LtCmdr T'Lea - Like popcorn!

[Alcyone Brennan]

I enjoyed reading this a lot @TLea

 

Quote

 

(( Deck 4))

 

Trovek: I’ll live-.. I’m fine!..  Please stop looking at me like I need a hug and a teddy. 

 

The Romu-vulc gave her exactly what she wanted.  No sympathetic looks.  Just business as usual for a Starfleet XO.

 

T’Lea:  We need to continue to main engineering and we may have need of both your expertise along the way.  ::at Arys::  Are you able to continue?

 

Trovek: Yes. It’s fine. 

 

Good answer.  Even if it wasn’t fine.  That was fine too.  

 

T’Lea:  Is anyone here claustrophobic?

 

Trovek: Not really, why are you-… oh…shrinking turbolift. Yeah.. let’s not think about that. Sorry I mentioned it. 

 

Kendrick: Response

 

Sival: I suggest we all do our best to suppress all fears and any other vulnerable feelings that the hallucinations attempt to exploit. Watch your imagination. Keep a rational mind.   

 

That sounded easy enough, but T’Lea knew better.  They headed toward the nearest lift down the corridor, which was eerily vacant and silent.  She assumed that meant somebody was imagining it, or the entire crew was preoccupied with their own idiot visions to be doing their jobs.

 

 

Trovek: … Where even is Engineering? 

 

T’Lea:  Deck 15 is upper Main, and Deck 16 is lower Main Engineering.  I’d suggest we go in on the lower deck.

 

Silval/Kendrick: response

 

Trovek: Hey, not like I thought I’d ever be needed there. I mean I always found it interesting, but.. well.

 

The group arrived at the turbolift and entered.  Silence filled the small car after the correct deck was ordered.  The peaceful hum of the lift purred along, and T’Lea concentrated on that until the Counselor made a noise.

 

Arys: Uhm…. 

 

She followed the Bajoran’s eyes down toward her leg and saw the Vole attempting to crawl up.  T’Lea lurched and kicked it away.  It tumbled, rolled across the lift and giggled like it was a game.

 

Vole:  What are you afraid of?  Heeheehee!

Yes, there was a bit of anxiety that had momentarily flushed through T’Lea’s system, but she quickly suppressed those childish fears.  Ignoring the Vole that was now cleaning it’s face with it’s paws, she turned to her fellow officers with poise. 

It was clear that whatever was happening to them was going present the possibility of embarrassing moments.  She decided to own one of hers.

T’Lea:  As a child I went on archaeology expeditions with my Uncle.  We were on Ferenginar for several months, and during that time it was Yut-Yut mating season.  I fell into one of their pits and since then I have not be particularly fond of rodents.

Vole:  Yes.  Yes.  But what are you afraid of?

T’Lea:  Not you.

She sternly rejected the imaginary creature that had scampered back at her feet.  

Vole:  Heeheehee!  Then they have nothing to fear at all!  

That sounded ominous.

Kendrick/Sival/Trovek: response

T’Lea:  It’s under control.  

Vole:  ::mocking::  It’s under control!  Heehehehee!

If the Vole was going to follow her around and jeer her the entire time this was going to become very annoying.

 

Kendrick/Sival/Trovek: response

 

Vole:  ::at T’Lea::  Why don’t you just admit to these peons here what you are really afraid of?  

 

T’Lea staunchly ignored the creature at her feet.

 

Kendrick/Sival/Trovek: response

 

Vole:  Should any of you be giving advice, really? Like, really, really?  ::at Sival::  No life-dead wife.   ::glaring at Trovek::  And don’t you have serious problems of your own, killer?  ::happy dance::  Oh, I know!  Maybe I should have a bunch of babies to make you feel better!

 

T’Lea:  Shut up!

 

She kicked the Vole and it went flying into the turbolift wall where it blew apart into hundreds of voles.  Like popcorn popping the creatures filled the car in an explosion of duplicates all laughing hysterically as they towered toward the ceiling.

 

Oddly, T’Lea was more [...]ed than panicked, although reliving the terrifying memory of her childhood was not lost on her, here and now.  She swatted at the mound of critters as they reached neck height, and luckily the turbolift came to a stop at its destination.  The doors opened and out spilled a tidal wave of Voles into the corridor.

 

Kendrick/Sival/ Trovek: response

 

T’Lea pushed out onto the deck and the minion of Voles parted beneath her feet, laughing and having a good old time.  Angry, she kicked at them and they backed off, which had a sobering effect on them. 

 

T’Lea:  I told you, I am not afraid of you!

 

Voles:  Angry!  She’s getting angry!  

 

The army of Voles spoke in creepy unison and lined up in regimen behind their Romu-vulc leader.

 

Voles:  Do it!  Let her out.  Let her out to play with us!

 

T’Lea:  ::vicious:: Shut up or—

 

The main Vole perked up, excited and happy.

 

Vole:  Or you’ll kill us?  

 

Suddenly T'Lea understood what they wanted from her.   What she was hiding.  WHO she was hiding.  T’Lea turned her back on the minion of Voles and closed her eyes.  

Suppress it.  That was her only option.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and shrugged it off.

 

Kendrick/Sival/Trovek: response

 

T’Lea:  I have it under control.

 

Breath and suppress.  Little by little she pushed down the inner-darkness that the Voles wanted her to bring out.  And one by one the Voles poofed away until none remained, except one.  The main antagonist of them all.

 

Vole:  Aww…  so close.  Maybe next time.  Bye bye.

 

Poof!  In a white puff of smoke the creature vanished, but it’s little laugh remained a few moments more.

 

Composed and on task, T’Lea turned to face the other officers hoping nobody had pieced together what she already knew.

 

T’Lea:  Shall we continue?  Engineering is that way.

 

She pointed down the corridor.

 

Kendrick/Sival/Trovek: response

 

 

[TLea]

Well, since T'Lea isn't a very funny character (maybe 'dark' funny, but not 'happy' funny) I have to make silly things happen TO her.    I hope you all enjoy your nice warm swim with the Voles.

[Alcyone Brennan]

See that's what I like about it. I find T'Lea to be a very interesting character and I really enjoyed the contrast between the comedy of swimming in voles, and the fact that in T'Lea's mind it's actually a quite dark scenario. 

I also find the fear of being exposed for those slightly darker character traits very relatable. So yeah. Well done, I loved it. 🖤