Ensign Lyra Voss: Somewhere Deep Inside
Sarah Terry
((Voss Manor, Bellonphain, Betazed))
Lyra had had to introduce her grandmother to a crowd many times, and Ardeena, without fail, always reacted the same way. Shoulders back, head straight, the smallest right-sided quirk of her lips, hands loosely folded together above her waist - such practiced magnanimity that Lyra no longer knew whether to be impressed or annoyed. Though really, those were always the states she was waffling between when her grandmother was around. As soon as Lyra had finished naming her three traveling companions, Ardeena moved in with a genteel smile.
Ardeena: How lovely to meet you all! We’re thrilled to welcome you into our home for Vestus. I hope you had a pleasant trip?
Sylvax: Thank you. It was a pleasant trip.
McLaren: Yes it was quite a lovely trip.
Taybrim: Beautiful flight, beautiful day, no complaints!
Lyra saw that delicate eyebrow arch up as her grandmother took Sol, Ryden, and Sal in with curiosity, and she crossed her arms with a sigh. At least the commodore had some familiarity with Betazoid… bluntness? Ryden and Sol? She wasn’t as sure. Ardeena fixed her gaze on Ryden.
Ardeena: Sylvax, is that right? Tell me, where is your family from?
Sylvax: My family? My father is Trill, and my mother is… well, Betazoid.
Her grandmother nodded knowingly.
Ardeena: ~Ah, of course. Half-Betazoid then.~
Sylvax: ~That's right... half-Betazoid.~
Lyra could hear the tentativeness in Ryden’s telepathy - a muscle he didn’t exercise often. Meanwhile, Sal took half a step back to confirm the situation for Sol.
Taybrim: Telepathic communication.
Ardeena continued to keep her eyes on Ryden.
Ardeena: ~How lucky for your symbiont to have a Betazoid perspective introduced into its lineage. I can’t imagine that’s very common. And I hope you’ll find your time here elucidating.~
Lyra pursed her lips.
Voss: ~ Govanna – ~
Ardeena waved a hand at her granddaughter as she laughed.
Ardeena: Forgive me, forgive me! ::looking at Sol:: We try to avoid telepathy when all guests present can’t participate, but you’ll have to indulge me if I forget. Now, Dehla, will you be taking them on a tour of the grounds?
Questions that were thinly-veiled directives - another one of her grandmother’s favorites. But Ryden, probably feeling her annoyance, jumped in before she could respond.
Sylvax: I think… we should get settled first. Drop our bags, see the house, and then head out. The bonfires aren’t lit yet, but there’s still plenty to see and feel. ::a small pause, glancing toward Lyra:: That way we can take it in properly, step by step, rather than rush.
McLaren: Yes, that would give us time to get refreshed, perhaps change into something more suited.
Lyra nodded in relief.
Voss: I think that’s a good idea. It was a long flight after all - I think we’d all like to take a minute before we head out again.
Taybrim: I am good with anything, truly.
Ardeena: Well you can at least bring them through the solarium on your way to the guest wing. ::to Sol, Ryden, and Sal:: It’s one of my favorite rooms in the house.
McLaren: Your family home is lovely.
Ardeena turned to Sol with a bright smile, and Lyra briefly wondered if being off-duty was a good enough excuse if she decided to grab McLaren and physically pull her away from her grandmother. Otherwise they were never going to get out of here.
Ardeena: You’re too kind, dear. Dehla may not have mentioned it, but Vosses have been living here in this very house for fourteen generations. Our ancestors settled Thalzed nearly a millennium ago - practically carved the city of Bellonphain out of the bedrock themselves. Each generation has put their own touches on the house - mine, as you’ll soon see, was enclosing the atrium to create our lovely solarium, and my daughter Palara has been updating the ballroom. We’ll see what Lyra does with the place someday.
Voss: ::under her breath:: Trap doors and escape routes?
Sylvax: Response?
Ardeena: ::ignoring Lyra, continuing to smile at Sol:: Have you had a chance to visit Betazed before?
McLaren: No this is my first time to Betazed. I’m excited to take part in Vestus.
Ardeena: ::to Ryden and Sal:: And when was the last time the two of you celebrated Vestus?
Sylvax: Response?
Taybrim: I’m very excited to see the festival again. It’s been well over a decade.
Ardeena: And I’ll wager you’ve never celebrated it with the Sixteenth House! We take our responsibility as hosts very seriously. If you had any idea *half* the things we have planned, you’d –
Voss: ::interrupting:: Govanna, the program can wait. Our guests are still holding their bags. Let me take them to their rooms.
Sylvax/McLaren: Response?
Sal, however, had chosen this moment to fall on his sword for the rest of them. And somehow he almost seemed happy about it.
Taybrim: My dear Ardeena, I would love to hear all about it.
By all the Four… the smile on Ardeena’s face radiated out like summer sunshine and she immediately swept over to Sal and hooked her arm around his.
Ardeena: Well, well, well! It isn’t every day you meet a true gentleman. ::with a teasing laugh:: What an improvement over the last man you brought home, Dehla! Go on, I’ll chat with Mr. Taybrim, and you can all go get ready to head to the bonfires.
Lyra felt her left eye literally start to twitch, but she’d learned long ago which battles to pick with Ardeena, and Sal seemed perfectly content with the circumstances as they were, so far be it for her to try to rescue a commodore from himself. She shook her head.
Voss: We won’t be long.
Sylvax/McLaren: Response?
((Time skip - Voss Manor grounds, Bellonphain, Betazed))
By the time the three of them caught back up with Sal and Ardeena, Lyra was pretty sure her grandmother was making plans to adopt the commodore into the family. The fact that Sal still had a smile on his face when Lyra finally managed to get her grandmother to leave them alone was a testament to either saintly patience or unparalleled social curiosity. As soon as Ardeena was out of earshot, Lyra began apologizing.
Voss: I’m so… I don’t even know where to start with her. I’m sorry. She means well somewhere deep inside, but Four help me, sometimes it feels like its *really* deep.
Sylvax/McLaren/Taybrim: ?
Voss: Well, as long as you’re sure you don’t want to run from here screaming, let’s head toward the bonfires?
Sylvax/McLaren/Taybrim: ?
The group set out across the grounds at Voss Manor. Thalzed was the northernmost continent of a temperate planet - there was still a nip in the air on the eve of the spring equinox, but hoorfa grass was already coming in soft and golden in the fields next to the house. There were several vendors with stalls set up in a row as they came closer to the bonfire field, and bright string music swirled toward them.
Voss: ::pointing out the stalls:: There’ll be a bigger street fair tomorrow, but there are always a few people here tonight selling trevellas. They’re sort of… stand-in objects? When Vestus started, it was customary to burn items that represented the things you want to let go of - photographs or letters or trinkets - but with holophotos and PADDs and all that, obviously those aren’t safe to burn, so people started selling trevellas. They’re usually made of wood or paper. Beautiful too. Sometimes you’re almost tempted to keep them.
Sylvax/McLaren/Taybrim: ?