Whither Vulcan

[Marion Cember]

Before leaving the bathroom, he flipped the light switch on and off four times. This was an act that helped keep him sane, or rather insane. The man had a mental illness of sorts, he was an obsessive compulsive.

Marion Cember approached the bar, his drink sat waiting for him. On the way to his seat he made a conscious effort to make eye contact with everyone he passed. He smiled at the ladies, store blankly at the men. His blood alcohol level was extremely high this night, enough to make him shuffle his feet with every five or six steps. He stood five feet six inches tall. A warm and inviting face, weak in stature.

Marion cozied up next to his drink. He mumbled something, to himself, or to whomever would listen, "I can't concentrate...
maybe, that's my problem." He thought about the light switch.
Did he flip it on and off four or five times? It was supposed to be four, never five. For a few moments he went into a nervous state of panic. But, it was his depleted brain cells that saved him, hastening the need to worry about the light switch. His mind escaped him.

He worked the black market. That was how he made his living. Recently however, he wasn't making much money. He liked to gamble. It was a hobby which could soon prove be his downfall. He had gotten himself into big trouble as of late. He owed a member of the Black Sun. That was why he was here, it was also the reason he was drunk. He needed money desperately. If he didn't pay by midnight tomorrow he was dead.

[Rashel Frost]

(As I was sipping on my Namana juice, I glanced up from my seat at the bar. I saw a troubled man who kept mumbling to himself - obviously drunk - and arched an eyebrow. What was his worry? It seemed that everyone nowdays had some sort of problem with their past or present, usually concerning family or death. This man was probably no different than the rest - just a lost soul wandering about, a poor excuse to live.)

[Marion Cember]

He noticed a young lady sitting at the bar. He thought for a moment that she had looked at him, having caught a quick glance of her eyes. She looked innocent enough. Probably no real business there, he thought to himself. But, what was the harm in trying to sell something? He needed the money desperately. He would work this bar all night if he had to. Lord new that he had exhausted his stay at the neighboring establishments already.

He approached the girl and offered drunkenly, "I have really nice necklaces, to buy... and I'm sure that a pretty girl, such as yourself, would like a pretty necklace. Am I right?"

[Rashel Frost]

(The man now approached me and I instinctively reached down at my belt where my blaster usually was. My reflexes had gotten the better of me once more; I had forgotten that I had to give my weapon to the guard at the door. Sighing slightly, I could do nothing but wait and listen to what the guy had to say. Probably some sort of crude remark, I thought to myself as I eyed him warily. However, when he stopped infront of me and asked if I wanted to buy a necklace, I was slightly surprised ... then suspicious. Did the man really need the money, or was he so drunk he didn't even know what he was doing anymore? There was only one way to find out.)

"Depends upon what you have to offer."

(Of course, I really wasn't planning to purchase anything even if he did had 'pretty' necklaces. I myself was running low on cash, and besides, what use did I have for jewelery?)

[Marion Cember]

Marion sighed.

"I have necklaces... you know? I don't have them on me, of course. I could describe them to you, if you'd like."

He paused for a moment, trying to shake off the effects of the alcohol.

"If you don't like necklaces, I have other stuff. I am on the inside..."

He lowered his voice, leaned in and spoke close to her ear.

"... if you know what I mean. Wink, wink."

[Rashel Frost]

(Suddenly, the man felt a sharp, stinging pain on his left cheek. I brought my hand back down, feeling the familiar, bitter taste of anger within my mouth.)

"Don't you EVER come that close to me again ..."

(I narrowed my eyes at him. Nasty man, I thought to myself, feeling revulsion towards his manners. Now I remembered why I didn't hang around bars.)

[Marion Cember]

Marion jumped back. What was her problem? Why did she slap me?

"Hey... look lady, I've had a rough night, all right? And--I don't know why it is that you are such a b----, or why you hit me, but I'll try this one last time... Are you going to buy anything or not?"

He was desperate. If he didn't have the money by tomorrow night, it was his life. He didn't expect anything from the woman but he figured it was worth his breath.

[Rashel Frost]

"And why are you so desperate for money?"

(I knew something was wrong by the way he kept acting - jumpy, alert - all the qualities of someone in trouble.)

[Marion Cember]

"Why... why do you think I need money?"

He stood there for a moment, sure that she could see through him. His mind twisted and turned. Was it too soon?
He figured he'd lay his proposal on the table, see if she bit.

Trying to grasp a moments worth of sobriety, "The truth is that, well... I'm in trouble. I--I owe some people a little money and have until... well that's not really important, but I deal-I suppose illegally one might say. I don't look at it that way but... well, I'm an inside guy. I work the black market. And if you, or any of your friends could help me out by just like buying, anything really it would help me out a lot. A little money goes a long way, ya know? I've-I've got really good-high quality merchandise at really low costs. Even,
I could even hook you up with some illegal spices, if you are so inclined... so, I.. ya know do you want to buy something, or am I just wasting my time here?"

He waited for her response. His eyes were heavy. He had played the part perfectly. The question was: would she bite?

[Keshia Kou]

*keshia watched the strangers intently and smiled when the man laid out his trap.she continued to listen to the conversation with her sesitive hearing and sipping on her coffee*