Private The Other Half

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's face flushed as she felt the weight of Makko's arm settle across her shoulders. It was a gesture that no one at this venue would give a second glance to, but the sheltered noble was still having trouble with public displays of affection.

Even if it was just an arm on her shoulder, which turned into his thumb brushing the outline of her choker.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, Cora elected to respond with a simple nod, allowing herself to be lead by the hand through the milling crowd. She was content to let Makko handle the bar on his own—he seemed to have no trouble slipping through, whereas Cora didn't see any semblance of a line forming.

No order to this place. Ridiculous.

She frowned at the chaotic nature of it all, but the sudden approach of a stranger had her face pulling in surprise.

"Oh,"

He was close. And taller than her. And definitely older. Cora had to crane her neck back slightly to look up at him. She would have stepped back, but her legs were already touching the wall.

"I, uh-"

Makko intervened, prodding the stranger in the elbow and telling him to feth off.

Still a bit startled at what had unfolded, Cora took the plastic cup and dumbly nodded her thanks as she wrapped both hands around it.

"He was only asking me if I was looking forward to the show," She admonished with a quirked brow, taking a cursory sip of her drink. "You didn't need to be rude to him, Makko."

Still, she didn’t sound particularly upset. Cora didn’t like how closely the stranger had invited himself to her.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"He looked like a creep," Makko said with an unrepentant shrug.

As soon as he had a free hand he wrapped it around her waist and turned them back towards the stage. The sound guy had stepped up and was starting to check the equipment.

He kept them off to the left hand side of the stage, away from the front against the barriers and security and away from the centre of the floor where things would get chaotic.

"You know this is gonna be louder than a con-shee-errto...right?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora sighed. "You're not wrong." She mumbled into the cup. The Padawan wasn't exactly used to male attention. Especially not when it was so forward.

Accordingly, the pink flush of her cheeks deepened into a red blush when his hand slipped around her waist.

"So? I can handle it." She insisted smugly, head resting against Makko's shoulder. The lights dimmed then turned inwards, drawing the crowd's attention towards the stage.

A heavy baseline reverberated through the air, heralding a crash of drums. The crowd started to cheer, and Cora winced.

The cup was lifted to her lips for another, longer sip of wine.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

Makko took a moment to consider that. He had come in a little strong. All these warnings about following his emotions from the Jedi fell on deaf ears. Being chastised, even gently, by Cora had a much stronger effect.

The lead singer was hunched over the microphone, tapping one booted foot. The first heavy power chord rang out and Makko was struck by a full wall of noise.

The singer looked up at the crowd, over to his lead guitarist and then launched into the song.

Makko kept a tight grip on Cora, but his attention was on the stage. He wore an easy grin from ear to ear. He had left a lot of dark memories behind on Denon, but recently he simply hadn't had good honest fun enough.

He raised one hand, still holding his glass, as the crowd started to sing along to the chorus.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's free hand rose to her ear reflexively, pressing the other against Makko's chest. The bass was loud, loud enough for her to feel it reverberate in her chest.

She glanced up to him, up to the genuine smile on his face. Here, she realized, he was far more in his element.

Slowly, Cora uncovered her ears as the music began to swell. It was still loud enough to thrum her eardrums, but she was beginning to get used to it. The music was angry as it was loud, and the crowd was beginning to swell with infectious energy.

It was a far different sensation than listening through headphones, and Cora found herself grinning as her hips swayed to the beat. The cup found her lips again, and she tilted her head back to drain a good quarter of the cheap wine from it before raising the plastic cup into the air.

Oh, father would be absolutely horrified, but she didn't care.

The blonde stilled suddenly at the sensation of a hand grasping something it shouldn't. Cora glanced to Makko, to the hand holding his cup, and then to the one settled across her waist.

Eyes wide, she struggled to turn in place and deliver a slap to whoever had made the decision to grab her rear in the middle of a concert.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

The melodic intro hit an angry riff and he could see the crowd starting to move. The circle started. He started to point it out, realising that she had probably been looking for an actual pit.

She was starting to move so her sudden stillness drew his attention. He saw Cora looking up at him, but as soon as he looked down she was turning away from him.

"Cora..."

She'd just slapped someone. He didn't think anyone had said something. The guy was grinning.

Makko put two and two together.

"Hey!"

Heedless of the fact that the man was significantly heavier than him, Makko threw a punch. It connected solidly, a ripple of noise spreading through the nearest section of the crowd.

The man's friend hit Makko back. It struck his cheek hard enough to make his world spin and he stumbled into a crowd that just pushed him back into the fray.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

The sharp sound of Cora's palm hitting the man's face was lost to the cacophony of the concert. It had not been lost on Makko, however.

Violence was not supposed to be a first resort for the Jedi, but to a pair of teenagers at a music event where alcohol was flowing, it seemed righteous enough. Cora felt a spark of satisfaction as Makko's fist connected with the aggressor's face.

She gasped as he was struck back, thrown into the crowd that ushered him forward again. There was a connection between this and the train derailment turned attempted kidnapping they'd experienced several months ago in the lower levels.

As security began pushing their way through the surging throngs of concert-goers in order to break up the fight, Cora threw her cup at the pair of much larger men.

"You uncouth swine!" She declared as they were doused with wine. “How dare you lay a hand on me!”

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Hey!"

One of them was more concerned about the wine over his shirt than Makko. The other used his reach and left hand to shove Makko and avoid another wild swing. He lashed out at Makko with his right.

Makko was quick, unfazed by the aggression. He ducked under the punch, recovered and then launched himself forwards. He drove the much larger man back a couple of paces, delivering to short, sharp punches to the ribs.

Security were on them both a moment later. Two men in black, as wide as they were tall, prised Makko and the other man apart and started to shove them towards different exits.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Worming her way through the sea of undulating concert-goers, Cora struggled to keep up with the security guard who pushed Makko roughly towards an exit.

"Hey! Slow down!" She protested, but her voice was lost to the thrum of heavy bass and the crash of drums.

They ended up in an alley, the music from the venue abruptly muffling behind the closed door. A brief silence hung in the air as Cora took a few moments to catch up with what had happened.

"Makko…" She huffed, stepping towards him. Her hands cupped either side of his face, tilting it gently towards her as she frowned.

"You're hurt," She observed, ghosting a thumb gently over the bruise blooming along his cheek from where he'd been struck.

"I'm sorry for freaking out on that guy." Cora sighed, one hand falling away from his face to grasp his own hand. "C'mon, let's go get you some bacta."

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"Ah, it happens," he said with a shrug.

Makko looked quite pleased with himself, despite having had their date cut short. He thought he'd got in a few good strikes on the pair of much larger men.

Men taking pride in their violent conduct and competition wasn't something that would be new to Cora. It was simply more formally organised in her society.

He squeezed her hand and gave a tug, drawing her back towards him. Makko settled both hands on her waist. He wore that easy smile that always started in one corner of his mouth.

"You wanna sneak back in after we go past pharma or get out of here?" he asked.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Of course he'd simply brush it off. Makko was quick to throw himself into a fight without thinking, an aspect that worried Cora.

But she couldn't deny her own appreciation at how quick he'd been to defend her, overprotectiveness aside. From the bar to the concert, it had been a busy night.

Cora cleared her throat a little awkwardly when Makko's hands drifted to her waist. At least they were out of the public eye for the moment, which gave her the chance to observe the subtle swelling of his cheek in the dim alley lighting.

"I think I've had enough excitement for one night." She murmured wryly.

A pink flush dusted her cheeks as Cora leaned forward, pressing her lips briefly to the red welt at Makko's jaw.

Makko Vyres

 

[Makko Vyres]

"I agree with you and disagree with you at the same time," he chuckled. Makko didn't see a need to explain the comment further. Sometimes it was fun to see if she picked up what he meant.

Corazona von Ascania was used to reading between the lines, but in the particular language of her own nobility. She could make an insult sound like a polite comment, he had noticed. He tended to say what he meant, unless he 2aw being crude.

He held her a little longer, pulling her flush to him. By her standards, a shameful public display of affection in the back alley to a club. After - of course - being thrown out for violent conduct.

"Let's get me patched up," he said, but his hands slipped around her waist to tug at the small of her back, drawing her into a kiss.

"Not done a good job of showing you how the other half live," he said when he broke away.