[JP] Lieutenant JG Charlotte Brexis & Lieutenant Commander Thelan Valeris - Unstoppable Force, Immovable Object Part 2
Charlotte Brexis
((Tucker Station- The Refit and Refresh Restaurant))
Valeris: Stay out of my head.
She pulled back. Leaning back into her chair and pulling her hand away.
Brexis: Okay. I’ll stay out. Why don’t you just tell me instead. Use your words big guy.
The sudden retreat took Thelan by surprise, though he didn’t show it. He sat there, still unmoving. Slowly and calmly breathing. The abandonment of the attempts at telepathy and switching to a verbal option felt like a trap, but made Thelan feel calmer for some reason.
Valeris: Betazoids don’t like silence.
Brexis: No. ::Letting out a breathy laugh:: We don’t.
Valeris: I learned to. ::Beat:: Sometimes it’s the only way to survive your own mind…and other’s.
For a moment, she felt like she was really getting somewhere with him.
Brexis: What happened to you that makes you think that way?
Thelan shook his head and let out a small chuckle. Grabbing his glass, he took a long sip before setting it back down without saying a word.
Brexis: Would you prefer I go back to being intrusive? I can do that.
Once again she held her hand out. Knowing fully well he wasn’t going to take it.
Valeris: ::Shaking his head:: You really don’t want me to do that.
Brexis: ::Grabbing her drink:: Yeah, that’s what I thought.
The irritation bubbled up again. In a quick motion, Thelan reached out and grabbed her wrist as it was lifting her glass. One small glimpse. That is all he would allow.
A child in a classroom feeling overwhelmed by voices but not a single word being spoken. An explosion. A ship falling through atmosphere with trails of flame in its wake. Blame. Accusation. Constant and unending whispers and vulgar shouts filtering through a virtually silent room.
As quickly as he had grabbed her wrist, he released it. Leaning back, he snatched his glass from the table and downed the rest of the whiskey in one go.
Valeris: Happy now?
She sat back, breathing heavily at the raw intrusion of his thoughts. They were vivid. Terrifying. Emotional.
Brexis: I wouldn’t call it happy…
Thelan set his glass down on the table again with a series of thumps as it rocked back and forth on its base. An understanding wrapped itself around her, like a wet, uncomfortable blanket. Her hand absentmindedly rubbed her wrist where he grabbed her, almost as if she could brush off the wave of emotions that hit when he touched her.
Valeris: So much noise. So many voices. ::Shrugging:: Mistakes were made.
Brexis: So this is why you don’t let people in?
Valeris: That is why people can’t be let in.
Damnit. She so badly wanted to reach across the table and grab his hand. Give him some kind of comfort, but knew that wasn’t something he was going to allow.
Brexis: There has to be some kind of good buried under all of that trauma.
Thelan couldn’t hold back the abrupt laugh that escaped him.
Valeris: Maybe. ::Shrugging:: But - as you’ve seen - I don’t really let in the good all that often.
Against her better judgement, she put her hand on the table again.
Brexis: Show me the good. I can find it.
Somehow, Thelan was able to manage a smirk. Unfortunately for him, that only fueled her fire.
Valeris: I need more to drink before that happens. Plus, I think you’ve seen enough.
Brexis: I don’t think you get to decide when I’ve seen enough. We’ve made so much progress Mr.Up-tight pants.
Valeris: Let’s start with more drinks.
Without hesitation she grabbed the ordering PADD and input two more for each of them.
Brexis: More drinks incoming.
Valeris: Plus, you still have clothes on.
Her face scrunched up as she tried to hold back her laughter.
Brexis: Like you said. More drinks first.
(( Some time later…))
The table in front of the two was covered in empty glasses. Far more than either of them initially planned to drink. The alcohol had settled in enough to make Charlotte calm and relaxed, but not messy. Which for her was a huge win since she had a tendency to struggle with moderation. Even with the empty glasses littering the table, Thelan remained as unmoving as he had been. He noticed the much more calm and relaxed demeanor that Charlotte took on, and felt that maybe he had won.
Valeris: You’ve sure changed your tune, haven’t you?
Brexis: I think we’ve been in this place for far too long. C’mon Uptight. Let's go look at the stars.
With a raised eyebrow, Thelan tilted his head slightly.
Valeris: Such an original idea.
Brexis: Shhhh. I know we see stars all the time. Don’t be a fun sucker.
Charlotte stood up as she fell into a fit of giggles.
Brexis: Wait. Wait. Thelan? Do you hear that?
Listening for a moment, Thelan shook his head.
Valeris: I don’t hear anything different than there was a minute ago.
Brexis: That’s the sound of you sucking the fun out of this room.
She laughed harder, almost losing her balance. Instinctively, Thelan reached out to help steady the obviously tipsy woman. For a small moment, she leaned into his touch, but then he started talking.
Valeris: Do you think you are in any condition to be going anywhere?
Brexis: ::Ignoring his question and stepping away from him:: I can walk.
Valeris: Well, I sure as hell ain’t gonna carry you.
She smirked.
Brexis: On second thought… That could be fun. But you’d probably drop me on purpose. ::Putting her hands on her hips:: I’m walkin’.
She took off towards the exit, knowing full well he was about to be right behind her.
Standing up, Thelan followed Charlotte from the restaurant. He had no idea where she was leading him, but he had enough drinks in his system to not really care.
Valeris: Following a drunk girl out of a bar. Feels like the start to a bad night.
Brexis: Or! ::Spinning around to face him:: The start to a great night.
As if she never got the hint, she held her hand out waiting for him to take it as she led the way.
Valeris: You just don’t know when to quit, do you?
Brexis: No. I don’t.. I thought we already covered that flaw in my personality.
Thelan had, of course, hoped that after having a few drinks and finally getting the small glimpse he allowed behind the carefully built stone wall that was his psyche, she may have learned.
Valeris: It seems to be a growing list.
Brexis: Will you just enjoy yourself? ::Pouting her lip out:: Please?
Letting out a sigh, Thelan picked up his pace to walk a little closer to Charlotte’s pace.
Valeris: I’m not making any promises.
Brexis: And I won’t make any promises that I will stop trying.
((Observation Lounge, Drydock Ring))
After a few minutes of walking, and a couple of turbolift rides, the two found themselves in a dark and empty observation lounge looking over an empty starship construction bay. Finally surrounded by silence, Thelan stepped up to one of the large windows that looked out over the empty portion of the shipyard. Construction scaffolding sat vacant, but ready at a moment's notice for any signs of work on the way. Stars dotted the inky black beyond, with a few pinpoints of light slowly moving from place to place as Starships and shuttles went about their business.
Valeris: ::Taking a deep breath:: Betazoids don’t like silence. ::Glancing towards Charlotte:: So why are we here? In silence?
Brexis: Because, ::turning to him, confused:: I thought you liked it.
Valeris: I enjoy it. But you don’t seem like the type to go for this.
Brexis: ::Poking him in the chest:: That’s where you’re wrong. With the right person I can enjoy just about anything.
She smiled. A full genuine smile. She was going to make him enjoy himself one way or another. Charlotte walked up closer to the large window and lowered herself to the ground, criss crossing her legs and looking up at the small white dots littering the view. She patted the floor next to her, waiting for him to sit.
Valeris: We left a bar with comfy seats to come sit on the ground?
Brexis: Stop being so damn stubborn. ::Pointing to the floor:: Sit.
His inability to even try was so frustrating she wanted to sweep his legs out from under him and force him to sit, but decided against it.
Valeris: I’m enjoying standing.
Brexis: You’re lucky I’m tipsy, or I’d fight you.
With a sigh, Thelan relented, planting himself on the ground next to Charlotte.
Valeris: For the record, you wouldn’t win.
Brexis: ::Gesturing towards him:: Looks like I already won. You’re sitting aren’t you?
Valeris: The fight, I mean.
Brexis: Oh. ::Smirking:: Whatever helps you sleep at night buddy.
The two fell quiet, both staring out the window at the wall of white dots on a black sheet.
Valeris: You know, we do see this every day.
Brexis: Yeah. But have you ever actually looked?
Her eyes moved back to the stars. Thelan stayed quiet. He didn’t really have an answer. Had he really looked at the stars? Taken it all in? Not in a long time.
Brexis: You spend so much time shutting everything out. That’s got to be exhausting.
Valeris: At first. But keeping everyone at a distance has become easier and easier.
Without moving her eyes away from the view, she gently reached over towards him before resting her hand on top of his. This time, he didn’t pull away.
Brexis: ::Lowering her voice, almost whispering:: You know it’s not all just noise.
Valeris: Most of the time it is.
Brexis: Not with that bad attitude.
Turning his head away from the view outside, Thelan looked at Charlotte.
Valeris: You really think you have me pegged, don’t you? You’ve known me, what, a few hours?
Brexis: Long enough.
Valeris: Definitely not long enough.
With a soft squeeze of his hand she shifted just a bit closer to him. Her knee barely pressed against his leg.
Brexis: I know there is some good hiding in there, ::reaching over and patting his chest with her free hand:: it’s just buried underneath all of that ‘Don’t touch me or I'll spontaneously combust.’
Valeris: ::A deep, long sigh:: You’re…not wrong.
A soft contented sigh fell from her lips, it finally felt like he wasn’t running away.
Brexis: Was letting me in really that bad?
Valeris: ::Chuckling:: Yes.
Instead of continuing slowly and pulling back his layers one at a time, she very gently brushed his senses.
Brexis: ~~Thank you.~~
Thelan let the silence linger for a moment, his eyes still on the stars before a small smirk grew on his lips.
Valeris: ~~No. Thank you.~~
End.
Lieutenant Commander Thelan Valeris
Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
A239905NR1
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Lieutenant JG Charlotte Brexis
Intelligence Officer