Over-Reaction

Posted on Mon Aug 24th, 2015 @ 10:06pm by Marla & Seyla

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Seyla's Quarters

* Seyla’s Quarters *

“And get this,” Marla was saying. “I opened the door and Marcus was there wearing one of the aprons from Saturnalia because his client stole --” She was interrupted by a banging on the door, followed by Nemi’s hysterical voice.

“Seyla! Anybody! Let me in now! Please!”

Bella, who had been laughing at Marla's story, froze and grabbed Seyla's hand. She stared at the door.

Seyla winced; Bella seemed to have sharpened her nails since the incidence with the slave trader. She gestured at Marla to get the door and gathered Bella in her arms, softly murmuring to her that she was safe.

Marla hurried over to the doors and when she opened it, Nemi all but fell through them. Marla caught her as the doors closed behind her, then led her to the sofa. The woman looked as if she’d seen a ghost and was breathing heavy.

“I’ll get her something,” Marla said to Seyla. “Wanna see if you can get anything out of her?”

Seyla looked from Bella to Nemi and wondered what the hell was happening to her girls. "Bell, let go," she urged. Bella nodded, but was warily watching Nemi. Seyla knelt before Nemi and asked, "Nemi? What has happened?"

Nemi blinked back at Seyla and grabbed her shoulders. “They let him go!” she breathed. “The man who tried to kill Suresh’s girl.”

Seyla blinked. "Riley? They let him go? No prosecution?" She'd have to grill Darwin about that. Did Niro or Reva know? She smirked, not as if Reva could risk going onto Federation decks right now, anyway, with her pheromones active. "Why does that freak you out, Nemi?"

“Because, you had me….I met him at Saturnalia like you wanted. We talked, he seemed nice. I slept with him Sey! And he kissed me goodbye the next morning, saying he was off to meet Six! Now he’s loose and what if he comes looking for me??” Nemi’s words ended in a wail.

Seyla gave her a moment to wail and mewl, then slapped her. She rose and shook her head, "You're hysterical, Nemi. Riley is no psychopath; he won't come looking for you. For him to have done this and to have walked, something else must be going on."

Shocked, Bella looked at Seyla with wide eyes. For all the times she'd cried and wailed, Seyla had never hit her.

“Here, drink this,” Marla ordered, pressing a small glass into Nemi’s hand.

Nemi moved slow as she took the glass, in shock from Seyla’s blow. “What if….what if he flips again?”

"Darwin will tell me what's happening and I will let each of you know why he was released," Seyla assured the three.

Nemi downed the liquid in the glass and moments later, her eyes went a little unfocused. “He really was nice,” she whispered.

"I wouldn't have asked you to seduce him if he wasn't, Nemi," Seyla said, sitting in an armchair facing her and Bella. "He's been dating Reva and you were to be a distraction. For the record, Reva is just fine. Riley didn't harm her. He won't harm you."

“He’s in love with her you know,” Nemi murmured. “He talks in his sleep. I think he was dreaming about her.”

"He does?" Seyla stared at Nemi. "What was he saying?"

“Something about how he wanted her back and was sorry for ditching her. That he wanted her to come home.” Nemi looked from Marla to Seyla. “Has she gone somewhere?”

Frowning, Seyla sighed. "Not really. Niro is keeping her for a few days. By the time he's done, she just might be joining us. Riley is too late to get her to come home."

"That's very sad, Seyla," Bella spoke up. "If he loves her, ...," she couldn't figure out the end of that sentence. "Does she love him?"

Marla frowned as she considered the question and looked at Seyla. “Does she? You’d know better than anyone.”

Seyla stood and went to the bar. With her back to the three, pouring herself a drink, she said, "Orions don't love." She was the one who'd told Darwin that. "You three should know that by now."

Bella looked at Marla, worried.

Marla raised her eyebrow but wisely kept silent on that point since Bella and Nemi were in the room. “She’s part Betazoid,” was her observation.

"That doesn't matter. She's Orion," Seyla stated. "Even if she does, she's bad for him."

“I’m sure a lot of people say that about me and Dae too.” Marla shrugged and reached over, taking the glass from Nemi. “Such is life, I guess.”

"Marla, I mean she's dangerous. Pheromones and such, and I never said you were bad for Dae. I simply said that eventually he'll tire of you," Seyla said, shrugging.

“Why are those bad for him?” Nemi wanted to know. “She’s a Fleetie, aren’t they turned off or something?”

"Yes, an unnatural state for an Orion. When she joins us, she'll have her pheromones." The Orion looked at the three. "Are you thinking of meddling somehow? Convincing Reva that she should go back to him? Or that he should go after her?"

“I don’t meddle in other people’s romance,” Marla stated. “No good ever comes of that, trust me.”

Sensing the answer Seyla wanted, Bella shook her head. "I don't know him so I'm no help."

Seyla turned her gaze on Nemi.

“I want nothing to do with him. Sorry, Sey, but he kinda freaks me out now,” Nemi answered.

"Good." Seyla nodded. "Not good that you're freaked out by him, but... you know what I mean. Are any of you seeing clients tonight?"

To Seyla's surprise, Bella raised her hand. "I'm going out with Sven. He said he'd keep me safe."

Seyla smiled, "I'm glad, Bella, he's a good client."

“I’m supposed to be here tonight and you, my dear, are supposed to be off,” Marla reminded her. “Nemi’s not going to be awake much longer.”

"Good thinking. Bella, how about I walk you to your date?"

Bella nodded, "That'd be good, Sey! Hang on," she dashed into Seyla's bedroom and came back a few minutes later. "Okay, I'm ready!" She and Seyla left Nemi and Marla.

******************
Marla
Holding Down The Fort

Nemi
Fearing The Worst

Bella
Getting Back into the Game

Seyla
Telling Tales