Toweling up her hair, Imani closed in on her reflection. She tilted her head up just the slightest to stare at the small scar underneath her chin. She'd meant to get that removed, multiple times at that, but some job or 'nother always seemed to come up. And now, well, she was left with the sour thoughts of what had transpired that evening.

It was then the intercom came to life, making Imani glance away to listen to the message. The crew was to meet soon...perfect timing she supposed. At least she was clean now as not even half an hour earlier she was working up a sweat with her stretching and yoga to relieve some of her frustrations. To Imani, it mattered not whether she was partaking in some breathing exercises or she was engaged in a kickboxing match against someone twice her size; by the end, all the negative energy that had previously accumulated seemingly melted away.

Not wanting to be late, Imani put on some clothes and combed her hair, neatly parting it to one side. Taking a last glance at her reflection, the details from that night resurfaced. 


[i]15 years ago
[hr]Imani sat on the park bench, her eyes fixated upon a distant group of children at play. The setting sun painted a warm glow on the world around her. She sighed, the tension in her shoulders evident. Daniel approached cautiously, aware that their argument had reached a critical point.

"Imani," he said gently, taking his place beside her. "Can we talk this out?"

She shot him a glare, her frustration evident. "Talk about what, Daniel? The fact that you never listen? That each time I try to express myself, you only brush it off?"

He ran a hand through his hair, one nervous habit of his. "I get it, Imani, I do, just that sometimes I don't agree with your choices."

She shook her head, her gaze breaking away from his. "It's not about agreeing or disagreeing, it's about [b]respecting[/b] me. You can't dismiss my emotions like they’re trash."

He sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation. “I apologize, Imani. It’s not my intent to dismiss your emotions...”[/I]
[hr]
That was some of what she remembered prior to the sudden onslaught of gunfire that followed. Her expression was sad and reminiscent from that tragedy, but nonetheless she went off to the galley to see why they'd been summoned.