Public The Performance of a Lifetime

[Kiana Ti]

“Ooohhhh!
And when your final curtain closes,
What will be your legacy?
Together we were fallen,
You were the better part of me…”

As she held the final note in vibrato, the crowd erupted with cheer. A standing ovation; the highest form of praise for her profession. The thunderous roar of the crowd grew louder as she raised her arms to the sky. She drew in a deep breath through her nose, savouring the sensation of ecstasy. Placing one leg behind the other she took a deep bow, her lekku gently kissing the stage beneath her. Then the curtain fell between her and her audience and she turned on her heels to exit stage left.

Kiana’s stage performance may have been over, but her job here was not done. Part of what made her so popular was her crowd work after her shows. Backstage, she gently powdered her nose, a vain attempt to hide the effort of performance. She checked herself in the mirror one final time before heading out into the audience. The smile she wore wasn’t genuine, but her fans never saw it that way. Signing autographs here, shaking hands there, this part of her work was the most tiring. As she worked through the crowd her vibrant blue eyes danced over their faces, scanning for someone who looked worth her while. Her gaze settled on a table of sophisticated looking individuals. Kiana sucked in a deep breath and made her way to their table with purpose, a bubbly skip in her step.

“I hope you enjoyed the show!” She said as she met their table, her smile was bigger and more genuine this time. Running her hand down on of her lekku, a motion she did subconsciously to calm her nerves, she pulled a promotional holopuck out of her pocket with her free hand and offered it to the head of the table. The projected image of herself with her contact information hovered above the puck as it exchanged hands. “If ever you find yourself in need of another wondrous night of entertainment,” she beamed, her words well rehearsed as though she’d sold the same spiel hundreds of times. “You are most welcome to reach me.” Her eyes darted over their faces before she added, “I also do private events, should you prefer something more discrete.” And with that, she was pulled back into the crowd of her fans.

---

It had been a few rotations since her last stage show and Kiana was growing restless. She found herself sitting at the bar of the very same venue, throwing back a shot of neon blue liquid as she watched another performer on the stage. They were good. She hated that. Her core temperature rose as the crowd cheered louder for this new act than they had for her the other day. Then she turned back to face the bar and signaled for another drink. Alone, she sat there for a few more hours, letting the time pass her by. The fans were never a good substitute for friendship, but she travelled so much that she’d never really had the time to make a true connection with someone. Maybe that’s what she needed. Quietly, she hoped for someone to approach her, someone who didn’t know who she was, who could see past her stage persona. But she’d never admit it. So she continued to drink, observing the next performers on stage. Wishing for something deeper.

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

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​

Juniper slipped in through the side door just as one of the bartenders ducked out for his smoke break. You could get away with a lot if you paid attention to people's habits. He'd already vanished a few times that hour, and when she'd "accidentally" dropped a pack of his favorite smokes down the alley, he made short work of the distance. By the time he came back, lighter sparking, Juniper was already inside and gone. None the wiser.

She wasn't sneaking for the thrill. Not this time. A boutique owner had been less than delighted when she'd liberated a bracelet from their shelf the day before. With her bone-cut face and too-tall frame, she stood out like a neon sign, so tonight she kept her head wrapped and her hood pulled low. The rest of her outfit was a patchwork of travel and survival- a fitted leather vest cinched with too many buckles, fingerless gloves that showed the ink on her knuckles, and trousers worn shiny at the knees from long hours on the road. Black boots scuffed from alleys and backroom deals tapped against the floor as if they had a rhythm of their own. The bracelet she'd stolen still glittered faintly at her wrist, daring anyone to notice.

At the bar, she flagged the tender with a wink and ordered whiskey and an ale to chase it. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a Togruta hunched over a shot of electric-blue liquor, drinking alone. When her drinks arrived, Juniper slid a few extra credits across the counter and nodded toward the stranger. Another one, on me.

By the time the glass was set down in front of the Kiana Ti , Juniper was already at her shoulder, presence soft as a shadow. "Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked, voice low, curious but just a little too certain. "Feels like I've seen you before." She claimed the empty stool, lifted her shot, and offered to clink glasses.

"Name's Juniper." Her smile tilted sharp as she downed the whiskey, willing the burn not to show.

 

[Kiana Ti]

She let out a shriek and almost leapt right out of her seat as the stranger first spoke to her. So caught up in her own thoughts, Kiana hadn’t noticed as the thin-bodied sorceress claimed the stool next to her. Her eyes wide, she inspected the stranger’s features before catching her breath and introducing herself.

“I’m… Kiana.” She offered up her own glass to meet Juniper’s with a gentle clink ringing out as they connected. Something about the woman’s presence was unsettling. Maybe it was just the hood covering most of her face, or maybe it was her lack of respect for Kiana’s personal space. “I’m a performer, you’ve probably seen me on stage.” She curled her lips into a forced smile, trying to hide how much she was intimidated by Juniper.

There was a pause as Kiana downed her next drink, not quite realising it wasn’t one she’d ordered for herself, else she would have thanked the stranger. “I, uh… I’m available for hire, if you’ve got some guests to entertain…” Her words trailed off. There was no way someone like Juniper Le Fey was here for her kind of business. So what do you want with me?

Kiana ran her hands over one of her lekku repeatedly, her large sapphire eyes unblinking. Then she cleared her throat. “So, uh… What’s your poison?” She quizzed as she flashed a small handful of credits and motioned with her eyes to the barkeep. When she returned her gaze to Juniper this time, her smile was wide and cheeky, an eyebrow raised in a challenge. “Want to have some fun?”

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

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​

Leaning back in her seat, Juniper smiled a bit. It was in her nature to enjoy the cat-and-mouse game no matter the situation. Even now, with no real quarrel against Kiana Ti - power was power. Watching her squirm a little only sweetened the drink.

Juniper leaned forward as Kiana downed the glass she'd been given. The Togruta hadn't even realized it was a gift from the Dark Jedi. That was fine. She would know soon enough.

Her smile sharpened then, a dagger laced in honey, "That's what it is!" Her chestnut eyes narrowed as they caught Kiana's. "You're a musician. I've heard some of your stuff." She leaned in closer, the faint perfume of blossoms following with her. "I ran with a couple of Bith brothers who were really into you." The grin softened, more companionable now, acknowledging the star before her. "They usually had awful taste, but I remember your music." Juniper paused for effect. "It was good."

Her manicured hand traced lazy circles around the empty shot glass as Kiana spoke of poison and fun, two things Juniper knew too well. "Poison, you ask? Depends on the day. Some days it's whiskey, some days it's senflax." Her voice slipped into a velvet purr, enjoying the danger in her own words. She tilted her head, smile curling sharp again.

"I'm always down to have some fun, songbird."

 

[Xeno]

Venue
Tags: Juniper Le Fey , Kiana Ti

Luxar | Klocto | Sword | Sithspit​

"This scene is a little too fake for my liking."

Xeno sighed as he checked over his equipment backstage, getting ready for their next gig. Sithspit had been on hiatus for a year now, and they were looking to do an underground marketing campaign for their next album. It was hard to do smaller venues at their level of success, but a few scaled down shows to generate some buzz would at least give their next drop some hype.

Nobody had any clue they were in the itinerary today. They had registered under the name "Bantha Drool." Not Xeno's idea. He hated that name.

"What do you mean?" Klocto asked, the Rodian polishing the pick of his base. "Too 'high-class' for a street rat?"

"Nah, these guys aren't high class," the half-Nagai scoffed. "But they're pretending they are. That's what makes a vibe feel fake."

"Ain't for me to ponder, Boss Man," Luxar shrugged, the shard twirling his drumsticks in his mechanical hands. "We're just here to play the gig, yeah? I have a feeling 'Bantha Drool' is gonna be a hit."

"Gods that name is dreadful," Xeno groaned. "Let's make this quick, yeah? When word gets out we're street-side the press is gonna be on our asses."

They had a show to get started, and Xeno wasn't in the mood to be moving slow.

---

Onstage, as the last act wrapped up their performance to the cheers of the gathered crowd, one of the venue staff came up to the open mic and belted out an introduction to the crowd.

"Alright, we have one last show for you tonight. A new band looking to premier their debut album. Coming from Wizar II in the Inner Rim, give it up for Bantha Drool!"

Smoke covered the stage to mask their entrance. One by one, Sithspit wheeled their equipment out. When the fog finally settled, it became very apparent that the band on stage was not some up-and-coming gaggle of plucky musicians. The applause turned rancorous.

"Sorry, y'all," Xeno apologized into his mic. "Bantha Drool couldn't make it out. I'm sure they would've been fire. Looks like we'll be taking care of business from here..."

Wild crowd for something so small. Reminded him of the gig they did on Ord Providence ages ago. For a bunch of prudes those religious Godoan folks sure did make a lot of noise. That was the past though.

Xeno was here to perform in the future.

"Sound the alarm
Shatter me like glass
Covered in scars
But roses are coming through the cracks..."

 

[Kiana Ti]

Kiana’s cheeks flushed a more vibrant hue at the praise. A renewed spark of delight shone in her deep blue eyes. She relaxed in to lean on the counter top with her elbow, bringing her chin to rest on her hand. A giddy smile still plastered on her delicate face. Her eyes staring deeply into Juniper’s as if she were in a trance.

She was so enthralled with the sliver of admiration offered to her that Juniper’s next words didn’t fully register. The silky smooth tone of the half-Dathomiri’s voice did well to hide the ounce of danger that was being suggested to her. The Togruta slid a few credits over the counter toward the barkeep and ordered the pair another round, her gaze unmoving.

Songbird. She liked that. Her cheeks flushed once more and her eyelids fluttered a little. This was the most fun she’d had in a while.

Then the atmosphere shifted.

The next act was revealed and the crowd roared. Kiana was pulled out of her trance-like state by the opening words of their song. It was one she'd heard before. She twisted her body to face the stage at the opposite end of the venue and her eyes narrowed. “Blast those Sithspit!” The exclamation slipped from her lips before she could stop herself. She always tried to maintain a professional attitude toward other musicians in front of the crowds, but she was already a few too many drinks in to care.

“They are not supposed to be here.” Kiana was furious. She refused to be outshone by this group again. “That’s it, I’m going up next!” As she leapt to her feet, she grabbed Juniper by the arm. “C’mon, let’s go!” She pulled the sorceress from the stool to follow, then staggered her way through the crowd, muttering drunken nonsense under her breath with each step.



Juniper Le Fey Xeno

 

[Tibera Jessen]

Tibera was already a glass or two above buzzed when the new band took the stage, finally something with some life to it! She hadn't heard of these guys before, but she was very much enjoying them. Of course, she'd had enough wine that she would enjoy just about any act at this point. Still, the hulking brute swaggered her way up to the bar, a grin on her face as she ordered a Yavin speeder bomb.

With practiced efficiency the barman poured a tall glass of a stout ale, black as pitch and with a head of foam. Tibera smirked as he poured up the shot glass with a viscous whiskey. With a simple drop into the foam the two liquids mixed and, as was tradition, she began slamming back the potent drink. Gulp after gulp she guzzled the potent mixture without so much as a breath.

She finished her display with a loud yelp, and a bump of the chest to a nearby Rodian man, who was almost bowled over by the motion. She wasn't here to blend in or even really socialize. She had one objective, get as sloshed as humanly possible without losing her lunch!

"Woo!!! Time to get kriffed up you buncha fragging lightweights!"

The Merc gave another yowl with some of the other drunks in the vicinity of the bar. An idea crossed her mind, one that probably would be embarrassing if she wasn't so trashed. It was one of though "highdeas" that crept up and just possessed the big woman. She sauntered up passed some of the crowd, muscling her way through the others shouting at the band.

Tibera began unzipping her leather jacket, taking aim at center stage. She then tossed the fairly heavy piece of clothing towards the band's singer, wanting to hit him dead on. This left her in a sleeveless shirt, and set her up to shout out at the band on stage!

"You guys fething rock!!! You keep that! I kriffing love you guys," She drunkenly babbled, pumping her hefty arm into the air as she cheered the band on.

Xeno Kiana Ti Juniper Le Fey

 

[Juniper Le Fey]

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Juniper let herself be dragged, moving with the grace of a shadow even as the crowd surged wild around them. The air was thick with sweat and smoke, and the first crash of guitars tore through the room like a blade. Raw, jagged, alive. Every chord vibrated in her ribs, not polite applause, not staged adoration, but something that felt like teeth breaking through skin.

It made her laugh under her breath, a husky little sound lost in the noise. Bodies pressed in, and Juniper used the chaos the way a thief uses night. A bump of her shoulder here, a steadying hand at someone's back there- little touches masked by the raucous tide of bodies swaying with the band. By the time she slipped a hand back to her own side, a gold watch had vanished from one wrist, a chain from another throat. Her smile sharpened, but her chestnut eyes stayed fixed on Kiana Ti as if she were doing nothing at all.

"Careful, songbird," she purred, leaning close to speak into the Togruta's montrals as the guitars snarled and the drums kicked hard. "Jealousy and liquor make a dangerous duet. But those are the ones that get stuck in your head."

Someone bellowed nearby, and Juniper's gaze flicked just long enough to catch the towering merc at the bar, Tibera Jessen , loud as a blastershot, downing a Yavin speeder bomb like water. Juniper noted her height, so rare to meet another woman eye-to-eye, before the merc hurled her jacket toward the stage with a roar of devotion. The sorceress' grin widened. The whole night was unraveling into beautiful chaos.

Juniper squeezed Kiana's wrist gently before letting it go, and with the other hand, she palmed one of her new prizes. Sleight of hand turned into charm as she slipped the thin necklace across her fingers and offered it out, as though it had appeared there by magic.

"A gift," she said, voice smooth as the smoke curling across the lights. "For luck… or for fun."

Onstage, Sithspit's frontman, Xeno was screaming into the mic, words jagged, furious, but somehow melodic, every beat like a hammer through glass. The crowd howled with him, feeding the storm. Juniper tilted her head, blossoms of her perfume carried on the heat of the press.

"So tell me, Kiana," her smirk curved sharp again, "you going to outsing that?"

 

[Xeno]

Venue
Tags: Tibera Jessen , Juniper Le Fey , Kiana Ti

Luxar | Klocto | Sword | Sithspit​

Tibera began unzipping her leather jacket, taking aim at center stage. She then tossed the fairly heavy piece of clothing towards the band's singer, wanting to hit him dead on. This left her in a sleeveless shirt, and set her up to shout out at the band on stage!

"You guys fething rock!!! You keep that! I kriffing love you guys,"

Mysteriously, the jacket would have a higher trajectory and go over Xeno's head, almost as if guided by an unseen hand. Xeno rolled with the sudden gift from the loud drunk, shrugging it off and keeping the show going.

"Were our fans always this weird?" Klocto muttered to Luxar as he plucked at his base.

"Come on now," Luxar laughed. "Look at our lead singer and then remember every time we've been swarmed by a posse of teenagers."

"Point taken," the Rodian shrugged, taking a huff from his cigarette before tossing the used up remains aside.

Xeno glanced back, hearing only the faintest of what his band-mates were discussing. What about a posse? Whatever. He'd figure out later.

"...Save yourself
Love is pain, I know too well
You've never felt
Waves this strong, just save yourself..."

 

[Kiana Ti]

Kiana accepted the gifted necklace offered to her by her new found friend. She smiled and gave a nod to Juniper as she fastened it around her neck, then wrapped an arm around the tall slender woman and gave her a tight squeeze. It was her way of thanking the sorceress, although she wasn’t sure that Juniper appreciated the contact.

"So tell me, Kiana, you going to outsing that?"

She beamed, a gleeful glint in her eyes. “No, I’m going to outshine them!”

Backstage, Kiana ordered the underappreciated PA’s to connect her microphone to the sound system. “I’m with Sithspit,” She would assure the crew whenever someone questioned her. “Special guest appearance.” Kiana closed her eyes and took in some deep breaths, preparing herself to head out on stage. The years of training and her professionalism outweighed her inebriated state, and she held herself in a heightened posture as if taking on a whole new personality. Her stage persona.

As Sithspit wrapped up their song, Kiana grinned at Juniper. “You ready?” She asked, but didn’t wait for a response. Before the band could start packing their equipment, Kiana skipped up on stage toward the frontman, waving at the crowd with one hand while bringing her microphone to her lips with the other. “Give it up for Sithspit!”

“Don’t you just love these guys?” She gave the audience a moment to rave before she made her announcement. “Well, we have something extra special here for you tonight, ladies and gentlemen!” Kiana turned to face Xeno, a wide smirk stretched across her face, almost daring him to slip up and make himself look bad in front of the crowd. “Our one and only show together: Sithspit featuring your Songbird, Kiana Ti!”

As the crowd roared from below, Kiana covered her microphone with her hand and turned to the group. “You boys know my biggest hit, right?” They nodded. “Then count us in!” The drummer clapped his sticks together and Kiana bumped her shoulder to Xeno’s, forcing his back to press up against hers as she folded her arms over her chest and turned her head to face the crowd, her classic starting pose for the song. Just before the music broke out, she raised her mic to her lips, a melodic challenge to Xeno disguised as an opening to their song. “Can ya keep up?”

Kiana started off strong with the opening line, sauntering around the stage as she sang. The pair exchanged line for line, a battle between the two. Whether or not the crowd fully understood their conflict was beyond her. But Kiana was determined to win. She gave it everything she had. Her voice seemed almost celestial. As she danced around each of the band members, she motioned expectantly for Juniper to join her on the stage. After all, she’d claimed the witch as her new best friend, even if it wasn't mutual.

This surely was a night to remember.

Tags: Xeno Juniper Le Fey Tibera Jessen ​