Ask Perfect Gentleman

[Talon Caillte]

Talon looked around the spacious foyer of the hotel with wide eyed amazement. Now this was living, or was it staying, did it matter? No. All he knew was it was awesome. He was here to meet an accomplice. He’d done his best to reassure his client that as the best thief in the galaxy he didn’t need an accomplice, but they didn’t buy it.

Talon made his way to the bar and took a seat. This job would be his biggest payday yet, even with the split he stood to gain a lot more than he lost. Plus, he’d have proof he was as good as he said. Provided his accomplice wasn’t blind and or a crazy person this could play out very well for him, very well indeed.

The service droid slid up and took his order. Talon pulled an ornate cigarra case out and lit up. The droid returned to tell him that smoking was prohibited at the bar. Talon blinked then said, “But… it’s a bar.”

The droid nodded, then reached out and plucked the cigarra between his weird little mechanical clamps that acted as hands and disposed of it, before turning around and rolling away. Talon’s cheeks puffed out as he let go of the single breath he’d taken. A moment later the droid arrived with his drink.

“Can I drink this here?” he said with more than a little sass, but the droid wasn’t programmed to detect sarcasm so it just nodded a confused affirmative and rolled away. Talon watched as the droid disappeared behind the swinging doors into the kitchen behind the bar.

“Glad no one saw—” as he turned he realized multiple sets of eyes had been watching him, “Oh, well. Huh,” he managed before turning back around to face forward. He lifted his whiskey soda and took a sip. It didn’t matter, none of them knew who he was, he’d show them, he’d show all of them! Now where in the hell was his partner?!

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Another day another job...and this one wasn't small either. Stealing a ship was something she had done before, repeatedly even, but this one gig seemed bigger than the regular ones.

She was in a fairly good mood after her contractor had offered the job, however a day later, just as she landed on the planet, she suddenly got some additional information that had just made her sigh. An accomplice? Why?! "-_-" was the answer, but it was followed by a thumb up emoji before she scowled at the given coordinates.

Getting this all started was way easier alone, simply because the flexibility she usually had when on her one was immeasurable. Also, instead of starting to gather some information, it seems like she was forced to do a little detour...fantastic.

She was adorned in Civilian clothes, already donning the business look she was hoping to set up later though and soon strolled into set lobby area where she was supposed to pick this accomplice up. "Details?", she typed, before she received a brief, "curls". It was enough though. Her gaze immediately met the curly head that indulged a fresh drink.

For Fuck's sake. He was a little boy. She pretended to look around, but as she averted her gaze and scanned the lobby, she was rolling her eyes hard. They sold him alcohol? He'd slow her down massively. What if there was an accident early on on this mission? Perhaps she could shake him off and just...do her thing. But did she want to risk pissing off the boss?

Reluctantly, she sighed, before she approached him, her facade not giving away anything. "Hey there...", she adressed him with her charming signature smirk before she offered a hand. "I'm Addy".

@Zay

 

[Talon Caillte]

Talon tipped back the rest of his drink and let out a satisfactory sigh. He was looking around for the droid when he caught sight of a newcomer. Involuntarily, his left eyebrow arched appraisingly, she looked at him, he panicked, and looked away. He could feel the tips of his ears burning and decided to ignore it. A small splutter of a self chastising giggle took his mind off the hottie with a body. In the back of his mind he was thankful there was no way whoever he was partnered with would be that hot.

His fluted years fluttered as the click of ears as she landed behind him. He turned around and was punched right in the face by a beautiful smile. She introduced herself and he frowned. Talon did a quick check to his left and right to make sure there was no way she was talking to anyone else. To his surprise and immediate delight, she wasn’t.

“Addy’s a pretty name, but what’s a pretty name doing in a place like this?” he said, putting a little gravel in his voice. Honestly, Talon wasn’t sure why he’d decided to talk like a detective from a noir film, but he’d committed and he’d be damned if he was going to drop character.

“Caillte, Talon Caillte,” he said, offering her his hand in greeting, “Can I get you a drink?”

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Correlian accent. Fuck. Not again. Why was she always ending up with someone from Corellia?! Fate always had a way of reminding her of her past in a bittersweet manner...over and over again, but this was not the time for self pity.

"Probably the same as a cute little curly head. A job", with the smirk still on her lips, she casually shrugged before she gracefully slid into the seat next to him. "Nice to meet you, Talon". There was something he laced his voice with that literally asked for a reply that was voiced just as suavely.

"Can you even legally buy alcohol?", she playfully teased, however obviously knowing that he had already managed to order one after all. With her legs elegantly crossed, she leaned in a little closer, holding his gaze. "But sure. I'd love that". She'd never turn down a free drink after all.

"So about this ship...did you manage to take a look around already?", she curiously asked, tilting her head to the side while her ocean eyes rested on him. There was a lot she still needed to know about him, but perhaps he had already gathered some insights on the target.

@Zay

 

[Talon Caillte]

When his new friend revealed she was also his accomplice he was convinced he was dreaming. He found himself blinking too much, like what? Was he trying to talk in morse code? Get it together, man, he chastised himself. He lifted his glass, giving it a little shake letting the ice tinkle against the glass, “It would appear, I can.”

A moment later and they both had fresh drinks, he’d switched to water, didn’t wanna get too loose before show time. Daddy still needed that edge. This was the big leagues. Addy took the lead and started asking questions.

“No, but I did manage to get this,” he pulled out his datapad and pulled up a set of schematics. Then realizing they were sitting in plain sight under the lights of the bar he glanced around and found them a cozier location, “We should do this over there,” he said with a quick nod.

Once they were in a more discreet location he handed her the tablet. On it she’d realize he’d somehow gotten his hands on a map of the ventilation system in the building. There were still a few hoops they’d need to jump through and a security check or two, but it wasn’t anything THAT crazy. At least not on paper, well laid plans always had a habit of going to shit the moment you tried to apply them…

“And you?” he said with a little smirk. He always forgot he was competitive until the opportunity arose.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Her ocean eyes widened ever so slightly as he pulled out his datapad. She was about to say something, when he he brought it forth himself. She nodded agreeingly, picked up her glass and followed, her gaze attentively scanning the room before she sat back down again.

Two cameras, regular surveillance it seemed. They were good for now, no one was watching. She started browsing through the maps pf the ventilation he had acquired and a mischievous grin tugged at her lips again. "Nice...how did you get your hand on these?", she was carefully to trust sources, but it seemed rather legit and was definitely a decent start.

"One guard of the hangar the ship is supposedly parked in is a drug addict. We can use that", she disclosed a moment later, just as she brushed a loose strand of hair against her ear. Maeve was still deeply rooted on the drug dealing scene as well, so she could definitely forge a quick connection over her contact person.

"Anything else about security? We might have to scout a little", she definitely didn't want to end up in jail again. So she wasn't keen on taking any chances. "I take it you're also more of a covert operator?", raising a brow in curiosity, she cooked her head to the side. If they were to start working together, she better got to know him and his ways.

@Zay

 

[Talon Caillte]

With a little swagger Talon said, “Some secrets are only for friends, and I don’t know you that well Addy.”

As they slid into the booth, Addy decided to disclose what she knew. Talon considered her words. The number of red flags on this job were starting to pile up, and he’d be a bold-faced liar if didn’t admit to being at least a little hyped for a challenge.

“Use their addiction?” he asked, a note of interest in his voice. He wasn’t sure how she’d manage to figure out the guys vice, but one more look at her told him, it probably wouldn’t be that hard. For a moment his mind wandered off to what it’d be like to be a really hot chick, then he signed and came back to reality.

“I could be convinced to go for a little walk,” he said in response to her comment about scouting, granted he was still distracted by the prospect of his own boobs, but he was pretty sure he’d answered accurately.

Talon answered her question about security with a little shake of his head before taking a sip of his drink. Mmmm, bubbles. It was his turn to cock an eyebrow at her, “Yes, normally I work alone, you?” He liked this game. She asked a question he tried to answer as vaguely as possible, then he asked a question and she did the same thing.

Once Addy was satisfied and his yummy bubble drink was gone he followed her out of the bar and into the main building.

“How hard do you think it would be to swipe a key card?” he asked with a devilish grin. He was itching to get after this job, or he was a little buzzed, he wasn’t totally sure, but he liked his raw confidence right now. So he decided not to question it.

 

[Maeve]

She couldn't help but quirk a brow as he added that little swagger. It made it seem like a line from a holomovie, and thus it caused her to smirk. Well, it was obvious that he wasn't all new to this, but she couldn't but wonder whether he had grown up in all of this just like she had, especially given the presumed Corellian ties.

She nodded as he posed the implicit question about how she intended to use his addiction, and mysteriously replied, "trust me, I have my methods". A cheeky wink followed before she pulled out her phone and quickly typed some messages while her gaze kept resting on his though.

"Same". She was also someone who often operated on the down low, keeping it all stealthy and sneaky and blending in with her roles before she really needed to strike. She assumed this would go similarly. She downed her drink rather quickly, seeking the slight rush that would follow right after just now and knowing that her mind would have to be sober quite soon.

After they had both exchanged whatever they needed, they went off, making their way directly to the building in question. Her weapons were all concealed and while she appeared to be naught but a stranger on a walk, she was taking notes on people who stared at them for too long, whether the streets were frequented and checking her phone every now and then.

"Hm?", raising a brow, she met his gaze again, a mischievous spark already glistening in her eyes. "How skilled and quick are those fingers of yours?", she asked him while a roguish smirk formed on her lips. Perhaps her posing as a distraction and him sealing the potential deal was an even quicker way in. If he fucked that up though, she'd only have seconds to react. Was it worth the risk? "You seem quite confident...", was that youthful enthusiasm or skill? She still wasn't entirely sure about what she was working with.

@Zay

 

[Talon Caillte]

”I hope you’re half as distracting for them as you are for me,” Talon said.

Oh yeah, I’m gonna fucking kill this, he thought as he peeled off from Addy. He wanted to give her a little space to work her magic. Talon slipped into the shadows like a, a…, uh, well like a fucking shadow, oof, he was toasted right now, what in the hell had that droid put in his drink?

Addy moved in. Effortlessly, she flashed the goons a smile and from Talon’s vantage point he could tell both of the dopes were wrapped around her finger. A devilish smile settled across his lips and out from the shadows he slipped…. No literally, Talon went to move in for the grab and straight up slipped. His feet were out from under him faster than you could say, “HOLYSHITFUCK!”

In his line of work, Talon was acutely aware that flexibility made the best thief, so when life gives you a slippery floor, just roll with it and pray blasters don’t come out. In this case, they did. With practiced precision both goons had guns in hand and had them aimed at Talon.

“Oy, wot you on about, mate?” spat the nearest thug.
From the ground Talon said, “Don’t mind me, routine ceiling inspection, I’ll be out of the way soon.”
The other guard spluttered a laugh relaxing, “Ease up, Callion, he just tripped. No need to be so jumpy, it’s not like he’s trying to mug ya!”

Talon laughed along awkwardly while pointedly ignoring the glares he was absolutely getting from Addy. Deciding to double down on his attempt, Talon raised a hand and asked, “Any chance one of you strapping gents, could help me up?”

The one named Callion holstered his weapon and stepped forward with a scowl grabbing Talon’s hand and yanking him up. The force of the pull was surprisingly strong. So strong in fact that it threw off the trajectory of Talon’s other hand, which was making it’s way to the inside of Callion’s jacket. Instead it landed… a little south.

Callion’s eyes bulged, Talon screamed, yanking his hand back as if burned, then the goon drew back and punched him so hard in the face Talon was convinced he’d just gone into hyperspace. His eyes rolled back and everything went dark.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Before they rounded the last corner, Maeve adjusted her top and hair before she put on a charming, confident smile. As she walked up the goons her hips were swinging with every step, not in a way of overdoing it, but simply adding her usual, irresistible, seductive touch.

She drew exactly the attention she needed right away. The eyes were on her, and neither of the two indicated a hostile or overly wary attitude with their body language. "Oh, hey there", she greeted them with a purposely lowered voice, her gaze drifting up and down the two of them.

For a moment, she realized that the alcohol was someone affecting her quite a bit after she had downed the whole glass so quickly, as she didn't even recall what her objective was - it dawned her just a moment later though, right as Mr. Curly head tripped and landed on his ass, staring up at the ceiling and causing Maeve to gasp for a second.

Wasn't she supposed to be the distraction? Her gaze flicked down to her accomplice, who immediately started improvising, before it flicked back up, eying the pockets of the goon on the left. Perhaps a quick change of plans?

With a raised brow, she drew somewhat closer, however that was when fucking Talon's hand grazed the thug's - GOD, what the kriff was this silly kid doing?! She felt the urge to slap him surfacing, yet Goon number 1 preempted her. Fantastic. Change of plans again.

"Oh no! The poor boy! I think he...he just slipped!", she gasped dramatically, finally settling on a new plan as she kneeled down next to him. Yup, solidly out. Internally sighting, she glanced back up. "He kinda ruined the mood though...well, I was about to approach you with an offer...".

While they still seemed intrigued, Goon number 2 seemed keen on disposing of the lifeless body in a rather unpleasant way as he already moved to grab him by the ankles. "Wait! Come on...look at those cute little locks. He's just a poor kid, no need to beat him up or leave him in the gutter...can't we discuss business inside and you lock him up and let him regain consciousness somewhere?", they had to have holding cells...right?

They seemed to consider her suggestion and she fumbled around in her purse, pretending to look for a paper towel to help woth the bleeding nose. They grimaced ever so slightly before they exchanged looks - enough time for Maeve to slip her fusion-cutter into his pockets though, before one moved to grab her by the wrist.

Her insides bristled, yet she let him, knowing any impulsive reactions would potentially screw this up. "Let's go", he said, taking her with him - at least they were moving inside, and the other one slung the boy over his shoulder like he weighted nothing. She paryed the gun could stay in her purse until after she could orient herself and that Talon was back up quickly...

@Zay

 

[Talon Caillte]

What does it mean to be alive? What does it mean to live? What—What is that smell?

Talon’s eyes snapped open. He frowned, his eyes could see but the image they were relaying to his brain made no sense whatsoever. Confusion filled his consciousness. He was jauntaly strutting down a lane made of marshmallow wearing flip-flops and while it totally made sense once you really thought about it, he couldn’t help but feel as if something was off.

Addy was there, or someone who represented her but didn’t look anything like her, she was dressed in a bikini made of clouds that always seemed to shift right before he got a good look at her. Her hand was outstretched and she was beckoning him forward with the most sultry gaze he’d ever seen in his life…

“Wait a minute…”he said. “Is this a fucking dream?”

Talon’s eyes snapped open… again! This time however the vista wasn’t nearly as breathtaking. Well, okay, it was probably more breathtaking, because the smell he’d smelled in his subconscious was radiating out from whatever his head was bouncing off of. Was… was that a butt? Please don’t be a butt, please don’t be a butt, please don’t be a butt. Very carefully he looked to the side just as they passed a large window. In the opaque reflection he could just make out his position.

It was a butt.

It took all of his wiley guile to not freak the fuck out. Instead, he remained limp and prayed to any god that would listen that he didn't get pink eye.

Everything was starting to come back to him. His face hurt which he was used to, he couldn’t breath through his nose though and it felt like something wedged up there. He tried twice to purge the obstruction but the pain in his sinuses was so severe he had to stop or give away the fact that he was awake. Something else was bothering him. Something in his pocket. What in the hell was that? He didn’t carry weapons on a job like this and the only thing he’d had on him was his phone. Panic threatened to ruin his cover until he realized his phone was still in his pocket right where he’d left it.

A big door whooshed open and he heard a voice say, “Let’s go.”

The sound of heels on duracrete told him Addy was still around. He wasn’t sure if that was good or not. Had she been made, was the whole plan ruined, had he, the soon to be greatest thief in the galaxy, actually failed at a simple pick pocketing job? His face throbbed in pain as the goon jostled him. Suddenly, his body felt weightless as he floated through the air and collided with the ground. He had an aghast wild look on his face as if he couldn’t possibly imagine why he’d been thrown.

“Well, I never!” he said, tugging his jacket tighter to himself as if to cover up from a vulnerable position.
“Shuddup!” barked the guy that had been carrying him. Talon did so. Not because he was told too, but because there was a gun in his face.

Talon’s eyes skimmed the hangar. They were still in business, his failure might have been a happy accident, all he had to do now was figure out how in the hell to get out of this mess. Addy was close, about an arm’s length away. The image of her in a cloud bikini billowed up in his mind, and he quickly snuffed it out. He glanced down, the weird thing that hadn’t been in his pocket before he was knocked out was for sure still in his pocket.

Oh yeah, it’s all coming together, he thought. This is all apart of my plan…

A smile slid across his lips, “Fellas, I think we’ve had a misunderstanding,” he started, “I’ll be honest with you, I’m a piece of trash,” he signed dramatically, “A simple despot forced to pick pockets poorly just to get by,” he turned to Addy, “I’m so sorry to get you mixed up in this, ma’am.”

His performance was going well, not a single person had started shooting. Fuck he really was the best. He gave Addy a look. The kind that said, “if you’ve got any ideas, now would be a good time.” Because in that moment, the goon that threw him down was pulling out what looked like one of the meanest knives he’d ever seen.

@LadyRen

 

[Maeve]

Maeve studied the halls carefully, memorizing all the tiny details, scanning for movement, more guards, animate and droids alike, checking for cameras. This place wasn't a fortress, but it was somewhat well guarded for sure. She was in, and so was Talon, but he was also still out, so she was on her own.

They dragged him with them, and she wondered whether they'd take her somewhere else to discuss business while they locked him up in a cell. She'd have to abandon him. He had a fusion cutter, he'd get out if he wasn't stupid, but she'd have to pull off the job alone. That wasn't going to be a big deal, she hoped, but perhaps she had to buy herself more time first.

Her heels steadily clapped against the duracreet floor and her heart accelerated further. There it was again...the exhilarating thrill of a mission going somewhat South and yet making the most of it. She was no stranger to pessimism, yet there were still multiple options of how this would work and she was busy calculating odds of different scenarios when Talom stirred.

Both hands were still in her pockets and she slowly fidgeted for the boxes of her darts. Was Curly Head back in the game after his little fuck up? He started speaking and Maeve thought, 'what an idiot'. What she thought was the attempt for a really bad negotiation though soon turned out to be a distraction, an opening she could use.

Her gaze briefly flicked back up just as she unlocked her boxes. No cameras pointed this way, someone just passing the corridor far far behind them. Maybe it was go-time. She glanced back onto the ground, briefly meeting Talon's gaze, and then everything went by rather quickly. With her thumbs and index fingers pinching, she had her tranquilizer-laced darts inbetween her fingers and with a swift motion, the first one pierced through the first goons neck.

The one without the knife. The one with the knife didn't get the opportunity to react properly, as before he even fully registered what she had done, Maeve let go of the second dart and it landed right in the crook of his neck. Bingo. "Bye bye", she whispered softly, a devious smirk tugging at her lips as the two muscled thugs almost soundlessly sank to the ground.

"Get up", she demanded quickly, offering the boy a hand. Perhaps he deserved a second chance and perhaps she'd need another distraction after. "We need a plan", she added in a hushed voice, immediately grabbing the first goon my the legs and trying to pull him off this main corridor they were currently in.

The one walking past hadn't noticed anything yet, but the moment someone would find the incapacitated bodies, they were screwed. "We could make a run for the ship?", they were inside after all, so that crazy idea crossed her mind. They could slip into somewhere, sketch out a new plan, but it would cost time. What if they just strolled towards the ship? "Or, we pretend we have official business here?", sometimes, shamelessness was also a way to go...her hand slipped into the pocket of her right thigh and a second later, she offered him a pill, nodding to his slightly bloody nose. "For the pain".

@Zay

 

[Talon Caillte]

In a flash, Maeve went into motion. Like a super-spy ninja assassin she stabbed the two goons in the neck, demanded Talon get up and was already tugging one of the unconscious bodies out of view.

Talon managed to blink and close his mouth. The latter of which h e hadn’t even noticed he’d done. What in the fuck was she? Wait, was this the big leagues? Had he graduated from punk scrum to a heavy hitter? WAS HE ACTUALLY ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING GREAT?!

He took a breath, then muttered, “Whoa, almost lost my cool there…”

Before the (Probably) cyborg assassin could turn her attention to him again he hopped up and grabbed the other guy under the armpits and started dragging him in the same direction as Addy. They managed to dump the bodies in a near by dumpster. Addy mentioned forming a plan, but Talon was distracted by the unnatural way the body he’d been dragging fell into the trash.

“Huh, that’s probably gonna hurt when he wakes up— Huh?” he asked looking over to Addy and realizing he’d missed what she said, then as if waiting for him to make an ass of himself his ADD reminded him what she’d said, “Oh yeah, that’s smart.”

Talon leaned over the edge of the dumpster and took the knife and gun off the goon who’d carried him in here. Serves him right for having an ass so smelly it transcends consciousness. He listened as she ran over a couple of ideas on how to proceed and for once he decided to gave his future a little thought.

It was immediately terrifying and he never wanted to do it again so he just said the first thing that came to mind, “Let’s just go for it,” he gestured to his clothing which looked like it had been in a fight and bled on, “not sure we can sell my look as business casual,” he tucked the gun behind his back, “besides, we’ve got the element of surprise,” then it dawned on him, “Wait, you can fly right?”

@LadyRen