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.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

Choli's tone had slowly shifted after the second drink hit. She was a little more sharp and much less likely to smile.

"Always hungry!" he replied. He picked up a fry and blew on it. The cheese was going to be volcanic.

"Mm," he went as he chewed. "Bit undercooked, yet still so hot..."

Trextan followed her glance to the door.

"You sure you don't want to stay out a bit longer?" he ventured.

He knew he shouldn't have asked. That he should have let them both sleep on what he had said. After a couple of drinks he tongue started before his brain engaged.

 

[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

“Figured you’d be hungry,” Choli replied, face well flushed a ruddy color now, as she drank her third beer.

She had to blink a bit, because for some reason the way Trextan said mmm, and followed with, a bit undercooked yet so hot, in that slightly slurred husky tenor of his voice that at this distance, despite the sound of the band, had enough of an effect to make her blink rapidly and drink a few more swigs of beer than intended.

"Yup. Pretty hot," she ended up saying, only to twist her expression as if asking herself why the feth did she say that?

At his question and pointed -- to her -- look at the dance floor and not the door, the former pilot raised both her brows.

"If you are looking to find someone to dance some more with, have at it. Not going to hold you back. Feel free," she gestured, grabbing a cheese curd and gesturing with it for emphasis with the slight waving of her hand.

"Who knows when you're gonna get the chance again to let loose." okay, maybe she was being a bit mean, but by this time, in her mind, he was looking for someone to spend the night with. Probablly thinking of that Zeltron ex girlfriend of his. Bet she did all kinds of fun things.

Annoyance bloomed over her face at that, as it was affecting her, and she straightened, if giving a bit of a sway.

"I need some fresh air, feel free to linger," she told him, pushing her hair away from her flushed face.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

Trextan couldn't read her mind, but something about her mannerisms after a few drinks brought back a few too many memories. Perhaps it was the beer stripping away a few barriers or maybe being thrown off kilter by his own miss steps but he couldn't help but think about how he still wanted her.

Then she gestured with her food and spoke in a different tone. It drew him sharply back from such thoughts. Instead an awkward feeling twisted in his gut.

She straightened up and he opened and closed his mouth. Trextan perhaps should have stayed silent, but he stood up.

"I don't want to find someone else to dance with!" he replied. He placed a hand on the table. He might have spent more time laid back that Choli and he was significantly heavier, but he still didn't drink this quickly very often.

"I wanted to spend time with you," he declared.

 

[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 was halfway through taking off her hairtie and weaving her finger through her thick hair to try to retie the mass into a ponytail when she heard Trextan drawl out:

"I don't want to find someone else to dance with! I wanted to spend time with you," he declared.

Her arms froze, half up and into her hair, hairtie hanging from between her teeth. The pose did nothing but bring attention to the slight curves that the blouse she wore did nothing but emphasize. She'd moved on from only wearing jumpsuits and it showed. And when those multi colored slanted eyes panned to latch upon the Warden as he straightened, the way the dim lights cast shadows over her oval face didn't help either.

Older. More woman. Less girl.

What was the same and what was not?

Either way, Choli wasn't sure how to answer, save a, "Well, you can come with or stay. It's too hot in here."

She took the hair tie and then finished tying up her hair in a topknot, allowing her flushed face and neck some reprieve from the thick mass.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Choli have her hair halfway drawn up made it worse. It made him think of the times she had asked him to take a firm grip of it. Trextan didn't help matters himself. As she looked at him he very obviously glanced down and back up. She wouldn't have missed that.

"Let's go," Trextan gave a nod.

The walk out of the venue felt a little hazy. The loud music and the warmth combined with his confusion and slight inhebriation made it feel like a long walk. They stepped outside into the cool air. The red sun had dipped below the horizon, but everything still looked like he was viewing it through a filter.

He reached for Choli's shoulder on impulse, his heart hammering away.

"Choli I..."

He was standing so close to her. Trextan had changed too. The line of his jaw was sharper, his real shoulder now looked more balanced against the artificial arm as he had bulked out.

She was so close.

 

[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

The door shut behind them, muting the muffled thrum of the band until it was nothing but the low hum of the market night. Cool air rolled over Choli’s flushed skin, but it didn’t do much to cool the heat that had been simmering since he’d brought up the Zeltron. Likely that perfect, uninhibited everything she wasn’t -- and never had been.

Three beers in, the light floaty buzz in her head wasn’t helping her keep a leash on her thoughts. Or her mouth.

She took a slow breath, trying to will away the haze. Then his hand was on her shoulder, and her pulse tripped over itself.

Blast it.

Her head swung around, swinging golden eyes dripped with annoyance to level at him, only to catch her breath, then curse.

Trextan was standing closer than he had any right to, the faint scent of sweat and beer and something distinctly him cutting through the evening air. It brought to mind again how he’d changed, filled out with a broadness that his clothes couldn't hide. It aggrevated her. That that familiar spark still coiled in her gut just like it used to, injecting tones of heated dark blue into her eyes that edged on indigo.

But she fixed her gaze on him, stubbornly holding it, even though she’d seen where his eyes had gone a moment ago. She wasn’t going to pretend she hadn’t noticed. She never did.

“What?” she said, voice low and a little rough, her weight shifting just slightly forward, enough that her shoulder brushed his chest.

“You, what?” The words came out with that old, unfiltered bluntness, like she’d reached for the throttle without thinking.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

TREXTAN

The cool air brushed over his skin, carrying the scents of market food and the faint tang of engine grease from somewhere down the alley. He could smell a touch of alcohol, people had been forced to empty their drinks before they could come into the venue.

He met her gaze. The flush in her cheeks and the way her eyes shifted colour still tugged at him even after all this time. It was as familiar as it was confusing. He could feel himself leaning into towards her more than he should. He'd seen her eyes that colour when they'd been close, awkwardly moving with one another. There would be nothing awkward if he could hold her again.

Her shoulders rose and fell with a slow breath, as if she was trying to burn something off. He wasn’t sure what. Maybe the dancing comment. Maybe him.

His hand moved before he thought about it. His left hand stayed on her shoulder, his right hand grasped her tunic and drew her closer to face him.

She smelled faintly of beer and something sharper, something distinctly her. And stars, she was close. Closer than he deserved to have her.

Trextan felt a hundred replies crowd his throat, most of them safer than what he was about to choose. But he didn't want safe right now. He stepped in, closing the gap until the warmth of her body reached him in the cool night air.

She had a stronger will than him. She always had. He released his grip upon her. Choli would shove him aside if she wanted to.

"You," he said, voice low enough that it was just for her. "You've been in my head since we met and I can't get you out."

He was confused and drunk. He'd hurt her and they didn't have solid ground to stand upon together. That didn't change the strength of what he felt as he looked down at her.

He let it hang there, close enough that he could see the shift in her eyes . He had released her. He wouldn't try to pull her in. He just let the heat between them tighten, waiting to see if she'd bridge the last inch.