Public The Cobalt Club (Makko Vyres Knighting Afterparty)

[Starlin Rand]

The Cobalt Club, normally a swanky hotspot for Coruscant's elite, had tonight been overtaken by the plebs. Two Denon electronic music acts, Irregular Apocalypse and Clown World Order, had been booked to perform back to back on the glitzy stage.

It was the knighting afterparty for Makko Vyres, and all his friends and peers were invited to attend. Starlin had made the arrangements. There would be plenty of food and drinks and music, and the doors remained open to people other than the Jedi, though security had been beefed up a bit to make sure things stayed under control. His pride in his apprentice shone through it all.

There was one other VIP in the party. Starlin patted a seat at the table reserved for guests of honor. "Here, Shep!"

Once Tenn's loyal charhound hopped up, a plate with a hunk of raw steak was placed in front of him, as promised.

Makko Vyres Lossa Darcuhl Corazona von Ascania Tenn Kalos Aymeric Prendergast Dracken Pryce + OPEN​

 

[Nero Drake]

Nero powered down his swoop engines. Metallic roars guttered into soft repulsor vibrations. Tonight was his big break. Despite its size the holdout blaster felt heavy under his nerf-leather jacket. Cobalt Club was a little upscale for his taste, so he dismissed the bad feeling it gave him as nerves. All this open sky made him feel exposed. Even the air up here smelled too clean.

Scrak music assailed the street kid's ears before he even made it inside. Nero preferred wreckpunk but only a few bands were brave enough to play down on 1313. He barely avoided a leaping canine on his way to the bar. Heart already racing from the close encounter, he took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Whatever's cheap enough to do the trick, savvy?"

Nero wasn't exactly swimming in credits, so he was used to drinking watered down swill. He checked his wrist chrono. Not yet.

Starlin Rand Makko Vyres​

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

Wearing: Outfit, Heels
Accessories: Bracelet, Echo Stone
Weapon: The Purse
Tags: Starlin Rand Makko Vyres Nero Drake Corazona von Ascania Tenn Kalos Aymeric Prendergast Dracken Pryce

She had taken time to steady her own thoughts, allowing the emotional barrier to slip in the confined space of her own ship. Running through a number of emotions in a wave of doubt, shame, regret, embarrassment, and grief. All of her emotions put into self-deprecating comments as she changed from the jumpsuit and robes into an outfit more appropriate for a club scene.

Pausing mid-step as she caught sight of herself against a panel. The dark circles around her eyes the only sign that she had been crying on top of already making herself near horse with the volume she had been scolding and condemning herself with.

Her hand covered the reflection of her face, trying to push back the irritation she was feeling. As if stifling her own image would give her some reprieve from the invisible scar she had opened up.

A dark thought rippling across her mind as eyes narrowed before shutting tight against the loathing that bubbled up.

Why should I feel bad? You didn't know.

A cool prickle of anger settled into her spine, eyes opening as her arm tightened against the thought. Hand slowly balling into a fist that revealed more of herself. Part of her face visible as the rosy color of one eye became an ugly yellow stain, that stared back at her with a grin.

You were on your best behavior. Miss priss decided took a jab at you. What could you have done?

"Feth off!" Voice in a hoarse scream as she reared back and struck the panel. A crease forming that broke her image in half. The yellow glaring eye still present as the other half remained true.

Her knuckled stung and burned, mirror the pain in her throat as she tried to draw in air. Her mind awash with conflicting thoughts forming into murmurs of her own voices.

You did nothing wrong. Get over yourself and move on. You can't know everything.

Her eyes closed once more, focused on breathing and pushing the intrusion back. Wondering when her own thoughts had become an enemy as she leaned her head against the panel, rubbing her knuckles while her shoulders rolled with each breath. The tension in the small of her back slowly releasing itself.

Drawing back to the lesson Tiland had shared on Dagobah and focusing on her surroundings than her own mind. Her eyes opened, letting go of thought and drawing on her surroundings. They brought little relief when another thought prodded her already sore state. She missed the sound of her little droid working. The whir of wheels against the floor panels, and the sometimes mean but constructive reminders.

She bounced her forehead against the panel with enough force to sting, reminding herself of the waiting party. A final inhale pushing the issues back and locking them behind a practiced, blank mind as she took her speeder over to the club. It wasn't a grueling trip given the proximity, but more than once she glared at an airspeeder that decided it was more important than her.

Finding a spot in the garage as she eyed another already present. Standing and checking her hand before dabbing at her eyes. A few steps towards the exit had her spinning around and grabbing her purse as her heels clacked against the duracrete in hurried steps.

The security at the door holding her up for a moment as her purse seemed to set off an alarm in their mind. The once over met with a cocked hip and crossed arms. Their joined inspection revealing nothing more than an alarming weight to the bag and cosmetics along with a few bandages inside.

"You want me to empty my pockets as well?" The remains of her sour mood finally expelled as they handed it back and ushered her inside. The urge to scoff resisted for the moment as she made her way inside and set about finding Makko and Cora.

And desperately trying to keep her emotions in check behind her mental barriers.

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Tenn hadn't returned to the Cobalt Club since that night he accidentally sang karaoke in front of a bunch of his peers. He had a penchant for singing, in stark contrast to his pithy nature, but he was still strongly against the exposure of his moonlighting hobby. At the time he had been unaware Starlin owned it, and Starlin certainly was not yet is master.

But now, he was. And his master let dogs into his club. Or at least, he let Shep into his club, which was about the closest thing to nepotism that Tenn had ever experienced. Shep was all too happy to hop up into the seat, panting in anticipation of the meal he could already smell. As soon as it was placed in front of him, he belched a small gout of fire onto the steak, burning it before he began to messily devour it.

Starlin Rand - Makko Vyres - Nero Drake - Lossa Darcuhl​

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Clown world ordeeeeeeeer!"

It was fair to say that not everyone has the same enthusiasm for a Denon double act with just ten thousand followers on holonet socials.

Their brand of electronic dance was almost like an electronic rock by composition. Somewhere between dark metal and funk. A mix of synthetic and sampled vocals and bass lines so filthy they were likely to peel the plaster from Starlin Rand very fine club.

The beat started.

"Ah Freakshow Parade!" Makko sighed. "Classic."

No one thought it was a classic.

His outward enthusiasm covered a fragility. Makko hadn't been back from Denon long. Lossa Darcuhl had always been strongly empathic. She hadn't quite appreciated the difficult situation she had walked into, walked over. It was easy for himself and Corazona von Ascania to say they would simply give one another time and be there for each other. Less simple to muddle forwards.

"Waddya think?" Makko asked Starlin and Tenn Kalos

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Waddya think?"

I've heard worse, Starlin thought but did not say. Instead he grinned and gave Makko a thumbs up. If you like it, it sure tickles the hell out of me.

He took a long drink as the walls of the club began to shake from the pounding bass, then clapped his hands as Shep cooked his own steak with a belch of fiery breath and began chowing down. "I love this dog!" he exclaimed. Not that anyone could hear him over the music.

Tenn looked oddly embarrassed. Before Starlin could yell in his ear asking him what was up, he spotted Lossa and waved his arms to get her attention. He had no idea what kind of teen drama was happening between the trio of her, Makko and Cora (who had yet to arrive), but he was happy to see more people showing up to party.

Tenn Kalos Makko Vyres Nero Drake Lossa Darcuhl Corazona von Ascania ?​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora hated Clown World Order. When they were together, Makko had exposed her to about half of the group's discography - which she had carefully described as "loud" and "bold" when asked for her opinion.

Her distaste for their noise was her excuse for hiding out at the bar for a bit longer. Totally. She was glad that Starlin was able to book the act for Makko, because that made him happy, even if being around him still felt stilted and awkward.

"A glass of the house white, please."

The last thing she wanted to do was ruin the celebration with her problems, so Cora would do what she'd been trained to do her entire life - mask her feelings behind a pleasant facade.

One sip of the wine had her scrunching up her nose. Oh.

Makko Vyres Starlin Rand Lossa Darcuhl Tenn Kalos Nero Drake

 

[Nero Drake]

Liquid courage burned in Nero's gut. He sat at the bar trying to fly casual. Something about the club still felt off. Another glance at his chrono before he decided to go through with it. This was the best chance street trash like him would get in a place like the Cobalt. By the fuming zeltron's look security clearly had their hands full.

"I love this dog!"

Nero used the pyrotechnic display as cover to slip through a door marked for authorized staff. Clown World Order's challenging oeuvre grew muffled. He didn't see any security but that could change any second. Drawing the holdout blaster from his jacket, Nero made sure it was set to stun. Something was hiding behind the Cobalt Club's facade. Maybe something dangerous...or valuable.

Or both.

Makko Vyres Lossa Darcuhl Tenn Kalos Corazona von Ascania​

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

Wearing: Outfit, Heels
Accessories: Bracelet, Echo Stone
Weapon: The Purse
Tags: Starlin Rand Makko Vyres Nero Drake Corazona von Ascania Tenn Kalos

She couldn't gauge the scene given she was cutting herself off emotionally. Relying on faces and bodies to tell the score as the bass kicked in and had her blinking. Eyes cast to the group having a blast on stage as she drew her lips back into her teeth and nodded a little.

"Yeah that... they fit the Denon scene." The nicest phrasing she could muster as arms waving drew her gaze away from the band.

Makko's master and-Eyes wide at the sight of the animal belching fire.

She dared move over to the table, properly setting her spot across from the beast rather than beside as she gave a tiny wave to each present with a forced smile. A guilty look thrown to Makko as she debated on placing the Purse on the floor or table.

A crunch beneath her heel helped her decide as the table canted slightly with the sudden hearty thud of her purse.

"Congratulations!" Lossa raised her voice to Makko, putting on another smile as she glanced at those present before settling on Starlin. Who she still didn't have a name for but assumed was important.

"Can we get drinks?" Hands kept close to her chest as she searched for a menu.

 

[Tenn Kalos]

"It's… loud," Tenn replied, picking at his ear. An acquired taste, no doubt. He had heard worse, but dingy industrial synth was pretty much the only thing Tenn ever heard living in the Undercity, and it had since all become overplayed to his ears. Shep swallowed his steak, then grumbled, and promptly left; The noise too grating on his sensitive ears. Tenn thought nothing of it— The hound would wait, as he always did.

The zeltron from the ceremony, Lossa, came over and asked if they could get drinks. Tenn looked at his master inquisitively, "Can I get drinks?" He technically wasn't of drinking age.

Starlin Rand - Makko Vyres - Lossa Darcuhl - Corazona von Ascania - Nero Drake​

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Yeah yeah, Starlin said he'd get a few rounds," Makko laughed.

He hadn't realised that the context of Lossa and Tenn's questions were quite so different. Tenn was asking if he was permitted.

Makko provided brief introductions between Starlin, Tenn and loss. Then - because he had picked up on some of the context of Lossa's feelings - he steered her towards the bar to order direct and have a brief moment.

"I can't believe they're playing You’re the Whole Circus and mixing it with Friendzoned At the Funeral," Makko said as he ordered some luminous cocktail. The words held meaning for exactly zero other people in the club.

"Look I...don't really know what went down, but you didn't know what you walked into. Alright?"

He glanced down the bar at Cora. She had turned her nose up at a glass of wine. It hadn't occurred to him that she had been cut off from her finances.

"Me and Cora, it'll be...alright...okay? It's nice to see you here again."

Makko had kissed Lossa at a club in Denon before she had recognised his abilities. It might not have gone further than that, but he regretted that they hadn't caught up enough as friends during his training.

He knew how she took things to heart and wanted her to try and enjoy the evening.

 

[Starlin Rand]

"Can we get drinks?"

"Yeah, of course. It's on the house." Munching on the chips and dip he had ordered for the table, Starlin's baby blue eyes flicked toward the bar, where he spotted Cora. What was she doing over there? Avoiding them? Silly goose.

"Can I get drinks?"

Starlin opened his mouth to say yes, then hesitated. He'd been a lot younger the first time he tasted booze, but that was because he was a trashy Balosar from Gavas-Eclat who hung around with losers that had nothing better to do. Tenn wasn't a Balosar, and he probably shouldn't liquor up a teenager. "Gotta be at least eighteen on Coruscant to drink," he answered. "So it's non-alcoholic or virgin drinks for you, kid." Virgins would cost the same with or without alcohol, but since all the money would find its way back to him, he didn't mind.

Makko and Lossa walked off to the bar, whereas Starlin remained in his seat, ordering a drink from a droid bartender who mixed it on the spot. The drink was a purple-hued frozen concoction that came in a massive glass goblet. Starlin proceeded to chug it. "Awww chit, brain freeze..." he moaned, clutching his head. "Another one!"

While the droid mixed another, Shep finished his steak and trotted out, apparently not fond of the loud noise. Starlin had retracted his antennapalps as far as they could go, and even he was having a bit of a hard time with Clown World Order's sheer volume. Cutting through the sensory overload was a sense of paranoia. Someone was sneaking around. "If the noise gets to be too much for you, there's a place I'm going that's soundproofed..." he mentioned to Tenn, grabbing his second drink and starting to rise from his seat.

Corazona von Ascania Makko Vyres Lossa Darcuhl Tenn Kalos Nero Drake​

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

Wearing: Outfit, Heels
Accessories: Bracelet, Echo Stone
Weapon: The Purse
Interacting: Makko Vyres
Tags: Starlin Rand Nero Drake Corazona von Ascania Tenn Kalos

Her eyes moved to the younger being present, a smile playing at appearing given the alternate form of her question. Remembering quite vividly how often she'd ignored instructions to sneak a drink or two.

Giving a proper smile and yet another tiny wave to everyone present.

Her eyes wide as Makko directed her towards the bar instead of waiting for the droid to arrive. Had he picked up on her mood at the ceremony? Probably. She was silently hoping he wasn't picking up anything she was feeling currently. Once more making the mental dive to keep not only her empathy but pheromones tightly reined in. His observation about the band disarming her, worry flung to the wind as he ordered and she followed suit.

The light smile quickly falling when he broached the subject.

"Double please!" Her hands wringing together as he tried to reassure her. His words pausing as she kept her eyes glued to the counter.

Of course he'd picked up on it.

The fallen smile shifted further into a deepening frown. Tension rising from the small of her back into her shoulders. Whole body leaning forward enough to bring her shoulders up as if to block out the world. More words as she turned enough to hear them behind the blaring music. Finishing with a questioning tone as she shook her head.

She'd let her own pettiness ride ahead of her better senses.

She'd left behind the little party favors to be less of a hassle on everyone. And she had still managed to make someone even briefly miserable by being there. The leash over her emotions taut now as she tried to school her expression into something remotely bland.

"y-Yeah. It's nice to see you too." The skin of her hands a pale pink with how tightly she had been squeezing them together. Loosening the hold as she answered and rose to retrieve her drink.

A pause and stare from the bartender to her that shifted to Makko she waved off. The tiny display enough to help push herself back into a facade.

"I'm still pissed you got to Knight before me. I mean come on. You started after I did." A wide grin appearing as she threw a weak jab into his shoulder.

"But good job though. Got your butt turned around."

 

[Nero Drake]

Nero's heart pounded in his chest while the security guard moved past on patrol. That had been too close. So far, the Cobalt Club seemed disappointingly mundane. He was starting to think he should cut his losses until the street kid laid eyes upon a lock far more complex than usual. Something behind this door must have real value.

His black market security spike plugged into a nearby scomp link and started cycling through possible combinations. Nero muttered a series of huttese curses under his breath to encourage it along.

"Hey, kid! What are you-"

On instinct Nero turned and shot the confused looking security guard who surprised him. Ion energy overloaded the big man's nerves until they slowly toppled. Nero slid just in time to muffle the fall only to be nearly crushed by so much weight. Behind the thief, his security spike pinged. Very slowly he began to drag the unconscious body somewhere out of sight.

Starlin Rand Makko Vyres Tenn Kalos Corazona von Ascania Lossa Darcuhl​

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Further down the bar, Cora pretended that she wasn't watching Lossa and Makko interact. A thread of jealously tightened around her chest at seeing how easy and familiar they appeared with one another.

Don't be like that. He's allowed to have friends. Chiding herself, she choked down another swallow of the commoner's drink. You're not even together anymore.

Then, she decided that she looked pathetic enough while obviously trying to ignore them. Slipping from her stool, Cora took her time in meandering around the crowded bar to join them. She managed to catch Lossa's playful jab to Makko's shoulder, hiding her little frown with another sip of the gutter wine.

"I wouldn't put it past him to have sliced into the temple records and change his status."

Her own jab was more verbal, and she smiled uneasily at the realization that it might've been a tad too harsh. She didn't mean to undermine his accomplishment, and adjusted her sights on Lossa in hope of coming up with something nice to say to the Zeltron.

"I like your shoes. They're…" Cora eyed the stripper heels and took another pained drink.

"…tall."

Makko Vyres Lossa Darcuhl Starlin Rand Tenn Kalos Nero Drake

 

[Makko Vyres]

"I'm still pissed you got to Knight before me. I mean come on. You started after I did." A wide grin appearing as she threw a weak jab into his shoulder.

"But good job though. Got your butt turned around."

"Don't go thinking I've got my kark in a sock," Makko laughed. He used an old Denon colloquism for having his life in order.

"But I got my head down and got on with it," Makko said.

She didn't know that by doing so, he helped keep his demons at bay. It helped to hone his focus into a razor's edge that could cut through everything playing on his mind.

"I wouldn't put it past him to have sliced into the temple records and change his status."

"You know that would have been easier," Makko said, without missing a beat.

"I like your shoes. They're…" Cora eyed the stripper heels and took another pained drink.

"…tall."

Makko had to smother a grin at the compliment. She was trying and he genuinely appreciated it.

"I know you hate this act and I know you hate that wine," Makko said. "So thank you for staying."

His smile remained as his gaze lingered. Makko wanted her back. There was no doubt in his mind. Cora had warned him that she couldn't be what he wanted. What was far more important than what he wanted, was her freedom. That alone brought him joy. She needed time to heal. Lots of it.

"Come on," he said, rudely reaching for Cora's wine glass. "Starlin has put his credits over the bar so you can get anything you want. And then we're all going dancing," he said insistently, waving a hand between all three of them.

 

[Lossa Darcuhl]

Wearing: Outfit, Heels
Accessories: Bracelet, Echo Stone
Tags: Makko Vyres Corazona von Ascania

The grin at his eloquent expression was genuine, taking a sip of her drink and flinching at the strength of it. Maybe she'd made a mistake. Eyeing the drink with a slight frown as he explained his method.

"Mm. Don't go thinking I'll pick that up from you." A joke given her there and gone behavior so far. A familiar figure joining them with a comment of her own.

The jest lobbed at Makko bringing an initial sense of dread before he let the light hearted intention be made clear. The frown hidden behind the rim of her glass shifting to a smile. Cora was searching for a compliment, and the Zeltron heard the intent behind them more than anything.

Not missing the slight flicker of something else across Cora's feature however.

"Thanks! I like these since they let me see to the top shelf of the cupboards. What do you use for your hair? It is divine!" Letting a smidgen of cheer and genuine admiration into her tone as Makko took Cora's drink. And then made a plan for them.

"That is a plan I can get behind!" Raising her glass to the idea, letting her purse be abandoned for the moment with Starlin.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

"I know you hate this act and I know you hate that wine,"

For a moment, Cora balked, then blushed. She'd forgotten how easily Makko could read her, and that sometimes, her habit of trying to talk around things only made her feelings more plain.

Lossa could have easily sniped back, and the Zeltron's genial nature made Cora feel a little bad for how acerbic her own words had felt. Lossa hadn't done anything wrong, after all. She was simply here to support a friend.

"Oh? I could certainly use a pair."

Lowering her glass, there was at least a genuine lit to her tone. A little more relaxed. Cora looked Lossa up and down again, this time with less hostility and more curiosity - she was trying to gauge how tall the Zeltron was without her sky-high heels.

Cora glared at Makko, but allowed him to remove the offending glass from her person.

"I suppose that'll do. Excuse me,"

Waving to get the bartenders attention, Cora took it upon herself to teach Makko and Lossa the virtues of a top shelf vintage.

Makko Vyres Lossa Darcuhl

 

[Makko Vyres]

Lossa Darcuhl Corazona von Ascania

Makko had seen this ritual before. The bar staff were clearly used to be a better class of patron and went and fetched two bottles with some enthusiasm.

Cora would then read the bottles and - on occasion - insist on trying one once corked before accepting it. During the early days of their relationship he had almost destroyed the foundations with just one phrase.

Wine is just wine isn't it?

When she stopped talking to him, instead of escalating the argument he knew he had done wrong.

Another time and he might have encouraged Lossa to tease her fussiness. Not today.

Soon they all had a glass. A honeyed amber colour in a tall glass. Before anyone could say anything, he raised it a little for this private toast.

"To seeing you guys get here too," he offered, before taking a sip.

He almost looked slightly annoyed by his own sense of taste. It annoyed his sensibilities that perhaps this wasn't just a big scam to take credits from the rich. The acidity was like fresh fruit, rather than a table vinegar. It went down too easily.

"Yeah, alright, that is better than the cheap crap."