[Day 1 - Late Afternoon] The Locals

[Soleene Stryss]

After arriving at Capitol City, Soleene decided to do some wandering around and get a feel of the city. One hand didn't stray too far from her hips, considering she kept a wary eye out for any wolf-Mandolorian types at all times. The living considerations here weren't ideal, she could easily well as she meandered in the damper streets and dodging her umpteenth fire barrel on the streets. Spirits weren't all that great either, the Imperials had a solid presence here and likely the source of the oppression she was feeling. Still, she wasn't here to rattle cages, not yet, and proverbially kept her head down as she down some steps to take her to another crowded street.

[Nimbo Toda]

A somewhat chipper, but odd looking man approaches from the other direction, not paying any particular attention at first. When he does seem to notice he nods and approaches with a smile. He speaks in perfectly enunciated Mando'a. "The Mandalorian presence on the planet has grown in recent days. It's a pleasure to see you all."

[Deonis Harik]

Not too far from the pair Deonis leaned against a ramshackle house. He noted the mandalorian but his expression was hidden by the ever present helmet. The Droid that likes to pretend it's a human approached and said something in a language Deo didn't speak.

He made no move to interrupt the pair but they likely had the feeling they were being watched.

[Soleene Stryss]

A somewhat chipper, but odd-looking man approaches from the other direction, not paying any particular attention at first. When he does seem to notice he nods and approaches with a smile. He speaks in perfectly enunciated Mando'a. "The Mandalorian presence on the planet has grown in recent days. It's a pleasure to see you all."

Oh, great...this is super awkward. Soleene thought to herself when she was confronted with a strange-looking man who spoke Mando'a better than she did. However, she wasn't going to let that awkward fact overtake her when she reciprocated in kind with a few small nods of her head and maintaining a confident posture. "Yes, a pleasure. Many...you say? I just got here."

"I just might be looking for a few of my kind, actually," she said switching to basic and playing the part of the lost tourist. Mandalorian tourist, at least.

[Nimbo Toda]

"I don't know how many since they don't live in public places, but there's been a definite increase in Mandalorian presence," he replies with a shrug. "I imagine you are more informed about where to find your people. I only know the language since my core hardware and programming are for a protocol droid model. But you are certain to find more Mandalorians in pretty short order if you haven't yet."

His admission of being a droid isn't surprising, given his appearance. "I have not been able to speak with many in my time. Not sure how you all operate. My language core is intact but my culture database was wiped. But the presence of your people makes many smaller gangs more cautious and nervous, fearful that locals might try to hire you for protection."

[Soleene Stryss]

Soleene straightened her posture when the droid admitted to being one rather than dance around on the topic. Honestly, she didn't immediately think of a droid given their appearance. She just got here, perhaps it was just what exposure to all of this industry did to humans here or just some overembellished alterations that have gone wrong. Now, that was something she wished she wasn't familiar with seeing.

"Hm," she murmured at first, "well, informed on the ones I arrived with. Maybe you ran into a few of them already. However, I'm always on the lookout to find more around here. Friends. Enemy. Both are fine. We aren't always so inconspicuous, so it just might be a matter of time then."

She gave a look around the street and let out a small sigh under her breath. "Yeah, it does look like the folks here could use their share of protection. I don't know if gangs are their biggest problem...are you a local?"

[Nimbo Toda]

"I was reprogrammed here, for criminal purposes. I have no memory of previous locations I may have been. So as far as I know I am a local," he says with a nod. "But the gang that reprogrammed me abandoned me after I fulfilled my part of the mission. So I have been making my way since then. Do the Mandalorians hire outside slicers or mechanics? Or cyberneticists for those that might lose limbs in battle or seek upgrades?"

[Soleene Stryss]

Soleene tilted her head quizzically when Nimbo shared that they were formerly part of a criminal enterprise when she would have thought that most people would have played that card close to their chest. Well, she wasn't a cop nor an Imperial and they weren't committing any crimes just talking about it either. "It sounds like you got yourself a pretty lousy deal but that in itself is a new opportunity. I hope you find your way...Well, I'm sure a Mandalorian might have a need for that. I'm less complicated, unfortunately, but as I mentioned, there are a few of us here."

She paused for a moment before speaking once more. "Did you mention slicing?"

[Nimbo Toda]

"Yes. It was what I was reprogrammed for. I'm pretty good at it," he says with a nod. "Got built-in hardware and both offensive and defensive protocols."

[Soleene Stryss]

"Huh, it's a useful skill, that's for sure," she said with a few nods of consideration. "I'm sure talking to people is great and all but there might be a time where records show much more than what people are saying, right? Although, I'm not sure what sort of things they keep in the registry here..."

After a beat, she got around to introducing herself. "I'm Soleene...what should I call you?"

[Nimbo Toda]

"I am Nimbo Toda," he says with a smile. "The imperials keep pretty tight control of their data, so I don't know what they have. But they seem mostly uninterested in the middle and lower city. Probably don't have too much on the lower income locals."

[Soleene Stryss]

That didn't sound like a droid name, that's for sure. They even had a surname! How about that. Maybe an acronym she wasn't quite seeing? "Nice to meet you, Nimbo."

"I didn't think they would make it a walk in a park and probably doesn't come cheap to be snooping around there. I'll be sure to make a mention of your services to my kind," she nodded.

Not too far from the pair Deonis leaned against a ramshackle house. He noted the mandalorian but his expression was hidden by the ever present helmet. The Droid that likes to pretend it's a human approached and said something in a language Deo didn't speak.

He made no move to interrupt the pair but they likely had the feeling they were being watched.

She made a gesture toward the helmet-wearing watcher who was standing there the entire time to make her suspect he must be some sort of Imperial agent. "And how about your friend there?"

[Nimbo Toda]

"I've seen them around, but we've never talked. Spends most of their time watching people as far as I can tell. I kind of wonder if they are just appreciating my synthskin job from afar?" he replies with a smile towards Deonis.

[Soleene Stryss]

"So this isn't the first time?" she said with a bit of surprise as now she turned to look directly back at Deonis to make it know that she was looking at him now. "I guess it's probably just you. Yeah. definitely you. I was going to say that it's not every day I get someone looking at me for this long, usually, there are far more entertaining and less-dressed up people to look at, you know. Really, at some point, you should consider charging people if they aren't going to give you the decency of a conversation."

Her tone became a little more hushed. "Maybe, a burn victim looking to score and easy op. I'd be careful around him."

[Nimbo Toda]

"I don't know. They are flesh in a metal shell, I'm metal in a flesh shell. They're quiet, I like talking. We seem like total opposites and, supposedly, opposites attract. We'd probably get along great," Nimbo says with a chuckle. A surprisingly accurate chuckle.

[Deonis Harik]

Deonis saw that his attention had been noticed and pushed off the wall walking at a leisurely pace to the pair "Name's Deonis. I live over there," he jerked a thumb toward the building not too far away "I tend to watch people that stand out around here." he eyed the pair for a minute "you two certainly fit that bill."

[Nimbo Toda]

"I've been around here for years, but you only started watching after I got my synthskin coating. It must have really caught your eye," Nimbo says with a smile.

[Deonis Harik]

"It makes you stand out more, not less. Uncanny valley if you've heard of the effect. Like a person but isn't, something off. Besides I haven't been watching you, I was more alert to the new comer." a heavy gauntlet motions to the mando

[Nimbo Toda]

"I am aware that my appearance is not entirely accurate. It is something that will be improved in time, much like my breathing and itching subroutines. Most people don't even notice the itching subroutine until ive mentioned it, but I've scratched two locations in the span of this conversation according to my logs. The motion is natural and minimal enough that it just doesn't register consciously for most biologicals."

It reaches to its own ear and scratches gently behind it. "I imagine you have noticed the uptick in Mandalorian presence as well?"

[Soleene Stryss]

"So this is your neighbour, Deonis?" she said with a gesture around them and nodded with a chuckle as her hand rested on her hips. "Pleased to meet you Deonis. I wasn't quite expecting a local welcome but I actually do appreciate the gesture. Even if you have eyes on me. Funny thing, as I was saying with Nimbo here, I'm also curious about the uptick in the Mandalorian presence too. My gang recently landed today, so...anyone else here is a mystery to me."

"Does shrugging count for something? I've noticed that" she nodded at Nimbo. "Once it gets darker around here, I'm sure you'll pass easily enough but I don't know how much reflection you'll get from the drums here."