Initiative

[Zwane Nkosi]

"Wait, back up. So you're saying that even after you spend a ton of time filling out a sheet you still have to roll dice for random results? Sounds like gambling. Nerdy gambling."

Zane let out a loud snort as he finished talking and switched his towel from one shoulder to the other. The much smaller Joey was trying to keep pace beside him while explaining the method of playing some game he called 'Crypts and Krayts'. Zane quite enjoyed a good game, but this was nothing like the family fun type games he was used to playing. Zane also was no stranger to gambling. If he wanted to do that then he would go down to the Shatterstar and play holopoker on the machines. That was his Tuesday night for quite some time. He didn't get down to the Shatterstar much anymore. Not since he and Joey started hanging out more.

"It sounds like hologames with extra steps."

The threshold of the station's gym was visible ahead; with it's bright lights and threatening machinery. Joey had promised to help Zane get back into shape, although Zane had reasons to believe that he had less than good intentions behind that offer. He had let slip something about Zane's gut getting in the way. Zane was willing to give it a try. He was less willing to drink this dreadful water stuff that Joey insisted was necessary to lose the weight. Water has no alcohol in it. Awful.

[Joey Rabeak]

"Those 'extra steps' are part of the fun," Joey countered. "It's not just about a win or lose, it's about playing the game, and enjoying time with friends. Making adventures, telling stories, getting to do things you don't get to in real life. That sort of thing."

The temptation to regale Zane with thrilling tales of past gaming sessions, of character builds and items of power from some of the expansions, was strong. But getting Zane to even agree to come to the gym had been difficult enough, so he wisely kept talk of tabletop gaming to well-managed level. Besides, Joey told himself, getting the big hoss in shape would pay off in other ways.

In stark contrast to Zane's sloppy tee shirt and Alliance issue gym shorts, Joey sported an expensive ensemble of designer workout wear. A colorful, pink and white, dri-weave tank top clung to within an inch of its life against his sculpted and toned upper body, while a short pair of intensely red lycra shorts hugged his lower frame. Joey Rabeak was not the kind of Nehantite who needed to go to the gym, he was the kind who enjoyed it, and enjoyed how it made him look. Name-brand water bottle and exercise towel hung from his right paw, as a health monitoring wristband was fitted about his left.

"We'll get you in fighting shape again," Joey chuckled. "By the time I'm done with you, all the fillies will want a piece of you."

If they can get past me, that is, his base natures mused internally.

"But, any thoughts on what class you want to play?"

[Zwane Nkosi]

"I'm still not sure what the difference is between the wizard, sorcerer, and warlock. They all use magic, but use it differently? Something to do with books and slots?"

Zane adjusted his shirt for the hundredth time. It kept riding up and revealing the button of his beer belly. He didn't have the quiet confidence and swagger he'd noticed in Joey; who was not afraid to wear skin-tight clothing and show off a little more than he should. Zane couldn't understand the mentality behind that, but I guess if you had a body like that you wouldn't be so self-conscious. Or Joey was just a exhibitionist. Goodness knows he always seemed to catch the little furball 'accidentally' doing something provocative.

"I don't think magic is for me. Too confusing. I think I'll play a Bard. They look a lot more simple."

[Joey Rabeak]

Joey nearly stumbled. "A bard? A Bard?!" The words fell from his mouth as if they were made of lima-bean-flavored lead. "No, not a chance. Trust me, you do not want to play a bard."

His tail was noticeably puffed as it lashed behind him with indignation. "How about a paladin? Those are cool. You get to be strong and righteous. Still get a little bit of magic, but you're more a stoic leader type. A big, powerful anchor that holds the team together." A smile warmed his face as he looked up at his wingmate. "You're already pretty good at that, so it should be an easy fit, right?"

The grin widened. "Besides, with me playing a rogue, you're bound to catch me doing things I shouldn't, and have to set me straight. Well, straight like lawful good straight, not straight like, y'know, normal straight. Because, uhhh... Oh! Look, the dumbell rack has just opened up. Let's get some stretching in, then get started!"

[Zwane Nkosi]

Zane was glad he bit his tongue and didn't divulge that he liked the idea of playing a Bard because it was a class that was about performing; playing music and acting. Things that had been a onetime passion of his before the war, and before he realized that he was not good enough at it to ever cut a career back on Thakwaa. The painful self reflection didn't end there, as Joey continued on with his class suggestions.

"Sticks is the one that's good at that, not me." His tone darkened. His conversations with Joey were usually the one place were he could go almost his entire day without hearing somebody mention Sticks or misplaced a characteristic that belonged to his alter-ego. It was becoming increasingly apparent that he couldn't go anywhere without being reminded of the hot shot war hero that he shared a body with.

"Besides, Paladins look like they would be boring. Good for the sake of being good and all that. That sounds limiting."

Plowing on ahead he tried to get the conversation back on track and started doing what he thought amounted to stretches, with mostly was just extending limbs in various angles and directions.

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

"Barrdss arre g-g-grreat becausse jyou arren't ljimjited b-bjy a mana pool and jyou get sst-t-trrong grroup ssjynerrgjy!"

She had heard someone talking about Crypts and Krayts!

Kiimi stumbled around a set of lockers, only halfway negotiated through the act of putting on a fresh undershirt so that her head and one arm were through the respective holes.

"jI-jI-jI'm ssorrrjy, couldn't help ov-verrhearrjing jyou."

Half of her mane of curly hair was still trapped by her collar, and Kiimi moved to free it, remembering that she still hadn't put one arm through its sleeve. She shoved her hand through the sleeve, forgot about her hair, and thrust the free hand forward.

"Hji. jI'm Kiimi."

She took another half second to notice the two aliens, and realized she'd taken an unsupervised step off the deep end. Oh. Pilots. She winced.

"jYou p-p-p-prrobabljy don't know me, jI w-worrk jin c-c-communjicatjionss."

The hand she had offered for salutation was getting sweaty. She quickly retracted it and swiped it on her shorts, then offered it again.

[Joey Rabeak]

One of Joey's rounded ears perked at such firm defense of the bard class, and he turned to find Kiimi there, still apparently sorting out how to put on a top. Still, as her introduction, and offer for handshake came, the Nehantite smiled.

"We've met," he chuckled, taking her hand in his paw, giving it a firm, but not overbearing grip. "Lieutenant Second Class Joey Rabeak." Releasing her hand, the pilot stood a bit straighter, showing off his build, and that he wasn't at the gym because he had to be, but because he wanted to be.

"You play C&K?" He then asked, a goofy grin working up his muzzle as his gymrat persona immediately started to fade, exposing his thoroughly nerdy underbelly. "I'm trying to talk Zane here into a game with me, but I dunno if I can wrangle enough other players. I usually go rogue, myself."

It was a welcome distraction from the sudden awkwardness he sensed from Zane. Did Zane really want to play a bard? With... that charisma? Had he somehow missed something about the big pilot all along? And, had he just put their evening plans in danger? So many questions, questions which would need to be asked delicately, so open talk about the game was a blessed reprieve.

[Zwane Nkosi]

"Oh, hey. I think I've heard your voice before. You know, over the comms."

Taking his turn after Joey, Zane carefully shook the cute girl's hand; his massive paw practically consuming her much smaller fingers in the exchange. And man was she cute. He could feel his stammer already choking up his throat.

"I'll p-probably just p-play whatever the party needs. I don't know. I just need s-something easy to learn the damn game. Sounds way too complicated."

Joey had explained it a million times. The many different kinds of dice, all sorts of stats from athletics to survival, roleplay versus combat, and all sorts of other things. He'd gone through the handbook, looked at the pictures, and was still very confused how this thing was actually played. Joey even showed him a holovid of other people playing. That only made him feel intimidated.

Zane still wasn't sure what a murder hobo was, and at this point he was afraid to ask.

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

"Ohhhh we haaave m-m-met beforre!"

Heat surged at the tips of her ears, and Kiimi fought the urge to pull them down in embarassment. Then Zwane shook her hand, practically swallowing it up past her wrist.

"Oh. Hji."

With Zwane's waffling, Kiimi decided to pitch a suggestion.

"What about a p-paladjin? Therre'ss no sspell trree or ssong sscrrollss to keep trrack of. Paladjinss can be p-p-prrettjy cool!"

[Joey Rabeak]

"Ehhh, Zane didn't seem so keen on a paladin," Joey replied for him. Looking up at his big wingmate, the Nehantite shrugged. "I mean, I guess you can be a bard if you want. It's really up to you, and what you think would be the most fun. That's really what it's all about, in the end."

Turning his attention back to Kiimi, he smiled. "Though sorting out a character class might not do much good if we can't find more players for our party. You know of any other players on the station? Put together some kind of weekly session or something? I could even DM, if we need, though I haven't done that since college."

The clang of a bar being racked brought Joey's attention back to the reason he was wearing lycra. "Heh, we also came for a workout. Care to join us, Kiimi? Trying to get this big stud here back in fighting shape." He playfully jabbed Zane in his side, then patted the same spot. "Though there's more of him to love, right now, I'd really like to see him healthier so he can last longer."

[Zwane Nkosi]

"Thanks for reminding me that I'm fat and old." He glowered as he cast a stink eye down at his small wingmate. He rubbed the spot Joey's poked as if that could bring some measure of comfort to the sudden shame he was feeling. Now all he could think about was the wrinkles in his coat, the gray in his mane, and his yoke blocking gut. Goddamn, he really needed a drink, and drugs, and a distraction from reality. Like, something with both Krayts and Crypts.

"P-Paladins might be okay, if you think so. I'll have to l-look at the... subclass kits? I think there's a few other options in there. You know, s-something more interesting than lawful dumb."

Goddamn, why was it he could talk just fine to Joey but put a girl in sight and he was tripping over his own words. Wyld take me now.

"What class d-d-do you like to play, Kiimi?"

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

The thought of a workout didn't interest Kiimi much - one, she'd already gotten a session in, and two, she really only did the bare minimum of daily PT the Trade Navy required. Considering that she'd been lanky and skinny ever since kree'rrou, she wasn't trying to shed anything. If anything, her daily struggle was to make sure she ate enough to keep from disappearing. Still, how often did she find people in real life who played RPG's? And not just any RPG's, but FRPGs! Finally her esoteric offworlder tastes were paying off! If that meant that she pulled a double workout session, she'd take an extra sweat session to talk shop!

"Me? jI p-p-plajy wjizarrdss ussualljy."

Kiimi glanced away, playing with her hair. Usually. No sense talking about the human male barbarian she played just as much. Well oiled and muscly and an animal pelt barely hanging on...

"jI ssewed mjy own rr-rrobe." she abruptly amended to keep herself from dawdling on her exploitative, objectifying side project. She wasn't sure if the notion of RPing in costume made it cooler to her compatriots, or if she'd alienated herself by trying too hard.

[Joey Rabeak]

"That's cool!" Joey grinned. "I'd totally have a leather doublet, and my thieves gloves, but... when you gotta be able to pack all you own into a duffle bag, some things kinda don't make the cut, know what I mean?"

This was, of course, coming from a pilot whose closet had been empty a few months before, and was now full of fashionable clothing. Some of it painfully fashionable, rather like his snug workout wear.

"Started playing third edition when I was a kid," he carried on. "My mom didn't like it, but my dad was cool with it. Eventually moved to fourth edition, but Garfife, fifth is soooo much better! Now everyone can do what they want, and it's easier to keep track of. There's even a CM program you can install in droids, now, so they run the campaign while you play. Thought about installing it on R2-DB, but never had anyone to play with. Well, until now, maybe!"

Thoughts of the gym faded as the Nehantite's grin grew. His nerd was showing, and he made no attempt to hide it. Finding a good C&K group to play with was hard. Even finding a mediocre one was difficult enough, so he had no intention of letting this chance pass him by!

[Zwane Nkosi]

It was like trying to catch a conversation between a Hutt and a Wookiee. It was all gibberish to him.

"There are different editions? Do I have to learn them all? I might have some costumes from my acting days before the war, but I don't think I have anything so... nerdy? Yeah. Nerdy. Do I have to have an outfit for this? You didn't s-s-s-say anything about costumes, Joey?"

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

"Whoa whoa wh-wh-whoa, jit'ss okajy. No p-p-prroblem."

Kiimi could see the signs of overload when they appeared, and Zwane looked like he was teetering on the edge.

"F-f-fjifth edjitjion jiss eassjy - well, e-e-eassjierr than thjirrd forr ssurre. And don't w-worrjy about the c-c-cosstumess. We can d-do the fjirrsst ssessjion wjithout them, t-to ssee jif jyou ljike jit, rr-rrjight?"

She glanced to Joey with a conciliatory little shrug.

"jYou m-mentjioned jyou have the CM prrogrram? jI thjink jI mjight have an jidea. Therre'ss a d-d-drrojid frrom one of the alljiance sshjipss that kjind of, uh, hangss arround the concourrsse when jit'ss herre."

[Joey Rabeak]

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Joey's smile beamed. "Any droid would probably be better than Dat Boi."

A glance was spared Zane's way as Joey mentioned the R4 unit which had come with him from the Academy to Jovan. It's chrome black and pink shell was hardly the least annoying thing about it, as it also had a vox unit installed, and its voice and patter (https://youtu.be/VCheE8VgYno?t=6) which could repel the Empire itself!

"And, yeah, let's go without costumes for now. Maybe later we can add them in, if I get a new one, and if we can get something worked up for Zane, here. Honestly, it's a good thing we're wingmates, because trying to organize a game with friends who have different schedules can be a nightmare!" the Nehantite laughed. "And you're in luck, because Zane also used to be an actor, so I'm really looking forward to him getting in character!"

[Zwane Nkosi]

"Failed actor." he replied dryly on reflex at the mention of his past profession and deepest disappointment. "I'm not sure how 'Secretarian Rex' or 'Sybiscotti and Manawinar' is going to help me with this. There's a lot less magic and goblins in those plays. Thakwaashi acting customs are very deep, very method. They do not just pretend to be the character, they become the character. Be prepared to tell the commander why I'm bringing a battle axe into the flight sim because he won't understand the elvish or whatever it is I'll be speaking. Dammit, now I feel like I need a costume."

Absently rubbing the white diamond on his forehead his mind was already swimming with the overload of incoming information and the outgoing thoughts they were breeding. There better be drinking at this sortie or he was going to be mysteriously sick that night. This whole thing getting out of hand. It felt like a lot more work that just staying in, getting shitfaced, and tossing Joey around the room.

This is better, Zane. There will at least be a girl involved...

"I'm not much for sewing. I've heard that cute four armed girl with the accent in engineering makes her own clothes. Maybe I could commission something from her."