Log:The Twins, Part 2: Digging Deeper

The Twins, Part 2: Digging Deeper

OOC Date: April 16th, 2019
Location: Nurdak's Pinthouse, Malastare
Participants: Sapphira Tavers, Kasia Ciph, Rheisa Dirleel, and Jehni'va Cihn as GM

Sapphira flexes, Rheisa breaks a heart, Kasia is disappointed, and Vakorba makes a diplomatic credit.

Following a 'totally legal' run gone sideways, Jehni'va Cihn was left with an emptied cargo hold and a mysterious piece of artwork in the possession of a dead Dug named Bodwa. Aleksander Engelando, a contact of Rheisa, identified the piece as one-half of a pair of sculptures called 'The Twins' by a renowned Bothan artist. Now, a small group has traveled to Nurdak's Pinthouse, where the late Bodwa hired Jehn before his demise aboard her ship; maybe here they can learn something of the Dug, his strange cargo, and where the rest of it may have gone... Now on Malastare, Jehni'va shoulders her way into the establishment, cheerfully waving those that have accompanied her along after her.

The joint is in full swing: packed to the gills and predictably rowdy. At a center booth, an uproar has broken out over a pair of Dug foot-wrestling; the shouts and bets can be heard even over the loud, grungy rasps of the band on a makeshift stage. Every being in this place, with the occasional exception of someone that is obviously only there while their cargo loads, is Dug - it is the existence of the occasional outlier that spare Jehn, Rheisa, Kasia, and Sapphira the brunt of the stares they may have been expecting as they enter Nurdak's Pinthouse, though just barely. "I come here all the time." Jehn chatters, obliviously, pushing her merry way towards the bar. The 'tender gives a predatory grin as she approaches.

"Jehni'va!" He gurgles, slapping a foot on the counter. "Long wait today, eh? What'll it be?" The human woman gives a shy smile and clears her throat, pulling her goggles up to her forehead.

"'Lo, Jikyo. Not here for cargo, today."

"Ah, so you are just missing my pretty face den, is it?"

"Something like that." Jehn replies, rubbing at the back of her neck and leaning in a little closer with a grin. "Last time I was here... Bloke called 'Bodwa' hired me for a jump - know who we could talk to about him?"

"Bodwa?" The 'tender repeats, louder than would be convenient. "I do not think I know this name - but, den again, it is hard to think on sober stomach, eh?" The bartender squints at Jehn's companions, one foot stroking the tendrils on his chin. "We want drinks all around, yes?"

That's right, ladies: it's a cantina scene.

Why is Sapphira Solari here? She hasn't run with this crowd in at least a year. Yet when Jehn sent out the call that she was looking for some hired muscle, the tiny little redhead apparently took up the offer. She should be doing her job here, paying attention to her surroundings and defending her current boss, which for the night is Jehn. But she's too focused on the bartender and her response to him to be doing that sort of nonsnese. "Uh, actually," she pipes up, lifting a gloved hand to get the tender's attention. "I'll just have a juice. Nothing carbonated; it's murder on the digestion, I've found." She leans back into her former position, looking at all the faces, familiar from a long-ago time. No doubt there was some chatter on the way over here to catch up about Sapphira's life as a *cough*Engineer*cough* for the Resistance. "My doctor's worried about my liver," she explains, a touch sheepishly and with a slight tint of red to her cheeks.

Kasia is here, looking as regal and out of place in raucous bars as she ever does. They're not in nature, so there was no need for adventure pants. She does have her adventure bag with her, however, which has also turned into her everyday bag, which no doubt contains first aid supplies, at least one weapon, and probably a lot of stale space cheerios. "What happened to your liver?" she asks, otherwise not seeming to have much opinion on what they drink. She's not going to drink it anyway. She's spoiled to the good stuff, what with having an entire bar available to her all the time. "Hey..." she says, glancing around at the others, though it's soft and nothing more is said before she slips away from her group, down the bar to a Dug that's passed clean out. She's soooo casual in how she saunters over to this part of the bar, leans against it like she's trying to get a better look at the drink selection while one hand casual reaches out to try and grab a datapad that's beside the unconscious Dug, but instead of getting her hand on it, she unintentionally thwaps it with the back of her hand. Smooth, Kasia. Smooth.

This...this is not the sort of location Rheisa expected to be connected to very expensive pieces of art. She's of course never been to Malastare. Long looks are cast about the interior and rowdy residents therein. One of the FIRST things to strike the Togruta's attention - and respect - is that these locals....they aren't wearing any shoes. FINALLY. Another people who values intimate contact with the beating heart of their environment....and eachother, apparently. She's honed in on the foot wrestling and fails to make it all the way to the bar with Jehn and Sapphira. Because foot wrestling. Whilst hovering like the overdressed out-of-towner that she is, she continues to split her sensory focus between this awesome sport and show of strength and her 'people'. Those humans. YadayadaBODWAyada, Jehn is explaining their situation and when she does, Dirleel feels like there might be /one/ more set of eyes staring at them. Because there is.

THere's this Dug seated at a table with her Dug friends, on the 'left' side of the industrial cantina and when Jehn says Bodwa's name, that particular Dug develops a staring problem. What's more is that now that table of Dug buddies is whispering among themselves. Rheisa's staring problem allows her to take note of their matching fashion accessories. An orange patch.

Some ten procrastinated seconds later, she abandons her spectating and silently pads on bare feet to hover directly behind their leader on this expedition. A soft tickle of Rheisa breath stirs Jehni'va's nape as she whispers "See someones who know somethings." She's sure of it.

Vakorba grunts as a datapad smacks into her snout and chirps. "Oi!" the muted purple Dug groggy-surges from her drunken stupor. Her yellow, slitted eyes blink in turn and she groans with a toe digging into the folds of skin of her forehead. Her head wobbles on her long neck and she blinks up at Kasia. "Are you my contact, huh? C-chin? Cin?" Vakorba demands in a slurred voice as she sits up on her stool. "Yer late, ja. I t'ink. Wot time is it, eccha?" She rubs her nose and picks up her datapad, none the wiser to what Kasia had attempted.

"Juice." The dug behind the bar, Jikyo, stares blankly at Sapphira for a long moment. "This is some... Human thing?" He wrinkles his muzzle in disgust, and pours her something green into a wooden tankard. He slaps it to the bar and slides it towards her. "Three credits." It bubbles slightly and smells strongly of alcohol.

"Was s'posed t'meet someone here, too. Help with.. Gettin' around and understandin' the language, if we need it. Dunno if I see them, though." Jehn explains as an aside to Sapphira and Kas while their togruta friend is immersed in the podiatric culture... But also, perceiving the heck out of the bar. As Rheisa noticed, there is a common theme with the left side of the bar's occupants - at least with a table of them. They are all wearing a matching orange patch on their clothing... The Dug passed out against the bar is also wearing one. So it goes to reason that they know each other - not saying that all dugs know each other, or anything, but if they're all matched like Scroy Bouts, it's a safe assumption. And bros don't let bros pass out on a bar with their valuables unattended. "Itch'ana!" A dug at the table, sporting a fine orange patch, barks out suddenly, pointing an accusing toe at Kasia. He continues to mutter, angrily, keeping his glare /firmly/ locked on the would-be thief - and the sleepy one awakens! It's Vakorba's butchery of her own name that draws Jehn's attention away from Rheisa's insight, and she blinks in surprise at the purple dug. "Oh! Aye, that's me. Cihn."

"Oh, you know. Heavy drinking, a little infection," Sapphira goes on lightly to Kasia. "...the occasional through-and-through accident with a rebar pipe..." she adds, nonchallantly if a bit more quietly. But then Kasia's on the move, and Sapphira's bright green follow the graceful space momma's movements. She watches at the swipped datapad, watches at the particular Dug that rumbles and wakes, and a single brow quirks high toward her hairline. "...Vakorba?" she asks, sounding as startled and surprised as one could. She steps up to the bar to drop a few credit chits for her drink, picking it up and almost taking a sip. Then she gets a sniff of it, and makes a face. "Ugh. Here, this'll wake you up. How the hell are you?" It's a day of old faces for Sapphira! The bubbling, slightly smelly green drink is set beside Vakorba's duggish person.

The casual mention of rebar gets a look from Kasia, but she was on a mission. That she didn't do so hot at, because though she's good at many things, she's not a pickpocket. When Vakorba wakes up and makes a fuss, she just smiles. Big smile. Friendly smile. "Me? Oh no, that's--" She thumbs back over her shoulder at Jehni'va, casting a casual look back like she doesn't notice that she's got some accusing toes pointed her way. Nothing to see here boys! Or girls? It's Dug toes, so you know... who can tell? Hahaha, sorry Vakorba. She casually slides away from Vakorba now, definitely to make room for Jehn to slip in there, and not to distance herself from the failed attempt at thievery. "So, what's with the uniforms in here?" She nods toward a booth in the back with Dugs in black vests that have blue trim. "Was there a dress code that no one told me about?"

"Is cloth pieces," Rheisa draws a small shape on herself corresponding to the way those patches are worn. "Color of sleeping sun." Orange. She could've just pointed to herself, but sometimes the rough translation from Rheisa's mother tongue to the Basic standard is poetic. When Jehn addresses one of them directly, and so does Sap, Rheisa backs up half a step to let the other ladies lead the way. Her nostrils are also curled against the stenched of Sap's order, but she hazards an attempt at buying drink anyway.

"You have waters only? No juice. Frruit is what food eats." The sudden inflation of a shockingly colorful neck pouch where once there wer just flabby folds of beige jerks Rheisa's attention off Jikyo. WUT. It takes several seconds of watching the act repeat itself in the context of the group and a particular reaction from a Dug that mmmmaybe is a female for her to figure out what's going down over there. Sexy thoughts, that's what! Even if they appear to be one-sided. Her friends are over there making contact and being productive and Rheisa is here waiting for a regretable glass of water and staring at masculine displays of sexual fitness. It can't be helped.

Vakorba turns a bleary head over at the Dug. She flaps a good-natured foot at him. "Jarumm et eraa, Keggo," she speaks Dug back to him. Her tone makes it obvious she is easing his fears. But after one Dug-coded shout she /does/ take a moment to stare at Kasia's ass and then snorfle-laughs in that weird, neck bobbing Dug way. Sapphira interrupts her observations of Kasia's certain regions and she tilts her head. "Ahh, so my reputation is wot got me dis fun, fun job." Her toes wiggle and she peels back her lips to get a sharp toothed smile at Sapphira. She doesn't recall a name right away. "We work t'geddah before den? Or... Malastare /is/ very popular for dah brides tah be to party..." Her ears flap knowingly and she blearily reaches out for her already drunk drink. "Boodu," Vakorba curses as she peers into the empty glass. Kasia's inquiry gets another small ear flick. "Dey all.... family, ja. In a way." Vakorba explains as she sets her empty glass back down. "Which is Chin?" Vakorba mispronounces again as she picks crumbs off her rumpled vest and orange patch affixed to it.

"I - /rebarb/?" Jehn recoils, momentarily distracted from the dug she hired. "Sapphira what th'heck?" She is even more taken aback that their old friend seems to know their new one? But it's no matter - Vakorba seems to imply that Sapphia spent her bachelorette party here... Was it before she married Tarion? Shudder. "I am Chin. Cihn!" Jehn corrects quickly, shooting a nervous look over her shoulder where more matching dug have been indicated. They are starting to return the stares. "We, uh. Well, we're looking for information on someone and may need a... Guide. A, uh, client of mine. Bodwa - he died and-" at the mention of Bodwa's name, the orange patched table of dugs all turn in unison. "Nuk-ta, Bodwa, Vakorba?" One of the males asks. "Grrg lop ta-ta nah slimo?"

They aren't the only ones taking notice of these newcomers in the cantina. His neck still inflated, the slighted male slaps the table with an angry foot and points at Rheisa. "Sha sha yup!" He barks. "What are you looking at, horns? Eh?" He scoffs, eyes narrowing at the togruta.

"Yeah, we did. I've got a forgettable face, though, apparently." It's not the first, nor the last time that someone Sapphira has worked with previously forgot her name. JEHN STILL KNOWS HER THOUGH RIGHT?! Sapphira's head swings around to look, curiously, at the adorable little pilot. "Huh? Oh back in the old old days, when Asiir was still running the Explorer's Guild..." her story trails off as the redhead's eyes focus over Jehn's shoulder to the far corner of the bar. A couple of Dugs are getting fussy, and one in particular is angry and smacking his chest, talking smack. "Might have a toussle," Sapphira quietly reports to Jehn, stepping easily around to keep herself between Jehn and the potential toussle. You know, cause Sapphira's such a good bodyguard or something. "HEY!" she calls out the angry male Dug. "Have a drink and settle down, yeah?"

It's a great backside, no lie, so it being stared at is completely understandable. Thanks, space spanx! Kasia settles against the bar on the other side of Jehn, listening as business is sort of gotten to. Sort of? Once they all determine who Chin is. "Oh, so like... a clan?" The question is asked of Vakorba, looking past the slimmer woman that stands between them. "Hey now," her eyes move to the Dug yelling at Rheisa. "She doesn't mean anything by it, it's just..." she slants a look in the Togruta's direction, then back to the Dug. "Her eyes. She's got bad eyes, and sometimes stares too long to figure out what she's looking at, but she doesn't mean anything bad by it. Honest." The smile that follows is as charming a smile as she can muster, a look shot over at Rheisa that says 'just go with it!' since it's mostly a flat out lie.

Rheisa inclines her chin a few degrees, causing the beaded, toothy garlands strung about her montrals to twist and glint in subtle sway. If she's intimidated by the slap and bark, it doesn't show. If she's infatuated, that also doesn't show. It's like she can't look away, though. What began as simple curiosity has transformed into deer-in-headlights and it probably isn't helping. "Am looking at you," she answers truthfully without malice, because the man asked her a question and despite her time spent with present company and worse, Togruta are inheirantly terrible liars...to those who can read the body language, anyway. She just doesn't even try. Kasia, Force bless her, comes to her rescue with her charming spacemom self, but there's just one thing incorrect in her excuse.

"Valko fix eye," she turns around to meet Kasia's expression too late, one finger pointed in show to her seemingly natural left eye. The ruined lie is punctuated by a small but genuinely happy smile. She does love that Dr Tosha.

Vakorba jolts a little at the mention of Asiir. "Ahhh!" the Dug croons fondly. "I miss dat fuzz face fuck." Her smile grows a touch more warm to Sapphira. "Dat is right. You forgive. Humans all look da same." She says this as if it's incredibly common and accepted knowledge. But one of the orange-patched gang demands her attention. "Chet tarra dumm, Jibbo. Esoo iumab Bodwa chuum!" She hurriedly says. Vakorba is sobering up fast. She groans and pushes the heels of her palms to the edge of her stool. "Help wit' language," the purple creature snaps at Jehn with a sharp look to Rheisa. "Dat is wot you said. Help. Wit. Language. You are drawing bad attention, ja! Be glad Sappy wit you." Sappy! That's the name. Momentarily she looks proud of herself. But the bar is starting to feel /tension/. "Bodwa was part of our... clan, yes. He was killed. If you here lookin' for owed payment, you find his ghost, not us. Ja?"

"Ja... Ba goyu'ta r- ahhh Yukkti pudu ganna pina?" There is no short supply of angry dug in this dingy cantina - they're drunk, they're ornery... It's just not a good combination. Rheisa and Sapphira are both running into some issues with this. Jehn also just... Has one of those faces that piss people off sometimes. She's sweet and simple and it's Sapphira that has to jump to her defense. They are lucky to have Sapphira with them, yes... But perhaps their friends on the other side of the bar don't agree? Immediately, the angry male pushes to his hand-feet and crosses towards Sapphira. Another black-and-blue vested male (this one considerably smaller) waddles after him. "You talking to me?" The larger one demands. "Ya - ya, tig la, Liglug, ya!" The smaller cackles, using his feet-hands to give the larger male a rub on the shoulders. The larger male, Liglug, if context clues are to be believed, sneers at Sapphira and juts one of his feet at her. "We settle thi-" It's the bartender that comes to the rescue.

"NAGGA BU A'MI PINTHOUSE!" He hollers, his tendrils flaring with anger. "No shooting - you take outside, or you settle this old fashioned way." Jikyo demands, and Liglug growls at Sapphira before he points... At the foot wrestling table. "You. Me." Behind him, his smaller companion gleefully starts to clap.

Thanks to Kasia's intervention, Rheisa is having a better time of things. The insulted dug starts to relax, nodding slowly... Until Rheisa speaks and ruins it once more. Maybe he, too, is about to break the 'no shooting in my pinthouse' rule, but seeing his fellow vested compatriots pick off one of Rheisa's companions for foot wrestling seems to give him a better idea. Forgiveness is for pacifists and hippies - and Yorto'ja is neither. His neck sack is full and beautiful and his legs are strong as baby arms! These foreigners must learn harsh lessons. "Come, horns!" He demands, waving to where Liglug means to foot-wrestle with Sapphira. "Settle this, or I make both eyes bad!"

Everyone with an orange patch moves... and stands behind Sapphira and Rheisa. "Money is on big ladies!" Their leader, who Vakorba knows as Jibbo, announces, slamming some credits onto the table.

"Eyyyyy!" Sapphira turns back to Vakorba, giving a thumbs up as her name is recalled. "Yeah, I haven't seen Asiir in ages, where the hell is the old fluff anyway these days..." It seems Sapphira is more than happy to plug away down memory lane. But the Dugs have other plans, and Sapphira turns back to the mess she's created, blinking in surprise as though she has no idea as to how this mess came to be. "//Foot// wrestle?" she asks the dugs, unable to hide even a drop of her incredulity. "Look, I know it's been awhile since I've gotten any of that kind of attention, and I realize I've been a bit of a bitter bitch lately..." Recognition floods her features. "Oh. You mean you want to //actually// foot wrestle."

The redhead looks over her shoulder at Vakorba, their cultural interpreter. She shrugs with a look of open confusion, then looks back to the dug challenging her. "Okay? Uh ... you just gotta show me what to do." And with that, the redhead will turn and walk over to the foot wrestling station, such as it is.

She sits herself down, hoisting her booted foot up onto the table. She seems ready to foot wrestle, but when the Dug approaches the table as well, she realizes that it's an either-or situation. "Oh, uh ... right." She lowers her foot, blushing slightly as she lifts an arm and sets it on the table. "Alright. Let's see what these wet noodles can do." No one expects less of said noodles than Sapphira. So perhaps it is a surprise that, although the very beginning looks like it's going to be over quick, Sapphira goes red-faced with effort, grunting and groaning as she manages to fight her way back to being a contender ... and then there's a very satisfying slam of Dugfoot on table.

Kasia just stares at Rheisa when she totally doesn't get on board with this lie, slowly exhaling a breath that contains all of her disappointment, but defintely no surprise. "Right." She turns to look back at the Dug, watching it all kick off into more of a fluff that requires Sapphira and Rheisa foot wrestle. "Is that-- really? Foot wrestling? Look, we're not here for that," she tries to demand of the gathering aliens, both hands up as though she can fend off this whole situation. She can't, but you know, she's trying. "We're here for actuall busiNESS THANK YOU!" The volume of her voice rises as things get louder, eyes rolling upward toward the ceiling as though asking some higher being for patience. She doesn't get any of that, but it was worth a try.

Oops. This wouldn't be the first time Rheisa's cussed out in a language she doesn't understand, for reasons she kinda understands. She's just here for the art, guys! Translation difficulties aside, she supposes that they won't be getting anywhere with their questions about Bodwa or the lost Twin if they run away or turn this into something ugly. Headtails droop a little bit with shame under the felt vibes of Kasia's disappointment, but shoulders keep square to the sexually frusterated Yorto'ja and she consents to make this right. Correct her shame.

And so it is that when Sapphira and Liglug are through with their match, her snazzily dressed behind is in the chair. Instead of planting her elbow on the table though and leaning forward to scowl face to muzzle with her opponent, she takes up a reclined tilt the other way. *Clunk* A bare, calloused heel props up to meet the nimbler looking Dug foot. But Togruta feet aren't to be underestimated! These toes help weave baskets and climb trees! "Ghem keno," she says, waggles those toes, and braces the ball of her foot against the 'arch' of Dug handfoot. Gray lips peel back into a fangly smile of friendly competition shines across the table to the dude she pissed off. And it begins.

It's a good thing there's some pants under that pretty loincloth, the way her leg's hiked up and thighs WORKIN to combat Yortofoot. The dexterity of the Dug has her at a clear disadvantage from the get go, and her ankle ALMOST touches the table while she figures out which muscles to use and what angles are gonna snap her knee and so on, but once she DOES figure it out....it's a long and close match. Rheisa foot overtakes Dug foot about midway through but before she can finish him, her ankle is screaming and a hopefully exhausted Dug foot wrenches hers back into submission for a THUNK of victory upon the table. Defeat. But well fought. A high-pitched thrum of acceptance and approval lilts in the Togruta's chest.

Vakorba motions at Sapphira with her foot. "Nah, nah! Dug foot is human hand!" But Sapp seems to have caught on already. She nods as Jibbo slams down credits. "Ja, ja Jibbo. Lig esta hooji slum dum!" Vakorba agrees with the fellow orange-patched individual. She looks put out at best and scoots over to the bartender to order a drink. She puts up with his /glare/ since this might sort of be half her fault, and drags herself and her drink over to place herself near the foot wrasslin' table and next to Kasia as Sapphira and the foot wielding Rheisa. "Dis also usually happens at da bride parties!" Vak shouts to Kasia over the den of excitement as Rheisa's battle comes to an end.

Kasia, we fail you on a daily basis. Her entire life is being failed by the people she holds dear, it seems - and this is no exception... We're foot wrestling, y'all.

Those hearty screeches, gurgles, and bugles go from victorious to absolutely dismayed as Sapphira heartily overpowers Liglug. "Bah! Yamma shu, gabba la plick." The defeated dug whips away from the table, awash in shame - he leaves with his smaller companion. The black and blue vested pair glare at the line of orange-patched dug that seem to have aligned themselves with these strange off-worlders. Slimos.

But it's a different story further down the foot-wrestling table.

Now, Yorto'ja has never known love. Not from his family, not from the females he has so pitifully attempted to woo - but something happens when this strange, orange alien woman puts her foot up onto the table. He is so distracted by this... This /feeling/ that she almost bests him, and with a sudden roar, he decides that this cannot be! He must show this female, this /glorious/ creature, that he is worthy of her time. Worthy of those strong feet. He re-inflates his neck to near bursting and slams Rheisa's foot onto the table. The applause and the shouts are thunderous, but they fade to silence in the background of Yorto's mind. He swallows, causing his inflated neck to bounce comically, and then - making very meaningful eye-contact with Rheisa - he lets out the air in a whoosh. "You." He says, softly, his eyes wide. "Take away my breath."

"You!" Jibbo cackles, in an entirely different tone, bouncing on his hands and reaching a foot forward to give Kasia a very heart knee to the side. "Vakorba, you say these are your friends? You vouch for these crazy slimos? I like them. Come, come - we talk." He claps Vakorba on the back. "My common essa pudu. Pologies." He waves a foot at the rest of the orange-patched dugs. "Bisha, galla bu gig shu. We talk business, now. Yurrba lo Bodwa?" Jehni'va Cihn is very confused but she shuffles to an empty seat at the table. "Er, Ms. Vakorba...?"

"WOO!" Sapphira isn't leaving the table without a little bit of a victory lap. She stands up and pumps her fists in the air, standing as 'tall' as she possibly can to bask in her glory. "AND DON'T COME BACK!" She hollars to Liglug, grinning ear to ear. It'll take awhile for her to turn and figure out when Jehn and Vakorba are, but as she sees business is about to get kick started, she points to the bar. "I'll be right here," she promises the pair, moving for the bar to try and talk to the tender once again about what 'nonalcoholic' actually means.

Kasia's life has had a lot of disappointment in her life, it's true, but whatever she might've felt for Rheisa has already faded, because this is all weird. It's weird, ya'll. "I can honestly say that this is not how I expected this day to g---" She's kneed in the side, which catches her entirely off guard and gets Jibbo a sharp look as she rubs the spot where the knee connected. No complaints are forthcoming, though, because that might mean that she has to foot wrestle someone then, and she just had a pedicure so that's just not going to happen. "Jehn," she slips over to the familiar human female. "You keep really strange company." It's likely that she's including the former Defiance among those really strange people, but shuffles along until she's at the table.

This is going to require some stretching later. Rheisa retracts her foot, leg, whole kaboodle off the tabletop and stands her glorious, loser self up from her chair. The inflataneck has flashed its colors for her! She's flattered. Truly. In show of gratitude for a fair fight, she bows her head forward to Yorto'ja and places one hand lightly upon her breast. "Am Rrrreesa Dirleel, Curator of the Muse, daughter of Shili, second mother to Umak, mate of Rrraim, who is dead." It's as great an introduction as she can muster right now, half watching what's happening over there with Vakorba and Kasia and Jehn. "Am pleased to meet," the hand turns palm-out to him as if awaiting introduction. "We come here with questions, to find a missing sister."

Vakorba perks her ears. "Ja, Jib. Unn terra jik jarrum rrum," Vakorba quickly converses with Jibbo as they move for the tables. "Tek jaar bita darum." She scoots around Kasia after Jibbo ribs her. She knows humans enough to offer her a semi wilted smile. "He likes you, it is good. It is good!" After a few more words she takes a seat with a good vantage point for translating. "Dat was grand fight, ja! You fight wit foot. It is honorable!" Vak makes sure to mention to Rheisa. Her ear picks up what Rheisa is saying and turns to Jibbo to roughly catch him up where he needs help with her common. "Ja. Dis is Jibbo. First he wants to know what you want wit Bodwa." Vakorba explains as politely as a Dug possibly can. She looks to Jehni'va expectantly for the answer.

"Mate?" Something inside of Yorto'ja breaks and he has to settle himself against the table, his face going slack. "Yes." There is no emotion in his voice, nothing. "Pleased to meet... Yes..." He continues to mumble to himself as he pulls away and exits, leaning heavily on another blue and black vested dug. It's the one that teased him earlier, but now she pats him on the back. As the door shuts, the keen of ear may hear a strangled, gasping sob.

Meanwhile.

"Yeah - great, innit?" Jehn beams back at Kasia, her grin wide and stupid. She misses any sarcasm, the sweet lump. "So, Vakorba and... Jib-Jibbo? Jibbo. Ah - so here's the thing; Bodwa was... Well he hired me to take him to Lothal with a bunch of stuff, yeah? Then we get jumped by a bunch of other dug. We escape, think it's all fine and dandy, and - boom. We land on Lothal and get got on the landing pad. They killed Bodwa and took everything. We are looking for -" Here she looks to Rheisa and Kasia for help. Does she tell them about the sculpture? That they want to find the rest of it, perhaps more missing artifacts like it? Jehn has never been the best at this thing.

At Vakorba's subtle urging, Bisha and Muushko, two orange-patched dug, nod and make an exit. Sapphira can thank her later.

"It's good," Kasia repeats Vakorba's words as she massages her ribs. She's gonna have a bruise to explain later, but that's okay. She settles into the seat, and Jehn beams, which gets a bob of the head nod from Space Mom. "Yeah. It's great." A smile follows, warm for Jehn, but maybe a little uncertain of what is happening here or what to do next. "Wait," she glances over at Rheisa a moment, to Vakorba, then to Jehn again. "You're looking for what?"

Oh. Unsure why her new foot friend is now all dejected and sulky, Rheisa watches the Dug slouch away with confused feelings. Does she...does she go after him? No. BUSINESS. Art. These are the things that are important right now. Saved by Jehn's searching looks, the artist hastens over to join them by table and pulls her own datapad from her belt. "We look for this," she brings up an image of the Bothan sculpture they DO possess. Synthstone and gypryst, a creation of marvelous beauty and assured worth....if paired with her twin. Which she is not. Turning the datapad to show the Dugs, Rheisa continues on. "Want to return to first owner of this. Who give life to this stone. While learning who might this be, we learn also there is another. Two sisters, now apart. Would be better to find she who is lost and reunite, yes?"

There ya go. She's heaped it all on the table, good or not.

This is a lot of back and forth and Vakorba hems and haws as she translates the bits that Jibbo can't quite grasp. "Chutum asha sussah bleema," she babbles in Dug to the other orange-patches. She breaks long enough to exchange her old drink for one of the new ones that Bisha had brought over. Her yellow, slitted eyes scan the statues and she half shrugs at Jibbo. "Can you remember wot dis Dug who killed Bodwa looked like? Did you get a name or ship make? We dun usually fight over art." Vakorba's head tilts between the women. "But if dere is value in reuniting dese statues, den it likely we help you. At least me," she adds, wrinkling her nostrils with a smirk over at Jibbo. "I like credits."

Jehni'va Cihn is a creature of the truth - for better or for worse. So when a helpful lie is not forthcoming from Kasia, she opens a palm towards Rheisa. She is grateful that her Shili friend is of the same mind, and she nods to Vakorba and Jibbo. "They stole artwork - historical stuff, y'know? I think. Maybe. Possibly other stuff, too?" Because these (likely) gang members are being nice to them, it has slipped Jehn's mind that they are still, likely, gang members. Everyone is stealing stuff - Bodwa had to have stolen the stuff from someone to begin with, right? "They... Actually." Something strikes Jehni'va, and she spins around. Really, this should have happened so much sooner - so much earlier in the night. "They had vests. Vests like those guys did." She points out the door - she isn't the brighest, our Jehni'va. "We just want the art, if they have it." She clarifies. The male dug is quiet for a while before Jibbo comes to a decision. His explanation comes out in dug, but once translated is, roughly, as follows:

Yes, Bodwa was one of theirs. He was hired by some new slimo on Lothal to clear out the vault of a local crime boss... But they didn't know it was a benefactor of the Yukkti gang. "You are acquainted." He waves a foot out the door before continuing. The Yukkti stole much of what Bodwa had on him - including his key to the Lothal contact's storage container, the drop point for the cargo Bodwa was supposed to deliver. They took everything (tech, weapons, some weird Bothan art, etc.) If they can get into the Yukkti headquarters, then they can avenge Bodwa /and/ find information on where the stolen goods went - everybody wins!

"I propose... Deal. We tell you where Yukkti headquarters are - you clear them out. We get information, find where this art is - you get art, we get other stuff. Good deal? I let you think." He gives a wide grin, and stands to leave - but not before leaving his contact information behind on a data chit.

"Is good deal," Rheisa nods solemnly and casts a look over shoulder to that exit. Yorto'ja...our stars are simply ill fated. And then, because art business seems to be at end, she turns to Jikyo for a very belated repeated of a former request. "You have water? No is juice."

[Jehni'va Cihn tests an NPC's Intelligence.]

[FAIL ( -23)] Jikyo (16452)'s 60 @ (100) diff.

-(OOC)- Jehni'va Cihn says, "He gives you an apple"

-(OOC)- Rheisa Dirleel says, "LOL"

-(OOC)- Rheisa Dirleel says, "IS FRUIT"

To be continued...