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last online Jan 21, 2021 23:46:22 GMT -5
Force Sensitive
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Nov 13, 2019 0:17:16 GMT -5
Post by loganomics on Nov 13, 2019 0:17:16 GMT -5
The smell of death permeated the air. Darkness was all an ordinary person could see, but Sobek wasn't an ordinary person. He was the Deeplurker. He knew darkness deeper than most and thus his heavy footsteps through the pitch-black corridors of his master's palace were definite and intent on their path. Through his eyes and ears he saw the once loud and boisterous hallways as he had never observed them before. They were filled with nothing but silence and bodies. Corpses of cowards who sat in fear of their fate. No one could truly be lower than that, not even a slave such as himself.
As he crept his way through his deserted home, towards the freedom he endlessly sought, a sudden noise piqued his interest. It was soft and subtle, seeming to be a cough of some kind. His eyes drawn to the source, Sobek noticed a single body sitting against a nearby hallway wall. His steps became quieter, his eyes motionless and his mind innately became drawn to the hunt. In the light he was nothing but a slave, but in the dark, he was at his peak. The towering Barabel approached and with a final dismissive exhale through his nostrils, recognized the figure lying against the wall.
"... Sobek... thank the void...", the figure whispered weakly.
This human was one of many treacherous servants of Sobek's master. A small, insignificant man even by human standards. In the past, Sobek had spoken with him and learned from him, but those were in the days of the reptile's youth, and this man represented his first lesson as a slave: "Trust no one, least of all, "friends"." True to those words, this man's nature was one of deceit. He was a person who would throw away trust in return for money and pleasure. Sobek had the scars to prove that fact too. How pitiful, Sobek thought to himself, to live an existence of contradiction. Well, he wouldn't have to suffer it much longer.
"... Soby... please, help me... I'll bleed out... take me out of h-"
His words couldn't be finished, though, because speech requires a mouth, and beyond that a head, none of which he had after Sobek crushed it in with a loud kick. The sound resonated. The crunch of bone and squish of flesh filled Sobek's ears, repeating over and over with increasing volume until...
Sobek's red eyes jolted open. He was lying in a bed not particularly accommodating to his size, but a bed all the same. The room around him was dark and he felt warmth against both of his arms.
"Oh, you're awake, huh? You better hurry up and get dressed. The club's about to open and I'm not giving you your bonus if you're late.", uttered a playful voice near the bathroom doorway.
Peering over, he saw Xaria Zenos, a pink-skinned Zeltron woman whom he'd met when he first came to Zeltros. She was shockingly tall for her species, standing just over 6'2" and having looks that the Zeltron are uniquely known for. Acknowledging her with a nod and holding his gaze for a small moment to behold her, Sobek sat up, tan and red arms on his chest falling gently on to the bed as he did. To his right laid a male Zeltron, seemingly young although Sobek always had trouble discerning age from flat-faces alone, and to his right a darker-skinned human woman, or at least near-human so far as he could tell, both asleep with satisfied smiles still on their faces. Escapades such as this were fairly common for the towering Barabel as he was viewed as a novelty among the hedonistic locals. Pleasure and fun were their fortes, but unlike slavers, they paid Sobek quite well for his services.
"Don't worry about them. Just get dressed and open up shop. I'll kick 'em out after I've showered." Xaria nonchalantly said as she closed and locked the bathroom door.
Doing as told, Sobek got up from the bed, careful not to disturb his sleeping clients before putting on some large trousers and a shirt that stretched just to accommodate him. As he headed downstairs Sobek couldn't help but think back to his dream. He didn't consider it a nightmare. He stopped having those years ago. Fear stops being as potent when you experience it everyday, after all. As he turned on signs and put in the code to open the main door of the club, he replayed his few months of freedom back to himself in his head. Nal Hutta, his "home" for over two decades sat in ruins, reduced to a dilapidated trophy for whatever faction now held control of it. Not that the Hutts kept it in much better shape, all the same though, Sobek was glad to be rid of his former life. He drifted around the galaxy, finding refugee ships to stow away on, taking odd jobs for food or credits, and constantly moving to avoid regular people in his life, at least until he got to Zeltron.
On Zeltron his life changed drastically. The people were loving, perhaps an understatement in some regards, and their curiosity with Sobek helped him live rather comfortably after Xaria began employing him as a bouncer and occasional escort. His personality was difficult to capitalize on though, so for his more intimate clients Xaria supplied Sobek with all manner of illicit substances, at his preference, to help him be more sociable.
About a half hour later Zaria's XenoDen was open for business and bustling as the night-life arrived. A club and bar that caters to those with "exotic" tastes, the XenoDen was quite popular and Sobek preferred working nights while sleeping in the day. Some habits are hard to break. As the night went on he saw all manner of different clubbers from young and old Zeltron looking to explore to Rodians, Humans, and all manner of other races on vacation and expecting the Zeltron's signature hospitality. The arrangement was easy and could be quite flattering for him, so he never complained, although Sobek couldn't deny that it could be a boring job. When he worked as a bouncer there was no time for drugs nor intimate company, not that Xaria would let him even if he wanted to. However, sometimes random things would happen that would require his involvement. A patron who wouldn't take "no" as an answer. Underage Zeltrons looking to stir up trouble. Even the occasional off-duty lawman who drunkenly thought he was still on-duty. All of them made nice prey for Sobek, but he held some disappointment that he couldn't do much more than kick them out of the club.
Tonight, however, was quite different. Today, a notable Trandoshan who frequented clubs in the area was taking his turn here. He had already put himself on Xaria's shit-list by hitting on employees in the past and tonight Sobek saw him being extra aggressive with a Zeltron-Twi'lek couple at the bar. Suddenly, Sobek heard Xaria's explosively loud yelling. As the owner and bartender she took a particular interest in her patron's experience and when she yelled, Sobek knew it was something drastic.
"THAT'S IT YOU FUCKING IDIOT!! I'VE HAD IT WITH YOUR SHIT!! SOBEK! GET THIS FAT LIZARD OUT OF MY BAR!!!" She screamed over the music.
In an instant, Sobek was on his feet, heading towards the bar counter from his spot at the club's front door. Strangely, he had a very bad feeling in the back of his mind. Some odd instinct about this particular Trandoshan wasn't sitting well with him but he couldn't place why. He found out moments later, though. As his arm extended to grab the shoulder of this short, stubby trando, the lizard whipped around and sliced Sobek's hand with a hidden vibroblade the Trando somehow snuck past Sobek at the entrance. Stinging pain bit at his palm as Sobek retreated and then redoubled his approach. This idiot just gave him the go-ahead to do more than kick him out. Even Xaria wouldn't be able to argue with Sobek's methods after this.
Standing face to face against a knife wielding Trandoshan might frighten others, but Sobek was the one to be afraid of and he could tell the Trando was feeling that intimidation. Using a feint, Sobek drew the Trando into another slice which he deftly side-stepped before grabbing the smaller reptile's wrist. A quick and devastating punch to the Trando's large gut was all Sobek needed to knock the wind out of his attacker and for added emphasis he made an open palm strike at the blade-wielder's elbow, hyper-extending and breaking the Trandoshan's arm with an audible crack as the knife fell to the ground. The Trando's eyes bulged and he grunted in pain, unable to cry out due to being out of breath. Finally, to finish, Sobek made an aggressive elbow punch to the Trandoshan's face, knocking him out cold before he slumped to the ground. The crowd inside the club was visibly silent, but inside Sobek's mind, he could hear the familiar, ear-deafening cries of the crowds he entertained in his past. Fighting was invigorating for him, so much so that he could barely even feel the slice on his hand as it bled.
"Here." Xaria appeared, coming out from behind the bar counter, with a piece of cloth to hand to Sobek as she picked up the incapacitated lizard's knife. "Wrap that up and take him outside. I've already called the cops. Make sure he doesn't wake up and run." Then, as if it never happened, Xaria was right back to organizing the crowd and checking on everyone. She may have had the looks of a typical Zeltron, but she had a temper and will even Sobek was willing to respect.
Sobek wrapped his hand as he came down from his fighting high. Hefting the surprisingly heavy Trando onto his shoulder, he stepped out of the bar and tossed his unconscious attacker onto the ground. He paid little attention to the looks of passerby's but fortunately for him no one seemed interested in confronting or questioning the scene. That's what he thought, at least.
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caelum
Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit
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last online Oct 1, 2021 13:39:09 GMT -5
Youngling
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Nov 13, 2019 19:31:11 GMT -5
Post by caelum on Nov 13, 2019 19:31:11 GMT -5
While certainly no Tatooine or Nar Shadda, Zaltros was, in the parlance of those that lived there, a 'vacation' world. What that meant, as far as Nostos understood, was that it was a world where the definitions between profit-hungry crime lords, even more profit hungry corporations and what impotent pencil pushers that served as the planet's bureaucracy had blurred into a white, indistinguishable haze. On top of that, this white indistinguishable haze had decided on the rather reasonable course that instead of languishing in self important excess like the Hutts of Tatooine or the grinding dystopian hellhole of Nar Shadda, they had realized that they could profit handsomely on attracting the galaxy's greatest and richest by giving them any and every conceivable luxury imaginable.
It had been going reasonably well for them, as far as Nostos could see anyway. The galaxy was filled with the rich and the powerful, and entire societies could form of the detritus of their spent fortunes, living off of the wealth that trickles down from megaresorts, orbiting pleasure palaces and continent spanning amusement parks, safaris and other such luxuries.
It had grown only more since the Fall of Nar Shadda. Hundreds of millions, billions perhaps, had died during the planet's fall, but anyone who believed that had broken the powers of the corporation and multi-trillionaires that had made it the foundation of their fortunes were fools. The first evacuation ships that fled from Nar-Shadda were the rich and the powerful, followed by their families, followed by whatever trinkets and baubles they saw fit to rescue from the planet's impending destruction. They relocated elsewhere, to wait out the spastic death of the Archeri, and some had enterprising eyes onto Zaltros.
"Are you having a pleasant time, my Lord?" the red twi'lek behind him said in a low, sultry, voice that he imagined a prostitute with a sinus infection might intone. Despite this apparent confidence, even a cursory glance into her mind revealed a pit of anxiety that seemed to be on the edge of swallowing her whole. Lord Nostos turns slightly to her and smiles.
"Quite so, milady." he says politely, reaching out with the force and slowly, quietly, soothes the girl's worry. She smiles back in response, a hint of relief evident on her face.
They were in the commercial district, an area designed for patrons that one could reasonably afford the extravagances of Zaltros' tourist traps but not so much to afford access to the orbital pleasure dens and bloodhunt safaris. His eyes glanced over the masses, feeling the weight and soul of the living force in this place, and he closed his eyes.
Nostos did not falter, did not stumble, as he navigated through the crowd. The twi'lek hanging off his arm was nervous, rightfully so, but did an admirable job in not showing it and merely followed alongside him as she had been told by her masters. Then, his sight expanded towards the multitude of beings around him, as they moved along, lost in the whispers of their desires like leaves on the wind. As his sight moved further, the definitions blurred, the desires of one man being indistinguishable from that of the man next to him. Then to that of the street. Then the building. Then the block. And then and then and then until the thought of individuality and direction between them seemed more like a pretty lie.
He breathed in it, his body breathing in the pheromones that pervaded over the commercial sector like perfume on a whore, strategically placed to lure tourists over from one destination to another. He breathed in it, his soul, if one could call it that, drawn forth by the pathways and veins and arteries of the city. He allowed himself to be drawn in by it, allowing the Force to bring him where it may, walking and walking and walking until-
Nostos stops, the twi'lek by his side nearly stumbling at the suddenness of it, though still well trained enough to not even show her sudden course correction as anything but an ethereal grace. Bright eyes stare across the crowd until suddenly, finally, he sees a dip in the stream. A blockage in the artery. An anomaly in the pervasive, sheepish, obedience in the stream of the blind represented by a large, reptilian Barabel throwing a trandoshan off into the street. Eye's flicker upwards into the sign, Zaria's Xenoden.
"Ari?" Nostos calls, the twi'lek by his side perking up in response. It was not her full name, let alone her real name, but twi'lek names were difficult enough in the best of times to pronounce, and so she had given him an alternative.
"Yes, my lord?"
"You had been given leave to guide me across this city by the Lady Asant have you not?"
A smile at that response, one that contrasts the chill of fear from the woman's name. "Of course, my Lord."
"Do you know anything about that place?"
The twi'lek's eyes glance over to the Xenoden, and a small frown appears on her face as she thinks, perfectly calculated to appear both cute and alluring. "It is a bar, of sorts, my lord. Popular amongst the people in this sector, and I'm aware that the Lady has taken note of it over the past few months."
A smile. "Wonderful, then we will go there."
The twi'lek bows slightly at Nostos's words as he begins to lead them into the den. He was not on Zaltros by choice, certainly not, but while he was here he could certainly satisfy his curiosity.
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last online Jan 21, 2021 23:46:22 GMT -5
Force Sensitive
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Nov 20, 2019 1:27:01 GMT -5
Post by loganomics on Nov 20, 2019 1:27:01 GMT -5
In the time it took for authorities to show up and arrest the unconscious Trandoshan as well as question Xaria on what the situation entailed, Sobek had taken his position back by the bar entrance, screening and checking patrons even more vigorously than before. Sobek made mistakes as any individual might, but where he differed was his quick adaptability and his refusal to make the same mistake twice. In his head, he kept replaying the events that occurred inside, considering and contemplating different methods of ending his attacker's life. It was only natural for him. His ability to reflect and teach himself was the biggest key to his survival and he relied heavily on it, even more so than his physical boons. Still, something in the back of his mind was bothering him. He had an itch, similar to what he felt before the attack, something significant enough to make him question his surroundings but what it was he couldn't say. Sobek always had a knack for telling when people were watching him. It was different from the feeling he got when fighting in the gladiator pits. He felt a sort of "dirtiness", as if he was being evaluated. Such sensations were very unpleasant for him and he usually returned such gazes with threatening looks, but unusually, he couldn't place where the gaze was coming from. That is, until a twi'lek woman clinging to a very curious looking man approached the bar entrance.
The Twi'lek was well dressed as was customary of the more expensive escorts in the city, but even so, she seemed almost overdressed for this area, as if her company was more important than her destination. The man standing next to her, leading the way, was a pale, well-dressed man of some unidentifiable age. Sobek could smell he was human, but once again, an odd sensation covered his mind and he felt an odd sort of pressure emanating from the man. In his gaze he caught the same look he received as a slave. Analyzing, assessing, evaluating. Sobek wasn't fond of men like this one, but he had no reason to question him beyond the parameters of his job and thus he greeted the man in a raspy, deep voice. Little sentiment of hospitality was conveyed, but Xaria didn't hire Sobek for his hospitality but rather for his effectiveness at warding off problems.
"Welcome, ztranger" He growled, a noticeable hiss-ish accent forming with his "s"s. Sobek didn't need to make himself look larger than usual. He towered over most humanoid races and this pair was no exception.
"Xaria izn't fond of... trouble... inzide. Zo, I'll be taking anything... problematic. Any pozezzions of your'z will be returned when you leave."
His message stated, Sobek simply eyed the pair with his unwavering red eyes, waiting for a response as he blocked the door. These two were most curious and Sobek had some distinct concerns about the man in particular.
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caelum
Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit
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last online Oct 1, 2021 13:39:09 GMT -5
Youngling
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Nov 21, 2019 2:52:28 GMT -5
Post by caelum on Nov 21, 2019 2:52:28 GMT -5
The bar was full, the press of body, hormones and instinct filling the bar and buffeting against Nostos like a wave. In truth, the planet stank of it. Of instinct unbarred and loosened, and this was but one stream that led to the greater ocean of this world. Even those with the barest awareness of the sight could see it.
Nostos turned to the barabel. The creature in front of him wasn't blind per se, he could sense some level of force potential from it. Enough that even unaware of his potential it buoys up his consciousness in the force, breaking free from the morass of mundane existence the rest of the galaxy lived in. That the force led Nostos to him indicate that, at the very least, he would be interesting. More interesting, at least, than the vacation the Lady Asant had sought to lure him into. He turns to the barabel.
"Greetings, stranger." Nostos says kindly. "Fortunately, my partner here is completely bereft of weapons, as her outfit would clearly indicate. I however, am not. I will not remove my weapons, but neither will you stop me from entering, so I believe it best if you were to simply accompany us inside and provide us company. I will make it worth your while."
The twi'lek, Meas or soemething like that, smiles pleasantly at the barabel. In her mind was confusion and fear but, appealingly, not that the bouncer would harm her. If nothing else her instincts seemed to indicate that he would protect her, if for propriety's sake if nothing else. Nostos turns away from her, looking back at the barabel.
"My name is Nostos, and though you may not know it now, you will." He says, assuredly, pleasantly. "What is your name, creature?"
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last online Jan 21, 2021 23:46:22 GMT -5
Force Sensitive
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Nov 27, 2019 3:30:02 GMT -5
Post by loganomics on Nov 27, 2019 3:30:02 GMT -5
Sobek could hardly believe his ears. Not many individuals possessed the gall to look so calm and pleasant while demanding he be a pet to them. Sobek's eyes continued glaring at the pair, his eyes narrowing with displeasure once the man stopped speaking. Sobek was familiar with men like this one. Nostos, as he called himself, seemed much like the slave masters the Barabel dealt with in his youth. Forthcoming and pleasant in open conversation but internally wicked when privacy was not an issue. Fortunately, Sobek had matured quite a bit since his last violent outburst with one such as "Nostos". Yet, still the fickle senses in the back of his head kept him on edge. The Twi'lek was no issue and seemed par for the course when it came to Zeltros night life. This human bothered him. Loud, boisterous confidence was the habit of one putting up a front. Nostos, however, spoke with clarity and confidence. He wasn't intimidated by appearances and eyes betrayed his curiosity. What would a man like this want with some bouncer at a club? The answer wasn't clear to Sobek but he figured it wouldn't hurt to find out, at least on his own terms.
"... Well, zinze you're azking so nizely, Zobek will treat you to a private experienze." Sobek's words were hardly laced with charisma. In fact, had it not been for him hinting Nostos with his name, the human might have considered it a thinly veiled threat. "That isn't outzide your comfort zone, iz it?" He said quietly, eyeing the Twi'lek on Nostos' arm and talking to no one in particular.
Not waiting for an answer, Sobek pulled a commlink from his trouser pocket and spoke into it.
"Xaria, zomeone requezted me. Gonna need a zhift change."
Without waiting for a response, the giant reptilian turned towards the door, ushering the two to follow him as he headed towards a small set of private, closed off booths near the rear of the building. Reserved for "private sessions", Sobek felt it was a decent place to start with the pair, away from the distractions of other patrons and blaring beats. Ushering the pair inside the booth and closing the door behind them, Sobek took a seat on a moderately size V-shaped couch. Eyes glowing in the low-lit setting, he watched the Twi'lek and Human, still refusing to lower his guard against such bold patrons.
"Well, Mizter Noztoz, here'z your company. How zhall I entertain you tonight?" Feeling more comfortable in familiar territory, Sobek couldn't help but flash a toothy grin as he spoke. Being overconfident wasn't his intention, but he wouldn't show weakness if that's what the man was looking for.
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caelum
Omnia Mutantur Nihil Interit
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last online Oct 1, 2021 13:39:09 GMT -5
Youngling
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Dec 7, 2019 0:05:03 GMT -5
Post by caelum on Dec 7, 2019 0:05:03 GMT -5
Watching the barabel's reaction was interesting enough. The perceived insult, the glared displeasure, it spoke of a man living in the material. One that saw the world as eternal, tiresome, struggles of dominance and control. The back and forth of living in a galactic society where there were winners and losers, the haves and have-nots. In a sense, he was absolutely correct and breathtakingly wrong.
They did live a world with the haves and the have-nots. It was a world dictated by those who possessed the Force and those who did not. How amusing, then, that the barabel considered himself to be one of those in the lower spectrum of the universe's food chain. Nostos smiles as Sobek finishes his conversation, turning to him.
"Entertain me? Well, I suppose that is true." he considers. "In a way, your company would satisfy my curiosity over a few matters that have plagued my attention. But if be entertain you mean an interest in drugs or sex or anything of that matter, then I must say that I am less than interested, sir Sobek."
At his side, his companion pipes up, her hands and arms snaking around Nostos like vines to a crumbling wall. "And it is not mister Nostos." she says. "It is Lord Nostos."
She plays her part well, Nostos thinks, as she moves to smother a kiss to his cheek. He allows it, mostly for no real reason not to do so, before turning to Sobek and smiling again.
"I think that a private room would be best, allowing us to talk in private, wouldn't you say? I imagine it might be some time since you've rested as well, I can imagine that you would welcome such an opportunity."
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