(B) I Suppose I'm More Human Than I Thought

[Luka Balmore]

Luka went through the line in the cafeteria as he always did for lunch, as he moved through the line grabbing of course his favorite fruit a freshly ripe jogan. He felt a familiar presence behind him and then with out warning he felt a hard tap with the back of a hand to his nether regions. The pain was immediate and shop and shot up his abdomen a he hunched over trying not to spill his tray. He breathed in and out sharply, there was only one person who would do that.

"Payback."

Luka scrunched his eyes and stood up coughing slightly, somewhat of a smile on his face he shook his head and laughed.

"What in the hell for Adrian?"

The slightly older Padawan grinned at him.

"That day on the way back from your parents house."

Luka arched an eyebrow the pain mostly subsiding he stood up straighter and shook his head.

"That was five years ago, I think the statute has of limitations has run it's course."

"An ex Sith never forgets a cheap shot, especially when it's from his brother."

Luka shook his head.

"Whatever."

The young healer then looked out to the tables for a place to sit, that's when he saw her sitting off by herself, he swallowed hard and slightly bit his upper lip. Adrian of course could not help but notice this reaction and he rolled his eyes at the situation. What Luka could see in a Li was beyond him, it's not that he had a problem with Ashlin per say nor really Kaytren at this point but somewhere deep in him there was still the traces of a grudge meaning that under no stretch of his imagination could he ever see himself dating Ashlin or really anyone in that bloodline...but really there was only Ashlin and Kaytren....he almost gagged at the thought.

"Luka, you've been talking about her for months. Maybe be a man and go talk to her, flirt. You're friends, it's not that hard. Besides how often are you two in the same place at the same time. Didn't she just get back from...I don't know wherever the hell?"

Luka felt the butterflies swarming in his stomach he shook his head to collect himself.

"Easy for you to say, we've been friends since we were little. I don't want to mess that up."

"I DoN'T wAnT tO MEsS dAT Up."

Adrian punched Luka in the arm lightly as he mocked him.

"Don't be an idiot, you're smarter than that. The fact that you're friends makes everything easier, if you crash and burn you don't try again and you resume the friendship as if nothing ever happened. Just be yourself and then maybe ask her if she wants to do something, if it feels right maybe hold her hand and if it feels even more right kiss her."

Luka took a deep breath, a bit of red showing in his Sephi ears. He calmed himself down she was a ways away and hadn't seen him yet.

"Yeah well, how will I know that it feels right?"

Adrian blinked in disbelief.

"I happen to know you're not a virgin, you're over complicating...but ummm....it's not exactly the same scenario is it?"

Luka gave Adrian a glare, he did not much care to be reminded of that day at all.

"No it's definitely not and I thank you NOT to bring that up again."

"Right. Well it's all about reading her reactions to what you say and what you do. You're perceptive enough, watch her face, her eyes, you'll know what and whether you like it or not, you're a Lynd, even Alex can flirt and if he can, you most certainly can. Now grow up and go over there and talk to her, find me later and let me know how it went."

"Oh yeah....I'm related to you....somehow."

With that Adrian clapped Luka's shoulder and turned around leaving the cafeteria. Luka was left alone, he shook his head as he walked towards the table, his feet felt heavy as they hit the ground and suddenly he was aware of everything. What was he doing? Adrian was right, this was Ashlin, one of his best friends in the world. He collected himself and smirked, as he approached the table everything felt surprisingly natural. He eyes narrowed a bit in a friendly manner and he smirked at her.

"I'm surprised a you didn't get snatched up by a Nexu out on Cholganna and everything. Remind me, why were you there?"

Luka sat down, took his knife from his tray and cut his Jogan in half, purple juice slightly staining his hand as he offered her one of the two halves. Maybe this would be easier than he thought, being this close everything felt familiar and fine with her in his presence. Whereas moments ago from across the room she was something else in a way. Something about the distance made her a girl he had a crush on whereas up close she was a dear and trusted friend....whom he happened to have a crush on, but in this setting that was secondary to their friendship, which he valued more than anything.

[Ashlin Li]

Life had such a great tone today. The Temple refectory was casually filled with Jedi and personnel comings, goings and the comfortable mental background noise of a hundred relaxed conversations.

Sitting cross-legged on her chair with her feet tucked under her while she pursed her lips and took notes about navicom calculations, Ashlin was currently focused enough on the trio of datapads in front of her that she’d forgotten about her lunch. She barely even registered someone wanting her attention until Luka had practically sat down across from her.

Hm?

“Oh! It was an issue between the descendents at the Retreat and a migrated school of arboreal octopuses!”

Stretching in her seat, the younger of the two part-Sephi Padawans smiled and picked a cookie from the edge of her plate. She wore a charcoal grey flightsuit that wasn’t much different than the troopers standard uniforms except for the Jedi symbols in blue and silver. Her hair was pulled back in her usual braid with a bit left framing her face or brushed back behind her ears.

She had a mug of red tea with a cinnamon stick gone that had cold on her tray, along with a few berries, a little chicken, and another chocolate cookie left on her plate. Ashlin gave him half of the first cookie and bit a piece of hers.

“The octopod herd had gone much further north than normal after wildfires on the southern continent, but when they got there they associated the settlement with poachers and it was a little rough. You look really good. How are you?”

[Luka Balmore]

Luka sat there rather casually and peered at her calculations. Light skipping? He wasn't sure he liked the idea of that, it seemed risky and maybe just a bit reckless. It wasn't that he reacted to it, however quite the contrary he gave a bit of a wry smirk.The Sephi in him wanted to lecture her on it, but the human in him.....

"That looks fun."

He took in the story about the octopuses and casually took a bite of the cookie, it was sweet and delicious. He noticed the tea of course with the cinnamon stick protruding from the mug. He reached over and grabbed it, taking a short sip. A bit cold and bitter, the cinnamon stick did add a nice bit of flavour to the beverage though. He looked her over after the compliment and smiled, she looked good too.

"Really? That sounds wonderfully exciting and insanely random all at the same time, either way right up your alley. The tea though, is it bad that I was hoping for the infamous chocolate tea?"

He smiled, looking down at his plate for a moment.

"I am fine, long shift today, a younger padawan I am training busted his head on the edge of the table as he got a little queasy during an operation. I think he'll be okay, it's always a little unnerving seeing the insides of someone the first time. He'll either get over it or he won't, but I think he will. You look good as well."

He placed her tea back down and offered her half of his jogan.

"So how long are you on world for?"