SIM:T'Lea - Ring Legacy

JP Della Vetri & T'Lea - The Ring Legacy

((USS Constitution-B, Archives, Museum Level))

The fact that Sanys had actually left the ornate wooden benches positioned throughout the museum un-touched by his "festival of lights", wasn't surprising. What kind of a self-absorbed artist would he be if he didn't leave someplace for people to sit and appreciate his work? And that's exactly what T'Lea found herself doing – sitting there and not really thinking about anything as she watched the lights blink in rhythmic patterns.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. She was wondering how Sanys had managed to stack the twelve stone cubes from Huia into the shape of a Christmas tree all by himself. Those things weighted a ton. And then she wondered how she was going to take it down.

A sudden announcement of laughter had T'Lea curiously rising to her feet. As she emerged from behind the stone representation of a spruce pine, the hybrid came to a halt almost immediately.

T'Lea: Who --? Oh.

oO Della. Frell. Oo

Vetri was the last person she expected to see, and now that T'Lea was standing face-to-face with her bondmate, and spore-free, it felt too soon, which put her on the defensive a little.

Vetri: Yeah, it's me. Still busy, but I had to drop by for something.

Here it comes, thought the hybrid, steeling herself for the inevitable. In anticipation of the worst, she relied on her Vulcan half.

T'Lea: As you can see, ::waving a hand around at the mass of lights:: I am quite busy myself. ::a lie:: Perhaps we should talk later.

Nope. Apparently by the way Della wandered over and staked a claim to a piece of property in the museum they were going to talk now. Right now. Whether T'Lea wanted to, or not. Still, that didn't mean that T'Lea was going to give up trying to weasel her way out of this conversation.

Vetri: I ever tell you about my Great Aunt Cece? ::a pause:: No, I guess I probably didn't. Absolute harridan of a woman. Cynical, bitchy, obnoxious as hell when she wanted to be... You'd have liked her.

T'Lea: Yes. You are probably correct. She sounds a like a pleasant woman. Are you going somewhere with this, because I'd like to turn these things off, lock up, and go home.

That sounded more emotional that she would have liked. Stupid Trill. Why'd she have to look so beautiful with all those colorful flashing lights dancing across her smooth skin? Didn't Della know that it was making it that much harder for T'Lea to stand there and listen to the Trill gently who was obviously trying to dump her.

Vetri: Yes, there is a point, and if you shut up long enough I might even get there. Where was I...? Oh, right. When she was young, Cece fell for a dashing young man from Earth. Things progressed, they got married, yadda yadda. About two years before I joined with Vetri, he died.

Great. Della's aunt got married and her husband died. Point taken. T'Lea needed to die in order to break the bond that she shared with Della. It wasn't the only way to break a bond, but obviously the Trill wanted out, *really* bad.

But T'Lea was expecting this, she consoled herself. It shouldn't be that big of a deal. In fact, it was kind of a relief. No marriage. No responsibility. No creepy little kid to look after. Maybe this was for the best. No, it *is* for the best. She could go back to being a selfish witch.

T'Lea: ::Vulcaning up:: I understand. I'm sorry --.

"-- I afflicted you," is what she was going to say before Vetri butted in.

Vetri: ::shrugging:: Hardly a shock. Let's just say that by that point, he was hardly "young" any more. Anyway, when everything blew up with Jax, she gave me something. Told me to keep it to remind me that when you find the right person, you'll treasure it forever. "It's a big galaxy, and there's gonna be someone out there for you. Chances are, they might not even be a complete moron."

T'Lea gave a solemn nod, preparing to let Della go. It was a big galaxy, and if Della felt the need to go explore it for Mr., or Ms. Right, then T'Lea wasn't going to stand in her way. Hurt like hell, but she wasn't going to stop the Trill from finding happiness.

Standing there feeling quite vulnerable, T'Lea's eyes drifted away, only to shift back when Della stepped closer and took her hand. An act of consolation, thought T'Lea, letting it happen if just to feel her one more time.

Straightening up, Della stepped closer to T'Lea, her hands coming out of her pockets. Taking the other woman's hand in one of hers, she laid the diamond inlaid ring of platinum in her palm, then looked her in the eyes with a smile.

Vetri: This was hers. Now I'm giving it to you. You're not a *complete* moron. Though if you think everything that happened was because of the spores, I'll cheerfully slap you.

Something had been placed in the palm of her hand. Curious about the cold metallic feel, T'Lea glanced at it. A ring. A very beautiful ring. A platinum and diamond ring. Definitely an antique. Definitely worth a lot of latinum.

Those were the first thoughts running through her curator brain. But after that, a complete blockage of thoughts seemed to create a huge pile-up in her mind for anything else that would have rendered a bit of logic.

Several long seconds passed with her staring blankly at the ring that was sitting innocently in her palm, and then T'Lea sharply looked up at Della, who was smiling. The hybrid tightly knit her brow with a frown.

T'Lea: Wait… what? What is this?

To say that T'Lea was confused was visibly an understatement. She held the ring very still in the middle of her palm where it had been laid. Actually, it looked like she was holding it in limbo, somewhere between accepting it and not.

Vetri: It's a present. For you. To keep. Or not, if you'd prefer... A lot of cultures have some kind of tradition like this for when relationships develop to a certain point.

T'Lea: You said your aunt's husband died -- they parted ways. You spoke of Jax and how the galaxy was full of potential mates. Your aunt gave you this ring as a consolation gift. Wasn't that what your story was about? Relationships ending?

Vetri: ::shaking her head:: No, T'Lea, it wasn't I was telling you how I came to have the ring that symbolised my aunt's deep and loving connection to another person.

T'Lea: Oh. ::realization setting in.:: Oh. You mean…?

Vetri: ::smiling softly:: I mean I'd like it to mean the same thing for us.

T'Lea: But this is a Terran engagement ring, you are Trill.

Now she was just being an obnoxious jerk to tick Vetri off.

Vetri: And since there's so many Terrans around here, wearing that should make sure I don't have to hurt many of them for hitting on you.

T'Lea: But we have already bonded, this would be redundant.

With an aggravated noise, Della reached for the ring. She'd somehow gotten the idea this might have been a good thing to do, but apparently she'd been way off the mark *again*.

Vetri: Fine. If you don't want it, I'll just forget the whole thing.

Smiling, T'Lea snapped her hand closed around the ring and spun around on her heel, to protect it.

T'Lea: Mine.

Della's glare of annoyance wasn't all that serious, and turned a big chunk toward concern as T'Lea's amused expression faded.

Vetri: You're an exceptionally aggravating woman, do you know that? ::a pause:: You okay? Springing this the way I did...

T'Lea: Are you certain this is what you want?

Vetri: The first time we were together, I wanted you to make the bond. Does that answer your question? ::moving closer to lay a hand on T'Lea's waist:: Do *you* want it?

T'Lea: ::being all logical n'stuff:: I've had time to consider it and the evidence does not suggest that the spores influenced my decision to choose you as my mate. Therefore I am certain that as I sit here with a logical mind, I would make the same decision again.

Vetri: Then maybe the spores hurried it along, but we'd have gotten here in the end. And I'm glad we did.