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.
06 Jun 2023, 9:06pm
Silvia Sharpe
'You look good in white Willow.'


"Well yeah" said Willow trying out a smile "Like, white is one of the two colors I use, so it needs to suit me or I'll have to make some like, other life choices you know?"

She felt as if the smile was starting to look fuels, so Willow picked her glass up to cover her face a little and took a gulp of wine for courage.

"So, the scar's thing isn't really about the scars, it's like, reconstruction you know? Or like, hiding them" She didn't want to say it because it was so cliché thanks to the style Willow liked, but there was no getting around it.

Instead of saying it, Willow got her personal pad out and had it fabricate one of her business cards. The pad rolled out a plastic card. Blue with silver writing on one side, and black with gold lettering on the other. She handed it to Silvia.

Willow Salvage and Retrieval

(Mechanical & Biological)


Your loss doesn’t have to stay lost

Deep-Space and Surface contracts undertaken


The other side read

Weeping Willow Morticians & Undertakers

The end is not the end


We escort your loved ones from here to the beyond

All theological traditions observed on request


"So yeah, this is my day job" Said Willow lifting a tool from her belt "and like, the other thing is what I want to do. I fell real good when I help someone look they way they looked before, you know? So like scars, like, they are the enemy you know? Not many people wear them with pride"
06 Jun 2023, 9:15pm
Looking at the pet creature playing, wagging its tail, jumping around, then Silvia catching it and placing on her friend's laps, from where it crawls up to the shoulder, made me... not just smile, but, for a brief moment, connect to some kind of... Serenity, maybe. Whilst I couldn't describe them correctly, those thoughts definitely had made me think about... My next steps. After the war ends. Like, who knows, maybe I could get to know what 'home' means only after I create one for myself?

Establishing a cattery, so that people could interact with those funny sweet creatures, wasn't looking so much of a 'retirement' option at that moment. And it was an interesting engineering task as well.

Anyway, being lost in my thoughts, I gazed at what was happening in the bar through half-shut eyes, slowly swaying my body side to side to the music. With the fork in my hand, of course, and my elbow placed on the counter. As the steak was a solid source of enjoyment too.

An interesting person with long purple hair at the opposite side of the counter, and a shy lady with a hood partially covering her face, who kept her distance... for some reason. Like, something had made all these people show up in the bar tonight, something maybe personal to them. And, whilst it was none of my business, I liked these observations, these short moments of being somewhere in public where people acted... More relaxedly. Without a grand task to accomplish, without determination, just... Relaxing. And I felt relaxing too, in such an atmosphere.
06 Jun 2023, 9:21pm
carefully re-enters the bar and approaches Silvia and Willow, keeping an eye on the pet on the latter’s lap for a second

“Hey, I was what she…” I pointed to Silvia, keeping the Japanese accent up. “… spoke about. You can call me Kasumi.”

I thought about presenting a smile, but it would likely have looked forced, so I didn’t.
06 Jun 2023, 9:46pm
After singing the last line, Creamy let himself enjoy the outro. Of all the instruments he could play, keyboards were the ones he liked the most, and as with everything he did, showing off made him happy.

He had noticed Meowers was into it, but everything ends. Staying seated, Creamy gave the bar a shallow bow and cut himself another bit of stake letting his right hand quietly play what ever it felt like playing as he chewed.

He had food to eat, but now he was in the playing mood. Without speaking, Creamy illuminated the Requests Accepted sign and took his plat to the side of the stage to eat. People were starting to chat, and they were doing just fine without him interfering, so he just observed, hoping he'd get another chance to play once he was done eating.

Besides, from up here he could keep an eye on the creature that unsettled him.
06 Jun 2023, 9:51pm
"Ow, thank you. That was great!", I raised my cup of coffee like making a toast, addressing to Creamy. "After we take the town back, I'll make sure you're invited to play at our little place any time you want."

"...and what in this little creature makes you watch with such an attention?"
06 Jun 2023, 10:08pm
Casually chatting with a friend while still on stage where the patrons could see was bad form, so picking up his plate again Creamy sat beside Meowers.

"Why thank you, a very kind invitation that I will gladly accept with gratitude" said Creamy preforming the odd movement that was a seated bow.

He looked at the creature wrapped around the slender girl's neck, and really couldn't understand why it made him uncomfortable, but it did. Creamy never argued with his feelings. That hadn't always worked out for him, but he trusted his instincts completely.

No one else seemed to mind it, quite the opposite in fact, so Creamy decided to underplay his feelings on the matter.

"The squirrel? Not something you see every day, is it? Intriguing. That's the word what? Intriguing"
06 Jun 2023, 10:22pm
I let out a small laugh at the business card. I think about the scars I have.

ah what the hell.

I reach up and pull the right shoulder of my dress away to expose my cybernetic shoulder and the scar.

'This.... was caused by...... a very similar creature to Melli. And this* shows my right arm in the light* was from the same creature. I call them Vulptex.'

I cut my sentence short as soon as Melli notices that Creamy is staring at her. She begins to crouch down and a small growl can be heard as she begins to become uncomfortable. I notice the change in behavior and look to Creamy.

'Please don't fear her, or stare at her with discontent. She is harmless, but like us can become overwhelmed from negative attention.'

I take a sip from my glowing drink and realize that the drink has become oddly flavored. I let a look of disgust out as the bitterness of the Bioluminescent capsule hits my tongue.

'Oh splort I forgot how bitter thish shtuff tashtes. Blegh. *grabs a napkin and scrubs my tongue* I need a new drink.'
06 Jun 2023, 10:33pm
Kira Goto
“Hey, I was what she…” I pointed to Silvia, keeping the Japanese accent up. “… spoke about. You can call me Kasumi.”


"Who? I mean, like hi" Didn't hi mean yes in Japanese? "Oh, not yes, I mean like, hello hi, not yes hi" No, that was silly. The woman spoke the language just fine, she knew what Willow was saying.

Now she was worried that Kasumi would think she was ignorant. It was getting too much round here all of a sudden. Silvia wasn't Silvia anymore, the tall woman that brushed Willow off when she was new to the solo pilot thing, thankfully hadn't recognized her yet, but she was practically sitting next to Willow, and that made her nervous in case she did workout Willow and bothered her before.

What made it worse was the tall woman was clearly good friends with the good-looking piano man. Willow was starting to feel like she had been maneuvered into a corner and ambushed. If it wasn't for the calming warmth of Melli around her neck, and the fuzzy softness of it fur on her fingers, Willow may have had to get out of there right now.
06 Jun 2023, 10:39pm
"So we're talking about scars now?", I said out loud, rather than the thought I intended it to be. "Uh, didn't mean to say that. But I've got some of my own too."

I pointed to my right cheek, where a scar ran across it length-wise, roughly to the ear. I also had one on the neck, but it wouldn't be visible with what I was wearing. I turned my attention to the little fur ball on Willow's shoulder

"Everything's alright. You just surprised the man by jumping on his piano."

While I was tempted to pet it as a comforting gesture, moving my hand that close to someone else's face without permission wasn't right. In that moment, though, Willow spoke to me, so I replied to her instead.

"Oh, no, I just meant that she was asking you if you had any issues with me getting in on the chat. And don't worry about the language thing. My own Japanese is a bit... rusty, let's just say. I rarely use it nowadays, but the accent still sticks around sometimes."

I decided not to say anything about my own social awkwardness, though I could see it written on Willow’s face that she wanted to be somewhere else - and I also still felt tempted to go back to my own dark corner in the bar. But my mind told me to wait for what she’d say, rather than to suggest it.


Last edit: 06 Jun 2023, 11:05pm
06 Jun 2023, 10:42pm
I place a hand on Willow's shoulder noticing her discomfort.

'Hey. You ok?'
06 Jun 2023, 11:07pm
Nope nope, that was it. She may have been able to hold it together if Silvia hadn't asked if she was ok, but it was done now. Asking if she was alright let Willow think, no, no I am not, and that opened the flood gate.

It felt like everyone had crowded around her. To start with, she was on her own at the bar with a few stools between her and the next person, but it felt like everyone had gravitated to her personal space. She felt trapped by a wall of bodies, and now some of them were peeling off clothes because she had mentioned her passion for preserving the departed.

The Exel-pet around her neck, wasn't an Exel-pet at all, it was a real live animal, and apparently, one very much like it had taken Silvia's arm off. What the fuck was she doing letting this one run around a bar; and now it was growling. Carefully with trembling hands Willow gently lifted the thing off her delicate neck and gave it to Silvia.

"So, like, I got my shift, early you know?" said Willow trying to sound calm as she walked away, feeling like she had to push through a crowd "I better get to my hab. Night"

As soon as she was out of sight, she turned off her mag-boots and hopped away at speed, happy the low gravity wouldn't let her buckle at the knees.
06 Jun 2023, 11:12pm
“Well there goes that.”, I remarked. “Why can’t I get to make up with her, ever?”

To say that I was, and sounded, frustrated, was an understatement. I felt like smashing something, and the glasses on the bar counter were looking all too fragile as my eyes came over them. The other half of my mind felt like following Willow, which would also just be taken as being creepy.

I shook my head and prepared to walk away, only vaguely listening as I gave it another minute or two for anything anyone else would say.
06 Jun 2023, 11:18pm
'Willow.......'

She was gone before I even had an opportunity to apologize.

'Damn it. Ok come now Melli time to go.'

I grab Melli and place her around my shoulders and depart to my ship. I had a feeling I was going to slip up and sure as heck I did. I couldn't stand being around there knowing what I had said. On my way to my ship I open up my data pad and type up a brief apology to Willow about my actions.

Hey Willow.
Ugh like sorry. I shouldnt have acted the way I did. Melli is not dangerous. Not like her wild counter parts. She is indeed a living creature but she is a hybrid... oh what does it matter I messed up. If you want we can chat later sorry if i had upset you in some way. Ill be around. See ya and hopefully we can smooth things over with some dinner my treat.

Silv
06 Jun 2023, 11:39pm
Looking at all those strange locomotions, with Silvia showing a cybernetic shoulder prosthesis, then her gothic-looking friend walking away hastily, then Silvia herself, therefore leaving that woman in a hood standing next to the empty table in what looked like a mix of stress and frustration... Yeah, I thought that sometimes people do act strangely.

So, I sat at the bar, with a piece of steak on my fork, and the only words I could produce were:

"Errrrm..."
06 Jun 2023, 11:40pm
I’d had enough of the bar for a lifetime already, again. Nothing good ever came out of it, and Silvia had walked out already, so I did as well, before I got really pissed at Creamy for ruining it by annoying a harmless pet. The sound I heard coming from the other woman changed little. While questioning whether I’d bother returning at all, I also decided to go and send something Willow’s way.

For Willow.

Figure you’ll probably want this after that nonsense at the bar. I swear, every time I set foot in there, things just turn upside down immediately and go wrong. Be that with the people there or because someone shows up to trash things.

If you want to smooth things over one on one, no other people to screw it up, you can find an address attached - text messaging only - to this little note. Just scan the digital signature and go with it. If you’re interested.

Enjoy the bottle.

- K (one of those names is an alias)

PS: Seriously, that bar feels like it’s cursed. Was it always this way?


I settled on having the note attached to a delivery with a red bottle of wine, and encrypted in a way that it would only be made available once delivered. I assumed she’d appreciate the choice of beverage, given what she had at the bar - and also allowed her to decide if the sender was Kasumi or Kira, since both were the same person.

Then I was back in my ship, and started to let out some frustration.

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