[Citadel, BlueShift] Disco Celebration!

The BlueShift on Zekera ward was a club that maybe ranked between the super hip joints and the more modest dance clubs. It had a certain graceful style to it and a somewhat classy, laid back atmosphere, without being overly posh. It had been the perfect choice for the night.

Tonight seemed to be regular, at least there were no hordes lining up. The audience was pretty mixed, a lot of humans, asari and a few turians and salarians even. Taleeze could even make out one or two quarians.

There were several open floors, each one pulsing with the rhythm of the music in a different shade of blue of purple tonight. Adjoined to the large bar area were also some tables to sit, the sound management making conversation possible while still having good volume on the dance floors.

Arms entwined with Skylar’s, they headed for the bar. "So, does the new dress feel comfortable?"



“I’d like to have a cocktail first if you don’t mind. Let’s head over there, we can also watch the dancefloors pretty good and there are a couple of free stools.”

“Good evening, ladies, what can I get you?” the asari bartender asked, while whipping the area where the two sat down and put a bowl with levo nuts and salty thessian sticks on the counter.

“Uh, good question…” Taleeze browsed the electronic menu screens overhead. “For me it’s going to be a Liquid Omnitool for starters.” The cocktail had its name from the shimmering yellow and orange colors and the sparkle effects. It felt appropriate for the occasion of celebrating her deal with Ariake about her tech mods.

She let her gaze travel over the crowd on the dancefloor. There also were a handful of gogo dancers and Taleeze mustered them with semi-professional interest. Well, not bad, just not the Apricity, she thought with a small grin as their cocktails arrived.

“To us!” she leaned in for a kiss…

One of those quarians just happened to be Kari'Zar vas Nedas nar Tasi.

It may have been shocking to many that she was at a place like this, since she wasn't the social type even when she was in a good mood. But those people just did not understand how much Kari truly loved the art of dance. Dancing made her feel better than any narcotic, made her happier than any gift, and soothed her more than any pleasant words could.

It made her complete.

And she was certainly enjoying herself, decked out in her traditional (and very conservative) dancing clothing. Moving gracefully all over the dancefloor like she owned it (and she probably did believe she owned it) ignoring the stares of the onlookers as she did so.

This was her moment and no one was going to disturb, or bother her.

Not. At. All.

"How the hell did you manage to get tickets to this joint?"

"Nah, they were kinda just laying around at Sniper's Touch so I thought nobody would mind. Plus there were plenty more, I just took three."

"That the sepper-hole?"

"You know it's not that kind of a place! They're my people! Shit Fallah, sometimes I think you're so fucking insensitive just on purp-- This is a jest right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Go to hell. And Victan, you stop laughing right away mister. Wouldn't want to pull a rank on you."

"Oh, look at the tier five talking. Let me just get out of your way sir. Would there be anything you'd like, mister sergeant?"

"Your ass will do fine."

"Fuck you."

"I love you too Vic. And you know it."

Three turians were loitering around near the bar. All were glad in black-and-grey dress uniforms of their legion, with caps over their fringes and medals hanging from the collars of their shirts. All bore the honorary badge of a Reaper War veteran.

Despite the rather fancy and formal attire, the small round table around which the trio was standing was already quite crammed with bottles and shot glasses. The friends were on a short shore-leave, and they had decided to make the best of it. Without even bothering to change clothes after disembarking from the transport that brought them to the space station, the turians decided to get drunk.

"I never pegged you for an assbandit, Sulla." Suddenly a familiar voice spoke out from the next table. Creak of a chair being dragged on the floor, and suddenly the trio's table was now foursome with casually dressed Juhani in it. "But I'm happy for you discovering the joys of man's intimate embrace."

"Victan. Fallah. I see you got some shore leave. It was not hard to miss you with all that glitter on your chests." he nodded to Sulla's friends and finished his glass. "How have you all been out there? I've missed talking to fellow servicemen and women, people at my garrison keep treating me like an unit mascot!"

"Mm, very comfortable," Skylar agreed, taking a stool at the bar and crossing her legs, which brought her bare thigh into stark prominence. "And you look deliciously sleek, so a good day's shopping all round."

She glanced over at the bartender and nodded cordially.

"Good evening. I believe..." She made a quick scan of the drinks on offer. "...an Enkindled, to start with. Thank you."

She joined Taleeze in taking in the club. It was a funny thing, but despite all the time she was spending at Apricity lately, it felt like it had been a while since she had had such a night out. No doubt the difference between being a patron and an employee, she mused.

"To us," she echoed, touching the back of her hand to Taleeze's in a toast, and leaning in to receive the offered kiss. "The Citadel's newest contracted entertainment engineering developer... and her adoring legal counsel. Bottoms up," she added, taking a generous swig of her Enkindled, and blinking as she swallowed. They mixed drinks like they meant business here, she mused; she made a mental note not to indulge too much.

It had a been a dull week for Arina, in hindsight she was happy now she didn’t go to that event at the Hierarchy Embassy as obviously some conflict with shooting had occurred! One of her colleagues who had been there had even to go to hospital for two days because of some bruising!

She finally decided that it was time for a recreational evening with dancing and lounging at a place called BlueShift. She had heard about it on the CDN forums and since she already was familiar with the probability vortex, she almost expected to meet some known faces – or hoods. She had texted Leeta about her plans but the poor quarian seemed to be quite stressed exhausted. Maybe she’d find her way there nonetheless, just wait and see, Arina thought.

And so she entered the club, wearing a very short cream colored dress with dark crimson applications. It had a high collar and loosely attached long sleeves but a low cut back. She had opted for dark knee high boots which weren’t the perfect match but comfortable for dancing!

The impression of the place was a good one and the music also nice. She was checking the bar, on one end there was a spectacular looking lovey-dovey human-asari couple, on the other around a small table a handsome turian and his two companions. Hm, why not…

Arina was heading for the nearest dancefloor and started to sway with the driving rhythm. There was a stupid quarian taking up lots of space like she was a queen or something but she could get into a spot from where she had a clear line of vision towards the turian table. Now let’s see…

Her moves got a tad more explicit and she shot occasional glances towards the most handsome of the trio. Her gestures were kind of inviting but looking totally unintentional.

Sulla's eyes widen a bit when the human practically glides to the table from the shadows. "What th-- Are you following me?!" He eyes Juhani carefully before his poker face breaks and his other mandible vibrates. "Good to see you man. Though I have no idea how did we manage to pick the same bar out of the five thousand or so on this station." Fallah and Victaniarus murmur their greetings as well. "Also, I think of myself more of as a corsair. Figure that out", Sulla says, his eyes gleaming over the pint from which he takes a big gulp.

"It's easier now after the harvest season. During that, we were driven like xemnas to get all the valuable food to stores for the winter. But the colony'll be fine for sure, those stockpiles would last for years", Victan answers Juhani's question. "Yeah, that's why the shore leave." "Don't jinx it Victan. We'll have a riot or a fire or something at the storages and guess who'll clean up the mess." Both boys groan and Fallah allows a small half-smile to herself. "Always such an optimistic character", Sulla quips to Juhani while Victan mouths 'party pooper' while pointing a talon at Fallah, completely forgetting that Juhani might not be so apt at reading turian lips, or rather, mandibles.

The trio laugh and make a few toasts, after which Fallah pokes Sulla in the ribs with a sharp claw. "Ow! What was that for?" Fallah's expression stays blank but her voice is oozing with barely contained amusement. "I think you're being hit on." "What, me?" Victan yelps, pulling his head up from the very large beer glass he was studying. Fallah just rolls his eyes and jerks her fringe to the direction of the dance floor.

Sulla notices the dancer immediately, and his left mandible starts to tremble tellingly. Boy, is he afraid! Despite the macho-bravado so typical of young soldiers of any race, Sulla is actually rather shy. Sure, he has had a girlfriend and this is not the first girl that has shown interest in him (the first asari though!) but still. Sulla is horrified.

"Come on man, do it!" Victan shouts and jabs Sulla in the shoulder. Sulla stares blankly at the table for a moment, downs the shot glass that's in front of Fallah ("Hey!") and sets out to the dance floor.

Juhani merely rolls his eyes in response to the odds being talked about. "It was less about odds and more about being told to "See why Sulla swiped three tickets to the BlueShift". Nothing escapes Raelon's eyes in the Touch, man, you remember that." he waved a finger at Sulla like the meanest of lawyers in court would. The talks of the colony are met with a chuckle, and Victan's discreet messages are lost upon him as one could expect. "She's right to keep you to fimrly footed on the ground. Keeps your mindscape realistic."

He looks to the dancefloor where a maiden is clearly trying to get someone's attention from the table. Juhani considers going himself for a moment, but Sulla beats him on the initiative. Besides, Juhani's got his own hands full here with an affair of his own. It's his turian friend's night from the looks of it. He lifts a glass for good luck on Sulla's part. "Show her your moves, Sulla!" And then back to entertaining the remaining turians at the table.

"So, Victan! Sulla here told me that your birthday is approaching. I'd like to recommend...nah, I'd like to give you a good gift for the occasion. Have you seen Quad Squad 51 before?"

Directly next to Kari, contrasting to the introspective grace of her dance, was Michelle. The small, plump human, wearing her new PARTY GLASSES, was waving her arms around, woowing, giggling, and generally having a great time, eliciting some smiles around her.
Tonight there was no muggers, no crazy cults, no gangers, so she was going to have a hell of a good time, damn it!

"That sounds way too complicated! I much more prefer how Daia called me: The Techno Vixen" Taleeze grinned and placed another quick kiss on Skylar's nose. "Which makes you the vixen's advocat." She was admiring how graceful Sky was wearing the dress. She was sitting in her usual elegant upright posture. Nobody else in that whole club. Not in Taleeze's lifetime.

One hand resting on Skylar's knee she was browsing the club. there were a couple of turians and a human around a table that already had seen some action. A great looking asari in a fancy dress was giving them a show. Somehow Taleeze had the impression that her face looked somewhat familiar.

Then her eyes got caught by a quarian at the other end of the floor. She was moving quite gracefully, applying that certain quarian hip swing. She had a huge area of clear space around her, as she was ruling the area. Some humans just left the floor obviously pissed.

That quarian was exceptionally tall, Taleeze thought. Tall and muscular and... the faceplate turned her way. Of course you couldn't see much under the club lights bit it was as if laserbeams hit each other, as the quarian also hesitated for a split second....



"Kari!"

Taleeze took a big sip from her potent drink and got up. This woman. Did she think she was the dancing queen or what? Not in this galaxy.

She turned to Skylar with a dedicated look. "Sorry, but I know this quarian. And I have to settle a score here! You just sit and watch."

Taleeze strode over towards the dancefloor, taking a cocky stance, hands in her hips, right inside Kari's 'zone'. She only nodded in a challenging way. You insulted me online. Let's settle this on the floor, bitch.

And then she started to move, fixating Kari's visor... the world faded as there was only the bass.

Over at the bar, a miniature professor was scrutinising the "new additions" section of the cocktail menu. It seemed motherhood had somehow boosted Zelana's creativity - or maybe it was the fact she'd been spending more time at home.
"Hey, boss-clan," called a barman with a smile beneath his pressure suit, "what can I get you?"
"Hmm. A... Caladbolg? Is that a place?"
"Think it's a sword or something. Human mythology. Want one?"
"Why not?"
A few spins and mixes of spirits and juices later, and a bright green concoction sat before her. With a squeak of thanks, Linya meandered off in search of a table or something - almost colliding with a certain someone as she wandered.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't... wait, Skylar?"
A second look at the human's face confirmed that her latest near-miss was, indeed, miss Sinclair - who, not unexpectedly, would soon find herself with a pair of skinny arms wrapped around her.
Again.

It had taken two hours for Leeta to finally convince herself she should attend the party. Arina was going, she reasoned, and going out with friends was something people were expected to do. Still, it had taken another fifteen minutes for Leeta to haul herself out of bed to get ready for the event. Picking through various brightly colored robes, Leeta had finally opted for fabric the color of raspberries with gold embroidery. She couldn't really help that pink became the color people recognized her by, but she didn't mind. She fastened her chosen fabric in place, adjusting what served as the hood over her suit helmet. The last thing Leeta wanted to do was stick out in a crowd for wearing something too plain, and from what Arina had told her this was the sort of place you went dressed to the nines.

When she finally arrived at the club, Leeta was grateful she had taken the time to swap her every day robes for something more expensive. Everywhere she looked; things glittered. Jewelry, dresses, and dancing lights all sparkled as her eyes adjusted to the lighting of the club. The beat of the of the music drummed in her ears and the sight of so many people talking and dancing pumped adrenaline through her veins. She swallowed dryly and fought to stay still as a familiar excitement threatened to take hold of her. She beat it down and instead began looking for familiar faces - any familiar faces. She moved quietly through the club, glancing all around her.

The turian setting out for the dance floor caught her eye. He reminded Leeta of someone headed off to war, and she almost laughed until she saw it was Arina beckoning him. Her eyes widened, but she wasn't surprised. What was surprising was the quarian taking up so much of the dance floor near her. A shot of envy ran through her. The quarin dancer was clearly in her own world -- no, her own domain. She owned the dance floor, and it was obvious. She watched from the sidelines for a moment longer before finally deciding to head for the bar. She'd keep an eye on her asari friend though, just in case Arina wanted to chat.

Until the asari showed up, everything was still going good. There was a really goofy human dancing near her that was wearing some of the stupidest eyewear that the exile had ever seen. And somehow managing to look like an even bigger buffoon despite that. But that could be forgiven since there was a very nice song (she didn't know the name of it, something asari most likely) with a rather good bass, perfect for dancing playing.

And it wasn't like humans couldn't help being clumsy looking dolts with their awkward looking bodies anyway

Lost in her own little world she continued to dance, until she noticed an asari and human sitting together.

And then her eyes locked with the asari, only for a brief second, but Kari's pause was noticeable to all observing her. She knew this asari, it was the incredibly irritating one from that extranet forum. The same one she had chewed out through private messages months ago for her transparent attempts at trying to get inside her suit. The same asari currently strolling up to her area of the dancefloor, her body language showing all sorts of arrogance.

Kari grinned underneath her helmet, so the asari intended to challenge her to a 'dance-off'

Challenge accepted

She began to move slowly, rhythmically to the music. Something slow and easy before she turned up the heat and crushed the asari in front of everyone in the club.

"'Techno Vixen'," Skylar giggled at Taleeze's cheeky kiss. "That does have a nice ring to it. Matter settled then, Vixen."

She took another sip of her cocktail, and raised both eyebrows at Taleeze's exclamation. She quickly scanned the crowd following the asari's line of sight, and took a guess at the quarian as the source of the sudden electricity in the air.

"By all means," she said as Taleeze excused herself, watching with interest. Not paying attention to her surroundings, she was startled when a voice piped up right next to her, and she realised she had nearly been collided with.

"Quite all right- Oh, hullo, what are- oof," she broke off, although she had rather expected the hug as soon as she had seen who it was, and had already raised one hand to keep her glass well clear as she returned the embrace with her free arm. The sudden pressure of enthusiastic asari pressing on her chest almost caused a mishap - note to self, adjust cups slightly - but happily the dress maintained its decorum.

"Linya - of course, I'm so sorry I didn't think to send you a note. I'm here quite unexpectedly myself. Taleeze - she's over there," she gestured to the dance floor, "has been in talks with Ariake regarding her cloaking technology, the dance variation she came up with. We arrived last night, and sealed the deal earlier today. You're still visiting family - all well, I trust?"

There he came! He was really a nice looking young guy with a handsome face, a decorated soldier on top of that. His gait wasn’t boasting, more dedicated and decisive, just like a soldier, cute. She noticed a certain spring in his steps – he must be a very sporty man, she liked that.

“Hey there, soldier.” She greeted him with a wink and a smile as he had reached her. She moved down and up again quite sultry, then taking a step sideways to make sure he had enough space to join in. Let’s find out if his moves were up to the promises.

On the other end of the floor something was going on with that quarian and an asari putting up a show, which drew the attention of some of the dancers. Great, that left them their corner with only a handful of others.

While doing pirouettes around the turian and some more exalted dance figures (making sure he had a good view), a quarian at the bar had caught her eye. Just long enough to recognize the woman beneath the unfamiliar colors. Leeta had two or three patterns in her moves that made her distinctive to Arina and also they had been around together just recently. What a nice surprise.
But first she had to convince this turian she would be a worthwhile company. Drinks could be next. Yey, she had missed this, just being playful. The night was promising, as was the turian in front of her.

Dat quarian wasn’t intimidated easily. Fat chance, judging by her attitude on the net or her physical appearance. She was probably used to people hurry away if she only so much as looks wrong. Not Taleeze though.

Nice move on the quarian’s part, the change in tempo, but nothing Taleeze couldn’t match. The sleek dress was limiting her legwork but on the other hand prevented her from even thinking about mimicking the typical quarian stance.

Taleeze knew how to make a getup like this work well from lots of previous shows. She became a flowing shimmering torch, reflecting the disco lights and made her arms and hands work up and down as she snake-moved. Then she broke the static stance with a quick double step. You couldn’t see that coming with the long dress!

Her focus switched from the trance-like overlay to the hard bass and drum rhythm as her feet described wild patterns on the floor, her arms were still following the melody as she had fallen into the track completely.

Eat this, bucket! Her eyes shot a thunderbolt Kari’s way.

Kari was unfazed. The asari may have had had a little talent, especially since she was able to dance in that ridiculous dress of hers. But Kari could match that. She could easily match that. She was one-hundred percent certain of that.

Raising her arms in the air, the quarian began moving her hips quickly to the left and right in near perfect sync to the beat, her head facing to the left, making her seem almost disinterested in the whole affair.

But she wasn't done yet.

Lowering her hands to her side, but still slightly outstretched. The quarian's body began to move almost like some kind of suited, and incredibly venomous serpent. Something that fit the exile perfectly.

Matching the asari's glare she waited for her next move.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Linya squealed, eyes widening even as her smile took centre stage, once again giving the impression she didn't quite have enough face to accommodate her grin. She quickly glanced over at Taleeze, unconsciously computing the best way to dash over and embrace her too - but she was busy on the dance floor.
Poopie.

In response to Skylar's question, she simply brought up her omnitool to display her new favourite image, that of a tiny little asari holding on to one of Linya's own fingers and gazing curiously into the camera.
"My new niece. Isn't she beautiful?"

The turian Arina had her eye was not a bad dancer - if not the most graceful one either. He had the rather stoic posture of a turian, too rigid to even try anything more fluid, but his feet moved to the beat in perfect sync and he seemed to anticipate the flow of the music, moving to the melody as well as to the bass line.

Sulla missed the dance confrontation o f epic degree between a quarian and an asari, since he really could not focus on anyone else at the moment. The lad did not need any more convincing that this asari would be worthwhile company, since Sulla had to concentrate not to forget to dance entirely while he admired her moving around the floor, surely drawing eyes from other parts of the club as well. He tried to gather courage to ask her if he could buy her a drink as well, but the next song was always brilliant (and Sulla, even though drunk, too shy and unbelieving he could be this lucky).

In the meantime, Victan blinked a few times in confusion at Juhani's question. "Quad squad? What's that?" "A porno", came the reply from the other side of the table, with the telling orange glow of an omnitool extranet browser illuminating Fallah's arm. She was one of those people who could start playing a game a browse the net in the middle of a conversation. Victan raised an eyeridge. "Did you search that?" Fallah nodded while bobbing her head to the music.

He turned his head slightly and raised another ridge at Juhani.

And he looked away, embarrassed. Darn you Fallah!

"Well the main point is that you haven't seen it, therefore I can get it for you. That movie was shown in theaters too, so it got a cut that was just for mature audiences with the most lewd scenes left out. Plenty of normal run and gun action still left in it, so you got two chances here. Take the uncut thing or the cut one. Which one sounds more tempting?"

Of course, all the mentions of Juhani featuring as the villain in the movie were left out. He was titled as Mr. X in the credits to maintain anonymity, but if Victan was good with faces, it wouldn't be harder than putting one and one together to realize who the foreign legionary was. Preferably with not Juhani in the same room as him. Just to be sure he shot a nasty glance at Fallah to not spoil any further details of the film. If she understood that, that is.