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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

“I’m not going to make you,” Duke said. “You want to keep it all, more power to you. I bet they’d like it though.”

"And if they are going to give me noodles and sandwiches, sometimes I can give them cake," Lucy said thoughtfully. "I won the fight and now we get to eat it."

As was right and proper.

"That is . . . fair, actually." Look, he couldn't really argue with a simple trade, could he. "I'm sure it was quite a fight. One of those suckers nearly took out my ankle."

It didn't. He had a bruise at most. But some things called for drama.

Like being attacked by chompy fruitcake!

"This is the first thing that has tried to eat me since I arrived," she said. "I'm surprised. Doesn't look like much, though."

[I am so sorry for the delay.]

[no worries at all, hon!]

"They actually aren't normally so . . . feral," Duke said. "Things try to eat you a lot back home?"

Lucy nodded. "I am usually biggest, but sometimes there are - " sharks " - other things."

“One of these days you’re going to have to tell me where you’re actually from. So I can avoid it.”

She had time. The water around here was way too cold for his tastes right now.

"You could not go there," Lucy said, snickering. "You could be near there, but never exactly where I live."

Not unless she wanted to be more like her mythological sisters, anyway.

"That's very cryptic," Duke observed. "Am I supposed to decipher the riddle?"

"Riddle?" Lucy asked, confused.

So probably not?

"You just could not live there."

"It's when you describe something in a really misleading way, and people have to guess. Like. . . . There's a tiny house on the edge of the ocean, and sometimes you can find a treasure inside. What is it?"

"Oyster," Lucy said immediately.

The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Christmas Eve

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck

Re: On deck