Author Topic: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)  (Read 1008 times)

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Offline Aryn Corliss

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Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« on: September 11, 2019, 05:40:59 pm »
[Deep Space Nine - Promenade]

Alec disembarked from his transport with a heavy sigh, bag slung over his shoulder. He'd have to check the schedule of outgoing shuttles, but since he didn't know where, or if, he wanted to go, it could wait. For now, he'd get something to eat and see about accommodations.

DS9 wasn't far from home, but it felt like he was halfway across the galaxy. His heart ached, but Alec was so relieved that Aryn hadn't simply filed for divorce and told him not to come back. He'd screwed up royally, but other than asking for a few weeks to think, Aryn had been quite calm when she finally spoke to him.

The El-Aurian doctor stumped into the nearest establishment, which turned out to be more bar than restaurant, and plopped down at the bar, tucking his bag in front of his feet. He made a mental note to contact a friend on Earth to retrieve a certain box from storage and send it to the station with the fastest transport available.


Offline Jehamy Jex

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2019, 06:14:41 am »
[Deep Space Nine]

The assault was relentless. A continuous barrage that could not be avoided nor deflected. Vainly, they tried to escape but found that their path was halted easily and without compassion or mercy. Small eyes darted around the dark room, imploring for someone, anyone, to intervene - to rescue this victim from blow after blow...but their gaze was never met, onlookers opting to permit the now-hour-long onslaught on anyone else but themselves. Sacrificed for the greater good. A whimper gurgled up from the lungs, a futile attempt to plead for parlay...but this went either unnoticed, or unanswered.

Finally, through the slowly dimming haze of consciousness, they realised the truth: any further resistance was useless and the finality of the inevitable became apparent. Their eyes closed in submission, allowing the battering to wash over them like a waves on a shore. Perhaps, they thought, their experience would prove to be a warning to others, to save them from the same in days to come... As the world clouded over, a small smile touched their dry lips...

Morn, the fallen hero of Quark's. He liked that.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath the Lurian turned to his unstoppable foe...

...and continued to listen.

"-and then - and this is the really impressive bit - if you then add a touch of Denobulan nutmeg, the ethanol won't dissipate, but protects you from quite the head in the morning!" The blonde haired Human(?) Starfleet Science Officer gabbled away, his hand resting on Morn's armoured forearm from time to time, almost to ensure both constant attention and presence. "Of course, the same can't be said of the Boslic ale, known colloquially as 'the Hurt', because of the curious....chemical..."

The slowing-to-nothing pace of the Officer's monologue was like a splash of cold water to the punch-drunk bar-legend. Despite this, Morn was momentarily curious as to what monumental force could have diverted the meteoric chatter of his neighbour. Risking setting him off again, Morn shifted his large mass to look at the Science Officer, but was startled to see he had become somewhat distant and distracted, looking slowly around Quarks with his piercing blue eyes as if trying to spot something he only thought might be there.

Morn took the opportunity to plot tactics. Flee further suffering...or have a top-up.

Thick fingers pointed to the relieved Ferengi barman and then to the bone-dry mug sat in front of him.

After all, no-one drove Morn from his prime seat. No-one.
« Last Edit: September 12, 2019, 10:24:36 am by Jehamy Jex »

Offline Aryn Corliss

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2019, 09:45:09 pm »
[Deep Space Nine]

Alec gestured for the bartender and gave his order (Sapphire wine) before bothering to even glance around. He'd been so distracted with his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed anyone or anything. Now Alec sat at the far end of the bar from the door where there were several empty stools and glanced around him.

There were a few people at tables around the room and some at the dabo table. A pair in costumes descended the spiral staircase from the second level.

The El-Aurian sensed something and began searching each face more carefully, unsure if he was looking for a familiar face. It took a few moments for his eyes to make their way back toward the front entry. A glass of blue wine had appeared in front of him without his notice. Alec sipped at it absently as he took in the silent Lurian...and the fair-haired male beside him.

Alec's brows rose, his shock evident at finding one of his own people here. He hadn't seen another El-Aurian besides Aryn in decades. Alec offered a small nod, gesturing with his head toward one of the empty stools around him.


Offline Jehamy Jex

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2019, 08:15:58 am »
[Deep Space Nine - Quark's Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade]

Like a planet caught in to a gravitation field to a star, Jex's eyes were drawn to those of a man not far from where he was sat himself. A cold wave washed over him as, despite no outward clues differencing the man from any other generic Humanoid peoples, a subconscious knowing that he was one of Jex's own people became unwavering.  The man nodded, and Jehamy found himself doing so back. Deep down, there was a feeling that the man needed company, beyond even that which two survivors of their decimated species felt an obligation to converse and share their mutual respect for those lives snuffed out.

Apologising to his Lurian drinking partner who, strangely, seemed to tear up at the news that Jex would be leaving his side, the Science Office picked up his gaudy 'Deep Space Lime' cocktail glass, and walked over to his compatriot.

"May I?" he gestured to the stool beside the man, in the near extinct El-Aurian language.

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2019, 08:13:13 pm »
[Quark's]

Alec drew in a surprised breath when the other El-Aurian spoke. It had been more than ten years since he'd heard it spoken, other than in his own head as he'd talked to himself all those long, lonely years. Strangely, while Aryn had remembered any number of other languages that she'd learned over the years, El-Aurian didn't seem to have been one of them. Though, upon consideration, Alec realized he hadn't tried to speak it with her once they'd found one another again. With a rueful smile, he wondered if that might have brought her memories back sooner.

Please do, Alec responded in the same language. He felt like the words left his lips reluctantly from such disuse.

Alec Trenzal, he continued, offering a hand to shake. It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance.


Offline Jehamy Jex

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2019, 02:49:52 pm »
[Deep Space Nine - Quark's Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade]

Jex nodded politely, shaking his hand with a very mild surprise at the very Human action, and took his place beside him. "Jehamy Jex." This Alec seemed to be someone who needed company, and Jehamy restrained his natural predilection to chatter away, preferring to listen. But, there was a protocol of introduction to be made - an El-Auran greeting that was as entrenched in their culture as a Vulcan's gesture or a Klingon's headbutt. It was a relatively new tradition, only a century or so old. However, it was an important aspect of the interaction of two peoples of a devastated race. A question that established the most basic commonality between them.

Staring at his gaudy green glass, Jex peered his ice-blue eyes into it and spoke the phrase. "Were you there?"

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2019, 04:50:56 pm »
[Quarks]

After greeting the other El-Aurian, Alec dropped his own gaze, only to have a delicate chalice of bright blue alcohol appear in front of him. He offered the briefest of nods in thanks to the bartender before he replied, No, actually. I hadn't been to the homeworld in years. My whole family, though.

He lifted his glass and took a sip before glancing at his companion and asking, You?

Though it was a difficult topic to address, at this moment the effect on Alec was less than it might have been. He found he was too overwrought with emotions due to his current predicament - not an occurrence to which he was accustomed.


Offline Jehamy Jex

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2019, 10:00:23 am »
[Deep Space Nine - Quark's]

At the admission Alec wasn't present at the end of their world, Jehamy nodded softly. While some of his people found the 'Absentees' reprehensible, somehow - even now - blaming their lack of presence as an indirect reason for the fall of their civilisation (as if another few hundred would have made any difference at the end), Jex was not one of them; although, he admitted, he sometimes wished he was one the Absentees, to spare flashes of the final battle.

"I was", the sandy-haired Science Officer replied to the follow-up question. "Second Leger of the Castellan Guard." The posting had been in defence of one of the Central Council buildings, where some of the El-Aurian leaders had been divided among the High Capitol for their own safety. For all the good it had done. The memory of the whining sounds of green bolts and monotone statements threatened to occupy his consciousness until he ripped himself from the reverie and looked at his company. The man felt to have the total weight of the universe on his shoulders. Through their unique gift, he could sense something about loss. Pain. Fury. Whatever it was, it was as corrosive as plasma fire to the soul. "I am here to listen" Jehamy said, softly.


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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2019, 10:03:48 pm »
[Quarks]

Alec winced in sympathy. Despite the years, the experience of being on the planet while the Borg were destroying it had to still have a massive impact on the other El-Aurian. Far beyond his own feelings of the event. But Jex could tell that Alec had something else on his mind.

He hadn't come here to discuss it. But the chance to share with another Listener...there was nothing like it. No counselor or psychologist could understand as well as one of his own people.

But where to even begin...

It all started about four hundred years ago when I met the most beautiful woman in the Quadrant. Alec chuckled a little at his own dramatics.

We finally married about a century ago. We went along swimmingly for fifty years until Aryn finally became pregnant. You never saw two happier people. We were thrilled. But- He paused and swallowed down a lump, followed by a sip of wine. We lost the baby, our Laelynn, before we even met her.

That's the first part.

Ten years ago...actually, closer to eleven now, we were exploring in the Gamma Quadrant and were set upon by members of the New Dominion. Aryn escaped. I did not. I was left on a prison planet until I escaped last year. I tracked Aryn down only to discover that she had no memories of me...or anything else. We've spent the last year getting to know each other again. She fell in love with me again, and I shared many of my memories with her.

But...I...neglected to share our saddest memory together. I won't make excuses for my behavior. I was afraid to tell her, for a variety of reasons, none of them good. And Aryn's memories suddenly came back - all of them. She's furious at me. Not to the point of wanting divorce, at least I don't think so. But she asked me to stay away for awhile while she gets used to being herself again.


Alec cleared his throat. He'd kept his eyes down throughout, embarrassed and still angry at himself. And a little surprised at his willingness to lay out his humiliation before a stranger.

I thought it best to leave the station for awhile. It's big, but still high risk of running into each other if I stayed.


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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2019, 10:49:10 am »
So sorry for the delay.

[Quarks]

[Quarks]

Alec winced in sympathy. Despite the years, the experience of being on the planet while the Borg were destroying it had to still have a massive impact on the other El-Aurian. Far beyond his own feelings of the event. But Jex could tell that Alec had something else on his mind.

He hadn't come here to discuss it. But the chance to share with another Listener...there was nothing like it. No counselor or psychologist could understand as well as one of his own people.

But where to even begin...

It all started about four hundred years ago when I met the most beautiful woman in the Quadrant. Alec chuckled a little at his own dramatics.

We finally married about a century ago. We went along swimmingly for fifty years until Aryn finally became pregnant. You never saw two happier people. We were thrilled. But- He paused and swallowed down a lump, followed by a sip of wine. We lost the baby, our Laelynn, before we even met her.

That's the first part.

Ten years ago...actually, closer to eleven now, we were exploring in the Gamma Quadrant and were set upon by members of the New Dominion. Aryn escaped. I did not. I was left on a prison planet until I escaped last year. I tracked Aryn down only to discover that she had no memories of me...or anything else. We've spent the last year getting to know each other again. She fell in love with me again, and I shared many of my memories with her.

But...I...neglected to share our saddest memory together. I won't make excuses for my behavior. I was afraid to tell her, for a variety of reasons, none of them good. And Aryn's memories suddenly came back - all of them. She's furious at me. Not to the point of wanting divorce, at least I don't think so. But she asked me to stay away for awhile while she gets used to being herself again.


Alec cleared his throat. He'd kept his eyes down throughout, embarrassed and still angry at himself. And a little surprised at his willingness to lay out his humiliation before a stranger.

I thought it best to leave the station for awhile. It's big, but still high risk of running into each other if I stayed.

The cosmos coalesced around Alec and Jehamy as the latter focused intently to the former. While reality didn't alter, the effect was as if the outside universe no longer existed, or mattered. What mattered was only the speaker and listener.

It was obvious the situation that Jehamy's compatriot was enduring the most difficult challenge to the soul. The specific details were not necessary. It was perfectly clear that an act of compassion had become fuel for angst among two people who were going through a terrible ordeal.

"Your actions were born of out love" Jehamy replied, simply. "At the moment, she is suffering the same grief that she would have felt had that saddest memory have been shared contemporarily. Allow her that time to heal all over again. And in that time, she will realise that you did what you did because of your tireless dedication to her. Losing something so precious, formed by the loving union of two people, needs to be bared together."

Jex leaned forward ever-so-slightly. "Don't be absent. Return to the station. Hiding won't solve the problem." He smiled grimly. "Believe me, I know all about that". His thoughts drifted to his lonely life out in the stars after the El-Aurian massacre, and until his recent service in Starfleet.  His usually bright face dimmed slightly as thoughts of his long-term plans intruded the reverie. Hurriedly he buried them, lest Alec felt them in the ether. "She may not realise it yet, but she needs you. And you need her."


Offline Aryn Corliss

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2019, 02:23:30 pm »
[Quarks]

Alec chuckled morosely. I hope she does. But...she's different. Or she was different than before. I just don't know if she'll be able to forgive me. He sighed. I do miss her. As much as I did while I was on the prison planet.

With a determined nod, Alec said, I'll go back on the next shuttle, but that won't be for a few hours.

Why don't you tell me about your travels? Have you been in Starfleet long? I've been thinking about joining again. I'd need a major refresher, though. It's been over a century.
Alec couldn't do anything else about his own problems for now, so he'd settle for distraction and taking advantage of being able to speak to one of his own people, other than Aryn, for the first time in decades. Jehamy had given him comfort and sound counsel, he could but do the same if needed.


Offline Jehamy Jex

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #11 on: October 30, 2019, 11:07:52 am »
[Quarks]

Pleased that his advice had been of some use, Jex nodded at Alec's change of subject. "Oh, I've spent most of my new life among the stars, seeing all the most wondrous things and", he shook his glass in emphasis, "and making some of my own."

He smiled. "'I've been around the moons of Nibia, and around the Antares Maelstrom, and around Perdition's Flames before I gave it up. Decided that a life of solitude was, while rewarding, missing an adventure of it's own: the company of others. So, I combined exploration with interaction with the myriad of life in the universe and joined Starfleet."

And, he added to himself, to take advantage of their vast resources for my-.. He once more buried that thought before anything of that leaked towards his drinking companion.

"If I may", he continued, turnig to face Alec once more. "I think a life in Starfleet, or even something in the wider Federation itself, would do you a cosmos of good. A well of which to draw new stories and new experiences that you can share with your loved ones."
« Last Edit: October 30, 2019, 11:21:58 am by Jehamy Jex »

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Re: Home is Where the Heart Is (Alec Trenzal and Jehamy Jex)
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2019, 07:35:45 pm »
[Quarks]

Alec chuckled and nodded as Jex waxed eloquent about his experiences. He noticed when the other El-Aurian cut off something he was going to say, but decided, for the moment, that he wouldn't poke at it. Instead he said, I'm serving as a civilian doctor aboard the starbase Columbus, and I like the freedom I have with not being in the direct chain of command. I am on a sort of...assistant CMO committee. We've had quite a lot of changeover, and our current CMO is retiring, so there's a whole selection process for a new one. Remaining civilian also allows me more freedom for travel.

One thing I have always loved to do, and Aryn learned to enjoy it as well, is sit in nebulae and Listen. There's almost a...residue of past life in those created by the supernovae of inhabited systems. It gives me a great sense of peace, but also pays tribute to lives lost. I hope it does, at least.


Alec laughed suddenly. I think I just talked myself out of rejoining. I don't want to give up my freedom. There's already the chance that Aryn could be transferred. At least as a civilian, I'd have a chance of being able to go with her. If I were an officer as well, we'd be separated for sure.

Have you encountered other El-Aurians in your travels?


 

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