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Post by kiri on Jul 5, 2010 21:02:26 GMT -5
Kiri let go of his hand after what seemed like an appropriate amount of time for a friendly handshake, feeling an odd sense of reluctance at the broken contact. She shook it off, sitting back in to her chair and listening to him talk. It was clear he had a passion for the sport, that much was obvious. She didn't quite understand why, but she could easily sympathize with the pain of broken dreams. "I'm... I'm sorry. That sounds really rough. I mean, nobody deserves something like that." Lending an ear and being sympathetic had never been particular strengths of hers, but somehow she found Penn circumventing her normal cold-shoulder response.
She blinked and backpedaled a bit when he turned the conversation to her. "Well... I must have played back in, y'know, elementary school. I don't really remember. The only real sport I was ever involved in was gymnastics." She still liked to tumble occasionally, though she was in nowhere near as good shape as she used to be. Maybe she'd have to check out the Venia's gym and rec area, see if they had any decent mats.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jul 5, 2010 22:11:55 GMT -5
He smiled at Kiri's sweetness. "It doesn't matter, really," he told her. "I mean, life moves on. No need to brood on the past." He learned that eventually, after he graduated. Simply because one door had closed, didn't mean his life was over. There were other... nicer... things to live for.
He raised an eyebrow at her gymnastics experience. "Well, then, you'd be a natural," he insisted. "Wait--" he dashed across the room, and fished behind a cabinet. Where was it... Yes! He tugged it out, and bounced it on his knee. It had gotten stuck earlier, after he had gotten a little too aggressive with his penalty shots. At least he hadn't broken anything.
"Well, it's never too late to learn," he quiped. "Where do you wanna start?"
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Post by kiri on Jul 5, 2010 22:26:37 GMT -5
Kiri laughed as Penn suddenly darted up from his chair, practically running across the room in a fit of excitement. He had such a positive outlook on life, so different from her own painfully practical view. It wasn't that she didn't want to be an optimist. She'd just seen too much already to believe that things would always turn out as rosy as you wanted, but also that they were rarely as bad as you feared.
Then again, sometimes events played out in ways you never could have predicted. When Penn pulled the slightly abused soccer ball from behind the cabinet, she just gaped and laughed. "I should have figured you'd have one of those in here. How did you ever manage to sneak it past the officer types?" She stood and took a few steps closer, watching him bounce the ball almost effortlessly on his knee, properly impressed. "I honestly have no idea... I know next to nothing about soccer."
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jul 6, 2010 8:49:49 GMT -5
Penn couldn't help but smile as Kiri let out a laugh. It was pretty, not too loud, and it simply... flowed. It was nice to listen to. You could almost get lost in it... Oh, whoops, she had said something.
"It was simple, really," he admitted. "I just dribbled it in. No one looks at your feet when you walk past, so I figured I'd take advantage of that." Not that he had met anyone important on the way-- they were all busy doing their own thing. Better for him.
He got the ball high enough to bounce it off his head, then leaned forward to catch it between his neck and shoulder blades. As he caught it rolling down his back, he realized he was showing off. Really? Well, he was desperate to make an impression. No wonder.
"Let's start with something that doesn't involve a lot of hard kicking," he inferred wisely. "So everything in the room stays intact... Here, let's try this." He came to stand beside her, shoulder to shoulder. She was a fair few inches shorter than him, probably half a foot. The view from the top of her head was lovely, though-- very nice hair. "Okay, bring your knee up, so it's level with the floor," he told her, demonstrating with his own leg. They'd start with knee bouncing, since she seemed so impressed with that.
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Post by kiri on Jul 6, 2010 14:15:01 GMT -5
Kiri watched him manipulate the ball, his movements smooth and easy, confident. It was clear he knew exactly where the ball would go, and the precise force to exert to make it do whatever he wanted. It was fascinating. She knew she was staring, but she couldn't help herself. There was just something about watching him work with the ball that... No. She would not let her thoughts go there. She'd just met Penn less than half an hour ago - she barely knew him!
Still, she couldn't deny the pleasant little shiver than ran through her when he sidled up next to her. She could feel the heat radiating from his shoulder, and had to force herself to focus and actually hear what he was saying, not just the lilt of his voice. "Okay... right. Like this?" She lifted her knee up to the proper angle, her balance wavering just slightly.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jul 6, 2010 18:09:39 GMT -5
Penn set the soccer ball down, and crouched next to Kiri. "Just a little out..." he told her, gently swinging her foot a little to the right. It was silly, really, how he noticed just how gracefully the arch of her foot was, and how it flowed up her leg, to her graceful side... Very silly. He probably shouldn't be thinking about that at all. Not that stopping seemed like a realistic option.
He stood up, and, noticing how she tipped every so often, came behind her and took her arms gently, letting her lean into his grip a little. She seemed to let off a little glow, the way the florescent lights shone down on her... Now, that was just too silly. He was sure his logic would kick him, if it hadn't been melted away by now. So he stepped in for it, and stepped away, almost regretfully.
Now, what was he supposed to be doing again? Oh, right. Soccer. He picked up his trusty ball, and stood a few feet in front of Kiri, just in case his logic went on vacation again. He didn't want to do anything silly, and upset Kiri. That would be bad.
"It's really not that hard to learn," he confessed. "You just have to lock it in. Here, try." He lightly tossed the ball, with what he hoped was considerable aim.
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Post by kiri on Jul 6, 2010 18:29:17 GMT -5
Kiri bit her lip and tried desperately not to blush when he bent down and nudged her foot into the proper position. Everything seemed to be in a strange sort of slow motion, and yet the moment was over all too fast. "Right... okay..." she said, straining with the effort to keep her voice from cracking or quavering or anything similarly embarrassing. Then he moved behind her and she felt his warm touch on her arms, and she lost the battle. She knew her lips were curving into a silly grin, but she couldn't stop them. She could only be thankful he was behind her, so hopefully didn't notice.
He held her arms just long enough for her to find her balance. Something about being aboard the Venia - the barely perceptible movements of the ship, the differing air density and pressure, the artificial gravity - turned what were once instinctive adjustments to maintain perfect balance into muscle twitches that just made it harder to stay upright. Kiri managed to suppress the silly smile by focusing on learning to balance in this new environment, and watching Penn as he picked up the ball again. Still, she was caught somewhat by surprise when the ball suddenly flew at her - having again mostly forgotten to pay attention to the words he was saying, and not just his voice. Her leg jerked up and did in fact manage to connect with the ball, but not in any controllable fashion. It ricocheted to the side, bouncing off the back of the computer and rolling across the floor, coming to a halt against the wall across the room.
"Oops..."
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jul 6, 2010 18:53:53 GMT -5
Penn saw Kiri's slightly shocked expression as the ball arced towards her. Whoops. Probably should have given her more notice, and focused on aiming the ball better than watching the sweet smile on her face... He was impressed when she actually managed to hit the ball, and told her as much.
"You almost had it, too," he continued. "You just have to hit it with the right place on your knee... Here." He crossed the room, and put his hand on her back, for no reason whatsoever. He tried to convince himself it was to help her maintain balance, but that was just an excuse. She didn't need any help-- she seemed almost in-tune with the space around her, like she could feel the ship moving ever so slightly in their void environment of space, unlike himself. She would shiver occasionally, like she could feel the tremors of the engines deep below them... Or maybe she was just cold?
"You look cold," he told her, and almost regretted saying it-- it was so out of the blue, and would almost certainly raise her suspicion. "You can have my jacket, if you want," he added, hoping to recover himself. Sounding stupid was the last thing he wanted to in front of Kiri, and make her think that he actually was, instead of just being distracted. Not that distracted was much of an improvement.
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Post by kiri on Jul 6, 2010 23:12:09 GMT -5
Kiri dropped her foot to the floor and laughed a bit breathlessly, running her hands through her hair to pull it back from her face. She slipped the elastic band on her wrist over it and looped it several times, securing her hair back in a ponytail - from which several strands promptly escaped to hang wispily around her face. "Hand-eye coordination has never been a particular strong point for me. Gymnastics is easy. No little flying things to worry about. Not that a soccer ball is little. It's just..." She trailed off when his hand touched her back. Probably for the best, she'd just been rambling nervously. But she could feel the warmth of his hand even through her shirt, and it make her shiver.
"Cold... I am, a bit," she said softly, looking over her shoulder at him with a half smile. If he was distracted or nervous or otherwise unnerved, she neither noticed nor cared, too caught up in trying to figure out why she felt a rush of giddiness every time she met his gorgeous blue-green eyes. "Jacket... might be nice. Didn't think to bring mine."
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jul 7, 2010 8:58:54 GMT -5
Her voice got a little softer, a little silkier, as she replied to his stupid question, and Penn couldn't help but be swept away in it. The era of instruments being mastered by human hands had been long gone by the time he was born, before his ancestors were born, even, yet he suddenly felt as if he understood the ancient texts, from his history classes, that spoke of their mesmerizing abilities, their sheer heavenliness. He could hear it in the way her voice gently lifted, and lifted him along with it. But she had said something, and he didn't quite catch it. Oh, she was cold. Jacket. Right.
He wriggled it off his shoulders. She was right-- it was a little chilly in here. For some reason, though, his heart was pumping blood through his veins at an enormous rate, so he was perfectly toasty inside. He helped her slide one arm through the sleeve, than the other-- it was rather big on her. The sleeves were a little too long, and the shoulders too wide, but at least that would keep her warm. She had lifted her hair up in a ponytail, and it made him bite his lip. It showed too much of her beautiful face, and made his heart race even faster, if that were even possible. But now was not the time. He clenched his jaw, and took a discreet breath. Better now.
"Um... Do you want to try it again?" he worked around his now-dormant tongue. "I mean, it doesn't really matter, if you're cold, we can stop, if you want..." Hmm. That was probably the longest sentence he had spoken once he had gotten on this ship-- and the one he was probably going to be most embarrassed by, too. He couldn't quite decide whether he would put this down as an amazing day, or a rather stupid one. Probably both.
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Post by kiri on Jul 7, 2010 16:36:03 GMT -5
Kiri took a deep breath in as the coat enveloped her. It smelled good, like cologne and spice and something else indescribable. She felt herself blush at the realization that it smelled like him. Warmth began to spread from her chest to her limbs as she snuggled in to the coat and smiled thankfully up at him. Clearly he did not know the way of girls - this coat was as good as hers now, if she had her way.
She cast a skeptical, sideways glance at the soccer ball. The coat would be in the way a bit, but she was never one to let an inanimate object get the best of her. So she stood up straight, pulled the coat tight around her and nodded. "Let's do it! Bet you I can even get two hits in this time," she added with a grin.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jul 7, 2010 18:00:44 GMT -5
Penn's couldn't help but smile spunkily at her challenge. She looked so funny, in the over-large coat, her eyes shining-- but a good kind of funny, the one that would make him laugh for no reason."Hmm... Five quid on that. I don't want to lose that much money." He really didn't-- the paycheck wasn't bad, but it was simply that-- a paycheck, no plural. But, now seemed like a good time, if any, to be flexible. They were playing soccer, after all.
He picked up the ball, and stood across the room. "Ready?" he asked, not wanting to catch her off-guard again. "Three... Two... One!" He tossed it, and watched as she did indeed live up to her end of the bet. He shook his head. "It seems I owe you now, Miss Brooks," he observed, rather cheekily-- he knew of a few people who would have smacked him for that. "Would you like that now, or when we're done?"
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Post by kiri on Jul 7, 2010 20:14:50 GMT -5
Kiri watched the ball carefully this time, forcing herself to tune out the entirely-too-distracting presence of Penn. She tracked the flight of the ball through the air as best she could, managing to move her leg in time to strike the ball at a decent angle. It might not have flown straight up, but it was a shallow enough angle that she could shift her leg into position to hit it again... and then a third time. Unfortunately, the third hit sent it spinning across the room again. Still, it was a much better showing than her first attempt, and she dropped her foot back to the ground with a definite sense of achievement.
She grinned triumphantly at Penn. "Well... um... how much is five quid in dollars?" The mental faculties required to make that calculation had deserted her for the moment - and she didn't know the current, or even recent, exchange rate. Still, the competitive side of her didn't so much care about the amount. It did make her frown a bit and shoot him a look when he called her by her last name. "Don't call me Miss Brooks. That's what my boss called me. It's Kiri, or Kiriann, or even 'Hey, you!' for all I care." Her voice was light and laughing enough to take any sting from her words, but she made her point nonetheless.
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Post by somerandomhippie1 on Jul 7, 2010 21:55:57 GMT -5
Penn furrowed his brow a little, and tried to remember the last time he had looked up the exchange rate. A long time ago... "Umm... I think it's about 8... Sorry, I'm not too familiar with the dollar currency." He had only been to America once, on a trip with his family, and that was when he was too young to care about exchange rates. Still, close enough. It was still five quid.
Something inside slapped him across the face when her reaction to his cheeky comment was less-than-warm. Not the best place to slip up... Damn it. Now was not the time to lose his head!
"Alright, then," he consented, getting over from his stumble faster than he would have expected. "You look like a Kiri to me. Kiri Brooks, like you would roll the 'r'. Are you supposed to, or am I just hearing it weird?" Most likely very weird. Still, though, her name almost sounded French-- parts of the New World had been populated by the French, back in the Dark Ages. Maybe it was-- though probably not. Sounded nice, though.
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Post by kiri on Jul 8, 2010 0:22:54 GMT -5
Kiri grinned and gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Doesn't really matter. Just remember you owe me." Something came over her then. Something saucy and flirtatious and bold and entirely unlike her. Whatever it was, it seemed to possess her for just the barest of moments, and actually have the gall to wink at him. Then the normal, rational part of her took over and decided the best course of action was to pretend it never happened. So she pulled the spare desk chair over to the computer and sat down again, nestling into Penn's jacket with a soft, happy sigh.
A funny little shiver went through her when he said her name, rolling the 'r' ever so slightly. It gave it an exotic, mysterious sound, different from what she was accustomed to. People told her she had a "cute" name, "strange," "odd," but they'd never made it sound like Penn did. "It's... it's just Kiri..." she murmured, with a hard American 'r.' "I like how you said it, though." She smiled up at him.
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