Private My Pain, Your Thrill

[James Lanvarok]

​

The bar was located on the outskirts of Sith-Imperial space, but it was too close for James' liking. He just hoped his status as a defector and his career with the Imperial navy wouldn't be an obstacle, but he kept his head low and walked to the bar as though those specks in his history had been swept away.

Wearing a bomber jacket and his old military britches, he made an effort to look nice and had combed his hair for the first time in a long while. Standing in the doorway, he took a deep breath, exhaled and walked past the bouncer. It was quiet, much to his thanks and there was the odd girl sitting around the place. The door closed behind him and he gulped, before taking a step forward.

Standing in the middle of the room, James looked around, awkward and unsure of what to do. Tugging at his dirty, loose tie, he shuffled over to the bar, avoiding the turned up lips of a few attractive women as he did so.

Exhaling, he plonked himself down and stared at the bartop, his chest heaving up and down. The bar was small, dimly lit and bathed in pink neon from the sign on the back wall. Low plonks of a piano split the air, accompanied by a rusty sounding drum. Wondering what to do, James fiddled with his hands, avoiding the gaze of a woman sitting across from him. A bunch of questions crowded his mind. Should he talk to her? Buy her a drink? He wanted to, but he had only just got here here and hadn't had a drink himself.

Swallowing a gulp, James raised a hand and hailed the bartender over. Drying a glass, he turned around and smirked slightly as he looked at James.

"Just a Corellian Ale, thanks," he slurred, awkwardly rubbing his arm.

"Seven credits," the bartender said.

"Are you karking kidding me?!" James blurted out.

Damn, this place was expensive, at least for an unemployed starship nerd. Eyes wide, James stared at the bartop for a minute, then remembered why he was there. He was there to talk to girls and none of them would want to go home with him if they knew he had no money. Slumping his shoulders, he sighed, reached into his pocket and placed a credit chit on the bartop. The bartender swept it up and poured a drink, then slid it across the table to James.

Wrapping his hand around it, he took a sip, swallowed and looked at the woman across from him. He breathed in, sighed and wiped the foam from his ale on his sleeve, then got off the stool and walked over to her.

[member="Elani Zambrano"]

 

[Elani Zambrano]

It was moments like this that made Elani thoroughly rethink who she decided to call her friends. There she was, Clan Mother of the Murakami, stepping into a depressing bar on the outskirts of Sith Empire space all because her closest friend, Katira, wished to get away from the hustle of the Empire to a place she had frequented often. Upon walking inside, the mood was apparent. Only the downtrodden and pathetic would ever find a place such as this even remotely enjoyable. "Tell me again, Katira," Elani began, her tone cold as ice, "why are we here?" Katira could not hold back the massive grin on her face. Sometimes, Elani believed that Katira was even more messed up than she was.

"Cheap drinks. Quiet. No one's gonna recognize us," Katira responded.

"No one would recognize us anywhere. We aren't the socialite type. You know I despise those."

"More reason to be here rather than somewhere in the Empire."

"I'm not even that much of a drinker."

"Good. More for me then. Now, quit complainin' and grab us a table."

Elani sighed deeply then walked over to an empty table. The creaking of the wood, even beneath her light frame, rang through her ears. The more time Elani spent in this bar, the more she wanted to see it burn to the ground. To block these thoughts, Elani's mind began to drift. Thoughts of her new home on Dathomir helped pass the time. Katira moved towards the bar and began speaking with the bartender, likely grabbing drinks and, knowing her, she would guilt trip Elani into drinking at least one. Elani left her thoughts and returned to reality. Her violet eyes almost immediately honed in on a patron of the bar approaching her. His bravery was something to commend, but he would get none from Elani. Only a cold stare as he came closer and closer, unknowingly walking himself straight to Hell.

[member="James Lanvarok"]​

 

[James Lanvarok]

The woman turned around. Pin-straight, black hair, sleek uniform, violet eyes and enormous boobs, James was almost affronted. She was stunning, dark and confident. Swallowing a gulp, he shifted his eyes nervously and tugged at his shirt collar. The chitty lights in the ceiling flickered in the reflection of her glossy hair, her eyes luminescent. Chest heaving up and down, James recoiled into the collar of his jacket, his armpits full of sweat.

And she had a friend.

"Oh man," he thought to himself.

Was he in over his head? He was too nervous to think about it. Either way, the woman and her friend had seen him walking towards them and he didn't want to look like a weirdo by randomly running away.

It was now or never.

James held his breath. Tugging at his tie, he tried not to breathe through his mouth as he walked forward. He ran his fingers through his hair, awkwardly and stared, fixated, on the woman's chest. He didn't even know he was staring, and couldn't stop himself. He exhaled and his chest deflated. Hand in his hair, he forced a stilted, uncomfortable smile as he walked up to the two girls and...

Oh chit.

He had left his drink on the counter like a tardnugget.

Feck.

Oh well. He would just pretend it wasn't his. But then he would buy another one, which he probably couldn't afford, not to mention he had to buy the girl and her friend drinks. Kark. He shifted his eyes, running frantically through the myriad of problems clouding his mind. Solving differential equations in real time wasn't this hard.

"Ehhhh...." James recoiled. Hand in his hair, he stepped in front of the busty girl and her friend.

"Heh, hi," he almost laughed. Eyes fluttering, James blushed scarlet and lowered his head, his icy blue eyes widening as the woman's chest moved from side to side. Breathing in and out, he tensed up, sweat rising on the back of his neck.

"Could I uh, maybe, buy you and your friend a drink?" He asked.

[member="Elani Zambrano"]

 

[Elani Zambrano]

Elani did not once avert her gaze from this man. She knew of his intentions to come speak to her. He made it rather obvious to her. Some men were a lot more subtle. Some were not. Even fewer took one glance at her and could tell she was not one to even attempt to approach. This one was either very brave or very stupid. It did not matter. Elani's reply would be the same. He was nervous, though. That much was even more obvious than his intentions. "I'm no.." she began before being cut off by the quickly approaching Katira.

"Elani. I got our drinks. Who's your little friend?"

"He's not a friend."

"Yeah? So why's he look so friendly?"

"Why are you asking me? Ask him."

"Cause he's your friend and he already walked past me to talk to you so clearly he doesn't want to talk to me."

"He's not my friend, Katira." Elani started to sound rather annoyed.

"Alright then. Hey, guy, who are you? And what do you want with my friend?"

[member="James Lanvarok"]​