Chatter with the scruffy one?

[twelve_not_fourteen]

The Nexus' resident scoundrel is never particularly happy when things are stagnant. Han's been hustling in some capacity, since he was old enough to walk and talk, so it's not as if he's used to having copious amounts of 'spare time'. He's not sure he would describe his existence in the Nexus as that, but it was far more like it than what he was used to.  And in general a life on terra firma, all the time, isn't to his taste.

There's been good in his time.  He wouldn't try to deny as much.  But there's also been bad and even some ugly.

Somehow, he manages to endure.  Even when the odds where against him to do just that, there were friends to help him along.  

What has become clear is that trying to assemble a lot of money at once and by his supplies en mass hasn't been going all that well.  Rather than continuing the same approach again that didn't work before, it seemed like the better course to try something else for a while.  Damn if he knew what it was that he should do, though.  Perhaps study up on the local machinery and put his steady hands to work fixing things in exchange for a wage.  Kryff.  Maybe he should go back to stealing.

For now, those are the thoughts that tend to shuffle through his head - man, I've been here for a 'long time' and how am I gonna ever get the money I need to fix this ship.  Occasionally they're broken up with the stray thoughts of an attraction that seemed pretty unlikely at first.  Those thoughts make him smile when he has them, despite his nature ...

The body of Han Solo is much more defined than the mind.  It can be seen sitting on the lowered ramp of a YT-1300.  He is nursing a pale ale from a glass bottle and watching the sunset disappear behind buildings in the forum.  

If you should find yourself drawn to him for a conversation he'll ask you this, "do you think you'll ever have it all figured out?  Is it possible to have all of you 'ducks in a row' as the saying goes?"  Then he'll flash a lopsided grin, and shake his head.  "Forget all of that.  How bout a beer instead?"

Comments

If he ever had any. His was not a childhood that made pets likely.

[brave_heart_verity]

She'll take her share of the blame, but she doesn't really see why any has to be assigned. Things didn't work the way they wanted. It happens. Better to move on and make what they can of what they have, in her opinion.

"I think, if that were the case, you'd be the rebel by settling down," she teases. "You'd have whole planets to yourself." And he still probably wouldn't be happy. Sometimes, she wonders if he's just determined to be miserable.

Not really. If you count his son and granddaughters animals as 'family pets' then yes, later.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"That statement says all kinds of things about what you think about me."

He could spend half an hour thinking about the possible interpretations of what that was supposed to mean and still might not even get exactly what she meant by it. He takes another swig of his drink and then sets it down to resume petting the little fuzzy between them. Can't let the little one get restless, after all. He doesn't feel all that keen about chasing after her.

"Or maybe that was a challenge." His non-conformist tendencies do make him susceptible to reverse psychology. "I might try if I had the right reason."

No, and no, and boy does that explain a lot about Ben. :P

[brave_heart_verity]

He could spend the rest of the day trying to puzzle it out, thinking himself in circles, trying to decide if she's as clever and as mean as would be required for one interpretation or if she's as absent-minded and sweet as needed for another... it could be endless. Or he could ask her.

Nah. Better to pet the pup before she runs inside the ship to explore.

"Yes," she agrees with a smirk. "I do think all kinds of things about you, after all. Just be happy most of them are nice."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

There comes a point where you have to ask yourself if you really want to know the answers to those kinds of questions. He doesn't think her comment came from a cruel place and her follow up comment seems to confirm as much. She is here of her own volition, spending time with him, when she could have easily collected her dog and left. That paints enough of a picture for him.

"Verity, there was no doubt in my mind that you think about me." He says with self satisfied smile. "Everybody does."

[brave_heart_verity]

Bobbi doesn't bother with such deep philosophical questions. She knows her value. And when she's getting pettings who could doubt that she's a good dog?

Ver laughs at that and gives a shrug. "What can I say? I've never nursed anyone back to life before. They say you never forget your first. I guess we're stuck with each other."

There are worse ways to be, she's almost sure. Worse things than her friendship.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

If only Han knew how to be good. Maybe everyone would be happy to see him and lavish affection upon him too. Though, perhaps he's more of a cat because he likes for everything to be on his terms and he tends to react poorly when they aren't. There's no denying the little pup's goodness. Apart from the inital running away from Verity to meet the stranger, she's been a model of good behavior.

Coming into her apartment bloody and knocking on deaths door is a good way to make a lasting impression, that's for sure. Not generally his preferred way to do it, but hey, whatever works. When he's gone she'll remember him. That's significant for someone like him ...

"You like me enough not to let me die in your place." He says as the smirk begins to fade. "I'll try to make a habit on not bleeding on you and your things in the future."

[brave_heart_verity]

No, even if he were the best person to ever live, some people wouldn't be happy to see him. Some people are just jerks. But he has people who care about him, who want to be his friends, and that's a gift. Maybe he should be more careful about looking in the horse's mouth.

Bobbi learned young that good things come to those who are adorable.

"Hey." Her tone is gentle, as are her gaze and her hand on his shoulder. "I don't love the sight of you bleeding, but I'd rather a little more blood on my floor than a lot less of you around. I'll never turn you away."

Since her sense of permanence is shot to hell (and whose wouldn't be after their world got torn apart three times in a year?), it takes a lot for her to make that kind of promise. But she means it. She lets it hang between them long enough for him to have a chance to realize how serious she is before she withdraws her hand and looks away again.

"You know, if you need work, my boss knows a lot of people..."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Some people are just jerks. Han is arguably one of those some people. At least some of the time, anyway.

It says a lot about how decent of a person Verity is that she wouldn't let him bleed out in her apartment. Though, he thinks that maybe she's the kind of person who wouldn't let anybody bleed out in front of her if she could do something about it.

(On the other hand, if he's being a little more thoughtful he'd realize that she probably wouldn't nurse the shit out of a stranger for three, four or however many days it was before he got better. Stabilize them and get them to a hospital, sure, but not let them lay out in her bed.)

Her touch is simply a touch. It doesn't feel like the kind of thing he needs to pull away from anymore, but it doesn't inspire the want for more like it did before either. It's a kind of progress. He thinks. Being around her still is puzzling to him. She doesn't fit neatly in one of his well-defined categories for people. The nerve of her.

It does remind him of something he wanted to tell her before, but that get's derailed when she mentions her boss.

"Yeah? Who is he? What's he like?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Yeah, she's a real nervy broad, wanting to be whatever the hell she is instead of some neatly defined stereotype. He's got lousy taste.

(No, she wouldn't let just anyone stay for so long, and she wouldn't make that much of an effort for a stranger. Or even half the people she knows by name. It's all part and parcel of her maddening non-romantic affection for the jerk.)

"Schon's nice. Sometimes. He's an excellent businessman, and he pays well if you do a good job." Ver pauses, looking down at Bobbi as if the pup has something important to contribute to the conversation. She does, of course: continuing cuteness and a wiggly nature. "And your reputation would probably be a bonus, with him."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"That guy is your boss?"

Han hadn't connected the the man he'd played cards with a few weeks ago (and subsequently became endebted to) as the man who employed her. In fact, she is the second person to mention that he was trustworthy enough, but he didn't feel that way being around him. Matter of fact the whole time he'd been around him, he'd felt on edge.

"The one with the cane and the fancy attitude. He's trouble." The Captain insists. So much trouble that the thought of owing him something makes him reach for his beer. "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

[brave_heart_verity]

His reaction really doesn't surprise her. She takes it in stride and answers with a little shrug. There's enough self-awareness to know her relationship with Schon is complicated and unique; she's seen more of his good side and his bad than most people ever will. Funny how that keeps happening...

"Never said he was trustworthy," she points out, "but he keeps his word. What'd he do to you?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"I owe him a favor." Han says as if that alone is all the context that she needs. And who knows, maybe it is. She does know him far better than he does, after all. Though he'll come to add, "and he got information out of me that I shouldn't have offered up so freely."

It was the booze. Probably. Excuse Han while he uses you for some therapy petting, Bobbi.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Ah." It's a small sound, but packed full of understanding and empathy. Yeah, she knows what being in Schon's debt feels like. Boy, does she. He is a frightening man, and a strange one, but he's wonderful and sometimes kind and she's come to love him in a way. Still, she knows what he is--to a point--and knows why people aren't always happy to have met him.

Bobbi doesn't mind the reason for the pets so long as there are pets. How does she still have so much energy for tail-wagging?

"He's still a good employer, if you change your mind. There are probably plenty of other people around looking to hire security or whatever."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"I'll think it over."

Really, that's the best answer he can offer in terms of Schon - that he'll leave a little bit of room for doubt in the profile he's constructed of the man because Verity trusts him (or trusts him, somewhat, anyway). He still doesn't like owing people. Even if it is a familiar position that he tends to be in.

And the guy tends to rub that 'bad feeling' sense Han has raw when he's around.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Okay." She won't push or bring it up again. It was an idea in which she has very little invested. And, yeah, she knows. She remembers how little she trusted anyone when she first came here--especially Clint.

Bobbi would like to rub some other things. Like her face against Han's hand. She is an affectionate little pup and he's in need of affection. That must be why she came running over! Yes. She's a good dog.

"Maybe you should take up a hobby while you're here. Learn something new."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

She ...

might be right. Even if he found a job that he loved, that would get him all the money he needed in a hurry, he would still not necessarily want to fix his ship up and leave right now. A thought that brings with a pang of guilt when he considers that Chewie is probably worried about him.

"Wouldn't be the worst idea." He admits. "I do like what I do, but I can't say I've had a lot of chances to pursue something because I just want to." The closest thing he has to that is his sabacc playing, probably.

Han is quiet for a couple of moments. Most of that time spent rewarding Bobbi for being a sweetly empathic pup. She seems like a wise investment of Verity's time and affection.

Speaking of that ...

"That guy you're with." Han says. "If he ever treats you bad, beyond the usual spats that come from just being together, he deals with me."

[brave_heart_verity]

More often than he likes to admit. She'll take the victory.

"It can be nice, in a way. The suddenly free time." But her tone suggests she understands too well why it'll be bittersweet for him. He's got someone waiting for him back home. She can imagine how alluring that would be.

Bobbi is a great investment of affection from everybody. She might be tiny, but she's got a lot of wiggles to give. Ver would love to ignore this new conversational turn in favor of adorable puppy shenanigans. Han might enjoy the show, the way her expression shifts from panic to relief to guilt. She'd halfway figured he'd noticed, but... she'd kinda been hoping they wouldn't have to have this conversation.

She never said she's not a coward.

It's hard to not immediately leap to Matt's defense, and he'll see that in her expression too, but she fights down the impulse. Matt doesn't need her defending him right now, and Han doesn't need that either. "That's generous of you," she whispers. It's almost a 'thank you'. "I should have told you. When I realized it was more than flirting I didn't want to hurt you more right away, and then you got shot, and then... I didn't know how to bring it up."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Anybody who takes the conflicting point of view to his will rarely get a 'you're right' concession from him. That means he has to admit he's wrong. On the other hand, he's not really the sort who will rub anyone's nose in it when he's right, either. Smug smile, yes, but he's always smiling that way anyhow ...

In terms of her new man, it didn't have to be a conversation. He doesn't really seem to have a response to the details that she just shared with him. There's nothing really new to say aloud on that front, at least not that he can think of. But swallowing her tongue there, even if she does want to defend her dashing blind lawyer guy, is a good play there. How could letting him think he was looking out for her somehow be a misstep with the Corellian? (It isn't.)

If he's being perfectly honest, there's something about Matt he just doesn't like. Beyond the fact that he got the girl, that is. Oh he seems nice enough on the surface, but there's something about him that doesn't line up. He'll not come out and say that he thinks that guy she's so obviously taken with is deceitful, but certainly it casts a forboding shade.

It also hadn't occurded to him that he might be perfectly honest with her and just being sideways around strangers. That tends to happen virtually never.

"It doesn't matter." He says with a shrug. "You just don't like me that way."

His conceitedness and his issues aren't her problem. 'I'm taken' would have been easier for him to swallow, sure, but it's not her job to coddle him when he's feeling vulnerable. That he recognizes them is something in the way of progress.

[brave_heart_verity]

Maybe it did need to be a conversation. They're too good at never talking about things, and look where that got them?

Verity already knew about Matt's extracurriculars when they met, which helped; otherwise, the levels of deceit would have kept them apart. If she knew that was Han's objection, she'd laugh and shake her head and admit that yeah, his secrets would bother her more if she didn't know what they are. Not that knowing them has protected her from being hurt by them... but life isn't perfect, is it?

"I'm sorry." That much is entirely genuine. His issues aren't entirely her problem, but neither is any future issues she has with Matt his problem. They take on each other's problems because they're friends. Sorry, Han: sauce for the goose is good for the gander. Maybe someday he can learn to appreciate the kind of love she has to offer him. "I am really bad at this stuff and I wish I had known a way to not hurt you."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Maybe. Maybe not. Time will tell, but it's hard to imagine him offering a lot of himself. His default is to be guarded. Even among friends.

"It was a good reminder."

He means for him, of course, but if it helped her to be reminded of something, then all the better. Han finishes off his beer. He spends much of the next few moments, not thinking about heartache or cynical lessons to be learned from it, but contemplating if he wants to have another drink.

[brave_heart_verity]

She's trying not to ask for much. Definitions of 'much' may vary.

"I guess." It's hard for her to not default back to her curled in on herself defensive posture. It's not like she expected to be forgiven, but... a little part of her was hoping. Hope is dangerous. She needs to stop doing that.

"We should get going. Ironically, Bobbi and I were on our way to a 'Puppy and Me' training class." It's obviously going super-well. "I thought letting her work off some energy first might help."

Bobbi's ears perk up when she hears her name. She doesn't know what's going on, but people are talking about her, yay!

"You know you can always come to me if you need something, right?" It's not a peace offering, it's an attempt to reassure them both they're still friends.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han is so rarely asked for his clemency that he didn't even realize Verity was seeking it. Pretty much all the frustration he has left over what transpired between them is for himself. He simply wouldn't have said and done the things he did if he'd have known things were going to play out the way they had.

And if he didn't have the tendency to catch feelings with all the sound and fury of a blaster bolt, everything would have been alright. Pertciularly that night of stargazing. That would have never happened.

"Don't let me keep you." He says, not bitter, just matter of fact. And he will collect that beer that his pink haired companion hardly touched because he presumes it's not going with her. It's become his next drink. "I wouldn't dream of getting between a puppy and her training."

At the verification of their friendship, there's no hesitation there. "The same goes for you, Ver." She'll only be disappointed if she expects the same closeness there was before. "I'll see you around, I'm sure."

[brave_heart_verity]

Obviously, in hindsight, they both would have made very different choices. They did the best they could at the time, and one of these days they should try to forgive themselves for that.

"Thank you." She'll hand the drink over without complaint. There's enough bitterness in her life to make her not want to seek out more. Once her hands are free she scoops Bobbi up, holding the pup's back against her so Bobbi can still see Han. "Say goodbye, Bobbi."

Bobbi doesn't really know what that means, but now Han's face miiiiight be within reach. Does he want kisses? He's gonna get kisses if he doesn't get away from her squirming seeking self.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Let it be known that Han has never really owned a dog before and isn't privy to all their mannerisms.

As Bobbi gets close he figured he's in for more sniffing, because his face probably smells different than his hands to a dog, right? Surely the little fluff is only gonna ... oh. Yeah. There's the tongue, all over his nose and his closed mouth. Han's eyes snap shut while he's subjected to the onslaught and cue the internal sigh from the pilot.

Thanks for that, puppy. Now he knows to be on guard for that in the future.

"Well ... it's not the worst kiss I've ever gotten, actually."

[brave_heart_verity]

Bobbi is nothing is not helpful.

And Verity's giggling, so, not much chance of a lot of help from that corner. "No? Careful not to damn her with faint praise." Not that she was expecting him to exactly like the experience, because he's him and he seems determined to enjoy as little as possible.

"C'mon, Bobbi, time to go." Bobbi can't get far while Verity's carrying her, which she's going to do until they're out of range of Han having to suffer through more kisses, but Verity had been hoping it might get the pup to calm down enough to stop trying for more. She's a squirmy armful of determination. "Bye, Han. Take care of yourself."