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[Elian Abrantes]

Sibylla Abrantes Aurelian Veruna
​

The muffled roar of the crowd seeped through the walls of the Theed Recreational Center, vibrating faintly through the floor beneath Elian Abrantes' boots. The air in the locker room carried the tang of metal, sweat, and that faint antiseptic bite that clung to all places where competition and bruises went hand in hand. Somewhere beyond the double doors, the ring lights blazed white over the gathered crowd Naboo's first official amateur boxing night and from the sound of it, Theed had shown up in force.

Elian sat forward on the bench, hands wrapped in fresh linen, the knuckles pale beneath the tension of his grip. A grin played at the corners of his mouth, equal parts anticipation and nerves. The faint hum of energy in the room felt like music to him the rhythm of heartbeats, shouts, laughter. Somewhere, a bell rang, marking the end of another round. The audience erupted again. He could almost feel it, the pulse of excitement rippling through the building like a current.

He exhaled slowly and leaned back, glancing at his reflection in the wall mirror a face that carried the unmistakable charm of House Abrantes, but none of its stiffness. His hair was slightly disheveled, his jaw set with the easy confidence that earned him his nickname. "Easy E." He smirked a little at that. The announcer had loved it. The crowd had loved it. Cassian would probably roll his eyes and call it reckless; Sibylla would scold him for risking his own well being. But here, under these lights, none of that mattered. This wasn't the Assembly Hall, or the vineyards, or the quiet gardens of Deeja Peak. This was sweat and rhythm and freedom.

He rolled his shoulders, testing the give of his muscles. The fabric of his robe brushed softly against his skin, the robe was well made. He'd told them not to but the tailor had insisted, and a part of him secretly liked it. A reminder that even here, even in a boxing ring, he was still one of them.

A knock came at the door. "You're up next, Easy E!" a voice called the ring marshal, grinning ear to ear.

Elian laughed, shaking out his arms as he rose. "Showtime." he murmured to himself, his reflection flashing a grin back.

As he walked toward the entrance, the sound of the crowd grew louder, swelling into a thunderous, rhythmic chant. The lights beyond the tunnel were almost blinding, but he felt it that sharp spark of adrenaline slicing through his veins. He bounced on his heels, shadowboxed once in the dim glow of the corridor. The adrenaline was real that heartbeat before the first step into the ring, when everything was possible.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers. "In the blue corner representing our great City of Theed the daring, the dashing, the one and only… Easy E!"

The crowd roared, laughter and cheers colliding in waves that shook the rafters. Elian grinned wide, stepped through the curtain, and raised his gloved hands to the noise, letting it wash over him. The light hit his face, the roar hit his chest, and for that single moment, he was exactly where he belonged, not a nobility, not a student, but a dashing young man with something to prove and a smile that said he was going to enjoy every second of it.

This was working out so perfectly. Mother, Father and Cassian were off world, so that was covered. And in the smoothest way only he could do, the youngest coordinated a dinner for both Sibylla and Aurelian, right around this exact time. So there was no chance of anyone finding out about this.

Little did he know, that ten minutes prior to this, that Sibylla and Aurellian's dinner reservations had to be cancelled due to some unforeseen conflict.

Oh heads were gonna roll.....

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Theed Recreational Center
Aurelian Veruna


"I'm going to kill him."

The words were uttered out with a frustrated growl edged with that rare private fury only a sister could feel for a younger brother. Sibylla was equal parts aghast and mortified that Elian's stunt had put her in such a ridiculous position.

It would have been one thing if the dinner had been Aurelian's idea. It was another to discover the whole evening had been engineered by her brother -- for Godddess only knew what reason -- leaving her giddy anticipation to collapse into embarrassment when she realised Aurelian had nothing to do with the plan.

It began with a curt notice from the restaurant, cancelling their reservation in the middle of her getting ready. Her attendant had just finished weaving her hair into a soft updo when Corde admitted, with a perplexed expression, that there was no such booking on Aurelian's calendar. Tona, too, had also confirmed no knowledge of it. A quick search of the facts revealed the simple, infuriating truth: the reservation had been made by Elian Abrantes .

She imagined, with increasing outrage, the sight of Elian watching the chaos he'd caused.

Oh, she was going to have his guts for garters!

By the time Aurelian stopped by to check on her, Sibylla had already stirred herself up into a proper sibling rage. Annoyed barely covered it. She was determined to find Elian and give him the proper thrashing he deserved. Word had it he would be at the Theed Recreational Center.

So that was where she insisted on going right then and there. If she could not have her dinner, at least she would make Elian pay for the trouble.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: Friendly Fire, dude.
Tags: Elian Abrantes | Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian followed a few steps behind, hands tucked loosely into his pockets. His expression remained composed, yet every stride radiated the quiet resignation of a man who had realized the galaxy had a sense of humor, and it was laughing at him. This evening was supposed to be for dinner, for conversation laced with charm and tension, for the possibility of something unspoken finally acknowledged. Instead, he found himself trailing a storm in heels and silks down the lamplit streets of Theed.

Sibylla was fuming, a righteous and beautiful sight. It took every ounce of Aurelian's discipline not to be completely distracted by her. Her fury was palpable, carrying like a banner that made people part without realizing why. Ahead of him, Cordé and Tona exchanged nervous glances. Aurelian caught Sibylla muttering something about "murder by strangulation" and "public disgrace." He almost smiled.

He cursed himself quietly instead. Fool. He could have arranged dinner; he should have. She would have said yes, and none of this idiocy would have been necessary. But no. He had hesitated, let the moment slip, and now he was chasing after a woman who had every right to think him oblivious. Worse, she was not even angry at him directly yet. He could already feel that anger coming, though, simmering beneath her focus on Elian.

When they reached the recreation center, the sound hit first: a low, rhythmic, unmistakable roar. Aurelian slowed, his brow furrowing. This was not the quiet confrontation he had expected. As they stepped inside, the light and noise swallowed them whole. The air hung thick with sweat and anticipation. In the center ring, under the blaze of white lights, a young man with unmistakable Abrantes charm was ducking and weaving to the roar of the crowd.

It was Elian. "Easy E."

Aurelian's lips parted in surprise, then curved into a slow, incredulous grin. "I like this Abrantes brother," he murmured under his breath.

Sibylla turned on him, her eyes sharp enough to cut. His grin vanished instantly, replaced by something far more diplomatic. Shoulders straight, hands raised slightly in surrender, he quickly added, "On second thought, perhaps we will wait until after you kill him to discuss my opinion."

​

 

[Elian Abrantes]

Location: My bad, brah.
Tags: Sibylla Abrantes Aurelian Veruna​

"And in the red corner." the announcer bellowed, dragging the words out just enough to make the crowd lean forward, "Representing the Lakeside Gym of Moenia — the mountain, the man, the Breaker of Boards — Rilo 'The Hammer' Darrin!"

The man was enormous.

A full head maybe more taller than him, with shoulders that looked like they'd been carved from durasteel. His arms were thick, corded with muscle, and as he climbed through the ropes, the ring seemed to tremble under his weight. Even the ropes creaked. His gloves looked oversized compared to Elian's, his chest gleaming under the lights with the sheen of warm-up sweat. The robe he wore barely fit, the name "HAMMER" stitched across the back in bold red letters.

Elian's grin didn't fade it just shifted, tilting toward the side, a mix of disbelief and amusement. "Maker's breath." he muttered under his breath, bouncing lightly on his toes as he took stock of the situation. "They really did say amateur night, right?"

Rilo cracked his neck and glanced over, smirking down at him. "You must be Easy E." he rumbled, voice deep enough to vibrate through the floor. "Cute name."

"Thanks." Elian said easily, flashing a grin that could have sold a lie to a senator. "Yours sounds like a construction accident."

A ripple of laughter moved through the audience quick, delighted, caught between the tension. Even the referee looked like he had to stifle a chuckle. Rilo's smirk widened, though there was a glint in his eye that suggested he'd remember that one.

They met in the center as the referee motioned them forward. Up close, Elian had to tilt his head back slightly just to meet the man's gaze. The size difference was ridiculous like a sparring match between a pebble and a tank. The referee began running through the rules, but Elian barely heard him. His focus was on the pulse of the crowd, the slow roll of his own heartbeat, and the way Rilo's breath came steady, controlled experienced.

He could feel the tension building, but there was a thrill in it too. The kind that always came before the first punch, the kind that made everything sharper the sound, the air, the way the lights caught the edge of Rilo's glove as he tapped it once against Elian's in a mock gesture of respect.

"Try to last two rounds." Rilo said under his breath. Elian smiled, eyes narrowing with playful defiance. "Try not to fall through the ring.."

The bell rang sharp, bright, and absolute. The roar of the crowd surged like a living thing, and for a heartbeat Elian let himself disappear into it, let the noise roll through his chest and steady his pulse. He was light on his feet, bouncing, circling, eyes fixed on Rilo "The Hammer" Darrin, whose shoulders looked broad enough to blot out the ceiling lights.

The first exchange came fast Rilo swinging with a heavy right, the air splitting beside Elian's ear as he ducked beneath it, the sheer whoosh of the missed hit grazing his hair. He countered with a quick jab to the ribs, a testing shot more than anything. And that testing shot didn't do chit to him as he barely budged or even acknowledged it. Elian then danced back out of range. The crowd roared, and he couldn't help it the grin came wide and easy, that infuriating Abrantes charm plastered across his face.

"Too quick for you, big guy." he called, because of course he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Rilo's glare promised retribution.

They circled again light against heavy, grace against brute force until something at the edge of Elian's vision caught him. A ripple in the crowd. Movement where there shouldn't have been any. He risked a glance just a flicker, really and nearly missed a hook to the jaw because of it.

At the far edge of the ring, framed by the glow of the overhead lights and the shimmer of the crowd, stood Sibylla. Arms crossed. Furious, more than he had ever seen her. Fuming in a way only she could manage that aristocratic brand of outrage that said I love you, but I'm about to commit fratricide.

Beside her, Aurelian stood at her shoulder, looking like a man who had stumbled into a holodrama halfway through and wasn't sure which role he was meant to play.

"Shiraya preserve me." he muttered under his breath, stumbling back a half-step as the blow grazed his temple. Of all the people to show up tonight his sister. His furious, humiliated, ready-to-kill-him sister. He saw her lips move couldn't hear her over the noise, but he didn't need to. He knew that tone, that look. She was going to skin him alive when this was over. The first round was called and they were told to go to their corners for a few minutes.

He moved to sit down and he could already feel the glare of death coming down on him, as out of the corner of his eye he could see her approaching.

"Heyyyyy!" he greeted, voice climbing half an octave higher than intended. "Sister… Aurelian…"

He gave a little wave with his taped glove, as if that might somehow defuse the incoming detonation. "Fancy seeing you here. Uh, didn't expect— wow, you made good time. Lovely night, isn't it?" he added lamely, grinning up at her like a man condemned. "You know… good crowd, great energy, all for charity—probably."

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Location: You are in soooo much trouble!
Aurelian Veruna Elian Abrantes

"Of course you would," Sibylla muttered to Aurelian, the words clipped as she folded her arms. The gown she had so carefully chosen shimmered faintly in the low light, every iridescent thread a reminder of her earlier optimism -- optimism that now seemed utterly misplaced in what appeared to be some sort of pugilist's gathering.

She gave Aurelian a look that mixed exasperation and embarrassment.

"If anything, he's just like you -- always up to his neck in trouble and then trying to charm his way out of it," she said in the exact tone only a frustrated older sister can manage.

Her hazel eyes began to comb the crowd for that familiar mop of dark chestnut hair. She swept past the fighters, then did a double-take and swung back toward the ring. There, impossibly, Elian stood at the edge of the crowd, grin bright as mischief.

"Oh no, he didn't," Sibylla breathed, pieces clicking into place. Of course, he had made the reservation. And weren’t their parents and Cassian conveniently offworld.

"He is so going to pay for this," she growled, a low, fierce sound Aurelian probably had never heard from her before; the sound of a woman who had had enough of a younger brother's shenanigans.

She pushed through the throng with deliberate strides, but the crowd's roar and the crush of bodies slowed her. Still, she kept her eyes locked on him.

But once she was within reach.... they neared enough to barely hear him, enough to get the tail end of his silly greeting.

Sister… Aurelian…

Wait, why did Elian call Aurelian by his first name. That was dreadfully informal for anyone who was not on intimate terms. Her head turned sharply, eyes narrowing with suspicion as she looked between the two men.

"I beg your pardon," she said, voice dangerously calm. "How does he know you?"

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: At least I didn't do anything wrong this time.
Tags: Elian Abrantes | Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian's grin widened. Elian danced through the ring, quick on his feet, ducking a wild swing before landing a clean right hook that sent the crowd into a frenzy. The energy of it all hit him square in the chest: raw, reckless, and alive. He couldn't help himself; laughter flickered in his eyes. There was something almost admirable about the boy. "Easy E," indeed.

Then Sibylla's voice cut through his amusement like a blade. Of course you would. He turned to meet her glare. His grin still ghosted his lips until her next words hit: He's just like you. That earned a low, surprised laugh from him. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he murmured, leaning closer just enough for her to hear over the crowd. "Besides, you seem to like my charm and trouble well enough."

The look she gave him was scalding, yet it only deepened his grin. Shiraya help him, he liked that fire in her eyes; the kind of heat that made him forget sense and decorum. If she hadn't been striding off through the crowd immediately, he might have said something far more unprofessional. Instead, he followed, half amused and half enthralled, as she cut through the throng like a comet. Her silks shimmered, and anger radiated off her like a second light source.

When she finally spotted Elian, Aurelian caught the boy's grin. Elian greeted them far too casually. "Sister... Aurelian..." Ah. Damn. Sibylla's head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing to something sharp and calculating. "How does he know you?"

Aurelian blinked, caught between amusement and the creeping sense that he was about to get throttled. "Ah... well," he began, clearing his throat, "I may have met your brother before, very briefly. In passing. A conversation or two." He offered what might have passed for an innocent smile if there had been anything innocent about him. "I thought I'd get to know the more normal Abrantes sibling of my... well, of uh you."

​

 

[Elian Abrantes]

Sibylla Abrantes Aurelian Veruna
​

Elian, sitting on his stool, winced. 'In passing'? A small sad look came over his face for a brief moment. Then he realized... 'Ooohhhhh'

That was one way to describe an afternoon spent convincing Aurelian to find an activity worth the young Abrantes letting his anger out, after finding out that he wasn't going to be able to fly a starfighter because of his eyesight. And that activity turned out to be an underground fighting club on Parrlay. Elian gave a look to Aurelian like. 'What are you doing here?!' But then he smiled back to his sister just as she turned her attention from Aurelian back to him.

"A conversation or two....you know. Stuff....." Elian added quickly, gloved hands raised in what he clearly hoped would appear disarming. "Perfectly respectable. Entirely harmless. A job!! We were talking about the job!" In between his eyes kept glancing toward Aurelian as it seemed he was mouthing something to him.

Sibylla turned back to Aurelian, and then Elian shrugged shoulders quickly and shook his head, and nodded back towards Sibylla, as if to say. 'What is she doing here?!'

Then once more she turned away from Aurelian, the youngest brother showed her the sweetest smile he could muster. That was until the bell rang again.

The bell clanged again bright, merciless and the crowd's noise came roaring back to life like a storm given breath. Elian rose from his stool, rolling his shoulders and shooting one last look toward Sibylla and Aurelian at ringside. His sister's glare was still fixed on him, molten with both fury and disbelief. He grinned despite himself. If I live through this round, I'm definitely dead after.

The first swing was a sledgehammer, whistling past Elian's cheek as he ducked low, pivoted, and danced out of range. The crowd gasped; he caught the edge of their excitement, fed off it. He snapped back in with a light jab, two quick hits that kissed the air in front of Rilo's guard before sliding away again.

'All right' Elian thought. 'just keep moving. Don't get hit. Don't'

The thought died as Rilo's next punch crashed dead center into his face.

White exploded behind his eyes. His head snapped back, and for a heartbeat the world folded in on itself lights, crowd, sound, all spinning into a single ringing note in his ears. The canvas rushed up to meet him, and then he was down, staring up at the ceiling lights.

Somewhere, through the ringing, he could hear the ref counting. One, two… Elian blinked, then exhaled sharply through his nose. His grin crooked and reckless, tugged back into place, shook his head and jumped back to his feet.

"All right." he said to Rilo, half-dazed, half-laughing. "That hurt."

"Cmon big man, let's see if you can do it again?!" Elian smirked as he dodged and weaved between the punches, throwing a few quick jabs and retreating from his guard. A few more dodges and he hit the canvas again.

"Chiiiiiit." Elian groaned, that was followed with a laugh, and he felt his jaw throb, as he turned to roll on his side. He caught sight of Sibylla and Aurelian, and in his own style and as he was. The young Abrantes waved at them with his gloved hand, smiling all the while as he then climbed back to his feet.

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

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Location: Explain yourself, mister!
Aurelian Veruna Elian Abrantes

It was a good thing that Sibylla's focus was on trying to determine why her brother was so informal with Aurelian, because if she wasn't already running hot, she might have revealed her hand in that maybe, possibly, he just might be correct on the matter that she did enjoy his charm and trouble well enough.

So she pressed her lips together and turned back to Aurelian, folding her arms across the soft curve of her chest while Elian slipped away toward another round.

"A conversation or two. A job..." Sibylla echoed as she cocked her head to the right, both brows rising in a clear skeptical arc.

"Of your what?" she called, her hazel eyes sharpening as she hunted for the meaning behind his words. "Get to know the more normal Abrantes sibling of your what?"

The bell clanged, and the crowd's roar swallowed any reply. Then the sickening crack of a hit lande,d and she spun -- there was Elian, spectacularly decked on the mat, the sort of theatrics only he could pull off.

"Elian, you'd better get on your blasted feet before I deck you!" she snapped, because some reprimands were simply a sister's duty. Thankfully for now, the crowds roar as bookies placed bets and cheers swallowed her cry, but even then, the appearance of a well-dressed, young, attractive lady was starting to get some nudges and looks in her direction.

For now, no one had yet put together that the woman shouting like a commoner beside their elected King was, in fact, the Interim Queen of Naboo herself.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: Dude, shut it.
Tags: Elian Abrantes | Sibylla Abrantes

Aurelian pinched the bridge of his nose, silently willing Elian to stop talking. Each word the younger Abrantes let slip dug their mutual hole deeper. A job? Oh, that was brilliant. Of all the covers, that was the one? He could already picture Sibylla's reaction: her exasperation, that cutting tone of righteous logic. "You should have consulted me first, Aurelian." Shiraya, he was already composing his defense before she even opened her mouth.

But then she did.

"Of your what?"

Aurelian froze. The question landed with the weight of a detonator, and for a heartbeat, the roar of the crowd faded behind it. She was looking at him with that sharp, disarming precision of hers, and he suddenly had the distinct, terrible awareness that whatever he said next might define more than the night. His throat went dry.

His what? He didn't know. They hadn't named it. After the masquerade, after Kenari, he was just trying to get back on her good side, thinking restraint was wisdom. Now it felt like cowardice. He could see the trap laid out before him and still walked straight into it.

"Of my…" he began, voice faltering just as the bell clanged again. Thank the gods for chaos. The crowd roared, the fight resumed, and in the cover of noise he found the only answer that didn't sound like a confession. "…of my Queen?" he finished softly, managing a crooked grin that didn't quite mask the pulse in his throat.

Before she could retort, he reached out, hand settling lightly at her waist, guiding her back as Elian launched into the next round. "Easy," he murmured, a touch of wry humor threading through the words. "The kid can handle himself."

He regretted it instantly when Elian took a hit that rattled the entire ring.

Sibylla shouted, voice fierce and furious, and Aurelian couldn't help the nervous laugh that escaped him. "He'll be fine," he said quickly. "This is what noble boys do when they're young. A little pride, a few bruises." He hesitated, glancing toward the ring, a ghost of memory crossing his face. "I may have found myself in a few of these scraps once or twice. Boys, right?"

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