hexaflexagons | [Club Errera]

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[Club Errera]

He didn't know exactly when it had happened, but at some point partway into his drink he'd looked around and realized all of his friends were gone. He stood, and looked around. Spotting them among the flashing lights of the club was an impossible task, and he certainly wouldn't be able to call them when the music was playing so loud. So he just shrugged to himself and sat back down. After a bit he'd finish his drink and move on, but for now he took his lighter out and flicked it, trying to remember if they'd been planning to move on to another bar at some point.

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Carolina was at Errera for a different reason, not surrounded by friends when she entered and not surrounded by friends now as she made her way over to the bar. Her skirt swayed as she padded across the light-scattered floor to spot a guy already sitting where she'd planned to plant her ass for the few minutes it took to get her drink and get back to her last night of freedom before she signed her name on the dotted line, before she swore her oath of fealty and secrecy to her father.

Just the thought reminded her of just how much harder she needed to work on being a leader, not just the person on top. If she wanted to prove herself to her father, she had to earn more than gold medals.

Without timidity, she reached over York for the lighter.

"Smoking's not allowed in here." Her tone, as always, was crisp, but with a commanding edge.

He'd been in a sort of reverie, trying to work out where he should head from here, and looked to see who had done that with a bit of a start and a bemused smile. "Don't worry, I didn't intend to set myself on fire."

"Doesn't matter." Carolina quirked an eyebrow at him before gesturing toward the holosign sitting over the bar that clearly read 'NO SMOKING.' She figured it was more for the health of the soldiers who came crawling in here week after week than the civillians who occasionally chanced a night out.

If he didn't stop her, her fingers would close tight around the lighter and attempt to tug it from his.

He released it, smirking now in open amusement. "I didn't realize this place had security."

With a half-smile at his smirk, Carolina wrapped her fingers tighter around the lighter and drew it up so she could look at it. Looked like it'd gotten some use, even if limited.

"Security's busy." She didn't have much to do outside of getting back to her night, so it hadn't been that big of a deal to prevent someone from getting thrown out.

Turning back toward the bar, she quickly ordered another beer for herself.

"And here I was going to complement you on your uniform," he said once her transaction was finished.

"Don't know a single platoon that uses this kind of uniform" Carolina turned back to him with a widening smile at his snark. Something about him put her at ease despite knowing him for all of a minute or two.

With a flick of her wrist, she tucked the lighter back away into the pocket of her jacket. Might as well remove temptation.

He affected a pensive look. "Hm. It is a little impractical for combat." His face broke into a grin, unable to help himself, and he gestured at the bar stool next to him, which had just become open, with a nod. "I'm Garrett, by the way."

She'd been about to reply when her the bartender set her beer down in front of her. Convenient, really. Garrett. The name seemed familiar, that she'd read it somewhere, and recently, too. Then again, there are a lot of Garretts in the universe, he's not likely one she's read about.

"Garrett." She acknowledged him with another nod, but didn't sit. By her watch, it was just about time to get back to her night.

He rolled with it when she didn't take his hint. They'd only just met, after all. "Yup, that's me. Are you in the service?"

"In transition between two platoons." She replied neutrally as she took the first sip of her beer. Honestly, she didn't expect to be asked more than a few questions, so she could patronize him for now.

"'M on leave, myself." He shrugged. "There was a group of us, but I think they moved on to the next spot without me."

Carolina took another brief swig of her beer, watching him for a long moment before leaning up and away from the bar so her center of gravity is over her own two feet again.

"Their loss." He seemed nice enough, after all. Friends were supposed to stick around for each other. Not that she'd stuck around for hers. The military had screamed her name and she had answered the call with an eager heart.

"Yeah. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it." He flagged the bartender down to get another drink for himself, this time going for a shot of whiskey.

Not losing any sleep to the point of going straight for the heavy stuff. She set her beer down.

"Make that two, on me," she interjected before the bartender could turn all the way around. After all, the night was still young, she could get back to it in a few minutes.

He shot her a grin and waited until the bartender had left to pick up his shot. "To the moment. And living in it."

Nodding, she raised her shot to clink against his with a slight quirk of her eyebrow. A pretty good toast for someone she'd only met five minutes ago and one she could get behind. Her father lived too much in the past to be healthy, but she couldn't help but want to make him proud here and now.

"To the moment." And with that she downed the shot.

He downed his as well and set the glass down with a clink, pleased, smiling. Socializing with her was certainly making up for being left alone. Sometimes things just worked out that way. He glanced out at the pulsing lights of the dance floor. "You like to dance?"

And here she hadn't meant to do much more than take his lighter away. With a slight flick of her wrist, she set the shot glass back down on the bar and passed the credits over to the bartender. Following York's gaze out to the spread of lights on the dance floor, she took a moment to consider.

"Not with a partner." Her tone is cool but still amused and relatively friendly.

He chuckled, inclining his head slightly. She had this way about her, keeping herself just a bit aloof without being completely detached. It was attractive in an engaging way to someone like him, who was nothing but an open book. "Sometimes I do too. Other times I wonder, what's the fun in going it alone?"

"The fun is in not needing to follow anyone else," she answered honestly in a similar tone, unable to keep from smiling just a little. He seemed to be the type to enjoy company, no matter whose it is.

She pushed away from the bar taking a couple steps toward the dance floor. "But not having a partner doesn't mean I'm going alone."

He grinned and stood, moving alongside her as they made their way to the floor. "I like that point of view."

She moved with the fluidity and grace of someone with a hell of a lot of rightful confidence. Her hips shifted easily with the beat of the music as she found the rhythm almost the moment she stepped underneath the lights. The alcohol helped to ease any nerves she might have had, but it's easy enough to dance in among the crowd, even if York's next to her.

His confidence is showing too, even if his movements are more about power than grace. He's as much at ease here as he was at the bar, as much at ease as he is anywhere he finds himself, really.

As she dances, she watches him in brief glances, nothing longer than a blink of an eye in his direction. Sure, she thinks she's being covert in his actions, but the alcohol has slowed her a little and at least once, her gaze lingers for a second more than she wants.

He notices, but doesn't think much of it, offering a smile the next time she glances over. Clearly she's having fun, which is exactly what one hopes for from a chance encounter in a place like this. As the next song ends he shrugs off the last movements and gestures with his head. "Feel like going out for some fresh air?"

She's not exactly dowsed in sweat, but she's still pretty warm from the dancing, so fresh air sounds great right now. With a nod, she leads the way out toward the entrance.

Once they reached the outdoors he moved aside to avoid blocking the entrance. "That was a lot more fun than sitting around at the bar."

"You're lucky I came by," her reply is colored by a heavy dose of confidence as she glances his way once they exit. She waits a moment before holding out her hand for a shake. "Jillian."

He grins and claps his hand into hers, giving it a firm pump. "Garrett."

Carolina actually smiles a little wider as he introduces himself again. She hadn't forgotten his name, but it balanced out her very late introduction. "Didn't change in a couple hours."

He chuckles. He's talked to enough people as the night progressed that he hadn't really remembered whether he'd introduced himself to her or not. "Nope, it sure didn't. That's a good sign, huh?"

"It is." She offers a wider smile to him, her expression brightening further. The fresh air and the welcome company have made the night better by far. Still, the night can only be so long, considering she starts bright and early at her new assignment in the morning.

"So, how's this transition of yours going?" This must be one of her last nights of freedom, if he is reading her as well as he thinks.

"I start tomorrow morning," she offers, albeit with a note of caution. Her tone clearly implied that she wouldn't be here tomorrow either. She'd be shipping off, no ifs and or buts about it.

"Enjoying one last night of freedom, huh?" He shifts in place slightly, avoiding being bumped by a passing reveler. "That's how it is for me, too. This is my last scheduled leave before I have trials for the Special Forces."

"Good luck on those." Carolina smiles a little wider. Not just anyone got the offer to complete the trials, much less someone who didn't seem to be too nervous about it. She doesn't, however, answer about the last night of freedom bit. Sure, it's technically the last night she'll be able to drink before committing her life to the cause, but she's never seen not-working as 'freedom' in comparison.

"Thanks." He grins, genuine. "I don't want to talk a big talk, but I have a good feeling about it."

She raises her eyebrows candidly at him brightening her expression marginally. "Already talking a big talk."

He chuckles. "I guess sometimes the truth sounds that way."

Carolina raises her eyebrows further, a grin breaking out across her face. He really is talking a big talk.

"The truth, huh." She cants her head slightly, eyebrows still raised.

He chuckles at her expression and shrugs. "What can I say? A good feeling is a good feeling."

"And how do you feel about tonight?" She raises an eyebrow at him. "Besides empty-handed."

After all, she does have his lighter.

"What's not to feel good about?" he replies with a grin. "Before I was empty-handed I was bored. Seems like a nice change in fortunes to me."

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[Club Errera]

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I am the slowest. :cccc

That's okay! I know you're busy

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