Seasonal Fun at the Red Ronin [TSC & Friends]

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Anet Raine
Location: Nar Shaddaa
Outfit

"Anything living is a beast."

Grim. Great talk Reina. Great talk. As her armour clattered against the ground, she made a mental note to get something quieter than that. Of course, she could have helped with getting the armour off, but...hey. Anet didn't ask and seemed like she wanted to do it herself. Reina wasn't going to complain about that. It helped her to relax more.

Perhaps fortunately for the pair, Reina was good with her balance. She had to be. Growing up on a boat, and then having a prosthetic leg for as long as she had, balance had been an acquired skill. That was not to say that it wasn't a shock to feel Anet holding onto her tightly, as Reina pulled the half-Pantoran against herself to give as much support as needed. In a way, she was giving the kind of support she had always wanted but never been able to receive.

"...You sound nervous, 'Net. You don't need to be."

Damn it Reina. Why were you coming up with some kind of pet name? Pet names implied fondness. She didn't want to be fond of Anet. But it was still the truth. Anet didn't need to be nervous. Not with Reina at least.
​

 

[Anet Raine]

"Anything living is a beast."

Oh.

Oh.

"Oh..." she murmured.

Anet practically melted against her. She knew it wasn't intentional - or at least didn't think so - but these were the most agreeable words of the night. They struck deep at the core of Anet's views; her personal philosophy. The way she was a Sith, but only half the why.

Then, Reina called her 'Net... Had someone called her that before? No, she hadn't recalled any nicknames at all. She had to pause for a second, lingering, oblivious that her tongue stopped, awkwardly prodding for the other side of their kiss. It was an emotional experience, and it made her feel gross. She didn't want that - not here, not now.

Distraction was a good answer... Lean back in. "Think about what she said before," her animal brain told her. "Anything living is a beast... Including you.. including her..."

She just wanted to be a creature.

Anet pulled away, taking Reina's hand, and walked backwards. She wanted to lead them away from the ledge and towards a more secluded spot on the roof. She glanced over her shoulder and spied a stack of construction materials under a tarp. That would do.

Her eyes returned to the woman, and held in them something between hostility and need. She wasn't in a good place, in her head or her heart, but that didn't stop her. She needed to feel good tonight, and a small fragility didn't want to let this woman go just because she got stuck in her own head for a moment.

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Anet Raine
Location: Nar Shaddaa
Outfit

It was a part of Reina's own philosophy. Anything alive, was an animal. People may try to find a way to justify themselves, to say that they were better than animals. That because they could think that they should somehow remove themselves from what was natural. It was a belief that Reina didn't share fondly. Death was natural. Killing was natural. But only for survival. Not for joy. Not for entertainment. Not out of anger. But to survive. You or them. Your loved ones or some strangers.

Did that make her evil? Did it make her lesser than other people? Reina was not the kind of person to think it made her better than others. Just because she saw what she believed to be life's "true nature" didn't mean she had an ego over it. If anything, it made her lack in confidence more than ever. She wished she could be more oblivious to things. To stop the thoughts that went on in her head. To go back to when she was just a fishmonger. Living day in to day out, just selling fish...

Yet with all that said and done, when Anet dragged Reina off towards the tarp, she knew. Anet was not in a good place. Mentally, nor emotionally. It was familiar. Reina had been in that place so often. She was still trying to crawl out of it some days. And so...there was some slight hesitation. Would this not ultimately harm Anet more than it would help?

It is why ultimately, at the end of the day, Reina could not be evil. She could not be a Sith. She cared. Far too much. She could rage against people. She could fight the idea of getting close to people. But she wanted to help. She wanted to be a beacon in the Dark for those who needed it, as much as her own Light was not the brightest.

And so, Reina decided to stay with Anet for the night. To help the half-Pantoran as much as she could. To be the Light and Warmth she thought Anet needed, even if it was for only a single night. Anet wasn't going to let Reina go. Well, the same could be said for Reina.
​

 

[Riffraff Ranat]

Tag: Lysander von Ascania | Naniti | Varin Mortifer | Seren Gwyn | Skael the Patient | Arris Windrun

The wizard boy spoke in measured rhymes but at least one thing was clear: Riffraff had her foot in the door. Discretion was as natural as breathing to her, that wouldn't be an issue. Getting a read on what needed doing within the loose structure of the Covenant though? That would take some time.

Riffraff didn't so much as blink at the sudden appearance of Skael, though one ear twitched as Seren acquiesced to the bid for peanuts. Taking a long drag on her newly lit herbs, the woman gave a fanged smile with squinted orange eyes, regarding the togruta for the first time properly. She was squarely outnumbered, particularly with Snees gone off somewhere, so even though the ranat was leery to tag along for a journey to the rooftop, she decided to risk it anyway.

With a nudge, Riffraff invited Skael onto her shoulder and jumped down off the stool.

"Whatever you say, Boss."

Her short legs kept up well enough and the herbal scent of whatever she was smoking had an energizing, minty aspect to it. Upon seeing the set up on the roof, the ranat gave a low whistle. Immediately her attention was drawn to the keyboard, which she approached as one might an old friend. While the others sorted themselves out and more joined their number, the small purple woman started making adjustments to the instrument and stool beside it, even going so far as to double check the sound system in general and ensure it was set to agreeable levels.

As others started to contribute to the harmony of the night air, Riffraff gradually eased in with some background synth jams. Her smoke tucked in the corner of her mouth as one foot absently tapped against the air where her legs dangled from her seat.

​

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti Arris Windrun Varin Mortifer Riffraff Ranat Seren Gwyn Skael the Patient

He watched as the bass passed through Varin’s hands. "I’ve been collecting them,” quiet as breath. “Here and there. I’ve learned that travel has a way of putting the right things in your path when you’re not looking for them.” Not only instruments, it turned out. The neon horizon drew his attention for a moment, then came back to his co-apprentice. “Started after I left Korriban.”

Above the noise, it was already a welcome respite from the Red Ronin’s excess.

The electric guitar was eased down, resting against the crate with care.

He moved away, crossing the space until he stood a few paces from Arris. Somewhere behind him, Seren’s voice carried. Lysander didn’t turn, but he heard it all the same.

A hand slipped back into the coat, returning with the joint and an igniter. A hiss followed and the tip caught. An ember bloomed. He drew in slowly, notes of citrus registering first, something earthier settling right after. The breath was held, lungs full, before an exhale slipped into the Nar Shaddaa night.

The last time had been on Canto Bight, after delivering a bounty; that chapter already felt like forever ago. Tonight answered as reason enough to return. Burning a joint before burning down an entire sector with the Dark Horse carried its own logic.

Held between two fingers, he offered it to her.

“A strain A’Mia and I have been cultivating back on Brosi. It’s been consistent, and the results have been solid. We just haven’t found the right name for it yet.”

 

[Naniti]

"Are you suggesting you wouldn't enjoy being a Lord?" Naniti replied with a smile. One couldn't remain an Acolyte forever. Well, one could, but eventually there'd be some self-serving Lord that'd sooner spend your life on a foolish gamble; times like those it became clear what the worth of rank could be. If one Lord fought another it came down to power not title. At least that's how Naniti saw it. Especially since she wanted to get her hands on an unredacted copy of That report.

As they started on their way, Lysander seemed occupied briefly. They soon came upon Arris looking like an explosion looking for a reason to go off. Whether it was to give Arris something else to do, or to spare his bar the detonation, Naniti returned the silent nod the other woman had given her in the wake of Lysander's invitation. Conversation didn't look to be high on Arris' list of things to engage in. Something serious had transpired elsewhere. As curious as she might be about it, Naniti knew to leave well enough alone for now.

"What an atmosphere." It had mood. Not a whole lot else going for it, but certainly a few things for the eye to gander over.

As the group filtered into the room, the Togruta was suddenly confronted by an insistent Varin. A bass guitar had been thrust in Naniti's direction. Her brow flat and low, she gave Lysander a quick look. Her brow lifted as she shifted the guitar in her hands. "Yeah. Right." A thumb passed over the aged strings.

A mildly befuddled look crossed her face as she looked back to Lysander. Travel had a way of putting things in your path? And somehow the Force had decided 'ancient instruments' needed to be in his, and so he collected a host of them? Was that the polite way of saying these were cursed artifacts?

Seren seemed inclined to humor Lysander though. Naniti rolled her heads, gave a shake of her head, and brought the neck of the guitar up. Well, Varin said he wanted her to show him what she had. Nice as Seren's voice was, a little harmonic support with an instrument would help add body and soul to her performance. So, Naniti figured out the beat and matched the other woman's energy. Not overpowering the vocals, but complimenting them.

What was it with all these lessons in working together? At this rate they might just figure out how to take over the galaxy. Suited her just fine; easier to study a Galactic Machine when you didn't have to worry about bothersome Jedi wandering around openly.

Lysander von Ascania | Arris Windrun | Varin Mortifer | Riffraff Ranat | Seren Gwyn | Skael the Patient

 

[Skael the Patient]

Tags: Naniti Lysander von Ascania Arris Windrun Varin Mortifer Riffraff Ranat Seren Gwyn

Beady obsidian eyes watched Seren carefully until she pushed the bowl over to the bird.

Then it hopped towards the bowl, pushing it back and fro with the beak, as if to play with its food. Until finally it plucked one of the peanuts out of the bowl and snapped at it, opening its beak wide to let it fly down until it swallowed it whole.

One could almost imagine it doing the same with a ribcage.

"Peanuts make birds happy. And happy birds are less likely to peck out eyes and tongues." The disembodied voice informed the whole group, wisely, sagely. Then it noticed that Riffraff, his staunch companion, friend and ally, was offering transportation. The bird hopped and hopped... and hopped before jumping right on Riff's shoulder.

There the beak lovingly began pecking at Riff's fur. Gentle, of course, since his friend practiced very good fur hygenie. There would be no lice here to eat.

"And birds also remember those who offer transportation in trying times." The voice declared further, while the bird wondered when or if Riffraff would call him out for playing his little game.

The bird decided to act in advance.

"Hello Riffraff, my friend. Are these new friends of ours?" The beak was moving now, oh, so birds could talk after all.