The Ziost Affair [The Primeval][PM for late invite]

[Doctor Azure]

Lor wagged his fork noncommittally as he began to pick away at his food. As far as he was concerned, the one and only reason he hoped Galaar was a boy was because of the name. But he knew Rawnie's feelings on the subject, and he figured that the kid would grow up hunting and running through the forest anyway. That actually sounded like a fun way to raise a kid.​

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"Still gonna give the kid a knife with their teddy, so what's the difference?"​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Evor]

A genuine smile crept across his face, raising the cigarette to his mouth once more and breathing in the toxins. He let the smoke hang in his mouth for a moment before he slowly exhaled through his nose, letting the smoke billow out of his nostrils. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on the edge of the table, putting some of his weight on them. "I see you had no troubles putting the name to the face and voice however. Clearly nothing has changed as drastically as you think." He smiled softly, letting some of the edge fade from his voice to show that he wasn't entirely being a prick. He wasn't entirely sure how to read or play this situation.

However, he couldn't help but be sarcastic regarding the man he did not know. He shrugged off her comments about the Primeval and jerked his thumb toward Slade as he walked away. "He's even more angst-ridden and totally in control of his feelings than I am. Want me to give him a talk for you, Keira? Or do you not let others do things for you still?" He hoped he was recalling her characteristics correctly. If not he hoped that she took it as a sarcastic jab, along the lines of being a strong, independent woman.


[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"What do we have here?" The agent muttered to himself quietly, walking down the stairway and towards the small group.

He didn't recognize the first man, [member="Evor"], however there was something almost off about the woman he was with. Without any hesitation, the Exemplar marched towards the two as they spoke only stopping at a comfortable enough distance. "Lover's quarrel?" He grinned behind his helmet, Catalys almost never left his armour and it didn't seem that he was here as a guest more so than security. But security of whom? Ten credits to anyone who figured that one out.

Cata wasn't terribly interested in butting in, but anyone could feel the tension from the other side of the Citadel. Although the question was his motives... Here to provoke 'em or to mediate if things got bad? Honestly, he didn't know that much himself. For now he'd leave it at that, crossing his arms and looking off between the two.

[member="Keira Ticon"]

 

[Keira Priest]

"You're some kind of Sith, I'm some kind of Jedi. I think that counts as a drastic change." Early on Keira had sworn that she would never return to the Order, and she hadn't, not really. But she had dedicated herself to some ideal of peace and justice, and that was close enough. It was a change from belonging to a criminal syndicate, at least. Things were slowly phasing back to how they had been, this almost resembling one of the parties that the Ravens would have held back in the day. If it hadn't been for the impossible to ignore presence of nearly everything she was now fighting against surrounding her. That put her just a bit more on edge than she would have typically been, had this been Antecedent rather than Ziost.

Briefly she glanced to where Slade was currently walking away, not otherwise paying the other much attention before she turned back to the conversation at hand. With a dismissive gesture she attempted to dissolve his momentary concern. "Don't worry about him. He'll be back eventually." She flashed a small grin, genuinely enjoying herself for what was the first time in a long time. "And yeah, you're about right. I can take care of myself a lot better than anyone else. Been doing it since before I joined the Ravens, and I'll keep on. Don't worry about me." Those were her three favorite words, lately. It was easier to brush people off rather than invite their concern. Especially in a place like this.

Her enjoyment lasted only as long as the two were alone, however. An instant aura of unease and a sort of hyperawareness surrounded her once [member="Catalys Maijora"] made his presence known, the muscles of her jaw taughtening. Another she recognized, this time for most certainly all the wrong reasons. The fingers of her left hand, the one typically in possession of her blade, twitched involuntarily at the lack of such a weapon. Her gaze cut to the armored figure, and she didn't bother to disguise the recognition evident behind her eyes. "Still doing your Host Lord's dirty work, I see." Her smile was a touch less welcoming. "Just be thankful we aren't allowed weapons." Not that she needed one to kill him.

[member="Evor"]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"I don't see how capturing Jedi is dirty work," he revealed the fact that he now remembered who she was. It was hard to forget any of his targets, most of them were tough, but he recalls her having been a relatively easy take... Not to mention he snagged her after already capturing another target. "Don't take things personally, you owe me more than you'll ever know." Now what he was referring to was likely something she was entirely unaware of. What he was referring to was the role he played in helping her escape from Order's End. Of course, in the end it was self-serving.

Not that it mattered if she did know, clearly she'd just argue that it didn't mean much since he captured her in the first place. Yet who would readily accept anything in this galaxy? Fools, that's who.

Letting out a low sigh, he cracked his knuckles out of boredom. "Still... Wouldn't expect you to show up," his tone was rather enthusiastic.

[member="Keira Ticon"] | [member="Evor"]

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

Rawnie stared at her husband for a while, trying to decide if he was joking. A knife was a fine thing to give a child after they'd had proper training, but never a baby.

"Well, I'm glad you don't care. Neither of us really have any say in the matter anyway."

She poked at her plate with a fork, reluctant. It smelled good. So what was she waiting for?

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Keira Priest]

Events Keira would have much rather forgotten were playing back on the fringes of her subconscious in resemblance of a movie that stops and starts in fits and bursts, each scene disconnected from the next and giving the entirety of it a surrealistic feel. It took a few seconds for her to respond, and she seemed to look beyond him and into the past itself. Soon enough, however, an alertness returned to her form as if life had been breathed into her for the very first time, eyes darting around before once more settling on him. "You still use that word." Just as the first time, she would still interject her protest in what most would consider quite a mundane issue. "I'm not a Jedi now, either. Never will be."

A dry chuckle passed her lips, smoke twining outwards with it. Everything had changed, but her relative sense of humor and manner of dealing with him remained much of the same. There were some things that were set in stone for eternity. "I don't owe you anything other than a bullet between the eyes. But that'll have to wait until later. Wouldn't want to ruin anyone's night." She looked pointedly to Logan for a split second. "You'll have to talk to Anja about that. I only came because I received the invitation." Which was a half-truth at best. Her actions were never so easily explained, but then, he wasn't deserving of so much as half of a proper reason. "What is it you want, then? I can't assume you wandered over for the company."

[member="Catalys Maijora"], [member="Evor"]

 

[Evor]

Logan furrowed his brow, glaring at Keira. "You assume I wanted anything.". The fingers that were drumming softly on the table stopped, the nails digging into the top. "If conversation was such a burden, I see no reason for you to stay here. I am sure you can find the way out if that's what you want." He turned his head to Catalys now, keeping the glare up. "You can piss right off too." He angrily grabbed the already open bottle off the table and placed it to his lips, taking a long swig. The time for pleasantries was over, not he would let himself slip into a fog of anger and rage. It was amazing how a single string of events could ruin what was such a simple thing.


[member="Keira Ticon"] [member="Catalys Maijora"]

 

[Kaster Sane]

[member="Doctor Azure"] / [member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]

He finally turns and to face the couple , Wiping his sleeve across his mouth more for show before slumping down onto the terrace as though he'd passed out. His eyes stayed just open enough to see his surroundings as he fiegned unconsciousness. He really hated parties and was beginning to wonder if he was starting to despise children, Or at least one in particular

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor watched the more-than-familiar rendezvous play out between this array of characters, all seeming to like to talk hard and drink harder. It seemed he was a little insignificant in the greater scheme of things, and even his presence wasn't something overly acknowledged unlike those who held great respect and power - that undead dead non-Sith for one would be acknowledged wherever he was no doubt.

Keeping his head down and simply watching the back and forward sparing of words, Connor heard the familiar [member="Keira Ticon"] emerged, a real wrecking ball of words and thoughts that just went straight in and never held back.

The stench of spice and alcohol hit his noise, and in the time it took for him to turn to see his surroundings and the beasts around him, their companion had gone but another in his place - [member="Evor"] - and other, [member="Catalys Maijora"] - all looking like they fighting on the side that Connor wasn't.

He stood his ground and leaned over to the girl he had accompanied.

"Sorry Keira, but is there a point me actually being here beside gawping at all your former riffs?"

 

[Kana Truden]

[member="Danger Arceneau"] // [member="Vengeance"] // [member="Judah Dashiell"]

"Well, it could be far more simple than that." Kana said and looked at Miss Darcy. "That stare and the way the woman wants him? He knows the other man wants the woman."

Then she turned to the consultant. "Yeah, well, both sides are stubborn enough to carry out just about ever war crime they can if it means they get the sympathetic war scores. I mean, what's next? Nuclear bombings and vongforming?"

"I'm good staying out of the fight for as long as I can."

Which wasn't true. She was very much selling information about her former friends to the highest bidder, but that wasn't a good way to make small talk.

 

[Slade Zambrano]

[member="Keira Ticon"]

Slade quickly exited from the group of people and heard Keira's words bounce off his mind via the force. Once out of range of them he pushed his way across the dance floor and towards the bathrooms. An itch began to spread in his body as the doors of the restroom were in view, an itch that could only be sated by one thing and one thing only. Shoving some elder woman out of his way he went to the unisex bathroom and slammed the door locking it behind him. Beautiful marble floors and eloquently painted walls gilded in gold and expensive art served to be his prison for the next few minutes. Grabbing his hair he gritted his teeth and put his back to the wall slumping down it slowly until he came to be sitting.

"What are you doing Slade? You're not in love, you don't know what love is." He said as he pulled at his hair again.

"Just make it go away." He said as he reached into his coat pocket.

"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skxi4NTqFlw"

Pulling out a skinny black case Slade looked at it intently and opened up to find a few familiar things. A needle, a vile filled with that sweet sweet Endor Pine, a lighter, and an old spoon. Upon inspection of the vile it didn't have the dose slade was used to, he had been busy to say the least. Cursing to himself slade banged his head against the back of the wall and laughed to himself about the irony of the situation. The woman he loved was here keeping him from drinking himself to death, and the drug he loved was barely here to keep him company when he needed her. So taking what he had the man laughed and prepared himself for a ride.

 

[Blackthorne]

"The seeds have taken root," Loxa began, indicating to the young man that he should be tending to the contents of his bag now, "the first grows faster every day. With it this one can already bond. It will become a temple for the Gods."

Her assistant produced a small holographic projector that he sat upon a nearby table and engaged. The first image displayed was that of the growing sapling, the heartroot already branching outwards.

"The second is strong and will become a great vessel for the Host Lord and her followers. The third..." Loxa paused, golden eyes glancing downwards, "is weak. This one does not know why - more time with it this one must take, more witches Wayland needs to tend the others, Host Lord."

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"]

 

[Neiros Starwind]

Finishing what surely was his second bottle the blue booze, Neiros pushed himself off the bar. Death stick dancing between fingers, he made his way towards the door. His inebriated sway was about all that kept him from being trampled by a man walking with great purpose towards the lavatories. ".... Guess 'E 'ad to go...." The rogue slurred to himself.

Continuing on, the faces and masks of the crowd a blur around him, the rogue eventually found himself back outside the front entrance of the venue. Death stick placed between lips, he began struggling with his lighter, wanting nothing more at that moment than one, good, sweet draw.

"Karkin' thing....."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Kana Truden"] | [member="Danger Arceneau"] | @Vengeance


"Hmn"


An insightful reply to the people watching that was occurring. He had looked at the pair for a bit but didn't see much beyond flirting. Perhaps the entire purpose of this was to be looking on a deeper level? Reading between the lines? Maybe he was just terrible at the entire thing.


Deciding he was terrible at the people watching thing, Judah looked around the room. It was a decent sized crowd, certainly larger than he had expected. Eyes stopped on a blonde with her hair pulled up. She looked vaguely familiar. Almost like this girl ([member="Spark Finn"]) with glasses and ratty hair that had busted into the Salacia Consolidated databanks. Posted a naked picture of his wife. On every single datapad.


Could it be the same person? Judah gave a mental shrug. If it was, ratty haired hipster girl cleaned up half-way decently. As in, enough to the point to be near unrecognizable.


The conversation was drifting back to war.


"Using the 'verse as their own personal war playground. Best one stays out of it, maybe they will end up killing each other off and we can go back to business as usual."

 

[Enoch Zambrano]

"Good. I'm more than happy take over the rest of the planet. Send me the details of New Adasta's defenses, troops, etcetera, and I will swiftly take control. I think you're mak~" Enoch stopped as he felt the sharp pain in his sides. Immediately, he knew who it was, for the action was something Noxia had done to him. When she put her hands over his eyes, he paused. Of course he already new the answer to her question, but he figured he could tease her as she teased him. In one swift move, he tried to turn around. If she didn't try and grab onto him, he would try and grab onto her, and pull her to the ground. With a wicked grin on his face, and would try and hold her to the ground.

"Oh help, I'm being attacked..." His voice dripped of mockery and sarcasm and he lay on top of her, smiling. After a second, he would move to pull her mask off.

"Who are you! Oh, it's you, Dearie."

[member="Darth Noxia"] [member="Darth Rapax"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

The stare Rawnie gave Lor was perfect. She pretty clearly didn't know whether he was joking, or throwing out a random comment on his opinion of Mandalorian ideals. If he thought about it, maybe he was doing both. He winked at his wife and then started on his orobird. Yum.​

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"Well, visahot, I've met decent Mandos of both genders... As long as Galaar doesn't grow into the kind of suicidal insanity that seems to be the norm, I'll be happy to teach them anything, boy or girl."​

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Lor tilted his head at his wife as she attempted to pick at her food.​

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"Are you okay?"​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"] [member="Kaster Sane"]​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

"Oh! Yes. I'm fine!"

She bit her lip, stabbed a bit of meat with her fork, then slowly raised it to her lips. Her eyes went wide. Delicious! Why had she never had this before!? It was nothing like the wild bird they had back home. It was so... juicy! Spicy! But not in the typical melt-your-tastebuds kind of spicy her people were famous for.

"Lorane! What is this called again?"

[member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor tasted the bird, and had a similar reaction to his wife's. He'd had orobird before, and it'd tasted horrible. This was the exact opposite. He guessed that somebody out there in the galaxy was eccentric enough to breed the birds with something else to get a better taste. Maybe he'd have to find out who someday. Those rage-filled idiot birds could survive nearly anywhere. He was willing to bet a snowy mountain village would be one habitat out of that category.​

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"Some kind of modified Orobird, visahot. Normally, they don't taste this good."​

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[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"]​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He chuckled, "You're right, I find you loss pitiful and beneath my acknowledgement, but even I must admit that there is strength in loss. The death of a loved one can conjure up dark emotions, grief and remorse... but such things can turn to anger... to hate. Harnessing such negative energy is the true strength of a Sith, feeding off the misery of those we torture and kill alongside our own, and in a galaxy plagued by war and depravity I have found no shortage of negativity to feed upon."

He gave another short chuckle, and then he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "I've long passed the point of personal loss, there is no sorrow or remorse... only a bottomless well of hate that will sustain me indefinitely. In truth I hate everything, dearest uncle. I hate the Republic, I hate the Jedi, I hate you, I hate everyone here. I daresay I hate life itself, for it is the enemy of our existence and in death we find solace in the fact that it is not some finite end, but a gateway to greater understanding of the Dark Side and the Force itself. Through death you can achieve a state of being greater than any selfless Jedi could ever imagine."

He raised his goblet in a mock toast, "Godhood."

[member="Zambrano the Hutt"]