Firsts....(open to anyone)

[Laine Eldarado]

::Arcan. I hated the place the minute I stepped out of my ship. Too grey for my liking. But it wasn't like I had a choice. Anonyme, the transport I "owned" at the moment, is very temperamental. So I figured I'd stop for a few hours, repair, and be on my way.::


What a dump...

::I was cold, tired and hungry. Not the greatest feeling in the world but discomfort was the least of my concerns. The body in the cargo hold was taking up most of my thoughts. My partner, ex-partner rather, Shameka Nuratt had, unfortunately, decided that he deserved more of our profits than I did. Of course, he failed to inform me on this little tidbit but you have to get up pretty early in the morning to fool Laine Eldorado-- at least, I like to think so.

Who needed him anyway? I was perfectly capable of doing heists on my own. Daddy taught me well.

So far things had gone fine. With the removal of Nuratt came certain bonuses, an increase in my bank balance the most prominent. For the first time in my life I was finally on my own, depending on no one, free. I had cut the cable that connected me to the safety of an experienced companion...and I was scared out of my mind.

Of course, I didn't let it show. That would be the worst move. Truth was, I had never killed anyone before. And it was bugging me. I had never done a job on my own either. Which doesn't exactly make you a prime choice for potential employers.::

Dammit...

::I hadn't been concentrating, my hand had slipped making way for a nice gash to add to my foul mood. This was going to go nowhere. Sighing, I tossed my tools up the ramp and locked I]Anonyme[/I] up. Usually a walk helped to clear my head but from the looks of this place, I'd only end up with more to gripe about.

I pulled on the suede jacket I'd owned for twelve years. It's a security thing. Before I left I made sure to wrap a bandanna around my hand. That was going to leave a nice scar.

The sky was starting to darken and I frowned. I didn't want to be here any longer than I had too but quite honestly, I know next to nothing about ships. And the fact that a dead man was wrapped up in the hold didn't help to ease my nervousness.

I wasn't watching where I was going (I have a very short attention span) and as I turned the corner by an dilapidated warehouse, I ran into another wanderer, rather hard. But Laine Elderado doesn't apologize. Ever.::

Watch where you're going, laser brain!

[Dasquian Belargic]

The man stumbled backwards from the impact, regaining his footing quickly. Without knowing it, he brushed his palm down over his clothes to straighten them out, giving a somewhat coy smile.

"I'm sorry... I didn't see you. My apologies,"

He gave a slight bow to the woman, smiling more broadly, before continuing on walking.

[Laine Eldarado]

::It struck me as an unusual apology and for a moment I almost felt bad. I was frustrated and on edge, it wasn't this fellows fault. But I only nodded and pushed by.

Vaugely, I remembered a story of a murderer that was so overcome with guilt, that he actually heard the heart of the dead man beating beneath his floor. Was I feeling guilty? Even now I was sure someone knew what was hidden back aboard Anonyme. There might as well have been a flashing arrow as far as I was concerned. Glancing around nervously, I suddenly wished that it would hurry and get dark so that I could find concealment in the shadows.::

Who are you hiding from?

::And now I was talking to myself. Well there was no doubt about it, I was going mad. I would have a breakdown and then they'd ship me off to a nice little institution where I could sit and play with sock puppets. The thought made a small grin play across my lips. Well, at least I hadn't lost the ability to laugh at myself.

I walked on in silence, not willing to go back. I wasn't ready yet. Of course, it wasn't like I'd never seen a body before. Shameka had done all the killing though, and dealt with the often messy aftermath. And I'd taken what remained of him this far, so it shouldn't have been a big deal.

But it was.

I sighed to myself, disgusted by my weak stomach. Now was time for a drink. Preferably something very strong.::

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian paused in mid step as he heard the woman talking, though no one answered. He took a few steps backwards and look across towards where he could sense she was. A concerned eyebrow arched on his face.

"... Ah, excuse me miss, are you alright?" he called out.

[Laine Eldarado]

I didn't do anything! I was framed!

::It took a moment for my brain to register that he wasn't accusing me of anything. I drew a few shaky breaths. Nearly gave myself a heart attack that time. Scowling to myself, I gave a short nod.::

"I'm fine. Just not used to the...buildings."

::If I had been able to, I would have stared at myself strangely. There are different ways to react when you're under pressure, depending on what kind of a person you are. Some are cool and collected, no problem at all. Others collapse completely. And then there are people like me who become bumbling idiots.::

"...Uh, what I mean is, I've never seen such...elaborate structures."

::Whooo boy, I was breaking even my standards of pathetic lying. The surroundings on this particular street were suitable for public sewage at best. Raising my eyebrows in what I hoped was a cheerful manner, I tried to look convincing.::

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian chuckled quietly. He folded his arms behind his back and paced forwards towards the woman, his head canting curiously.

"Are you sure? You look a little lost."

[Laine Eldarado]

::I smiled nervously and took a step backwards for every one he took forward.::

Funny you should say that, I am a bit lost. I just came here on a whim actually.

::I spread my arms out, nodding my head to agree with myself.::

Actually, I'm on business right now. Totally innocent of course...completely legal.

::Once again I nodded, making sure I stressed the word legal::

Well...the truth is my ship screwed me over. So it looks like I'm stuck here for tonight.

::How many stories did that make? Three? Ah, good, then he'd have plenty to choose from. I like to provide options for people. Makes them feel special, in control. That and the fact that I probably couldn't have spelt my name correctly if he asked were the deciding factors in this wonderful little scenario.::

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian lofted a brow. Her story did not seem at all convincing, though he wasn't going to argue with it. As a Jedi, it was not his place to judge, and perhaps with a little honesty and compassion from him she would realize this was the case.

"I see. Do you require any assistance at all in finding a mechanic perhaps?"

[Laine Eldarado]

"Oh uh, no, really, that's fine...I'm actually trying to save some credits, so uh, I'll uh figure it out as I go along."

::I was paranoid now. I've never been one to give a lot of trust and in my current situation, the radar in my head was hilter-skilter. I tried to laugh but it got squashed somewhere in my throat. I ended up emitting an odd, hicupping sound::

"Huh...not used to this great air...really nice. Great, great."

::Smooth. Real smooth. Maybe, if I really tried, I could convince him that I wasn't an escapee from Friendly Johns Happy Hospital.::

"Actually, if you could, would you direct me to the nearest motel...preferable a clean one. I have a...stock meeting...in the morning. Talkin' about stocks and...things to do with them. I gotta get some sleep or I won't be on the ball."