Trekkies United: Going Boldly

Matrix's eyes softened in sympathy. "No, you're not. And I'm not, either," he told her, putting an arm around her shoulder and leading her inside and over to a chair. The door swished shut behind them. Once she was seated, he sat in another chair opposite her. "I was talking with my father and Counselor Troi earlier because I was afraid something was wrong with me. I've started being able to hear your voice, even if you're not talking aloud. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to worry you."

"what? but how? I haven't been trying to do that," she assured him, still curled up a bit as she sat in the chair he'd offered. "I'm sorry I've scared you. I was just so worried about you today....I can't believe your lab partner actually tried to hit you!" she pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them, shivering again. "I really liked doing those exercises with you, and getting to see inside your head a little...but now I can't stop and it's scaring me..." she admitted in a soft murmur.

Matrix shook his head. "Don't be sorry. And try not to worry. It's not a bad thing - Counselor Troi assured me as such." He paused, considering how to tell her what was really going on. "Do you remember when I told you about how Betazoids bond? Well... Counselor Troi thinks we may have become imzadi. Not in a romantic sense," he added quickly, feeling his face heat up a little, "but in a platonic sense."

brianna looked up at him, blank faced with shock for a few moments. she had tried reading up a bit more on imzadi since he had mentioned it weeks ago, but most of what she'd found was confusing...or occasionally gross in an overshare way. "well, yeah, of course it's just platonic, we're friends, not lovers, I mean, not that that's a bad thing but it would be strange in probably a bunch of ways-" this time she realized she was rambling for herself with nerves and stopped suddenly, blushing brightly. "sorry..." she tried to curl a little tighter. "so you can hear my thoughts sometimes? like all the time or just when I think at you?" can you really hear this?

"Yeah, yes, definitely," Matrix confirmed quickly, blushing further and looking away in awkwardness. His eyes quickly snapped back to her, however, as he heard her last question ring out clearly in his head. "Yes, I could hear that," he replied softly, sounding a little awed. "And your, well, thoughts, are becoming louder and clearer, as well. It seems I can only hear them when you think at me, though." Which is probably for the best, because I can imagine it would be a bit awkward hearing you all the time... He didn't exactly mean for her to hear him, but realized a moment later she likely would have, and blushed a little harder.

Brianna turned red as she most certainly did hear him rather clearly. don't worry, I wouldn't like that either... she sighed and plopped her chin on her knees. "so...what now? are you okay with us being like this? will there be any adverse side effects? will it hurt if we tried to break the bond?" there were so many unknowns!

Matrix was now blushing to the point where it was visible, his cheeks a bright gold color, feeling rather ashamed that she'd heard, but glad she felt the same. "Well... Yeah, I think so," he replied after a moment. "I mean, I feel honored that you've chosen me to bond so closely with. I'm okay with it if you are. As far as side effects, I don't believe so, based on what I've read and what Counselor Troi told me tonight. I don't know what would happen if we were to try to break the bond or not. We can ask her, though, because she wants to talk to us - both of us - as soon as we have the spare time."

brianna let out another sigh of relief this time, looking down. "it would be nice to talk to someone that actually knew what was going on," she murmured, looking at him as her blush subsided a bit. "I really didn't intend to bond with you like this...I guess I got way too attached to having a friend for the first time ever...I'm glad you're not upset with me for having caused it..."

Matrix smiled at her, his own face beginning to cool down a little. "No, of course I am not upset. Like I said, it's an honor to know I mean so much to you, because you mean so much to me. You don't know how much of a relief it is to have someone I can talk to about, well, anything and everything, whether that be happy things, or things that are bothering me, or things I'm unsure of. I haven't had someone like that since I left my family."

"well, as small as my family was, with just me and my dad, it's really nice to have someone to confide in for me too." she quickly stifled a yawn and a wave of wordless tiredness seemed to come from her. she didn't look like she wanted to budge, though, still curled in a ball in the chair.

Mat gave a small smile at that, watching her yawn and sensing the tiredness rolling from her. His smile faded into a slight frown, and he glanced to his bed. "Um... do you... want to stay the night? You can sleep in my bed, if you'd like, and I can sleep here, in the chair," he offered after a moment, looking to her with a questioning tilt of his head.

"oh, I...I don't want to get you in any trouble. I should go, I guess." she didn't manage to stifle a second yawn, squeezing her black eyes shut as her mouth gaped open wide enough to look down her neck, it seemed. she tried to cover it with her hands. Brianna reluctantly uncoiled herself from the chair and stood, stumbling as she couldn't find her balance and catching herself on the chair arm. "...uh, are you sure you'll be okay in the chair?" she asked, clearly having changed her mind.

Matrix abruptly blushed once again, realizing the possible implications of what he'd just suggested. "Oh... Yeah, alright..." he mumbled in embarrassment, standing as she did and turning toward the door when he noticed her catch herself on the chair. He couldn't help but give a slight giggle at her question, despite his embarrassment amused that she'd changed her mind so quickly. "Yes, I'll be fine. And besides, sleep isn't nearly as important to me as it is to you. Come on." He put his arm around her shoulders again so she wouldn't fall over from exhaustion, leading her toward the bed.

"you don't...actually...have to *yaaaaaawn* sleep at all, do you?" she asked as he helped her to the bed. she was already in sleepwear as she had been in bed but not asleep yet when she'd noticed Mat's voices as he talked to his family. she climbed in with a bit of clumsiness and curled under the blanket in a ball, happy to find a little warmth still there, and seemed to be out cold instantly, soon getting a faint smile on her face as she started to dream. thankfully these didn't seem inclined to bleed over into the android's mind, so only she knew what dream was making her smile...

(...What are you dreaming about, Brianna...? )

"No, not technically, you are correct," he told her, "though I do have a dream program which I like to explore." He helped to tuck her in, then headed back over to his chair, sitting down and getting comfortable before drifting off himself, dreaming about family and friends, both old and new.

(doesn't matter much, she'll soon be dreaming about whatever he is anyway XD)

it was about an hour and a half from reveille when Bri started talking in her sleep. mumbling was more accurate--half finished words and indistinct phrases that could be many different things. a few mumbles came out clear enough to understand. "nicetameecha..." she snuggled a little tighter in a ball. "wings...cool..." she sounded very approving.

(Lmao Acara)

Unlike Brianna, Matrix did not mumble in his sleep. He was still, save for a slight, periodic twitch of a foot or hand.

In his dream, he was on the Enterprise with Brianna, introducing her to his family and friends. Acara had stepped forward to offer a few words of greeting, and gave a slight, amused smirk as the half-Betazoid girl complimented her wings. "Well, yeah, they are pretty cool," the Lycanarian laughed. "Nothin' better than flying, I'll tell you that much." As she spoke, she flexed her wings slightly, stretching the coracoid and humerus above her but leaving the rest of the wings folded.

"ooh...'shIcouldfly..." came more mumbles. Acara was so cool! in her dream she held out her hand to shake the next person's hand as Mat introduced them. "yersdadright?" she asked, though the question was unnecessary, considering the outrageous level of familial resemblance they shared, everything but the eyes. "...sagoodboy." Brianna yawned and started to stir a little more as the time wiled away until they had to get up for the day.

In the dream, Data nodded as he stepped forward, reaching to shake Brianna's hand. "Yes. I am Data, Matrix's father. It is a pleasure to meet you, Brianna. I have heard much about you." He looked to Matrix, who was now blushing, with a smile at her final comment.

Matrix was stirring a bit more, as well, now, giving a slight grunt and shifting in the chair to get more comfortable.

"oh?...whats'etoldja?" brianna squinted suspiciously at Matrix, but playfully too. what could the young android have told them about her? the thought made her a little nervous, since she wanted to make a good impression and live up to whatever he had said about her. she reached up to fidget with her collar (her lozenges had a bad habit of going crooked when she wasn't paying attention) and instead found a single ensign's pip. her black eyes widened. wait...had she really been assigned to the Enterprise? that was...well, a dream come true! Matrix dreamed so realistically compared to her that this all did feel quite real to her...

"All good things!" Matrix protested, looking at her with a still slightly embarrassed frown. Acara gave a snort of laughter, and Data looked amused, as well. "Well, I do know how much it means to him to have as good a friend as you," Data told her warmly, his eyes glimmering. Matrix looked a bit more embarrassed at that.

He didn't have time to respond, however, as that was when the alarm went off. He jolted in surprise with a sharp inhale, his eyes popping open. For a brief fraction of a moment, he was confused as to why he was sleeping in his chair... until he remembered that Brianna was in his bed. He glanced over to her, assuming the alarm would've woken her, as well, unaware that she'd actually entered his dream, and he hadn't simply been dreaming about her.

Brianna gasped in panic as she suddenly went momentarily blind and deaf before waking up, the 'reality' blinking out of existence as Matrix woke before her. she sat up sharply and looked around, disoriented. this isn't my room? where am I? what just happened? she stared around the room, perplexed to say the least, and finally saw Mat in his chair. "aww...it was just a dream after all..."

Matrix blinked at her a bit drowsily as she abruptly sat up, looking around in apparent confusion. "What were you dreaming about?" he asked, stretching a little and sitting up into a more dignified position. "I was dreaming we'd just graduated, and I was on the Enterprise introducing you to my family..." He frowned, a good part of him wishing it had been real. He missed being on the Enterprise, and dreaming about his family made him miss them even more.

"that's...yeah. that's exactly what I was dreaming about," she admitted, combing her fingers through her fiery hair a bit in a doomed effort to tame it. "I got so excited when I felt my ensign's pip...I thought I'd finally made it, and it would be an absolute dream to be assigned to the Enterprise..."

Matrix ogled at her. "So we're sharing dreams now, as well?" he questioned. "Well... That's... interesting." His face flushed slightly; he was glad he had been dreaming about normal things and not some wildly fantastic, weird, made-up place - that would've been a bit awkward. "Well... I suppose we should get dressed and ready, and perhaps tonight we can speak with Counselor Troi." The fact that she had worn her pajamas here, however, meant she was going to have to walk the halls in them to get back to her own quarters for her uniform, which would be even more awkward...