Keeping Her Mind Off Skylar

Posted on Fri Feb 11th, 2011 @ 4:09pm by Commander Raven Adams

1,244 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: On Typhon Station
Location: promenade
Timeline: current

ON

Raven left the tea lady and meandered down the promenade. She didn't have anywhere specific in mind, she simply needed to leave the tea shop before she did something she would regret later. And, sadly, she was close to doing just that.

Skylar was getting to her. She wasn't sure what to do about it -- if anything. So, for now, she was going to do what she usually did when she didn't want to think about something. She went window-shopping.

Window-shopping allowed her to think about random things and not focus on anything in particular. Like a certain Vulcan.

Which was quite unfortunate, really, because Skylar had decided to follow Raven. He quickly caught up to her, and tapped her shoulder. "Are you alright, Raven?"

Raven was focusing intently on a small wrought-iron raven in a store window. She spun around and blinked several times to be sure she was seeing who she thought she was seeing. "Hi. Umm, yea."

"You left rather suddenly. I was concerned." Skylar said.

How was she going to explain that? She ran a hand through her hair while she thought. "I didn't want to do anything to give Anna any ideas."

Skylar cleared his throat. "I believe that, after our performance, we are rather transparent." Skylar said. As are your attempts to deflect.

"You were rather transparent," she corrected. "And I'm not deflecting."

Skylar refrained from chuckling. "You seem like you are deflecting, and you are more transparent to those who know you, than you'd care to admit."

"Well, I'm not admitting anything," she deflected, turning back to the raven in the window. She decided it wasn't one she wanted so she moved down to another window. "Besides..." She stopped, realizing she almost said something a little too revealing. She glanced at Skylar and back at the window, not paying attention to what was inside. She really was being too transparent.

Skylar quirked an eyebrow. "Why don't we just be upfront, and honest with one another, Raven." He said, once the crewman who had walked by, walked by.

Raven turned down a deserted side street where they wouldn't be overheard and turned to face him. "Okay."

"Why are you avoiding me?" Skylar asked, bluntly.

"What makes you think I'm avoiding you?" she asked, equally bluntly.

"You left, suddenly, and appear to be rather uneasy at the fact that I followed you here." Skylar said, countering her question.

"You weren't the reason I left the tea shop and I'm not uneasy about the fact that you followed me." The truth was, she was glad he did. She wasn't happy about the way things ended the last time they were together.

Skylar quirked an eyebrow. "Is there something that happened between you, and Commander Johnson, that I am not aware of?"

"Yes, but I don't want to go into it," Raven hedged. "I have nothing against Anna. She and Jana are my friends. I just..." She was unsure how Skylar felt and didn't want them to think there was more going on than there really was. Especially when she herself didn't know what was going on.

Skylar shook his head. "You just, what, precisely?" Skylar asked.

"You said you wanted to be upfront and honest, but so far you haven't said anything, you've just asked questions."

"I am uncertain as to what, precisely, you would like to know." Skylar countered.

"Stalemate," she said, folding her arms and looking him in the eye.

"Not necessarily." Skylar said. "I'm just not entirely certain your views on Vulcan mind melding."

"That depends on how deep you go," she said honestly. "There are things in my past I do not wish to share with anyone. And things in my profession I can't share."

"I would presume your mental shielding sufficient to withstand such an endeavor, as I am not especially well trained." Skylar said. "And, your discomfort on the issue is less than I had anticipated."

"Why did you think I would have more of a problem with it?" she wanted to know.

"It is... uncomfortable for most non-vulcans, or so I am told." Skylar said.

Raven shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've never been part of a mind meld. But I'm not concerned about a little discomfort."

Skylar quirked an eyebrow. "Perhaps somewhere... more private." He said, after thinking through the ramifications of such an encounter.

"I was thinking the same thing," Raven admitted. "If this is going to be uncomfortable I'd prefer to be somewhere I feel most comfortable. That, I'm afraid, would be my coffin." The thought that if things went horribly wrong, she'd be in the right place made her smile.

Skylar quirked an eyebrow. "I am scheduled to be on duty in approximately 10 hours. Perhaps this would best be done at a later date, if it is inconvenient."

"I have a few hours now, or we could do it later. Whatever works best for you."

Skylar was uncertain. This was strange territory for him. "Perhaps later would be best. I remember well, a strongly worded warning about not getting enough rest between work shifts."

Raven shrugged. "Okay. We can do it tomorrow after your shift -- if you're not too tired." It would give her time to shore up her mental barriers. She trusted Skylar, but there were quite a few things she didn't want known by anyone.

Skylar nodded. "That should suffice." He said. He wasn't entirely sure Raven was ready for it yet, and wanted to give her some time to prepare. "Are you alright?" He asked, after a brief pause.

That all depended on what he meant by all right. She was in good health, but she had to admit, Skylar was driving her nuts. She was falling hard and she was afraid of being hurt again. "In what way you mean all right?"

"You seem... tense. Distressed." Skylar said. "I am not sure I will be able to work properly, if you are discomforted."

Raven sighed. "How do I explain this?" she asked, half to herself. "I am... what you say. But it's not going to go away soon and it probably won't negatively impact a mind meld."

Skylar was unsure what to say, as he was unsure what Raven was saying. He simply looked down, with a confused look on his face.

"Skylar, you are making me tense." She ran a hand through her hair again. "You're driving me nuts because I don't know..." Her voice trailed off. She really wasn't sure how to finish the sentence without telling him how she felt about him and she wasn't sure she could do that just yet.

Without thinking, he took Raven's hand. A great feeling of warmth came through the brief moment of contact, but no more than the emotional transference.

He looked into Raven's eyes, and nodded. He said nothing else, and simply walked away.

Raven watched him walk away, then sank onto a bench under a nearby tree. She'd felt the wave of emotion when he took her hand and was still a little shaken by it. The force of the emotional impact was not at all what she'd expected. At least now she knew her feelings weren't one-sided. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the tree. This was going to be interesting.

OFF

Commander Raven Adams
Chief Intelligence Officer
Starbase Typhon

Lieutenant Commander Skylar
Chief Engineering Officer
Starbase Typhon

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