Gizka Night

[Moonfire]

”How many fuckin’ times do I have to tell ya’ll to keep the fuckin’ noise level down? I’m tryin’ to run a business up here!” Kailani Quix, owner and operator of Bennigan’s howled down the basement steps, slamming her fist back against the door button, letting it swish back closed after her. A low growl worked it’s way from the woman’s throat as long steps propelled her across the dining room back on down to the kitchen. The basement’s cheering, slightly lower now, could still be heard over the fuzzy drone of the bar’s holo-projector. A news anchor, suitably grim, reporting on the rebuilding efforts of Hutt Space after the Archeri crisis, interrupted only occasionally by muffled shouts.

A headache bloomed behind Kailani’s eyes as she weaved between the sparse few patrons in her comfortably dim dining room, giving a congenial smile to old favorites and playful shoves as she made her empty promises. “I’m just checkin’ on your food now, Urivv, baby. You sure you don’t wanna upgrade to the Big Corellian™?”

The Rodian shook his head, absolutely sure that no one on Corellia wanted the Big Corellian™, a meat tower of mythological proportions; triple-stacked bantha patties, cheese, bacon and d'il pyykkles between four gargantuan seeded buns. The whole thing was roughly the size of a dinner plate and held together by a single herglic-sized knife stabbed through the top. In the four years since this monstrous burger was conceived in the fires of intense hatred by Bennigan’s own fry cook, Kookee, only three had successfully eaten the thing shortly before being hospitalized.

Working her way into the chaotic kitchen Kailani tossed the pile of dishes she’d collected into the now overflowing sink. Behind the grill stood a four-armed giant Codru-Ji, flipping burgers, salting sizzling vegetables and tossing a fry basket all in wild sync. ”Kai! How ‘m ‘posed to work like this? Wheres the dishwasher?” He grumbled, turning in swift circles as every hand aided the other in the creation of Urivv’s food.

“Danel’s helpin’ out downstairs and Aurie’s off tonight.” She explained, scooping up the plates still beneath the hot-lights. Urivv’s sandwich. The Beskalisk over at the bar’s appetizer and in a few moments she’d have his entree. Whoops.

”Well ‘get ‘em up ‘ere! I’m in the weeds back ‘ere!” Kookee grumbled, the whirl of limbs creating a surprisingly gourmet-looking burger. Kookee’s beloved special of the day. ”What’re they even doin’ down there makin’ all that racket?” The fry cook grumbled between another raucus cheer, nearly shaking the pots and pans off the walls of the tiny kitchen.

“It’s, uh… gizka night? Don’t-- Don’t gimme that look, they pay a good percentage an’ last I checked, you like gettin’ your paycheck on-time.” Kailani’s pointer finger warned against questioning the nature of exactly what gizka night entailed.

”Who’s gonna wash these dishes, Kai?!”

“You’re just gonna have to bust some suds ‘tween orders tonight, Kookee. I’m sorry man,” The blonde turned, dipping back out the swinging kitchen doors as the Codru-ji shouted back. ”What’d’I look like to you? A fuckin’ Ebranite?! You better get me a dishwash or I’m quittin’ Kailani! Stars an’ Void I fuckin’ mean it this time!”

Kookee had threatened to quit every day since she’d hired him, but she doubted he’d actually do it. All smiles Kailani dipped down again dropping off plates before sliding back behind the bar, leaning on the tip of her elbow as she smiled. “Sorry ‘bout the wait, babe. Welcome to Bennigan’s.”

[Ysmir]

---

Jack breathed in deeply through the nose as he exited the transport shuttle.

It smelled like shit.

But, that was Coronet for you, and Corellia as a whole. It was quite difficult to get away with being the Galaxy's central hub for industry and engineering and smell like fresh picked hai-ki's. Keen as he was in the engineering trade and no stranger to foreign smells, though, Jack preferred it this way. Besides, he knew this neighborhood well enough from the things he'd heard and the last few times he'd been through; it was a hotspot for local dives and places of intrigue that only locals truly held extensive knowledge of. After striking out at some of the upper city casinos and deciding he wanted to spend the rest of his time somewhere a tad bit more low-key, he had made his way to this quainter neighboorhood. Dominating the skies, though, was Coronet's absurd cityscape of gargantuan towers and lumbering highways that could make one feel as miniscule as a womprat. Though as he drank it in, Jack simply smiled. Large cities and larger crowds meant it was easy to blend in.

"Be-reet deet!" T7 exclaimed as he bumped into Jack's legs. Jack looked down at him with a frown.

"What in space is your problem, Tee-Seven? I'm just takin' in the view," Jack said as he began walking. "Don't make me give you a memory wipe, pal."

"Beep beet de-reet." T7 rolled alongside him.

"Go ahead, try me. You won't even remember this, come tomorrow," Jack responded playfully, though smirked; it was common banter between the two. Over two decades without a wipe had caused Jack's personality to rub off on T7 in no small amount. As they meandered through the bustling streets of the neighborhood, Jack stuck his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He gandered at the storefronts as they passed by; Javik's Spare Salvage, Core Quality -- Sale Now!, The Drunken Commando. However, as he walked on and on with no real destination in mind, one of the businesses caught his eye.

Bennigan's.

Just from the outside, Jack could hear the hustle and bustle eminating from inside the dive, though the exact source was a mystery. He had heard the name before in passing, but couldn't quite put a finger on where. All he knew was that many Coronet citizens identified it as a place to have a good bite and a good drink when you were in town. What'd he have to lose?

Jack looked down to T7. "C'mon, bud. Let's check it out." Then, the two entered the establishment.

Jack was a firsthand witness to the controlled chaos of the interior as soon as he entered, and a small smile graced his features as he removed his hands from his pockets and stared around the bar. Alien individuals from all walks of life sat in rows and at tables, exchanging gossip from the Galaxy over; the hottest topic, of course, being the Republic's betrayal over the orbit of Nar Shaddaa. As Jack approached the far end of the bar with T7, he could feel the rhythmic and jovial eruptions of cheering that came from the floor beneath his feet. Swoop, maybe? Hard to tell. Regardless, he sat.

He was in his seat for a few minutes before he was greeted by the beaming smile of the buxom blonde behind the counter. Leaned forward on his elbows, the spacer glanced to her with a charming grin in kind. "Feels welcoming." He looked behind her to the array of liquors on display, lifting his right hand to rub at the stubble on his chin for a few moments.

"Let's do a glass of Whyren's on the rocks for now, hun," Jack requested with a humble nod, turning to view the holoprojector as she went about prepping the drink.

"Seems like a busy night. How's it been?" Jack asked as he turned his attentions back to her. T7 rolled behind him and looked about the place with an almost child-like amazement, scanning each and every individual with his viewing eye. He was doing so as much out of curiosity as out of necessity; T7 often kept watch for Jack when he was predisposed.

"And what in the Galaxy are they cheerin' at down there?"

[Moonfire]

“Two fingers of Whyren’s, comin’ up.”

Kailani, cursed to bartend with half of Kookee’s arms, went about the task of making her newest patron his drink. He’d been kind enough to make her job easy. Leaning down she plucked from the underbar a bottle of the good stuff, Whyren’s Reserve-- The most infamous and delightfully expensive whiskey to come out of Corellia. Kailani was lucky enough to have gotten a whole case of the stuff from a friend of a friend for usage of her basement in storing some other foods he’d acquired through less than legal means. In fact, it was half of Danel’s job tonight to make sure the rowdy dickwheasels in the basement didn’t get their grubby mits on the six-cases of Bloodstripes brand cigarras she hadn’t yet pawned off.

"I'm Kailani and I'll be slingin' drinks and runnin' food for ya tonight."
Dipping back up she pulled up a thick-bottomed whiskey glass, settling a sizeable cube inside it before pouring the smoky amber liquid atop it as another shouting cheer vibrated the bar-rack with a clatter. "Oh and it’s just a private party. Club meetin’ or some such.”

The woman mused, her voice lilting in a soothing tone as she brushed the rim of the drink with a citrus peel, dunking it justly into the glass before placing it with stirs and a little coaster with the Bennigan’s logo before Jack. “Just drinkin’ tonight or we thinkin’ ‘bout grabbin’ some food too? Kookee’s got a special goin’ tonight; Kiffu Fried Orobird on a sweet bun with rainbow slaw.” Her voice tempted before something hopped right onto her foot.

Giving only a minor glance down, Kailani saw what she knew would be the bane of her existence this evening. A small, squat little amphibious creature. A Gizka. Though this gizka was no ordinary gizka, no. A miniaturized set of armour plating protected his small, squishy body in bright swaths reminiscent of a republic trooper.

"Hmm?" Grimacing down at the creature Kailani resisted the urge to curse. They'd promised, no swore, that none of the little bastards would leave the basement. Leaning down slightly she struggled to remain composed as the little gizka hopped forward, the thin blade attached to it's tail glinting in the low light.

Gizka fights, definitely not worth the trouble.

"So, stranger, what brings you in? Haven't seen you here before..." The blonde spacer continued with her pleasantries as a boot moved to gently herd the gizka back towards her and away from it's march to freedom.

[Ysmir]

Something about watching an individual become absorbed and entranced in their work was enticing to Jack. Perhaps, he thought, it hearkened back to the days of yore when he discovered his own love for engineering; in fact, as a teen, he had an utter obsession with the Corellian Engineering Corporation of this very same planet. Lo and behold how he often found his way circling back here for one reason or another, like clockwork. Places like this, of course, were gravy; unnecessary, but added to the flavour and allure of the whole ordeal. Even now, as he sat and watched the woman (who introduced herself as Kailani) go to work, he could hear the idle chatter of the alien individuals around him. His trained ear picked up each and every syllable of the various languages they communicated it. Thank the Heavens for his linguistic capabilities. Life was so much more interesting when you could eavesdrop and actually comprehend it all. He smiled.

"Been a long while since my last foray into a rendezvous of that nature," Jack said as he reached out to the now-topped off glass set before him. Lifting it to his lips, he let the smoky liquor flow outward and relished in the bite upon his tongue. It went down smooth as silk; as per Whyren's reputation. Holding the glass up and inspecting it, some hazy lighting from outside the cantina's window shined through the whiskey inside. "Was honestly surprised to see you guys even had this stuff. Pleasantly surprised, that is." He set it back down after.

He waved off her offer of food. "Don't have the stomach for food right now, hun. Maybe in a bit. Liquor'll do," he said with a small lift of the glass and a smile.

As she was accosted by the unseen critter, Jack's attention was pulled away from her momentarily by a small bump at his side. Looking down and to his left, T7 had once again used his cylindrical body as something of a makeshift battering ram -- with the sole intent of getting Jack's attention. "What?"

T7 spun around on his rotors and seemed to gaze pointedly to the far-off corner of the cantina, at a circular table where two individuals sat surrounded by what appeared to be their ne'er-do-well friends; a Trandoshan and a Wookiee. The two titantic creatures were caught up in the midst of a test of might, their hands wrapped around one another's as they attempted to wrestle each other's arms down. Arm-wrestling, it was so succinctly called. From what Jack could see from afar, each one of them had consumed more than their fair share of liquid courage judging by the littered empty bottles on either side of the table. The gathered crowd yelled out in foreign tongues that Jack likely spoke but couldn't make out from the distance. He smirked as he lifted the glass to his lips once more and took another swig of the smooth liquor. "Good eye, Tee-Seven. Always like to see some fair competition."

Blissfully unaware of the silent war Kai waged with the tiny creature at her feet, Jack's attention was called away from the drunken contest when she addressed him once more. He spun on the barstool to face her -- only now did he see the strange position she leaned over the bar in. A brow raised as he inspected her foot, which shot back notably as if to push something away. Shelving that matter for now, he looked back to her eyes.

"Well," Jack began, rapping his fingers along the bar, "bigger question than one might think."

He took another sip of the whiskey before he went on with his recounting of what had actually led him to this place. "Dunno if you've ever been down to the Mynock's Haven at the upper city or heard of it before, but they got this real nice Dejarik den. Well, I figured I'd give it a shot. Dejarik's not really my game, so to speak -- more of a pazaak guy. But I like to think I excel at whatever I put my mind to. Not the case." He swigged from the glass once more. He released a pleasant sigh as the slow burn travelled down his gullet; tasteful, not overwhelming. The citrusy spice from the peel was a nice touch, he had to admit.

"Lost my creds, but not my spirits. Decided to come here to celebrate. Just hit a big payday the other week," Jack explained further, whilst T7 made his way over to the corner table by himself to witness the arm-wrestling more closely. "What better way than to find a fine place and meet some new people?" He posed the question almost rhetorically, but the implication was that he knew of Bennigan's reputation one way or another, vague though it may have been to him.

"Also," he added, looking up from the glass, "call me Jack. A pleasure."

[Moonfire]

Kailani raised a powder-white eyebrow at Jack’s cavalier surprise. “Are you implyin’ that Bennigan’s doesn’t seem like the kinda fine upstandin’ establishment that would serve the best fuckin’ whiskey on Corellia?” The edge of her voice lifted only slightly, teetering back and forth between actual and mock offense. Sure, her bar was a total shithole that definitely watered down half it’s top-shelf liquors, but you didn’t just say that out loud. Rude.

Keeping the good shit stuffed below the bar and off the top-shelf helped to maintain that image, and away from the prying eyes of CorSec boys in the neighborhood. The whiskey bottle slid back into its place, a bar rag working it’s way across the counter as the stranger refused food, his eyes skimming the patrons with an easy look. “New friends, yeah, Benny’s is always a good place for meetin’ people. We pride ourselves on havin’ a warm, uh, welcomin’ atmosphere.” Compared to the miserable lot in the main dining-room Jack’s energy might have been refreshing, if not for the bash of a miniature tank back against her shin.

Biting down on her lower lip the woman’s green eyes flicked down to the gizka she in that very moment dubbed Little Shit, just barely held back by the thick high-heeled boot tucked behind her. Pressured was exerted, experimentally, against the side of her foot seemingly undaunted by the fact that escape had become magically farther away than just moments before. Never one to give up on his goal, and with an impressive win-loss record of 1|1, Little Shit pressed on, hopping up and over Kailani’s foot with a tiny metal clang, obscured only by the raucous cheers of the match across from them.

“Oi! Ya’ll need to keep it down, you’re disturbin’ my other customers!” Teeth set on edge the woman’s vision flashed crimson, rage rippling across her tense shoulders as Jack peered out over the Trandoshan and Wookiee, a pair of regulars who’s sordid romantic history was the subject of much gossip and speculation-- Last Kailani heard Grivhilde, the Trandoshan, was seen at Phil D’ykkle’s schmoozing with ex. Snrrawrrhee, Rhee to his friends, didn’t care for his girlfriend cavorting around with that reptilian loser. With a mighty roar the quarreling lovers duked out their problems in the healthiest way possible, feats of strength.

”Doth uba meeto toe ritke jot uen hhoph uba bacaka da? Ua doth pihonkee vehpe dah uba yae! Uba kaheh cua dan!” Urviv shouted, clapping the wookie on the back. ”Paknee ata uen bai suplex bohw!’ The rodian cried, pointing at the Trandoshan woman with unconcealed hatred in his shiny bug eyes. If Kailani had to bet, Urviv had a more personal stake in Rhee’s romantic life than he’d like to admit. Turning back to Jack she let her expression soften more, despite the contorted position of her body, foot still resting atop the struggling box of amphibian and metal beneath it. “I swear, it’s like nobody’s got any fuckin’ sense of decorum anymore… But it’s nice meetin’ ya, Jack. I’m a little, uh, short-staffed tonight with the party downstairs.”

Little Shit, undistracted by conversation, the pains of trying to run a bar with an angry four-armed cook, an illegal gizka fight ring in the basement, or a lover’s spat turned arm wrestling match being barely supervised on the dining room floor, decided that Kailani most certainly was not troubled enough. Metal flashed thin and sharp against Kai’s boot, lashing angrily in cuts against the certified genuine fake bantha leather. With a valiant thrust Little Shit found purchase, glancing Kailani’s ankle with another curse.

Gritting her teeth the bartender stepped all the harder down on the armored creature, giving Jack a pained but congenial look. “We’re uh, a bit short-staffed. I’m gonna have to check on the club meetin’ here in a bit, any--ow, fuck thing else I can get ya, Jack?”

[Ysmir]

"'Course not, ma'am," Jack said in a practiced and measured tone -- he saw through the bits of her sarcasm to that deep part of her assertion that was actually serious. He smiled. "I got an eye for these sorts of places. S'why Tee-Seven and I stopped in."

T7 was blissfully unaware of the history between the two, but the curious little astromech couldn't have cared less for the reasons behind this display. He had acquired a great deal of knowledge on humanoid anatomy and the capability of certain alien individuals when it came to feats of strength; his databanks confirmed there was no better wrestling partner for a Trandoshan than a Wookiee. As Grivhilde released a defiant and victorous growl of success, she slammed Snrrawrrhee's arm into the table with one last titanic effort. What came next was an assorted mixture of cheers and groans from the gathered crowd as some were overjoyed for Grivhilde's success, others lamenting Rhee's public shaming. Still, though, a happy ending was inbound as the Trandoshan took the defeated Wookiee's hand and stared lovingly with her reptilian eyes. T7, for his part, whirred excitedly and bounced to and fro in place as the contest came to an end. Turning to the bar, he began rolling back across the dive's polished (somewhat) floor toward Jack and Kai.

Jack couldn't help but be amused by Kailani's antics. He smirked as he lifted the roller glass of Whyren's to his lips, eyes flicking down to where the cusp of her upper leg could be seen moving about in place as she struggled behind the bar with some unknown force. She put on a good face; he gave her that much credit at the very least.

"Personally," he began with a shrug, scanning across the bar once more, "I've always found the less-hinged folk 'round this part of the Galaxy to be buckets more fun than, uh..." He trailed off for a moment, reflecting back to the scene on Nar Shaddaa he had experienced some time ago; Republic and Sith forces working, begrudgingly, in tandem. Soldiers. Warriors, if you believed in that sort of thing. He respected their drive and their purpose, but not the energy that they approached it all with. Stiffness didn't gel with his laxity. As his eyes jumped from each individual to the other -- the dejected Urviv now focused on his plate of food, the alien couple stroking each other's cheeks and muttering sweet nothings of apology to one another, the scattered bodies all about the dive living their own curious and storied lives -- Jack realized that this exact crowd wasn't just the one he preferred, it was the whole damned reason he was alive.

Turning back to Kailani after that brief moment of reflection, he smiled and raised his glass. "Well, let's just say I'm right where I'm 'sposed to be. Cheers."

As he threw back the rest of the Whyren's, T7 had diverted course at the last moment when he reached the bar. The astromech's scanners had become aware of something behind it; something not humanoid. Peering curiously around the corner of the divider, T7 took note of the armored Gizka struggling with a bladed apparatus beneath Kailani's boot. Were he a sentient, one might swear they saw a glint of a mischief and excitement flash over the bulb of T7's viewport. Rolling behind the bar, the astromech approached Kailani from the side while she was distracted by Jack in conversation. He loomed over Little Shit as his central chest cavity slid open, revealing a shock arm that slowly and menacingly extended outward. Without hesitation, T7 let loose a quick burst of electric energy that zapped the amphibian creature with thousands of volts which rendered it unconscious after a fleeting moment, though not without a pained and defeated squeal as it ceased struggling beneath Kailani's boot.

"Be-reet dereet!" exclaimed T7 in victory as the arm retracted into his chest once more.

Jack stood and looked down and over the bar at T7, before he finally became privvy to the source of Kailani's discomfort; his brow raised as he slowly looked up and toward Kailani. "Is that a... gizka? In armor plating?"

T7's head rotated as he glanced between the two of them. "Beep bereet?"

[Moonfire]

“An eye, of course.” Kailani nodded along, elbow still planted firmly on the bar-top as her eyes skimmed across the rest of the bar again. If you’d asked Kailani Quix where she’d be now ten years ago she would have, correctly, predicted that she’d be at least a little bit drunk and, less correctly, captain of her own crew. Probably taking advantage of Imperial and Republic military cargo ships. She hadn’t expected the war to end, for fungus spider monsters to rain purple rocks from the sky and turn whole planets worth of people into mulch, and she certainly hadn’t expected to be slinging drinks in four solid walls all her own… or that upstairs she had something she cared about more than herself.

Rhee and Grivhilde’s quarrel had become something altogether more amorous than she liked. The reptilian and mammalian love story no one wanted illustrated in soothing hisses and purrs as the gathered crowd either expressed their disappointment in Rhee’s lack of self-esteem. They knew he could do better, really, but Grivhilde had his heart in her talons.

Love was a fuckin’ joke, a comedy that only made you laugh if you stopped taking it and yourself so voiddamn seriously.

But at least people were starting to feel at home again, safer now that the spires had fallen and all the rebuilding and shit was a task for some other poor schmucks in Hutt Space.

Urviv returned to his table, his drink still looking full. Rhee’s friends, disgusted by his emotional and physical weakness, left with a soft whoosh of the doors. Good, fuckin’ freeloaders had only bought a single round of drinks.

Jack mused about his experiences with others, his varied taste for company before declaring that this very spot in this very galaxy was where he was meant to be. Looking back at Jack she smiled warmly. “‘Course you are, sugar. You’re at Bennigan’s, a Corellian Legend™.”

The tag-line tasted sweet if self-awarely ridiculous on her tongue, the practiced grin giving it as an easy charm even as the gizka beneath her boot was twisting and writhing. She’d have to slip him back into the private party room in a minute, maybe if she tossed him into an ice bucket she could get him there an--

ZAP!
Kailani jumped up and away from the scent of ozone and the harsh snapping crackle of slimy seared flesh and pitiful amphibian noises, dropping the glass she had been thoughtfully cleaning to the ground with a shatter.

“Hey! Employees only, pal!” Kailani barked, tilting at the waist to shout at the astromech, picking up and tossing the collapsed battle-gizka up under her arm. Turning back to Jack, anger plain across her face Kailani gestured to her valiant defender. ‘He can’t be back here! Ya gotta control your droid, man. That’s one of my glasses he broke, you gotta pay for that!”

Red blossomed across the pretty pale face, curls fluffing ever wilder, as if feeding off the distraction of her rage before being cut neatly short by Jack’s question. Glancing down at the not very well concealed armored creature Kailani blurt out the first thing she could think of. “Yes. He’s, uh, my pet.”

[Ysmir]

T7 beeped wildly in alarm as Kailani turned her sights on him. The astromech turned so rapidly on its axis that he bumped with a comical thud into the side wall, causing the liquor and assorted glasses stored there to rattle and clank together. Luckily, though, nothing fell. As T7 rolled at high speeds away from Kai and out from behind the bar, Jack couldn't help but let out a boisterous chuckle at the astromech's antics; T7 never failed to keep him entertained. He slapped the bar with his hand as his laughter got the better of him, sliding back down into place on his seat as he leaned his head against the roller glass. The cool liquid inside felt nice against his buzzing skin, which felt slightly warm due to the liquor's effects. Jubilant, crow's feet creasing at his eyes from his smile, Jack looked to Kai. His laughter settled into an uneasy smile.

"Look, I'm real sorry. See, Tee-Seven... he hasn't had a wipe in, oh, goin' on thirty years now? Thirty, right?" Jack asked with a quirk of his brow, turning over his shoulder to T7 as he rolled up by Jack's side in front of the bar.

"Be-reet dee bee!" replied the droid exuberantly, bouncing back and forth in place. It seemed he took pride in his curious and unique personality traits. Jack nodded.

"Yeah, thirty. Takes after me a bit, actually." Jack shrugged and gunned the rest of the Whyren's in the glass; it burned oh so nicely as it went down his gullet, and he winced only slightly in response. He mused as he inspected the emptied glass. "... for better or for worse."

He looked back to Kailani, noting the warm pink of frustration and perhaps even slight embarassment that spread over her face. The liquid courage was certainly working its way through his system, as he felt neither emotion in any measure as a small smile spread itself across his lips. Jack squinted in an almost accusatory manner as his free hand worked its way from his lap, pointing down at the small, unconscious tank of a creature that she held under her arm. "No way that thing's your pet. I'm callin' your bluff."

Jack placed his emptied glass down, and it hit the bartop with a soft clunk. "'Nother Whyren's, my lady. Pretty please." Jack didn't know it himself 'till now, but evidently he was on a mission tonight. Then, his brows furrowed. "Oh, yeah, and... go 'head and put that glass on the tab, too. No biggie." He shrugged; it was the least he could do for her after T7's little... misadventure. He crossed his hands and leaned forward onto the bar, resting on his forearms as he eyeballed the Gizka again. He just couldn't keep his mind from racing with questions. Why a Gizka? Why armored? Why here?

After a few measured beats of silence while Kai prepared another glass, Jack broke the peace with impunity. "Sorry, I can't bear it. Why in space was an armored Gizka latched to your leg?" He asked the question with exasperation only seen in one who has exhausted all possible answers in their own head. His eyes were transfixed onto the small amphibian with a mixture of fascination and pure confusion. Jack switched his gaze over to Kailani, and she could almost sense the toil radiating from his troubled mind.