Got A Black Magic Woman...

[Micah tol Powl]

THE PLANET
V O S S
VOSS-KA INTERSTELLAR SPACE PORT

It was known as the Jedi Family Values Tour.

The Naboo hip-hop trio, Gunganlicious, was front-lining in a radical departure from the bands that had anchored previous years rock tours. But Krayt Pearl Jam had pulled out as a form of protest against the Mandalorian invasion of Kashyyyk, and Usk2 was performing a charity concert as part of the #CloneLivesMatter movement.

Zak wasn't complaining.

...well, that wasn't entirely true. He rather liked Usk2. They were kinda in your face with the whole social awareness thing, but the music made it worth it. Sometimes. When Sono, the frontman, wasn't being a jerk about it.

In any case, after opening for Krayt Pearl Jam at the concert on Sakura Station, which had mostly been due to his connection with [member="Matsu Ike"], Zak had stumbled into an invitation to participate in the Jedi Family Values Tour. Which, for a fourteen year old vagrant, was a once-in-a-lifetime golden ticket. And he had at least enough common sense not to let that opportunity pass him by.

They'd played the Cosmodome at Il Avali, then the Aquamura on Mon Cal. The third stop on the tour was the familiar metropolitan stop in the Tingel Arm Region.

Voss.

Zak was on his third set for the evening. His fingers were bleeding and he feared his voice might not hold out for much longer, so he'd brought it down from the high energy of earlier with a slower song to bring the tempo down.

"When I go to cross that river... she is comfort by my side."

The best part of playing Voss?

The pain in his fingers didn't matter. The hoarse, raw feeling in his throat? He put it out of his mind. As the Nautolan's abyssal black eyes looked out over the sea of people, there was only fan in the stands that mattered to him.

He was singing for her.

"When I try to understand, she just opens up her eyes."

Rocking his body back and forth, the Nautolan's head-tails swayed freely as the boy ducked back from the microphone and indulged himself in bridge. Chords springing with a raw power as the young artist lost himself in the music for a moment as he played the seven-string hallikset in his arms.

"Aaaahhhhhhhh... There's a BIIIIIIIIIG.... a big hard sun. Beaten on the big people, in a big haaaaaaaaaaard world."

​

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Sia would sit in the audience smiling up as Zak sang of love. She had been there for all three of his sets and she loved hearing him sing but she could hear the strain in his voice and see the blood on his fingers. She would have a lighter out and have it lit and swaying

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Polyp Evil, a Yuuzhan Vong metal-turned-mainstream band, took the stage as the Nautolan bowed up from under the hot lights.

Once backstage, the teen felt the strength sapped from out of his body. After handing off his hallikset, the boy plunged his hands into some cold water and felt them burn with relief. When he'd taped up the cuts and blisters on his hands, the boy donned a jacket and made his way out from around back.

He was still a relatively unknown.

A green skinned non-human in a sea of humanity, the Nautolan went noticed by most who assumed him to merely be another concert goer.

It was easy for him to pick out [member="Sia Ike"] in the crowd, making his way to her with a couple of soft drinks from backstage. Squeezing into a seat beside her, the boy sagged down in the chair as Polyp Evil was starting into their second song.

"Hey," the boy offered in greeting, holding a soft drink out for her.

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

As Zak left the stage Sia would put her lighter away and let her posture sag as he left the stage. She ahad liked him for years... he had been her first kiss, all those years ago in the cafeteria. Those were good memories, as she saw Zak walking towards her her heart would skip a beat and then start into a tap dance rhythm. It had done this ever since they were kids. "Hey" she would say smiling at him

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Handing the girl the soft drink, the young Nautolan flashed her a large - if wearied - smile.

Cracking open his own drink, the boy looked away to the stage as he asked, "They any good tonight?"

In a way, he felt bad for the fact that Sia was following them like a roadie on the tour. She had be hearing a lot of the same bands doing the same songs over and over again. Including himself.

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

She would have followed this tour every where and she turned to him opening her pop and said "Not as good as you are."

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The boy's head-tails perked up at the compliment.

Blushing a faint emerald across his verdant cheeks, the youth shook his head. "Man, you must really not like them!" he joked, his teeth flashing white with a brilliant smile.

Settling back into the seat, the boy put his arm around the girl as they listened to the concert.

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

As he put his arm around her Sia's heart began to tap dance once again she had never had him do this before and she loved it so much as they listened she smiled her bright single dimpled smile and sat leaning on his shoulder before laying her head on it still smiling

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The young Nautolan relaxed as he settled beside the girl.

As she leaned her head against his shoulder, he started to smile...

...and then felt a slight pressure as he felt a weight press down on one of his head-tails. Dropping his shoulder slightly, the young Nautolan teen gingerly reached two-fingers in to sweep the head-tail away from where it had gotten trapped between her head and his shoulder. Then, relaxing back beside her, the boy leaned his head over slightly so that it was resting against hers.

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

As she felt his head rest against hers she would smile brighter than she ever had before, she loved the slight pressure applied to the side of her head. She would listen to the music feeling the beat pound on her chest

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

The Nautolan teen, with his arm around the young girl beside him, gave her arm a slight squeeze as he rested his hand across her shoulders. The music was good. The atmosphere was great. And the company was even better.

Now... what were they going to do for food?

They could do local. There were a couple of good Voss restaurants around town. This was Voss-Ka after all.

Or Sullustan? There was this total dive off 32nd Street run by some old Resistance or Rebel Alliance brah that was just amazing.

And... wasn't there a Mon Calamari sushi bar that had opened up?

"You wanna get some food later?" the boy inquired, tilting his head so that his abyssal dark eyes were looking over at the girl's face.

Zak being... well, Zak, it was hard to imagine this outing not somehow involving food.

Which, was this an outing? Or was this a date?

Was it even cool to say 'date' now?

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

Sia would meet his eyes as he squeezed her arm still smiling her single dimpled smile. "Yeah I could go for some food." She loved the feeling of his flesh on hers.

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

So food was a yes.

This is why he loved this girl. She could speak his language!

"Great!" the boy opined brightly. Except, now what kind of food should they get? Zak really wasn't all that discriminating. Except he didn't really eat meat. Now fish, or shrimp, or shellfish, or seaweed...

You'd almost think he was aquatic.

"What sounds good to you?" the boy inquired wistfully.

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"I am up for anything so long as you are with me." She said sliding her hand over his

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Up for anything.

That didn't narrow down the option, but that was okay. It was a culinary adventure!

That Mon Calamari sushi place was starting to sound more and more like the way to go. "What about..." the Nautolan began, visions of sashimi dancing in his eyes, as he used his free hand to rummage through the pocket of his trousers.

He had credits for this right?

...actually, come to think about it. He was actually signed with a label yet. And he'd had to pay his way from Sakura Station. And he'd invested a lot of credits into new strings for his bass mando and hallikset.

But that was okay! He had... absolutely no money coming in at the moment.

Here's hoping playing the concert did something for him. Advertising. Royalties. Anything. Hell, he'd take a recurring role as a DisneyHolo star at this point, and that was about as low as any teenage singer could go. It might be time to pawn some of those krayt pearl shards he'd polished up into lightsaber crystals.

"Uh... what about McYodas?" the boy asked, embarrassed for saying that aloud, but he honestly wasn't certain he had enough credits for them both to get value meals with fries.

C'est la vie. He was a musician. Of course he was broke.

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"How about this dinner is on me and we go to that Mon Calamari sushi place?" She asked smiling knowing he loved seafood and she liked it too.

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

Ugh. Was he really going to free load off his best girl?

"You sure?"

The answer was yes. Yes he was.

Did he have any pride? Nope, not really. When he were a musician, that was the first thing that had to go!

...plus the whole Jedi thing meant that Zak really hadn't ever been that prideful to begin with.

"Thanks, Sia," the boy remarked, giving the girl a semi-hug in the seat by squeezing her arm as he held her close to him.

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

"Yes I am positive." She said smiling at the handsome boy. As the final song was wrapped up she would stand smiling at him once more and offering her hand "Shall we?"

[member="Zak Dymo"]

 

[Micah tol Powl]

He'd take that.

And he did. Her hand at least. Standing from out of his seat, the boy walked with her through the crowds of people. It was a little hectic navigating their way out from the concert venue, but then they were exiting out into the city of Voss-Ka. The breeze were a little cold up here in the mountains, but there was no substitute for the views.

"So, what have you been studying lately?" the teen asked, glancing over at the girl as the two walked the boulevards of the bustling starport.

[member="Sia Ike"]​

 

[Eli-Mae Forrest]

As the boy stood up she would lace her fingers through his and smile as she did. She had always liked physical contact with people it helped her sense what they were thinking or feeling as well as made her feel better. "I have been working on the form Aratu a lot as well as force powers." She said as they strolled down the street. Her single dimpled bright white smile never left her face once since he had come over to her earlier

[member="Zak Dymo"]