What fate do the stars hold for the wandering soul?

[Jace deWinter]

Finding oneself was never an easy thing to do, finding yourself a few centuries later than you last remember? Well that's damned near impossible, at least that's how Jace felt in the weeks since waking up from a carbonite nap, which he still wasn't sure how he survived that. Following his finally over coming all of the effects of the sickness and getting a basic run down of the galaxy at large, the young man set off on his own, to find his place and make a name for himself eventually, however hard or easy that may be...

He found himself in a city, on some planet he barely looked at the name of in his quest to find himself, days had gone by, he heard talk of some high end bar with dancers and who knows what else, so he made his way there, at the very least it would be a place to go for some entertainment. And so here he was in a seat, away from most of the other patrons, leaning back, and looking around, there was many attractive women working the floor, he had taken the time to watch and take notice, they both worked as waitress and dancer, an interesting idea to the least, he mused to himself at the idea of staying on this planet awhile longer and coming to this place some more.

With a slight shake of the head, he finally reached to the table for his drink and took a sip, this night was young still, and he was far too sober to decide on what his next move would be, and so he waved down the next waitress he'd see pass by...

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

It was the same routine, day in and day out for Lyra. Her daily life was almost non-existent at this point, it was usually all errands and extra time to sleep. Then it was up for work, shower, eat, and head into The Dive. There it was wardrobe change, put her face on - help any of the girls that may need it for whatever reason - and then get out and either work the floor or the stage. Always the same, even down to the same day to day patrons in some cases.

Not that, that was a bad thing. Regulars paid good, after all.

Luckily, none of this changed a thing when it came to Lyra's demeanor at work. She still took the time to choose her outfit wisely, she still wore that sultry half smirk, there was just the right amount of sashay in her step as she moved from table to table, and she certainly didn't protest requests of whatever kind if the credits were good enough.

So when the redhead had started past one of the tables in her section, she didn't miss it when she was flagged down. She half turned to face the table and it's occupant, and immediately she recognized that this was someone new. Clearly someone else had gotten him a drink before - probably while she was on stage - or he had gotten it himself from the bar before finding a seat. Either way it went, his glass didn't look quite empty yet, but by the looks of it he'd have it gone by the time she could get to the bar and back.

"Well what are you drinking there, handsome?" she questioned and tossed the compliment without a wit of hesitation. One of her hands rested against the table and she leaned her weight against it. "You look as if you're well on your way to needing more, whatever it is."


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

Jace's eyes scanned over the red head a moment, and his heart nearly skipped a beat taking in every bit of her form, they sure knew how to make the women here very noticeable. A smiled formed listening to her voice, it was an enjoyable sound, especially after his last few weeks, then with a quick sound he cleared his throat.

"Corellian brandy, and maybe I can grab your ear for some conversation when you return?" he was sure she'd be used to requests like this, but his attentions had been a little more pure, mostly wanted he wanted to asked her some questions, some related to her work place, some about if she had information on other things going on. No matter where you go in the galaxy, a bar was still the best place for information gathering after all.

 

[Lyra Diantha]

A hum vibrated Lyra's vocals, and it was audible over the music that filled the club. "That is a good choice," she told him, though since he was drinking it clearly he was already well aware of the fact. His following inquiry made her smile a little, and she glanced around her for a moment as she seemed to observe her surroundings and assess how busy things were. "Looks as if I've got some breathing room."

Her silver gaze then found it's way back to him, "Be right back." she let out with a wink, and then she stepped away from him and the table to make her way to the bar. It didn't take her long once she was there, the teal haired bar tender had a short and simple conversation - most probably about the drink - with the redhead, and then not moments later it was in a glass and in Lyra's hands.

On her way back, she did pause long enough to check on a couple of tables as she passed, but finding no one needed anything immediately, she took the drink to it's patron, set it on the edge of the table closest to her, then leaned across the table as she slid it to him. "Corellian brandy." she let out, then straightened her frame back upright. "And as promised, a few minutes to spare to lend an ear."


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

He couldn't help but grin at her wording, he also had to agree with a slight nod and he took another sip of his drink, and watched her go, his eyes never leaving her figure from the time she left the table to her return to it, his mind raced a bit, he hadn't really expected to find himself eyeing anyone at all, especially a dancer, he knew how those affairs ended usually.

When she came back and slid him the drink, he offered her a seat with him, "Thank you. It's nice to meet you miss....?" he lofted a brow in curiosity before continuing, "Interesting place you work at here, I see you lovely serving gals also happen to be the dancers. A unique choice from what I'm used too.". Jace found himself fiddling with his cup a moment, before finally taking a sip from the fresh glass, his slightly glowing green eyes scanning her face and features, as if he was trying to remember everything about her face, "I assume there's also back rooms for private shows and the like?" he had many questions, but his mind was starting to get lost in it's place as he admired her beauty and features.

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

When she was offered a seat, Lyra didn't hesitate to take one. While most of the girls would have taken the opportunity to cozy up into a patron's lap, that wasn't the best way to hold a conversation. At least not the sort of conversation that lead to anything informative or the like. "I'm Lyra." she told him once she had sat down. Her seat was next to him and admittedly close, but there was just enough room between them to make holding conversation easy - and without breaking or straining either of their necks for that matter.

"Almost every girl on the floor works the stage too, yes." Lyra nodded, and her gaze glanced across the establishment once before she looked back to him. "The boss likes to make sure we stay busy, especially since the place is usually always this packed or worse." A slender shoulder shrugged, but rather than seem put off by the extra work, the redhead looked amused. "Not many of us complain, especially considering the tips are well worth any long nights around here."

Lyra smiled again and then leaned forward so that she could lay one arm against the table, and the elbow of the other. Her cheek was then rested against the fist of the upright arm. "And you would assume right about the private rooms. Not everyone who comes in through the doors wants to be seen here. And not everyone who comes in wants to share the attention of their favorite dancers either." Her smile broadened slowly. "So yes, unique is most definitely a good way to describe this place..."


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

"Lyra..." he said her name, letting it sit on his tongue a moment, as if trying to hold onto a sweet taste, "That's a nice name, I'm Jace." he finally replied, and then took another sip of his drink, listening and hanging on to every word she said while still taking in her beauty, smiling as he listened, to her and chuckling a little. Some how he wasn't surprised that bosses would like the girls to stay busy, that's how a business thrived after all, then at the mention of people not wanting to be seen, or wanting to hog a girl to themselves, he shook with his head with a sheepish grin, a small part of understanding on his own behalf, having been that kind of person once before.

Looking back up at her, a bow slightly raised as he appraised her again he cleared his throat, "How much do the rooms cost?" his curiosity and the idea of some privacy did appeal to him as he pondered on his current situation, he'd admit he enjoyed the atmosphere of the establishment, but he now far more interested in the lovely specimen of womanhood in front of him. "And how much to keep you to myself for the rest of the night?" maybe a little blunt and forward, but he hated beating around the bush when it came to his interests.

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

It was most certainly forward, and yet Lyra kept her smile. She did however lower her arms against the table and straightened her posture rather than keep leaning against them. Business required a bit more dignity after all, even in her line of work. "Well Jace, I do believe that since this is your first time visiting our lovely establishment, that I can make sure you receive quite the discount."

She loft a brow at him, and despite the serious nature of business, she couldn't help the slight smirk that touched her lips. "However, it's a one time deal. So if at some point you decide you want to come back for another show, well..." He would end up paying full price if he wanted more at some point, and Lyra had every bit of confidence in herself that he would come back wanting more eventually.


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

"Oh really now?" he asked teasingly, somehow it amused Jace that Lyra would get him a steep discount since he was a first time customer, but he wouldn't argue if that was what she had wanted too, though it made him wonder if she was super sure of her self, or just baiting him. With a slight shrug and a smile, he wasn't worried about the cost in the least, "I understand, it's a good business model really. And I'm sure I'll be back again..." his eyes locked on to her's with an almost knowing look, before taking another sip of his drinking and move to stand.

With a slight stretch and a shake off of his limbs, he offered her a hand, after all it would be rude to not help her come to her feet, plus he was curious about the softness and smoothness of her skin, it was easy to tell she took good care of herself. "Lead the way..." he smiled, almost wolfish like as his eyes slowly moved over her, he was sure she'd know how attracted he was to her already as he watched her every move.

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

That was most definitely what Lyra liked to hear when it came to business. And admittedly some part of her was actually pleased that this particular patron was all for her offer. Normally she didn't pay much mind to the way a customer appeared. Their state of dress and reading their body language to know whether or not they were going to do more harm that good, yes. That she paid attention to. But it hadn't just been flattery when she had first greeted him and called him handsome.

When the hand was offered to her, Lyra's smile turned a little less enticing and a little more sincere, and she reached up to take the assistance to her feet. She was most definitely soft, and while not just her hands, those were very well taken care of too. Lotioned, manicured, and polished simply. "Yessir," she crooned out at him. "This way."

She didn't release his hand for two reasons, the first being so that she didn't lose him in the populated club as she lead him through it, and the more selfish reason being because she didn't want to. Another first for the redhead. But rather than lead him right away to the hall where the private rooms were, she stopped first at the bar. Still without releasing Jace's hand Lyra leaned over the bar to speak once again with the teal-haired bartender. There was a nod from the other woman who backed away long enough to grab a bottle, then hand it over to Lyra. The redhead winked at her friend in response, then went back to leading Jace along.

The hall of doors that lead into private rooms was more dimly lit than the rest of the club, but Lyra clearly knew where she was going. She took him down towards the end of this section, then pushed a door open and stood aside so that he could go inside first.


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

He'd selfishly admit to me himself, that it felt nice to hold someones hand again, it had seemed like forever since he last had, so her grip on his hand made him smile, rather happily and foolishly. He kept pace and followed, this was her domain and he was not about to do anything to jeopardize this moment, it did bring a bit of a curious arch to his brow at the side stop at the bar, but kept to himself about it.

When they arrived the their room, Jace stepped through, looking at the scenery, this would be a new one for him compared to any place he'd been before, but there was no complained, in fact as he turned back to Lyra, he could tell just how much it matched with her, in so many ways.

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

Once Jace was through the door, Lyra followed him in and closed the door behind her. A little switch was flipped up on the inside wall, which turned a dim light on, on the outside to signify that the room was in use. "Now Jace, without the fear of being overhear, bothered, or interrupted you can make yourself comfortable and have my undivided attention all at the same time."

She stepped away from the door and towards the wall to her right where a cart was placed and lined with glasses and a metallic, closed bucket. Lyra didn't bother with the bucket but she did take a glass from the cart before turning to face the man in the room with her. The bottle she had taken from the bar was then lifted so that she could pour it's contents into the newly gathered glass, and once satisfied she stepped forward. The bottle was placed on the small table near the sitting area, and whether Jace actually sat down or not, Lyra stepped up to him as close as she could get - and if he had been sitting, she would lean down so that there was only enough room for the glass between their chins.

"Corellian brandy," she informed him, and she very gently tipped the glass side to side as if to tease him with it. "A whole bottle's worth, only just opened before it was handed over to me..."


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

"Sounds like a good deal" a smirk formed on his face at Lyra's words, eyes still following her with each step as she went to the cart for a glass, as he leaned up against the wall for the time being, all of his focus on the beautiful flame haired vixen. As she moved in close, Jace could feel a tremble run up his spine at the closeness, the glass and minimal space being the only divider between them, her motions and words teasing him, "And am I too drink this all alone, or will be joining me Lyra?" he asked with a playful grin.

His hand came up to rest on hers, as he leaned in a little to take a sip on the delicious drink inside, but his eyes never left her. He resisted moving any further though, but he'd be lying to himself if he didn't admit he wanted to slip his arms around her, but he'd stick to the subtle actions and reactions for the time being, wanting to get to know the woman before him.

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

A man who didn't shy or shrink away was often times a man to watch carefully. Arrogance, and confidence were things that tended to get out of hand quickly when combining alcohol and a scantily clad woman in any scenario. Add a private room and some not-so-innocent dancing? It was why they had so much security in the establishment. And yet there was no red flag for Lyra when Jace stood his ground. It was intriguing, and while she wouldn't say so aloud it actually impressed the redhead quite a bit. Another oddity for her.

When he leaned in enough to get that sip from the glass, Lyra's gaze remained locked with his, but her teeth raked slowly against her lower lip. She watched him, waited until she was certain he was through, and then she took a drink from the other side of the glass between them. Once separated from the glass again, that light smirk returned to her lips.

"You don't want to share with me," she told him, her voice softer now that the music in the club wasn't having to be contended with. "I'll end up drinking you under the table." The redhead could hold her alcohol like no other.


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

His smile grew a bit more at her words, a soft chuckle escaping his lips, "I somehow find myself believing that, but I don't plan on drinking to the point of being drunk. I want to remember tonight, I want to remember you." he took another drink from their shared cup, a sparkle in his giving way that he meant his words, no matter his intent though, he always preferred to stay away from being too far gone. Somehow Jace had to find that delicate balance between respectful, and passionate intrigue when it came to Lyra, but he hesitated at doing anything to crazy yet, just this shared drink, quiet words and making eyes at one another was enough at the moment.

Their exchange so far was almost like a diplomatic dance between their desires, wants and needs, causing him some level of amusement. "It's up to you though, I won't push you to drink if you don't want too." he let out a small shrug, still gauging her reactions to his behavior, his other hand coming up to lightly push some of her hair back behind her ear, though he looked slightly nervous about doing so.

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

"Well then rest assured, the bottle is merely there for when it's needed." Lyra stated in reply, clear amusement in her gaze as he once again took a sip from the glass. This was not at all anything like the other encounters she had with patrons. Usually she came into a room, poured drinks, and danced until their time was up. None of them ever wanted to speak to her, or ask her questions, or even remotely considered the idea of sharing their booze. So this was a new concept all around. The same situation, and yet entirely different at the same time.

Which is probably why having her curls brushed behind her ear made Lyra hyper aware of the hand that did it. This was a private room, there was no rules against touching in the club period, but most definitely not when behind closed doors that were paid top dollar for. And yet she had never had someone merely brush their hand against her and cause such an awareness. Still, she kept her composure.

"Oh please," she let out, and she took another sip from the glass herself, still keeping her gaze squared with his. "Do I look as if I'm being pushed to do something I don't want to?"


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

There was a slight nod with his smile, showing he was glad that Lyra understood, "The drink is good, but you are far more interesting." he mused out loud, not really bothered that he had said his own inner thoughts as they stood in this private and quiet space, why she had such a hold on him was beyond him, but he accepted it for the time being.

"No, you do not look like a woman pushed into anything she doesn't want to do, I was merely being polite." he grinned a little, winking at her before taking another sip of the drink, his eyes moving up and down her body once again, how he wanted to touch and hold her, but still he kept his composure, he didn't want to be like everyone else she'd dealt with. Clearing his throat as he locked eyes with her again, he smiled a little "I'm sorry if I startled you with the brushing back of your hair, I couldn't help myself there..." he could sense something about it had done something to her, but his ability wasn't the force wasn't as fine tuned as it once had been.

 

[Lyra Diantha]

She had felt that response in her system when he had brushed her hair back, and strangely enough Lyra felt it again when she watched his eyes rake along her frame. Again, something that shouldn't have affected her one way or the other, but it did. She dealt with patrons looking her over all of the time, undressing her with their eyes, devouring her the same way, and it all just rolled off of her skin like water. This man however....Why did he get to her?

"Not so much startled by the fact that you did it, but the fact that I was very much so suddenly aware of the fact that you had." Lyra stated in reply. She never was one to skirt around things, what was the point? Speaking her mind would always end in one of two ways, positively or negatively.

The redhead took one last drink from the cup, and the both of her brows lofted. "So, this is you making yourself comfortable?" she half questioned, half teased.


[member="Jace deWinter"]

 

[Jace deWinter]

He lofted a brow a little bit, the smile still there, though he was clearly curious "Ah, I see..." he mused a little, before taking the glass and setting it off to the side after her last sip and teasing jab, "It's the start, I could get more comfy, I'm sure we both could... I meant it when I said I'd like to buy your time for the rest of the night." he replied with out giving away much, and started to finally sit down, draping his arms over the back of the seat. It was curious how much being around her made him feel at home, more than he ever had in is life with anyone else, and watching her made him ponder a great many things about his life, and his future, because as of now, he didn't want to leave here anytime soon.
"You can dance if you like, or you can sit with me and we can talk more about anything either of us want. It's nice to not be alone for a change, and I like you Lyra, you're vibrant and full of life." he wasn't sure why he'd be so open with her about that, he knew the likely hood of them seeing each other outside of here was slim, but he wanted too, he wanted to more than anything ever in his life for some reason.

[member="Lyra Diantha"]

 

[Lyra Diantha]

Oh Lyra was most definitely sure that the both of them could certainly get more comfortable. It was a thought that almost bothered her, if only because she had never dealt with it before. She was usually so much more professional than this, and yet in less than an hour's time Jace had completely gotten under her skin - and in the best way. "If that's really how you want to spend your money, who am I to argue about it?"

A night spent in Jace's company was intriguing enough on it's own. She was drawn to him - wasn't sure if she liked the fact or not, but she was - and so spending the rest of her night in his company didn't seem like a bad way to finish her shift.

When he gave her the option to sit or dance, there was clear debate on the redhead's face. She seemed to consider, to think about it for a very long moment, and then she moved to take a seat beside him. This time however, she sat close to him, but with her body turned so that she could still face him. "If I'm going to spend the rest of my night here with you, then there will be plenty of time to dance." she pointed out. "So for now, what brought you to Dal'Bor? Business?"


[member="Jace deWinter"]