Look at that...

[Alice Shaw]

Alice pulled the bodice of her dress a little higher. They always seemed smaller the second she stepped out onto the varnished wood of the stage. Her blonde hair, the bulk of this tied up behind her neck, hung in wispy ringlets by her shoulders. The floor she occupied tonight was a high class smoking lounge, once again for the richer residents and tourists of Coruscant. Men in various suits sat in comfortable leather armchairs around small glass tables. Usually with a large cigarra hanging from the corners of their mouths.

The tables, adored with brown glasses and slowly melting ice cubes, sat in reaching distance of the clients. Card's flicked vigorously from the players finger tips as they grumbled in frustration or grinned, fuelling their already huge ego's. There were the occasional different folk, one of those force using people. Alice had met a few in her career, though cared little for anything but their stories.

The curtains rose, and the note that had been building in Alice's chest rose to escape her lips. The music fit perfectly into the atmosphere. Settling in with the curls of smoke and exhaling lungs. Thank god she only did one song. Already she felt the burn of the smoke against her lungs. Still her voice sang high, above the lower hum of chatter. From the corner of her eye she spotted a new face...

As she hit the second chorus she resolved to fix their unfamiliarity.

[member="Max Scorpio"]

 

[Max Scorpio]

Max walked into the smoky bar, waving some out of the air in front of him. He coughed loudly, not used to such a.. Cancerous place. He took a seat at a table, ordering a corellian whiskey as he started to adjust to the atmosphere. He didn't usually go to smoking lounges, but he had heard who was going to be singing tonight, Alice Shaw. He had heard much about her and indeed wanted to hear her for himself. Once she started singing, he smiled. It was the best thing he had heard in a while, and he intended to enjoy it..

[member="Alice Shaw"]

 

[Alice Shaw]

As the song drew to a close and the heavy sound of the saxophone filtered itself to a stop, Alice looked out to the crowd. She had always preferred the lights on stage to be dimmer, that way the audience were not too distracted by her, and she could sneak her own looks at them. There was the faint hint of a smile on her face as she spoke a few words, thanking the clients and the staff in her usual manner. She made her way down the side steps of the stage where a drink was already waiting to aid her social interaction. She picked her way through the crowd, occasionally stopping to regard a more well known patron to her. Eventually, she lowered her weight into the leather arm chair opposing [member="Max Scorpio"]. "Well fancy that. A new face."

 

[Max Scorpio]

As he listened to her, he smiled. He began to forget his troubles. The sith invasion of Couruscant. Having to hide his force presence to stay alive. He just relaxed. Once the show was over, he clapped loudly and took a sip of his drink. She began walking in his direction. Smiling, he set his drink down and watched her. When she sat and spoke, he reached a hand out and said "Max Scorpio, at your service." He coughed a bit as more smoke entered his lungs, then waved some away from his face.

[member="Alice Shaw"]

 

[Alice Shaw]

Alice flashed an elegant smile, reaching her hand up to meet his. "Alice Shaw. At yours." His immediate discomfort was obvious to her. It wasn't hard to tell which people weren't used to the smoke. Alice wasn't used to it herself, but a stage face definitely aided the façade. She pursed her lips for a moment, before leaning forward and offering him a daring grin. "I know a place that isn't filled with second hand terminal illnesses. If you'd like to join me?"

[member="Max Scorpio"]