[Round 2] Emotional Impact Prts 1 and 2

[Sirkit]

((Corridors – Crew Quarters))

:: Tash made his way out of sickbay, glad to be healed up and on his `new' home ship again. There was no coup up here... no royalty, no fighting, no grenades. ::

oO Just me, my shower, my bunk, and... Oo

:: The doorway to his quarters swished open, and he stepped in, and... ::

oO ... Della?! Oo

Vetri: Go away.

Tash: Della... what are you doing in... my quarters?

:: Her head snapped around at him, and her expression was one of annoyance and curiosity all at once. ::

Vetri: What do you mean, "yours"?

Tash: Yes, "mine." These are my quarters.

:: He wasn't trying to be harsh, but the sudden situation... not to mention her being rather naked save a fuzzy towel... put him on edge immediately. Had she just mistaken the door numbers? Was her shower broken? ::

:: She suddenly went down, almost as quickly as her mug did. It smashed, and she clutched her head with her hands as she hit her knees. ::

Tash: Whoa, easy now!

:: He rushed over to steady her, sliding down onto his knees in the process. ::

Tash: Are you okay? What's wrong?

Vetri: ::whimpering:: It's happening again... I'm doing things, and I don't know why...

:: It was a mystery what she meant, but he could piece together enough from what she had told him some time before, when she had visited his quarters before their trip to Fanels planet. ::

Tash: Okay, just relax... here.

:: He stood, taking a firm but gentle hand on her arms and guiding her over to the plush couch not far away. ::

Tash: ::arm round her, holding her steady:: Are you hurt?

::The pain in her head was fading fast, vanishing almost as fast as it had appeared, and she could feel an odd kind of vibration where Tash's hands lay against her skin. After a moment realised that it was her own body trembling as he helped her back to her feet, and one of her own hands latched onto the towel as she rose, holding it in place, as she let herself be placed on the couch.::

Vetri: ::voice soft, and shaky:: No injuries. I'm... I'm good.

Tash: Don't be like that... this is obviously serious.

Vetri: Not to mention embarassing as frak.

:: He stood once he knew she was steady, and moved to the replicator, leaving the dropped mug on the floor to be forgotten. ::

Tash: Water, cool.

:: Returning, he handed her the glass. ::

Tash: Relax. Drink.

::Della looked up at him, standing in front of her - her own personal hero. At the moment, at least. Maybe. Dropping her head again she closed her eyes, willing the last of the pain away as she reached for the glass and set it to her lips. It was hard to think - images kept rising to the surface, people, places, events she didn't recognise, but felt somehow... right.::

Vetri: Thanks... ::taking a sip, followed by a deep breath that she let out as a shaky sigh::

:: After a moment of quiet reflection as she drank, Tash decided to go for the harder cut. ::

Tash: Are you ready to explain this to me? Because if you don't explain it to me, I'm going to make you explain it to our medical staff.

:: It wasn't meant or spoken as an attack... only with worry. ::

::A snort of almost-laughter escaped her as he said that, and she shook her head as she took in a little more of the water.::

Vetri: Hate to tell you this, Tash, but I *am* the appropriate medical staff...

Tash: Then I'll have the slightly less appropriate medical staff scan you and the slugs brains for abnormalities.

Vetri: Okay, okay... Just... Gimme a minute here, alright?

::She felt the couch settle as he sat down beside her, and she imagined she could feel the warmth of his body as he made himself comfortable. After a few moments, she managed to focus enough to be able to concentrate on the conversation she was about to have, and opened her eyes once more, lifting her gaze to the windows.::

Tash: Have at it, then. When you're ready.

:: She seemed prepared, and so went straight into it. ::

Vetri: I'm remembering things. Nothing clear, nothing solid, but... flashes. I didn't come in here by accident. Part of me wanted to be right here, like this, when you came. I hacked the door controls, let myself in, and then promptly forgot all of it. This is not the first time I've had no recollection of my own actions, but it's the most significant.

::Another image swam through her consciousness, a computer console - antiquated by modern standards, but clearly of Klingon

design - and her hands hooking a code-cracker module into it's circuits.::

Tash: Last I heard, code hacking wasn't part of your job description. I've never seen you do anything like that before.

Vetri: I can't. That's the point, Tash. I don't know how to do that kind of thing.

Tash: Della... maybe *you* can't... but aren't there several other *you's*... Vetri's, that is... that might have had those abilities?

::She gave a little shrug, absently hitching the towel back up as it slipped slightly.::

Vetri: Good suggestion, except none of the pervious Vetris had that kind of...

::Her voice trailed off as a scene played out in her mind. It was only a few seconds long, and oddly domestic, as she remembered walking out of the tailor's fitting room, studying the fit of the new outfit in the mirror, and raising her eyes to meet her own reflected gaze. Except it wasn't *her*. Abruptly, she was on her feet, pacing the room as she grabbed handfuls of her own hair, eyes screwed shut.::

Vetri: Son of a [...]... You lying, treacherous, backstabbing [...]!

Tash: ::eyes going wide at the sudden mood swing:: Me?!

Vetri: ::turning on Tash:: I'm gonna kill him!

Tash: ::definitely not him... some other him.:: Who's "him?"

::She started pacing again, only this time it was more like stalking, rage boiling off her in almost tangible waves.::

:: Tash inexplicably felt a sudden flush, and a wave of anger accompanied it... it was incredibly strong, and instinctively... though he felt it radiate through him... he knew it wasn't his. He stood, the rush of adrenaline making it hard to focus on his friend. ::

Vetri: I'd beat him to death with his own spleen if he wasn't already dead!

:: He couldn't hold the rage in. It came out hard on his voice as he tried to focus through the feelings... she literally radiated them, and it got stronger as they came closer together. ::

Tash: Della, stop it!

::She span to face him, mouth open to scream the offending name at the top of her lungs, but she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried, she simply could not make herself utter a sound.::

:: The anger she vented into him took hold. Before he knew what he was doing, his arm lashed out... ::

::... and the flat of his palm swung hard across her face. ::

*SMACK*

((Part 2 begins here))

:: As she was knocked back off balance, and perhaps stunned, the fog of rage instantly lifted from him. Maybe the shock of what he'd done had brought her away from the place she had gone to... but within him was an intrinsic fear... telepathy, in all its various, abusive forms... and his fear had made him lash out at her without a moments thought, driven by her anger. ::

:: However, the instant the rage left him, guilt and an expression of horror took its place. ::

Tash: Oh my god... Della, I'm sorry! I wasn't...

:: Stuck on his feet, it took a moment for him to readjust mentally. She had obviously remembered something potent... but since when did Trill have telepathy? Or anything of that sort? He'd never heard of a case, except scattered accounts between Trill and hosts. But that wasn't important. He'd just smacked her down... and she likely didn't even know what she'd been doing. ::

:: He wanted to reach out to her, make it better... but he didn't... she likely wouldn't want him too. ::

::She shook her head slightly, tasting blood in her mouth from where Tash's blow had landed - probably harder than he'd planned. Still, the reason for his actions escaped her at the moment, and the look she was directing at him carried the full weight of what she was feeling. The anger was gone now, replaced by a kind of numb shock, and an obscure kind of pain that had little to do with the hand-print she could feel burning on her cheek.::

Tash: ::backing away, hands up almost protectively as she turned back to him:: ... look... stay... if you want, I mean... replicate

some clothes, a drink... I've got to... need to shower...

:: Scattered, much? Tash escaped from the room into the shower, shucking off the soiled uniform and stepping into the purifying electric buzz that was the sonic shower. ::

:: Quickly finished, and redressed in clean civilian clothes... black sports wear with strategic, streamlined blue stripes down the legs and across the shoulders... he was a bit surprised to find Della still there. He'd half expected her to escape... but then, she wasn't him. ::

:: But she had been running from her memory issue for a long time. ::

:: Maybe they were more alike than he thought. They were both good at running. ::

Tash: Are you... your face...

::She looked up from where she'd sat on the couch once more. She'd pretty much ignored his suggestion of getting dressed again, instead spending the time trying to work out what had happened between them. She'd seen him annoyed, even angry, but what he'd shown had been pure rage, the kind that made you loose all control - the kind she'd been feeling herself at precisely that moment. A thought had wormed it's way into her awareness, an explanation that was so very simple, yet pretty disturbing at the same time...::

Vetri: ::touching fingers gently to her cheek:: My face is fine. I... I think I know what happened. I'm an empath, Tash, but I'm sure you knew that already. The point is... Sometimes empaths don't just receive other people's feelings. Sometimes they broadcast their own. Not something I expected, but I think that's what happened to us.

Tash: Took me off guard, I'll admit.

:: He was still across the room from the couch, and he made a diverting trip to the replicator for a mug of coffee, staying noticeably *away*. ::

Vetri: ::watching him move, seeing the distance he was careful to keep between them:: I understand why you did what you did, Tash, and it's okay. To be honest, it was probably the best thing you could do, apart from run. ::he looked like he was about to speak, and she lifted a hand to stall him:: I need to say this next part, so please... I'm sorry. What I did, even by accident, was tantamount to a psychic assault, and I know that is precisely the kind of thing you've had very bad experiences with in the past. Should you choose to report this, I'm willing to submit to whatever disciplinary procedures you or the Captain deem appropriate. If not... Tash, I'm so utterly sorry. However you want to deal with this, I'll go along with it.

:: Oh yeah... she had access to all his psych files... she was the counselor, and could smell fear like a shark. But he didn't want her focusing on him, if she was willing to overlook the little incident before. They needed to focus on her... and her memories. ::

Tash: Its fine... this isn't about me. You remembered something. Someone. Who was it? One of your prior hosts?

:: He stayed near the replicator, leaning on the wall. The distance to the couch seemed very far. ::

::Della was quite surprised at how quickly and easily he decided to gloss straight over what had happened, and it took a few moments for her to reorganize her thoughts. Rubbing a hand over her eyes, she opened her mouth to answer, but once again, nothing came out. She struggled to speak, a sense of panic rising quickly inside her as she failed utterly to be able to voice the information sat right at the front of her mind.::

Tash: You want to, but...

Vetri: ::whispering:: I can't do it. I know the answer, I want to tell you, but... Something's getting in the way.

Tash: A mental block.

:: Dead hit, perhaps. He'd seen it before. He'd had it done to him before. When something like that came out, the person could go a little nuts. Her explanation and the thought of it happening to Della... his worry factor increased exponentially as his personal protective instinct diminished. ::

::Curling herself tighter on the couch, she felt her eyes meet his, and a kind of warm, reassuring veil seemed to drop over her, smoothing the jagged edges of the worry and panic within her mind.. Not breaking eye contact, she stood, closing rapidly until she was bare millimeters from him, and closed her eyes, drawing the warmth into her to calm her verves.::

Vetri: ::voice growing stronger as she spoke:: I've come across this kind of thing before, I think. It's possible to block off memories, usually in the course of treating some kind of major trauma. Problem is... If that's the case, how can I remember this stuff at all?

Tash: ::quietly:: You need an impartial telepath to clean things up...

:: Standing stock still, he let her come near. The look in her eyes... if he didn't know better, he'd think she were intoxicated. ::

Vetri: I know that, silly. Just thinking out loud. ::lifting a hand, she ran it gently across his chest, the soothing warmth seeping further into her.:: Maybe... Maybe the blocks are damaged, somehow?

Tash: Entirely possible.

::There was heat flowing the other way now, stretching out from inside her, reaching to wrap itself around the man that was so very, very close to her right now... Her eyes changed as she looked into his, becoming hotter as her body began to feel oddly loose and relaxed.::

:: He felt it too... literally. His arms came up to grip hers as the warmth ran right out of her lean, spotted body and into him. Again, instinctually, he knew it wasn't his... at least at first... but that didn't mean it wasn't potent, or kicking up an intense desire to play connect the dots. ::

:: He tried to clamp down on the image, somewhat unsuccessfully... but still, he didn't move. ::

Vetri: ::almost purring:: Tash...?

Tash: Yes, Della?

Vetri: Back off, right frakking now.

:: He lifted his head away, but didn't move otherwise. She could likely hear her own desire on his voice. ::

Tash: You came over to me, Spots... what for?

Vetri: I don't know, but it's taking all I've got to keep off of you right now, and I don't just mean physically...

Tash: You're... ::a bit out of breath::... you're not thinking.

:: Quite suddenly he used his grip on her arms to push her to their full extent, his head dropping, eyes shut hard as he tried to steady his breathing. It took a massive effort not to leap on her... lift her, carry her to the bedroom, and do as he would... but that nagging kick in the back of his brain was telling him she had no idea what she was doing. ::

Tash: Stop... you're doing it again...

:: To a much different conclusion, admittedly. There was a certain small amount of desperation in him now. The conflicting senses and emotions verses his absolute knowledge that she was out of her mind... not insane, but confused. ::

Vetri: ::running her hands along his arms, savoring the strength in them as he held her:: I know... I'm not... entirely... in control, here... oO I told you how I felt about you in the Jungle. Is it taking whatever this is to get it through to you? Oo

Tash: ... and tomorrow... you'll despise me for... taking advantage...

:: He could hardly speak, even as he held her at arms length. ::

Vetri: ::hands gripping his arms as if she never meant to let go:: No... I won't.

:: Eyes opening and coming up to meet hers, he didn't let go either... the waves of heat were simply too hard to bear, and they drew together in a fast, passionate kiss. It was almost violent. The towel dropped. ::

:: Tash steered them into the bedroom, hands roving over cool Trill flesh. Fingers pushed into her indented spots as he leaned her back on the bed. His body pushed down into hers as he came down on top of her, the kiss deepening as they committed to the act. ::

:: But his brain insidiously kick-started... likely just before Della was about to animalistically rend his clothes off... and a gigantic red flag flew from his less-than-conscious to his conscious thought. ::

:: He pulled back from the kiss quite suddenly, upper body pulling away from hers, his breath ragged and impossible to catch... his hands were shaking as he pulled the soft blanket up over her lithe, beautifully spotted body. ::

:: Looking her in the eyes, he couldn't tell... he just couldn't be sure if this was really what she wanted... or if it was something else driving her. Her broken memories. Her previous swing to rage, and the very quick transition into uncontrollable passion. ::

:: He had followed a similar path with Cura, in reversed roles. The thought that he and Della could end up in so cold a place as he and Cura had... it wasn't helpful. ::

:: But as he looked into her, he just couldn't know... and not knowing if it was real was the only deciding factor... and by just a hair. His hand came up to gently touch her face where he had hit her, fingers tracing over her patterned forehead and jawline lovingly. When he spoke, it was in a broken, harsh whisper. ::

Tash: I really... really hope... that you'll understand this tomorrow.

:: A last moment was spent gazing into her eyes... and clenching his teeth, he shoved himself off the bed, and was out the door of his quarters in a moment. The instant the door swooshed shut behind him, his voice rang loud and heavy in the empty corridor. ::

Tash: Computer, lock my quarters and erect a level 3 security force-field!

:: His body fell back against the doorway as the computer *Ba-bleeped* confirmation of his order. It was hard to stand... his fingers clawed back against the door, and he fought down the impulse to return. ::

:: There was no way he could do this if she wasn't in her right mind. ::

:: A hard tremble ran through him as his brain attempted to wrangle in his body. She would understand... not now. Right now she was destroying his quarters in a beautiful, nude rage. Maybe not even tomorrow. But... when she got a grip on her memory block... maybe then. ::

:: Maybe then, she'd even come back to him and tell him if it was real... and if she still wanted it. ::

:: His hands curled into fists, his frustration swinging back against the doorway in a loud *THWUMP*. After a moment of silence, he pulled his clothes back into place, turned his head to pop his neck, and began the awful trudge down the corridor away from his quarters... and their prisoner. ::

-------------------------

Lt JG Della Vetri

Counselor

USS Constitution-B

&

Lt Commander Tash Zubowskivich

Chief of Security

USS Constitution-B