Take Me Out (D5, EE)

[Cefey Raneth]

"I can understand that sentiment," she smiled easily. It seemed to be something that came naturally to her. "The feeling of being able to do something else than what you used to do. For me, I like... creativity." There was almost a contemplative air to the way she spoke and how she held her glass.

"Now I get to get my hands dirty, helping with keeping the ship in good condition, tuning and upgrading the weapons of my crew. Maybe I'll try building something someday," Fey mused with good humor. "I haven't been able to do other creative things besides that lately though. So I'm looking forward to this Open Mic-night."

[Cal Arcton]

"Creativity, huh?" Cal eyed the twi'lek thoughtfully for a few moments. "Interesting. Well, you've obviously got a good eye for what looks good. Saw that with Lena, for one." He chuckled. "But it almost sounds to me like you're looking for something else besides just dressing up your friends, if you don't mind me saying so." Maybe she should take up painting. Who knew?

"Building something. Okay, now we're getting somewhere." Cal sat up a little, then winced, sinking back down. "Okay, yeah, bourbon's no substitute for bacta." He grimaced. "So what are you gonna build?"

He smirked. "And you're gonna perform something for us too, huh? Seems as though miss Fey has many layers. Well, ain't that interesting."

[Cefey Raneth]

"Take it easy, cowboy. You did get shot up pretty badly," Fey chuckled as she saw him wince and sink back down. "As for what I'll build...? I don't know. Maybe I'll know some day, but right now I don't." She offered a sheepish smile in apology, "there's still a whole lot I'm trying to figure out."

Placing the glass down on the table, the twi'lek stretched out lazily. Even she could feel the bruises from the fight earlier, even if hers was only from the near-crash experience. Thankfully the foam made it so that she wouldn't have any marks or injuries.

"I think I'll play a song maybe."

[Cal Arcton]

"Huh." Cal said, smirking gently as he studied her with narrowed eyes. "You know, all of I sudden, I can see you on the hood of a speeder that you built with your own two hands." Actually, come to think of it, he'd had at least one calendar with a page that looked pretty much like that. He cleared his throat.

As Fey stretched out, Cal's eyes followed the motions, watching her relax. The smile he gave her was kindly.

"Oh yeah? Play something, huh? Layers and layers." He smirked. "What do you play?"

[Cefey Raneth]

At that idea, she did grin widely. "Building my own speeder, or racer could be fun... but on the hood and not at the wheel? Tsk, monsieur, are you having inappropriate thoughts?" her head cocked to the side as she regarded him with an alluringly amused expression.

"... You don't have to answer that," Fey said after a few awkward seconds. "Really. As for what I play... the piano. Some passing skill with a guitar, but the piano mostly."

[Cal Arcton]

"Uh..." Cal found himself blushing just a little. "I'd say that depends on exactly what a person means by inappropriate. Seemed appropriate enough to me." Mechanics sometimes worked in gold bikinis, right?

He gave her a smile. "Look, you know you're gorgeous. I hope you'll forgive me if my mind wanders, just a bit, from time to time." He smirked. "If it helps, you did a real nice job on the speeder, too."

"Yeah?" His eyebrows went up. "As it happens, I play the guitar, myself. Easier to take around than a piano."

[Cefey Raneth]

"Heh, it's alright. I'm used to it," she chuckled and waved it off. "Fantasies are your own. People can't tell you what to think - that's what the Empire tried to do."

And it was often to her advantage too that men's minds were so easily distracted by such fantasies.

"Mm, quite true. I haven't been able to play in a long time... since we don't have a piano on the ship. You do seem the type to play a guitar, if I may say so."

[Cal Arcton]

Cal snorted. "What gives it away? The hat? The fact that I used to be a nerf-herder?" He scratched at his stubble. "Actually, it was herding nerf that I got started. Not much to do when you're sitting out there, watching 'em for hours. They don't do much, themselves." He smiled. "It is kinda nice out there on the field at night, just looking up at the stars and playing."

He sat back with a sigh and a smile. "Well, as it happens, you'll get your chance for Open Mic night. We rent one for that. Nice old one, too, if you like that sort of thing."

[Cefey Raneth]

She giggled in response. "Weeeell, maybe the nerf-herder part. Or is that banjos...?" judging by her tone, she was most likely teasing him. Though she easened up a bit about it and gave a wistful sigh. "But... I guess it sounds nice, to sit outside and see the stars on a clear night with some music. So much of Ryloth was underground, and I could never see the stars on Corell--." Her lips clamped shut as she realised she had been getting too relaxed and was starting to talk a bit much.

[Cal Arcton]

Smiling casually, Cal spread his arms. "What can I say? Guess I'm not a perfect walking, talking, stereotype. Just about half o' one." He chuckled. "But yeah, give it a try some night. If you want, I'll even let you borrow my guitar."

By the flicker of recognition in Cal's eyes, and the tilt of his head, it was obvious he could tell what she almost said. Leaning forward over the table, just a little, he gave her a gentle smile. "Don't worry. If that's a secret, it's safe with me." His free hand came up close to his mouth, to mime zipping it shut.

He drained the rest of his glass, setting it down. "In fact, everything you tell me stops here if you want it to." He smirked. "But in case it needs to be said, that doesn't mean any sort of obligation. A person's secrets are theirs to do with as they please. All of my friends have at least a few, probably more that I don't know about. Worse places to swap them than over a bottle of bourbon, though."

[Cefey Raneth]

Her lips pressed together nervously before she gave a cautious nod.

"... Thank you. I... maybe I'll share some more over bourbon another time. Sorry," Fey's mouth twitched in an apologetic smile. "Likewise, let me know if I pry too much when I ask you these questions, ok? You probably have things you don't want to share easily, right?"

[Cal Arcton]

Cal shrugged, still smiling. "Sure. Or just share some more bourbon. Whatever you like." His lips quirked. "I should probably stop, or Doc'll have stern words for me when I get there."

The question made Cal frown, his brow creasing. "I'm not really sure I do." He finally said. "Sometimes I hold onto other people's secrets for them, but I can't think of anything right off that I'd have a problem with telling someone that asked me." The frown deepened. Maybe that meant he just wasn't digging deep enough.

[Cefey Raneth]

"Oh really?" Fey leaned forward. Resting her arms on the table between them, she fixed him with a curious look. "No man has no secrets. Maybe you're just good at hiding them?"

[Cal Arcton]

Cal mostly kept his eyes on hers. After all, he was a proper gentleman, and there was only so long one could stare at a friend's cleavage and still have that label apply. Still, drawing an appreciative breath, Cal made the most of that time.

His eyes came back up. "Maybe." He said, smiling. "Or maybe it's just that no one knows the right question to ask."

[Cefey Raneth]

"I shall have to think of some questions then... hmm..." her nails tapped against the table in thought. Once they had been neat and manicured, and while she still cared for them, they had a bit more of a roughness to them now after a year of work.

"Do you have someone special to you?"

[Cal Arcton]

That made Cal's eyebrows go up. "Going right for it, huh? I guess I pretty much told you not to pull your punches." The words were clearly in good-humor, made moreso by his casual smile. "I can think of a few people who I'd call special, but I'm guessin' not in the way you mean."

He considered the question, lines creasing his forehead, the smile fading. Idly, he turned his now-empty glass in his hand. There was Runi, but it seemed that despite the spark, there had been no rekindling. Besides that, there weren't really any women constant in his life. Well, except Quinn. And Yara. But those were different.

Slowly, he shook his head. "Haven't had the chance. Life as a marshal doesn't allow much time for that sort of thing. You'd think a bar might change that, but..." He shrugged, still frowning thoughtfully. "Just seems like most people pass through. Don't stick around."

[Cefey Raneth]

"I don't hold my punches and I aim for the big targets," she grinned back at him but let him contemplate the question properly.

"Mm," Fey sighed a little. "That's rough, buddy. I would've thought someone like you who had settled down, so to speak, had a sweetheart. Lack of trying, or lack of interest?"

[Cal Arcton]

Cal shrugged. "Don't know if it's rough. It's just how it is." Still, something about the simple phrase lifted his spirits, just a little.

"Don't rightly know." He shrugged again. "Probably a little of both. You may have noticed-" he flashed her a quick smirk, "-that I have a tendency to flirt a bit. But there's a difference between flirting and really trying." Something she no doubt knew already. "Then I guess I'd have to find the right person to really try with, and, well, that's not something that just happens every day, is it?"

He glanced up, giving her another smirk. "But now, you've presented me with a dilemma. I'm not sure whether I should turn the question around now, or just save 'em all up for the next time we share a drink."

[Cefey Raneth]

"Hmm..." Fey drained her glass at that. "I don't think the Doctor would want you to keep up with me tonight. Maybe another time, we'll exchange shots and questions, oui?" she chuckled.

"As for your flirting, maybe I'm so used to doing it myself, I do not take offense to you doing it. But is it a weapon or defense for you, I wonder...?"

[Cal Arcton]

"Alright, then." Cal nodded. "Another time. No rush." Perhaps that meant it was getting to be time to put the bottle away. He didn't just yet, though.

He shrugged. "Don't think it's really either. Just another part of who I am and what I do, like drinking bourbon. And I won't deny that I've got an eye for pretty ladies."

He hesitated a moment, giving Fey a glance through narrowed eyes. "I sorta figured it might be one or both of those for you. Wasn't quite sure what to make of it."