Public Come get a drink at Kalipher's~ (Coruscant, late evening)

[Zelroga]

COME GET A DRINK AT KALIPHER'S

DRESS CODE: smart work attire; smart casual
LOCATION: The Veda Pearl, Coruscant Plains

It's a late, rainy Taungsday evening in Coruscant and Kalipher's bar is open for business. Hard day at the office? Heard about our amazing cocktails? Want to get out of the cold? Need to chat with a business partner? Grab a seat!

The bar is staffed by Lazru, who will be ever so glad to answer your questions and serve you drinks. He might also be up for a little talk if you don't distract him from work too much.




(remember to check out the Kalipher's page for a reference, drinks menu and an ambience track!)


​

Spoiler: Important OOC details!

• This is a classy establishment. If you're wearing your grubby low-sector slops you won't be let in. No fighting gear either.​
• Try take note of who else is there if you can, so you can get a feel for how busy it is and what the dynamics of the room are -- if I take a while to reply, feel free to interpret that as Lazru being busy and tending to another customer.​
• Characters must be 18+ This is a bar.​
• Just drinks are being served atm in rp. Food is not being served nor are npcs eating, minus perhaps a couple of tables finishing up.​
• Please feel free to interact with each other -- this thread is to serve as a point of contact for other characters. Maybe you'll meet the love of your life, or the business connection you've been dying to make.. or both?!​
• After a week or so I will close the bar with Lazru waving you out​
• Any threat of violence will be dealt with -- this place has security, so if you cause trouble (which is allowed if it makes ic sense) you need to expect harsh consequences as a result and go with it.​

 

[Starlin Rand]

Accompanied by: Tom Kovack
Tags: Zelroga | Open

Two young men were sitting at the far end of the bar, in full view of the patrons walking in and out through the entrance.

One of them was Tom. He wore a dashing black uniform with foreign (and out of date) insignia, the design formal enough to be considered almost overdressed even at a fancy establishment like this. He looked like a cadet that had wandered in after the close of a military ceremony.

The other, skinnier of the two was Starlin. He wore a much more casual outfit consisting of a red shirt with a black jacket and pants. One hand stroked his chin, the other clutching a holomenu, his blue eyes scanning the offerings uncomprehendingly. Underneath the table, his feet - clad in old black loafers he'd cleaned up and been able to pass off as dress shoes - were tapping out a nervous rhythm against the carpeted floor.

They were here to celebrate his turning eighteen. A small party at the Rands' apartment on Coruscant, attended by a few old friends whom he could barely connect with anymore, had ended with everyone awkwardly filing out, leaving behind Starlin, Tom, and Starlin's mother, who had given her son a hug, a warning to "be careful", and then gone to bed.

Tom watched Starlin squirm, an amused smile creeping across his face. "Anything jumping out at you?" he asked.

"I have no idea what any of this is," Starlin replied, letting the menu drop from his hands onto the counter, "and no clue where to start. It all looks expensive and sounds weird."

"Well, you could ask for a suggestion." Tom inclined his head in the direction of the Zeltron bartender.

"Oh, you mean the person that wants my money?"

Tom's smile widened. "Or you could just order the same thing as me."

Starlin grew pale and gulped in exaggerated dread. "No thanks, whatever you order would probably kill me." Glancing over the menu one last time, he shrugged and got the attention of Lazru. "'scuse me, I'll have, uh... the Sunset on Coruscant."

A reflexive snort from Tom was swiftly concealed. "Bespin Fizz, please." At Starlin's questioning glare, Tom grinned. "You picked the fruitiest one."

"I like fruits." Starlin sighed, then wagged his finger at Tom. "Don't you dare try to run with that one, schutta. I'm onto you."

Thus began the Adventures in Alcohol, Vol. 1.

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

A glass of Naboo emerald wine brought back pleasant memories. One of her longer-term undercover lifetimes had involved inhabiting the body, title, estate, and job description of her cousin Lady Ajira Cardei, a Director General at Theed Hangar. The emerald wine tasted different on Ashin's taste buds than it had on Ajira's. Still delicious, but not the same, and it never would be.

Thus ever to those who lived in past glories and boasts and nostalgia; thus ever to those who refused to move forward.

Therefore, Ashin Varanin set the glass aside and flagged down a waiter to try something different.

She was here alone: in better days, her wife would have joined her, but Spencer was dead and Ashin didn't have a 'let's go for classy drinks' relationship with their daughters. Even so, she'd sent a message to both Quinn Varanin and Noelle Varanin on the off chance they were both available and interested.

She ordered a Bloody Rancor straight from Tatooine. It didn't quite count as living dangerously, but the bone garnish might be of interest.

 

[Zelroga]

'Ah, excellent choices, gentlemen... The Sunset on Coruscant in particular,' the handsome bartender said with a small wink to Starlin. He set down the cocktail glass he was polishing and waved a finger. 'One Bespin Fizz and Sunset on Coruscant coming right up.'

Lazru turned around and plucked out two glasses from the bright barshelves behind him. He was quite a wonder to watch -- herbs, syrups, crushed ice and bottles seemed to fly back and forth between his hands at an astonishing rate.

When he turned back he was holding a colourful creation in each hand. A little careful garnishing, and ever, ever so careful placement of each drink on a Kalpiher's coaster.

'Now-' he said, gesturing to a positively smoking glass before Tom. 'Here you are, sir. Enjoy.'

Spoiler: Bespin Fizz

'And for you sir~' he said to Starlin. 'Enjoy..

Spoiler: Sunset on Coruscant

Starlin Rand

 

[Noelle Varanin]

The invitation, while unexpected, was a bit serendipitous. Lately there always came a point in Noelle's studies where she hit a wall. It had always been Spencer's role in her life to guide her through her instructions, but as fate would have it there was no one around to dig Noelle out of holes anymore.

And she was in, oh, a bit of one.

It was Noelle's intention to arrive and toss all her problems at Ashin for the woman to untangle. Why is this soul bonded to me? She had clearly messed something up.

Kal was most certainly not her mother.


Yet all of this became significantly less vital as she came to glimpse Ashin sitting on her own. Her breath caught in her chest, her mother's rapid deterioration evident from across the room. Her finger's clenched around the caged crystal, the necklace slowly tucked under the high collar of her dress. Noelle rarely knew the meaning of dress down. She'd walk through in dirt covered slacks if it restored a few precious years to her mother's face.

Ashin had warned her.


Her previous concerns fell to the wayside, a thought itching at the back of her mind. Why was she called? She walked forward with less 'oomf' than before, a cautious edge to her motions as she came to take the seat besides her. "Mother," she greeted softly, looking carefully over Ashin's features.

"Is everything alright?"


Ashin Cardé Varanin

 

[Zelroga]

Lazru loved it when people ordered the rancor, and he made that very clear indeed: 'Madam...' he said with a deep sigh and eyes closed, 'you have wonderful taste in drinks. You won't regret this particular number, trust me.'

He grabbed a squat little glass from behind him and went about warming and stirring some of the finest rancor you could find on this planet. The heat made it even more aromatic -- both salty and sweet with some spicy notes.

With incredible focus the zeltron crouched down a little, eyes level with the glass, and dropped a bone over the rim with a pair of silver tweezers. Perfection.

'Enjoy, madam. Mind, it is rather strong!'

Spoiler: Bloody Rancor

Ashin Cardé Varanin

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

Ashin accepted the drink from Lazru with precision to match his, a mark of respect for the Zeltron headwaiter's work. She passed him a smile and refocused on her daughter.

"So glad you could make it, Noelle. And you're right, of course: there's a reason. We owe each other an update."

Each of them had tasks that could lead to Spencer's resurrection; each had their own initiative; each had been putting in work. Presumably at least. Truth be told, she wasn't sure she knew Noelle well enough to know whether she could rely on her daughter. She rather hoped so, though, and not just because any progress was valuable. At some level, Ashin just didn't want to be alone in her work. Or alone at all.

Maybe, just maybe, their daughters could fill that Spencer-shaped void. In time.

"Have you found her throne?"

Zelroga Noelle Varanin

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle wished Zelroga had spent more time pouring the drink. Ashin's directness was everything she had expected of her, and still she was not ready to answer that question.

Hello, yes. Nice to see you too. I'm well. You look like death.

She took in a deep breath, gesturing to the waiter to double that order he had just placed down. She let it out, answering delicately. "Not through conventional means." And not for lack of trying.

"I've made progress-- I've found someone who could get the answer for me. Albeit... indirectly. There's just a matter if making sure it gets done." And seeing to it that Kal didn't lie. How do you work with a spirit that had every reason to resist you? She had captured him. The moment she let him out of the stone, she'd lose all leverage.

The longer she kept him bonded, the more she felt the cost. It was a necessary sacrifice.

She unconsciously touched at the crystal under her shirt, her gaze training down to the table.

"How long do we have?"

Ashin Cardé Varanin

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

Ashin set the bone garnish aside and sipped the drink. It proved to be everything this place promised.

"If that's a delicate way of asking after my life expectancy, rest assured I mean to stay mortal and incarnate for the foreseeable future."

Half a smile, maybe a smirk, and gestured at her face. "This is the price of becoming strong enough to seize every possible opportunity to bring your mother back. No master of the dark side who looks youthful is worth taking seriously, unless they're an illusionist of course. I've always worn my crow's feet and gray hairs with pride."

Noelle Varanin

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle's eyes snapped to her own hands, scanning for age spots. None were found, nor was there a reason for there to be. It did little to assuage the concerns her recent actions had brought about.

"With you, it never hurts to ask." She regretted the words the moment they dropped, the bitterness simply slipping from her. She was usually much more tempered, but it was a quality that was beginning to allude her. She grimaced, yearning for a drink between her hands to fiddle with.

"I only meant to check on timing. If you need it soon, I'll push harder. I simply want to avoid ...breaking things if I do not have to."

Things. What a pretty way to name a 'Spirit'.

Ashin Cardé Varanin

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

"I'd hoped-" Expected. "-that finding her throne would be straightforward." Ashin kept the reprimand out of her tone and passed her daughter the drink menu. "Pick what you like - I'm paying, naturally. This place doesn't serve food tonight, so if we're hungry afterward, we'd need to go somewhere else."

She took a long appreciative sip of her Bloody Rancor. "I won't bore you with the opportunities that have fallen through at my end. There's one with real promise. I've been collaborating with my old friend Dissero - he'd deny it, but he's certainly the galaxy's greatest materials alchemist. We're working on an alchemical compass of sorts that should help me home in on your mother's Netherworld whereabouts."

Noelle Varanin

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle accepted the menu, her nails picking at the edge of the pages. The words blurred, her thoughts elsewhere. She had hoped to find the chair already too. She had hoped to contribute a lot more than she already had. She felt a rare flash of self-doubt, wondering if perhaps-- no. She let the thought slip away, Ashin's next words holding her interest.

"If you're looking at travel in the Netherworld, then perhaps... would someone that could move unhindered be of use?" Her fingers moved to unclip the hidden necklace, anticipation the answer. It had been stolen from Ashin's belongings, along with the summoning used to pull Kal from the plane.

The concept of being reprimanded mattered little if it could help.

It clinked onto the table, the once black stone now crystalized. It pulsing with faint energy, the colorless crystal representing the soul within-- white.

"I.... was aiming for her," was the only explanation given.

Ashin Cardé Varanin

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

A comment died on Ashin's lips as Noelle pulled out a unique little object - a pale crystal. It felt heavier in her palm than it should.

"There's no such thing as unhindered over there," Ashin said absently. "Most of its regions are brutal, baffling traps by design or mass expectation. A true wanderer is vanishingly rare. What have you trapped in here, Noelle?"

 

[Zelroga]

Lazru had been keeping an eye on the pair as he busied himself with cleaning the bartop and cutting up the various garnishes for the night. It was very important not to butt in when a group jumped into such deep conversation, so he had left them be (though of course he took glances of joy now and again to see how much the elder of the two enjoyed the rancor. He couldn't help it). Usually it were couples bickering or businessmen hotly disagreeing, but this sounded all... very...well, It was fair to say this was not the usual sort of conversation he semi-overheard.

His eyes widened when he saw Noelle handle the menu and took that as his cue.

'I am so sorry to interrupt, madams, but I would be sorrier still to leave you adrfit without a drink if wanted one,' he said, nodding politely to Noelle. 'What can I get for you?'

Noelle Varanin | Ashin Cardé Varanin

 

[Avalore]

.

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle's answer caught on her tongue, the waiter given a tight, flustered smile. "Surprise me." She snapped the menu closed, precise movements sliding it back to its space between the two patrons.

She had only come for the company. Unlike her mother she gave very little thought towards what she put between her lips. She'd likely be content with water. Blasphemy, I know.

She waited a beat, then replied to Ashin.

"A spirit. ... From the Netherworld." She bit her lip, eyes trailing sideways to watch Ashin's response to it. "He calls himself a Shadow. I would think that he was lying for a chance to escape, but there's something abnormal about this one."

Not that she had any context to compare it to.

"Have you heard of his kind before?"

Ashin Cardé Varanin Zelroga

 

[Ashin Cardé Varanin]

"Respect, dear," said Ashin quietly after the waiter moved on. "That Zeltron is an artist."

She shook her head at Noelle's question and closed her fist tightly around the stone. "Half the denizens of the underworld call themselves shadows or shades, and the other half get called it by others. You should understand, Noelle, most beings who die return to the cosmic Force and become parts of new life; the underworld, the netherworld, is something like a filter that catches strangeness, great feeling, unfinished business - all kinds of lives can get caught in the grate, at least for a time. All that to say, I need more information. Excuse me a moment."

She closed her eyes and sent her thoughts deep into the stone, aiming to get a better sense of the being within. The simplest was was command.

WHAT ARE YOU.


Kal Noelle Varanin Zelroga

 

[Kal]

Since his summoning and subsequent imprisonment, the one known as Noelle had taken to carrying him about more often than was strictly necessary, though he had to admit the distraction was better than just lying around, gathering dust. The simple truth that he seemed able to hassle her even if left behind was explanation enough - even so, her decision to maintain skin contact so often was probably a pretty poor idea.

It most certainly did not make anything he might seek to do harder, that's for sure.

The exchange between Noelle and her still-living mother piquing his interest, especially given the presence the eldest Varanin possessed, the crystal that now rested between them glowing just a bit brighter. At least the Elder had some respect for the complexities of Netherworld navigation.

<Water is very sensible, it fills your needs most splendidly.> Responding to the unspoken thought more to mess with her than to accomplish anything specific, Kal's follow-up was more sincere. <I do not lie without good reason, Noelle. It is a very rude habit to...>

WHAT ARE YOU.

Feeling oddly compelled to answer, the elder Varanin - and by extension her offspring - would find themselves on the receiving end of a quick surge of telepathic images. Specifics would be difficult to discern, no doubt, but it was clear the being was one of several and artificially created at that.

Whatever Kal was, he was not exactly alive (at least in the biological sense) and never had been.

<Ooof. Your mother is very rude, Noelle.>

Noelle Varanin | Ashin Cardé Varanin​

 

[Noelle Varanin]

Noelle winced.

She was very 'decent' at many things. Spencer had made sure that her daughter had gotten exposure to anything time and money could by, but it meant that even at 18, Noelle had not yet settled on a focus. Mental finesse was damn near her birthright, but she struggled to keep Kal's intrusions out. Was it because of the strange way she had lashed him to her, or just a lack of proficiency with the skill?

Neither answer was palatable.

<I didn't ask for your commentary,> she bristled back, absorbed in their exchange. She paused, her mistrust not lessening.

<...And I'd say freedom is good enough reason to lie. She'll need more than that.>

Ashin Cardé Varanin Kal

 

[Zelroga]

The tender's nostrils flared a little and he tossed his dark pink waves when the young lady passed back the menu. A surprise, hm? Oh there would be a surprise. He was going off-road, off menu, this would be spectacular!

After flurries of syrups, knives and the clinking of various bottles, he returned a little later with a beautiful glass full of edible flowers and citrus slices. He set it down carefully on a Kalipher's coaster before her. 'It's my own creation. Lazru's Surprise, madam. It'll cost cheapest charge on our drink's menu. Enjoy~'

Spoiler: Lazru's Surprise

Noelle Varanin Ashin Cardé Varanin