video;

[deal]

[Cassandra glances over before focusing on her wind up music box, and begins slowly turning the handle. Music starts to play, a tune that may be familiar to people from Earth. She's not doing this to play music for everyone though, so she stops after a handful of seconds, looking thoughtful.]

It's funny. You hate home until you've been gone from it long enough, and then you get homesick and home is all you can think about. No matter how shitty it is, you forget about all of the bad things and only care about the people you left behind.

[The music box is picked up and clinched in her hand.]

Do you think it's possible to get a message back to someone? Has anyone tried communicating outside the ship yet? If things like this - [She drops the music box in her hand on the table she's sitting at.] can come through the Ingress to us, we have to be able to send things back through it.

Comments

[deal]

[Luke responding puts a slight smile on her face, at least, and she shrugs in response to his question. She was going to act like she doesn't know, because talking about it makes her pissy, but she's already told someone else the name, so -]

You Are My Sunshine. It's an old song, where I come from.

[t65]

Why would- oh. [He grins, scratches his head.] That- that must make more sense in your home system. I always forget most planets are in single-sun systems.

[deal]

How many suns does the planet you're from have?

[t65]

Oh, two. It's why Tatooine is a desert. 'You Are My Sunshine'... that'd mean something very different. [He says it with a fond laugh.]

[deal]

[She stares for a few moments, then laughs herself, shrugging her shoulders.] It means something different to me, than what it's supposed to mean.

[She grabs hold of the music box and winds the crank some more, letting it run through the rest of the song so he can hear.]

Did you get anything from home recently?

[t65]

What does it mean to you? [Yeah, we're going there.]

A... journal from a woman I've never met. It's strange, the things they pick up.

switches this over to private

[deal]

So, they gave you a stranger's journal. That's really useful.

[Okay, that's weird. Stranger than what she got, anyway. This place is crazy. Normally, she'd leave things there and just act like she hadn't been asked about her opinions on the music box. Since she's got the start of trust going with him, she goes back around to answer him.]

And uh -

[She hesitates, just a little.]

There was a guy back home. He was older, and had his own group. He called me Sunshine, when he made me stay with them. He'd sing that song to me sometimes, and I hated it.

private forever.

[t65]

Well, she's not a total stranger... she might be my grandmother, I think.

[But thinking about that is still a prickly mess, so Luke doesn't linger on it. ]

I'm sorry to hear that. That... seems like a cruel gift to give.

[deal]

At least it's music. It's been a long time since I've heard any.

[She's not choosing to take the optimistic route, she just doesn't want to open up any further than she already has.]

Does your grandmother have anything interesting to say? In her journal, I mean.

[t65]

Well, we've got to change that. I'm sure there's some better music somewhere on this thing.

If she's my grandmother... it means my father was a slave.

[deal]

That's pretty heavy to find out like that, if it is your grandmother.

[The way he says it, though, means that he isn't one.]

It sounds like he manages to give you a better life, though.

[Look, optimism. She's trying it. And it feels awkward.]

[t65]

[Wow, Cassandra, way to go. It's your bad luck you found the one thing Luke isn't optimistic about.]

Maybe. It's... complicated. My father isn't... [Opens mouth. Closes mouth. Repeats self in haste to change the subject.] It's complicated. What kind of music do you like, Cassandra?

[deal]

[She realizes she's unintentionally stepped into a subject that's a land mine with him, much like her own family is with her. She frowns, giving him an apologetic look. She figures he doesn't want her to apologize, but she feels the need to anyway.]

I don't know. It's been a long time since I've heard any real music. I used to like anything I could dance to. Or sing to, I guess. I was young and stupid.

[Awkward pause goes here.]

Do you think we could make a musical droid? Like an iPod. But on wheels.

[t65]

[Fondly:] I can't imagine you were ever stupid.

[Anyway. Luke thinks over her answer.] I'm not sure what you mean by 'iPod', but I could put a musical interface into that mouse droid you wanted. By the way, what color do you want it to be? They're usually black, but that's just Imperial design. [There's a little eyeroll there. Ugh, imperial anything.]

[deal]

[She gathers that Imperial things aren't good. Therefore, she doesn't want it to be black.]

I'm not picky, so surprise me.

[Which is her way of saying it doesn't really matter, as long as it isn't stuck with Imperial design. Besides, it's a fun game to see what color he picks for her.]

Are you sure you don't want anything in return for all this, though? It's a lot of extra work.

[t65]

[Cassandra, you're gonna get a bright orange droid with the Rebel Insignia stamped on the side.]

I don't mind. [He shrugs.] It's all work, after all. I'm lucky to be doing something I enjoy.

[deal]

[And she will think that it is obnoxiously colored and beautiful. She's grateful that he's willing to go through the effort to make her something, though.]

What else do you like doing?

[t65]

Flying! [Luke says it quickly and easily.] Before this, I was a pilot for the Alliance. What about you?

[deal]

You're a pilot?

[Her face lights up, and she looks impressed. ]

I've always wanted to fly. This is the closest I've ever gotten.

[Which counts, she guesses, because they are flying through space. But it's not the same as getting to be a pilot. She very intentionally doesn't answer his question he's asked her, because admitting that you don't do anything except focus on surviving and have no time for anything else is a buzzkill.]

[t65]

The best one this side of Anchorhead. [He says, like that matters. It's not really bragging; the population in Anchorhead isn't exactly thriving.]

I have clearance to use the transporters. Next time we're near a planet with atmosphere, I'll take you down. [And do ridiculous stunts in the air no big deal.]

[deal]

[For all she knows, it's a huge place. So she just looks even more impressed. And maybe a little smitten because no one's ever offered to take her flying before.]

Promise?

[Used to people telling her they'll do things and then going back on them, she wants to make sure he means it. That way, if he goes back on his promise, she can punch him for it.]