Or Do It Right

[Tryp West]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rYYzKo6S9g[/media]​

Tryp claimed this one. The right to pick where they were going and what they were doing. After Utapau, she had laughed and shaken her head and he could have argued, but it was clear her mind was already set.

She was picking this date.

Really, they were both lucky there was a second date. Oh, not because he'd done anything wrong (he couldn't have known the Mandos were going to raid Utapau and shoot them out of the sky, R.I.P Tryp's ship), but because it had been a little touch and go there for a bit as it if they were both going to make it out alive, let only in any condition to head out on a date.

It was a small, backwater planet. Didn't even show up on any major galactic maps. Outports mostly boiled down to grain and some low quality minerals some companies used when they needed to cut corners. The arse-end of nowhere, nothing of significance whatsoever. Even the star port was small enough that it couldn't accommodate more than a dozen ships at a time. Tryp was pretty sure it was only a space port by courtesy, since it mostly was located literally in someone's back yard.

Yup. Podunk no where.

But that was by design.

"Nupe. Not telling ya'. Ya'll see when we git der," she said with a laugh as they disembarked. "Not a long walk, dun worry. Ah won't wear ya out too much afore we git der," she added with a wink.

[member="Jackson Singh"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

[member="Tryp West"]

Ugh.

Ugh.

Jack haaaaated surprises for sure, but even after some coaxing and pulling Tryp had remained steadfast to keep their destination a secret. Once it was clear there wasn't any budging here, he relaxed and it became easy to just enjoy himself. That didn't mean he wouldn't gently rib on her for fun tho. "If ya in cahoots wif' sum bandits to rob me blind, be gentle, ya?" A stretch- it had been a long journey after all and his back was all cramped up already. "Ain't got much to steal anyway, just mah ship and mah pretty gun, so not much profit 'ere."

He offered his hand, might'a be a bit lame? But Jack enjoyed the touch, even if it was through a glove.

There relationship was... mm, pleasant, yes. Not really a thing, he thought? Tryp didn't seem to be the one to worry overly, but he figured the worst that could happen is her declining his hand.

Sometimes Tryp made him feel like a lil' adolescent boy, rather than a veteran of the Great Sith War.

The noises were increasing as they slipped out of the 'starport', turning into the main street of the outpost. There were a couple of shops, visitors shopping around, but most of the crowd seemed to be pulled towards the far-end of the sandy boulevard. Odd, that. There seemed to be music? "My, my ,Tryps, ya got us tickets to a concert or sumthing?"

A chuckle after that.

Didn't seem to be that however. ....had that been something jumping through da air with three torches balanced off their shoulders? Hum. Ferris wheel.

"Carnival? Heh, haven't been to one of dese since I was a lil' boy, you gun' get me a big stuffed bear?" He stopped after that, softly pulling her in and kissing the edge of her mouth. "Dis surprise might'a been worth it, thanks."

 

[Tryp West]

She smirked knowingly when he asked about a concert, a very clear 'patience, you'll see' expression as they walked. She had taken his hand, gloved fingers curling and interlacing with his. Out in public when not on a dig site, it was just standard for her. While she could handle stray memories, it was easier not to. And especially when she wanted to be able to focus her attention on something? Something important?

Like, for instance, Jack.

Tryp was easy going. Quick to laugh, quick to get serious when the need called for it. She didn't cling to things- or people- but was accustomed to them coming and going in and out of her life. Tryp West was an open book, but most people didn't stay long enough to read more than a couple of pages. Jack, however, seemed interested in the whole thing. Or at least a chapter or two. Time would tell.

For now though, despite how Utapau had gone, she was enjoying the time she spent with him. It wasn't too serious but it wasn't flippant either. Neither of them was just marking time. They were taking time to get to know each other without being all up in each other's faces, and so far?

She liked him.

"'Course I will," she said with a chuckle and a smirk. "So big ya kin't see 'round it when yer walkin' an' needs its own ticket fer rides."

The scents and smells of the carnival washed over them- mostly pleasant, the smells of cotton candy and popcorn (fresh and stale), as well as the less savory aspects of dust kicked up, the crowd of sentients, and the engine grease of the various rides. It was early enough in the evening that the crowd wasn't over powering, and they could navigate without serious issue.

"Always liked dees, when I was a kid," she said, leaning against his arm a touch, squeezing his hand.

Open book, another page.

"Mah ma and sister dinna like 'em, so when we'd come it'd jes be me and mah pop. We'd eat all da junk food we could handle an' go on da rides till we were dizzy."

[member="Jackson Singh"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

[member="Tryp West"]

"Mah hero." Jack retorted with his smile broadening, before giving another soft kiss and then letting her go, for now. He watched the way the crowd moved, there was enthusiasm there, joy, fun, it was palpable. It felt good. Having Zeltron blood meant being able to sense the emotions around you and it wouldn't be a surprise that positive emotions felt better on the mind than negative ones.

How he'd survived for so long in the One Sith was anyone's guess.

"Mhm, my da took me too, t'was always fun. He always said dat my ma loved 'em." They hadn't really talked much about his side of the family. Came up numerous times, but Jack hadn't ever wanted to discuss it much.

Not a secret?

But just one of those spots that hurt when you scratched at it too much and if there was one thing Jack wanted to avoid these days it was hurting. That had often led him to bad places in the past. "Wanna try out a ride first then? Ferris wheel was always mah favorite." Just staring out into the open sky, so high up in the sky, it made you feel alive.

In some ways even more than on a ship.