Kamda

Fuff had finished his singing for the day; there wasn't enough audience, people were in the streets. He vegetated by the bar with some half-decent drink and was deep in his thoughts while at the same time sweeping the environs with a cautious catty look.

Jaxom was wiping off tables. They weren't dirty, he was just looking for something to do.

Az was restocking bottles behind the bar, a slow melody of clinking and clunking sounds surrounding her. As she paused for a breath, she noticed the fluffy singer seeming a bit sulky.

"It ain't a great day, is it Fuff?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even. For Az, "lifting spirits" meant literally moving bottles of alcohol, but she was clearly trying to do more.

"I've seen worse." Fuff smirked. "A bit of anxiety and gloom hasn't killed anyone, as opposed to some troops shooting at you." He stretched. "In addition, we're at a place where spirits can be lifted!" He pointed to what Az was hauling.

"What's your take on all this, boss?" Fuff turned to Jaxom.

"It gets this way when things get tense." he shrugged. "People are staying close to home or they're out there considering options. Either way, they won't be stopping by here. Not yet."

Az smiled at the raised spirits comment, then made a face as Jaxom spoke.

"Anxiety and tension aren't sustainable. For a little while, sure, but at some point..." She waves her hand vaguely toward the door and the streets outside. "People can't wait forever, even... even if you're trying to do the right thing--or be responsible. Or whatever." Her voice had shifted quieter, more introspective, before she caught herself and steered away from something. Az took a deep breath and then chuckled in an obviously fake way.

"There are other ways to blow off some steam than setting shops on fire or throwing rocks at security personnel." Fuff offered with a small smirk. "Things are unsustainable, true. But it needn't all end in pointless violence."

"We'll get people through those doors." he assured them. "Whether it's to celebrate, lick their wounds or just return to a comforting routine."

"Only wounds-licking is plausible. If they think it's gonna end well, they haven't been paying attention to what happened to all other worlds which dared dissent." Fuff looked into the neck of his beer, watching foam pop.

"Absolutely true." he nodded. "The Empire does not forgive or forget."