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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
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Jan 18, 2012 18:50:37 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Jan 18, 2012 18:50:37 GMT -5
(((Sorry this is so late. Anyway, I tried to work with your reply and get Ina in the right position… Also, I’m assuming Shine was speaking to her, and hadn’t just typed the words before he came in? Otherwise, I can edit.)))
At first, Ofi had thought about following Ina but quickly dismissed the idea. The droid would be of better use out here, watching Shine and his metal weasel. Plus, though this was a unique situation that hadn’t come up before, Ofi was fairly certain that her friend would want to be left alone, at least for a little while, to think and gather her thoughts. Or however an organic would react to such a horror, in the droid’s eyes. There were a lot of things she had learned over the years about organic beings, but romantic entanglements were one of the few she had yet to comprehend completely. And Ofi figured she probably never would, glad that such things would never be a problem for her.
So she stayed, watching Shine, wondering if the man would just take the hint and leave or stay, digging himself a bigger hole. For those were the only options Ofi could see taking place. She wanted him to pick the former, knowing it would be better for all of them if he would just leave, leaving Ina in peace. Ofi couldn’t ever know what her friend was thinking at the moment, but having this man hanging around any longer wouldn’t help, in her logical droid mind. But of course, the man was clearly an idiot, as Ofi watched Shine stand up and clearly choose the latter option. If she could have, the birdlike droid would have rolled her eyes and sighed. No, she wouldn’t shoot the man, not yet anyway, but she did agree with the rest of his words, deducing them as pretty rhetorical. Ina’s departure had made that obvious.
Knowing that she couldn’t rightly stop the man, she just sat there and let Shine leave the room and go down the hall to Ina’s studio. Ofi had a conflict now: go and follow Shine, or stay and watch over his little weasel to make sure that it didn’t destroy anything. She scanned and quickly located it; it seemed to be peacefully recharging under the dining room set, and Ofi didn’t perceive any coming threat. With an electronic guttural rumble that passed as a groan for the droid, Ofi unfolded her wings and took off, following Shine. Besides the fact that she wanted to protect her friend from any further harm, there was the logical thought that the man would probably try to talk to her. She had briefly considered letting Shine stumble through Ina’s signs, but it wouldn’t have been fair to Ina. Though the senator could read lips, she wasn’t fluent and would need the droid to translate.
With the door of Ina’s studio now open, Ofi settled herself unobtrusively across the hall. She easily took control of the datapad Shine held in his hands as he spoke, scrolling across his words for Ina. Ofi may not like the situation, but she wouldn’t do anything to hinder her friend’s freedom. And she would keep her little holdout blaster primed, just in case.
* * *
Having reached the safety of her studio, Ina turned her back on the door and leaned against it, staring up at the ceiling, her pale cheeks still wet with tears. She stood there a few moments, trying to control herself, taking deep breaths to calm the shakiness she still felt. All she wanted to do was forget what had just happened, but all she tried, she couldn’t. The raw emotions were still tumbling around inside her, heart and head tugging her in different directions. Crazy as it was to think about afterwards, in conflict with her current feelings of wrongness, she wasn’t sure that she was experiencing regret, not exactly. For the briefest nanosecond it was as if all her troubles had disappeared. Despite everything her father, Ofi, her friend Riqi had ever told her, everything she had accomplished in university and now as a senator, in that short-lived moment Ina had felt important, that she had mattered.
No, she didn’t regret the experience, but now, she also knew she had to get past it, couldn’t let herself go back down that path. It was all a fantasy, a fairy tale. Continuing on wouldn’t solve anything. She’d just be putting a small bandage over a gaping wound. Ina couldn’t let herself forget her true self over something so silly as the long shot possibility of what might sequel that moment with Shine. There were plenty more ways for her to make a difference in the galaxy, keep on doing what she was doing before this man had come along. This one little… incident wouldn’t, couldn’t, change anything about herself. It was nice, yes, but it wouldn’t define her or control her.
Taking a few deep breaths, she was slowly but surely coming back to herself, pulling herself back together. Regaining back her poise, she wiped off her face, trying to think of how best to salvage the situation. The most logical, most comfortable idea would be to apologize to Shine, thank him, and then ask him to leave in the politest way possible. Ina wouldn’t lie, wouldn’t say she had a meeting she had forgotten, come up with a fake excuse. What she could do was suggest it would be for the best. And hopefully he would agree. This little informal meeting had gotten way out of control, for both of them, but especially for Ina. She had let herself get carried away in the moment, in dreamy but impossible possibilities. Whatever was done was done—the senator couldn’t change that—but there could not be any more like it. Ina could see nothing good, in the long run, coming from it.
She pulled herself from the door, finally noticing that she had run into her studio and not her bedroom. Brushing her clothes down, trying to look presentable again, her blue eyes caught a stack of old-fashioned canvases in the corner. Ina felt there was something she had to remember about them. She walked up to them and knelt down, looking through the paintings. Her brow knitted in confusion, she picked up the painting in the back, seeing a cityscape there. Odd, since she lately had been working in abstracts. Then she noticed it had a flimsi note attached to it with words in her handwriting addressed to Shine. Suddenly it dawned on her; she had painted it as a gift for Shine, and it had gotten stuck in the back. Ina hadn’t ever thought she’d ever give it to him, but yet, had worked on it anyway.
A revised plan starting forming in her mind, but it was still a fledgling when she felt a change in the room. There was a small rush of air as the door behind her slid open. Thinking Ofi had come to talk to her after giving her space, thinking that Shine must have left after her quick exit, Ina turned around, spinning on her knee. But her eyes widened in shock as she saw it wasn’t her droid but her visitor. Shine was the last being she expected to see in that moment after what had happened, notwithstanding that he was still technically a guest in her home. She was unable to move, still holding the painting, but managed to compose herself again, stuffing down her surprise and keeping her face neutral except for a mild look of curiosity.
Ina watched as Shine came in and gazed around at her studio before focusing on her and coming to sit down on the floor near her. He was quiet for a few moments, and she wondered what was going on. She tried to refocus on her own thoughts of what she wanted to say to him, what she had formed in her mind, but the words were getting confused again with other thoughts that had come with Shine’s arrival. Taking a deep breath, she pushed them back down. Seeing that he was holding out a datapad, she set the canvas in her hands back against the wall and arranged herself into a more comfortable sitting position before accepting it. No matter what was on there, she’d try to make the most of it and to steer any conversation back to something easier.
Afraid of what she might see there, she briefly closed her eyes before focusing them on the words there. The only pro was that wouldn’t have to look into that face any longer, at least for the present. Ina shouldn’t have been worried, though, as she began reading. They were similar words to her own unspoken thoughts that she had been trying to knit together into something concise and polite. She felt slightly better but not a whole lot. The senator still knew that the situation she—they—had found herself in was not entirely Shine’s fault. It was just as much her own. But what struck her the most was that despite all that, he didn’t want to leave. She had just acted in a pretty horrible way towards him, and yet it didn’t seem to bother the man. And the craziest part was that she was getting the sense that he hadn’t any motives behind the request. Any of the previous energy swell had dissipated.
Turning her gaze back from Shine, she searched her mind for something to say. Her prepared little speech, though yet rough, would no longer work. She felt torn on whether to ask him to go, as she had wanted earlier. It would be easy; he had brought up the choice for her. But then, there were things she did want to say, that should be aired out. And—she glanced back at the painting nearby—she had other unfinished business with Shine. There were dozens of things she could have said then, her own apologies, but when she finally looked back into his face, Ina suddenly forgot them all. Her heart spoke to her hands before her mind could censor them. Nodding, she answered with steady hands. << I wouldn't mind if you stayed, for a little while. You don’t have to go. >> She wasn’t sure if she was asking him to stay because of her gift, of what she needed to say, or because of something else. Right now, it just didn’t matter.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
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Rocking from the Great White North
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Jan 25, 2012 2:21:33 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Jan 25, 2012 2:21:33 GMT -5
Shine heard the clack clack of metal outside the room, his mind automatically knowing it was likely Ofi following him to check on Ina, but he pushed that aside quickly. At this point, unless Ofi was going to shoot him, he could care less about the bird Familiar. If there was one thing he was glad for with Ofi's presence, it was that Ofi seemed to have taken control of the datapad in his hands and translated his words into the screen for Ina to read. If nothing else, that just made it easier for Shine to say what he had to say.
Shine had noticed Ina's surprise at his arrival, obviously thinking that he would not follow her for whatever reason she had come to believe. Her saw words wanting to form in her hands, but his arrival seemed to have silenced any response she had been thinking of. As he came to her, speaking and letting the words form on the datapad, Shine wondered if he'd gone to far in following her.
Ina gave no sign that he had, instead turning her eyes towards the datapad to read what he had spoken from the depths of his heart. In the meantime, Shine's eyes fell on the painting she had held in her hands. He hadn't noticed it before, his entire attention had gone towards mending this situation that had been created between him and Ina. Now he couldn't help but look at it. Shine couldn't be certain of the place painted on the canvas, a cityscape just from looking at it, but he was certain of how much effort had been put into the painting. If Shine didn't know any better, he would have sworn he was looking out a window. It was eye-catching.
Tearing his gaze away from the portrait, Shine waited in silence as Ina glanced away from the datapad. She seemed to be trying to determine what to do in this situation and Shine briefly mused what those could be. Send him away harshly. Send him away nicely. Ask him to stay. Give him the picture and do any of the above three. Have Ofi shoot him. Take him to bed. Offer to talk about what had just happened. There were many possibilities and the desire to know which one ate at him, but he stilled his tongue to ask.
When she finally did reply, Shine read the words on the datapad with a warming heart. Smiling, he nodded and then moved his hand to take hers. Glancing back to Ofi, hoping the droid would translate his words right, Shine reached up and stroked her cheek with his free hand for a moment before motioning to the painting. "Thank you. Its beautiful you know. The painting. It has my name on it, so I'm guessing its for me. And I like it.
I can see you put a lot of effort into it. I can't think of anything, honestly, that catches my eye more. Other then you of course. Shall we sit and discuss it or would you like to go back to the main room to talk?"
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
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Feb 13, 2012 20:19:13 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Feb 13, 2012 20:19:13 GMT -5
(((The painting is supposed to be of Coronet City, Corellia (I think that’s where you said he was from), but I didn’t explain such, so my apologies… Hopefully I’ve fixed that in this reply…)))
So many things went through Ina’s mind after she had answered Shine, letting him know that he didn’t have to leave, but she let none of them hold sway over her. She ignored them. Dwelling on the countless options and possibilities would only lead to more questions and issues for her, and for him. Of course, asking him to leave, politely, would have probably been the easiest and best choice after what had happened. And that had been part of what she had planned on saying to him before he had come into the room. But her words had just spilled out, taking over her hands, and she wasn’t sure which part of her had influenced them, not caring if she even knew. Knowing only that it had felt right, meant to be that way.
All her life, Ina hadn’t really been much of a planner, not one to section off her life into little organizational milestones. Everything that had happened to her or had been a part of her life had come about without any planning on her part. Born deaf, given up by her birth mother, adopted by her father, attached to Ofi, fallen into politics—none of it had been her choice. And she was not about to let herself start looking ahead now. She would let her life unfold in front of her as it was meant to. Anything her heart or mind told her could not change her future.
This somewhat sudden realization of what she had always known but had lost along the way had calmed her. Her breathing and heart rate had returned to normalcy. And when Shine smiled at her and wrapped his hand around hers, she didn’t flinch at all. In a small corner of her mind, this surprised her. After everything that had transpired in the recent past between the two of them, it would have been perfectly logical for her to draw away, turning her head, not willing to accept his touch. But with her mind no longer focusing on all the crazy multitude of thoughts but on the present—though they still lingered there—she just let it happen, and nothing felt wrong to her about any of it. And when he caressed her cheek, still she did not react, negatively or positively. The feel of him felt good, but that was all it was. No ulterior motives, no subtext.
Shine spoke then, and it took her a few moments to realize that his lips were moving, another moment or two to look down at the datapad to read what he was saying. Her serenity was still there around her, but it was now in the background as she had more pressing things to focus on. He mentioned her painting, and she looked over at it, having forgotten it again momentarily. Reflexively, she blushed at his complements of it, not because of any particular feelings towards Shine, but because she was not used to hearing such things in general. Plus, she was quite honestly a humble being, not willing to accept that anything she did was any better than anything other beings had done.
The redness had mostly faded when she looked back at Shine, her hands lifted in readiness to reply. Any of her initial embarrassment of Shine calling attention to her work was quickly overshadowed by her joy in being able to discuss it. Besides her political platforms and her family, nothing was more important to her than her art. And this man sitting next to her was the first being she had met—not including her father or her friend Riqi—ever who seemed genuinely interested. She smiled, and her fingers flew as she spoke, only a slight timidity still remaining in her face and ‘voice.’ << Yes. Thank you. I did it awhile ago and had been meaning to take it to my office, for whenever… >> She paused, her hands just gesturing without any meaning behind them. << But just never got around to it.
Do you really like it? I haven’t done a landscape in years; they’ve never been my strength. Lately I’ve been working in abstracts. Ofi actually helped me with it, if you can believe it. When she realized she couldn’t talk me out of it, wanting to do something for you for Rodia, she did some research. Ofi found a holo of this city and said you’d like it. I... I’m not sure where or what it is, I’m afraid. >> Ina looked over at the painting again, her excitement disappearing for the briefest second. << But it looks like a nice place to visit. Not so cold and sterile as Arkania. >> She picked up the canvas and held it out for Shine to take, picking off the flimsi note as she did so, adding afterwards, << Here. It’s yours. To keep. As a thank you for… for what happened at the embassy. >>
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
Master
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Mar 13, 2012 20:08:38 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Mar 13, 2012 20:08:38 GMT -5
Something had changed.
The thought lingered at the tip of Shine's mind as he watched Irrina, a constant buzz that wouldn't go away until he placed the change. This wasn't the first time that buzz had overtaken his mind either; Shine was quite familiar with the feeling. It was the feeling that years of service in the military and then years of flying the galaxy had honed; the instinct to sense a change and then react to it. More often then not, it had been what stood between him and a bolt between the eyes, or getting involved in a deal that all of a sudden was too sweet.
Irrina was now giving him that feeling, although for an entirely different reason. When Shine had first arrived, she'd been nervous, out of place with the whole situation, confused in a way. Now that her sketchiness was gone, that hesitation and flinching replaced by a solid stance on any action Shine took or said. It was a welcome change and hopefully with it, Shine could be a bit more open in his actions.
Still, there was a shade of her timid side there, as evident when she blushed in response to his compliments. Smiling, Shine let her finish signing while he continued to admire the painting...and its creator, before her movement caught his eye and brought him to watch her as she picked up the canvas and offered it to him. With a grin, he took the painting gently from her, looking it over once more, the sharp angles and shading that made his home city almost alive in his hands, before placing it to the side so he could speak to her.
"Its a remarkable piece of art. Whether its your strength or not, I think when one puts their soul and heart into something, the end result can only be beautiful." The mention of Ofi helping with it caused him to risk a glance to her mechanical companion and gracing her with a smile before returning his attentions to Ina. Offering his hand for her to take, Shine motioned for her to walk with him before continuing. Remembering she had to read his words, Shine made sure to stop after a moment to let her catch up before continuing.
"To answer where it is, and Ofi did her research well, the location is Coronet City on my homeworld of Corellia. No surprise that she found out where I came from; Vis can do it nine times out of ten when I get him to look into someone. She's right though; she picked a place for you to paint that I would indeed like.
Maybe that trip on my ship I offered could take you there as well, if you're willing. I haven't been home in many years though, so there could be some...complications. Nothing that can't be handled though." The trip would take them back to the common room, where Shine directed her to the couch where they could speak once again. "Its a good gift and I thank you for it. I'm just surprised getting you off Rodia merited such a heartfelt gift; a lesser man might think that wasn't the only reason for the gift. A lesser man might think you were trying to catch his attention."
Shine knew she couldn't hear the playful tone in his words, but he knew Ofi would and hopefully, some sign from the droid would alert her to that. Still, he was also trying to earn her attention so perhaps it was better if that didn't happen.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
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the one and only
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
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Mar 20, 2012 18:34:47 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Mar 20, 2012 18:34:47 GMT -5
(((Sorry… this one got a bit long again… mostly due to Ofi.)))
Ina really hoped that she hadn’t been blathering on too much about the painting she had done for Shine and her reasoning for why. The words had seemed right at the time, but after they left her fingers, she felt the true impact of them, and they felt awkward. She had just gotten excited about his interest in it, despite the fact that he could have just been waxing compliments out of politeness and not true fascination, and she had just rambled about things that were rather unimportant. Still determined not to let her mind’s thoughts or worries get in the way, though, she took a silent breath and forced herself to remain in the present. Whatever happened as a result would happen, and she would deal with it then, no sooner.
As he accepted the artwork from her with a smile and looked it over, she was happy that he seemed to like it, and her heart swelled a bit. But then he set it down away from him, and she wondered if she had got something wrong. That maybe Ofi had been trying to sabotage things—Ina had thought it a bit odd that her friend had been so willing to help with the project—and told her to paint a location that held a lot of pain for the man. Or perhaps her representation of a familiar place had been failing in some way. Either way, she felt some of the blood drain from her face in reaction, horrified at the prospect of what she had just done to Shine with her gift.
Glancing down and away from Shine to hide the expression on her face, she noticed new words on the datapad she was holding. Comprehension dawned on her, and her face flushed again with the rush of blood at the man’s additional compliments of her work. She had let herself down, let herself think too much again, and it had just screwed with her emotions needlessly. It could have also been a result of her deafness and not being able to determine replies as quickly as hearing beings, but she had had so much practice at her own form of communication that she knew that was just a lame excuse. A failure in her part to negate her whirling thoughts.
Blinking away these unfounded thoughts, she turned her attention back to Shine. Ina had to make herself focus yet again on what was outside of her body, not inside her mind, knowing that her recent epiphany would be an eternal struggle to follow nevertheless. But she also knew she had the resolve to make it succeed if she worked hard at it. She couldn’t let her mind get carried away, not consciously. As she had learned the hard way in the last hour or so, such thoughts only led to more trouble, and trouble led down a steep path.
Needing to break her silence and noticing Shine’s gaze on her, her fingers working in a quick sign of ‘thank you,’ joining the embarrassed smile that had sprung up on her face. Luckily, he moved on then, forgoing any further compliments, standing up and holding his hand towards her in assistance for her to do the same. Ina was glad for the change; it would help her keep her head in the game a bit more easily if she had more present and less embarrassing things to occupy her mind with. Not to mention that her legs were getting a bit stiff from sitting on the floor in her studio, unused to the position as she was. She switched the datapad to her other hand, letting herself take his hand and be lifted to her feet. Again, she could feel the contradictions of strength and gentleness in the touch but pushed the notion away before it could morph into anything confusing.
They slowly made their way back into the living area of her apartment, Shine speaking along the way, Ina concentrating on the text scrolling across the datapad, only belatedly realizing that the painting had been left behind. She smiled at his first words. They reinforced her earlier deduction that she had been wrong about Ofi’s possible deceit. Ina felt good that he appeared to enjoy the painting of his home city, and that she hadn’t unduly caused herself embarrassment in this one thing. In her mind’s eye, she saw the cityscape again and committed the image more solidly to memory along with its name. She had known Shine hailed from Corellia, but never having been there, hadn’t recognized the city Ofi had pointed out to her to paint. Now, though, she would make sure to remember it.
She had been enjoying this new conversation from Shine, glad that the topic had switched to something as benign as the subject of her painting and the explanation of such. But then the next words she read stopped her, and she had to read them again, standing in the middle her common room. Again, he had brought up the suggestion that she could visit his ship and perhaps travel somewhere in it with him. Earlier she had thought it merely a polite comment, but a repeat of the offer, along with added details… Ina was not stupid and could read between the lines, could see the implications in Shine’s chosen words. She was glad her face was tilted towards the datapad; she needed an extra second or two to steel herself before going to the couch where Shine was waiting. Though she had told herself she would just go with the flow and not let her mind think too deeply on things, it was rather hard to continue that resolve now.
But Ina knew she had to try, so after closing her eyes for a moment and inhaling deeply, she went the rest of the way into the room and seated herself in the middle of the couch. All outward traces of her discomfort and shock at what she had seen had been erased. She smiled at him, prepared to reply to his offer as graciously as she could muster without noting a definitive answer. Telling him that she was most flattered and that perhaps it would be nice sometime to visit Corellia. That as a senator, it could especially be most helpful to her. Living in the present didn’t mean she had to listen to her heart’s reckless whispering.
As she moved to set down the datapad to free up both her hands, however, she noticed more text on the small screen. Any remaining conflict and awkwardness inside of her vanished and was replaced with relief as Shine changed the subject, and she was no longer inclined to respond to his suggestion. He spoke again about the painting, and Ina was happy to expand on a topic that didn’t make her uncomfortable, at least not in the way his offer of a trip to Corellia had. There was still a slight tremor to her normal composure, something that had been there since Shine had come to her apartment, but now it was no longer guiding her.
<< I'm so glad you do like it, and you're very welcome. I had worried about that. >> It was true; it had taken her a while to decide, standing at her easel and staring at the blank canvas, on whether to go through with the painting. But in the end, she felt she had made a good choice; whether or not it ever made itself to Shine, Ina had done her part in the matter.
<< Though for the reason... I didn't mean anything behind it other than my gratitude, I assure you. I just wanted to do something, felt I had to do something other than mere words. >> Ina paused, deciding how to go on, wondering now if her gift had actually made exacerbated matters between then, instead of trying to deflect things into the reason Shine was at her apartment in the first place. But she couldn't dwell on that; there was nothing she could do about it now. She shrugged before adding, << It seemed more appropriate than sending you money. >>
* * * *
Ofi had watched the exchange between her friend and Shine with dull interest, only focusing on the words in order to translate them. Though she really did want Ina to come to her senses and think logically, send the man on his way. But in her experience, organics rarely had comprehension comparable to that of droids, and it was rather sad sometimes. There was nothing for her to do but help out where she could and watch for any moment of possible danger that might present itself. Surely Ina wouldn't be angry if it was an innocent accident...
The two organic beings were moving out of the studio and back into the main area of the home, and Ofi focused her processor back to current time. She noticed that Shine had forgotten to take his gift with him. Ofi had aided in the subject matter, but she had had an entirely different effect in mind. It wasn't her fault that the memories brought up in the painting didn't make the man want to immediately leave; humans just didn't always act in predictable ways. Plus, she had calculated a high probability that the painting would never end up in Shine's hands and had merely been trying to indulge her friend in a little fantasy, thinking no harm could come in it.
The bird-shaped droid waited a couple seconds before following them, stopping to remove the listening device she had attached to the back of it. With that stupid weasel droid around, her ploy would have been discovered quickly, and she'd rather avoid that particular mess. Better to wait for a different opportunity to keep tabs on the man whom she had yet to fully trust. Or even better, to not have to bother because Ina would never seen him again. Though the little she knew about her friend's interactions and the databases she had of humans and near-humans told her that was a remote possibility.
She clutched the canvas top in her talons then before gliding through the air and into the living room. She hovered a moment, waiting for the two to sit down; there was an odd delay in Ina's movement, but Ofi couldn't see her friend's face. In any case, Ina did eventually seat herself, giving Ofi the chance to swoop in and drop the painting in Shine's lap.
Afterwards, Ofi perched on a nearby chair and bored her red eyes at the man. She knew that Ina had worked especially hard on the painting. Ina hadn't thought Ofi noticed, but the droid could tell--calculating in her average time spent on other similar projects--that her friend had wanted to make this one perfect. And there was no way, despite her misgivings about the man and her disagreement with Ina's actions, that Ofi would let him forget it.
However, that's where her charity ended. She decided not to tap into the holovid screen, content to let the two of them decipher the translations over the tiny datapad. Perhaps Shine would eventually tire of that and leave; Ofi could only hope. Ofi settled in to wait, snugging herself against the soft upholstery of the white chair, keeping both her photoreceptors on Shine and outside awareness all around, in case the metal weasel woke up.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
86 likes
Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
Master
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Apr 2, 2012 14:02:05 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Apr 2, 2012 14:02:05 GMT -5
At a random thought, Shine knew he'd heard plenty of men discuss how hard it was to keep their attention on a woman's face when there were other parts of her that were much better to admire. While Shine could not disagree with this assessment, he also found he could not fully agree with it either. Without a doubt, Shine would give a woman a look over, as any man would. But what his attention usually remained on was their face and their eyes. Those were always worth his attention more then the rest of her, minus when in situations that required those attentions.
And with Ina, watching her face was worth every minute of that attention. Since she didn't speak and couldn't hear him properly, the reactions on her face were his best way of understanding her reactions to his words. Her face turning red was his favorite though, for it brought color to that face and lit up its beauty in finer detail.
She followed him without trouble back to the living area, where the couch was much nicer to sit upon then standing or kneeling on the floor. Shine noticed with a smile that when he decided to switch up the topics, something seemed to climb off Ina, a weight that had been tying her down. It was obvious that discussion of more intimate matters worried her, that this switch to a more familiar subject brought ease to her mind.
Glancing at Ofi as the Familiar returned, Shine had to reach up to avoid letting the painting Ofi had unceremoniously dumped on him from simply bouncing off onto the floor. Giving the droid a little stare of both thanks and unwelcome intrusion, Shine admired the painting for a few moments again before turning to place it against the edge of the couch. Then, casting the droid another look, Shine turned his attention back to Ina and the words she had signed.
"You were worried I wouldn't like a painting someone did for me as a gift of generosity? I must be losing my touch about showing off my strength of character." He laughed a little at the comment about her reasons for the painting, his joking obviously not translating well across the sound barrier. With a wave of his hand, he shrugged his shoulders.
"Relax though, I understand completely what the painting was for. I was only messing with you. Its certainly a better gesture then just plain old credits." Now for the hard part. Taking a little bit of a breath to ready himself, Shine cast a worried glance at Ofi before speaking. "Ina...what would you say to...entering into a relation with me? The question has been on my mind for a little now, so I figure now's the best time to ask."
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
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the one and only
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
Master
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Apr 16, 2012 18:55:31 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Apr 16, 2012 18:55:31 GMT -5
(((Sorry for the delay… I honestly had a bit of a hard time figuring out how Ina would answer Shine, and the post might still be a bit awkward. ;p But hopefully you can do something with what I came up with… )))
When Ina had finished signing her answer, she picked Shine’s datapad back up in preparation for a forthcoming response and turned to look at his face. She hoped that her honest answer would satisfy him. There really hadn’t been anything meant behind her gesture of the painting besides a thank you for Rodia. As Ina thought back on it, though, she could see Shine’s reasoning for wondering why she had painted him the landscape. Most beings probably would have settled for a brief word of gratitude, despite the ordeal they had been through. Or even, as she had done, an invitation for a second meeting to express her thanks. Perhaps the motive attached to such a gift had confused him, but for Ina, it was only natural to be so giving of herself to others. No strings attached.
But she hadn’t any more time to think along those lines because her friend Ofi interrupted her thoughts. Ina had to admit to herself that she had briefly forgotten about the droid and how she had to have been obviously helping her communicate with Shine. So much had been going on that her friend’s contributions to their seamless conversation had slipped her mind. Now, though, Ofi rather rudely—in Ina’s eyes—reminded them both of her presence by flying into the room with the painting clutched in her talons, dropping it onto Shine, and then moving to sit on the nearby chair. The senator wasn’t sure what had gotten into her friend. She made a mental note to talk to Ofi later; it wouldn’t be polite to do so in front of a guest. Instead, she settled for a look aimed at the droid that was part shock, part chastising.
Luckily, though, the actions of Ofi didn’t seem to bother Shine all that much, for which she was glad, and it somewhat eased her embarrassment at what her friend had done. He deftly saved the painting from potential ruin and looked at it some more before setting it aside again, seemingly intent on ignoring Ofi except for a couple of glances that didn’t escape Ina’s gaze. She felt it said a lot about Shine’s character that he wouldn’t let the birdlike droid get to him, and she smiled a bit at the thought. Any other being, she was sure, probably would have risen to their temper and yelled at Ofi, or worse. In fact, Ina had found it a trifle hard herself to focus back on Shine and not on her friend.
Things returned to how they had been then, with Shine speaking and Ina reading off the datapad. For some reason, though she had followed them into the room, Ofi had neglected to tap back into the holovid screen for their translations. Just something she would have to file away for later to talk to her friend about. For now, though, she put it out of her mind and looked back to Shine when she finished. Ina smiled sheepishly and shrugged again, noticing the laughter still etched on his features. What else was there to say? She never knew what to expect when she did any sort of art as a surprise for another being; most of her projects were personal and never seen by anyone but herself. There was always the possibility that it wouldn’t turn out right or send the wrong message to its recipient.
Shine continued to assure her that he was entirely grateful for the painting, and she smiled again, this time a bit more warmly. It made her feel good that he hadn’t taken it in the wrong way, despite his earlier questions. Maybe the awkwardness had finally moved past them, and they could move on to more casual conversation for a bit longer, and then she could politely suggest to him that he best be moving on. After all, she would have business to attend to in the morning, and most likely, he did, too. She relaxed in her seat, glad that she would have gained another friend after all of this was over.
However, everything was shot to hell when she noticed Shine had spoken further. Time seemed to freeze around her when she looked down to read the translation. Everything poured out of her mind except for those next words; any coherent thoughts were gone. Ina’s entire body stiffened, her fingers tightening their grip around the datapad. Almost impossibly, her already naturally pale skin grew even whiter and a little ashen with shock and fear as all the blood drained away, supplying her rapidly beating heart. A heart that felt like it was coming up to choke her, and her free hand reflexively went to her throat. She grew cold and a little unsteady. At the same time, the datapad slid out of her now shaking fingers, her gaze still anchored to the little screen as it fell to the floor.
* * * * *
As she sat, watching and transmitting, Ofi wondered if she had made a mistake by letting Ina continue conversing with Shine over the datapad instead of reverting back to the larger projector. She had originally thought the small screen would bother them, but apparently it had just made it easier for them to remain close to each other. They were having no trouble at all. The droid glanced over at the holovid screen, but still, she didn’t activate it. Their conversation had turned to trivialities, and perhaps the danger had passed. No use wasting the energy.
But then Shine asked what seemed a very strange question to a droid such as Ofi. She hadn’t much experience in such matters, considering Ina’s somewhat workaholic and not-so-social life. Now, though, with recent events still near the top of her memory banks, it seemed to fit. Ofi wasn’t so happy about it, obviously, giving her misgivings about Shine, but she couldn’t very well disregard the request and not play it over the datapad. So she prepared herself for the worse and put the words through.
Instead of thinking she would be aiding Ina in throwing Shine out the door—it seemed a logical response when she took the question coupled with the earlier kiss—Ofi found herself worried about her friend after seeing her reaction. She leaped into the air and soared towards the couch, perching on the cushion on the other side of Ina. Quickly, she ran some bioscans of Ina, ruling out a cardiac event and other major health concerns. Feeling content that her friend was fine for the present moment and would soon recover, she turned her attention to Shine. Though her entire programming was telling her to protect Ina at all costs, the man’s words could hardly be designated as a grave threat, and so she settled with just leveling her red photoreceptors at him, daring him to make another move.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
86 likes
Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
Master
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May 2, 2012 14:17:15 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on May 2, 2012 14:17:15 GMT -5
Shine knew something wasn't right. As Ina's eyes went to read what he had just said, Shine's eyes briefly glanced to Ofi, who was watching from her perch, wondering what the droid would make of his request. The droid was neutral in expression, however, and if she had a problem with it, she made no move to make that clear. That's when Shine turned his eyes back to Ina...and realized he might have made a mistake.
Ina's body language had completely changed. Where it had been relaxed before, her body had now gone rigid and tight. The hand she was holding the datapad with was now clutching it as if her life depended on keeping the device within her grasp, though that hand was beginning to shake. Her white skin, which had been an exotic addition to her looks, now had gone sickly white. When her hand went to her throat, Shine's first thought was to take her shoulder and make sure she was alright. Then the datapad hit the floor with a resounding clack and Shine snapped his mind back to reality.
Shine was aware of Ofi landing beside Ina, first looking to Ina for a few moments, then glancing over to him. The warning behind those eyes was clear, but Shine merely made a low whistle before turning his attention back to Ina.
In the corner where he had been resting, Vistal had not been idle. Like Ofi, Vistal was capable of recharging while paying attention to the outside world. As such, when Shine and Ina had returned to the room, everything that had occurred and had been said had been recorded. The moment his audio receptors picked up that whistle, however, Vistal went from half offline in the corner to fully active. He and Shine had worked out before a simple yet covert way of communicating with one another. The whistle Shine had used was the one that indicated that Shine needed Vistal to run interference for a moment.
It didn't take much for Vis to decipher who Shine needed interfered with. With the casual pace of one who had not a care in the world, Vistal made his way over to the three of them. Instead of speaking vocally, Vistal opted for a different form of communication, simply because it allowed him to speak only to Ofi and Ofi alone. Patching into the network that linked all Familiars to one another, Vistal sent a message to his fellow bot.
"Ofi, please relax. Shine means no harm and our best course of action is to let this play it's course. I can assure you, this is standard human behavior for a difficult question. She's...I believe the word is flustered and possibly uncertain."
Shine was only briefly aware of Vis approaching, but only because he and Vis had practiced this before. The little droid had never failed him before with their audio signals. Either way, his more pressing concern was Ina. Calmly, slowly, he reached down to the floor and picked the datapad up from where it rested. Turning it, Shine placed it easily back to her hands and spoke slowly, hoping the calm gesture would put Ofi at ease.
"I'm, uh...sorry if that was a little sudden. I didn't mean to startle you with it, it's just...well, like I said before, you're beautiful and interesting. I just figured, you know...asking was a better way of finding out then the more direct method. I mean...I don't think you hated it when I kissed you earlier. Is it...was it wrong of me to ask?"
With an easy motion, he reached up and took the hand that was at her throat, holding it firmly but gently within his fingers. Hopefully the act would help to slow down what Shine hoped was just a racing heart and case of the nerves.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
55 likes
the one and only
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
Master
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May 17, 2012 2:26:05 GMT -5
Post by Mara on May 17, 2012 2:26:05 GMT -5
Ofi was vaguely aware of Shine’s whistle but couldn’t think of what the purpose behind it might be. Obviously it was not meant for Ina; she couldn’t hear. It wasn’t until her personal space was violated by the metal weasel droid that she finally understood. The whistle must have been some sort of prearranged signal between the human and his droid. She allowed the other AER’s words to patch in, words beyond the hearing of the two organics, not bothering to look down at it and preferring to keep her gaze on Shine and Ina. At the same time, she made a mental note to double-check her firewalls and her connection (or disconnection) to the P.F. network. The birdlike droid had wanted nothing to do with her former employer and maker.
For her own answer to the other droid, Ofi went through the varied possibilities of what she could say in response. She could defend her actions, show her allegiance to Ina. But as she calculated, she figured there was a very good chance that if she said anything to that effect, it would only encourage the little weasel to continue speaking to her. That was something she didn’t want. A different tactic would have to be used. Finding the uplink to the network that all the P.F. droids used (and probably some of the organic bosses from time to time), she sent the other droid a brief response before blocking the connection for good. “Stay out of my head.” Ofi then focused completely on Ina, ready to interfere if she needed, but also giving her friend the chance to recover and respond herself.
* * * * *
Ina was in full shock. Her vision had tunneled, eyes gripping the datapad on the floor but no longer seeing it. Everything else around her had gone blurry, and she felt lightheaded, a little nauseous. Her heart felt like it was simultaneously trying to come up through her throat and burst out of her chest. She was trembling, but it wasn’t with any feelings of cold. Gasps of breath came from her mouth as her body worked to calm itself down. Tears streamed from her face in reaction to the trauma. With the odd clarity that came when presented with such situations, a small remaining working part of her mind vaguely wondered if she was having a heart attack, but she had no further focused thoughts on the matter as those cells, too, stopped functioning coherently.
The datapad moved from her gaze, but she continued to stare at the spot on the floor where it had been lying, unable to move except for her involuntary shaking. She didn’t feel the device being placed on her lap. It vibrated slightly from the movements of her hand but remained balanced there. Ina had a sensation of disembodiment, as if she were watching herself and Shine from above. At the same time, though, she felt like she was falling into a never-ending abyss, the darkness closing around her.
Slowly, however, as the minutes dragged by, she began to recover as her body overcame the shock. The shaking retreated and disappeared. Her gasping turned into deeper breaths, and she was soon breathing a lot easier. Her heart calmed; it was still thumping hard but no longer at breakneck speeds. Ina’s sight line expanded out, and the tunnel vision dissipated. She blinked, finally coming back to herself, belatedly realizing that the datapad was no longer on the floor, but its familiar weight was on her lap. Also, her other hand was no longer at her throat; she hadn’t felt Shine take it in one of his.
She hesitated, unsure of where to focus her blue eyes and so remained looking down for a few more moments. Instead, she folded her free hand around the datapad, needing it to help keep her anchored to the present. And with her other, she squeezed Shine’s hand back, feeling a need to assure him and herself that she was okay, at least for the most part. Unfortunately, she quickly ran out of trivial things to do and now had to confront the situation. Ina knew she must look at Shine and begin to sort this whole mess out.
Her head was lifting up, and she was preparing herself to look into that face when she glimpsed the datapad in her lap out of the corner of her eye. Of course… Shine must have said something in the meantime, most likely going unnoticed during her episode. At least, she hoped he had; it could be one last thing to occupy herself with before she had to face those eyes of his. She pulled the device closer and was relieved to see that there was indeed new text on its screen. His words were full of apologies and a bit of his own confusion. A sad smile brushed her mouth for a moment. Ina wondered if she had been sending the wrong message somehow. But none of that mattered; what was done was done.
Finally, Ina allowed herself to focus her gaze directly on Shine. With one more squeeze, she extricated her hand in order to reply. But when she lifted them to begin signing, she found that while she had recovered physically from what had just happened, her mind was much slower. Her fingers hovered in the air, speechless. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, recalling the text from the datapad, before looking back to the man seated next to her. Ina began signing, commanding her hands and brain to work coherently but stumbling over her words anyway. << I… I appreciate the thought behind… it. But… I don’t know. This is all so… I mean, I hardly know you… you barely know me… I… >> Exasperated with her inability to communicate what feelings she may have had, she just stopped, letting her hands fall to her lap.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
86 likes
Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
Master
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May 26, 2012 19:14:26 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on May 26, 2012 19:14:26 GMT -5
Ofi's quick response and subsequent blocking of the signal the Familiars used to connect to home caught Vis completely by surprise. It wasn't Ofi continuing to be hostile towards both of them that disturbed Vistal so; he was coming to suspect that Ofi did not like the fact that both Shine and him were here. For whatever reason, the older Familiar seemed to think that Shine could possibly be a threat to Ina, a thought that Vistal himself could not understand or compute.
What surprised Vis was when he tried to reestablish contact with her through Project Familiar's personal signal, he found that the connection had been severed. Not just blocked in a way that could be broken, but broken off entirely, effectively cutting her off not only from contact with him, but from the base back on Kuat. Ofi was, for all intents and purposes, disconnected from Project Familiar entirely. A fact that Vistal could not understand. How could she want to be disconnected from home, to Father and all of their fellow Familiars? For Vistal, it just didn't seem possible.
With that form of connection cut off, Vistal was forced to return to using basic communication. No, not quite; speaking now would interrupt Shine and Ina's talk. Vistal had another idea. Clicking his paws together to get Ofi's attention, Vistal began a series of alternating blinking lights with his eyes, sending a message that way. Ofi, I can understand you're concern for Ina, but this is a matter for her and Shine to discuss. Let it play out; everything will turn out fine, I'm sure of it.
Meanwhile, Shine was beginning to wonder if he'd asked the wrong question at the wrong time. Ina looked like she was about to go into shock and for a moment, Shine was unsure of what he should do. Should he attempt some form of medical aid? Try and bring her out of it by saying something else? Nothing that came to mind seemed to fit and for a brief moment, Shine was scared he might have done something he could not fix.
Luckily, Ina solved that mental dilemma for him. Her body stopped shaking, her eyes slowly started to regain their focus and the hand in his gripped back instead remaining limp under his touch. Shine sighed internally in relief, thankful that whatever had gripped Ina a moment ago had released her just as quickly. Smiling lightly to reassure her as well as himself, Shine watched silently as she took a moment to gather herself before signing.
Reading the message she displayed, Shine let out an exasperated sigh. Pushing this matter any further, it seemed would be a poor idea. Nodding his head slightly, Shine patted her hands before replying. "Understood; it was a bit premature of me to ask, I guess. No harm done.
Well, I think I've overstayed my welcome. My apologies if I overstepped any bounds, Irrina, but I did have a good time. I would not mind meeting again, provided your schedule allows it; any offer's I've made stand. If there's nothing else, I shall excuse myself." He would give her a chance to reply, to say anything else she felt needed to be said, before bowing his head slightly and moving to make his exit, motioning for Vistal to follow him.
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Mara
nothing worth anything ever goes down easy
9,275 posts
55 likes
the one and only
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last online May 2, 2022 22:30:17 GMT -5
Master
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Jul 10, 2012 17:05:56 GMT -5
Post by Mara on Jul 10, 2012 17:05:56 GMT -5
(((Sorry I got to this so late… I’ll try to be more prompt in the future. Also, it might be a bit rough, especially the part with Ofi; I’m a bit rusty. Anyway, I hope you’re still onboard for the later meeting/Omwat thread. I’m going to start working towards bringing it up… P.S. Just letting you know that I’m going with Ina having misunderstood Shine’s question from earlier. That she thinks he was just asking her to be his girlfriend, not what he actually meant. In case you’re wondering.)))
Despite everything else that had happened between them in the last hour or two, Ina actually found herself a bit nervous with how Shine would react to her stuttered reply. A reply that perhaps she should have waited a bit longer to compose herself for. She knew she had been less than coherent with her signing, and her only hope was that Ofi had accurately translated her stumbles so the man would realize how jumbled up her mind really was. Her earlier decision to just go with the flow, stay in the present and out of the future wasn’t quite working as well as she had wanted. Thoughts still swirled through her head, some promising, some scary, all of them confusing.
Wanting to look away, maybe run away, she used all her strength to remain where she was, keeping her eyes on Shine. She wanted to watch his face, see if she could read anything in his face as he read through the short words on the datapad. The woman wrung her hands together, folding and unfolding her fingers, at times wrapping them in the hem of her tunic. Her breath was still shallow, her heart rate still fast, but she was no longer critical. Ina forced herself to calm down further or at least far enough that she’d be able to order her thoughts into something a lot more clear. If she hadn’t completely screwed things up, she wanted to be able to explain herself and try to salvage back whatever it was that was between them.
But then seeing the disappointment run across his facial features as he read, Ina knew immediately that he hadn’t taken her response very well. They had been having such a good time together, at least she thought so, and she had gone and ruined it, first when he had tried to kiss her and now with her reaction to his proposal. Ina had to look away then, using the datapad and his recent words as a crutch to hide her face as she bent over them. She was looking past them, though, as all she could think about was the fact that she had quite possibly sabotaged another friendship, maybe something more. It was something that had happened to her before, just not quite in this way, and she had never felt this badly about it in the past.
Ina took a deep breath and focused her eyes on the datapad’s screen in front of her. A lot of it she had gotten the meaning from the expression on his face, but now she knew the details of Shine’s thoughts. She took brief consolation in the fact that he had enjoyed himself as well, until she had gone and messed things up, of course. The rest of his response, though, seemed a bit distant and cold, as far as she could tell, going just with her ability to read between the lines and translate body language. They just made her more resolute to try to smooth things over and at the same time, figure out her own mind and what it and her heart wanted.
Noticing that, in her long silence, he seemed to be gathering himself to stand up, she reached out and grabbed his arm, and with her other hand, she held it up, palm out, in a casual ‘wait’ gesture. Her grip was perhaps a bit too tight and desperate, but she wanted to keep him there just a bit longer to say what she needed to. This was going to be a bit of a blind leap on her part, somewhere she had never gone, but she also felt completely right about it. Of course, there was still uncertainty, but it was just in the background and no longer controlling her. Ina knew it’d also be risky, and especially for a planner like her, but there was also no reward without it.
When she was sure he wouldn’t be going anywhere, seeing by her eyes she had something to say, she let go and passed him back the datapad before she started speaking. Her hands moved slowly but confidently. << No, I’m the one who should apologize. It was obviously a surprise, but I should never have reacted that way. I’m so sorry if I’ve hurt you in any way by it; please, forgive me. >> She wanted to smile then, but felt it would convey the wrong thing, so kept her face neutral before she dove in the heart of the matter.
<< I feel I need to explain myself, though. I have never been in any situation remotely like this before. Maybe I mentioned it earlier? All of my relationship experience thus far with any man has either been with my father, friends from university, or colleagues here in the Senate. Partly because of who and what I am, and partly just because of my schedule. I’m not trying to make excuses for myself, not at all. That’s the last thing I want. I just want you to understand that anything even vaguely romantic is very new for me. Especially coming from someone I’ve honestly not really known all that long.
However… it hits me now that that doesn’t matter. That one of the purposes of a relationship is to get to know someone better. And that’s what I want, is to get to know you more. As a friend first… but I’m willing to just go for the ride and see what becomes of it. I can’t let myself be stuck in the past or in the future, for that matter. And although I like things neat and tidy and organized, I know I wouldn’t be here unless I had been willing to take a risk or two.
I suppose what I’m saying is, is that while I can’t in good conscience enter into a romantic relationship with you, not yet… I’m not taking your offer off the table. And if my reprehensible actions tonight haven’t completely destroyed any possibility of anything between us, I would be honored to count you as one of my few close friends, to continue to see you and get to know you. If that’s what you would like as well. If you don’t… I would understand that as well and completely respect your wishes. You would never have to see me again after tonight. >> Feeling she had said what she wanted, she stopped and folded her hands together.
* * * *
While Ofi was watching Ina, transferring her jumbled signing into words scrolling across the datapad, she noticed a strange blinking off to the side. She waited until Shine began to reply before glancing over to see what was going on, knowing that she could easily transmit Shine’s words by just hearing them; it was only Ina’s sign language that she needed to watch in order to translate. The red lights turned out to be coming from the stupid metal weasel. It was blinking them in a futile attempt to continue to communicate with her. Oh, she could understand it, all right; she just wasn’t in any mood to reply to the droid. He had no comprehension of why she actually was ignoring him. Of course, she was concerned for Ina, but her problem was with the droid himself, not directly with what its master was doing or not doing to her friend.
So she merely just stared at the thing for a few moments, hoping it would get the hint that she didn’t want to talk to it, before looking back to Ina to see if there was more signing for her to translate. There was, but it wasn’t what she had hoped Ina would say. Apparently her friend was intent on keeping this crazy man around in her life. Why, Ofi couldn’t really understand. But she also wanted her friend to be happy, and if this made her happy, in some strange way that she couldn’t compute, she wasn’t about to get in the way. Of course, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try her hardest to give her advice on the matter whenever Shine actually did leave.
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