Windmills of the Mind

Posted on 03 Apr 2014 @ 5:30pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Petty Officer 1st Class Siren Hex Saalm

1,980 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 1, Saalm's Quarters
Timeline: MD -11 0425 hrs

[ON]

It had, so far, been a restless night for Lirha, and as the early hours of the morning approached, she tossed and turned in her large bed while half asleep. The strange dream consciousness she was experiencing was very unnerving, and the whispering echoes of millions of voices permeated her mind and called to her in the all-too-familiar eeriness of the Borg collective. Not a nightmare...more so a terrible reality which had been haunting her for months following her botched assimilation.

Rolling over on the bed and subconsciously flopping one of her arms against Siren's cheek, Lirha mumbled incoherently in her native tongue. Her bare green skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat which reflected the streaking starlight shining in through the windows, and the sounds of several cooing pet tribbles echoed from the foot of the bed where they were resting.

Siren stirred as the hand hit her and she brushed it away with confusion. Feeling the shifting body next to her, she looked across with a frown, blinking sleep out of her eyes. Her frown only deepened when she saw Lirha's obvious distress, and pain coiled tight inside of her at seeing her like that.

Rolling onto her side to be up closer to her, Siren propped herself up on her elbow, leaning over her to stroke the long, dark hair away from Lirha's face. "Lirha? Sweetheart, wake up, it's alright," she said softly, trying to wake her gently rather than startle her. "Come on, jewel..."

More mumbling ensued while Lirha continued to toss around on top of the sheets, and her green arm once again inadvertently reached out and smacked itself against Siren's face. The voice of the Borg collective inside her head had turned strangely familiar, and it reminded her of Siren's voice.

"Easy, easy," Siren caught hold of her with worry, sitting up so she could hold her arms still against the bed with a firm grip, not wanting her to hurt herself. "Lirha, shhhh, it's alright," she leant to brush a kiss to her sweat glistening skin. "Wake up," her voice was firm as she forced herself to stay calm and not sink in to her concern. "You're on Galileo, just you and me, sweetheart. Just us."

"...Galileo...." Lirha mumbled just before her eyes slowly forced themselves open. She squinted and inhaled deeply through her nose while trying to see in the shadows of the dark room. "Siren," she finally added matter-of-factly when realized her arms were being held. "Was I asleep?"

Siren nodded gently, her long red hair swaying with it, loose on her shoulders. She eased her grip on her, relieved at having her back in the real world. "Not comfortably though," she laid close against her on her side, wrapping an arm around her to keep her close.

A frustrated sigh escaped Lirha's lips, and she took another deep breath to calm herself before reaching over and rubbing the side of Siren's leg. "It was the Borg again...a dream, I think. I hope. Sometimes it feels like I still have nanoprobes in me," she quietly explained, then reached down to her feet where she picked up a handful of tribbles and brought them up to her lap to pet.

Siren reached down to stroke gently over the soft fur with her, keeping curled up close to Lirha. "It's all just you," she said softly. "You're too beautiful to be tainted by them."

"I'm sure that is what the Borg queen must have one thought...before she was assimilated," Lirha replied with a dry attempt at humor. "If these dreams continue, I might have to start seeing a counselor. And you know how much I hate that idea..."

"Write them," Siren said quietly, meeting her eyes in the dim light. "Your brain is trying to get it out of you. Help it. Write your dreams out, then burn the damn things." She hesitated, frowning before sighing and shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this," she said softly, shifting up closer to hold her protectively instead, stroking her hair.

Lirha appreciated Siren's administrations but at the moment was a bit too unsettled to return the affection. She mumbled something quietly to herself about not wanting to write down dreams, then chewed on her bottom lip while she pondered the situation for a while.

"I changed my mind. No counselors. They make me feel uncomfortable," she finally said with conviction.

"Whatever helps, sweetheart," Siren frowned, kissing her hair softly, stroking it reassuringly to try and soothe her. She kept her voice level to mask her concern; it wouldn't be helpful to pass on her anxiety. "You've got to do what you think will help. Everyone deals with this stuff differently." She didn't want to push her to see a counselor if she wasn't keen; it could just make her feel worse.

Taking the tribbles off her lap and placing them down on the bed, the Orion snaked her way out from under Siren's leg and slowly rose from the bed to stretch. Deep in thought, she walked to the window and stared silently out into space for several long moments, then slowly walked away towards the kitchen to procure herself a drink. "I think a snack might help. Want anything?" she offered.

"No thanks," Siren said softly, watching with pain and then frustration at not being able to help her. She swallowed hard, looking to the window. Maybe this was one of the reasons she'd stayed clear of relationships. It turned out she wasn't good at being a comforting partner to someone in pain. She moved to the doorway, just watching her, staying close so she'd know she wasn't alone. "A counsellor might be able to help you....understand what you're feeling?" she suggested softly.

Lirha returned shortly with a large bowl of strawberry ice cream in her hands -- her favorite comfort food. "I thought you were my counselor," she teased in a quiet voice, then moved close to Siren in the doorway, leaned forward, and gave her a deep kiss.

Siren kissed her softly in return, her thumb caressing her cheekbone, wanting her to feel warm and safe. "You really are screwed if that's true," she teased, but with a gentle smile, hoping to lift her spirits, if only for a moment and if only a little. She led her back to the bed, tucking her in so she wouldn't get chilled with her ice cream. "I just want what's best for you."

Wiggling her feet under the blanket, Lirha spooned some of her dessert into her mouth and let out a quiet sigh of content. "I suppose it would help if I knew what that was," she replied to Siren's comment. "Maybe it will all just sort itself out." She shrugged, then offered the red-head a large spoonful of ice cream.

Siren laughed softly, leaning to take it from the spoon, letting her keep a hold of it. "Your new pet, am I?" she teased softly, stroking her side gently, trying to make her feel better. "I hope it sorts itself out," she said softly. "I really do. I just worry it's more...serious. You went through a lot. You're so strong that maybe it doesn't feel like it, but you did. Many others would have cracked under the stress."

"It helps having people around who I care about. You and Nesh give me a lot of strength," Lirha confessed in between small nips of her frozen treat. Her eyes drifted back towards the foot of the bed where one of Siren's exotic pink tribbles was now awake and cooing. "Hmm...pink fur is not exactly the best natural defense against predators..." she thoughtfully murmured.

Siren laughed softly, leaning down so she could scoop the ball of fluff up, settling close to Lirha as she caressed the soft, pink fur. "Maybe not, but it's cute..." she lifted it so it was level with her own face, lifting the pitch of her voice higher as if she was the tribble's voice. "I'm pink and fluffy, what's not to love?"

"Is that the universal translator voice?" Lirha lightly laughed as she, too, reached out to rub the furry ball. "If tribbles could talk...what do you think they would say?" Personification was always fun for her to think about, and even though tribbles weren't the highest form of intelligence in the universe, they still probably had thoughts and feelings. Didn't they?

"Feed me?" Siren teased gently with a small smile, settling the little ball of fluff on Lirha's lap, stroking the fur softly. "Food, love and play. What else is there?"

"Mating. But I suppose since tribbles are asexual and born pregnant, they do not have urges like other species...except for food." Lirha set her bowl down on the nightstand and stretched her arms up over her head before sinking back down into the bed and sleepily yawning. The nearby chronometer now read almost 0500, and she was scheduled to report to her shift in just over three hours. Staring up at the ceiling, her mind continued to wander. "Do you think they need to be bathed? In water?"

"What a sorry sight they'd be if they did," Siren couldn't help but chuckle softly at the mental image as she settled down against her. "All their fur dampened down and limp. Do you think they'd shake out and fluff up after? Go all fuzzy?"

"Perhaps," Lirha quietly replied, though her thoughts were focused on a plethora of things in addition to frizzled tribble hair. Yawning and rolling over on her side to face Siren, she then reached out and stroked the side of her face while admiring her attractive features. "I wonder how Nesh's tribbles are doing. And Delainey's. Perhaps we could organize a play date for all of them?"

Siren searched her eyes at the mention of the counsellor. It wouldn't be a bad plan, actually. Regarding her nightmares. A more...social arrangement with the counsellor, giving her the chance to speak to her more casually. She could always distract Nesh to give the two a chance to natter, and it would be more relaxed. Lirha might feel more comfortable with that. And equally, if not, well, they'd all have a good time anyway. "I think it's a great idea. We can share holiday pictures. Oh! And that bottle of....something purple I bought there."

"I was wondering what that was as well..." Lirha replied with a grin in reference to the purple bottle which had appeared in their quarters shortly after Siren had moved in. "Do you remember which vendor you purchased it from? Or was it a gift from an admirer?" she teased.

"Oh yes, a handsome prince who just couldn't resist," Siren teased close to her lips but with a small smile. "No. It was some street stall. Goodness only knows what it is. It was alcohol, and it was purple, that was enough to attract me," she admitted, tilting her head apologetically.

Lirha laughed then wrapped her green arms around Siren and rested her head on her shoulder. "Well, as long as it is not Romulan Ale...nothing tastes quite as disgusting as that blue liquor. Perhaps purple liquor tastes more appealing." Her eyes slowly closed and she quietly sighed in an attempt to try and focus on getting back to sleep.

Siren just smiled, feeling the change in the weight on her. She remained silent to let her drift off, stroking her hair gently. She frowned with concern, keeping her breath even so she didn't disturb her. Sometimes she wondered if Lirha was too strong. But then again, it was what was brilliant about her.

[OFF]

--

CDRE Lirha Saalm
Mission Advisor
USS Galileo

PO2 Siren Hex
Intelligence
USS Galileo

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