09-03-2025, 11:48 PM
Hally had just stood up to trot over to the replicator for the drinks when Mara began her song. She took perhaps two or three steps before she stopped and slowly turned towards the stage.
It wasn't that she had expected Mara to be unskilled, or even subpar, she just hadn't expected what she was experiencing.
The hybrid had sang quite a bit as a girl, her voice always having been the shining star of her biology, she, as much as her Trill Granmama, had used it as a shield. When others on Trill in her high society family had looked on her and seen her Bajoran features as problematic, she had always been able to sing, recite prose or dazzle with her natural linguistics skill to find worth in their eyes. It wasn't something she thought about often, afterall, her time on Trill wasn't all bad - but it had shaped her psychologically to emphasize language, voices and music in a way others might not.
It also had led to a bad habit of talking to herself, one that she still hadn't fully broken.
So as she stood practically mesmerized by the beauty of the sound coming from both the keyed terran instrument, as well as the usually intimidating Security Chief, Hallowette felt herself hitch as the breath in her lungs got stuck in her throat. Caught in the melody and the gentleness of the woman's aria she smiled softly, pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless. It seemed Chief Callejo was far more of a mystery box than she had ever expected - but then, of course she was - complex people always were.
As the Bandaran finished, the usually exuberant junior officer was uncharacteristically quiet. She simply beamed at her new friend with pride in her expressive teal eyes. She clasped her hands in front of her, nodding as Robin praised the performance.
“Who’s next up?” Calleja with the first real warmth that Hally had witnessed from her. “And everyone OK for drinks? I could use a refill.”
Aeryn chimed in, "That was fantastic, Mara, and I'm happy for someone else to go next if they want to. Yeah, Hally was just about to go get us some, what do you fancy?"
Aeryn's reminder that she had been in the midst of retrieving beverages before she was enraptured broke her from her idleness, "Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, I was going to get something non alcoholic for the table, Tranya...but I can get whatever folks want."
Robin gave it a moment's thought. "Sweet tea, southern style, please." Hally was familiar with the sugary beverage, having been introduced to it by a human girl on her hall with a taste for it. "Ok, yeah, absolutely Robin." Hally said, her smile matching the sweetness of the drink she was about to replicate.
"Hey, I'm always up to go again, but someone else can if they want to." Robin said, making way for others to take a turn if they'd like, but with eagerness to perform in her eyes.
"Oh, you can go ahead, I love to hear you sing." Hallowette said, though she suddenly felt the uncertainty of her youth begin to creep in. These ladies were brilliant, beautiful, AND talented. Hally felt the shame of needing to belong, of bringing something worthwhile to the table begin to creep in, and suddenly she began to feel like an imposter.
The same little girl who used to sing to hide from the stigma of her peers.
She did her best to shake the feeling from the pit of her pouched abdomen. She had felt this before. She knew it was just old trauma's creeping in, and she refused to let the circumstances of her existence dictate her joy this evening. She genuinely was having fun. She genuinely liked these people, and the ship, and her job - even as challenging as being the most Junior of Officers could be.
She knew she was lucky to be here, but more than that, she had worked SO HARD to earn her place. So she was going to jettison the fears and doubts, tonight at least, and just enjoy belonging for once.
She began to replicate the drink orders as she turned and smiled at Aeryn, giving her a quick thumbs up, a particularly human gesture that flight crews were particularly fond of.
==TAGSSSSSS==
It wasn't that she had expected Mara to be unskilled, or even subpar, she just hadn't expected what she was experiencing.
The hybrid had sang quite a bit as a girl, her voice always having been the shining star of her biology, she, as much as her Trill Granmama, had used it as a shield. When others on Trill in her high society family had looked on her and seen her Bajoran features as problematic, she had always been able to sing, recite prose or dazzle with her natural linguistics skill to find worth in their eyes. It wasn't something she thought about often, afterall, her time on Trill wasn't all bad - but it had shaped her psychologically to emphasize language, voices and music in a way others might not.
It also had led to a bad habit of talking to herself, one that she still hadn't fully broken.
So as she stood practically mesmerized by the beauty of the sound coming from both the keyed terran instrument, as well as the usually intimidating Security Chief, Hallowette felt herself hitch as the breath in her lungs got stuck in her throat. Caught in the melody and the gentleness of the woman's aria she smiled softly, pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless. It seemed Chief Callejo was far more of a mystery box than she had ever expected - but then, of course she was - complex people always were.
As the Bandaran finished, the usually exuberant junior officer was uncharacteristically quiet. She simply beamed at her new friend with pride in her expressive teal eyes. She clasped her hands in front of her, nodding as Robin praised the performance.
“Who’s next up?” Calleja with the first real warmth that Hally had witnessed from her. “And everyone OK for drinks? I could use a refill.”
Aeryn chimed in, "That was fantastic, Mara, and I'm happy for someone else to go next if they want to. Yeah, Hally was just about to go get us some, what do you fancy?"
Aeryn's reminder that she had been in the midst of retrieving beverages before she was enraptured broke her from her idleness, "Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, I was going to get something non alcoholic for the table, Tranya...but I can get whatever folks want."
Robin gave it a moment's thought. "Sweet tea, southern style, please." Hally was familiar with the sugary beverage, having been introduced to it by a human girl on her hall with a taste for it. "Ok, yeah, absolutely Robin." Hally said, her smile matching the sweetness of the drink she was about to replicate.
"Hey, I'm always up to go again, but someone else can if they want to." Robin said, making way for others to take a turn if they'd like, but with eagerness to perform in her eyes.
"Oh, you can go ahead, I love to hear you sing." Hallowette said, though she suddenly felt the uncertainty of her youth begin to creep in. These ladies were brilliant, beautiful, AND talented. Hally felt the shame of needing to belong, of bringing something worthwhile to the table begin to creep in, and suddenly she began to feel like an imposter.
The same little girl who used to sing to hide from the stigma of her peers.
She did her best to shake the feeling from the pit of her pouched abdomen. She had felt this before. She knew it was just old trauma's creeping in, and she refused to let the circumstances of her existence dictate her joy this evening. She genuinely was having fun. She genuinely liked these people, and the ship, and her job - even as challenging as being the most Junior of Officers could be.
She knew she was lucky to be here, but more than that, she had worked SO HARD to earn her place. So she was going to jettison the fears and doubts, tonight at least, and just enjoy belonging for once.
She began to replicate the drink orders as she turned and smiled at Aeryn, giving her a quick thumbs up, a particularly human gesture that flight crews were particularly fond of.
==TAGSSSSSS==