Public Purple Blues

[Nykoria Tallis]

Outlander Club, Uscru District
Coruscant, 10:22 p.m. local time
Mood: "Callista" by Saki Kaskas

Another empty glass landed on the counter with a deep clang. The liquid from the glass tingled the Zeltron's insides with warmth on the way down to the stomach. Kori's blue eyes arched from the bottom of the glass towards the Besalisk bartender. With the thumb and index finger, Nykoria asked for a refill; no less than a full glass at that.

The bartender smirked, a witty remark already on the tip of his tongue. Yet something about the Zeltron made him hold it back, nod, and proceed with the order quietly. The Besalisk somehow knew that the purple-skinned alien preferred to remain alone and in silence for the moment.

Was she that intimidating? By no means! Just another "pretty face" type: dark indigo hair tied behind her in a neat bun; a brown leather jacket with a black tank top underneath; form-fitting dark-blue pants, and black boots to match the tank top. The only thing off about her was a thoughtful expression; the blue eyes seemed to look past everyone or everything, as if the Zeltron's attention was focused elsewhere.

Yet the burden of her gloomy emotions would be evident to those who'd pay even a little attention to her. It was akin to the feeling that a bug probably experienced after rolling a rock up the hill and having it tumble down back to the foot, voiding all the hard work. Spend too long staring at the Zeltron, and you'd be sharing in those emotions soon enough. It's no wonder that most people simply chose not to notice the gloomy patron.

Glass followed another; the tab grew bigger; and yet the burden wasn't becoming any lighter. Sometimes, being a Zeltron could be a pain: you couldn't even get properly drunk without spending a fortune. For a moment, Nykoria shifted her gaze towards a nearby wall. Behind it, was the dance floor with much more dynamic music, and a pulsating whirlwind of pleasantly-sweet emotions. They would probably kick in much sooner than the drinks; especially if the Zeltron chose to let the emotions of others overwhelm her.

But for the moment, Kori didn't want that. Instead, she'd remain at the counter, contemplating her situation and letting the alcohol and the uplifting music of the place work their magic... Slowly.

 

[Cyran Vaas]

Spoiler

""

Cord after cord Cyran played on his stringed instrument The missing strings forcing him to be in inventive in his playing. He got himself a gig in the club to play some for the dance floor. It had been a while, too long in fact since he played for others. However, he uniquely chose to go against the grain for tonight. Instead of playing that classic Jizz, Cyran was playing a rather upbeat tune of Tatooine Blues.

The crowd seemed to enjoy the little tune. Cyran enjoying their good vibes in return which helped him guide his hands across the cords for their amusement. It was fun to be the center of attention in an establishment like this. After his concluding solo one three strings he finished before playfully bowing to the audience with a handsome grin before those on on the dancefloor applauded. It wasn't everyday that a would be Mandalorian played some groovy tunes.

Hopping off the stage he placed his instrument in it's case backstage. But before heading out he figured he should at least get a nice drink or two since it was on the house for him. As he approached the bar he very easily noticed the other zeltron there. However, possibly just as easily picked up on the rather gloomy vibes coming from her. That's no good.

Walking up to the bar beside her it was probably likely that she could feel the rather good mood he was in. Looking to the alien bartender he spoke. Asking for something nice and sweet. Sure it would be more a "girl drink" but when you have an auxiliary liver there was no real point he felt in getting properly drunk in public. You needed something more fitting for a combustion engine to get under the influence. So for that reason he would always pick up fancy flavorful drinks instead.

As the bartender got his drink ready he looked over to the Zeltron women beside him and casually spoke. "Not gonna lie, been a while since I've seen a familiar face around the galaxy" He said in reference to them being zeltrons, a smirk on his face.

Nykoria Tallis

 

[Maestus]

A rare night not occupied by battle or training. Maestus had heard of this thing called "relaxing", yet had never really experienced such a state of being. She was always on alert. Body tensed, honed to near perfection. To call her high strung would be an accurate understatement.

As she stepped inside, the Lethan Twi'Lek paused while she lowered the hood to her cloak. on all available body parts were black tattoos in various Sith languages. Forgoing her trademark black robes, tonight, she looked no different than any other patron. Casual clothing, grey cloak and no weapon. She almost felt naked being unarmed.

She took a step or two out of the doorway, allowing others to enter and leave. She let her gaze wander around the others. Black eyes rimmed with red fire landed and quickly dismissed everyone. Until she saw the pair of Zeltros at the bar. One a purple female, the other a male coming off the stage. Oh right, music. Maestus really must learn to blend in properly.

Sidestepping a drunken oaf, she meandered her way towards the bar. She leaned against the bartop, her eyes taking in all the bottles, mugs, glasses and Force knows what else. As teh bartender came near, she stumbled on her words. She mumbled something that sounded eerily like "Surprise Me".

Brave Twi'Lek.

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

There was a subtle shift of emotions behind Kori as the stranger approached and took a seat by her side. Another Zeltron, no less. Nykoria gestured the bartender for another refill. "Something with a kick this time, alight?" As the bartender stepped back to fetch a bottle, both of Kori's wrists rested on the table, and she turned her face towards the new arrival. Unwittingly, she reciprocated the man's smirk and replied with a simple: "You bet." After thinking a moment or two, she added: "Non-familiar is nice too though."

A few friendly non-sarcastic words with the right attitude could go a long way to cheer the Zeltron up. The distraction helped ease the burden of thoughts that Nykoria was dwelling on, but it couldn't eliminate it entirely. Luckily, that's when the bartender returned... With a wooden bottle of all things! Without a word, he cracked the bottle open and poured the green-ish liquid into Kori's empty glass. At first it was just a splash; but after a moment of hesitation, the four-armed bartender filled the glass up to the half. That's then the Lethan Twi'lek leaned against the bartop and asked to "surprise her". The strong uneasiness of the Twi'lek spread faster than the herbal nose-tingling scent of Kori's drink. For a moment, the Zeltron was forced to shift her gaze to the newcomer and take note of another non-familiar face.

Meanwhile, the Besalisk looked at the open wooden bottle. To himself, he couldn't but wonder at the stranger's perfect timing. Few people ordered "Rwoookworro Rwworro", and not because they couldn't pronounce the name. The beverage was known known among the connoisseurs as "Wookiee Gut Punch". Once opened, it was best to consume the entire bottle that day, or else the drink could lose its namesake properties. So the Lethan's unspecific order was perfect for that.

An empty glass landed in front of the red-skinned alien, as the bartender filled a quarter of it—twice less than for Nykoria. But that alone was worth multiple glasses, and could send the Twi'lek well on her way to catching up with the Zeltron. Especially considering that the Lethan lacked a second liver.

Cyran Vaas Maestus

 

[Maestus]

Maestus blinked as the strange looking wooden bottle was produced. Had she made some kind of mistake? Had she signed her own death warrant? She'd lived a good long life, right? 21 was a long time in some species, she was pretty sure. Sure, she thought she would live longer, but her destiny awaited.

She lifted her cup, and made her first of probably many mistakes for the evening. She smelled it. A little deeply. And instantly regretted it. Her head snapped to one side, her free hand covering her mouth.

This is safe to drink? Seriously?

Said to her 2 Zeltros neighbors as well as the universe at large. Maybe this was the beginning of some kind of existential crisis? Or maybe she was being a right prat and thinking too much. Her intent for the night had been to explore somewhere or something she had no experience with. Drinking wasn't her first thought, but, well, here she was.

In case this kills me, I am Maestus. It has been a pleasure. Bottoms up is what they say, yes?

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

In addition to the friendly vibe from another Zeltron, there was now something else. "High strung" from the nearby Twi'lek shifted to "very concerned" at the sight and smell of the drink. To Nykoria, the "Wookiee Gut Punch" didn't smell nearly as revolting; perhaps an indication that her body was more tolerant to that "starship fuel" stuff. She reacted to the Twi's question with a shrug and a plain smirk: "Guess we're about to find out."

Sitting between the two strangers with totally different outlooks and concerns took Nykoria's mind even further off her worries. As the woman introduced herself—and credit where credit is due, in a funny way—the Zeltron's lips curled up. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nykoria," she turned her face towards the Zeltron by her other side. "Or just Kori, that's probably better." She then stared at the green liquid in her glass. But something changed; Nykoria was now having second thoughts about it all. Why would she... A sideways glance at the Twi'lek answered it all. It wasn't Kori's own hesitation, but rather her Lethan neighbor's. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Maestus, and then at the Zeltron—who had already received a sparkling sweet-scented purple cocktail that was known as "Zeltros Touch".

"Yeah..." Kori finally found it in herself to lift the glass and raise it, looking at the opaque green liquid inside. "To faces and drinks, both familiar and new?" She'd toast before taking the drink into her mouth... And keeping it there for a few moments, face stuffed. As it turned out, the drink's structure was akin to kissel, so gulping it down was the problem. Holding it in the mouth for too long wasn't an option either—its kick was literally forcing the tears out of the Zeltron's eyes.

So she gulped it down hastily, in two goes, before landing both hands and an empty glass on the counter with a loud thud. Observing the texture of the bar counter's material, Kori exhaled like a roaring Krayt dragon. As the drink was doing its job—much better that anything else consumed that day—Nykoria added coarsely: "On second thought..." But she'd leave that thought unfinished, too busy regaining her breath.

Cyran Vaas | Maestus

Spoiler: OOC

Sorry I didn't wait my turn. I figured it would be ok to give Cyran more stuff to react to (since it all happens in a few moments). I'll stand by for your post now.

 

[Cyran Vaas]

It seemed as though when Cyran came up beside the lady zeltron a Twi'lek seemed to take her flank. Asking the bartender to "surprise her." She was also a red Twi'Lek, he didn't know the official name of that race but believed them to be pretty rare from his understanding. She said something about the drink being safe. The concern being something hard for him to relate too as a zeltron. As she bid her farewell as if the drink will kill her he chuckled some.

Than the zeltron next to him replied with her own name. "A pleasure, Kori, Maestus, I'm Cyran by the way." He said before getting his own "girly drink." Probably kind of funny given he seemed to be the only male out of the three of them. He watched as Kori raised her glass for a little toast. Cyran followed her lead, "I can second that." He replied before taking some sips of his fancy little cocktail. It was quite pleasant.

He also realized what Kori may have just consumed. "My my, looks like someone's trying to break the bank tonight, hehe." He said in reference to needing to possibly spend a lot on drink to feel their influence. Which is why he choose the muck less potent cocktail for himself. If he ever did need something with a lot of kick he could always just buy some extra potent moonshine off some backwater locals to use to spike an already alcoholic drink. "Must have a lot on you mind miss if you're looking to down something like that?"

Nykoria Tallis | Maestus

 

[Maestus]

Maestus stared at the cup o' death she held. Grateful to hear Nykoria Tallis speak, interrupting her inevitable death as soon as the liquor touched her lips.

Nykoria.....I like that. Pretty.

She was unsure what to do during a toast before a drink. So Maestus sat there awkwardly, mimicing the two Zelrtos motions and words. She was juuust about to taste liquid death, when Cyran Vaas thankfully spoke up and introduced himself. Blessed reprieve. She lifted a hand in greeting. Was it shaking? Surely not.

When she didn't think she could put it off any longer, once more she brought the cup o' green death to her lips. Not smelling it this time. She was smart. Or so she hoped.

She caught Nykoria's reaction. Well that didn't look promising. Mental note, don't drink it all at once. Caution Maestus, caution.

Yeah right.

She knocked that thing back quicker than spit.

And both hands absolutely FLEW to her mouth. Whatever was inside, like deep down inside, was threatening to come back up from breakfast. Not to mention, mingling with the Green Death, the taste was horrendous. And let's not even start on the consistency. Feck sake, did she have to chew this?!?!

Her face wrinkled up then went through an almost comedic series of expressions. Tears didn't just spurt out of her eyes. They POURED. If he skin wasn't already red, she'd be 50 shades of crimson.

Finally swallowing every nasty thing in her mouth, the coughing fit started. And that was so hard and rough, she was on the verge of vomiting again.

Looking like a drowning fish, she gulped for air in between coughing hacks. Finally, exhausted in everyway possible, she was able to get herself under control.

What in the Force did I just put into my body?

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

The "Wookiee Gut Punch" sure lived up to its name. Nykoria's skin adopted a reddish hue that made her look almost like the Lethan Twi'lek next to her. Perhaps even a little closer now... Or was it farther? Kori shut her eyes and shook her head, but she still couldn't say for sure. On the bright side, the insides of the Zeltron's skull were feeling more and more like feather with every second. Between that, Cyran's friendly nudge on "breaking the bank", and Maestus's amusing and genuine display, yesterday's troubles were forgotten... Until Cyran brought it up again.

But for some reason, it no longer mattered. "An awful lot of things," the Zeltron replied plainly to Cyran's question, with a dismissive hand-wave—the "dismissive" part directed at the "things" she mentioned and not at the man, obviously. The corners of Kori's lips curled up in a smirk that matched the casual tone of her voice. "I just abandoned my life-long dream and ages of work put into it." She puffed through the nose softly and continued: "Probably sick too." Realizing something, she quickly glanced at both her neighbors, raising her purple palms in the air: "Not to worry, it's not contagious... Most likely."

Resting both elbows on the counter, Kori propped up her chin with the right hand. She peered at the bottles on the shelves—their different shapes and colors, the way they shivered along with the ripples that engulfed the entire room... The Zeltron lowered her gaze and shook her head again. "Kriff, I should've started with that stuff right away. A bottle of that thing could knock me out cold."

Cyran Vaas | Maestus

 

[Maestus]

The poor Twi'Lek. Whatever was in the "Wookiee Gut Punch" certainly was living up to its name right now. She felt like her stomach was on the verge of a revolution. And this time, she was gonna lose no matter what.

Maestus lifted her eyes from the bartop to her two drinking buddies. Nykoria Tallis and Cyran Vaas both seemed to be tolerating their drinks far far better than she. Were their heads spinning 100kmh? Did the world dance the electric bugaloo everytime they blinked? And did they feel the sudden urge to find a trash can?

I am never doing that again....

One itty bitty shot and she was toasted. Words slurring, was there even any separation between them at all? Did she just invent a new alien language?

Tell the band to stop playing. The percussion is too much...

She plopped both elbows on the bar, and let her head collapse into her hands with a groan. After a few moments, when she felt safe from projectile vomiting. she tilted her head to one side so she could peek an eyeball at Nykoria.

Sounds like you need a dream then. What was the old one?

 

[Cyran Vaas]

Cyran couldn't help but chuckle to himself some as he watched and listened to the red Twi'lek seemingly cope with her most recent actions of possibly drinking a little more than she could handle. Again partly justifying Cyran's decision to have a more tasty drink for himself.

After that he listened some to Kori's words. Talking about how she seemingly abandoned a life long dream of her. Sounded rough to him. It was a little sad to him. How could it not be, a fellow zeltron giving up or needing to pass on from a dream they've had their whole life. Cyran could only imagine the kind of wreck he would be if he could no longer pursue his interests in the musical arts.

He personally wasn't too worried about getting sick, plus it was probably just the booze she was feeling. "Sounds rough..." He simply replied before taking a swig or two from his beverage. He wouldn't go on about how, "it wasn't the will of the force, or it just wasn't meant to be." No, those were lame excuses, and one shouldn't delegate their fate to the Force he felt. Than again he didn't really know what the Force was in all honesty.

"Must've been a pretty inflexible goal huh?" He then here the Twi'Lek's reply before replying himself. "Yeah what was if if you don't mind a duo of friendly strangers asking?"

Maestus | Nykoria Tallis

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

Was it too bad that Nykoria found amusement or distraction in someone having it worse than her? The someone was obviously the red Twi'lek groaning into the table. Kori wasn't gloating at Mae—quite the opposite actually— but there was something about the scene that made the woman's smile more genuine. Cyran's chuckle in the back could be to blame as well. After all, the Zeltron in Kori never lost sight of all the surrounding emotions.

Both strangers seemed sincere in their interest, so the Zeltron just shrugged with one shoulder, chin still resting on one of her palms. "Wanted to uphold family traditions," She made a brief pause, straightening up and resting both her wrists on the counter. "To do good, protect and serve, you get the point. A few years in, and it turns out I don't fit the bill." Kori stretched her neck in a fluid motion, her tone resigned, but not too upset: "So, back to square one."

Kori honestly wouldn't know what to else to say. But she was interrupted by the least expected person. The Besalisk bartender put the wooden bottle in front of her: "That one is yours." As the Zeltron gave him a questioning look, the alien elaborated: "Few people order this stuff. And it loses its properties in a day or so. So when you pay for the shot, you actually pay for the entire bottle. Knock yourselves out!" The Besalisk scratched the back of his head with a grin, and then headed off to serve drinks to other customers seeking his attention.

Clueless, Nykoria stared at the bottle. Somehow, speaking about her troubles made her want another "Gut Punch". But knowing that she couldn't finish off the bottle alone, Nykoria turned her head towards Cyran first, and to Maestus second. Her gaze had a question that the Zeltron left unvoiced.

Cyran Vaas | Maestus

 

[Maestus]

Maestus was still reeling from that shot, and it showed. Even laying her head in her hands, she still swayed on her barstool. Thankfully, no dry heaving.

Without looking up, cause to be honest, she would fall over, she spoke Nykoria Tallis . Protect and Serve. A myth. The government cares if you're wealthy, one of the elite. Anything under that, you cease to exist. There was a heavy overtone of bitterness in her words.

Thankful for the timing, the bartender broke her chain of thoughts. AS he plunked the bottle down, Maestus lifted her head very slowly. A Whole Bottle?!?! She felt impending death.

Umm...I don't think it is a good idea for me to drink anymore. This is my first time, and uhh...It's already been interesting.

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

It was no wonder that nobody else wanted to partake in the gut punch. Even half a glass—combined with all the previous beverages—got Nykoria tipsy. Already a part of her wanted to do something bold; just to defy the situation she had found herself in. There was a problem though: the Zeltron just hadn't figured out what that something was. And unbeknownst to Kori, the sluggish bitterness that Maestus exuded was taking a toll on her too.

"If you think the government doesn't care about you, try not paying taxes for a while," the Zeltron retorted with a joke she had heard somewhere else, in a somewhat exhausted tone. "But I can't help it when it's a family gig and a childhood dream combined."

Without any better ideas for "something bold", Kori poured just a little bit of the "green death" from the bottle into her empty glass, and downed it in one go moments afterwards. This time she was prepared, so the tears didn't follow. "Ughhhh, that's some strong stuff. An..." The Zeltron paused mid-sentence, needing to clear her throat. "... Anyway, what do you guys do for a living?"

Maestus | Cyran Vaas

 

[Cyran Vaas]

Cryan simply just listened in a little. Not really thinking of anything to chime in with. Kind of just watching the two drink their heavy beverages as he enjoyed his tasty one for himself. Then the zeltron, Koria, asked what they all did for the living.

"Oh well other than trying to pursue my own dreams of a musical career. Which I got to express some just a moment earlier on stage here. I'm a bounty hunter, or as I like to call it sometimes, freelance lawmen. Given the kinds of bounties I take." He realized that from how he looked now in casual clothing he must not have looked like the bounty hunter type. But if he threw on his armor maybe he would look more the part.

"It's... well it's not really easy, and can be a little hard on me being a zeltron and all. But it's always got work to offer and I can't pay for goods and services with sweet tunes all the time now can I?"

Nykoria Tallis | Maestus

 

[Maestus]

She was still reeling from the Gut Punch. Apt name, that. her stomach felt like it was in the middle of a revolution. She kept taking big breaths and swallowing. Be damned if she vomited right here in front of everyone.

As she looked to her Zeltron companions, their faces were a little blurry. She blinked a few times and wiped at her eyes. She was never drinking again.

If it was a life long dream, why must you give up on it? I would think those are the dreams worth holding onto.

Her tone was slightly bitter as she thought back to her own childhood. Flooding back came thoughts of weakness and disgust. Hatred for her former life and those involved in it.

 

[Nykoria Tallis]

"A bounty hunter, huh? I don't know, sounds like a Zeltron gig. Take them in and bring them in," the woman shrugged, a smirk forming on her lips. "Is there too much paperwork involved?" That would often be a thing for official law enforcement. Whether it was the case for bounty hunters remained to be seen. Not to mention that buying and maintaining your own equipment could be a pain. "Does it pay off?"

Meanwhile, the Lethan dodged the question... Or rather, was too focused on the previous topic. "That got decided for me," the Zeltron shrugged as she responded to the Twi'lek. There was something about Maestus that caught Kori's attention. Gloomy and bitter disposition that weighted on Nykoria almost as much as on the person experiencing it.

It was natural for a Zeltron to try and avoid those emotions. Even in a sober state, Kori would've tried to do something about it. But now, her body responded almost instinctively to the weight of negative emotions nearby. She realized what happened only after the deed was done. Unwittingly, her body had given off a burst of invisible and barely perceivable pheromones in all directions nearby. If inhaled, they could very well soothe the negativity, unless the person chose to dwell on in and savor it. "Though I guess there're still ways for me to keep at it," Nykoria added to the earlier point about pursuing her dream.

Cyran Vaas | Maestus