[D8ME] Now THIS is Gravball

[Manny Donos]

Manny's new place wasn't in the worst part of town. But it also wasn't in a great part of town. Still, while the building was a bit run-down, it at least seemed to be made up of single units.

"So, have you ever seen a Gravball game?" Manny asked as he led Jyv down the hallway towards his apartment. They'd gone up a flight of stairs, and were walking down a hallway. It was well-lit, except for the occasional flickering bulb.

He wore his usual casual clothes, although curiously without his trademark vest.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Truthfully?" Jyrvess was used to worse...she was after all still in her new hideout in the slums, "I saw a few minutes of a match on Courscant while monitoring channels, my coworker was a big fan of the Courscant team...the Courscant Knights. I think they were trouncing the Alderan Bluebloods."

"Glade to see you have settled into a new home."

[Manny Donos]

"Okay, so you're not a total first timer. But almost." Manny grinned. "No problem. I'm really experienced. And we're gonna do it right."

He shrugged. "And not surprised. Alderaan's cool, but it's not one of the Cor worlds, after all. I bet even Corseccia or Corlando would beat them." Neither was a real place.

"Yeah..." Manny nodded, even as he turned to face a door, reaching towards the hand-scanner. "How about you? You got somewhere?"

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"I found a new hole in the slums," She shrugs, "I have also taken to moving every so often. Keep the ISB guessing."

"Oh I guess you are also a fan of Cormadeupyeah?" Jyrvess chuckled, "And I believe at the time the Bluebloods were the team to beat. Honestly I had a bunch of jargon and facts thrown at me that day so I barely remember much."

[Manny Donos]

Manny let out a breath. "That's tough. Well... hey, lemme know if I can help out sometime, huh?"

He looked at her blankly a moment. Cormadeupyeah? "Well, don't worry. I'm gonna keep it simple. Gravball isn't about the facts, even if I do know a lot of them. It's about the experience."

He opened the door. It... wasn't a terrible place, although he'd clearly just moved in. The living room had posters of gravball players and magicians, a big vidplayer on the wall, and a sofa. The kitchen had a refrigerator. Besides that, there was no furniture whatsoever, unless one counted the tan carpet over the plasticrete floors. There was also a bunch of confetti just inside the door.

"Come on in." Manny said, holding the door for her with a grin.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"This....is basically what I expected." Jyrvess simply said, somewhat cryptically, "Thank you for the offer but...well you are suspicious enough without me running around. Really all a home into me is a dry place to sleep."

She steps inside, "Experience....from watching it a bunch? Or are you a player as well?"

[Manny Donos]

One of Manny's eyebrows went up. "Since you've gotten this bad attention, or from farther back?" He asked.

"Wellllllll..." Grinning, Manny shook his head. "I mean, everyone plays a little, and I'm a pretty good shot. But I'm nowhere near pro."

He held up a hand. "Now, I'd be a bad gravball host if I didn't give you the authentic gravball watching experience. You don't have to go all in, but..." He grinned at her. "Think of it like field research, maybe." Behind the door had been two opaque plastic bags. He handed Jyrvess one; it the letter J on it.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Well Manny, I used to work for Intelligence." Jyrvess says nonchalantly, "And my resignation left both them and ISB...a bit upset I guess is the best way to put it. Regardless both parties have an interest in seeing me dead or in their respective hands." Her tone was a little terrifying casual giving the subject matter.

"I suppose if you were then you would be on the recording instead of dazzling others with your magic." She took the bag with a small twitch, "This...is a foam finger isn't it?"

[Manny Donos]

Manny blinked. "That, uh... wow. Okay. That... sounds a little terrifying, you know? I guess that's not the kind of job that you can just quit, huh? What do you think it would take to get them to stop?"

Solemnly, his lips twitching, Manny nodded. "It is. And more. There's also a jersey. I gave you Sleebo. He's awesome. I took Antilles for myself. Hope you don't mind." He pulled out the red and black jersey from his bag, holding it up proudly.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

'My capture or death." Another shrug and then she pulled out her own jersey. "I....am not familiar with the local team I assume Antilles is the team captain?"

[Manny Donos]

"Yeah..." Manny chewed his lip a few moments. "If you really wanted, we could trade..." After hesitating a moment, he offered Jyrvess the jersey he held, anguish evident on his youthful features.

He frowned. "Nothing else? Paying them off? Beating them all up? Killing the right people? Faking your death?" He spread his hands. "Just spitballing here."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"No it's fine." She shakes her head and gently pushed the jersey back, "Let the true fan be marked thusly."

Then she frowns and shakes her head again, "No, they will want the body." Jyrvess sighs, "What happened is...well Intel and ISB hate each other. My station chief had us put the local ISB branch under observation. The ISB were working on infiltrating and cracking down on the local franchise of some sector crime syndicate. I sort of handed that information over to the criminals in return for money and a chance to disappear into the Outer Rim."

"Intel got a massive black eye to their reputation and the iSB got a few dead agents and years of work destroyed. And to be blunt: I wish I had done worse to them."

[Manny Donos]

"Well, if you're sure..." Manny grinned, breathing a sigh of relief.

His expression became noticeably more serious as she spoke. "Have a seat on the sofa. I'll get the food and stuff." He went to the fridge, retrieving a platter and two bottles. Coming back, he handed her one with a smile. "I know you're more of a wine gal. But, well, gravball watching is definitely beer."

He nodded, sitting down on the couch. "So. Why'd you do it?"

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"I would kill for some good wine." She accepted the drink regardless, "Not literally." It felt necessary to add that given her prior comments.

"You watched an Imperial crackdown? That's ISBs style. Intel just murdered people quietly. Some prominent individual speaking out and stirring trouble? Even the ISB has limits...but Intel, well accidents happen you see. Improperly maintained systems fail and spaceships crash or life support malfunctions and changes the air mix to something toxic." Her frown grew, "I helped plan that sort of thing. When I started it was ex-Separatists, I mean...I had fought against them during the war so it was just more of the same. But then it was people whose only crime was speaking out against the Empire."

"Then..." She shook her head as if dispelling a horrifying memory, "I woke up to what I was doing and who I was becoming."

[Manny Donos]

The bottles were twist off; Manny opened hers, then his, then clinked the bottles together.

He watched her face as Jyrvess spoke. There was the slightest widening of his eyes as she described what had doubtless been the deaths of some people. "That's... good." He said hesitantly as she finished. "If you wanna tell me more about that, that's cool. But no pressure. But I know sometimes saying stuff out loud helps."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

Jyrvess swirled her drink and then shook her head, "No."

She managed a smile, "So...what game is this?" A forced but earnest chuckle, "I mean...in the season I still remember it's gravball."

[Manny Donos]

Manny smiled. "Okay."

"Right!" He rubbed his hands together. "So, yeah, gravball! This was the big championship from last year. Kamda City Manka Cats versus the Beinkirk Banthas. I've seen it before, but hey, I know better than to give away spoilers."

He set down the platter on the floor with a grimace. "I really should get a table." He said.

With the push of a button, the vidplayer came on. The Gravball arena appeared to be a small indoor arena, a three-dimensional hexagonal cylinder. Six players were arranged per side, equipped with uniforms and hover boots.

[Jyrvess Ertil]

"Oh....yeah some of this is coming back." Jyrvess nods and then grimaces, "I seem to recall one player almost snapping a leg in a scuffle over the ball."

The lack of a table brought a small laugh, "You could sit it in the middle of the sofa." She eyed Manny for a moment and shook her head already picturing him bouncing on the sofa in response to some big play...and sending the platter flying. "On second thought the floor is fine."

[Manny Donos]

"Yeah, sometimes it gets a little rough." Manny admitted. "I mean, it's not Huttball. But you can tackle each other. And sometimes there are fights. And take it from me, hoverboots are really hard to use. I think I knocked myself out, like, three times." He nodded.

Shifting, Manny adjusted his position on the couch. "Yeah, just be careful not to step in it. I hate when that happens."

The ball entered play, and Kamda City took control, slowly advancing. "Okay, that's Antilles." Manny pointed. "And that's Sleebo. Antilles calls the plays, Sleebo's the fastest. They work together a lot."

[Jyrvess Ertil]

Jyrvess nods, "And the rest of the time largely supports them?" She put the game in the context she was more used to....Antilles was some sort of team leader...ok that was the same...and Sleebo was a point man, the others filling the various support roles. Of course in that context she was actually more like an assistant coach then a player.

"I assume they have some sort of comms in the helmet? For each other and the coaches?"