Cloud 9 Grand Re-Opening, Featuring Special Guest Alienor Tankreyd!

The day of the concert, Molly Black could not have been more anxious had she been the one going on stage to perform before the sold out crowd. She had anticipated that it was going to be a crowded event, and had planned to have enough bouncers around to manage that aspect. What she had not counted on exactly was the finer details.. things like capacity limits. Thus it had become a strictly ticketed event, and had drawn a bit more attention than she was comfortable with. She put off the bad feeling as opening day jitters, pulling the white chef's coat from where it hung by her office door before walking through the kitchen.

Everything seemed to be in order, she smiled to her newly acquired 'secret weapon of the kitchen realm', Dokes Baxter, a Besalisk with six arms, formerly of the Cloud Dance. Molly had persuaded him to rethink his future with the upper scale restaurant, it was classy but expensive and not at all where the real people of Cloud City spent their credits. Eventually, like so many other places, it would close. She could do more for him, and like that.. crab-stuffed cream puffs were on the menu.

The new bar tender was not in just yet, but it was a couple hours still until they would open the doors. He would appear eventually, Molly was certain.

Even still.. some eager Ali fans were already beginning to camp outside on the sidewalk. Next she would be fined for blocking the street, Molly fretted.

Alienor's people were already setting up some of her larger technical equipment - after passing through a security check before entering. She trusted Alienor, but she was taking no chances tonight. Staff could be switched easily enough. She had this one chance to make this work, and she intended that it would. Leaving the kitchen, she left the coat and made her way from the restaurant to the even yet more secured doors entering the private club, Bliss. The Cloud 9 brought people in, sure, but Bliss was where the profits occurred. It was still practically empty, but that was all about to change. Walking by one of the billiard tables, Molly grinned to herself, trailing her fingers along the polished corner as she passed.

'Practically empty' was not 'completely alone'. There was one other person in the club. Stopping just in front of her partner, she let out the sigh she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"Remind me, this was what I wanted.."

"Listen pal, I'll say it one more time. I'm good friends with Molly Black."

"Yeah, so are the last twelve people who tried that one, buddy."

"You must be new here. What happened to Kibler?"

"None your business, friend."

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood... Rin, is it? Just let Molly know Xel want to wish her good luck on her big day."

"Not gonna matter, bub. Nobody gets in early."

Stepping away Xel found a spot outside of the growing queue to cool his head. It was bad enough that he had gotten all dressed up and felt silly to begin with, but now he hands some absolute bellend of a doorman keeping him from getting in. The old doorman would have let him in to see his old friend Molly Black. Xel could understand a stronger security presence being necessary for this sort of event but seriously he was two seconds away from slugging this guy in the gut and dragging him around by the keycard he had hanging from his neck. The only thing keeping him sane was trying his very damn best to not ruin Molly's big night with a hot streak of violence.

Being a law-abiding citizen was proving a lot more difficult than he ever imagined.

Molly found Vilen sitting at one of the club’s booths, with a stack of data cards fanned out on the table in front of him. The Chiss's red eyes lifted at the sound of her shoes clicking against the polished floor. With a quick swipe of one finger, he dismissed the file he’d been reading and turned his full attention to Molly.

“It is - and based on the crowd gathering outside, it seems this is what a lot of other people wanted too.”

Molly did not sit, being of the opinion that there was just no time. She did lean a hip against the side of the booth though. A pause in motion was the best she was going to get for the next few hours.

"Yeah, Ali is in high demand. I suppose it's too late to rethink the whole thing.", she jested.

Alienor Tankreyd's name had drawn plenty of attention. Most were true fans, elated to see their favorite star playing somewhere smaller, more intimate than a huge concert hall. Others were just there because it was the big news in Port Town, and across the whole city. The reopening of the Cloud 9 Bar & Grill might have gone unnoticed - without the billing of a huge celebrity. Now it was guaran-damn-teed to be an evening of record breaking profits for the establishment.

All good, Molly wanted the Cloud 9 to do well, but she also wanted all of her local crowd, informants and buyers alike, to know she was back in business. The girl to call who knew a guy, or a girl, for just about everything, and if she did not know them, she'd make friends, real quick like.

Tipping her head to the side, Molly listened to one of the bouncers at the doors, Rin, as he chattered into her earpiece about a big guy outside.

The minute she had the physical description of Xel Naga, Molly smiled. "Rin. Let him in, him and anyone else on the VIP list. Friends of mine."

Mostly of the criminal variety.

Pinching some color into her cheeks, Molly checked the time. Less than two minutes from the last time she had done so.

"Ali should be here anytime. I wonder if she's going to roll up in style for the tabloids, or come in dressed like a sous-chef? Either is a possibility.", she remarked to Vilen.

"And just think... you get to meet her this time." She made an attempt to keep the grin off her face.

Tonyh had been very much looking forward to the grand re-opening of the Cloud 9. He was confident in his investment in Molly's establishment, given the extensive network the woman had. Also without his instinct to bank on her, he might never have reconnected with Alienor. His life wouldn't be remotely as good as it was now.

Given how he was continuously developing his underworld contacts, including currently working on finding a good place outside of Alliance territory to establish a new base, having opportunities to travel to Cloud City, and not just to see his beloved, was a very lucrative thing.

He had no doubt he would see good returns from his investment in the Cloud 9.

He grinned to Alienor sitting beside him in the limo speeder taking them to the Cloud 9. She had debated sneaking in incognito, but they had eventually decided that they would show up together early enough for her to get ready. It was the middle ground that worked best for them. So the fans and assorted curious patrons already lined up would get a peek of their celebrity, but they avoided the whole prime time apparition.

The businessman liked that his investment could remain discreet, especially since he understood Molly not wanting to have her name directly associated with the Cloud 9, leaving that up to her Temperance alias. Given Tonyh's public relationship with Alienor, thanks to an asshole paparazzi who caught them during the very first instant of their rekindled romance, they had given up on being discreet for the most part. They had enough ways to keep a low profile if they wanted, but giving the pests what they wanted for their tabloids tended to make them not as interesting as some who kept running away from them.

When the chauffeur pulled before the entrance, Vankar exited first, taking in the commotion that was caused by the arrival of their vehicle. He grinned but promptly returned his attention to his partner, offering a hand to help her out.

It was Alienor's show, and he was happy to support his gorgeous and talented blonde.

The last months had been crazy in lots of new sorts. Alienor had expected that buying an apartment in Cloud City would allow her to spend more time with Molly and Talia, as well as getting to discreetly enjoy both the upper class and the seedy underworld, given how she loved both for different reasons. It hadn't disappointed on that level. She liked fame, especially for the cash and getting to live from her art and give a lot of shows. Live performances made her feel alive in their own unique ways. But she loved going incognito and being an outlaw. She needed both in her life.

What she hadn't thought would ever happen, even as she had of course agreed to give a big show for the grand re-opening of Molly's establishment, was that Vankar, the one that got away, would be one of her big investors. That had been weird, and challenging, but eventually it was thanks to Molly's project that they had eventually got together for real this time.

It still made her a bit mad that Molly and other friends had found out about her new romance because of stupid tabloids, even before she could tell them. She still disliked the press; but Tonyh had rightfully helped her see that giving them enough would make the pair a bit boring more often than other celebrities who always played hide and seek. She could live with it.

She would have happily arrived by the back door and in disguise so she could have hang out with Molly and got ready early; but she liked giving their due to her fans, and she was happy to do anything that could make Molly's grand reopening a giant success. That was what friends were for.

She smiled like a goof as she looked at Tonyh, allowing herself to swoon in the privacy of their vehicle before the chauffeur pulled over. She was damn lucky. They both were.

She watched him exit first, and then took his hand as she stepped in front of the Cloud 9's entrance, under the clamor of already lined up fans seeing her. She had made sure to be dressed nicely but also semi-casual, so she could amp things up with the outfit for the show. She waved to the adoring crowd and then took her partner's arm firmly as they eventually walked to the bouncer, and were allowed inside the establishment.

It didn't take long for her and Tonyh to get to where Molly, and the infamous Chiss 'husband' were. Letting go of her mate, Ali sauntered towards Molly and pulled her friend into a warm embrace.

"I'm so so proud of you," she told her friend.

Sure thing she had seen the place even the previous day for last rehearsals, but today was the big day!

A fancy limo slipped by past the crowds, pulling Xel's attention away from the security guard for just a moment. That had to be tonight's entertainment. The grating voice of the bouncer pulled his head back around.

"Sorry about the confusion. Ms. Black says to let you. Come this way."

"Thanks, pal."

Stepping into the much cooler insides of the Cloud 9 was a refreshing change from the warmer concourse of the station outside. Proper climate control was for people not peasants. He couldn't help but adjust his jacket and make sure he didn't have anything on his pants, an old habit from a lifestyle that frequently resulted in his and other people's blood being on his clothes and working for the sort of people who didn't want to see the results of their iron fistery.

Making him way into Bliss he found the room to be far more occupied than he had anticipated. He'd hoped to just get Molly alone and wish her luck, but now there was a bloody audience. He recognized a few faces, including that of the talent from that one wine fueled evening. Getting in line he waited his turn after Alienor, whom he gave a wry smile and a wink, before following after her to give Molly a hug of his own.

"Congrats on the turnout, Mol."