Post 550- Why the Long Face? Part Two

Stardate: 71113.2145
Title: Why The Long Face? Part 2
Author: Vedek Jariel and Zanh Liis
Scene: Various/Arboretum
Time: After Full Disclosure Part Two and before Rendezvous?
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Camen paced the corridors, thinking about what Fleur had said, and how much it bothered him. Or was he overreacting?

*No, I'm definitely not overreacting, that was beyond insulting.*

He returned to his quarters, washed the makeup off his face and returned to his traditional button down black shirt and matching pants. For him, the party was definitely over.

From his quarters he went to his office, where he thumbed aimlessly through his texts. His eyes scanned the words but absorbed none of them.

*I need to go plant something.* He slammed the book shut, his hands were fidgeting, and he desperately needed to busy them with something constructive.

As he entered the arboretum the doors parted, and TC Blane strolled out past him.

"Good evening Vedek, she's in there."

Camen shook his head in confusion.

"Zanh Liis." TC offered.

*Oh*, Jariel mouthed to him. He nodded his appreciation, and kept walking. Zanh Liis was in her usual spot, on the swing. She waved her hand in his general direction, even though she couldn't see him.

*How does she know? I think she's psychic sometimes.*

He approached and stood before her, hands clasped behind his back thoughtfully. She didn't speak, nor did he. They just stared sort of around each other, off into space for what seemed like forever, or at least a noticeably uncomfortable amount of time.

[[I didn't know you were here.]]

"Do you want me to leave?"

[[No. But. . .I need a few moments to gather my thoughts,]]

"Take all the time you need, I'll wait."

He walked away, and Liis craned her neck so that she could see him. He approached the little stone angel sculpture that he seemed so strangely comforted by, and knelt beside it. He bowed his head and closed his eyes as he began to pray.

He prayed for clarity, for guidance. He even dared to ask the Prophets how much longer he would have to continue in silence? How long would it take until their sense of justice was satisfied? Could he ever satisfy them, really?

His shoulders seemed to slump a little, and he leaned one hand down on the ground, and the other up and against the sculpture.

Liis averted her gaze.

She really wanted to continue on just sitting there and staring at him. He looked like a statue to her himself, most of the time, his features so incredibly handsome that the word 'beautiful' actually seemed to describe them better. His appearance definitely fit the image that came to her mind whenever she heard the term 'angelic'. She could stare at him for hours and be completely content, needing no other form of entertainment to pass the time.

But she respected his privacy, and so she just closed her eyes, sighed and continued to rock on the swing as she waited for him to return, knowing he would as soon as he was ready to talk.

A little while later he finally reappeared and she gestured for him to take the seat beside her.

"So what's on your mind? I missed you at the party after you left. I didn't get all dressed up for Dabin Reece, you know. Even though he likes to think I did."

Camen cracked a smile that vanished almost immediately as he realized he was still supposed to be upset. [[Sorry I ran out on you. It wasn't your fault, I can tell you that much.]]

"That's a start. Care to clarify any more or do I send Logic Boy in there after the information I need?" She tapped her index finger against his forehead.

Camen snickered again. [[No, Salvek has done more than enough for the crew for one day.... Its...about Fleur Le Marc.]]

"Oh." The color drained from Liis' face at the mention of that woman's name.

[[So you know that she's aboard?]]

"Yeah, I know she's aboard. It's my job to approve every single person who comes aboard to work on this ship." Zanh Liis could feel the her heart sinking down towards her boots.

She had wondered at the outset if allowing Le Marc on the ship was a mistake; she was beginning to think she should have gone with her first instinct and told London to find someone else to run his coffee bar.

*Here it comes, that damn little French tart won him over with that insufferable soup of hers. She's putting doubts into his head about me. No, that can't be it, I know he loves me, I owe him that much credit, there has to be something more to this. There better be anyway, or I'll cram her into the nearest torpedo tube and....*

Liis' thoughts were broken by Camen's hand waving in front of her face.

"I'm listening, sorry."

[[It's probably nothing, its just that...]] he paused, [[She came to the party as some religious heroine from Earth history who believed she was in contact with her God, and basically implied that the woman was delusional for believing the things she did. I took offense because it felt like she was taking a jab at me as well. As if I'm crazy for believing in the Prophets.]]

"Oh Camen, you dear sweet lamb." Zanh Liis pressed her thumb and forefinger into the ridges of her nose, rubbing them slowly to push away the headache that threatened to form. "Don't you see what's going on?"
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Vedek Jariel Camen
Ship's Chaplain
USS Independence

and

Captain Zanh Liis
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Independence NCC-90791