A Joyous Occasion, or is it? Part 3

Posted on Sat Dec 16th, 2017 @ 7:23am by
Edited on on Sat Dec 16th, 2017 @ 7:23am

2,615 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Unknown Life, Unknown Dangers
Location: Planetside

The conversation lasted some minutes as Anika ate, more topics were covered including one which surrounded how the two met and the dress Anika was wearing. It seemed that it was not the norm for Anika.

"Yes he has a much better fashion sense than I do. I was just going to wear my dress whites." she muttered, embarrassed at the change in conversation topic. "It's what everyone expected me to do- if I showed up at all."

"To do what people don't expect is of its self rewarding." Ediras replied. "Besides I find uniforms add too much of a formal feel to attire." He smiled feeling more at ease now with the present company.

"I went to your wedding in my dress whites. I had just made commander." she smiled at the memory.

"And here you are now looking far more beautiful if I do say so myself." Ediras remarked proudly.

Anika covered her flaming cheeks with her hands, her eyes flickering from the pair of them to her plate in utter embarrassment. However pleased she was with the praise, didn't factor in her sisters laughter at her reaction. Peri hugged her sister and then rose "I should go pry my child from the desert table before he makes himself sick. I hope to speak with you again Ediras." Peri made to ruffle her hair but thought better of it when Anika growled "Don't you dare!"

Ediras smirked at the remark, he also didn't like his hair being ruffled as he was growing up. "She seems nice." The emotions he was picking up from her was warm, friendly and he didn't feel judged because of who or what he was.

"She is rather. One of the few in my family that is worth the time of day. Best try to finish your food before the next round comes by."

Taking the hint he did just that, the food was pleasantly nice, tasty and thankfully small so not filling to the point where he couldn't eat anymore. "Done." He wiped his fingers and mouth on the napkin before folding it and placing it with the plate.

Taking the hint he did just that, the food was pleasantly nice, tasty and thankfully small so not filling to the point where he couldn't eat anymore. "Done." He wiped his fingers and mouth on the napkin before folding it and placing it with the plate.

Anika sipped her wine slowly, enjoying the rich fruity flavors of the vintage that her sister had chosen. If there was one thing she did well, it was wine selection. However she was nonplussed when an ebony haired goddess of a woman settled herself down beside Ediras, her fingers reaching out to tease the waves in his hair "He-llo." she accentuated the break in the words to indicate her intrest.

"Hello Madam." Ediras replied as he paid her some attention so to not be rude. "Are you enjoying the festivities?" Giving her a warm smile.

"Oh I am. I can think of a few ways that I might enjoy it more however..." her hand was soft upon his shoulder and Anika's eyes and temper flared even as she spoke to herself that they were not a couple and that she could no more control Ediras' dalliances than she could stop the stars.

"Oh?" Ediras replied noting the flirtatious overtures of the new arrival, he also knew to curb himself as Betazoids were less restrained than what most could or would consider socially acceptable.

"You could dance with me.." the disdain she felt for his 'date' was clear in her glance at Anika

"I am afraid I must decline, I have promised the first dance to another I am afraid." He was being as polite as he could though what he was feeling was something utterly opposite from Anika.

"You must decline? Really, you'd rather have the prude of the family? That can't be appealing to you given your...background."

"Well she did invite me to attend, it would be rude of me to do otherwise." He turned to Anika with a hidden look for help. The woman was flirting with him and as flattered as he was, he was here for Anika.

Anika's eyes held a dark look to them and she said something that sounded rude even to a nonnative speaker. The sleek haired woman looked offended and flounced away back in the direction of Anika's brother.

"Do you know her?" He spoke with a confused expression on his face.

"No." Anika said shortly "I don't actually."

Shrugging off the encounter he focused his attention back to Anika. It had left him puzzled, how did that woman know of his background? "Not sure what she meant about background, not a lot of my work is public known."

"No dear, you told my parents you were a betazoid. My family will know, it might not be common knowledge but I assure you that my siblings know. Peri didn't care, of course..."

A flare of frustration and anger washed through him, she didn't mean his background in work but racial background. She played on the Betazoids less closed attitude towards sexuality. There was no hiding it frustrated him, feeling exploited in some way by that woman.

What Anika didn't understand was the fierce protectiveness that she felt for Ediras. It was a deep burning thing that she was unaccustomed to. "I'm going to get us a refill, and find the ladies. I'll be right back." The moment that Anika was out of sight, a man sat beside him. They had the same eyes as Anika's mother, so it was clear that this man who smelled of too much drink was Anika's brother.

Ediras didn't need his senses to tell him the state this male was in, he could smell it. He gave a polite smile to the intoxicated individual and then turned his attention back to the direction Anika left hoping that she would return soon.

"Sho how do you manage? She's never showed up t'anything with a man before..."

It was obvious that the man meant Anika. "She asked, I accepted." While it was the truth from a certain point of view, ignoring the trade of dinner for attending with her she did lay the terms, thus Anika asked. "Nothing more than that."

"Now...why would she do that? What do you get out of it?"

"As for why, only Anika can answer that. I get nothing because I want nothing. She invited me to attend, we're friends and we had the time available." Ediras paused once again looking for Anika. "It does beat staying on board a Starbase that's for sure however."

"Ah come off it. Noone wants nothing from a woman, even a woman like Ani." he raised his arms as if he expected her appearance to rub off on him. He was being derogatory primarily because he was jealous of her success, even though he himself would not work for that same.

"Not everyone viewed women as trinkets to be disguarded so casually." Remembering seeing this man with a woman on his arm. "I am sure the female you arrived with earlier is looking for you."

"Eh" he shrugged it off "So what magic do you do to keep my sister by your side? I mean...you even shrug off a prettier model. What does she have? " as he said magic he gestured at the man's forehead

"Why do you assume there is magic involved?" Ediras turned in his chair to face the man more, frustrated that he was being insulting not just to himself but Anika at the same time.

"Pff. We're men- well you're not but you know what I mean." He took a swig of his drink "I wanna know how you do it. Do you like....read her mind and tell her what she wants to hear? I think that sounds terrific. Tell em what they want to hear, and keep em coming back for more. Hows that work for you anyway, it the same as a man?"

"Excuse me?" The notion that he'd used his abilities to manipulate and control Anika in some way struck a very raw nerve. Betazoids had a long history of being judged for such things and a long time to put the record straight. "I do not read her mind or anything of the sort. Any man is capable of reading signs, body language, attitude, some more than others it seems but if you'd excuse me." Ediras then stood up before he put this rude individual down for a while.

Anika stayed just close enough when she realized that her brother was behind all of the sentiment behind her date. Fury rolled through her as she heard what she'd said to Ediras. Her brother jumped to his feet and swayed when he did so. "Ani! Your date seems to be a little flighty."

"You would be too if he'd said to you the equivalent of what you said to him."

"I was just...testing him for you."

Her voice lowered in fury "You need to back the fuck off my friend and my love life. I don't judge yours."

"He wouldn't want you anyway, He didn't go after Kelani he's sure not going to bed you." Her snarled curse was accompanied by a wicked right hook that felled him like a tree, in a puddle of his own blood and the drink he'd been holding before she went after Ediras.

The sudden flare of anger was hard to miss but he stood off to one side away from anyone. While it was not the first time he'd been accused of manipulation because of what he was he had hoped that some had evolved beyond such petty antics. Still the damage was done and yet again he had to play clean up of his own anger.

Anika watched him disappear into the gardens and followed with as swift of step as her dress would allow for her to do. When she finally found him she approached slowly from behind and whispered "Ediras?"

Not expecting anyone he turned slightly though it was clear that he was phased by what transpired. "Anika." Part of him wanted to be angry with her for leaving him alone, had that opened the door for what happened? Or was it just an unfortunate unforeseen development?

"I'm sorry for him" she whispered "There's no excuse for his behaviour even if he was a drunk idiot. Do you want to go back to the hotel?"

"Please, I think that would be for the best, I've had enough excitement for one day." Though excitement was hardly the word but perhaps more polite than others that came to mind.

She led the way back to the hotel in utter silence, her mind in turmoil because of what had happened. Her hand ached as well, the blood dripping down her fingers from splitting her knuckles on her brother's jaw unnoticed as they walked.

"Was that angry outburst yours I felt?" He asked as the pair of them walked back to the hotel. It made for a bizzare sight the two of them but in light of the facial expressions of both few would stop or interrupt them.

"Probably" she murmured "I knocked my lying creep of a brother on his ass. I'll pay for it tomorrow but it was worth it."

"Should we visit the hotel medical office?" He asked as he could see the Hotel down the road to the right side.

"No" she whispered with a smile as she dabbed her knuckles with a hankerchief.

"I hope his actions have not made you regret the effort you made in order to attend." He hoped at least, he knew she was not overly keen to go but nobody ever expects something like that to happen at a wedding of all things.

"No, but it reinforced my distance from my family- except for Peri of course"

"She did seem a pleasant woman." He replied, happy at least something went as hoped.

The blood had crusted over her knuckles and dried, and she crept into the bathroom to inspect the damage when she'd gotten to the hotel room. It wasn't bad but she knew she was going to bruise. She sprayed a bit of sealant on it to keep from bleeding further and then came out to find Ediras.

Ediras opened the doors to the balcony and dragged one of the chairs from the dining table set onto it. He pulled undone his tie, his jacket opened and sat in the chair to immerse himself in the view. He could understand Anika's reluctance earlier and had to feel sorry for the other guests that had to witness the consequences of his action. Part of him mused over the look on the brothers face as his date disappeared.

Noticing the stress in his lines, Anika's guilt at the antics at the wedding was nearly overwhelming. She was used to her brother being nasty to her, but there was no excuse for his actions towards Ediras, and then when that woman had come to get him to come away with her...She'd felt so jealous and protective of him that she wasn't even sure if she was still Anika. She'd never done that before. Approaching with a drink, she set a glass beside him and rested her hands on his wide shoulders, to appreciate their tension.

He sighed as he sat, still as confused and amazed at the antics of one man and one woman to toy on him for the amusement of others. "I suppose this is my fault. Had I not helped you pick a dress you may not have come and you wouldn't have needed to do what you did." Still, some things couldn't be helped and in his case this was just one of them.

"I would have come, but in my dress whites. I did tell you that, I wish that you would believe it." she teased gently as she stroked her thumbs down the back of his neck softly, kneading the tight muscles at the base of his neck.

"I do believe it but white makes blood stand out more." He joked as he relaxed into her hands. "At least we are away from there now, I don't want to think the grief he will be getting from the parents or other guests."

"No, my mother will tear him to shreds." she giggled and massaged the base of his skull. Her fingers dragged downwards from ears to neck to shoulders and resumed the gentle kneading motions at the base of his skull.

Silently Ediras felt better, the tension did seem to ease which was helping calm his mood. He could only picture the grief the Mother was giving and the bruise the Brother would be sporting in the morning

Her fingers caressed the hollows behind his ears, then slid around to rub circles on his temples. Every touch was soft, designed to slowly release the tension he was feeling.

As the minutes passed so did the stress of the encounter. "He believes I am manipulating you with my racial abilities, that I am after something, that nobody does something for nothing."

"I told you he was a fool" she murmured from behind him, her fingers working their way down his shoulders, pausing to work at a particularly impressive knot under his right shoulder blade.

Ediras nodded, she had told him he was a fool and his actions proved it. It didn't make it any easier though what he'd been subjected to nor what Anika apparently did to the man.

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