A First Date, in more than one way.

[Felicity Mason]

The Queens daughter clung ever tighter to her ex bodyguard. He did make her feel safe. She supposed that was one point in his favor. Funny how after saving her own life, she could still feel so vulnerable. Jumping at shadows, laying awake in the dead of night, changing the combination for her bedroom door every week...

She'd grown so paranoid. Death had come close. Too close. If she'd failed to protect herself during the invasion, she would be ash right now.

She walked along with him, saying nothing to his friend. She'd had such a hard time trusting anybody outside of the family recently. Except him and Owain. Just them. Viper had disappeared after the ball. Those two boys and a dozen droids were all she had now.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

He smiled and looked at her. "You know you aren't alone right, don't ask how i can tell, its complicated..." He hated his empathy sometimes, and it was near crippling when in a crowd, but for now it helped him understand Felicity more than she knew. And those simple thoughts, fears, worry, even loneliness, they were like cannon shots in his ears.

 

[Felicity Mason]

Her eyes flashed up to his as they walked. She squeezed him tighter as if anything else might let him slip away. Understanding. He got it. He seemed to see straight into her soul. But could he see her heart too?

"I know. You're here now."

She smiled, leaned over to press her lips to his cheek.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

He felt the peck and looked at her, blinking before shaking his head. "That uh... wasn't what i mean't... what i meant was that everyone in that castle follow you without question.. sorry i mean palace. Anyways, point is that we are all there to help you, in some ways like now more than others." He smiled at her as they walked, out the service entrance now and heading towards the gate with a slow stride.

[member="Felicity Mason"]

 

[Felicity Mason]

Oh.
Just... Oh. Her smile faded at once and she pulled away from him slightly. Did she misunderstand him? He didn't respond as expected. He seemed.... uncomfortable? She cleared her throat, uncomfortable.

If Owain was here instead, he would have actually reacted in some way. He wouldn't just be smiling, pushing her away. He would be inviting her in...

How was she going to break through to him?

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

Glyph looked at her and rolls his eyes before holding her arm tight again. "Something wrong miss mason? Or would you rather me call you Fel again." He looked at her as their feet brought them out of the gate and down the streets, heading for the outskirts of the city and then from there to a river he knew of, looking for a nice peaceful day away from all the damage, taking the route with the least damage as possible.

 

[Felicity Mason]

She managed another smile when he held her tight again. She remembered this place. She remembered watching this river from the palace. They were rebuilding still. Her city. Her people. And it was all because of that Authority...

He was trying to take her a way that was less damaged, but he didn't understand. He wasn't here for it. He didn't see what they could do. She was always reminded. That burning hatred was always there.

"Call me Fel," she decided, taking a slow breath, "I like that better."

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

"Well then Fel, lets get to the spot before the sun sets, the stars are the most beautiful part about the place im bringing you to." He smiled and started to move a bit faster with her, wanting to show her the place he had found in his time on the planet, to which he regarded as the most beautiful place on the planet.

 

[Felicity Mason]

Naboo was beautiful. Naboo was the most beautiful planet in the Galaxy, if you asked Felicity Mason. Unfortunately, Felicity Mason had seen very few places in the Galaxy, and even less of Naboo. She'd seen Lake Country, the hills, the capital... But that was really it.

"Oh my... Planning on keeping me out after dark?" she winked at him, "How... scandalous."

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

"Its not scandalous... you can't see the stars during the day dingbat so no point in looking at the sky during the day." He called her that, the word dingbat, without even thinking as she walked with him how she might take the slight made as a joke but could be taken as worse. None the less he had a feeling that it would not be the first time that she would hear the term from him and never was he going to stop using it, she could be the current queen for all he cared, to him she was just a normal girl, same as anyone else.

 

[Felicity Mason]

...Dingbat? Was that seriously the best he had? Felicity could think of worse insults from her little sister! Still, she couldn't let him just get away with insulting her. She punched him on the arm. Lightly...ish. Light punches were never light from her. She was stronger than she looked.

"Stupid. I know that. I was teasing."

Owain would have gladly taken the bait. This guy was nice... almost too nice. So polite. Felicity wondered what would happen if she just jumped on him and kissed him. She almost smiled trying to imagine.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

"Ow, you could have been a bit lighter." He rubbed his arm and smiled at her as he stood there, with her, looking at her eyes and grinning. "Wait, if you were tricking me at the dance, than you already know how beautiful those eyes are don't you?" He grinned wider, teh first true compliment and with that the edge if the city came into sight, the gates leading out into the outside world that was naboo.

 

[Felicity Mason]

"My eyes? I got them from... come to think of it, I'm not sure which parent I got them from. Both mom and dad no longer have their biological eyes-"

Felicity paused at the edge of the city. The last time she left the city was during the invasion. She'd been covered in blood, some of it her own. The recorder she had clutched to with her very life.

My name is Felicity Mason, and I am Naboo.

She shook her head, pushing those words from her mind. It was over. The Protectorate had saved them all.

"Hey... I've been thinking about something," she started walking again, through the gate out of the city, "The Protectorate... they saved us. Their army saved all of us. My mom, my dad, my friends, my people... The point is, I think I want to do that too. I kinda feel like I owe it to them."

She shrugged, wondering what he would say to this. Probably exactly what mom would say. Whatever she was thinking of doing, don't. It was dangerous. She had to complete her studies. She had a career in politics to look forward to. She had a life to live.
But was it really living?

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

He listened to her as they walked, now outside of the city and heading for river he was thinking of heading for. "Do you mean that you wish to join their army or am i not quite understanding you well enough. If so then i must ask that you hold off until you can use a weapon to its full efficiency... i don't mean to imply that you have no idea how to use a weapon, but you should learn how to master one before you throw yourself to the fire... I could help you if you want."

 

[Felicity Mason]

She blinked at him, shocked. He wasn't trying to stop her? He wasn't trying to pull her away from that path? She gave him a little smile and a nod.

"Mom won't let me go until I finish up at the Academy," she explained, "And until I am of age, I really can't do anything until I have parental permission. I wonder if daddy would let me join..."

When she thought of it, she actually kind of doubted it. Her Father wasn't going to just let his daughter run off and join the army. Not without making sure she had survival skills first.

"Or maybe if I speak to the Lord Protector... If he spoke to mother, she would have to let me go. I don't know if you can understand this, but the Systems Authority has to be stopped. I've seen what they do. And maybe I kind of... want to get even with them too. Take something from them, the way they took something from me."

She felt like she was talking like a crazy person. She hadn't said this to anyone, not even Owain. He wouldn't understand either. What did he know about losing your sense of security? What did he know about having your life flipped upside down and shattered?
She would never feel safe again. Ever. And she wanted revenge for that.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

"Felicity, please stop with the darker thoughts please, others may not understand what is going on emotionally with you but i can feel it plain as day... revenge is not the answer, ever. Getting revenge on someone is in turn making you the very monster that caused all that death, you must realize that becoming a monster to make others pay only makes you worse than them." He continued to walk, though his words continued. "I can tell what you are thinking because of a form of empathy that is innate in me, only its a double edged tool, where it allows me to understand your feelings, if they became too strong, or if you stuck me in a crowd who were all enraged or pained... i would fall crippled by the amount that i could feel. I know its hard to simply let those emotions go, but you can't let them simmer and grow into a fire that will inturn change you."

 

[Felicity Mason]

Dark thoughts. Revenge. Hatred. Monster.

Yes. Maybe it would make her a monster. Maybe she would be just as bad as them. It did make her pause. Mom would be horrified if she knew what she was thinking. Dad would probably be disappointed in her motivations.
Could she do it? Could she be a monster just to take revenge? Probably. She knew she should feel ashamed of that fact, but something in her just couldn't manage even that. She let go of his arm, unconsciously reaching up to run a finger along the torn edge of her ear.

Was it ever possible to forget? Could she ever forgive? right now the honest answer was no.

"You weren't there," she hissed, "You have no idea what they did."

She didn't mean to snap. She took a deep breath. In... all the anger, the hate. Then out... let the fire cool.

"I'm sorry. It's just... I haven't been able to sleep like I used to since then. It's hard not to feel frustrated..."

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

"Felicity, i know i have no right to judge you, and you are right, i didn't see what was going on. But i was here, for it all, and i was not kidding when i said i am crippled when too much emotion is taken in by my mind... imagine what you feel, a thousand times over, coming from all directions and mixed with pain and loss of families, death and last thoughts and emotions impacting your mind. I was not there to see it like you had, but i was in theed, and i could feel the things happening... lets get going, my offer stands though, if ever you need help or are looking to learn how to fight, call for me." He could feel the pain even now coming from her and without hesitation he removed his hand from her arm and instead brought it all the way around her, hugging her as they walked.

 

[Felicity Mason]

He made her feel stupid and shallow. Sure. He felt it. Sure. He knew. Sure. He was there. Maybe she was still just a selfish teenage girl with way too much free time to work on her grudges?
Just thinking that made her more angry, even as he put her arm around her. This was the closest he'd gotten to her, and now it was only because he made her look like a fool. Was he patronizing her?

"Yeah... You'll be the first one I call."

...Unlikely.

[member="Glyph"]

 

[Edric Vanyan]

[member="Felicity Mason"]

He sighed, she was mad now and he had the uncanny feeling that his words are the thing that had done it. Sighing his eyes returned forward and he returned his arm to hers, giving up on trying to comfort the woman. He was silent now, not sure what to say, not sure how to respond, he just had no idea what to even do. So he remained silent and walked, confusion etched on his face as he tried to think of something to say.