Ask Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts

[Vander]

Nah, we'll split up the money, he said, popping out about twenty crowns for both of them, handing half over to her. It wasn't very much, but it was enough to play some slot machines or something to that end.

I won't take "no" for an answer, he said, immediately regretting saying that and realizing that he really shouldn't have said it.

Or you know... I would appreciate if you would say "yes," he said, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable with himself and his idiocy. Smooth move buttercup. I bet she's never heard 'you can't say no" before. Kriff-stick, he berated internally.

Just... you know... sorry, he finally just blurted out awkwardly, swallowing hard.

That's nice, and probably just because you haven't spent enough time with me to know different, he said, pausing a few moments more. But thank you, he said, actually smiling, a rare instance.

Umm, I don't know. I've never done this before, he said with a shrug. There's some slot machines over there we could use, he said, heading that way.

Uh, hold up you two. I'm going to need to see some IDs, one of the guard droids said, stepping in their path and identifying that they did not, in fact, appear old enough to be here. Despite all they had both been through in their lives they were still both quite young.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira stared at Corax as he fumbled over his words - first about saying yes or no and then the casual retort to calling him pleasant, “You are probably correct,” Zira said with a nod, agreeing with him. He likely wouldn’t have expected such a blunt response, but Zira knew pleasant people almost always had hidden agendas. Corax was no different, but she appreciated that was self aware enough to admit it outright.

When the guard droid asked about ID, Zira was unfazed. She drew out her alias ID that her master had created for her, flashing the card that showed her face with the name Elmira Durz.

They were permitted entry and Zira spotted a few slot machines, “I’m surprised Sith don’t just…use the Force to influence these games,” She mused aloud so only Corax could hear, “If I had those abilities, I would constantly use it to my advantage,” Zira admitted.

 

[Vander]

Vander just snickered as she agreed with him, not offended at all. She was a spy for another Sith on members of the Sith. That alone was probably enough to make her see just how bad the Sith could be. He didn't seem offended by her blunt response in the slightest.

How many people really know you? he thought to himself. There had been a time when he had a lover and a master who had known him well. Who had known who he was and what he wanted out of his life. They were long gone now, and only he remained. Sometimes there were moments of loneliness that he drowned in his work or his hobbies, listening to the voices of people on the holonet as if they were there in the room. They weren't, of course, and he knew that. Would he have changed his life if he had had the chance? Perhaps a piece here or there he would have made choices differently, but there was nowhere in the galaxy that he could do more than right here.

He shook the thoughts from his head after a moment more, chastising himself for the lapse in awareness that could so easily get him killed perhaps not today but someday. If he continued his rise through the Sith his life would be targeted at all times.

Vander flashed his own fake ID - or one of them - and they were inside just like that, moving over to a pair of slot machines and sitting down at one.

I've heard some stories of doing that, he said with a nod. I'm sure there's a million ways to manipulate all of these. Certainly can give an advantage in things you play against other people or it can be used in manipulating things like craps or roulette, he said.

He reached up and pulled the lever to spin the wheel on the slot machine and as the numbers started to come back as "absolutely not a win" it turned out that Vander was just... unlucky didn't even really begin to describe it.

Out of nowhere one of the security guards for the casino raised a blaster and shot a stun round into his back. Maybe they had noticed something untoward or heard the talk of cheating or maybe it was just bad luck, but whatever it was, Vander was sent stumbling forward, half-conscious from the shot

Fruhhhhfff, he "said" starting to drool on himself a bit before a second shot knocked him out cold.

The double shots it took at least would manage to buy Zira time to duck elsewhere in the casino and begin to evade. As it turned out this was what a 1/100 would get you.

 

[Zira Suvan]

Zira began to giggle as the slot machine came back with terrible results. It was one of the rare times she had a genuine laugh, covering her mouth to suppress it. She didn’t want to offend him by laughing, but watching him fail spectacularly after just discussing Force use tickled her.

That was when the stun bolts hit his back. Zira gasped and initially crouched down next to him, concern flashing in her eyes. Her gaze flicked back to the attacker, seeing security rush towards them. The tiefling panicked internally, trying to think on the best approach.

However, her thought returned to her Master – they had been very explicit in their directions for her to be a wallflower. She felt sick to her stomach, thinking of all the ways she was to fly under the radar and always stay within boundaries. She was already stepping outside of them just by being here and now she was going to get mixed up in more chaos that was undoubtedly going to go back to her Master.

And she would be punished.

“I’m sorry..” Zira whispered, “I’m sorry..” She muttered again before she drew back, pure terror in her eyes. She broke into a run. She glanced over her shoulder once at Corax’s form – at the form of a man that was pleasant by her standards. That she knew would no longer be pleasant because of what she did.

Because she was not empowered to be anything but a coward in such a scenario.

She was no hero.

The horns and tail disappeared amidst a sea of guests. Zira would use her allowance credits to find herself back to Thule, but she couldn’t afford to look back.

/Exit Thread