crystal
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by crystal on Jul 31, 2006 4:39:23 GMT
“I had someone who cared. That didn't quite work out though,” Crystal said, and suddenly dove under the water and started swimming, still slowly, but with her head submerged. When her head had to come up into the air to breathe Crystal managed to temporarily stop the tears, before going back under the water. When she thought she had control of herself she paused again, and noticed Joan had dropped behind.
Crystal thought, and decided to let Joan catch up. After all, Joan couldn't bring up anything that hadn't been said before.
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anderson
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by anderson on Jul 31, 2006 4:50:53 GMT
"I'm sorry, I realize I must have done something or you wouldn't have pulled away like that. I won't press with the last subject. What exactly do you like to do for fun, other than swim?" Joan said changing the subject.
~I don't want her to pull away again, so I'll try a safer subject. Maybe if I can get to know her, I can get to understand her.~
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crystal
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by crystal on Jul 31, 2006 5:03:16 GMT
Crystal thought, grateful that Joan wasn't going to pursue the topic. Crystal didn't really want to talk about her former fiancé at the moment, or, indeed, ever, if she could avoid it. “I like creating holographic structures,” Crystal said, then, “And yes, that is just about as boring as it sounds, I'm sure.”
She pondered for a little bit, then added, with an invisible shrug. “And I used to travel a lot. It became kind of fun, picking up the languages,” ~and hiding from the authorities and sometimes just barely making it out without being caught.~ Crystal didn't add the last part, because it really hadn't been much fun at all.
She realized she was probably supposed to reciprocate with another question. “What 'bout you?” she asked, with the polite disinterest she managed so very well, without even realizing she was doing so.
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anderson
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by anderson on Jul 31, 2006 5:15:32 GMT
Joan thought she heard something in Crystal's tone, but decided not to say anything.
"Well, I like to hang out at the Black Hole, martial arts, music, astronomy, and I have a small interest in history. That is only because I knew so little of my heritage. I grew up on a strange planet a long way away," Joan said quickly giving off a little of her history as well.
~I hope she doesn't suddenly think of telling me to get lost.~
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crystal
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by crystal on Jul 31, 2006 5:26:21 GMT
“Me too,” Crystal said softly. “A small little planet a very long way away. It was a very strange place, too.” Crystal smiled to show that she was kind of kidding, then continued. “San Francisco. Terra. The 'Mirror' Universe,” Crystal finished, and resisted the urge to start swimming away. If Crystal was actually going to say something to Joan she should be able to cope with however Joan decided to reply. Even when it was so much easier the other way. Even when Crystal didn't understand why she had even opened her mouth in the first place. Even if Crystal wished she could take back what she had said, in the same way she occasionally wanted to take back her whole existence. Give it to someone more deserving.
She clenched her fists under the water, trying to stop the flow of her thoughts, and hoped Joan would reply soon. If there was one thing Crystal couldn't stand it was having to face her own thoughts, and there was a definite reason for that.
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anderson
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by anderson on Jul 31, 2006 11:37:49 GMT
A red flag went up in Joan's mind. She had read a lot on the Mirror Universe just to see what some people had been talking about once. She remembered that some people in that universe were bad or just plain worse. ~Its no wonder that she doesn't make friends easily, not when you have to watch your back at every turn.~
"Well, that couldn't have been easy to survive. I don't envy you one bit. You don't have to be suspicious of people here though, not everyone is out to kill you," Joan said remembering at least that part. She realized that hadn't sounded one hundred percent nice, and blushed a little.
"That could have sounded better, sorry. Things are different over here though, you can actually trust people," Joan said and winked to give her a hint that Joan was one of the trustworthy type.
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crystal
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by crystal on Jul 31, 2006 19:15:12 GMT
“I could trust people in the mirror universe too. Just not all people, but that works the same everywhere.” Actually, trust had almost been easier there. Because Crystal had trusted some people with her life, she had had to. And the decision to trust someone often couldn't afford to be drawn out, it just had to be made.
“Actually the hardest thing about having come from there is being here now. Sometimes I feel a very strong urge to look up the mirror counterpart of one of my friends.” Especially Arlen. “But I know it wouldn't be them. Might look identical, have the exact same genetic structure, but it wouldn't be the same.” The worst thing was the thought that maybe they would have similar personalities. But even so, she knew no one here would want to talk to her just because she had known someone who looked like them.
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anderson
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by anderson on Aug 1, 2006 3:32:35 GMT
"Well maybe you should move on, leave the past where it is. It helped me when I came here. I left everything behind, well almost everything, and it helped to know I was getting a new start. Have you tried to start fresh?" Joan said.
Joan remembered that Leena had come with her, but neither of them talked about that past they had shared. ~What if Crystal had someone like Leena, maybe, naw, Leena is a one of a kind.~
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crystal
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by crystal on Aug 1, 2006 3:37:52 GMT
“Duh,” Crystal replied, only regretting her rudeness after it was too late to take it back. ~But really~ she thought, ~could the girl be any more clichéd, advising getting over everything and moving alone?~ Crystal didn't know, but it bothered her more than a little. After all, Joan didn't know how Crystal felt, couldn't know, and now Joan was trying to give advice, trite advice, but personal enough to imply that Joan knew Crystal well enough to offer it.
Crystal let out a soft sigh and swam quietly over to the side of the pool. “I think I'm going to get out now,” she said, already starting to pull herself out. This attempt at conversation had gone on long enough already.
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anderson
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by anderson on Aug 1, 2006 3:56:09 GMT
Joan had seen this before, and knew there was nothing else she could do.
"Okay, I guess I'm gonna stay for awhile, unless you wanted some more friendly conversation," Joan said teasing a bit. She had hoped things would work out with Crystal.
"Well, I guess we are going our separate ways then, unless I misunderstood you?" Joan waited for the confirmation.
"Okay, well just remember that if you ever need someone to talk to or just hang around with, don't forget me," Joan said watching her go after that.
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crystal
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Registered: Apr 20, 2024 16:10:01 GMT
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Post by crystal on Aug 1, 2006 4:32:14 GMT
Crystal nodded at Joan, then headed off to the changing room, to shower then change, then leave, then return to her quarters. Back in her navigations officer uniform, Crystal took the turbolift down to the umbilical to the Hanson. She walked kind of slowly, neither prolonging unnecessarily the walk back to her quarters nor hurrying it.
She stood outside of her quarters for a moment then opened the door to her quarters. She changed out of her uniform into civilian clothing, average, uninteresting, civilian clothing. Now if she were to go out back onto the promenade she wouldn't stand out very much at all. She paced her quarters for a little bit, pausing once to study her image in the mirror. ~I ought to do something with my hair.~ she thought. ~Like cut it. Because it really is getting too long to be easily manageable. Maybe I should even die it again.~
Crystal walked away from the mirror again, still undecided. Her eyes rested on the picture of Arlen that stood on her desk. ~Joan told me to leave my past in the past.~ Crystal reminded herself.
She snorted. ~Like hell. Like that would actually ever work. Like I should actually leave behind my memories about Arlen and my mother and father and Arlen and the stupid stuffed animal Grishnar cat I had loved when I was five and all the friends who ever helped me. Like hell.~
“Computer, start music. Something old Earth,” Crystal ordered, before stepping in front of her replicator to get rid of her growing hunger.
“Replicate random beverage, below room temperature, non-alcoholic, non-caffinated and non-toxic to humans.” Crystal added the last one just to be safe, she didn't think the replicator would actually create something poisonous. But it never hurt to be cautious. Something green shimmered into existence, and Crystal moved it aside and requested the replicator to make some random human-safe entrée.
She then sat down and let her thoughts drift to listen to every word of the music as she ate.
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