A case of the giggles [open]

[Wol]

If anyone could have managed to get thrown out of a grocery store for laughing too hard, it would be Wol. Hoist up by the nape of his neck and the seat of his trousers, the Ualaq had been tossed rather unceremoniously out into the streets by some uniformed officiate. Paper bag of chewing root and sea cabbage clutched intimately into his chest as the man went stumbling. A more appropriate expression of mirth might have included streaming tears and rosy cheeks. Though quite unable to consummate either, Wol was left with a particularly hideous expression. Narrowed, squinting eyes, and the corners of his mouth drawn back to a broad sprawl of merriment. Giggledust was one hell of a hilarious spice. Despite the effects rapidly fading, the Aqualish remained in a fiendishly jovial mood. Laughter came naturally, even though it was not a common characteristic for a man like himself, and he found himself still quite unable to break away from excessive amusement.

Able to collect himself enough to not stagger headlong into a free standing shop sign, Wol was straightening and clearing his throat. Peeking downwards towards his shopping to ensure he had all he'd meant to leave with. Weathered cheek twitching with a renewal of a smirk, for sea cabbage looked quite alien when extended consideration was put to the matter. At any rate- socialite was not a term to describe Wol. Especially when it came to crowds other than the comfortable rabble of a tavern. Mister four eyes was looking to take his quick leave, and merge with the city crowds. The destination of choice landed Wol in a relatively unoccupied street. Chortled and chuckled the entire way here, he found himself pausing to clutch at a stitch in his side. Too much laughter eventually hurt, which was somehow an amusing thought as well. Wol was making a retreat to an unoccupied piece of wall to lean his back and shoulders against and lounge comfortably.

Not at all out of place in some back alley, the Aqualish seemed to fit into his surroundings quite well. The drab and lightly torn clothing helped that along, as did the squinting scowl. Finally capable of keeping a relatively straight face at long last. Laughter was exhausting, and the few moments of relaxation against the wall was something to revel in. All four beady black eyes closed with a long suffering sigh. Paper bag of veggies clutched into his chest. It had been a productive day of good spirits, and Wol found himself content to idle a few minutes before he would inevitably continue along on his way to wherever he'd been intending on going. For now though, a comfortable break in a quiet place.

[Stephen]

Janus staggered down the alley, one hand on the wall to steady him, other holding up his oversized trousers. Bruised eyes and sedatives blurred his vision. He took a right. Screaming bats, incandescent and huge, poured out of the alley. Janus staggered backward, his hand up to protect his face. His stolen pants betrayed him however, entangling his legs and pulling him to the ground. He rolled quickly to the wall, as angry bats exploded against his white linen blouse. He curled into a ball and rocked quietly for a moment until the bombardment ceased, and then passed out.

Awake again. Nar Shaddaa is timeless. The dull ever present suns burned on every street corner. Janus dragged his muck covered black canvas pants back around his waist and stood up. He was desperately thirsty, but more steady on his feet. He pivoted in place and releaved himself against a wall. Murky moments came back to him in fragments. He had escaped from somewhere, and fallen from a vehicle, and maybe he had drank with a woman. Nothing too concrete to go on yet, but it was something. He grabbed his waistband and tied it into an inelegant knot and walked on.

He walked. The dirty steel floors made his heels hurt, but he walked. Tiny flameflies sparked at the edge of his vision, lining his path forward. Alley led to alley on an on until he found someone seated against a wall. Aqualish by the look of him, but these things could be fluid. Janus walked forward, but his foot dragging shuffle stubbed his toe into the hard floor and he staggered. He managed to stop right at the Aqualish's feet and stand straight a moment. He straightened his tattered shirt and took a long breath. “I don't suppose you have any water?” He said, trying to sound sane. He ran his fingers in his hair, but they caught painfully. He winced and continued, “And do you know which sector we are in?”

[Wol]

Even though the effects of giggledust were wearing thin, amusement was still prevalent in the spider's mannerisms. It would take next to no effort at all to have him right back to hysterics. A terribly unfortunate thing that Janus presently endorsed a less than ideal state of being, for the moment the human was spotted at the far end of the alley, Wol's expression was drawn to a belligerent smirk. The corners of his mouth tugged far beyond the veil of yellow, chipped tusks. Each of his four beady black eyes trained on the man who came stumbling.

Peeling himself away from the wall, Wol found himself straightening as well. Although he was only inches taller, the state of what seemed to be inebriate had the Ualaq with at least the feeling of towering over Janus. Grinning like a madman all the while. Bag of groceries shift to a single arm. Supported not by the hold about it, but by the velcro like hairs on each of four finger digits. The poor man's toe stubbing stumble had the giggling fiend clapping a hand over tusks to stifle a whoop of laughter. Nearly doubling over in a fit of giggles while he sought to keep his composure.

Either an unloved local, or a vacation gone wrong, was the immediate impression that Wol would take of Janus. Both potentials far more amusing than they really ought to be. "You look.. You are looking like.." Struggling to find the willpower it took to speak in an even tone. "Nice trousers." For now, the best he could manage with a straight face. Chortling, and sweeping his eyes over the human like a predator at a club. Janus certainly did not look like he was carrying much wealth on his person. "Wupiupi, and I might help you out." Spoken with a gesture down to his bag of vegetables. Although Wol did not have what the man was looking for, the sea cabbage at least wasn't dehydrated, and a might serve to be refreshing. "Corellian. Forgot which level." And far too lazy to spend the effort walking out of the alley to look for a sign to job his memory.

[Stephen]

“Correlian? Right.” Janus mused to himself. The took the sea cabbage by both hands and stared at it for a moment. It wobbled it his hands, leaving tiny ripples around his fingers. He cocked his head sideways at it, staring into it's rippling folds for a long silent moment. Finally he took a large bite out of the center of it. Immediately, his mouth began salivating again, and he tore into the food viciously. He finished his feast quickly, and stared at his cool, moist hands disappointed.

“I uh,” Janus paused open mouthed, “What day is it actually?” He finished. A stray thought caught him, and he pulled to attention. “Wait. Did I just eat Wupiupi?” Fear sat like a concrete frog in the pit of his stomach. He glanced around frantically, hoping for a sign of another person. He lowered his head and murmured under his breath. “Crap.”

“Look, I might not have started this on the right foot.” He squatted down at the feet of the Aqualish, before losing his balance and sitting flat on the floor. “My name is Janus. Pleased to meet you” He concluded with a heavy huff of air as he sat. “And I would like to make a business transaction with you.” Janus arms pressed into the floor behind him, propping him up. “So if you would allow me to make a proposition to you, I could certainly make it worth your time.” His eyes squinted worriedly at the strange phrasing.

Asking strangers for help on Nar Shaddaa was a lot like asking cobras to help file your taxes. There was always the chance that it could turn out well, but it was more likely you'd turn up dead and poor. That being said, Janus sat hopeful. His new friend hadn't pounced yet, and clearly had the spare income to give food to strangers. The roof lights spun sluggishly as Janus lounged patiently.

[Wol]

It was a particularly hard thing to keep laughter in check. Even if giggledust hadn't been a part of his morning, there was no way Wol would have been able to contain himself. Stooping low to set his paper bag of extra cabbage and chewing root set upon the ground at his feet. Nudging the shopping toward the wall behind him, and protectively out of the way. All four beady black eyes focused on the cabbage in Janus's hands. Lips pursed as it went wobbling about. The spider might have been able to watch this scene unfold with only a few chuckles. Though when the human went tearing ravenously into the cabbage, Wol went clapping a hand over his tusks with a howl of mirth. Squinty eyed and sobbing was what the spider might have been, if he hadn't been a spider. Hands each slapped across a knee as he went doubling over with laughter. It was like watching a tourist toss a scrap of food to a starving zoo animal. Able to eventually collect himself and straighten his posture. Yet that look of disappointment from the other had Wol in a fit all over again.

"Cabbageday." Only just able to choke out through laughter. Far too amused to form proper thoughts, or real words. It seemed the spider wasn't ready to give up a proper day. Content to let the poor, confused human remain confused. Clearing his throat several times, and even lifting a fist to smack into his chest to aid the effort. "No, you ate cabbage. But you'll pay me wupiupi for the trouble." Hutt currency on a hutt world made sense, even if he would have much preferred credits. With any luck the exchange rate would be half decent in the next few days. "Though I hear if you are eating enough wupiupi, it turns to truguts in your gut. Just sort of melts all together. Have friends that make a living fishing coins out of their......" With the state Janus was currently in, it was possible the outlandish comments might even be believed !

"Pleased to meet me ? Am I some fancy lord now ?" Once again, chortling with the amusement he found in the statement. It was a very rare thing that someone would ever be pleased to meet Wol. "As for business transactions.. you owe me coin, Janus. But I'm listening." Leaning over the human as he sat upon the ground. Towering over the other with beady little eyes all peering down curiously. Anything that might apparently be worth his while, or prove something to earn a few extra coin- the spider was certainly listening.

[Stephen]

“Oh right, wupuipi. I had forgotten people broke peggats up.” Janus blurted out before he thought better. He winced immediately after. “I mean, uh, that I forgot what it was called.” He shrugged nervously, looking around. “You'll get your coin. Don't worry too much about that.” His mind wandered a moment, his eyes near closed as he chased a thought. Janus' unsteady mind sputtered and coughed before igniting. His eyes, now backlit, sharpened at the Aqualish. Right, the pitch

“I would like for you to sneak me into dock 237b here in the Courscant district.” He tried his best to eye up his new found friend. “And I would be willing to pay.” Janus paused a moment to pull a number out of the air. Hopefully not too small, but not so large as to draw unwanted attention. “250 Peggats after delivery, either credited to your account or handed directly to you.” He paused a moment before remembering “Plus the cost of the cabbage.” Janus fought the urge to plead or cajole. It was simple work for good pay, more than enough to sell itself.

He waited, his hands behind his back. If an attack was to come, it would be now. The Aqualish seemed content to laugh at him, but now that he knew Janus had money hidden away, anything could happen. His green eyes searched, looking for any reaction, or sign of hostility. Janus hated to be guided by the force, but there wasn't much help for it now. Still he was thinking clearer, so he probably wasn't dying. Hopefully that meant the force was willing to do it's part.

[Wol]

The spider went lofting his shoulders to a light shrug. "Cabbage is not worth peggats. Though I suppose I can clearly say you're not from around here." Chuckling mildly, and clearing his throat a moment later. "I do worry about my coin, though." Though the amount was minimal, the spider was somehow stuck on the concept of it being the thought that counted. While Janus was a little slow to get right down to business, spider and human were left in a moment of awkward silence. Or at least Wol figured it to be awkward. Janus's mind was likely drifting elsewhere in his state of apparent inebriation.

With the deal finally revealed, Mister four eyes went lifting a hand up to his chin, running clawed fingers along the length of his tusks like they might have been a fancy goatee. If there was pay involved, the spider was more than interested. Especially when it was a solid, tangible number. Jobs that promised pay without a figure were the ones that never yielded any coin at all.

The thought of robbing this fellow certainly had come to cross his mind. More than once too, in the short time they had been in each other's company. In fact, each of Wol's little beady eyes would be making a sweep over the human. Picking apart his appearance, attire and the location of any weapons he might be wearing.

"What's the catch ?" Breaking the moment of tense silence with a particularly large grin. "What's preventing you from walking onto the dock on your own ?" A few questions to gauge the difficulty of the task, and how best to go about it all. "I sure hope this ain't a military dock you're wanting access to." That would make matters a whole lot of complicated.