Strong Women

Posted on Thu Jan 17th, 2019 @ 8:42am by Commander Liselle Qwyyn & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Lia's Quarters
Timeline: MD 1 - 1900
1504 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Normally approaching any member of the crew in their quarters, friend or colleague, required Liselle to give herself a small pep talk to build up the courage to intrude on their personal space. But Qwyyn found herself so utterly shocked and excited by Lia's return that she just couldn't help herself. Coming to the door of Commander Holmes' quarters, she reached out and eagerly pressed the door chime.

Lia heard her door chime, oO Who the hell was that? Oo she thought. Moving towards the door, she called out. "Come on in, the doors open."

The doors parted, and Qwyyn stood awkwardly at the threshold. With her hands held together in front of her, the Trill looked up at Lia, uncertain. "Hi, Lia."

"Hi yourself, just don't stand there. Come on in, we can't talk with you in the damn corridor". Lia pointed at a chair, "Plant your bum girl, and let's gossip". Liselle seemed unsure of something, Lia had an idea just what it might be.

Qwyyn found herself looking down at the floor as she made her way to the offered chair, not unlike a child about to face her parents and the recently delivered report card. The moment she connected with said chair, Liselle began speaking. "I didn't mean to move in your territory. Not at all. Not even a little. Things just...happened. Really fast. After you were gone. You have to know that I would never. Ever. Intentionally." She blew out a heavy breath, long held. "I'm sorry."

Lia looked at Liselle, "What did I say on the bridge? You haven't moved into anyone's territory, you earned what you have". She moved closer and leaning down, hugged Liselle. "Now quite with the guilt trip, you have nothing to apologise for" . She moved towards the replicator, "What do you want to drink?" Lia turned to face Liselle , "And if your worried about Gary, don't be. I told him to look you out, he says you pair only talked" . She picked up her coffee and placed it on the table, "And what's this I hear about you and the wolf?"

"We ummmm....we called it off," Liselle said in a small voice. It still brought her a pang of guilt every time she spoke the words aloud. Had she given up too easily?

Pointing to the replicator Lia asked again, "Drink, what do you want?" She then walked back to Liselle, "Are you sure it was we, and not you? Because it sounds like your not to sure".

"I -- honestly I'm not sure of anything anymore," she said. Her eyes widened as she caught Lia's expectant look. "Whatever you'd recommend," she apologized, indicating a vague drink order. "Something with some kick, I guess. There's...something I need to talk to you about."

Something in Liselle's voice made Lia stop what she was doing, "Something with some kick?" She sat down and looked at her friend, "Liselle, what's wrong? I've never heard you talk this way before, its like you've lost something". Looking at Liselle, Lia could see she was deeply troubled. "I don't drink anything with kick, but I do have a non-alcoholic cocktail I learned from Quark on DS9. It has bite, will that do?" Lia tried hard to lighten the mood, but somehow it fell on stony ground. She glanced at the ground and with a sigh asked the question, "So what exactly do you want to talk about?"

"Have you, by chance, ever heard of the Trill ceremony called the zhian'tara?" Qwyyn asked uncertainly.

Lia shook her head, "I don't think so, the only one I've heard about is the visit yourself one. Not sure how you do it, you talk to your other hosts some how". She blushed as she muddled through her explanation, it sounded childish.

Qwyyn smiled, relief plain on her face as Lia spoke. "Yes. Yes, that's exactly right," she said eagerly. "When joined Trill reach a certain maturity, they are given the opportunity to communicate with their past hosts. Most of the time it is optional. In my case, given the nature of the Qwyyn symbiont and the difficulties of my past joinings, the symbiosis commission has insisted that it is mandatory."

"What do you mean they're making it mandatory? I'm not up to speed on your joining, didn't it go well or something?" Lia sounded confused, and honestly she was. No one had ever told her of Liselle's joining with Qwyyn, but it seemed the symbiont had a troubled past.

Qwyyn's hands went subconsciously to cradle her abdomen. "Normally, people on my world aspire to be joined. It never really appealed to Liselle, to be honest," she said of herself in the third-person, as often joined Trill spoke of their joinings. "But I was approached by a member of the Symbiosis Commission and urged to participate in an accelerated training program in order to help save the life of the Qwyyn symbiont, who had had some very troubling experiences with previous hosts. There was a whole regimented plan to get the symbiont's experiences back on track -- starting with joining to its first female host. Now I found myself carrying out that plan: frequent reports, in person interviews, that sort of thing. Put simply, the Commission issues an order and I obey. That was the deal."

"Oh ok", replied Lia. She looked at her friend, "So what exactly do you need me to do?" Lia crossed to Liselle, "Hey I'm here for you, if you need me to help in some way I'm there. Just tell me what you want".

Qwyyn's voice fell so small that it was hardly more than a meek whisper. "I was hoping...maybe you would consider being a part of the zhian'tara, as a receptacle for one of my previous hosts..."

Liselle's request caught Lia by surprise, "Say what? A receptacle for a host? Can I do that?" She sat back down with a thump, "That was unexpected, I guess the answer has to be yes. You need my help, and your my friend. Just tell me what to do and when to do it, and I'll be there for you I promise". She stood back up and crossed back to Liselle, bending down she gave her friend a long loving hug.

When they broke away, Liselle carefully wiped the tear from the corner of her eye. It was unexpected, and rather embarrassing, but Lia's quick agreement to help was overwhelming her. "Well," Qwyyn breathed, tying to find her center. "You might change your mind when you hear a bit more about this host. His name was Juntis. Juntis was...a very confused and angry person. His father was the first host for Qwyyn, and during that time he fought with his father mercilessly. When his father died, the Qwyyn symbiont was transferred from father to son -- something that never should have happened. The results were disastrous. If anything, it's what sent my symbiont down the path I'm on today."

That bit of information didn't sound like a good thing, "So angry and confused equals me?? Guess I come across that way sometimes, but I'm still here for you. Just explain exactly what I have to do, so I don't cock it up".

"Lia," Qwyyn interjected, and her cheeks flushed with her own embarrassment at having bumbled over her own message. She sat forward on her chair, resting her elbows on her knees. "I'm not asking you to host Junits for me because I think you are like he was. I am asking you because you are the only person on the Elysium I trust to be able to handle him. You are an incredibly strong woman. Next to the Captain, there is no other woman I aspire to be like."

Once again Liselle had managed to say something that took the wind out of Lia's sails, "You aspire to be like me? Why? I'm just a run of the mill normal girl, you've done more seen more than I ever will. There are times I wish I were more like you, and Gary would probably agree with that". She looked at her friend, and smiled. "Hey, wherever and whenever. I'm there for you, just don't stop being you".

Liselle felt tears swelling in her eyes once again. She didn't try to stop them this time. Instead, she jumped up to her feet and caught Lia in a fierce hug. This, right here, this was exactly what she loved about Holmes, what she knew Gary must love about her -- and she couldn't even see it in herself. "Thank you, Lia," she whispered. "I won't forget this. Ever."

Returning her friends hug, she wiped Liselle's tears away. "There's nothing to forget, now I'll tell you what. Lets me and you replicate ourselves a couple of chocolate milkshakes and talk about this symbiont host thing, ok?"

OFF

Commander Lia Holmes
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Elysium

Commander Liselle Qwyyn
Chief Flight Control / Second Officer
USS Elysium

 

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