04-21-2026, 05:34 AM
== WARNING: Big post. You might want to get a snack and a drink before sitting down to this one. ==
Alex had become quieter, but his warm smile was quite genuine. Most of the time, he looked like he was concentrating on something or thinking too hard about the next chess move. Right then, at that party, he looked relaxed and genuinely happy. Beno was a good judge of people, because after being around enough people for enough years to span a few lifetimes, you got to understand a great deal about them. She also knew enough psychology to read when most people were telling the truth or not. You developed an intuitive sense about those kind of things, .
Beno made her toast, people echoed it and glasses were raised. Alex joined in and took a sip of his, savoring the moment along with her. His hand had been at her back and she could feel it through the thin fabric of her dress. He then moved his hand, in what should have been a very innocent gesture, up near her neck while he leaned close to whisper in her ear, "This is really nice." Alex then kissed her almost on her cheek, but it was back near her ear. It wasn't a deliberate place, but it turned out that it was about to be quite another kiss for their first date that she would remember for a very long time.
Beno Velaul was not a telepath or an empath, but was also no stranger to unique experiences. Part of being joined involved some very special moments where the memories of the other hosts were integrated and so on. For the uninitiated, it could be a very powerful experience, but she had been through it a few times, making her pretty much a seasoned veteran, even among most joined Trill. The dance had made her weak at the knees. This gave her a new sensation.
For a very brief moment, Beno thought she was having some sort of reaction to one of her drinks. She was a little off balance, but instinctively froze, so as not to risk falling. A wave of sensation rippled through her, like the room had gone cold enough to raise chill bumps on her arms, but glancing at her wrist, there were no bumps. There was a nervous feeling, not unlike the very first time she had been on a carnival ride as a child, a bit like butterflies in your belly for just a second and it even felt a little fun. That wave of neural energy actually brought with it a wave of warmth and the thought passed through her mind that it was odd that she had confused it with cold. It was a warmth like being wrapped up cozy in a blanket and held in loving arms. She could picture the face of a woman looking down at her (was that her mother) and there as so much love in the young woman's eyes, then the image was gone. Happiness followed, recalling the first time she had made a friend with some nameless child who she had shared something with and they shared a bite of their piece of fruit in return. She could taste it and it was delicious, but that feeling of liking someone and they liked you back, but weren't your family was like discovering something magical. These were formative core memories that her brain was bringing forward. Her first crush, her first real kiss, first things that were powerful in her life.
She knew what was coming next, her joining. Part of her was trying to figure it out now, but it was hard through the flood of these thoughts and emotions. Just when she was starting to worry, she became aware that time had stopped. Well, not stopped exactly, but everything was silent. Alex was still kissing her, but not moving. It should have been scary, but it wasn't. Why wasn't it? She felt perfectly safe, secure and that she had an unimaginable amount of protection right now. Alex would give his life for her and there was no doubt about it, like it was a law of physics. She wasn't sure how, but there was a feeling that she was safer with him than if she were in the middle of an entire fleet of starships. There was a glimpse of a planet from orbit, but she didn't recognize it. The safest place in the known galaxy, but she had no idea what made it so safe. Cindy with longer hair, pulled back in a ponytail, but looking older and more human...then...
She was beginning to hear someone speaking, or the sounds of talking, but everyone at once. Beno heard Alex say softly, "I've got you. Just breathe."
Suddenly time was speeding back up. She managed to not drop her drink, but Alex pulled her just a tiny bit closer. She had in fact been holding her breath and took in a refreshing breath of air that felt really good. The onslaught of thoughts and emotions made her want to cry, though she couldn't tell if it was from fear or joy.
Alex looked her in the eye up close, lovingly and concerned, but reassuring as well, "Sorry about that. Alcohol can play tricks on us all sometimes...even I slip a little once in a while."
Beno thought he was being silly, because of course she was safe. She had...well...she knew...well, she...she had what?
That was when Alex answered her for a question she had not yet asked, "You simply used a sense that you never experienced before. The scientist in you understands that, but it might take a moment to wrap your mind entirely around it. Don't think about it too hard, your brain wants to find patterns and it can be like looking at an optical illusion for the first time."
Beno was now hyper-aware of everything around her. She had felt something similar right after being joined, but this was different. What she had felt before had been gradual and controlled, this had been raw and like getting so close to a live wire that her hair had been standing on end before she knew what was happening
Alex said, "It's the small adrenaline spike. Maybe you should sit down and let your heart calm down."
He had again answered her before she could voice what was on her mind. He was very calm, still with that warm and loving smile, his hands still touching her gently and keeping her safe like a blanket wrapped around her.
Alex wrinkled his nose in a playful way and she could still feel his emotions pouring off of him like a roaring wave that was powerful enough to crush reefs to sand, yet only a delicate wave washed ashore to tickle her feet playfully in the sand. She was still seeing the images in her mind as he spoke, "A heck of a first date so far." He rolled his eyes and joked, "I don't get out much." In that moment, she briefly glimpsed him as a child of about 12, talking to someone, but she didn't know who. She only knew whoever it had been, he had loved them and trusted them...and in many ways, this was very like that, which was something so big to him that he never spoke of it.
Then it was gone. Alex blushed a little and he slowly took his hands and carefully placed them on his thighs. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but for once he was speechless. The feeling was retreating, but it was now more clear before it was gone. Alex had not just relaxed, he had been so caught up in the moment that he had let his defenses down...way down...he had allowed a connection that wasn't supposed to be possible. It was impossible to tell if he had gone too far by choice or if it was an accident, but as it retreated, she could tell that he had dared to be that vulnerable with her. He wasn't sorry that he had been, but he saw that it had scared her and now he wasn't sure what to do.
Beno now knew, much better than simple words could try to say, how Alex felt about her. It was pretty strong stuff for a "first date" and a dance at a party. Alex had tried to warn her that he didn't think he could ever just date someone before he knew them and now she understood why he had said those things. It is often said that dating a Betazoid could be complicated. Their culture and personal relationships could be hard to understand. People said lots of things, but none of it had really prepared Beno for what she had just experienced in that brief moment. On the other hand, it explained the kiss at the end of the dance a little better.
Alex waited for her to respond and she was pretty sure this time it was Alex that was holding his breath.
== Tag Beno ==
Alex had become quieter, but his warm smile was quite genuine. Most of the time, he looked like he was concentrating on something or thinking too hard about the next chess move. Right then, at that party, he looked relaxed and genuinely happy. Beno was a good judge of people, because after being around enough people for enough years to span a few lifetimes, you got to understand a great deal about them. She also knew enough psychology to read when most people were telling the truth or not. You developed an intuitive sense about those kind of things, .
Beno made her toast, people echoed it and glasses were raised. Alex joined in and took a sip of his, savoring the moment along with her. His hand had been at her back and she could feel it through the thin fabric of her dress. He then moved his hand, in what should have been a very innocent gesture, up near her neck while he leaned close to whisper in her ear, "This is really nice." Alex then kissed her almost on her cheek, but it was back near her ear. It wasn't a deliberate place, but it turned out that it was about to be quite another kiss for their first date that she would remember for a very long time.
Beno Velaul was not a telepath or an empath, but was also no stranger to unique experiences. Part of being joined involved some very special moments where the memories of the other hosts were integrated and so on. For the uninitiated, it could be a very powerful experience, but she had been through it a few times, making her pretty much a seasoned veteran, even among most joined Trill. The dance had made her weak at the knees. This gave her a new sensation.
For a very brief moment, Beno thought she was having some sort of reaction to one of her drinks. She was a little off balance, but instinctively froze, so as not to risk falling. A wave of sensation rippled through her, like the room had gone cold enough to raise chill bumps on her arms, but glancing at her wrist, there were no bumps. There was a nervous feeling, not unlike the very first time she had been on a carnival ride as a child, a bit like butterflies in your belly for just a second and it even felt a little fun. That wave of neural energy actually brought with it a wave of warmth and the thought passed through her mind that it was odd that she had confused it with cold. It was a warmth like being wrapped up cozy in a blanket and held in loving arms. She could picture the face of a woman looking down at her (was that her mother) and there as so much love in the young woman's eyes, then the image was gone. Happiness followed, recalling the first time she had made a friend with some nameless child who she had shared something with and they shared a bite of their piece of fruit in return. She could taste it and it was delicious, but that feeling of liking someone and they liked you back, but weren't your family was like discovering something magical. These were formative core memories that her brain was bringing forward. Her first crush, her first real kiss, first things that were powerful in her life.
She knew what was coming next, her joining. Part of her was trying to figure it out now, but it was hard through the flood of these thoughts and emotions. Just when she was starting to worry, she became aware that time had stopped. Well, not stopped exactly, but everything was silent. Alex was still kissing her, but not moving. It should have been scary, but it wasn't. Why wasn't it? She felt perfectly safe, secure and that she had an unimaginable amount of protection right now. Alex would give his life for her and there was no doubt about it, like it was a law of physics. She wasn't sure how, but there was a feeling that she was safer with him than if she were in the middle of an entire fleet of starships. There was a glimpse of a planet from orbit, but she didn't recognize it. The safest place in the known galaxy, but she had no idea what made it so safe. Cindy with longer hair, pulled back in a ponytail, but looking older and more human...then...
She was beginning to hear someone speaking, or the sounds of talking, but everyone at once. Beno heard Alex say softly, "I've got you. Just breathe."
Suddenly time was speeding back up. She managed to not drop her drink, but Alex pulled her just a tiny bit closer. She had in fact been holding her breath and took in a refreshing breath of air that felt really good. The onslaught of thoughts and emotions made her want to cry, though she couldn't tell if it was from fear or joy.
Alex looked her in the eye up close, lovingly and concerned, but reassuring as well, "Sorry about that. Alcohol can play tricks on us all sometimes...even I slip a little once in a while."
Beno thought he was being silly, because of course she was safe. She had...well...she knew...well, she...she had what?
That was when Alex answered her for a question she had not yet asked, "You simply used a sense that you never experienced before. The scientist in you understands that, but it might take a moment to wrap your mind entirely around it. Don't think about it too hard, your brain wants to find patterns and it can be like looking at an optical illusion for the first time."
Beno was now hyper-aware of everything around her. She had felt something similar right after being joined, but this was different. What she had felt before had been gradual and controlled, this had been raw and like getting so close to a live wire that her hair had been standing on end before she knew what was happening
Alex said, "It's the small adrenaline spike. Maybe you should sit down and let your heart calm down."
He had again answered her before she could voice what was on her mind. He was very calm, still with that warm and loving smile, his hands still touching her gently and keeping her safe like a blanket wrapped around her.
Alex wrinkled his nose in a playful way and she could still feel his emotions pouring off of him like a roaring wave that was powerful enough to crush reefs to sand, yet only a delicate wave washed ashore to tickle her feet playfully in the sand. She was still seeing the images in her mind as he spoke, "A heck of a first date so far." He rolled his eyes and joked, "I don't get out much." In that moment, she briefly glimpsed him as a child of about 12, talking to someone, but she didn't know who. She only knew whoever it had been, he had loved them and trusted them...and in many ways, this was very like that, which was something so big to him that he never spoke of it.
Then it was gone. Alex blushed a little and he slowly took his hands and carefully placed them on his thighs. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but for once he was speechless. The feeling was retreating, but it was now more clear before it was gone. Alex had not just relaxed, he had been so caught up in the moment that he had let his defenses down...way down...he had allowed a connection that wasn't supposed to be possible. It was impossible to tell if he had gone too far by choice or if it was an accident, but as it retreated, she could tell that he had dared to be that vulnerable with her. He wasn't sorry that he had been, but he saw that it had scared her and now he wasn't sure what to do.
Beno now knew, much better than simple words could try to say, how Alex felt about her. It was pretty strong stuff for a "first date" and a dance at a party. Alex had tried to warn her that he didn't think he could ever just date someone before he knew them and now she understood why he had said those things. It is often said that dating a Betazoid could be complicated. Their culture and personal relationships could be hard to understand. People said lots of things, but none of it had really prepared Beno for what she had just experienced in that brief moment. On the other hand, it explained the kiss at the end of the dance a little better.
Alex waited for her to respond and she was pretty sure this time it was Alex that was holding his breath.
== Tag Beno ==