Ask Roses and Thornes

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc kept walking along the alley, not yet spotting the queen. Instead he caught sight of a rather attractive young man with a slender form. While it wasn’t his nature to stare, his gaze flicked over and lingered there for slightly longer than necessary as he walked. Svelte and shorter men often caught his attention, and this one was no different.

He was about to pass silently when said man huffed out in disappointment and the Queen’s voice rang out. Visible surprise was on Emryc’s face for a moment before he blinked and stared at Emilia, “I hadn’t,” He answered after a moment, “That is a very convincing look,” His gaze flicked up and down. He had no desire to share that he somehow found her even more attractive in this get-up.

Emryc grinned and jutted his chin towards the bar, motioning for her to follow, “You went all out. What’s your name while you’re…” He looked her up and down again, “like this?”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Oh.

Well that was at once both gratifying and also rather irritating she had to say. She had apparently done well enough on her disguise to fool Emryc - which was good - but she had immediately given herself away because he has lingered with his gaze. Either he had kind of recognized something in her face or, equally as likely, he was just struck by how she looked as a man. She was very aware that she looked good in disguise, she had spent a lot of time making sure she got the look just right.

It was, she decided, gratifying that she hadn't wasted all of that time and effort.

"Oh well... glad I exceeded your expectations." she joked with a grin that flashed a lot of teeth, "Good job too, some parts of this disguise are awkward and I'd hate to have spent that much time for no good reason."

Like the balled up pair of socks she was currently using to simulate the 'bulge'.

"Emilio." she declared, her voice lowering ever so slightly in tone before she made a small face, "I'm thinking if anyone asks that Emilio is transitioning - that way I don't have to explain the voice, right?"

And, tellingly, most people would probably get very awkward and leave the conversation if she said that. Said state of affairs but one she could take advantage of to have people not ask too many questions. Taking the time, she eyed Emryc almost critically as she viewed his disguise.

"... how do you manage to pull off 'slacker college student' as well as you do 'President of the ISC'? That's got to be some kind of magic."

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc had to fight hard not to chuckle at the entire exchange. Not only had Emilia attempted a male voice, but the ‘bulge’ she packed between her legs suggested she was far more endowed than he was. The half Sephi kept his thoughts to himself, thoroughly entertained by the whole thing.

“No one will give a shit out here,” He stated casually, easily sliding into a less formal way of speaking. If she were going to pretend to be a local, she would have to be okay with cuss words left and right. Emryc shrugged as she appraised his disguise.

“This is how I dress when I lounge around and watch Huttball,” He said as they arrived at the bar, “So not entirely a disguise for me,” Emryc fished for a fake ID, preparing it in advance as they began to approach the bouncer.

“You have an ID, yes?” He asked right as they arrived. If Emilia looked at him with a panic, he would apply the slightest brush with the Force to make the bouncer’s eyes glaze over and let them both pass without a word.

Once inside, they were faced with a stairwell that led downstairs into a very dark, dingy area. As they descended, rats scuttled about around them, but the thumping of music could be heard even from here. At the bottom of the stairs Emryc pushed open a heavy metal door and they were inside.

The entire room was purple and scantily clad women were wandering around with drinks. There were cheap lounge chairs set up everywhere, most of them with very suspicious stains on them. Of course, there was the stench of sweat, spice and god knows what else. Emryc took it all in, gaze spanning across the bar.

“Everything you were hoping for, Emilio?”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

He was probably right - it seemed that no one really gave much of a care for most things. There were drugs being used and sold openly in the streets (she assumed the little clear baggies were for drugs after all), but beyond that there was a general air of depressed freedom. Freedom for them to be able to do literally anything that they wanted - depressed because they were still rather poor even by local standards. This wasn't a nightclub for rich and famous socialites and that was precisely what she had been hoping to avoid so it suited her well.

She carefully took a step to the side to avoid a puddle of suspicious liquid on the ground, deciding that it suited her well enough. Well enough.

"I appreciate being able to catch a peak behind the curtain into the Real Life of Emryc." she teased with a wider grin than she would normally use, trying to stick to the mannerisms of her male persona, "Would you believe I don't actually own sweatpants?"

Leggings, yes, but what civilized person in the Galaxy didn't possess at least one pair of leggings? None who could actually lay claim to the title of civilized at the very least. She didn't really have an idea but what she did have was enough credits hidden on her person to pay the door fee twice over - and she was pretty sure that the Two Dudes Just Being Dudes were already paying more than any women trying to get in. She didn't notice anything off about the bouncer though, noting he was a bit quiet but that kind of thinking left her when she descended and saw more.

The drinks in glasses that looked like they hadn't seen running water in decades.

The scantily clad women wandering around the place.

Furniture that looked like it had been taken right out of a terribly low budget porno!

"Emryc, bro, it's disgusting and I karking love it." 'he' sniffed and wiped at an imagined tear, "It's so karking manly, it's making my eyes water... lets get the highest proof alcohol they have."

Most likely to kill off braincells and germs!

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was silent as Emilia spoke about getting a glimpse behind the curtain. It was a curious concept to him. Did anyone truly get to see that for him? The half Sephi had more walls and layers than even he himself knew sometimes. Emryc did, however, glance over at the Queen when she remarked she didn’t own sweatpants.

“Never would have guessed,” He said a bit dryly. He noticed how she was overcompensating for the role she was playing, attempting to appear extra manly in the way she walked or moved. The half Sephi almost winced when Emilia called him ‘bro’, but he kept a stoic face otherwise.

“Hate to break it to you,” He said quietly, “But this establishment appeals to women just as much as men,” Emryc walked over and found some cushy seats that appeared to be the only ones not questionably soggy. He sat down in a dry spot, leaving a damper space for Emilia. If she was so determined for the ‘real experience’, may as well take it all in.

The half Sephi eyed her for a moment, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” He said before he snapped his fingers to hail the waiter droid over. Half of its optics were dangling and there were sparks when it walked.

“Two Anakin's Fury,” He said simply. The droid disappeared and returned with two drinks that looked like lava in a glass. Emryc raised his glass and clinked it against Emilia’s. The thing would burn like fire and hit like a rancor’s headbutt to the face.

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Sometimes, just sometimes, Emilia thought she might get sick of some of Emryc's snark (never would have guessed indeed!) but it hadn't happened yet. Indeed, it didn't seem like it was ever going to happen at all. No, he shot back with some snark, a dry tone and the ghost of what might be charitably called a smile and it was just so incredibly Emryc that she couldn't help but want to sigh in some deep-seated fondness.

It did wonders to keep her sweet to his dryer sense of humor and she knew it. So long as she knew it, accepted it, she reasoned that it wasn't a blindspot when it came to the President. However - she did mentally crow when she noticed he stiffened ever so slightly when she called him 'bro'. Nothing as telling as a lip twitch or an eyebrow showing it's disdain with a climb up toward his hairline. No, Emryc was far too controlled for that and she had started watching his whole body to see if he 'flowed' through his movements like he usually did. If he didn't? That was absolutely a reaction.

At least to her eyes.

"Oh do let me have my fun." she mock-pouted as she sat down, freezing in place for a second before sighing deeply, "... this one is wet."

She moved ever so slightly.

"... and this one is sticky."

Emilia fought the urge to shudder and tried her very best to relax. It was a hard battle but she would be damned if her stately training to control her expressions was overcome by some spilled drink. Or, at least, what she very vehemently hoped was a spilled drink. Watching as Emryc ordered them two drinks, she eyed the droid oddly for a moment before shrugging and toasting with Emryc.

"Anakin's Fury huh? Well how bad could it really be..."

Bad.

Very bad and yet... and yet...? Was it weird that she actually really liked it? The burning sensation spread from the center of her chest and spread down to the tips of her toes and fingers. Of course it was also filled with enough alcohol that she felt her head actually spin a little before she remembered to take a breath.

"That... was awesome!" she declared brightly, slapping the glass back down on the table after having necked all but a slither of the drink immediately, "You've got to show me things I've been missing if this is the kind of thing that's down here."

She couldn't help but feel a bit weird that the Queen of Naboo really kind of loved Anakin's Fury but she just ignored the feeling - it was probably nothing.

"So what is it we do in a bar like this?"

She was curious as to what Emryc had used to spend his time doing in places like this before he had managed to climb up the social ladder to stand tall at the top. That she was hoping to indulge in that which had been denied to her was also a part of it, of course, but now that she was sat here, partially stuck to the seat, with Emryc? It seemed secondary to him for the moment.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc downed his drink and his face contorted the slightest bit. However, he recovered quickly enough, feeling the powerful effects of the cocktail spreading out throughout his body. It gave a tingling sensation along with a sense of fiery warmth. He exhaled softly before looking over at ‘Emilio’.

“Whatever you want, bro,” The half Sephi emphasized with a grin, “We can keep drinking, play some card games, watch Huttball,” He pointed at the large screen that had a game playing, “Watch the dancing,” He glanced over at some scantily clad women dancing on an elevated stage in the corner. They appeared to have some old blaster and other wounds on their bodies and one of them appeared to have several teeth missing.

The half Sephi turned to look back at Emilio, quirking a brow, “What have you always wanted to do but never could?”

@Nefieslab

 

[Emilia Parnelli]

Weird as it was, she actually kind of enjoyed Emryc calling her "bro" - part of her wondered if it was how most people felt when being referred to as bro. It would make sense as to why so many young men called each other "bro" if it was some kind of secret code phrase to be substituted in for a term of endearment. Of course that was Emilia thinking and right now she needed to think in terms of Emilio.

It was surprisingly easy to think of herself in such a way while dressed as she was and still slightly taken aback by the sheer volume of alcohol in that one drink.

"You already know I want to try out some more of these drinks, Bro." she joked back, trying to make her voice sound deeper before something caught in her throat and she grimaced before switching back to her real voice, "Need to practice that part... I just want to see how life is different, you know? Do things I know would make the papers immediately if Emilia did them. Hmmm what about this one?"

She ordered a couple of drinks from the droid.

"How is a Twi'lek's Dirty Nipple different to a regular Dirty Nipple?"

Ah.

It was green... and the two shots were served on a green Twi'lek woman with a scar on one of her lekku. Served on because said Twi'lek stretched back into a reverse crab stretch and the droid set them down atop her stomach. It was honestly...

"Your core is so defined!"

Green Twi'lek blushed a cyan color due to being blue-blooded. Said stripper/drinks tray just looked away slightly and Emilia poked her abs.

"Bro..."

@Sreeya