[Day 2 - LE] The Money Shot

[Daunt]

"I think you're perfectly aware of what I am speaking, just playing the masquerade for the purpose of self-indulgent deniability. If there's a thing you lack it is certainly not intelligence and the ability to understand an thinly hidden meaning or two."

Daunt paused. "Your refined sausages of the past, however, would not have made it onto your plate without sausage-makers. Your misfortune is that now you're a bit closer to the actual making than it's to your aesthetic comfort. Bad news is it's not going to change by much by itself."

Molten uranium eyes moved onto him.

"Still clueless?"

[Bowze Coppa]

''You certainly are, my friend'' the sitting nemoidian replied, withstanding the sorcerous green with his sunset orange

''I suspect angle of your words come from but mine had one of their own...but please, go on, I am curious about what you think my misfortunes are and exactly what type of sausage you think I dined on.''

He put down his glass gently and crossed his legs

''I would wager yours is black pudding''

[Daunt]

"All kinds of pudding, frankly. Black and white, and other colours. Probably crimson is my favourite." Daunt mused.

"A man who's lost a position of privilege in access to his sausage would quite naturally seek ways to restore it. Except that current authorities don't share privilege lightly, especially with the species of the Outer Rim. But the forces beyond their grasp are still structured and have a pecking order, and so positions of privilege. And I bet this is at least in part why you're here, being aloof and yet involved."

[Bowze Coppa]

''I would advise you to stay away from casinos, especially the Hutt's: they do not forgive bad wagers and they become costly if added up.''

There was a tilt of the head

''I recall you wanted me to tell you are wrong...consider it done''

[Daunt]

"Then you've told it, and so your life shall go one way and not the other." Daunt was about to rise. "We've made fast friends though, your own words."

[Bowze Coppa]

''Is it? You assume you know which part of your original assumption you are wrong about. You are wrong about that too...perhaps charcutery is not your thing? Consider the vegan diet.''

[Elaranu]

With a soft chuckle, he escorted her back to the table, and then offered, "What would you like to drink?"

After a moment, he added, "Do you mind if I call you Ela?" He didn't know why, but it rolled off the tongue.

"I would rather you not. Amongst my people, we have two names; Our true name, and our public name. Using my public name, Elaranu, is only polite."

Her empty glass had been taken away, and she ordered something sour before sitting as well.

[Daunt]

"I have not offended you, I have nothing to prove to you, so don't try the mockery on me. You'll know it's bad for your health if you think about it." The Zabrak's face changed slightly. "If you have anything else to say to me, do so upon some reflection. Because in the end I'll live being wrong but you might die being right."

[Bowze Coppa]

''Is it for you to say if another party is offended or not?'' he asks calmly ''Do you think you are the first to come to one of my people with line bearing the same meaning?''

Bowze picked up his empty glass and stood up, facing the zabrak

''If you come play a game of wits I would expect you can withstand a simple nick should your partner's prove too sharp.''

[Daunt]

"Sharp? You'd see it's not a game of wits, but a conversation about primal things like survival and violence, on which your distastes and anxieties should have no bearing." Daunt rose. "Upon reflection, friend. Or not at all."

[Bowze Coppa]

''My friends seldomly threaten me with death...but perhaps that's common theses days.''

He moved pass the grey thug

''I wish you a good and enjoyable evening''

[Daunt]

"Death is common these days. Probably why your friends aren't here." The Zabrak moved in his own direction, toward the exit. He had no further business in the Nerf that evening.

/exit

[Bowze Coppa]

Thugs were common thing here and cowering before one would not have been a wise idea

And anyway he was not in the mood. Perhaps an other glass would help?

I have seen that green somewhere

[Djanik]

"I would rather you not. Amongst my people, we have two names; Our true name, and our public name. Using my public name, Elaranu, is only polite."

Her empty glass had been taken away, and she ordered something sour before sitting as well.

"Elaranu it is, then. I hope I did not offend."

Going to pick up the drinks, he made a mental note - and kicked himself. Well, things could never go as expected.

"Vuxia, a supernova, please."

The drink was a deep red, phosphorescent. Taking it and Elaranu's, he made his way back to the table. Setting both down, he settled in to a seat across from the Chiss, with a thoughtful expression.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya had stayed around the planning conversation in the VIP room until ideas had outpaced information, pitching in the occasional idea based on things she actually knew about, and trying not to me too sarcastic about things she thought wouldn't work. She had eventually excused herself and sat absorbed by the band since. Everyone in her immediate proximity at the bar had been driven off by her attempts to engage them in a detailed discussion of the band and the music's merits, define their genre, identify their precursors and peers, and other painstaking audiophile analysis.

And anyway he was not in the mood. Perhaps another glass would help?

The big Zabrak sitting next to the Neimodian was the first thing to catch her attention besides the band since she started listening. It had seemed a most unlikely friendship, and in a rare fit of sunniness, perhaps in pure reaction to the horror at the Enclave earlier, she allowed herself to feel heart-warmed by it. Until, of course, things turned tense, chilly, and possibly near-violent. When Daunt left, she caught the bartender's eye. Bowze's next drink arrived without his asking, or needing to pay for it, and when the bartender pointed her way Vaya waggled her antennapalps at him and then turned back to the band.

Good deed for the day. Her back twinged where falling masonry had hit it during her escape from the Enclave. Ung. Does that mean I don't also have to go back for that Clinic shift I volunteered for?

[Bowze Coppa]

Miss V brought him another Golden Purse before he could ask, much to his surprise, and it seemed that the balosar specialist was the cause. Bowze was not in a chatty mood anymore but he had good manners and decorum would be respected.

He approached the woman and gave a bow of the head

''Thank you for this drink miss Vaya, I was quite in need of it.''

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya waved her hand, turning her head towards him while keeping her antennapalps on the band. "Vaya's fine. 'Doctor Mer'darrow' if you really want." She shrugged. "You're welcome. I figured if I had come that close to getting exsanguinated, I'd want to fill myself with fluids afterward." Her manner was friendly, but not demanding of engagement.

[Elaranu]

"Elaranu it is, then. I hope I did not offend."

Going to pick up the drinks, he made a mental note - and kicked himself. Well, things could never go as expected.

"Vuxia, a supernova, please."

The drink was a deep red, phosphorescent. Taking it and Elaranu's, he made his way back to the table. Setting both down, he settled in to a seat across from the Chiss, with a thoughtful expression.

She shook her head a little as she took the frosted glass from him, "No, no offense. I am sure many people have their own naming conventions. Does your own name have a meaning, Djanik? Is it a Pantoran name, or adopted from another culture?"

[Djanik]

He contemplated that.

"It's... a nickname. I've gone by it so long I just got used to it."

Taking a sip of his drink, he winced slightly. The first sip of a supernova was always a shock, no matter how many times you had one. The spicy aftertaste would wake the dead.

Setting the glass down, he added, thoughtfully, "I guess that doesn't make much sense, but after the war I started going by this name. I... I'd like to tell you about it another time, if you don't mind. Somewhere a little more private."

With a faint sigh, he went on, "As Surt was saying, this is not exactly the most reputable watering hole, for all of its charms."

[Elaranu]

"So I have seen."

She waved a hand, speaking softly, "So many criminals, yes? But then again, what am I saying? It is not like criminals all seem to be bad. Anyways... what is this Nick's name that called you such? Was he someone you worked with?"

[Djanik]

"No I meant... heh, it's a core world phrase. It's an unofficial name... I shared a first name with another member of the training cadre, so they called me this after a captain they didn't much care for, since I was a stickler for the rules."

He shrugged. "It might have been a bad joke, but after the war it... it was as good a name as any."

He set his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them pensively. "As for criminals, yes... some by choice, some by necessity, some with honor, some with none."

Leaning back in the chair he added, "Like Surt said, I guess I am one of them, no matter how much I wish I weren't."

[Elaranu]

"An unofficial name... an odd concept. Still, I see what you were trying for them. Perhaps people close to him call the Emperor 'Palp' or such then?"

She shook her head, "Regardless, I think I shall stick with my peoples' ways. But you need not feel too bad about your situation; After all, you know I too am in situation where what I want for myself and what I am not match, no?"

[Djanik]

"That's true." He couldn't suppress a faint chuckle at her 'palp' comment. "I doubt anyone is quite so... familiar... with the Emperor, however."

Picking up his drink, he noted, "... and I've been getting by. Can't complain." Taking a sip, he added, "But surely that's enough about me - how about you? We had been talking about your home before the scrap king interjected - I'm still curious what brought you to Bankor."

[Elaranu]

"Credits, independence, fame... Nothing too atypical I think. I desired to get away from a life of obscurity, laid out for me ahead of time and stretching into time beyond that which I could see."

She sighed and downed some of her sour red drink, "...let us just say that family had plans for me and my talents, plans that did not include leaving the planet or even the house I grew up in. Call it an inherited duty of sorts. I am not saying it was a bad duty, or that my family had bad intentions; But it was not what I wanted to do, and I felt chained to it when I longed to fly free. Quite literally I suppose."

[Djanik]

"That makes sense."

With a faint sigh, raised his own glass. "You have a chance to take a look at your new ride yet?"