Footloose and Fancy Feast [Marakai]

[Harland Gates]

ZELTROS

Capital City


The Party Planet - a world so rich in the intense desires of pleasure and hedonistic design that it was both celebrated and condemned in the same breath. Where Nar Shaddaa was just a cesspool of scum and villainy, Zeltros was a thriving mainstream world that had just about as much crime, but with all the glamour and spice to ignite more trouble for the Republic than they'd know what to do with. What did you do when a whole planet would riot on the behalf of their lifestyle, and all the worlds within it's pheromone cocktail enthrall? Easy, you let it do whatever the kark it wanted. Zeltros had one simple goal - do what felt right, and they made everything feel so right, in so many ways. If you were lonely, if you were tired, if you were frustrated and tired of the life you led -- come to Zeltros, it was just that simple. No better poster planet in the Galaxy for the wants and cardinal sins of the flesh than could be found here, walking every street, and invading every high-life establishment. The Republic ruled it; yes, but only because they didn't interfere with the good times had by any and all.

Streams of sunlight bathed the streets of the Capital city, named after its own mother planet. Famous from all walks of life, indicated by every shape and size of sentient life that would revel in the illustrious balm of it's worry free atmosphere. Pleasant smiles, and frivolity were around every corner. While the pristine and picture perfect scenery graced the planet-side patrons at every turn - the nightlife was far more talked about in tantalizing tales of true ecstasy. Still, even in the daylight, this place catered to it all, and that was exactly what the spacer was looking for. He'd only been away from Anaxes three days time, after repairing the Wild Goose, and getting his head together - Hal had sworn off jobs for the moment, and was concentrating on the one thing he did best - himself. He needed some consequence and guilt free vacation, and he was going to find it strolling along the permacrete sidewalks of one of the main thoroughfares.

The rogue spacer clipped his leather footfalls along the pathway, being directed by the sights, the sounds, and the intoxicating smells of what this city truly had to offer. Here he wasn't ducking the Corsec officers, doing courier jobs for unknown parties, or trying to score a few more credits at the casinos (though he'd likely indulge), he was here to find some good old fashioned company that he could relax with and forget there was such a thing as problems. Having gone toe to toe with some metaphysical boogeyman from his best friend's turmoil ridden past, he felt that a change of scenery, and a Palace of Pleasure were certainly in order - and as luck would have it, there was a bar named the very thing. Zeltros though didn't house just any old dive - they sought to capture every decadent delight within the allotted square footage, sparing no expense at making it not only a fully stocked bar, but a dance room, a lounge, and anything else your deviant little heart could desire.


About an Hour Later


"So there I was, caught between the Rancor and the Witches who'd tamed the beast." Hal said with all the prowess of a silver tonged story-teller while his feet were propped up on the table, and a gaggle of women were crowded around his table. Most of them so scantily clad that you'd think it was a gentlemen's parlor. All of their hungry and sultry lidded eyes stuck fast on the spacer with awe. "Well you know what they say about the Dathomir girls..." He gave a grin and took a sip of the golden nectar he'd been swilling down during his masterful stories. "..they don't take prisoners, but they do take slaves." He offered a wink to those that thought he was going to end with his sure defeat. "Let's just say, Hali the Indulgent got a few new converts before we finished in their ramshackle." Hal slammed back the last of the beverage, tossing the glass up and catching it on the back of his hand before he slid it onto a passing tray from one of the Twi-lek girls serving up the brew. "There were no complaints." Wicked grins all around him - Hal pointed to one of the blonde's oogling him and curled his finger. A lavish kiss pressed to the spacer's lips, followed by the blonde's hands on his cheek delving into the lip lock. A breath of air a moment later, and Gates let out a sweet whistle. "Now that's what I call a chaser!"

[member="Marakai Al'Orren"]

 

[Marakai Al'Orren]

Zeltros.

City of mystery...of enchantment...ok. Let's stop right there, shall we?

It's Zeltros. There's no real mystery...if you want it, you can get it. Any vice you have can be indulged, any craving you have can be sated, and anything you think you're lacking, you'll be able to find it.

Anything.

Bring your bucket list of sins, honey, you'll be going through them all.

Mara sighed and settled her sunglasses on her face, shielding her amber eyes from the sun. Stiletto heels clicked along the sidewalk at a slightly slower pace than the rest of the crowd around her. Thoughts and memories chased themselves in circles, until she forced them back into the recesses of her mind, locked the door, and tried to throw away the damn metaphorical key. It had gotten her nowhere in the last six months. Absolutely nowhere.

She had done what he'd asked her to. She'd waited. She'd given him space. And he'd simply left. Whatever he needed the time and space to think about, it was clear that she didn't matter to him. Or at least, she didn't matter enough for him to bother coming back.

She was done.

D. O. N. E.

Six months of her life, gone. In the blink of an eye, it seemed. At some point, it had even stopped hurting. It just felt empty. Like her little cottage on Ansion did. Out by one of the lakes on the windswept plains, it was her haven. The one place she could go and simply be herself. Mara had enjoyed the solitude for the last several weeks, savored it, even. And while it had gone a long way towards making her feel better than she had in ages, it had done little to sate her cravings in spite of the time she was able to spend in her feral form.

Instead of sitting in her cottage alone, and before she dared visit her sister on Mandalore, she decided that a little trip to Zeltros would be in order. She was in dire need of relief and she was going to indulge her vices, dammit. She'd been good quite long enough.

Glancing up as the foot traffic around her slowed, Mara found herself in front of the Palace of Pleasure. Perfect, she mused, tucking her sunglasses into her clutch before smoothing out the startlingly short dress she was wearing. Auburn curls were mussed just so, swaying across her back as she sauntered her way into the club.

It wasn't long before she plucked a drink from a passing server's tray, and savored the burn of the alcohol as she took her first sip. The rest of it, she downed quickly before getting herself another one. Leaning against the railing that separated the bar area from the dance floor, she cast her amber gaze across the sentients arrayed in various stages of intoxication.

​

A slow, heated smile curled her lips as she made her way out onto the dance floor, abandoning her now empty glass on a table as she passed. The music didn't matter, frankly, Mara wouldn't have been able to identify it anyway. But the beat...was almost hypnotic. It slid through her senses and drew her into the midst of the other dancers, where she simply gave in.

- [member="Harland Gates"] -​

 

[Harland Gates]

Oh yes, this was indeed the sweet spot for every rapscallion to drift from the path of obligated or responsible. Zeltros catered to the here and now, a planet of instant gratification you wouldn't think would have such a thriving structure, but the people were devoted to their good times. Like anything though, helping yourself to an indulgence was far better in small doses, not a continual state of being. Hal could never live on Zeltros, because eventually he'd get bored. It might take a few years, but eventually it would happen. The spacer shuddered to think of that as a reality, and thus he kept his trips to this orb of desire infrequent, but wholly memorable. What happened on Zeltros normally stayed with you, in the fondest of carefree memories. They may dominate the mental landscape, but they sure were bright spots.

A pair of svelte and skilled red hued hands had claimed Hal's shoulders, drawing deep therapeutic circles against the toned flesh beneath the dull blue canvas of his shirt. His jacket already placed along the back of the chair (and devoid of any pick pocketing targets). He wasn't daft enough to bring bits of precious into a place where all the sins were free to roam - including but not limited to theft. The Zeltron leaned down showing off her assets and ticking his mess of beard-like facial hair with her lips as she cooed in his ear something not meant for the public to hear. A visible shudder traced down Gates' spine as that placid yet devilish smile rose from ear to ear. Coral blue eyes fluttered closed while he relished the dexterous digits that soothed all his troubles away. Sounds of pleasure slipped from his lips while he whisked away to a land of unadulterated delight. Long moments enjoyed beneath the graceful and highly praised prowess of his current masseuse that released the tension in his neck and the worry that had placed it there with the slow and methodical traces of expert fingers.

"Got the magic touch there sweetheart." Gates said in a somewhat slurred statement before he drew one hand out to grasp the drink of another waitresses' tray. Somehow he just knew where it was, and that it was coming his way. A touch of the Force? Well that'd be an odd thing for a man who had barely used a glimmer of it's power in the last five years. He didn't question it, he just took the sip with his eyes still closed, and let it's amber bite tickle his throat and slake his thirst. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips before another pair of hands were tracing down his arms. Flicking his ice blue eyes upwards, as a lithe and limber dancer was now catering to his visuals, swaying her hips in provocative rhythm. The amused grin kept it's place while he lofted both brows as the woman swayed and moved to the music he was starting to hear again over the din of the crowd gathered. "I'm getting all kinds of spoiled. Sure glad I lost that moral compass all those years ago." A seductive smile graced the Arkanian's face as he drew her hands up over her toned body and into her long black hair, letting it spill down over her back.

"C'mon flyboy, show me a good time." The girl cooed before flashing a daring look at the Zeltron who was trying to soothe him into a far more apathetic state of being. The women exchanged glances, and the Zeltron pushed Hal back into the chair with a little more force than normally required. Hal's eyes flew open for a moment and cocked his head back. A sly smirk spread across his face as he blew her a kiss.

"Easy ladies, I plan to spend a lot more time here, plenty of time for me to get around." Hal said as he shifted in his seat, gently lifting the Zeltron's hands from his shoulders, while turned around and slid a credit chip into a very convenient fold of flesh before giving her a peck on the cheek. The return gaze was something of sultry acceptance before she breezed by the spacer to another would-be client to work her marvelous form of relaxation. Turning on his booted heel, his right hand fell right into the clutches of the Arkanian dancer who strutted out towards the dance floor, drawing him in with the most unabated moves. A brilliant smile on his face and her own while he shifted into the mix, drawing back and forth in the crowded throng of sentients, gyrating and moving to the beat. Lights, sound, and even some simulated fog to make ti all the more exotic were pumped into the room. Soon, the vision of the Arkanian faded as she was swallowed by the crowd.

Turning around, with his arms resting at his side in a slightly bent fashion, swaying with the music Hal locked his eyes with a striking pair of nearly predatory orbs. Amber eyes and a mane of red hair that nearly mirrored his own caught his attention, and the charming smolder of his own eyes came back. Marakai had his attention now, drawing into the motion of a lazy ocean hugging the shore.

"My my..what do we have here." He commented, something normally those without the heigtend senses wouldn't have heard over the thick beat pumping through their bodies and the room itself.

[member="Marakai Al'Orren"]

 

[Marakai Al'Orren]

...feels so good being bad...there's no way I'm turning back...​

It was a feast for the senses, that mist-shrouded dance floor.

Her heart pounded to the beat of the music as if it dictated her life in those few moments. Hips swayed to the rhythm even as her hands slid up along her curves and into her hair, sending the auburn cascade sliding across her bare shoulders. Mara lost herself to it, the music sliding through her veins more so than her ears.

...the affliction of the feeling...leaves me wanting more...​

There was a tall, crimson-skinned Zeltron commanding her attention, her hands resting on his shoulders. His very broad, well-muscled shoulders...it was a well-documented weakness of hers. Biting her lower lip, Mara lowered her shimmer-dusted lashes as she stepped in close and let his hands slide around her waist. He turned her around and pulled her back against his chest, their bodies moving in concert to the rhythm that now possessed them both.

With the change of the beat her companion slipped away with a heated promise whispered in her ear. Mara purred, the sound traveling in spite of its volume, eyes flashing to the gold of her feline form. She turned, casting a lustrous glance over her shoulder, her gaze drawn into an intimate embrace with a pair of blue eyes. The voice that slipped through her senses and drew heat in its wake belonged to those baby blues, a slow smile curling her lips.

A heated, predatory expression.

"My my....what do we have here."

Mara took her time sauntering across the dance floor, the height of her stilettos and the lack of length to her dress doing fantastic things for her figure. She tilted her head and purred softly, stepping in nice and close...to be sure he didn’t miss it. A hand lifted and trailed a finger down the center of his chest, amber eyes flickering to gold and back before she spoke.

“A woman who likes what she sees...” she purred softly, leaning in...to make herself heard, of course. Although, she did take a deep breath and was forced to admit he was...almost intoxicating.

...cause I may be bad...but I'm perfectly good at it...​

​

​

- [member="Harland Gates"] -​

 

[Harland Gates]

No stranger to the art of the dance, having spent plenty of time in and out of various clubs over the years, the spacer knew how to move. With the rebellious spirit fully charged after departing from Coruscant, and the Order - Hal had made his way to fringe systems where there boasted a plethora of places to 'sow his wild oats' as the saying went. The change within this former Jedi had done some radical things to the notions he had actually held of honor, manners, etiquette, and that pesky naivety of which he wasn't even aware that existed within him. In point of fact, Hal's induction into a world of self-fulfilling pleasure and the current hedonism was comical at best. He was an awkward, and uncoordinated youth that tripped up more times than he succeeded, and he had the marks to prove it. The proverbial cocoon though had cracked and let out a street-savvy and far more worldly man who'd departed from talks of the metaphysical and esoteric to live in the here and now. The here and now currently containing the press and motion of a sultry vixen.

Heavy thick beats dropped from the pumping speakers letting the sea of sentients get lost in the trance like sway, drawing all the various paths and penchants into a synchronized pulse of pleasure. Skilled hands, in more than one area, dropped, curling fingers around the svelte and swaying waist of the new eye-candy currently pressing up against him, and flicking her digit across his chest. His body responded in a casual sway, drawing forward and back into the allure of a close and seductive cadence. Fabric against his palms shifted and moved drawing her in and letting her spin about while the grin of satisfaction plastered perfectly across his handsome mug. Quite delighted, the bold and persuasive lock of his sparkling clear blue eyes rested on the shifting sands within Marakai's own irises as she drew closer and....was she purring? Jackpot! There were so many varieties to pick from, but those that actually purred - Hal had snagged himself a kitten on the dance floor, and there was no denying that brand of feline heat was a marketable find. So what's a spacer to do when he's got the attention or a frisky feline? Why..he shows off of course!

"Let's give them something to talk about then." His hushed tones whispered against her ear in a single breath, drawing her back to his chest in a heated press. The 'them' of course meant just about anyone who'd be paying attention to their paired prancing. Digits graced that short dress, placing around her hips till his arms akimbo, and his hips undulated crossing boots to slide in smooth fashion, circling her form, and pairing his eyes with her own hot stare, leveling himself lower as his knees bent, shimming from one foot to the other and back up drawing his mouth inches from her neck and lips, as a smile broke out and laughter erupted. Hal was certainly having a good time with his new dance partner, and it showed. He needed this - or more correctly, he wanted this to replace whatever he was shrugging off from his voyage across the stars with the grand master. He'd circle around to it eventually, but he'd rather circle this red-head for the time being, and she didn't seem to mind at all.

The curl of his arm around her waist and touch of his other to her free hand that wasn't tangled in his own shirt brought a spin to both. Gates slid away a few feet, doing what the outward carefree exterior seemed to radiate - an obscenely large ego, but his dance steps made up for it. Coming back an instant later, and taking her hand to draw her right back into his arms to the point of picking Marakai off her feet and swinging her body against his own with centripetal force. Tucking her right thigh against his own till she could light one stiletto shod toe upon the floor again in tandem with the bend of his left knee drawing her towards safe purchase on the ground. Apparently he wasn't always a klutz when it came to land legs. He was certainly far better as a pilot, but Hal had his moments - especially after you had a worthy cause to practice for. He had to admit though, she was a lot heavier than he gave her credit for, but he wasn't going to belabor the point now when he had the feline's attention and affection.

[member="Marakai Al'Orren"]

 

[Marakai Al'Orren]

It wasn't often that club goers in the throes of intoxication and entranced by the pounding beats of the music paused. But some few did - those closest to Mara and her new-found partner found their gazes drawn in by the display of effortless coordination and decadent purpose. The beats fell from the speakers as smoothly as rain from the sky, but the feline would later be forced to admit she didn't quite notice.

How could she, when her attention was so taken up with the one she'd seen from across the dance floor what felt like hours ago. Her memories tried their best to intrude but she refused to let them. What had happened on Ossus could damn well stay there...she deserved so much more than the meager hand she'd been dealt that fateful day. So much more.

She tuned out the whispers trailing through the air, though they flavored the heated smile that curled her glossy lips. They weren't only being watched, they were most certainly being talked about. As incredible as the music felt slithering through her veins, it paled in comparison to the rest of her senses as he pulled her in close and swept her off of her feet. Her head tipped back as he spun her around, auburn tresses swirling around them both until the motion ceased and she found one foot settled on the ground once more. Fingers freed themselves from his shirt and slid unbidden up and over his strong shoulders, one of his hands tightly at her waist, while the other held still to the thigh pressed against his side.

The heat was unmistakable.

Lips hovered dangerously close to his while her fingers stole along the back of his neck, amber eyes flashing to a deep, burnished gold. They fell half lidded as she remained silent for a moment, content to be motionless and held as if she mattered more than anyone or anything else did in that moment. She breathed deeply even as her predator's heart raced in her chest, her senses drinking him in and savoring every morsel of information.

Mara's head canted to the side, her purr rich and decadent as it reverberated softly. Lips pressed against his, unable to resist their siren call as through fled in favor of feeling.

| [member="Harland Gates"] |​

 

[Harland Gates]

Plush tiers of flesh drew closer and made spotted contact upon the immovable grin that kept purchase on the spacer's visage. There were even times, shocking as it was, that even Hal knew when to keep his mouth busy with alternative occupations than flapping his jaws for the sheer pleasure of the sound they made. This was a far more worthy endeavor than attempting to illicit a crowd from his years in the black collecting memories, scars, and stories to entice the allure of all manner of potential fan-girls. To say he had a following wouldn't be doing it justice, but as much as he did have oglers, he also had a litany of those that would rather see his tongue sliced from his mouth, to finally silence the rogue. Those thoughts though were stolen in the same manner Mara had taken the initiative to close the minute gap and engage in a display of wanton pleasure. And who was he to deny such an advantageous advance? No one important enough to quibble over the lack of names, soapbox topics, or pet peeves - as those thoughts and pretty much everything else flew out of his head in a rush of heat.

The world stopped, the music faded into white noise, as the dancers around them fell into the grasp of a moment in time, stolen between the pilot and the predator. Hungry anticipation left the playing field and was immediately replaced by a burning fire that raced through both forms. Hal's lips answered back, locking in earnest with the soft curves of her mouth, drawing in the breaths from his nose and exhaling in the scant space between them as each red-head capitalized in the moment. Oh he was liking this one more and more, evidenced by the firm grip on her thigh, digits holding fast to the appendage wrapping around his hip to draw him even closer. The other, a far more renegade approach drew to her shoulder, tempting her hand to curl around his frame and hang on for a wild ride. A singular spot in time slowed till the laser lights that flashed were complete unbroken beams, and the casting of sound became a din of unrecognizable noise. Bodies moved in slow motion around them, everything happening in the fraction of a second.

Hal had experienced this before - the sense that time itself was being bent and shaped to his will. Living in the moment, feeling the gait of the cosmic clock slow. The Force could do this, could draw his senses into a single tick of the proverbial clock and let it linger and hold. Apparently the heated exchange between himself and the feline pressed against him was bringing back a twinge of those memories, but with far more enjoyable results. He wasn't dodging blaster bolts, or matching blades with a Jedi - no, this he could really sink his teeth into (both figurative and literal he imagined). Whether or not this was some latent connection of the Force brewing up from the events on Dagobah, or just a really smoking hot kiss - he couldn't tell, nor was he attempting to find out. Time finally held it's breath no more and snapped back to reality, Hal's eyes met the heated gaze of the tigress in his arms, and a wicked grin spread across his face.


10 Minutes Later


Ignorance was bliss, especially when you were caught up in the throes of hedonistic pleasure. Ignoring the structures around the pair, as they collided heavily through the corridor of an upstairs suite that had been rented on a rush order. Hands held fast to Mara's shoulders, gripping the flesh in earnest, and letting her feel exactly how much he wanted to be here and in the current moment. Lamps, remotes, and other various sundry items skittered across the desk in a mad crash to make way for her form while the two lovers kept at their furious and ardent lip lock. His jacket basically forgotten downstairs was only one less layer of fabric between the roaming hands of the kitten in his clutches and his own body. Her form far easier to manage wasn't taken advantage of just yet. They were just getting started. Passion and fire raced through each other as the somewhat comedically clumsy and careless cataclysmic casting of their frames around the suite was crafted. Shifting his hands across the svelte figure, doing no favors to the short orange dress thrust Mara back hard to the wall, a mirror taking the force of her back and cracking, splintering the reflective surface. They were certainly going to have a bill to pay up after they were done.

Some preferred it far more slow and evenly paced, but who had time for that? Gates was in impulse junkie - and his gambling rap sheet was a nod in that direction, a heavy laden nod to be exact. He wasn't being himself if he wasn't indulging. At least the version of himself that most were acquainted with. He had other moods, but none were currently enacted while the pair tore around the room, Gates pulling no punches in how fiercely he was matching the feline that pressed back equally was hungry. This (among other things) was what he had come to Zeltros for anyway, and it never disappointed the spacer in the past. He needed to clear his mind, get it off the doom and gloom of what he endured on Dagobah, and refresh the self-motivated brigand in him to shrug off responsibility and dive right in to satisfying himself. A vacation that would most likely end up with another in a long list of commlink transponder codes.

[member="Marakai Al'Orren"]