Ask Conning on Kalist

[Maeve]

Maeve hated the Core. A lot. She couldn't really explain it - to others, she didn't even bother elaborating, to herself, she wasn't really honest, but after her highly traumatic past, she had simply sworn to herself that she'd simply stay clear of the Core worlds after she had escaped Corellia, and yet she found herself en route to Kalist because Kodi had a job to offer.

They had spoken about it during their last meeting, yet such jobs required planning and both had gotten a little sidetracked with other business, so that a little time had passed inbetween their agreement and the actual beginning of their shared endavor. She felt like there was a knot in her stomach and if she were the one with fur, it would bristle a lot, but alas, she was just a human who was trying to surpress her scowl.

Kodi and here were already close to Kalist, hence Maeve had taken a little nap and expected Kodi to chill in his cabin as well, but as she woke, she immediately went over to the common room and switched on the holo to watch the huttball match that was just about to begin. She knew she wouldn't see much of it, yet while they still hadn't arrive, she wanted to revel in it for a moment.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai stepped out to get himself a snack and spotted Ruby watching Huttball. A Core worlder watching Huttball? Now that wasn’t a sight he saw everyday. He crossed his arms over his chest and briefly watched the match before scoffing, “Hasn’t been the same since Krazy Kel has been out of the mix,” He commented.

He noticed her excessive amounts of tension as they approached the planet, but he didn’t ask about it. Clearly it had nothing to do with him since he had nowhere to run off after conning her, so it must have been the planet itself.

Kai grabbed a bag of chips and plopped down next to her, eyes on the game, “Love this shit,” He said with a grin, “Thank god Bom Trady finally retired.”

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Maeve didn't hear Kodi approach at all, so as his voice suddenly came out of nowhere, she slightly jumped. Her gaze didn't leave the holoscreen though and she just dismissively waved off his comment while she shoved a chip into her mouth. "That lunatic?", she scoffed amusedly, "I miss Raging Bull the most...". She was a fan for sure and the sexy Tiefling hadn't made an appearance in a while...

As he plopped down next to her, she shot him a quick accusing look as he just snatched the chips, but she found the way back into the plastic bag just a moment later. "Ugh dude I know right? This was long overdue". While watching Huttball, Maeve had no qualms with just being as much as herself as she could, letting everything out rather unfiltered. It was all a great distraction from Kalist and she kept her mind busy with the game.

"We might not see the end of this...guess we're approaching soo- OH DAMN! THAT WAS SO CLOSE!". The team she was rooting for had just almost acquired the ball and now she was relatively outraged about how they didn't have it...she was immediately up on her feet and gestured wildly before she sunk back down, scolwing. "Since when are you into Huttball by the way?", she looked back over go him, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai popped another chip into his mouth before handing the bag over, “That lunatic was able to psychologically intimidate all his opponents,” He said smugly. Never mind that half the time Kel’s own teammates were worried if he would blow them up or not. The chaos and wild card nature of Kel only added to his appeal, “Raging Bull is overhyped,” He said grumpily, “Dude can’t even operate a blaster,” He scoffed.

“HA! Not today!” Kai said cheerfully, rooting for the opposite team that snatched the ball away last second, “Orvitz won’t let you guys have the ball anytime soon. Look how fast he is!” He pointed at Trandoshan that was barreling through the arena before anyone could stop him.

Kai quirked a brow at Ruby’s question, “I’m a Nar Shaddaa native, woman,” He said with a smirk, “I was born around Huttball and have been into since before I could walk,” Kai eyed her curiously, “How are you a fan being from the Core? They don’t even air the games there most of the time,” He smirked at her. Huttball was largely banned in the Core and you had to seek it out through illegal channels to view it. He couldn’t imagine a little girl having access to any of that.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

She didn't contest his assessment of the Kel'Dor, even if his reasons still surprised her a little. "I mean...fair. the way he randomly blew up everyone was also entertaining", she added with a chuckle, leaning back in a genuinely relaxed manner before he suddenly insulted Raging Bull.

"Get ouuuut!", she playfully shoved him, shaking her head in disagreement. "He might have been a little off last match, but this man's a legend!", she argued stubbornly, fiercely meeting his gaze. "You're just jealous", she finally added with a short, looking him up at down. Bull was tall, broadshouldered and his tail was even more versatile than his...perhaps it was tail envy speaking for him here.

As the Trandoshan started sprinting, she sank into her seat with an annoyed sigh. "How can such a massive Trandoshan even run that fast?!", it didn't make any sense, but it pissed her off, obviously. "GET THAT LIZARD!!", she was still psyched as this wasn't over yet! But she kept watching tensely until their conversation focused shifted.

"Where I grew up, it was streamed all the time", she said with a shrug. Obviously, those had been illegal streamings in low quality in smokey backrooms, but it was one of the only fond memories she still had. "I also left the Core early and then I finally had free access to it". Her ship operated on different satellites, too, so even if they neared Kalist, they'd have a great transmission.

She didn't mind giving away those details, but she watched his reaction for a moment before her gaze flicked back to Huttball. "Have you ever considered playing?", she curiously wanted to know as she blindly reached for the chips, before she found the crumbling back again and took another, before she offered the bag to him.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

“Of course I’m jealous,” Kai laughed, “I’d love to have four killer horns. The man’s got style,” He grinned, “But he still sucks with anything ranged,” He smirked, recalling how confused Raging Bull looked when stuck with blasters.

Kai grinned at the screen as the Trandoshan rushed over to score a goal, “The same way you’re small, but can still manage to be a massive pain,” He pre-emptively ducked in case she threw snacks at him.

Her answer about having Huttball streamed at all times surprised him. If that happened in the Core, it meant she was either raised by sketchy parents or they were absent entirely. It was far too gruesome of a sport to just have playing in the Core with the high level of illegality. Kai didn’t press further, focusing back on the game. At some point they both had their greasy hands in the chip bag, which was completely empty. Kai grimaced and opened a new one.

“Don’t think I’d be useful in Huttball with one eye,” He mused, “Depth perception would be fucked,” He grinned, “Though if I made bank from it, I could get hooked up with a cybernetic eye,” He had dreamed about a cybernetic eye for a long time, but the cost was insurmountable. Freeing his mother was taking up all his expenses.

“You know what the Core has going for it that the Outer Rim doesn’t? The food,” Kai said with a deep, dreamy sigh, “Everyone from all corners of the galaxy goes to the Core to set up shop and it’s got the best food. I’m going to go on a food adventure on Kalist,” He stared off in the distance, dreaming about multi course meals. His tail was eagerly wagging from anticipation.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

"What about the tail?", she immediately asked a follow-up question, her head playfully tilted to the side, wanting to prove her thesis. "Alright alright", she could concede a point in regards to the range fights, but otherwise she still hyped the Tiefling.

As he playfully insulted her, she immediately reached for the pillow between them and hurled it into him with full force, still not taking her gaze off the screen. They soon had the first bag empty and he immediately went for the next, while she licked the grease-spice mixture of her fingers for now.

"Ooo...yeah they're fancy. Buying one would be a pain tho...stealing one might be easier. I happen to know a doctor who'd surely install it...", she told him with a smirk, glancing over for a moment. "How long have you been without it?", it was another question that just popped up in her mind, and while she would spare him with having to elaborate on how it happened, she thought she could at least find out how long he had been without it.

Her belly was thoroughly filled for now, so thinking about food wasn't too appealing right now, also, she didn't want to stay longer than they had to. "Ughhh...I can already see me dragging your fluffy ass away from all the street vendors". The Core had a lot to offer if you were a foodie, but she just wanted to get this job done.

Just a second later, the cockpit started beeping and she knew they were pulling out of hyperspace. "Fill up on some more chips, we have work to do first", she threw him a smirk, even if she was somewhat serious, and reluctantly got up to move away from the screen. "And keep your greasy fingers go yourself". It was a preemptive warning, knowing he had a tendency to steal. She didn't want to have to search through his pockets before alighting after all.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

“Psh, my tail doubles as a blanket. His just looks like a kinky whip,” Kai scoffed at first, but then his expression changed into something more thoughtful. Maybe a whip tail was the superior tail. Kai scowled to himself immediately, shoving a few more chips into his mouth. He was still thinking about whip tails when Ruby asked about his eye. Kai shrugged vaguely, “Recent enough to where I remember every detail of losing it.”

He looked over right in time to catch her licking off her greasy fingers. Kai blinked and then started laughing, “You are fucking gross,” He said, only laughing harder, “Fit right in with Outer Rim,” Kai said as he did the same exact thing with his fingers.

There was a jerk as the ship lurched out of hyperspace. Kai freshened up, changed clothes and stashed a few weapons on himself discreetly. He stepped down the ramp with Ruby, “The guy usually hangs out at a nightclub called Club Zero,” Kai explained. His job was to blend in, her job was to stand out, “Everyone knows what he does, but no one can really prove it. He will probably take you somewhere else and I’ll stay on you out of sight,” He gazed at her for a moment, “But if shit completely hits the fan and I can't get to you, you need to get yourself out,” Kai said, “Are you sure you feel up to it?”

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

"Exactly", this was the whole point of it...or at least another convincing argument. She threw him a suggestive smirk before she couldn't help but chuckle as he seemed to reconsider his statement just a moment later. "Well, both come in handy in certain situations, but sorry...I feel like his might win this round", she shrugged vaguely, before they had to start leaving huttball behind for now.

"Don't you even consider smearing your grease onto my couch!", she warned him, half serious, half chuckling, but they both knew the couch had seen worse...Also, it wasn't gross, it was efficient- the greasy spices were delicious. It was however, really time to go and so Maeve got herself ready before the two of them were ready to descend the ramp. Knowing she was headed into a club, she was in fitting attire, hair and make-up were also done and the little black purse stored a few necessities like three laced darts, more lipstick and her phone.

Kai then immediately offered some Intel she needed and Maeve nodded understandingly. She had enjoyed their carefree, fun journey, but now it was time to focus and get to business. "Sounds fine. And yeah, I can absolutely do that. How many pictures do you think we'll need?", she asked curiously, obviously needing to know how discreet this was supposed to go for now.

Maeve was already internationally disgusted, but was ready, so she simply nodded. "I'm ready. Let's screw this dick over". It was perhaps a little odd, but Maeve liked the slight irony of their collaboration. They had started with hostilities and a lot of bickering, now they made quite efficient accomplices, so a part of her was even looking forward to this.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

It was a wonder that Ruby transformed from watching Huttball and licking grease off her fingers to getting dolled up like this. Kai stared in wonder, genuinely impressed by the transformation. However, that thought went crashing when he noticed her discomfort. They had run into each other often enough to where he could pick up on little nuances from her. She could wear many personalities, but when you spent that much time with someone, they could start to see clues.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, sternly looking into her eye, “Just one, Ruby,” He said quietly, “You’ll be out of there before anything happens,” Kai reassured her, “And I won’t go anywhere,” He stated firmly before they started walking towards the club.

He had to pop in some EZPods for his sensitive ears as the bass began to boom. Ruby would get in easily enough while Kai had to slink off to the side and come in through the trash entrance. The club was full of sweaty bodies, perfume, cologne and lots of dancing. Kai’s senses were given a blast from all sides as he slinked into the club, spotting Ruby from a distance.

Naturally, of course, every now and then he was distracted briefly by a scantily clad alien lady he passed. Eventually he found Ruby again and flashed her a grin, “Hey, you come here often?” He quipped at her as he gave a fanged smile. Kai’s gaze flicked up to the upper levels of the club.

“He’ll be up there,” Kai said before he glanced back towards the bar, “They have those sparkler champagnes. You can just take one up and make up some occasion. He’ll be too drunk to care,” He explained as he took out a cigarra and began to smoke.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Maeve was totally caught off guard by how Kai suddenly stopped and comforted her. Had she been biting her lip? Chewing the inside of her cheek? Did his super fox senses tingle? For a moment, she was hit by a pang of regret. Was she letting her guard down? It was immediate conflict that erupted within her, but before she could spiral, she just took a deep breath.

No, they were beyond this, she reminded herself. He had caught her in a really vulnerable state before and it had been alright. Kai had already helped her a lot, she had changed, and looking back, she was grateful. It was alright. It would be alright, she just kept telling herself. This all still meant that he had seen through the slightest shifts, the tiniest nuances again and it still unsettled her a little, but she wasn't going to allow it to take control.

"Thanks...", he probably didn't even realize what his words did to her, but while there was a slight hint of nervousity inside her, she was mainly grateful for his reassurance. No, she wouldn't have to force herself to go through with it, and yes, it felt good to know someone was still there, even if he stayed in the background and here, she fully trusted him on this. "Just one then...", she thus quietly repeated, forcing herself to smile.

Getting into the club wasn't difficult at all and while she forced those other thoughts down, she focused her mind onto sticking to her role. Once inside, she immediately joined the crowd, her body skillfully moving to the beats while she gradually relaxed. For a moment, she just danced and studied her new environment carefully, taking notes on emergency exits, security cameras and angles and potential guards.

Kodi was back at her a song later, his signature fanged grin hinting at the mischief this would all lead to at some point. "What a classic...If you don't see me any more, I'll find a way to give you a sign. Good luck". His plan was decent enough and she already had a scenario in her mind, so she was confident she'd manage.

While she was headed to the bar to obtain such a sparkler before she'd make her way up, Kodi would soon find himself challenged: An admittedly attractive Twi'Lek woman was first throwing him a few interested glanced before she seductively met his gaze as she started twerking to the upbeat music.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai watched her go upstairs, hoping that the target was in the mood for entertainment. Truthfully there were plenty of attractive women around, so Ruby would have to do something extra to stand out beyond just a pretty face.

Speaking of pretty faces, Kai was immediately distracted by the twi’lek that glanced over at him. The twerking skills were incredible, and he tried not to blatantly stare. His tail gave him away, eagerly swaying side to side as he pretended not to notice her. Eventually, she strolled up to him and started chitchatting.

Meanwhile, the target upstairs was a short, fat man with greasy skin. He was wearing a white suit with some stains on it and he was surrounded by attractive women. One of them was feeding him a mini cheeseburger. The man looked over at Ruby when she walked up with the champagne, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“I didn’t ask for that,” He said gruffly, though his hungry eyes certainly looked over her body, shamelessly drinking her in.

Dice:How receptive is the guy? 4/20

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Maeve moved elegantly as she made her way upstairs, carefully placing down the champagne before she faced the man with a sweet smirk on her lips. She then suddenly learned that the man wasn't in the greatest mood and obviously wasn't one to accept free drinks.

"I know...but I thought some of the others might be thirsty", she immediately replied, throwing him a smirk. "It's a complimentary offer", she explained, improvising right on the spot. Something she had always been great with. "I'm here to offer something different while the others are busy", she then suggestive leaned in as her last words were a whisper just for his ears, before she began swaying to the music though, a devious smirk on her lips.

She was dolled up alright and her dress left little room for imagination and she didn't miss how he hungrily checked her out already. She went in rather boldly, but from what she had gathered of him, he was always one for a quick, fiery affair. Right now she didn't even care whether she'd have to go all on anymore as what mattered was that they got access to that stupid artifact with the blackmailing and the reward was promising enough. She was just hoping Kai didn't let her down...

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai took a moment to dance with the twi’lek that was drawn in by his ears and cute tail, according to her. There was little conversation and a lot of swaying and grinding. By the end of it, he said he would get them both drinks, and he quietly slinked away with the girl’s expensive bracelet in his hand. He knew their target wouldn’t stay upstairs very long given his track record, so Kai waited near a wall where he had eyes on all club exits to trail Ruby and the man.

Meanwhile, the man scowled at Ruby, “Excuse me, I’m married,” He hissed loudly to convince everyone else. Kai had warned her that he was not going to do anything in public and risk things. He was used to pretty women throwing themselves at him at all times, so the same trick wasn’t going to work here. He plucked the champagne and scowled at her, “What do you have to offer?”

She would have to get a bit more creative to get him alone. Fortunately she still had his attention for now, but his patience was running thin.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

So this was trickier than she had first expected- fun. She was in no mood for negotiations, actually, but seemed like she'd have to put in more effort than swinging her ass and batting her eyes at the short man. Maeve feigned submissions by defensively raising her hands.

She was actually up for challenges, but it seemed like many had tried to jump him already tonight. She met his gaze intensely, silent promises glistening in her gaze. "I'm not just here for a good time...I might also have something to offer that might interest you", she lowered her voice as she leaned a little closer, her body still slowly moving to the music.

Then Plan B it was. "I happen to be far more than a pretty face", she winked at him, "and I happen to know you're someone who likes cutting beneficial deals". Kai had disclosed he was dealing with weapons. She obviously had access to those, , illegal ones, too, yet she didn't really intend to bargain with him. Still, it was an offer they had to discuss somewhere more private for sure.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

The man’s eyes widened. Normally he wouldn’t have been fazed by this, but he was drunk, high, and a hot woman was talking business to him. He looked around himself and cleared his throat, “Ah, well why didn’t you say it was you, Ms. Karn?” He loudly asked, making up some nonsense business associate name. He stumbled to stand, his rotund self coming up to maybe just a few inches taller than Ruby.

“Hmm, yes, let’s discuss,” He said as he half waddled down the stairs and towards the main level. If she followed, he would lead her out towards a side exit.

Meanwhile, Kai had eyes on them almost immediately. He finished up his cigarra, thankful to have an excuse to leave before the twi’lek girl could chase him down.

Once they were out in a side alley, the man couldn’t help himself, “Oh you must really want me to come up with such a clever excuse to get us alone,”He giggled as he grabbed at her, closing the distance for a slobbery kiss.

Kai was out in the alley by now behind a dumpster and he had his EZPhone out. The sight almost made him barf, and he felt a compulsion to stab the man just because he could see how this was making Ruby feel. Suppressing his building rage, he clicked a few pictures. The man was just about to try yanking her underwear down when a blaster bolt missed him by a hair’s breadth. He jumped back with a yelp, looking around.

“What was that?!” He squealed, his beady little eyes looking around in terror. He screamed, threw Ruby down on the ground to save himself, rushing back into the club.

Kai stepped out after a moment, walking towards Ruby, disgusted by the entire thing, “Are you all right?” He asked as he crouched down next to her, "Fuck that was bad."

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Bingo. Trap. Set. Sprung. She saw it in his eyes that he wasn't even fazed by the prospect of business but it gave him the excuse he needed and he was apperently no stranger than coming up with fake covers. He rose, but Maeve quickly realized he wasn't even much taller than his seating height.

Oh...and he was surely well-fed - he ticked so many boxes of slimey, shady middle imbeciles she had worked with before and she wasn't enthusiastic about the prospects of getting this over with...but she had sworn to herself that she'd do whatever necessary to make this mission work.

As Maeve followed him downstairs, her eyes nervously scanned for Kai, but the fluff eared crook was no where to be found and a pang of panic set in. So she'd had to do it herself...fantastic. As always, she was on her own it seemed. While the man was leading her out, she let out a deep sigh that was overshadowed by the beats of the pounding music, but she regained her perfectly faked facade as soon as they walked out.

"Oh yeah baby, I'm-", she began, but his thick, wet lips were on her, feeling just like a slug on ecstasy wildly rocking across her lips. She froze up, which was rather uncommon for her, but the sudden violent overpowerment triggered her hard. The photo, Maeve, you have to play along! She internally reminded herself, but her eyes were wide open, pupils fully dilated and her body tensing up at once.

No no no. Not now. She couldn't help it for a moment as an old, mental scar was torn open again, but slowly, she mananged to shove it down again. She thus reached up to grasp his short, gel laced hairs, wanting to gain some control over this perv, but instead of him slowing down, he only seemed more stoked. He was already busy fumbling for her underwear while she decided she had to do something, potentially even knock him out, but her body didn't react to her own commands thanks to trauma running high.

She suddenly heard a blaster bolt zooming past, narrowly missing them and her vision momentarily blacked, long enough for her to not see the sudden shove coming and so she toppled over, dress peeled upwards and her hair disheveled. What the fuck. And what the hell is wrong with you, Maeve.

She was breathing quickly, although the breaths were shallow, and she flinched as she heard Kodi's voice. On the verge of a panic attack, it was the only thing breaking through right now. She glanced up at him, body slightly trembling before she found comfort in his gaze. "I-", why was this all surfacing now? Not wanting him to see her inner panic, she tried her best to gulp it down and regain composure. No...this was not how she usually operated...was she growing soft now?!

She cleared her throat and breathed in slowly. "I'm okay...", she finally said, pushing herself up so that she was properly kneeling and adjusted her dress again. "I hadn't seen you following...thought the shot was someone else's. Thank you...I owe you something". She glanced around, however noticed they were alone.

She could barely grasp how grateful she was for his interference right now. "Do you have some good shots?". This had been nothing but everyday business..why had this even triggered her so hard. "This man...deserves death". For now, they needed to blackmail him, but she decided to put a new name on her list in this very moment. It was a dark shift...but it wasn't hard to tell he was really everything but a good guy.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

His gaze remained only on her eyes as he crouched next to her. He had seen almost all of her body before, and yet his gaze didn’t wander while she fixed herself up. He remained calm as she was flustered, and he didn’t judge or question her behavior in any regard. Kai glanced down at his EZPhone, “Yeah, I have what I need,” He said quietly, looking up when she mentioned the blaster bolt.

“Not everything needs to be a debt, Ruby,” Kai said with a faint smirk. He had only known a life with debts and he often liked putting others in them. However, he wouldn’t put her in one simply for peeling her away from a disgusting situation. He didn’t miss how tense it had been for her, and it gave him a vague clue into her past. Something he would never ask about.

“Come on,” He said calmly, offering a hand to help her to her feet, “I have to coordinate a way to approach him but it’ll have to be near the vault. It won’t be tonight,” The target was too sloshed and spooked for any intimidation to be effective. And he was entirely too surrounded. Kai needed to corner him.

“Why don’t you change into something more comfortable?” Kai asked before he flashed her a fanged grin, “I wasn’t kidding when I said I want to try the foods,” He said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked back towards the ship they arrived on. There was no use lingering on what happened, his usual nonchalant attitude shining through.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Once again, she was overly grateful that he didn't raise questions in this exact moment. She thankfully reached for his hand and pulled herself up, smoothing her dress and hair down before she exhaled slowly. Even if she had briefly been through hell, he was just helping her vibe again, not lingering in the moment, just pressing on.

"No...let's wait for the jerk to sober up", she agreed with him, her spinning thoughts finally decelerating. Oh she couldn't wait for payback time...after the blackmailing, once they'd get what they pursued, launching the pics would be sweet revenge...so sweet. Maybe his wife would even hurt him worse than she could.

"Dude, I'm so down", she was exhausted from the brief, intense amount of stress and was thus more than happy about the suggestion. "Sounds like a plan". The dress was neither comfortable nor keeping her warm enough, so she was happy to change. They reached the ship soon after and she really went for a black leggings and a grey sweater, replacing the heels with sneakers.

"So what are we getting? If vote for trying small samples of everything". The repressed trauma was safely stored away and she couldn't wait for some actual food - the chips they had formerly munched weren't really filling.

@Sreeya

 

[Z'Kair]

Kai dressed into simpler clothes as well, stepping off the ship with Ruby as he walked towards the downtown area, looking at the rows upon rows of shops. There were food stalls, but he had been eating that kind of food for ages now. There were musicians performing here and there on the streets, lights dotting the path to signal the arrival of Life Day in a month.

“Ugh, they’ve started the Life Day music already,” Kai remarked with a grimace, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The Fiani kept walking till he spotted a restaurant that looked like it specialized in hot pot soups.

“What about that?” He asked, pointing it out. He tried the cooking method before, but all the flavors looked like things he hadn’t tried yet. Kai tilted his head to regard Ruby, “Hope this alias of yours can handle spicy food,” He said with a fanged grin.

@LadyRen