Mako's Tale

[Vulpes]

[Mako's profile]

Mako was a regular at the Meltdown Café, there was no doubt about it. He was nothing more than an overworked and underpaid 'employee', but that's no new tale in the galaxy. The few credits he'd be given in sporadic paychecks, he'd often waste away at the Criminal-certified Cantina. Despite his appearance, he fit in just as well as any others who would.

A combination of deathstick smoke and the musk of many foreign species collided in the air, producing an undesirable scent. It was not anything you'd want to buy for a cockpit freshener. The faint buzz of the air conditioner could barely be heard over the clamoring of at least six different languages, as well as jizz playing on the jukebox which was not far from the entrance and being ambilified through a makeshift sound system.

In the far left corner of the Cantina was a bar, the main attraction of the building, when there were no exotic dancers or bands performing on the stage. But for now, it was barren, the shop's instruments lay idle awaiting for the next show to start, which wouldn't be for another hour. This was the big feature that made Mako want to come tonight of all nights.

That, and the 'crap' alcohol was half off on show nights. It was some scheme that the employees used to get their patrons drunk, and more likely to leave larger tips to the performers. It must've worked pretty well, since the shopkeeper had been doing it for as long as Mako could remember.

Mako relaxed atop the counter, a small bottle of alcohol in his possession, it was not a typical order, but being such a small creature, he'd be unable to drink too many of the heavier drinks. He had befriended the regulars at the cantina, as well as most of the employees, so as long as he was not stirring up trouble, Mako was allowed to roam on the counters. He knew part of the reason was that they treated him as if he was some sort of 'store pet', and even if that was the case, it still gave him more privilege than most here, and being a slave, that counted for a lot.

 

[Endling vas Precious]

She was drunk.

No, she was beyond drunk.

She was hammered.

Otja stumbled out from her seat, and back towards the bar. How much had she drunk? Her head was buzzing.

"This was a bad idea," Hydra mused. Did he sound disappointed? "Yes, I am."

Shut cher' mouth!

"I don't have a mouth."

She mentally rolled her eyes.

"Gimme...Gimme another of th-the..." crap, what was she drinking before? Something to do with solar radiation and moisture farms. "One Tatooine Bunsurn, please. I mean sunburn."

The barkeep gave her an incredulous look before he mixed her drink. It was then that the quasi-Human-Togruta caught sight of what looked like a mutated Nelvaan Squirrel. It was wearing a little tool-kit around its waist, and had a bemused expression on its face as if it had reached catharsis through cheap liquor and Twi'lek cleavage.

"Well aren't you the cutest damn thing I've ever seen...whoah--" She caught herself before she slid off the bar stool. "See, I've stranded myself here," she batted away the man who approached her as if she had a pair of eyes on the back of her head, "damn ship is broke. SOOOO, I thought to myself, what better way to remedy that? To get drunk!"

She belched.

"So what are you? If you're real blink twice, I'm thinking this Bunsurn drink is making me see things."

She waggled her eyebrows at the squirrel creature as she sipped through her straw. Then again, she didn't have eyebrows, so it probably looked like she was oddly twitching her forehead muscles.

 

[Vulpes]

Mako was at the other end of the bar, but he couldn't help but notice the newcomer, which unbeknownst to him, Otja Blume. He set his drink down, and despite his disposition, he was a jolly creature. Before, he stood on his hind legs, but now began to scurry over to the other side of the bar on all for feet. Hoping over others drinks and meals, narrowly avoiding a spill or two, curses and disinterest towards the Kushiban could be heard, but Mako didn't care. One thing at a time, that was his life motto.

He sat there, his hind legs on the counter for a moment as he inspected the drunken Togruta. She doesn't look like a spice user, so she can't be one of those fancy dancers That was his first deduction, but hearing what she had to say, despite the drunken attitude, spoiled the mystery of quizzing the woman.

"Ooooh! An off-worlder?" His slightly high toned voice said, still baiting questions out to the stranger. Using the strength of his hind legs, he leaped onto her shoulder, and sneaking his way behind her neck onto her other shoulder, with his tail swiping across the back of her neck. Just as quickly as he hopped onto her shoulder, he was back off it. "And a broken ship you say? Perhaps we can work something out!" he grinned, or at least as much as his biology allowed him.

Being much more careful, he scurried off to retrieve his drink, this time the patrons expected it and had moved their food and drink closer to them, giving him a runway to retrieve his bottle. He hadn't even slowed down when he reached the end of the bar, and subsequently the wall. Instead he twisted his body to allow his hind legs to richochet off the wall as he took his drink, so he could make his way back to Otja. It was a little stunt he had been practicing, and it was typically a 50/50 chance of him doing it right. There was definitely a hyper demeanor in his actions and speech.

"M'names Mako! And to answer your question, drunk-y, I'mma Kushiban!" He made his efforted grin once more, excited to possibly take this chance to get off of Nar Shaddaa.

 

[Endling vas Precious]

Damn, this furry whats-it was really cute. Really damn cute.

She shivered as he jumped onto her shoulder, his soft fur tickling the nape of her neck. She guess he was a local here, at least that's the impression she got from the Space Squirrel. He sure was an energetic creature, for as quickly as he had jumped onto her shoulder, he had jumped down, announced that they could work something out, and then had scurried off to retrieve his drink.

Otja watched as he did a peculiar flip off the wall, using his momentum to propel him forward as he grabbed the bottle.

"I'm Otja Blume," she pounded her fist on her stermnum, trying to expel the gas that had built up in her throat. "Nice to meet you -urp-, Mako." She reached down and clasped his tiny paw between her thumb and forefinger and gave it a little shake. "A Kushiban? Never heard of your kind before, but you sure are cute."

She felt her stomach churn.

"Ohnoohno..." She grabbed Mako, tucking him under her arm, ran to the bathroom, and leaned over the toilet. "Hold my Lekku!" The last thing she wanted was for her long lekku to dip into the filth of the toilet. After she was done expelling her stomach, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Sorry..."

"Well aren't you full of surprises."

She stumbled back to the bar and ordered a glass of water.

"Well, if you could help me out, I'd really appreciate it."

 

[Sini]

Tytus was one of those patrons one saw sitting on their own at the bar, or in a more secluded area of the drinking den that was the Meltdown Café. Earlier that day, had seen to his rather irritated and fed-up mood. Chasing after a runaway factory worker, who was in fact little more than a slave no matter what his papers said, on Nar Shaddaa was no fun bussiness. The labourer had escaped three days prior, and it had taken them far too long to finally locate him. The chase had led him through the lower levels and eventually down to where the squalor and most filthy creatures and aliens lived, their residential areas little more than slums built across open sewage that ate at concrete and metal. Eventually they had had to call off the pursuit and return topside without their prize. It did not happen often that a slave escaped with his life, but every so often apparently it did; giving hope to those yet in chains.

Nonetheless, Bavidge and his friends had failed, to the dismay of their employer. After his position as Kuchenko's handyman for several years, Tytus had spread his wings again only to be reminded he had not the funds to support his flight. Now, with this job down the proverbial drain, the former stormtrooper was even farther from getting off-world than before. No need in holding onto his money if it was insufficient to get him off this damned cesspool. The Meltdown Café was an establishment he did not frequent as much since his profession usually kept him out of the Corellian Sector of Nar Shaddaa, but his bulky frame and composure would pass him as a regular. Besides, bounty hunters were usually not the most talkative sort, and that was just the kind of company he needed right now.

Upon a quick inspection of the menu, Tytus had ordered and consumed the establishment's specialty to fill his grumbling stomach. Afterwards, the human had switched to sunburns which left a bitter taste in his mouth. While getting more and more intoxicated, the lagomorph creature roaming the counters of the café grew ever more amusing. In fact, Bavidge grinned when he discovered the small alien was sentient and able to engage in intelligent conversation. It honestly had looked like an over-sized pet.

After his solitude in the bar, and prompted by the conversation started between a Twi'lek and this fuzzy furball, Bavidge decided to break his taciturn demeanor. However, he had to wait until the Twi'lek had returned from the sanitary room at the far end of the room. Perhaps she had had enough for one night, he observed with the proper amount of schadefreude. One brow raised, Bavidge leaned on the counter grasping his Tattooine Sunburn and spoke. "Maybe there is a new ship in whatever hat that little ball of fur came from?" Then he downed his drink in one solid gulp before tapping the emptied glass on the counter thereby ordering a new one.

 

[Vulpes]

The Kushiban placed his other hand on top of hers while she shook his small paw. "The names Mako, remember? Not cute." He chuckled lightly, letting her get away with it this time. Mako's ears then perked up hearing the sound of her stomach not settling well, and before he had a chance to move his hands away from her grip, he was already being rushed into the lavatory with her.

"Damn my small posture!" He muttered to himself as he used his hind legs to attempt to get free on the trip there, but it was no use. Her drunken grip on him had him pretty firmly in place. Upon hearing his request, he muttered to himself once more, "What the hell is that? ...Her head-tails?" He knew from experience that humans would hold their hair so that it didn't get filthy, and perhaps this togruta did the same? Regardless, using his strength he attempted to hold the Lekkus in place, so she could expel the alcohol from her system.

Once they were finished, he scurried alongside Otja, swerving between her legs occasionally, to toy with her drunken state. "You need more help than I can give you, Ma'am." Mako said, spotting a newcomer in the cantina. He rushed to Otja's stool and used it as a midway point between jumps, so that he could get to the bar with ease. Just as quickly as he did to Otja, he began to interrogate him, "Hey mister! How long have you been here? Whatcha drinkin?" He said, grinning slightly. Before giving him a moment to answer, he spoke to Otja once again, "I'll help you out with the repairs, and we'll discuss payment later." He said, focusing back on Tytus, to hear what he had to say.