Private Red Dwarf

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

Trextan let his beer settle. The clink made some foam bubble up the neck of the bottle. Trextan didn't drink very often. Fortunately he knew to pace himself better. The last time they'd encouraged one another on they'd ended up very embarrassed. Jacen hadn't made eye contact to him over breakfast.

"I quite like edgier stuff you hear out in the Rim more than the core. Stuff like Six Fingers Turning," Trextan announced proudly.

Of course, anyone who knew their music knew that the band he named was a rather soft and pop-friendly band.

"We could go up to the stage after we've had these?" Trextan offered.

He often kept out of public sight and was quite happy to watch things from the sidelines. That didn't mean he couldn't enjoy a dance or watching a band up close.

His beet had levelled out so he took a long swig. There were a few enthusiastic fans of the band. He laughed when they cheered loudly as a group.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli took a swig of her own drink, the fizz sharp and sweet against her tongue. She arched a brow, trying, but then failing not to smirk.

"Six Fingers Turning, huh?" she teased, bumping his elbow lightly with hers. Oh she heard of them. She had heard plenty of Asmus Janes eclectic soundtracks play back during her time at Wraith Squadron. "That's about as edgy as a rounded hydrospanner."

But the smile lingered, and there was no real bite in her words. Just the easy warmth of old rhythm slowly coming back between them.

She glanced toward the small stage where the band was setting up, strings being tuned and lights starting to dim to a deep violet hue.

"Go up to the stage? And what? Dance?" That dark slash of her brow rose higher.

"What.... you can dance?" which might have been fine had she not said it with a sort of daring edge that made it seem as if she didn't believe he would.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

. "That's about as edgy as a rounded hydrospanner."

"Hey!" Trextan protested. "They are a classic band."

He pretended to look slightly upset. Trextan had never been particularly good at pretending. He managed to look oddly pouty.

Rounded hydrospanner indeed. At least he could appreciate a classic mechanic phrase. He looked towards the front of the stage. There was a full line of people at the rope in front of the stage bobbing along. It thinned out very quickly.

"Go up to the stage? And what? Dance?" That dark slash of her brow rose higher.

Trextan wouldn't have normally been so bold, but he couldn't let the challenge go unanswered. He set his bottle of beer down on the table and offered a hand.

"Come on then!"

Hand or not, he would make his way towards the area near the front of the stage. Dancing was a strong word for bouncing and moving to the chorus.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli brought her arms and hands up, palms out, as if to say, sure sure, classic band, of course! But the slight smirk over her lips told another tale.

Regardless, the former Rogue Pilot took another sip of her beer and shook her head at Trextan, amused by him.

At least, until he all of a sudden set down his beverage and held out his hand to her.

For a moment, Choli froze, her beer half way to her lips, her slanted hazel eyes blinking up at him in mild befuddlement.

"Come on... where?" Then it dawned on her and she immediately went, "Oh no. No no. I do not dance." She told him. To which, well, she really didn't.

Not like it was something one was taught to do.

"I rather not make a fool of myself without at least having another beer."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

They had made embarrassing mistakes after a few too many beers before. Not in front of strangers.

"We won't see this planet again," Trextan replied. "But it still seems worse to be embarrassed in front of people you don't know."

He said it to express his own confusion
It didn't really make sense.

"I'm not gonna make you dance dance," he said.

"Why don't we go past the bar for round two, go near the stage and bob a little to the music!" he offered.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli gave a quiet laugh, shaking her head as she pushed her empty bottle aside.

"Pretty sure that is till dancing, Trextan," she said, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Just with less footwork to trip over."

She stood, taking another swig of her bottle."Fine. Round two, then we can go… bob." The word came out with a smirk, like she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Just remember," she added as they started toward the bar, "if you spill my drink, you're buying the next three."

Not that she could handle that much, but she decided it served well enough as a small threat to hide her slight embarrassment at not knowing how to dance.

"So how does one... bob to this then?" she asked him, seeing how he would answer her.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

"If I bought the next three I'd be carrying you back to your room!" Trextan countered.

They reached the bar and he was forced to keep his gaze towards the two people serving. One look away and they would pass him by for the next person.

They had stopped serving bottles of beer and instead now provided plastic cups. Whilst Choli had been focusing on her studies, he had seen lots of corners of the outer rim. He knew that polite establishments didn't serve plastic cups. It was either to stop smashed glass on the floor from a dropped bottle or to limit a violent outbreak.

Looking at the half empty venue, he didn't see much chance of anything more than a personal squabble kicking off.

He got the attention of a bartender and two beers were on their way. He could tell Choli was embarrassed so he tilted his head towards a small group of teenagers who were into the music.

"Like that," he said. It would be hard to call their swaying and jumping up and down 'dancing'.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Plastoid cups? In this economy?!

At least that was the amused thought Choli had once they reached the bar. A quick inspection confirmed that the surface was sticky, so she didn’t even bother leaning against the bar.

Hazel eyes would drift over to where the teenagers were bobbing back and forth side to side. She couldn’t help the slight chuckle as she finished her bottle, not quite feeling the buzz yet but in a good place.

“I am better at holding my alcohol,” she told him, trying to defend herself. “At least as long as it isn’t hard liquor.”

She’d done better when they were practicing detoxification.

“And now I know what to do if I wanted to keep drinking. Detoxing with the Force might come in handy.”

A beat then she added with and arch of her eyebrow, “so since when did you start dancing?”

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

“And now I know what to do if I wanted to keep drinking. Detoxing with the Force might come in handy.”

"I hadn't thought of that," Trextan said. "Well, I'd thought of not getting too drunk but I wonder if I could concentrate enough to avoid a hangover."

He slid one plastic cup towards Choli. They were thin. He used both hands to pick it up to avoid crushing it and sending beer all over himself and the floor.

"Not that I was thinking of drinking a lot tonight," he added quickly.

A beat then she added with and arch of her eyebrow, “so since when did you start dancing?”

"Catch a bit of downtime now and then," he said. "It's not like I got to growing up much. I dated a Zeltron for a while and she liked clubs. Never really liked music too loud though."

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli took the offered cup, being careful not to crush it herself.

"Well, I was not either. The last thing we need is for me to end up stumbling back to the Aurora," she admitted, turning to look out at the crowd and the few that were dancing. She did her best not to think of the last time she ended up that inebriated with Trextan.

Well, until he mentioned how he had dated a Zeltron and how she liked to go to clubs.

Her eyes gave a slow blink over the rim of her plastic cup and she took long slow drink. Now her thoughts went over to when Trextan dated her. A Zeltron of all things. It made her think of Omar. Of how forward they were. Less inhibitions. All too willing to expose themselves and be all about the sort of --

No.

The firm sound of her internal voice slammed down against any more wandering thoughts, already feeling the stab of irritation lance through her even though she knew full well she had no reason or leg to stand on for being upset.

Whatever or whoever Trextan had decided to bunk with was of no relevance to her.

"Right," she replied tersely, glad that the music and the low lighting would shadow her face and hide the edge in her voice.

"Makes sense." She then added, "Well, best take advantage and drink while you can. May not get the freedom as we travel more."

"But I think I'll leave it with this one and just get something else in my stomach. I should be fine as long as I hydrate." deciding dancing was now something she didn't want to explore, Choli added, "I am good on the dancing, feel free to go yourself. I'll make sure your drink doesn't get spiked. "

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

That terse reply was like a body blow. He felt that one. He was usually the one to use the word 'right' and fill it with all kinds of different meaning.

His gut reaction was to address it. To try and fix whatever it was that caused the spark of tension between them.

He didn't.

It was simply his own fault. They had just admitted in a roundabout way that they were taking the time to work out if they still had feelings for one another. Then he goes and mentions that he'd been seeing a girl who loved doing something Choli was nervous to try.

That they had been apart didn't mean he could cause hurt feelings that were sensitive and raw.

"I'll be back in a bit," he said. He offered a brief smile and picked up his cup to drain half his beer before heading towards the stage. She wouldn't see the grimace he pulled for his own idiocy as he walked away.

Trextan found a spot close to the stage. He didn't dance, instead bobbing his head to the chorus. Suddenly, he didn't feel like jumping up and down. Didn't feel like that freedom that came woth letting go just a little.

He glanced over his shoulder between two songs to spot her.

After the second song he returned. There was a little sweat across his brow.

"They're not too bad," he said, knowing she had already taken a shot at his taste in music.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli looked up from the paper tray in her hands, the smell of fried tubers and melted cheese curds still curling in the air between them. She popped one into her mouth, chewing slowly as if that might muffle the last of her irritation.

"Yeah," she said after swallowing, tone somewhere between neutral and distracted. "Could be worse."

She set the tray on the table, picking up her drink for another sip, slower this time. The third one had been a mistake, and she knew it. But it gave her something to do besides let her thoughts spiral.

"Hungry?" she asked, sliding the tray a little toward him without quite meeting his eyes. Her face was ruddy, flushed from the heat of bodies and the alcohol. "Figured I'd better get something solid in me before we head out."

Her gaze flicked toward the door, the low hum of the crowd settling back into the background.

"Once we're done here, we should grab something for aren’t and get back to the Aurora before Ren starts wondering if we fell into a black hole."

Yup, she was all back to proper business now.