Time for a Talk [Closed]

[mistmad]

Characters: Fran and Kiros
Content: Kiros and Fran discuss a few matters, including what happened at Ffamran's party.
Setting: The Victoria II Engine Room
Time: During the storm in Melior
Warnings: .....no clue

Outside the Victoria II, it sounded like nature was at war with itself.

Inside the ship, though, things were relatively quiet as Fran made her

Comments

[the_katals]

"So its engine two giving you trouble?" The mechanic asked one of the fellow officers, deciding it would be best to check up on the engines now before they return to Bellicus. Despite being on duty, though, he found his mind wandering back to the very same Viera who now awaited for him in the engine room. Kiros strolled in slowly when he spotted her upon the workbench, a small smile forming when he saw what she was working on.

"You almost have it done, don't you?" He asked, smiling down at the small mechanic bird that still need to be worked on. "You've done better than what I could, it looks like it can fly to me." The mechanic commented, feeling a tad worried in how this conversation will go.

"So..." Kiros really wish he never took of that wine at the party. "What is it you want to know?"

[mistmad]

Fran looked up when Kiros approached her. "Thank you." She turned around in her seat to face him before continuing.

"I just want to know what you meant, Kiros. You said you 'liked' me," she reminded him.

[the_katals]

A faint sigh escaped his lips, hating how direct the Viera can be. This wasn't some trivial little conversation they where about to have, not something that she could easily bully answers from him. Kiros honestly didn't know how to tell the truth about his drunken slurred words. He wanted to lie to her and tell her he was only joking but he knew deep down inside that he wasn't.

"I meant what I meant." The mechanic said a bit too shyly for his own liking, looking away from her as he wandered away from her to start getting to work. "I..." He stopped for a moment as he got his work gloves and looked back at her.

"I...I really know how to explain it. I don't know if I can." Maybe he should just be honest with her, Kiros could tell that the Viera would not leave here until she had her answer.

[mistmad]

Fran nodded. "I understand." Maybe this was a bad idea. She paused, thinking. Maybe they could work up to it....

"Did I ever tell you how long I've been away from the Wood?" she asked.

[the_katals]

"No, you barely talk about yourself." Kiros made sure to stress that word to Fran, hoping that the Viera wouldn't try to force his hand when she barely showed her own. In matters that includes his feelings for anyone, the Shashta native is very guarded. He had to be, it was just how he is.

"So, how long have you been away from the Wood?" The mechanic willingly played into her words, wondering if Fran would truly answer that. Kiros would be lying if he wasn't interested enough to learn this.

[mistmad]

Fran nodded. "I just...it's a long story why I don't talk about myself to just anyone."

She glanced to the side, double checking the numbers in her head. "I've been away for about fifty years."

[the_katals]

"Fifty years..."

Turning around sharply to stare at the Viera, Kiros almost didn't believe his ears at first. He figured she would be older than him by a few years but not nearby by several decades! The look upon his face was a mixture of different kinds of colorful synonyms of shock. Everything from awe, disbelief, surprised, startled, stunned...

Despite his sudden shock, Kiros knew exactly how hard it must be for Fran to be so willingly to talk more about herself now. He felt a little guilty for it, as well.

"Fifty years ago...I wasn't even thought of then!" Kiros chuckled a bit, trying to lighten the tension between them both.

"Gods, such...such a long time away from home."

[mistmad]

"Yes. The worst part is I can't return to the Wood." She looked away, wishing she had a handkerchief or something.

This was why Fran never spoke about herself. She hated getting even close to crying.

[the_katals]

The fact that tears where swelling within her gaze now made him crack. Kiros hates it when people cry, especially women, especially if she is going to cry. His silly little crush on her means nothing compared to all the baggage Fran carries, leaving your homeland only to be exiled like this...

Kiros heard stories about the Viera before but he never figured that Fran would truly be one even after knowing her for so long. She still seemed so 'human' to him, she looked like such a normal woman(besides the furry ears and how long her fingers seemed to look sometimes). He guessed he never really realized what sort of creature he was falling in love with for he saw her as a person equal to him.

His heart sank a bit now that he realized that maybe, just maybe, his drunken words where just adding on to the pain that is quite visible within her eyes.

"I...I am sorry, Fran." Kiros felt as if he needed to say that and he wanted too.

[mistmad]

"It's not your fault, Kiros. I knew what leaving the Wood meant for me," Fran explained. "And...I miss it, and my sisters, but I honestly think I'm happier in Reial then I would have been in the Wood, though I do miss it." She took a second to compose herself, then looked at him.

"But you see why I rarely talk about the Wood. It's...painful to talk about, even after so long."

[the_katals]

A sigh escaped his lips as he leaned against the nearby wall, wondering how can he honestly not like her. Fran is clearly beautiful, probably the only truly beautiful person on this ship, human or not. Yet, it was not her beauty that attracted him but rather her insitive nature and intelligence that made him start to like her more. That day when she was attacked in Kropmork, it dawned on him that he might be liking the Viera more than he expected. He given her that very mechanic sparrow she is holding now as a gift, the little pet project of his that he so willingly gave to her without a second thought.

After he returned to his room on that day, Kiros began to worry more about the words he had with Ffamran weeks before about Fran. He knew on that time upon the deck, that he and the navigator where only gossiping about Fran to gossip!

But now, did his words then mean more than what he let on?

If so, what about Richard? The helmsmen even surprised with a kiss a few days ago

[mistmad]

Fran nodded. "You said that the other night," she reminded Kiros. "After you asked me my 'ideal man'."

[the_katals]

Kiros watched for a moment, judging if he should really explain himself but he already knew the answer to that. "That is because I have a crush on you." He quickly said, deciding to just admit this now and get it over with.
'Let the humiliation begin.' Kiros thought rather morbidly before he spoke out to her again.

"I wanted to know if I had any of the qualifications you listed of your 'ideal man'. I was still somewhat sober when I asked, too."

[mistmad]

Fran sat back, slightly...bewildered.

He had a crush on her? He wanted to know if he fit her 'ideal man'? He had been sober?

"Kiros...I don't think I understanad," she murmured.

[the_katals]

"What the hell is there not to understand?" Kiros asked her, rather shocked that she still didn't seem to understand! "I said that I liked you because I like you more than just a friend!" He said again, this time with a bit sternly than before.

"You wanted to know the truth..." Kiros reminded Fran, in case the Viera would take his affections with disgust and not with flattery.
"Since I first met you, this...feeling has been growing and I admit, I have tried hard to keep this fact at bay." Not able to hold her gaze any longer, Kiros turned away from her and headed further into the engine room.

[mistmad]

Fran sat there for a second, absorbing what Kiros had said. He liked her?

She got up and quickly went after the mechanic, gently grabbing his arm when she caught up to him.

"Kiros, do you like me just for my appearence?" she asked. She had to ask.