys, chances were they probably just seniors at the Academy, being given extra responsibilities. Volunteer work or some such to count as extra-curriculars. Or whatever it was, he hadn't made it that far in the Academy before he dropped out.

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Stopping along with him, her grin widened as he called her “girl”. The boy had guts, and if he kept pushing, she’d be happy to show exactly where that bravado got him. His gaze darted away from her eyes, her eyebrows narrowing with a knowing look. He was looking for an escape and calculating his fastest route. She knew that calculating expression and those tactics, years on the streets taught her the same.

He started to pull his arm away and she let him, mostly. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist and applied just enough pressure to let him know she was serious. The lust for a fight roared in her gut, sulfur and amber creating a ring around her irises.

”No, it isn’t. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. It is your choice. I would like to talk, but I don’t mind a bit of a scuffle instead.”

Her deep chuckle accented the darkness swirling within, her lips turned up in a wicked smile. If he ran, she’d hunt. If he fought, she’d subdue. If he submitted to a conversation, they’d talk. It was all the same to her.

[member="Julius Thonn"]

 

[Julius Thonn]

Julius was bigger than her, though he found that he was surprised to find her applying pressure to his wrist. A weak spot for all people. The skin was sensitive there. He just grinded his teeth upon each other. It was all about timing. Catch her off guard with the movement and have her in a figurative cloud of smoke as he burned through the soles of his footwear.

He was a leader in the lower classes of citizens for a reason.

Not because he won every fight, but because he inspired. Because he made choices, and they didn't always turn out as he had originally planned, but he stuck to them. Determination, or perhaps stubbornness - was there really a difference? He frowned at her. So he made the choice here.

She said she wanted to talk.

"Prove it." He said, and that hand that she was gripping lunging into her chest, open-palmed push to get the message across. There was a reason there wasn't that much strength behind it - he still saw her as some small girl. He did take note of the way her eyes changed colours after, and her weird laugh, but he had encountered plenty of oddities in his solitude life in the Underground, especially after the Siege of Dosuun. "You got a condition girly."

[member="Ara Ren"]

 

[Ara Zambrano]

Her grin widened as he attempted to push her away, his hand against her chest. She moved with the pressure, not even stumbling back, raising an eyebrow at him.

”I am only trying to have a polite conversation.”

With an innocent smile, she released his hands and stepped back. She knew that glint in his eye, he was going to run and she’d give chase. Her eyebrows crinkled, eyelids lowing slightly as she watched him.

”I suppose condition is as good a description as any, although I believe the word you are looking for is determination.”

She chuckled deeply as she watched him, power pulled inward waiting for the moment he took off. The thirst for the hunt grew. The ring around her irises grew as they stood, locked in a moment waiting for the other to respond.

Her tone deepened, serious with a hint of anger, almost all traces of the easy laughter gone. ”Keep calling me girly and you will find out exactly how wrong you are.”

[member="Julius Thonn"]