Bounty Paint it, Neon

[Tae'l Vizsla]

D E N O N

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Tayl squints at the holowatch, wondering just who it was the Jedi was calling. Probably some pompous senator or a very overworked police official. Those were the kind of people Jedi worked for, right?

"Better hope it's good than. That was a 10,000 credit bounty..." She sighs

"And what do you mean, Extra hands? Are you going to summon some alliance foot soldiers or something? If you want a glimpse into my world, If you really do want to help? You're going to need a lot more than a couple blasters, hopes and dreams. Alliance soldiers aren't gonna cut it for this fight. She'd be out of your hair already if it did"

She didn't even realize how much she'd let slip until after she'd already said it. Outwardly calm as always, but those colors would tell a different story.
She was angry. Real kriffing angry. Scarred too. Of what she might lose if her mission fails. Who might die even she succeeds.

Outwardly, her chemically induced Zen made her appear as a fine statue on Naboo. Stoic, uncompromising, ready. Everything Aruetiise might think a Mandalorian should be. Hell, even what the ancient Jedi thought they should be. But behind all that bio-tech and armor, A scarred little girl stood before the Jedi.

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris just lifted her own.

"Just.. Mine.. Actually. heh."

She had no army or soldiers to offer. Just herself. That alone wasn't normally something she'd be reserved about, either. Any help she could offer was help she'd be more than willing to just say. But the more she saw the colors around Tayl, the more concerned she felt about.. Whatever was going on. Something was wrong, at a much more personal level than she first expected. There was a love there, a fear there, beyond all of the complex emotions.

It didn't take long for the pieces to click together.

"What happened to her?"

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

​

She just... kept staring. held that neutral expression of hers for a time, only changing just barely with a subtle squint at the shorter Jedi.
Goddamn she hated this chip. The both it, and her training, suppressed her emotions. taught her to keep it all hidden away, just like she hid herself away behind all that armor.

"Don't pull your sorcerous chit on me, Jedi" She finally said, closing her eyes and clenching her jaw.
She knew they weren't reading her mind, somewhere deep down. she'd probably have changed her mind and made good on that bounty if she didn't.
It wasn't Tagger's fault. It wasn't anyone's fault but Apollyon.

"Captured." She finally opened her eyes again, taking a deep, calming breath "Help me clean up, and I'll tell you what you want to know. Within reason"

​

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"I'm not. I wouldn't."

Iris near pouted at the accusation. Yeah, yes. She was reading Tayl's colors, but that wasn't her fault! And it certainly wasn't meant to invade the girls privacy. Still, the Padawan just relented after a second, frowning as she glanced off. Rubbed at the back of her neck with her own still paint stained hand. ".. Sorry." Was all she could manage at this point. Then, sighed.

Captured. That wasn't good.

"There's a.. Kind of shower back at the hideout we can use. It's uh.. Kinda trashy. But it's clean adn the water's clean. And it'll clean you up. So.. Can head back there, I guess?"

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

​

"Right..." She squints, shaking off the thought as she turned away. It took her a moment to reorient herself, only able to now that the Jedi had fixed her concussion. Manda knows she didn't need a brain injury or some chit on top of everything.
When she had finally remembered the hideout's location, she just sort of marched on, rolling her shoulder and taking up her helmet in both hands. It'd be the first thing to get washed.

"Hey... You got a name, Jedi?"

Funny to think that the young knight had healed her, and she hadn't even asked for a name until now. Where have your manners gone, Tayl?

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Name?

Oh, right.

Iris laughed a little more light heartedly. She hadn't actually given her name, after all this. Maybe she was more tired than she'd like to admit. "Iris." Then she hurried up the stairs to her hide out. Her paint covered hideout. A half grumble escaped her as she stepped inside. A hand raised as she brought over a mop from a closet through the Force, already starting to clean. Some.

She wasn't going to be staying here any longer, but seeing it doused in paint like this was still too much to just let rest.

"Room to the back. Take all the time you need. Uh, sort of. Hot water doesn't last if you take tooo long, as a warning."

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

​

"Hm. Pretty name," She hums, following up the stairs at a slower pace. She wouldn't tire nearly as quickly, not with her augments on Kamino, but she was admittedly still a little sore after colliding with that wall "Name's Tayl. Clan Vizsla"

Not that her family name meant anything. Not anymore. But she figured giving a full name to be warranted, given that the Alliance might be hiring her.
It still toyed with her, that, and the idea that a Jedi might be siding with her in the near future. She wasn't entirely sure if she believed it yet or not.
Best get to know her in the meantime.

Seeing that mop just... float over, though? Chit, it made her flinch just a little. She might never get used to that one.

Still, despite her usually untrusting nature, She still gave the Jedi a much more respectful nod before heading to the shower, weapons and then armor piece by piece until... she'd removed it all. Everything was laid neatly on a nearby table. Before the armor was removed, weapons were gently scrubbed and cleaned under cold water. But eventually, she climbed in herself, washing her flight suit in warm water and then her sore body.

"How long have you been down here, anyway?" She called out, scrubbing paint off her neck and wrists where some must have gotten past the suit. It was pretty, maybe, but chit! what a mess.

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Half a year, maybe longer. I.. Had to leave for a little bit, though." Her Master didn't really approve of what she was doing, but that's why she was back. To do it the right way. And now maybe hire a Mandalorian to help her out. Using the funds of a Senator. She hummed a little, mostly surprised at where this whole thing ended up going. From painting the side of a building to taking down Corpos and helping Mandalorians rescue people who were catpured.

Life was weird.

"Everything good in there? I didn't uh, mess up your...... Beskar... ... Armor, right?"

Hey, she tried. Valery brought her to help the Mandalorains once, and she tried to learn more Mando'a. But it wasn't clicking. Not with everything else she'd been cramming, anyway.

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

"No" She snorted, Scrubbing the last of that paint off her violet skin before stepping out, slipping into her now cleaned flight suit. Luckily the lining was water proof, so only the outside was wet "Beskar's uh. Durable. And I used a reflec-based paint on the surface, doesn't scratch easily"

When she emerged from the makeshift shower, She actually seemed cleaner than when they'd first seen one another. That outer rim dust had been removed, and that sweaty, almost sleepless looking face had done well in the short but much needed warm shower.

"You said half a year, right?" She asked, sitting herself on one of the few empty spaces atop a table, crossing her arms. "You've been busy. Real busy"

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"A what kind of paint?"

Ever the painter, Iris immediately turned her head towards the Twi'lek with pure curiosity in her gaze. Curiosity that lessened. Even a shower had Tayl still looking that exhausted? Whoever had been taken was someone truly important to keep her moving forward this stubbornly. Or, well. Iris guessed it was stubbornness. Iris would do the same for the people she cared about.

Had, in some cases.

"It doesn't feel like a lot, though. People still don't get to sleep safe in their own homes. Between rushing off to the pair of wars and coming here and training I just.. There's not a whole lot I can do. Or could. Now though, now I've got a plan to try and help the people here. .. One I hope works, anyway. A couple people have already told me it's a little uh.. Too big. But the people here need big, at least to remind them that they do matter."

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

Oh right, paint. That's what got her into this whole mess. Cheeky Jedi... Tayl being Mama's little war machine and showered in her mother's praises all her life, was pretty confident that she would have had Iris if not for the paint. Her helmet would have stayed on, and even that kick to the wall, powerful as it had been, wouldn't have been nearly as bad.

Or maybe her head no longer being sore was giving her ideas...

Still, she had an unspoken respect for this Jedi. She was clever. Real damn clever.
Had heart too, she supposed. Seemed like she really did care about these people. They way she talked about it though, It reminded her of mother's little speeches back in the day. Darker times, if the stories are true. War on Mandalore, and against all her kind. All orchestrated by a vast Sith Empire.

It hit a little close to home, prompting her to look sidelong and push the thought aside.

"Well, who knows. Maybe some new paint might actually help" She chuckles awkwardly, And then her armor abruptly fades from it's gray and white color scheme into a full black, and then from there to sky blue, like the Death Watch pauldron she wore with it "Programable. Reacts to specific electric frequencies, but it doesn't scramble scanners like proper Reflec anymore"

"ArmaTech Industries" She gives Iris a subtle smirk as the paint reverts to her original Vizsla color scheme.
"You're gonna need all manner of tricks up your sleeve if this is as big as you say. Not just witchcraft"

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Would new paint help?

Probably not. Iris was already working on not using paint so much now. Professionalism, right? Something like that. Paint was nice, but it wasn't something she should keep playing around with. Her gaze shifted to the paint covered room she'd only just gotten mostly cleaned. And yet, she was ogling the paint. The fact it changed on it's own was just.. So cool. Incredibly cool!

Yeah. Yeah she was going to experiment with that some time. On her own time.

"I have a lot of tricks I've learned. You don't survive war without some."

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

"War, you say?" She tilts her head at the Jedi "you referring to this mess you've created? Or is there more to you than meets the eye?"

Well, she was beginning to suspect that there was a lot more than met the eye. Well, aside from being a wanted woman and admittedly kind of cute. For a sorceress. Had she served with alongside the alliance military, perhaps? It couldn't have been more than a battle or two. Last she checked, Aruetiise didn't like sending their young to war. Funny thing too, considering Iris would have seen several by now, were she raised by Mandalorians.

If she really had seen it though, Well, she was clever enough to survive. Tayl had to give her that.

Though, if she ever did have to fight her again, might be possible just to lure her in with a bunch of free paint.
The thought brought a cheeky little smile to her face, even despite her efforts to hide it.

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

"Huh? This?" She glanced to the table, towards all her notes on thugs and drug dealers. And frowned. ".. No, this isn't what I mean. I've been on the front lines against the Maw for a couple years now." That was the thing about being a Padawan. When she learned how to actively fight, she was able to help in the battles. Too young to realize it wasn't a place for her, and too stubborn in her want to help.

It'd helped her grow, but the cost was all too high.

A breath escaped her nose as she closed her eyes. Rubbed at her face. Oh, right. Paint. Ah why did she have to start realizing being covered in paint was uncomfortable. Without another word she just stepped past Tayl, already working off her shirt to take her own shower. Focused solely on removing the offending pink paint. And uncaring that the Mandalorian was right there.

Not that she forgot. Just, Iris never had cared that much. Grant it, also meant a lot of the scars she usually tried to hide were now in plain view. The burns on her face, mostly faded and only slightly discolored, spread down most of her side. Jagged, brutal wounds otherwise marred her flesh. Being shot, stabbed, cut, they were all part of being a Jedi in war. But usually Iris was pretty against showing them to anyone.

They tended to make people's colors uncomfortable. Worry, stress, sympathy. She didn't want to see that. The marks never mattered to her, no where near as much as they seemed to matter to others.

"While we wait for my friend you can I guess raid the pantry if you're hungry. There's still some canned food and such."

Yeah, now it was just waiting for Alicio Organa to call.

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

"The hell's a maw?" Tayl had truly been living under a rock these past years, ignorant of everything happening on the surface of Coruscant and the across the stars beyond. All of her attention had been dedicated to a singular purpose, A morbid fixation that would one day lead her to be both savior and bloodied avenger. Had it made her blind to the suffering of others? Sure she had seen many during her time on level 1313, downtrodden souls like the man from Reveries or the desperate mercenary she met only weeks before today, But what about those beyond her sight?

Even hearing the words "front lines" sent a wave of revelation throughout the body and mind; Things had either changed drastically since the fall of the Sith Empire, or perhaps, not at all.

And this Jedi, This girl she thought to be little more than an upstart anarchist, Had been been at the forefront of the newest onslaught.
Tayl went quiet for a time after, just thinking. Rethinking, to be precise.

Normally, Tayl was an organized and quick thinker. The chip helped a lot with that, especially by cutting down on surface level stress.
But that all dissipated for just a moment as the Jedi passed her by, headed for the shower.

It told her more than she expected. Tayl had seen plenty of co-ed barracks during her time with Death Watch, a portion of her youth being spent among their ranks. If Iris was comfortable enough for this, than either she had similar experiences, or she just really, really needed that shower.

But the scars. Scars told a story, each and every mark being a page written into an organic canvass. To a Mandalorian such as Tayl, they gave character. What was sculpture if not chiseled into shape?

Maybe Iris would feel or see those colors. Pity, perhaps. But new ones too; Respect. Curiosity. And something new to the young Twi'lek. Something that her accelerated aging might have stunted if not for a few key moments in recent years.

She found herself staring for only the briefest moment, Only for her vision to dart elsewhere, as if looking for something. something else. anything. Perhaps just to stare at an empty wall while collecting her own thoughts.

"Guess I was right. There is more to you than meets the eye, Jedi"
She groaned softly, stretching as she stood to find whatever food her newfound Ally spoke of.

"How's the other guy looking, though? Something tells me you didn't just sit back and lose those battles"

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Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris paused. Right. The Maw wasn't everyone's problem, even if it felt like they were. Though, the destruction of a planet wasn't something people didn't hear about, right? She squinted at the Twi'lek for a moment, more confused than anything else. ".. They destroyed Csilla. Marauders and traitors. All lead by the Sith." Oh, right. She blinked at the familiar colors. Pity. She hated the blues made by such a feeling.

She wasn't broken. She didn't need pity.

And a different color. That's more what pulled her attention. Pink. A pink shade she did know. Iris turned her gaze off just as Tayl did. Thoughts she never bothered with crossing her mind. Thoughts pushed way to the side at the Twi'lek's question. Conflict, pain. A series of emotions before she slipped out of sight and into the bathroom.

"Probably fine. I don't tend to win."

Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Alicio Organa]

CORUSCANT
SENATE OFFICES​

"...What do you think it all means for the Alliance?," a smartly-dressed Chiss man asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Alicio, Senator of Alderaan, gave his aide the most helpless expression he could muster. "To be honest, I have no idea. We aren't at war yet... not technically, at least, but I doubt that lasts." The senator leaned back in his seat, rubbing his jawline thoughtfully. "For us, this 'war on two fronts' could act as an excuse to cut down on civil liberties. For whatever reason, some senators tend to forget about citizen rights the second they aren't the 'main' concern."

"Wonder why," the Chiss said, sarcasm dripping from his proper tone.

Beep. Beep.

Alicio checked his datapad.

"Orso, can I have the room?"

With a nod, the Chiss left the area, and after ensuring the door was locked, and doing a thorough sweep for bugs, the Count answered the message.

"Hello?" Alicio's voice came out distorted by distance through Iris' communicator, his thoughtful clip obviously holding concern. "Is everything alright?"

- Tae'l Vizsla - Iris Arani -

 

[Tae'l Vizsla]

"Csilla..." The first words out of her mouth to be tinged with genuine concern and shock. "I had a friend from Csilla as a child... I hope- hope he's alright..."

She released a sharp exhale, gripping the shelf in front of her a little tighter.
It never ends, does it? The goddamned sith were everywhere! Always lurking in the shadows, Always closer than you think! like ghosts of a war that was rightfully over! When would they catch a goddamned break?!

She'd been so fixated on her own mission to the core worlds. All these years of skulking through the under-levels like a damned womprat. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, that if she were to lose herself down there in the darkness, at least she'd be lost in her own world. Lost in her own fixations. She'd stopped worrying about the rest of the galaxy, completely shut it out. Even the people stuck down there with her, homeless, oppressed by cartels or just desperate, had all become background noise.

That little girl who wanted to protect them all died beside the traitorous bodies she'd stacked from level to level.
But it allowed Aloy's daughter to survive, in her own way.


Seemed she wasn't the only one to survive this way.

"Probably fine. I don't tend to win."

"Don't give me that chit!" She turned abruptly, point toward the shower that held a curtain between herself and Iris.
Funny, The Jedi couldn't even see her right now. Maybe it was just a gut reaction, one of the few times her mind was too lost in thought to keep the body in check.

"You're either real humble for a Jedi, or real critical of yourself. Survival is often the Only victory we have out here!
Oyacyir at akaanir a'uym tuur"
(Living to fight another day)

"I'm not saying you can't hate it. I'm not saying it isn't a bitter taste. But scars are runes carved in stone. A bold message to this cruel galaxy that proudly proclaims; "I Survived". And friend, I see a survivor. I Need a survivor. So do the people you want to protect"

"Hello?"
"Is everything alright?"

She went silent as soon as the comms came to life, freezing in place just long enough to contemplate her little outburst.
Funny, maybe Iris was slowly winning her over. Or maybe her numbed emotions were just finally boiling over, even despite the chip. Either way, something had changed.

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Iris Arani \\ Alicio Organa​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris blinked. Stared.

And blushed. She hadn't stepped into the shower yet, just finished getting undressed to actually step into the makeshift tub. She just about stumbled back into it at the verbal assault. "Wha- Tha- I-" Tayl'd been pretty calm thus far, all things considered. This? Unexpected, to say the least. She didn't even have something to say back. She was right, ultimately. Iris glanced off, rubbing at the back of her neck. Nodding.

".. Yeah."

She would've said more, but the com on the table went off. Out of view she called out to it, glancing past the Twi'lek. "Senator, I have need of uh, funding. To hire a Mandalorian. This is Tayl. I'll uh, leave it to you two to discuss terms. I'm gonna shower now." She turned her gaze back to Tayl, nodding her head. Then turned to shower. And think more on what Tayl had said. It wasn't the first time she heard it.

Just, not so aggressively. Door shut, water running, she just let herself think.

Alicio Organa | Tae'l Vizsla

 

[Alicio Organa]

The voice on the other end of the comm paused, waiting for a response. Hearing the mildly-distant voice of Iris, the most imperceptible of relieved sighs could be heard on the other side. So she wasn't hurt. Or dead. Or captured, probably.

"...Okay." There was the slightest of pauses. As if whoever was on the other end had picked up on some tense vocal cues from the little padawan, and decided not to comment just yet. "We can likely make something work."

"Hello, Tayl. You can call me Hope." The voice paused again. "Sorry for the secrecy. I'm not sure how much you've been told, but... it's necessary. What we're doing here is dangerous." There was a dark edge to his tone. Ponderous, yet sharp.

"So... How much do you know?"

- Tae'l Vizsla - Iris Arani -