Open Coruscant We're Going to the Fair!

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Well, in hindsight, maybe Armen ought to have ignited his own lightsaber. He would have, he’d attest to as much, but would not quite admit to how terrified he had been and certainly much too much to ignite a kriffing lightsaber.

Quin had beaten him to the punch and more than punched a pair of scissors into the sizzling nothingness from whence they came. Armen gulped back some pent-up dread and watched the corpse-man-person-prop-ma’thingy’guy stomp off.

“I wasn’t scared.” He reassured his friend quite promptly, dusting off his sleeves. “Psh, I knew it was an actor all along. I was just…” Glued his gaze to that pitch black cell, wondering if another mad monster was waiting to leap out. “...Playing along, ya know? Yeah.”

Realizing Quin was buying absolutely none of this, Armen moved along down the corridor. “Shut up."

The dungeon zone, however, was suitably big and diverse, so the pair of Padawans could just as much keep exploring it as they could enter another zone less haunting. But what did Armen care? I ain’t scared. This is nothing. I’m as chill as a tauntaun with a Jedi on its back.

A chain fell down from the ceiling just then. Armen yelped and jerked backward into Quin hard enough to knock them both onto the floor like a pair of bowling pins.


@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“Playing along? Suuure.” Quin couldn’t help grinning as he followed Armen down the hallway. “You should definitely get a career in acting. You’d win every award the galaxy has to offer!” Then, at his friend’s request to shut up, he smirked. “I’m only being honest.”

He followed Armen another few steps before he suddenly heard a loud clanging noise, and almost immediately afterwards felt the other Padawan barrel backwards into him, knocking him off his feet again. Despite their dark and somewhat unsettling surroundings, he couldn’t help snickering after he heard Armen yelp.

“Was that an act too?” Quin teased before pulling his feet out from underneath his fellow Padawan and getting back up, offering the other boy a hand. Regardless of whether he took it or not, he would look at the chain dangling from the ceiling, still lightly swinging back and forth from it being dropped.

“Can’t blame you for screaming on that one, though. It would be pretty terrifying to have it drop right in front of you,” he admitted. But just as he said it, the chain fell further, opening a trapdoor above it. The bloody head of a mummy stuck out along with it, and this time it was Quin who yelled and jumped back, nearly stepping on Armen’s foot.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Armen accepted Quin's hand with as much gratitude as shut-up. “Nope, nope, that one was legit. What can I say? These places creep me the kriff out. Don’t @ me.”

The chain was no simple chain; it was glistening, as bloody as its predecessors, but also kind of slimy. Don’t wanna know.

Then it fell, further and further, as though there was some idiot above it knocking chains and buckets and skeletons down a well or something whatsuch who knows Armen’s thoughts are wild right now.

THEN IT ALL GOT WORSE.

Armen heard someone yell. It wasn’t himself. It was Quin. However, his yell made Armen yell and so now both dudes were yelling. Armen was already backing up by the time Quin was backing up into him like a moron.

The mummy dangled loosely, grotesquely, wrapped in stained bandages and missing several fingers. Its face was cloth save for its mouth, opened wide as though locked in a scream. “You just HAD to pick the dungeon.” I’m ‘onna kill ‘im.

Armen thought no further. He couldn’t think. He just stood there, frozen, as though time had bandaged itself around his spirit and the Force had no place in the dark. What now!? A voice, that’s what. It came…from above.

“Darling?” The word was unmistakable, echoing from the depths of the ceiling, there where a mummy had collapsed. “Darling, is that you? Are you…waiting…for…me?”

Armen gulped, looked at Quin. “I don’t care if it’s fake. This druk sucks. Run!”

Just then, the mummy smacked upon the ground and something tumbled down behind it. It was a man in a waistcoat and bow tie, eyes as bright as headlights, face a sea of blood, and in his hand was a knife that gleamed like his gaze.

“DARLING” He stabbed. Armen didn’t care if he was fake—he kicked his knee all the same, dodging the knife as the ‘stalker’ collapsed with an “Oof!”

Armen took off running. As he neared the staircase, he heard the man recover. “Could you be the one?” Voice grew louder, frantic, dripping with blood. “LET ME LOVE YOU”


@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“I didn’t think it was going to be this bad!” As if the mummy weren’t enough, there was some creepy voice coming from above it. Quin’s heart was beating so fast now that he was certain that Armen could hear it, but even so he still attempted to mask his fear. He didn’t even know why. Even Armen wasn’t trying at this point.

“Yeah, took you long enough,” he responded to the voice. It didn’t respond, and he thought that was the end of it. Well, that wasn’t so bad. But just as he made to follow Armen down the hall, some guy with a knife jumped out from behind the mummy and tried to stab them. Who kriffing designed this place? Quin couldn’t move, even as Armen yelled for them to run.

“Is that any way to greet your dar- oh NO!” The man was chasing them! Quin finally turned and sprinted after his friend, who was already near the staircase. The man was close behind him, and seemed to be gaining. “ARMEN! HEEEELP!” He could make out the other Padawan’s shape at the end of the hall. Almost there! Quin was just about to reach him when his boot caught on something hard and he suddenly found his face about to hit the floor. Catching himself just in time, he scrambled to his feet and kicked back at the man, sending him tumbling to the floor.

“If you loved us you’d leave us alone!” Quin practically ran straight into Armen after that, and didn’t even stop to talk to him as he raced up the staircase. Get me out of there!

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

ARMEN, HEEEELP! Quin’s voice rang between Armen’s ears beside beating blood but, unfortunately for his friend, this one was fresh outta help.

What was Quin, some blonde girl in a plaid skirt with no lightsaber to call his own!? He could fend for himself. Armen was fending for his own self, after all.

Almost there almost there almost there ALMOST THERE— “OOF!” He tripped on the stairs just as Quin clambered up over his back leaving his friend flat on his front. “Wait for meeee!” Armen pleaded while scrambling to his feet, to no avail.

“Wait for meeee!” came an echo behind him. Gulping, Armen hated himself for stealing a look behind. There they were, those two bright lights for eyes, that flashing knife, and that smile between both. He wasn’t running anymore. The guy was...walking. Toward…me…

“Darling,” his free hand extended as though proposing a hand in marriage. “You could be so beautiful…” Came closer, closer, walking, walking. That knife. Those eyes. That smile. Oh, stars, that smile! “I want you to have my baby.”

SKDJFBSKDFJSDBFBSDB “GO KARK YOURSELF” Armen sprung up and bounded after Quin. -Thud-Thud-Thud-Thud-Thud- went his shoes up the steps and his heart in his chest. He reached the top. Slammed the door shut. Locked it. Pressed his back against it. Panted.

“I…I…I…I think I need to pee.”


@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“I’ll wait for you up there!” Quin yelled back to Armen, not stopping as he continued up the winding staircase. Once they got out of the dungeons, they would be safe, and Armen was almost here anyway. He hoped.

But once he reached the top of the stairs, Quin realized that he could still hear the voice coming from below, just behind Armen’s frantic footsteps. That guy was too good of an actor— maybe he should have been the one to look elsewhere for more opportunities in his career. Then again, if he was in a horror movie, Quin doubted that he would have the guts to watch it.

Armen came up in a few seconds and slammed the door just in time. Quin could still hear the echoes of “darling” coming from behind it, and that was enough for him.

“Yeah. Me too,” he said with a grimace, reaching over to pull Armen away from the door. The quicker they could get out of here, the better. “He won’t follow us up here, it’s out of his area. Plus, he has other beings to scare.” He hoped he hadn’t spoken too soon.

They were in a narrow hallway that led straight back to the grand hall, and Quin never thought he would be more relieved to see the light of the sign hanging down at the end of the corridor. ‘Come back soon for even more spooktacular fun!’, it read. I’m going to have to say no to that one.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: Music IC

One bathroom break later, Armen exited the rather clean restroom thinking of how dirty that dungeon had been. Unfortunately, there had been someone in the restroom stall spewing nonsense about “rusted pennies in the donut mouse” whose meaning was potentially even creepier than Darling’s.

“You know what, bro,” he sighed toward Quin while gazing around the grand hall. “That was some crazy kriffery, but kinda fun too.” It wasn’t every day that Armen found a reason to smile but he just then did right as his stomach growled. “Annnd it worked me up an appetite. So I’m gonna buy you a meal.”

Slapping a hand on Quin’s shoulder, the Padawans exited the castle to find a restaurant on the edge of the fairgrounds. It played some relaxing music and served simple food for the kind of setting. Armen was happy with a burger and fries and a chocolate shake as he found a table outside with a good view for people-watching.

“So…” It was also a good time for random thoughts voiced out loud. “What kind of Jedi do you see yourself becoming? Ever given that much thought? I’m only a couple years older than you but, I gotta say…I kinda haven’t.”


@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“‘Fun’ is one way to put it.” Quin was surprised that Armen still had an appetite after that, but he went along readily with his offer. After what they’d been put through, they deserved a snack.

He followed Armen to the restaurant and sat down at the table his friend had chosen, enjoying his corn dog on a stick along with a fruit smoothie. He’d almost finished the latter and had been loudly slurping from the bottom of the cup with his straw when Armen asked about what kind of Jedi he wanted to be.

His first reaction was to say he didn’t know. He hadn’t thought a lot about it either. It seemed so far off— he’d only just joined the Order and officially started his training. But it was a question that he would have to answer eventually.

“A good one, I guess.” That’s a bit vague. “One who defends beings who can’t protect themselves, out in the field.” He grinned at the thought, then took a bite out of his corn dog. Once he swallowed, he glanced at Armen. “It’ll be a while till I get there. I can’t even defend myself,” he added with a laugh.

“You? I know you said you hadn’t thought about it, but I could see you in diplomacy. You’re a pretty likable guy.” He was only half joking.

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: Music IC [Recurring]

Quin's was a textbook answer, maybe, but the kid had the right of it. Becoming a Jedi didn't require some profound foundation as to why beyond the simple fact that the Jedi strove to do good in a bad world. Should it be any simpler than that? Does it have to be complex?

Armen, a fan of the simple things in life, whether running away from terrifying creeps in castles or eating burgers, ought to have found his own purpose to be just as easy. Yet, it was more complicated than it ought to be. Maybe the Force will show me my path, tell me why...or maybe this chocolate shake will.

"Diplomat, huh?" He thought about that through a straw. "I dunno if I'm tactful enough and whatsuch, if you dig. Heh, honestly, I only joined the Jedi because it pays the bills and my parents needed me an outlet for my powers."

He used that power by sliding over a bottle of ketchup without actually touching it, kind of drowning his fries. "I could see us going on missions together, though. I think we'd make a good team. We're both pretty cool dudes." He shrugged. "Even though you scream like a little girl." He grinned.


@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“I’m glad you did. I wouldn’t have metcha otherwise.” Armen’s reasons for joining the Order were the complete opposite of Quin’s, and, as it turned out, so was his taste in fries. Even if Quin wasn’t a fan of drenching his fries with ketchup, it was those differences that made him interesting. After all, how boring would the galaxy be if every being was the same?

At the thought of going on a mission with Armen, Quin found himself grinning right back at his friend.

“You’re one to talk. Your screams were just as bad as mine!” He set his cup down before leaning back in his chair. “We would make a good team, though. Once we’re Jedi knights, we’ll be unstoppable! Maybe we could even come back here, go through the dungeon again to see how we do. After that, I could buy you a meal.” He gulped down the rest of his corn dog and tossed the stick into a nearby trash can. Then he smirked.

“Maybe that guy will still be waiting for you to marry him.”

@Die Shize

 

[Armen Westyll]

Spoiler: Music IC [Recurring]

Well, Armen couldn’t quite disagree with Quin’s accusations. I really did scream, didn’t I? His runny fries didn’t disagree. Like a little girl. Heh. Truth be told, those ‘stalkers’ were downright terrifying, Force or not. Passion yet serenity, piss in my teapot or not, what have you.

“Marry me…” He shuddered. ‘Darling’, that second stalker, didn’t have scissors or a surgical mask but his smile was as sharp and sinister as his knife and then some and no doubt about it. “Marriage is off the table for this guy, baby.”

Armen had no plans for today or tomorrow as far as settling down and starting a family was concerned. Many Jedi had their differing opinions on the matter, despite the Order not being as rigid as it used to be. But, dang, what a burden. Time, effort, money spent on spouse and children. Pffffark no.

“Quin,” Armen spoke before washing his thoughts away with a deep gulp and a satisfied sigh. “Whatever happens next, whatever dungeon in some fair or war in some solar system, whether I lose my dog or you find yourself falling down an asteroid, well…”

He didn’t often do it, so knew it meant something to him as much as his counterpart when Armen Westyll actually looked someone in the eye as he did to Quin Leonrki just then. “...I want you to know that I got your back, you got mine, and this universe is our playground.”

With that, he offered his knuckles for a fist-bump, and a smile that would put Darling’s to shame.


[EXIT ARMEN WESTYLL]


@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

That one heartfelt statement from his friend was all it took to make Quin’s week. Thinking back to their earlier topic of joining the Jedi, moments like these were perhaps another one of the reasons why he’d stuck around. What Armen said was genuine, unlike the promises of politicians to him and his parents on Naboo. With the Jedi, he knew what he was giving and getting, and this case was no different.

“Right back at ya, Armen. I’m only a transmission away if you ever need me.”

He met his friend’s fist bump and returned his smile, their eyes meeting fully for the first time. The significance of the little gesture wasn’t lost on Quin, and even though he knew that this one day at the fair would only be a small part of both of their lives, he also knew that neither would forget it.

Until next time, Armen.

[End thread]

@Die Shize