What Was and Might Be I

Posted on Sat Nov 12th, 2022 @ 10:57pm by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov
Edited on on Sat Nov 12th, 2022 @ 10:58pm

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: Holodeck 2
Timeline: Mission Day 28 at 2100
3983 words - 8 OF Standard Post Measure

Lyra put the finishing touches on herself just a few moments before the appointed time for her date with Andrei. Any annoyance she had felt over his surprise of it had by now gone away and now she only found anticipation and curiosity. Could he perform as a lord? Would it be a mask or would this be more akin to his natural element? Would he actually enjoy this or was it some obligation he felt he had to fulfill since they had made a wager? Where would they go? What would they do? Was he actually going to give her the taste of court she wanted or would this devolve into some sort of murderous adventure? Would he like her dress? Would he-

She realized it had to stop somewhere and immediately ceased the internal roll of questions. It would be endless and inevitably self destructive if she let it go on too long. She looked in the mirror once more, observing her reflection and making sure everything was in place. Her makeup had been applied with a light hand with a focus on her eyes given she would wear it no other way unless it was an occasion that truly called for more attention to be drawn to her. Her hair was down but styled to keep away from her face with a few pins that were invisible in her dark hair. The gold earrings she wore were simple and elegant drop earrings that started as a thin golden chain attached to a loop bearing a single sapphire at the bottom which another thin golden chain dropped under and hit about halfway down Lyra's long neck. Around the base of her neck and along her shoulders was a choker necklace of a simple but elegant flat gold chain about three-quarters of an inch thick. It was understated but complemented the look beautifully. Standing, she moved back out to the bedroom to put on her matching gold heels that actually looked like they were gold, not some cheap shiny knockoff. Finally finished, she pulled on a black satin cape with openings at the arms that would hide the entire look while they walked to the holodeck, leaving her for Andrei’s eyes alone.

Andrei had wasted no time going back to his quarters following his conversation with Jasper. He quickly applied lotion of a deep, woody, and dangerous scent which he then finished off with a cologne of the same kind. He then sprayed and brushed his hair with a complimentary scent, making sure none of it was overpowering, and then ran a comb through his long black hair. When finished, he removed his interface patch and donned an extraordinarily expensive-looking blue suit with white dress shirt. He strapped a tie of a vibrant and silky royal blue. In the center of the tie, he placed a magnetic tie clip, a golden emblem of the Terran Empire with the water of the earth presented in gleaming sapphire. He ran a gold chain on the outside of his jacket in a style that suggested a pocket watch, and then closed his vest, which matched the suit itself.

He turned to the mirror and accessed his ocular implant, bothering for the first time to alter the shade to a piercing sapphire blue. Checking himself out in the mirror again, he grinned an arrogant grin. He looked like royalty. Turning, he exited his quarters and walked right across the hallway. He pressed Lyra's chime and took a comfortable and confident standing position, placing one hand in a pocket.

Lyra smoothed the front of the cape out and then moved to the door. She opened it, and her eyes immediately went up to Andrei's face instead of down to his body. She blinked once at seeing his eye had changed color, then smiled easily as she stepped back and looked him over.

"You look magnificent, darling. Tie and everything. I'm impressed." She stepped close to him, one hand moving to his chest and sliding upward. She wanted to touch him, but this also gave her the benefit of feeling the expensive material it was made of. She made a mental note to not do any tearing of clothes later on and hoped he would do the same. She smirked and added suddenly, "Definitely not like any estranged father at a school play that I've ever seen."

He grinned, remembering that particular metaphor. He looked her over then as well, noting her hair, makeup, and jewelry, but being a little confused by the cape.

"I'm the real dad this time." he said, his own hands feeling the sides of the garment to test it out. "It seems like you're keeping secrets, love."

"You know how I love my secrets." She chuckled softly and watched him move his hands over her body. "Just until we get to the holodeck. This dress I want for your eyes only." She placed a hand on his cheek and drew him in to kiss him quickly, but it held their typical passion even if it was brief. "I am ready when you are."

"I'm ready." he said, and grabbed her hand, leading her toward the door. As soon as they stepped into the corridor, all eyes were on them as some crew traveled down the hallway. They paused to let them pass, a look of fear and awe on their faces like they wouldn't dare get in their way. There was something about this couple that just seemed powerful, and no one wanted to be on their bad side; like they were in the presence of royals. They walked up to the turbolift and stepped in as it opened immediately. "Jasper has the job, by the way. We'll see if he can be a good little dog or if he needs to be house trained. All I care is that he bites when I give the command."

"New dogs usually pee on the rugs or furniture for a little while, but it is best to not be hasty throwing them out when they do that. Training can go a long way." Her thumb ran over the back of his hand and simply looked forward. Her head was high and she didn't bother looking at those around them. They were of no concern to her. "I'm sure Corvin will need training as well."

"I've found that a swatting with a newspaper does the trick." he said as the doors opened on their floor. He led them out and they stepped into the corridor together. Since this deck was much more populated, even more low-ranked crewmen looked at them with surprise, as if two famous people just appeared around a corner and greeted them with lowered heads, stepping to the side. They were only encouraged in seeing other people react the same way. "I'm not worried. I am curious what Jackie is going to have to say about him. She does have quite the bite, poor boy."

"That she does." Lyra chuckled at that. "Are you glad to be working closer with her? I know you two get along well." She paused and added, "And both liked to admire my ass when I was nearby."

"Are you kidding?" he asked, looking over at her. "We still like to admire your ass."

He chuckled then, squeezing her hand even tighter. He knew the sight of them holding hands so intimately would shock people, and dismay many of the women Andrei had been with. He didn't seem to care one bit.

"Jackie's fun to work with. She manages to seem like she doesn't care about a thing in the world, yet still gets her paperwork and makes the trains run on time. I've yet to discover her secret." he said as they made their final approach to the Holodecks.

“You will in time, darling. I’m sure.” Lyra wasn’t about to say Jackie didn’t have a secret; everyone had secrets. The woman was no fan of her own father though which was interesting at the very least. As they came to a stop outside of the holodeck, she waited for Andrei to bring up his choice while she herself pondered all the delightful things she had learned over the past few weeks about certain members of the crew.

"Computer, start program A.Petrov Gamma 124985." Andrei said, placing his hand on the console on the wall and adjusting some of the settings manually. He hadn't yet revealed it to Lyra, but he was a very talented holodeck programmer. He hoped she would be impressed, but was more interested in her truly enjoying the experience. The doors opened and a cool breeze hit them before quickly dissipating outside the reach of the holoprojectors. He walked in with Lyra and the two of them were transported off the Vengeance, it seemed, and into a flat field of manicured grass surrounded by the top floor of a building to the back and, on all three remaining sides, a glass balcony. The edge of the city with a gorgeous skyline and, on one side, a breathtaking view of the ocean was present. The sun set over the city and the rooftop party was illuminated with dim mood-lights in the shape of orbs.

All around them were in outfits comparable to their own, though of a slightly less fine quality, of course. All turned and applauded with bright faces as they arrived on the scene and, behind them, the arch disappeared and was replaced by a natural door. The company was young and rich, and after they stopped clapping, all returned to their drinks, conversations, and dancing.

"Does it look familiar at all?"

As they stepped inside, Lyra had immediately started looking around with intense curiosity at the immediate surroundings. Since she had no idea what she was expecting in the slightest, the stark shift was mildly disorienting, though she didn't show it on her face. Once that cleared, however, there was an unsettled feeling creeping into the back of her mind. She looked at the holograms, but didn't smile, and then took a few steps from Andrei. When he asked his question her mind worked and she frowned slightly, mentally grasping toward something that she couldn't quite place. Her body was warming from the mild frustration she was beginning to feel.

She looked to the city, that fuzzy familiarity growing but still not coalescing into anything solid, she then looked out to the ocean and the sun setting over it. For a long moment, she just stared, and then suddenly her body relaxed and her expression softened significantly, almost bordering on emotional.

"This is... my family's vacation home in Oaxaca. Was... is..." She sighed softly and closed her eyes, opening them again and looking out at the waves where the crests were just starting to glow with bioluminescent light.

"Was...is...doesn't matter." he said, looking at her with a fairly warm smile. "It is now, in this moment. And all of these people know it. We can take a seat anywhere you like and start with drinks. Then, once you're liquored up and fed, the real adventure can start."

Lyra didn't respond to Andrei right away, her eyes and attention focused more on the waves which were so very familiar. She had often come up here to watch them when she couldn't sneak out down to the beach to play in them. It was a holographic servant coming up to her and meekly speaking that actually brought her back into the moment fully.

"May I take your cloak, my lady?" The hologram asked.

"Ah... of course." Reaching up, she pulled the simple tie of the cloak and finally shrugged it off into the servant's waiting hands. As the satin fell away, it finally revealed her dress which immediately drew the attention of everyone on the terrace. The sexy but tasteful fit and flare silhouette was the first thing to catch the eye; it hugged her assets deliciously. The black chiffon fabric looked painted on her body until it flared out and flowed beautifully into the lace contrast at the bottom of the dress that overlayed a pop of royal blue silk underneath that complimented Andrei's suit perfectly. The neckline was a princess cut with a semi-broad width at the shoulders that led into a delicate tapered "v" at her cleavage which was just barely visible, but there was a hint there. Situated on that v-shape was a large golden imperial eagle, the wings outstretched over the neckline and the tops of her breasts. It wasn't gaudy in the slightest, but it very certainly made a statement.

Lyra looked every drop the imperial blood that she was as she stood there. She was magnificent and a picture that would bring men to their knees. She then turned fully to Andrei and smiled, reaching her hand out toward him.

Andrei's eyes lingered several long seconds on her ensemble, clearly admiring what he was saying. He looked regal as well, but his outfit had already been revealed. He grinned and then indicated the many tables around the rooftop. He had taken the liberty of designing the décor and installing the characters, since the computer certainly didn't have that information.

"Where would you like to sit, love?"

"Over there." She nodded toward the tables closer to the ocean side of the view. "One of my favorite things here was looking at the water. I could see it a thousand times and still find it beautiful." She briefly laced her fingers with his. She saw his admiring look and accepted it as enough approval without the words, though internally she had found herself hoping for a bit more.

"I don't recognize any of these decorations."

"Those are all me." he said simply, stepping toward the end of the balcony and pausing at a table right beside the glass partition which kept those standing there safe. He pulled a chair out for her and waited for her to sit. "The computer didn't have decorative information, and I've never been out here accepting once with my mother on official business to visit Lord Ivers. I had to make it up for myself."

Her jaw clenched for the smallest blips of a second at the mention of Lord Ivers, but she couldn't blame Andrei for it. That was just who he knew the man as, it was natural. She sat down with care, smoothing the back of her dress as she did so and settling in the comfortable chair. She looked around at the decorations again and then smiled at Andrei. "They are very well done, darling. You have a talent."

"Well, yes. Many." he responded. He could play humble. He did know how to do that just a bit, after all. But he knew she would be able to tell. He decided to be honest instead. "I'm glad you noticed."

At this point, he leaned down and kissed her on her forehead, his hands finding hers, and he gave her a smile.

"You look magnificent, by the way," he said gently. He knew he was giving her what she had wanted, and while he had held back before for his own reasons, he didn't do so now. "More like a goddess than a mortal, and very beautiful."

While she had been hoping for that reaction immediately on the reveal of her dress and the statement it made, Lyra accepted his compliment with a warm smile that had even more to do with the gentleness in the way he spoke and the smile that he wore than the words he was speaking. She liked it on him, and she knew it was for her.

"Thank you, darling." She looked into his eyes, her dark gaze steady and piercing, but much less cryptic than it usually was.

Andrei walked around to the other side of the table and sat down in his own chair, his hands immediately reaching for the menu on the table. He looked down at it silently for a short moment before speaking to her. While he spoke, he kept his eyes on the words before him.

"I'm not sure if you recognize these people. They are the who's who of Imperial youth. Young lords and the offspring of young lords. The kind of people who normally spend all of their time gawking at Princess Giana. They have come to your party, as they naturally would. I've loaded 11 story options, if you're interested in a little fantasy, but my primary plan was a nice dinner in a nice familiar place." he looked up at her then. "maybe we kill some of these people; maybe we have sex right here; maybe we take a drive through the city. The sky is the limit, I suppose...but again, for now, I think I'm going to have the Carnitas."

It was strange for Lyra, many of the faces pinged some level of familiarity in her mind, but she also hadn't seen these people since they were literal children. While Andrei's attention was focused, her own migrated to the people, the decorations, the ocean. She considered the comments about the story and looked back to him just as he looked up to her. She committed to nothing and merely picked up her menu to look down at it. "The carnitas were delicious from what I remember. I could never pass up authentic tamales though."

Her eyes lingered on the menu and then went to Andrei and for just a moment she looked like she was about to ask him a question, though put her attention back on the menu. "I'll probably get those."

"Lovely." he said, watching her somewhat closely since he had looked up. He wanted to see if she was happy, but it seemed to him as though she had something pressing on her mind. "What is it, love?"

"It-" She began and then stopped herself. Her instinct was to gracefully dodge the question, but she didn't want to do that right now. She lowered the menu back to the table and reached out to place her hand on his wrist. "I was wondering if you might tell me about some of the people here. Past their names and a vague familiarity of their faces, I don't remember them and certainly don't know them as adults in court." It was an odd ask, she knew, but things like that were the very reason she had wanted to go on this date in the first place.

She wanted to feel like the daughter of a lord and a member of the imperial family again even for just a moment.

He studied her for a moment, his right eye seeing only heat and the information that brought, but his natural one picking up on the emotional battle she was fighting. He didn't pretend to understand, but he figured he could at least do as she asked while he tried to figure out what was going on with her.

"I can." he said simply and put his menu down on the table. He looked around for someone interesting and, within a few seconds, found them. "see that man over there with the short brown hair. Handsome with the rugged shave?"

Lyra turned her attention to the man who he was speaking about and nodded for him to go ahead.

"That's Jackie's brother. Lord Mayor Lachlan King. He's replaced his father as the leader of the Blues in court and...he is a very controversial dinner guest. So congratulations for that." he said, chuckling innocently. He wasn't sure how much she knew about Imperial politics, but considering she didn't recognize any of these people, he assumed it couldn't be very much.

"Oh good, I do enjoy a good controversy from time to time." Lyra said with a soft laugh, her eyes lingering on King a moment and watching as the hologram smiled a charming smile and laughed at something someone had said surely. He was quite striking, but he never would have been a solid interest with those political leanings. "He and Jackie have the same smile."

"I'd never noticed. My mother found a way to do business with everyone under the sun, but she didn't let me anywhere near the boy growing up. If you get too close to a traitor, you start to look like one yourself." he said, shrugging, and then looked through the crowd again. "Ah, and don't look too hard or you might catch fire, but there is Kassandra's step-sister, Athanasia Selinofoto."

He paused and seemed to think for a moment as they watched the beautiful woman pose and prance while talking to some man. He said nothing, however.

"Mmm... yes, your sister did tell me that you two were quite cruel to her in your youth when you used to date." Lyra said, her eyes sliding from Athanasia and back to Andrei, though she was still facing away. "Common Kassie, was it? Such a naughty boy."

"I choose my words more carefully now." he said with a smile, looking at her. "You know, I actually apologized to her. Not sure it did any good though. What a complete waste."

"No, I doubt that very much." She said and shrugged slightly, now looking back to Andrei fully. "She seems dead set that I, for whatever reason, see her as some sort of threat being in your family." Her lips tugged slightly in amusement at the notion, but she was able to stop it from becoming a grin and a laugh.

"Well, people will think what they think." he said, offering an understanding expression which also managed to be nonchalant. A waitress came over in a somewhat frilly red dress and smiled a gorgeous smile.

"Excuse me, sir, ma'am." she said with a strong Mexican accent. She seemed positively honored to be standing in front of them. "Are you ready to order?"

"Yes, we are." Andrei answered with a smile. "I'll have the carnitas with rice and the lady will have the tamales."

Lyra didn't balk at Andrei ordering on her behalf, it was what was proper and she merely gave a polite smile and nod to the waitress. When she flounced off, she looked back out to the group of people curiously, though reached out to place her hand on Andrei's lightly.

Andrei grabbed the hand back.

"What's going through your mind, Lyra. You seem...nervous, maybe? Or are you sad?"

She would have been lying if she said she wasn't surprised by his interest, but it did immediately guard her as well. She looked back to him, her eyes searching his intently even as she spoke. "No, darling. I'm not nervous or sad. This is all lovely." She squeezed his hand to try and reassure him and from everything he could tell, she was being honest with him. Though he wasn't wearing his interface patch. She paused and seemed to consider how best to explain the myriad of thoughts and intrusive feelings.

"I haven't been here in many years, and seeing these people..." She looked back out to them and thought a little harder. It wasn't that she didn't know them, but she knew their younger versions, and some had changed so much they were barely recognizable. "Take Byron Alcott there." She nodded toward the son of the English lord with his fiery red hair that she couldn't forget. "I should know him without a doubt as he is now, but all I can remember is a buck-toothed little boy with a lisp. Corinne Freeman with her straight hair there... it probably took days to tame from her natural curls that she was constantly getting dirty. I remember she played out in the gardens and came back with a humming bird in her hair."


TBC