A Night at the Opera, part 3

Posted on Wed Jul 21st, 2010 @ 7:03am by Commander Raven Adams & Khiy Tal'ehrihn

1,213 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: On Typhon Station
Timeline: Current

ON

[OLD]

Khiy attempted to wash his thoughts clean for the remainder of the performance, but succeeded little in the way of doing that. Being honest was by far something he wasn't accustomed to and his thoughts remained disquieted by it. He had convinced himself that all of this was foolish and he had far more to lose than gain. He had also convinced himself, more importantly, that he didn't really care about that.

)NEW]

When the curtain came up for intermission, Miral wasn't sure how to react. Although she didn't understand the language, she was able to understand enough to follow most of the story -- or the part that actually sunk in. She spent most of the first act thinking about Khiy. His father was a prominent figure on Romulus. She had no right even speaking to him. But she didn't care. He made her feel like a person in her own right and she liked that. Selfishly, she wanted more. She stared at the seat in front of her, not sure what to say or do next.

Khiy broke the silence that seemed to be hanging in the air between them "...Did you enjoy the first act?"

She turned to him, a slight frown on her face. "I believe so. They are quite good, but I am not sure I understand the story..."

"Neither do I." He admitted. "But I think that's part of the intrigue. It's up to us to determine what it is about based off their interactions with one another." Not unlike what Khiy was trying to determine about himself and Miral.

She nodded. An odd way to tell a story. Each person in the theatre could, potentially, leave with a different idea of what the story meant. "Most unusual." She looked through the program, trying not to be too aware of the man next to her. It was almost a relief when the second act started.

Khiy really tried to pay attention for the second act. Despite himself, however, he started to draw comparisons from the act as to his current situation. Before long the opera held little in common with what he was focusing on and he was admittedly lost for what was actually happening.

The box was secluded and dark. She couldn't see Khiy but she was hyper aware of him. She heard every movement, every breath. It was distracting and unnerving. When her hand accidentally brushed his she jumped. ~Fool,~ she berated herself and tried to focus on the performance. It didn't help.

Khiy felt the touch and looked over to where Miral sat. It would have helped if he could have actually seen her; there was little more than a shadow where she sat. Suddenly questions flooded his mind. Did she need my attention? Is she just shuffling? Is she is bored? Tired? Am I making her uncomfortable? ... Why am I suddenly so concerned?

He stared at Miral's shadow for what seemed like a number of minutes, unable to take his eyes off her silhouette. Over the course of a few seconds, all of the conflicting white noise in his head suddenly diminished to nothing more than a quiet whisper. After the endless debate in his mind as to what he wanted, one thought emerged above all the others about this intriguing woman. I want more.

She could feel him looking at her. Miral turned in his direction, wishing she could see him. What was he thinking? She almost asked him, but held back. Time passed and she sat there, staring in Khiy's direction, oblivious to the opera.

Suddenly, the audience applauded and the lights came up.

Miral found herself looking into Khiy's eyes. For several seconds she sat there, frozen, her expression far too revealing. Then she blinked and they both looked away.

She took a deep breath. "That was most unexpected." She wasn't sure if she was talking about the opera or Khiy -- or the way she was feeling. She began to gather her composure. It would not be good for her to appear vulnerable in public. With the lights up, anyone could look up and see her.

Khiy snapped back into place and the white noise once again took over in his mind. "Indeed. Terrans certainly know how to weave an excessively complicated tale, don't they?"

He stood up and offered his hand to help her out of her seat. He made sure to measure his words evenly. "Thank you for joining me this evening. Your company made the event." Her company WAS the event.

She took his hand and stood. As she turned from the audience her eyes met his again. "It was..." Her thoughts were racing as much as her heart. "Thank you," she said.

Khiy opened his mouth to speak, but slowly shut it and smiled instead. The moment of clarity had once again been drown out. As much as he wanted to tell her, he couldn't, not now. "I'll see you to your quarters."

Miral nodded. Her public mask was now firmly in place. As they passed through the curtain, she stood regally, every inch the ambassador.

She nodded a greeting to one or two people as they left, but for the most part, people looked at her and turned away. One of the disadvantages to being Romulan on a Federation station.

For his part, Khiy ignored everyone as he walked through the crowd. He didn't notice if people were looking at them strangely or not as he was firmly entrenched within his own thoughts.

Miral was relieved when they were out of the public eye and in the VIP section. She'd never been one for crowds. When they got to her door, she turned to Khiy. "Thank you for the evening. Would you... would you like to come in for a drink?"

"Yes, I would" Khiy said as a knee jerk reaction. His mind suddenly clouded over in dispute. "But I can't tonight. I have a shipment coming in shortly that I am expected to sign off on." He couldn't help but sound disappointed in his own decision. "Perhaps another time...soon."

Disappointment flashed briefly in Miral's eyes before it was masked. "I understand. Thank you for this evening. I look forward to our next meeting." She sounded calm and polite. Her thoughts were in turmoil. Being with Khiy was like being out in the sun. She was drawn to its warmth, but was afraid if she got too close she'd get burned. She also was afraid she'd miss that warmth when it was gone.

The last thing Khiy wanted to do was leave, but it was the right decision to make...maybe. The question left hanging in his mind shifted considerably in his mind over the last few hours. Where before he wondered if he could trust her, he now questioned whether he could trust himself.

He smiled weakly and nodded. His resolve was paper thin, but it held. "As do I, Miral." He wouldn't trust himself to say anything more. He turned his body at considerable effort and slowly walked away.

Sleep wouldn't come easy tonight for Khiy.

OFF

Khiy Tal'ehrihn
Chairman
Trans Galactic Trading
Starbase Typhon

Miral Tal'Aura Annhwi (NPC)
Romulan Ambassador
Starbase Typhon

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