03-18-2025, 12:11 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-18-2025, 12:19 AM by Hallowette Maxas-Darl.)
" I suppose it is. I guess you don't realise how much you might need it until something happens to change your perspective. I'll admit I was the same before I met Merle". Aeryn responded as they spoke. "I'm also sorry you had to go through that while growing up. Some people clearly aren't as open-minded as others, even if they have good intentions or not".
The younger woman nodded in acknowledgement before continuing on, but the apologetic tone in her new friends words was not lost on her.
The two continued the chat, and the busy lounge around them melted away. As far as Hally was concerned, it was just the two of them, sitting alone on a cliff face, eternity reflected back at them through the viewing port at their side.
Miller allowed a soft smile as Hallowette offered her thoughts on Merle joining the Prophets in Heaven, a comment not made out of a need to provide any sense of solace, but one grown from genuine empathy and affection for the human woman she had just met. A kindred spirit. Someone she somehow felt like she had known for ages already.
As Aeryn mentioned Hally's father, she couldn't help but smile. She paused before speaking, gathering her thoughts and fully trusting that Aeryn and her dad probably were more alike than not - which may have explained a bit of the familiarity and comfortable vulnerability that she had so readily surrendered to the summer haired woman across from her.
"Darl Brennan - well, Bren to his friends." she said as she sat back a bit, a more genuine and affectionate emotion reflected in her features as she began to speak of him. "I...think he probably is a lot like you."
She stirred the bit of remaining dessert absently as she continued, her voice present, but far away. "My mother is a Captain in Starfleet Intelligence. Dad...and her were never really together-together, so I don't have any memory of them as a couple, or even of them having really any connection. All either of them will tell me is that they met during the war, and as things sometimes do, they...grew close." She began to grin broadly, but it took no great feats of empathy to discern some sense of pain behind the facade, "Mother and Dad are both incredible people; Intelligent, Bold, Beautiful, Charismatic - both of them." her eyes dropped to the spoon in her fingers as she continued, "Where...they differ though is that my mother is ambitious, stoic and driven to duty - Duty above all - She was even selected to host a symbiote." She forced a half grunted laugh and sighed. "My father...my father grew up in a Cardassian work camp on Bajor. He had...nothing." Hally lifted her eyes solemnly, "He killed his first enemy before he was 10. He fought, lost and kept fighting until one day he didn't have to. Yet he kept fighting because that was all he knew..." She stopped and the sadness in her words became lighter, "He said that when he found out about me, he didn't feel the need to fight anymore. That for him, the war had finally come to an end."
Hally wondered silently if this was too much. She knew she was prone to oversharing- to talking too much, but the warmth shown by Aeryn, that familiarity begged she continue.
"Dad fought to join Starfleet, and succeeded. She became a security officer, and kept fighting - but this time to prove to Mother that he was worthy....of me." She shook her head and laughed again, but this time it seemed more pointed at herself, "I don't mean to bore you. Long story short, my Dad overcame a lot. When I was old enough I chose to leave Trill and join him, and we spent several years together as just father and daughter. His posting on the Ark Royal was where I learned to love to fly, and his subsequent decision to join the UFP Diplomatic Corp is where I learned to love...people."
Hallowette allowed a quiet moment before she briefly continued, "My father...is my hero. He saved me. He taught me that the greatest warriors fight for more than themselves or duty. That kindness, compassion and love are worth risk and sacrifice - Even if that means putting down your sword and making peace with your ghosts." she smiled at Aeryn, the twinkle in her teal eyes returning, quietly inviting Aeryn to share with her as well, "Something tells me you've fought for those things more than once yourself..."
=tags - and please, everyone else, feel free to jump in!==
The younger woman nodded in acknowledgement before continuing on, but the apologetic tone in her new friends words was not lost on her.
The two continued the chat, and the busy lounge around them melted away. As far as Hally was concerned, it was just the two of them, sitting alone on a cliff face, eternity reflected back at them through the viewing port at their side.
Miller allowed a soft smile as Hallowette offered her thoughts on Merle joining the Prophets in Heaven, a comment not made out of a need to provide any sense of solace, but one grown from genuine empathy and affection for the human woman she had just met. A kindred spirit. Someone she somehow felt like she had known for ages already.
As Aeryn mentioned Hally's father, she couldn't help but smile. She paused before speaking, gathering her thoughts and fully trusting that Aeryn and her dad probably were more alike than not - which may have explained a bit of the familiarity and comfortable vulnerability that she had so readily surrendered to the summer haired woman across from her.
"Darl Brennan - well, Bren to his friends." she said as she sat back a bit, a more genuine and affectionate emotion reflected in her features as she began to speak of him. "I...think he probably is a lot like you."
She stirred the bit of remaining dessert absently as she continued, her voice present, but far away. "My mother is a Captain in Starfleet Intelligence. Dad...and her were never really together-together, so I don't have any memory of them as a couple, or even of them having really any connection. All either of them will tell me is that they met during the war, and as things sometimes do, they...grew close." She began to grin broadly, but it took no great feats of empathy to discern some sense of pain behind the facade, "Mother and Dad are both incredible people; Intelligent, Bold, Beautiful, Charismatic - both of them." her eyes dropped to the spoon in her fingers as she continued, "Where...they differ though is that my mother is ambitious, stoic and driven to duty - Duty above all - She was even selected to host a symbiote." She forced a half grunted laugh and sighed. "My father...my father grew up in a Cardassian work camp on Bajor. He had...nothing." Hally lifted her eyes solemnly, "He killed his first enemy before he was 10. He fought, lost and kept fighting until one day he didn't have to. Yet he kept fighting because that was all he knew..." She stopped and the sadness in her words became lighter, "He said that when he found out about me, he didn't feel the need to fight anymore. That for him, the war had finally come to an end."
Hally wondered silently if this was too much. She knew she was prone to oversharing- to talking too much, but the warmth shown by Aeryn, that familiarity begged she continue.
"Dad fought to join Starfleet, and succeeded. She became a security officer, and kept fighting - but this time to prove to Mother that he was worthy....of me." She shook her head and laughed again, but this time it seemed more pointed at herself, "I don't mean to bore you. Long story short, my Dad overcame a lot. When I was old enough I chose to leave Trill and join him, and we spent several years together as just father and daughter. His posting on the Ark Royal was where I learned to love to fly, and his subsequent decision to join the UFP Diplomatic Corp is where I learned to love...people."
Hallowette allowed a quiet moment before she briefly continued, "My father...is my hero. He saved me. He taught me that the greatest warriors fight for more than themselves or duty. That kindness, compassion and love are worth risk and sacrifice - Even if that means putting down your sword and making peace with your ghosts." she smiled at Aeryn, the twinkle in her teal eyes returning, quietly inviting Aeryn to share with her as well, "Something tells me you've fought for those things more than once yourself..."
=tags - and please, everyone else, feel free to jump in!==