The Cape Rouge, Port of Fandom, Christmas Eve

[betterthanaplan]

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!]

Comments

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

And now she knew what a ukulele was.

"Well, congratulations, it took a few weeks, but you got me to sing," she said, and really that was a major accomplishment.

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

“I did! Wonder what I’ll manage to talk you into next.”

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

Rey frowned. "This doesn't have to be a trend..."

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

“Too late. I’ve already gotten you to dance and drink occasionally. I can’t stop expanding those horizons now.”

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"How much else is there?" Which may have been proof of why she needed stuff like this.

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

"Oh honey." Duke shook his head. "There's everything else."

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"Should I have a bad feeling about this?" Rey teased, fully knowing he hadn't actually steered her wrong yet.

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

"Maybe," Duke said cheekily. "Trying new things should always be a little scary."

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"I wouldn't say any of it has been scary..." Aside from getting over herself.

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

“Right. Because you always dither and second guess yourself when you’re totally comfortable.”

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't either," Rey said. "You underestimate how much I second guess myself."

That... was said jokingly but it was true. She was working on it.

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

“Because you keep getting bad feelings about things?”

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"Actually, the serious answer is yes, basically," she admitted.

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

“Huh. I’ll keep that in mind next time. See if I can help.”

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"Help with my bad feelings?" she asked.

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah. Calm ‘em down or whatever.”

Duke totally thought she meant anxiety and not, like, a force prescience.

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"It doesn't actually work that way," Rey told him. "Not that I don't appreciate that."

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

“Yeah? How does it work?”

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"It's... the bad feelings are actually a Force thing. When something's about to happen," she explained. "It's a lot of learning to trust new things."

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

"So . . . like the rest of life, then," Duke said. "Hang on. The Force tells you not to sing and dance?"

Rude.

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"No. The Force and bad feelings are... a whole other thing I'm dealing with." Which was having a big effect on how she looked at herself, but that was a lot to get into. "Me not singing and dancing is because it's new, and because people pay attention."

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

Duke nodded slowly. "How do you tell regular nerves from a Force feeling?"

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"The Force feeling is like my brain itches. I've heard it described like a low level migraine?" Rey had never had a migraine, she didn't know if this was accurate or not. "And it doesn't seem to go away until whatever happens, happens. Regular nerves I can work through."

Re: On deck

[betterthanaplan]

"Right. Because exactly what you need when something's going wrong is a migraine."

Re: On deck

[thatwaslucky]

"I don't know if it's exactly like that," she admitted. "When I was home last time I had this feeling for days, and couldn't pinpoint why. I just knew something was wrong but didn't know who it related to or what the threat was until a moment before alarms started going off for real."