Getting Awkward In Here

[Seamus Valik]

The day had started early for Seamus. At five o'clock he had gotten out of bed and went for a short run. After that he had checked on his infant charge and begun the chores he considered the closest thing to paying rent that he could ever be capable of. Then around noon he made caff and settled down on the porch steps to write a few post and think about anything at all other than the force and his connection to it.

He had steadily found himself avoiding Jedi like activities despite knowing full well that he had to come to terms with what he was, what he'd been through and where his life would go from here. It was a bit of a conundrum. To top off his past he was now in the company of more females than he had been used to sharing space with, at all, ever. It was odd but he had fought Sith and Vong, gone on investigations to arrest slavers and murderers, and even went on many missions alone to places he wouldn't send a gundark, but have a conversation with a female of nearly any species? No, that was a solid no.

He was halfway through his caff and a post on earthwarsrp.net when he lost holonet connection and that was about the last thing he needed right now. He pit on his gloves to avoid touching things he didn't want to feel thinga from and went to hunt down the cause of the issue. Maybe Spark was using all the power again.


[member="Spark Finn"]

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

"Nonononono - NO." Thin-lips pursed and blonde-brows scrunched up. Blue-eyes glared beneath glass lenses at the wireless signal on her datapad. #eventechnopathscan'tgetabreak #ohcomeon Gripping the datapad, she moved from the kitchen #favspot #byallthesnacks toward the lounged, holding the device above her head, neck arched back as she walked, not really paying attention where she was going.

Her entire focus was on the signal readings.

A half bar....

One bar.........

Two bars!

A triumphant look started to cross her face only to be dashed as the two bars suddenly went to zero.

"Datawidgestsandcodes!" She grumbled, still walking around blindly, eyes glued to the screen.

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

His bright blue eyes watched his datapad carefully as he walked through the front door. His head down as he stared at the settings and tried to find a way to get his signal back before more chores would arise like the dead in a shoddy first person shooter.

He rounded a corner not paying attention like he should've been and walked straight into a rather small being and felt upstretch arms impact his shoulders as his chest bumped into Ms. Finn. He looked up quickly and froze pressed far too close for comfort. If she had moved her head just right they would be nose to nose.

"Ah, I'm sorry." He stammered though he didn't move a millimeter.

His hands unconsciously had moved to her sides in an attempt to catch her and as with the rest of him had frozen there. It was quite a predicament. If someone were to see them in that instant it would look to be an awkward attempt at a highschool slow dance. Little did he know the lightsaber clasp on his belt was stuck on her clothing.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

Signal...signal....signal....

"Ooommphhffffffffffff," she smacked right into a chest. Someone else. Arms entangled around the man's neck. Blue-eyes beneath a lopsided pair of glasses snapped forward to meet a face full of beard hairs. #notGabe #Seamus #EEeeeeep

From the sudden impact, her balance was totally off kilter. She felt herself tipping backwards and to the side. #goingdown #abandonship One hand released the datapad to instinctively grab onto the man's arm at the elbow. Her other hand maintained a death grip on her datapad, her wrist still behind the man's neck.

#notmyequipment!!!

And all the touching.

#personalbubblespacebusted!!!!!

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

'Oh, not good.' He thought as he looked at the woman's face. She smelled of caff and some kind of citrus shampoo. He began to pull away and regain some comfort room but he didn't gain an inch.

'Definitely not good.' He mentally confirmed as he struggled to make a decision about what to do.

Her hand was tight on his elbow and he had yet to move his own hands from her waistline. It was odd but as panicked as he felt he should be about their proximity. He was more concerned with invading her space than, she invading his. His eyes glanced to hers as he realized she was no longer falling then flicked to her lips involuntarily. His thoughts in the moment were jumbled and rushing faster than children with a sugar buzz.

"My fault." He said in almost a whisper as he tried again to back away. His lightsaber clasp was stuck on her clothes. "I'm stuck on you." He said with a little more of a calm tone. "Well that is my clasp is stuck on you not me. Not that you're bad to be stuck on, of course. That's not what I mean."

His face reddened beneath his beard and his hand moved to the clasp.

"Um, just one second." He said as he twisted the clasp with one hand and after a moment released it from her pants. "There. Terribly sorry Ms. Finn."

He began to move away and found himself gazing into her azure eyes. Her hand was still on his arm and her wrist on his neck.

"Um, you can let go. You're not falling anymore." He said trying to want her to let go far more than he found himself doing.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

While his face turned red her own turned scarlet. She felt a tug at her hip. #onmyskinnyjeans And she was very aware of every touching point. #EEEeeeep

"I...," she began as he untangled himself from her. Her pants. #EEeeeeep!!!!!!! #allGabe'sfault Face reddened further as he untangled her. She stayed gripping him for a moment longer. A moment beyond normal and a moment further into awkward. But a half breath later she released him as if she was burned.

"Thanks," she mumbled and gingerly stepped back. One hand pressed to her reddened face as if she could seep the color away with her pale-fingertips. Askew glasses were adjusted up the bridge of her nose. "Sorry. I didn't see you....I...," she held up her datapad, "was trying to find signal. The wifi is out."

Face scowled.

"You're Seamus, right?"

#tryingtoremembernames

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"It's ok." He said honestly as he found confidence to speak for once, "People, females especially, and well being to close just make me uneasy."

He looked at his feet and then looked up showing his datapad as if finally remembering.

"I was looking for a signal too." He said and looked everywhere but right at her, "Yes I'm Seamus, and you're Ms. Finn. I heard you introduce yourself during a class for sensing energy fields. A long time ago now."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

"It's okay. People make me uneasy." She offered a small smile, shifting awkwardly on her converse shoes. "Oh?" Blonde-brows lofted as he mentioned an energy field class. Must've been during her short stint as a jedi. Before she was taken. Before the technovirus and brain washing. A haunted loop temporarily passed over her blue-eyes gaze.

"I wish I could remember that," she finally spoke, the silence stretching before them broken. "The sith did something to me - it doesn't matter." She waved a pale hand through the air. Shoulder squared off, trying to fight off the tremble that threatened to run through her spine.

"But you don't have signal either?" Frown deepened. "I didn't think he'd actually do it." She muttered to herself. "I mean Gabe. Did you meet him yet?"

#blameGabe #where'sDick?

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Seamus looked down at the mention of Sith doing things and his own run in at the battle of Kashyyyk played through his head. The sound of Vong battle cries, the screams of fallen, the smell of the dead and the burn of the acid as a Sith ordered him to be targeted directly.

He shook his head and said nothing until she mentioned Gabe doing something.

"No, I don't think I've met Gabe." He said before her statement fully registered, "Wait. Didn't think he'd do what, exactly?"

Seamus checked his datapad again and then looked at the girl.

"He cut the WiFi?" Seamus asked surprised, "Why would he...What did you do?!"

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

"Yes, I believe he did," blue-eyes squinted back down at her datapad. "And I don't know why." Okay she did. #totallie Hand came up to rub at a temple beneath her glasses. "But I should just be able to...," eyes squeezed closed as her mind reached out with the force, searching for the power source. The modem. The router.

She frowned and finally spoke that was probably beyond an un-awkward amount of time. "It's out of my range. That's...." eyes moved beneath closed lids. "...crazy." Blue-eyes finally snapped open.

"All just because I didn't do any of that training...," pale cheeks flamed red and gaze looked up to meet Valik's, like a mouse caught in a trap. "I mean it's not my fault he's acting like a child over some lame lightsaber exercises!"

#notmyfault #amasterwhining #lullz

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He watched stoically as her bright blue eyes squinted at her device. Her tussled golden hair like a half forgotten crown on her head caught sunlight from the near window and made the strands look like golden silk. She spoke but he didn't really understand it fully. No, he was too busy wondering if her golden lashes were the envy of some person, for they brushed her cheeks without thought.

She stared at him and seemed to look through him. As if gazing off into an unfathomable distance and he simply watched and hoped it wasn't into him she looked. His cheeks reddened and once again he was glad for the beard. He dared not say a word. He just took the moment to pretend she was looking at him. It was an odd moment. A weak moment where he pictured himself as a normal man again being looked at by a pretty woman, but as moments do, it passed. Her blue eyes moved beneath closed lids and he tried to focus on what she was saying. He tried to harden himself again as her eyes sprung open and he found himself staring into twin azure skies once more. She divulged her failure to train and that Gabe was the one at fault, but he was too softened now to scold her for shirking a jedi's responsibilies. It didn't seem to matter.

He lifted a hand and pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and moved it away as if nothing had happened.

"Alright." He said with an odd amount of calm considering his thoughts, "We just have to fix it then. Is there any old electronics around?"

He would not be weak enough to be enamoured by the slight creature, but it would be an effort.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

Every muscles froze in her thin little body as his fingers brushed against her cheek as he tucked a stray blonde-hair away. Thin-lips parted. Blue-eyes beneath glass lenses widened. He said something about electronics. But stood with her mouth agape, looking from the hand back at his side, then back up to his face. Then back again.

#repeat

She wanted to tell him how she was a technopath. That figuring this out wouldn't be a problem if they could find the unplugged router and modem. She wanted to hear his voice again. #lolwut?

But instead of saying all that, she said, "What. Are you doing?"

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Seamus felt heat rise to his cheeks as she stood with her mouth open starring at him. Had he done something wrong? Did he go too far...once again? He didn't know. The stray hair had been out of place and she was so close, did he invade her space in an inappropriate way? Again he wasn't sure but what he was sure of was that he needed to answer her question. What was it?

"I, um, I was saying that if we can get some old electronics we can build a small transmitter to pirate a signal and hide it somewhere, maybe, so we don't have to rely on someone else's modem?" He said with a soft slightly embarrassed voice, "I'm sorry, is that what you meant...?"

Bright blue eyes looked up from where they had been focused on the floor. He almost wished he had taken his gloves off so he could have felt the silken blonde lock of hair. He already flexed his fingers reflexively as if wanting to try again. He didn't but the thought was there.

"You're weak." He thought to himself as he remembered his promise to Master Vosra about attachment. Either way, he was standing still and not doing anything productive. RP post can't write themselves after all.

"If you have a better idea." He began, "I'd love to hear it." And her voice again. No, Seamus. Bad, Seamus. Focus!

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

Her own cheeks reddened to match his. What she meant? #nothetouchingthing! "I....," she began. Pffft, she wasn't going to explain it. THAT would just be more awkward. "That's a good plan," voice squeaked and she cleared her throat. Eyes tilted down to the tips of her converse-shoes, fingers coming up to adjust her glasses once more.

"We can ask Dick," #lolol, "to show us where any spare electronic might be. If this doesn't work, we'll just break into Gabe's room. If THAT doesn't work, we'll just hot wire a speeder and go into town for free wifi. He shoulda never messed with a technopath."

She offered a timid smile as she looked up from the floor. Sometimes it was easier to not look at people when she talked. People were distracting. Or, they could be. "And...," eyes closed for a moment. "Yup, that droid's in the basement."

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He watched her quietly as she stared down at her cute little nerd shoes and couldn't help but think she was adorable when she was being shy. He listened as she squeeked out her response and was doing a good job of not being a...

"Dick? How did you know where he was?" He asked suddenly curious, "What is a technopath exactly? I can only seem to manage phsychometry. What else can you do?"

A string of questions and a voice filled with almost childlike enthusiasm. He couldn't say it was odd behavior for him but it certainly had made a few other's eyebrows raise.

"I'm sorry. I seem to have a problem with asking too many questions." He said scratching his beard in thought, "You don't have to answer. Let's just find that walking case for regular memory wipes. I wanted to write a post on Earthwars.net before my training, which I actually do. No offense."

He wasn't really sorry. He had meant it as a gentle jab more in fun but he wasn't sorry either way.

"Lead the way. I couldn't find the basement if I tried." He said trying to put the focus back on his lacking skill than her lazy lightsaber arms.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

#alotofquestions

She blushed and became even more self-conscious when he mentioned psychometry. Blue-eyes drifted down to his gloved hands and back, wondering if that's why he wore them. Had he seen anything?

She gulped and turned. When it seemed like she wasn't going to answer any of his questions, she finally spoke. Voice was quiet and if he wasn't following, he might miss what she had to say. "It's something with machines. Technology. Systems. I can sense, see, and manipulate them through the force. It's easier for me than other things in the force." Bony-shoulders shrugged and she lead him through the kitchen and toward a back storage door. Cloves of garlic hung low in the doorway that she had to duck to get through.

Pausing on the stoned-stairway leading down, she looked at Seamus. "A lot of other things with the force are hard for me. Like physical things. Like training with a lightsaber. But Gabe knows I fight in a different way. I have my own style. I think he just worries about me."

#family

"Is....psychometry easy for you?"

That was something she'd probably never be able to do. Much like sensing another presence in the force. She could pick out a droid on a battlefield in less than a second while she could barely sense the difference between a jedi and a sith and someone without the force at all.

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He followed her eyes toward his gloved hands and then looked at his shoes. Most people worried about if and what he knew when he tells them and by most we mean all two or three people.

He was still lookin at his shoes when she shrugged an walked away. His blue eyes distant and fixed on some long lost memory. The barest whisper of a voice moving away jerked his attention back to the moment and he quickly moved up behind her.

"Fascinating." He said as he tried desperately to piece together what she had just been saying. Just as he was about to ask about sensing magnetic fields a string of garlic collided with his face. He sputtered and found himself grateful to the hanging bulb for changing the subject slightly.

"Yes, I'm sure you've developed a very unique manner of defense, given your skill set." He said covering his lack of hearing her clearly with as vague of a response as possible, before answering the question he did actually hear.

"Phsychometry?" He paused, "It's not easy, per se. That is, I can't always control it at all. I may want it to work and it just doesn't or I may desperately not want to know something and it works anyway. I wear gloves a lot because I never know when it will work without my intent."

He looked at her embarrassment in his eyes.

"I can't really do much else, either." He looked around as if he expected to find Dick first, "In fact by most standards I'm barely more than mundane. Lightsabers, however, I can do...well, with moderate success."

He promptly bumped into the door post as he followed and played it off as if it hadn't happened. Average Jedi, below average walker.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

Glancing back over her bony-shoulder, she caught the cloves of garlic bounce off Seamus' face. Thin-lips twitched into a smile before she faced forward again. Converse-clad feet began to take her down the stone steps. There was a noticeable temperature drop.

#ugghthecold

No wonder why only unfeeling droids hung out down. Dick never got cold.

"Well, skills with the lightsaber is nothing just to write-off. So many things go into that: fast reflexes, good instincts, strong eye-hand coordina--," lace caught on a step. She tottered for a moment then stumbled already off-kilter. A squeak left her throat as she began to go down.

 

[Seamus Valik]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He sputtered as silently as he was able and pulled a loose shred of dried garlic off his lip as he walked. The temperature dropped expectedly as they began down the smooth stone steps. His bright blue eyes took a moment to adjust to the dim lighting as he listened to her defense of lightsaber training that despite its benefits, she shirked nonetheless. Her sentence ended abruptly with a squeak that could only be made by the mouse-like blonde and time seemed to slow.

He reached out reflexively his former training took hold and in an instant he had her in his arms. She was once again pressed close to him, her slender frame engulfed in his lean strong arms. However, the joint forward motion had an unintended effect. Objects in motion...

He tipped forward and turned toward the stairs as they fell. He struct the stone first and half tumbled half slid down to the bottom of the stairs. How, it happened he couldn't say but as they tumbled his gloves, that safety barrier he leaned on, came off and as he landed on his back with the young, thankfully light, woman landed on top of him the psychometric talent he had previously espoused skill in took hold. His mind was assaulted by smells, sights, sounds and emotions that were not his own. He saw a dark man and felt grief and pain. A shrill scream as a Sith caused Spark terrible pains. More pain and tears as another man rent her heart and mind through terrible methods and another that betrayed her, tore her in a way he could relate to all too well. The scent of sweat, tears, and sulfuric smoke filled his senses and his eyes filled with tears. Why he did it he didn't know but he forced his aching body to hug the woman close.

"I'm so sorry, Spark." He said softly through tears, "So, very sorry."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Seamus Valik"]

Instead of meeting hard stairs with her elbows and head, she felt Seamus' arms around her. Thin and bony figure tucked into his chest, her form engulfed by his arms. When his hands touched skin, she felt something unordinary - an exchange of memories and emotions. For the mostly analytical girl, it was more than a little shocking.

It took her awhile to realize they stopped and his arms were still around her.

It took her even longer to realize there was wet stuff coming out of her blue eyes and they were tears.

#crying

The tears weren't because of the emotions and scenes from her own life that Seamus' touch dredged up. It was a sparked connection back to him and what she saw. The blonde woman again with training. Pain. Lots of pain. Torture. And someone familiar.

"I never cry," she sputtered. "Talon. Talon Vosra is dead?" She didn't move. She remained with her face half tucked into his chest, glasses seriously askew on her face.