"Computer, begin recording"
An image flickers to life and Ael'Ihhuein is sitting in her personal quarters aboard Deep Space Nine. It's roughly night time and she's dressed in her night clothes and sits comfortably on a couch with a cup of tea.
"So many things are going on these days that I can hardly keep my mind straight. I have been promoted to Lieutenant Commander and I am hopefully due for Unrestricted Line Officer training." She pauses and gives a look over at a rectangular object in the corner of her room, it's a thin shape and is covered with a white tarp. By the looks of this shape, it could be a painting which is covered.
Illy starts to speak again, "The shoppe is doing extremely well. I made enough profits from selling clothing that I had paid to get the machinery necessary to create custom jewelry and accessories. Miss Laurels even did a press release about this." Her lips curl into a rather unbelievable smile, "I am happy." She pauses again and takes in another breath before sipping slowly at her mug, "Jack stopped by the shop, he apparently was not aware that I was the franchise owner and the mysterious hot new designer that Miss Laurels was talking about. I did my first custom work for him, a lovely wrist watch."
Illy goes silent again staring back over towards the covered painting as she bites her lower lip, "Yet, I find myself disquieted. Despite all the professional successes I have had lately. I am happy." She says again, repeating the words like a mantra, though her demeanor doesn't necessarily match the expression on her face.
"Doors of opportunity are opening everywhere, but other doors... they are so closed. I feel as if some doors are closed with locks to which shall never open to me." Her eyes wander off and she appears to be staring at nothing in particular, she wets her lips and wistfully stares off into nothing, "Despite my desires to have such doors opened wide to my, ambitions."
A bemused chuckle escapes as a breath, her lips curl upwards on the left side and she looks back up in the direction of the screen, "Everything happens or does not happen for a reason. I still accept that my life is guided by the elements and the path the universe has decided for me. Every day I am reminded of the path I cannot travel simply because the elements tell me it shall not be so."
She shakes her head finally and leans forward, "End log."
The screen goes blank.
