Elite roleplay: The galactic bar

INGABA (Inara Galactic Bar)

Welcome to the swankiest bar and most popular bar on station. Located in the Pilot's market and due to its close proximity to the docks is heavily frequented by pilots and all manner of crew, tourists, and layover passengers. Dark, smokey and trimmed in neon lights and bits of tinsel, InGaBa plays only the best music straight from Radio Sidewinder and local DJ star, Janten Groove.

There are various tabled and seated cubby holes that patrons can hold private conversations as well the main bar top where all assortments of drinks and bar food can be ordered up. On the back of the bar on various shelves, from all over the galaxy, the fines and rarest ales preside. next to the impressive collection are several screens that can usually be seen playing adverts or the CQC championships.

It is the most prominent choice for meeting up with other pilots to discuss business discreetly, whatever they may be...

Notice booking the InGaBa for private functions require a deposit of 250,000 CR to cover potential damages.

InGaBa drinks menu:
  • Cubeo Gold - Mid Whiskey
  • Achenar Blue - Upscale Whiskey
  • Kamadhenu Red - Red wine
  • Old Sol - Scotch
  • Barnard's Choice - Gin
  • Crown Jewel - Cocktail
  • Pegasi moon - Pirate Surprise!
  • Supernova - Cocktail
  • Barron's Head - Beer
  • Lavian Brandy
  • Alioth Sparkling - Sparkling Wine
  • Jaques' Quinentian Still - Gifted by a mysterious benefactor, two of these rare devices now distill single shots of whiskey from whatever is on hand for the patrons of Ingaba.


General Roleplay Etiquette:

1. Control only the actions of your own character(s). (AKA: God Mode)
This doesn't matter how small the action is, even if it is as simple as scratching their nose or a direct reaction to something else that just happened. This applies to everything from casual conversation to full blown fight scenes. If you'd like someone to do something specific, PM that person, however keep in mind they are completely within their rights to say no. Especially if said action is inappropriate to their character and/or circumstance.

2. Don't brute force your way into another persons RP.
Approaching with a conversation starter is fine, or indeed some other small action. However charging in, guns blazing and disrupting the flow of another person/pair/groups conversation/arc is about as rude as doing so in real life. If something is going on that you'd like to participate in, be subtle about it. Put out a gentle hook for someone to take, but again, be aware that said hook may not be taken. If you fear it was simply unnoticed, PM the person or people it concerns. Or even leave a message in the OOC forums.

3. Good grammar and spelling is preferred.
We're not asking you to be perfect, but please at least demonstrate willingness. no1 iz gna tak u srsly usng txt spk. There's a wide variety of people here, many who speak English as a second, or even third language. There are even some with varying degrees of dyslexia and/or likely other issues that affect spelling/grammar. We accept them all here. However, people who aren't accepted, are those unwilling to accept polite correction. Remember that even a small thing like the placement of a comma, or the wrong use of there/their/they're can completely change the definition of an entire sentence.

4. Accept constructive criticism gracefully and politely.
If someone spots an issue with your writings, they may wish to help you improve that writing. They may do this through PM or even publicly air their thoughts on the OOC forum. If they have taken the time to be polite and explain what is wrong with your writing, the best way to behave is to respond in kind, using the same manner they have approached you with. It means they have taken an active interest in what you have written and wish to see more. Basically, you have a fan!

5. Don't take the actions or opinions of things done IN RP, to be directly relevant to the writers thoughts or opinions.
Basically, if some ones character calls your character a jackass, it doesn't mean the writer thinks you are a jackass. It's a ROLE they are PLAYING. Watch a movie. The argument between the characters isn't an argument between the actors involved. The same applies here.

6. It's not a popularity contest.
Your RP might be bustling with participants. You have 3 people off station in a fire fight, while another 2 are infiltrating the darkest areas of the station, meanwhile a group of 4 others are tracking your movements in an effort to stop you. Good for you, I'm sure it will be a thrilling read! But you know what? Sometimes the absolute BEST work, comes from two RP characters having a simple heart to heart. Both are valid, both are great, but NEITHER is categorically better than the other. Period.


Inara RP Etiquette:

1. Respect the setting and rules of the universe.
Inara is an Elite: Dangerous 3rd Party Tool. The RP Forums are set in the Elite: Dangerous universe. Elite: Dangerous has rules, as any fictional universe does from Lord of the Rings to Star Wars, or Game of Thrones to Star Trek. If you intend to RP within the Elite: Dangerous universe you are bound by the history and rules of that universe. Simply put, this RP forum is bound by the same rules as the game, so if it can't be done in the game, it is not permitted here. This applies to things from a 50Ly Jump Range on a normal, unmodified Sidewinder, to the destruction of entire stations.

2. Respect the characters created by others.
We have a wide variety of characters already here. It's expected that some will be similar, just as it's expected that two characters will be vastly different. Opinions of each persons character will naturally be varied, but all are valid provided they follow the rules of the universe. You are allowed to interact with, or avoid interaction with, any character in the RP forums. But you have no right to belittle others for their creation. You are not an authority figure on writing, nor are you directly affected by another persons imagination. You might not like it, but you MUST respect it.

3. Be caught up on current events before joining in.
You need basic things like character descriptions in order to interact with them. You also need to know what's going on in the surrounding areas. This is simply because the people you are hoping to RP with, might be gearing up to something that you might not want to be part of. Or simply that the most recent post, out of context, could leave a different impression on the goings on than if you gather that context. We don't expect you to read every single post from the beginning of the forums, just enough to get that basic understanding.

4. Either subscribe to, or frequently check, the Roleplay: Q&A and OOC forum.
People may be discussing something relevant to you there, or even discussing you directly. Perhaps someone asked what the general consensus on the existence or non-existence of a certain object. Or we're just chatting about random gibberish. Either way, be aware of it and use it. If you're unsure about something, such as how guns would look and or behave, or even the music selection, use the OOC forum to ask. We don't have all of the answers, but the collective knowledge and logic usually allows us to overcome an issue and come to a decision on what should be allowed. Frontier Developments, and even David Braben himself, don't have the answers to every possible question that can be asked.

5. Large Scale events exploding out of nowhere are a complete no go.
We get it. Everyone wants their character to be noticed and for people to be tripping over themselves to interact with them. In some audiences, an introduction involving you blasting in for landing in a fiery wreckage of a ship, before cart wheeling out and sword fighting 35 Ninjas before whisking off with the local celebrity for a glorious night of passion, is in fact, cool. This is not one of those audiences. It is generally considered better to build your character up slowly over time. Eventually, you might even have a legitimate excuse to fight those Ninjas. Maybe even with other RP participants by your side.

6. Perfect characters are boring.
The point of a character arc, is that it is in fact, an arc shape. One who is morally unquestionable, fully kitted out and an infinite fountain of knowledge, cannot go through an arc. Give your character flaws. Be it a tendency towards befriending the wrong people, or a bad knee that frequently gives out at inopportune moments. It gives readers something to latch onto and empathise with. You can give your character exceptional capabilities at something, but it requires balance. She's a damn good pilot with no equal, but can't drive an SRV for peanuts. It can lead to some very interesting moments between characters, be it heartfelt or comedic.


Other Notes:
It should be noted that there can be exceptions to these points. For example, good grammar when a character is speaking is actually rare. Few people in real life actually speak with perfect eloquence after all. Or previously arranged actions during a fight scene, such as someone stumbling back after a punch. What's key to remember is context.

All in all, remember this is purely for fun. We have some seriously talented writers here, and others whose writing history starts and ends at high school. But many are willing to help out in whatever way they can. All it takes is that you ask nicely.

Also keep in mind that many people who RP here, also have logbook stories related to the character, or characters, they portray. If it looks like there's an "in joke" going on that you're unsure of, it's probably in those.

In fact, some users have even gone to the trouble of creating "alts" to RP with. If you read back far enough, it's usually pretty clear who has and hasn't, and which ones are the "alts". It's therefore not unheard of to see the apparent seizing of control of other characters. If you do spot one, point it out in the OOC section. If intervention is needed, it will be sorted quickly and (hopefully) politely.

Most, if not all RP participants here have Logbook stories pertaining to their character(s). These are for the reading pleasure of anyone who wishes to do so. While it can be useful to read them in order to gain a bit of backstory on a character you wish to interact with, it should not be assumed that your character shares that knowledge. Within the E:D Universe, these Logbooks either don't exist, or are private diaries kept by the characters. Either way, without explicit statements to say otherwise from the writer, your interactions should reflect that your character is in the dark about any information you, the writer/reader, have gained from reading the stories.
19 Apr 2022, 7:16pm
'Coffee and cigarettes. You've come all this way for coffee and cigarettes? Keep the thought to yourself'

Xeno-killer. The badge says it all. They're a tough bunch. This one had bloodstains on her clothes. I wonder whose. It was not busy yet. I carried the drink and drugs over. Smiled. Changed my mind about striking up a conversation. She didn't look like she needed a cosy chat.

Not so many months ago I arrived here for the first time myself, after lifetime, or so it seemed, of endless flying. Hopefully I still had a lot of life left to live. For now though, I'm here. All the time. A heart murmer has put an end to my pilot days. For now.


A shouted "Barron's Head for everyone, keep 'em coming 'till we fall over." From the direction of what was going to turn into a noisy party at the far end of the bar.

Now, was he the one that generously ordered beer for everyone and always left someone else to pay, or was he the generous host who made sure that everyone enjoyed themselves and paid the bill himself?

It made no difference to me, I'm the barman not the owner. Besides, someone always pays. In the end, we all pay.
20 Apr 2022, 2:04am
A shout brought me back to this reality, haven't heard the first part well but the latter was definitely about announcing an all-out party here and now. I looked at the bartender who was already putting glasses full of beer in a line and even smiled a little. Hm... Maybe today I'll see what I want to see, the reason why I'm here. Making another sip of coffee, I saw how people began to gather near the counter and leaned back in my chair in quite a relaxed manner. At last, a thought that I wanted became shaped and perceptible in my mind, so I caught it and fixed it. Yes, I want to see them loud and happy, and there's a solid and unbeatable logical chain, leading to this decision. Even if someone start a drunken fight, I'll be glad to be here tonight.
20 Apr 2022, 2:42pm
It was looking a lot like a busy night. At the core of the growing throng, a group of guys - I'm guessing from Flight Academy. Not yet fed up or fucked up, but far from home. 'A Mission?' Nobody came all the way here just for fun. A waypoint to somewhere else. They were always recognisable. Shared uniform, or the remnants of one. These shared a badge over the heart. Picture an ancient sailing ship's anchor, preceded by the letter 'W', followed by the letter 'S'. It might have been funny at the time.

I looked over at 'Xeno Killer', harsh but fair. Young, far more interesting than the party-starters. A different breed, strange in many ways. Why would anyone choose that as a way of life?

Came across a '"goid' once. USS on a supply run out towards the Pleiades. Non-human-signal-source. Looked interesting. Damn thing splatted me with something sticky and corrosive before I even saw it. Ate it's way half through my old Lakon hauler by the time I reached somewhere safe. I was lucky. Never went back. Whichever way you look at at them, Thargoids are ugly and unreasonable. Mindless? Something must be 'in there'. Evolution may not be teleological, but something drives it. Those things evolved. Still evolving? What drives them. What drives their hunters?

Right now though, what was an Anti-Xeno Defender doing here? Certainly not evolutionary dice. I remembered not to stare.


Last edit: 20 Apr 2022, 3:15pm
20 Apr 2022, 3:54pm
Local 'big' coffee cups were like a half size of my favourite one, but, well, showing at the bar with your own glass in hand is a bit weird even for me. So, it took just a two minutes more to finish the coffee and the cigarette, a bit more to have a relaxed and almost unfocused look at the crowds... Hm. That group of folks in the centre certainly looked like they're going to take the leading role in whatever may happen next... However, them or not, there were many candidates on that role around. Mercenaries, traders, freelancers and so on; this bar had quite a reputation of being the popular place for pilots to meet, station inhabitants preferred other places for some reason. Therefore, if you want to see people from all sides of inhabited Galaxy, that's the place where you should go.

So then I decided to have another round of the same treats. Quite liked them. The stuff I had in Pleiades was a kind of spartan and utilitarian. Made my way to the counter to see that all stools were already occupied, so I stood a bit to the side and waited until the eye contact with the bartender who was filling another pair of beer glasses. It might be a start of a busy night for him. With all these things brewing around there was no chance for me to be louder than the crowds, my voice was still way quieter than usual. So, when he finally noticed me, I've made my order.

"The same, please. Big coffee, maybe with a caramel in it. And two more of those vanilla smokes. Still have one left, but, well, I liked them. Maybe I'll look for where I can buy them while I'm here. And... Looks like it's going to be loud tonight?"
20 Apr 2022, 7:09pm
There was always a smart-ass who thought he was being clever, always a guy, never a girl. "I hear this place is the arsehole of the Galaxy." He smirked.

I smiled back. "Yep! Wait long enough and all the shit comes this way. You just passing through?" He wasn't smart enough to decide if I'd just insulted him or not.


Xeno Girl was standing near the bar and caught my eye. "Big coffee, with caramel, and two more smokes please."

She was very quietly spoken, but focus on someone hard enough and you can make out their voice through the melee.

I smiled, nodded, stopped puling beers to make a mega-cup of coffee and pick up the smokes. "You're right. A loud night."

Maybe she could use a chat after all.

"Smoke's on the house, give me your order and I'll have all you need delivered wherever you like before you take off." I went on...

"I can get that cleaned right away if you give me your jacket." I nodded towards the bloodstains. "What brings you here so far from the battle-grounds. Are we about to be invaded"

I was joking, not expecting an answer. People come hear to talk. Often discrete conversations in quiet corners. Some to leave or pick up messages. Others though, like to unload to a smiling non-judgmental barman. Sometimes it's like a madhouse. There should be a sign above the door.

MADMEN ONLY!


Last edit: 20 Apr 2022, 7:18pm
20 Apr 2022, 7:54pm
Overheard that shit joke and it made me even smirk for a moment. As someone said... Kids make shit jokes. Teens prefer pretentious, philosophic, dark and gritty humour with a tint of decadence and hopelessness. Adult people make shit jokes. Then, back to zero-expressions-face again. Anyway, that offer was nice. Money meant nothing in the Pleiades, but it wasn't about the money, it's about the willing to do something pleasant to a person that you don't know at all. So I stood surprised for a moment, then took a deep breath and replied.

"Thank you. My ship is in the hangars, Fer-de-Lance, Mike-Two-Five-Seven-Four-India, or just Marshmallow. You'll make a stranger a bit happier with that move. And... No, no invasions this time. I hope. Hah. I'm on a kind of shore leave after being through a mess, as you may guess already. Here to... See people. To look at people. And the patch... Yeah, they gave me a new uniform, but I decided to replace one of the patches, taking this one from my old jacket... Well, from what's left of it, hah."

Yup, it was still a little hard to talk, but I hope it wasn't too visible but was audible enough to hear me, and, with a bit of a practice I'll be on my normal level again. When the barman went to make my coffee, I turned my head to give this room another look. Yup. It's a bar. What's the difference between a usual bar and the mess hall somewhere in the Pleiades? The stories that people tell.
20 Apr 2022, 8:26pm
Look for an empty booth and put my toolbox under the table, put the biometrics on and mag-lock the box to the floor.
Try not to get in the way of the loud fighter looking people as I order something to drink, speaking softly and quietly to the barkeeper.

"Herrr, a red, dry please. Large"

Glance sidelong at the two tall people taking while I wait. With glass in hand, go back to the table with my tool box underneath. With enough momentum caused by the rotating ring, enjoy the freedom of letting my hair down before retrieving my PDA, and open the message from my first job ever as a freelance mechanic.

100000 Cd Fine for stealing a power regulator

That's almost as much as the job offered for completion. Take a big gulp of wine as I try to work out why the job failed after did reactivate the reactor with the power regulator they are claiming I stole.

"So like, a fine for your first job, Willow. Bad omnis"

I say quietly before putting my head in my hands, trying to figgier out if I should sell the salvage I took from the abandoned facility.
21 Apr 2022, 3:43pm
Had to stop thinking of her as 'Xeno Girl'. Made a note of the hanger and her FDL. "No need for thank's, it's good Karma. The more you give, the more you get back."

The old bullshit was still the best! Besides, now was not the time to tell her that smokes were free but delivery charges and overheads were high. She would find that out if she ever queried the cost off vanilla pods on her bank account.

Everyone came here to meet people, see people. Nothing unusual there. No-one came all this way on 'shore leave'. (Not for the first time I wondered why we still hang on to those old nautical names. I like the Imperial Navy Gutamayas more than anyone I know, never owned anything else. But 'Navy, ship, Midshipman, shore leave, Admiral of the fleet'. Maybe I was just getting to be as cynical as my old dad).

She appeared to relax, slowly, still hesitant. That would be the caramel and vanilla. 'Been through a mess'. How much was she going to tell. How much did I want to hear. To be a good barman you need to perform a balancing act. Be interested in other peoples stories, be a good listener, never ask too many questions and always keep secrets to yourself.

"You planning to stay around here for long?" I couldn't stop myself asking. And she was interesting.



I took a couple of minutes to serve another customer. Another softly spoken girl. Noticed her walk in carrying what appeared to be a toolbox. 'Must be stronger than she seems. Looks like a solar breeze would knock her over'. The contents would have been scanned and deemed safe before she ever got through the bar doors. She tried to mag-lock it to the floor under an empty table.' Foolish! No-one would stick a box to the floor unless it was worth stealing.'

Did she say here, herre or hurry. I served up a large dry red wine, hoping that I heard that part better.

She retreated to the table with her box. Read a couple of messages and put her head in her hands. I would keep an eye on her.


Last edit: 21 Apr 2022, 6:26pm
21 Apr 2022, 4:50pm
I was about to take my coffee and leave, returning to my cosy table in the corner, but then I saw it was already occupied by a thin young woman who was looking not exactly happy, with a glass of red wine in front of her and that pose. It was two chairs there, however I doubt she wants a companion, being in such a state. Or, maybe, a non-talkative and slow one like me should do fine, who knows. Or maybe I should look for another vacant table... But what if she needs some kind of help? Ah, it's always a thin ice, there's many people around who may look like they're in need of any help, but actually they're not. And otherwise. Especially otherwise... Ow, I'm starting to fall deep into the thoughts again. And also the barman inquired about how long I'll be hanging around here. It was, like... A minute ago already? It's not that hard to start talking with someone in the bar after all.

"Oh, sorry. Was... Looking for a vacant place again. So, I guess... Two weeks maybe. Doc said I'm okay to leave, but I should wait a bit more before returning to my active duty. It's a... vacation of sorts."
21 Apr 2022, 5:30pm
I hear the tall woman talking about a place to sit and realize I have taken up a big table for me and my tool box. I didn't just come here looking for a drink, I could have got that 10 jumps ago. If I want help, I shouldn't be shy about it.

Look over to see if she is looking for a place to sit. Shes big, like tall for a girl, making me feel real small. She is dressed like a fighter pilot or maybe a fighter period. Either way, I guess she has seen more of the galaxy than I have. I speak up because people tell me I whisper all the time.

"Herr like, you can sit here if you want to" I see she is still talking to the bar guy "Oh er, or like not or what ever"

Woah, Willow, like way to make a first impression. Mess up my first job, and mess up my first, like intro to a pilot that isn't trying to pull me out of super cruise.
21 Apr 2022, 6:32pm
A nervous voice from the direction of the toolbox. "Herr like, you can sit here if you want to" she trailed off "Oh er, or like not or what ever".

I pointed her out to 'Xeno Girl', who was starting to look restless. "Looks like there's room for two over there."

I guess the night was not the night I got to find out what drives a Xeno Hunter-killer.

My attention was drawn towards to the noisy end of the bar. 'Extroverts that way. Introverts this way'

A couple of the rowdy revellers had fallen over and the beers were disappearing more slowly. It was all still good-hearted fun, so far. I walked that way to check them out, make sure they were 'safe'. I like to look after my customers. In here everyone's my responsibility. Outside - not my problem. It's been quite a while since there was any real trouble here. There had been some seriously bad fights in the past. Weapons discharged. Lives lost. That was in the 'early days'. Before my time.

There was beer on the floor. I mopped it up myself. Get the place in order before the night-shift started. 'We never close.' Claimed a sign. I wasn't true. We did.


Last edit: 21 Apr 2022, 6:55pm
21 Apr 2022, 8:59pm
Bartender put a big cup of coffee right in front of me and a pair of cigarettes next to it before he went to take care of the first 'casualties' of this night. A platinum classic story, looks like someone had imbibed more than their body can take. Before he left his place behind the counter, I made sure he sees me and nodded softly, closing my eyes, like, 'thank you'. Yeah, coffee here might be not the best in the Galaxy, but certainly better than I have in the Pleiades. It was meant to be an enjoyable drink, not an emergency-energising stuff to wake up and take off. Cigarettes were good as well.

And then, either I was super slow and spent too much time floating in my thoughts, or that woman was super fast. First option is much more probable. She appeared next to me and said it's okay if I decide to sit at the same table. Hmm... She was quite the opposite of me, thin, a bit shorter than average and even with some make-up on her face. Anyway, she was looking and talking a bit upset and, or, I don't know... Shy? Ah, I'm so bad with those voice tones and expressions. But nevertheless she looked better than I thought, seeing her from the distance. Maybe nothing really bad had happened, who knows. So, I stood for a while, thinking about the reply and then said:

"Don't worry. Thank you. I may join you if you don't mind. However... If it's not your last glass tonight, you may just wait until someone drops down from the stool. A bit more time and looks like we'll be the last sane people in this place."

And, taking a sip of coffee, I looked somewhere at nowhere. Just seeing all this place in whole, but nothing in particular.


Last edit: 22 Apr 2022, 12:35am
22 Apr 2022, 10:16am
Move over to make space and then remember there are two sides to the table and I'm looking like I'm inviting her to sit next to me.

"Oh its, er, like you, yeah that would be ok, or good you know. Sure"
Push my PDA to the space I just made to kind of cover up my mistake, and take a sip of the wine.
"Its like, if you go into a bar and don't order something" hold up the glass I'm talking about "it looks weird, and I'm flying soon, so like, just one or two maybe"


Last edit: 22 Apr 2022, 10:28am
22 Apr 2022, 9:35pm
"Oh, no worries", I was standing near her with a cup of coffee in my hand, "Looks like I can't get what you're saying quite right... However, maybe it's none of my business, but you seemed to be upset with something. Will be a good start to a bar talk, if you don't mind, of course."

Then I moved an ashtray closer to me and lit another cigarette. Ah. With the coffee, they form a classic pair that will never get too old.


Last edit: 22 Apr 2022, 11:52pm
23 Apr 2022, 9:48am
Wow I feel short sitting here with the tall pilot standing close by like that.

"Yeah like, that is why I'm here right. People say this place is the . place to be . to find . Well I got this thing from my first job and now ships are chasing me but I didn’t do anything.. Umm”

I don’t talk to many people and now I’m gabbling at this woman. Woah Willow, chill! Start with an intro ok, like a normal person, then ask about the contract.

“Um I mean. Hi, I’m, well people call me Wednesday and I got this support contract that’s gone bad. Can you take a look and tell me where I went wrong. . Oh please, if you got time? I mean I don't think that guy on the floor is goingto be much help"

I finish with a smile trying not to look desperate.

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ROLEPLAY ONLY! Respect the universe settings!
If you are new here, please try to at least partially involve in the ongoing stories and conversations instead of establishing a completely different "arc". You can always turn it to a different story later.