driftfleet | Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

Light years better than the garbage place.

[ He doesn't even bother trying to suppress a light shudder. ]

[His reaction gets an amused smile out of Leia. Not that she disagrees, but it's a bit funny seeing Han so against it.]

No, I'd be happy never visiting a place like that again.

[But related to visiting planets--]

Were you looking for anything in particular down here?

Nah.

[ He seems perfectly casual about that, content just to complain about the cold and eat food from strangers.

Really, he's here because it seems like spending time with her is the best way to figure out why he's so interested in spending time with her. ]

["Nah" doesn't give much context for Leia to figure out what his goal is here, if there even is a goal aside from getting free food from the locals while planet-side.]

Then how about we look for one interesting thing for each of us? Other than pastries, that is.

[ Well, mooching free food from the locals is a pretty great thing.

He perks up a bit, not because he particularly wants to get anything or to get her anything, but it seems like a good getting-to-know you thing. Except she knows him very well. ]

So what are you looking for?

What I'd want for myself, or what I'd look for for you?

[Because for the most part, those are two entirely different things. But there's one thing she thinks both should have in common.]

Something that's unique to this system, I think. It's nice to have something you can't find elsewhere as easily as a reminder of our time here.

So what've they got here, except food?

[ Han has no idea what he'd want. He's willing to play along, but by now traveling light is such an ingrained habit, he can't think past it. The only thing he really wants is the Falcon, but that's obviously out of the question. ]

That's a bit of an open question, you know. I'm sure we could find most things if we looked hard enough.

[Not at this particular market, perhaps, but Leia doubts anything not here at this location will be too far away.]

Or is food what you want?

I mean, who doesn't like food?

[ He grins, small and soft, not the ragged bravado she usually gets out of him. ]

Usually I travel light, you know?

[It throws her a bit, just momentarily, that it's a genuine slightly subdued sort of reaction from him. It's not a bad thing at all, it's just unexpected.

She nods, knowing from experience that Han travels light. And though she knows that, obviously, Han's life has been about the complete opposite of hers, his remark about traveling light has her curious--]

What would you want, if you could have anything you wanted? Forget about how much space it would take up.

[ The question takes him a bit by surprise, and it's not an easy one to answer. He's always angling to gain something but really the things he wants are intangible. Freedom. Independence. Not having to do a damn thing he doesn't want to, to get by in the world with a reasonable level of comfort.

Simple, except not at all. ]

Right now I'd want my ship back, [ he mutters, which is maybe a bit of a stall. ]

[A stall, perhaps, but it does earn him just the smallest smirk from Leia, if only because she fully understands and agrees with him. Sure, the Falcon is a pile of junk and probably not the best smelling ship in the galaxy, but it's comfortable and familiar and could possibly help them leave.]

Believe me, I'd want you to have the Falcon back just as much.

Yeah?

[ now that makes his eyebrows raise. He leans in a bit closer. ]

You must really hate the Vanquish.

[It's not rolling her eyes, not exactly. It's more like his comment has her shaking her head, and lifting her gaze up and away from him.]

The Vanquish holds itself together far better than the Falcon. But the Vanquish is bound to go wherever Atroma sends us next.

[ He can handle a little eyerolling. She still likes his ship better, and he's never letting that go, ever. ]

All I'm saying is these things have engines like hundred-year-old satellites. And we're stuck on their course. Of course you like a better ship better.

That depends on how you're measuring better. The Falcon has a lot of room for improvement, if you really want to consider it better.

[Not that she dislikes it, despite complaining about it. But that she finds it comforting in a familiar sort of way is something she'd rather left unsaid but understood at the moment.]

Mmmhmmm.

[ Sorry Leia, it's too late, he'll never let this go.

He looks way more pleased with his situation than he's got any right to be. ]

[For the moment, any thoughts of gift giving and what might be good to get for him are pushed to the back of Leia's mind, thanks to that overt smugness in his expression.]

You don't need to look so pleased with yourself.

I don't know, I kind of think I do.

[ Though really, he's already settling back to a usual level of smug, that teasing sort of smirk she must be painfully used to by now. ]

C'mon. What about you?

[She's more than used to it, and more fond of it than she knows she should be. It's also much easier to deal with than the earlier level, perhaps because of that fondness.]

What would I want? I've never really thought about it.

[Just as stalling as his answer, yes, but it's honest.]

I'd rather give something than get a gift of my own, I think. Though I could use a good blaster here.

I haven't seen much here but I'll keep an eye out.

[ Life without a blaster by your side is unnerving. ]

At the very least, I doubt we'd find one in this market.

[As far as Leia can see, anyway. Most things here seem to be textiles, food, or other harmless, non-blaster-like goods. At least, as far as obvious sale items are concerned.]

But I'm not an expert on that.

A little tourist-y for arms dealers,

[ he agrees. There's always some kind of a black market, somewhere or other. But probably not right here. ]

How about a... fat glass bird?

A fat glass bird?

[No laughter, but it's obvious from her expression that she's amused, in a good way, by that suggestion. Amused enough to want to at least see it.]

Where did you see that?

I think it's a bird...

[ He points at a booth stacked with glittering glasswork, with something vaguely penguin-like perched at a corner. Actually, the rest of the stuff is nice-- little figurines and flat stained-class panes to hang, colorful suncatchers and clear glass mobiles hanging from the tent frame. ]

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