closed;

[juniberries]

WHO: Allura & various
WHERE: on Bajikan
WHEN: throughout the month
WHAT: Allura's keeping herself busy by visiting Bajikan and its various districts. She's still kind of miffed about not being able to go on the diplomatic mission.
WARNINGS: N/A; will update if needed!

Comments

coran; avaritia

[juniberries]

[Following the bit of...embarrassment that had been meeting Shiro in Luxuria of all places, she had left that District in a hurry; flustered, embarrassed, and...uncomfortable to say the least, and the atmosphere of the area had certainly not helped such feelings. So she's standing in the main heptagon which leads to the seven gates of the seven districts of the main island, inhaling and exhaling the clean tropical breeze, finally finding herself calm and collected, but still eyeing the red token with a bit of disdain.

Regardless, she pockets it, shutting her eyes and shaking her head. She will want to look into the flora of that District regardless of its...effects, but for now, she will be looking to elsewhere.

It's only logical for her to reach out to someone she can trust following an embarrassment, and she sends Coran a message in the hopes of finding her advisor and friend on this island.]

Coran, I am currently in the main area of Bajikan. Are you planetside?

[and then, in quick succession to that message:]

And please tell me you are in any District BUT Luxuria.

[THAT IS NOT A PLACE SHE EVEN WANTS TO THINK OF HER SECOND FATHER FIGURE VISITING, IN ALL HONESTY. Even if he is an adult and can do...whatever it is he wants to do she just--

Is hoping he's not in that place.]

keith; ira

[juniberries]

[Running into Keith in this District had been pure coincidence. And, in knowing the Red Paladin for...well, some amount of time, the irony of meeting him here, in a place where the smells are sharp and metallic and the atmosphere oppressive and anger-inducing, is not necessarily lost on her.

Her lessons in Luxuria, however, have her hesitant to try any of the offered food, but when push comes to shove, a violent shove does happen, and the thrill of a fight seems both desirable and a good idea to strengthen a bond between a paladin and Altean princess. She realizes she's never quite fought alongside the paladins, not in this physical, brawling way. But perhaps this is the best way to loosen up her muddled feelings towards Keith and his heritage still unbeknownst to him.

They've teamed up in the arena, the two of them already having beat down two men of formiddable size and stature. She's chosen to be taller than usual, skin tinted a familiar shade of purple, perhaps because she associates the colour with intimidation and bloodlust. Despite being tied back, her white hair is sticking to her forehead and neck from the sweat, and when the next two challengers come into the arena to face them, chewing a spitting a brown substance out, Allura shoots Keith a somewhat confident smirk, uncharacteristic of her usual prim and proper demeanor, before taking on the larger of the two, rushing her and sweeping the bulky woman's leg to grapple with her on the ground.

It's not long until the woman is spitting and starting to tap out, but the shouts from the crowd surrounding the arena seem to grow louder, angrier, the barrier rattling, and with her arm still around the woman's chest, holding her tight against her, Allura turns to look towards Keith, eyes widening slightly.

There's a glint of that familiar blade of his, still a small dagger, still locked and looking innocuous, but-- there were to be no weapons for this fight.]

Keith! [Allura calls out, while still wrestling with the woman. Caught off-guard, her opponent takes advantage, grappling out of the hold and flipping the Altean on her back.

Still, Allura's focus is on Keith, even as she braces against her opponent who is now trying to grab her by the hair.]

Keith, put that away!

[coran]

[ Coran doesn't get back to her immediately, but all things considered, he's relatively quick to respond. It's a fool of an advisor who doesn't pay mind to his Princess, after all. ]

Luckily I can tell you just that! Wasn't especially interested in exploring that one.

[ Even if he had been... he would never cross that line of conversation with Allura. There's just no way. Coran is glad she established already that she's not currently there, either. Like yeah, she can do what she wants, and could probably murder anyone in her vicinity as needed, but still. ]

Why do you ask? Did you want to meet up? I've been in Avaritia!

[juniberries]

[She lets out a sigh of relief when he's quick to respond, running her fingers through her hair.]

Good. Neither was I.

[A Lie, but it's easier to lie to him through text than in person, and it's...really not something she'd want to speak of with Coran anyway. She has already had the Altean equivalent of The Talk, and lest she wishes to repeat it she'll just--

Pretend. She hadn't been there. Even though she had been.

At the mention of Avaritia in his message, she looks up, scanning the gates surrounding her until finding the...admittedly most extravagant of the seven. Fishing out the gold token from her pocket, she heads towards the gate to enter, messaging Coran as she does so.]

Yes, I wanted to meet. I am currently at Avaritia's gate; just let me know where to meet you and I should be there in...however many doboshes.

[coran]

Well, if it's a matter of doboshes!

[ That's probably some kind of obscure fatherly joke. Probably. Coran thinks it's clever enough. Just as well that Allura avoided that other district, really. Bit one-track. Why not pick one with a little more going on past the gates?

Coran sends along directions to the street he's settled at. ]

Eighth building on the left! I'd come meet you halfway, but I have a very strong feeling I'm about to clean them out!

[juniberries]

[It probably is and it probably draws a fond laugh from Allura, complete with a bit of an eyeroll. And she sets her communicator aside to follow the directions she's been given.

But then...something finally sinks in. Both with the atmosphere of this district, and with what Coran had messaged her with:]

What do you mean "clean them out"?

[AND THEN:]

Are you GAMBLING, Coran?

[coran]

[ A moderately conspicuous pause, aka:

:I

He feels oddly less like he should get in trouble for this than he normally would. ]

If you could even call it that! More like showing these locals a thing or two about winning!

[juniberries]

[Admittedly, there is a certain something about the atmosphere here that makes this all seem a bit...less of an issue than perhaps it should be. But even that can't mask her memories of all the times Coran had gotten himself (and her father) in trouble due to some ill advised, off-planet gambling spree.

Allura doesn't respond-- perhaps because she thinks steely silence will get the point through or perhaps because she's arrived at the eighth building on the left as specified.

She's passing by other gamblers, of various species, age, and well what you'd expect from a tourist planet, and luckily a ginger-haired mustachioed Altean is quite easy to spot. She comes up from behind him, trying to loom over the taller man, hands clasped behind her back, trying to play the part no doubt her father had back in the day.]

Please do not tell me you have made one of your...unfortunate bets.

[coran]

[ Up she rises, like a ghost from the past. However much of Coran's focus hasn't gotten pulled into the thrill of the credit hunt, it's streaked through with just a little bit of pride, a little nostalgia.

A little bit of intimidation. ]

Allura, you've made it! [ He thinks about trying to dodge the query entirely. But she is sort of. Right There. ] I think it's only unfortunate if I lose, really. I've been on a real hot streak!