Some Chains You Can't Break

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua listened to Jaya with a subtle frown on his face, still rubbing his weak shoulder. He was used to making himself useful, used to being used, as one might a pack animal, or a tool. He was a Bounty Hunter, after all. To many, he was either a murderer, or a weapon to be wielded. The realization deepened his scowl, as he stared at the undulating field.

"Okay," he muttered, low and gravelly. He was just tired. Tired and haunted by memories. But probably mostly tired.

He didn't say anything for the rest of the night, going to his bunk, laying down, and letting sleep invade his mind.

- - -​

​

DAY 1​

CAFETERIA​

10:30​

​

The first meal was about as rowdy as one might expect. It hadn't quite escalated to a food fight or murderous mob yet, but the line between that and barely-contained peace was razor-thin.

After getting his food, Ghorua looked around for the form of Jaya, not immediately seeing his partner. Not letting the concern reach his face, he navigated through the mess of tables, inmates, and food trays, until he found an empty counter. He set his food, an enormous pile of slop, down, and let himself sink down onto the seat, grinning slightly as it bowed under his weight.

Around him, he could see the groups already congregating. There was a table full of Trandoshans, who devoured the food like it was their last meal. For all Ghorua knew, it very may well have been. Another table was full of men and women, the sleeves of their jumpers torn out, displaying matching shoulder ink. At a further table, a diminuitive man with glasses stared everyone else down with crazy eyes, chomping down on something red.

No Scarbrow, no Jaya. At least, not yet.

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

"Yeah, I should've expected you to pull something cheap like this. Whatever makes you feel good, bud."

In the corner of the cafeteria, Jaya found herself in a less-than-fortunate position. It was nothing she wasn't used to, but even she had to admit that this time things had gotten problematic. She was surrounded by three epicanthix men, staring her down and while the woman herself definitely recognized she was in trouble, all her face gave them was a curious look. The words she had spoken were aimed at the one she had met before, more specifically on the speeder to the prison.

"You didn't listen. Now I will have to teach you a lesson the hard way."

"Correction, I think you meant 'we'. You're still too much of a wuss to get in a fight with me on your own."

"Enough! Get her!"

His last words were perhaps spoken a bit too loud. Most of the cafeteria's attention was now drawn to the four as the three men came at Jaya, who dodged one man's strike by ducking before a "self defense!" and an attempt to hit back with an uppercut. Unfortunately for her, however, the fact she was outnumbered meant that things wouldn't go exactly as planned. Although the stike landed, causing the recipient to stagger for a moment, and with a follow-up pin-point left hook to the temple she was able to knock his lights out in seemingly a split second, she felt a knee colliding with her back almost immediately after. She tumbled forward, using her hands to cushion the fall but before she was able to recover the third man, who had been humiliated by her on the speeder, landed a swift kick in her gut while she was still on all fours. With a groan she fell over, leaving her vulnerable to whatever they wanted to do to her.

She could've used some help by now.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Enough! Get her!"

Ah. There she is.

Ghorua looked over the heads of the inmates, to the tall forms of three Epicanthix, looming over an unseen figure. The Shark could infer from the familiar face who might be on the ground. With slow, purposeful movements, Ghorua stood from his spot, and walked over.

The three men were about go into a kicking frenzy on the prone Jaya when a shadow loomed over the lead goon. Ghorua cleared his throat, and grinned widely. "You've had your fun, bozo. That's enough."

"Who d'you think you're talking to?" Without looking behind him, the Epicanthix sent an elbow into Ghorua's solar plexus. He felt a sudden chill where the limb struck, but successfully relaxed his muscles at the right time, reducing the damage to him. The man turned around to see the ten-foot-tall man, and Ghorua could smell the spike of adrenaline in his system.

Lightning quick, the Shark pinched his fingers across the man's shoulder, and popped it out of place. The Epicanthix hissed in pain, clutching the area, and stumbled away. His two goons glanced up at the Shark, at Jaya on the ground, and slowly backed off. Ghorua stared them down with his smile, making sure they were a safe distance before offering a hand to help his companion up.

"Couldn't even go one day without breaking a guy's jaw, huh?"

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

The kicks to the stomach were going to be felt later, of that Jaya was quite certain. At first she tried to fight through the pain to get up somehow and fight back, but when the familiar for of Ghorua called out she decided to conserve her strength for the moment. Especially with one of the goons already having taken quite the shot, it was likely not much of an issue to take care of the trio if one was a ten foot tall behemoth of a man. While listening to what was being said, she focussed on breathing regularly again. If one thing was for certain, however, it was one simple thought.

Jaya was glad she hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

The epicanthix and his goons were made to back off, and when Ghorua offered his hand the woman quickly took it to get back on her feet. Dirtprints were all over the stomach area of her jumpsuit now, indicators of where she had been hit. "Thanks," she said through labored breaths, "I owe you." After placing her hands on her hips she tilted her head upwards, then let out a long stream of air through her mouth. "If I ever end up in prison again, I should make sure I have backup."

Jaya then chuckled for a moment as her body relaxed again, amused by Ghorua's comment. "He deserved what he got on the speeder, not my fault he decided to be a sore loser. Self defense is self defense." Everything, although coming from a place of truth, was said tongue-in-cheek. "I'm not used to keeping my mouth shut and it tends to get me in trouble. I'll try to keep it down from now on, though." With that, she began moving to get a plate. "The excercise worked up my apetite, though."

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Yeah, you do."

Ghorua shook his head, unable to be anything but amused by the situation. He helped her up gently, and looked after the pack of troublemakers again. They stalked off to a corner of the room, throwing back glowering glances.

Great. All the more reason to watch our backs.

Ghorua glanced at Jaya's wounds quickly, slightly concerned about her injuries. "Keep this up, and the entire prison will want to kick your teeth in."

Ghorua followed the woman as she got food, shuffling behind her protectively. She'd taken enough hits for one morning. "If you still feel that tonight, I know a few stretches that might help. Gonna hurt like hell, though." He chuckled merrily, and the two of them sat down at Ghorua's table. He dug into his slop, trying to forget he was eating slop. Sadly, they didn't have very many vegetarian options here. One of many hurdles he would have to jump.

"Y'know, I've been thinking. About how to get to Scarbrow. I think if we find out if anyone's upset the guy, and thrash 'em around a while, we might get an audience."

Another mouthful of gross. Ghorua made a face.

"This is the worst food I've ever had, hands down."

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

"As a former shockboxer, I've dealt with worse. I'll be fine."

With her own plate in front of her, Jaya listened while trying to make out what was actually on it. She quickly gave up on it, coming to the conclusion it was hopeless to even try. A bite of what was supposed to be some kind of meat was taken and it was difficult to not grimace in such a way where it was publicly displayed she found it disgusting. "I, uh, yeah. Normally I try to nuance it somewhat, but you're right. This is the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. The first meal I eat once I'm out of here... Yup. I already know." One likely would presume her to visit an upper-class restaurant, but that was not what was on her mind in the slightest. In fact, it was a small takeaway that actually quite cheap and really nothing special, but she heralded it as the best food she'd ever tasted.

"Oh, and I think I may have a lead already. See that table, the one where everyone has the same shoulder tat?" Jaya subtly pointed in their direction to not draw attention. "Pretty sure they're Scarbrow's goons. I never studied psychology, but I've picked up on some things over the years. Prominent position in the cafeteria, large number of them sitting together, signs that they are the alphas around here."

"They have been side-eying several different other inmates as they passed by, and altough I don't see an exact connection between those people just yet, I'm thinking it's some kind of rival gang. If we can figure that out, we may have our way in." Another bite. This bit was almost impossible to chew through, and after trying for some time she took a sip of her water and forced it down. "People smuggle spice into prison, but the real hot commodity should be edible food."

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"You might be on to something, there." Ghorua smiled, despite the food. It was a good assumption. Chances were Scarbrow would have the biggest gang, and they would proudly display their colors, an eye intersected by a line perfectly down the middle, on their arms. It was only an assumption, but Ghorua had learned hunches go a long way.

"I meant about the gang, but also the food thing. If someone gives me a file hidden in a cake, I'm eating the cake first."

Ghorua looked over at the gang again, a new interest in his eye. He saw them staring down others, all others. Even the gang of Trandoshans kept their distance, more physically imposing forms held at bay by sheer intimidation and, presumably, status.

"Doesn't tell us where Scarbrow is, though. I suppose if he runs things around here, he might eat in his room. My..." Ghorua suddenly went quiet, holding his tongue. The giant man recovered quickly, changing the subject to hide his blunder.

"We'll need to watch out for tension or conflicts today. Probably during free time."

Ghorua bit into his food again, a jovial mask already hiding his near-mistake. "Where do you plan on going? I hear there's an indoor garden, along with the playground and workout room."

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

"Mhm." Jaya took the final bite of the hunk of whatever was passed off as breakfast and forced it down. If by the end of the week she hadn't had some sort of food poisoning, the woman was going to be very surprised. "The big boys and girls don't mingle with the 'commoners', so to say. They don't do so on the street, so I figure the same thing goes here." She herself had been much more laid-back about where she did and didn't go in her days on Tamanen, but even then it was rare to see her alone in public. It simply wasn't safe enough, especially at times when you were at war with other gangs. "Safety and privacy, two things that are difficult to come by. Around here even more so."

When Ghorua asked Jaya where she would be going, her mind had already been made up. "I'm hitting the weights during that time. Saying I'm meticulous about keeping up my schedule is a bit of an understatement." She got up from where she was sitting and took her now-empty plate, getting ready to bring them back. "When your genetics aren't in your favor, you've got to find ways to keep up. I'm not interested in being the delicate little flower, so I gotta put in the hours." The rhyme wasn't intentional, but it still amused her somewhat. "Chances are some of the goons will show up too, so I can keep an eye on them in the meantime."

With that, Jaya walked off for a moment to deposite the plate. While doing so she shot another quick look at the table with Scarbrow's people, making sure to remember as many faces as possible. It wasn't entirely necessary, the shoulder ink was an easy enough way to recognize them, but it was good to have other ways of recognition in order to identify them from different angles.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"I'll leave you to it," Ghorua stated, letting Jaya leave her table. She was strong, and dedicated to keeping herself that way. Ghorua had genetics on his side, being such a large species, and had twisted that further long ago. His cells regenerate at a very fast pace, the secret to his strength, and his quick healing time. Ghorua had researched biotech since his genetic alterations, to make sure he was healthy despite the tampering. That meant he had to get exercise as well, but also meant he had time for other activities.

He was going to find his way to the garden.

​

- - -​

DAY 1​

FREE TIME​

11:45​

​

The garden was beautiful, Ghorua found.

Gentle grass grew on the ground, latticed by stone walkways and plants on all sides, where some inmates jogged. Flowers bloomed in the artificial weather, a vibrant array of blues and purples and whites. A small pond rested in the center, where seating was arranged for the more peaceful-minded. But everything felt a little off.

Under the dirt, Ghorua could feel solid metal as he stepped. No plants grew larger than shin-height to an average person, leaving everyone in plain sight. No animals chirped, not even a bug in the grass, or a fish in the pond.

Ghorua decided to wait, and watch.

One learned a lot by waiting and watching.

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Meanwhile, the excercise room was as uninmaginative as one could make it. The walls were a dull gray and the few windows it had to vent out all the body odor, even if they did quite the poor job at that, were covered by bars to prevent any attempt at escaping. The varying machines were all lined up next to each other in a number of rows, and as one were likely to expect it was just short of jam-packed. Jaya supposed that was only going to be helpful if they were looking to get more info on their fellow inmates. More people, more potential hits.

Still, despite all that and the fact she was quite fond of tiring herself out, the woman wasn't having all too great of a time. The perpetual stench that hung in the air was nearly impossible for her to get used to. In any other gym this hadn't been even the slightest of a problem, but here it was almost like the oxygen itself was being drowned out. Walking out wasn't an option, however. She had her routine to keep up and people to keep an eye on.

Soldiering through it, she walked down the rows towards the set of threadmills. The warming-up was perhaps the most important part of any workout and running had always been that part of her routine. She pulled the towel from her neck and hung it over the machine before turning it on, starting out on a brisk tempo before slowly increasing the speed. In the meantime, her eyes darted around, looking for two different things. The first thing was the set of machines she used for her routine to plan out her walking path through the mass of bodies, but the second thing was much more interesting. She looked for faces, different kinds of tattoos, perhaps even some heated conflicts playing out right in front of her. Any clues that could lead Ghorua closer to a meeting with Scarbrow, and at the same time get her closer to getting to the fun part of the job.

The schematics for the gauntlets were slowly coming together. Breaking out was going to be a blast.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Twenty-two. Or, was it twenty-three?

Ghorua had grown bored, and had resorted to counting the laps of each and every jogger. He was currently keeping track of twelve different people, and at least four of them started at different times. It was a challenge, something to keep him busy while he waited for something interesting to happen.

Then, something interesting happened.

Ghorua heard footsteps behind him, a dull thumping traveling through the thin dirt and metal. Ghorua stared straight ahead, beginning his subtle investigation. The footsteps were lighter than his, but heavier than the runners'. There was a subtle scraping sound, like claws against the metal underneath. There was also a not-so-subtle scent in the air; meat and blood.

"Hello, large sssir," a gravelly, reptilian voice growled.

Still got it.

Ghorua still didn't turn, deciding how best to go about this. A tone of respect? Fear? Putting up a front of friendliness.

"Sit with me?" Ghorua looked over his shoulder, noting the lime-colored Trandoshan woman that had approached him.

The question took the criminal off-guard. "Eh, of course." She took a seat next to the Shark, contrasting just how much taller he was than her. Not a common realization for a Trandoshan. Ghorua sensed some hesitation. Anxiousness. She wasn't expecting this to be a long conversation.

Ghorua was content to sit there for a while, watching the shallow lake peacefully, trying to piece together this new puzzle. She broke the silence first, after a short time. "You will not lassst long here, you know," she said, matter-of-factly.

'Without us', she means.

Oh.

"Oh?"

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yBwsPDdpvs​

The cord of Jaya's earphones swayed along with her as she kept up with the speed of the treadmill belt underneath her feet which matched the tempo of the music filling her ears. A coat of sweat began to form on her skin, contributing to the humid atmosphere of the gym. She felt progressively warmer as her breath in a similar way got heavier as time went on. It had always been difficult for the woman to sit still, which as a child had been the source of great annoyance for many an adult, but eventually she would find an outlet in exercising. It was a habit she never broke and found a great sense of fulfilment in, giving her a way to do something with the seemingly bottomless energy reserves she had.

For a while Jaya kept a fairly loose eye on the rest of the inmates but focussed mostly on running, doing the occasional sweep around the gym to see if anything caught her eye. For around ten minutes nothing of interest was to be witnessed, but that changed when a man made his way into the packed room that looked a bit out of place. He wore the standard prisoner's jumpsuit rather than clothing more fit for a workout and didn't seem to pay much attention to the gym equipment. Jaya's suspicion that he wasn't here for the same reason as everyone else was confirmed when he found and approached another man with a tattoo that she recognized from the cafeteria earlier that day, who promptly finished his business with the dumbell he was lifting and went to sit up straight to talk to the newcomer. Jaya was too far away from them to pick up what they were saying but the one who looked like he wasn't one to work out often quickly handed over some kind of item, a metallic shine being visible to the woman for a split second. A knife. This had the opportunity to get very interesting.

Moments later the two would leave the gym and instead of finishing her regular regimen, Jaya decided that the best course of action was to see what was going on. She stepped off the treadmill, wiped her forehead with the towel that hung over one of the siderails, slung it over her shoulders, and made her way to the exit herself.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"They are afraid of us," the Trandoshan said, hissing on the 's' as only a predator could. She ahead, almost as if she were considering stalking the joggers. Ghorua tried to get a more in-depth read on her, but he couldn't yet. He needed to establish a base. "You ever heard the phrase 'hit the big guy'? That's you. That's me. We are the big guy."

Establishing cameraderie. A good start.

"What's your name?" Ghorua tried to sound interested.

"Tsssserok," she hissed.

Exactly how many s's is that? Am I supposed to pronounce it like that? Probably not.

"Tserok," Ghorua tried the word on for size. Getting an affirmative nod from the large being, he responded in kind. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Call me Shark."

"Fitting name," Tserok commented. "But in here, you aren't the apex predator anymore. Here, you are just a ssstray massiff."

That sentence piqued Ghorua's interest. He leaned back on his haunches, mind going a hundred miles an hour. He decided to feign confidence. "Ain't nobody more apex than me," he chuckled, rolling his shoulders. "There's a reason I'm called 'Shark'. Nobody tells me where to swim."

Tserok shook her head, but Ghorua could tell that was the answer she was expecting. "You think you are tough because you can push around a few low-lifes? There are not low-lifes here, Guppy. We are all tough, and you are not the toughest of us. Not by a long shot."

"Then who is? Who claims that title?"

Tserok considered, her eyes flitting about in thought. There was hesitation there. Whatever she was about to say, she didn't believe.

"Our leader, One-Hand Karossk." Her eyes flitted to the side again. A lie. A bold-faced lie. "He runs the biggest gang in the Pen. My gang. The Sssabertooths." She flicked out her tongue, relishing the word.

Then, she repeated her previous words, this time with meaning injected, practically pleading for him to get the context. "You will not lassst long here, you know. Not without some more big guys watching your back."

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

While following from a distance, Jaya made sure to keep a close eye on the duo as they made their way through various sections of the prison until they began looping through the same four cell blocks multiple times. The fact they were the only ones there was making it much more difficult for her to remain unseen, giving her no choice but to lag behind an entire cell block at all times. When the duo rounded the corner, Jaya would swiftly make her way to the other end of the hallway and wait there until the process could be repeated.

After the second loop had been completed and still nothing had taken place, the temptation to give up slowly began to set in. Jaya decided to stick around, however, knowing there wasn't much else to go on for now. The two men were most definitely affiliated with Scarbrow, the tattoos made that very clear. Something interesting would have to happen eventually.

Another loop and yet again, they did not run into anyone. The men seemed just as sure about their course of action as when they began and so they walked on, with Jaya still following one cell block behind. The fourth loop went by in much the same way, but to the woman's surpise it was the fifth loop that brought with it an encounter. Jaya peeked her head around the corner of the third cell block in the loop to find the duo she had been shadowing surrounded by three persons, much to not only her surprise but according to their body language to that of the two men as well. She was too far away to be able to hear what was being said, but the brawl that started afterwards was unmistakable.

For a moment, Jaya thought of what to do, whether it was a good idea to get involved or not. Her first thought was to jump in, but after stopping herself from doing so she wondered which side she was best off taking if it even was the best course of action. When she thought of the favor that could be gained, though, her decision was quickly made.

It was time to even the odds.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua gave Tserok a long, hard look, as if truly debating her offer. He had to make it look like that, if he were to play this group. They might be useful. Obviously, they weren't the largest group in the prison, even if they were the largest group in the prison. But having himself in their good graces would be beneficial, either to put pressure on Scarbrow's crew, or maybe use them to a different end. Or betray them.

They were criminals. It wasn't like they didn't deserve that.

"I'll think about it," the Shark said, lips pursing, as if he were really giving it thought. "But I'm not much of a team player. When I step on toes, toes break." He said it good-naturedly, but his tone was a little too menacing to be completely false.

Tserok seemed skeptical. "Not a team player? Then what about that friend that came with you? The human."

Ah. That's not good.

"Acquaintance from outside," Ghorua said, a little too fast. She'd managed to catch him off guard, not something easy to do. She seemed to pick up on it, sniffing it out like it was prey worth chasing.

​"Ah. Acquaintance." Chit. "Well, if you aren't a team player, you won't mind if the Sssabertooths pull her apart. She's trouble. Stirred up the wrong crowdsss too quick. Women like her need to be dealt with."

The Trandoshan's yellow eyes were burning balls of contempt. "Of course, I could persuade ol' One Hand to leave the small one alone. Just sssomething to think about."

She stood up, and strided away, leaving Ghorua speechless. He thought he was playing her. But in the end, she'd turned the table on him. She was good, he'd give her that. If Ghorua and Jaya had any chance of staying longer than the week they'd planned for, it would be a tempting offer.

How had he lost control so quickly?

Something to ponder as he stared out over the simulated pond. He'd long since lost track of the runners.

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Pretending to not have seen what had taken place up until then, Jaya walked into the cell block where the fight was already underway. She would've been able to claim it was to defend the outnumbered as one of them had already been worked to the ground while one of his ambushers kicked him in the ribs. Meanwhile, the other took multiple strikes to the head despite the fact he was still standing against two people simultaneously. With a bit of luck, her help would get Jaya a favor of some sort in return.

"Hey!" The woman's voice caused heads to turn towards her through reflex. It was her intention to make it look like she had come across them by chance as to not raise any suspicion later, but for now that was all she would do in terms of theatrics. As she came closer she was finally able to differentiate the two goons. The bulky build and short, messy brown hair they both sported had made it difficult to tell them apart. What made it easier was the long, slightly pointed nose of the man who was currently suffering painful kicks to the ribs, while the other had a nose that was nothing out of the ordinary.

Running full-speed ahead, Jaya went to tackle the lone thug kicking the downed man. She was sent crashing to the floor herself, giving Scarbrow's goon time to get back on his feet. He was more than likely hurt but considering the place they were in, there was a chance he'd be tough enough to help his partner and her out through his injuries.

With the woman pinned to the ground and looking to gain the upper hand on Jaya, she tried to wrestle her assailant onto her back. However with the wind knocked out of her and Jaya's repeated fists to her face she was too overwhelmed to put up much of a fight. After a number of nasty shots to the head her lights went out, prompting Jaya to get back on her feet and turn towards the brawl that was still taking place behind her. The previously downed man had indeed gotten up to help his fellow gang member, though he had once again been worked to the ground. The man who pinned him down tried to reach for a knife that laid beside them, while the goon with the funny nose looked to do the same. Jaya approached from behind and put an arm around the attacker's neck and squeezed a little as she pulled him backwards and off of the other man, while kicking the knife away and out of reach of either man. The attacker, in a panicked state, tried to pull the arm away, though was unable to seperate it from his neck as she slowly began to fade.

Although it seemed the funny-nosed man wouldn't be getting back up to help out anytime soon after being downed for a second time, with his partner now no longer being outnumbered he seemed to be having the upper hand in his own fist-fight. Jaya only got to watch for now, though, for as long as the man she was squeezing the air out of hadn't passed out yet.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The lake felt less and less inviting the more he stared at it, Ghorua had decided.

At first, the fake lighting, the artificial nature, the pounding feet of the runners, had felt much like the outside. As if he were enjoying a spring day on Bakura with his daughter, watching the mid-morning sun transition to noon. But this was too different. Nothing new, nothing dangerous, nothing living.

And he'd been given much to think about. A rival gang had approached him, and asked him to join under duress. It put both Ghorua and Jaya in a precarious situation. They tread a thin line, between opposing forces that could tear them apart, were they not cautious.

The Shark would assure they were cautious from now on. No starting fights. No stirring up anything. They would take this slow.

Ghorua noted with a grateful smile that his time in the field was up. He, and the rest of the joggers and relaxers, were directed back to their cells. Good. He and Jaya could recconoiter.

Perhaps she'd had a more productive time than he had.

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Jaya and the two goons had just parted ways when through the intercom it was announced that the prisoners were to return to their cells. The woman did not do so empty-handed, however. In a short back-and-forth after the brawl she had managed to get an 'I owe you' in return for her help and although she was made aware to not push her luck with it, if it couldn't land Ghorua the meeting he needed it would still be useful in other ways. It left her with a few bruises and especially her ribs were hurting, but it was worth it.

As Jaya made her way back to her cell she greeted Ghorua with a wave, who had already returned to his own cell. There seemed to be less guards than the night before, allowing her to simply sit down in the corner of her cell closest to Ghorua's.

"How was your day, big guy?"

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua returned the wave with a confident smile, as if they were meeting for caf in a cornerstore, and not neighbors in a maximum-security prison. But inwardly, Ghorua was beginning to feel that nagging at the back of his head. That if this all went wrong, they might be stuck here for a little longer than a week.

Who am I kidding? A lot longer.

Those thoughts were accompanied by the threat-slash-recruitment offer of the Sabertooths. He was a galaxy-renowned bounty hunter, she was a technical genius who could punch above her weight class. It shouldn't be getting to him as much as it did.

"It..." Ghorua mulled over his next words, trying to find the correct descriptor. "It happened." Then, snorting at the affectation, "Little girl."

That was when Ghorua smelled the blood. He felt the tangy scent of it hit his blowhole, and he huffed, trying to banish it from his acute senses. He was dimly aware of the direction the smell came from, but he doubted he needed to venture a guess.

"I've got a feeling you had a more action-packed day than I did." He went and sat down on his side of the wall, opposite Jaya. "Is it your blood, or theirs?"

- [member="Jaya Tandris"] -

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Though Ghorua was somewhat hesitant in the way he spoke at first, it did not take away from the chuckle he managed to elicited out of Jaya. "Little girl, good one. Doesn't beat Cupcake though, I'm afraid." Perhaps that was because it was the nickname her best friend used, though, so the comparison wasn't very fair to make. It hadn't been possible to get into contact with Zoey since entering the prison, but with the things Jaya had done in the past her friend was no longer the type to worry any longer.

When the topic of the blood on Jaya's knuckles came up, Jaya's face showed a mixture of surprise and being impressed. "You've got very good sense of smell, wow," she said with surprise laced into her words. "Probably both, though. Punched their teeth in a bit too hard, but you know what they say. No pain, no gain. And it definitely wasn't for nothing." The fact she was hurting all over had to be believed to be a good thing.

"Long story short, I helped out two of Scarbrow's goons by making sure they didn't get stabbed and in return, they now owe me a favor. Pretty good, eh?" Jaya let a short moment of silence fall to wait for Ghorua's reaction with a little bit of anticipation, not completely unlike an excited child showing something off to their parents.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"]