Different times, different places 1: Ayren...Erina?

Posted on 20 Mar 2014 @ 3:00am by Federation Ambassador Ayren Kelan

1,254 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: M12: For Duty or Honor
Location: Store room, close to Poisened Arrow
Timeline: During the mixer

The moment Ayren heard of the Poisoned Arrow, she had a knot in her stomach. She knew exactly what the cause was, but felt embarrassed about her mixed feelings, guilt shame....longing...excitement...

It was okay while she was talking to people, but whether it was the music, or the noise... something illuminated her feelings. She visibly shook her head and decided to confront her anxiety and remained there, it became too much for her. Sensing Elas just added to her sudden anxiety, realizing that he would know something was wrong. Quickly she made her way out of the bar.

Elas felt Ayren's anxiety as an acute tension across his brow. He looked to where he expected to see the doors part and stood up crossing the small but opulent lounge to the entrance to greet her. She never came through. Frowning a little in consternation he stood near the doors for a beat, moving only after Arran the projection from Capim barked at him to come in or leave. He had the feeling Ayren was dealing with a repressed emotional trauma, why the lounge though? And why would she avoid him... was it a memory she was afraid of being refreshed in her regards? His training and skills with emapthy lead him to believe Ayren had a maelstrom of conflicting emotions about the lounge.... but not this lounge. His desires to socialize at the party evaporated, Ayren was in pain, and Elas wasn't sure if she even knew fully why.

It was only a few steps outside the door where Ayren stopped, trying to regain her composure. There was a door to her right, which lead into a small storage room, she opened it and went inside. Sitting on the side of a table, she closed her eyes. Time to use the Vulcan meditation techniques, she had learned as a child on Vulcan.

~Commander, is there anything I can do to help?~ she heard the concerned 'voice' of Kestra, another Betazoid on board, who was on her way to the lounge.

~No, it's okay, Kestra, I will have to work through this....~

Ayren was aware of Elas and her heart rate increased, and tightening her throat. It made her even more determined to calm this 'storm'. A few moments later, she lifted her chin and opened her eyes, breathing out slowly. This was not going to last forever, but at least, she felt a bit better.

She got up and opened the door, just to nearly bump into Elas. There was no way she could hide from his senses, which was heightened anyway now again. Like a deer caught in a trap, she looked up at him. Her serene outward appearance was belied by the turmoil she had just managed to calm, resurfacing.

Elas hadn't intended to startle her, but she was practically begging for help. Every aspect of her personality was in a state of alarm. Wasting no time as she nearly ran into him, he spoke to her while moving to allow her room to walk past. "Commander, what is wrong, please.... you can trust me." He hoped she could sense his genuine desire to help, after their earlier argument he had hoped for a chance to prove himself to her.

The party for Ayren was over.... Her mind and senses were in turmoil. One part of her screamed for her to get away and deal with this on her own, the other pulled her towards him, to face this ... to share this..... She leaned against the bulkhead, trying to gather her thoughts. She had never had such reactions before... maybe it was him, maybe his presence triggered the memories to force themselves out of her control! A flash of irritated anger rose up in her and was revealed in the frown that formed between her brows. ~He did see a whole lot of things anyway....~ was the counter argument, ~ he still wants to help...~.

"Not here.. " she said plainly, defeated.

Elas wracked his brain, the closest place he could think of they could guarantee privacy without drawing untoward suspicion was the observation lounge near the bridge. She was composed outwardly for the moment, but he felt the anxiety in her mounting. She was dying inside from some unimaginable pain... he could feel her intent to survive flaring and only making it worse. "Ayren, we can reserve the observation lounge near the bridge find some peace and get some distance from everyone, would that help?"

She nodded quietly... She heard him making the arrangements and was trying to gather her thoughts again. It was too hard and she gave up. Must be the presence of the Ullian.... but maybe it was time anyway... time that someone else knew to whom she didn't need all that much explaining

Once they stepped into the lounge.... Images came flooding back.

They were vague at first... there was another person there .. man. She got lost in the moment and sank down the bulkhead onto the floor...

"Break a leg...I think that's what I'm supposed to say to an entertainer," a familiar man smiled and allowed her to move toward the stage. As she did so, he surveyed the audience and bar crowd, again, looking for familiar faces. He watched her move and was once again was taken with her beauty. Her persona was that of a Terran 1940s film star-she was striking, imposing, yet so feminine. She was a woman very much in command...and he could tell there was much more to her. He wanted to know everything.

Erina started her program with a song called 'Shy boy', moving playfully with the rhythm of the song. She loved entertaining and it defined very much who she was. She moved into a sultry love song, allowing her sensuality to shine through as she moved through the listening crowd. She sang directly to an embarrassed husband, trailed her finger down the cheek of an elderly man, sat on the lap of another patron, flirting with her audience. "Ohh, you loved that", she said teasing the crowd. "You know I always include variety, but I haven't quite mastered Klingon opera yet," she told them with a wink. She sang a Bajoran ballad instead and her own version of 'Unforgettable'. She bowed as her fans showed their appreciation.

The crowd was very much hers. The intimacy of the club, the familiarity of the patrons-it was a symbiotic relationship. The audience had expectations and Erina knew exactly how to address them.

She turned around to signal the band. While they changed instruments and settings she addressed the crowd again. "Tonight I will end with two songs that have been in my head and my heart for a while now, hope you like them." Her business partner, a man named Radolv had never allowed her to sing Celtic songs, but he was not here and she was free to sing what she wanted. The mysterious music captivated her audience and they heard a quality in her voice that they had not heard before. When the song ended they wanted to start to applause, but she held her hand up gently. The song that followed showed her range and skill, but she seemed to flow through the melody effortlessly. She had sung this many times before. 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' was a song she knew, but yet had never sung it before.

The memory faded, but Ayren felt exhillirated while it lasted, but deep guilt and shame now intruded....

TBC

 

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