(Untitled)

[smallgayjew]

Posner has been coming to Milliways long enough that he is under the impression he knows just about all the tricks the bar has to play on its patrons.

He's never seen the odd sort of stereo system off in the corner before, and he has to go and investigate.

When he gets closer, he finds he actually has to investigate further. He really doesn't

Comments

[one_man_army]

Carl has had a few drinks, which would explain why he's willing to wander towards the karaoke machine -- unknown to him, this machine happens to harness an evil that is unspeakable.

Once it has hold of you, it rarely lets you go.

Which is why a few minutes later, Carl is taking the microphone for a reason he'll never quite be sure of, and breaking into song.

When I wake up yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you

And after the first verse, he's pretty sure he sees Trudy coming down the stairs...

If I get drunk yes I know I'm gonna be

[hallelujahpilot]

So, here's the thing apparently: Carl sounds way more Scottish when he's singing.

Trudy approves.

She's also trying to ignore the way her cheeks are burning, but the laughter? Yeah, there is no helping that.

"What," she says, "the hell was that?"

[one_man_army]

"I have no bloody idea."

He's grinning, and laughing himself as he tosses the mic back onto the machine.

"I just wanted t'sing, apparently."

[hallelujahpilot]

"So I heard," she says with a smirk. "That...you just make up, or...?"

She'll kiss you in a second, Carl. Once she stops giggling.

[one_man_army]

"Oh no," he says. "That's the song for Scotland football, love. Sung whenever the boys score...wasn't originally that, though. Sung by the...band called the Proclaimers, first."

[hallelujahpilot]

"So, it football on your mind, or scoring?"

[one_man_army]

His cheeks heat with the hint of a blush.

"Well, if I'm bein' honest, at the moment...the latter."

He's cute when he blushes.

[hallelujahpilot]

"Yeah," she says, stepping closer and sliding her hands up his arms. "Thought so."

Now she kisses him, and she doesn't even make him walk five hundred miles first.

[one_man_army]

He likes that -- he likes that very much -- even if in the course of his Delta training, he walked at least five hundred miles.

In every climate or situation imaginable, no less.

Carl wraps his arms around her waist and doesn't bother to check for any members of Security just yet, because there's nothing wrong with a kiss in the middle of a bar. Nothing at all.

[hallelujahpilot]

She would prefer it, when she gets around to telling him to take a walk upstairs, that they might actually have some fun. No five hundred miles today.

And nope, nothing wrong with kissing. Nothing going to land them in the brig today.

Nope.

[one_man_army]

When they finally break, he catches his breath (it takes a second or two) and then looks at her, smiling.

"Well. How was your day, love?"

[hallelujahpilot]

"Sometimes, I hate my job. Not the flying, I mean the rest of it. And then some days I get to boss people around and I have this moment of 'oh, yeah, this side can be fun'."

The maintenance people hate her, but this is normal.

[one_man_army]

People tended not to hate Carl when he was in the service, simply because people didn't know he existed, really. But he supposes that is an unfair advantage.

"Bossing people around does have its perks," he agrees. "As long as nobody ends up worse for wear. Too much, anyway."

[hallelujahpilot]

"If they didn't want to end up worse for wear, they shouldn't have gone to a frontier town."

[one_man_army]

"Mm, this true."

He glances at the karaoke machine, then back at her -- this arm still around her waist.

"Did they at least learn not to fuck with you, after all?"

[hallelujahpilot]

"They mess with me, I'll play crap songs next time we have a party," says Trudy the Sometime DJ.

Then she pauses, and pulls out of his embrace, taking steps towards the karaoke machine.

"What, no, seriously, I'm not-"

But it's too late - she mentioned music, and now she will have to sing:

"Suerte que en el sur hayas nacido