Open Lothal Circle of Life

[Nox Solus]

Nox had intended to do some sparring with the Kryze Mando, for old time sake because of their history, but it had been settled rather quickly as he could see something between her and Kaisa. Both of them were occupied as they unshamefully took peeks at each other. A smirk formed underneath his helmet and he gave Kaisa a hidden nudge before he decided to part. It seemed each participant of the conversation was occupied at the moment and when he stood from his chair to leave, that's when he caught a Mandalorian donned in all black armor aimed right for him.

Without a word uttered between them, he managed to catch that her helmet was being directly driven toward his, and just off reaction, Nox slammed his head forward as much as he could. His positioning wasn't the best, just standing from his chair and taken by surprise the moment he turned, but he at least offered resistance and made a showing. The collision still made him stagger back a step but he was able to regain his footing after, his bes'kar helmet absorbing most of the blow as his gaze whipped to the Mando.

While it couldn't be seen, a huge smile had been plastered beneath his helmet without his notice because of the surprise greeting from her. It was a breath of fresh air from the new ways that had taken hold of the clans lately and it was a comforting sight to see another with their helmet on. His stance was ready for a fight to break out but when he saw her hold, he stood back up to his full height, his head given a loose shake with some cracks audible from it. After her words, Nox couldn't help but let out a slight laugh at the absurdity of the question like they had ever been lost, "Oh they're quite hard to miss. I'll even let you take a look yourself." It wouldn't take too long.

Nox's T-visor didn't falter from the Mando's, his gaze silent but telling her even under the helmet, Ready if you are. But instead, she went to the bar and ordered both of them a mug, first calling him a rat and then rightly a badger. His smile only grew from that point and he joined her at the bar, "That leaves you to be the rat then. Barkeep! Make it four!" He gave her a quick cock of his head before the barkeep brought over the two mugs. Nox picked up his as he looked back over to the Mando, "So, what's your name?" As much as rat had a nice ring to it, he'd have preferred her real name.

@Sreeya

 

[Srucayr]

Srucayr would look from the younger Mandalorian back to the crowd. A Callsign. Between that and the Death Watch insignia it wouldn't be hard to guess the Clan, given the ties Vizsla had to Death Watch, though he would let him think he had tricked another Mandalorian. "You know, boy, all Clans have done something they aren't proud of.. its why our people are in this.. state. My Clan has warred with Wren, Kryze, most likely Solus.." he'd pause to nod to the woman clad in black, and he even laughed at the Keldabe kiss. "..Vizsla. But, we're here to celebrate something positive for our people. And as one, you should make yourself known. This is as much for you as it is any other Clan member here."

Srucayr would start to step away, pausing to drum his knuckles on Kell's breastplate. "All who earned this, are worth the time. We are all different Clans, but we are also one people. Or rather, we should be. If you find your soul, your conviction to our people, find me on Mandalore. And if you don't, Kad preserve you." He would then turn to leave the young man to his thoughts, unless stopped.

@Kell Rook

 

[Akalenedat]

*OOC: Yoooo…that hit me hard, @Rhogar :,)*

Kell paused and thought about it for a moment. This…this man was everything he wanted to be. A wise warrior with the strength and smarts to hold his own and defend his people. Kell wasn’t surprised that he, of all people, figured it out. So, Kell thought that he owed it to him to tell the truth- not that he already knew. Kell looked back at the others having drinks and making passive aggressive conversation with each other. It almost looked like fun. “I-I’ll stay out here. If that’s alright.” He still wasn’t sure he wanted to be around the others just yet.
He liked it outside.
It was calm.

“It’s Kell,” he answered sheepishly. “Everyone…even the Sector Rangers know me as Arbalest. Um, can you keep that between you and me?” Kell rubbed the back of his helmet apologetically. “Rook. Kell Rook…Rook was my father. I never knew him, but uh, this was his armor. He wore it better than I did in that Huttball tournament…” He sighed and thought about the seasoned warrior’s offer. Maybe he could take a break from being a Ranger and work on some self improvement with this Alor of Alors.

“I’ll find you on Mandalore. You have my word.”

 

[Srucayr]

"I have a counter, ad. You follow me, find the newborn and their mother. You give them one look and if you can't find a reason to know those here, return to your post." he'd look back to the loudness. "You get used to that amongst our people."

When the young man gave his name, Srucayr would nod. "If you're going to use a callsign, use our language, to keep your identity.
Bregr'tateyr. Not only will it remind you who you are, you will then get the entertainment of the Aruetii tripping over the pronunciation. I met a Rook once, even mistaken for him. He was a good man, and if that was a reflection of the Rook Clan, then I'd say you were on the way to reflecting that. As for the Huttball game, you fought alongside two young Alore. Lack of experience and bad communication cost you the game. Our defeats are more important than our victories, as they show us what not do. Lose more while you're young and the stakes aren't so high... so that when you're my age, your victories will be boundless as you'll have the wisdom from previous defeats."

Once more, those knuckles clanked on his breast plate. "Our word is our bond, an oath sworn must be carried out. Without it, we have nothing. Remember that in the years to come." with that, he would turn to find the newborn and their mother, expecting Kell to follow after him. Ultimately, it was up to the young Mandalorian and Srucayr wouldn't punish him for not following. As he walked, he would drain his glass of tisane and with the free hand, pull his helm back on.

@Kell Rook

 

[Akalenedat]

“I…uh, well…” Kell was speechless. That was a lot for him to take in. He looked back to the child and their mother and watched Srucayr leave him to be alone with his thoughts. There were several.
First, his name. Akalenedat. It meant “Hard Contact” like what an actual arbalest did. Sru was right. It made him feel more connected.
To his father and mother- whoever they were. Gal, he wished he was the newborn. They’d grow up knowing who they came from. Akalenedat only had his guns from his mother and his armor form his father.
I mean, that’s still pretty badass. But I wish I could’ve seen how badass they were.

Kell felt something in his chest, the same spot where Srucayr had lightly struck him. It was warm and welcoming like he had been. He also took what the old man said to heart. That Huttball match was a lesson and one he wouldn’t forget. Kell then stood up after a moment and followed Sru in to see the child. He knelt down in front of it, gazing down through his t-visor. He pointed a finger, gently, toward the kid to which the little one grabbed it.
Even if it was only for a split second or two of the little hand grasping at his gloved finger, it felt like that little connection had lasted an hour.

Akalenedat stood and faced Sru, “Thank you, Alor.” That was all he could say. Maybe Srucayr had actually met his father. Maybe on Mandalore he could search through some records and find his family. Then, he’d return to Ord Mantel and tell his Clan of his new found honor.

That would be the day he’d call himself a Vizsla.

@Rhogar

 

[Kaisa Solus]

Kaisa couldn't help but chuckle at Val's comparison of Lothal and Kalevala. She'd been to Kalevala only a scant few times, and as far as she was concerned, it was a few times too many. Kaisa much preferred worlds that weren't just a rolling toxic desertscape. Then again, it was worlds like Kalevala that shaped the Mandalorians of the past into what they were, and by extension, shaped the Mandalorians of the present as well.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure who has birthed the new baby badger. We celebrate all additions to the clan the same way.. when we can, of course.

Truth be told, even if Kaisa knew who the star of the party was, she would have likely been hard pressed to remember. At the moment, her mind was far too preoccupied with Val having taken off her helmet, revealing the absolute beauty of the Mandalorian that had been hidden underneath.

Unfortunately, Kaisa's reverie was broken by the sudden arrival of a new Mandalorian, and the subsequent Keldabe Kiss they inflicted onto Nox. Standing from her chair almost immediately, Kaisa reached down to grab her blaster, but her hand was stayed by the quick words exchanged between Nox and the stranger. If her brother wasn't upset, then Kaisa supposed she shouldn't be either.

Rolling her eyes at Nox's not-so-subtle flirtation with the stranger, Kaisa couldn't help but let out a sigh that also came out as a half chuckle. Turning back to the barkeep, Kaisa held up two fingers, and before long two more mugs of ne'tra gal showed up in front of her.

Looking to Val, Kaisa slid a mug over to her, a playful grin creasing the corners of her lips. What do you say, Kryze? I bet we can outdrink those two, easy. She said, pointing at Nox and Shale with her thumb. Losers buy rounds for the rest of the party? Kaisa let out a laugh as she finished what was left of her current drink before slamming the mug back onto the counter and pulling the new one to her. Actually lets make it more interesting. Losers get a new tat. Winners choice.

Kaisa was sure that of all the Mandalorians gathered here, there was at least one who knew the Old Ways, and if they did, they'd know how to do a half decent tattoo. Of course, it wouldn't be with a fancy electronic needle gun. Oh no, it would be with a hammer, a sharp chisel, and some sooty black ink. You know, the way a real Mandalorian gets their tattoo.

@Mockingjay @Orbit @Sreeya

 

[Song Wren]

“Nox,” she repeated with a slight bow of her head. “Pleasure to meet you. If I do end up finding a cure, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

And like a dog, she let the conversation roll over and die. Everything was happening so fast. Song struggled to keep up with the flow of conversation and the wealth of Mandalorians surrounding her, not entirely sure where to begin. Valeska was busy drooling over Kaisa, who had since committed them to a drinking wager against Nox and the Vizsla stranger. Reshi had turned back into the crowd, nervously searching for someone Song believed was nobody good. Everyone else had either fallen into tidy chats, or into their drinks.

So many Mandalorians clustered in one place, together again. It all made for a comforting sight. If she could tell the Song that had abandoned her clan four years ago about this very day, she’d have laughed and asked for whatever it was she was drinking. Never before had the future of Mandalore looked brighter, and she had high hopes for the coming days ahead.

Of course, to survive it, she would need more than a drunken Kryze as her only friend. It was a mortifying thought, something she would not have considered up until now, but Song would have to actually socialize.

She contained a sigh before rising out of her seat. With a pat on Valeska’s armored shoulder, she warned, “I know this is quite a lot to ask, but don’t get yourself killed. Also, try not to bet with anything other than your pride.” The two of them still had a mission to attend to, and by tomorrow, they would depart for Scipio to see it through.

Song moved down the bar toward the only Solus she hadn’t yet been introduced to. He had the look of a veteran, all sharp angles and rough lines, as if his helmet had molded every detail of his face, and a set of dark eyes that had decades of experience behind them. She found it hard to look away from the scar down his cheek, but resisted the urge to ask. Instead, holding her glass of bubbling spotchka, she gestured to the open spot beside him and said, “Do you mind?”

If, by some miracle, he agreed to let her join him, Song would slide up against the bar at his side. “Name’s Song,” she’d say. He probably had caught her name the first time around, but she did it only out of the small hope he might give his own in exchange. “I thought you could use some company before you started brooding into that bottle of yours.” A partial lie. It was more to prevent Song from doing the same to her own.

Raising the glass to her lips anyway, she asked, “You travel far to get here, vod?”

@Painus

 

[Valeska Kryze]

Val could not hide the amusement that twinkled in her eyes as she accepted Kaisa's glass. She was used to drinking competitions back in Zira the Hutt's bar on Taris, but she couldn't exactly say they had been fun. Most of the bounty hunters she drank with drank to stay on her good side, or to find chinks in her armor, anything that would allow them to exploit Zira's favorite pet Mandalorian. She was glad those days were now behind her.

She glanced sideways at Song, who was already leaning in to tell her something. The grin on her face widened. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Doesn't sound like I'll be betting in credits tonight, anyways."

It was odd, the kindredness she found with Song. They had only found each other a short time ago, and hadn't done anything too crazy together yet; but Song was the first Mandalorian she had seen since leaving Kalevala to escape her father's dismissiveness, the only one who had tried to wrench her away from the gutters of Taris, and for that the young woman had a strange place in Val's heart. But surely they could handle a few minutes apart from one another. And besides, Song was moving away, towards one of the other Solus, anyways.

Val turned back, held her mug up to Kaisa, smirked, and said, "I'm game, Solus. These two don't seem like they can handle much, and I've been dying to make someone tat a Loth-cat on their ass."

And just to prove she was serious, she tipped the mug back and swallowed its contents in one gulp. The burn that followed lanced up her esophagus like molten rock; but it was a good burn, a burn she hadn't felt in some years. She glanced between Nox and the newcomer. "Now, let's see what you two have got." @Feng Mian @Logan @Orbit @Sreeya

 

[Shale Vizsla]

Shale scoffed at the brazen remark about his own nether regions. She was used to far worse ‘flirting’ attempts, but she didn’t dignify him with a response. Instead, she tilted her head to regard the Solus that spoke up about a contest. The black visor of her helmet lingered on the Solus for a moment in a silent, calculating moment before she looked back at ‘Nox’.

“Pairing me up with the rat?” She remarked with distaste, “Don’t tell my clan,” Shale as she grabbed the first mug of ale. Vizsla never backed down from a challenge, and even if that meant getting a tattoo on her ass, she would partake.

Without a word, she tilted her head away and threw back the entire mug. She felt okay after the first drink, but it was definitely slightly stronger than she was used to. Shale slammed the mug down, snapping her fingers for another as she looked towards the Kryze and Solus.

It was then that she remembered Nox’s question, black visor glancing back towards him, “Shale,” She said simply, “I’ll probably be reminding you of it again after that hit to your fragile head.”

@Logan @Mockingjay @Orbit

 

[Nox Solus]

Hearing Shale complaining about being paired with him and not wanting her clan to be told, a smirk formed underneath the helmet once more. It seemed he went back to the rat again. "It would be embarrassing to have to rely on a rat to win." Kaisa had suggested the challenge and he wasn't surprised in the slightest. While a tattoo on the ass wasn't something that really appealed to him, a challenge from his sister and the opportunity to beat her couldn't be ignored in the slightest.

Nox grabbed his mug and held it up slightly, "Cheers." He slammed the bottom down before bringing it to his mouth as he tilted his head and his helmet so that he could drink it. The ale went down with relative ease and he downed it entirely as well before slamming it back down. A familiar buzz and burn shot through him and spread throughout his entire body, Nox welcoming it. The ale was the stuff he grew up on as a foundling, memories of him and others sneaking out so they could break into one of the kegs for a fun night resurfacing. "Just like I remember."

The Mando pushed the empty mug aside before swiping at another and bringing it over to him. He was caught up in the competition enough that he had almost forgotten his own question, still managing to catch her name when she answered. Nox glanced back over to her, "I think you'll be surprised." Not only at him being fragile but that he would remember. His gaze then went back towards the other competing pair, waiting for them to down their drinks as well. "It will be hard to forget as well once we beat my sister." Kaisa had a reputation for being able to hold her own.

@Logan @Mockingjay @Sreeya

 

[Freyja Ordo]

Freyja had learned that keeping her ear to the ground was the best way to get by in the Outer Rim, knowing what or who was the next big thing was the key to getting paid and moving on before the trash of the galaxy turned up. That ear had let her know that Tyrs people, no her people were beginning to gather, that the long since shattered people of Mandalore were looking to finally pick up the pieces and return once more to their home.

The rumblings could be heard through much of the Eastern reaches of the galaxy, things were already in motion and like today Freyja was late to the party. The gathering point for the Mandalorians of today was much like any other time she had seen one of her kind, in a place surrounded by alcohol and other distractions of the flesh. As she walked from her ship set down a fair distance away she heard more news that the gathering was because of a baby being born into the clan. Although among apparent friends or at least not enemies, she still wore her Beskar'gam, her prized sword magna-locked to the back plate and a pair of pistols upon her hips.

Freyja held her helmet under one arm, letting her long braided blonde locks flow out behind her, she held a thick thumb sized cigar between her teeth taking a deep pull of the rolled tobacco before plumping herself down on a seat near the bar, waiting for the server to come free.

 

[Kaisa Solus]

Kaisa was elated to see that her fellow Mandalorians were up to the task of her little challenge, and even more so that Vale seemed more than happy to be on her team. Watching as the others downed their drinks with relative ease, Kaisa couldn't help but chuckle. Mandalorians really were just a cut above the rest.

Tipping her own frosty mug back, the young Solus inhaled it in its entirety in a matter of just a few seconds. Slamming her mug back onto the bartop with a satisfied sigh, Kaisa smiled at Nox, the kind of smile that said "I hope you enjoy ass tattoos."

I'm pretty sure you've never beaten me at anything, Nox. Kaisa said jokingly, though she was fairly certain her statement was true. Except for being old, She added, tapping her temple knowingly as the bartender refilled her mug.

Before anyone else drank their next, Kaisa motioned for the bartender to bring them each a shot of corellian whiskey. It was time to up the ante a little bit in this little contest.

Next stop, Corellian car bombs! Kaisa said before dropping the shot into her mug and tipping it back. Unfortunately, this one was a little rough, but manageable - Kaisa only coughing a bit at the end, when her drink was gone.

The haze of drunkenness was beginning to creep into the corners of her eyes, but for now she would be alright. Hopefully Nox and Shale would get a little bit more car bombed than Kaisa just did.

@Mockingjay @Orbit @Sreeya

 

[Srucayr]

Srucayr would nod once to Kell, one gauntlet resting on the mans shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "This.. is why we fight.." he would say, nodding to the baby. "I will be right back, you see to the others, young one. Make your face and your presence known."

He would then give the parents his congratulations and offer a prayer to the gods for them and their child. The gift in question was a hand carved crib. The spindles would have a badger clawing its way up each one, while the four corners ended with a Gapillian, the fabled war mount of the Orar'da'yadr of old. With it, was a dagger with the symbol of Kad etched into the blade. With some final words, the War Priest would make his way back to the bar, clapping Laren's shoulder as he passed.

Ancient armor gleaming, he would flag down the bartender. "Another tisane." he'd say, as he set down payment for the drink.

@Scoobert @Kell Rook

 

[Valeska Kryze]

"I've been to Corellia once," Val remarked, snagging her of the whiskey off the bar. "Awful place. Smells like a Hutt-run lube shop, and looks about as appealing. Here's to hoping they at least have good whiskey."

She tipped her glass back, swallowing the shot in one gulp. The burn was worse than the last one, and the effect was near instantaneous. It was as if her brain was sitting on the slick edge of bathtub about to slip in. Still, Val held strong to her faculties. She had tasted worse on Taris, and stronger on Makeb. Even so, she couldn't hide the sour grimace that twisted across her face as the whiskey's fire finally reached her belly.

Val shuttered. "I think I would rather drink straight from a speeder's exhaust pipe," she said, coughing.

As she did, her eyes tracked up and met Kaisa's, and she did her best to smile. The Solus certainly knew the path to a woman's stomach was to burn straight through her esophagus. With an arched brow she said, "Perhaps something from the Rim next time? At least those whiskeys have some interesting texture."

And while she wasn't bluffing, she was certainly hoping their opponents would tag out before it got that far. Val didn't know how much longer she could hold out at this rate. @Logan @Sreeya @Orbit