Bright Lights

[Zesiro]

Zesiro was looking for a night out on the town. The chance to have fun and let loose. Her time with empire had mellowed her and given her a purpose. There were days, like today, where she wanted to return to what she had been for a short time.

So she found such a place and it was called Warehouse 13. A place where booze, drugs, passion and anything else that might be kept behind closed doors was open for the taking.

The young Sith walked in and was assaulted by the sounds, sites and the emotions inside. Her blue eyes alight with expectations and the desire to once again be her own self. She turned heads, but that she used to by now. Even on the days when she didn't try to flaunt what she possessed, it happened anyway.

Walking up to the bar, she ordered her drink and turned to look at who was around. The bodies moving together on the floor made her heart race, those in the dark corners made her smile. This was a part of life she missed.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

From the upstairs privacy of the VIP section, John Doe looked upon the crowd. Warehouse 13 was a sordid establishment, one that served it's purpose well enough. What exactly was that purpose? A symbol of the crime lord's emergence in the area? Partly so. But it also a great opportunity for John to reach out and enlist those who stood out from the crowd.

He had an open-door policy when it came to visiting him in the secure area. However, few knew who resided above the main nightclub, and even fewer still dared to approach the homicidal clown. Many a person had brazenly entered his haven and place of meditation and disappeared since then, only to be found in a gutter weeks later, body mutilated to the point where even their closest friends could hardly recognize the corpse that was once a companion, a smile plastered on their lifeless face.

Needless to say, the patrons of the underground establishment kept their distance from the VIP section.

Clad in his usual attire, a purple suit with green hair slicked back to a sheen, John Doe took a shot of Corellian whiskey. The good stuff.

"Ah, that really hit the spot. Keep 'em coming. You see anyone of note yet, Kirky?"

The clown's bodyguard shrugged, not turning away from the one-way viewport that overlooked Warehouse 13.

"Don't see anyone yet, boss."

"Maybe you need to get your eyes fixed, buddy boy. Want me to do it? I'm a licensed eye doctor, I swear!"

The henchman cast a slightly fearful glance at his employer, who had procured a nasty-looking knife from the folds of his jacket.

"Uh, no thanks, boss. I'll look harder."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Warehouse 13 was a new establishment and even though it was quite popular, Zesiro could still almost smell the fresh varnish on the furniture.

Her drink arrived, paying the bartender, she asked who the owner was.

"John Doe."

The bartender's eyes briefly glanced at the window high above them overlooking the dance floor. Her eyes got an almost look of fear and she turned to look back at Zesiro.

"I wouldn't ask more if I were you or you'll draw his attention."

She moved off to serve other patrons and started to ignore Zesiro completely. The lack of company did not last long and soon another person came to pay attention to her and offered her some deathsticks. Accepting his offer, she took one, lit up and asked him what he knew of this John Doe.

"He's an odd character and don't like to be bothered."

He looked the young sith up and down and back at her eyes.

"You might be to his tastes. If you go up there", he made a quick gesture with his head at the stairs that lead to the elevator, "just watch yourself." The vendor moved on making more cries to sell his goods.

She finished her deathstick and decided to take the chance on approaching this mysterious John Doe. People watched her as she moved up the stairs, none making a move to stop her though. The music kept going, the passion kept pumping and the drinks kept pouring. Zesiro called the elevator and waited in the bright light that illuminated the area in front of them.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[Zesiro]

Warehouse 13 was a new establishment and even though it was quite popular, Zesiro could still almost smell the fresh varnish on the furniture.

Her drink arrived, paying the bartender, she asked who the owner was.

"John Doe."

The bartender's eyes briefly glanced at the window high above them overlooking the dance floor. Her eyes got an almost look of fear and she turned to look back at Zesiro.

"I wouldn't ask more if I were you or you'll draw his attention."

She moved off to serve other patrons and started to ignore Zesiro completely. The lack of company did not last long and soon another person came to pay attention to her and offered her some deathsticks. Accepting his offer, she took one, lit up and asked him what he knew of this John Doe.

"He's an odd character and don't like to be bothered."

He looked the young sith up and down and back at her eyes.

"You might be to his tastes. If you go up there", he made a quick gesture with his head at the stairs that lead to the elevator, "just watch yourself." The vendor moved on making more cries to sell his goods.

She finished her deathstick and decided to take the chance on approaching this mysterious John Doe. People watched her as she moved up the stairs, none making a move to stop her though. The music kept going, the passion kept pumping and the drinks kept pouring. Zesiro called the elevator and waited in the bright light that illuminated the area in front of them.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

"Come on, Kirky. I'll be less-than-gentle, but I'll fix your vision for sure! Hehehe!"

Kirk instinctively moved a few steps away from John Doe, making it as natural-looking as possible.

"Um...we got someone coming up the elevator now, actually."

The crime lord's eyebrows perked up, as if surprised.

"Really? I suppose we'll have to reschedule your appointment, then. Grab whoever it is and bring them here. Make it snappy!"

The henchman scampered off, lest he draw more of his boss' negative attention. John took a seat and reclined back, head held from behind by both of his hands in an air of superiority. Life was good, at least for the moment. The only thing he wanted was to make more people miserable. That's all. Was that so hard to ask for?

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

The doors opened and Zesiro stepped in, the new smell was way more noticeable here and she took a deep breath of it. The ride was smooth and she casually leaned against one of the walls. There were no windows inside or railings. The floor was carpeted and the walls a smooth wood. Brass or gold trim was around the edges and in the corners. There were only two buttons on the wall. One for there main floor and the other for where she was going.

The words and looks of those people downstairs instead of scaring Zesiro made her that much more curious about John Doe. What kind of person could strike that much fear into people? She had known a few people in her short life that could do that, but also knew each of them had weaknesses that could be exploited. This man would as well and Zesiro would learn what that was and use it to her advantage.

The elevator started to slow down and came to a stop. The door opened and a man stood waiting for Zesiro to her surprise.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

Kirk looked over the woman who had just exited the elevator, jaw nearly dropping to the floor. Damn, she was hot.

"Um..."

He took a second to clear his throat before speaking again, this time confident.

"My employer would like a word with you. Follow me."

With that, the two stepped off to the VIP room. They would pass through a rather bare hallway, devoid of any sort of decoration, before ending up in the main room, where the clown waited.

"Hubba hubba! What did the cat drag in today? Look at this! Those sparkly eyes, those strong cheekbones, that heaving bosom! My, my, if I were a different man, I'd take you out to eat steak and watch a movie! Bahahaha!"

John Doe leaped out of his seat and got close to Zesiro, grin widening even more than it usually was so the woman could see his yellow teeth and diseased gums. The crime lord was close. Too close for comfort, but not for him. To the clown, it was all about making people uncomfortable, to see how far he could push them until they broke, or at least fought back.

"What's your name, beautiful?"

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Zesiro looked the guard or what she thought to be one up and down and nodded when he said to follow him. She glanced at his rear end as he lead the way to employer. Nice butt, tight abs and broad shoulders, just the type of guy to get a gal swooning. Not Zesiro though, she was after power and this man didn't hold that. Her eyes looked in front of her and took the bare halls in at a glance. For a person with so much power, he really didn't display it.

Soon enough they reached the room at the end of the hallway and entered the VIP lounge. The words of the man surprised her and made her wonder if he was homosexual.

He moved in very close to her in what appeared to be an attempt to put her off guard, make her uncomfortable or maybe even to upset her. She just shook her head and gave him half a smile. His last words though made her reconsider her first thought, especially when he called her beautiful.

"Zesiro."

She inclined her head slightly as she said her name.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

"Zesiro! What a beautiful name, like it's owner. Hm, that half-smile. Too cute. What brings you into my territory, Zesiro? Looking for love in all the wrong places? Bahahaha!"

John Doe mockingly posed himself in an alluring fashion, propping a leg up on a stool and giving a firm slap to his rear end.

"Star-struck, I know. Take it all in, baby. You won't find another man like this anywhere in the galaxy!"

Kirk had to turn away, lest he laugh and draw Doe's attention.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

John Doe complimented her name and looks again, also mentioning her half smile. He asked what brought her here, but Zesiro held her tongue. This man was dangerous. She could tell by how he moved and acted. Knowledge of reading body language helped the woman there.

He had an odd sense of humor and she watched as he posed in front of her, pretending to act like a female.

"No, I don't imagine there is anybody else like you."

Her chin lowered slightly and she looked at him out of her blue eyes at a slight angle.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

John took his leg off of the stool and got close to Zesiro again. She still hadn't answered his question, and it was beginning to bother him, a nagging itch somewhere on his cerebral cortex that he wanted to scratch.

"You know, when I ask questions, people who ignore them are susceptible to...what's it called again...oh yeah, loss of life! So start yapping!"

A nasty-looking knife was being tossed back and forth between his chalk-white hands, a more sinister smile in place of his normally goofy grin.

Kirk coughed in the background.

"You might want to answer his questions, lady."

"My, my, Kirky. How perceptive of you."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

Zesiro thought she had answered him, but maybe the words never left her mouth. They sounded entirely out of place here and might just get her into trouble. John Doe moved in close again, this time with a knife being tossed between his hands. Her eyes fell to that for just a moment and back up into his.

"Curiosity drew me into your territory."

And that was simple truth of it. It was also said curiosity killed the cat, but Zesiro would not allow it to come to that.

All through the interaction, Zesiro stayed her ground and did not move away from him.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

"Some things are better left unnoticed, my dear."

John Doe, satisfied that his question had been answered, visually seemed to relax. He took a seat and put his knife back into the confines of his jacket.

"I could say the same for myself, though. I'm curious as well. Have a seat. But not on a chair. On my lap. Bahaha!"

Slapping his upper legs repeatedly, it didn't seem that the clown was joking. Kirk slightly blushed and looked away. He had certainly seen this happen before, being one of the crime lord's closest men, but that didn't make it any less awkward. He knew it was all a game, but still, did he really have to do things like that?

"You, uh, want a drink, lady? We got everything."

He was hoping that by interrupting in a way that was natural, the woman would be spared the rather unfortunate honor of placing her rear on the clown's lap. Or anywhere on him, as a matter of fact.

"Yes, yes, fetch the woman a drink. You can bring it to her while I whisper sweet nothings into her ear. Tehehehe!"

Now, for the homicidal maniac to work his charms...

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

What did he mean by his comment? With that knife playing comfortably in his hands, Zesiro could only assume what he implied. However, her answer satisfied him and he put the knife away as he sat down in his chair. What could he be curious about?

When he sat down, he told her take a seat at which she looked around for a chair. John Doe did not mean that though, he started slapping his legs, inviting her to sit on his lap. The guard looked away and appeared to be blushing. Did this happen often? Kirby offered her a drink and Zesiro nodded.

"Whiskey, please."

John agreed with Kirby and sent him off to fetch the drink, leaving them alone. She had asked for this and now she was stuck.

She watched as Kirby walked off and turned to look again at John. His purple coat matched his pants and his green hair provided a great contrast. His skin was pale, like he never sees the outside.

Zesiro though, was full of health. Her skin glowed with a natural hue of one that spends time out in nature, her clothing was that what she wore so long ago regularly. Skin tight black pants and laced up midriff top. The laces exposed her cleavage very well and left almost nothing to the imagination.

As the strange man requested, Zesiro took a seat on his lap and waited for Kirby to return with her drink.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

John grunted slightly as Zesiro took her seat, shifting ever so slightly.

"You're a little heavier than I thought you'd be. Tehehehe! So, what do you do for a living, eh? What puts bread on the table, credits in your pocket, and funding for those implants? Bahaha! Just kidding!"

His head was reclining on her shoulder now, and they were nearly face-to-face, a clear violation of the woman's personal space. It wasn't as if he cared. He did care for the answer, though. His green eyes were rapt and full of attention, seeming genuinely curious about Zesiro.

Meanwhile, Kirk was in a separate part of the VIP section, a minibar-like setting where a single Devaronian bartender catered to his one and only patron.

"Hey, Gravok. Gimme a shot of Corellian whiskey. Actually, make it two."

The alien blinked once, hard.

"Ah, the clown has a visitor?"

Kirk nodded in affirmation.

"You should've seen the mess I had to clean up after your last one. Took hours to scrub the blood off of the carpet."

"I did see it. I was right there."

The bartender shook his head apologetically, then poured the shots.

"That guy, John Doe. He frakking creeps me out, man. He's like that bogeyman my kid keeps telling me about, the one hiding in his closet, apparently."

Kirk grabbed the small glasses and nodded.

"Take care, Gravok."

"You too."

The henchman returned to the main VIP room, drinks in tow, half expecting to see this Zesiro woman dead on the floor, coated in blood, with his boss licking his knife. He gave off a silent sigh of relief when that wasn't the case.

"Got the drinks, boss."

"Put 'em on the table, Kirky. We're not done talking yet."

"Yes, sir."

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

John grunted slightly and adjusted his position when Zesiro sat down, saying she was heavier than he expected. She wasn't sure if she should be insulted or not. Of course, he was likely trying to keep her on her toes and make her uneasy or even maybe trying to anger her. He then asked what she did for a living and commented on her breasts, though he tried to turn that into a joke.

She didn't feel like telling him the truth as that might get her killed her. All good lies contain a piece of truth, so she decided to only tell him part.

"I'm a student and work doing side jobs for my teacher."

In fact, that wasn't a lie at all.

"And these are all natural."

Her eyes lowered to look at her own cleavage before returning to look at John's.

Kriby arrived with the drinks at that point and appeared relieved at something. Perhaps it was just the fact Zesiro was still alive. He set the drinks on the table and she really wanted to go take a sip of hers.

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

"Student? Side jobs? Bah! You can't kid a kidder, Z. As if anyone with a couple of functioning brain cells would come to Nar Shaddaa to learn or work...legally, that is. What is it you really do? Your secret is safe with me!"

John Doe could see through the lie. It was an exceptional gift he had, part of his 'unique' perspective. Well, it was a little of common sense too. The clown shook his head, a mock pout on his face.

"I'm shocked you would lie to me. We were hitting it off so well, too. Bahahaha!"

Kirk flinched instinctively. He knew that this could go both ways.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

John Doe had called her a liar, while her words were only partail in truth, she had not told him any lie. His words about visiting Nar Shadda for more clandestine works made her smile slightly.

"But it is true I am a student. Most of the work I do for my teacher are assassinations. I'm not here to do that to you though, don't you worry your pretty head about that."

She gave him what she hoped was a smile that would take any threat out of her words.

"Actually I'm not here to work. I'm here for pleasure and give into some of my vices."

[member="John Doe"]

 

[John Doe]

"An assassin? Ah. Freelance?"

John Doe seemed genuinely interested now. Kirk cocked his head to the side, seeing Zesiro in a new light. He could see how she could kill. Good looks, seductive attitude, and a few drinks would be all she would need to lure someone into their bed and gut them.

"You had my curiosity, dear Zesiro. But now you have my rapt attention. Tehehehe! Give her a shot, Kirky, ol' boy!"

"You got it, boss."

Walking over with one of the glasses, Kirk handed it over to the woman, still seated not so comfortably on the clown. He gave her a silent nod of approval, wordlessly telling her that she was on the right track with his boss. He did love his hired muscle and assassins, after all.

[member="Zesiro"]

 

[Zesiro]

John asked if she worked freelance and in answer she gave a slight shrug before speaking.

"I've never given that a thought. A side job outside of what I already do might be nice and certainly a change."

Finally she was allowed to have a drink of whiskey that had been brought in earlier. Zesiro took the glass from the guard and took her first sip of it. It was like smooth lightening going down. He nodded at her, indicating she was onto something.

"Just what are you curious about?"

[member="John Doe"]