Faction Gauntlet Run

[Braze]

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Dear Ayhan ,

I hereby issue a most official (and mildly embarrassing) challenge to you for a race up the infamous "Path of Pain" (okay, I just made that up, but it sounds intimidating). Yes, I'm challenging you, of all people, to a test of speed, strength, and possibly, some very undignified tripping over rocks.

The rules? Simple. We race, we brawl (politely), we dodge traps, and no, you're not allowed to cry when you inevitably lose. Should I reach the summit before you—or leave you incapacitated and snoring on the trail—you, my friend, owe me a well-deserved victory dinner. Nothing fancy. Just three courses, a dessert platter, and maybe a small crown for my trouble.

Should, by some miracle, you defeat me, I will graciously treat you to dinner and listen to you brag at least once… but don't get your hopes up.

Prepare yourself for the ultimate test, and may your feet be swift, your reflexes sharp, and your ego ready for a solid bruising.

Yours in premature victory,
Braze

P.S. Bring your own bandages. I'll bring snacks.

​

 

[Ayhan]

When Ayhan had received the...missive, he thought that was the right word, he'd been somewhere between dismissive of it, and seething. Utterly disrespectful, and in truth, Ayhan had given this 'Braze' little thought before now (though, he rarely gave anyone save Mahsa, Hera, Aris, and Zaiya much thought).

But there was that Firronthix pride. The inability to back down when challenged. Even if the thought the challenge was stupid, contrived, and ultimately, an easy victory for him.

So Ayhan arrived with bandages and bacta in hand. For Braze, mostly, due to the fact that Ayhan healed much faster than others. He frowned upon seeing Braze, but thrust the bandages towards the other Padawan. "Are you ready then?" the Firronthix asked bluntly. Perhaps with a faint growl too. "What is this 'Path of Pain' you made up, hmm?" he then said, eager to get all of this over and done with.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Ayhan

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Braze blinked at the bandages Ayhan offered and chuckled, handing him a package of dried jerky in return.

"It's the only way up the mountain," Braze practically purred, already savoring the thrill of the challenge. The steep path, which he'd dubbed the Path of Pain, would be a brutal test of speed, strength, and a bit of luck dodging the occasional trap and obstacle he'd set up. Braze knew it was an audacious race to throw down, but that only made the idea more exciting.

He took a moment to size up Ayhan, noting the look of mild irritation—maybe even a hint of a growl—and he felt a spark of satisfaction. There was nothing like a bit of rivalry to make things interesting.

"Any ground rules you want to agree on?" Braze asked with a smirk, tossing a glance at the rugged terrain ahead. "Just to make sure you don't call 'unfair' when I leave you eating dust halfway up."

Under his sensei Cyran Vaas 's relentless supervision, Braze found himself in a kind of twisted obstacle course boot camp. He was dodging pit droids that seemed to take particular joy in trying to trip him up, jumping over traps that never seemed to be in the same place twice, and scrambling up hills steeper than anything a Jedi should have to climb. Each day he left with fresh bruises, usually in places he hadn't thought possible to bruise. The "lessons" were intense, but Braze's sensei insisted it was all part of the training, though Braze was beginning to suspect his master might just enjoy watching him flail a little. Still, every scraped knee and stubbed toe just made him more determined—mostly to prove to his sensei that he wasn't completely hopeless. This would be a good test of how far he'd come since his early training on Tython.