The odds of hitting your target go up when you aim at it.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

No matter how good you are at something, if you challenge yourself against enough people, you'll find someone who can best you. Even if you have all the talent in the galaxy, nobody is going to be successful one-hundred percent of the time. It's an unfortunate aspect of life that we fail.

You can label those thoughts as pessimism or realism if you like, but it doesn't change it's truth. And the good thing is that, in recognizing you can't be the best at everything all the time, you can come to realize that the whole rest of the human race is on that ship with you. What ends up making the difference is striving to be better and being well rounded in what you can do. There's no shortage of aspiration in Han. He's not the 'resting on his laurels' type.

Which brings us to the explanation of why he's been spending the last few nights in Nexus bars learning to play darts of all things. Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Boy mentions being interested in bar games. Girl says darts seem like fun. Boy spends all his spare time over the next few days learning how to play darts, naturally.

It could have been fun to learn how to play together and, no doubt, that's the route a lot of people would take. Not Han, though. It's so deeply ingrained into him that he needs to prove his worth, that he couldn't very well go into this occasion without some practice. Even though it's just for fun. Just an excuse to get closer to somebody. He has to be the best that he can be in the few short days he has to learn the skill. Besides, he rationalizes to himself, it will be good if someone knows the rules to the games before they try to play.

Thock. Thock. Thock.

The sound of the metal tipped darts pelting the sisal fibre board is the same every time. In some ways, the game likens itself to other kinds of marksmanship. A lot of the work is done in adopting a good stance each time and being consistent.

The hours melt away faster that he realizes.

Unlike playing cards, which requires observation and thinking to play well, he can mostly zone out here. For him, it's kind of relaxing. He's not a champion dart player after two days and he's pretty sure Barton would handily outclass him in a game, but he's gotten pretty good. He tends to hit in the wedge that he's aiming for more often than he misses.

Although they never specifically agreed upon a time or even a specific place to reunite, he trusts the May Queen to find him. The morning was clear and no doubt a goddess has a lot to accomplish in a day, so he waits until the sky begins to turn dark before he heads to an establishment called 'The Pitch and Roll'.

It starts to rain just before he gets there, but it's one of those warm refreshing ones that you tend not to mind getting caught in too much. For now. It looks to him like it's going to really start pouring soon. A good evening to spend inside somewhere. He's glad he brought a good jacket; it's light brown in color and leather. If it's still raining when it's time to walk to the Falcon, he'll be glad to have it. The rest of what he's put on in terms of his clothing is the standard for him - black pants with a yellow decoration along the side seam and a white long sleave shirt.

He doesn't see Frea when he arrives and so, he'll walk up to the bar and order an ale for himself while he waits.

Comments

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Too much decorum in a person makes him feel like he's got nothing in common with them. If you're too proper, he'll just think you're repressed. Meekness would make it likely Han wouldn't notice you at all. That she's the sort of person that will run to him with such abandon that she doesn't even want to stop to put on her shoes first, makes her just the sort of woman to draw him in. More importantly it makes her the kind of woman he wants to be around.

Though, those gravitational forces don't hurt the cause either.

He doesn't seem prepared for her question, which seems funny upon reflection because it's the next logical thing to ask. He takes a second to consider it and then says, "I think everyone gets knocked off course once in a while without noticing it." It's a round-about answer but, it feels genuine when he says it.

His hand squeezes her's gently. That she's so willing to be a passenger to Captain Solo's whims will hopefully have her entertained, but it most definitely see her continuing to be adored. Han is leading them towards the dartboards while there's still one open for them to grab. She might notice that he left his drink behind. It's not very clear if he doesn't care or just didn't realize.

"Have you played before?" He was initially under the impression that no, she didn't. One of the playful barbs they exchanged earlier made him wonder, though.

[maydayqueen]

There's very little chance she'll ever be so prim and proper as to lose his attention. She just couldn't keep the act going that long, and especially not with him around. He brings out the best in her. Joyful abandon is fun, he should try it sometime.

She's not the only one around with gravitational forces.

Nobody can see everything coming. Perfect foresight would be miserable anyway. His answer may be indirect but she nods, a momentarily serious expression on her face. Yes, that's something she can understand. "But you've found your course again?"

The gentle squeeze is returned with a smile. The seriousness really doesn't last with this one. He's too much fun. Going along with him is entertaining, yes, and amusing; being adored is pretty nice, too. She notices he's left his drink, and wonders. A little stretching before she lets him lead her away and she can catch the bottle up in the crook of her elbow--a handy hands-free way to carry it for him, since her hands are busy.

"I've seen it played. I think I understand the general idea. But you're going to have to help me with the specifics." In other words, there will be plenty of opportunities to touch her. For socially appropriate reasons like correcting her stance and helping her aim, of course.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

He'd never expect that some stray runner from Corellia would bring out the best in anybody much less someone like her. He'll talk and play himself up, especially when looking for work, but he rarely feels all that confident. It's the dichotomy of him.

The way she holds him back and twists to fetch something behind them has him confused for a moment, but smiling afterward. Those little gestures of people looking out for him touch him pretty deeply. It's what he's thinking of when he answers the follow-up question. "Feels like it."

He's not ... sure what his destination is anymore, but he definitely feels like he's traveling in the right direction. That's a weird feeling for him. It always seemed like he had things pretty well mapped out until right before he arrived in the Nexus. Who knows. Joyful abandon could be the next stop.

He takes them right up to the dartboard and begins plucking the metal tipped projectiles out of the board. "So, either for the first time or as a quick refresher, the center is the bullseye and the rows that fan out around it are called 'wedges'. The number on the outside is the point value of each wedge." He's been pointing everything out as he's been explaining.

"This ring on the outside of the wedges means your points or marks have doubled and the ring in the middle of the wedges means they've tripled." And he thinks he's done for a moment before he suddenly remembers to add, "the middle of the bullseye is a double too."

[maydayqueen]

It's such a little gesture that she can't imagine not doing it. It's such a big deal that she can't imagine not doing it. Either way you look at it, it's worth doing. He's worth it. His smile is answered with a smile and a little shoulder-shrug that both says 'no big deal' and offers him the drink.

"Good." She hopes their paths stay crossed a while longer, and that when they aren't he'll find his way to some kind of happiness.

While he gathers up the darts she puts their drinks down and leans against a table to watch and listen. He's a good teacher, if the scale he's judged on is her attentiveness. How much she retains of the lesson remains to be seen.

"So it's better to be in the ring than the middle of the bullseye? Rings are good, symbolically, you know. The perfect unending cycle..." She hums softly before beckoning him over to her again. "Show me how to throw them?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

He'll hope for the same for her. When he has a better grasp on it. Some of the broader concepts of what it means to be the goddess of spring means haven't yet dawned on him. Such as the fact that her time is limited.

"That depends upon the game." He says. "If you're playing a point value game, like 301 and 501, where you're trying to get to a certain score before your opponent - the outer bullseye is worth 25 and the middle bullseye is worth 50."

He'll have a sip of that drink and set it down at the table they've claimed.

"So, in those games, hitting the triple 18, 19 or 20 is gonna equal more than the 50. There are other games where the object is to hit a wedge a certain number of times, though. Then it becomes advantageous to hit a triple not because of points, but because it counts as hitting the wedge three times."

He's hoping he hasn't lost her yet.

"I noticed that you said perfect and unending together." He says as something of an offhand comment about the rings. "Do you feel like the two go hand in hand or was that just part of the stream of conciousness?"

He takes her hand and walks her up to the line on the floor. Far as he can tell she's absorbed what she said so far about scoring and the layout of the board, so, might as well dive in to the challenging part.

"So, you're supposed to stay behind this line here when you're taking a shot." He toes the line with his black boot. "I want you to stand with your side facing forward in what feels like the middle of the lane to you."

[maydayqueen]

Everyone's time is limited. She has the good fortune of knowing her expiration date.

"Sometimes. It's a good goal to have in mind." It's an easy answer that comes with an easy smile while she thinks about how much more she wants to tell him tonight. "Some cycles, like the seasons, they should be unending. And if they're to be unending, shouldn't they also be as perfect as possible?"

He's always welcome to take her hand. Hers sits in his so happily it's rather a shame to stop. She's been taking in what he says, and she thinks she understands most of it, but she'd still rather he be the scorekeeper tonight. To keep things fair, she'll be in charge of awarding the prizes for skill and merit.

The prizes will be kisses.

The setup, line and distance and direction to the target, are taken in with a sweep of her gaze before it fixes itself on him again. She turns to present a profile to the target but doesn't look at it. "Keep my eyes on the prize, right?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

The subtle things are so often the most important things to observe in the work that he once did and the circles he still hangs around in. So the offhand comment about rings, as casually as she slipped it in to the conversation, just sticks out to him for some reason.

"Perfection and unending things are pretty rare on their own. Even harder to find them both together ..." He points out. Whatever she's saying in subtext, he's trying to puzzle out, but he doesn't really get it. Maybe it's something that will fall into place later. "They are nice things to shoot for."

However, it's not lost on him who she's looking at when she's talking about her eyes being on the prize. Makes him feel a little less bad for perhaps missing an earlier point. He purses his lips to hide a smile, but it's still in his eyes. "You never want to loose sight of your target."

He presumes that she's right handed because that's the way it is for most people, but it isn't as if Frea hasn't proven that she's special before now. "What's your dominant hand, sweetheart?" He asks as he hands over a dart.

[maydayqueen]

Cycles, and the seasonal cycle in particular, tend to always be on her mind. She participates wholeheartedly in the circle of life and still cries over baby animals being hurt. Even in a perfect cycle, sometimes things come too soon. Or too late. He's been just right.

"And you know how I like nice things." She flashes him a smile that suggests it's not as important as he might fear. Whatever he missed can fly off into the ethereal realm of conversations not had; she will not chase it. There are other paths.

Why would he want to hide that smile from her? Hasn't he noticed how much she loves his smiles? And her own are given so freely. "I don't think I'm going to be very good at darts," she admits without a hint of sorrow in her tone.

The question about her dominant hand makes her pause to think. She's not really sure, but will take the dart with her right hand for now. "Thank you. Show me how to throw it?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Well, he certainly aims to please. And not just himself, but her too!

Why indeed would he try to hold back his smiles? It's a question worth asking, but not one with an easy answer. He wouldn't have one if she asked him as much. On a conceptual level he knows that he's no more or less deserving of happiness than anyone else, but it's not as if logic dictates behavior. Or response.

"You don't think so." He says with a brow raised at her. Han himself guessed she'd be on one end of the spectrum or the other - a natural or not very good at all. The complete absence of a response to her dominant hand is noted and ... well, no need to rearrange her stance if it doesn't matter what hand she'd throwing with. She's in a pretty good posture already.

"Not even with someone like me to show you the ropes." As if he were some great teacher. How funny.

He will not hesitate to put his hands on her if necessary to adjust her stance. In fact, more of it is just him settled behind her with his hands on her hips murmuring in her ear what he wants her to do. Just an excuse to touch her again. It's been almost two whole minutes since one of them had their hands on the other, after all.

"Your feet should be shoulder width apart. You weight mainly on the front foot, while the back one provides the balance. Keeping where your standing and the way you're standing consistent is important."

[maydayqueen]

He hasn't missed that mark yet!

He's no Vulcan to live by logic alone that's the wrong franchise, but neither is he undeserving of happiness. But he's not the type to talk about things, she's noticed that already. She'll have to lead by example, and with so many smiles to spare for him, that shouldn't be too hard.

"You're very distracting," she points out with another of her easy smiles, "even with an excellent teacher, I don't know how much of the lessons I'll retain." Her aim is true, but she'd have to focus, and there are better targets for her attention. The unflinching way he reaches for her, the fact he'll hold her like that, and how very nice his warm breath feels against her skin are all proving her point. Eyes closed and smiling, she leans back toward him and her empty hand moves to cover one of his.

"Mm-hmm." Is she even listening? Her feet do shift into the stance recommended but she'd still rather lean her head back against his chest.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Let's face it. If there was such a thing as an anti-Vulcan, it might be Han Solo.

As for distracting, she's not the only one feeling that way. He almost doesn't want to show her anything more because staying just like this? It would be alright with him. She has a way of making him feel at peace. The noise and bustle of the Nexus just seems to ... diminish around him when she's there to focus on.

Right now he's only dimly aware that there still in a tavern, for instance.

What he needs from her right now is a kiss. He'll lean in and offer one of those to share with her. It's her fault for just standing there and being all kissable. How was he supposed to resist?

... though, eventually, it occurs to him that he's still holding darts and that was why they were here. Mostly because he managed to prick himself in the abdomen with one. There are apparently drawbacks to forgetting about your surroundings entirely. Who knew?

He winces a little bit and shakes his head.

"This is how I want you to hold the dart." He says getting himself back on track. He takes his hands regrettably off of her to illustrate, but is still behind her. "Three fingers around this bronze colored part of the dart called the grip. The idea is that you'll be keeping the dart held straight while your arm is making the throwing motion."

[maydayqueen]

Kisses shared are quite possibly the most perfect use of their time. She's happy to share a kiss with him, turning just enough to meet him at a good angle. The noise and bustle around them hardly matters to her when he's near. They might be attracting a bit of an audience with all this pretty people kissing, but that doesn't bother her either.

It takes her a moment to realize what happened when he pulls back wincing. But when she does, he gets a sympathetic look. Poor dear. They'll be more careful about kissing while holding pointy things. She'd kiss it better, but, well...

"Hmm?" Oh. Right. Darts. And no more being held, how lamentable. She focuses on his hand, studying his hold on the dart before holding hers up to mimic it. "Like this?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Just like that."

Now, he does walk out from behind her so that he can show her the arm movement of throwing the dart. He shows her the motion without actually throwing the dart once and then, Han will offer his tutelage.

"I wouldn't lean too far forward or too far back. Don't hop. Don't bounce. Let your arm do the work and remember, kept the dart level and facing forward as you aim at the board."

Solo then throws a dart at the board for real. The movement is crisp when he does it. Focused. Not a lot of unneeded movement in the action. Just a good solid throw. He hits the inside of the 18 wedge close to the bullseye. He has a second dart though, which he'll throw because it will be good to watch one more time. The second one hit in the 10 wedge, again, he's tantalizingly close to the bullseye.

In his defense ... he is throwing the darts off center. Frea is still occupying the middle of the lane.

[maydayqueen]

There's no need for him to be defensive about his performance. She thinks he's doing splendidly. Each throw gets an approving sound from her and when he's done she touches his shoulder lightly. "You're doing so well, now I'm certain I won't keep up. I hope my forfeits for losing every game won't be too strenuous."

Her hand lingers on him for a moment more before she glances over at the dartboard. She lifts her hand, rolling the dart between her fingertips while she considers before she draws her hand back and snaps her arm forward. If it were a game where the force of impact mattered, she'd probably win. As it is, she hits the 12 between the rings and seems delighted to have hit the board.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

And yet, he'd wonder if he was really terrible at this, if she would heap praise upon him anyway. Frea has that sunny disposition and is generally positive as far as he's noticed. There hasn't been a lot of reasons not to be with the two of them together.

What Han notices is that she throws the dart more like the way he would throw a bladed instrument. Deemphasize the accuracy in favor of making sure the object hits somewhere and sticks. There's power in her throw too. He's almost sure that he can see her dart wedged deeper into the board than his are, even from all the way back here.

Which makes inclined to tell her that throwing it so hard will tire her arm out, speaking of strenuous. And then he finds himself wondering if she can be fatigued in the same way that he can. She sleeps, so, he'd guess that she would.

"Good thing the stakes are pleasant for both sides." He murmurs with a sly smile. "We can save our sense of urgency for something other than the game."

With that thought, he walks up to the board to fetch the darts and hands all three to her when he returns. "Couple more throws to get the hang of it?"

[maydayqueen]

Of course she would! She'd be sweet and encouraging and would celebrate his efforts. They could be terrible at it together and it'd be adorable. Furthermore, she's pretty sure he likes her positive attitude.

She knows what she knows. Darts may not have come up in her life much, but throwing blades, yes. She's better at that than she ever wants him to know. Nature is red in tooth and claw but he doesn't need to see that. Not from her.

"This is true. Somehow, I get the feeling we'll both be winning." Is it wrong that she admires him walking away so very much? Because she does and she doesn't try to hide it. He's so wonderfully handsome.

"Thank you." She takes the darts and takes her practice throws. Her aim isn't any better by the end of it, but she's not throwing as hard as the first time. She did notice it was a bit more effort than necessary for the game.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

He does. She might have to cajole or coerce him into admitting how much he likes her sweetness, but he does.

Frea is hardly the first woman to cast an amorous glance at Han. Nobody is going to fit into everyone's ideal for handsomeness, but it's obvious that the Corellian was put together very nicely. There's the sum of him, too ... it adds up to more than the value of the parts. He's got something and it's hard to quantify.

As it is, Han slinks back to the table. He's sipping on his brew and watching the May Queen take her next series of throws. His mood and spirits lifted by the company. Darts are a nice game too because there's going to be a whole lot backs turned and not much to do, but admire watching the other walk.

Expressive face that he has, when he's not trying to be guarded, you can see the moment where he has a thought that hadn't occurred to him before. This is one of those moments. "Do you like or not like being compared to spring?"

[maydayqueen]

He's a very needy lover. Lucky for them both she's got so much to give. In a way, it's good for her to have someone so eager for her attention who's an appropriate level of grateful for it.

There's no doubting that he's got something, all right.

Frea's not posing for his gaze and her clothes don't cling enough to make her figure obvious, but he knows what's under there. The hints and reminders should be all he needs (and all he wants, in a place like this), and there's something to be said for watching the woman he adores wearing his clothes.

Her first response to the question is to hum thoughtfully, and she thinks about it while she retrieves the darts. They're offered to him along with her answer. "Do you like being compared to yourself?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Under those clothes is a body that is the examplar for young and vibrant female beauty. He could spend an entire lifetime crisscrossing galaxies and he's convinced that he would never find one that compares. She is startlingly gorgeous. Sometimes he can't even believe how anyone could be so lovely.

Considering that, it's a good thing for Han that she didn't pick anything that hugged her body tighter and that she doesn't strike provocative poses. A very good thing, because it would take only the barest suggestion for him to want to engage with the spring queen the way virile males in nature do around a healthy female. Even trying to be mindful of his attraction to her might not be enough, but he's going to try to behave himself. It's his intention to. At the moment.

Shaking his head at her, he insists, "it's not the same." He takes the darts from her and a moment to think on why. "I don't reperesent anything greater than myself. I hold no domain over anything except Han Solo."

[maydayqueen]

Practice. She'd attribute it to practice and let him figure out if she's serious or not.

It's good for both of them, or at least, for their dart game. He doesn't need much practice hitting her bullseye but she's happy to give it to him anyway. Keeping in practice is important, and so much fun. But for now, they really should try to wait and be calm. Show that they can have a relationship that isn't entirely sexual. Or something like that.

"I think you're pretty great." She's smiling when she says this, but that doesn't detract from the weight of the words or how seriously she means them. "But if you'd prefer the simple answer, then yes, I like it. It's nice to be thought of as something lovely."

Han: 261, Frea: 301

[twelve_not_fourteen]

By now she's likely to have warmed up. Maybe she's even dried off from where the rain had touched her. The thing is, she looks good in his jacket. Real good. And the Captain doesn't want to see her take it off anytime soon. It says all kinds of things, to him and everyone who might observe her in it, subtly.

Things that he likes to think are true.

"I know you do." Han says, looking into her eyes as if he might find answers to questions he wants to ask in there. He's half tempted to point out something he's been turning over in his mind for the last couple moments, because his question is more than just about whether she minds being compared to a season known for its beauty ... but it might not be the best time and place to have that talk.

"You should know that I think you're great too."

Han glances over to the board. Maybe start the first game. They've not got any particular reason not to. "So we're going to play 301. You start at 301 and count down to 0 exactly. You can't begin scoring until you hit somewhere in the double ring."

With that, Han approaches the board and hurls some darts at it. His first hits just outside of the 20 wedge. The second a single 20 in the center of the wedge. With the last dart, he hits his double. He'll walk up to the chalk scoreboard and draw out a chart for them to keep track.

Like a good sport, he brings the darts back to her when he's done filling out the score.

Han: 261, Frea: 301

[maydayqueen]

It's true that she's warm and mostly dry now, but she's so comfortable in his jacket and with what wearing it says about her. They're nice things and largely true. And their evening will likely go better when they're not interrupted. So, if he doesn't mind, she'll keep wearing it until it stops smelling like him to her and it starts smelling like her to him.

"Thank you." Hearing that he knows how she feels, at least a little, makes her smile grow. Her gaze meets his easily and she rests a hand on his arm. A comfortable, little way to make it clear he's with her as much as she's with him. There are answers in her eyes, but he has to ask the questions. Otherwise, how is she supposed to know which ones he's ready to hear?

Oh, but that would require talking, wouldn't it?

"Okay." Counting down exactly? They may end up waiting at the end to hit just the right thing. Ah, well, them's the rules. She steps back to wait by the table while he takes his turn, cheering softly when he hits his double, having a drink of lemonade before taking the darts and her turn.

"Thank you." She's tempted to give him a kiss every time he does something sweet like that, but they'd never finish the game if she did.

Her throws aren't so good. She can hit in or near the 20s, but she can't quite get that double the first round. When the last throw is done she shrugs; it doesn't bother her. "Ah, you see? You're much better at this."

She'll fetch the darts for him, twisting slightly before coming to a stop in front of him so her skirt flares out and brushes his leg. She never promised not to flirt.

Han: 202, Frea: 301

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It does require talking and far too often he is guilty of being a man who avoids his emotions and crime lords he owes money to. On the other hand, in the same way this bar is probably not the ideal place to get too lost in physical displays of affection, he doesn't believe that it's the best place to have a deeply personal discussion either.

He's banking on the fact that when the darts are over, they'll head off somewhere quiet together.

"I'm alright." He says casually. "I wouldn't put money on my skills yet." Leave it to Han to set the bar for success in such a way. He'd sooner put a stake in his accuracy with a blaster or in a sabacc tournament.

The turn and brushing of her skirt against his leg gets noticed, though. There is the game going on and the bar around them, but his attention is mainly on her. It's not as if he's tried to hide it. That distinctive grin of his spreads over his lips and Han finds himself settling his hand over her's and not the darts. For a moment. Touching, because he can.

After a moment or so, he'll take his darts and head back to the board. There's no need to aim for doubles anymore so he'll aim for the center of the board. He hits the single fifteen, the single nineteen and the single bullseye. And The Captain will mark his score and return the darts to the May Queen when he's finished.

Han: 202, Frea: 256

[maydayqueen]

True, there's a time and a place for things. So long as he makes the time to be in that place eventually, she won't bother him about it now. But she does hope they get to have that conversation someday.

"Is that when it's serious? When money's involved?" There's a hint of distaste in her voice. Money is so... well. Boring. Spending a lifetime chasing it sounds like a literal Hell to her. She doesn't entirely understand why or how it's become so important.

But there are better things to think about right now, like that grin and the touch of his hand. Knowing they can get away with these things, even in a place like this, has a special appeal. It's a moment worth savoring.

She returns the favor when he returns with the darts, letting her hand rest on his before taking the darts from him. He gets a smile before she turns her attention to the board. Her first throw is still off the mark, but the second hits the double twenty, and her third hits the five near the bullseye. It's unlikely she'll catch up at this point, but that's okay.

After she's marked down her score she brings back the darts with a question. "Have you decided how many you want when you win?"

Han: 139, Frea: 256

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Money is important to Han. It's unfortunate, perhaps, but it's true. He almost wants to be defensive about it too. To point out that most societies are driven by commerce and his is no different. Make an excuse that keeping a ship maintained, especially one as old as his, isn't free.

And yet, when she says those words, with tones of disdain in a voice that's otherwise been so sweet to him ... he just wants to crawl under a rock somewhere.

"I ..." He ends up ducking his head away to compose himself. "... sometimes."

However, the touching is good to follow up after that moment. He can touch her and know that her opinion hasn't been irreparably tarnished what's going on between them. It's not as if she ran off. She's even still smiling him. Still offering him touches in return.

"Hrm?" He says, so wraped up the preceeding thoughts he nearly missed her question. "Oh, you're so sure I'm gonna win, huh? I think in this case it might be fun to leave it up to the debtor to decide what's sufficently paid."

With that, Solo takes another turn and gets a score of 63 for the round. He makes tally of it and returns the darts to Frea when he's finished.