Log:Investigation at Wooka's

Investigation at Wooka's

OOC Date: January 21, 2016
Location: Wooka's - D'Qar
Participants: Poe Dameron as GM, Hex and Nym Landala

Wooka's is open on the lower level, though it smells faintly of singed...everything. The upstairs level is definitely worse for wear. There are a lot of structural issues that are clear even to an untrained investigatorial eye. It's going to take some doing to get everything safe again. It's hard for the establishment, since the restaurant was key to making the business viable.

There's a few loyal customers bellied up to the bar on slightly blackened stools. A middle aged human man sweeps up debris. A Zabrak behind the bar squints as she tries to get the soot off pint glasses.

They're on a mission, a mission from God. I mean.. Poe. Hex's lekku twitch in concern as he wanders into the building and looks around at the structural burns, and he remarks, "The damage didn't look as bad from outside." Both brows lift then to Nym, and he invites, "Shall we?" followed by a wryly amused, "I'll buy you a drink, if there's any left."

Into the bar, Nym can't help but look around. It is their mission, but she's also curious. Anxiously, she glances about, noticing the structural issues and the scorch marks. That should, at least, help with their cover. The young pilot follows closely behind Hex as they make their way toward the bar. She nods, taking in the Zabrak and the human as they go about their business. Her response is a bit of a smile, "I appreciate that. They might be glad of it." As they approach, she nods at the Zabrak behind the bar. "It's terrible, what happened," she starts. "I was just here a week or so ago."

The Zabrak - the daytime bartender named Khasba - sighs and then lifts a shoulder. "Yeah, it's a mess. But the community's been supportive." She lifts a chin towards Hex by way of hello. "You two here to drink, or just gawk at our indoor fire pit? If you're here to gawk, we ask that you still contribute to the fire recovery fund." Her tone is wry, and a little sad. "We have insurance, thankfully. But we're still working through the claim."

Hex pulls out a stool for Nym. It wobbles. He spends a moment squinting at it as though wondering if it's going to dump her off immediately, but then decides either that it's safe or that he's okay with that, and takes a seat himself. "Hand me a couple of clean glasses, and I'll pay you to fill them with whatever you've got," he crooks a smile in response to the bartender. "Hand me some sooty ones and I'll clean them for you while I drink. How's the claim going? Insurance gonna pay up?"

Nym is by no means a regular. She's been here with some of the other pilots a few times and other times with other members of the Resistance base. The short woman eyes the stool about in time with Hex as it wobbles. She grins a bit and carefully climbs onto it to sit. "I'll be glad to help with that as well. And this one offered to buy me a drink." She gestures at Hex. "Didn't mean to be a gawker. It's just a bit crazy to think this happened."

"This is some kind of pudu, Khasba," Hex laments, looking around as he picks up his glass and drinks with the slightly problematic ease of someone who doesn't care too much what ended up in the glass. "This place is like my home. I've probably spent more time in Wooka's than I have on Ryloth." He glances toward Nym, briefly, then back to the Zabrak. "Someone needs an ass kicking no matter what colors they had on. Who's the rumor mill saying has got these pictures?"

Nym catches her glass easily, though she does not yet drink from it. She's a slower drinker. Giving Hex a bit of a smile at his statement that he's spent more time in Wooka's than on Ryloth, she nods. "I haven't spent as much time here, but it's part of the town and it's terrible that something like this happened." As for it being people wearing their colors, she frowns, not saying out loud that she doesn't believe it was someone from the base that could be capable of this. "What made them think it wasn't an accident?"

Khasba shrugs at Hex and slaps a cloth over her shoulder. She turns to stack the glasses. When Nym asks her question, she motions to the wall. There's a very odd burn pattern. "Signs of an accelerant squirted haphazardly around. Either they weren't actually trying to burn us to the ground, or they were just really bad arsonists. The fire never got very hot."

"You are so much a better person than I am," Hex observes to Nym, not without amusement, a she's concerned over the terrible acts committed on the community, and he's over there concerned about booze access and ass kicking. Glass empty, he nudges it back towards Khasba, and grins at her. "I know... I know, you adore me," he goes on, "On account of my total lack of shame or redeeming qualities, and because of the fascinating array of personality disorders that bring me regularly to your counter to talk to you about things you don't actually find interesting. But, I promise, I will not be damaged in said ass kicking of persons in photos. Not permanently. Or at least not, like... disfigured in a non-badass way." Because surely that's Khasba's hang up in saying who has pictures here, is concern for him!

As Khasba answers, Nym nods, glancing around at where the woman is gesturing toward. She doesn't know a lot about setting fires other than for warmth, so she just nods. There could be a few different reasons about that. Perhaps Hex's theory that it was a prank gone awry has some legs. Finally, she takes a sip from her glass at about the time Hex is finishing his. She blushes a bit at the tease that she's a better person than he is and shrugs her shoulders, unsure of how to answer. Luckily, he's already charming Khasba and she is able to take another long drink while she listens, grinning a little into her glass at his antics.

"You're terrible," says Khasba, in a tone that suggests she's charmed in spite of herself. She sighs and shakes her head. "Look, I don't know their names. Some neighbourhood kids playing around with a holorecorder. Supposedly they were out late and got some pictures of the break-in. It's a schoolyard rumour because the kids would get in trouble for being out in the middle of the night." Hex notices Nym's blush at his teasing her, and his grin broadens. "Granted," he continues, "It's not hard to be a better person than I am." As to Khasba, if she refilled his glass, he raises it to her in a 'cheers!' kind of way. "It's why you like me," he agrees that he's terrible. "Human kids?" He looks over at Nym. "You know anybody with kids?"

"Look, you two. I don't know. I'm too busy polishing sooty glasses and crossing my fingers that the insurance pays up," says Khasba, exhasperation entering her voice. "I get that you're worried about the base's good name. No one will blame you for looking in on this." She takes a deep breath then says to Nym, "I say kids, but I don't mean little ones. Maybe nineteen or so? Human, I think. The recorder was for a club the local community centre runs. Holorecording composition and stuff. Maybe talk to the teacher? I think his name is Lomis."

Hex's lekku twitch in brief contrition, and he fishes out some credits to pay for the drinks, and for a tip. "Arni'soyacho," he replies, then translates the Ryl, "Thank you. Sorry for the fuss. I'll get out of your hair." A hint of the smile returns, "For now." He hops off the stool, but that he'll be back might be more or less a guarantee, no matter what shape the bar is in.

The blush on Nym's face this time has more to do with embarrassment than the teasing this time. "Sorry," she tells Khasba. "We didn't mean to disrupt your day." Finally, she finishes her drink and puts it back down on the bar carefully. Slipping off the stool as if worked she will break it, she gives Khasba a smile. "Thank you for your help and the drink. Let us know when you're planning on rebuilding - I'm sure there will be some hands at the base willing to pitch in. Mine among them, though I'm not very good with a hammer." She looks to Hex and then to the door, "Shall we?"

"Yeah," says Khasba. She takes a deep breath. "Sorry. I don't mean to be rude. We've had a lot of rubberneckers. But I don't mind the ones who stay for a drink. Spread the word that we're open, okay? The restaurant will be back in business next week, even if we have to take out a loan to finance the repairs. You want to fight against any rumors? Tell your people to come have a drink."

Hex laughs, "Never a problem on that account, I am your number one fan, spreading the good word wherever I go." As for Nym... Shall we? It's a simple question. Hex holds the door open for her, and hesitates, looking over all those lovely, shapely bottles behind the bar, though perhaps there are fewer than there were pre-fire. They need people to drink! It's a good deed! He starts, "Maybe you could..." No, Hex! No Nym left behind! The Twi'lek shakes himself out of it, drapes one of his lekku resolutely around his shoulders, and steps out. "Right," he sighs, when they're back outside. "So, now we go menace a school teacher about what kids had holo equipment checked out to them the night of the fire. Then look for the kids. Then offer to buy them alcohol in exchange for their pictures. Some or all of that plan may be terrible, feel free to make edits."

To Khasba, Nym grins. "I'm sure that will not be a problem." Getting Resistance people to drink is not really a hard task - especially after missions. "We'll be back. And in the fun, drinky way." Not in the asking questions to try and figure out who set the bar on fire way. As Hex trails off his statement, she raises an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish. When he doesn't and holds the door open for her, she grins and steps outside.

Moving away from the burned out bar, Nym nods and then laughs. "I think we should replace menace with charm and buy alcohol for children to something less troublesome. Otherwise, yes. Do you know anything about this Lomis teacher?"

"No. I've never even been to a school," Hex admits. "I'm sort of curious to see one. We didn't have school where I was a kid. And the first time I saw a holo, I thought it was the spirits of the dead and I freaked out. I've come very far and I expect to be the inspiration for incredibly popular theatre at any moment." He rubs his hands together, tips of his lekku curling thoughtfully. "How many schools could there be, right? We could just go, ask for a Lomis, ask for the equipment that was out on the night of the burning. Maybe it's been checked back into the school and not erased, and we could cut out the whole part where I lead young people into regrettable life choices."

"I skipped out from my school a lot," Nym tells Hex. "I was more interested in learning piloting tips from my dad and his squadron." With a smile, she adds, "Perhaps we should speak to the drama teacher at the school. They could put on a production. It could go far." As for how many schools there could be in the village, she shrugs her shoulders. "I'm not sure. I don't think there can be more than one, but as I don't have to deal with school any more, I can't say I ever thought to check how many there were around here. Maybe someone at the base knows more about it."

"Ask Poe," Hex suggests. "Everyone likes Poe. Even if he doesn't know the school administration and even if they're not friendly with the base, he'd just sit there for a few minutes radiating affable charm and perfect hair and they'd eventually just say 'oh you, of course Lomis will be delighted to talk to your intelligent and attractive minions.'"

At Hex's suggestion, Nym just laughs and shakes her head. "Yes, perhaps. Many people certainly like Poe." There's a tinge of jealousy in her voice, there. It's minor, hard to catch. "And as he gave us the assignment, I'm sure he'll be willing to help." After a short pause, she adds, "He //has// to do something to his hair to make it look like that, right? You don't just roll out of bed and have it look like that."

"Oh, yeah. I'd ask him out but I think he's into humans. And women," Hex replies, then grins to clarify, "I'm kidding. And I have no idea. I find all you people's hair bizarre and fascinating, like a nerf born with two heads. Like, you can't move it. You can't talk with it. What is it /for/? As far as I can tell it's for social status, interpersonal signals, and the Cult of Poe Dameron." He starts walking down the road toward the base, since they need to Go Fo Poe, and frowns a little. "What do you think we should do if the holos have been erased, and the pictures don't exist? Or if the pictures do exist but it's not Base folk, so we have to chase down who's saying it is?"

Nym gives a laugh, never having thought of asking Poe out. She's been more interested in competing and proving herself. "Who can tell with Poe," she assures. "He acts like he likes everyone." And whether it is actually an act or truly Poe, well, she's starting to think it may be the latter. But, she's still slightly suspicious. As for her hair, she raises her eyebrow. "I can move it! Just, not on its own. I can put it up into weird designs, though. That can be fun. And it kinda sounds like Lekku are used for the same thing. I bet there are Lekku in the Cult of Poe Dameron." She walks with Hex in silence for a little while, frowning as he brings up what is also weighing on her mind. "If they have, we'll just have to find something else. The fact that whoever did this used a low burning accelerant means they didn't actually want to burn the place down - if it was on purpose. Either they were sending a message or it really was a accident."

"Or it's insurance fraud," Hex doesn't rule that out, frowning. "I don't like that there was accelerant. I was hoping for just some kind of stupid in-bar accident with the liquor. Arson means there's someone guilty, and that means someone who will probably do plenty to avoid getting caught. I don't know what to hope for.... if it's us, mystery solved, but what the hell is wrong with us. If it's not us, then I have to keep pretending I'm actually smart enough to investigate this."

"Well, booze can be used as an accelerant," Nym tells Hex. "I think. I mean, an accelerant is really just anything that they can use to light things on fire. It could mean someone was tossing around some liquor and then dropped a match because they're dumb kids." She'll still cling onto that a bit. Nibbling at her bottom lip, she thinks for a few moments. "I hope it's not us. If it's us, then that gives the town a reason to start being suspicious. If it's not us, well, that just means we have to find out why." She gives Hex a grin. "Oh, don't play that angle with me. You're plenty smart." And she's not just saying that. "That's not the thing we have to worry about."

"Yeah, I guess that's true," Hex agrees. "Nasty prank though, if it was. That kind of prank is getting real cozy with malice. Kids, though... you never know, a lot of people do stupid things when they're young." One corner of his mouth crooks up in amusement at her latter comment, and he raises a brow. "Calling me out on my crap already? Ahhh, I'm doomed, doomed."

"If it was, yes. But, kids can be stupid, like you said." Nym says, even though she's not too far out of being a kid herself. As he raises his brow at her, she grins. "I figure if we're working together we should be honest with each other." With a laugh, she shakes her head. "If you'd prefer, your secret is safe with me. I promise I won't doom you. As best I can."

Hex grins broadly, an expression that seems to come to him naturally, as though life exists for many reasons but one of them is definitely for his private amusement. "That's all I can ask," he accepts, "And in return, I'll do my best not to be an instrument of your destruction, either. And that being agreed, we'll make a phenomenal team." Optimistic proclamation issued, he continues down the path to the base, toward Poe and the next step in the mystery.