RPlog:Ecks File - AR-01 - Promise of Pleasure

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"...And, in other news, a Tradeship of the Squib Merchandising Consortium executed an emergency landing earlier today in the Starport. Fortunately, no one important was injured, however, due to some property damage sustained belonging to rival corporations, the Squib Consortium is being sued: this, compounded by the revelation that the emergency landing was in fact a result of the repulsorlift coils being advertised by the Squibs.

"We tried to reach the Captain of the Tradeship for comment, but quickly gave up when we realised even our protocol droids couldn't understand him." Laughter. "And now we return to our regular broadcast of Fantasy Planet--"

Click.

Kracen Ecks removes his finger from the power-switch to a holo-projector near him on the Concourse of Nar Shaddaa. The rather tall man, rolling his eyes at the dubious report, casts a look around the area impatiently. His contact is late. He finds himself leaning against the wall near the entrance to one of the local bars in this level of the city, watching everything. A glance at his wrist-chrono shows it is early afternoon, and yet the place is as alive as always. The man himself is dressed to blend in - aside from the fact that he is tall for a human - but his clothing is casual, nondescript, and he wears a weathered cloak over his shoulders.

"I hate that show..." he mutters to himself in Basic, quickly stepping away from the wall as a group of half-drunken humans and nonhumans (twi'leks, rodians and a squib) emerge from the bar, almost falling over each other. They're all laughing. A few of them - males - point and leer at every good-looking sentient that passes by, and one even tries to slap a couple on the rear.

Ecks watches the behaviour as though it were the most foreign thing in the galaxy to him.

The place is indeed alive. Always. At every time of the day. And Ka loves it so very much. While the tall, exotic beacon of a twi'lek isn't staggering around in an intoxicated stupor, she is drifting in this sea of sensations, moving along the masses of drifting, wandering humans and aliens. She's enjoying the sights, the sounds, the smells of the place, already having partaken in a drink or substance or two.

Her hands are stuffed into the pockets of those white leather pants, the thumbs hooked into the loops that hold no belt. Hips lightly sway with her barefoot steps, those four, long tattooed lekku of hers wrapped around each other on her back in a sort of organic braid. The creature is hard to miss, even among the exotics her, but she is used to it, skillfully evading some slaps and touches by intoxicated individuals, and letting others happen...in this place, one must not be too sensitive about such things.

Ecks tho, while not particularly perfect in blending in, certainly doesn't immediately catch her attention as the twi'lek gets closer to the man, her eyes moving back and forth, not focusing or searching for anything specific.

"Well, well, well, lookee what we have here..." one of the rather drunk party-goers remarks with a slack-jawed face and eyes that are as 'interested' in the tall, sinuous twi'lek, as they are red-rimmed and bleary from too much lomin ale. It is a human, probably in his twenties - a pilot maybe, judging from the jacket (or perhaps someone who just likes pilot-clothes) - and he breaks away from his group of friends to try and put himself between Ka'una and whatever her destination is.

Ecks, only a few feet away, stirs from his reverie of 'taking in the sights' to look in Ka's direction (and the human near her). He cannot help it - he stares. He stares like a child who has seen his first alien beauty (or goddess, perhaps), and his mouth hangs open. It... is a most peculiar expression on the face of someone who, just moments ago, looked 'ready to do business'.

Behind Ka, a number of signs light up in sequence, along with an announcement of another swoop-race about to commence. Betting booths not far from the bar, come alive, while other spectators head to the nearest and best locations for a look.

Even some of the drunken ones pay attention. Ecks, however, just stares at the tall, lithe twi'lek nearby - far too entranced to even lift a hand to help... not that she needs it.

"Where are you, going, luv?" the drunken youth asks her, and he winks at his friends.

The twi'leki amazon doesn't seem to take the guy's approach in a hostile way. Altho he's blocking her path, she seems to be in way too good of a mood for various reasons to let it get her down. At least not immediately. No, she lifts an arm and continues to walk forward, letting the arm brush across his chest before she playfully moves around him, turning, coming to stand next to him with her arm around his shoulders, the twi'lek leaning down a little to move her head next to his and place her other hand on his chest from behind. "Oh, the question is not where I'm going but where I came from." She softly inhales. "I just ate the contents of a bowl of yapeka cream off the thighs of a lovely zabrak dancer." She closes her eyes. "Slowly. Very slowly." Slightly she opens her eyes again, her mouth inches from his left ear. "She kind of seemed lonely when I left her." Her eyes lift, looking down along the street. "Crimson Hallway Club. Just down there. You'd better..hurry." And with that she straightens, turns around, her hands stuffed in her pockets again as she moves on from behind the guy, the thick braid of lekku slowly loosening up, spreading and waving lightly through the air. She turns her head a little, spotting Ecks' stare, and a light smirk moves her lips.

This is clearly not the reaction the drunken human expected - perhaps he is more used to being rebuffed, rejected, 'repurposed' (beaten into another incarnation) even? But, whatever the reason, he likes what he hears - a lot. A low, throaty chuckle (that sounds more like a growl) emanates from his mouth and he glances over his shoulder at his friends...

Who are already heading at a brisk, unsteady pace toward this 'Crimson Hallway Club' that the gorgeous twi'lek with four lekku pointed out. "Hey!" the human calls out after his friends. "Wait--uhh, up! She's got four! Four! Aww, c'mon, I ain't never had one with four bef--forget it." It would appear his friends are more interested in gate-crashing this other Club, and are more than happy to leave their 'brave leader' behind.

He gives Ka a last, oh-so-torn glance, and then bolts after his friends... only to trip over a passing Ranat, and sprawl face-first into a table outside the nearest bar...and someone's afternoon tea.

There are the usual cries of surprise, scoffs of derision, and various insults from passersby - except Ecks. He is still staring dumbfounded at this twi'lek. He opens his mouth as if to say something, then closes it again (not unlike a fish), and tries a second time. He might just be testing the hinge of his jaw - who knows? Eventually he manages to say, "Beautiful--ly, handled. Yes. ... I seem to be staring. ...And stating the obvious too." He snorts derisively at himself and smirks at Ka'una.

Ka doesn't turn around as the sounds of the commotion behind her reach her conical ear organs. Nah, she's looking ahead again, inhaling softly, about to let herself simply drift again throguh the sea of neon lights, creatures, sounds and smells. A good way to enjoy a certain high. Tho then she suddenly moves slower, and her torso turns a little, her head glancing over her right shoulder at...Ecks. She smiles, looking him over, before the twi'lek lets out a chuckle and fully turns in an elegant fashion...towards him. She moves towards him with swaying hips, and long, elegant barefoot steps..

"I seem to cause that ever so often." she states in a gentle voice, looking at him with a soft smile as she stops only a couple of feet in front of him. She then glances down the street where the drunks went, before she focuses on the man again, looking him over. "Hello."

"I cannot imagine why..." Ecks muses with a little smirk, and also the partial return of his composure. He looks over Ka's shoulder for an instant, watching the drunkard remove the remains of what once was dish of fried beetles from his face, and then stagger off into the crowd. Then Kracen chuckles.

"I haven't seen anything like you before - I'd apologise again for staring, but you don't... appear to mind it, so consider all my apologies 'in advance' and maybe... let me buy you a drink?" He motions with his chin toward the bar next to them, and looks the opposite way to some of the tables and chairs outside. There are a few vacant ones, with serving droids milling about in between them, taking orders and cleaning up messes.

"I'm Kracen," the human says, only a moment later.

One of the serving droids passes by, and pauses. It points an appendage at the holoprojector Ecks switched off, and turns it back on - revealing an image of the swoop-race that is about to commence. The droid turns its photoreceptors to Kracen and waves its 'arm'.

"Please leave the holoprojectors alone; only authorised personnel of the Meltdown Cafe are permitted to change channels. Would you care for something to drink?"

Ecks blinks at the droid, and raises an eyebrow at Ka'una.

The twi'lek hmmmhs, and one of her long lekku moves around her left shoulder, draping down her front before she places a hand on it, and slowly brushes along it. Certainly not something you'd do in twi'lek high society. "Well.." she says and softly inhales. "I'd like to have a drink with somebody I don't need to look down at all the time.." she purrs, before she looks at the droid. "Cassandra Sunrise. No ice." She smiles, before her eyes find Ecks again. "Ka'una. Or just Ka. Or Ku. The choice is yours.." With that she turns a little and moves for one of the tables. She pulls two chairs back, before she settles down on one, her long lekku sans the one on her front draping down the backrest. Her eyes rarely leave the man.

Ecks swallows. There's no amount of training to compete with the sheer fascination of meeting an exotic alien - especially one as rare as Ka'una. Nodding firstly, he tucks his chin in and clears his throat in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, as he settles down into the second seat.

The droid takes Ka's order, and looks again at Ecks, waiting patiently - or impatiently, rather. It rocks back and forth, balancing on a single wheel like a child that can't sit still (or like a robotic waiter that has a million things on its harddrive that it needs to do). Kracen blinks, unsure of what to say.

Another patron nearby orders a lomin ale, and Ecks immediately speaks up to order the same thing. He passes some credits to the droid - more than enough for his drink and Ka's, and then offers the twi'lek a smile. "Do you come here often?" he asks her, like someone reciting a line from a book. A grin flashes over his features, lighting up his sunken eyes. "That really is a terrible line--Ka," he admits with a rueful smile as the droid leaves, hesitating on the twi'lek's name for a second. "You have probably heard them all anyway."

Ka waits patiently for Ecks to sit down, her eyes watching him deal with the droid. Idly her fingertips play with the lek, tracing some of its tattoos as she observes the man. For a moment they close a little and her nostrils flare as she enjoys the moment, before the sound of him sitting down catch her attention again. Her eyes open, focus on the man, and her crimson lips draw into a slightly wider smile.

"I do come here often...when I'm around." she says. "This area certainly is the best place on the whole moon. Whatever you want, no matter how you want to let go.." she says, the fingers moving from the lek before her hands spraed a little. "You can get it. Find it. Enjoy it." And with that they fold on her lap, the lek slid beneath the cupping hands. "I've been here often. But you? You certainly seem like a...tourist." She smirks. "Am I right..?" she asks in a slow, teasing voice.

The word 'tourist' has Ecks chuckling. He leans back in his seat, looking a little more comfortable maybe, and shrugs his shoulders helplessly. "I might as well be," he replies in a dry tone of voice. The man's accent is reasonably clipped, not quite 'refined' but close to it, with elements of various worlds in the enunciation of his words.

The serving droid returns with their drinks and sets them down on the table in front of each of them before disappearing inside the bar again. Ecks reaches for his ale, sniffs it curiously and sips some of it. His nose wrinkles, but he drinks a little more - savouring the taste as one who is trying to figure out if he likes it or not.

"'Tourist' fits," he admits while nodding his head a few times, and wetting his lips with his tongue. He puts the drink down. "It's my first time here, and all the travel-guides said this was the place to be for the best excitement." He smirks at Ka'una wryly. "I suppose they were right. I like what you said, 'You can get it. Find it. Enjoy it.' I'll have to remember that. I was going to meet someone here, but they seem to have...hmm, 'stood me up'. Their loss. So now my little 'business trip' is more of a vacation."

He pauses. "Do I really stand out that much?" His expression is rueful, amused and defeated at the same time.

"Oh? A mate? Ka wonders, a guess at just what kind of person the man had been waiting for. "...no." she decides a moment later. "Probably not. Sounds more like business. Well.." she says and smirks. "They might have a dancer on their lap, or are so high they can't find their way out of the room they're in." She licks her lips. "Welcome to Nar Shaddaa's entertainment district."

She lifts the cocktail glass, filled with an orange drink of various shades before she takes a slow sip and mmmhrrs, closing her eyes, her lekku lightly shivering. Potent stuff. She swallows and opens her eyes again, fixed on Ecks. "But no, you don't stand out that much. You simply seem way more tense than somebody who's used to this place. Who's...enjoyed it to its fullest before." She slightly shrugs. "That is all. And people who've not spent a night here tend to be tourists, people who haven't been here before. Not natives or regular visitors."

The tip of the lek that her hands are cupping lifts and slowly wraps around one of her forearms, slowly, the metallic blue tattoos lightly shining in the lights as she gently carresses the sensitive organ.

"Then consider me entertained," Ecks replies around a smile on his face. He reaches for his ale and drinks most of it down, coughing slightly. Lifting a hand to his mouth, he wipes his lips on the back of his knuckles - all the while watching Ka'una.

"You could easily be a dancer," he remarks with another smile. He looks at the sensual writhing of the twi'lek's lekku, and at the tattoos on her skin, and feels his face flush. He opens and closes his mouth a few times. "I, ahh... hah! I mean to say, that's a compliment. What do you do when you're not humouring 'tourists' like me?" He offers a lopsided grin, and wets his lips once more. Leaning forward in his chair a little, he rests his elbows on the tabletop, eyes on Ka'una, and reaches for his ale.

He doesn't drink the rest of it yet. He is too distracted.

Some other passersby spot Ka'una and Ecks, and one of them wolf-whistles (it is a devaronian - a pair of them in fact). The whistling one glances at Ecks and waggles his eyebrows suggestively, behind Ka's back. The second devaronian bares his fangs in a wolfish grin. "I hope you like strong females, human!" the second devaronian calls out while the first starts to drag his friend away. Ecks blushes, and looks down at the table - sparing just a glance to see Ka's reaction.

"A dancer? Well, I do dance...as a hobby. And usually alone. It is good training." Another sip of her own cocktail gets enjoyed, her lekku lightly shivering again while she swallows. The comment from the devaronians? They simply cause the twi'lek to smirk, before she blindly nods towards their direction.

"And I'm sure they'd approve of me dancing, but some people simply prefer their dancers to be a little less...toned, so to speak." The other hand that's not holding the cocktail glass is letting go of the lek, the tentacle sliding across her lap, draping a little more over her chest, her arm lazily moving across it.

"And when I'm not enjoying the company of Shaddaa tourists, I actually do engineering on a cruiseliner. Angry Rancor, maybe you heard of her before. She's in orbit." And rather needlessy, or automatically, the free hand raises, pointing up. Because it clearly isn't common knowledge that cruiseliners don't orbit around twi'leki chests.

Recognition brightens up the tall human's hollow-features. "I have heard of it," he admits with some enthusiasm. "I always thought it was such an interesting name for a cruiseliner. It stands out - but then, I suppose that is the whole point."

He drains his ale, and stares at the empty drinking bulb as he puts it back on the table. "I think... I don't mind this one. I will have to try it again." He glances upward as well, following Ka's free hand as it indicates the ship that hangs in orbit, somewhere above them. "And I think I will have to try a proper vacation on this ship of yours--"

He cuts off, mid-sentence, as something inside his cloak buzzes. Frowning, he pulls out a small datapad and scans the information displayed. "Blast," he mutters. "It appears I have another appointment - I'm so forgetful sometimes." He says that with a straight face, followed by yet another rueful smirk. "Pleasure will have to wait - business calls." And he rises to his feet with sincere reluctance. Before going, he frowns with curiosity.

"Forgive me, Ka, but I simply have to know: did you really eat the contents of a bowl of yapeka cream of the things of of a lovely zabrak dancer?" He coughs as the nearby devaronians drop their jaws on the ground, practically drooling on the spot - until one pulls the other away. Ecks, despite the slight blush in his cheeks, adds a second later:

"Slowly, very slowly?"

The twi'lek's head slightly tilts backward as the man stands up, her crimson eyes following him. Even before he speaks, she has the feeling that he has to leave, and she lifts her cocktail glass to him, nodding. "Good luck with the business." she says, leaning back a litle more against her chair's backrest. "And I hope we will meet again soon..." At the question that follows tho, she lightly smirks, and her eyes narrow a little. She doesn't answer it, simply takes another slow sip of her cocktail, before she licks her lips slowly. Teasingly so. "Enjoy the rest of the day."

Ecks notes the smirk he gets instead of a reply, and feels his neck grow hotter. Smiling a charming, if a little bashful, smile at the twi'lek engineer, he moves away from the table and starts tapping on the screen of his datapad. He smiles at Ka'una.

"I hope so too," he replies with a genuine nod. An image of the Angry Rancor appears on the datapad, with various advertisements about the vessel and the attractions onboard, costs and other sundry details. Ecks chuckles and begins slowly, reluctantly walking away.

"Beautiful," he murmurs just before moving out of earshot. "Simply beautiful." Then he is gone.

End Log.