Star Trek: Eventide 777

Commander Ken Richards | SCI BOT 19-Feb-22 07:46 PM

Ken walked into the amfitheater and made his way down to the main floor. On said floor was a nice holographic projector, perfect to show some information on for his next lecture. He was a professor after all, and after all this time it seemed that work was still a passion of his. Even though this was a reunion, he thought he could still slip in some lessons about astrophysics. He wanted people to learn, to become interested. As he set up a few items, he had a small smile on his face. After all this time distancing himself, it seemed he finally learned how to be himself- his true self.

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 19-Feb-22 08:10 PM

Leora hadn't known what to expect in regards to coming aboard the station. It seemed that there had been a good number arriving at the same time as her and things had been incredibly crowded; she already didn't know where to go or what to do, and now there was the added issue of trying to not be swept away by a crowd. After finding her quarters she had ended up staying there for a while solely because it was safe, but with a bit of a push she had managed to coax herself to leave. She hadn't received the invitation to the station for nothing, surely, and hiding away wasn't going to provide any sort of answers. For a while she had opted to just wander... But wandering felt strange, considering how things felt familiar but unknown at the same time. It was a strange sort of sensation that honestly made her dizzy at times -- but she knew it was unavoidable, so she had kept on wandering. Reacquainting herself - or just acquainting herself? It was so hard to tell what the term should be - with the station at least helped to lessen that strange déjà vu. With the amphitheatre being the next place on this deck (a quieter deck, she had noted with thanks) she had stepped in and allowed the doors to slide closed behind her... Only for her to then notice the person down at the bottom of the rows of seating. Oh, no. This was when she got into trouble for being nosy, wasn't it?

Commander Ken Richards | SCI BOT 19-Feb-22 09:06 PM

Ken looked up at the noise of the door opening and closing, putting his PADD down on a desk that was set up earlier. He turned around and faced the woman that entered the theatre. He didn't mind people walking in, in fact, he encouraged it. He smiled a little at the woman who entered before speaking up. "You're early, miss. The lecture won't start for another thirty minutes." After he said that he turned around again and went back to setting up a few things for his following lesson. "You're free to stay, I won't mind." Ken had held a lot of lectures back at Starfleet Academy, more than he could count. Only with a few, however, had he encountered someone arriving early. Most stayed after the lesson to ask a few questions. He never sent them away though. He enjoyed it when they stayed, even if it was for a little while. Over the past few years he grew a lot more close to humanity, or people in general for that matter. He had grown quite a lot since the last time he was here.

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 19-Feb-22 09:37 PM

For a moment she had considered simply turning around and leaving. She was pretty sure that the sound of the doors would have given herself away and it would have seemed a little rude had the person to the centre of the room turned around only to find her heading out, but what else was she supposed to do in order to avoid whatever sort of situation she was getting herself into? It soon became evident that she was too late, the person's voice stopping her in her tracks. A lecture? Okay, okay, she could use that as an excuse for being here... But then she'd be expected to stay for the entire thing, and the stars knew that she would understand none of what was being said about anything. It seemed like she was going to just have to tell the truth and hope that she didn't get told off for wandering aimlessly into sections of the starbase that she shouldn't be. It wasn't as if there had been a big 'keep out, Starfleet officers only' sign or anything, though, so hopefully it wouldn't be too bad? As she headed down the steps to the main centre of the room - the first few steps hesitant until she forced herself to just keep moving - she couldn't help but wonder if this person - lecturer? - was one of the sorts of Starfleet officers who were known for their strictness. The posture spoke typical Starfleet officer, but at least he had offered a smile that she had just managed to make out from the distance away.

She was quiet as she made her way across the room, feeling like she would much rather not draw any more attention to herself by having to shout over instead of just closing the distance and speaking like a normal individual. "I'm really sorry," she stated once she was close enough to be heard, offering a slightly sheepish smile as she tucked a strand of gingery hair behind one ear, "I'm not actually here for a lecture. I was just looking around. That's not to say that I wouldn't want to be at a lecture, because I'm sure it's super interesting! But-" A pause, and a somewhat nervous chuckle. "It's not why I'm here. Sorry."

Commander Ken Richards | SCI BOT 20-Feb-22 08:57 AM

Ken turned around when the other spoke, listening carefully. As she spoke, he leaned back against a desk, crossing his legs and looking at the woman. He didn't recognize her. Maybe they were here for the reunion, but then again, they'd be a child back then. And if he's learned anything about himself, it's that he didn't like children all those years ago. So he probably never even bothered meeting them back in the day. "Well, if you're not here for the lecture, why are you here?" He asked in a genuine tone, it seems he's quite interested in what the lady had to say. "And no need to apologize. If you don't want to join the lecture, so be it. I'm not going to force you to leave or stay." The smile on his face had grown a little, a sign of reassurance. He didn't want to scare the lady off with some cold face and Starfleet protocols. That would only backfire on him than anything else.

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 20-Feb-22 09:59 AM

Oh, okay - somehow she had ended up finding one of the nicer Starfleet officers. Not that that was a bad thing! It was just unexpected... Especially seeing as how when she started taking in the man's appearance - familiar, his name on the tip of her tongue - she could only envision someone distanced and unsociable. For the most part she felt as if she was going to get told off in situations like this (courtesy of a bad manager back on Risa who had ended up being replaced due to the complaints of all the staff,) and that strange forewarning (but it wasn't forewarning really, considering it was from the past) had her convinced that she was about to be told off... But maybe it wouldn't be so bad. And besides, she hadn't been snooping around, really. It wasn't nosiness - it was reconciliation. There was a smile of reassurance and the tension dropped from her shoulders when he mentioned not having to stay - although she did feel guilty. It wouldn't exactly feel nice to have someone show up and seem like they were so interested they had gotten here early, only to find that they weren't meant to be here at all. "Thank you," she ended up replying, keeping up that smile which was definitely more genuine instead of nervous now. "And I am sorry if it seemed like I was so interested that I was showing up early! I would stay if I had a brain for astrophysics and stuff, but I don't think I would understand any of it," she added with a light laugh. Going silent for a moment she slowly turned in a circle, gaze upwards to take in the design of the room. They had done this up, right? "I was just looking around, that's all. It's been a while since I've been here - I got some invitation, you know? Things are mostly in the same place... Mostly. I don't want to get lost." Whether that was lost physically or lost inside confusing memories that weren't her own was another matter.

Commander Ken Richards | SCI BOT 20-Feb-22 10:36 AM

He gave a slight chuckle at her last comment, smiling softly at the Trill lady. It was becoming quite obvious now who this lady was. The fact she was Trill, the fact she knew what his speciality was without him mentioning it, the fact all this was familiar to her even though she was knew to this place, the curiosity and the caution. Not to mention the diplomatic tone that snuk its way in the way she said things. This was the person who inherited the Treville symbiote, there was no other conclusion. "Well, miss Treville. It's of no issue. This just gives us a chance to catch up, no?" He put his hands in his lap, looking at the Trill in front of him. This was becoming quite an interesting reunion already. He hadn't spoken to any of the old crew in quite some time, his job back at the Academy really didn't help with all that. Nevertheless, he was glad to finally meet some of them again. If it was a old face or a new one, it didn't matter to him. "Looking around or not, I'm glad to see you again, miss. It's been quite some time."

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 20-Feb-22 11:34 AM

At the mention of her name - past name, really - she couldn't help but sigh and throw her head back in exasperation. Being discreet here of all places among this reunion with people she had once known was never going to work, but she thought she would have went longer without being found out than this. She knew that she had to, you know, tell people who she was considering the entire reason she had agreed to attend was so she could better come to terms with her predecessor's life... But it felt so difficult and so awkward, and so dang confusing to work out how she was meant to act. She was a different person to her predecessor but they were so entwined; what belonged to her? What memories were hers, what relationships were hers -- it was always so tricky to discern. As the man - officer - professor? - commander? Who knew what he would be addressed as nowadays - spoke, she eventually looked back to him. Even though speaking to someone from back then felt strange it also felt familiar - and he was right, it had been some time. Holding her hands together in front of herself, she idly rocked back and forth from her toes to heel - a way of trying to seem less awkward, but at least the grin that she offered was sheepish but sincere. "I didn't think that I would get found out so soon. I mean, I know I'm not very good at being discreet, but - I didn't think I would immediately give myself away! It's, uhm..." She slowed for a second, trying to think. "...It has been some time, and I'm glad to see you again too - Lieutenant? I think? This is tricky," she then added with a nervous chuckle, "you're the first person I've spoken to that's from my predecessor's life instead of my own. It's like I know you but I don't."

Commander Ken Richards | SCI BOT 20-Feb-22 01:02 PM

He let out a slight laugh as he heard her stumble on her words ever so often. It wasn't out of mockery, but he understood the struggle that came with these things. "Commander now, but yes, last time we spoke you were commodore and I was a lieutenant junior grade. Things have really changed since then, haven't they? You have a new face, I'm a professor at Starfleet academy." He gave a shrug, looking at the woman. It really was great to speak with her again, even if she was different. "Well, if you wanna know how I found you out: you're way of speaking. It has a diplomatic tone, just like your predecessor. Not to mention the fact you knew my expertise without me ever mentioning it. It's as simple as adding two and two together." He smiled warmly at the lady, crossing his legs the other way around as he still leaned against the desk.

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 20-Feb-22 02:57 PM

It felt rather strange to listen to the Commander speak of how things had changed - it was like those changes didn't belong to her, but at the same time she knew that they did. The whole 'becoming a whole new person' thing that was supposed to happen upon being joined seemed far more confusing to her than what other people had said it would be, and that wasn't exactly a comfort considering how you'd think that the person going through the process would come to understand it... But despite that confusion this did feel familiar, felt correct, and for the first time she thought that maybe she was doing this right and was finally taking a step forward to becoming more at peace with her joining. What made her even more impressed was when the Commander mentioned how she had spoken like her predecessor would have. Leora had just felt as if she was being apologetic - but maybe their personalities had blended together more than she had realised. Maybe she wasn't doing too badly at this joining thing after all. "Magically having information that I wouldn't have known otherwise is going to give it away, huh," she replied while moving to lean against one of the front row's chairs that was directly in front of the desk, almost mimicking the Commander's own actions. "I'm starting to think that I should probably try to work out what I'm meant to know and what I'm not meant to know. ...I probably have some major Starfleet secrets and Federation knowledge inside of my head - I'm surprised that the fleet even lets you be rejoined if you've been some sort of high rank. How are they meant to know you're trustworthy? You could just go about telling anyone, and-" Halting, she realised that she was rambling. The smile she gave was once again sheepish, obviously aware that she had gone off tangent. "Please don't tell anyone that I know Starfleet things. I don't want to get in trouble, you know?"

Commander Ken Richards | SCI BOT 20-Feb-22 09:03 PM

"Trust me, miss Treville. Your secret is very safe with me." He said with a nod and a smile, looking over at the lady. It was odd to speak with someone he knew, but at the same time she wasn't the same. She was different, more open and uplifting. She had elements of old and of new. It was quite interesting to see the diplomatic tone of Aleto intertwined with the cheerful nature of this new host. It kept things fresh, interesting. "I never did get your name however - your current name, that is." He folded his hands together and layed them down in his lap. He himself was quite curious about the woman, her past to be exact. It's quite interesting to hear life stories, especially those of a joined Trill. But for now a name was all he asked. Stories were for later.

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 20-Feb-22 11:26 PM

In all honesty it probably couldn't be considered a secret. If you worked out who she was host to then you knew who had been the host before, and it wasn't exactly as if her occupation had been a secret. She would have worried over it more had it not been for the fact she had never heard of anybody being scrutinised or questioned or sworn to secrecy by Starfleet. Perhaps the Federation didn't want to disturb their relationship with Trill: everyone knew how much of a sway the elusive Symbiosis Commission held and how you practically everyone refrained from questioning them. It wasn't as if she would go around handing out Federation secrets either. For one she could hardly make sense of the jumble that was her predecssor's memories - the downside of not having had a zhian'tara it seemed - and for two, what sort of benefit would there be in doing so? (From amidst that jumble of memories, however, there was one that seemed to come to the forefront as she considered it. It was one that had been under different circumstances but she could suddenly envision it being applied to this: of someone wanting that information from her, and going to lengths to take it. A phantom pain - not her own - snaked up her spine and she would have shuddered had it not been for Richards' 'your secret is safe with me'. It was a small reassurance against the bout of fear, but one that did serve as a distraction for now.)

"It's Leora, and uhm - it's just Ville, please. We... Thought it might be best to go back to that." " she replied swiftly when asked, the smile having faded slightly and having taken up twiddling her thumbs together as she glanced downwards. It wouldn't have taken a stab in the dark to work out the slight shift in emotion was due to the next comment -- if one hadn't noticed it beforehand, it seemed. Despite that strange wealth of experience and intrigue that being joined brought it also seemed to have brought conflict. There was a momentary lapse into silence before she shook her head as if physically shaking off that negative turn, finding her way back to a curious smile. "You said you're a lecturer at Starfleet Academy now? I think I remember reading that before... On the faculty list, maybe. It suits you -- all of that research and hard work for your qualifications and all. And now you get to teach people just joining up... It must be exciting. Do you enjoy it?"

Commander Ken Richards | SCI BOT 21-Feb-22 09:15 PM

"Ville it is then, Leora - if you don't mind me calling you that." As he said the sentence, his mind raced with questions. Why did they change their name back? Had it to do with their past in Starfleet? She did say that she had an archive of memories filled with secrets after all. Did they want to stay hidden? What could all this mean? He kept the questions to himself however, he didn't want to be intrusive. Or to make her upset. Neither were desirable. Though seeing her stature it was clear enough that Leora wasn't really comfortable with the subject that was her last name. It could mean that something happened to Aleto in the past that made them change their name to Ville. Though that created the question why they changed their name to Treville to begin with. All in good time. Right now it's time to focus on the question that got asked to him. He gave a nod as Leora continued to speak, listening carefully to her questions and comments that she made. After a short moment of consideration as to how he would answer said question, he spoke up. "Well, truth be told, the younger individuals can be a pain to teach. They never keep their mouths shut that much is clear. However, I do find it rather relaxing to stand here, down in the middle of a group of people, and to just talk about what my subject entails. People ask questions, I answer them. Sometimes they don't understand, so I explain it further. I find that most of my lectures go on for another fifteen minutes after then we're supposed to end, because people stay interested; they're experiencing the same fun I am experiencing with this all. So yes, I do think I enjoy it."

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 22-Feb-22 08:07 PM

The Trill offered a quick nod at his use of the name Leora instead of Ville - it was what she had gone by for the entirety of her life, so why not now? She had found that some people tried to treat you differently if they knew you were joined but she didn't want to be seen any other way. For her being joined wasn't something that was for the prestige or the honour or to show off at all -- it was just because she had been in the right place at the right time for the Symbiosis Commission... And maybe the wrong place and wrong time for her, although chatting away like this in familiar company did make if seem like she had more of a grip on things than she had originally felt. Instead of her leaning against one of the lecture hall's chairs she actually opted to take a seat, one ankle tucked neatly behind the other and swinging her legs under the chair as she listened. To anyone else it would have seemed like a student talking to the lecturer -- not a 400-odd year old worm with a new body catching up with an old colleague. It was with a soft smile upon her face - amicable, familiar - that she listened to Richards explain.

"It sounds like you enjoy it - and that's a good thing! So many people get annoyed at students wanting to ask questions, don't they? They judge them for not understanding a concept, they judge them for asking more instead of just looking it up later... Some people out there don't really want to put in the effort of teaching but still want the prestige that comes with it, don't they?" It was something that had put her off of further education upon hearing stories of those older than her... And with all of these years suddenly residing in her head, she realised that she had experienced it firsthand before. That being said, Liadrin had been a handful. So smart, yet so annoying... "I'm glad that people have that sort of person to turn to, especially at Starfleet Academy. It's such a pivotal and crucial time in their lives and having someone actually invested in their learning makes all the difference." There was a brief pause all of a sudden where she blinked - and then laughed, offering an amused smile. "Did I just say pivotal? That's so not a me word."

Leora Ville | CIV BOT 26-Feb-22 11:14 PM

For a while longer they talked until people began to file in for Richards' lecture. It was there that Leora decided to stay so she could listen - not because it would have been awkward to leave, but because even though she might not have understood it all, it was just nice to listen to the wisdom of an old colleague again.