made waves with some friends I know

[fightlikehell]

 

The season is a'changing, the weather is warmer. The forecast calls for high temperature, low humidity and a light breeze. A near perfect day. What better reason to gather the friends and have a good time with a bonfire? Grab a beer, have a seat. Cheery tunes fill the salty air. There's plenty of room and so much to eat.

Matt Murdock is actually dressed for the beach. Still likely more than usual. He burns so easily. There's no way he could have done this alone. Anyone who is anyone in Nexus knows that there is that distinct Verity Willis touch on everything. If the sounds and the sights don't get you, it is going to be whatever Clint has on the grill. That man is magic.

[ooc; Come on in, guys and gals! Hop threads, twist time for sooner, later and all things in between. It's a real party. Don't be shy!]

Comments

Anyone wants to talk to the Smuggler is welcome, despite the theme of the starter tag ...

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's been a number of years since Han Solo has been to a beach.

As a boy, he had never gotten the opportunity to appreciate one for what it was, or if he had, it would have been before he was old enough form the memory of it. There certainly was never time for lounging by the water when he was under Captain Shrike's thumb. He does remember Bria teaching him how to passably swim on Togoria, though; on Corellia he has moments preserved of slow dancing to the sound of the waves crashing against the sand and he, in turn, showing her how to use a blaster.

Some of their most beautiful memories together happened on shore of some kind, it seemed. Sometimes he wishes he could just get one more message to her. When they last parted he was so angry - in all his life he doesn't know if there was a moment he ever felt such contempt for somebody. Less than a year later, though, she died and somebody he once loved so much ... her last memory of him was so vicious and cold. He would tell her that he was sorry, if he could. He would tell her that he loved her. He would say a proper goodbye and not one born out of anger. If only ...

But the brighter the star, the sooner it burns out, doesn't it? How's that for cold and vicious. He shakes all of those thoughts out of his head because they're likely to swallow him up like an angry tide, if he lets them.

Han walks close enough to the party to make out many of the faces in the firelight. He can see they've been going like this for hours because some of them who didn't carefully apply sunblock have the red of sunburn on their faces. The person he's looking for is there among the group, but he can't bring himself to join the gathering.

The Corellian, since he has spent most of his day in temperature controlled areas, is dressed typically for him. He turns and starts walking down the beach. Han's eyes are looking to the stars.

[brave_heart_verity]

Does Han hear her approaching? Sand muffles so much of the sound of moving feet, and the susurration of the waves masks so much more. It's not that she expects him to turn around if he hears her coming. This is, in fact, pretty much exactly how she's expected him to behave.

But still.

"Hey... the point of coming to a party is to join the party, silly." Ver's lost her hat at some point, and the sunglasses have been swapped out for her normal ones now that the sun's gone down. Nothing can dim her smile or her general good cheer--things must be going well if she's this happy!

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's not as if Captain Solo is an expert at not being snuck up on. If she's reasonably trying to hide the sound of her footfalls among the ambient noises of the beach, then he won't notice the sneaking - besides him feeling a bit distracted by this thoughts.

"Maybe the party isn't why I came." He says with a shrug. "Maybe I changed my mind."

He doesn't have to justify why he approached and then walked away, does he? Though he does notice the happy and that makes him hold off from saying anything else. He can't remember her seeming this happy before, as a matter of fact.

[brave_heart_verity]

She's not trying, nor is she really thinking about it one way or the other.

Have to? No, he doesn't have to do anything. If he wants to maintain cordial relationships with people he's walking away from, it would help. But then again--what could he possibly say that wouldn't make things worse? It's good of him to stop there. He's said enough. "Well. There's plenty of food left if you change your mind again. Clint's just finishing a round of burgers."

Ver looks down at her hands and holds out the bottle of beer she brought him. It's good beer, the craft stuff Matt likes. She'd like to think Han will like it, but he's so random in his tastes that she really can't guess either way. "Don't go away empty-handed, at least?"

Looks like you finally wore her down, Han. Good job.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Wow. All it took was two sentences to knock her down from that happy place, huh? It wasn't his aim to do that, truthfully, but the scene set between them seemed like someone was bound to get disappointed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't come to upset you." He says, stopping when he gets to a point that seems sufficiently far away from the bonfires for his liking, but close enough to the water that he'll be able to sink his feet into the wet sand when he takes off his boots.

He reaches out to accept the olive branch, though. "Thanks."

[brave_heart_verity]

Nope. She's not really upset with him. Chiefly because she's stopped hoping he'll be someone other than who he is. It's still awkward, but not painful. That's how you know something's really over, right? When you're indifferent?

"I know. People very rarely intend to upset anyone." She shrugs it off before turning halfway back to the party. "Have fun doing whatever it is you came here to do. I'm going to go dance."

He can stay or he can go. She's not chasing him anymore. They'll see each other when he's feeling better, if he wants.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

He's a big ball of prickliness most of the time. Apart from Chewie, who must have the patience of a saint, his interactions have been predominantly with criminals - many of whom are just cruel and sociopathic. That he has any idea how to talk to navigate through a conversation with a decent person is downright amazing, though, one could surmise that it's taken its toll.

His biggest problem is that he's not working on his issues. Some of them, he can't fix here in the Nexus, but most of them, he's just resolute not to.

Anyway, yes, his behavior has been pretty consistent with her since he came to the realization that they should be friends and he doesn't know how to have them. She keeps waiting for him to fall out of that pattern behavior and he's not. Formerly a problem of irresistible force versus the immovable object, but it seems as if his hard-headedness has warn her down.

Han begins taking off his boots and socks. Not really the action of someone interested in going over to a party. Neither is sitting down in the sand. "Have fun dancing, sweetheart."

[brave_heart_verity]

Frankly, it's a miracle she lasted as long as she did. Her own issues are myriad, and the work she's doing to try and resolve some of them is emotionally exhausting. There's a point at which she has to prioritize taking care of herself.

"That's the point of dancing, sweetheart. You should try it some time." The smile's already back in her voice, even if he can't see it.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

How could he ever dream of faulting a person for looking out for number one. That is the only thing that makes any sense to him in the great wide multiverse.

"Is it?" He says. Whether she's walking away from him or not the thought is worth mulling over. More often, dancing for him had been part of a job. "Nobody mentioned before."

The fact that she's smiling as she turns away says something, doesn't it? Leave it to Han to decide he doesn't care to think of what it is. He twists off the bottle cap and takes the first sip of this beer.

actual emo han solo?

[fightlikehell]

Someone new? Matt turns his head at footsteps in the sand. There's beer left. There's food left. And as far as he and everyone else is concerned still time to join and keep going. He's got a coconut fruit cup that he's working on emptying.

"Fashionable attendance or passing through?"

Where do you think his kid's get it from? My Han has always skewed toward the books/comics. Sry.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Got a little lost." He says with a smile on his face and an apparently carefree attitude in his voice. Han's a good liar when he needs to be, but he's probably not going to fool the devil of Hell's Kitchen.

"Needed directions."

i was ready to blame galactic mcr

[fightlikehell]

Yeah. That's a lie there, bud. Matt's eyebrows lift over his bright red stunner shades. He takes a bite of pineapple. "Yeah? Well, not a problem. Party is still rolling. Glad you got the directions you needed."

More likely Black Sabbath.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Thanks."

He says with a nod and then ... he thinks about the fact that maybe a nod is not the best way to go with a blind guy.

"These are your friends, huh?"

Sabbath in Spaaaaaace

[fightlikehell]

He'll never ask anyone to stop speaking or doing as they do. Besides, it's easier than explaining he can hear the bones and muscles in the neck move and the slight change in the air indicating movement.

"Yes. For the most part. I'm Matt Murdock." Because it's apparent they haven't met.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"They seem like good people." In fact, some he knows for a fact are good. "Helpful to us lost and wondering around types.'

"Han Solo."

[fightlikehell]

"You must know at least one or two to be here right now." Matt tilts his head to the fire pit. The heat tells him where it is.

Han...? Okay. He grins a little and extends his hand.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han shrugs and then, remembers blind. Should he bother telling this guy whom he doesn't know who he is and isn't friends with? It's a bad idea where he's from, but the Nexus is such a different kind of place.

"I might know one or two." He confirms.

Also, now that he's thinking about things, this guy seems pretty well balanced for a blind guy walking around on sand without any help. The blind people he's encountered would have had a much harder time.

Though it seems time for a handshake now. Matt above any other person who has ever shaken his hand before will learn a lot about him in the act.

He has callouses on his hand that should belong to a much older man than the twenty-five year old Matt's talking to. The bones in his hands had been broken once before and not reset by a professional, nor surgically repaired. If his fingers have curled around his hand enough to feel the bottom knuckle, he'll notice it has scar tissue. His hand has a faint amount of sweat, but that's due to temperature and not nerves. His pulse confirms as much. So do his breaths.

In turn, the smile is not missed by the Millenium Falcon's captain, but since he's never heard of a Matt Murdock before, he can only assume it's another guy from earth who recognizes him. Wouldn't be the first. Won't be the last.

Cure for grumpiness: incoming!

[maydayqueen]

Frea had been in one of the tangles of people around the bonfire when Han wandered by. It's been a long and glorious day for her, and curling up in the warmth of firelight and friendship was just too good an opportunity to pass up. Plus, Lucky's there, and she's just so fond of that dog.

It takes her a few minutes to realize Han isn't joining the group. She'd been wondering if he would come, hoping he would, and now... now he's walking away. That's not right. And it's not okay with her.

It takes a few more minutes for her to catch up to him. She's got a towel wrapped around her waist like a skirt, and a shawl over the thin tunic over her bikini, but it's still cold in the sea breeze away from the fire. He's worth the trouble. "Hey. Where're you going? The fun's back here."

Such a good goddess-person she is.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

No doubt that in the company of people enjoying life, bountiful food and the beauty of nature, Frea would be enjoying herself. It is surely part of her domain and her presence, a pleasure for all the people there. It's not as if Han really needed to come to the beach to verify she was there. He just knew.

He has to ask himself if he even remembers how to sit in a group without judging them all. If he could be among people and smile, even as some part of his brain was trying to identify who came with valuables and how difficult it would be to steal from said person. This isn't his scene. He belongs in a dive somewhere with other people like him.

That, among other things, is what's on his mind when he turns away.

Han is not cold when she catches up to him. In fact, with his toes buried in the damp sand and nursing that beer Verity had brought to him, he's considering losing a layer. He's actually warmer than he expected to be given the time of night.

"Hey." He says back and he's mentally preparing his excuse for why he turned away when he noticed how bundled up she is. It's like everything he was going to say all falls away with the observation. He starts picking himself up off the ground. "You're cold."

Just doin' her job, sir. ;)

[maydayqueen]

He belongs wherever he wants to be. He's a scoundrel and a rogue, how does he not understand that? Moreover, as far as she's concerned, he belongs wherever she is. She sees the best in him.

When she gets closer he'll see at least some of the reason she's cold: her hair's still wet from the last time she went swimming, and one can imagine other things are too. But her smile is still warm when she holds out a hand to help him up. "A little, yeah. I'll be okay. What're you doing over here?"

If he takes her hand, he's not getting his back easy. Even if he doesn't, she'll be moving closer still once he's on his feet. "You could come sit with us, we're telling stories. Or we could get a volleyball game going." She pauses, letting her gaze drop from his face to take in the rest of him. "Pity you didn't dress for swimming."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

He doesn't need her hand, but maybe that's why it's important that he reaches for it all the same. There's not a lot of things that she would ask of him that he wouldn't indulge her on. Not a lot of places he wouldn't go if she was leading him. While she wants him at her side, it seems likely that he'll be close to it.

"Didn't feel right going over there." He says at her question. That's what it all boiled down to. That's the reason that keeps anyone away from anything, probably. In his case, internal causes and external causes that make him feel that way. Me may explain somewhat upon provocation, but per usual, Han is not all that forthcoming with the details.

Stories he could take or leave. "We don't have whatever volleyball is." Or if they do, he doesn't recognize an analogous game to what he has just by the name.

The looking down over him? It doesn't initially dawn on him it's one of those kind of gazes based upon just the looking. It's only when she mentions the lack of a swimsuit that makes him realize that perhaps it was. "Darling ..." He begins with slight raise of his eyebrows and a smug smile. "I wouldn't let the lack of a suit stop me if we wanted to swim."

[maydayqueen]

Who said anything about 'need'? With them, it's all about wants. She wants him to know she'll help him when and how she can. And she wants to hold his hand. If he wants to indulge her, all the better. Her fingers curl gently around his hand, intending to keep it a while.

"No?" She can do the curious head tilt as well as any puppy, and is probably just as cute. Some of her hair is stuck to her cheek and doesn't shift with the rest when she moves. "Is something wrong?"

It can't be just that he doesn't know how to play volleyball--he can learn that, and he'd be good at it--and she doesn't think he's so shy he'd be intimidated by the strangers when he knows someone there. Poor, ignorant girl has no idea how little she'd like the truth.

"No? Good." Frea's smile grows fuller, more hopeful then. Sounds like he's not dead set on running away. "I'll hold you to that."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Is something wrong? Yes. There is.

"I had an awkward run-in with one of the hosts. And the beach reminds me of a ... dead person." Sure, there's plenty to expand upon for both of those details, but that's the gist of it. "There's just a lot going on in my head."

And he feels vulnerable because of it. Please, don't make him admit to that part out loud.

Amid all of that, the idea of skinny dipping with spring royalty is enough to drive a lot of that to the back of his mind. "I expect you to." Does he care about getting naked on the beach in front of all these people? No. Not really. Hell, there's at least one person at the party who has seen his equipment already.

[maydayqueen]

"Oh. I'm sorry." The distance between them is closed with a step and a hug, one arm wrapping around him before she reclaims her hand to finish the gesture. Her shawl falls off when she does this, but she doesn't seem to mind much. He'll keep her warm. He never has to admit anything he doesn't want to. Not to her. She'll take what he offers and if he's going to keep so much of himself closed off from her, well, she'll find friends to trust and who trust her elsewhere. She doesn't have time to be picky.

And it's not like it isn't working so far. "I'm glad you know I'm a woman of my word." Two, maybe three, but that doesn't mean everyone else wants to see it. He's handsome, but not to everyone's tastes.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Yeah, see that's the part Han doesn't understand. How he's not everyone's taste.

If he were to get naked on the beach - hypothetically - it would be at the shore a couple of hundred yards away from the fire. Thereby making it the kind of situation that most people wouldn't reasonably get to see much of anything unless they were trying. Anyone that determined to catch a glimpse, at that point, can get quick look. He doesn't care all that much.

She's got kindness in her touch, besides just straight magic. More than enough to comfort this smuggler. "It's all in the past I suppose." He says, after a moment of just holding and being held by her in turn.

It feels like she lost a layer. They should probably pick that up before it blows away or gets all wet or ... uh. Is that sheer? And now you've got a space pirate that's eyeing you like a pile of unattended credits, Frea. "That looks nice." Finally, he stops eye groping her enough to bend down and pick up her shawl for her.