Open Induction Day

[Rylee Asuchi]

Rylee smiled, though it was lop-sided due to the recently acquired raspberry lollipop in her mouth, the stick moving across to one corner of it. Even if he did seem uncomfortable, Ranger Severino was certainly doing his best to overcome it and Rylee respected that a great deal. The discussion about nicknames seemed to ease the three into a common ground for conversation.

"I like the sound of Ranger Grump, it gets the message across and is maybe more palatable than Rude Bastard" chuckled the Pantoran. On being asked about her own nickname by Bast, she replied, "Well, actually yes, my nickname has been Hearts ever since I signed up to the military back home. It's a little embarrassing really... the other cadets gave me the name because they found out I had a crush on one of the other recruits I'd signed up with..."

Rylee's voice had gone from jovial to quite wistful on talking about her nickname. She was telling them both the truth, but neither Poet or Bast knew that the cadet she was referring to had perished before the Pantoran had ever gotten to tell him how she felt about him. Sure, they'd spent some years fighting together in the same squadron before it happened, but the memory and regret still hurt all the same.

"Over the years the name has taken on so many different meanings, it seems to change depending on the people I meet. Maybe someday it'll mean something unique to the both of you" she said sincerely. The Pantoran felt oddly vulnerable talking about her nickname. It had been part of her identity for years now, and everybody back home knew how and why she got it. It was strange to explain it to new people, but the rangers had welcomed her and she was sure she could trust them. In time perhaps they would fill the void left by her old squadron.

"Make that two of us" said Rylee, following on from Bast's comment about therapy, "But I'm not sure you want to listen to tales of heartache at a party. Now is a time to have fun."

@Forsythe Crowholde @Kestrel

 

[Kanan Marek]

Kanan raised an eyebrow, impressed. Nine years with CorSec? That was nothing to sneeze at. “If you were with CorSec for nine years, I doubt you need any advice from me,” he chuckled.

Corellia had the unique benefit of being located along the intersection of both the Corellian Run and the Corellian Trade Spine, two of the galaxy’s most important hyperspace routes. Because of this, Corellia was a hub of trade and commerce. Unfortunately, this also meant smugglers and pirates were among their most frequent visitors.

After almost a decade with CorSec, Callahan would have had more than his fair share of scrapes with every sort of criminal the galaxy had to offer, and probably quite a few stories to tell as well. He looked like a man that could handle himself.

Kanan considered Callahan’s second question for a moment, watching the bubbles in his orange drink rise to the top. Finally, he decided to answer with, “Nothing in particular. I’m here because I had a bit of free time. What about you?”

@Zay

 

[Poet Severino]

If his Mum or Dad could see him now, they would think that his blood sugar level was progressively lowering or the end of the universe was nigh (an honest to goodness joke, really, with regards to the latter option). Poet took the continued teasing and nickname creations in good stride, even sharing a good-natured chuckle with the two ladies.

His smile turned wistful and a little bittersweet as Rylee elaborated on how she earned the nickname 'Hearts'. If... If Muse could see him now, the half-Morellian was sure that she would have quickly jumped up at him for a hug while she bawled her eyes out about him finally opening up and making friends. He'd spent too long being angry at the universe for taking one of the precious lights in his life, spent too long being asocial and shunning any and all forms of attempts at camaraderie thrown his way. Surrounded by his colleagues and sharing a laugh with two of them had Poet thinking that maybe he really should come out of his own shell.

One step at a time, Severino. Lest you spook yourself or something.

"Maybe it will," the Ranger replied, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, feigning serious thoughtfulness for a few seconds. Partially heterochromic eyes soon opened, a bright gleam to them for the first time in an awfully long while. "But let's see about that, eh? Here's hoping the meaning will be something good, unlike Lieutenant Heartbreaker here."

Another joke. He couldn't resist, not when Bast finally seemed to be loosening up herself during the conversation. Poet wondered if he should apologize for his bluntness earlier – but even then he shook the thought off. Bringing that stuff back might cause the conversation to go downhill if he did.

...okay, so his offer of being a listening ear was somewhat turning that worry into reality. Loud and amused laughter slipped past the half-Morellian's lips at Bast and Rylee's claims, and he fought the urge to comment about three being a crowd.

"Well, I wouldn't want to use what my therapist keeps on telling me without her knowing," he commented in between chuckles. "Might accuse me of using her age-old technique to other people and earning money from it without a license and accreditations!"

Alright, three's a crowd, indeed. And who knew who else in the hall would pile up to this ever-growing crowd of one human, one Pantoran, and one half-Morellian who'd had their own fair share of the ghastly beauty of suffering.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Rylee. But, erm... what constitutes as fun? Any hobbies you two fall back into when things get a little awry?"

Hobbies were a safe topic to talk about... right?

@Kestrel @Bex

 

[Cyrene Nilar]

A smirk pulled at the edge of her lips at the seeming nervousness of the Lieutenant the mention of a reputation. "don't worry it's a good reputation" she reassured him, she didn't want to scare him off just yet "I expect you to be darmus' age, given the amount of respect people have for you around here." she gestured to the room around full rangers.

"but where are my manners, I know all about you but you know nothing of me" she turned her body to face him more directly still leaning on the bar I'm an open book, you just have to ask" she wasn't one for having shame or regret, she what she had to survive, right and wrong matters little in the outer rim that's one thing she knew from her time out there.

@TerranSteel

 

[Draco Salem Virtus]

Draco Virtus would walk back into the main area after dropping the Jawa off to the medical wing. The nearly sixfoot armored cowboy was finally relieved of drunk Jawa duty as he went through the main doors and taking a spot back over at the bar. He knew the jawa was going to be in good hands and to never ever give a Jawa tequila. A lesson learned in the hard way for the Tatooine Ranger. Sighing to himself he would post up near Zad again and plop a cigarra in his mouth as he took a long drag and exhaled quietly.

"Whiskey, Coreillian." he said to the bartender again as she nodded and slid him another drink on the rocks. His hard gaze scanning the room in case the little jawa managed to escape and home back out. All clear..Thank the maker he said to himself as he took a mouthful of the burning liquid and just closed his eyes like he was somewhere quiet and at peace. Though it was short lived when the sounds of laughter, socializing and the steady bump of music echoed the background. Snapping out of it he would turn to Zad after his moment and when Zad wasn't busy with the other rangers.

"Jawa boy is in bed." he glanced back over to the bar and slammed the drink he was given. There wasn't enough shots in the world for him tonight. It seemed everyone was getting along and mingling without an issue. With this he would order a shot of tequila for himself and take the shot quickly and setting the glass shot back down on the table as he debated within himself on just ordering a row of tequila shots and getting absolutely pissed loaded and going to bed somewhere he wouldn't remember going to.

@Zad Ruzed @TerranSteel @christhebetrayer

 

[Corran Velt]

The news that a good reputation floated among his comrades put Corran a bit more at ease. His shoulders visibly slouched more and he leaned on the bar with his forearms. At mention of the expectation of being the same age as his mentor, the blond ranger huffed out of his nostrils in amusement. "I don't think I even have half the respect Ranger Onn has earned in his storied career. He's pulled me out of so many fires I've lost count." It was a humble deflection, but all the words rung true nonetheless.

Lieutenant Velt tilted his head in thought with a finger tapping his chin, "An open book, huh? Good. That means I don't have to use my investigative talents tonight." Learning things about people, often unspoken, was a skill that was eventually honed in any Sector Ranger worth their salt. Getting to the motives of why people did things and how they did them. It was nice to avoid that for an evening. "Let's start with the something easy," Corran finally said, bobbing his finger at her before setting his fist down on the counter, "What made you sign up for the Rangers?" Such a broad question opened many avenues about who someone was or why they did things. It helped it also was fairly basic.

A rugged man drifted passed out of the corner of Corran's eye. He glanced over his left shoulder first. Just missed him. Swiftly his gaze to his right, it appeared that Draco had already taken care of the hammered Jawa. Helping a fellow Ranger, even off-duty, was something to respect. Lieutenant Velt raised his now empty glass to the frontiersman from Tatooine and nodded in approval before turning back to listen to Cyrene.

@christhebetrayer @Exhilian

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music IC

After the Zygerrian had forgotten her manners and all but ignored Zad’s offer to buy her a drink, he thought better about buying Corran one (remember the Jawa?) and simply creased his countenance like you do when you’re searching for an excuse but can’t find a terribly good one.

In the end the Ranger just told the Lieutenant that hey maybe Jawas had insides built like Zeltrons and size wasn’t everything? Fortunately it was all something to smile about now and laugh about later, especially after some long overdue shots.

Draco had returned some moments later to find Zad leaning on the bar with a fresh brew in hand. The cowboy looked beat kinda like you do when you’re putting your kid to bed after trying to calm him down. “Did you read him a story?” Zad grinned. “Sing him a song? Tuck him in?”

A moment later and Zad would show his new friend that all was good no harm no foul and sorry about the finger-pointing some other moments ago. “Gregor, my guy!” His hand slapped the counter instead of a glass. He and the bartender had also become friends. “I’ll have what my partner’s having…”

Trailing off, Zad stole a look over at Corran; he seemed preoccupied with the Zygerrian. Perfect. “Tequila! Expensive bottle. Top shelf. That Nortap over there. See it? Yeah right there, that’s the one!” He stole one last glance over his shoulder and put on his covert operations face. “Also, see Blondie over there? The Lieutenant? Great guy. Great friend. Loves to give. Put it on his tab.” Cleared his throat.

Moving on, Zad slapped a hand on Draco’s shoulder and another on his chest. “Mission complete, Ranger! Jawa's counting Z's and you're with the best Z in the galaxy! Let’s celebrate!”

Bottle came out. Hoo-wee she’s a beauty! All silver glass and gold liquid in a bottle as curved as a fine woman. What came with the bottle was a whole host of shot glasses and then Zad’s voice. “Line ‘em up, knock 'em down!”

@Exhilian @TerranSteel @christhebetrayer

 

[Callahan McKoy]

"Nothing official, but yeah I'm working something."

McKoy didn't elaborate but for just a moment his eyes unfocused and he drifted into his own little world. He came too as Kanan began speaking and he downed the rest of his drink.

"Speaking of free time, I'm afraid I just ran out of it."

Cal pushed himself up from his stool and nodded to Kanan, "Nice talking to you, hopefully, we work together soon."

Normally, McKoy would've hit this dude with a Corellian Goodbye, but he was just buzzed enough to be aware of cordiality, and hell truth be told, Kanan wasn't the worst person he'd met in the Ranger's so far, so there was that.

He'd flick a two-finger salute to his comrade and make his way out the way he came.

The Ranger hadn't stayed at the party long, but it had been long enough to weigh on his conscience. His mind drifted to Molly and his heart sank. He'd left her for this. He needed to solve this case or losing her would have been for nothing.

@llamallove

 

[Draco Salem Virtus]

Draco Virtus chuckled at his comment in regarding the Jawa. "Aye, he's out for the count partner." he smirked as he watched his new found friend begin to order some more shots for the pair. It sounded rather expensive and Draco had not a sweet clue how the hell Zad knew the bartender so well..Best if he never knew he would think to himself as he watched Zad put the tab over at Lieutenant Corran.

"Oh he's goin' to love you." Draco smirked as he raised his shot in the air with Zad and knocked it back before shaking his head in approval from the strong taste. "Best Z in the galaxy huh?" he perked an eyebrow at the fellow Cowboy. "How did I get so lucky?" he would tease with sarcasm and a snicker as the friendly banter was filling the room from all the conversations happening around the event.

With that he would knock down another shot and set the glass on the table before turning his back to the bar and gazing all around the party. "What ya' figure Zad, care for a drinkin' game?" He smirked as everyone else around the pair seemed off in their own world and the two cowboys had to keep their spirits up some how, A drinking game seemed fitting as the pair didn't exactly seem like the model by the book rangers.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music IC

Like that, the two Rangers traded shot for shot. It was like trading shot for shot in a shootout, right? Well the thought wasn’t lost on this Z and weren’t no mistake and here’s another shot partner take it or leave it, heheh.

“Oh I’m all for drinkin’ games, gamer…” He cleared his throat. “Partner. Gamer? Gamer. Partner? Sure.”

Turned out that the game was less about gaming and more about drinking, pretty fitting for a drinking game and a gaming drink, so game on and drink on, right? Right. Somewhere down the line Zad traded one drink for one game, bought himself a game and sold himself a drink, shared a drink with a heheheh! and gamed himself a drink with a hahaha! and sooner or later his partner was partnering up one drink with two games and that equals four and you do the math, pardner.

“So who the hell won...what’s it somethin’ or other huh’s it. Huh?” Burp.

“Try this one, fellas." Gregor grinned. "I’ve been servin’ eight years. I’ve never seen anyone have this and stay on their feet.” The bartender served either Ranger a glass of green liquidy. Zad knocked it back with a bit of a headshake. “Anything else?”

“Do it!” Zad wouldn’t wait on Draco.

“Okay, for you, something special… This is Zeltron liquor, Krayncol. You’ll set off radiological alarms after you drink it. Should I pour you a quad?”

“Hell yeah…” Zad blinked. Think I’m gettin’ a little woozy… “Put more of the stuff in the...the thing...more stuff goes in…”

So Gregor poured. Zad raised his glass to his compadre. “To the...the Rangers...who range...and stuff…” Knocked it back. Blinked. Walked away. Tried to, anyway.

@Exhilian