[open] so don't stop me now

[volitaunt]

who: Poe Dameron (and by extension BB-8) + YOU
what: Catchall log
when: The remainder of November
where: Multiple locations
warnings: None at the moment, will edit as needed.



i. perimeter guard: aerial survey & exploration

[ Poe is making out with getting to know the Intrepid. At the moment he's underneath the ship on a rolling dolly, keeping up a steady stream of commentary to BB-8 while he roots around in an open panel.

BB-8 is next to him, projecting a hologram of the inner workings of the ship. ]

--deflectors aren't bad, but this baby has nothing on an X-wing. No offense. [ That last bit is directed at the ship, which he pats before going back into its insides. ] I'm thinking we can squeeze a little more speed out of these thrusters if we modify the thermal vents. What do you think, buddy?

[ BB-8 chirrups his support for the idea as Poe emerges again, hair sticking up from sweat and face marked with grease. ] Need to clear it with Jim first. Man, if Jess were here, she'd go to town on this thing.

ii. also... perimeter.... guard..........

[ Poe isn't really the weight lifting type. It's boring, for one thing. A static exercise. If he can't be in the air, he'd rather be in motion.

Which is why he's in the Perimeter Guard's fitness area whaling away on a few of the standing targets instead. Kicks, punches, all relatively basic moves executed at high speed. He knows enough to get by in a hand-to-hand combat scenario, but he's no advanced martial artist. The moves he knows are enough to get him a full-body workout, and that's good enough for him. His accuracy isn't great, not when his muscles protest this particularly vigorous abuse, not with the numbness in his arms and legs that gives way to tingling pain somewhere close to the surface of his skin. It makes him grateful the First Order didn't go after his hands. He can deal with the time it takes for the rest to heal.

--Also, he's talking to BB-8 the whole time he moves, conversation punctuated with grunts and the sounds of impact. ] --can't let ourselves get comfortable, you know? We-- need to be ready to-- move at a moment's notice.

[ He pauses, and BB-8 rolls over to the edge of the practice mat with a towel held in one maintenance grip and a water bottle in another. Poe takes both, taking a drink and wiping his face, speaking while his face is in the towel. ] Need to figure out a high-speed way to get a hold of Rey and Finn, so if they line the portal up or whatever it is they need to do we can hit it together. A kind of emergency signal.

iii. a park

[ He's jogging, focused on the motion of legs and arms, entirely absorbed in the rhythm. BB-8 rolls along in his wake, the droid more interested in their surroundings and the things in them than keeping up. At least since they're in public he's not rambling at his droid this time??

But you can bet if BB-8 sees something interesting or someone familiar, he'll detour away from his owner. ]

iv. a bar!

[ Poe doesn't drink much, and he doesn't let his pilots drink either. It's too much of a risk when they need to be ready to move the second intel or orders come in. Still, he likes people watching, and bars are a pretty good place to do it. (BB-8 elected to stay at the communal housing building.)

He is definitely not trying to avoid sleeping, because he's definitely not getting more tense with every day that goes past. Old habits, though. He's nursing a tonic with lime, since it's what the bar tender suggested for someone who doesn't want alcohol. ]

v. wildcard

[ Something else? Hit me! ]

Comments

[volitaunt]

[ Poe tilts his head, seeing the logic in the argument without willingly applying it to himself. It's like not drinking alcohol when there's no conceivable need for him to be flight-ready. Ingrained.

Rather than answer, he slides off his stool and moves to join Karen in the seat next to hers. ] May I?

[paged]

[ She watches him as she takes another sip, nodding. ]

Sure.

What are you drinking?

[volitaunt]

Tonic and lime. [ He hops onto the stool, toasting her. ] I asked for their most exotic beverage.

[paged]

[ She tries to smother a laugh but it still huffs out of her nose. ]

Still recovering from our "adventure" from the other night?

[ Because you couldn't get more tame with that drink choice, Poe. ]

[volitaunt]

[ A chuckle. ]

Nah. I just don't really drink. [ He's more than prepared to explain if she wants him to. Lord knows he's gotten pushed on the topic by enough people. Teased, cajoled, even had his drinks spiked a few times. ...That last one didn't end well for the people who did it. ] Don't let me stop you, though.

[paged]

[ She won't push to know why he doesn't. She respects the choice because she's sure he has his reasons. Just like she has hers for doing the opposite.

She takes another swallow of her own drink. ]

Why come to a bar, though?

[volitaunt]

[ Poe considers that. He'd just sort of done it, thinking it was a good place to people watch. ] Haven't been to one in a while.

[ Which is half true. It's a quarter true, really. He's been to bars, but they were pretty exclusively to meet contacts or set up supply drops or for other high-risk reasons. And... And.

And he figured a bar would be an unlikely place for Finn or Rey to find him.

He's tired. Physically healthy, now, at Finn's insistence, but wrung out and trying not to think about why. Is it possible to be exhausted and wired at the same time? ]

It's... familiar, I guess. [ He's used to the strange, comfortable with it in fact, but sometimes... familiar is nice. ]

[paged]

[ Her expression is a bit amused, wanting to ask how is it familiar when he doesn't drink but she doesn't. Instead, she gives a small nod, ]

I can sympathize with that.

[ Especially now. ]

[volitaunt]

Bars are transuniversally similar. Who knew. [ His smile fades a little. ] How are you doing, really?

[ Because if this place is weird for him.... ]

[paged]

Who knew.

[ She agrees while finishing off the rest of her glass. She sets it down and motions to the bartender for some more and waits for them to fill her glass before shrugging again, ]

I'm...in a bar on a moon drinking moon whiskey when I should be sleeping. That's how I'm doing.

[ Another swig goes down. ]

[volitaunt]

[ He probably should have known better than to be mid-drink when she replied. It's the phrase "moon whiskey" that does it. Poe coughs, eyes watering, waving one hand in the also-apparently-transuniversal sign for "I'm fine, I'm fine."

When he can breathe again he rasps: ] Okay, fair.

[paged]

[ She's ignoring that wave okay. She sets her glass down and reaches over to at least rub at his back, a chuckle slipping out as she asks, ]

Did it go down the wrong tube?

[volitaunt]

[ The gesture is simple and sweet and Poe can't help it: he's charmed. He takes another sip to clear his throat. ] Whatever the opposite of the moon whiskey tube is.

[paged]

[ Her hand moves to give a gentle squeeze to his shoulder, ]

Don't have a tonic tube of your own?

[volitaunt]

It's next to my engine grease tube. [ This conversation is ridiculous, and he's so, so glad for it. ]

[paged]

[ She laughs more openly at that, making a face at the same time. ]

Please tell me that's the name of a cocktail and not the actual stuff.

[volitaunt]

You spend as much time as I do shoulders-deep in an X-wing and you're gonna get some of that stuff in your mouth. [ It's just the facts of pilot life okay. ]

[paged]

[ She covers her face with both hands now, giving out a muffled 'oh god' and 'nooo' while struggling not to laugh more. Her hands go out in front of her while she's talking, like she's measuring something invisible. ]

That's why you keep your mouth closed or you cover it, Poe. Oh my god.

[volitaunt]

I talk to BB-8! He keeps my maintenance records!

[ Also he just talks to BB-8 but that's beside the point. ]

[paged]

What the hell does that--who the hell is BB-8?!

[ She can't even finish a sentence. You are speaking in riddles, sir. ]

[volitaunt]

[ Poe grins. At least talking to Taako has given him a certain degree of preparedness for that question?? ]

My astromech. He's a droid, and it's easier for you to meet him than for me to try and tell you what that means, because everyone I've met here says 'so he's a robot' when I try to explain.

[paged]

[ ..... ]

But that's what an android is. It's a robot.

[ She just assumes that's what he means by "droid". ]

[volitaunt]

[ Poe shakes his head. ] They're not just robots. Robots--

[ Okay talking to Taako didn't prepare him as well as he thought. ] Here, hang on. Just wait here, all right?

[ He slides off the stool, angling toward the door. ] Stay right there! I'll be right back.

[paged]

[ She protests slightly, ]

Poe, what--

[ Turns on her stool to watch him go but she stays where she is, throwing her arms up and huffing. ]

Fine. Whatever.

[ Go get your little android, Poe. She's going to turn back to the bar and ask for a rum and coke this time tyvm ]

[volitaunt]

[ He hurries back, but the round trip still takes about fifteen minutes. Poe is muttering to BB-8 about how he should have just brought Karen with him instead of leaving her behind, but when he walks back into the bar she's still there, and BB-8 is trundling along next to him, whistling his interest in their new surroundings. ]

Oh good. [ He exhales, glad to see Karen hasn't left. With a tiny flourish, he gestures to the droid rolling up beside him, booping curiosity at Karen. ] This is BB-8.