A little cafe talk (for Han).

[bornstrong]

 At 7 o'clock, Iphigenia is waiting in Sophia's Cafe, waiting for someone who may just turn out to be a new friend. She's glad to talk to him, even if he's maybe a bit reluctant.

She understands, and so she's sitting quietly at a table by the window, people-watching as she waits. She's got a small chamomile tea and a chocolate croissant in front of her, though she really hasn't eaten much of it yet.

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[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han is, of course, picturing everything she says in the retro-futuristic terms of his galaxy because ... that's all he knows. He's never been to Earth of any era, but the era she's talking about specifically? The closest things that compares are sparsely civilized planets outside of the core.

In his mind her palace looks something like this.

"I guess I don't ..." Han scratches his head. "Why do you say it was bad? I think all us poor folk ever dream about is that kind of wealth."

[bornstrong]

"It wasn't a happy home, necessarily--though I didn't realize that until it was too late," she says simply.

Iphigenia takes a sip of her tea.

"I don't know if you would want to hear my story."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"I'll listen to whatever people tell me, Princess."

Via the lips or facial expression, he was well trained in the arts of taking advantage of people and those old habits haven't yet died in him. He's constantly evaluating people and trying to figure out how he could manipulate them.

"Only if you feel like telling it, though. I'm just ... enjoying the company more than anything."

[bornstrong]

She frowns a little, though it's not really directed at him.

"My company?" Cue an eyebrow raise. "Well, thank you."

Flattered princess is flattered!

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Han can be quite gifted when it comes to flattery.

The truth is, it's only because he's stuck here in the Nexus that he gets to actually meet and get to know people. At home it was always hopping from one planet to the next, never staying in one place for very long.

It's kind of ... nice.

"You're welcome."

[bornstrong]

Now her little frown turns into a smile.

"See? One can meet people and make friends here. I like that."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"When you put it that way, you make it seem like that was a challenge for you previously. Or that you think it was for me."

And he's curious to know which of those she means. If it's the judgment about him, she's absolutely right, of course, but he's not going to own up to it so soon. He has a self concept to maintain and an image that he likes to protect.

[bornstrong]

"Maybe both are true," she points out. "Princesses don't really get to have true 'friends', you know. Just servants that you can only half-trust."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"I haven't ever been a princess." He teases. "I guess I can kind of imagine that, though, and that it probably extends to male royalty too."

"The closest I've ever come to being rich was pretending to be. There were these races I would compete in sometimes for ... my guardian at the time. I'd get enrolled under false names at boarding schools and rub elbows with the well to do when I wasn't competing."

[bornstrong]

She laughs a little at his teasing. Iphigenia doesn't mind it, really--it's nice to not have to be so serious all the time. That was the worst part about being royalty, she thinks.

"What sorts of races?" Oh, this is intriguing.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"Remember that rusty thing I was pushing around?"

He imagines she does because she caught him pretty messy and quite exhausted at the time. Surely that made some sort of impression, though he can't imagine an especially good one.

"I raced one of those. They called them swoops or speeder bikes depending on your locale."

[bornstrong]

She grins.

"Oh! That's..." She pauses, a little confused. "But is it like a chariot? How does it move?"

She's imagining horses are involved, Han. Sorry, this girl's not used to fancy machinery.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's okay. He might not have realized she came from a long time ago on earth, but he had the feeling that she might not be familiar with the kind of tech that runs rampantly through his galaxy.

She's not the only one. And it's why he's thus far been sparring with details of starships and extra-planetary travel.

But how does anyone begin to describe a repuslorlift engine to someone who isn't from his galaxy ...

"It's self propelled." He begins. "These small clusters of very dense gravitational forces make it move."

[bornstrong]

"Self propelled," she repeats, half to herself, still in wonderment.

"I don't think I fully understand, but it does sound impressive. I can only imagine."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"I can show you what it's supposed to look like and how it runs after I get it fixed up."

It won't really help her understand how the engine works, but she might find his horseless chariot interesting nonetheless.

[bornstrong]

"I would love to see it."

She's certainly curious about how it runs--even if she's not at all a mechanic. She'll probably be impressed, Han. Don't worry.

Besides, he's talking more, and Iphigenia's glad for that, at least.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

It's funny that someone who likes to boast as much as Han does, doesn't like to talk about his past.

In general, being here has curbed his ability to spout off a brag or two, because people seem to already know and respect him or they come from such a different universe that all of his brags no longer mean anything. The Nexus is a weird place.

"No problem, sweetheart." He says with a faint smile. "I'll make sure you do."

[bornstrong]

She returns his smile with one of her own. She knows it's hard here, sometimes--it's so different from her own world, she thinks, that it took her some getting used to. So she wouldn't be surprised if Han was homesick, even.

Or even just a little lonely.

"I'll be waiting," she says with a light laugh.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"I'm sorry in advance that it will take a while." He says, a little bit of good humor touching his eyes for a change. "Even for someone as good at fixing things as me."

Then again. She saw it. Iphigenia doesn't need to know how the thing works to tell it was clearly in need of some help.

"It's gonna shine again when I'm done with it."

[bornstrong]

"Please, take all the time you need," she replies. After all, she thinks, they have all the time in the world, here in the Nexus.

"I'm sure it'll look splendid."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

Anything Han has a tendency to devote himself to and put in an honest effort tends to turn out well. In that regard, he doesn't realize how lucky it is.

"So do you have any hobbies or passion projects?"

He's got to imagine she has some. His royal company doesn't strike him as someone so new to the Nexus she hasn't found some kind of niche yet. And even if, she must have had some hobbies before she arrived ...

[bornstrong]

"Well, I like to sing," she admits, blushing a little. "I've been told I'm good at it. I've been thinking about putting on a concert."

She grins.

"I would hope people would come. I practice when I can, so."

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"If there was some way to know less than nothing about music, that would be me."

Han's experience with music is limited to 'what's playing in the background of the smokey I'm in now' and that's about it. He's hardly even listened to enough to know what he generally likes and doesn't like.

And things are quiet on the Falcon, which is by design because he wants to hear the assortment of noises if something is going wrong. The otherwise quiet of space is ... something of a mixed blessing.

"I'd listen though." He says with a little smile. "I'd even try to absorb wisdom if you were trying to pass it on."

[bornstrong]

She laughs lightly.

"I hardly think I have much wisdom to impart," she replies. Iphigenia knows she is young, and merely mortal--not necessarily dumb, but she's aware that there are wiser people out in the universe.

"I used to sing at banquets, back home."

There is it again. Home.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

"No? You don't think you could teach me anything about music, because I bet you could."

There are lots of ways that someone can be wise after all.

"Can you sing something right now?"