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| - The Velvet Pillow The Velvet Pillow's namesake is strewn in numerous abandon about the main room, though the owner gave in and scattered a few silk and satin ones about too. The bar, rather than lining the edge of the room, is set in the center, an ellipsical affair with a thick column in the center and shelves fitted on it, well stocked with all the materials the bartenders might need. A large, wall to wall mirror lines the back of the room, etched with frosted designs of Demaria's histories and fables. Small, private booths and furniture line the outer areas of the room for those who wish more conventional settings, low, shaded lights creating personable pools of illumination around the bar and tables. --- Off in a corner, by herself, lounges one orange-furred Demarian, a glass in front of her. Stars -should- recognize her by now. At least, one would think. Ah, into the pillow merrily bounds one Stars - looking, well, for him, good. His fur's in immaculate order, the longcoat billowing just /so/, the dye refreshed so that he looks exotic rather than patchy. Despite that - he's smoothing the fur around an ear, straightening a collar, brushing of nonexistant lint. Vain bastard. Swiftfoot drinks down the last of the contents of the glass, then grimaces a bit and shakes her head. She too is wearing a long coat, and strangely enough, her flak armor's in evidence under it. Paranoid much? She hasn't noticed the vain male's entrance, being unusually introspective. Or perhaps she's just interested in another drink. Stars grins.. and takes advantage of momentary inattention to pad up softly behind her - "... so does that mean I get to brrush you out laterr?" A heavy arm drapes around her shoulder - he moves to rest his head on hers. ".. rrrowr."where "Huh? Oh," Swifty says, looking up and blinking. "Sorry. Bit... focused on myself rright now. Saw Rraisa and Brrandon fighting on the landing pad." She sighs and leans against Stars, closing her eyes. "Didn't wanna stick arround forr the firreworrks. It makes me sad, though. The whole thing makes me sad as hell." He snuggles close, crouching to pull her into his arms, and rest his cheek on hers. ".. s'what makes you who you arrre. What's making you sad about 'em?" It seems a genuine question. Swiftfoot snorts and shakes her head, her ears flattening out irritably. "Brrandon used to be married to my adopted daughterr. He cheated on herr with Rraisa, and she killed herrself shorrtly afterr. And now, it's all forr naught, it seems, because those two arre getting a divorrce, orr at least that's what she wants." The ginger female shrugs vaguely. "So yeah... it's a little disturrbing." Stars and swifty are in a corner of the Pillow, nowhere near the signature piles of 'em - at a real table, it seems. She's sitting, he's got arms around her, his head on hers, tail flicking - and he points out, gently, ".. harrd to know what they'rre doing without asking outrright. No borrowing trrouble, prretty. We'rre usually in enough of that without collecting interrest on otherr people's." "Mmh," Swiftfoot agrees, nodding. "Point taken. Still, fighting out in public... not a good sign." She sighs and shakes her head. "I'm not going to think about it now. I'm rreally not. I just want to rrelax now that I'm home again." "Is pot calling kettle black," Ace says as she joins them, stepping out from behind a pair of Demarians to settle in a chair. "He cheats on his wife and is then upset that his new wife cheats on him in return." Stars hrrrfs. ".. home." He quirks a brow-ridge, raising his head. ".. you'rre going to have to convince me, prretty, of /that/." It seems a challenge.. even as he flashes teeth at Ace. Swiftfoot snorts and nods at Ace. "She slept with Lucius? Why does it not surrprrise me that he'd do that?" She chuckles and shakes her head. "Y'know, I complained to him once that I was lonely, and he actually said that he knew someone that was 'into that'. I declined, of courrse, but how fucking crreepy can you get?" The female Demarian wrinkles her snout a bit, then noses the side of Stars' face affectionately. "Raisa, she is like little bear from story on Ungstir," Ace shakes her head, "Can never find bed that is comfortable for her, so am not surprised she did not stay with Brandon." She looks between the two Demarians, "Should I be leaving the two of you alone this evening?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. In Demarese: Stars mrrrs, happily, at the nosing, peering across to Ace. " I am in the mood for randomness - while this may be remarkably dangerous, it's not necessarially good enough reason to go running for the hills. " "Yeah..." Swiftfoot says, then shrugs vaguely. "Still. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, afterr all of this." The ginger female eyes Ace, then chuckles. "You'll have to tell me that storry sometime. And no, alone isn't necessarry. The morre the merrierr." "So long as you are speaking of relaxing and having some drinks, would agree with you, da," Ace grins. In Demarese: The big cat rests his head on Swiftfoot's shoulder - content, it seems.. though he /is/ eyeing a chair. " .. to start with. Then, who knows? Dancing, maybe. Drunken dribgib racing. Something more fun, if there's enough alcohol about. " Swiftfoot laughs and reaches up to scratch behind one of Stars' ears. "Sounds like fun. All of it." Her whiskers bristle, and she noses at the side of his face again. "Cmon, sit down. You'rre awfully tall, you know." "Da, sit," Ace agrees with a nod, "You are looming. Is not very conducive to relaxing and drinking, da?" "I rreally can't help it." Stars moves far enough to settle languidly into a chair - ".. looming's just parrt of the whole.. you know.. idiom. Comes with being big and scarrry forr a living." Swiftfoot chuckles and whaps Stars' arm playfully with one paw. "Ass," she says, then winks. "Anyhow... now that we've got thrree of us herre, what say we all have a few rrounds and then see wherre we end up?" "Will let you order," Ace says, "Do not know my Demarian liquors so much and is a good deal I have never tried. Am feeling adventurous this evening," she grins. He rubs theatrically at his arm.. "Hrr. Well, the last time a cute female said that to me, the night came out rrremarrkably well. I'm game." Stars looks over to Ace - "If it's blue orr grreen, I have /no/ idea what it will do to terrran biochemestrry. But it'll be fun to watch." "The grreen one is awesome," Swiftfoot says, nodding at Stars. "But... hrrr. Well, in any case, it's Ace. I think she could prrobably drrink batterry acid and come out with a case of indigestion." She winks at the Ungstiri, then butts her head against Stars' shoulder. The three of them are seated at an actual table over in a corner. "Am willing to give anything a shot tonight," Ace says with a smile, "Has been a very long time since I have been able to relax and need to unwind a bit after La Terre." In Demarese: Stars orders, grinning - a claw raised and a call of - "Three, Demar's tears - leave the bottle?" His tail flicks as he turns his yellow eyes, innocently, on Swiftfoot. "... that should do it, wouldn't you think?" Swiftfoot blinks at Stars, then chuckles. "Ought to, yeah. Sweet Brrakirr, we'rre all gonna be gone by the time the night's thrrough. But that suits me just fine. I haven't drrunk forr fun in quite awhile." She winks then noses the side of Stars' face. "And that innocent act doesn't fool me any, y'know." Kastaprulyi tugs open the restaurant door with a few arms and pauses in the doorway for a moment before wandering inside. Amidst a bar full of Demarians, the Centauran is hard to miss and Ace smiles and waves to Kas, "Is good to see you!" She looks back to the other two, "Demar's Tears? That sounds like very much a depressing drink." "... I have no idea what it's made frrom - but trrust me, Demarr apparrently crries forr all the rright rreasons." The big Demarian chuffs, amused. ".. it's serrved rroom temperrature - sip, don't shoot. And yes, even forr us, that's the rright size of glass. And it'll be bitterrr, with a sweet afterr." Well, one experienced drunk to another - never let someone dive in unprepared. That, or this is the hazing ritual and the drink's worse. Take your pick. Swiftfoot chuckles and nods at Stars. "Indeed she does. The only thing I've found that even comparres is Eyeshine, some Vollistan drrink. I've got a few bottles of that aboarrd Jackal still. I didn't even know what it was until a couple of months ago, when Scheurr told me." She winks. "All I knew up till then was that it fucks you up rreal good." She shifts her eyes to Kas then, nodding in greeting. "Evening, Kas." Kastaprulyi returns a feeling of greeting and slips over to the table of familiar faces, scattering some faint refractions as it passes near the mood lighting. "Hello," Kas offers as it comes nearer. "Can I be with you? What're you talking about?" "Da, of course," Ace smiles, "You know Kas, da?" she says to Stars. "And I think my crew, they are intending to use me as guinea pig in order to test the effectiveness of Demarian alcohol on Ungstiri." "Surre, pull up a chairr," Swiftfoot says, then quirks an eyeridge, apparently rethinking the comment. "Orr just, y'know, an empty space to hoverr in. That worrks too." She grins at Stars slyly while flicking an ear in the Kapitan's direction. "Ace's figurred out ourr masterr plan, it seems." "I just want to see if she wrrites poetrry." Stars peers up at the Centauri, offering a greeting flick of his tail, only mildly curious. The server - a Demarian female of patchy grey calico and sarong-clad, brings over a silver tray with a pricey-looking bottle of something very much swirling electric blue, complete with three small glasses. Smaller than shotglass glasses. There's a vague air of ritual about the service being set out on the table... and she gives the Ungstiri a curious blink, a slight shrug, before moving on. "We've met before," Kas replies agreeably, taking Swiftfoot's revised suggestion and sliding over to the end of their table in the corner. The young Centauran looks on with an attentive aura as the drink is served. "Does it have drugs in it besides alcohol?" Kas inquires curiously. "Is very good question," Ace says, smiling broadly at the waitress, before turning the now slightly suspicious grin towards her crewmates. Swiftfoot chuckles and nudges Stars in the side with a paw. "Be nice to the Kapitan," she chides, then winks. "Y'know, kind of a pity Kas can't drrink. Now -that- would be some fun." The ginger female tilts her head slightly to the side, eyeing the Centauran contemplatively. Silvereye strolls into the Velvet Pillow, his paws in his pockets once he steps inside. Stars sniffs. "I'm always nice." He reaches up for the bottle, straightening - and, carefully, he sets about pouring. There's a formality to his motions - careful, and slow, as though dredging it up from long memory, he pours all three glasses just so, setting them out in front of the two ladies first, of course. The bottle is set precisely center table - and he picks up the delicate glass between clawtip and thumb. ".. hrr. To.. hmm. New beginnings? Orr is that too trrite?" "Eye Mordecai found something else that'd poison me when I was on somebody's meditation trip," Kas explains a touch uncomfortably. "That wasn't any fun for me." The young Centauran suggests a more optimistic feeling as it sends a silent greeting to Silvereye. Swiftfoot wrinkles her snout, then nods at Kas. "Still, it'd be fun to see a drrunk Centaurran, I think." She winks, then looks over at Stars, head tilting slightly to the side. "It's not trrite at all," she says, smiling before delicately picking up her own small glass. Ace picks up the glass, eyeing it warily, her smile dimming as she looks to Kas, "Poison? This being the same Mordecai who Ranix has run off to join?" she shakes her head, looking over to the Demarians, "Is fine toast," she says with a nod. "Perhaps, though, we need another glass?" she asks, lifting hers towards Silvereye. Stalling or just being friendly? Who could tell? Silvereye looks over towards Kas and the others after he receives the message from Kas. He blinks to the see the Fauxites but doesn't waste any time coming over to them. "Evening. Good to see you back." Stars grins up at Silver - "just in time - you joining us, Silverreye? I can still get you a glass." The big Demarian nods at the bottle - "And I think we've got plenty." "Almost everything's the beginning of something. But feeling hopeful about the future's good anyway," Kas remarks encouragingly. The young Centauran the replies, "Morden'kamir said they're the same person at least. But Eye Mordecai was probably just trying to be helpful on the trip." "Good to see you herre," Swiftfoot says, nodding and offering a smile to the Battleclaw. "Sit a spell, join us in a few drrinks." She grins and noses the side of Stars' face, then sniffs experimentally at her tiny glass. "Mmh. Been forreverr since I had this stuff." Ace rises to give Silver a hug of greeting, "Was looking for you on the landing pad earlier. Thought perhaps you had gone on to Sivad already. Is good to see you have not." She nods to Kas, "Is good philosophy, Kas, da. Will drink to hope, then." Silvereye accepts the hug from Ace and grins. "No, I'll probably head over tomorrow or early on Friday." He lets her go and then eyes the drinks that are arrayed before him. He blinks. "Altheor's Teeth I never thought I'd see this stuff." ".. hrrr. Haven't had any since... oh, prrobably my last prromotion parrty." Stars seems .. wistful? Amused, anyway - "Sit then - " He signals for another glass - "You should at least trry some, and this is going to bankrrupt me as it is - I must therrreforr insist." "What's that kind of drink called?" Kas asks, shifting to make way for Silvereye. "Does drinking it mean something special?" Swiftfoot chuckles. "I can't tell you the last time I had this," she says, shrugging at Stars. "It's been awhile." She eyes the Battleclaw then. "Sivad? Oh, the OATO meeting. Rright." She turns to Kas then. "Demarr's Tearrs is what it's called. And it's... verry strrong. It's got otherr effects too, which you'll get to witness herre in a while." Ace settles back down, eyeing the little glass of blue liquid, "Is called Demar's Tears," she explains to Kas as she sniffs it tentatively. "So...to new beginnings and to hope, da?" she says, taking a tiny little sip from the tiny little glass. Silvereye sits down at the table. "I've never had any. It's a noble drink, they would never have let us anywhere near it." He shrugs at Stars as a way of accepting a glass, but he seems tentative about it. Oh, a glass is brought, and Stars pours with the same odd formality as before, the bottle again being replaced precisely mid-table. "Therre you go - " He winks. "Sip, don't shoot. The longerr you let it sit on yourr tongue, the more bitterr it is - but the sweeterr the afterrtaste." He sips himself, carefully, closing his eyes and savoring, bitter as it may be. Kastaprulyi returns a thoughtful acknowledgement and 'listens' quietly for the moment. Swiftfoot nods to Ace. "New beginnings and hope. Good things to drrink to." She does just that, taking a sip from the little glass, her snout wrinkling slightly as she follows Stars' instructions to the letter. Ace does as instructed, letting the drink sit on her tongue until finally the stoic Ungstiri makes a face, "Hoop..." she swears softly, her mouth puckered. But then she smiles, nodding appreciatively, "Is one of the strangest things I have ever tasted." Silvereye takes his glass and raises it to the toast before taking a sip. He blinks largely, letting the drink sit before he swallow it down. His tail twitches. "I think I'll be going on Friday..." Stars points out, amused, an ear flicking - ".. just wait.' He looks to Silvereye. ".. La Terrre has been overr forr .. what, betterr than a week and OATO's just /now/ meeting?" He pauses. "Neverrmind. No politics, rright? Tonight is about drrinks and dancing and doing stupid things." "Where'd you have another of the strangest?" Kas inquires curiously, while toasting with an imaginary glass. Ace gives a slight, sharp shake of her head, "Other strangest? Hm..." she pauses to think, turning the tiny glass of blue fluid between her fingers. "Would have to say sake, but that grew on me. Is first liquore I have ever had that is served heated." "Everything on Demaria is heated, no sense in serving the liquor that way..." Silvereye comments as he takes another small sip, shaking his head slightly. "And don't get me started on OATO, because I'll be too drunk to talk about it the way this is going>" "Rred tape," Swiftfoot says, nodding. "If you could harrness that into a shield, nothing could get thrrough it." She chuckles and winks at Stars then. "What, you'rre gonna want me to -dance- while I'm drrinking this stuff? You'll end up with brroken toes, love." She grins at Silvereye. "Good, then yourr aim's the same as mine. With that, she downs another sip of the blue liquid. Stars bahs, eying Swiftfoot.. and then grinning, toothily, as he swallows another draft - "Prretty - you should say that morre often. Makes spending a month's salarrry worrth it." He winks, flicking an ear. "And I'm fine with that. I won't notice until tomorrrow, and then I'm off carrgo duty forr a month while they heal." He focuses on the Battleclaw. "This, my frriend, is why the parrties at my family's home werrre legendarry." "Most of the times I've seen people having special drinks," Kas relates, "the show of somebody was mixing them up was part of the fun." The young Centauran adds inquisitively, "What parts about the parties did people exaggerate?" Ace takes another sip, sitting very still as she considers the effects, "Da," she agrees with Kas, "Any drink mixed by Jest would have to put into the interesting category." She takes another sip, contemplating the taste, both good and bad, perhaps a bit too deeply from the expression on her face. "It was a noble House." Silvereye replies to Stars, holding off on any more for now. "All the parties were legendary, I'd imagine." "Mmh," Swiftfoot says, nodding at Silvereye. "Seems like therre werre a lot of legendarry parrties going on in those days. Pity it had to end, I suppose." She wrinkles her snout a bit, then takes another sip of the drink before eyeing Stars, one eyeridge quirking upward. "Say what morre often?" "Oh, of courrse." The big demarian grins over at the centauran, sitting up to pour - even /more/ carefully - into rapidly emptying glasses. ".. I'm not surre much rreally /was/ exaggerrated. The drribgibs my sibs dyed and chased thrrough the ballrroom? Trrue storry." He pauses, winking at Swiftfoot. "Love. I like it. Call me crrrazy." "How'd the guests feel about the dribgibs?" Kas asks interestedly. "Did your family ever do that again?" Ace licks her lips a few times, the kapitan having gone quiet and very contemplative, staring into the glass rather than drinking anything from it. Silvereye snorts lightly as Swiftfoot speaks. "I think I'm obligated to say it was a pity." The Battleclaw comments without much enthusiasm before taking another, larger sip bordering on a shot. Swiftfoot blinks at Stars. "Thought you wanted me to call you love, but I'll call you crrazy if you'd rratherr." She winks and gives a flick of her ears. "So... wait. -You- werre the ones with the drribgibs? Sweet Brrakirr, I always wonderred if that was just an urrban legend, such as it is." She chuckles, shaking her head, then blinks at Kas. "The guests? Imagine how the poorr drribgibs felt! Hrm..." The ginger female trails off there, head tilting slightly to the side as she stares at the Centauran. "Say, did anyone everr notice what a prretty colorr Kas is?" "Blue," Ace says, looking from the drink up to the Centauran, "Everything, it is blue." "Blue?" Swiftfoot inquires, head tilting even further to the side. "Why yes it is." She eyes Stars sidewise. "It's not a she. It's an it. They don't have... you know, boys and girrls. S'kinda strrange, rreally. Couldn't be fun..." She chuckles, takes a sip of her drink, then leans against the hulking male, sighing contentedly and closing her eyes halfway. Silvereye blinks at Kas, drawn in with the others. "I see purple. It's not all that interesting, though. Wait, there it goes..." Stars grins. "Pleasant, rregarrdless." He snuggles Swiftfoot close, wrapping an arm around her. "Just being polite, prretty - orr, I think. I rrrmember hearring calling someone an 'it' is sorrt of an insult in terrran, isn't it?" "Everybody has a different kind of fun," Kas remarks helpfully. The young Centauran suggests a touch of puzzlement, as if at the odd states of mind going around, remaining quiet for a bit. It takes an experimental twirl in place. Ace pulls her head back a bit, still watching Kas as it spins, "Is like..." she cocks her head, "Electrical storm. All blue and flashing." Silvereye's eyes widen, his slitted pupils widening noticeably. "Whoa. Altheor's Teeth, Kas, slow down on that." Swiftfoot gives a languid grin up at Stars. "Well, it's not a he orr a she, so what else arre you going to call it?" she inquires, then chuckles, her eyes wandering back to the Centauran. She blinks and shakes her head as Kas twirls in place. "Whoa. Damn. Do that again, Kas, only slowerr. Sweet Brrakirr, that was -cool-." Stars chuffs, softly - ".. I'm with them." Kas, it seems, is the best show he's seen in a while, eyes wide, whiskers bristling forward. Kastaprulyi slows to a stop and offers a bit uncertainly, "I can try calling for people to bring you home when you're ready..." The young Centauran fishes around under its bell with one arm, after a momentr retrieving a small omnidirectional flashlight. "What else're you seeing?" Kas adds curiously, turning on the flashlight, returning it to the pocket, and making a vertical bob. Ace turns her attention from the sparkling Centauran back down to the glass again, now with just a last sip left in it. Putting it very deliberately on the table, she begins to spin it with her fingers, the liquid swirling in the bottom of the glass. She seems rather focused on the exercise, the glass spinning a bit faster with each spin...until it begins to spin without her touching it any longer. Silvereye takes another sip from his drink, slowly and deliberately as he watches Kas do its light show. He doesn't even notice Ace. "Hrr," Swiftfoot muses, watching Kas for a moment, her head tilted almost completely sideways. "Wherre'd you -get- that flashlight frrom...?" She trails off, eyes going to Ace at the sound of the spinning glass. Her pupils dilate as she watches it continue spinning without assistance from the Ungstiri. "...can you teach me to do that...?" she inquires quietly, whiskers bristling forward as she takes the last sip out of her own glass. Kastaprulyi retrieves the small omnidirectional flashlight from its pocket and sets it on the table in the corner of the room, which happens to be occupied by the young Centauran, three Demarians and one human (the latter four all very intoxicated) as well as a shot glass spinning by itself. "You just," Ace's brow furrows, "Stare at it." "Rreally?" Swiftfoot inquires, one eyeridge quirking upward. "Starring I can do. I'm good at starring. I can do this." She nods to herself, then sets her own glass down on the table and stares at it intently, her brow furrowing and her golden eyes narrowing to slits. "Oh! I think it... no, it didn't move. Wait, wait... well... it turrned purrple... does that count...? Ow. I think I brroke something in my brrain..." Sinopa enters the velvet pillow and looks around. Spotting the crew she heads in their direction with a little smirk on her face. Ace continues to lean forward, focusing on the glass which quite abruptly stops. The why becomes quite evident as Ace's head thunks on the table, the Faux's kapitan blissfully unconscious. Swiftfoot is still focusing on her glass, completely oblivious to the arrival of Sinopa. The glass, for the record, still hasn't moved nary a millimeter. Silvereye blinks as Ace's head thunks. "Whoa...Hope she's ok." Kastaprulyi remains quiet with an attentive aura, apparently watching the adults have their fun. Kas suggests a touch of concern as the second one passes out. With a more positive feeling, however, it sends a silent greeting to the approaching Sinopa. "They're drinking Demar's Tears," Kas explains helpfully. "Hey Sinopa, is this glass moving?" the Faux's pilot inquires. She's still staring intently at the tiny glass on the table in front of her. "I can't tell." Swiftfoot's eyes narrow a bit more, and her ears lay back, the end of her tail flicking as she concentrates on the glass. "Noble fun stuff." Silvereye replies to Sinopa, his terran starting to break up. "Only nobles c'n afford it." "I just know it has alcohol, some other drug," Kas relates. It then supplies helpfully, "You can call me Kas," as it shifts to make room for Sinopa. "Are you going to drink some too?" Sinopa raises a brow to this, "Swifty, are you alright?" she asks. "That glass can't move on it's own," she looks to Kas as she sits next to it. "I don' think so," she replies. "Nix would kill me if I did." Swiftfoot shakes her head a tiny bit. "Ace did it," she insists, still staring at the glass. "She said all you gotta do is starre. I saw herr do it. All I got mine to do was turrn purrple, though." The orange-furred Demarian's ears are still flat against her skull, and her tail twitches. Silvereye blinks at Swiftfoot. "Really? You're...you're not kidding?" He starts to stare intently at the glass too. Kastaprulyi reaches over with the purple-clad arm holding the flashlight and waves it in a circular pattern over Swiftfoot's glass. "Can you make sure everybody gets home okay?" Kas asks. Swiftfoot blinks at the flashlight, blinks at the glass, then slowly slumps to one side, leaning against the big male beside her - Stars, who's passed out with his head atop the table. The ginger female's eyes close, and she purrs softly, a contented smile across her face. It's not very long before she's asleep too, the purring trailing off to nothing. Sinopa chuckles softly and nods. "I will," she says trying to hold in her laughter. "You are terrible," she whispers leaning in close to Kas. "I have to remember that for sometime later."
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