Downtime Down Level.

[Spark Vallen]

Coruscant - Lower Levels

"...nice doin' business with you too," Spark Vallen replied with a smirk.

Creds slipped out of sight and he offered an ironic bow before heading out onto the street. Clad in a dark reinforced shirt with a light jacket over it, a weapons belt slung low, the bearded man was lightly roughed up from the work he'd just completed, but he looked good compared to the guy he'd just brought in for trying to skip the system without paying off a few debts.

Applying a bandage to his forehead and brow, Spark slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced about. The mercenary checked his chrono and realized he could cool his jets awhile. Taking a lift up a few levels, he saw that the more raucous entertainment was just coming to life and decided a few drinks and entertainment could be just the way to celebrate finishing up this job. He popped into a garishly lit cantina and winced at the too-loud party music. Too tired for that, Spark also figured it too much hassle to go elsewhere so he leaned against the bar and ordered an ale.

He grinned at a couple human and humanoid beings that caught his eye before taking a pull on the bottle set before him...

[Katja Nystrom]

Towards the back of the establishment, a vibrant and young Morellian blonde was living the life! So happy for this downtime as her older twin sisters were doing business, Katja had all of Coruscant to herself. This was the first place on her itinerary to visit, even though she really didn't have anything planned out truthfully. She just happened to find this little cantina first and would soon be off in search of other fun things, or beings, to do.

She bounced back and forth, sitting atop the booth cushion and raised her bottle in appreciation towards the cantina band. Her antics had given her a few odd looks and some smiles, but everyone let the girl be as she was no threat despite the way she dressed. Despite being pristine and pretty, her clothes definitely were worn and seen better days. She did that on purpose - sticking out for being her but not because of flashy clothes. An orange flight jacket with the patches removed, grey shirt, black pants and boots with a gun belt really didn't scream anything special. Everything else did!

[Spark Vallen]

Ale in hand, Spark meandered through the cantina, getting a feel for the place and its people. The music wasn't great, but it wasn't downright terrible. Regardless, he wasn't the kind of guy to bop his head or sway to any beat, so he just noticed the tunes and left it at that.

Sip.

Swallow.

Blue eyes scanned the crowd. No familiar faces, but that was hardly surprising. Spark worked alone and tended not to socialize much. It kept life simpler that way. There was a bouncy blonde in a booth that countered his natural stoicism. Spark couldn't help but grin; she was clearly someone who knew how to enjoy the moment!

[Katja Nystrom]

She went for a drink and frown when nothing was tasted! Katja peered an eye down the bottle neck and frowned when her suspicions were confirmed. It was empty!

"Well, this sucks," she groused and left the remains standing upright on the booth back. She hopped down to bop and weave through the crowd quite gracefully to the bar. Not as annoyingly busy before where you had to elbow your way to get a drink, Katja found some space to leave over the counter. She waved and got the attention of the bartender.

"Jus' a sec." He was in the middle of mixing drinks.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark found himself tailing the blonde just because she had caught his eye. Her enthusiasm was cute! He went over to the bar too and tried to make eye contact with her through the mirror that hung across the bar from them both.

What am I even thinking? She's way out of my league. Be lucky if she even gave me a smile​, Spark thought.

[Katja Nystrom]

Fingers drummed against the metallic counter top in time to the music, a light sway in her stance as Katja enjoyed the music. As she bounced her head, she caught a glimpse of someone's reflection looking towards her in the mirror lining the back wall of the bar. She caught his gaze in the mirror. Scruffy looking had gotten into a recent fight by the looks of those lightly blood soaked bandages on his forehead. The guy looked rather innocent with his soft blue eyes. It made her curious what sort of scrap he got himself into where he was the one drinking victoriously at the bar.

She turned her head and nodded at the damage on his head. "How's the other one looking?"

[Spark Vallen]

"When I left him, unconscious but intact. Now that he's with the people who wanted him..." Spark shrugged and grinned. "We'll see."

He waited a beat, watching her watch him, the smile never leaving his face despite how it made the cut on his forehead ache even worse. She was gorgeous! How could he not smile and stare?

"Buy you the drink you're waiting on?" Spark offered.

[Katja Nystrom]

"Depends," she replied coyly. "Did you bring him in unconscious because you had or was it a dead or alive kinda thing?"

It wasn't entirely a trick question, but Katja wanted to know what sort of Bounty Hunter this fellow was before this went any further. Not all innocent looking boys were always so and with the way he was staring at her in a daze, she was sure he'd be greedy to tell the truth!

She waited, lips puckered in curiosity with a brow raised in challenge. Would he try and impress her and make up some ridiculous half truth tale, or just be himself?

[Spark Vallen]

"The target owed creds. A case of being worth more alive than dead. Not the type to have their debtors as the life insurance payees," Spark observed with a grin.

He shrugged loosely and touched the bandage on his forehead. It was dry, if ugly, so that was good. Likely, it wouldn't even scar.

"So, how about that drink?"

[Katja Nystrom]

With a smirk, she turned around and leaned back against counter and lightly shrugged.

"Sure. Why not?"

He did give an honest answer and she was still thirsty.

"Does Mr. Bactabaid have a name?" she asked curiously.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark extended a hand and smiled.

"The name's Spark. And who am I buying for, pretty lady?" he asked, blue eyes twinkling.

If she had any idea how much of a stretch this was for him, being so social! The work-a-holic wasn't the type to pick up girls, let alone extremely hot ones like the blonde stranger.

[Katja Nystrom]

With a nod of her chin, she took his hand and squeezed it. The girl had an impressive grip for one of her stature.

"Katja." Green eyes twinkled right back as she smiled. "So... Spark? Not a name I've ever heard of. What system names their kiddos Spark, Mr. Bactabaid?"

The bartender returned. She ordered another whiskey and mischievously freed her hand to pat Spark on the back.

"This one's buying too. So here." She pulled out some creds and slapped them on the table. "For the first drink and a little extra."

[Spark Vallen]

Spark Bactabaid. Huh. Not bad. Been called worse! He chuckled to himself, amused at the pet name.

"I grew up on Corellia," he replied with a grin. "Outskirts of Coronet City. Where do pretty girls called Katja come from?"

With her whiskey order came his ale. Spark lifted the bottle and gestured for cheers.

[Katja Nystrom]

"Corellia too. Home away from home," she replied whimsically before glasses were clinked together.

It was the closest thing to the truth. Corellia was a home away from a home that was no longer inhabitable. And it was the only home she knew besides living on the ship.

"To home, huh?" she said with a wink and swallowed an impressive gulp of whiskey.

[Spark Vallen]

"Small galaxy," Vallen replied with a grin.

He took a healthy swig of ale, nodding with pleasure as he swallowed. That hit the spot after the night it had been on the job.

"On Coruscant for business or pleasure?" he asked.

After all, she didn't quite strike him as a local.

[Katja Nystrom]

"Both! My family's off adulting so I get some time to myself," she said with a cheeky grin. "Some big hot shot needs something. I honestly didn't pay that much attention."

She actually did pay attention but despite the handsome mug she was sitting with, he really didn't need to know any details of the job. That was for her older sisters to take care of.

"How about you? Business and now pleasure?" Katja asked with twinkle in her eye before lazily bringing the glass up for another sip.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark's grin widened. "Business done for now. Time for pleasure indeed."

He took a sip of his ale, blue eyes regarding Katja with interest and amusement. She was intriguing with her self-confidence and bit of swagger. It was, he supposed, a totally Corellian trait the way she came across. At any rate, Spark liked it.

[Katja Nystrom]

With a quick swipe of the tongue across her lip, Katja scrutinized Spark. "Pleasure can be defined in a lot of ways, Mr. Bactabaid."

She leaned forward, closing the distance between them as her head gently fell towards her shoulder. "How do you define it?"

Of all of the ways that one could define it, Katja was the kind of girl to generally agree with 99% of them too. She was a happy, fun loving, girl that enjoy loved to enjoy whatever her long life was going to offer!

[Spark Vallen]

Ah, she's a cute one, Spark thought with a grin, watching the little coy head tilt.

"Well, Katja the Great... this is a good start. Drinks with a pretty girl." He chuckled, blue eyes dancing as he studied her. "I've got two left feet, but I'm not afraid to show it if you care to dance..."

[Katja Nystrom]

Her face scrunched up - lips pursed with confusion as brows narrowed tightly together to piece together what was just said.

"Did Mr. Bactabaid just call me Katja the Great?" she said with a striking blink before cracking up. "Alright there. Let's not get too carried away."

After she recovered from that momentary outburst, green eyes twinkled towards Spark. She purred her words and allowed a finger to run underneath his chin to trace until clothes block any further descent. "At least not until you've gotten to know me enough that I really do deserve that title."

She gave him a wink, knocked back the rest of her drink and slammed the glass on the counter with a little shimmy as the alcohol burned a trail down her throat.

"Wow! Alright." She grabbed his hand while sliding off the stool. "Let's see if ya really got those two left feet."