You Ought to Be in Pictures

[Ruby Veir]

Location: Coruscant, The Cream and the Crop Casino, security holding pen on the main casino floor

The Cream and the Crop Casino had nearly infinite ways to deal with con artists who tried to cheat their way into winning. After all, the thousand-story masterpiece of degradation and sin was owned and run by the Coruscant Rotary Club, one of the smaller, but more ruthless criminal syndicates in the galaxy. Sometimes cheaters were enslaved and then forced to fight in cage fighting tournaments in the arenas on the lower floors that breached into the Undercity. Or forced into labor or, depending on their “assets,” prostitution. Some were made to sing opera, or dance, or “donate” organs. The CRC weren't the wasteful types. Every part of the cheater would be put to good use. As expected, some cheaters were simply shot, execution style in the Undercity sewers. Yes, it was uncreative, but it had a very efficient ROI. Additionally, every now and then there would be one cheater who would spark a Holo-call to Ruby Veir.

Today, Ruby Veir, Holo-maker and sometimes gun-bunny for the Coruscant Rotary Club had been called.

Making her way through the black and gold decorated atrium, Ruby used the retinal scanner to open the door to the security wing, where she found the right holding pen. The door opened with a hiss, and she stepped inside. No fanfare. No introduction. Before her sat a handsome man who had been caught red-handed trying to grift the casino, and hauled to a holding pen by muscle-bound CRC goons. His hands cuffed to a table, he sat hunched over, awaiting his fate, which was...well, there were nearly infinite things that could happen to him.

Beneath pin-straight black bangs, Ruby's piercing blue eyes studied him.

“I hear you’ve been a very bad boy,” she said.

[member="Tobias Wraith"]

 

[Tobias Wraith]

Silence.

It wasn't a sound he was used to, in space this would be a reason to fret. The Jackdaw was a beautiful ship, but she was an old ship. If her engines weren't making the ship rumble, and if the compressor didn't go on the Fritz st least twice in a twelve hour period he worried. Every nook and cranny of that vessel had a distinct feel and sound to it, and it formed a beautiful melody that kept him at peace while traveling. Silence meant trouble, it meant something was broken. Or in this case it meant he hadn't gotten away.

Which he hadn't, he was cuffed to a table far away from the Cream and the Crop Casino. "Sloppy Toby, just sloppy." His words echoed off the walls, and he flipped an offensive sign towards the camera in the room. Blood was still running down his cheek, and he was positive be had a black eye. Superficial cuts line his arms from the struggle after they had caught on to what he was doing. His simple green shirt was ripped in several places, exposing taught flesh underneath. All of his weapons had been taken from him, leaving him without any tolls to escape. Barren walls stared back at him, and a slight vibration could be felt. Guess everyone is having fun downstairs, he mused.

The door opened, revealing a woman who worked his attention. Every thought that crossed the twenty one year old's mind was too crude to even vocalize around his guy friends. Her outfit hugged her in ways that begged his eyes to glance at, but he tried to look up at her eyes. As she sat, he sat up and looked her in the eyes. She may have him captured, but he wouldn't beg.

"I hear you've been a very bad boy," came a voice as sultry as the woman before him.

"If by bad, you mean creative enough to try harder at gambling than everyone," he paused as he gestured in the air. The chains were the only audible noise for second before he continued. "Then yes, I've been bad." Rubbing his jaw, he felt it pop slightly. "You need better security, they hit like kids." Silence again, is she toying with me?

"So what happens?"

[member="Ruby Veir"]

 

[Ruby Veir]

Unlike some of the men and women who made up the shadowy council that lead the CRC, especially the creepy Chiss slicer, Ruby did not enjoy making people squirm. Not in the way that they did, anyway. She was an artist, who made entertainment that snuck into people’s bedrooms and other private places, and gave them some much-needed optical and tactical stimuli. She was a purveyor of fun, not cruelty. Nor could she couldn’t blame the stranger for his transgressions. Casinos were known to have ridiculously slim odds for the actual patrons who dumped their credits into the places.

Ruby grabbed a seat and positioned it well out of the cheater’s reach. Then the Holo-maker took a seat, demonstrably crossing her leather-clad legs, and folding her arms across her chest.

“What happens?” Ruby mimicked the question, her eyes cast to the ceiling, as if mulling it over, then gave him a tight-lipped smile, tapping a long-lacquered nail against blood red lips.

“I’m guessing that you’re asking because you haven’t heard of the CRC. Because if you have, then you would probably know the type of things that happen. Enough to know not to try your little stunt in the first place.”

The young woman twisted a glossy strand of her straight-black hair and perfect white teeth parted that slash of red.

“I’m Ruby. And I might just be your lucky charm.”

[member="Tobias Wraith"]

 

[Tobias Wraith]

You definitely are not military, everything about the woman screamed that. Her posture definitely wasn't that of a warrior. While she was self aware, and graceful, she just didn't have that confidence. No, he had seen people who had an artsyness about them. No, it wasn't a real word but it was the only one that could summarize them in one single bit of syllables. She knew what she wanted, her way of communicating was just going to be vastly different than what he was used to.

They might actually have a civil conversation.

When does anything ever go right, idiot? Tobias knew he was right, but this was far from bad. Several imperial interrogators had worked him over before. A few had done it for training purposes when he was a child, as a means of preparing him for the horrors of war. What they didn't us was that they were just sadists looking to see children cry and die. As an adult he had endured worse. Sometimes it started peaceful like this, other times they went right to work. He had been water-boarded, beaten, shot and everything else in between.

Having a beautiful woman talk to him, he could work with that.

"Well Ruby, I'm aware of who really owns this casino." It was the truth, the underground had sent him. He hadn't been gambling, he was trying hack their software while looking like he was counting cards. "I also know what they tend to do to people." Jorus had showed him the few grainy videos that couldn't be tied to those whose ran this place. They were quite talented at hiding their activities, it was why he was here. "So, how are you my lucky charm Ms. Ruby?" Genuine curiosity crossed face.

He had been busy though, he wasn't very patient. His hands lid right out of the cuffs he had unlocked an hour ago and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, go on."

[member="Ruby Veir"]

 

[Ruby Veir]

What the stranger didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Literally. It so happened that Ruby Veir had a little secret, one that left her unconcerned about the fact that the casino's prisoner had just become an escape artist. When she presumably held a winning hand, Ruby usually played her cards close to her vest, and in this case, that meant playing dumb.

A coquettish gasp escaped her lips as her blue eyes flashed down to his uncuffed wrists. Then she narrowed her porcelain brow.

"You know you're still being watched right, Mr. Wraith." Ruby put deliberate emphasis on his name, mostly for her own amusement. While she hadn't an entire dossier on the man, the CRC slicers had managed to suss out his name. The other details were well-hidden, which told her a few things, like perhaps he wasn't just your ordinary scammer.

Lightning-fast, Ruby's hand moved down to her blaster and she drew it, thumb clicking on the stun setting. She leveled her weapon at his muscled chest, an arched brow peeking out from behind the pistol's view.

"In a few seconds, there will be more CRC goons in here than you can shake a stick at, so I suggest you get your wrists ready. In other words, Mr. Wraith..."

"Your luck might be running out."

[member="Tobias Wraith"]

 

[Tobias Wraith]

"You obviously know nothing about my luck."

That same cocky smile crossed his face, he even leaned back in his chair a little. Veins and muscle fiber moved as one as he adjusted himself. Metabolism, genetics, and an adherence to a regime had kept him this way. Some would he did it because he liked his military life, or it could have been him clinging to anything that allowed him to keep something constant. Where the truth lie, well that answer was behind the beaming blue eyes now looking down the barrel of a blaster. Her skill was admirable, but everything about the situation was wrong.

"Look, not trying to insult you here." He winked and batted his eyes, fully playing up the moment. " I know Youre not going to shoot me, that's cute.though. You really think pulling a gun on me is going to scare me?" Faint noises started to intermingle with the vibrations from the music below. Judging by the sound, he could determine their proximity. That same smile held on his face as he eyed [member="Ruby Veir"] across the table.

Oh poor girl, definitely not a killer.

Stretching like a cat, he stood up and adjusted his outfit or its remnants. His piercing gaze shot to the door, then back on the woman. In one stride he was on her, keeping the barrel of the blaster right on his chest. His right hand slipped the top of the blaster and with a slight flick the cartridge fell out. Dangerously close now, he leaned in and casually pried the useless weapon from her hand and placed it on the table. "We have five seconds."

So what did the reckless smuggler do?

He kissed her, nothing too serious. Just enough to put some lipstick on his mouth, a bit of static electricity tingling bis lips from the exchange.

"Hands up scum!" Tobias complied as they entered, his eyes locked with Ruby' s. "Also, not hard learning my name. Find out the rest on that file and I'd be grateful. I don't know where I was born or who my parents were." That same smile lingered. "Or just tell me what I have to do so I don't die, that would be inconvenient."

 

[Ruby Veir]

Tobias moved towards her with animal-like precision. He had caught her red-handed. Ruby wasn’t going to shoot him. He was much too valuable to kill. She gave very little resistance when he stole her blaster and emptied out the cartridge. The raven-haired beauty gave even less resistance when he kissed her, fully enjoying the sensation of exploring a stranger’s lips with her own. When they parted, the CRC goons swept into the room, blaster’s drawn.

Ruby sighed and crossed the room, whispering into the ear of one of the casino’s henchmen. He nodded and she turned back towards Tobias.

“They’re going to take you upstairs where we can chat in a more comfortable setting. I apologize in advance for any necessary roughness.”

The security guard set his blaster on stun, aimed, and fired.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

When Tobias awoke, he would find himself sitting in a chair in a penthouse suite, decorated in the same lavish black and gold theme as the casino itself. Classical harpsichord music played softly from a hidden speaker system. A wall of windows displayed the glittering Coruscant skyline amid a spray of stars. Ruby’s captive was no longer cuffed. There was no need for restraints, with two CRC security droids bookending the doorway.

Ruby herself sat on the bed, drumming her nails in her lap. For all intents and purposes they were two people sharing a hotel room for whatever reason people share a hotel room. There was nothing unusual about the situation, except for perhaps the Holofilm equipment and floodlights that were expertly set up around the room.

“This is a much more civilized place to discuss your fate. Don’t you think?”

[member="Tobias Wraith"]