Bounty Red Water Dreams

[Daiya]

(Post Soundtrack: "Free Fall" by Ok Goodnight)

D E N O N
2352 TAUNGSDAY​

"Hey Cichei, you ready?"

Curls bounced against her shoulders as the blonde teen bounded into the small shop. It was barely big enough for a dozen customers to mingle, and their niche selection meant that rarely was there ever more than one. Her hands brushed against the apparel made for species with extra limbs, too many fingers, or just absurdly sized bodies, enjoying the sound of the hangers clinking together as she made her way to the back of the store. Rounding the last row of shelves, she spied the Devaronian woman talking to a Toong customer, whose spindly limbs waved around their head while speaking passionately about something.

Daiya gave her own wave to her friend, but her mood dampened when Cichei only smiled back with her eyes. A dour expression darkened the teen's face, and she turned away to another shelf of foreign items. The cloud of gloom followed her as she trailed her hand over the useless items again, satisfaction brimming each time she heard the clatter of an item falling from its hanger or hook on the display walls. All these things meant to bring a little comfort to the unusual denizens of Denon, and the only one that brought comfort to Daiya was ignoring her.

Breath caught in her throat again as she rounded a corner, coming face to face with an end-case displaying accessories for the overlarge clients of the shop. Her eyes fixated on the gigantic toothbrushes, their massive bristles and the teeth they were capable of cleaning. A hand flew to her head, pressing hard against the space above her eyes as she bent forward, a pleading whisper barely audible as the familiar vision attacked her sight again.

The alley was barely lit, casting long shadows into the darkness. Eyes lurked from within the darkness, watching every move in that alley. Every sound crept from the stalking presence, leaving a crafted void cut to fit only one. From the moment she stepped forth her fate would be sealed, from the darkness it would step into the light. A light that reflected from the grinning visage, cut as sharply as the teeth in the wide mouth reaching out to her. Tearing into her, ripping her apart, until her own blood stained its gigantic jaws, and her last sounds died to slake its monstrous thirst.​

Daiya's heart pounded as life returned to her eyes once more, damp from the rivulets of tears carving their way through her makeup. She wiped at them, tilting her head to the ceiling to stem the tide within her, hating the curse that brought her so easily to her knees. A hand batted out to swat another garment to the floor, its clatter giving her no satisfaction this time, only another reminder of the teen's failure.

"Trying to make me earn my pay, Daiya? If I have to keep cleaning up after you, I'll never be ready to leave." The voice behind her chided in that gentle tone, the warm teasing she knew of Cichei. Try as she might, the teen couldn't bear to meet the Devaronian's eyes until the hand fell on her shoulder, spinning Daiya around to face her friend. "Oh kark, what happened?"

She couldn't bear to look into the face of the former waitress, keeping her gaze low. The teen drew in a heavy breath through her nose, loosening her clenched jaw enough to mutter the best explanation she could for the moment.

"It hasn't yet."

Ghorua the Shark​

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

SIMULTANEOUSLY
OVER DENON
​

With the sound of pealing thunder, a ship emerged from hyperspace, it's slick white armor glinting from where there was only black void before. The star yacht seemed to ponder the view of the grey city-planet of Denon below, before swooping down upon it, like a bird of prey upon a carcass, or perhaps a shark catching a whiff of blood on the waves.

Within the Jawsome, the sounds of heavy impacts could be heard from the training room. The gravity was set to two-times the galactic average, but that didn't seem to slow the beast inside.

From within, a massive, dark being kept it's form tight, keeping on the balls of it's feet as it bobbed and weaved, unleashing a series of jabs and hooks towards a punching bag. The device took it's punishment, swaying emphatically on a chain, threatening to break and send the whole bag flying.

Ghorua felt a small bead of sweat leak down his brow, and smiled his shark-like grin at the burn in his muscles. He was always most jittery on the ship ride to the acquisition of a bounty. It was that time that nothing else could be done. His prep was complete, he knew where his target would be, and all that stood between him and a life-or-death situation was the beautiful blue hues of hyperspace. Exercise cleared his head, gave him focus.

Invaluable tools to a bounty hunter.

A few more minutes of training, followed by a brief stop at the showers led the Shark to staring out the viewport of the Jawsome at the city-planet beneath. His deep black eyes were narrowed, cold, predatory, towel draped across his shoulders like a boxer.

It was time to get to work.

- Daiya -