betterthanaplan | The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Christmas Eve

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The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Christmas Eve

As a rule, he didn't tend to do much for the winter holidays -- unless you counted "go somewhere it's not winter" -- but some combination of Fandom's festivities and the cold weather had actually put him into something of a Christmas-y mood this year, so the Rouge's deck was -- well. Decked. There were string lights and garlands all over the open deck area, especially around the table holding the big thermos of hot, buttered rum. He'd set up a little fire pit on the metal cargo-bay doors, and the door to the galley and lounge below-decks was propped open with a now-dormant loaf of yesterday's fruitcake, in case people preferred to go in where it was warmer.

As discussed, Duke had only mentioned the party to a few people since planning it with Rey. It was Christmas, though, so if people decided to wander up and say hi, he wouldn't turn them away.

[up early and ready for all the slowplay. A few people in the know expected, but as it says in the narrative, it's open for wandering in if you want, too!]

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"I did. And now I can say I got my one night to be an idiot."

She had not been bad.

"Oh, I don't know. You didn't do anything dumb, really. Just floated some penguins and danced a little. I didn't even get you doing karaoke."

Clearly a failure on his part.

"I don't think that would work very well. I don't actually know songs," Rey pointed out. Though it'd sound pretty if she did. "You can keep doing it, though."

"That just means I have to teach you songs," Duke said. "You've been off Jakku for how long and you haven't learned any yet?"

Rey shrugged. "I haven't listened to that much music."

"This -- this is a travesty," Duke said, shaking his head melodramatically. "Earth has failed you. Where the hell did I put my ukelele? You are at least learning a stupid Christmas song tonight."

"...What did I just start?" Rey asked, but she was smiling.

And they weren’t even drunk yet!

Duke found his ukulele and strummed it to check the tuning. “Let’s see. What’s a good one without too much lore?” He strummed idly for a few moments, then grinned. “Perfect.”

And launched into some Elvis.

She really did like hearing him sing.

"Very nice," she told him, with at least more polite applause than when there were many drinks in a bar.

Just what every musician wanted. Polite applause.

"Not done yet. I said I was going to teach it to you."

You'd met her!

"Wait, now?"

"Is there a reason why not now?"

"Not enough alcohol?" she teased.

She'd do it.

"What, so you can say your memory's too fuzzy if I try to get you to sing again later? Nah." He tilted his head. "Besides. Singing is traditional for Christmas."

"I'm worrying a little that you're thinking ahead," she said.

"You don't honestly think I'm not going to get you to sing whenever I can, do you?"

"Should you be telling me this before I've allowed you to teach me anything?" Rey said wryly. "Besides, you might want to take that back if I end up being horrible."

"Not a chance," Duke said. "If you're horrible, we'll just use it against other people."

Weaponized singing. Classy.

Rey laughed. "All right, fine. How do we do this?"

"I don't know," Duke admitted. "I've never taught anyone a song before." He gave the ukulele another few strums. "We could go line by line? Sort of a call-and-response thing?"

"Helpful, since I don't know the words," she reasoned. It'd give her a chance to get the tune, too. "Okay."

She was going to drink a little more of the rum first, though.

"It's a pretty simple one," Duke pointed out. He strummed the opening chords. "I'll have a bluuuuue Christmas without yoooou. . . ."

Even feeling a little self-conscious, Rey sang it back at him, and she really did have a good voice. Maybe a little quiet because she wasn't used to it.

Duke gave her a broad, approving smile. She was doomed now, he'd have her singing all the time.

"I'll be so bluuuue just thinking about yooooou. . . ."

"I'll be so bluuuue just thinking about yoooou..."

So this was not a happy Christmas song, she was realizing.

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