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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"Glad to hear it. More people should be scandalous on purpose."

"I was born scandalous," Octavia quipped. Although it was actually true. She shrugged. "Anyway, that's my scheme. Good enough for the journal?"

"Oh, totally. Once it's an actual scheme and not just, like, an outline."

Snort. "That may take a while." She was a scheming beginner! "But it's good to have goals, right?"

Everyone had to start somewhere!

"It is. It's also helpful to have an experienced scheming partner."

"Right," Octavia replied, as she reached out slowly, to put her hand on his arm. Fingers curling into his sleeve.

She'd felt torn between the public-feeling situation and her tiny personal urges for a few moments. Now, the latter were seeping out a little bit.

"Well, lucky me, think I have one of those."

Duke considered teasingly asking who, but decided that might be too much. "You do," he said instead. "I hear he's pretty good, too."

"Yeah," Octavia replied, with one of her tiny nods. "I don't think I'd scheme with anyone else."

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."

Re: On deck

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