Party at the Blue Bantha!

[hadthehighground]

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: The Blue Bantha in Coruscant's entertainment district
WHAT: A party!
WHEN: The last day before they leave.
WARNINGS: Fun times? Probably drunkenness.

After having found this place on an outing with Echo, Obi-Wan had decided he rather liked this one particular establishment they stopped at. So for their last evening on Coruscant, the Jedi had the place rented out. A network post also going up inviting everyone for one last hurrah before they have to go back to Temba.

Welcome to the Blue Bantha Bar and Grill!

Everything is very blue. A bright blue neon sign advertises the joint in the entertainment district. Its letters in Aurebesh with a little bantha head shaped neon light next to it as well. The lighting inside is distinctly blue as well. There is a mounted bantha head placed on the far wall above the bar, its fur having been dyed blue. Clearly it is the mascot of this place.

There are tables and booths in varying locations for people to sit. With the tables having bantha hide rugs under them that look reminiscent of shag carpet, while the booth seats have bantha hide upholstery as well. There's a band playing in one corner with space for people to dance. While on another side there are screens broadcasting sporting events from across the galaxy. Feel free to place bets on who you think will win!

Even the staff are either blue, or are wearing blue. It won't be uncommon to have a blue scantily clad Twi'lek waitress serving you. The long bar also has blue neon lighting with several stools to sit at, in which you can order whatever drink your heart desires on their menu.

Speaking of the menu, everything is made with bantha products. That is what they specialize in. Several types of Jawa Juice, a kind of beer made from fermented grains mashed in bantha hides, can be found here. As well as Bantha Blood Fizz, a sparkling drink made from purified bantha blood in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. And of course they serve several drinks featuring blue milk, from just the plain stuff to several alcoholic concoctions. There is also food of course! Bantha steak, bantha burgers, bantha stew, and other meat dishes are served as it's pretty much this galaxy's equivalent of beef. You can even get desserts made from blue milk such as cheesecake and ice cream.

Have fun! The Temba group have this establishment all to themselves for the night!

((OOC: This is a mingle log so go nuts!))

Comments

OTA

[heypartner]

Now, Cobb came from a planet that relied on banthas for most things. Transport, food, and wool and the like. Even he thought this place was a little tacky. The mounted bantha head dyed blue? Really?

But, it was clearly a place for a party and he could understand a few folks wanting to cut loose in civilization while they had the chance so he showed up. Not in his armor but in his usual red shirt and red scarf making him stick out like a sore thumb among all the blue.

Not that he cared. He picked a table in the middle, ordered a bottle of spotchka and some bantha kabobs then brought out his deck of sabaac cards. He left the majority of his credits back on the First Breath with the hope maybe he'd get to take them back to Tatooine one day. The rest? Who cared? He might as well gamble them away on the last night here.

And if anyone didn't know how to play when they sat down Cobb would teach them if they wanted or just chat between dealing rounds. It was meant to be a fun night, after all.

[on_repeat]

Blue's a nice color. Of course, Echo may be a little biased in that regard.

At some point during the partying, the clone sits himself down at Cobb's table with very little ceremony. He's played a few rounds when the marshal first had the sabaac cards out, but he still feels like he hasn't completely gotten everything just yet. And the last time he did that, he was in his full set of 501st armor.

Most of the armor now has obviously been replaced by civilian clothing, save for maybe the vambraces and the greaves that sport a familiar shade of blue. Where the helmet's featureless visor should be is a hat that doesn't bother to hide the smirk on his face.

"–So tell me again how this game goes."

[heypartner]

People have been coming and going at the table all night. Cobb was not that surprised to see Echo sit himself down. He was surprised to see him without the armor that's almost as signature as Din's.

He took a moment to look him over then paused a moment. There was a scar on Echo's head in a familiar spot. There were folks in Mos Pelgo with a scar right there, not as neat and tidy as Echo's but... did he have a chip? Why would they put a chip in a soldier? Why would a soldier need a chain like that?

This wasn't the place to ask but Cobb made a note to ask later when they had some privacy.

"We're playin' real simple tonight. Just get a hand to twenty-three or close as you can." Cobb shuffled the cards smoothly through his hands. "You know the value of the cards or do I have to explain that?"

[on_repeat]

"I think I remember, but I don't mind a quick review," Echo says, resting a forearm against the table.

The clone doesn't seem to notice Cobb stare at him, noticing the scar that peeks its way out from where the edge of his hat rests. His own gaze is too busy flickering over the cards, briefly observing their designs before they're swept up and shuffled.

[heypartner]

So, like he had done over and over again throughout the night Cobb explained the cards and their values. It was a well rehearsed speech at this point. So many of these other folks didn't know sabaac from their left hand.

"You got all that?" he asked with a grin as he finished shuffling. He took the pause to pour himself another glass of spotchka.

He was having a real good night.

[on_repeat]

Echo pays close attention, only asking questions where it matters. But Cobb is thorough in his explanation and everything is committed to memory in a snap.

"Got it." What kind of clone trooper would he be if he wasn't able to process the information that quickly?

He doesn't drink too much tonight, but he's ready to go with whatever cards Cobb deals out first. "How's your night been going?" he asks during the pause, already assuming things are fine with the way he grins like that.

[heypartner]

"Oh, been alright. I think I'm one of the few people lookin' forward to going back," Cobb said as he considered his hand. It wasn't much of a hand. Four to start was low but the right cards could come along and he wasn't in danger of going over just yet.

He tossed his credits into the pot. "I'm not one for core worlds, turns out. I'm glad we were able to get supplies and the like but, well, I got work I want to do on Tembra."

And there wasn't much use for him here. Cobb wouldn't miss Coruscant at all.

[deal_me_in]

There were a few clinks from a small handful of credits and some odds and ends as they were deposited on the table, Cayde dropping into an empty seat, setting a mug down in front of him. He tapped a hand on the table, up for a game.

There hadn't been that much opportunity to put his newfound Sabacc skills to use for reasons they'd already anticipated (not that he hadn't tried anyway, with varying degrees of success), but in the end it was more fun to play with friends and acquaintances anyway.

[heypartner]

"Hey, thought I'd see you around here." Cobb smiled at Cayde and immediately dealt him a hand. "Current buy in is fifty credits."

The folks in the bar might think it strange to let a droid play but Cobb would always welcome a game with Cayde. He was good and clever which made for a more interesting game.

Maybe Cobb would even cheat a little to see if Cayde caught it. "How've you been?"

[deal_me_in]

"Hey, a bar that won't kick me out for ordering a drink and food? Not passing that up," Cayde laughed. Settling in, he swept up his cards and started to adjust the order in his hand as he started to work out the amounts.

"Overall? Been pretty good. Keepin' busy." These opportunities didn't come often, after all, and with the reminder that they could be sent home any time now, the Exo wasn't going to waste it.

[heypartner]

"My guess is the amount of credits everyone's spendin' won't get us kicked out short of shooting someone." Cobb understood money talked and they were spending a lot of it in this place. He didn't think the owner gave a damn if Cayde drank their whole stock as long as he kept paying.

Cobb started with a risky hand. Twenty-two. It would be real easy to bomb with a starting hand that high. He needed to unload some cards.

But he bet high because of it. What's the fun of gambling without a little risk? "Thought I overheard that you got arrested?" Cobb's been listening to the gossip around the hangars at night. Like a good Marshal does.

[deal_me_in]

Cayde absently wondered what kind of dent they were making in the local economy and then figured in a place this big it probably didn't change things too much. He turned his focus back to tallying up the cards in his hand, in reality on the opposite end of the spectrum in comparison to Cobb's, but he tilted his head thoughtfully before flicking another couple loose credits onto the small pile he'd initially offered.

He did however roll his eyes when Cobb mentioned his getting arrested. "What, does everyone know that? It was-" He paused, did anyone really have to know how many times he'd actually been thrown in jail here? "-well it wasn't like I actually did anything to deserve being arrested," he finished with instead, sniffing.

[heypartner]

"Eh, I hear things here and there." Cobb smirked. He had done his best to keep his ear to the ground and know what the folks in this motley crew were doing. "And I was real curious how you were gettin' along."

He liked Cayde. He kept an eye on people he liked. If the Exo had found any real trouble Cobb would've come to help him. He seemed to handle it well any trouble he did find.

"I'm sure you're perfectly innocent. They get you for being a droid?" Cobb exchanged a few cards before dealing the next hand.

[thesepreciousthings]

"Hey, Marshall." Clarice greeted him with a wave as she approached with a glass of Jawa juice. She was glad to see so many familiar faces all in one place: it was the first time since arriving that she had really started to feel any sense of community. "What's that you've got goin' there?"

[heypartner]

"Starling." He tipped his drink at her before he took a sip. "Sabaac. It's a card game here. Feel free to join me. I'll teach you the rules."

He pushed a chair out from the table with a nudge of his foot. "I promise it's real simple."

As long as she had a good head for numbers and could learn quickly, that was. Cobb would go easy on her as he'd been going easy on everyone that sat down with him to play.

[thesepreciousthings]

"I do like a good card game," she replied, taking hold of the back of the chair to pull it out the rest of the way. "Thank you kindly. This a betting game? Or are we just playing for fun?"

[heypartner]

"Oh, we're betting." Cobb grinned, sharp and wicked. "Might as well use the credits while we've got 'em."

So, he explained sabaac. The value of the cards and how the rounds worked. How she just had to get twenty-three or close to it by the end of four rounds. It was a simple game, really.

"You got all that?"

[thesepreciousthings]

It seemed to Starling that the game was like Blackjack with extra embellishments - the presence of a negative score option intrigued her, and made the whole thing much more exciting, as did the concept of the shifting phase.

"Arright then," she said with a smile and a glint in her eye that said she appreciated his attitude and would do her best to hold her own. She reached for her purse, which jingled faintly with the credits within. "What's the starting bet for the pots?"

[heypartner]

"First round? Whatever you feel like tossing in," he explained with a little shrug of his shoulders. "Other players either gotta match or raise."

And since the credits wouldn't be useful come soon, he was tossing in credits based on whatever he felt like tossing in. Usually big groups.

"We can match or raise the bet every round. Winner gets it all in the end." And then they'd play again. At least that was how Cobb's night was going. Just games going back and forth with conversation and spotchka flowing.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra, fully Jedi-ed up for the evening, lighsaber and all, wanders over, while the deck is being shuffled.

"A completely friendly game, tonight, right? I've watched a few games before. Never really played."

[heypartner]

"Well, we're gambling." Cobb tipped his head towards the pile of credits on the table. "But no one's going to start throwing punches. You can come play if you want."

Just like when anyone else wandered over looking unsure Cobb nudged a chair out with his foot to encourage Ezra to sit.

"Lookin' real sharp, kid."

[ezra_of_lothal]

Well, the credits won't be of much use to them for very long now, will they? Same difference, as far as Ezra's concerned.

"Thanks, Vanth," he replies, beaming while he takes a seat in the chair. "It's different. Definitely don't plan on getting rid of the rest of my clothing."

[heypartner]

"Oh yeah, I kept everything. Not gonna waste good clothes just because I got some new stuff." Cobb knew he liked Ezra for a reason. He had that Outer Rim sensibility.

He went through an explanation of how to play sabaac and the value of the cards. It's a practiced explanation. He's done this a lot tonight.

"You got it?"

[ezra_of_lothal]

Ezra watches carefully and nods. Math and patterns? Those he picks up on pretty quickly.

"Got it. Let's do this."

[heypartner]

"You ready to go back, kid?" he asked as he dealt the first hand. Cobb's hand hovered right at a nice sixteen. Pretty easy hand to bring up or shift down if needed.

Ezra had a place here with the Jedi temple at all. It must be hard to walk away from all that, especially when there was no choice. He just had to leave. Made it hard.

Cobb was familiar with the sensation even if he didn't like it here on Coruscant.