Open The Party Bus is Coming!

[Altair Din]

Still wiping the lipstick off his face, Altair made his way through the crowds. He could spot Cairo in the distance, his face lighting up. He had expected his buddy to be off playing pong, but he was instead watching the performance. Altair smiled brightly, making his way over and clapping him on the shoulder and knocking their fists together.

“Captain Cairoooo!” He said with a hint of a slur to his speech, “The fuck you doing in the corner?” His arm slung around him as he dragged his buddy over to sit at a table. Altair took a seat across him, blinking through bleary eyes, “We gotta find this Sol kid’s dealer or make him our new hookup,” He declared, nice and thoroughly baked. He noticed Vahliri and Anai making their way over, and he used the Force to pull out two more seats at the table.

Altair beamed at Vahliri, shyly smiling, “Yeah.. that’s never happened to me before,” He mumbled awkwardly about the twi’lek incident. He was completely taken by surprise. The Devaronian was only used to looks of dread and fear, but the shift in the polar opposite was also jarring. He missed the incident with the Zeltron and any other mishaps, too focused on finding his bro Cairo.

“I get by..” He said sheepishly at Vahliri’s compliment as he took the drink, “And you look great no matter where,” He blurted out, suddenly sporting a more confident streak in his current state. Altair took a sip, staring at Vahliri over the rim of his cup. He looked over at Anai, who looked more engaged than she had been before.

“I hope you liked the songs?” He asked her hopefully, knowing this was all likely new for her. Altair turned back to Cairo, clapping him on the shoulder, “Bro…I’m feeling an urge..” He began, “Those ropes. I say we use them to get down to the festivals. It’s a bulletproof plan. Everyone’s too fucked up to notice,” He threw back a bit more of his drink, slurring his words slightly, “We can just Zartan our asses over. Solid plan. Whatcha think man?” He thought he was whispering his brilliant plan, but it was comically audible to everyone in his immediate vicinity.

He was immediately distracted when Ashla called out his name, and he looked over. Moments later, he heard his own song blaring over the speakers. Altair’s face heated up at once, and he realized the entire room was staring at him then. If people didn’t know where he was before, they certainly did now. The Devaronian smiled shyly, not used to this kind of attention.

That was when a Pantoran and her human friend wandered over towards the table. The Pantoran was stunning, adorned in a tiny dress and tall heels with long, flowing purple hair, “Hey, Altair right?” Altair could only blink in response, “You’re soooo talented. Why don’t you come dance with us? Your music is amazing,” She reached a hand out. Altair only gawked as he took the hand, the human grabbing his other hand. Both of them promptly dragged him off. Altair haphazardly left his hallikset and jacket by Cairo as he left. He looked over his shoulder to give an apologetic, but also excited, smile before disappearing into the crowd.

@Fine Dining Set @Altaris @Versok

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

Malou had been hopeful that Cairo would follow, but it sounded like he wouldn't. She couldn't really understand what he'd said above the noise of the crowd. 'Did he say 'get started without me' or 'have fun without me?'' He didn't join her and Ashla, so the Miralukan figured he wasn't interested. There was a pang of disappointment in her chest, but she shook her head and got rid of it. 'Whatever. He's probably played beer pong a hundred times. Maybe it's just boring for him now? Or maybe it's a game like that ring toss? That could explain...' Neither she nor Cairo had been very good at that fair game. A bit of heat rose in her face as she remembered the annoying woman who'd run the stall, too. 'Or maybe...? No, never mind. Whatever.' Why was she so focused on him? Beer pong!

"I- I'm not really sure how to play?" she thought aloud. The Miralukan tilted her head towards Vahliri, but no answer came from the half-Sephi. Instead, she muttered something about playing later and left her and Ashla standing in front of the table alone. A small sound of surprise and confusion left Malou's lips, and for a moment she just stood there confused. 'Shit, was it something I said?' The champion spent a lot of time on the holonet, but she lacked social awareness at this level. Nobility? Easy. Stressful, but easy. Forums? Comment sections? Also easy. She ran a meme page! When it came to gathering like this though, she was forever worried she was constantly missing social cues. Surely she was better off than Ashla though, right?

"Well, I guess we can just look it up. We definitely need solo cups and alcohol. I think all the beer's gone though, so if you want we can use-" 'She's not listening.'

Malou watched as Ashla stared in Altair's direction, completely engulfed by the sound coming from him. Her wide eyes and slight swaying made her appear as if she were in a trance of sorts. Though she was initially a bit irritated, the Serennian native decided it wasn't actually a big deal and decided to just wait until the song was over. Malou didn't mind too much after a minute; Altair had one of the best live-performance voices she'd ever heard. While she waited, Malou finished her drink and flew another one over to her.

"Maybe he wasn't sure if people would care?" Malou offered in return for Ashla's irritated exclamation. She gave the Togruta a bit of a shrug after the suggestion then went back to scrolling through her datapad for instructions on how to play beer pong. If the Togruta paid enough attention, she would notice that the datapad was modified to cast a very subtle holographic mimic of the screen just barely above it. That was all Malou needed to read the data presented to her. "Anyways, I think we just try to toss a little ping pong ball into the cups and if we make it, we get to drink it." That's what she was getting, anyways.

"Do you know how to play?" Malou would then ask of the mag boot-wearing girl above them. First impressions of Syn were iffy at best, but if she knew how to play, cool. Otherwise, Malou suspected she might need to get drunk pretty quickly to tolerate her antics.

tags: @Fine Dining Set @Altaris @Wit @Braden

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri was smiling ear-to-ear by the time Altair turned from Cairo and addressed her, watching as he took the drink. There was an immediate swivel of her ears when the Devaronian uttered that compliment, her cheeks turning slightly red as she sipped from her drink. “Thanks,” She reached up, brushing some of the hair that fell in front of her face.

She nodded when the topic turned to his songs, looking up at him over the rim of her cup. “I did!” The half-Sephi said excitedly. It was the first time she’d heard him utilize his talent, and it reflected in her expression in that moment. “I’d love to hear you play more, some time."

The half-Sephi’s gaze flicked towards Cairo when Altair addressed him. This time, the half-Sephi didn’t need to utilize her super-hearing in order to pick up on the bonified bullshit that was being cooked up between Altair and Cairo – a continuation of the trend she had some to expect from the pair. Vahliri couldn’t help but grin at the plan, shaking her head a bit. “I hope you don’t plan on ditching me and Ashla,” The half-Sephi quipped, letting him know she heard every word.

She glanced over towards the dancefloor for a few seconds, her gaze lingering in that direction before she glanced back at Altair. “Hey Altair, care to go for a dan—” Before the half-Sephi could finish her sentence, she was cut off by the arrival of the Pantoran and her human friend – ears flicking ever-so-slightly as the girl sauntered right up to Altair and asked the same question Vahliri intended to.

Almost at once, the half-Sephi’s jaw tightened, feeling that familiar sensation of jealousy bubbling within her chest. She knew that the Pantoran looked stunning with her tiny dress and flowing hair, and it brought with it an unfamiliar sense of self-consciousness that she was entirely unused to. She glanced down to the Pantoran’s long heels, and there it was again - the temptation to utilize the Force and cause the girl to eat shit.

This time, however, the half-Sephi hesitated the moment she glanced over at Altair’s reaction. She didn’t miss the way that Altair was gawking at the girl, and the fact that he willingly grabbed her hand to get drug off – flashing an excited smile as he went. Vahliri couldn’t help but blink a few times, feeling that gnawing frustration and discomfort in her stomach.

“Look’s like he’s having a good time..” She muttered grumpily under her breath towards Cairo and Anai. Her eyes lingered in that direction until Altair completely vanished into the crowd, chewing on her bottom lip as she did so. “Whatever.” She whispered quietly, though the tone in her voice didn’t carry much of the nonchalant brushing off of the situation that the half-Sephi tried to convey.

She felt a flush of heat against her cheeks as she looked around awkwardly, glancing between Anai, Cairo and the rest of the party before looking down at her mostly-full drink. Without a second thought, the half-Sephi let out a huff and proceeded to down the rest of her cup in one go – grimacing slightly as the cheap booze went down.

She let out a small sigh whilst staring down into the depths of her empty solo cup, looking at it for a few seconds before chucking it onto a table filled with dozens more like it. Vahliri eventually glanced back at Cairo, offering the Morellian a small smirk that didn’t really reach her eyes as she attempted to put the situation behind her.

Her honeyed gaze flicked towards Ashla at the beer-pong table and then back to Cairo, proceeding to nudge her fellow Acolyte in the shoulder and give him a knowing look. “How about that round of beer-pong?” The half-Sephi looked back at Anai, giving her a jut of her chin in order to invite the Kaleesh to follow.

@lizziie @Wit @Fine Dining Set @Versok @Sreeya

 

[Anai Skhess]

Anai was feeling pretty well at the moment, while Altair had to suddenly stop his singing after that incident, the music that started emerging from somewhere in the strange metal vehicle felt like a close second, the fact that it was Altair's voice obviously being the reason behind it, even if the Kaleesh didn't find it to be as natural and nice as just hearing the man sing in person. With the same small smile she had had for a while now, Anai nodded in response to the question "It was really nice, I am glad you liked singing them too." It was nice to see the devaronian happier after that as well, with his sudden surge in popularity the bad taste of that interaction he had with that woman seemed to have left his mouth, she liked that.

The Kaleesh just stared blankly into the ceiling (or rather the blue woman that was walking on the ceiling, although not on purpose) as Altair talked to Cairo about some future plans, a bit distracted by her own thoughts as she realized...She was feeling funny. Did she overdo it with the alcohol? She did grab a whole bottle but she didn't really take much from it, did alcohol have strange effects if you ate chocolate as well? What she didn't know (and some unfortunate soul would have to explain to her tomorrow) was that she was simply high.

She was brought back to reality as Altair left the group alongside two girls, waving him goodbye as she realized that now Valh didn't seem too happy about the situation. While the Kaleesh acolyte did understand the concepts of love and jealousy, she did not understand them in the current context. Kaleesh relationships were quite different to that of the wider galaxy...And so far she had only seen people dance, make out and literally jump at people without much restraint, so she had gathered that was just a normal thing.

However, luckily before she decided to just bluntly ask about it to Vahl in front of everyone else, she reminded her about the beer-pong, and so Anai nodded once more before approaching the table "I-uhm..." Shit, she did not get to use her strategy of skipping the first round to understand how it worked, so now she had to blurt out that... "I don't really know how to play though, could you teach me?" She leaned and whispered to the other pointy eared woman, a bit embarassed to have to admit that, specially since there were other people there that no doubt knew how to play better than her...Or at least she thought so.

@Sreeya @Altaris @Braden

 

[Soleil Altan]

By the time Sol's leisurely pace got him to the group he was just in time to catch mention of roping down to the city below. He stared, mildly perplexed, as a pair of stylish ladies dragged the Devaronian off to dancing. Next he looked to the others- the Sephi's expression was far from the most subtle thing in the galaxy. For now, Sol decided to keep his sketchpad to himself. Maybe later. Just now wasn't the right time. Probably.

Mention of beer pong got his attention out of curiosity if nothing else. He didn't really get it. Still, Sol followed along with the others- despite not being explicitly invited- and pulled up a seat by the pong table. His goody bag came out again, a well-rolled bit of paper smelling strongly of herbs pulled out to plant between his lips. A cheap plastic lighter ignited the end, a plume of oily smoke curling through the air. He didn't expect to be asked to play- despite the odd number of current players- and seemed content enough watching.

A knock on the table and friendly wave were offered to the three acolytes as Sol realized he hadn't actually met them before. He'd just been trying to insert himself into the group and nearly forgot entirely that introducing himself in some way or other was important. Sol glanced once toward Vahl for a second or two and his pencil was back in his hand, scratching away at the paper. The song in the background clearly still carried the Devaronian's voice, yet another tune the silent acolyte enjoyed. Another moment and he looked toward the Kaleesh in the group, head tilting a little, apparently taken in by the details of her bone-white mask. Sol smiled at her, then went back to his sketches.

He'd look up and pay attention again if someone started explaining how the game worked. Might even join if someone asked.

@Altaris @Versok @Fine Dining Set

 

[Cairo Kisufi]

Cairo beamed once more when Altair approached him. He was swimming in it tonight. Or rather, by the way he was having to beat the ladies away with a stick, he was drowning in it. "You want to just jump off of here?" He considered this momentarily, thinking about the outcomes. It would be nice to ditch the Acolyte bus, with how drunk everyone was getting...but there were some cool people to chop it up with. He felt like he was on the cusp of making some new friends.

But old friends would come first. "Hell yeah, bro. Let's do it. Circle back in a couple minutes and we can ditch, yeah?" He reached out his knuckles again, to touch fists, before Altair disappeared into the arms of a couple of new girls. Ladies man, that Altair. It was wild how much action he was getting. He took stock of Vahliri's grumpy comment, as one didn't need super hearing to recognize a woman scorned. He couldn't begrudge Altair, because were they even an item? and also, bro was killing it tonight. He did feel a twang of sympathy for his friend, though, and hoped to cheer her up the only way this party could.

By getting seriously stoned. The smell of herbs hit his nostrils, back around the beer pong table, and Cairo intended to follow. It could be two birds with one stone - smoke some herb, chat it up more with Ashla, Malou, and others. Not they specifically mattered or anything but...shut up!

"God, Vahliri. Sometimes I'm just really in my own head about shit, you know? Feeling weird when I'm on a dope party bus with great friends." He offered her a pat on the back, sensing that she could, perhaps, feel sympathy in this moment.

Cairo casually strolled back to the beer pong table, spotting Soleil in the middle of rolling. He slid next to him, producing his own stash of herbs to prove he was cool. He wanted to try out a new trick - using the Force to roll a joint. To that end, he closed his eyes in front of the table. "If I do this right on the first time, everyone here owes me twenty crowns." He pointed down the row at each of the acolytes (and the cool champion who brought the booze) before closing his eyes.

His herbs slowly floated from his grinder, making their way to touch the now-floating Fresh-branded filters and papers. "Uh, Fresh is my brand, by the way. Just made a Switter for it, we do weekly giveaways for smoking accessories, so check it out..." He trailed off. He hadn't actually intended to make a pitch for his stoner merch, but Altair's demonstration of talent inspired him to share his own.

Unfortunately, talking about his amateur brand distracted him, causing the whole effort to fizzle out. The herbs made it into the papers, but he could never twist it just right to roll it tight. The herbs fell to the table beneath, like a gentle snow from a stoner cloud, before Cairo chuckled and shrugged. "Ah, well. Keep your credits. I can just roll it myself." Cairo had seen people play Beer Pong before, but he had always been too young to properly appreciate it. Now, it just seemed dirty. Everyone put their hands on the same ball and would drink whatever beer it touched? Gross.

"Any of you wanna hit this?" He said, looking proudly at his hand-rolled joint. It was less fun than if the Force had done it, but hey, can't win 'em all. "Don't think we've met, by the way, my guy. I'm Cairo." He glanced at Soleil. He seemed quiet. But, he loved that they were on the same wavelength.

Cairo lit it, taking a long drag for himself before passing it to Vahliri. She was welcome to decline, of course, but he felt like the herb might help mellow her out. Get her a little more even-keeled.

@Altaris @Wit @Mr. Teatime @lizziie @Versok @Sreeya @Braden

 

[Darth Tempest]

It wasn’t hard to tell that Vahliri was feeling particularly mopey after watching Altair disappear into the crowd with that Pantoran, those pangs of self-consciousness and jealousy tugging in her chest as she stood there awkwardly. Despite whatever the Vahliri tried to brush off and display on the surface wasn’t in the least bit successful, and it was obviously picked up by Cairo as the Morellian spoke and reached around to give her a pat on the back.

Vahliri glanced over to Cairo at that moment, honeyed eyes settling upon the Morellian. Like Ashla and Altair, he was someone that the half-Sephi felt a bond with after their shared experiences on Zakuul, and she wasn’t blind to his attempts to cheer her up. At the moment, it was greatly appreciated. Vahliri reached back, reaching her arm around the Morellian’s shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. “Thanks Cairo.” Vahliri said softly, offering him a faint smile.

With that, Vahliri began to casually make her way back to the beer pong table with Cairo – honeyed gaze purposefully avoiding the dancefloor as she cut a path towards the table. Naturally, her attention was drawn back to the Kaleesh when the girl leaned in and whispered against her ear. “Of course,” She offered Anai a nod, slinging an arm around the Acolyte’s shoulder. “There is nothing to it. Basically, how it works is—” Vahliri began to quietly detail the game out to Anai as they walked over, going over the ins and out of the basic party game. By the time they reached the group, Vahliri released Anai’s shoulder and gave her a faint smile. “You’ll pick it up in no time. Just watch me first go-round.”

“Hey Ashla, Malou.” She offered them both a wave as they returned, her eyes then proceeding to glance over towards Cairo as he began to attempt his little trick. The half-Sephi couldn’t help but eye him suspiciously, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she watched intently.

Of course, Vahliri couldn’t help but giggle softly as the herbs fell right out the poorly-rolled blunt, offering the Morellian a feigned round of applause. The half-Sephi didn’t hesitate for even a moment when the joint was offered, taking a long drag from it. She exhaled a long cloud of smoke from her lips, taking a moment before passing the joint to the next person in their group who indicated.

The half-Sephi glanced towards Sol when Cairo addressed him, greeting him with a small wave of her own hand. “Vahliri.”

Vahliri glanced up from their little group, her honeyed gaze flicking over to the dancefloor for a few seconds – once again feeling that tug in her chest. Shaking her head, the half-Sephi looked back to the group. “Let’s get this game started.” She said with a small smile, looking over to Ashla, Malou and Anai and jutting her chin towards the table.

@Sreeya @Wit @lizziie @Versok @Fine Dining Set @Mr. Teatime

 

[Ashla Ti]

"Right," Ashla said in reply to Malou's explanation of the game, though she was more interested in the datapad her friend had been using, "ball meets cup, easy enough I guess." She was about to ask Malou about the datapad, wondering if it was a custom piece she had commissioned or something that was widely available and marketed specifically for Miraluka. But before she could someone addressed them from above. Wondering if she intended to play from the ceiling, Ashla let Malou deal with her. Thankfully Vahlri showed up with Cairo and the Kaleesh in tow, and a boy with a somewhat familiar face.

"Hey," she replied to Vahl, still trying to place the boy, when recognition struck like lightning, "Mowgli!!" She exclaimed, finally matching the face with the memory, before she noticed a few glances she got at her sudden outburst. Smiling sheepishly, she shrugged at some of them before returning her attention to the group.

That was till someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned around to find herself with the most gorgeous Zeltron she had ever seen. Like he seemed like he had been teleported out of a holodrama, and for a moment she missed what he said. Blinking, she actually paid attention to her hearing as he continued speaking.

"You're Ashla right? I'm Midas!" He held out a hand as he flashed the most dazzling smile at her, and not sure of what else to do she took the hand and shook it. "I heard your whistle earlier, very impressive. Managed to shut everyone down! Haha!" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, not sure if he was poking fun or trying to hit on her. "So I'm guessing you're friends with Altair right? Do you think you could introduce me? Do you know if he's seeing anyone?"

Comprehension dawned, and Ashla glanced over her shoulder at Vahliri, prepared for the worst as she realized the sharp eared acolyte had probably heard every word of that exchange. "Nope," she snapped in response as she turned back to face the Zeltron, "Don't know the guy, never seen him before. Complete strangers." The Zeltron opened his mouth but Ashla cut him off with a curt word. "Bye!"

Turning around to face everyone else, giving Vahl a quick smile that probably looked more creepy than anything else, she picked up the nearest ball and tossed it without even noticing where or how she was throwing it. "Let's play!"

The ball, so expertly thrown, flew straight and true, seemingly headed straight for one of the cups on the bar end of the table. But Ashla's arm, swing so hard and fast, crashed violently into the table and violently shook it just as the ball was about to find sweet release in the shade of a cup. It hit the table and bounced away to be lost among the party goers feet. Ashla suddenly felt a sharp pang of pain in her hand, and looked down to see her pinky bent at an angle that it wasn't meant to. Staring at the finger for a moment, the alcohol keeping the pain away for the moment, she grabbed it by instinct and snapped it back into place before looking up at everyone else.

"Point for me?"

@lizziie @Braden @Altaris @Fine Dining Set @Versok @Mr. Teatime

 

[Anai Skhess]

Anai listened closely as Vahliri explained her the rules, if anyone took a look at their interaction, chances are they would have gathered that Vahl was ordering the acolyte to murder someone, given the sheer intensity on her face, fully concentrated as she learned how to play from the fellow pointy eared girl, silently nodding as she finished her explanation and said that she would go first, Anai followed Vahliri back to the others.

Soleil's curious stare at the mask was returned by Anai's own as she stared at the rolled bit of paper he had, what was that? Some kind of medicine? Reminded her of the ones back at her homeland, though those weren't usually set on fire like that. Maybe it was used to offset the effects of alcohol or something like that, who knows "I'm Anai, nice to meet you Ashla, Malou, Mowgli" She said, nodding after she had heard other people call them that, mistakenly assuming all of them were their real names.

Then captain Cairo started speaking, did he own a medicine brand besides being a captain? That man was certainly very successful at his age. The Kaleesh kept wondering about the herbs as he attempted to do his trick but then rolled the thing the old fashioned way. Once more, Anai stared at a joint, this time Cairo's, as he and then Vahl started taking drags from it. So far the thing looked relatively harmless, so when Vahl passed the joint, Anai was the one to grab it, mimicking Cairo's and Vahl's actions as she took a long drag from it.

...And then started coughing, very hard and very loudly. "I-cough-I think I may have gotten it wrong somehow" It took a bit before the coughing subsided and Anai couldn't help but thank the fact that she was red by default because that definitely made her feel quite embarassed as she just silently passed it to the next person that wanted it.

Thankfully the Zeltron joining the conversation and then Ashla playing distracted her from the situation as she just watched both of those situations unfold "You should put some ice on that." She said, her gaze lingering on the togruta's finger for a moment before looking for the ball and quickly realizing that it wasn't coming back to the table, that ball was totally lost.

But Anai really wanted to try that game now that she knew the rules, so she started to look around, her height giving her an advantage as she noticed that behind a small crowd there were a few other acolytes playing it as well. Just as one of them threw the ball, Anai used the force to launch it over the crowd and directly towards her hand, grabbing it deftly before turning around and towards her own group. The people she had stolen the ball from left confused as they mistakenly thought it had landed somewhere within the crowd, but Anai simply placed the stolen ball on Vahl's hand, knowing she wanted to go first.

@lizziie @Braden @Altaris @Fine Dining Set @Mr. Teatime @Wit

 

[Soleil Altan]

Sol glanced up when another boy sat by him, eyeing the dude's stash with idle curiousity. The sketchpad lowered in his hands as he watched the act of Force stonerism. He even looked a little disappointed when the herb fell instead of being neatly rolled up. His own joint's end lit up as he took a brief hit, taking it pretty slow. Should they double-pass with this many people, he wondered?

Sol suddenly found himself in a string of introductions. Without even having to really do anything, sweet! He started slightly when Ashla yelled a word in his direction, staring at her reproachfully, while Anai seemed to think- OH. Oh. Looking bemused for a moment Sol tapped his nametag. He immediately gave up, though, since they weren't looking.

Guess he was Mowgli now. At least Cairo was next to him. Sol tapped Cairo's shoulder with an elbow, tapped the "Sol" nametag with his thumb, and offered a friendly fist bump and smile. Pretty much, 'nice to meet you dude'. Sol's joint was offered over after Cairo's started being passed around, having decided there were enough of them to share two. He was also definitely checking out the gathered Fresh brand stuff Cairo had around, pointing toward it with an inquisitive look. After a few seconds, though, he was distracted yet again.

There was a Zeltron here now. Was he hitting on Ashla-? Oh, no, he was doing his best jackass impression. The Togruta's straightforward rejection got the silent acolyte grinning again. Then the game actually started and Sol leaned forward a bit to watch. The first thing he saw was Ashla kong-slam the table with extreme prejudice, sending the ball careening into the aether and bending her finger. Sol grimaced sympathetically, although she seemed fine... or just drunk. Helpfully, Sol plucked up Cairo's joint from Anai and offered it to Ashla next. Good for what ails ya!

Beer pong actually looked kinda fun. Hopefully punching the table wasn't actually part of it. For the moment he closed his sketchbook and decided to just watch and vibe instead. Not like this group seemed inclined to go off dancing like that Devaronian had. Seriously though, two at once? Props to that guy.

@Fine Dining Set @Wit @Altaris @Versok

 

[Malou D'Amaris]

While Malou wait for a response from Syn, she spotted Vahliri and Cairo making their way over along with a Kaleesh and a vaguely familiar-looking human. When Cairo piped up and announced he would be attempting to roll whatever he was holding, Malu completely diverted her attention toward the Morellian. There was a small smile that curved up the corners of her lips as she watched, and when he managed to send bits of herb everywhere, she chuckled. Malou moved to make her way toward him but stopped herself when Ashla was approached by a Zeltron.

'Is she getting hit on?' As the conversation continued, it became apparent that chatting the Togruta up was not his intention. 'Oh, ouch.' While Ashla tried to kick off beer pong, the champion took a moment to recall if she'd ever been flirted with. There were a few situations that sprung to mind, but she quickly dismissed them as friendly conversations. 'I- I don't know?'

"Nice to meet you, Anai. And..." At the Kaleesh's introduction, Malou turned her attention back to the group. Her head turned to face Soleil and stayed like that for a few moments. "Have we met before?" He looked really familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. The alcohol was starting to warm her face, and it made it difficult for her to concentrate too long on remembering whether she knew him or not. 'Oh well.' The Miralukan popped the cap off the bottle in her hand and took a swig.

The ball was in the Sephi girl's hand now, so Malou took the opportunity to slip past Ashla and the surrounding crowd and make her way over towards Cairo. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say to him, but she knew she wanted to go over and talk to him. Only because she liked talking to him. Nothing else. He was cool. She liked cool people. 'But not like that' No, totally not like that. He was probably too cool for her. After all, she-

"Hey! Lemme just slip right past y-" Malou felt a hand glide across the small of her back as a zabraki man tried to get past her. The touch and the sound of his voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand right up. Once the hand was removed from her back, he stopped to get a look at the woman he'd just moved past. His eyes drifted down and back up again. A cocky smile followed. "Damn girl, mind if I steal you for few dances?"

'Wait, what?' Did she hear him correctly? The Miralukan was immediately at a loss for words. The answer came quickly to her--no, she didn't want to dance with him. She wanted to go talk to Cairo about something. About what, she didn't know. "I uh, I think I'm go-"

"Fine, I didn't want to dance with you either, bitch." The zabrak man scoffed and quickly turned away from her. If she'd been surprised by his question, she was even more surprised by his response. 'I- huh?!' What sort of response was that?

Confused as hell by the situation, Malou took another drink of her bottle and made her way over to Cairo. The exchange had happened so quickly that she probably hadn't missed Vahliri's turn quite yet. "Uh, hey Cairo." The uncertainty in her voice lingered, so the Serennian cleared her throat to rid herself of it. "You should show me how to do that sometime," she added as she gestured to the joint being passed around the table. She wasn't really sure what was in it, nor did she think she'd ever need to know how to do it, but what else would she say to him? Comment on beer pong? Well, maybe?

"I've never played this before," she admitted. "Do you think it'll be easier than that ring toss game?" A playful smile crossed her lips when she said that.

tag: @Wit @Fine Dining Set @Versok

 

[Altair Din]

Altair stumbled back into the scene after being absent for a while. He had a lazy grin on his face, a dazed look in his eyes. His tank top was inside out, and he smelled strongly of girly perfume. If anyone looked, they’d pick up on a few subtle bruises along his neck and dark skin. The Devaronian sauntered over to the beer pong table, finding his hallikset safe and sound.

The Devaronian moved in to see the game, squeezing in next to Anai (@Versok )and Sol. He glanced across at Cairo (@Fine Dining Set ), giving him a wide grin, “Wazaaaaaaap,” He drawled out, even feeling confident enough to extend his tongue out a bit, revealing the prolonged appendage with twin studded piercings that lined up half of it. He looked down at the game, slinging an arm around Sol (@Mr. Teatime ). The poor dude would probably buckle with the larger Devaronian leaning his drunken weight into him.

“You got some good herbs, my man,” He said with a grin before he jutted his chin towards the pong table, “Who’s kicking ass? I don't feel like reading, so just point or do charades.."

It was clear that Altair was in a great mood. He looked all around the room, his gaze lingering briefly on Vahliri (@Altaris )before he looked away quickly. With his Devaronian genes, the alcohol was beginning to clear his system. Nevertheless, he opted to just vibe for now instead of reaching for more.

 

[Ashla Ti]

Ashla glanced down at her hand on hearing Anai's words, trying to curl it into a fist, but wincing in pain as she faced resistance. "Yeah," she said as she let her fingers relax, straightening them out and noticing the slight shake in the injured finger, "I probably should." But as the Kaleesh acolyte stole another table's ball and passed it to Vahl, Ashla was given a temporary reprieve from finding ice by Sol's offer of the joint. Accepted it with a smile, she took a small puff, and immediately started coughing as she felt her throat burn. She had never smoked, and that first experience made her wonder if she ever would.

Still coughing, she held the joint out for Altair, who had wandered over and seemed to be looking for one. She most definitely was not about to take another drag. Picking up a bottle of beer that was at the table, not really caring whose it was as long as it was cold, she took a few quick sips to calm her throat. Though she wasn't sure if it helped.

Throat still burning, she returned the bottle to the table, and watched the game as she continued trying to curl her hand into a fist, rather unsuccessfully, when she noticed Malou slip away. Idly following her progress, she watched as she interacted with a Zabrak, noticing the discomfort in the way she reacted. And that was when her failed attempt of a puff did hit her. And something animalistic within her awoke, her primal nature coming to the surface as she heard the Zabrak call Malou a bitch and try to wander off. That triggered something within her, no one spoke to her friends like that.

At her side her fingers curled, and formed a perfect fist without as much as a flicker of hesitation.

Become a monster! A voice whispered in her ear, tempting, goading, intoxicating. Her own voice. And she listened. The Force sang out from her, and a powerful grip caught the Zabrak by the face and pulled him straight down, making face one with floor with the unmistakeable crunch of bone, cartilage, and flesh breaking under duress. For a moment the crowd around the Zabrak paused, a tense silence beginning to spread, before someone finally moved, and one by one more acolytes looked away. It was a Sith party, and fights weren't an uncommon sight, and the crowd started moving uncomfortably around the Zabrak, who lay motionless on the floor. Whether unconscious or dead, no one knew. And Ashla, to her own surprise, did not care.

Returning her attention to the table, she let out a breath, and let her fist open up, forcing a smile on her face as she glanced around. "Whose turn is it?"

@lizziie @Versok @Mr. Teatime @Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri glanced over to Anai, giving the Kaleesh acolyte a faint smile as the pingpong ball was passed her way. “Show you all how it’s done,” The half-Sephi said with a grin, wiggling her brows towards the group as she positioned herself on the far end of the table, opposite to the pyramid-shaped assortment of beer-filled cups.

The half-Sephi drew her arm back a bit before swinging forward, flicking her wrist just as her fingers released - sending the pingpong ball through the air. Unlike Ashla, the half-Sephi didn’t spike the damn thing off the table - a bit more controlled and measured with her throw. Just as Vahliri confidently proclaimed, the pingpong ball landed right into one of the quarter-filled solo cups, causing the half-Sephi to flash the group a victorious smile. “Alright, who’s next?”

Before anyone could take the half-Sephi up on the offer, her attention was drawn to the Devaronian that emerged from the crowd.

In an instant, that victorious and bright smile faded from Vahliri’s lips. Any sense of trying to put the earlier situation out of her mind was completely shattered as the half-Sephi took in the sight of the Devaronian, her fluted ears immediately bending back and flattening against her skull. She clearly noted his inside-out tank top, and could see every visible mark that had been left against his skin. She could smell the perfume that he stunk off no matter how much she tried to ignore it.

In ways that Vahliri couldn’t really explain, the mere presence of the Devaronian as he was sent a distinct spike of discomfort into her chest - feeling those same tugs of self-conciousness, jealousy and anger swirling in her stomach all at once. While she stood there, the half-Sephi couldn’t help the way her mind wandered - taking her back in time. It brought her back to those moments spenting dancing on Indupar, and to the moment that Altair had emerged from the fire on Zakuul. It took her back to the defensive way the Devaronian had punched out that director, and stashed a medkit for her damaged face.

They were all memories that, slowly but surely, built to the feelings that the half-Sephi felt now and for the first time had truly come to terms with. And they were memories that made everything occurring in that moment sting all the worse.

The half-Sephi blankly looked down at the beer pong table, any interest in the game suddenly fading as if it had never been there at all, along with her desire to mingle and socialize and laugh with the group. The more she looked at Altair and thought back to the Pantoran he’d vanished with, the more she wanted to remove herself from the bus entirely.

Vahliri glanced up just as Altair looked at her, meeting his gaze for a brief moment. There was no masking the discomfort and scorned look that was etched into the half-Sephi’s features at that moment, her arms crossed over her mid-section. She only looked at him for a few seconds before turning away, glancing back towards Ashla and Malou for a moment.

Before she could say anything to either of the girl’s, Vahliri watched as Ashla reached out with the Force and proceeded to slam the Zabrak against the floor of the bus - honeyed eyes going wide for a brief moment. She had only caught a hint of what had been said to Malou, and the reaction from the Togruta caught Vahliri entirely off guard. Vahliri opened her mouth to say something, though the words clung in her throat - suddenly finding herself struggling to vocalize any kind of response amidst the flurry of emotions she was dealing with at that moment.

It was more than the half-Sephi wanted to handle at one time, and she promptly decided to remove herself from the situation entirely.

Vahliri exhaled sharply through her nostrils and pushed off from where she was standing, turning to scope out a route of exit from the circle that had formed. With the crowds packed tightly around them at this point, the sole route of escape lied right beyond where Altair and Sol were standing/sitting, and the half-Sephi didn’t hesitate to move in that direction like a woman on a mission.

Just as she started to barrel right towards Sol and Altair, Vahliri extended both hands out in front of her - the Force gathering within her and extending outward. It feed off of the roiling emotions that bubbled within the half-Sephi, coiling around both Altair’s torso and the chair where Sol was sitting. With a sharp swipe of her arms in both directions, Vahliri pushed both Altair and Sol physically out of her way - clearing the path to stride right ahead.

For Sol, it would feel as nothing more than his chair loudly skidding backwards across the ground, moving at least three feet from where it previous was. For Altair, the Devaronian would be physically pushed back the same distance - the strength behind the move enough to cause him to stumble but otherwise wasn’t thrown across the room.

The half-Sephi put an extra bit of speed into her step as she strode past Altair, purposefully keeping her face straight ahead. She cut through the crowds that had formed all around that section of the bus, shoulder-checking and shoving whoever was unfortunate enough to be in her path as she moved - storming through the bus until she reached a stool on the far side of the room.

She plopped herself down before turning to the right, spotting a Zeltron woman with an unopened bottle of.. Vahliri didn’t really care, as long as it had a high alcohol content. Without an ounce of hesitation, the half-Sephi reached out with the Force and yanked the bottle into her hands - grasping it by the neck. The Zeltron in question raised her hands in protest, though the exceptionally sharp glare shot by Vahliri was enough for the pink-skinned girl to simply put her hands up with a confused expression.

Vahliri swiped her free hand in an upward motion, a gentle tug of the Force enough to pop the cap off the bottle and enable the half-Sephi to take a large swig of the strong alcoholic beverage. She could already feel the full effects of Sol’s brownie and the multiple drinks she had downed earlier in the night, but that didn’t stop her - continuing to nurse the bottle as she stared down at her feet.

@Sreeya @Wit @lizziie @Versok @Fine Dining Set @Mr. Teatime

 

[Altair Din]

Altair didn’t miss the pained look on Vahliri’s face, and he certainly caught her looking at his state of clothing. He simply stared in silence for a moment before he sensed Force use. With Ashla standing close by, he could tell what happened. He heard that sick crunch and the thud of a guy faceplanting the floor. It was a gruesome display following a remark Altair only picked up the tail end from. While others simply stepped around the Zabrak, Altair turned towards Ashla.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He growled as he shoved her back very lightly, “This isn’t the Cadre,” He glared at her, “Acos before wackos? You’re being a fucking wacko right now. We’re all on the same team here! These are the people that’ll fight by your side in combat and keep you alive!” He shook his head, shocked she thought she was so cool for casually potentially killing another student. Altair began to take steps towards the Zabrak to help him up. However, that was when Vahliri began to storm their way and he was physically shoved to the side.

Altair was entirely confused by the sequence of events, left staring vacantly across at Sol who was likely equally confused.

He briefly looked at Cairo (@Fine Dining Set )almost helplessly as if asking him what to do. Unfortunately, unlike Altair by now, Cairo was still ridiculously baked at this point. He glanced in the direction Vahliri went, but he couldn’t help but recall her consistent bouts of rage and anger. Would going after her only antagonize her more? Clearly he was the source of it all. But he couldn’t help but recall the pain in her eyes as she looked at him when he returned. He couldn’t help but recall how happy she had looked moments prior when she was playing the game.

The Devaronian looked very lost as he quietly walked back towards the others, picking up his jacket to put it on. He wasn’t used to this kind of attention. He wasn’t used to being the object of anything but fear, panic and disgust.

After mulling over his thoughts, Altair made up his mind and walked the same direction Vahliri did. Truthfully he wanted nothing more than to swing from the ropes and crash the festival below with Cairo. Why couldn’t he have just done that and kept everything simple?

It didn’t take him long to spot the half sephi and she had a bottle in her hand. Before she could chug it, the Force coiled around it to yank it into his hands. Altair quietly set it aside on a table. It was just the two of them here, Vahliri having scared everyone away in the immediate vicinity.

“What was that about?” He asked bluntly, not usually the type to mince words. There was no hiding the light annoyance in his tone.

@Altaris

 

[Anai Skhess]

The Kaleesh girl watched as Vahl got the ball into one of the cups, deciding that she felt confident now to try next. However, things started getting a bit...heated, all of a sudden. Anai simply waved at Altair once more as he squeezed himself between her and Mowgli. Her eyes looking at Vahl as her victorious smile turned into something else. By now the Kaleesh could notice that something was up with her and Altair, was she jealous? She didn't quite understand why she would be jealous, given how people in here so far had been very open when it came to fooling around, Anai really thought that was normal. But that was the only thing that made sense as of right now.

Her thoughts about the matter were quickly interrupted, however, as the Kaleesh's yellow eyes stared at the Zabrak that insulted Malou, Anai had just met the girl, but that insult to her honor was something she wouldn't let slide "If you are so pathetic as to feel insulted by that, then you don't deserve her company, no woman likes insecure children as suitors." But it seemed like before those words could set in, the Zabrak would become very intimate with the floor.

Much like everyone else, Anai looked at the Togruta after such a display of violence. Anai was not above punishing people like that Zabrak in such a manner, she did do a number on the Twi'lek that went for Altair not too long ago, but even someone from a warlike culture like hers realized that she had gone overboard.

Before she could say or do anything, however, Altair was pushed to the side by Vahl...Which meant he was pretty much pushed towards the Kaleesh acolyte standing next to him. Even though he didn't get pushed towards her too harshly, Anai stumbled a fair bit as well, almost falling on her ass before she barely regained her footing, being drunk, high and taken by surprise not helping her balance at all.

Finally catching up with how things had escalated, Anai first looked at the unconscious Zabrak and then back at Vahl. Seeing how Altair went after Vahl, Anai decided to go and help the Zabrak, didn't like the guy at all but she gathered a dead person in the bus would give the acolyte group a very bad reputation.

So, Anai grabbed a box of tissues and made her way to the crowd in order to reach the unconscious man, letting out a sigh as she noticed that everyone was watching but no one was acting at all. The first thing Anai checked was that the Zabrak was, fortunately, breathing. After that she gently turned the man to the side in a recovery position and used one of the tissues to clear the blood from the nose as to allow him to breathe a little better.

His face was all kinds of messed up though, and she didn't know if the man had spinal injuries or anything worse "We should drive this vehicle to the hospital right now, we don't know just how hurt this person really is" Anai said out loud, now using the tissues to try and stop the bleeding, she wanted to hopefully catch the attention of none other than captain Cairo...Or at least someone that knew how to drive the force damn thing they were in.

@Sreeya @Wit @lizziie @Fine Dining Set @Mr. Teatime @Altaris

 

[Syn Validottor]

Apparently blacking out for a minute or two means you missed a lot at these sort of parties, Syn couldn't really tell if it was the alcohol or the mass of blood pooling in her head, but one of them had caused her to black out whilst still hanging from the ceiling. Opening her eyes, she tried to blink away the haziness, a pair of human acolyte's were staring up at her as she came too. "You owe me ten credits." One said to another, "She's still breathing." The other sighed and handed over the aforementioned credits before the pair disappeared into the crowd. It took Syn a moment or two to gather her thoughts, probably staying upside down was not for the best. With a click of the heels the boots disconnected and she 'fell' to the floor, luckily she had enough about her to spin so she collapsed onto her knees instead of her head, but it still hurt.

Slowly rising to her feet, a realisation slowly came to her, fear and terror encased her body, soul and mind as she realised. Her Bright Blue Furry Haired Lama Bean flavoured Rum was gone. Someone had nabbed it from her dangling corpse, how rude. It was during this moment of despair that she noticed the little interaction between the 'Messiah of Unsobered' and the Zabrak. How day he insult such a heavenly being, before Syn could act however the Togruta had struck swiftly and decisively. 'Ouch'

Curiosity more than any further act of retribution pulled the young girl over to the body, he looked pretty done, perhaps dead, she couldn't tell. So she poked him in the leg to be sure, it moaned, so it was alive. That was when the Kaleeshi girl arrived, who began talking about hospitals and making sure the man was alive.

Her curiosity sated Syn returned to her previous location, the Bright Blue Furry Haired Lama Bean flavoured Rum now long gone, perhaps never to be seen or heard from again. She needed something to distract her from the sadness, a good friendly game of 'pong' should do it, a couple of quick glances over the tables informed her what was happening. So she stepped up to the table opposite the Togruta. "I'll give ya game." She replied before plucking a ball from one of the empty cups.

Lifting the ball up to her face she closed her left eye trying to aim out the shot, still groggy from the black out she swayed as she tried to focus her tongue poking out from the side of her mouth.

She threw the ball and well, the less spoke about the attempt the better, it didn't even hit the table, the ball instead colliding into the Togruta's thigh. "Damnit! Alright your turn."

@Wit @lizziie @Versok

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri kept her eyes on the ground the entire time she sat on that stool, nursing the bottle of whatever in one hand while her other arm was curled around her midsection. The half-Sephi could feel the heavy buzz of the alcohol in her system, and knew that she would regret it the following morning. For the moment, Vahliri simply tried to avoid seeing doubles as she stewed in her own emotions.

Those distinct pangs of anger subsided and left nothing but a bitter taste in the half-Sephi’s mouth. Those feelings of jealousy and self-conciousness from the entire situation lingered and continued to tug in her chest, and yet they only manifested in that moment as visible melancholy rather than her usual short-tempered outbursts.

There was something about the situation - the sight of Altair as he was in that moment - that bothered her more than she realized it could. They were feelings that the half-Sephi knew existed but had never quite addressed head on. Did she even want to address them at all? Addressing those feelings meant making admitting vulnerability - weakness just like she had displayed back on Zakuul - and it was something she was entirely unaccustomed to doing. And addressing those feelings meant opening herself up to rejection, and all the pain and self-conciousness that would come with that.

She shook her head quietly, lifting the bottle by the neck in order to take another large swig from her throat-burning contents. Of course, the half-Sephi couldn’t help but be taken aback slightly when the glass vessel was abruptly pulled way from her lips. The half-Sephi immediately glanced up when the bottle was snatched away from her hands, her ears flattening a bit with mild irritation. The half-Sephi fully expected the original owner to have come back for the bottle, and was fully prepared to duke it out right there and then.

Of course, that irritation was immediately dissipated when her honeyed eyes settled upon who it was that took the bottle from her - unable to help the way her eyes widened slightly to see that Altair had actually followed her to the far side of the room. She watched as he calmly placed the bottle back down on the counter, blinking a few times. She briefly considered snatching it right back, but quickly brushed off the idea as her attention snapped back to Altair.

Vahliri couldn’t help but blink, staring blankly at the Devaronian when he spoke bluntly. There was no denying the annoyance in his voice, and that tone alone caused the half-Sephi’s ears to bend back ever-so-slightly - betraying her internal emotions far more than her face ever would. If the half-Sephi had any hopes of burying the issue and pointedly not addressing her own feelings, the blunt way that Altair broached the situation summarily doused any such ideas.

She was silent for a few moments before looking up at him. “I..” The half-Sephi started, the words seeming to catch in her throat as her mouth rapidly opened and closed. Vahliri looked up at him briefly before staring back down at her own feet, chewing on her bottom lip a bit. “I’m sorry.” She said quietly, though it was easily loud enough for the Devaronian to hear.
While it was clear that apologizing and admitting she was wrong wasn’t something that came easily to Vahliri, her expression, tone and body language all indicated that the words were entirely genuine. “I shouldn’t have touched you.”

Whether it was that girl back on Indupar or the Zeltron only a few minutes ago, the half-Sephi was fully aware of her own temper and the ways she frequently lashed out at others - prone to getting physical without much hesitation - and frankly didn’t feel much shame in the aftermath. But Altair was different. The Devaronian was someone she genuinely cared about and couldn’t deny the feelings that draw her to him, and there was a distinct spike of regret and shame that lanced through her chest the more she reflected on the entire incident. If nothing else, he was one of the few friends - like Ashla and Cairo - that she had, and her outburst did nothing but potentially sour things between them.

And it wasn’t until that moment that Vahliri truly understood how little she wanted that.

Vahliri was silent for a few more moment as she mulled over his actual question, quietly coming to terms with the realities of why she had lashed out - and why she was even upset - in the first place. At this point, there was no denying the feelings that she had for the Devaronian - the entire situation serving as a rude slap in the face that proved that fact. And yet vocalizing those feelings - coming out and outwardly blurting it out - was something that brought with it faint bits of anxiety. Anxiety not because of how she felt, but rather what reaction her words would elicit in response.

The half-Sephi crossed her legs and bounced her foot ever-so-slightly. Her arms remained folded around her mid-section as she sat there, staring blankly at the floor for a while. For as much as she hesitated to come out and just say it outwardly, the thought of brushing off the situation entirely - attributing her frustrations to something else entirely or shutting down the Devaronian’s question - was something she simply wasn’t willing to do. Not after he had purposefully sought her out, even when she knew she was in the wrong.

It only took her a few seconds of consideration to finally make up her mind. Whatever the reaction, she wasn’t going to shy away from this - no matter how being blunt and upfront was received.

After a few more moments, Vahliri looked up at Altair - chewing on her bottom lip before opening her mouth. “Altair, I..” She paused, exhaling a breath through her mouth. “..I like you, alright? I like you, and seeing you with that Pantoran..” She trailed off, feeling an intense amount of heat rushing to her face as the words hung in the air.

“I was jealous.” She muttered quietly. “That’s why I was upset..” She knew that her and Altair weren’t together, and the Devaronian was free to act and do whatever he wanted with others. But that didn’t make it sting any less or curb how the half-Sephi felt even now. Vahliri looked up at him as she spoke, gauging the reaction on his face before glancing back down to her feet. She swallowed that harsh lump in her throat, internally bracing herself for whatever he was about to say.

@Sreeya

 

[Cairo Kisufi]

Cairo took another puff from his joint as it circled round back to him. He was enjoying the exchange of conversation, and smiled as Malou began to walk towards him. His cheeks warmed up, preemptively. She was cool, and while they had gotten a lot of time to hang out on their low-stakes mission to Denon, it was still work. The eyes of Imperial Intelligence were on them the whole time. Even when they were having fun, Cairo had felt a nagging feeling that they were being carefully watched, assessed, reported on. It was like that most places in the Empire. It drove him crazy.

He looked forward to actually talking to her in a casual setting. Especially while she looked so dressed up. She made him feel underdressed - like he should've worn something more stylish, more unique, more personal. "Hey Ma-" His shout to her, and wave, was cut off by the rude behavior of the Zabrak acolyte who was talking to Malou. Even before he realized how uncomfortable the Zabrak was making her, a tinge of jealousy crawled up his spine. When he called her a bitch, this tinge became a torrent of rage. Of course, he was stoned, so he was about three seconds too late.

Ashla had already taken care of the problem, in her own, unique, cadre-inspired way. Cairo suppressed a dark chuckle at the Zabrak's fate, before silencing himself as he realized the gravity of the situation. Altair was right - it was extreme to mangle that fellow Acolyte. But surely, with a bus full of acolytes, someone could heal him?

Nah, might as well be safe, call the ambulance, ruin the party bus experience. Cairo bumped into another acolyte in the crowd, stealing their dataphone and using its emergency call feature to get an ambulance. Using his own was too traceable (he figured, paranoid in his stoned teen mind). He didn't stay on to explain the situation, but he gave them a detailed description of the bus's coordinates and its unique vehicle tag that he had seen while piloting. It would only be a matter of time before the authorities came.

But Cairo wasn't planning on getting caught with a half-dead acolyte on a stolen bus. After his brief sojourn to make the call to the paramedics, he dropped the phone on the ground and poked its owner. "Hey, sorry, you drop this?" He handed the phone back to her with a smile, before returning to the group.

He reappeared beside the group, tugging gently on Malou's wrist, like he had on Denon. "Follow me." His face had a soft, impish smile on. His eyes bore a pleading look. He hoped she trusted him.

Altair and Cairo had communicated telepathically before. It had led Altair to Cairo, in the swamp of Zakuul. He would use this skill again, today, to get out of another sticky situation.

Time to go. Cops coming. Bring whoever you wanna. IF THEY'RE COOL.

He whistled in Altair's direction, waving a hand to indicitate the side of the boat he was on. To the group he was with, the beer-pong group, he flashed a winning smile. An inviting smile. A smile that almost said, 'Follow me, if you're as batshit as I am.' It was a smile Ashla and Altair would recognize as the precursor to many of his foiled plots.

Cairo rose to the railing of the party bus, sliding across its metallic railing as he searched for a suitable rope. "Alright! It's been real. It's been fun." He called out, to no-one in particular. It was not a 'real fun' end to the party bus piracy, but he had one more trick up his sleeve.

If Malou was with him, he would pull her up on the railing with him. The lights of the city called out to him, the rhythmic music of the G'weneean parade promised far more than this bus could ever deliver. He gave Malou a devilish grin, once more, for confidence. Whether it was for her confidence or for his own, he wasn't sure. "Hang on, yeah?" With a final, delighted look, Cairo took out his lightsaber, cut the rope, and swung from the rope, off into the city below.

@Sreeya @Wit @Altaris @lizziie @Versok @Braden @Mr. Teatime

 

[Soleil Altan]

First thing Sol noticed were the sickly-sweet scents of some horrible perfume mixing with the oily smoke, sweat, and alcohol wafting through the air. His nostrils flared and his curled up- right before Altair reappeared with an inside-out shirt, leaning his drunk-ass weight on Sol's shoulder to the point of the chair creaking beneath him.The Devaronian's tongue-y greeting got raised eyebrows from Sol, an amused smirk on his face from the dude's antics. That, and the bruises he got a close-up look at.

A bit of eyebrow waggling and an enthusiastic thumbs up summed his response to the whole shebang. He began to silently regale Altair with the tale of pong, pointing to Ashla, lightly slaming the table, and then drawing an arc with a finger off into the distant crowd. Seemed accurate enough, right?

His hands dropped again as the person he was gesticulating about slammed a rude dude's face into the floor. Sol leaned forward wide-eyed to look at the guy while Altair chewed out Ashla. So involved in that, in fact, that when Vahliri yanked his chair off to the side he lost his balance. His eyes stared back at an equally baffled Altair, lower half still in the chair while his head landed in the lap of some other shocked-looking Umbaran acolyte.

Sol casually offered her his joint by way of apology and worked on getting himself back upright. He nearly got distracted by her commenting on how fluffy his hair was when Anai mentioned a hospital, reminding Sol of what he'd been doing moments prior. Altair'd been right. She could've just punched him or something and been good to go. Floor-slamming seemed like too much.

MUSIC CHANGE​

In the midst of Sol eyeing Ashla warily, Cairo returned- when'd he wander off again?- and made some big, bright faces. Right before sweeping Malou away to swing off the side of the boat. Sol stared after them for a few seconds, shrugged, and got up to go grab his skimboard. Some of the Zabrak's friends had appeared and were busy freaking out about their buddy eating floor by the time Sol passed them again.

This time on his board, bag slung over his shoulders, thick skater's gloves on his hands and crouched low to safely hover over the crowd. Grinning cheekily he reached down and plucked back the joint from the Umbaran's lips to put it between his own. He flashed her and the ping pong group a hand sign that smoothly turned into the universal sign for 'call me', winked, and off he went with his board angled toward the railing. He waved toward Altair and Vahliri, not sure if they'd gotten a memo on dipping out. Sol kickflipped onto the rail and skidded along atop it, stopping in place long enough for him to look off the side and find where the rope was. He looked around and waved cheerily to A

Once one of the two cut ropes came close enough he triggered the skimboard's repulsors with his heel, launching off the rail and pulling up the edge of the board with a momentarily free hand. Both hands caught the rope and began his spiraling but controlled descent toward the city, following after the other two.

@Sreeya @Wit @Altaris @lizziie @Versok @Braden @Fine Dining Set