Stark Reception - Page 5 - Star Wars RP: A Galaxy At War Forum

Date: Saturday, 08 Dec 2012, 5:33 PM | Message # 61

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"He will be, Davon. He loves you and you're so lucky....you don't even have any idea. I worry about him, maybe more than I should." Ana smiled at him briefly. "But if you hurt him again, I swear Dav...." It was probably an idle threat, and she realized right then that she wouldn't be around anymore to pick up the pieces, a fact that she regretted.

The use of her nickname didn't phase her in the slightest. It was natural, and that was fine. "I wanted you to come. You're my friend, and you always will be, despite how big of an ass you can be at times." It took an moment for her to gather whatever guts she needed to continue on. "I love him, Dav. I know you don't agree with what he does and I imagine that's because of what you saw while you were gallavanting across the galaxy, but he's a good man. And he's good to me. You know I've always wanted a family and....well....I have one."

There wasn't any more yelling on her part, she just explained. "There were a couple of days after you left that I felt like I was going to die, but I couldn't fall apart because of your dad. You know? But I think it was best that way."

Date: Saturday, 08 Dec 2012, 7:01 PM | Message # 62

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"We were dumb kids.." he mused, eyes fixated on the floor as she talked about Stark. There wasn't any doubt in her voice, nor her gaze, and he smiled into her concerned expression. He could tell there was more she wanted to yell at him for, there had to be, but he wasn't about to bait her into it. Last thing he needed was an angry bride on his hands. So he listened to her talk of family, how good he treated her. And though it brought a twinge of pain to his heart to hear those words, the faint pain was outweighed by the knowledge that she had found a better man than him. Ana deserved that much, despite how he might feel about the man personally, he understood how much Stark meant to her.

Say what you will of Davon Vanden, but he cared about his friends. She was no exception, and his smile shifted from forced to genuine. He huffed a bit, downplaying his importance as she finished up, emphasizing how he had hurt his father. "I know," he replied in a hushed tone, glancing up from the floor and offering her an apologetic stare. "I didn't mean to.." he trailed off, shaking his head. "Hell, that's no excuse. Doesn't change what I did." This time he was genuine, one of his rarer moods, and he pushed off the wall and inched a bit closer to her, all smiles. "You always talked about a pretty dress," he said after a moment. "Big ceremony, I remember that too. Good food. Looks like you got it all."

It was a subtle acknowledgement; his distaste of Stark's business practices was pushed to the wayside in favor of supporting someone that still mattered to him. He wasn't the angry, misguided teenager he was when he left. Sure, he was still emotionally-stunted and immature, but he'd learned a bit about people in his time abroad. It took some effort, but he was capable of putting others before himself, where once he was unable to. He looked her in the eyes, and hopefully she could see the sincerity in his. "Congratulations."

Davon "Booster" Vanden - Big Damn Hero.
For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Theme ~ Wanted - Bon Jovi

Date: Saturday, 08 Dec 2012, 7:35 PM | Message # 63

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Suddenly, Ana flung her arms around Davons neck and hugged him tightly. "You're different, you know. The Dav I knew would have stomped off and pouted. Thank you." She murmured as she pulled back from him. There were a ton of other things she wanted to say, but she felt like they were in a good place now.

"Davon....thank you." She said in response to his congrats. "It means a great deal to me." She would watch him carefully and smile. "You're always welcome here. Your dad too. Always."

"You know Dav, I was always jealous of you. Always." She finally admitted. "Having an amazing father and all. Don't ever take that for granted. You might think he isn't proud of you, but I know he is." Ana smiled again. "Anyway. We were never really good at this sentimental stuff....right?" With Stark it was different, of course, and at that point she didn't want him to worry about her being gone so long.

Date: Saturday, 08 Dec 2012, 7:53 PM | Message # 64

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Ana and Davon's conversation was indeed intruded upon at that point, but it was not by Stark himself. The black-suited, somber-looking Gadrid Morthol cleared his throat slightly as Ana finished speaking. Odds were he might startle the pair, and as even Stark was fond of saying, damned if the man couldn't move like he didn't exist. Of course, that was why Stark had recruited him in the first place. Another thing Stark was also fond of saying, at least to Gadrid himself, was that if any man could kill Stark in single, up-close combat, Gadrid would likely be that man.

"Mrs. Stark, Mrs. Miteya wished to see you checked on, and Mr. Vanden, Lord Stark requests the pleasure of your company in the arms room, if you'd be so kind." Gadrid's tone, as always, was rather solemn, almost mournful, but the Epicanthix was anything but.

Alyn Stark
Lord of Kinyov
Senior Captain, Retired, Republic Navy
Head of House Malos (former)
Licensed bounty hunter
Majority shareholder, Lorrd Engineering
Owner, Stark Defense Conglomerate
Civilian Medal of Honor recipient
Representative, Lorrd (10 BBY-9 BBY)

Date: Saturday, 08 Dec 2012, 9:12 PM | Message # 65

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He let out a yelp when she hugged him, if only because he was expecting a slap or at the very least a flick of the ear. So when she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed, his eyes widened. There was a brief couple of seconds where he was positively flabbergasted as to what to do, in fact he held his hands out and looked around, almost as if to say 'See where my hands are? No touching!' After a few more seconds, when he concluded that there was nothing expressly wrong about hugging a former flame on her wedding day, he slid his arms around her back and joined in the embrace. "Eh, not so different," he said, shifting into that self-effacing grin he favored. "Just better at cards."

His next words were suddenly interrupted by Stark's lackey, whom he had to admit was quite stealthy. He eyed the large manservant with a furrowed brow. "He wants the pleasure of my company?" He looked over at Ana with a smirk. "Well, I guess he did buy me dinner first." He gave Ana's shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning to Gadrid, sighing. "Lead on then, Jeeves."

Davon "Booster" Vanden - Big Damn Hero.
For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Theme ~ Wanted - Bon Jovi

Date: Sunday, 09 Dec 2012, 3:00 PM | Message # 66

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Ana was so used to Gadrid at that point, that he barely fazed her. "It's Ana, Gadrid. For the millionth-and-a-half time.....Ana." Yet again, she knew it wouldn't sink in and that she would be Mrs. Stark until the day one of them died. Irlillia at least called Ana by her given name, and she was eternally thankful for that. Although, she thought to herself, she did enjoy being called Mrs. Stark much more than being called Miss Riley. "But thank you, Gadrid. I am quite fine, just needed a moment with an old friend." She gave the man a smile and turned her gaze back to Davon.

"It was good to see you. We're going to make a stop on Naboo, so I'll see you and Artemis soon." She said quietly before squeezing Davon's hand. "Play nice, ok? And Dav....at least think about his offer before shooting it down. Please?" Ana paused and then planted a kiss on te redheads cheek before she walked off to rejoin the party in progress.

Date: Sunday, 09 Dec 2012, 3:23 PM | Message # 67

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As Ana emerged back into the party, she'd be approached by one of the Shadowguard who'd treated her with cool behavior for the most part; despite being dressed in finery, Malinara Starey radiated a deadly seduction. Appraising the Lady Stark for a long moment, she met her eyes and nodded briefly. "You've done well, Lady Stark. Lord Stark is a lucky man to have you... and I'll help see to it that he keeps you for a long time." Although Ana might not understand what the Echani female had once felt for Stark, Malinara had put it aside in favor of Stark's happiness with Ana, difficult as it was.

Meanwhile, Gadrid led Davon through the halls and down several flights of stairs, moving away from the party. The Epicanthix was quiet and would remain so, unless Davon were so inclined to speak to him. If not, they'd arrive eventually at the arms room which doubled as a shooting gallery. Within, Stark was sitting at one of the benches, tinkering with a blaster. Hearing the door open, he did not look up from his work, though he spoke. "Many thanks, Gadrid. You may leave Mr. Vanden here and return to the party." As if sensing the momentary hesitation from the Shadowguard, Stark looked back over his shoulder with a faint smile. "It's fine, old friend. I doubt Davon here is an assassin sent to stick a blade in me on my wedding day."

Stark stood, stretching slightly and motion for Davon to join him. "Would you care for another drink?"

Date: Sunday, 09 Dec 2012, 8:07 PM | Message # 68

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Now Malinara -did- startle Ana to an extent, especially when the woman spoke to her (as opposed to glaring and then ignoring Ana completely). So when the Echani stopped her just as she was re-entering the reception hall, Ana was quite startled, and a bit bewildered. Her gaze darted for Irlilia out of habit, almost as a safety net...just in case.

"I....thank you, Malinara. That means a lot....especially coming from you." Ana knew nothing of the Shadowguards feelings for Stark, but she had an inkling of something there all along, but she never said anything, nor did she ask. "Will you excuse me though? I need to find Mrs. Miteya before she has a heart attack. Apparently she's been worried and just sent Gadrid to find me." Ana believed that to be true...the woman worried too much.

With that, she slipped back into the reception hall to check in and then mingle.

Date: Monday, 10 Dec 2012, 2:56 PM | Message # 69

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Having walked down many a hallway escorted by a brutish manservant, Davon was no stranger to any of this. The fact that a powerful man such as Alyn Stark commanded the loyalty of this rancor of a man was about as natural to him as anything else. No intimidation, no questions as he followed 'Jeeves' down into the deeper recesses until they arrived at Stark's playroom. Vanden smirked, leaning against the doorway as Stark dismissed his.. whatever he was. As Gadrid passed him, Dav reached out a slender hand and brushed a bit of dandruff off of his jacket. He smiled into any potential reprisal, watching as Stark turned away from his work and studied him. "No thanks," he said with a wave. Ten some-odd glasses of champagne wasn't enough to really inebriate him, but it was better to have some sort of edge left.

He remained in the doorway for a moment longer, smirking, before he took a few steps into the room and looked around. His lips pursed, relatively impressed, suppose this is what blood money buys you. "This the part where we exchange more banter? 'Cause you're an attractive man, but.. I'm not into that sort of thing." His tone was innocuous, expression pleasant; and while he wasn't entirely sure as to the why of his being here, Davon wasn't too concerned. Call it paranoia, but a life spent in the service of crime lords left him a bit uneasy in situations similar to this.

Davon "Booster" Vanden - Big Damn Hero.
For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Theme ~ Wanted - Bon Jovi

Date: Tuesday, 11 Dec 2012, 10:18 AM | Message # 70

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Gadrid was silent, despite Davon's obviously challenging movement. Looking down at the Human's hand for a long moment, he raised his head, meeting Davon's gaze for a long moment before turning and departing the room fully, leaving the younger Vanden alone with the merchant of death. "It's lucky for you then that I am not that sort either." Turning, Stark gracefully lobbed a DE-10 blaster pistol towards Davon. It was both for the man to catch and an examination of the man's reflexes which were, albeit, slightly off from inebriation.

"What do you think of that, Davon? DE-10 blaster pistol, one of the finer weapons of the galaxy, in my humble opinion. I made a few modifications to it to balance the weight out. Tell me, do you shoot at all? I thought we might engage in a friendly bit of shooting while we talk." Standing, Stark moved to a decorative wall panel and pressed a switch nearby. The wall panel slid open, revealing a digital combination. Tapping it in, Stark stepped back as the wall itself rotated to display a wall rack holding a veritable display of death in a number of weapons. Selecting a nearly identical DE-10, Stark hefted it briefly.

"So tell me, Davon, did you ever chance to travel Wild Space or beyond?"

Date: Thursday, 13 Dec 2012, 9:18 PM | Message # 71

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(( Sorry for the delay, buddy, had a hectic couple of days. ))

Slightly-off as they were, his reflexes were still sharp enough to catch the lobbed blaster, albeit with a bit of fumbling at first. It certainly was a beautiful piece of weaponry, the DE-10; sleek and packing a deceptively-strong punch. Davon favored one, for a time, but his current SSK-7 was not only more-easily concealed but also not as flashy. People tended to draw their attention to the man with the sexiest gun, after all, and though he was a showman.. he wasn't stupid. Still, he gave the weapon a spin, pointing the barrel off at a corner and squinting an eye down the sight. "Lighter'n I remember," he mused, adding a second flourish before he looked over at Stark, watching as he revealed his rather-impressive arsenal. In a way, Vanden was reminded of good old Ransom, overcompensating with long, hard barrels of a different sort.

"Impressive collection," he added before sidling over to inspect some of the heftier weaponry. "Perhaps a bit overzealous for senatorial types, but I can't fault your choice." He pursed his lips, watching Alyn grab a DE-10 of his own. "You sure your wedding's the best time to pull triggers? Might need those fingers for later." Dav smirked, lining up the sight of the pistol again. He wasn't particularly crude, but occasionally he enjoyed a good tease. It was all in good fun, but he's seen stern men go ballistic over such notions. "And yeah, been to Wild Space once or twice; whenever the occasion called for it." There was a pause, then, as he furrowed a brow in Stark's direction. ".. Why?"

Davon "Booster" Vanden - Big Damn Hero.
For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Theme ~ Wanted - Bon Jovi

Message edited by Davon_Vanden - Thursday, 13 Dec 2012, 9:23 PM

Date: Friday, 14 Dec 2012, 10:11 AM | Message # 72

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(( No worries. My new job has been treating me like hell too. ))

Stark did have a flair for the dramatic in some ways; the DE-10 was indeed a sleek, sexy weapon and while it did stand out, it served a dual purpose. First, it worked to deter any would be attacker and in the event deterrent was not enough, it would put an attacker down for good. The more important thought was that it led to assumptions; if Stark was good with shooting, a fact he made no pains to hide (and had even won two annual Lorrdian pistol competitions), people might well believe that without the weapon he would be truly disarmed. Of course, the blades and his own unarmed skill could prove otherwise.

"Not all for me, I fear," Stark said modestly as he ran his fingers over a cut-down and modified man-portable E-web that he'd designed for Tarin Mako. "The art of actually modifying a weapon, or building a new combination, is part of the true beauty here. A good number of these belong to the Shadowguard. Each has their own tastes and likes. Malinara prefers her pistols, while Tarin is a lover of heavy, hard-hitting power, for example." Activating another nearby stud, the far will slid almost noiselessly upwards, revealing the range that ran the length of the now quite-long room, complete with targets at the far end.

"A man's fingers are not his only asset, Davon," Stark returned easily. "While fingers may pull certain triggers... or not, I've always believed a man's skill with his mouth and words is much more impressive in certain debates." Oh, Stark could follow a crude joke as well as any other, and return in kind. As he walked over to the range and sighted down his own DE-10 briefly, he nodded to himself and turned back to the younger Vanden. "I have need of someone who has knowledge of Wild Space. There are... certain ventures, you might say, that I am interested in pursuing and I believe Wild Space with its lessened restrictions might well be the place to conduct them. I need a guide, however. Would you like the job?"

Date: Monday, 17 Dec 2012, 1:38 PM | Message # 73

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"I don't know," he said after a moment. Dav raised the pistol and squinted, eye down the sight before he opened both his eyes and squeezed off a few rounds. They sailed into the targets, clumping around the chest. Considering the distance, and his status as a 'civilian' he wasn't that bad. Obviously not up to the snuff of someone in the military, but definitely good enough to kill. He knew little of Stark's prodigious accolades, the man appeared in all aspects to be good at just about everything he did, but whatever his shot grouping it likely wouldn't register to him. "Man in your position, rich as you are, you're turnin' to me of all people? You're a connected man, Stark, and you're a good judge of character."

He grinned, squeezing off another shot, this one taking the target square in the neck. "I'm not the corporate type, and I'm no yes-man. So why are you pushin' employment on me?" It was a legitimate question, not a veiled jab or a sarcastic inquiry. "If it's 'cause of Ana and me, well, you don't need to, really." He pulled down his pistol for a moment, inspecting the energy cell and musing to himself. Slightly modified, didn't kick as he as he remembered. The man was good, if a bit too flashy for Vanden's tastes.

Davon "Booster" Vanden - Big Damn Hero.
For what avail the plough or sail, or land or life, if freedom fail? ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Theme ~ Wanted - Bon Jovi

Date: Wednesday, 19 Dec 2012, 6:03 PM | Message # 74

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"I could care less about any past you and Ana might have, Davon," Stark murmured as he peered down his own firing lane. The blaster was set loosely in his belt, and his hand was at his side. "It's the fact that you're not a yes-man that I like about you. You don't blather to me and pander to my wishes because of my wealth." With surprising speed, Stark drew the blaster, snapped it upwards and fired three times. As the noise died down, Stark frowned, then cursed. One shot had gone wide, one had struck to the far right of center and one was dead on. "It takes so much time... but eventually, I aim to surpass the legend Gallandro set forth. It doesn't matter a man's draw speed if he can't shoot quickly and accurately enough to match it."

Stark was fairly certain Gallandro's legend would be known to Davon, if the man had traveled among the rough and tumble types. "I may be a judge of good character... at times. You have knowledge I can't find here. I could find it elsewhere, but I'd question the authenticity of the source and I'd likely have to kill it too." Stark chuckled, shaking his head. "Ana trusts you, which is enough for me. It's not like I'm asking you to do anything illegal either."