Open Social Ceremony and Celebration

[Jonathen Baize]

"Pshhhh" he waved a dismissive hand. "Thats not how I remember it all, and besides, the fact you remember anything about that night is a miracle. You were sloshed to hell." He let out a laugh. It had been a close match, but history was told by the victors, or at least that is what they had said in the academy.

He took a seat at the bar, finishing off his drink. He let out an impressed whistle when he heard the familiar Knight's drink order a few seats down. "Not wasting any time, Merian?" he lifted a glass to the woman. "Cheers!" he added with a smile. She was ordering the drinks that made you wake up in someone's yard the next morning; he could respect that on a night like tonight. (@Volene )

He ordered himself and Guin another round before turning back to the ISB Agent. He nodded along as the instructions were given. "Alright, shoot." these normally weren't his type of thing, but he was actually feeling pretty good right now with the drinks he had consumed.

Their drinks game, and he tapped his new glass in thought for a moment. "1. Luck 2. Waking up rested 3. Alcohol Tolerance," he had answered quickly and confidently. That was always his strategy with these sorts of things. He would wait for anyone else to answer if they had joined in. Otherwise, he would give his list.

"Alright, let's see..." taking a moment to think up a list. "Never have to charge your electronics, Never lose your electronics, and Always have the right electronic tool on hand," he said, leaning back in his seat as he took another drink. He was proud he had come up with an appropriately nerdy list for the Agent.

@Xorism @Volene

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn snickered at the man's comment about not being pretty enough. Even Varyn could admit he was a pretty good looking man.

Pfft, whatever you say, he quipped.

Ah, not much of a party man or just too much of a workaholic? he asked. He had a feeling it was the latter, but Varyn could frankly relate to both.

Whatever my Emperor requires of me, he said. He didn't know from day to day how things would change for him. He didn't lead many "invasions" though these days. While it technically fell within his purview to do so, there were plenty in the Empire who preferred to not see Imperial Knights doing things like that. It gave them too many flashbacks to the Sith.

But there's a whole galaxy to bring order to, isn't there? he asked.

@Orbit

 

[Kalique Baize]

"No! That ain't no trash!" what slipped out was somehow an adaption of his accent and she frowned in confusion herself. This was nothing like the way she had learnt how to eloquently express herself on Serenno, but then again, she was still sloshed.

"I AM BAD LUCK?!" she loudly exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief, her hand at her chest. She then immediately pointed at him, vehemently shaking her head as she shot back, "You, Mister! You were in command every single time and you dragged me into those messes!".

What an outrageous accusation...she snatched the iridescent shard again and looked through it as well before she intended to enlighten him. "I told you it was a treasure! This was meant to be found by us! Don't you see the coordinates? We need to follow them!" she spun a few times, as if trying to orientate herself, before she stumbled and almost toppled over in slow motion.

"Woah...maybe not today" she decided it was better to prepare first...also they didn't have any ships nearby. "But we'll have to check this out!". She was absolutely convinced it would lead to something interesting. "Uhm...how do we get up there?". This was a question they had to answer right away, but as if on cue, someone suddenly peered over the railing in the exact moment, apperently overhearing their loud discussion.

It was an elderly lady, judging by her attire, a senior diplomat of some sort, but as she spied the Grand Marshall, her eyes just lit up. There was a subtle hint of confusion in her gaze though as she was apparently a little perplex about why the two drunk idiots were down there, but she seemed very eager to strike a conversation with her idol. "Oh Grand Marshall Din! What an absolute delight to finally meet you!". Even from below they could tell she was blushing and Kalique had to bite her lip in order not to laugh, remembering how they had found themselves in a similar situation before.

@Sreeya

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

The agent was certainly hoping to not meet the same fate this time, not only because of who was around to see it, but also partially due to wanting to properly remember the outing. Taking the next glass that was on Jon, she held it up to clink it against his. "Cheers."

Listening to what he selected and then silently judging was half the game. "Interesting choices," she said with a smile. Luck could get you through many tough challenges but given their recent outings perhaps the latter option could have come in a lot more handy. Jon seemed to take the game in stride and quickly shot back some clever questions of his own.

Guin stood there almost dazed as she considered the difficult options, "Uhmm.." she tried to buy herself some time. "1. The right tool, 2. Always charged and 3. Never lose 'em." It wouldn't do anybody any good to have a functioning device if it didn't help you one bit with the task at hand, right? "Very clever..."

Next, it was her turn to come up with something just for him. "Hmm." After a brief few seconds, it came to her. "Never picking a bad meal, never falling from a vehicle, or never visiting Endor again." Her eyes watched his, intrigued to see where he would answer, knowing full well where she learned such things.

@Raydo

 

[Cipher Six]

Six bristled at 7 (@Zay)dropping the ‘daddy Dram’ reference, actually subtly nudging the man with her elbow. There was joking, and then there was being an outright moron. Making a quip like that around an Imperial General upon first meeting them was firmly categorized in the latter. Her face remained impassive, Max handling it with class as expected. Astrid certainly couldn’t tell how Six felt about Force users despite whatever illusions she conjured for herself - Six was a trained Cipher, not some idiot that wore her sentiments on her sleeve.

However, the Cipher was caught off guard by the tall woman’s offer of a dance. Astrid always came across rather rigid and uninterested in social engagements outside the line of duty - or so the rumors suggested along with the stoic bearing. Six nodded, “Very,” She said in response, allowing the woman to lead her back to the dance floor. She felt comically small next to her, “Hopefully with your reflexes, you may prevent me from falling victim to another dance disaster,” She said, actually serious.

Her gaze met Max’s, however, silently projecting that she wanted a dance with him as well. He was already headed for the floor, so no doubt he’d nab a partner. And a sheepish smile at 7 in a 'sorry I didn't realize I was so popular!' sort of way.

@Alhon @Mr. Teatime

 

[Altair Din]

Altair had to do a double take as he heard his own familiar accent slipping from Kalique. It was so random it almost made him laugh. He imagined her going back to the party with a new drawl in her speech. The tiefling rolled his eyes as she put sole blame on him. He couldn’t exactly refute the point because, yes, he had been in charge. However, he was going to fight tooth and nail against going to whatever these coordinates were, “Psh, you can go by yourself, girl,” He said with a scoff, coming to a stop as the two strangers came their way.

The tiefling stared stupidly at the blushing woman for a moment before he internally panicked and thought of something on the fly. He wasn’t exactly wearing his uniform and patches right now, “I’m flattered lady but I ain’t no gran’ mashal’,” He said with the twangiest accent he could muster, “We just out here enjoyin’ a stroll. But yo, this here is Queen Paininassia,” He gestured excitedly to Kalique, “Real powerful royalty. Just visitin’ Imperial worlds,” Altair turned to Kalique who looked as confused as someone that was asked to calculate a hyperspace jump on the spot.

“Oh wow, wonderful to meet you, Queen Paininassia,” Both of them said as they did their formal bows. Altair and Kalique had run into these scenarios before, but this time Altair took the first chance to shine the spotlight on Kalique instead. And with a name that would probably haunt her for ages.

@LadyRen

 

[Jonathen Baize]

Their glasses clicked together, and Jon took a big drink.

He listened intently to her choices. "I guess that makes sense. Doesn't do you any good to know you left the tool behind. That would actually be kind of annoying knowledge as you died a slow and painful death..." he trailed off with a nod.

Jon didn't catch where she was going when she started her list, actually thinking about it for a second before his brain caught up. He shot her a glare. "Wow." he shook his head. "Low blows..." he said. Jon had never thought about the pile of embarrassing information she had on him. He raised a hand to defend his meal choices since she had obviously been poisoned by gossip when a random soldier came up to the bar. "Hey, they are starting up some karaoke in a side room" he pointed to a door near the bar. The invitation was to anyone in the area of the bar, as they would have all heard it.

Normally, Jon was about as reserved as they came, but whether it was the inspiring dancing he had seen or the healthy amount of alcohol they had now consumed, he was feeling pretty adventurous. "You want to go? See if you can sing as well as you dance?" he said, glancing over to Guin. "Another round," he said to the passing bartender before he would get up. If she chose to hang back, that was fine with him; she had earned that right on the battlefield of dance.

Pushing his way into the next room, you could still hear the muffled music from the main hall, but it wasn't all that noticeable. Three drunken navy pilots sang some song, barely able to stand. He moved to sign up for a song. If Guin followed, he would shoot her a "You in?" glance as he did so.

@Xorism

 

[Cipher 7]

”Ow,” complained Sven as Ava nudged him with her elbow, a blank slate looked back at her as he played dumb to his insult, “Oh, I was just teasing!” he put his hands up in mock surrender, bowing his head to the General as he took the jibe with all the grace of a practiced professional.

Knight al-Bahir asked Ava to dance, and she agreed, though not before locking eyes with Dram. Seven frowned, his mask slipping as the small details began to paint a picture. He felt his heart beat pick up and swallowed the pang of jealousy that blossomed in his chest.

What the fuck was the point of this? She could have just turned him down at the bar, why drag him into some weird reality game show. Then she flashed a sorry not sorry grin at him practically rubbing it in his face. He returned her look with a flat smile.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this way.

Seven wasn’t a fan, so he fell back into distancing himself. Oh well, they’d always have Bespin.

Sven decided he needed a distraction and decided the dancefloor was the best place to start. Then he spotted Dram and a smile spread across his face.

“General, you wouldn’t be interested in a dance would you?” asked Sven with a smile.

@Sreeya @Mr. Teatime @Alhon

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

Standing there expectantly, Guin unconsciously swayed with the music she could hear in the background. She had to admit it was a little funny bringing up those moments, his comment making her almost chuckle aloud. But it seemed like the blonde would have to wait for another opportunity to find out his answer, as the next distraction of the night appeared.

Fuelled by her earlier success and high tempo aerobics, there was never any doubt what her own answer would be. "You're damn right, I do." The liquid courage helped somewhat, but she'd also never pass up another round. "Alright, but the next ones on mee."

It seemed like they'd have to wait their turn, as the machine was presently occupied. With a smirk, this meant that she had the time to ask him another question, albeit not from the same game. "Today's your lucky day, Jonny!" Kicking off her heels and taking a sip of the glass that he had given her, she nodded. "I want to see if you do indeed have the legs for heels." She'd only give him a little ribbing if he didn't and besides she wasn't even certain that he'd even get his feet in. But she was damned if she wouldn't offer, regardless.

"Oh look we're up!" she exclaimed as the navy boys finished belting out their tune and headed back to the bar for a refill. Taking the lead, the blonde waltzed up and flicked through some songs until she found this absolute banger. Whether Jon wanted to join her up on the small stage or simply watch was fine with her.

As the music played its pretty track, Guin found herself naturally singing both in tune and fantastically rhythmically. The plucky agent even belting out "If you ain't got no money, take yo' broke ass home" with a cackling giggle following.

 

[Kalique Baize]

Altair kept insisting on not going and even if there was no way she could deny they had always run into some really bizarre situations, this just had to be good. It felt like the Force had want them to find it, so it was fate! "Ohh come on you horned Baby! You really think we'll run into Raze's second son this time? Or that you'll marry another coocoo crone that still breastfeeds her teen son?! We've seen everything, this pretty shard will provide nothing but good stuff!".

Kalique also knew everything about Altair and old ladies, so she crossed her arms in front of her chest with a knowing smirk, expecting a fun show again, however Altair suddenly did something that made her stare at him in utter confusion. Not only did he unpack his full slang package, but he started talking completely bullshit about her own persona.

"Q-Queen..." she muttered, tilting her head to the sight. Paininassia. An admittedly exotic name, however relatively elegant. She curtsied, deciding it was much more fun to play along and completely oblivious to her name's resemblance.

She cleared her throat, keeping her voice all confident. "Queen Paininassia is so long...and formal" she gestured dismissively. "Just keep it at 'Your Majesty' instead". Now she did know she wasn't making sense, but the Queen was so aloof she didn't bother. It was ridiculous that as a Queen, she was half dressed in her uniform, half in a crumbled shirt, but she could work with Altair's attire. "Come, my faithful, humble servant. We're expected". She clapped her hands and motioned for him to follow as she wanted to keep on marching and leaving the weird situation.

@Sreeya

 

[Jonathen Baize]

They made their way off the side room where a growing crowd of people gathered for karaoke. "Deal!" he agreed enthusiastically when she said she got the next round of drinks. They signed up for their songs and watched the previous performances wrap up.

The room was unprepared for the hype Guin and Jon was about to bring to the room. He laughed when she handed him her heels. "You are going to have to get me way drunker than this..." he said with a shake of his head. "Besides, who else could even wear these...you have small ass feet..." he added with amusement.

"Go get 'em, tiger!" he nodded toward the stage, still holding her heels. He took a sip from his drink just before the music started. From the first note, the gathering was into it. The whole room yelled, "IF YOU AIN'T GOT NO MONEY, TAKE YO' BROKE ASS HOME!" as she performed the rest of the song. Jon moved and danced as Guin absolutely killed it.

When she finished, he offered her a high five. "Fucking incredible! I take it back; you shouldn't be a soldier. You were born to perform!" he laughed genuinely.

Jon was up next; he downed the rest of his drink and undid the top couple of buttons of his uniform shirt. He took the stage, grabbing the mic off of the stand. He could have selected a song but opted for the random option instead, leaving his fate to the Galaxy.

He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back as the piano music started, nodding as he prepared himself. He shot Guin a glance and a wink before he started. "Making my way downtown. Walkin' Fast, faces pass, and I'm homebound!" he sang with passion. He got into the music quickly, jumping off the stage and getting the crowd involved throughout the entire performance, not needing the lyric monitor. Nearly everyone in the room was singing, people popping their heads in from the outside to see what all the energy was about. He passed by Guin partially through song, shaking his head and looking at her as he continued passed.

Near the end song, he jumped back on stage, continuing to dance. He slipped the mic back onto the stand as the music dimmed, his voice growing softer as he brushed his hair back again. "Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles. If I could just see you. If I could just hold you tonight" he looked down and let out a breath as the piano outro played before looking back up as the song ended. The crowd was just as much into this song as they were Guin's, eating up his crowd work during the performance.

He gave a quick bow and hopped off the stage.

@Xorism

Roll = 20

Spoiler: Random Song Picker

In case anyone else wants to pick a random song! https://www.chosic.com/random-songs-generator-with-links-to-spotify-and-youtube/

 

[Altair Din]

Altair had to practically chew on his lip to keep from bursting out laughing as Kalique happily adopted the name and did a fancy curtsy. She definitely didn’t catch the meaning in her confused state, and that would make this even funnier to recall. Even worse, her getup looked ridiculous. Oh well, perhaps the strangers would think it was the local custom of whatever planet she governed. The tiefling shot her a dirty look as she called for an exit, implying he was some sort of attendant.

“Humble servant, eh?” He scoffed once they were past the others that continued to stare in confusion. Fortunately, they didn’t say anything else and went on their way, “I elevate you to queen, and I get servant?” Altair quipped, though it was clear he was entertained.

They continued walking and it suddenly occured to him that once again Kalique was wandering off in some random direction. By now they were in some of the city districts, “Where the hell are you going?” He asked. There were neon lights everywhere, along with the thump of bass and lots of people wandering around.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Even if Kalique was a little disappointed Altair didn't get to bond with the elderly lady this time, she was relieved about being able to leave without further questions. The fancy name Altair had given her kept ringing in the back of her mind and she was still quite amused about the turn of events.

In her inebriated state, she was not only oblivious to where her name derived from, but also that they had originally been at an official event. Kalique didn't know where they came from now, and she had no idea where they were going, but she joyfully continued.

"May I remind you that when you married the Queen of Valc, I had to sit with the Barbarians? It's only fair", she replied with a smirk, glancing up at him for a moment before her eyes scanned the hustle and the bustle that was going on ahead.

"You'll see in a moment!" she assured him, obviously not having an actual plan, but she was great at improvising! "There!" her eyes widened in excitement as her lips curled into a wide smile.

The pumping bass boomed from the relatively dark looking night club, but it was the first that piqued her drunk mind's curiosity. "Come!" she motioned for him to follow as she sped up, completely oblivious to the rows of speeder bikes that parked in front of the club.

Even upon approaching, Altair would notice the critical glances of some of the muscular bikers that hung out in front of it. They raised a brow at Kalique, but the Knight-Captain was basically just trying to spot the bar already, expecting Altair to simply follow.

@Sreeya

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

Guin would only offer a feigned disappointed chuckle as Jon refused her generous offer to walk a meter in her shoes, but she supposed he had a good reason at least.

It did indeed turn out that karaoke was the perfect setting for the two previously unknown singers. While Guin had done exceptionally well all through her song and carried the crowd, Jon was just that little bit better when it was his time to shine. An ear to ear smile blossomed as she came down from the stage, offering a high five to the commander and trading places.

The choice, or lack there of, for music caught the agent by surprised, but quickly recovering. "I love this song!!" she cheered as Jon continued to nail line after line. First beer pong, now singing? This man was a treasure indeed. Whistling and shouting encouragements peppered through the song, she excitedly waited for him to rejoin her for a moment. "You're a damn naturalll Jon!" Guin slurred a little in her speech, but remained smiling.

Taking his hand, she shook her head with a laugh through the handful of drunk sailors watching. "The audience wants more, and we can't disappoint them now can we??" This time, however, would be something special indeed, as Guin flicked through the list of options before settling on the perfect duet song for them.

Unbeknownst to them, however, an overly enthusiastic dancer in the crowd attempting to recreate the magnificence that was her own dance routine, had a mishap. Falling into the wall, and hitting a small button he wasn't prepared for, the small wall separating the rooms began lifting and merging them.

Faced with now potentially performing for the entire party now, Guin held a professional gaze before readying herself. "Ready? Let's put on a show rock star!!" she asked nervously, as the tune began and could be heard throughout...

@Raydo @everyone

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He jumped off the stage and returned to Guin, laughing as his body rode the adrenaline high of the performance. The two of them had turned the small side gathering into quite the crowded room as they had performed. It had started to grow pretty warm in the packed room.

"Thanks! I was nervous...you were a hell of an act to follow up..." he sat down in a chair, taking another drink from his drink. The crowd cheered for them to do another. If he had been by himself, he likely would have waved it off, letting others take the stage, but he was quickly hauled off his feet by the surprisingly strong ISB agent. "I guess we can't!" he laughed as he was pulled back on the stage, waving to the crowd.

He loosened up again as she quickly looked through the songs, not quite ready to embrace the greatness that could come from the random button. What she lacked in bravery, she made up through excellent taste in song choice.

The music started, and the walls that sectioned off the side room from the rest of the hall opened. He could see this made his singing partner a little bit more nervous even though she had already dominated (literally) on the dance floor.

"It ain't even a thing..." he said, reassuring her as he started bouncing to the music. "It's always a good time!" he started singing, the beat thumping against them.

"Hands up if you're down to get down tonight!" he continued starting to dance to the song, giving Guin plenty of room if she decided to "get down" without risking him becoming a casualty. People from across the room raised their hands and cheered. He did venture close enough to dance near her long enough to give her a good twirl.

Riding the momentum of their earlier epic performances and the pumped-up crowd, their follow-up performance was just as good, with people gathering around the stage to sing along and dance.

The crowd cheered as they finished. Jon turned to Guin and bowed before straightening and letting out a small giggle.

"Incredible!" he said to Guin as they got off stage, finally letting him sit down. "At least we have a backup career should we need one.." he joked with Guin before picking up his glass again. Guin would find herself with a couple of soldiers coming up asking for her number, having gained quite the reputation in the party.

@Xorism

 

[Altair Din]

“We should prolly head back,” Altair said with a bit of a slur to his own words. He was drunk thanks to the sulfur, but he wasn’t that far gone. Kalique was coherent and fine, but she certainly had a penchant for adventure a few shots in. He still had a dance to catch with Astrid! The tiefling followed behind Kalique, half playing the stern parent role dragging a toddler back. For now he followed and watched her dance right up towards a group of grumpy bikers.

Even if he wasn’t dressed as the Grand Marshal, Altair cut an imposing figure to most people. Four horns, a broad and muscular form, and his general rugged appearance made most people stand down. Altair couldn’t remember the last time he went into a club, the bass sounding familiar from his younger days. Before he had any real responsibilities. Back when he was a teen that thought he was going to get kicked out of the Sith since he did poorly in his classes. He felt like he was in his 40s now with a child and the title of Grand Marshal.

The bikers looked at Kalique and then at Altair. The tiefling made eye contact, unfazed by their attempts at putting up a big front. Nevertheless, one of the guys didn’t like how Altair stared back, so he moved to try and engage. Naturally, this sparked a scuffle, which wasn’t going to go well for the bikers. Altair was formidable to begin with, but with alcohol his restraints were off. He was soon taking on multiple people trying to jump him, chaos happening right there in front of the club.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique didn't even hear him when he mentioned that going back was the better choice. She was absolutely down for an adventure and the increasingly loud music seemed to offer exactly what she was looking for. Like a child out of control she continued on and on and on, with the poor Tiefling having no choice but to follow the overly enthusiastic, drunk woman.

She stumbled into the bar, not at all fitting the vibe inside. The biker dudes standing around eyed her with a mixture of confusion and mild amusement so as if they already knew she had gotten rather lost inside. "Two shhh...uhhh. Whatever your speciality is. Two. Two shots of it please...no make it four!".

She then took a seat the bar, squeezing herself inbetween a massive Houk and an angry looking Zabrak. She hummed along, her wide eyes excitedly scanning the dark, rough looking interior while she smiled like an idiot. She was suddenly nudged by an elbow, and giving that it hit her fully unprepared and relatively strong, she literally fell of the bar stool, which resulted in a round of laughter.

Perplexed and slightly Irritated, she pushed herself back up, eying the Besalisk that had poked her with a definite hint of anger in her features, which only amused him further. "Do you belong to that horned guy out there?", he asked relatively flatly. She turned her head, squinting before she suddenly realized that a full blown brawl had started.

"Al-" maybe dropping names wasn't too good, maybe they didn't even know who they were. "Aye". Aye?! "Well, princess, time to leave". Without asking, his two right arms reached for her shoulder in an attempt to drag her out, but Kalique bluntly slapped his arms off. He opened his mouth but she roughly shoved him out of the way, marching back out.

Without hesitation, she reached for the first Biker's arm and yanked him backwards with full physical force, so that he even toppled over. The Duros did a full double take before he stared at her in bewilderment, but Kalique soon realized that Altair was doing relatively fine. Still, she absolutely wasn't going to miss out on some fun, and even if no one dared to throw a swing in her direction yet, she yanked another Biker off the Tiefling and hurled him too the ground.

"What are you even doiiiing?!" she hissed, words still accidentally colliding, but so far, this was fun for her. Less 'attackers' came in, however they were completely circled while the Biker's seemingly pondered there next move. Some were obviously intimidated and unsure, others seemed really pissed about having lost this brawl so far.

Everyone waited for the other to engage again, but no one did, but they muttered something under their breaths until a voice from behind suddenly broke the chaos. "Looks like they've deserved their entry, eh boys?". Slightly turning her head, she realized it was the barkeeper, his tall frame even towering over Altair and four shots dangling from one hand. Most bikers joined in with a grumbled "Ye", reluctantly accepting the house rules, but some really seemed amused. A fully tattooed arm patted Altair's shoulder, a sly smirk indicating that he had deserved his right to enter for now.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Five]

"I would fall into the second camp. There is something always developing," he answered rather truthfully if Varyn was given the context of what he was. Perhaps one day he would stop allowing himself to be sent off to lion dens throughout the galaxy, but for right now, it was all he knew.

At Varyn's reply, a chuckle escaped from Five before he commented with a sip, "Safe answer. Though, I was hoping for something exciting." He teased but understood the sentiment, as he most likely would have said the same. To say the galaxy was truly predictable would be a lie, and whatever was required of them could change on a daily basis. At the Lord Commander's words that there was a whole galaxy to bring to order, he swung his gaze over to the man before raising his glass to clink it against his. "One planet at a time," he replied before taking a large swig of his bourbon, appreciating the burn that traveled down to his stomach.

Five would be able to hear the two rather good performances of songs by Imperials, surprisingly one of them by the Commander. He hadn't expected so many singers among their ranks, but he returned his attention to Varyn. "If you don't mind," he stated, slightly apologetic, "unless you care to join, I need to excuse myself." His reasoning became clear when he pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and said, "My vices are calling me." The itch in his throat and gut had become unbearable.

If the Lord Commander stayed, Five would offer his hand again and give a firm shake, rumbling out, "Pleasure talking to you, Varyn. Until next time." He'd walk away as he made his way to the balcony, slipping out a cig and his zippo to light inside before he finally stepped out, a trail of smoke following him. Outside, he'd slip his jacket off and fold it neatly on one of the nearby chairs. Leaning against the railing after, he'd stare out at the city lights in the distance.

@Phoenix

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

The encouragement from Jon was all that she needed to throw herself back into the performance full-heartedly. "It's always a good time!" echoed through the speakers as they sang in unison, an electric smile flexing as the agent drew eagerly into the next verse.

Jon didn't have to offer twice, as she slipped into a new dance for the crowd to enjoy. All she heard were cheers and screams, as roars of compliments rather than concern. Next came the swinging through the twirl, the blonde was having the best night of her life and nothing could top the amazing feeling bubbling up within her.

The rest of the performance went by in a blur of audacious chanting and singing, before bowing and following her companion down off the stage a second time. It was simply nice to be able to enjoy herself, finding a little freedom from her troubles in the melody. "Thank you!! That was so much fun." she cooed. "I think..." before she could finish her sentence, a handful of soldiers bounced on in, clambering for her attention.

With a little nervous energy and her heart still racing from the epic moment just before, she shook her head laughing. "Not tooonight fellas, maybe at the next showw!" Turning back towards Jon, she half jokingly replied. "Oh yeah? And what would we call our act then?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a tray being walked past with some tasty treats on them. Leaning over to pick some up, she called out "Oooh pretzels!" before simply devouring one then and there.

@Raydo

 

[Astrid al-Bahir]

Astrid's tail flicked, then rose up to flick the cloak off it, right hand pulling the other side and leaving it laid neatly along the back of her bar chair. She strode to the dance floor, tail waving gracefully behind now it wasn't tied around her waist. Now was she was shown to be less stiff after the drinks. Less professional, of her confidence shining through in every step.

Still aware enough not to outpace her new dance parter, though. Turning to face Ava, her ears twitched slightly upward at her comment. "Not to worry. I'll be sure to lend a hand," she replied, standing nearly a foot taller than the other woman. Others who noticed her and the wandering, spade-ended appendage pre-emptively tried to make a little extra room, probably assuming she'd default to some wandering ballroom number or- worse- a level of flailing that could cause real injury.

Machine fingers flexed experimentally as a new song started. Luckily it was her hips that moved most when the new beat began, falling into rhythm and snapping side to side. The rest of her fell into the sound before long, tail trailing serpentine shapes behind. Rather than stiff, every movement was fluid- except for the usual frosty expression on her face, and the machine arm that moved more like a droid's for the moment.

Amethysts would watch to catch a glimpse of Ava's face, partly see if she had the same reaction as anyone else who'd heard the tales of her legendarily stiff professionalism. There were clearly a soldier's muscles under Astrid's formal uniform, and she clearly knew how to use them.

@Sreeya