Ask Think Before You Punch

[Peedunkee]

*SMACK*​

Warmth radiated from Peedunkee's face as blood rushed to it from the hard impact. He couldn't see the assailant thanks to the blindfold over his eyes, but whoever they were had a mean cross. His normally blue complexion had given way to a sickly purple from the repeated hits to his face. His head was pounding, his pulse the only thing he could hear clearly. The raucous criminals that surrounded him, as loud as they were, sounded distant to him. It was hard to hear anything when he was hanging upside down like this. He felt something tied around his ankles keeping him suspended, with not an ounce of give to them. As he hung there, his short stature ensuring he was right at fist-level for the ones taking turns on his face. As he braced himself for another hit (this time feeling much more dense, making it hard to tell if it was a species with thick skin or a literal rock) all he could do was think back to what landed him in this mess...

It was a normal day outside the spaceport, all things considered. The usual demographics were out and about, no matter what their business they all moved quickly and without acknowledgement of anyone else. Spacers, traders, smugglers and pirates all intermingled in the people soup that periodically spilled out of the spaceport. Peedunkee, on the other hand, was one of the few individuals standing still. He had positioned himself near the entrance/exit and was standing in place holding up a makeshift sign that read in broken Huttese "Money Work Strong". Maybe he would've gotten more takers if he had ever learned to write. He was hopeful that one of the many travelers coming in and out would have use for him. Deep down, he was really hoping it would be someone heading inside, which would mean they'd take him off planet. Unfortunately the hustle and bustle continued to move past him in complete ignorance of his existence. If he had known what came next, he may have chosen to keep it that way.

The day was winding down, and the density of foot traffic had dropped dramatically. Lights all along the pathways outdoors were starting to come alive as the outside grew darker. It was too late for the more reputable class, but not quite late enough for the heart of the nightlife to come out to play. All the same, there were a couple early birds to the festivities. And there was a speeder-load of them headed straight for the spaceport. "Hahaaaa too slow sleemo!!" One of the hooligans yelled over the roar of their vehicle. The sleek black and gold speeder filled with four ne'er-do-wells tore through the mostly vacant streets outpacing its competitor. Whatever workings it had inside were proving superior to the red and white speeder which had a widening distance between them. The driver was talented no doubt, not only outspeeding but outmaneuvering his counterpart. But just as they turned onto the street that led to the spaceport, a large cargo module was being off loaded, blocking the entire path. Thinking quickly, he did his best to drift the speeder in a sharp u-turn, managing to stick to only superficial scrapes to the rear of the vehicle and saving them all from a full on collision.

Unfortunately for the few bystanders still outside, the little maneuver had unintended consequences. The speeder had plowed through refuse containers sending them up in the air only to crash down and spill their contents on those unlucky passerby. Peedunkee was among the ones covered head to toe in filth. His sign was ruined, day ruined, and someone had to pay. The rest of the affected knew better. They saw who had caused it and thought twice before crossing them and the company they kept. Sadly self-control was something Peedunkee had never developed to that point. Since he was a toddler he had been taught to let loose all his anger. As he got older he always had a master with the ability to shock him into compliance whenever he threatened to let out his aggression in a way that didn't suit their needs. So, as all instincts were telling him to, he ran straight towards the speeder in question.

The occupants were still coming down from their adrenaline rush, a particularly dry selkath saying "You should've seen the look on your face! No wonder the seat's--" they were cut off by a small blue projectile humanoid pouncing on them with fists flailing wildly. Peedunkee screamed as he beat the selkath, some of the filth being returned as it came off with each blow. Suddenly he felt something wrap around his neck and pull him back, sending him toppling off the speeder. He got back to his feet and looked up just in time to see stars as the butt of a blaster rifle was slammed into the bridge of his nose with a *crack*! He fell onto his ass, cursing at the pain and trying to get a better assessment of the situation. He could barely make out the three figures that had hopped out of the speeder and formed a semicircle around him. It didn't matter to him, as long as they were in range he didn't need to see details. He braced his shoulders and made a move towards the closest one.

He had no clue how in over his head he was. He even thought for a moment that he'd actually teach them a lesson and beat all three of them. After all, he managed to get a couple good hits in on the first one, a well timed jab catching his target in what felt like a rib cage. His success would prove short lived. Something tripped him up, a cable of sorts that he never saw but brought him to the ground nonetheless. He felt a variety of footwear stomping at his legs and torso, kicking from too many angles to block at once. He tried to get up and fight back, but his momentum only helped one of them pick him up and throw him against the speeder. Its metal ringing out with a dull *thud* from his head's impact. Already disoriented, they had no trouble tossing him into the speeder proper. They sped off with their new punching bag in tow, eager to teach him a lesson back at their place. And that was how he found himself in some Black Sun hangout spot, now with a much larger audience than four people judging by the ambient noises around him. He wondered for a moment how or if he'd even get out of this mess. But only for a moment before--

*SMACK*

@Reylo4evr​

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia was increasingly finding criminals tiring. After fighting them in the pit, her brief visit home was not long enough to wash away the filth. And now she was back. She always returned like a moth to a flame, sucked into the desperate ploy for credits that plagued everyone in the galaxy, even those who already had plenty to their name. She wore thick black leggings, black leather boots, A form-fitting black tunic, and a deep purple jacket. Her tail swung behind her as she walked through the dark halls of one of Black Sun's few headquarters, and her curled horns stood out against her dark hair. Her violet skin seemed to glow for some unknown reason; someone more philosophical would've said it was her soul shining against all the filth of the galaxy.

She was heading for her temporary quarters when she heard a shout from an open doorway. Inside was the training room, small compared to the one Nyxia had trained in. The room was dark but not quite dark enough that Nyxia couldn't see what was going on. There appeared to be a humanoid creature of some sort tied up by his ankles, serving as a punching bag for a few other Black Sun members. Nyxia sighed through her nose and walked through the doorway. The shouts increased in volume and she watched as one human man swung a punch into the humanoid's stomach, sending him swinging from his ankles.

"This doesn't seem fair," she said, speaking up to be heard over the catcalls and jeers. Some of them quieted and looked over at her.

"What, is devil girl defending this little piece of kark?" One guy snarled.

"Have you stooped so low that you need to beat on an indefensible little boy to make yourself feel better?" she replied, letting the insult go right over her head. She had been called a devil girl numerous times. It had only hurt the first few times.

There were some snickers. "So you want us to let him down and give a chance to fight for himself?"

Nyxia considered leaving the Black Sun. "I want you to let him down and let him go. Whatever he did to you can't be bad enough to warrant this," she replied cooly, gesturing a purple hand to the blue boy tied up upside down.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunkee let his mind swim helplessly as his body swung a lazy arc around the space. His optimistic side took solace in the fact that he hadn't eaten anything recently, so the blow to the gut didn't send anything out the wrong end. Then again he really wished he could have one good meal before he died. He had long since given up on fighting the restraints, he was too taxed and the gravity too strong. His hearing was still mostly occupied by his own heartbeat, but even so he felt a voice cut through all the noise. He didn't have the wherewithal to make out the words at first. He could however feel the changing energy of the room. The rowdy surroundings had quieted and he started to pick up on more of the words being exchanged. "...Indefensible little boy to make yourself feel better?"

Little boy? Little boy?? His body wouldn't allow it, but his instinct to lash out immediately rose again. Ever since his previous owners had realized he wouldn't grow any taller than his species' natural diminutive stature he'd had to endure all kinds of comments on the matter. He wanted nothing more than to be set free and get one last crack at them. At least he'd go down swinging. One could imagine the inner conflict he felt then, when he heard the same voice say "I want you to let him down and let him go. Whatever he did to you can't be bad enough to warrant this." Whoever she was, she had to have some sway with his captors. The next thing he knew, he heard the chord suspending him in the air be slashed in two sending him unceremoniously to the floor, prompting a last chorus of laughter all around. His entire body screamed at him as he slowly pulled himself to his feet. He was sure he had more bruises than skin at this point. Eventually he managed to get the blindfold off.

After his eyes adjusted he could finally take in his surroundings. He could make out a couple faces though some escaped him in the dimly lit room. But this scan was interrupted mere moments into it. His eyes naturally followed everyone else's to the woman who he assumed he had heard a moment ago. He had never seen anyone like her before. It wasn't attraction or fear, though he felt deep down a mix of both would be appropriate. The only thought that came to mind was striking. Everything about her. He stood there awkwardly, with no clue as to how to behave in the given context. So he went as simple as possible "Thank you." Then gestured to himself with a palm to his chest "Peedunkee."

@Reylo4evr​

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia may have only been 17, but in addition to her appearance, her track record scared them enough that they cut the blue creature down, albeit with some grumbling. Most of them walked off, their fun effectively ended. Some shot her dirty looks but all it took was a lashing of her tail and narrowing her black eyes for them to keep walking. She watched with pity as the boy got up. He had a weaselly look about him, but she could tell his gratitude was genuine. He sat his name was Peedunkee, which she thought meant boy in Huttese. Not the most creative of names, but a name nonetheless.

"Don't worry about it," she replied, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "I'm Nyxia. How did you get yourself in this situation?" The Black Sun was notoriously cocky despite being one of the smaller crime syndicates. Even on the decline, its members thought they ruled the syndicate. The real head of the syndicate had long since disappeared, leaving the Black Sun in a mess that Nyxia inexplicably felt the urge to clean up. She figured she would never be able to cleanse the criminal filth from her. She took solace in the fact that she had something akin to morals, and a purpose to keep her going.

As for this boy, she wasn't so sure.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunkee rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He found himself unable to hold Nyxia's gaze for very long. "Peedunkee punch after..." He struggled to find the right word with his limited vocabulary, opting instead to point a finger in the direction of the departed thugs, then continued "...mess sign and mess Peedunkee." He then gestured to himself and all around at the situation he was in as if to say obviously "Lost." By this point, it was well into the night and he'd have been tired on a normal day, let alone one as taxing and painful as this one had been. It was easier to determine what parts weren't so instead of the inverse. So, lacking in any real sense of social acumen, Peedunkee said nothing more to his rescuer. He simply shuffled away slowly to the nearest corner. He used the last bit of strength he had to keep himself from collapsing altogether. Instead he was able to lower himself gingerly onto the hard ground in the corner. Just like that, even in far from favorable conditions to rest, he was out like a light.

He woke up the next morning in confusion. Partly because it took him a moment to remember where he was. Then as he slowly stirred from the position he'd slept in his body gave him plenty of reminders as to the previous day's events. He sprawled out into a star on his back, letting his muscles stretch out for a minute. Eventually he managed to sit himself up and survey his surroundings. Some evidence still remained from the previous night in the stains of drinks and foods left behind. On the whole however it was much tidier and the space was looking much more like one where actual training could be done. How long was I out? He wondered to himself And where's Nyxia?

@Reylo4evr ​

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia raised an eyebrow as Peedunkee struggled to speak. She wondered if he knew more Huttese and was about to speak to him in that language when he turned and walked away to a corner. He curled up like a small animal and quickly fell asleep. Her curiousity peaked, Nyxia watched him for a couple more minutes as the training room slowly emptied. They shot Nyxia dirty looks as they left, but she ignored them.

When the room was empty, the tiefling left as well. She walked to her temporary rooms and shut and locked her door, preparing to sleep. The next morning, Nyxia was up early. She brushed through her hair and got dressed, as if it was a normal day and she was just getting ready for a mission. But instead of leaving the building, Nyxia walked back down to the training room. The electric lights illuminated the room, revealing the small blue boy from last night.

"Hello Peedunkee," she said in the common tongue. <"Do you speak Huttese?"> she continued in Huttese.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunkee cast his eyes towards the entrance, hearing a familiar voice coming from it. He was relieved to see the only friendly face he knew around here again. His ears twitched instantly at her switch of language and said <"Yes I do! I didn't know you did, it would've been much easier last night if I had."> He laughed a bit before continuing to ramble, suddenly very talkative <"So basically those guys covered me in trash with their speeder so I tried fighting them but they ganged up on me. Super lucky you came along, I was worried they weren't gonna let me down. Also what are you exactly? I've seen a lot of weird looking people but I've never seen someone that looks like you. Do you feel your horns? Like if someone hits them does it hurt? Have you ever stabbed someone with them? Don't get me wrong they look super cool I'm sure you get a lot of guys after you because of them but how do you put clothes on without messing them up? Oh also also my name is Boy, yours is Nyxia, right? I wish I had a cool name like yours.">

On and on he went, bombarding her with questions all the while making gestures to go along with whatever he was talking about. Every now and then he would wince in pain if his animation went too far for his sore spots to handle. All the same, between the night's rest, the friendly face, and the switch of tongue had all served to help him open up and be at ease. For Nyxia, that meant a surplus of questions.

@Reylo4evr​

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia smiled a little as Peedunkee immediately began speaking rapid-fire Huttese, asking her question after question. She wondered how old he was, he seemed like a child. She listened as he explained how he had gotten himself into that situation, and she knew it sounded like something some Black Sun members would do.

When he paused for a breath, Nyxia took her chance to speak up. <"Slow down, or I won't be able to answer all your questions,"> she said, her black eyes tinkling with hidden laughter. She was surprisingly good willed; any other criminal would have slapped Peedunkee to get him to shut up. <"I am a tiefling, a Devaronian offshoot. And yes, I do feel my horns, yes I have stabbed people with them, and I have clothes special made for my horns and tail,"> She replied, curling her tail around her hand. She would continue to answer his questions until he wore himself out and was nearly panting.

<"How old are you, Boy?"> She asked, making a silent resolution to find a better name to call him by.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunkee smiled a little embarrassed. It wasn't often someone engaged with him in conversation, let alone in Huttese. It was easy for him to get carried away, he was almost always a creature of impulse at the end of the day. All the more reason to be grateful he'd somehow come across such a warm and well-mannered criminal. Despite her intimidating appearance he was increasingly at ease in her presence. <"Woah I hadn't even noticed the tail! Is it strong? Like have you ever tried choking someone with it? That's what I would do if I had a strong tail."> He watched it move for a couple seconds longer, enjoying the opportunity to look at someone without starting a fight for once.

He looked her in the eyes when she asked him a question as a change of pace and responded <"Well I'm not really sure. I was sold when I was a baby and I don't think my owner kept the transaction history or anything. I am fully grown though so I am an adult. I'm actually on the tall side for my species apparently."> He couldn't help but give a sly smile as he stood up to his absolute tallest. <"But yeah a lot of people think I'm a kid because I'm smaller than most other species, that and I never went to school or anything so I've been called dumb a lot. Usually I can just punch the people that say that though.">

He gave Nyxia a thorough look from head to toe, trying to hazard a guess at her's but being she was the first tiefling he'd ever seen he couldn't begin to know. <"How old are you, Nyxia?">

@Reylo4evr ​

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia was not particularly surprised to hear that Peedunkee didn't know his age. But the fact that he was an adult surprised her; his demeanor and appearance were that of someone in early adolescence. She supposed there was never really time to mature when surrounded by and treated like a criminal. Nyxia was once more grateful she had got to spend the majority of her childhood with her parents, up until her father had died and it had all fallen apart.

<"I am eighteen,"> she replied. She supposed they were both relatively young, but one was more likely to assume Nyxia was an adult than Peedunkee. She knew the importance of that and knew that if Peedunkee had, he wouldn't be here right now. <"You've got a lot to learn about the real world. If you stay here for a while I can try and prepare for it, and then you won't have to punch people who think you're just a child,">

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunkee nodded along as she spoke, taking in the information. He wasn't sure if eighteen was a young or old age for her species so he decided not to say anything more on the topic. <"The real world? Where's that? I've been on several but they've been in Hutt space most of the time so I can't say I've seen much of the galaxy. You think I'll end up there? You seem to be pretty smart so I'll take your word for it. Punching is what I'm good at though, and it's really fun. When I win anyways. Is punching not allowed on the real world?>

He brought his fists up to examine them, definitely not the worst shape they'd ever been in, but they were in need of some care for sure. He wanted to impress Nyxia and under normal circumstances would've had no problem showboating. He'd show off some quick jabs and combos and highlight how shifty he could be. But as he started to go through the motions he felt all the pain from yesterday coming back. The aches, the sprains, the bruises. Maybe she was right. He'd lived day by day for as long as he could remember. No tomorrow was a guarantee. Now that he was free maybe it was time for a change. If he kept going like he always had his body might not hold up for too many tomorrows longer. So he dropped his fists and relaxed them at his sides as he looked Nyxia in the eye. <"I'm willing to learn.">

@Reylo4evr​

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia smiled, amused at Peedunkee's questions. <"The real world is everything in the galaxy. There is so much to see outside of Hutt space, so much more people and power and wars that can take a while to understand and navigate."> Even Nyxia, who was pretty well traveled, knew little about the wars large and small raging across the galaxy. <"Punching is definitely allowed, but if you want to thrive, you have to fight with your mind as well,">

She watched as Peedunkee surveyed his hands and took in his bruises from the night before. When he looked her in the eye, she saw a certainty that was rare in most people. Once trained, he could be a good fighter; great if he stuck with it. <"That's good to hear. Why don't you stretch some, to loosen up your sore muscles,"> She replied. He was certainly energetic and a little childish, things that could make it harder for Nyxia to train him, but nothing she wasn't capable of doing.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunkee continued to nod along as she explained, even as she did so he was starting to get antsy. Even with everything he'd been through, his energy and eagerness were returning. Bouncing subtly back and forth on his toes he said <"Fight with my mind? I don't think I can do that. I've heard some people can but its rare I thought. But hey if you think I can do it I'll give it a crack!"> finishing with a chuckle.

<"Good idea!"> He followed her advice and started stretching. It was a slow ramp up for sure, slowly convincing each group of muscles to work with him again. But the longer it went on the better he felt, increasingly limber and itching even more so to get started. He made sure that no matter what he was stretching he ended up facing Nyxia's direction. Not because he didn't trust her, more so a mix of wanting to see the attractive woman stretch and curiosity as to whether or not the tail had to be stretched as well. When his body felt as ready as his mind had been for far longer he said <"Alright, where do we start?">

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia watched Peedunkee stretch for a few seconds before she began her own warmup. She knew he was watching her as she moved, and she kept a calm expression on her face until her own muscles were loose and limber. When she stilled, she was quiet for a moment before she replied to the blue boy.

"Run twenty laps around the training room," she said, switching to the common tongue. "Keep a steady pace and if you fall behind, do twenty pushups," she said. Going easy on him was not an option- though he seemed innocent and kind enough, Nyxia still didn't trust him, and if he truly wanted to grow stronger and smarter, than he going easy on him would not help.

Nyxia would watch as Peedunkee ran, making sure he kept a steady pace.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunke was more than willing to prove himself, only instructions were never his strong suit. So instead of listening to the tiefling he started out in a full on sprint, hoping to impress her with how quickly he could complete the laps despite his size. He felt his chest stinging as he fought for air at this pace, his legs protesting their sudden use.

It wasn’t long until he started to slow, he was used to quick bursts of action nothing prolonged like this. He fought as hard as he could to keep pace but ended up lagging behind. He stopped to take big gulps of air, trying to ask between breath “What…” a breath “is…” another one “a push-up?”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia watched the blue boy, amusement sparkling in her black eyes as he sprinted around the room. She walked towards him as he slowed to stop, gasping for breath. "Watch," she said. She lowered to her hands and the balls of her feet on the ground, and bent her arms up and down twenty times. She rose gracefully back to her feet and began running at a moderate pace around the room, keeping her gaze on Peedunkee the entire time.

"Do twenty pushups like I showed you and then finish running the last fifteen laps. If you don't go as fast, you won't slow down as much. Strong and steady," she instructed, still running. It felt good to feel her heart pound with each step she took, and to feel the air in her lungs.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

Peedunkee stared intensely as he tried to memorize the movements before repeating them himself. So this went there, this moved that way. Perfect, piece of sweetcake. Once Nyxia started running he dropped into position and started the repetitions. It was slow at first, it took several small adjustments of his hand and feet placements before he could do them fluidly. Towards the latter half of the set however he felt more and more in rhythm. He shot up off the ground reinvigorated. Only now the last thing he wanted to do was race slow laps around the room. <"C'mon I can practice that later, let's do something more fun.">

He tried motioning her over back to the center, where he started shadowboxing. <"You talk cool, you look cool, and you act cool. If the pattern holds true you have to have some cool moves too. I wanna see what you got, moves I can learn or tricks I can avoid if I run into another less friendly tiefling."> All the while as he spoke he stared straight ahead, more focused on his imaginary future tiefling opponent that he was giving a three-piece combo than the actual tiefling he had near him.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Nyxia finished her laps as Peedunkee decided he was too good to finish his. He began punching at the air, demonstrating moves that were good but could be better with discipline. She eyed him for a minute, before pushing a button on the inside of her rest and darting forward. In seconds she had wiped Peedunkee's feet out from behind him and was sitting on his legs, pulling his arms behind him as he lay face down on the training floor.

"Never turn your back on your opponent," she said coolly. "If you think you're so great, find a way to get out of this situation. There won't always be someone to save your ass," Nyxia spoke harshly in the common tongue intentionally, knowing it would provoke the blue boy into action. This was going to be harder than she thought; he had no discipline which made him weaker than he really was.

@Pazaakly

 

[Peedunkee]

It was an odd sensation, to watch the world suddenly spiral. One second you're on your feet and the other you'e face first in something sticky and you have to hope it's just the corpse of a spilled drink. Even worse his hands were pinned behind him, not cool. Initially he was going to play it cool like a playfight, but he hated being restrained. All the Aloxian aggression that he had to try and keep at bay normally came surging to the forefront. His skin itched, his muscles tensed and sounds just below a growl emanated from him. He could hardly hear her as she spoke, eyes and ears awash with anger.

His actions came quick. He pulled his arms up his back, not trying to break free yet, just enough to displace her weight forward. With his legs having more room he'd tuck them in and use their power to kick up. Without a counter Nyxia would be bucked off like someone failing to break in a mount.

 

[Nyxia Starfell]

Provoking him worked spectacularly. Nyxia could feel Peedunkee twitching underneath her and was ready for his attack before it came. Her grip on his wrists was like steel; his attempt to jerk his arms back not yielding him anything. When he tried to buck her off, Nyxia only pushed him down harder. She was kneeling, her knees on the ground on either side of his hips while her shins pressed into the back of his thighs, and her booted feet were flexed, locked around his knees. She pulled his arms back further, pulling his upper chest off the ground. Nyxia had beat many men bigger, stronger, older, and more experienced than her, so she kept her grip locked on Peedunkee without much difficulty.

<"What're you going to do to get out of this?"> She said, switching back to Huttese, making sure Peedunkee heard her. <"Think, use your head; I overpower you in strength and size."> She wondered if she should have given the boy a warning of her Matukai gauntlets, but his assailants likely wouldn't be so generous.

@Pazaakly