Free Birds

[Kella]

So, here shall be the final resting place of any other IM RP Shenanigans we see fit for the eyes of SWU. And for the Skynet spies. We know you're watching.

[Kella]

Henceforth is the first meeting between Marcus the traumatized drunkard and Grizzelda the intrepid spacer, soon to be comrades in the DLA.

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[8/12/2012 3:57:36 PM] Ashley A: Dantooine had been a nice break from the more cluttered areas of the Galaxy. The air moved more, the weather changed more, the people were less jaded, the bars were cleaner. There was a definite purpose to what she was doing here, that was a nice feeling.

Sometimes she needed to get above ground though, out of the DLA's little hidey-hole. The local bars were enjoyable, and Grizzelda had been touring the history of Dantooine's alcoholic beverages, one night at a time. She pushed the now-familiar door open and stopped just inside, appraising the room. The night's band was new, and it was good, which meant it wouldn't be hanging around a little farm town like this for much longer.

She scanned the people in the room, the low tables by the band, the high tables along the walls, the lack-luster but well-stocked bar, the relatively respectable patrons. Where to start the night?

[8/12/2012 4:06:39 PM] Jake: The night may have been very new, but Marcus Davion had always said that it was ten oclock somewhere on the planet. By the time Grizz stepped into the bar he was already buzzing, which was saying quite a bit for a man who went out nearly every night to get shithoused drunk.

A big smile was on his face as he spun around in his barstool, a gin & tonic in his hand, and leaned against the bar table. A simple pair of denim trousers, sullied work boots, a white t-shirt, and a flannel blouse with rolled up sleeves clung to his frame. The flannel blouse did little to hide the dragon tattoo on his right arm, and the black tattoos on his chest could be faintly seen through his shirt. He surveyed the scene just as Grizz had, midlly wondering if a fight would break out. It happened from time to time.

[8/12/2012 4:16:18 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda spotted a man at the bar who looked like he was already a good ways into his night. It was a tax really, a natural consequence for those stupid enough to get drunk when no one else was. That's what she thought to herself, anyway, as she sauntered up next to the man at the bar, leaning one arm against the counter. "Nice tats," she said, flagging down the bartender with one hand and running her thumb over the leather of the man's wallet with her other.

[8/12/2012 4:23:21 PM] Jake: Smirked a bit as the mixed woman walked over to him, "eh. Got 'em when I was young and dumb. That's about all there is to do when you're bored and in the army." He spun towards her a little bit, but not so much that his front was towards her. She was obviously a spacer of some sort, and he wasn't so far gone as to know when a woman had her hands precariously close to his wallet. "What brings ya to this little planet?"

[8/12/2012 4:32:54 PM] Ashley A: "Pleasure. And business." She shrugged, then related her request to the bar tender. "Army, huh?"

She gave him an appraising look. He fit in, treated the place with familiarity, and didn't ruffle any feathers here. Meant he couldn't be a Sith.

"Republic?"

[8/12/2012 4:39:07 PM | Edited 4:39:24 PM] Jake: He quirked a brow at her initial response, but said nothing about it. A part of him still felt as if she'd pull out a blaster at any time and try to blow his head off, or stab him in the gut. It just meant he didn't have enough alochol in his sytem yet. "Yeah, Republic. Mandalorian campaign. Were you in at all?" Figured she wasn't, but he always asked.

[8/12/2012 4:43:09 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda considered the question for a moment, deciding. "Not -technically-."

She grinned to herself at the thought, or maybe it was at the drink the bar tender slid across the counter.

[8/12/2012 4:45:53 PM] Jake: "Do tell," he grinned along with her, regardless of the hows or whys. The man went to take a drink only to find that his gin was gone, and he spun to flag the bartender down to get yet another drink. This time something with a bit more... strength.

[8/12/2012 4:52:07 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda whet her lips with a long drink and took the stool next to the man, turning out to face the bar as well.

"Worked as a consultant for the Republic..." she started ticking memories off on her fingers, "Half a dozen times? Therabouts. Once on Ordo, don't know why the Mando's were so attached to that damn planet. Only official enlistment was with the Sith, but that only lasted six months and was with very ulterior motives."

She had a good feeling about this guy, in that he seemed to have too many issues to run off and tattle about hers. Cons were all good and fun, but sometimes the truth got stranger reactions than fiction.

[8/12/2012 4:58:21 PM] Jake: He mildly wondered just why someone would join the sith for a little while, only to desert after a few six months. Presumably after their training routine was completed. "Sith, huh?" He didn't like talking about the military. Curious, because he brought it up in the first place. "And what exactly were those 'ulterior motives'?" Part of him wondered if this was yet another sith attempt to see if he had decided to pick himself up or not. The sheer amount of them had him seriously considering it.

[8/12/2012 5:03:01 PM] Ashley A: "Curiosity. And, well, credits, there were credits involved too."

She could sense the slight edge in his tone, touchy subject? It was hard to imagine he'd gracefully and happily retired, given his current state.

[8/12/2012 5:09:19 PM] Jake: "Ah. Credits. Thought about doing stuff like that myself... but... eh." He brought the cool glass to his lips and downed a gulp of the oddly colored liquid, savoring the bitter burn that hit his mouth felt as it washed past. The drinks he'd had before began to kick in, and the world began to turn and topple in front of him.

[8/12/2012 5:20:52 PM] Ashley A: "It's a nice way to make a living. Very -exciting-, very -romantic-," she nodded in self reference. "Never a dull moment..." Something in her tone wondered if that was a good thing.

[8/12/2012 5:53:29 PM | Edited 6:01:35 PM] Jake: "Ha. I've had enough excitement for a few lifetimes, I think," he smirked a bit, despite the horrific memories.

[8/12/2012 6:04:25 PM] Ashley A: "I'll gladly take some of yours, I can't seem to get enough."

[8/12/2012 6:16:26 PM] Jake: Well that escalated at a reasonable pace. No matter, he was willing to take advantage of the opportunity. The man quirked his brow ever so slightly at her, and smirked a bit. He tried to look dashing, but instead just looked smashed. "Oh?"

[8/12/2012 6:24:36 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda caught his drift and rolled her eyes.

"I was being -witty-," she said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Though, y'know, if you want to buy me a drink I'm not going to say 'no'."
She took another long draught from the one in her hand. This guy'd pass out before he gave her any trouble, and free alcohol was free alcohol.

[8/12/2012 6:51:14 PM | Edited 6:52:03 PM] Jake: "Hey... I'm normally all about witty. Right now there's at least..." He stuck out his finger and counted, "three of you. I'm a little slow on the uptake. I'm Marcus by the way." He chuckled a bit at his inability to pick up on her wit. His defenses were beginning to lower a bit more... she was honestly not all that bad. He signaled the barkeep to grab her something... another drink, mostly.

[8/12/2012 7:01:01 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda laughed aloud, the first hints of a buzz lightening her sense of humor. Bars were amusing places. "Grizzelda," she replied, polishing off her first drink and taking the second from the bartender. Four drink night? That sounded about right.

[8/12/2012 7:22:46 PM] Jake: Marc laughed with her, "well Grizzelda" he forgot what he was about to say. He sat there for a moment with his finger up, ".... nice to meet you."

[8/12/2012 7:31:28 PM] Ashley A: "Nice to meet you too," she purred. "Whatcha drinkin'?" She inclined her drink at his.

[8/12/2012 8:06:38 PM] Jake: Marcus rattled off the name of some Mandalorian brandy with a little grin. Not because he was happy, but mostly because he realized what he was drinking. He had lost too many of his friends to mandalorians to be drinking their beer. After a few moments he shrugged and resumed his drink. "You?"

[8/12/2012 8:16:22 PM] Ashley A: "Spritzer with a drop of sunshine." The drop of sunshine being, of course, liquor. It made everything a little brighter. No one ever drank -to- anything past a nice tipsy. After that, someone was always drinking -from- something. "So, what're you forgetting tonight?"

[8/12/2012 8:21:55 PM] Jake: Marcus let out a hearty, hearty laugh, "where t' begin? Osik that happened back in the service. Shit they ga-me a medal for. Wife left me a few years back for some asshole, leaving me and my kid alone. I can't get my shit together for her, either." He sighed. That was just in a nutshell, "you?"

[8/12/2012 8:32:00 PM] Ashley A: Something about the man suddenly struck an uncomfortable cord with Grizzelda. She took another long drink.

"What that reminds me of," she said with a wry grin.

"How old's your kid?"

[8/12/2012 8:58:44 PM] Jake: "Six," he grabbed his wallet and gave it to Grizzelda, too drunk to really realize that this wasn't the smartest idea. A picture of a little brown haired, doe eyed girl resided in a window on one of the folds besides a comparatively gigantic german shepard. Oh well, "she's my world."

[8/12/2012 9:08:06 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda took the wallet with a flourish. The picture elicited a slight but genuine smile, the lightest hint of nostalgia.

"The girl or the dog?"

Dammit, the kid was cute, she was going to have to give the credit chit back, despite how comfortably it rested in her palm. Habits.

[8/12/2012 9:10:02 PM] Jake: Marc smiled broadly at the jab, "both. Mirri and Dany." A small pang of guilt hit him from over all of the alcohol. He should be spending his money on her, not booze. Without it, though, he's an absolute wreck. "You trying to forget anything tonight?" He said, forgetting about the wallet that he had given away.

[8/12/2012 9:48:59 PM] Ashley A: "You already asked me that. So it seems to be working quite swimmingly for you."

She handed back the wallet, then the credit chit. "Watch who you hand that to."

[8/12/2012 9:52:59 PM] Jake: Marc got like that when he was drunk, and he packed the credit chit into his wallet before putting the faux krayt skin leather in his back pocket, but not before gazing at the picture of his daughter for a few moments. "Yeah yeah. Anyone tries to take it and they'll get introduced to lefty and righty." He was one of the best boxers/brawlers on a planet. "But I will. Thanks."

[8/12/2012 9:55:12 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda have him a skeptical look. "I was half a drink from cleaning you out, and I met neither Lefty nor Righty."

[8/12/2012 9:57:30 PM] Jake: Marcus quirked a brow at her, "you-were gonna take tha' from me?" He burped a bit before taking more of his mandalorian drink. "I dun' hit women neways. Jus' wodda... dunno."

[8/12/2012 10:01:24 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda chucked. "You wouldn't done -nothin'-, 'cause -you're- a half a drink away from shit-faced."

[8/12/2012 10:06:37 PM] Jake: Marcus chuckled with her before finishing off his drink, "now I -am- shhitfaced!! I'm goo' though." The man goes to stand up... and that's when the full gravity of his intoxication level hit him. He stumbled around for a minute before grabbing the bar. It wasn't long before he fell back against the chair and the bar... laughing all the while. "Shhould prolly be turnin' in shoon. Gettin' kin'a lay. (Getting kinda late.)" Marc clumsily grabbed his bike's key card out of his pocket, and slammed it against the table.

[8/12/2012 10:23:50 PM | Edited 10:35:42 PM] Ashley A: Their sporadic conversation had come and gone between drinks, and while Grizzelda settled at four, Marcus... didn't. The music was nice, though, and the drunk was entertaining, so over the hours Grizzelda hadn't wandered from the bar.

She gave him another skeptical look as he tried to walk. At least he was an amicable drunk. Grizzelda slipped the bike key out from under her hand and twirled it between her fingers. "For the sake of your -bike-, I'm keeping this."

[8/12/2012 10:27:46 PM] Jake: Marc furrowed his brows and tried to track the key, but had extreme trouble doing so, "what? Wan'me to shtay'tha' ba? I godda work t'marra. C'mon." Holds out a shaky hand, waiting for her to give it back... chuckling all the while.

[8/12/2012 10:35:30 PM] Ashley A: "The -real- question is whether I'm going to be -nice-, and just hang onto this, or -not-, and go for a joyride. She tossed the card and caught it.

[8/12/2012 10:40:04 PM] Jake: "C'mon Grizh-... Grizheld...a. I godda ge' home." His eyes are half open and elbow propped against the table to steady it. It's not helping.

[8/12/2012 10:41:20 PM] Ashley A: "I'm inclined to say you can -walk-."

The bartender walked by and she caught his eye. "He do this often?" The bartender nodded and shrugged, she shook her head. The poor bike.

[8/12/2012 10:42:47 PM] Jake: "I won take th' bike... I jus' need th' keys. Th' thing ish really nice." It was really nice. Very nice. He bought it with some of his deployment money. Most of it, actually.

[8/12/2012 10:43:57 PM] Ashley A: "Oh now you're just -tempting- me," she purred.

[8/12/2012 10:44:56 PM] Jake: Marc did his best to snatch it from her hand, and inevitably failed. He sighed. "C'n ye' a'leas' leave it with'th' barkee'?"

[8/12/2012 10:52:01 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda grinned mischievously. "How nice?"

[8/12/2012 10:54:00 PM] Jake: "huh," the man blinked... not understanding the question through the thick fog of drunkeness.

[8/12/2012 10:55:19 PM] Ashley A: "How nice is the bike?"

[8/12/2012 10:57:07 PM | Edited 11:02:44 PM] Jake: "Migh'as well com' ou' 'n shee it," stood up and began the wobbly, winding pattern of a drunk trying to get anywhere. Once he finally got outside, the bike was parked just outside... so everyone in the bar could see it if anyone outside tried to mess with it. Though there's zero crime in flint.

[8/12/2012 11:14:59 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda remembered having seen the bike on the way in, and noting that it wouldn't have lasted half a second on a Coruscanti street. Still, taking the extra moment to appraise it, she couldn't help but offer an approving whistle.

"That -is- a pretty bike."

[8/12/2012 11:16:41 PM] Jake: "yeaah. C'n I h've the bik-ey b'ck now? Or g've it to s'meone? Or... at least take m'home?"

[8/12/2012 11:25:36 PM] Ashley A: Grizzelda was feeling charitable, or maybe it was the drop of sunshine. What the Hell. She'd walked to the bar anyway.

"I suppose I can take you home, but only 'cause your dog's fluffy."

[8/12/2012 11:26:03 PM | Edited 11:27:36 PM] Jake: "Th'nk ye," he said with a heavy sigh before clumsily walking over to the back of his bike and sitting on the back seat. He leaned against the back of the bike and promptly fell asleep.

[8/12/2012 11:36:14 PM | Edited 8/13/2012 12:30:45 AM] Ashley A: Grizzelda shook her head and huffed a laugh. "Oh Marcus," she said, clicking her tongue, "You are rather far gone, aren't you." She'd -tried- to be accomidating. But he'd passed out before giving her any indication at all where he lived, she couldn't even take him home if she wanted to. Joyride it was. She left him slumped in the back of the bike, he wouldn't fall off. Probably. She was quickly far more concerned with figuring out if the bike's top speed was as advertised.

And oh, it -was-.

'course the idiot didn't keep the power cells fully charged, and the joyride was short-lived. She reluctantly banked back from the wide, open spaces of the Dantooine countryside to the town. As soon as she saw buildings she recognized, Grizz parked the bike. The guy was still out cold, and she chortled to herself, tucking the keycard in his front pocket. She remembered the credit chit, but thought better of it. Kicking a man when he was down just plain lacked class.

So without so much as a look back, Grizzelda strolled off into the pre-dawn stillness of the city.

[8/13/2012 12:37:43 AM] Jake: The minute that the first ray of sunlight peeked over the horizon and gracefully touched Marcus' eyes, he woke up with a groan and a flail. It felt as if the light had literally hit his face like a mack truck. The man fell off his bike with a thud and yet another groan. It wasn't time to go to work yet, but by the position of the sun it was probably pretty damn close. "Fuckit" where the exact words to come out of his mouth as he passed out on the soft grass, one foot still propped up on the bike. He would awake a few hours later to ride back home, shower, and come into work late. It didn't happen often, oddly enough, but it happened.