1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

[iam_senpai]

Perhaps it's the leaves of fiery golds and oranges drifting on the breeze, or the sight of various hard squash being mangled into festive ornaments, or even still the bowls of candy left out simply everywhere in the Nexus that signifies the import of today. Regardless of when you take heed, Halloween has come to the Nexus.

Neat little handmade signs and fliers of all kinds lead to a particularly festive sectioned off block with the Crossroads Cafe at the center. The brick building has more than its fair share of decorations hung from every available windowsill and door. Hanging skeletons, jolly Jack-O-Lanterns, orange and black streamers cascading down and blowing to and fro in the crisp breeze.

The doors are propped open just waiting to beckon you inside. What are you waiting for?

((See the OOC post if you have any questions! Backtagging and threadhopping are fine. Come on in and have a blast :D ))



Coats and Costumes
The Cafe
Bonfire
Dance Floor
Haunted House
Side Halls and Storage

Comments

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"It ain't about trust."

His eyes drift down to the gloved hand that traces along his chest. Han's not all that sure if this has to do with the character or if Halloween is really the great get some holiday that Harrow made it out to be, but either way, he's enjoying this.

"I'm the treasure hunter, right? Things that are valuable attract my attention."

[red_room]

"You're cute when you're trying."

Acting is second nature to Natasha given her choice profession. She slips back into her regular voice and smile with barely any effort in transition. Natasha takes a moment to sip at her beer before she leans in close to Han again, putting some of her weight on him.

"Have you even seen the Indiana Jones movies? Or did that kid doll you up just for the hell of it."

She doesn't mention Josh often, and never by name. This is one of the more pleasant inclusions of his existence into a conversation.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Maybe it shows and maybe it doesn't show, but the truth is ... he tries a lot when he's aware of the fact that Nat's paying attention to him. He wants so badly to be respected by her that he'd do almost anything if he knew the end result would impress her.

"He did make me watch them." He says with a half-hearted shrug. "They were weird and I still feel like I only understood about ... half of what was going on."

Is she's going to let him get away with putting his hands on her hips? She started it by leaning on him. He's not sure that he's ever gotten coupley with her in public. At least if he ends up getting smacked in the mouth it will work well with the costume. He's pretty sure that split lip was as much a part of an Indiana Jones costume as the hat.

[red_room]

"Mmm, that's good. You remembered your lines~"

Natasha stops teasing and leans her head on Han's shoulder when he puts his hands on her hips, swaying them in the beginnings of a slow dance while she leans against him. She's nowhere near drunk--its too risky given her job--but she is allowing herself to relax into his embrace.

"Having fun?"

[twelve_not_fourteen]

A few of them. He did. He could tell that it seemed to really matter to Josh, so maybe he tried a little to actually remember them. He probably wouldn't admit it, but the kid's enthusiasm was kinda fun to be around.

Han is a little bit drunk. It's not his fault, though. People kept handing him drinks. He did slow way down, though, at a certain point. Natasha has run into him on an upswing.

"Yeah, it's alright." He says, beginning to move with her. It's been quite a while since he slow danced with anybody, but he did learn once upon a time; knowing how to even came in handy once or twice. "I get the sense that I might be having my favorite moment of the night right now ..."

[red_room]

Natasha seems to know the movies fairly well. Guess Josh wasn't lying when he said they were an Earther Must. Not the best movies ever made, but certainly culturally important for some reason or another. Now that Han has wandered away from the bonfire he's at least free from Josh using him as an excuse to get himself another beer every so often. Kid's pacing himself better than he usually does; he should be fine on his own.

Amusement alights Natasha's face when Han moves to lead the dance, slow motions smooth even despite the mild haze of alcohol in his system. She hadn't known the Captain to be much of a dancer. It's a nice surprise.

"Did I tell you I used to be a dancer? Ballet." His reward is the single piece of information. Truth. About her past. Followed by lingering slow kiss before she pulls back and continues swaying in time with Han as the music continues.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

You can count on Han to occasionally surprise you. Or, maybe, you can upon meeting him surprising you when you meet him in his own galaxy, without any knowledge of who he is. It's funny how he wanted so bad for people to know him and respect him and now, there are people that do - and it's like he has no idea what to do with it. It doesn't feel like the know him, though. The strangers that come up to him. It's a different story with his friends ...

Another strange thought. He has friends here.

"No, you did not. I would have remembered." He clings to those pieces of her that she offers like a pirate with an affinity for treasure. Natasha says so little about herself that he hangs on every detail. "A rich girl taught me."

[red_room]

"Mm, she's a good teacher."

It's going to be very sad when he gets his ship working and leaves the Nexus. Or gets himself killed. Or Natasha gets called away for duty. Or...so many reasons for attachment of any kind to be a bad idea. Natasha knows herself. Knows she made a mistake, letting Bruce get that close. Like she had with Barton, before Laura happened. And she knows what's waiting for Han out there, if he had the freedom to go and get it.

So she sways with Han Solo on the dance floor and tells herself it's just a bit of fun in the moment, and it means nothing to her. Even if she knows it's probably a lie. She's very good at lying though. Maybe in time, she'll believe it. For tonight, she's going to enjoy herself.

"It was when I was a child. I don't have many fond memories of that time." As to why she hadn't brought it up before.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Was."

Bria taught him a whole lot of things, actually. She was the first human that he ever loved more than himself. So from her, he learned a lot about caring. He learned the helplessness of seeing someone you care for suffer and the powerless feeling that comes from not being able to help them. He learned the sting of rejection and betrayal from her ...

He blinks the thoughts out of his head, because the last thing he really wants is to get overly emotional right now.

"That's a shame." Not a surprise - the tough as carbonite attitude that she has doesn't really lend itself to young girls who had model childhoods - but he hoped that maybe he was wrong. "I'll bet you were a natural. Even then."

[red_room]

"Ah. Was, then."

Her amendment carries an unspoken offer to listen if he wants to talk but to drop it if he doesn't. She knows that she isn't one to share information about herself. She can hardly expect Han to do so considering the circumstances. And besides. His past doesn't matter nearly as much as his presence here in this moment.

The music slows and fades in between songs and Natasha allows her hands to wander up Han's back to clasp him behind his neck and pull him into another kiss, lingering in the moment between beats.

"I became very good at every job I was given." She breathes the agreement onto his lips. "Just like you must have."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"On again, off again for a lot of years. It ended badly. Then she died."

That's the gist of it. That recap doesn't cover a lot of things that he'd rather not talk about, but it's something. What hurts him more than anything was the way that no matter how much she swore up and down that she loved him and no matter what she promised ... he never quite mattered to her as much as her ideals did.

When it comes to Natasha, it's always hard to tell when it's time to make a move and so, he usually lets her make it. When she leans into kiss him, he goes all in. He brings a passion into it that makes it feel like if this was the last display of affection he was ever going to give someone ... it would be going out on a high note.

"Come back with me tonight." He murmurs. "Nobody should be going back to an empty place on a holiday."

[red_room]

It's a familiar song and dance. One Natasha knows all too well and one she wishes others she cared about didn't have to know quite so well as she. But the past is the past and no amount of wishful thinking can change those things. To wish otherwise is for children.

Natasha doesn't believe in childish things. Or so she tells herself.

If it were true she wouldn't smile like she does at the invitation Han makes, enjoying the passion he puts into his affections as much as she does.

"I think you've earned it, Professor." One gloved finger reached up and pokes him on the nose playfully before she returns it to where she'd had it over Han's shoulder.