Trinity Day: Wow, you reviewed every chapter! Thank you so much!
Matt: Umm, that would be in Peace with the Dead. Lol.
Owphoenix: Animal House is part of the inspiration for this post!
Padawan Sydney Bristow: That concept is enough to scare anyone, methinks. Thanks!
SuP3r G1R: Here you go! You can know what happens!
Prudence-Chan: Are you kidding? Han belongs in this situation!
Mirax Myra Terrik: I'm glad you think it's amusing! I aim to please!
SoloKenobi: Thanks!
Pitdroid: I hope this meets expectations . . . gulp. Lol.
dm1: Oh, lovey-dovey is such a relative term, lol. We'll see!
Summers2004: I hope this amuses! I'm biting my nails!
Dimonah Tralon: Thanks for reviewing! Hope this is good for you!
Okay. Here we go. I'm incredibly nervous to whip out this baby. I've been stewing over this frat party for two weeks now and am absolutely going out of my mind hoping it meets expectations!
Without further ado . . .
2230 GST
The Dorm Room
0 drinks consumed.
"Oh, hey, Rims, I think he's finally here."
Ivoen's bored voice wafted out from behind the datapad covering the better part of her face and Leia furiously attacked the red streaks in her hair in an effort to defy gravity. She took another three looks at the small vanity mirror on her desk before concluding that hair was not meant to flip out in any manner whatsoever and that she looked even more ridiculous than she ever had before.
Well, everyone looks like a blind idiot in clothes like this. I can't help it.
And a loud knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and reminded her that this wasn't some completely insane dream. Gods, how I wish it was –
She pressed her hands down the tight contours of the orange skirt she wore, adjusted her blue tank-top, then walked over to the door and watched as the door whisked up.
Han Solo, captain of the fastest ship in the Rebel fleet, companion to Wookiees and naïve Jedi-in-training, stood in front of her.
In a purple shirt and orange slithering hat.
She wasn't sure how she knew that the shirt was supposed to be purple – the color altered with every slight movement he made – but it was obvious to her that he'd spent time reconnoitering the local dress-shops in an effort to look as utterly ridiculous as he could manage. Either that, or he already owned the ensemble, a far more frightening concept than she thought she could handle at the moment. His hair was hidden by the orange thing on his head, but his eyes glittered mischievously under the visor and the half-grin slipped up one side of his face.
"Hey'a, Sweetheart," she heard him say through her personal fog, "what'cha got planned for tonight, dressed like that?"
She just stared at him as he strolled past her and walked into her room. She turned in time to see him inspect a drawer full of Rim's underwear, nod agreeably, and continue towards the bed. The sight of him lounging there, wearing the dizzyingly purple-ish shirt with the straggly orange hat and the infuriating grin plastered onto his face was enough. She began to laugh, trembling so hard at released nervousness and tension that she had to double over.
"Rims?" She heard Ivoen ask quietly as she gained control of herself.
Leia quickly reigned in her amusement. "Yeah, sorry. Jace, this is Ivoen Sorreh, my roommate. Ivoen, this is Jace, my, uh, boyfriend."
Ivoen turned towards Han. "Jacen?"
"Nope, just Jace." Han grinned wider. "Why, d' I look like a Jacen?"
"Huh? No. Oh, no. I knew a Jacen, really smart, kind of quiet. Big philosophizer." She smirked. "You are not a Jacen."
"Oh, well, thanks."
Time to enter the fold. Play the girlfriend. "Oh, c'mon, Jace. You're not all that smart."
His pout almost looked real. "Says who?"
"Says me. Remember the time you bet Wedge you could put on all my clothes faster than him?"
He practically beamed."Hey, that was research."
"Research, right." She turned to her roommate. "You sure you don't want to come?"
Ivoen shook her head. "Nah, I have my own research to do. Comparing data card texts and prices. They charge way too much here. Have fun."
Leia nodded. As Solo and she closed the door and entered the hall, he offered his hand and raised an eyebrow.
He's playing this for all it's worth. Grudgingly, she took his hand, whispering curses under her breath, and they walked down the hall, down the stairs, and down to the Edbmel Eppek Ehple building. Just don't expect any lip action from me, Solo.
2245
Ebdmel Eppel Ehple house
0 drinks consumed.
Still hand in hand, Leia led Han up the sidewalk towards the Ebdmel Eppek Ehple house, a four story ramshackle construction with a garish green exterior and three male students standing on boxes in the front yard singing.
Loudly.
And not particularly well, either.
Han cracked a smile, looked pointedly at Leia, and ushered her past the frat boys and through the open door. Spreading a hand over the scene within, Han welcomed her to what she thought surely must be the most ridiculous sight in her life.
Ridiculous is an understatement.
Crammed into a room that seemed hardly capable of holding more than thirty people were nearly seventy, mingling, talking, wandering about aimlessly. A loud thumping of music rang out in the background, cacophonic to her ears, and she was distressingly able to feel the bass in her chest. Moving her eyes around the room, she found two rustic cleaning droids in the corner, powered down with arms extended to encompass two giant vats full of ice and containers of cheap alcohol. That's a creative use of maid droids, I must say. Couches littered the spaces not inhabited by dancing people, and these were crowded with catatonic figures, stretched out, some on top of one another, passed out and nearly lifeless. Corners seemed delegated to – well. Leia blushed and looked away. I'll be ignoring those particular activities tonight. She glanced up covertly at Han. You try anything, and I swear I'll –
"Rimsie!"
Two tittering and tipsily traipsing figures appeared in her visage, and Leia was not at all surprised to see Okkon and her blonde friend as they pushed their way through the crowd to stand less than six inches away from her and Han. Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse –
"Rimsie, isn' this great?" Leia could taste the dull smell of two-credit eyeblasters on Okkon's breath. "It's way awesomer than anythin' else in this damn stupid place." She hiccupped and turned her gaze towards Han. "Yuh mus' be Jace, eh?"
Han extended a hand. "Yeah. Who're you?"
"M'name's Okkon." She sucked in a breath and her gaze seemed to wander for a second. "She likes t'talk 'bout ya."
Oh, crap. "Hey, Okkon, let's get you to a couch, huh?" She moved to grab the redhead's elbow. Just shut up, you stupid idiot!
"Now, wait a sec, huh, Rims." Han stopped her hand with his own and grinned as he turned towards Okkon. "What she say 'bout me?"
Now would be an excellent time for you to pass out, my dear. Waving the alcohol around and sloshing some onto herself and the blonde, Okkon continued and Leia pressed a hand to her forehead in an attempt to block it all out. "Jus' girlfrien' stuff, ya know." She switched her gaze to Leia. "Hey'a Rimsie, you're right. He's real gorgeous. And that scar, oh, that's one sexy, sexy scar, man, jus' like you said – "
"Okkon!" Leia's blush increased tenfold as she interrupted the intoxicated girl before she said any more. "Um, I thought you said the party started at ten?"
Okkon's eyes were still on Han. "Uh-huh."
"Then why's everyone already – " Does social delicacy even exist in a situation like this?
Obviously sensing an important shift in the conversation, Okkon reluctantly switched her gaze to Leia. "Drunk?" She giggled and the blonde girl beside her began to make loud, gasping noises as she reciprocated the laugh. "Well, see, turns out Nib got the stuff early an' we didn' want no one else to get into it, you know?" She managed a sorrowful face. "Sorry, Rims."
"No, it's okay. Really."
"Ya probably wanna 'member tonight anyways, right?" She tried to wink, one eyelid closing down, but the lid stayed there as run-off makeup stuck her eyelash to her skin and she ambled off, clutching at her eye and tripping over her own feet in her drunken haste to find a mirror. Or another drink. Whichever one came first.
Don't face him, ignore him, he probably wasn't even really listening to her – "Jace, do you really want to stay here?" Leia turned towards Han who stood completely still, one hand at his chin. "Jace?"
"You like my scar, huh?"
2315 GST
EEE living room
0.75 drinks consumed.
"You're gonna have to drink more than that, sweetheart." Han pushed another container at her elbow as he downed the rest of his. He lowered his voice. "Be inconspicuous."
"I'm trying."
He laughed quietly. "Standing around the edges like an Imperial Moff on inspection rounds is not inconspicuous."
She turned towards him to look directly in his eyes. "Look, Solo," she whispered the name. "I don't want to be here anymore. I hate this. I hate these people. I hate this lifestyle. I hate this stupid drink." She jabbed at him with the hand not encumbered by 'Dab's Fire-eater Beverage'. "So don't tell me what or what not to do. Clear?"
"Perfectly." He rubbed at his chest where she'd poked him. "Though you might wanna watch that thing. You can't ogle a scar on my chest without a more, uh, exclusive viewing."
"Drop it," she growled.
"I can't drop it. You like my scar. You called it sexy behind my back. I'm flattered, Princess. Really, I am." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I have some other ones that you might find just as interesting – "
She grimaced as her face grew hot again. "It was part of the mission." Stop talking!
He chuckled. "Right." He pulled her up close and bent down to speak into her ear. Leia had the fleeting impression of falling as her heart began a pounding, vociferous rhythm in her ears and she felt his hands settle on her hips. How do you do that, Solo? "Sure you were."
Leia couldn't think. It was beyond her control to simply continue breathing. She threw out the only flimsy comeback she had. Denial. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He pulled his face back, Leia suddenly feeling surprisingly deprived and cold. "Sure, Sweetheart. Sure you don't." He winked, for once seeming content to leave the conversation as was, and dragged her towards the back rooms. "C'mon. I hear they're doin' some games in the back. Let's check 'em out, huh?"
2345 GST
EEE game room
1.5 drinks consumed.
"Name a' the game is 'I Never'. 's real easy and ya probably won' get drunk real fast. Jus' fun." The twi'lek glanced around the loose circle of eight, gauging their reactions. Leia, nervously fumbling with the clasps on her belt, sat next to Han. This is so wrong, I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be doing this. Han glanced over her way and lifted his lips in what he obviously considered a reassuring smile.
It didn't help.
It was, after all, his fault. If he hadn't decided to "check out" the back rooms of the house, they might have been free to leave. As it stood, they were stuck in a grimy old room with two people making out in the back corner and one flickering holobulb illuminating the faces of the other six players in the game. Leia felt her senses slightly dulled, was starting to worry about this game and how she'd come away from it. I don't drink! She paused. Well, not like this, at least. She glanced back up at Han's face as he listened to the instructions. I bet he's actually looking forward to this.
"So, I start, an' I'll say some'n like 'I never been t' Coruscant'. If you have done what I said I haven't done, ya drink."
Han and Leia looked at each other quickly. How honest are we going be here? Certainly there was a level of experience that the two of them had that the others hadn't. She noticed the glimmer of mischievous pride in Han's eye as he glanced around the circle and settled back on her. She caught her breath. What are you planning, Solo?
"Okay, so I'll ask that one. I never been t' Coruscant."
Leia looked sharply at Han, who was raising his container and grinning at her.
Are you trying to expose us? What are you doing? She narrowed her eyes at him, intent on warning him with her glare. He looked quickly at the others in the circle and then returned his gaze back to hers. Leia looked at the others.
Three of them, not including Han, were drinking.
Okay. So maybe this won't be so bad. She took a sip of hers. I probably couldn't lie too well right now anyway.
The next guy, a human male with slight nerdish tendencies, took up the reigns. "I've never had spice before." He laughed and pushed his stringy bangs out of his eyes.
I'm safe on that one, at least. She glanced at Han. He was going to be drinking constantly if they kept asking these kind of questions. C'mon, start drinking, Solo. He looked her way and shook his head, eyes serious. Seriously? She gave him a slight smile. Huh. Well, at least he's unpredictable.
"I've never – "
0045 GST
EEE gaming room
3.25 drinks consumed.
"You have not!"
Han laughed and shook his head in the affirmative. "Yeah. With Luke and Wedge and – " he paused, obviously concerned about recognition in the eyes of the others. When satisfied at their continued safety, he grinned. "With them and Carlist."
"No way!"
"You betcha, Sweetheart. We just were real quiet-like." He nodded to the next person in order. "Go ahead. Don't mind her. She's drunk already."
Leia opened her mouth in indignation and was prepared to negate his last comment when his hand clamped down over her mouth. "Go ahead, buddy."
"I never shot a blaster 'fore."
Leia somberly lifted her glass and took a drink before she even realized she was doing it. She caught a look at Han as he did the same, then glanced around the group as they stared.
"Okay. Er, I never met a Tion family member."
Leia smirked exclusively at Han and drowned the last of her drink in a flourish, eyes on him as he gaped and sputtered into his drink. He eyed her with brow furrowed and a wondering expression before he turned to the rest of the group and smirked. "Told you she was sloshed."
They laughed and even Leia smiled at the humor in his tone. She settled back down after grabbing another container and opening it. She leaned in close to Han and whispered challengingly into his ear. "Bet you I'll drink more."
He turned towards her, their faces barely six centimeters apart. "No way, Sweetheart."
The Rodian spoke next. "I've never had a million credits all at once."
Leia noticed that one other person besides Han and herself had drunk and briefly wondered what that particular story was.
"I've never got through Tilmeh – way too boring."
Leia briefly bristled at the slur to her favorite literary piece, but drank and let it slide off her consciousness. And Han didn't drink, so I'm good.
"I never been on a Imper'l Star Destr'yer."
Both of them smirked at the ludicrousness of that question when posed to former Imperial lieutenants and senators as they drank.
"I've never been kicked outta nuthin."
Does the Empire count? Leia noticed Han took a drink and realized it was probably in response to his Imperial court-marshal. Guess so.
"I've never cheated at anything in my life."
Leia laughed as Han nodded comically and drank.
"I've never had a one-night stand."
She did not laugh at Han's response to that one.
A hush descended on the group as the twi'lek looked down into her drink and spoke quietly. "I've never fallen in love."
Leia sat stock still and looked resolutely straight ahead. I don't, that's not – but, no, I don't, way too – Her heart started to beat just a little bit faster as she closed her eyes briefly and tried not to lose it in front of everyone. In front of him. She saw Han reach for the drink, and felt the sobs – this is the alcohol, I know it's the alcohol – as they wracked her chest. She began to tremble, still not looking at him as he lifted the container.
And took a drink.
Leia jumped up, stumbled a bit in her haste to leave them, him, everything, throwing a half-hearted "I'm leaving" over her shoulder as she walked out of the room, tears streaming down her face.
0100 GST
EEE front yard
4 drinks consumed.
"What the hell, Lei – uh, Rims?"
Leia turned her face away, ignoring Han as he sat next to her, put an arm around her shoulders. She shrugged it off, angrily stood up and got ready to leave again.
"Rims, look, come back inside." Han sighed and sat on the edge of the sidewalk. He turned his face towards her as she stopped at his quiet tone. "Just forget it. We have to at least say goodbye to your friends."
"They are not my friends!"
Han visibly bristled at her angry words. "Yeah, well, sweetheart, you're gonna have to start thinking they are. Get off your throne and show a little respect to the common people."
"My throne?" She felt her muscles tighten in pure rage. "Is that all you think I do, Jace? Do you think I think I'm better than everyone else?"
"Sure seems like it from where I'm standing."
"How dare you?"
"Me?" He pointed at himself. "How dare I? No, Sweetheart, how dare you? You look down on all these people, think you're smarter, better than 'em, when, really, you're in the same place. You don't know what the hell you're doin' with your life, either. Take a good look, Your Worship. This is where you'd be."
She stood about three meters away from him, silently seething. Damned mercenary. He doesn't know anything. She stopped. But he means this. He's not joking. Was is possible that she thought herself so far above other people around her that she'd stopped thinking about it? The idea seemed incredibly egotistical and wrong. How could she pretend to fight for the rights of the common people when she couldn't stand them? And for a member of the High Council, too, this is terrible. She stopped again. She heard herself mentally referring to herself as Princess or Senator or High Council Member when truly she was just Leia.
Just Leia.
Leia, the nineteen year old, slightly depressed, malnourished, overworked not-quite-adolescent who was aimless at times and rebellious almost always.
Sounds an awful lot like a typical college student to me.
She sighed, releasing her anger in one quick breath and nodded up to Han. "Yeah. You're right."
Han stood still, eyes searching hers as if he were gauging whether to believe her or not. "I am?"
She chuckled quietly. "For once, Jace, you're completely right." She moved over to him and grabbed his arm. "Having you around has certainly spiced up the evening."
He turned them towards the door as he began to walk. "Find a quiet room and I could spice it up a little more."
For once, Leia didn't take offense to his proposition and laughed. "I don't think so, flyboy."
"Damn. Well, there's always Strip Sabaac in the card room – "
0115 GST
EEE living room
4.25 drinks consumed.
"Dance with me, Rims."
Leia hacked up the mouthful of cheap eyeblaster she was drinking and began a series of coughs that only ended when her eyes were watering and her body doubled over.
"Are you kidding?"
Han looked slightly insulted at her response and he replied with a gruff edge to his voice. "No, I'm not. Dance with me."
Leia eyes the couples at the center of the living room warily. "Do you see what they're doing, Jace?"
Han grinned at her slight blush. "Yeah, great, huh?"
Leia wasn't of the same mind. The couples that Han and she were watching were more involved in scandal than dancing. "There is no way in all the hells of Corellia I'm doing that with you."
"So let's go to the outside. It's tamer over there." He waggled his eyebrows. "We can always move inwards when we want to."
Leia shook her head. "Oh, how subtle."
"I'm a subtle guy." He grabbed her hand and led her to the outskirts of the floor.
"Hey, wait, Han – " She whispered. "Wait a second." She lifted the container in her right hand and downed the entirety of the contents in one giant gulp. I'm already drunk. What could it hurt, really? She set the container on a table to the right of Han and watched him as his eyes glinted in the low lighting. She smiled up at him. "I had a feeling I would need reinforcements to get through this."
He laughed and resumed his tugging towards the dancers. "You're drunk."
"It's your fault. I would have left by now if you weren't around."
"I'm not complaining." Han stopped, turned towards her, and put his arms around her waist. "You're fun when you're drunk. You wouldn't dance with me if you weren't."
She laughed into his shoulder. "What can I say? You're more charming when I'm drunk."
"Is that it? Guess I'll have to remember that for future reference."
She took her head off his chest. "There's no future for you to need referencing, Solo."
"Uh-huh. You won't even remember this tomorrow. You're so wasted that you're forgetting to hate me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me."
Leia laughed again. "I'm drunk, not dead, flyboy. I'm still not sleeping with you."
He winked. "Not even with the sexy scar?"
"Not going to happen, Solo." She vaguely realized that Han was dancing relatively appropriately with her. "You're being nice. You wouldn't do that to me."
Han's gaze sharpened on hers, and she felt a warmth cascade through her. "No, I wouldn't."
She heard herself babbling. "You're better man than that."
"You're too important to rush, Princess." His face was coming nearer. Leia knew, were she in her right mind, she would have fled. As it stood right now, she could imagine nothing better than the current situation. And he's right, I won't remember this anyway. Why not enjoy what I can't have when I have the chance to have it now? It seemed ludicrous, but oddly comforting, to know that Solo was honorable, regardless of his past occupation and assurances to the contrary.
"Important?"
His lips were barely a breath away from hers. "Did you forget the drinking game already, sweetheart?"
"No."
"Good. Don't."
When he kissed her, Leia was completely aware that she was not Rimmas and he was not Jace, but that Han Solo was kissing Leia Organa. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the buzz of alcoholic unreality and the taste of his mouth, losing herself in the experience.
It was, after all, one she didn't want to forget.
I'm way nervous . . . drop a note to let me know what you think . . .
KR