Faction [TSC] WELCOME TO 1313 | OPEN

[Ghruna]

PARTY

Tatiana Sah Varin Mortifer

The air tasted wrong.

Too many bodies. Too many smells layered on top of each other. Frying oil. Metal. Spice. Rot. Sweat. Something electrical.

Ghruna walked through Level 1313 with her shoulders slightly hunched, as though expecting the ceiling to drop lower. It nearly did. Pipes sweated overhead. Neon light flickered across her horns and painted her red hair in sickly green.

Seven feet of muscle did not move easily in corridors.

Someone muttered as she brushed past them. Another spat near her boots. She did not look at either.

On Malthyl, space meant sky and wind and open ground. She had grown up on a planet of mountains and open sky and storms. One filllwrd with monstrous predators she could recognis. Here, threats breathed down your neck without warning.

Her tail flicked once in irritation.

The noise from Club Cadaver thudded through the metal bones of the level ahead. Bass like war drums. That felt familiar enough.

A victory party was a party.

She paused at the mouth of a narrow alley. Two men leaned against a wall, arguing in hushed tones. One wore a concealed blaster poorly. The other kept glancing behind him.

They froze when they noticed her.

Ghruna stared.

One swallowed. "You lost?"

"No."

"You are."

She kept walking. Behind her, they did not follow.

Level 1313 did not feel like a battlefield. It felt like something worse. A maze. A hunt where the prey did not know it was prey.

Club Cadaver pulsed. Music rolled like distant thunder. Bodies packed tight. Across the press a familiar form rose above the others.

Ghruna approached the bar. She glanced once at the fragile looking stool and decided to lean on the bar instead. The tips of her horns almost caught a wire rack overhead that held clean glasses.

Her head cocked a bit to the side before her gaze swung over to Varin. "Is this fit for Human consumption?" A few blinks followed the question before a quick shake of her head. "In an hour you might be on the floor drinking this."

Ghruna leaned forwards curiously and looked down the bar at the girl on the other side of Varin.

"What are you drinking?" she asked.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Arris Windrun //: Eira Dyn //:
//: Attire //:

Coruscant smelled nicer nowadays. The Jedi were off-world… and the pseudo Imperials. Allyson yawned slightly as she continued to walk down the alleyway. Whistling a happy little Corellian children's song, she skipped along, enjoying the crisp air that had stopped burning of sulfur.

Whatever storm had carved its way through the levels had been quite something.

The Sith never fail to show off.

Her whistling trailed off as something caught her attention. An odd sensation lingered in the Force, and while she was suppressing her own presence, she was able to pick up on a creation. Wandering her small smile closely widened to a grin upon seeing the essence that was Arris Windrun, but not Arris Windrun.

A long whistle echoed as she walked up to the mess that lay a mere few inches from her leather-bound boots.

"Wow. A great conqueror of Coruscant reduced to this," Allyson did her best not to laugh, but knowing the small tale of Arris Windrun up to this point… this was probably far from her ideal setting. In particular, running into the Corellian once again.

"So what… or who did you piss off to end up like this, my little creation?"

 

[Reina Daival]

Tag: Anet Raine Quinn Varanin
Indirect Tag: Adelle Bastiel
Location: Coruscant Level 1313 Club Cadaver
The Fit

"You know, this place was the closest I had to a home for a long time. Coruscant, I mean. Not this dive."

Reina waved her hand through the air towards the entrance of the club, letting out a small sigh. The Ersansyr had never headed this low down when she had lived on the planet. Most of her adventuring had stayed on the upper levels near the Jedi Temple. Her second real home, now occupied by various Sith. None of that mattered in this moment however, as she brushed down her jeans. A night out with her Tárinya, her queen, meant a night of looking good. A night of confidence. There was a slight grin on her face as she pushed the door open, letting Quinn in, whilst also letting her eyes scan along the club for familiar faces for a moment. It wouldn't surprise her if a few members of the Covenant were here. It seemed like their place. But today was not a day for investigation.

"Hm. Place doesn't look as bad as I was expecting."

Her gaze drifted over towards Quinn, breaking out into a wider grin for a slight moment. There had been something ever since the battle on Brosi that had made Reina even more curious about the Echani. The battle meditation, the connection through the Force that had felt far different to how it felt now. Yet she hadn't dediced to pry. That could come another day. Though remembering that day did cause Reina to rub her jaw for a moment, a reminder of the pain that fighting had caused her.

"Do you want to find a place to sit? I can grab us some drinks or...Huh."

The Ersansyr's eyes fell upon a familiar visage of Anet sat near the dance floor, already drinking something that looked strong. Might as well introduce the pair. And so Reina headed on over towards Anet's booth, glancing backwards to check on Quinn before throwing herself down into the side opposite Anet, scooching over towards the corner.

"'Net! Long time, no see. What'cha drinking?"

This was yet a third side of Reina that the half-pantoran was getting to see. The first had been Reina down on her luck, being all miserable and near enough drinking her own sorrows away on Nar Shaddaa. The second had been professional Reina, with the job on Coruscant. And now? It was just Reina. The one who didn't care about the stare Anet had been giving people.

​

 

[Arris Windrun]

Tag: Allyson Locke | Eira Dyn

Arris was still adjusting to her new situation when she heard a voice she'd recognize anywhere.

Allyson Locke.

She turned her head toward the voice. The stupid green-tinted vision started glitching out. A flicker here. A flicker there. Some static. Latency, noticeable latency. Eugh. Arris hated it.

There was quipping it. They both knew her current set of cybernetics was the kind of junkyard trash no self-respecting cyborg would use. And yes, that meant Arris was self-respecting. It wasn't much. But it was there.

"So what… or who did you piss off to end up like this, my little creation?"

"Little creation?" Her tone was half as good as any raised brow. "What, should I start calling you mother now? Or m...." No. Arris stopped herself before she committed. That would've just made it weirder.

She shook her head and sighed at herself.

"I'm still figuring it out." She answered.

Before it escaped her mind, she took a shot in the dark. "Say... you haven't seen my guns around, have ya?"

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Arris Windrun //: Eira Dyn //:
CC: //: Madelyn Lowe //:
//: Attire //:

"Where you going to call me Mommy?" Allyson smirked, "You can if you want to," she tilted her head from side to side, letting the thought linger for a moment.

"You'd have to take it up with the person I'm sleeping with, though," her nose wrinkled as she pulled out her comm device and angled it over the cyborg. "She might not like that, though."

The device zoomed in...

"You're also not really my type, Windrun."

A small flash snapped a photo of the Windrun with the wind knocked from her sails.

"You know you still got a mouth on you, even if it's got a two or four minute delay." Another small jab, but Allyson looked around. Unlike someone else, she probably could find the bits and bobs that made Arris who she was a lot faster than someone else.

The burning question was…

"So if I help you — what do I get out of it?"

 

[Tamsin Starfall]

Theme: Get The Party Started
Location: Club Cadaver
Tag: OPEN

Her head bobbed to the music as she walked through the club past what she was pretty sure was a drunk as chit Vestra. She was pretty sure she had also seen a brief glimpse of Anet but she wasn't sure, I mean most of the people here were taller than her obscuring her damn vision. Why did everyone have to be so damned tall and always gather in herds like nerf's stampeding for the trough at feeding time.

She let out a heavy sigh to herself as she pushed her way through the crowds of dancers and loiterers leering while puffing on their drugs of choice. Tamsin was going to make it to the bar she was going to drown her mind in whatever this had to serve. She was going to indulge in the music and relax like her sister always told her she should do.

Well at least she didn't have to keep an eye on her sister anymore and try to keep her from leaving with the worst person in the club. Try meaning failing miserably every time and getting ditched. Again, she sighed as she continued her way to the bar, she missed it. She felt so lost without her best friend, her only friend.

She wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings as some alien in a suit with an earpiece stepped in front of her. She bumped into him. "Uh sorry excuse me." She said putting her head down and tried to sidestep him, but he just stepped in her path again. This caused her to look up, she didn't know what kind of alien he was but damn was he ugly. He looked like a cross between a Gamorrean and Wookiee with horns. Not even the fancy suit he was wearing could distract from that grotesque tusked sneer on his face.

"Yos tah yungin ta be in ah here."

Yet another sigh left Tamsin's lungs as she just shook her damn head. Why the hell did everyone think she was just some damn kid.

"I…I'm with the sith?" Maybe that would get this guy to move.

"Oh ahha, ye you wit dah siff. Dhey rahcruiten toddla's like dah jeti naw are dhey?

A low growl formed under her breath at being referred to as a toddler. She wanted to punch this…this….thing in front of her. Gritting her teeth she glanced around spotting one giant in the crowd she knew.

"I'm not a Toddler!" She huffed. "I am a Sith!" She huffed some more. "Even if I was you already let a Twelve-year-old in here to drink!" She pointed and the hairy pig-like thing looked to where she was pointing. She pointed in the direction of Varin Mortifer . As Pig man was distracted she slipped by him her tiny legs making haste for the bar and slamming credits on the counter.

"I want to play the from the center to the abyss, we will start from the core and a shot of something from Coruscant!" The Tender looked at her for moment wonder if this small woman was sure. Then just shrugged and started pouring her a shot of Coruscant Cooler.

 

[Groushh]

Theme: Suspense
Location: The Guts (Get lost)

​

It was no wonder, that Groushh ended up again in the worst parts of the worst parts. Nowadays those were the places he would feel the most comforable at. Unlike the upper levels these places here did not house millions of people on thight rooms. No loud music everywhere coming from the bars and clubs that would overstimulate Groushh and irritate him. No, here there was a lot going on but more breathing room for him. A place of constant conflict everywhere. Exactly what Groushh is looking for. A place where he needs to be constantly on the lookout. Constantly walking, never stopping or calming down. For Groushh relaxing was a punishement, not a releaf after a 40h work week. He needed the constant danger around him. It made him aware and not forgetfull of him.

He spent many days on the criminal parts here, because every so often then not, something beneficial would araise on these streets. So like always, Groushh was about to make his tour around. Sticking to the shadows mostly, almost completely melting his persona with the shadows, he walked around and listened to what was happening around him. His many years using tech to hear from afar made him adept to distinguishing sounds from another so he could fully focus on one voice while many other sounds were around him.

And so it did not take a lot of time until his bat like tech ears found nearby sound sources. Quickly, Groushh tapped in and walked up there to the scenery. At a good distance, that Groushh defined behind a wall he looked out and made out 2 distinct figures. It seemed like one of them was in need of help while the other one was offering it, though teasing.

Groushh focused more. A gambling game was ongoing. Not interesting for Groushh. A fools way to hoping to earn money. Money is earned trough work, not sheeming and scamming.

Then he heard the grunts of physical fights and lots of walking. Looks like someone was killed and the culprit ran off.

For now it seems the sole source that would reveal something would be the woman in need it seemed. It peaked out of his hiding and zoomed in with the help of his helmet. The person standing had no clothing peace that would classify her. What about the woman on the ground though. He zoomed in. It seemed like we had a cyborg here who had lost all her parts.

Groushh lifted his left hand and tapped onto his vambrace. Time to lookup both of these individuals. First he send both of their faces trough the bounty board. It took a while but no results found. No bounty on either of them.

Plan B. Send the faces trough the Sith network. Let's see if the old access still work. Groushh tapped a few times trying got get into the system, but something was off. His backdoor was shut off. A slightly disappointed sigh came out of Groushh. Someone discovered his backdoor access ? Rarely people manage to find them, but not impossible. Still annyoing. One possibility less. That made his prepwork harder. For now he kept his ear open to them. Maybe another opportunity would arise.

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Naniti
​

Lysander's lips tightened into a narrow line, the only thing keeping a traitorous laugh from climbing out of him. Maybe he should’ve let it escape. Or maybe he should’ve seen that step coming from a klick away. How dare the Togruta weaponize proximity like that and hit him square in the center of any composure he had. If that wasn’t a tactical strike, nothing was.

His head tilted to one side, orbs narrowing just enough to blend focus with a hint of challenge. Just enough to pull him an inch closer to her orbit.

“And here I thought you were coming to save me from being poisoned.” A soft huff of amusement pressed out through his nose. “Not take the chance to finish the job.”

When his violet companion pointed out the stall, he tracked the gesture, before letting his gaze drift back to hers.

“That’s high praise from our resident inspector.”

Lysander’s hands parted just enough to slip the datapad into his pocket, then settled right back where they’d been. No sense tempting anyone in the underbelly to try their luck.

With a shift aside, he opened the space so that she could take the first step. He let his attention brush over her for a moment before returning ahead.

“How’s your day been, anyway? I imagine it's had more life in it than mine.” Whatever cadence she chose along their route, his stride would fold into it. "I'm curious. Walk me through it."

Life on Coruscant moved differently from Desevro.

 

[Varin Mortifer]

CLUB CADAVER​

He thought for a moment after she asked her question, truth be told he never really thought about why he did not drink often, even in social gatherings. Sure he had a few drinks at different parties but he was usually well reserved.

He looked back at her as she picked up her glass.

“I don't normally have the time. It's not often that I get to sit still, usually I'm doing something from either missions, watch or as the bosses now call it Being the Foreman.”

Varin watched her tip the glass back, drinking the shot down like an absolute trooper. Clearly she was not new to drinking. Her next question pulled a chuckle from him.

“In all honesty? I am not quite sure.”

He looked to the bartender to ask him the same question only to see him go to help out someone else at the bar. For a moment she looked like a child, then Varin had to squint again. His attention pulled back to her as she introduced herself.

“Tatiana? I'm Varin, Varin Mortifer. Do people black out often when they drink? I have never had that happen.”

He poured another glass of The Strong Stuff as Ghruna approached, horns nearly tangling in the racks above her head, Varin gave her a curious glance. He was not expecting to see her here.

Varin picked up the bottle examining it again, like a second glance could clarify what he saw before, almost like checking the fridge for food again after not seeing anything before.

“Not sure, but it's pretty strong. Would you like to try? You may appreciate this one.”

He slid the bottle down to her, that was when he figured out who the little girl was down the bar. His eyes glared a bit, but he let it go for now.

He waved down the bartender, asking him a question once he was within ear shot.

“Do you guys usually allow children at the bar?”

He looked over at Tatiana and Ghruna, a slight smirk on his lips, as the liquid courage started to work through his system.

“Credits is credits, sir.”

The bartender shook his head as he walked back over to finish pouring her drinks.

“Hm, I may have to make some strict rules around her for Tamsin specifically.”

He looked back at his glass again and downed his next drink, the burning was sharper this round, twisting his face a bit as he let out an exhale.

“What do you guys think of the club?”

He sat the glass back down in front of him.

Tatiana Sah | Ghruna | Tamsin Starfall
OPEN​

 

[Nunterc Trundiav]

T H E - B O S S B A N - O F - P O R T - N O W H E R E

From the the vantage point of the second-tier balcony, the Bothan could look down on Club Cadaver's growing crowd. Among the usual clientele, smugglers and lesser crime lords there were also some who seemed more suited for the Coruscant Circus. These ruffians were lost in their own conversations, while Vestra Tane , in a drunken stupor, scanned the crowd for potential targets to harass.

The Bothan would be amused but only if they kept to themselves on the bottom floor. Leaning back against the plush synth-leather of his booth, the shadows of the corner swallowing all but the faint, rhythmic ripple of his cream-colored fur. To his left, the Mythosaur Supercommandos, stood in a semi-circle of matte-grey plate.

Nunterc swirled his glass. The amber liquid caught the strobing violet light of the dance floor below, but his eyes remained fixed on the tactical layout of the room before finally settling on the bar, to the small woman Tamsin Starfall . A woman who looked entirely too young and too short for the den of iniquity she had just muscled into. He watched her encounter with the tusked bouncer.

Most would have quailed or drawn a blaster; she had simply lied with a sharp, indignant spark that caught his interest. He simply tapped a manicured claw against the durasteel railing, catching the optical sensor of a passing 68-R service droid. With a practiced motion, he pulled some paper from his protective robe and scrawled a few words in elegant, minimalist Basic:

There is an opportunity waiting on the second floor, if you would like the chance to pull ahead

He slid the note toward the droid, his voice a dry, hushed rasp that barely carried over the thrum of the music.

"To the girl at the bar. The one who isn't a toddler." The droid beeped a confirmation and began its weaving descent through the spice-smoke and the throngs of dancers. Nunterc returned to his drink, his expression an unreadable mask of stoicism.

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Club Cadaver
Tags: Anet Raine

As the club got busier with newcomers, Adelle kept an eye on the woman discreetly. A waiting droid approached with a drink and the woman fished for payment before stopping abruptly, something like surprise rippling over her features. She openly looked around the club.

So not an information broker or even informant, but if she had information, Adelle could work with that. She let the woman's gaze catch hers and lifted two fingers in greeting.

But then a redhead slid into the booth, an Echani following behind. Adelle turned her attention back to the bar and her drink. Patience. She had to be patient if this was going to end with her walking away unharmed.

 

[Tatiana Sah]

"Good to have a purpose," Tatiana replied with a nod. Personally, given the effect alcohol had on the people of this galaxy, Tatiana was far from a proponent of drinking it. She understood its social function and even psychological delusions it imparted, but that didn't justify its usage. Still, her people weren't there to police the galaxy. Certainly no one had offered them anything to compensate for the resource expenditure and trouble any effort to do so would be worth. So, the people were free to drink themselves into a stupor. It was their way.

"Often? No. Not from what I have observed, but it is possible." Tatiana reached over to tap the glass bottle with the tip of her finger. "This might even kill, if too much were consumed. It is quite potent."

She turned to face Varin with a smile. "I am pleased to meet you, Varin Mortifer. You have a remarkable constitution. And are a pleasure to talk with. Would you mind if I kept you company?" There were a lot of questions to ask. There wouldn't be time enough to ask even a sliver of the whole, but Tatiana would try her best to learn another perspective on the galaxy.

Varin's eye shifted and Tatiana couldn't help but turn her head a bit to peer in that direction. Another surprisingly tall individual had entered the club. This one appeared female, with horns and a tail. Obviously the architecture hadn't been well designed for her -- or Varin's -- height. Then the tall woman posed a question in the wake of the conversation she must have overheard.

"It is from Hutt space, and is quite strong," Tatiana added as Varin chose not to. Perhaps he knew the woman's own ability to hold her liquor? Familiarity would explain his look earlier. One Tatiana had almost taken as merely interest in someone else his stature.

Her expression flattened as Tatiana stared. Varin soon took interest in another patron and called over the bartender as a result. A blank, searching look was returned when Varin seemed to search for her and Ghruna's reaction. This one Varin did know. If it weren't for the glare, his remark might even have been considered playful.

"Make rules specifically for Tamsin? To what end?" Tatiana paused for a second. "I have not met this Tamsin before." She leaned a bit to the side to get a better look at the short woman. Nearly half as a short as Varin himself. At least the remark about Tamsin being a child made sense in that context.

"It has what every club needs: people. I, myself, would like to learn what drew so many here in the first place. The drinks? The dance floor? VIP Access? Or something more? In places like these, people are often more genuine and less concerned with appearances." Well, a great deal more concerned with physical appearances, but aside from that more open and honest in their interactions. "Is it new?"

Varin Mortifer | Ghruna | Tamsin Starfall | Open
Nearby: Nunterc Trundiav | Vestra Tane | Ives | Adelle Bastiel | Anet Raine | Iandre Athlea​

 

[Ghruna]

PARTY

Varin Mortifer Tatiana Sah Tamsin Starfall

“Not sure, but it's pretty strong. Would you like to try? You may appreciate this one.”

He slid the bottle down to her, that was when he figured out who the little girl was down the bar. His eyes glared a bit, but he let it go for now.

"It is from Hutt space, and is quite strong," Tatiana added as Varin chose not to.

"Quite strong?" Ghruna asked rhetorically.

The bartender arrived and she swapped credits for a glass. She had a strong sense of smell, but there was nothing more than alcohol on the nose.

She knocked it back. She coughed once as it burned all the way down.

“Do you guys usually allow children at the bar?”

Ghruna's eyes widened. By the standards of her own people she was still a teenager. However, the daughter of a king by this point in life was expected to have many battle scars, have claimed many mates and drunk themselves into a stupor at war celebrations.

It was a mark of shame that she was out here trying to fit in with strange aliens whilst learning the sith ways.

She realised - at Varin's glance - that he meant the pale human further away.

She unfurled a fist and waited for the high proof engine cleaner to do it's thing.

“What do you guys think of the club?”

He sat the glass back down in front of him.

"It's loud, but not much fighting," she said. There wasn't enough fighting for a real party.

"Hey!" hissed the bartender. "No fighting."

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre had been watching the group for several minutes from the periphery before she finally decided to make her move. She wasn't staring with the bluntness of a predator, but rather observing with the clinical precision of a veteran who knew how quickly a room could turn.

The small woman at the bar was drinking with a frantic pace that was far too aggressive for someone of her slight stature. Her posture remained defensive even when she laughed; her shoulders stayed tight, and her movements were clipped, betraying a deep-seated unease. The tall man beside her seemed well-meaning enough, though he appeared far too distracted to notice the tension in his companion. Nearby, the horned woman moved with the telltale hesitation of someone entirely unfamiliar with the layout of the space, while the other woman carried herself with the weary confidence of a survivor who had seen far worse places than this and walked out of them alive.

It was a strange cluster of individuals. Unstable in their chemistry, perhaps, but not yet radiating any true hospitality.

Iandre took a slow, deliberate sip of her own drink and set the glass back down, leaving the rest of the liquid untouched as she prepared to engage. She did not attempt to push her way through the thick of the crowd, but instead seemed to flow through the gaps like water. With a subtle shift of her weight and a measured pace, she moved with the unspoken expectation that space would be made for her, and the sea of bodies parted accordingly. By the time she finally reached Varin and Tamsin's section of the counter, no one in the room could quite remember the act of stepping aside to let her through.

She came to a stop beside them, resting one gloved hand lightly on the cool surface of the synthglass.

"A Coruscant Cooler," she said calmly, her eyes glancing briefly at Tamsin's glass before meeting her gaze. "That is quite an ambitious choice for a first round."

Her tone held no hint of scolding, nor was it particularly amused; it was delivered as a simple, undeniable fact. Her gaze moved to Varin next, settling on him with a quiet weight. "And it is certainly generous of you not to try and stop her."

There was no accusation in the remark, only the detached clarity of an observation. Then her attention returned to Tamsin—steady, unflinching, and yet not entirely unkind in its intensity.

"Pace yourself," Iandre added in a quiet murmur that cut through the noise of the club. "This place doesn't offer many rewards to people who lose their control so early in the night."

Only after the warning had landed did she turn slightly, angling her body just enough so that she was naturally included in their loose circle rather than standing as an outsider apart from it.

"Iandre," she offered simply, introducing herself with a slight inclination of her head. "Mind if I join you?"

She reached for her glass once more and took a small, measured sip this time, her eyes never fully leaving the group as she analyzed their reactions. All around them, the club continued to roar with music and chaos, but for a few fleeting moments, Iandre's presence had carved out a distinct pocket of calm at the bar.

Ghruna Tatiana Sah Nunterc Trundiav Varin Mortifer Tamsin Starfall

 

[Ives]

Club Cadaver, down below
Slaves of Fear
x

As the hour passed its zenith Ives felt exhaustion intrude on his oblivion. He did his best to delay it for as long as he could, pushing through the ache in his lungs, but reality eventually caught up. Further dancing would make him collapse.

He needed a break.

Moving through the crowd took a while. Beat and melody mesmerized in equal measure. The people were locked into waking reverie. Most didn't even notice Ives as he pushed past them, and he had to struggle through the mass of bodies. More and more he felt the desire to stop and join the crowd again, like a current dragging him back beneath the waves.

By the time he made it to the outer edges of the crowd, by one of the bleak, massive walls, his lungs burned and he had difficulty focusing. He felt his way along the concrete all the way to the anemic glow of an EXIT sign. It flickered out of sync to the beat.

Plastic strip curtains welcomed him into a hallway of polished black marble that was barely illuminated now. It stretched on and on into a black abyss. In the darkness, Ives couldn't see the doorway to the outside anymore—the same one he'd entered the club through.

He stumbled forward, leaning against the wall for support. The cold marble helped to pull him back into reality. The music only reached him as a fractured mosaic here, chasing him as an afterimage of noise that arrived late. The walls murmured the beat's rhythm into his fingers as he traced over decorative carvings with his hand. Shapes and patterns repeated in an ongoing loop, one that Ives began naming in whispers as he moved, like a mantra. Pillar, flower, lips, eye, pillar, flower, lips...

Hadn't he already walked far enough to get somewhere?

 

[Arris Windrun]

Tags: Allyson Locke | Eira Dyn

"Where you going to call me Mommy?"

Okay - Arris talked herself into that one. Damn.

And Allyson didn't stop there. Because of course not. Why would the Shadow's verbal sparring be any different than when they fought the first time around? She tacked on one blow after the next. Well, it wasn't as serious as that, but Arris definitely felt silly and heard the bell by the end.

"You're also not really my type, Windrun."

Wait, what was that in her hand? Arris squinted to get a better look. Damn eyes.

Oh.

Oh no.

Her squint shattered into pathetic knowing. Like a sad kath hound.

Then, the flash. The cyborg blinked a few times and shook her head. The sudden burst of light in this dark alley caused her whole vision to wash for several seconds after. Even after it readjusted, it was like staring at the world through low resolution.

"Print it out. Maybe I'll sign it," Arris huffed.

She wanted to make a point by folding her arms over her chest, but the rusted things creaked loudly as they bent. Arris grimaced at the sound, like a knife scratching metal.

"So if I help you — what do I get out of it?"

Now that... That surprised her. Skeptically, Arris bit. "Listen... I don't really care about my parts. They're quite interchangable and I have plenty of replacements." She said.

"But... I really don't like the idea of someone walking around with my revolvers."

Come to think of it, she wasn't sure Allyson knew what they looked like, since they hadn't really run into each other since Arris ditched the Tenloss classics for something a bit more dynamic.

"Big. Songsteel casing. Names etched into each. Down, and Out."

If the woman was serious about helping, then that meant she was probably serious about the transaction, too. Arris didn't peg Locke for someone who cared for credits. Especially with how the markets have tanked. But her earlier point mattered. Like it or not, Arris Windrun was a conqueror of the Core, and the Sith Covenant was open for business. So long as pearl clutching didn't get in the way of bargaining with Sith criminals.

"The Core is a big place. What do you want a slice of?"

Yeah... All for a pair of pistols. Mercy probably'd be pissed. But if it meant Allyson Locke might be hanging around them more often? Worth it. Even Arris Windrun wasn't stupid enough to look a gift rancor in the maw.

 

[Gillem]

GILLEM

THE GUTS​

“Guhhh”

He groaned as he pulled himself out of the muck of the ground, head pounding, lip bleeding. He spat out a bit of blood to the ground and tilted his head with a wince as his neck cracked.

“What…the…hell…”

His jaw ached as his hand slowly came up rubbing the joins behind his chin, the dull pain slowly spread up the right side of his face.

“Damn…”

He pulled himself up, his vision still a bit dazed and his memory unclear. Around him seemed to be a mass sort of oddities and shops. Strung up droids over wires, “exotic” foods being peddled by small vendors, likely rodent meat. As he stood up some people quickly ran off speaking in some language he couldn’t understand. He sat back resting on a wall behind him and reached into his coat for his pack of cigarettes.

not there

He checked his next pockets.

Nothing

He started patting down his legs, torso, everywhere before he realised that someone had stolen his cigarettes.

“DAMN IT!”

He kicked his boot forward into a nearby trashbin knocking it down with a noisy metal clatter.

He looked up.

“REALLY? THOSE? YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN ANYTHING AND YOU CHOSE THOSE?!”

He slammed his head back into the wall in annoyance, before picking himself up with a grunt. His side dulled in pain over his ribs. He lifted his shirt.

Bruised

A grunt of frustration left him as he wandered down the filthy roads.

OPEN​

 

[Varin Mortifer]

Varin thought for a moment with her question

Company?! What kind of company is she talking about? What if she tries to drug me and take me away?! What if she just wants to talk, but forces me to spill information on the Covenant?!

It took him a moment before he realised that during his mental spiral he was now just staring off into space.

“Sorry, I was…uh…it's a pleasure to meet you Tatiana. I don't mind the company at all.”

I'm dead

He looked over at Ghruna.

“You want fighting?”

He looked at the bartender and slipped him some extra credits.

“The child looking thing, her next drink put straight water in it.”

A devious smirk appeared on his face. A little prank wouldn't hurt her. The bartender shrugged and took the extra credits. The next shot of clear liquid she would have would be practically tasteless and of no effect.

He then looked at Tatiana who asked her next question.

“To whatever means makes her most annoyed. We have a bit of a….hint of unfinished business between us. So I try my best to piss her off any chance I get. Right now, I'm feeling you have to be taller than the bar to legally drink here.”

He chuckled as he poured another glass of the clear liquid. He looked around as Tatiana spoke, asking why some many people were here and if the place was new.

“I'll be honest. I'm not sure. I tend to just show up wherever the Covenant goes. There's not much really interesting about me.”

He tipped back his now seventh drink. The building up of vertigo and wavy vision now started to become evident to him.

The group was now approached by another stranger, she spoke with Tamsin first, then to Varin.

“I don't necessarily control what she starts with. If she wants to start strong, that's on her.”

The new stranger introduced herself as Iandre, Varin gave her a nod.

“Please yes, come join in if you wish.”

The liquid courage that not flowed through his veins course through his body giving him the confidence of a statue with the grace of a falling boulder. Perhaps it was not a good idea to go so overboard so early, perhaps it was a better idea to send Seren a datapad message.

That's a good idea…

He shuffled through his small shoulder bag pulling out his datapad.

<Hey, Seren. It's me Varin. I uh…..how the hell does this speech to text thing work, no don't type all of that, stop! Delete, delete, delete please?>

The main problem was, he was not using speech to text at all. This was all typed up on the still cracked screen of his datapad. He set it back into his pack and looked at Tatiana.

“What brings you here? If I may ask.”

Tatiana Sah | Iandre Athlea | Ghruna | Tamsin Starfall

Bonus: Seren Gwyn​

 

[Tamsin Starfall]

Theme: Get The Party Started
Location: Club Cadaver
Tamsin Tag: Varin Mortifer | Iandre Athlea | Tatiana Sah | Ghruna
Demon Tag: Nunterc Trundiav

She looked at the shot of Coruscant Cooler for a second, the green liquid really didn't look that impressive, but it was a start. Her small hand grasped around the shot glass, a short flashback buzzed in her head of that blueberry that scolded her once for drinking a shot with a straw.

She was about to dump it down the hatch glancing over too Varin and his gathering crowd. She noted them laughing and in jovial conversation, but she could sense Varin's nervousness. Idoit was bound to burst into an inferno, and she was all for that entertainment.

"Down…." She was speaking to herself as she was about to down it when she was interrupted. Her sites turned and looked up to a woman addressing about her choice of drink.

"I….." Frak she was never good at this first part, introductions. "I drank Bubbling Boga noga once…" Yep great start to conversation. "Tasted like battery Acid." Just keep going, this woman will think you're a right dunce. Frak it she slammed the Coruscant cooler down her hatch. The cool liquid felt like ice as it slid down the back of her throat.

She watched as the woman then spoke to Varin Moronifer like he was some chum or older brother to her. As she heard his remark a droid came plodding through the crowd and handed her a note. She looked at it suspiciously for a moment reading its contents.

There is an opportunity waiting on the second floor, if you would like the chance to pull ahead

"Nice to meet you Iandre, I'm Tasmin." Alcohol did wonders for her speech she noted to herself. "The Meathead is Varin." She pointed at him. "Caution talking to him, it will lose you IQ points. I don't know the blonde woman, The redhead is Ghruna I believe?" Tamsin had seen Ghruna in one of Lysander von Ascania classes but didn't know much about her.

As she introduced those she knew or thought she knew who they were, the bartender slid her next drink. A very watered down shot of Renan Irongut, her hand grasped around the shot without looking at it. As her eyes drifted up to the second level of the club where the note had led pointed too.

Tamsin wanted to have fun, talk to this Iandre find out who she was. Yet the demon in her wanted to find out what the mystery was. The Demon did not care about these people, or whatever they had going on. Tamsin internally was fighting for control and as she grabbed her second shot and downed it, she closed her eyes tightly and grasped the amulet around her neck. Then she gag slightly as the new drink hit her tastes buds……

"Frakking hell…..that's rust water what the actual hell!"

-----
​

At the same time an image of Tamsin appeared beside Nunterc Trundiav . The doppelganger image was older darker and dressed in a black leather cat suit but the same height. Its eyes glowed a sulphuric burning orange, it watched as the bothan watched the dance floor.

"Kind of creepy stalking girls from your private booth. If this a freaky bothan thing, I hate to tell you my promiscuous years are behind me."

 

[Riffraff Ranat]

Gillem​

Red-orange eyes more than a little hazy from half a day of libations, Riffraff had been enjoying the early hours of what promised to be a rager of a party when she stepped out for a moment to have a smoke. Ordinarily she didn't give two chits about smoking inside but the ranat needed some fresh air and frankly, wasn't interesting in sharing some of the premium herbs she'd just picked up from Snees D'ner

As she was leaving the party and before she knew it, Riffraff had taken a bet from a trashed looking Arris Windrun that she couldn't replace her cybernetic legs in 1 minute flat. The savant slicer and mechanic was of course more than capable, though Arris either wasn't good for the credits to pay her bet or wanted to shamble off and ignore that it had happened altogether — her original legs still laid out atop a cantina table. So Riffraff had slyly pocketed one of the woman's revolvers for safekeeping until such a time as the woman could make good on her end of the bet.

Twirling "Out" around one clawed finger, Riffraff had made her way around back to smoke in the alleyway and that's where time got a little fuzzy.

Too much moon juice maybe?

Next thing she knew she was laughing uproariously at the look on Gillem's face, the revolver handle sticking out of her little overall pocket cartoonishly as she giggled hoarsely atop a defunct industrial washer machine.

"Oh fethin' hells, space cowboy! You should see yourself."