Step One

Posted on Wed Mar 12th, 2014 @ 6:44pm by Suresh & Seyla

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Seyla's Quarters

* * * Seyla’s Quarters * * *

Suresh received word that ‘his’ former quarters were now unsealed and he was free to return to them. He looked around the guest quarters, curious about Darwin’s parting remark and made a mental note to ask Seyla if it meant anything to her. Since he had nothing really to pack up, he simply exited the quarters and set off for Seyla’s. He arrived there in no time and pressed the chime. There was something else he was most curious about too.

Seyla sighed and went to the door, pulling on a light robe and quietly cursing. She was done for the night - who would be knocking on her door now? The answer made her jaw drop. "Suresh." For the briefest moment, she forgot he wasn't the Suresh she knew. She recalled and sneered, "You. What do you want?"

“Nice greeting. Aren’t you going to invite me in?” He gave her a bright smile, even as he looked her up and down. “I know you’re finished for the night. How about a drink?”

"For you, I have water," she said, stepping aside and letting him in. Once he was past her, she closed and locked the door then went and poured herself a drink.

“Only the best I see,” he joked. Following her in, he took a seat in a chair. “So, how was your evening with your not-so-secret admirer?”

She glared at him. "That's not information you need to know. Now, try asking something I might answer."

“So I was right.” He nodded with satisfaction. “And now, you don’t know what to do. Thoughts of me entered your head perhaps? I would not be surprised.”

"Ugh!" She shook her head in disgust. "You have the same ego Suresh has. What makes you think I thought of you? What if I told you you were the farthest thing from my mind while I was with him?"

“I would not believe you. You and he were very close, weren’t you?” Suresh leaned back and crossed his legs as he watched her.

"Will and I?" She misinterpreted his question. "Yes, we are."

“I meant the other Suresh. You may not realize it, Seyla, but every time the name is mentioned you react. A little something to keep in mind when you’re with your sugar daddy.” Suresh smiled briefly.

"Shut up," she snapped before tossing the rest of her drink down her throat. "If you're only here to rub salt in wounds, get out."

“I’ll be back in my quarters, thanks to your other friend, Darwin. We had a most civilized conversation, actually. He’s not such a bad sort.” He eyed Seyla a moment. “Though I don’t know him like you do.”

"Yeah, he doesn't swing that way. Maybe you do. He's one of the good guys. White hat and all that. Strange to think of you and him having a civil conversation."

“It was interesting, I’ll say that.” He shifted a bit and leaned closer to Seyla. “So, what do you want? Could you ever settle down? I’m curious about that. Your counterpart was quite a bit different from you.”

"Settle? No, I don't settle. Might I retire? Or take a non-active role in managing the girls? Perhaps. What was your Seyla like? You two cozy up at night?"

“Once or twice.” Suresh frowned. “She wasn’t as happy as you seem to be. She always wanted things she couldn’t have. The sort of thing that’s been offered to you on a silver platter. You have to understand, too, how harsh and dangerous it was there. There wasn’t much time for the social niceties. We were trying to survive.”

"Sounds awful," she didn't sound sincere. "I do have quite a bit to be happy about. A high-ranked admirer; another admirer on the Security force; and..., well, formerly, one amongst the criminal underbelly of the Station." She had noticed how he'd leaned in and now she looked closer at him. "What are you after?"

He shrugged. “I just want to see where I fit it in, since I’m stuck here now. You are the one real connection I have, since I don’t share the old Suresh’s obsessions.”

"So you won't be chasing after some lying floozy who wouldn't even screw him and wasn't ever even real? Good. I'd hate to go through that grief again," Seyla smirked. "You were annoying about it."

“Fair enough.” He paused a moment as her words truly sunk in. “Again? That sounds like a woman who’s interested.” He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “I think I could work with that...depending.”

"On what?" She frowned as she eyed him.

“On you and your doctor.” His eyes met hers and he smiled. It wasn’t hard to see the remnants of her fascination with the other Suresh. It explained her anger very well. What he’d said was the truth - he didn’t share the old Suresh’s obsessions and that included more than Li. Seyla was, however, someone who could be most helpful to him. “And on one other thing. Tell Marabeth to stay out of my quarters.”

Her and her doctor. Seyla kept her gaze steady and cracked a small smile. "What happens with the doctor and me is between the doctor and me." Could she possibly have Suresh? An arguably better Suresh than the original? The original had been crazed with his obsession over Isha/Li; this one was sane, available. Hope rose. "I'll warn Marabeth off."

“Thank you. She entered the quarters during the time, I gather, that he was in the brig here, which means she was looking for something. I’ve no idea what but maybe I'll figure it out in time. So...interested? As long as your doctor does not interfere, I’m good.” He reached out, running his finger over her cheek lightly.

"I might be interested," she said, unwilling to be thought easy. "My level of interest might be better if you were sincere and courted me, instead of making this sound like a business deal."

“I intend to.” His smile softened along with his voice. “Perhaps dinner, tomorrow? Now that the powers that be know I am here, being in public is no longer an issue.”

"Are you sure of that? Have you met with Lazan?"

“Not yet, but he’s on my list as soon as I leave here.” Suresh shrugged. “I don’t foresee a problem. Do you?”

Sarcastically, she quipped, "oh, no, he'll be absolutely thrilled to see you! Just hand you the keys to the kingdom and all that...." She turned a blank look on him. "Were I you, I'd be wary of him."

“I think he and I can work something out.” He relaxed back into the chair and smiled to Seyla. “So? Dinner tomorrow?”

Looking down, she smiled, then rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, dinner tomorrow. The Nexus."

“I’ll make the reservations.”

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Seyla
Coming Around

Suresh 2.0
New & Improved, Mostly