Private Bright Jewel Elegy

[Dante Iblis]

Ord Mantell, Surface
Several hours before For a Fistful of Cred-chits

♪ Can't take flight with those clipped wings of yours, kid ♪​

Dante wrapped the cloth around his fist and wondered if today would be the last day of his life. He was already running late for the transport Seluseus had booked for them, and now he'd agreed to a fight that wasn't sanctioned by any of the fighting leagues, or by Seluseus, his manager.

There was rain rattling against the glassfront windows of the cantina, barely audible above the chatter of the crowd. The glasteel spanned the entirety of the entrace-side. Beyond were the many broken plateaus, filled with lush violet trees, that rose from a purple-blue ocean that was overcast by pink-hued clouds.

Dante kept staring out that glasteel front as he moved on to apply the wrap to his other hand. It was a savvy architectural choice on the owner's parts. With the ocean-side view, the patrons couldn't see the scrapyards on the side opposite the ocean, further inland. And that very idea, out of sight out of mind, seemed to make the Wasted Savrip a favourite among the locals, going by attendance. The cantina was packed full. Partly from the view, partly from the drinks, and partly because of the tonight's event schedule. An unsanctioned fight they could bet on.

To the patrons, it was two relative no-names duking it out, Dante reckoned. But so long as bets got placed, fists were exchanged, and teeth went flying their modest desires would be met even without two mainliners heading the event. Stepping into the ring time after time again had validated that observation with experience.

Dante pulled the binding around his fist taut, and wrapped it with adhesive tape. A crude job, but effective.

It felt like a lifetime since he'd last thrown a punch without the crackling air of his shockgloves. In truth, it had only been four years ago on the campus of that old academy, but so much had happened since then. Too much he didn't want to think about.

Checking the bindings one last time for any slack, he cast a glance to the other side of the ring. Somewhere behind the wall of that crowd his opponent would be preparing, same as he was. And somewhere further out there, beyond the crowd and the cantina's glassfront, Seluseus would be losing his temper right about now.

Capris Halcyon

 

[Capris Halcyon]

Capris didn't know why she was stalling.

It was unlike her really, to not leap at the prospect of indulging in some reliable, monetized violence. She was like a caged animal in that way—restless to put her teeth to use, to shred something with her claws. But as of right now, standing in front a cracked refresher, she felt more akin to a declawed cat than a tiger. Cupping a pool of cold water in her palm, she brought it to her face and let the sting quiet her thoughts. Capris couldn't stay on Coruscant long after her rendezvous with Talin. Ord Mantell had been her solution, and this- her source of income.

The girl ducked under the ring's perimeter, meeting her opponent's gaze with an impassive expression. She didn't cut a particularly imposing silhouette by any means, a somewhat short and lean figure with a scarred stub where her left arm used to be. Her eyes raked across Dante in assessment all while the referee busied himself with introductions. His presence carried a certain weight to it, enough to let her know this wouldn't be the usual slam dunk she come to expect from shindigs like these.

Ashla, she really wasn't in the mood to actually have to get her head in the game.

The girl rolled her shoulder back as the excited chatter from the crowd grew to a crescendo. The force crackled around her in anticipation, quiet tawny eyes lasered on Dante.

Dante Iblis

 

[Dante Iblis]

Something about the expression on the girl's face said she'd just realized something unpleasant about him.

Dante grinned dryly as he came to a halt at the ring's center.

She wore scars on her, and plenty of them. This wouldn't be her first fight, and, Dante assumed, no easy one. He'd squared off against shockboxers with life-or-death combat experience before and those tended to be some of the best in the business. But the excitement of the crowd, the pre-fight adrenaline, and the freedom of it all had him riding high with an air of invincibility.

"You know, my manager's gonna kill me for agreeing to this fight, but I really need to kick someone's chit in right about now. I'm sorry it had to be you, though," he yelled barely loud enough to be understood over the chatter of the crowd and gave her an faux-apologetic smile.

In truth, he didn't much care about the outcome of the fight, despite what his bravado implied. Winning was always a bonus, and he'd do everything he could to see this girl lose the fight, but no schemes rode on this fight. It felt like his lunchbreak brawls at the academy again, only with a lot more unnecessary pomp and dingy spacer-decorum. There were no directives from Seluseus he had to implement to lose during some specific round or to make the fight appear more flashy for the audience. It was just him, her, and the prospect of one of them going down for the count.

He held his fists, palms facing each other, toward her for a boxer's greeting. He'd wrapped them immaculately, belying years of experience.

Capris Halcyon