Bite Me Once, Shame on You (Arriana Rezner)

[Grym Kandle]

Grym breathed heavily, encased in a simple, black body glove, as he engaged the pole in front of him with a flurry of blows. The pole had several spokes sticking out from it in different angles that all caught a blow from Grym's punches and kicks. Each impact spun the pole on its base, presenting more spokes at different angles. The exercise was simple but demanding over a period of time. The pole was set to often return with the same momentum with which it was struck so when Grym finally came to the end of it, his arms and legs felt numb. With a tap against the upper shoulder of the body glove, it peeled back from Grym's torso, revealing toned flesh, tinged green with black and green veins racing across it. Streaks and scars decorated it almost like tattoos.

The cool air stung against his sensitive skin as he reached the small table right before the exit to his small gym. The syringe waiting there beside his mask dripped a black material from it. With one finger, he swiped the collected drops from the tray and sucked it off his finger gently before picking the needle up. Grym turned to the mirror just above the table and grimaced only momentarily. He brought his free hand up and tugged at his lower lip, tugging harder, then letting go before pinching the lip between two fingers and peeling it down to expose the gum with the other hand bringing the syringe to bear...

The expression on the mask twisted violently, as if it did not want to be worn again. It spat curses in some shadowy tongue as he fit it to his face once more. The mirror still reflected his face but then with one blink there was another face, a woman, and the room was steaming with green mist. Sorsha? Grym turned his head to the left, as if the reflection changed to someone else in his periphery.

Grym stood in his typical simple, black coat with a high collar folded back and silver clasps holding it tight against him. With his mask on, he looked up at the sign to the entrance of a fine dining restaurant that he was fond of on Cloud City. The sense of vertigo and displacement seizing him for only one brief moment before he steadied himself with his cane.

"Sir, right this way, we will seat you now."

It took him a spare moment to realize the Twi'lek was speaking to him but he lurched into motion behind her, still fluid enough, the drawbacks and after effects having not set in so heavily yet that he was reduced to a stooping, old man's gnarled pace. She waved a hand to the seat and Grym nodded in thanks before sliding into it.

"Anything to drink, Sir?"

"Wine... Bring another glass. I'm expecting company very soon."

[Arriana Rezner]

It was the same Twi'lek who signaled Arriana towards her table. The two women shared a smile that, to the Twi'lek's credit, didn't cool even as her eyes lighted on the masked face of Grym Kandle. Lacking the decorum of her host and being in possession of a decidedly feline temperament, Arriana made no attempt to hide the arched eyebrow that the Vigo's appearance inspired. Her own appearance was more low-key: black spacers leathers, her Cathar features unconcealed by any disguise. She slipped into her presumed seat and, reclining in her chair, regarded the unreadable face of Kandle with a smile.

[Grym Kandle]

His voice was duller than dull. Monotony with a slight rasp of breathing. He stood fluidly as she arrived and sat back down as she reclined in hers. With a slight nod of his head and gloved hand in the air,

"Ms. Rezner, your charm proceeds you. Here I thought our organization was full of uncouth Gamorreans and grumpy Weequays. It is with utmost pleasure to meet another associate with some..."

As if he was licking his lips, or looking for the right word.

"... grace."

Grym rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand, as if a bit timid at first.

"Would you like something to eat? This place really has some good food, even if the atmosphere is not exactly the most welcoming."

The slight smile of Grym's mask gave nothing away of his connotations or musings, if there actually were any.

[Arriana Rezner]

“I am sure the pleasure is mutual.”

Whatever Arriana had expected from Kandle, he was not it. That wasn't much of a surprise in itself, however. The Black Sun attracted employees from all corners of the Galaxy.

She let her eyes wander away from his masked face, taking in the atmosphere, and smiled to herself. The fine dining scene wasn't one that Arriana often found herself part of. She liked her food far too dirty and quick for a place like this, but... she could stomach the finer things, when the occasion arose.

“If you like. Pick something for me.”

[Grym Kandle]

"But of course."

Kandle inclined his head, as if grateful that she would suggest his taste, a complete stranger's, would be sufficient enough for her. He sighed inwardly some, as games were fun to play when you had someone to play with. He just barely lifted his hand before the twi'lek had returned to the table with the wine.

"No, something better..."

Waving the wine away as if it were pedantic while he acted as if h was trying to remember the selections available,

"... A Tatooine Sunset for her to go with a plate of Gorak roasted with malla petals. And I'll simply have a double of Corellian Reserve, on the rocks."

While the server appeared initially frustrated, his order came as something of a surprise before she nodded and hurried away with the wine.

"I think you'll enjoy it immensely..."

Grym readjusted slightly, angling in the chair as he relaxed.

"But anyways, how are things, Ms. Rezner? I've only recently taken residency here, 'summering' I've termed it. But I did not want to remain so aloof and with you having to deal with rumors of some masked man skulking about in your own backyard."

[Arriana Rezner]

"My backyard," Arriana smiled, a hint of sourness in her expression, undoubtedly at odds with the taste of her soon to arrive Tatooine Sunset.

"My neighbours have moved into my backyard - and how vonderful it is to have them here," the Cathar added, her eyes wandering around the restaurant in search of any familiar faces. It was not unheard of for the resident Imperial garrison to dine in their uniforms - they often wore their duty clothing as a badge of honour, when frequently the city's casinos - but this particular establishment had a somewhat difficult dress-code. There were any number of discretely, well-dressed humans who could have been in the employ of Her Imperial Majesty.

[Grym Kandle]

The waitress arrived promptly with the drinks, setting each before first Arriana, then Grym.

"Your dish will be out momentarily, madame."

Kandle lazily lifted his hand at the wrist, whether to dismiss her or give thanks was not clear, but the twi'lek girl smartly vanished with the gesture.

"I understand they are typically intrusive. But I've not seen a significant impact here so far either beyond them merely being present and in greater numbers than anyone might prefer. Maybe I've not been talking to the right people then? Or the right woman."

His voice, projected through the mask made it difficult to tell if he was genuinely interested or not and his leisurely pose in the chair had a tension to it like a viper that was feigning sleep. Kandle worked with the Imperials more than they wanted to admit. Their image had softened some, and to specific degrees, when their Cold War settled in with the Alliance. Stale mates and the like had just as many business opportunities as the chaos of out right war. It was all about the angles at which one approached it. The Imperials were even more malleable than they had been when former Prince Xizor and the old Emperor had been in cahoots. Again, all about where the pressure was applied.

[Arriana Rezner]

Looking over the rim of her glass as she took a sip, Arriana watched the Twi'lek go. "Vell, that depends on your perspective I suppose," she said, setting the drink down. It was too sweet to drink more than a mouthful at a time.

"For some, business has never been better. My casino has more customers than ever before," she conceded, idly teasing at a loose thread on the hem of the table cloth with a clawed fingertip. "But not every business has been so fortunate."

[Grym Kandle]

Grym lifted his own glass, lifting his mask with one gloved hand to reveal a defined jaw line, skin tinged green with black veins from a life time of spice usage. His lips were cracked and black green but that was as far as he lifted the mask before pulling the glass from his mouth and letting the mask settle back in place. The glass clinked to the table and the Vigo sighed, enjoying the kick of the drink as he might have another stab of spice right then. The sigh was barely audible static through the mask as it resync'ed from positioning.

"While I'm merely the Vigo of Product Operations, I'm sympathetic to your..."

Waving his hand as if trying to figure out a good way to put it.

"... troubles. So, how can I help? I'm sure there are more drawn out conversations we could have, but what's something I can do for you now? Call it a gift on account of myself showing up initially unannounced."

[Arriana Rezner]

She made no attempt at discretion, as her attention lingered on the discoloured skin that Kandle momentarily revealed. Curiosity and the Cathar went hand in hand after all. Idly, she wondered what had caused the Vigo to look that way or if it was a genetic trait, a hallmark of his species. Of course, she didn't care enough to indulge the thought for long, let alone ask the man.

"Vhat can you do," she repeated, musing aloud, as she trialed her fingers across the tabletop for a moment, drumming his claws against the tablecloth.

"Vell, vhat can you do?"

[Grym Kandle]

Grym looked at Arriana for a moment, both of his hands resting in his lap rather demurely before his head turned this way and then that as if searching for what to say and that it might be out there in the crowd somewhere. Truthfully, he hid a small, secret smile beneath the mask. He lifted his hand to indicate all about them.

"You know, and not to bore you too much, so stop a Vigo if you must. But I came from rather humble beginnings. I was a feral that found his unfortunate way into the pits of Nar Shadda. Blood sports. Ah, speaking of which..."

The waitress arrived with Arriana's dish of Gorak.

"Here's your Gorak, madame. Preserved stock from Alderaan, no cloned derivatives! Enjoy!"

Kandle nodded in appreciation and waited until the waitress had set it down and then stepped away before speaking again.

"By all means, feel free to eat. It really is fantastic, malla petals and all."