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Ice Cream Social

Posted on Wed Aug 26th, 2015 @ 2:59pm by Aewia Larani & Staff Warrant Officer Nexi

Mission: Where Angels Fear to Tread

Sitting in her usual place on the couch, Aewia was nibbling on some ice cream and watching some ancient video on the holo-entertainment projector she had gotten from the Captain a while ago. It was pre-loaded with a lot of the more entertaining early computer generated films and the one she was watching at the moment was something about feelings having feelings. It was a deep and confusing subject for Aewia, but it was entertaining none the less, her chocolate malt ice cream with butterscotch topping slowly melting in her bowl.

Nexi entered the quarters and noticed the look of intense focus on her sister's face as she watched some sort of 'animated' thing on a holo-screen. Nexi couldn't tell what was going on, she'd only just popped in on the flick, but it definitely seemed to be holding Aewia's attention. Nexi popped by the replicator to get a fresh bowl of ice cream to replace the growing puddle in Aewia's bowl, and a bowl of chips for herself.

"So, what are we watching?" Nexi said as she joined Aewia on the couch, removing the melted bowl of ice cream from Aewia's lap and setting it on the table, then offered the fresh bowl of ice cream.

Taking the fresh bowl, Aewia pointed to the screen. "It's something about feelings in people's heads having feelings of their own. It seems to have a lot of misguided old stereotypes, but something about it is... fascinating." Aewia said rather coherently.

"Oh yeah?" Nexi said as she started to watch with more interest. "Feelings having feelings... If that ain't existential, I don't know what is!" She watched for a few minutes longer, snacking on her chips until she looked over at Aewia with a smile. She was doing so much better today. In fact, she was having more and more lucid days, it was very encouraging. Nexi was proud of her sister, she had come so far. That whole 'tough as nails' and 'never giving up' thing seemed to run in the family...

After a few moments, Aewia had a feeling within a feeling of her own and she wasn't sure how to handle it. Her sister was smart though - she'd know what to do. Turning to Nexi, Aewia asked her most pressing question. "Do you think it might be possible for me to rejoin Starfleet? Or at least to do something on this ship that's helpful?"

"I bet you could," Nexi said with a small smile. Yep, they were definitely related... "I'd rather you didn't rejoin Starfleet, but I won't stop you if it's what you want. But I sure as hell ain't letting you work in Intel anymore. Big sister's gotta draw some lines somewhere!" Of course, they'd need to get Aewia to where she was reliably self sufficient first, but at the rate she was going it wouldn't be that much longer... and that made Nexi think about what she would do once that day came. What would she do?

Aewia easily picked up on Nexi's worry about what she would do and just blurted out what she wanted. "Later on... I'd like it if we went and claimed my inheritance and lived there. I'm sure we can come up with something to spend our time doing. If... If you'd be ok with that, that is. And you're right - no more Intel for me. I think I could help out in other ways though."

"Maybe after the Hera is done with their work with neutron star thingy, we can go take a field trip in my ship. I'll take you back to Betazed and get everything squared away and then you can decide what you want to do with your life," Nexi suggested.

Aewia nodded and smiled, happy with that answer. "Something with you," she said, nibbling on her ice cream some more.

"Well, I still do some pretty dangerous work, kiddo. But I'll see if there's something we could do together," Nexi said with a thought nod.

"Something with mayonnaise?" Aewia asked slyly. She'd picked up on that from Nexi's dreams, her empathy growing stronger every day.

"Hey, that prank was funny! You woulda laughed too," Nexi countered with a grin. Although, now this meant she was going to have to be more careful with her thoughts around Aewia.

"It was a funny dream," Aewia said with a slight chuckle, spooning at her ice cream. "You know I'm no stranger to danger. I also know you want to protect me. And I can't blame you..."

Nexi put an arm around Aewia, pulling her closer. "I know, kiddo, but some of the things I've done, it's more than what would be acceptable by your Starfleet. I'm try'na clean up my act, though..."

Snuggling tightly with her sister, Aewia set aside her bowl of ice cream for the moment. "Like torturing a Ferengi involved with illegal Romulan espionage in order to infiltrate his client's ship, then killing him and feeding him into a replicator when you promised to let him live?" she asked, looking into her sister's eyes.

"You did that?" Nexi said, looking at Aewia more than a little impressed. "Good girl," she added with a chuckle and a pat to the head. "I bet the bastard had it coming..."

"Let's just say he didn't have the Federation's best interests in mind." Aewia said with a hint of a wicked grin. "It's funny how I can't remember my time at the academy but I can remember my prior missions."

Nexi grin proudly at her sister. "Hey, you'll remember what you remember. I know it's gotta suck to have a gap like that in your memory, and maybe that stuff was important and maybe it wasn't, but you've got a whole brain of other memories you're remembering, and a whole lot more space for more senseless stuff, like watching feelings have feelings," Nexi teased, giving her sister a playful squeeze.

"This is true. And the doctors here have been using methods that are regrowing the missing parts of my brain." Aewia said with a wide smile. "They've even used their limited stock of biomimetic gel on me."

Nexi smiled at her sister. The Doc had even taken some samples from Nexi's brain to try to help. The sibling connection coupled with Nexi's unique ability to generate an electrical charge was supposed to help jumpstart this remarkable regeneration in Aewia. At least, in theory. Although, to look at Aewia now, it looked to be working... "You remember how you thought you'd be weak and helpless forever? Look how far you've come. Won't be too much longer and you'll be ready to put on a uniform again!"

Aewia nodded happily. "And it's sooo good to have decent food again too. And to be able to appreciate it... I think that's their greatest gift so far."

Nexi grinned. She could definitely appreciate the availability of good food. She grabbed Aewia's bowl of ice cream and set it back in her lap. "Well, appreciate it, don't let this one melt."

Nodding and smiling happily, Aewia dug into the bowl of ice cream, savoring the flavors. "Whatever I do though, I want to do it with you, ok?"

"We don't have to do the same things," Nexi said, ruffling Aewia's hair, "but wherever you go, I'll be there."

 

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