betterthanaplan | 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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That caught Duke a little unawares. He blinked, expression falling open for just a second before he pulled his more customary smirk back in place.

"You sure about that? That's quite the commitment. To scheming."

Octavia gave his sleeve an idle little tug. Whether it was in response to catching that brief shift in his expression, she wouldn't say, but the timing was maybe a little suspicious.

She shrugged one shoulder. That was a tiny movement, too. "I do a lot of things based on a gut feeling."

"And your gut says 'yes, this is the schemer for me'."

"Is that bad?" Octavia asked.

She didn't sound like the verdict mattered much.

"I'm all for it," Duke said. "But, again, little bit biased, here."

"At least you're honest about being biased." Another tug, this time a little more demonstrative, as her head tilted just a little. "Dison laik strada-de gon ai."

"I try," Duke said. He was actually much more honest than most people gave him credit for. At least when being so wouldn't get him into trouble. "'This is the strategy' that -- what?"

"'This is the schemer for me'," Octavia supplied, with a hint of wryness.

Duke ducked his head in a little nod. "Well. I couldn't think of one I'd like better, either. And I've known my share of schemers."

Her poker face was unrivaled! And as far as Duke knew, had yet to have been used against him maliciously!

Malicious wasn't really Octavia's thing, anyway.

(She had much more subtle ways of being terrible.)

She nodded. "So it makes sense that my first scheme would benefit both of us."

Well of course. Duke just assumed everyone would be terrible in one way or another.

"It does. And we do it right, Lucy will have fun off wherever she ends up, too. Wins all around."

"That's the idea," Octavia admitted. "I'm trying to scheme, but not be an asshole who boots someone out of their home."

'Home' was such a loaded word for her, but so easy for her to use when it came to anyone else.

"Well. Here's to being clever but not an asshole. A worthy goal if I ever heard one."

Snort. "Between that and a functional scheme, I might be goaled out for a while."

She let her hand drop again, finally, though she didn't step any further away.

"Nah," Duke said. "That's only two goals. It's almost New Year's, you could handle at least one more if you had to."

"What does New Year's have to do with anything?"

"What, you thought irritating old Earth traditions ended with Christmas?" Duke shook his head. "Ye of little faith. For New Year's, the tradition is to make resolutions. Things you want to change or accomplish in the coming year. You know. . . . Goals."

Octavia rolled her eyes.

"I have a permanent goal of just surviving, that should count for something."

"Everybody has that goal." A beat. "Almost everybody. And before you say it, 'I'm not everybody' doesn't count in this case."

"Wasn't going to."

Maybe.

She had to keep herself from pointing out not all of 'almost everybody' probably were quite as aware having that goal as she was, though.

"Besides, I have another one that's not unique, either." Though it was something new for her.

"Oh yeah?" Duke tilted his head curiously. "Care to share?"

Octavia made him wait for the answer, because this clearly called for some more of that rum.

Or just for something to occupy her hands, and for a decent excuse not to be looking at him when she said, casually (or at least attempting it), "Being happy."

That was alright; Duke could be patient. He sipped his own rum and watched her as he waited, marveling that he’d found someone he liked so much, so soon after Evi. If you’d asked him when he arrived this summer, he’d have said he’d be firmly in meaningless casual sex mode right now.

Not that the wasn’t having his share of meaningless casual sex elsewhere, mind you. He was growing as a person, not turning into a monk.

“That’s a worthy goal,” he said, once she’d answered. “You let me know how I can help with that one too, yeah?”

No one expected the girl under the floor, or the effects she could have.

But Octavia wasn't really sure where the hell he'd come from, either.

"Just keep being you." Chin still mostly down, she flicked her gaze back up, but only after she'd said that. "And, you know, letting me scheme with you boat, and sometimes letting me stay over."

She said those last two things a lot more lightly.

“Any time,” Duke said. It came out much less casually than he’d intended, and he felt the need to cover. “You know, so long as she’s in port, anyway.”

He hadn’t taken her out of port in weeks.

Re: On deck

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