nexus_crossings | We're all gonna get in a fight! [EVENT: FITE NITE][Warning: Violence and Blood]

We're all gonna get in a fight! [EVENT: FITE NITE][Warning: Violence and Blood]

People have been disappearing in the Nexus.

Going missing from work, from their homes, from the Plaza.

Locals are staying in their homes, shutting their doors. Even the more shut-in of Nexus goers will be able to tell that something is amiss around here. The Plaza is strangely sparse as far as foot traffic; many of the shops downtown are closing early.

Word is spreading in the Industrial District of an anomaly in the anti-violence field. Easy money for betting in cage fighting. Less easy money but larger amounts for competing in said cage matches. One on one, matches with and without weapons. Rounds go until someone surrenders, is knocked out, or dies. Who would set up such a thing? It's becoming very popular and many a coin is being generated. Are so many people really signing up for this?

Some are. Others are captured and drugged, thrown into the ring against their will with the ultimatum: Fight and get free, or die.

What do you do?

Are you looking to bet your wages? Sign up for a chance at riches? Are you one of the unwilling laying in a dark room?

Or.

Are you going to stand for this if not?

((Please view this OOC post to chat with other players before you jump into a fight! All fights must be agreed upon by participants ahead of time for severity of injuries. Outcomes can be agreed upon or will be decided by a coinflip by myself. Please do not come into this expecting to clean sweep someone without sustaining injuries unless you and your fight partner have agreed ahead of time that would be hilarious. If there are questins, concerns, or complaints PM me. TL:DR Have fun and don't be a dick!))

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Let it be known that Han wasn't particularly seeking female company, but he's probably not going to deny it if the opportunity presents itself. More than anything he's trying to distract himself and hey, it's nice that many of the women around here are distractingly beautiful.

"Red." Han acknowledges with a faint, but very characteristically lopsided smile. He takes the glass and dives right into a sip of that. "Good to see you."

The fight. In a lot of respects he's still processing everything that's happened. "I could use it and the scenery is certainly ... nice around here."

Red smiles and takes a seat in a chair next to Han. "Likewise."

The comment about the scenery earns a chuckle. "The living or the upholstered variety? Either way, you won't find me disagreeing." If Han doesn't want to talk about the fight, then Red's not going to push him. It was a hell of a thing to go through and sometimes? Sometimes, you just need to forget, and that's certainly something Red can provide in his small lounge of his.

The fight itself won't be his first choice in topics of conversation. Maybe if had been under different circumstances, like him ending it quickly and decisively, he might be more inclined to indulge in victorious glee. Or if Kirk hadn't been kidnaped and made to fight him.

"Oh, I specifically meant the women." Is it a surprise that a space pirate can be a little sleazy at times? "The furnishings are good too. I suppose."

With his good hand and cradling his victory drink, he's left to scratch his head with the tips of his fingers that only slightly curl out beyond the aircast. He has a few questions about everything and his well-dressed friend might be just the right man to ask about it.

"Do you know the people who arranged this thing, Red?"

"The women are quite beautiful here," Red agrees. Almost impossibly so. But if he's learned anything about the Nexus in his time here, it's that nothing is impossible here - given enough time, money, and perseverance.

The question about the space itself earns the captain a small grin. "Why, I did, of course." He lets that sink in for a moment before continuing. "It seemed dreadful to ask the winners and the most exclusive of guests to fraternize with all the common riff raff down below. So, with the proprietor's consent, I set up this little oasis." A beat. "And if there's anything you feel is missing from this place, please feel free to let me know. I'd hate to see any of my guests missing something they were hoping for from this place of rest." Such a generous host, but it's a role Red doesn't mind playing in a place like this. It makes him feel at ease in the strange surroundings - and gives him a good place to put his ear to the ground for interesting bits of information.

Han's not privy to the knowledge that many of the women working the arena are succubi. Or, you know, that creatures who can drain your life away during sex are actually a thing here. That would just strike him as terribly unfair. And wrong.

"Allow me to thank you for your effort, then." He says with his eyes narrowing in thought. The look on the pilot's face suggests that he has about a half a dozen questions he's thinking about asking and then, he ultimately decides to ask this one.

"In your estimation, since there are things about this place that don't seem exactly on the up and up ... how likely do you think it is the winners will actually be paid what they were promised?"

"You're quite welcome." Red's got an easy smile for the captain as he debates his next words, though he takes the time to order himself a scotch from one of the passing beauties. It's about time he had a drink in hand.

He ponders the question for a moment, debating how truthful to be in response to the inquiry. The final decision is to remain as vague as possible. "I find that in situations like these, no one, not even the house, gets what they expect out of the deal. I'm sure you'll see at least some amount of the winnings before you leave, though."

It's a good answer and positive enough for Han. All he wants is enough to fix his ship. There's a lot of lengths he's willing to go to for the sake of The Falcon. Even if he's not particularly proud of what he's done after the fact.

"So speaking of what people are getting ..." Han says thoughtfully. "... are you getting what you hoped for out of this setup? Did you place any bets?"

Red laughs at the question before retrieving his drink from the lovely little thing that brought it for him. "Goodness, no. Betting on matches where I can't even begin to properly weigh the odds?" He shakes his head and takes a sip of his scotch before continuing. "Not a chance." He'll leave betting like that for places where he has backup.

"As for what I'm getting out of it, I'd think that would be obvious." A sly grin passes over his lips briefly before he takes another sip of his drink. "The people here are fascinating, wouldn't you agree?" It sounds like a misdirection or unrelated question, but really cuts to the heart of the matter. The Nexus is a place for learning all sorts of things and a seedy place like this is the perfect place for men like Raymond Reddington to learn their fill.

That ... makes a lot of sense to him despite the clear popularity of idea among the fans in the arena. There were no lack of stations set up to take bets and doll out payoffs as he walked through the place.

"I see." The Corellian says with a thoughtful nod. Information. Red doesn't need to completely spell it out to the broken wristed space Captain and he knows better than to press on specifics. Either Ray will tell him later or not at all, with either outcome being perfectly acceptable to Han.

Kryff it. Much as he doesn't want to think being made to beat up another man for spectacle, the vain side of Han Solo has to know ...

"Did you watch me fight Kirk?" He says as he draws another sip from his glass. "Did we make for a good show?"

Red takes a little too long of a sip of his scotch before answering. "I'm afraid I missed it." He meets Han's eyes with an even gaze, holding him there for a moment before nodding to the captain's bound wrist. "That looks awfully painful. I hope the brandy is helping?"

This seems like an awfully long way to go to avoid talking about a subject that he doesn't like. If Han learns anything about Red from this, it should be that nothing is too much effort for the well-dressed man when he deems it worthy.

Well that's ... not the answer Han was expecting. It's not just because he's so egocentric that he can't imagine himself not being the big draw on everyone's attention, it's more the fact that Han has never seen Reddington at pause before. Then, following an obviously intentional gaze, he brings up Han's wrist.

His formerly chained up wrist.

It makes him have to wonder if Red's is bound in some way as well. It hadn't even occurred to him that the Concierge of Crime might be stuck under somebodies thumb at the moment.

"The wrist?" Han says, picking it up so he can regard it thoughtfully. "I suppose I should have paid more attention to the chain. They have a way of weighing a person down and limiting your ability move."

This is a behavior Han is going to see a lot more of if they continue to get to know each other. It's a fantastic way of throwing someone off-balance, even if they're a strong-willed opponent ~~though Lizzie seems immune to it at the most inopportune times~~. He's by no means bound to anyone here, but that doesn't make him required to answer any and all questions asked of him.

"True, but the question becomes if you let someone limit your ability to move or if it was truly a matter of not realizing the truth of the matter until it was too late." Is he implying the captain was holding back for the sake of his opponent? Perhaps. He could also be trying to give Han an out so as not to admit that he really didn't think things through during the fight itself.

It's certainly surprised Han. Who is now putting his casted wrist into his lap.

He's gotta be honest, he didn't expect a breakneck subject change like that. The crowds he runs with are direct. Often uncomfortably so, but he's used to it. To the point that he's come to expect it from everyone. Wouldn't be the first time, however, he's noticed that you can't count on people of the Nexus to be like what you're expecting.

Certainly he can appreciate that Red is ... complicated. And speaking of complicated, there's the matter of his question. Did he go easy on Kirk? Han takes a pull for his glass and really thinks over his answer.

"Lose the fight even as you win it?" He says with a frown. "Starfleet had way more fight in him than I expected, but I came to get paid. My win or my loss tonight is defined by how heavy my wallet feels when I leave here."

The smallest of grins touches Red's lips, but it's easy to miss when he covers it by taking a sip of his scotch. "A very practical attitude. One which, I hope, serves you well today." A beat and a small smile. "If so, I'm certain you'll find the ends worth the means."

He may not have insight as to the goings on of this place, but one thing is for certain - they really wanted Han Solo in that ring. And if they don't want the wrath of the space captain coming down on them, they'll make sure he walks away with at least a good portion of what he was promised.

But now it's time for another shift in conversation. "I take it you have plans for your winnings?"

Edited 2016-05-02 04:06 (UTC)

Han Solo's revenge is not to be taken lightly. This scoundrel, when he's been pissed off, has brought down criminal operations that had been thriving for years. It's probably the sense of humor and often flippant attitude that sometimes has people taking him less seriously than they should.

"Yeah." He says with a nod. "Most of it's going into the Flacon."

Hell, that's where almost all of his money tends to go - toward keeping his ship in the sky.

This is exactly why Red will fall on the side of the captain. He knows better, even if others do not.

"Think you'll make enough to get her back in the sky?"

Can you really blame the guy for wanting a ride before Han possibly disappears into the vast expanses of the multiverse?

"I hope so." Han says, putting his drink down so that he can rub the heel of his right hand into his closed eyes on at a time. It didn't dawn on him, how annoying having his wrist all bound up for a while was going to be, till now.

"When they talked me into this, they went about it in just the right way, you know?" Han feels like he probably doesn't have to explain to Red what it's like to be 'convinced' by someone who has you all figured out - as he's probably been on both sides of that before.

"Then there's the matter of how much maintenance I want to do. Fuel is what I need to get her in the air again, but I've been putting off certain work for a while that I figure I might as well do now."

Certainly this pilot would not blame anyone for wanting a trip in a spaceship - whatever their reasons for it might be. Hell, he still gets a kick every time he's invited onto a model he's never been on before ...

"The people in charge of an event like this make it a point to know how to talk anyone into doing what they want." Red understands the how and why very well, having done it himself many times. He'd like to think that he would have passed up the opportunity to bring Han into this, but he knows how hard the draw of of money and glamour can be.

There's a short, thoughtful pause as Red takes a sip of his drink before he speaks again. "If you find yourself in need of a second pair of hands to get anything done, I'd be happy to offer my assistance. And if you need a reason as to why I would make such an offer, well, I'd think it's obvious by now that I'm rather fond of our conversations. Any excuse for more is one I'll take."

If he gets a ride out of it? All the better, but he won't push for it. There's no need to hurry into things when they have so much time ahead of them.

There are some obvious reasons to rope (or perhaps more aptly, chain) Han into something like this. Even the Captain himself knows that. A certain side of him can't even be mad about it really. This is the way the underworld works and he is a part of it.

"You know ..." He says after a moment, sinking back in the chair. "You seem like a connected guy or the kind of guy that could make certain connections if he needed to. How realistic do you think it would be for you to find someone Malistarian Fuel and Corellian parts for a YT-1300?"

"I'd make you a list of what I need and feel better making an exchange with someone like you that I already trust." Trust enough not to completely rip him off, anyway.

Red purses his lips in thought for a moment before giving a small shrug of his shoulders. "I can't be certain in a place like the Nexus, but I could put out some feelers, see if the right connections can be made." A beat. "A list would certainly be helpful, but how willing are you to take suitable substitutes? You'd get to be the judge of them being appropriate, of course, but it's good to know your stance on that before I get started."

Has he already taken the job without officially saying so?

Yes. Yes he has.

"I'm not willing to settle for anything other than Malistarian Fuel." He says. That's sort of abnormal for him, but if he's going to sink all this time and energy into overdue maintenance, it doesn't make any sense to dump in whatever sludge he can find into the ship immediately after.

"As long as the parts are new, though, the don't have to be Corellian - but that's always the preference." He says after a moment of thought. "I'll get the info to you in another day or so."

"Noted." Hey, if the captain wants only the best fuel for his ship, then Red will make sure he gets it. Somehow. Because, really, it's the Nexus and someone, somewhere, has to have what they're looking for.

"I can work with that." It's a surprisingly easy answer compared to what it could have been. "Any limit on expense that I should keep in mind? What kind of currency will the trading be done in?" All details to clear up before they shake on the deal.

"Everything I have is in Galactic Standard." He says without missing a beat, because that's the kind of money that can be spent back home when he leaves here. Han doesn't have enough wealth to not be thinking about the ability to parlay what's left over when he gets back home. "That said, I can get it exchanged if you want US Dollars or something else."

He figures that changing the money over shouldn't be Red's responsibility on top of doing all the leg work to get his materials. He can do that part of it.

"I'm just looking for fair rates. I'm kind of at the mercy of what the suppliers want to charge, unless you do some digging and find out there's a bigger market for starship parts than I realized."

"No need to worry about exchange rates just yet. I'll see what I can do with what you have." Which is to say that he intends to make the sellers deal with the exchange and any associated fees. Seems fair, if they're going to try to rip him off a bit due to his lack of knowledge about starship parts.

"To be honest, I haven't looked into the market before." Talk about a confidence booster. "But I'm a master negotiator and I learn quickly. I don't think anyone's going to try and take me for your money - not if they have any sense about them, that is." Because if there's one thing you don't do, it's double cross Raymond Reddington. The Nexus may not know that yet, but if they try? He'll make sure everyone does.

"As a serviceable negotiator and observer of people, I have faith that you are." A master negotiator that is. Moreover, Han thinks you've got (or can get) the right network to be able to take advantage of said negotiation skills.

Now, if he should be so trusting of you? Well, the jury is kind of out on that one, but you've also given him no reason not to trust you either. That makes you allies in Han's book.

"Thanks in advance for whatever you can do."

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romeoinabox - 2016-05-26 23:37 (UTC) - Expand

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We're all gonna get in a fight! [EVENT: FITE NITE][Warning: Violence and Blood]

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I need to proof better. Sorries for the gibberish in my last tag. :/

Don't even worry about it! <3

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