Now we can talk about it

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

He was going to point out that he couldn't stop using them. He thought the better of it. He hovered on the deck outside the ship. There was no obvious solution to this. He wondered if the sudden emotional swing was related to her dosage.

"Not like dere is much else to be getting on wid," he replied. Xin walked to the side doors to the U-Wing and remained there. Kinsey stood over her tools but didn't take them.

"An let's be honest, yuh did kind of get me out of dat scrape. So least I can do. Help make sure dis old girl don't kill yuh."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Pools of blue filled to capacity and then ran over. Feet swiveled so her back was firmly to the door. Arms crossed. Ouch, nope. One arm crossed. She didn't talk. Couldn't talk. Her voice would betray her more so than her emotions already had. Shoulder leaned against the short corridor to the cockpit. It was a few steps above the rest. She stared quietly out of the tinted glass of the viewport. Looked like the few patrols that flew around the fleet were coming into change their shift and refuel.

A quiet sniffle left the edge of her nose as the droplets of salt carved further down the skin of her cheekbones.

Trembling lips pursed together as she tried to pull it together.

 

[Xin Boa]

Ah heck. She was actually crying now. Please, he thought to himself, let this be a side effect of the drugs. Anything else was going to require more tact than he possessed.

She didn't reply. If she had replied he could have said more in turn. But she didn't. So he couldn't. He barely knew anything about her. That wasn't quite true. The invisible girl with a lightsaber had a difficult past. One of abuse.

Xin wasn't trained for this. His hand hovered above her shoulder and he actually winced as he tentatively brought it down.

"Are yuh worried he'll find yuh?" He asked quietly.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

FETH

Shoulder tightened as his hand came down but it was the touch that made her lose all hope of pulling it together.

Why didn't he just karking go away?!

A strangled sob left her throat, palm hastily came up and pushed away the moisture leaking from her eyes. Head shook when she couldn't find her voice and she quickly shrugged off his hand and spun around. Watery blues traveled the short distance to his deep black ones. Like looking into the depths of space but there were the slightest bursts of color - just small, subtle changes. Perhaps it was his shifting emotions? The tension and awkwardness he felt?

Head shook at his question, palm shoving the moisture away from her cheeks that didn't seem to have an off switch.

"No," she found some oxygen. "It's not just that." How could she explain her emotions now? She was tired and in pain. She was embarrassed for him to see her cry. She was mad at herself for not being stronger. She wanted to take care of herself. Were the drugs just making her feel emotional? Or had things finally caught up?

She looked down.

"I'm fine, okay?"

A big sniffle.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

Xin was concerned, even if that emotion was tinged with mild panic that he should have known what to do in this situation.

"Okay. Yuh are fine. Nah gonna argue. But...Maybe sit and talk fah a bit? Worry about putting your hands in machines later?"

His head inclined towards the rows of passenger seats in the back of the U-Wing. They didn't look all that comfortable and he had no real clue if this was a good idea or not.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Head cocked to the side. She gave him a funny look. Talk about it?

Blue's caught a flick of his headtails. Maybe he was feeling just as awkward as she was? But this was embarrassing and she was mortified. Kriff, she'd rather go back to the crew thinking they were just karking than Xin catching her cry.

Silently, she spun her back to him and took the three short steps to the cockpit, sinking into the pilot's seat.

"What do we need to talk about? Just promise you won't tell Brak about this or anyone else. Gotta keep up my street cred." Wet face offered a quick smile he wouldn't see.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Don't know. I guess." Being empathic didn't mean he had answers to change anything. All he could really have done was listen. She didn't really seem to want to talk. It should have left him relieved. Bit it did not, not really.

"You have had a really karked up few days. Tink it is okay to cry. If yuh want to go set de record straight wid de boss..." he shrugged. Realising she wasn't looking he hadded: "I'll back yuh up."

Xin didn't take the seat next to her. Instead he turned his attention towards the panel she had removed the previous day. He dropped on his haunches and pretended to pay attention to it.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Booted feet kicked up on the dash, arms crossed just beneath her chest. She scrunched lower and further into the seat.

"Set the record straight?"

Wet face scrunched up in confusion.

Sleeve came up to wipe any of the moisture away before settling back. At least she wasn't sniffling anymore. "About us karking?" She laughed. "No, I don't care about that or what other people say. It's just...back in the cafeteria it brought up some memories I'd rather forget. But it's not important."

Lips pressed closed as did her eyes.

Honestly, she was surprised she hadn't scared him off by now. It was almost as if he actually cared. Kinsey didn't know what to do with that. She hadn't even had a real friend in years. And for some reason, she felt like Xin Boa was someone she could trust. Brak too. Maybe it was all a bit too good to be true. Lids became heavier as she lost track of time, her healing body opting for sleep after her first full meal not on ship's rations in awhile.