AU: Bar Crawl

[last_kallig]

After the events at the Foundry, Ibani felt that both she and Ben desperately needed some R+R. There was much research and questioning of her various contacts, smugglers, pirates, spies, and other such folk for good places to drink and eat on Nar Shaddaa.

She has a list! Although her first plan is to ask Ben where HIS favorite places on Nar Shaddaa were and see if any of them exist in her when, because you never know.

In the interests of blending in, Ibani has gone for the smuggler/pirate look in brown and bright emerald synthleather with a vibroblade strapped on one hip. (She has her lightsabers too, of course, but those are more hidden.)

Comments

[acertainpov]

“Technically it is possible for Weequay,” Ben muses. He doesn’t look over at the group, even when the young man who yelled at Ibani goes to sit down and somehow misses his chair, sitting hard on the floor, spilling his drink and somehow kicking the table over at the same time.

“And some Cathar males, but I don’t know if that’s genetic or they take special training.”

He turns towards the bar. “What’re you drinking?”

[last_kallig]

"Learn something new every day," Ibani replies. "My education was rather narrower in focus than I would have liked." Mostly murder and the Force.

She chuckles when the table gets kicked over and grins at Ben. She has suspicions about that degree of clumsiness, oh yes.

"No idea. I didn't drink much before I acquired certain metabolic quirks, and I haven't been terribly adventurous with finding new things I might like. I'll try anything you think might be interesting, to start with."

[acertainpov]

Ben meets her grin with nothing but curious innocence. He doesn't know what she's talking about!

"You're never too old to embark on new eductaional experiences," he says, though whether he means alcohol or physical shenanigans with other species isn't clear.

They make their way through the crowd at the bar without any resistance and aren't waiting long before the bartender gives them their attention.

"Let's start with a reliable Corellian wine, then. Though sadly I'm going to take it on trust with what's a good vintage."

[last_kallig]

Ibani orders a Corellian vintage from a few years ago for the both of them. (Well, a few years ago for HER.)

"To new educational experiences," she toasts, winking at him flirtatiously. She could mean alcohol or physical shenanigans, though she's only interested in THOSE with one particular person at this time.

There is a game of Sabaak going on not far from the Bar, and one of the players is very definitely cheating. At the rate they're going, they're going to get caught sooner or later.

[acertainpov]

He raises an eyebrow at her wink, and raises his glass to her in return before taking a sip to try it: "Now that is a good wine. Glad to know Corellia's always had it."

Ben is sitting with his back to the Sabaak game, and after a moment's thought, he moves the wine bottle closer to Ibani that to himself, for no obvious reason.

"How do you like it?"

[last_kallig]

She meets his raised eyebrow with a warm and wicked grin.

"Hm, I think I like it," she replies. "Goes down easy. Not quite like the ones I've had from Alderaan, though I can't place my finger on the exact difference."

Ben is probably just being sensible by moving the wine bottle closer to Ibani! If he wants the evening to last, it's probably best for the person who can't get drunk to consume most of the alcohol in the bottle.

She pours herself another glass, and then her holocom beeps. "Ugh. Didn't think I'd be getting any calls right now. Do you mind if I take this one here?" Where whoever is on the other end of the call will potentially see him. (Not that that really MATTERS here, no one's looking for him, but Ibani respects his privacy.)

[acertainpov]

Ben waves a hand lightly at all of the chaos surrounding them, "If you don't mind the potential for interference."

He has nothing to hide, here. And it gives him the chance to split his attention between listening in on her business, and waiting for someone to call that poor Rodian on his blatent cheating.

[last_kallig]

The person on the other end of the call is an older Mirialan woman, clearly a smuggler.

"Hylo, I thought that shipment we were waiting on wasn't due for days yet."

"Things went quicker than I expected. I'm having a few of my people nose around just in case they tried anything funny, of course." Then she notices Ben and grins. "Well now, that fellow there must be the reason you've been hitting me and everyone else you know in the business up for cantina recommendations on Nar Shaddaa."

"How did you know that I...ugh," Ibani pinches the bridge of her nose. "You lot are the worst gossips I have ever met." She's flushing faintly.

Hylo Visz gives Ben an appraising look. "I like him, he looks like trouble."

The Rodian has maybe three hands left before he gets caught, if he keeps pushing his luck.

"This troublemaker would be Hylo Visz, infamous smuggler and Republic Hero for breaking the Blockade of Coruscant years ago." Ibani explains, figuring that if Hylo is going to comment on Ben she should at least introduce them.

[acertainpov]

"Ben Kenobi," Ben touches the brim of his hat and gives Hylo a nod and a charming smile. "Complete nobody, but if you're causing trouble, ma'am, I'd hate to miss out."

Plus it's going to get very troublesome in here in like two hands of Sabaak.

[last_kallig]

Ibani has emptied her glass, sensing the way the Sabaak game is going. Would be a shame to waste it.

"Charmer," Hylo replies. "Although I'd imagine you already have as much trouble as you can handle with Ibani there." Hylo leans forward conspiratorially. "She took notes when she was asking me for recommendations, it was adorable."

"Hylo!" Ibani hisses, now very definitely blushing.

"What?" Hylo asks, all innocence. "Just trying to help."

"Then please stop helping!" Ibani replies, still red.

[acertainpov]

Ben leans towards the holoprojection, and wraps an arm around Ibani's waist as if to pull her into the frame, but also to make sure she gets the full force of the embarrassment that's due her.

"So what was your recommendation? So I know whether to thank you."

He also takes the wine flagon by the handle and presses it into Ibani's hands. If they're about to leave, they're taking the wine with them!

[last_kallig]

On the one hand, Ibani rather likes Ben wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close like that. On the other, definitely embarrassed.

Ibani grips the wine flagon reflexively.

"Oh I had a few, wouldn't dare spoil the surprise," Hylo replies, grinning at the two of them. "Including a place or two that serve something other than alcohol, as I doubt you share her metabolic quirks and she might want you functional at the end of the evening." The last is said with a definite teasing wink.

Ibani's just going to be over here, dying of mortification, thanks! "You are SO dead, Visz!"

And that would be when there is shouting behind them about Sabaac and cheating at it and several people being EXTREMELY unhappy. Which is totally the reason why Ibani cuts off the holocall and not anything else, yes. Absolutely. *Ahem*

[acertainpov]

Ben grabs his hat brim down further over his face, and reaches for his glass, which he hasn't finished yet, and doesn't want to leave it.

When he stands, the bartender starts hurrying over but Ben waves a hand. "We paid in advance," he says, and replaces that hand around Ibani's shoulders, turning towards the door.

Just as the Rodian comes flying against the bar, inches away from where he was sitting.

[last_kallig]

"Definitely time to go," Ibani replies, sidestepping a thrown chair and several mugs as she snags her own glass.

Oh dear, one of the players was a Wookie. Going to get REALLY ugly in here shortly.

They make their way out toward the street, and Ibani is still flushed a little. "Don't know WHAT got into Hylo," she mutters. Clearly, more alcohol is called for!. She pours herself another glass and offers to pour more for Ben.

[acertainpov]

He declines, because he's still got his and he'd be an idiot to try and keep up with Ibani. Instead he keeps his hand around her shoulders and lets her lead them to the next destination.

"She's just looking out for a friend," he says. "Be pleased."

[last_kallig]

Ibani leans into his arm around her shoulder a little, enjoying the contact.

"I suppose," Ibani allows. "So many things are new to me, despite how old I am." Her smile is wry. "All the more reason for new experiences, I suppose."

"The next recommendation was farther down in this sector." Nar Shaddaa, like Coruscant, is a place where directions are by necessity as much vertical as horizontal.

It's going to take a while to get there, though. The graffiti really brightens up the permacrete, in Ibani's opinion! "I feel this terrible urge to correct their spelling and I don't know why." she muses aloud.

They round another corner and stumble upon what appears to be a block party of some kind. There is definitely dancing going on, a dance something like a Reel. "I have absolutely no idea how to dance that, but I'm tempted to try anyway. Are you game?"

At least the precognition that helps in battle should keep her from stepping on any toes.

[acertainpov]

Ben doesn't know it either - dances change so much over the millenia, any dance experience he has is irrelevent. But he does finally down the rest of his glass and places it by a wall out of the way.

"Shall we learn it, then?" he asks, holding his hands out to her as he steps right into the dance. "It's easy, you just do what they do."

It's not even about not stepping on toes. If you hone your reflexes just right, he'll demonstrate, you can take the steps at the exact right time.

[last_kallig]

Ibani sets her glass and the bottle next to his out of the way, then eagerly takes his hands and follows him in.

It takes her a few moments to get it right, to get her reflexes where she needs them to be. She can feel the dance, the minds of so many focused on one thing. It's something like the sense a bird in a flock or a fish in a school has of the whole, what allows them to move almost as if they were a single creature.

The Force flows through all things after all, and they are both sensitive to that.

Ibani laughs joyfully as they move, spinning around and weaving in and out of the other couples.

[acertainpov]

He's there as she learns, moving with her occasional missteps rather than fighting them, leading her sometimes when needed, but always there, hands on hers at the right time for the dance, involved in the starmeg arm parts of the dance when that's necessarily, andd occasionally flattened on his hat to keep it from falling off. His eyes lock on hers and his smile grows wide when she laughs.

It's couldn't be more different than their waltz under the sea, this loud and fast and energetic reel in the middle of a crowded city moon.

[last_kallig]

Very different from their waltz under the sea, yes, but just as enjoyable in Ibani's opinion! (Especially since they can't run short of air this time!)

His widening smile when she laughs only encourages her to laugh more, increases her joy. Warmth curls up her spine and her heart flutters as they dance. Her eyes are locked on his as they dance and everything else falls away, the weights she has chosen to carry and the ones forced upon her dissipate for a time.

The universe has narrowed down to Ben, herself, and the movements of this dance and how they connect with one another.

[acertainpov]

He can't say the same, in this moment, but it's okay. Her world narrows and his expands, takes in the whole dance, the music, the joy of everyone. In the centre she burns like a sun, but the beauty of the world comes as much from everything orbiting around her.

He guides her through the other dancers, without needing to look away from her eyes locked with his, finds their space in the reel, and lets his focus widen out, just drinking in the life that surrounds them.

[last_kallig]

There is so very much life to drink in, here, in its own way more potent than any alcohol ever could be.

The reel changes and it's effortless this time to switch steps, switch movement as if she's done this all her life.

Eventually, the music stops and she's leaning against him, laughing still, but nearly breathless. Her heart pounds like a drum, and there is a sweet joy in that feeling being from something born of happiness rather than bloodshed, for once.

[acertainpov]

He holds her against him for a second, letting her laughter and her joy flow through him as he pants, almost laughing himself as he waits for his breath to return to him.

"I knew you'd be a fast learner," he says when he can. "More fun than the other kind of dance, I find."

[last_kallig]

When Ben holds her against him, she has to squelch the terrible curiosity about what it would be like to kiss him that arises in her mind. That's a dangerous line of thought, and not just because she's never kissed anyone before!

"Thank you for teaching me," she says when she gets her own breath back. "I think I agree with you about it being more fun, although I may need to do more testing of both with you to be sure," she teases.

She's actually thirsty now. "Time to finish off that bottle, perhaps?"

[acertainpov]

"As you wish."

He releases her long enough to turn towards the bottle, for however much is left, if it hasn't been stolen.

As they head over, he lets his hand trail up into her silver hair, lacing his fingers through and running them to the ends as he follows her.

He could do with a drink now himself.