Logged: Jan. 28, 2001 Logged by: Alexandre Titled: Curiosity Spells Trouble --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Characters - Alexandre Rathe Alynne Smuggler's Cantina -- CoronetThe Smuggler's Cantina is known throughout Corellia as a place where only the extremely cautious dare to enter. The Cantina has a reputation of having some of the most rugged and dangerous patrons around; some may even be for hire for the right price. At this moment, the cantina is filled with many creatures, some humanoid, and some not. The air is filled with the haze and musky smoke expelled from various kinds of inhaled paraphernalia. A long bar is situated at the northeast corner with several stools before it, while booths are nestled like cubbyholes along the walls. Sessrick enters from Meteor Way -- Coronet . Sessrick walks in, then holds the door for his companion. Meerna enters shortly behind Sessrick, taking a careful look around the place. "No sign of last night's charming welcome committee," she says. Rathe is talking to Alynne at the bar, a glass of something green in front of him. Sessrick shushes the girl. "Hush, now be seated." He waves her away, his eyes wary of the individuals who are present. Meerna makes a face at Sessrick's back, but she does as she's told, finding an empty table and sliding into a seat. Alexandre shoves the doors open with all of his might. They swing open and slap the walls they are attached to. The young man prances in with a wide grin on his face, eyes darting from side to side. His face is mischievous, but his appearance is modest. "What a charming establishment," he mumbles quietly as he proceeds to the bar. Sessrick starts and turns quickly to the door, evaluating the situation, eyes narrowed, one brow arched. Alynne responds to Rathe, "I'm doing fine now. Found me a decent job now, so Its kept me off the streets for the time being, though I'm still looking for a job with atravelling crew so I'm not stuck in one place for too long. She holds up the item she'd been studying, "Don't suppose you can read this script can you? Maybe give me a hint as to what language its in?" Meerna turns in her seat to regard the one who burst through the doors, somewhat amused, mostly scornful. People don't come in like that unless they're looking for attention. Sessrick shakes his head in disgust, then turns back to the bartender. "Excuse me, 'tender, can you get us two . . . um . .. whiskeys! Well . . . yes, whiskeys will do just fine." Rathe shrugs his shoulders, "You know, I could run it through a few programsssssss at my job, maybe find something. Assssss well, I may have a job for you." He looks at her and finishes his drink, letting it tickle his taste buds. Sessrick snatches up the two whiskeys and plonks down the payment. "Thank you, sir." And with a sneer, he walks to his table, whiskeys firmly in hand. Sliding into his seat, he passes one of the whiskeys to his companion. "Drink up, girl, it's good for you." Meerna slides the Twi'lek a look, taking her glass, but she doesn't say much on that. It's that intelligence factor again. Rather, she sips her drink carefully. Good or not, it's whiskey. And whiskey can't be wasted. Alexandre feeds off of the attention he receives from others, but quickly notices it fading. The human grin as he continues walking toward the bar and claps his hands loudly in front of him self. After giving a moment to allow the echo of the clap to fade, he lifts his arms to his side and begins to mix some strange folk-dance steps into his walk... all while humming a soft tune to himself. He's either lost his mind or is extremely happy. Alynne pulls the item back to her two hands and studies it still replying, "Nah, don't think any program can figure this stuff out. The guy told me it was some ancient good luck charm." Some of the other patrons in the cantina seem to catch her attention, she regards each of them for a brief moment, even grinning at the dancing fellow briefly before returning her attention back to Rathe, "What sort of job you talking about?" Sessrick looks up at the strange man, looks down at the whiskey, then shoots the whiskey. He looks back at the human, then comments, "He's still not funny." He returns to the company of his companion. "Now as I was saying, girl, I still can't quite decipher the contents of this map. But once I do, we may be on to something." Rathe nods his head, still looking down at the thing she is holding. "Ancient ssssss? I have alwayssss been a fan of ancient thingssssssss." He nods to the bartender, who takes away his empty glass to fetch a new one. "About the job, we should talk in private ssssssss." Meerna continues to sip her whiskey, nodding. "Once you do, let me know," she mutters."And please, keep hold of that thing. Last thing we need is for it to grow a couple of legs and dance off." She jerks a thumb towards the grinning fool. "Rather like him, I should imagine." Sessrick leans in and whispers to Meerna in hushed tones. Sessrick says, "mmHm tath amnow vore hteer sesme ot vhae oems . . . dlo . . . imet. oD uoy tknhi ew losuhd ryequ r?he" in Twi'lek. Alexandre dances his way to the bar, snapping his fingers occasionally, and finally stops. He winks at some faceless woman sitting near by, then glances on the other side of himself. Alex grabs the bar, and quickly hops on top of it's surface with ease. He laughs inside, but simply continues to smile on the outside, as he stands up to his full height. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he yells at the top of his voice, for everyone to hear. "May I have your attention please!" Sessrick clears his throat, and then is abruptly interrupted by a large . . .man. "No . . . no you may not, sir." He returns back to his companion. Meerna rubs a brow, then shakes her head. "Ridiculous. Him, I mean. As for the other, it could have merit." She adds something in a language that is Twi'lek. Rathe looks up at the man and then over to Allyne, "Would you like to discussssss thissssss ssssssssomewhere with lesssss disssstraction?" Sessrick produces a map from deep within his robes. He unrolls it and lays it flat on the table. Alynne lifts her brows at Rathe and states simply, "If it doesn't have anything to do with traveling or mechanical work, its likely I won't be interested. I'm a mechanic, plain and simple." As the man at the bar calls out, Alynne's attention turns to him, curious as to what this guy wants. Slipping her object back into her pouch, she's careful not to let it out of her protective sight. Meerna nurses her whiskey, peering over Sessrick's shoulder. With little care of how much attention everyone has given him, Alex continues to yell to the patrons of the cantina while walking down the bar. "Today is a very festive day for me!" he announces, as if someone should care. "I would like to invite you all to celebrate with me! As such, all drinks..." he pauses for a second to see if anyone's attention was won with the word 'drinks', "are on me!" Sessrick idly raises a hand, "Two more whiskeys!" and then goes back to looking at his map. Meerna still pores over the map, her whiskey finished. She gives little regard tothe others. Sessrick points to a few parts on the map. "Now I am well versed in the things I have studied, but these . . ." He taps a portion. "This I do not know. This language I cannot even relate to what I know. It will take us some time to decipher this script. But it is not impossible." Rathe nods his head to Alynne, "Of coursssssssse, I undersssssssstand." The mans shouting has finally gotten his attention, as he was standing quite close to him. Meerna hmms in thought and agreement, her mind focused on the parts she does know. Which, admittedly, isn't as grand as Sessrick's, but it's enough. "I say we leave this place now," she says after a moment. "Go where we can study . . ." Her eyes travel from person to creature. " . . . uninterrupted by buffoons and snakes." Sessrick studies the map for a few more seconds, then rolls it up and returns it to its hiding place. "Agreed. Let us be away." With no delay, Alex turns to the barkeep and tosses him a baggy full of credits. "That's for the drinks, keep whatever is left." He glances over to the far side of the cantina, where a band is snoozing. "And make them plaaay!" he she shouts, almost singing the last word. Meerna nods and stands, not bothering to acknowledge the poor fool's dance and play. She shakes her head. "Cantinas all around are all the same," she mutters. "Let's go." Rathe grins as the credits are tossed onto the table at the same time the drink he ordered arrived. He leans over to Alynne, "He'ssssss a very excited one ssssssss, no?" He grins and lifts his drink to his scaly mouth, glad he doesn't have to pay. Sessrick stands and follows the young Twi'lek. "Careful, girl. Just because all cantinas look the same does not mean they play the same song." He shoos her out. A slight smirk is splayed across Alynne's lips at the man's announcement, she mutters, "figures I'd be drinking tea..." then glances back at Rathe and nods her acknowledgement to him, "Seems that way yes." She sighs and comments, "Wish I could find someone to read the stuff on my cube." Rathe nods his head, "Let me have a look at it, it is possssssssssible that could read it." Feeling his responsibility for livening the place up satisfied, Alexandre picks up the tune being played by the band, and begins to dance and spin on the bar joyfully. As he dances and makes merry, the boy's eyes dart from person to person observing each one carefully. Rathe snarls as the mans feet dance a little to close to his drink for comfort. He still waits for Alynne to allow him to look at the charm. Alynne pulls the cube back out of her pouch and shows it to Rathe, reluctant to let it go. She points out the runes engraved upon it, "Its in a strange language that I don't understand. That look familiar at all to you?" Rathe takes the cube from Alynne's hands, looking at the writing etched into it, wondering what it could mean. Rathe shakes his head at the cube and hands it back to Alynne, "Nope, I amsssssorry. I do not know what it means." SKILLCHECK: Rathe Skill: Investigation Difficulty: Extremely Hard .........................Failure! The music is playing, and the patrons are relaxed and happy with the free music and drinks. The host of the celebration continues to dance on the bar, next to Rathe, his attention set on the funny cube in his hand... It sure does look interesting. In a very nonchalant move, the human kicks out with one of his feet, as if part of a dance step, then with the other, aiming directly for the cube. SKILLCHECK: Alexandre Skill: Dancing Difficulty: Medium .........................Failure! SKILLCHECK: Alexandre Skill: Con Difficulty: Medium .........................Failure! Alynne nods lightly and is only minorly disappointed while she reaches for the cube and grabs it up just in time as the foot appears where the cube had been a moment before. She leers up at the would be dancer that appears to intrude into her and Rathe's business with his so called dancing, which to her looks like a jester making a fool of himself. Alexandre swings his left foot at the cube, but misses. Realizing that his intentions will be very clear, to all but the most blind, he decides that a drastic measure must be taken to prevent suspicion. With his left leg still rising up in the air, the young man shifts his center of gravity and sets himself off balance. "Ole!" he shouts loudly, and falls back onto the bartender standing behind him. Alynne pulls the cube close to her bosom and scowls at the obviously drunk man while the bartender tries to recover from having a man fall atop of him while he was working. Alynne just shakes her head and moves off away from the bar, seeking perhaps a less active part of the cantina to sit in. Spotting an empty table near the door, she decides to head over there until things calm down a bit. Alexandre lays there, waiting to be carried out of the cantina. Not only was falling from the bar quite painful, but he doesn't want to look sane and draw suspicion to his actions. He decides to play drunk, and bellows songs while the cantina staff pick him up and drag him towards the doors. Alynne glances over to see how her bartender friend fared from the blunder of the drunk man. He appears to be wiping his front down trying to soak up the drink mixings he had been busy with just before the man fell upon him. Glad that he's at least come through the ordeal okay, if not a bit wet, she smiles at him. The pair of staff carrying off the drunken man, walks past her towards the door. She again gives the man a scowl as he's tossed out.