A Game of Chance

[Crocell]

A Casino on Coruscant​

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Location: The Casino Bar​

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The newly opened Casino was Alive - buzzing with activity and the shuffle of countless feet from every corner of the Galaxy. It had been only a short time since it had opened its doors to the people of the City Planet, and the frenetic chaos of its' Grand Opening had tapered down to a steady roar... The entire place was alive at every hour, with a seemingly endless stream of entertainment; foods to enjoy, music to dance to, alcohol to drink, and games to play. ​

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Some who visited were residents of Coruscant, drawn to the glamour of the finest gambling establishment The World had seen in quite some time - others, of course, were visitors from off-world, either drawn specifically by it or visiting on their way to parts unknown. ​

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Down the winding passageways and into the Casino Floor, faces of every shape & color marveled at the grandeur of the architectural masterpiece; every inch of the pleasure palace had been meticulously detailed to express a subtle sense of security, an expression of power & wealth, and a dominating command over the senses... Of which, were constantly under assault by a thousand smells, sights, sounds, and sensations at once. ​

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Stimulation was the game for this family-owned business. ​

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Beyond the Casino floor, connected by an outdoor walkway which was decorated with flowing waters, beautiful & fragrant flowers & greenery, stone walkways, and the shifting, swirling presence of aquatic creatures in a large aquarium, lay the casino's primary drinking establishment: a large, asthetically pleasing multi-tiered affair in-which patrons could come and party, sing, dance, drink, surf the Holonet, or otherwise conduct their business. ​

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It was daylight outside, and it was the weekend... as such, it seemed reasonably busy within the bar but not overly crowded. Vibrant colors flashed and swirled as strobe-lights & lasers flashed in one area, while dim lighting and quiet music pulsed from speakers overhead in another more private section. The bar, located in the main room, was not the hub of activity it might otherwise be as the sun set and daylight faded into night... but it certainly had its' share of visitors. The bartender, a Wee-quay, was an expert at his craft - highly professional, skilled, and capable of giving everyone he met a friendly & inviting smile. He was a wealth of information about the Casino itself, as well as Coruscant as a whole. ​

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[Zoe Rosella]

A Game of Chance​

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Location:​

Casino on Coruscant​

Attire:​

Casual Attire​

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prelude link (read bio)​

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Zoe sat at the bar in the newly opened casino, gazing into the distance, horrified at what happened the previous nights. I didn't mean to kill anyone.. I was forced to do it! she repeated to herself in the hope that the Coruscanti security force would believe her when the time came, although she knew they wouldn't. The bartender, a wee-quay who Zoe had become acquainted with rather well over the past few days, snapped Zoe out of her gaze, "Want another, hun?" he asked, knowing what she wanted as it was all she ordered, she nodded towards the bartender as she slid a credit chip towards him.. this must've been her 8th shot of Corellian rum today she recalled as she slowly sipped from the glass in hopes of a miracle to come along.

Looking around the bar of the casino she gazed in awe at the design and architecture of the building, ignoring all the drunkards stumbling around the floor in hopes of finding their way back or to another casino machine. Zoe decided to head to the gardens, somewhere quiet to collect her thoughts, which didn't last long since she decided she needed another drink. When she re-entered the bar, there was a strange woman sat across from where Zoe sat.. She didn't look familiar and she would know because she had a good idea who the regulars were and she was not a regular. Zoe sat back down wondering who this woman could be..

Zoe continued doing her own thing, drinking and trying to forget the past events and try to work out what to do next whilst keeping an eye on this mysterious woman...

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[Crocell]

Smoke curled from a cigera clutched between the index & middle finger of her left hand, and a glass sat beside her, filled with a liquid which was deep amber in color, and reflected the soft lighting beautifully - two small ice cubes lay, slowly melting, within the glass. The woman was dressed in a sleak black dress and black stockings which covered the entirety of her legs, and wore knee-high black leather boots; not that they were visible, but the tips of the boots shone silver and were engraved with a simple (yet quite attractive) pattern. A pair of black leather gloves sat beside a small silver case.

Her long, curling hair fell down her back, barely managed yet supremely attractive at its' most chaotic; the left side of her head had been shaved to the bare skin, and at a distance, the designs inscribed therein appeared to be hair which had been cut into a series of tribal designs... however, they were permanent features. Her face appeared to have been chiseled from marble; her complexion perfect, her jawline feminine yet strong, and her throat bare. The way she sat at the bar seemed to give off an air of mystique and self-assured power.

For the past few minutes, she'd been speaking with another human; a man with brown hair who was dressed in a fine suit of expensive taste, and the two had shared a few laughs. The woman in the black dress had been smiling, flashing a set of perfect white teeth, and her eyes appeared to be of an unusual color - not the typical blue or green, but a soft shade of lavender or violet... quite rare, indeed. Though the dress covered much, a small number of tattoos were still visible on her pale alabaster skin, and she had a small number of piercings; her ears and nose were the only visible ones, and the ones in her ears contained beautiful blue & purple stones which caught the light every so often as she turned her head.

Zoe might notice the woman in black turn to glance in her direction... catching the woman in the brown coat glancing in her direction at least once.

After a couple more minutes, the man in the suit had excused himself, and the woman in the black dress began to gather her things... pocketing the small silver case in a clutch purse which had been hanging, out of sight, on the bar stool she occupied, retrieving her gloves, and giving a wave and a smile to the Wee-Quay bartender when he looked in her direction. She did not pay for her drink.

Slowly, taking the longer walk around the bar, she seemed to be leaving... and then turned her gait naturally to bring herself to the other end of the bar where Zoe was seated. She approached, certainly not moving like a tourist.

"You look like you've had a rough few days..." She said to Zoe. The woman's voice was soft and musical, pleasant to the ears and gentle on the mind.

 

[Callisa Asran]

VOID (I was on the wrong account e.e)

 

[Zoe Rosella]

The mysterious woman from across the bar began to move from her seat, Zoe panicked, worried about whether this woman was working for the Coruscanti security forces. She took her shot glass and raised it to her face in the hopes that she would not be recognised.. then just as it looked like the woman was leaving she turned towards Zoe and took a seat next to her. "You look like you've had a rough few days..." the woman said to Zoe in a soft and pleasant voice. Zoe gave a weary smile to the her, "You don't know the half of it.." she stated in hopes that the mysterious woman would somewhat understand and let her be.

Zoe peered from her glass, too her surprise seeing this gorgeous and classy woman dressed in black, Zoe thought "There's no way she is Coruscanti security.." as she signalled to the bartender for another two shots. Zoe handed one of the shots to the lady in black, speechless and confused.. "What could she possible want from me?" Zoe thought to herself in awe..

Zoe sat there in awkward silence, waiting to see what she had to say. Somewhat prepared to make a break for it if she was indeed here to arrest her.

 

[Crocell]

As she sat down beside the young woman, Ivory's honed senses picked up a tremor of panic behind the woman's voice which might have gone unnoticed by anyone but her. The way the black-haired femme fatale moved was like slow-motion quicksilver... The woman in the brown spacer's jacket responded in the hopes that it would end further conversation, but Ivory pressed.

She had sensed something... and would carry it through until its' conclusion.

Violet eyes peered at the woman; behind them was a fierce intellect, penetrating beyond whatever boundries Zoe might have placed to conceal herself from inspection. A laser-light from the next room over spun in their direction, highlighting for a heartbeat the blue & purple gems which lined each of Ivory's earlobes, and they sparkled. Ivory lifted a hand lazily, turning her head toward the bartender (who was conveniently already looking in their direction) and held up two fingers. The bartender immediately begin to move and the steady gaze of the woman returned to her new companion.

Ivory could see the wheels turning...

And she smiled disarmingly.

"I'm Ivory," She began, offering a hand toward the woman who seemed awfully closed up for someone in a brand-new Casino.

At that moment, the bartender arrived with two shots and Ivory passed one to the Spacer. "Drink up," She said, and would move to do so herself... only drinking if the woman drank first.

[member="Zoe Rosella"]

 

[Zoe Rosella]

Zoe had decided that regardless if she was here to arrest her, she would be caught. She saw the woman hold her hand out to her whilst saying "I'm Ivory," Zoe couldn't help but wonder what she would want from her. "I'm Zoe.." she said awkwardly in hope that Ivory would leave her alone however she persisted on conversation. The bartender arrived with two shots, Ivory passed one to Zoe. "Drink up," she told Zoe, holding her glass and waiting for her to down it. Zoe drank the shot with caution, who was she to turn down a free drink? "Can I help you?" Zoe said wearily to Ivory whilst looking around for potential attackers

Zoe knew she wouldn't make it far if this was a ruse so she waited in anticipation to see what Ivory had to say..

[member="Ivory Stroud"]

 

[Crocell]

Ivory placed her glass down on the counter and smiled, fully aware of the young woman's nervousness. She leaned in toward Zoe, as-if sharing a piece of secret information between them... her voice low, to keep their conversation private.

"I just couldn't help but notice, you didn't seem to be having much fun in my casino."

She leaned back then, watching the woman's reaction with a sly smile on her face. Then, she continued at normal volume: "There's quite a bit to see & do... have you, perhaps, considered the slot machines?" The raven-haired femme fatale had evaluated Zoe's clothing, and figured she didn't have much money to spare... though she was unsure if the woman was simply visiting, or residing at the Casino.

She'd have to be sure to check. Perhaps Angelo might know...

"Not that I assume you wouldn't have fun at some of our other games... but you seem like you might need something a little less stressful than Sabbac. Unless..."

She glanced at Zoe, leaning her elbow on the bar as she regarded the woman cooly, "You prefer more exciting & risky games of chance?" The metaphor would have been obvious to someone such as Ivory.

Already, she had begun piecing together this strange creature's motivations for sitting alone at a bar in one of the most instantly successful resorts on Coruscant. There was something unusual about this woman, with her spacer's outfit and anxious demeanor... Something which told Ivory that this woman wasn't entirely clean, like most of the clientele which passed through their doors. And perhaps there was something, yet, Ivory could do for her.

[member="Zoe Rosella"]

 

[Zoe Rosella]

Zoe took in all Ivory had to say, nodding to each word in her not-so-sober state.. "You prefer more exciting & risky games of chance?" Said Ivory, catching Zoe's attention. She couldn't help but wonder what Ivory meant by this.. "Surely she wouldn't be asking me if she was Coruscanti security.. right?" Zoe quizzed herself. At that point she knew she couldn't undo what was previously done, she looked directly into Ivory's eyes, "What do you have in mind? Will it save me from what would be coming for me?" Zoe asked, hoping for some good news. Zoe's attitude had changed immediately from nervous and worried to more of a whatever attitude, after all, what did she have left to lose? Whatever Ivory had in store for her, she was sure it would make a lasting impact on her life, but she was ready for it..

[member="Ivory Stroud"]

 

[Crocell]

Ivory regarded the woman carefully, deciding in that instant to give her a shot. Only someone concerned with avoiding the law would be so curious as-to her identity... and so paranoid over a simple conversation. As the Casino was new, and the Organization of-which Ivory was part were relatively unknown, she assumed that this woman, Zoe, was entirely unaware of the place she'd found herself in.

Perhaps it was her destiny.

"I have a friend... that I'd like to introduce you to."

Smiling, Ivory reached into her small clutch purse and produced a card; on it, was a name: "Auberon", and the address of a pawn shop on Nar Shaddaa.

"Perhaps you'll be safer on The Smuggler's Moon?" She asked.

[member="Zoe Rosella"]

 

[Zoe Rosella]

Zoe listened carefully as Ivory explained that she had a friend she wanted Zoe to meet. She took the card which read "Auberon" and had an address of what seemed to be a pawn shop on Nar Shaddaa. "Thank you." she muttered to Ivory, wanting to, once again, escape Coruscant.

With haste, Zoe left the casino in search of a ride to Nar Shaddaa, thankfully there were merchants, rather conveniently, not far from the casino. They were willing to take her to Nar Shaddaa in exchange for a hand on the ship.. so she left Coruscant..

Nar Shaddaa Adventure

[member="Ivory Stroud"]

 

[Crocell]

Thread Complete!

Thank you, [member="Zoe Rosella"], for being so fluid and such a great writing partner!!! <3