First Reply Play Nice

[Amani Serys]

Level 1997
Coruscant​

---

At first there was silence. Then murmurs, pulsing thumps, that grew into a dull, hazy din. And after what seemed like forever, feeling began to return to mind and body alike, and the dull din rose faster and louder until it crescendoed into a complete sensory overload of blaring music and flashing lights, fully startling Amani into cognizance.

"...Ow."

An already aching head was further disturbed by an irritating clunk from behind. She glanced down to see a crushed can of alcohol, thrown at her from above. The perpetrator: one of many gangsters, scoundrels, and general ne'er-do-wells who heckled from along the brim of the pit she now realized she was stuck in.

How had she gotten here in the first place? The last thing Amani could remember, she was investigating a trafficking ring in the lower levels. She walked into a dark empty corridor, and the next thing she knew, she was waking up here.

The mirialan threw herself up onto her feet, the movement bringing to light another revelation: a metallic belt-like object now fastened to her waist. In the center, a dim orange node glowed faintly. Seconds later, a beam of electrical energy arced out from the node, tethering itself to a matching belt a few meters away. Said belt was attached to another unfortunate soul, still sat asleep on the opposite end of the ring. At least she wasn't the only one managing to piss off local syndicates lately.

The crowd's discordant shouts eventually found harmony, a single word that confirmed their desires ringing out across the pit, "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

No reason to keep them waiting, she supposed. More importantly, it would give her time to begin thinking of an escape plan. Amani punted the crushed can at her unconscious fellow-gladiator with surprising accuracy, and whistled for their attention, "Psst... Wakey wakey…"

Spoiler: OOC

You and Amani are tied together, and the crowd wants a fight. You're going to have to find a way to work together if you want out.

 

[Xarielle Pavanos]

One may be wondering, how exactly this all started.

That is a brilliant question, and the answer remained somewhere locked behind blurry visions and a lot of drinks. Xarielle wasn’t entirely sure how one ended up being tethered to someone else in the middle of a gladiatorial arena. It was the kick in the head with the can that was the rude awakening, coupled with bright lights and a lot - of people, screaming. One eye popped open followed by another, Xarielle’s eyes fluttered opened.

Her Balmorran flight jacket slightly torn at the wrist as she planted both hands onto the ground, and tried to pull herself together. The glistening of the metallic object around her wrist caught her attention and then she followed the beam to the matching belt and the person on the other side. She took a deep breath and sighed, “uh, I don’t uh... I don’t happen to owe you any money, do I?” Xarielle asked sheepishly, “also, um, h-ho-w how did I get here.”

“I mean, hey, I guess if I was gonna get tethered to someone... wait, aren’t you with the...”

Yeah...

Since leaving the New Jedi Order, things for Xarielle had been one failed adventure attempt after another. There was this one brief instance of darkside influence on Mygeeto but then her mother showed up and that was that. There was a very strict, ‘you will not do that’ discussion and then well. Xarielle was essentially cuffed to someone else.

There was a chant, of ‘fight’ and Xarielle’s gaze turned, whilst she spoke to the person she was tethered with. “So, listen, I’m not asking for a carry here, but I am not exactly the best in these sorts of situations. I can talk myself out of uh... well clearly not, um, this. But, I can usually, sometimes... so hi, I think we’re meeting off on the wrong foot. Names Xarielle, and if I do owe you money just uh send that to my mom... Kaalia.”

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

The stranger woke up on cue, and seemed even more perplexed by the situation than Amani. She chattered on about owing money to introducing herself by name. Amani, already nursing a headache, just raised a hand, "Slow down and take a breath alright." Once she could, she explained, "I dunno where we are— or who these guys are— But somehow I don't think they have our best interests in mind."

The chantings of 'fight' continued, and with growing impatience one of the audicene members threw another piece of trash at Amani. This time here senses kicked in, and she turned around to telekinetically halt the object, and huck it right back at the perpetrator. Nonchalantly, she then continued, "They want us to fight. We should probably at least make it look real. I'm gonna try and figure us a way out," Amani took on a stance, and beckoned Xarielle with a hand, "C'mon. I can take a punch."

Xarielle Pavanos​

 

[Xarielle Pavanos]

[ T H E M E ]
​

Right, breathe, sure there wasn't a million lights bearing down on them right at that moment. Xarielle took a deep breath and exhaled. A few moments later the Mirialan spoke, and the Balmorran had to agree with her. "Yeah that uh... that yeah..." were about all the words she could manage at that precise moment. The continued chants of fight were starting to grind on Xarielle's proverbial gears. She flinched when the piece of trash was headed in their mutual directions, although aimed at her uh acquaintance. She watched as the woman nonchalantly flicked it back toward the audience.

As the woman beckoned, Xarielle got to her feet.

"Uh okay, well, I'm not much of a ... well, no, no I'm not-"

She tried, but the woman seemed to insist saying they could take a punch.

"Alright."

Xarielle bull rushed the Mirialan, with an aim to grapple them to the ground, "you uh," she got out a moment later, "wouldn't happen to know Valery Noble, would you?"

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

Xarielle eventually managed to focus enough to take Amani up on her plan. She approached, and immediately tried to put her into a grapple. Amani grabbed her back to make it look like more of a struggle, and the crowd started to get louder as the 'fighting' finally began.

"You uh,wouldn't happen to know Valery Noble, would you?"

What are the odds. Amani raised an eyebrow lazily, her mind still half-focused on current events, "What makes you ask that," She flipped the two of them onto the ground, then rolled away onto her feet— Only for the beam connect them to extend its max length. There was a buzzing noise, and she was yanked back to the ground to stay in range. The crowd laughed, "Stupid…"

Xarielle Pavanos​

 

[Xarielle Pavanos]

[ TRANSITIONAL THEME ]​

"You uh, have this, vibe?" Huffed Xarielle as she landed on her back as the crowd's roar drowned out any other attempts of a conversation for the moment. She rolled to her feet and felt the tug of the beam as it was extended to its maximum length. She stumbled forward as the beam snapped her 'companion' for the moment back toward the ground. Xarielle took the opportunity, "wait you were able to use the Force, earlier, right? So these beams don't stop uh... that, right?"

Xarielle got a smirk as she concentrated, taking a chunk of the ground however small out and tossing it toward Amani. The chunk narrowly missing her and the once pupil of an aforementioned Jedi gave the Mirialan a wide smile. "Let's just say before I headed for Mygeeto, I spent some time with Master Noble."

Amani Serys ​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Hm," Amani snorted, too focused on current events to give meaningful attention or response to what Xarielle said. She was then abruptly and rudely pulled to the ground. The healer stood up, noticeably more irritated by that fact when she replied, "Nope. Just keeping us stuck together."

Amani strafed sideways as the chunk of earth whiffed by. She then got closer, and suddenly went low to sweep Xarielle's legs, "If I had a credit for every person I've run into that also just happened to know Valery Noble, I'd be wealthier than the rest of the Organas." She mused, still studying the structure around them. Perhaps they could break through the cage, but that would mean being surrounded by angry (and likely belligerent) spectators.

Xarielle Pavanos​