Star Trek: Starbase 777

"Fairly certain that the message was missed? Unsure. Avoiding the... gathering, of officers. Do not want to get you sent to work- follow up, question, is this against the rules? Bringing you?" xenon had out her hands over her ears, now staring at the womans lips to read from there. She adjusted her voicebox accordingly. disdain for touch. Disdain for noise, gatherings. Amongst other things, Xenon exhibited signs of being on the autism spectrum. Before 'Xenon' existed, her previous personality and identity did, in fact, have autism. She must managed it well, having her own ways to solve issues as they arose. Whereas Xenon didn't even know.

Cassidy recognized the patterns, her twin sister had somewhat similar patterns and was diagnosed at a young age with Asperger’s, so she knew some of what to do, but not all since autism was very much a case-by-case condition. No, you’re not breaking any rules, Ensign. Honestly, I’ve got very little work to do now, engineering has done a great job getting the systems restored. Which means, if you’ll have me, I’m all yours! If you don’t, that’s perfectly fine.”

She frowned, idly rubbing at her shaved head. Her oriental heritage was still prominent, regardless of the modifications done. It seemed to assist in a somewhat stern, sharp, but glassy and doll-like idle gaze. "All... do not understand. Is that meant that- Spending time? Or- further time past the event?" Her cheeks seemed to gently turn red, a contrast against her almost snow-white complexion. Was she blushing? "Hmmm...oh-okay." Her voice box stuttered for once.

“Either works. I’ve got no plans for the foreseeable future. As long as you’re comfortable with me, I’ll be more than happy to spend time with you, Ensign. By the way… is there a name I can call you other than your rank? A, er, designation, perhaps?” Cassidy noticed the color in Xenon’s face change, and smiled inwardly. She was very cute at times.

She furrowed her brow, her lips sticking out in a bit of a pout as she tried to comprehend what her feelings were doing. What her head was saying to her... happy? With her? "Designation: Xenon. Old designation, human designation, too many words. Not efficient. Outdated language." She gently raised her own arm, smelling her underarm in confusion. "Pheromones? Somewhere? Shouldn't be... so frugal with time spent on frivolous activities with one designation. why?"

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Xenon. I’m Lieutenant Cassidy Greenfield, but please call me Cass.” She started to offer a hand to shake but quickly withdrew it and tried her best to take in Xenon’s body as discreetly as possible. She’s never seen a Borg woman so heavily integrated, apart from what she had seen in the holonovels about Picard’s encounter with the Borg Queen, but even still, the modifications weren’t quite as extensive as Xenon’s. She felt bad for her. She must’ve been so lost, but then again maybe not. Eiter way, she asked a question. Even though she didn’t understand a word she said…

She did, in fact, notice the hand go out but retract soon after. Oddly comforting. "Cass. Designation: Cass. Short. Efficient." There was, actually, a reason why she was so modified. Xenon just didn't care to explain it. The lack of a answer prompted her to reformat her sentence. "Humans- pheromones in sweat glands. Confused... is the underarm producing these? No logical reason to enjoy being with this particular crew member. Maybe from... that body." She pointed to the Lieutenant. "would explain strange feelings... Heat on the facial area. Confusion."

“Ah, well, sweat glands are really all over a human’s body, and is usually used to cool the body by excreting water, but I believe in your case it is caused by embarrassment and nervousness. I’m no doctor, perhaps you could talk to one of the medical staff if you have any questions about that?” *The roundabout compliment, whether it was intended as such or otherwise, caused Cassidy to blush herself, and she broke eye contact to attempt to hide the blush. “Umm… t-thank you, I think? That was a compliment, right?”

"Asked earlier. About hair... regrowth. Uncomfortable that it is happening. Do not like shaving equipment." She sure seemed to have a fixation with her underarms. At Cassidy suddenly blushing, Xenon tilted her head as if studying the reaction. "yes.' She seemed to keep blushing, before embarrassment clutched her and she quickly moved towards some boothes.

Cassidy followed not far behind, and did her best to explain. “I personally use a laser shaver, it’s painless and gets the job done pretty easily enough, but honestly I don’t know if any way to ‘turn off’ the hair regrowth process, it’s a natural process of the human body. Do you have a regeneration alcove? Perhaps that could help keep hair growth in check.”

Probably the strangest conversation anyone had whilst here. But... Xenon didn't seem to register that. She seemed utterly stumped, but for now, left it be. "Oftentimes forgetful that most things have chest glands and detailing. Not this body. No, like... plastic, almost. A doll."

Cassidy blinked, then blinked again. Was she talking about… boobs? Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, Greenfield! This isn’t *that kind of Starbase! Unless? Cassidy skirted around that topic for now, instead touching on another topic in the same sentence, one she didn’t quite understand.* “‘Detailing’? What do you mean by that?”

"No 'belly button' as some would call it. Machines, inside." She stepped close, extending her arm and peeling her sleeve back to expose her arm. Small, segmented lines could be seen. How much was organic and how much was imitation? "Neural divergence. Bodily functions, ticks, all needed to be replaced. Fixed. Thus- extensive ramifications. Optimized."

“If you’ll forgive me, Xenon, it seems like not all of your neural divergence was… ‘resolved’, you still seem to have some traits consistent with the autism spectrum. My sister is autistic, and she’s still one of the most intelligent people I know. Neural divergence doesn’t make you inefficient, it just means you can process things differently, sometimes in ways others would find ingenious. Your modifications, while they are extensive, they ignored one key point: you. Up here-“ She pointed at her own head, “-You’re still human, a Starfleet officer, a certified genius in your field. Neural divergence is often what makes Starfleet officers so special, what makes us unique from the rest of the galaxy. Be proud of it, Xenon, it’s who you are. What makes you different from the Borg. That’s a good thing, never forget that.” Cassidy reached out and briefly grasped her hand, then quickly let go to attempt to avoid any discomfort.

The sudden motivational speech was... interesting. She had went to speak, but decided against it, giving somewhat of a blank stare in response. Just trying to process it. And then- her hand was touched. She winced as if it pained her, and recoiled her hand, rubbing it against the side of her outfit before she spun on her heel, now facing away. "Never... said it was an issue. Simply... explained collective thinking in modifying." Again, silence, now hugging her sides with her arms, she began to walk away from the conversation.

Cassidy sighed, stood and began pursuing her, but stopped and looked down at her feet, ashamed. “I’m sorry, Xenon, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was-“ Her voice lowered to barely a whisper, “I was just trying to help.” In truth, Cassidy didn’t know how to help Xenon, or if she even wanted to be helped. She was just assuming she needed help and volunteered herself. She wanted to punch herself for her ignorance, but decided against lashing out at herself. She was an adult, and a senior officer at that, she needed to act accordingly. Instead, she straightened and folded her hands behind her back, and waited to see if Xenon would stop.

She stopped when she was spoken to, turning again to listen to Cassidy. Her head tilted a little, idly rubbing at the fuzz on her head as the lieutenant went on. Gently, she walked forward and took Cassidy's hand. "Thank you." A rare event of her acknowledgement that individuals existed. But, she let go and still walked away.

Xenon's touch surprised Cassidy. Her skin wasn't as cold as she had imagined, but it still felt artificial, like a silicone-based polymer. Even still, the touch elicited a blush, and she made eye contact briefly before looking back down at her feet when she left. Some ACEO she was turning out to be. She took a seat at the nearest booth and rested her head in her hands, ran her fingers through her hair, and just... Sulked for a while.

After sitting in the booth for about an hour, and resisting the urge to order a drink, Cassidy stood and started walking back to Engineering. She needed to run some diagnostics anyway, but she figured she could at least check out the conference while she was here, with it being a once-a-year event and all that…

The food section of the promenade had been running since day one, and it showed. The merchants were in full selling mode now, with the distinct smells of many different cultures all mixing and becoming one. One particular stand selling fresh Gagh was blasting some light Klingon music.

Despite having looked around the other stands (he had even been good and tried a few things!) he had quite typically wound up at the stand with the music and the gagh, continually praising the person running it for both their incredible cooking and their taste in music. He hadn't shut up for a good fifteen minutes now, going on and on about how they should have a place near the Great Hall on Qo'noS so he could go there all the time and he could hook them up with a live band who could play for them live, as the name suggested, and they could have all of these customers and he would give personal recommendations and- Well, the conversation had gone on like that for quite some time and he had remained entirely oblivious to the distinct awkwardness of both the seller and the two escorts of his, but he was enjoying himself.

Much to the dismay of his colleagues, one of the chefs had taken a liking to the councillor and was gleefully recounting the moment he made his empire-famous smoked Gagh for the chancellor themselves. He had a large tankard of bloodwine and roaring with laughter whenever the councillor said something funny.

Treville was a patient person. She could listen to the musings of politicians and deal with debates and arguments and everything in between -- but as nice as Councillor K'gartrern was, stars he could talk. It seemed as though the Klingon never stopped, an endless string of nonsense being spoken by him. She could understand why people found him charismatic but secretly she couldn't help but wonder if he was even stopping to take a breath in between the constant speech. For the most part she had let him and the Klingon chef talk, standing nearby for when K'gartrern wanted to continue the tour but not being fully tuned into the conversation any more. Instead she idly watched her officers go by, and caught sight of one of the Security officers on patrol walking past nearby.

Chief Paxton wandered in and immediately walked over to the hiding spot. Good ol' chief Paxton was only a year away from retirement. Really that's all he was thinking about as he began to pry open the thiefs hidings spot.

Austin's searching through the Security footage seemed to have led him to the right place - the person he had spotted and tracked on the camera did indeed seem to be the reported thief. Following them digitally had led them to here; it seemed that the thief had hidden everything away into a utility space hidden behind some of the promenade's wall panel, presumably so they could go out and acquire more or come back for it later once it was quieter. There were a handful of items - including that latinum-plated figure of the Grand Nagus which had been reported... And behind them seemed to be some sort of well-crafted, spherical object which glowed with green accents. It must have been some sort of Romulan ornament or perhaps even a child's toy, the Chief might have reckoned -- or at least that was what he may well have thought until the object detonated. A deafening, thunderous noise boomed out from the source, the tearing of metal and equipment and the sound of stands on the promenade being hit by the shockwave entirely drowned out by the initial blast. Amidst a hail of shrapnel Paxton was thrown back, deceased instantly -- and behind him on the promenade multiple people were hit by the same. Stands toppled over, civilians and officers alike were flung backwards, some found themselves being struck by the shrapnel not only from the explosive device but also from the sudden destruction it brought. As smoke began to billow through the promenade there was a brief second of silence, eerie and unnatural -- and then a moment later the station's internal red alert sirens wailed to life, fire suppressant systems kicked on and began to dowse the promenade in a sudden torrential rain, and then the screams began.

To begin with it was difficult to see, difficult to hear -- difficult to make out anything amidst the smoke and the ringing in her ears. The first thing that she heard was the shrill, piercing sound of screaming which did nothing to help the headache that she had suddenly acquired. It seemed as though her vision wasn't clearing until she realised that it wasn't at any fault of her own sight, it was due to the sudden billowing of smoke through the promenade. The closest thing that she could see was K'gartrern -- lain on the floor, flat on his back, with a gaping wound out of his chest. Things seemed to click together quite swiftly then (likely courtesy of the sudden adrenaline rush) and she found herself tapping her commbadge and speaking on autopilot, leaving the channel open as both hands found their way to be placed on the wound to the Councillor's chest, hoping that at least some sort of effort might help. "Command deck from Treville," she called, hoping that her voice wasn't actually so distant through the comms compared to how strange it sounded through her own ears right now. "There's been some sort of explosion on the north promenade, section... Section- I don't know, it'll be evident when a team arrives! We need @MED here immediately, we've got wounded - @OPS and @ENG for damage control, @SEC to maintain order and find out the source-" The Trill broke off then, catching sight of the amount of blood that was pooling below her hands. She fought back the urge to state 'this isn't good,' steeling herself instead. She was a diplomat, not some sort of field officer -- she wasn't made for this. "Call in as many personnel as you could, we're going to need them."

It was only a matter of time before Dagis started making it into the north end of the promenade, having been shoved about by countless people running away from the explosion. It was while heading in the direction of the smoke that she heard what was said over comms. She decided to take her chances and head further into the smoke, switching on the flashlight on her PADD to light her way as she started trying to navigate the debris thrown about the place. She herself tapped her commbadge at this point as well.

[D] Those who weren’t injured or cowering behind something were running in the exact opposite direction of the explosion, knocking stuff over and nearly trampling eachother in the process.

She had been around looking at the various displays when the explosion happened. Instantly she went into a mode of efficient analyzation of those who needed assistance. Her gaze was on anyone that needed help, she promptly helped people get free from debris and sending them in the direction of the turbo lift.

Rushing from the turbolift with a medical kit thrown around her shoulder Vialara appeared onto the promenade, quickly glancing left and right for the source of the explosion before she quickly headed towards the direction of the blast.

With the lack of medical staff aboard and judging by the sheer number of bodies, this could very much be declared a major incident. A few civilian medics who had been nearby were already assisting and those who weren't as wounded as the rest were trying to help as best they could, but the closer to the site of the explosion you got - the site characterised by a gaping hole in the wall - the worse the injuries became.

She wasn’t highly skilled in medical things, but she did the best she could in assessing injuries and getting those who were less injured to help move those who were unconscious towards the lifts, giving out orders to the civilians and her beings that were around, trying to bring some level of order in.

As soon as she had started assessing the damage, both to persons and infrastructure, she heard a phaser shot ring out amongst the screaming. Her head snapped in that direction, but due to the smoke couldn’t see anything. She once again tapped her commbadge.

She heard the shot and entirely felt like face palming at some probably stupid ensign’s version of crowd control. For now though, there wasn’t much she could do about that unless they headed her way. So she continued to get order by being firm in her commands and getting as many individuals away from further harm as she could.

Cassidy had arrived as soon as she could, and looked on in dismay. “Sweet bloody Christ,” Cass gasped, placing both of her hands over her mouth and taking the scene in. She assessed the situation and tried looking for any other engineers or Ops officers that could fill her in on the situation and how best to deal with it.

K'gartrern was bleeding out, and fast. Treville was beginning to regret not having taken Klingon physiology classes in her time at the Academy but was presently praying that at least one of the two Klingon hearts would keep functioning. She cast her gaze over the remaining section of the promenade that she could see, taking in the sight of others also laying stricken -- some officers, some civilians. This wasn't supposed to happen. PACT was supposed to have been an honour, a privilege, an attempt for them to make up for the attack towards the end of last year. For a moment she was struck by the overwhelming desire to run her hands through her hair in exasperation only to remember that they were covered in blood. Think, think, what was priority right now? "Command deck from Treville. I'm aware that the evacuation of the promenade is under way. Once that's done I want the utility ring evacuated. Get on a line with Starfleet Command, ask for Vuuhn. We need clearance to evacuate the remaining civilians from the station -- if we don't know the source of this explosion and if it was a targeted attack then we can't risk them being caught up in another. Where are Security? They need to be sweeping the promenade to find the source -- the sooner we find out what's caused this, the sooner we can control things better."

[Comms]"On it Ma'am. The blue lights are on and Security should be active. I'll follow up on that, Clarke out."

She caught sight of the commodore from where she had just sent the last of the civilians - albeit it was two guys holding a passed out buddy with a piece of metal imbedded in his leg, not too serious, but enough they would need assistance to move - towards the exit. She had given them precise orders of how to exit. Now she made her way to the commodore, pausing at their side and kneeling down on the other side of the Klingon, her gaze looking over their injuries, “Commodore. Anything I can do to assist?”

"Stone," she stated, thankful for the sudden presence of the ship's CTO beside her. She wasn't even certain if she had ever spoken to the woman before, but this made for the perfect first time! "Security, Engineering, and Ops must still be fighting their way through the crowds to get down here. Your Tactical officers understand weaponry and technology just as much as they do -- take whoever you've got down here and investigate the source of this explosion, right over there." The Trill nodded a head in the general direction of the blatantly obvious gaping hole in the wall. "We need to know what caused this. If it was some sort of electronic issue then Engineering need to investigate, if it was a targeted attack we need to conduct sweeps on the rest of the station immediately -- either way, we need to know what caused this as swiftly as we can."

Making his way through the crowd, Kassell saw the damage that was done and the injured people. However, he didn't gaze upon it for too long and assumed his battle station, watching for any enemies that could be on the promenade. His orders were to assume his battle station, and he did. He arrived after the phaser shot and was unaware that it had gone off.

She nodded her head as she waved over a medic that she happened to see over to assist.

She quickly pulled out her bag and could barely look the commodore in the eyes as she got down to work attempting to stabilize the Klingon. “Are you hurt ma’am? Commodore? We could see about getting you out of here if you’d like?”

Seeing that the commodore was taken care of, she all but grabbed a tactical ensign that looked like they soiled their pants and whistled to get the other Klingon’s attention, recognizing their department uniform. “Oi. You mind assisting with a perimeter sweep and assessment of the damage and explosion origin?”

Maggie was down here helping those who had been hurt get away from the scene of the explosion. She was not very useful beyond that but hey, she could get folks away.

Since Cass couldn’t see many blue shirts helping the wounded, Cassidy did her best to help the people with minor injuries and tagging as many critically wounded as possible for emergency transport, despite her lack of medical training. If she could help save just one life today, it would be worth it to her. Where the hell are her engineers?!

The Ferengi pulled her Engineering tricorder off her belt and began scanning the area to try and figure out just what had happened. The more she scanned, the more her brow furrowed. This didn’t look like an accident.

Vince would have liked to say that he was out of his depth but he wasn't. Being back amidst the complete carnage actually felt like being home -- and god, how he hated the feeling. Stepping into the guise of a trauma doctor again was not something he had expected to do any time soon (or hopefully at all) but with the lack of medical staff he had known that ignoring this sort of situation would have been a sin. After fighting his way through the crowds he had made it to the northern promenade where he halted to look over the scene, immediately finding that they were faced by far too many casualties and not enough medical officers. "Don't transport them," he called to Cassidy upon noticing what she was doing, "there's not enough people to treat them and some are too unstable for transport." Setting down the medical kit that he had snatched up from sickbay, he rifled through the front pocket to extract a handful of pre-printed cards: black, red, yellow, and green. "I'm going to start triage tagging them. Can someone call this in? I think we've technically got a major incident on our hands."

Maggie had no medical training to speak of, but she could help gather the wounded. She moved quickly and moved folks she could find into a spot nearby any medical workers. Trying to ensure they were easy to find for said medical workers. Who could’ve done such a thing.

[D] It was only a matter of time before some news reporters and their camera operators began getting in the way of people evacuating, and people trying to help. They were climbing over debris to try and get good shots to report on the situation.

The Captain after leaving Jack’s quarters, had found herself yet again avoiding the PACT taking up shelter in a replimat. She like, everyone else felt the large jolt, and immediately in the form of a Starfleet officer with no sense made her way into the fire presumably to try and help people. She didn’t have a phaser, not that she needed one unless she intended to shoot the fire, she also didn’t have a medical kit, which was probably a mistake. Through the smoke she could hardly make out faces, and the air quality suddenly diminished as the fumes settled in. She couldn’t tell if the fire was going or out, or if there even was a fire, she certainly couldn’t go back the way she came, so she pushed ahead. “Hello? Is anyone there?” She called into the air, hoping for a response. (edited)

She could only shake her head in response to the question from whichever medical officer had arrived, allowing herself - with reluctance - to remove the pressure on the significant wound to K'gartrern's chest so the medic could take over instead. She took a few wobbly steps back - almost tripping over some debris - while trying to process exactly what needed to be done next. There was a team here investigating the source. They couldn't do much more until that was confirmed. Clarke was on the line to Command, the promenade was being evacuated... Head counts, damage reports, structural integrity. It was to the Computer that she called, thankful for it still being online, in order to obtain the information.

Further along the promenade at the site of the explosion, the team had began to investigate. Dagis was quite right in her interpretation of her initial tricorders scans. The extent of the blast easily indicated that this hadn't been some sort of electrical or technological fault - that sort of thing didn't happen in this day and age.

Medical had begun to start moving their way through the group of people who had been wounded. It seemed that the further away the lighter the colour was; green cards mostly and a couple of yellow, but no red or black. The section that Maggie had been going through had thankfully been all green-carded. "You, ma'am, or Ensign, sorry, cojones!" He cursed to himself before regaining his composure, shaking his head for a moment before looking back to Maggie. "Can you help start moving the people here? They all have minor injuries only, they should be able to walk - they need to start evacuating like the rest."

[Caitian]Where Mona was making her away along a quieter section of the promenade, filled with smoke, she could hear the sound of sniffling coming from the right-hand side. Sat underneath an overturned stand was a Caitian with their tail wrapped around themselves, rocking back and forth. "I want to go home," they muttered, voice small. "I want to go home..."

Dagis had slowly made her way over towards the site of the explosion along with the team investigating, continuing to scan as she did. After effectively confirming it wasn’t accidental she carried on scanning, uploading the data to her PADD to try and figure out what kind of explosive was used, as well as tapping her commbadge.

She sighed at seeing the state of the ensign she had found, but didn't have much of a choice as she continued towards the gaping hole in the wall with only them at their side.

[D] Maks rushed into the promenade fairly late; he'd been about as far away as one could be while still on the station, and the sight of the devastation nearly made his lunch come up. "Mój Boże," he murmured under his breath, glancing around for someone or something to help with.

More tactical officers were arriving, armed and ready for combat if there'd be any. With the chief not here yet, they would need to take orders from Kassell instead. "Take position there! You, take position over there." he said, giving orders to more who arrived over time as they took advantageous positions. No enemies were seen yet in the smoke. The Glen was starting to believe there were no enemies. But until further notice, he remained in his spot.

She sequentially looked over the main blast area, getting the ensign to pick up and bag anything of note that could help with later reconstruction of what the source of the explosion was. This could potentially even assist in ID'ing the source and threat level of whatever it was. She continued alongside the wall, ensuring that every inch was examined and even the smallest item out of place would be picked up for later analysis.

After concluding her scans she began looking at the data on her PADD while walking back through the crowd. It was only after a moment that she quite literally walked into the Commodore, having been fixated on stepping over debris and various other things in her way. She looked up, squinting to see who it was through the smoke, before noticing the rank. “Oh, I apologise Commodore. But, while I have you in close proximity…” She said, quickly turning her PADD screen to face the Trill woman, showing the slowly calibrating results of her scans. It was definitely a bomb.

The Captain, had stepped over rubble cautiously. She heard something faint. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out this was a kid, or an adult with a really high pitched voice perhaps, nonetheless. Slowly, she made her way to the overturned stand, trying to make out where the hell it was coming from. “Hello?” She said with caution. “If there’s anyone under there, I need to know if you can hear my voice, if so are you injured?” She had already gotten down on one knee to try and see who was in there, and she hoped there was an answer. That crying may well have been her imagination.

The security officer only took his attention off the carnage for a second to check his PADD, and when he stuck it back into his pocket his hand dropped to the holstered phaser pistol at his hip. Maks stepped over a few chunks of debris towards where the senior officers were gathered. "Excuse- oof- excuse me, sirs, but where do you want me? How can I help?"

Walking directly into Dagis - or Dagis walking directly into her? It was difficult to tell - was the last thing that she needed. She had been busy listening to the reports from the computer -- the damage wasn't as bad as it seemed, thankfully, but it still wasn't what they needed. She had tried to listen to the headcounts and numbers of people that the computer was counting as injured but numbers really weren't computing with her brain right now. Next steps, next steps... That was all she could think of. At least Dagis's arrival provided the information to go for said next steps... Once she had managed to squint hard enough to read what was upon the screen. "Thank you for informing me of this, Commander - as dire as this information is, at least it means we can progress." Holding up a hand to Maks, she tapped her commbadge. She was aware that the civilians would hear this message too so she tried to be as discreet as possible.

The Ferengi nodded in response to what the Commodore said, before turning her PADD back towards herself to study the data further.

Maggie hearing the comms pulled out her tricorder and began taking scans of the area. Looking for anything that matched a weapon, or even any oddity’s in nearby system readings.

"Escort the civilians to the shuttle bay as ordered by the commodore! You two are with me." Kassell commanded, jogging to the location the chief ordered them too.

She told the ensign to transfer what they had collected to the nearest engineer before turning to walk out of the promenade to assist with evacuations.

[Caitian] Initially they had scrambled backwards at the sound of the voice nearby, but at the sight of the strange person looking under the stand they inched a little closer again. "I'm... Not hurt. I just want to go home."

Earlier on during the commerce fair the promenade had been swarmed with people. Now, thankfully, all of the civilians had at least been taken to the southern end of the promenade and were out of the way. The only ones left were Starfleet officers who knew how to go about their way and continue their work without issue. It seemed that the initial panic had caused the most issue than anything. Most people were green or yellow-carded; there were around fifteen red, which wasn't ideal, and six black. At present Vince was trying to prep one of them for transport to the medical bay where he was aware that at least a few officers had returned to, plus the EMH would have been active to assist. It was with a solemn demeanour that he auto-sutured wounds and injected the wounded with hyposprays. All of this felt so normal, and he hated it.

Mona understood the request and was probably able to grant it, she spoke softly and clearly. “I’m Captain Caddel. I work here. I’m looking for people, lost people like yourself, I know you want to get home. I might be able to help you get there- after we find your parents. What’s your name?” Well, this was kind of awkward, Mona didn’t have her own kids, like many Starfleet officers she had chosen the path of solitude so this was a little new for her. She couldn’t tell if she was doing it right.

Maggie was still looking around, pushing around press members as she scanned for anything. Letting out tsks as she adjusted her glasses. “Hmmm.”

[Caitian] "I'm C'Mirr," they replied, sounding a little less hesitant now that Mona was there and they had someone to speak to. "I don't know where my parents went. When everyone was pushing and shoving I got pushed into the side so I hid under here. I don't know where I would find them..." 777_divider

[D] Maggie, along with the Science officers here, had started their scans via tricorder. So far there seemed to be no indication of anything untoward that would suggest anything else having been planted on the promenade. It was too early to tell but with any luck this would have been a singular isolated blast.

Co-ordinating with the command deck as best she could without being up there - it felt wrong to abandon the officers down here at a time like this - Treville was trying to keep up with the status of the evacuation. Apparently the computer had indicated that most civilians other than those tagged as injured (and one that Captain Caddel was currently dealing with) had been evacuated. With the promenade sorted it meant that they could move on and evacuate the rest of the utility ring -- where hopefully there was less of a panic, and fewer people considering that the stands for the commerce fair had all been set up here.

Maggie blinked as she looked around at her scans. Well this wasn’t what she was expecting. She soon walked over to the commodore. Blinking slightly as she interacted with the person of the highest rank on the station. “Hello sir! So uhm….from what I can find there wasn’t a bomb? No signs of foul play in terms of things being planted. It seems like a single isolated blast. There are other pathways from which this could’ve been foul play of course, but no bomb.” She said with an awkward breath. “So uhm! Yeah that’s what I found.”

Mona let out a sigh before continuing the conversation. “Yeah, evacuations can be that way sometimes. I’ve only seen a few but when people mention ‘orderly fashion’ people often default to pushing and shoving. But C’Mirr, I can tell you we’re going to find them.” She had offered a hand out to the child and had completed it with a subtle smile, it appeared as she had earned their trust. “I think I have an idea of where they are. Will you come with me?”

[Comm] “Commander Styre to @howiebird. I am aboard the Eventide, I’ve just gotten word of the bombing and have read through all available information I am privy to. Am I needed anywhere?”

While Dagis's sudden showing up had admittedly given her a bit of a fright, Treville was admittedly thankful that people here were reporting in. It kept her in the loop, and seeing how the station was so large, sometimes it could be difficult to stay appraised of the situation when something was going on. At what this Ensign said, however, her brow furrowed. Were people giving her contradicting information or was she just concussed? She couldn't remember what a concussion felt like. When was the last time she had had a concussion? When she was Dihjun? "Lieutenant Commander Dagis's scans had indicated that this was some sort of planted explosive device, Ensign. At present the Security officers - including yourself - are supposed to be looking for the possibility of another having been planted, are you not? That... Is what I asked you to do, correct?" The question wasn't accusatory or trying to tell off the ensign in any way, and it certainly didn't sound like that either. The Trill was just addled right now.

[Caitian] There was a moment of hesitance before she reached out a small paw and grasped Mona's hand, allowing the woman to help her out from underneath the overturned stand. "You have nice hair," she whispered as she stood up and shook off the flecks of debris from her fur and clothing.

With the wounded either being tended to or evacuated, Cassidy began getting to work with scans, and beginning to work on repairs until more engineers arrived.

Her smile was evident she had succeeded, if she had kids she certainly would’ve preferred a daughter. Not that she had anything against boys, she just felt she could probably relate more to a girl, probably. “Thanks, it runs in the family. I think you have nice… fur?” Their conversation was interrupted by Mona’s first officer, quickly she tapped her badge and responded. “Styre, thank god you’re alright, be sure to open all airlocks for civilians who wish to board the Eventide. And keep the engines hot incase we need to make a quick getaway, well incase you need to make a quick getaway. The bridge is your’s. And Styre? Don’t tear up that ship, or they’ll revoke our insurance card.”

[Comms] “I have no intentions of harming the ship. I’ll have the engines ready and all nonessential clamps to prepare for undocking. Airlocks are open, Captain. Styre out.”

Maggie blinked as she looked towards the commodore. Clearly looking like she messed up. “Well then there was no other bomb planted then. It’s one bomb if that’s the case, nothing else.” She said with a sigh, adjusting her glasses slightly. “Uhm….sorry.”

Vialara had finished tending to her current patient and was now glancing around the promenade for anyone else still injured... Most people had ignored her due to the fact she was up and about, but not Dreaxa... She quickly darted past an couple officers with tricorder in hand towards the commodore. "Do not tell me you were involved in the blast and are still on your feet, Aleto." She with a free hand pushed on of the officers aside and held the scanner of the tricorder up to Aleto. "You're a patient too, y'know."

[Caitian] She listened to the Captain speaking with the person on the other end of the magical badge before allowing herself to be led away by Mona.

In the background of the work now being done by the likes of Science and Engineering, Medical had finished stabilising the wounded enough for them to be transported over to the sickbay. Reports had come in from the Starfleet ships docked here that they were happy to take any minor injuries who weren't station officers -- that certainly lightened the workload. As the last person was stabilised Vince gave a brief nod to the CMO across the way before tapping the wounded officer's commbadge and resting a hand on the man's shoulder, beaming out with them so he could take the rest of the work to the medical bay.

The Ensign's clarification made a lot more sense. Treville offered a thankful nod, and it was evident that words could not convey just how glad she was that the mystery had been solved and that they were doing the right thing. With any luck the science teams conducting the larger station-wide scan would find the same thing and there wouldn't be any further device planted on the station, and this would be an isolated incident. "Thank you, Ensign," she replied with as much as a smile as she could muster. "Hopefully the rest of the scans will be returned shortly and will... Corroberate..? Corborate? Cor..." She muttered the word in some older Trill dialect and had the UT translate for her instead. "Corroborate your findings. Now..." Over the Ensign's shoulder she had caught sight of a familiar figure all but barrelling towards her. It did not take any form of empathy to know that she was in trouble. She let the CMO ramble for a moment before holding up a finger to halt her, a single eyebrow raised. "Firstly, Commander, you would do well to remember how to address a senior officer. Secondly, I am fine. This-" she gestured with one hand to the other that she had raised, "isn't even mine, I promise." The way the conversation wavered in topic and tone was a little offputting, like it was yo-yoing back and forth. "There are far greater things to be worrying about right now."

Maggie blinked as the CO and CMO began talking, seeing they had…a connection she began walking away. “I’ll make sure to keep scanning to make sure! Stay safe sir!” She did not want to be the awkward third wheel while those two spoke. So she headed back to the nearby area and got back to scanning.

The isolinear chips and their power lines directly behind the blast were incinerated, fused and melted. Whichever system this connected to, this was out of commission for a while. Ironically, though, the damage wasn’t beyond repair. She and a team of engineers began work on taking the damaged and destroyed parts and waiting setting them aside while engineering replicated replacements and shuffled them upstairs.*

After her conversation was complete, Mona yet again tapped her badge closing the line and led her survivor to safety, now that the promenade was clear it was easier to navigate.

[Comms] "Besides the obvious, have you found anything unusual through the scanns?"

"It's not the blood I'm concerned about, it's the fact that you're still working. I know you probably think you feel okay, but once that adrenaline wears off you're going to rather quickly find yourself in a lot of pain. You've got two broken ribs, multiple cuts from shrapnel damage, I have no clue how you're not reacting to the obvious concussion you're suffering from." She said, looking at the woman with obvious disapproval. "You're not invincible, Commodore. Take a step back and let your crew deal with this, you can still manage them from the sidelines, you don't always have to be so hands on."

Dagis had continued to look around the blast area for some time, trying to find anything of use to anyone. It was after a good few minutes of searching that she saw a glimpse of something different. She stopped and crouched down to pick it up, only to immediately let go from how hot it was, letting out a quiet "sheesh" as she did. She took out her tricorder again to scan whatever it was. It could've quite easily been some poor Ferengi's destroyed potential Profit, but she wanted to be sure. It just didn't seem normal. After scanning the object for a moment the results came back and her brow furrowed, before immediately going into research mode to confirm what she thought was the case.

Initially she gave Dreaxa an unamused frown before turning back to survey the rest of the promenade. At some point and from someone - she couldn't remember the details - she had acquired a PADD and was now trying to keep up to date with everything that was happening as reported by the Command Deck. Trying was the key word. Thankfully most of the reports coming in were that all of the other decks were fine and that the civilian evacuation was well underway, but with the sheer volume or reports it was difficult to keep up. That was her main priority, however; this suggestion of 'taking a step back' would have to wait. "Broken ribs?" She enquired while squinting at the PADD in an attempt to read over an initial casualty report from one of Dreaxa's own officers. "I doubt that, I don't feel a thing. And besides, I'm barely doing anything -- Captain Clarke is speaking with Command for further orders, all of the divisions are conducting their assigned tasks, and I am simply overseeing. There's no physical exertion involved. I am perfectly fine."

One of the Science officers working alongside Ensign Roode stepped aside to report in to the others at the computer lab with the results that they hadn't detected any indication of a second explosive device. Engineering and Operations were already conducting the most prudent of repairs to ensure that no further damage would be caused. With all of the casualties having been either taken to the medical bay or evacuated with the rest, things were far more quiet here.

It didn't take long before Dagis finished researching what she had found. She stood up and looked around for something that could carry the currently hot object, and it wasn't long until she found a random crate that probably belonged to a vendor. She grabbed it and went back over to what she had found, crouching down once more. She used another piece of debris to push the chunk she wanted into the crate, before standing up again and scurrying off down the promenade.

"I can show you the tricorder readings if you don't believe me, Commodore. I'd rather not have to relieve you of duty and drag you back to the sickbay. Can you at least sit down for five minutes and let me treat you? I swear you senior officers don't know the definition of the phrase 'Take a break.' " She said with a unimpressed look. "You're injured, Commodore. Take a seat and let the others handle this, you're not expected to haul yourself out of the rubble and get straight back to work again. Sit down." She said, pulling her medical kit from her side and withdrawing a few hypospray cartridges.

"I don't need to see the tricorder readings," she replied, largely because she knew that the Lieutenant Commander would have no reason to falsify information. The Trill was hardly a fan of being ordered around but she was also well aware that Dreaxa was one of few people on this station that had the authority, and Treville would much prefer to avoid the prospect of being forced off of duty. It was as such that she at least halfheartedly complied, allowing herself to gently kick some generic debris aside before voluntarily slumping down, back against an overturned stand. Part of her was half-tempted to act like a petulant child at being ordered around but the rational, non-concussed part told her otherwise. At least sat down she wasn't so dizzy. "I would like to clarify, however, that I did no hauling of myself out of the rubble whatsoever. Your medical bay is also guaranteed to be filled with people in a far worse-off condition than myself -- the Klingon Councillor, for example. ...This isn't to argue, of course."

"I apologise for snapping at you, Commodore. But you're health is my first priority, same with everyone on this station. I know you have a job to do, but you can't help people without helping yourself first. You need to make sure you're in a fit state to help others. If you're concussed you might make incorrect decisions in your impaired state." She said with a gentle sigh before she pressed a hypospray to the woman's neck. "That should numb the pain for when the adrenaline wears off." She held up her PADD in front of the woman, standing back slightly. "How's your vision? Any dizziness or blurring?"

Georgia made her way on to the promenade after a while and looked around before spotting the commodore and co (TM) and walked over to them, a gentle yet professional smile on her face. "Afternoon, Commodore. I'm Lieutenant Hill." She said in a quick yet professional tone. "I was wondering if we've got word of the bomber yet, have we caught them? If not, I'd be willing to orchestrate a search party."

[Comms] "Lieutenant Hill, this is Lieutenant Commander Lhai'Ivek speaking. Your daughter is currently with the science personnel, we'll keep her with us for now and I will... 'keep an eye on her' I believe is the right phrase."

[Comms] "Thank you, commander. Take good care of her for me. Hill out." She answered quickly before returning her attention to the commodore.

It was back to her feet that she had hauled herself upon seeing the approach of the Lieutenant - likely much to Dreaxa's chagrin, she would wager. While the communique came through she remained silent but quirked an eyebrow, only speaking when the comms link had been closed. "I'm not going to question why your child - young, I presume - is currently aiding the Science staff instead of remaining safely in her allocated quarters. That aside -- there hasn't been any word. As far as I'm aware Security has been tasked find them - I did ask Security of that, correct? But we haven't heard anything since. They may be tied up with keeping the evacuation going and handling some sort of incident within the second turbolift."

The Ferengi returned to the scene of the explosion a short while after she had left. She started taking pictures on her PADD of the damage, both at close range, and further away, the flash from her PADD seeming rather bright in the dimly lit and smoky area, until she figured she had enough for now. She quickly sent them off to the labs, before looking around to try and figure out what needed prioritising the most. (edited)

"She can handle herself, she's a tough girl." She said with a reassuring smile. "Anyways, am I allowed to make a search party? I'm a strategist, I know a few ways to catch these people without much issues."

"I have no reason why you can't," he replied, trying to cast a gaze over the promenade to see if she could actually spot any of Security. They all must have gotten badly held up. "Just be careful, and be sure to report in as soon as you find this person -- or as soon as anything happens."

"Aye ma'am." She said with a nod before walking off to a nearby group of officers, giving a gesture towards them to get them to her. "Alright, you six. Go in pairs of two, sweep each section of this deck and airlocks. Scan for traces that are similar to that of the residue left by the bomb. If you pick anything up, contact me. Go past quarters, shops, even gardens if you have to. Don't leave a single piece of dust unturned. Am I clear?" She asked towards the group.

"Supposedly Security have sent someone to the lower ship port in case this attacker is using the opportunity to try to slip away alongside the civilians," Treville mused once Hill had given out her orders. "They're spread thin, though; you may want to head there to assist. The Computer has confirmed that there aren't any life signatures on the promenade that don't belong to standard residents of the station, so we can presume that the person behind this has moved elsewhere."

"Find residue, find out where they went. If we can do that, we may be able to find out who they are and what ship they had. It will take a while, yes. But the results are worth it if you ask me." She said with a warm smile towards the commodore. "I'll go check what I can do in a moment, right now I want to check if there is any residue here on the promenade."

"If you plan to find the bomber I'd start moving quickly. They're probably already on their way out of here amongst the other civilians... If they're not already gone already." She said, glancing up from where she was still trying to treat the commodore despite her apparent inability to sit still.

She gave a nod and got herself a Tricorder from a nearby stash and started scanning the area for any residue that matches the residue the bomb left at the explosion site. The earlier she could get that trace, the better.

[Comms]"Command deck to Treville."

It seemed like Dreaxa was just going to have to wait with the medical treatment that she was trying to force her into. "Treville here, go ahead."

Maggie was still here and still scanning. Continuing to look for anything odd. She stood just outside the site of the explosion, far enough away to not be in anybody’s way as she scanned.

[Comms]"I just got off with Command and they're sending a ship with extra medical supplies that should be arriving soon. The bad news is the rest of PACT is being cancelled."

"I had expected that to happen. If you could please put out an announcement for the rest of civilian visitors to evacuate -- the sooner we have them out, the sooner we ensure that they're safe."

[Comms]"Aye Commodore, Clarke out."

As time passed onwards, the remainder of the science team had finished their scans. Unfortunately no residue had turned up throughout the promenade. Clearly whoever had planted the device was good at covering their tracks.

She sighed slightly and closed the Tricorder, thinking for a moment. The bomber knew this place well enough to go unnoticed by most, so most likely they had a bag of some sorts to hide the bomb in. The fact they covered their tracks shows they've done it before. They were dealing with quite a predicament it seemed. She headed off the promenade and towards the lift. She wanted to check something.

"Now that's all over and done with can we finally get back to making sure your alright? You lot really do stress me out sometimes." She gave the woman a stern but joking look. "I'd feel better if you were to head back to the command deck. I'd rather you be sitting in your office than roaming around the promenade."

There was a good moment of pondering instead of just directly answering the CMO. Firstly the Trill found herself questioning who 'you lot' included. Senior staff? Command officers? Her? Why plural? ...Multiple hosts? That didn't make sense, but when she thought about it this stubbornness was far more of a Kosun sort of thing than a her sort of thing. The next bout of contemplation was about whether she wanted to argue any further. Deep down she knew that Dreaxa was making good points, and she also knew that it was far easier for her to keep track of goings-on from the Command Deck. With Operations beginning to start tidying up here she would inevitably get in the way, so... Wisdom prevailed over stubbornness. "Alright," she ended up stating after a good moment of silence. "I'll agree upon the command deck... And I do appreciate you not trying to remove me from this situation entirely, Commander."

"I know that trying to get to stop working would be an uphill battle. So I'm willing to make a compromise just this once for you." She said with a smile. "Now go on, don't let me catch you working yourself too hard. I better get back to sickbay."

Nora walked in the promenade looking around for a bar, finally she found one and entered.

Stepping out of the turbolift, Lihne looked around her at the expansive promenade before stepping out. She moved down the walkway, making notes in her mind of the businesses and shops that would be found here.

Ughaz'udan found himself waiting in line at a nearby ice cream stand this evening, silently deciding on what to choose. The various flavor names meant nearly nothing to him; he'd just have to try one and see. Maybe... salted caramel with peanuts? That didn't sound so bad...

"Oh, Ice Cream! Terrific! I wonder how wide a range of flavors they have." She took a spot in line behind a large masculine individual and tried to read the menu from behind, yet not wanting to be seen as rude or intrusive.

Once he'd received his order he stepped away from the counter and began to walk off, leaving the menu unobscured for her viewing.

"Oh....wow....excuse me I'm sorry." Lihne said as she bumped into the Jem'hadar. Her cheeks flushed as she stepped back a step and nodded her head downward in respect. "I wasn't paying attention, I didn't know the line was moving. I didn't spill any of your ice cream....did I?"

He blinked and stared down at the much shorter Orion. He hadn't exactly been looking where he was going himself. "No." He stated. "My icr cream is intact."

"I hope you don't mind. I haven't met a Jem'hadar before. I am right that you are one right? I just arrived here at 777." She stopped as she realized she was probably rambling and tapped her wrist softly.

"Yes. I am." Once more he wondered quietly if she'd paid much attention to her Federation history lessons; surely a picture of some of his people existed there. Right? "Why are you tapping on your wrist?"

"Oh, I just tend to ramble sometimes. That helps me remember to stop. I'm Lihne, Lihne Carter." She held her hand out in greeting as she stepped forward to place her order.

He shook her hand; his was rough, scaly and cold, maybe expectedly so due to being a reptilian. "Ughaz'udan. Head of tactical." Following an awkward pause he added, also awkwardly, "It is... nice to meet you."

Lihne smiled with a nod and took a lick of the bright pink strawberry cream on top of her cone as she stepped aside for the next person. "Still getting used to actually being in a sector I've never been too yet. First station for me, sorry again. I'm sure I could have been a little bit more graceful at introductions, huh?"

"I have barely more grace than you at introductions. I have seen and heard worse." He stated flatly as he walked down the promenade hallways, elliciting a few looks from the passersby.

"Well that puts me a little more at ease. What is it like, serving at this location? I guess I mean in terms of activity. The promenade looks like it's pretty active and not slow at least, right?"

"It is... busy. As is expected of a research station with over one thousand personnel and civilians." He mused. "As is ideal, I suppose."

"Well I'm always excited to meet new people, learn about cultures. I'm one of the new Xenoarceologists, so anything I could learn more about excites me." She nodded in agreement to his statement regarding the need for a research station to be busy. Boredom eventually worked its way through her mind like a worm in an apple.

"I am afraid with my species you will find little culture." He informed her. "My people are bred solely to serve the Founders and battle in their name. We have few particularly interesting traditions worth studying."

"Well I still find any species I work with as unique. Hopefully, Jem'hadar will be able to become fully independent one day" Her naive nature shone through that statement as her optimistic viewpoint of life had yet to receive any solid blows to its foundation. The life her mother individually had to live before meeting her father came back to her mind and a slight sadness dulled her eyes.

"Perhaps." Really, that was the extent of what he could offer, sadly; he'd never experienced true independence, at least until now - and even then he wasn't entirely free so to speak.

"Well...maybe we'll bump into each other soon. I would like to learn more about Jem'hadar, if you won't mind."

"Why don't you ask me now? Considering we are walking together down this corridor."

"Well, why did you choose to join Starfleet? I'm sure the Founders would have you all think any other species would subject you to the same treatment they inflicted on you."

"I did not choose. I was assigned here by Alliance Command with the Founders' agreement." He replied.

"I didn't get a lot of chances to learn about that, what is the Alliance Command?" She asked. The Founders were still talked about at the Academy by the students, some fearing another Dominion War one day breaking out, others mystified by them and wanting to give them a chance to form at least an alliance if not a friendship with other races.

"The Khitomer Alliance's central headquarters on Khitomer...?" He raised anbeyebrow; surely she must have heard of it somehow, especially in these times.

"I hadn't heard it referred to like that. Noted. Has there been much....questioning by the civilians?"

"No. I am glad for it." He stated. "At least Federation citizens are more accepting than... some other races."

"I can understand that, at least a little. I'm only half-Orion so techincally the entirity of the Orion system has yet to decide to be open with itself. Too much history has been allowed to remain status quoed."

Half Orion. Well, then again in his experience even halflings tended to look full-blooded, at least on the outside. No problem. "Are you comfortable with that reality?"

"Honestly....no. Not every Orion agrees with or is able to escape the'status quos' of the current heirchy. Maybe one day, with some help, a new way of life for the Orion galaxy with zero evidence of the Syndicate can be a better existence."

'Maybe one day, with slme help, a new way of life for the Jem'hadar people with zero dependence on the Founders can be a better existence.' He pondered that thought. Would it be better, he wondered, to cut his gods away and be his own man. "Perhaps." He mused.

"Even though its become more recognized that Orion society is Matriarchal in nature, not every female enjoyed equal status." She said this with a subconscious bite in her voice as thoughts of her mother came to mind. She bite into the cone her ice cream had been held in and inhaled deeply.

"Do you know something about this? I sense that, somehow or other, you do." He surmised.

"Long story, my mother was one of the less luckily born female Orion. Not part of a high ranking female lineage. She was only able to get out of their reach by meeting my father and getting herself asylum on Earth."

"Which is where you grew up." He guessed as they rounded a corner of the corridor. "I'm afraid I have never visited Earth-"

"I have yet to go to Orion Prime, but I have a feeling the surprise would not be a pleasant comparison toward Earth."

He knew next to nothing about Orion Prime and its culture - but he gathered from her story that it was likely rife with slavery. At least on Earth humans were free to do as they pleased. 'Not be a pleasant comparison' was a mild way of putting it. "Are you happy here? In Starfleet?"

"Absolutly. My Dad was an Officer, met my mom while serving and I grew up on stories of the adventures he shared with his friends. Those same lasting friendships made from serving together and united. The mysteries still waiting to be answered and discovered out here. Its like a dream."

"Dream." He repeated softly. "Another concept I may never understand..."

"You wouldn't be the only one. Dreams are discussed and thought over across the Universe."

"Are they. The subject of what people imagine as they sleep is a widely discussed subject?"

"Dependjng on the culture, some are given more significance than others do. Some see them as just our brains not being able to shut down."

"Mine never shuts down either - and yet I do not dream." He mused. "Perhaps it was intended to be sk by the Founders. I do not know..."

"I'm sure everything is fine. Some people even on Earth don't remember what they dream. One of those eternal mysteries such as the Universe has."

She glanced at the chronometer and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my, I'm so sorry but I still got to get my things stowed away in my quarters. I'd be happy to talk more with you later. I'm Lihne by the way."

"Ughaz'udan. Head of tactical. Enjoy your day, ensign." He stated, turning away and walking off down the corridor.

Nodding and with a smile, she turned and moved to take the lifts to her habitat level.

Now that she had some time to settle in, Aella was finally getting to work with her official duties. She expected to have more work than she got though, but the Founders just told her to "make friends" What did that even mean? Aella was suddenly starting to doubt her abilities to get along with the Federation people. She walked briskly through the promenade, maybe a little too briskly. @alexsolo25

Austin was on a foot patrol when he spotted Aella. He couldn't help but think to himself 'oh god anouther one of those Dominion puppets.' In spite of that he put on his trademark cheery smile and approached her. "Hello, you must be that new Vorta on the station right?"

Aella was caught off guard when the man spoke to her. Do Federation people really just greet each other like this out of the blue? That's right, they loved small talk and chatting. "Hello, Yes, I am the Dominion Liaison and yes I am a Vorta. And you are?"

Atleast she wasn't entirely cold like Ughaz'udan has been. Still not quite as warm as he would expect most people he knew to be. "I'm Austin Whidbey, Chief of Security on the station here. I trust you haven't had any trouble in the time you've been here?"

"It's been fine. Being the only Vorta on this Starbase does make it a bit awkward at times, but everyone has been very pleasant," Aella lied, everyone except for the Jem'hadar. "Nice to meet you Mr. Whidbey, I‘m Vara'toran, Aella 5, speaker for the Founders," Aella offered out her hand. That was customary, right?

He couldn't help but roll his eyes very lightly, though it was a little noticeable. "I see, I figured you'd worship the founders." There was a faned interest in his voice. He tried to sound nice but didn't at all. "I'm glad there's been no trouble around you on the station." There was a hint of an accusation in his voice, perhaps that she'd be the potential source of trouble.

Aella may have not been an expert in friend-making, but she was quite good at reading body language. She quickly picked up on the difference in tone when he spoke. "The Founders are our gods," Aella stated with an assertive tone. She was here to respect everyone and make friends, but she would not let herself be talked down to. "Hmm, were you concerned when you heard there would be a Vorta coming to the station?"

He shrugged. "Not as much as when I found out a Jem'hadar would be leading our tactical division, though I can't say I'm not unconcerned. I hope you understand that their is perhaps still a lot of tension between our two factions?" He once again implied that she was in the wrong, continuing to internally look down upon the Dominion soldiers as he did all his life.

"Oh yes, you must know Ughaz'udan. He is an interesting one to say the least," Aella chuckled when she heard the man mention him. "I understand completely and your feelings are valid. I am just one Vorta, I do not expect you to change your mind about me or my people after just some peace talks," Aella took a step closer to Whidbey, almost as if she was testing him, seeing how uncomfortable he really was around her.

Austin, kept his back straight refusing to show any weakness to what he saw as the enemy, he thought thought himself. 'He's an affront to my uniform that's what he is, whoever approved a Jem'hadar to lead valuable starfleet officers was insane.' He chose not to voice his thought though.* "My mind is open, however I do take history into account when I make up my mind."

"Understandable," Aella knew he was holding back. He clearly held prejudice against the Dominion. "Tell me, did you serve in the war?"

"That was just a bit before my time... though I had family who served." He was very young during the war but had some buried memories of family returning from the war with injuries and mental troubles.

"I see. You know, I really admired your people's efforts during the war. You all fought very bravely. I had the honour of visiting Deep Space Nine after the war. A very impressive station," Aella smiled, trying her best to be nice. "Oh, I hope I'm not keeping you from your duties, am I?"

He shook his head. "I'm off of my duties at the moment, plus I see it as important to understand all long term visitors of the station." He then shifted to a frown. "It was hardly admirable... we won but, the casualties your people inflicted upon us were still devastating." She had struck a small cord with Austin, really any unnecessary death was inclined to make him unhappy.

She could tell she definitely struck a nerve. Most people would back off, but Aella wanted to know more about this human. “That is true. I understand your feelings as the Dominion also suffered heavy loses. It was a very difficult war. We lost a lot of good people just like you did. Actually when you think about it, we are more alike than different, don't you agree?"

He refused to accept their inane similarities for now (Even if he'd be willing to hear her out anouther later time) . Anger over the entire war that he had hardly been alive for shadowed his normal kindness. "Absolutely not, you all lost clones and genetically built war machines. I'd hardly qualify that as the same as losing a officer with a family to go home to, many people my age had to grow up without parents because of that war." He had finally let his true feeling on how he looked down upon the Vorta and Jem'hadar to be known.

Aella was taken aback by the man's sudden outburst. "You do not acknowledge the loss of the Founders as well? Our gods were inflicted with a deadly disease that spread throughout the Great Link. Say what you will about the Jem'hadar and the Vorta, we gladly serve our gods, but surely you cannot think the loss of a Founder was insignificant.”

He shrugged. "Each founder is simply one life as far as I'm concerned." He stated not recognizing the hypocracy in that. "the loss of a few shape shifters pales in comparison to civilian deaths on planets like Betazed."

"I really expected different of a Starfleet officer. Isn't it in your code to respect all life? I understand you do not see the Founders as gods, but surely you must feel a little troubled to know they suffered casualties as well. I may be part of the Dominion but I did not enjoy the violence. I remember the fall of Betazed, it troubled me greatly. You really don't feel anything about the many Founders who were lost during the war? What about during the Hur'Q conflict, we were allies then."

He shrugged. "I value most life equally, I see no difference between the death of a founder and the death of say... a cardassian in the war. The decisions the founders made paint them as maniacs, hardly the benevolent gods you believe them to be. How could you possibly justify the litteral genocides endorsed by the founders? Even if they are our allies at the time I recognize the founders as having been the greatest force of evil in the galaxy." He said with a raised eyebrow and a slight scowl across his face.

"Mr. Whidbey. I am here to make friends and to better the relations between our two peoples. I speak for the Founders and I will tell you with full sincerity that they regret their decisions during the war and are fully committed to peace from now on," Aella did not want to debate this officer here, not on the promenade. And also she knew if she started an argument about the war the Founders would definitely pull her off the station. "Please do not call my gods evil. Can you at least respect my beliefs? I am not going to insult your gods or your faith. Don't you have something you believe in too?"

"I believe in Starfleet and I believe in doing what's right for my people. I seize insulting your gods but, The Dominion has a hell of a lot to prove before I stop seeing them as a threat. I wouldn't mind being proven wrong, hell I would welcome it but, you'll need to show that to me." He shrugged, perhaps he was being to harsh to the Vorta, she was indoctrinated from birth to believe in the dominion. Perhaps a small apology was in order. He scratched his neck awkwardly for a moment before quietly adding. "Oh and sorry for disrespecting you and your people, perhaps I got a bit ahead of myself there." He took a second to adjust the color of his uniform, something he often did to straighten himself out.

"And I understand that," Aella, who had been nothing but kind the whole time, gave the officer a soft smile. "Apology accepted. I do hope we will have more chances to work together so I can show you that the Dominion is only seeking peace with our new allies. This is the friendship zone after all ,right?"

He was happy that his harsh first encounter had not done too much damage. "I definitely hope you will prove me wrong. While you are here I'm willing to give you those chances. However that does not mean I won't be keeping an eye on you..."

"Oh, I would be surprised if you didn't. In fact, I think everyone best keep their eyes on me. I am a Vorta after all. The Jem'hadar may have been altered to be free of the white, but the Vorta have remained genetically unchanged." Aella narrowed her eyes. "Well if that is all, I will let you be on your way. I do hope our paths cross again, Mr. Whidbey."

He nodded and began to move on his way. "I Suppose we will have to see..." Is all he could say.

[D]The Andorian was wearing the typical uniform with red, her very, very light blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail like usual but with a few strands that had gotten loose. She had a PADD in her right hand as she ran a simulation for a personal question, she'd have preferred to use the computer but it wasn't work related so she wouldn't do that. She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face with her left hand quickly as she walked.

The promenade door of the lift opened as Haydon appeared from it. It was his off duty hours, so he preferred his more intelligence look. Black trench coat and some black t shirt and pants. He looked like someone out of Section 31. As he got looks he walked around. The promenade. Noticing the andorian and her PADD he approached. "Working on something interesting?"

She looked up and shook her head, her antenna were moving around and studying her surroundings "Just running some simulations on some stuff." She said casually as she began to study the Trill. This one was weird, dressed like some intel agent or something like that, whatever he was he wasn't a civilian

"Simulations of what?" He studied her antennas. He always found andorians curious, he had worked with one before, so he knew that they were some kind of sensors of a sorts.

"Just a combat scenario I came up with." She said casually again and this time with a shrug. She looked down to check the progress on the simulation but it showed no sign of being done for a while.

"Huh...maybe you should show it to Lieutenant whatever his name was. I read It on one of the PADD messages from starfleet."

"Oh. This one is a personal one, its not work related." She explained in a self conscious tone "Are you talking about the chief Tactical Officer?" She asked

"Yeah, him. He's a Jem'Hadar right?"

"Yes. Lieutenant Ughaz'udan." She said with a nod, she struggled some when she said his name "I met him yesterday when I reported in."

"Oh your new? Heyyyyyy, so am i! Welcome to the club." Haydon smiled

She returned his smile with her own small and semi-awkward one "Yes, I just got here yesterday." She explained.

"You're newer then I am, I've only been here a week or so. It kills compared to my last posting."

"It what? Kills? What does that mean?" She asked with some confusion breaking through her face. She wasn't used to all these old terms.

"Its much cooler then my last posting." Haydon laughed a little. He forgot aliens don't understand old references all the time. Even though he was half alien.

"Oh, I see. It is much different than the Johnston." She agreed with a slight bob of her head. Her antenna focused on the Trill as she continued to study him

"Its much more frontier then earth, but now that I've been here. I kind of miss earth, but I'm sure the station is an acquired taste."

"I do not mind it." She said casually with a shrug "I'm Avryshial Sh'vaqon." She added to introduce herself before the conversation continued

"Haydon, Haydon AV." He smiled. His hands were still behind his back this whole time.

"AV?" She asked with confusion "What does that mean?"

"Its to shorten my last name, Angelica-Vax."

"Oh. Does that mean you are a joined Trill" She asked, figuring that the two part last name meant that he was a joined one

"What....?" He raised a brow, he was confused. "No no, I'm not joined, its just my parents last name.."

"Oh, I see, sorry." She said once more with the self conscious tone

"It's alright, I've never been called joined before. I can't join anyways, im half human!" Haydon smiled and said cheerfully. He wasn't seeming like he had taken offense.

"Oh, you are, I didn't know that there were any Half-Human Half-Trills." She said with some interest, her antenna moving forward some

"It doesn't show since I got the spots, my sister didn't. I guess that happens with genetics though, one person doesn't get what the other has."

18:06

"Well she didn't get the spots that is, she got my dad's flying abilities, I got my moms intel skills sort of."

"Oh, that is interesting." She said with a nod "So you are in intelligence?"

"Yep! Well, sort of. I'm the data analysis guy, though I do have the other intel skills. Computers are more my game then anything."

"Oh, that's interesting." She said with a small grin

"Yeah, I mean, give me a PADD and two shakes, I could probably hack a bridge terminal. Now, do I want to do that? No, of course not. I ain't trying to get in trouble, would it be a funny prank though? Ehh....maybe."

"I don't think so, it'd cause a lot of problems for people to deal with it." She said in a slightly harder tone, he honestly may be the kind of guy to do that just because they can

"Well duh, it'd cause a shit ton of problems, depending on the console that I would hack. I wouldn't do it though, I ain't trying to get into trouble, its a stupid idea anyways. Why hack your own consoles."

"True. I was thinking of going to get something to drink, you want to join me?" She asked casually as she checked the progress on the simulation, still not even half way done...

"As my dad always says, you can never turn down a drink with a lady." Haydon smiled. "So sure!"

She gave him another small smile "I was told that the bar called "Epsilon" was pretty good, does that sound alright with you?" She asked with a friendly tone

"Sounds okay with me, haven't been in there anyways!"

"Alright, I believe it's that way..." She said as she pointed the wrong way "But I do not know for sure."

"Hell if I know. You'd think on a starbase this big, they'd give you a map of the corridors." Haydon laughed.

"I would look it up on my PADD but I am afraid that it will mess up my simulation." She said in a self conscious tone

"Here, allow me." Haydon pulled a PADD from his coat pocket, it was smaller then most PADDs. Searching up where the club was only took him a couple of seconds. "It's the other way, that way. Past Rana's."

"Oh, well since you are the map user why don't you lead?" She asked with a slight smile

"Well alright." Haydon put the PADD back into his coat pocket, heading towards Episilon.

She followed, her own PADD under her arm, her antenna beginning to move and study her surroundings as she did so

[D]The Andorian was still quite concerned over what had happened with Haydon, what did she do...? She continued to mull over it as she walked down the promenade, she had a PADD in her blue hands with a simulation running but her mind wasn't on it.

Ching-ling was occupied with other thoughts, she didn't feel bold enough to walk through the promenade without her VISOR, but with all the people it just appeared like one big blur of thermal light, bothering her eyes and giving her a headache. It wasn't probably a better idea for her to not be roaming around the promenade, so she approached a seating area where there was an Andorian. "Would you mind if I took a seat for a moment?"

She shook her head. "Not at all, please have a seat..." She said in a kind tone with a slight edge of concern. She motioned to a seat as her thoughts thankfully turned from what she had done wrong to make Haydon want to stay away from her and to the new comer.

She took the seat and removed her VISOR, giving a sigh of relief as her headache slowly left. "Ahhhhh- that's much better... I'm Ensign Ma. I can't say that I've met an Andorian before." Her head turned towards her fellow Ensign, but there wasn't any eye contact being made, Ching-ling seemingly just looking beyond her fellow officer, regardless, she wanted a conversation if the Andorian would uphold it.

"I'm ensign Sh'vaqon. I must admit I haven't see a visor like that." She said with a casual shrug. Despite her best attempts to focus on the conversation her mind kept wandering to what she had done to upset Haydon. He was really cool, kind, he seemed to genuinely care. Was it her inability to show her emotions fully, or was it the fact that she didn't get all of the earth metaphors?

"It's a later model one, doesn't mean it doesn't have faults like the other models, gives me a headache to wear in large crowds, it's a bit uncomfortable, and I sometimes get weird looks. No matter the case, I like it more than ocular implants, despite it being painful in such a large crowd like this, it could be worse." Ching-ling was in a very talkative mood today, happy to strike a conversation with her fellow officer, although to her the tone made them seemed not too much into it. Unfortunately she couldn't see Sh'vaqon's shrug to confirm those suspicions regarding the conversations.

"It sounds interesting. Why do you wear it?" She asked without really thinking about how rude that could sound until she had said it. "I an sorry. That is rude of me." She added with a self conscious and awkward edge to her already concerned tone. "I did not think before I spoke..." She added with the same awkward, self conscious, and concerned tone. She studied the ensign, trying to pick up some details about her as her antenna moved forward with interest as she forced her attention to the ensign.

It caused her to chuckle at the question from the Andorian, but was happy that she realized the mistake. Despite this, she did a joking mockery, holding using her fingers to spread her eyelids open just a bit and in a sarcastic tone, said: "Can't you tell?" She returned to her normal position and laughed a bit, it was a laugh of a person who enjoyed sarcasm, not like that of a trickster, but not like that of a wholesome joker. "I don't mind it at all, seemed like you had something else on your mind from your tone."

"Yeah... I wasn't paying attention. My uh... friend, he got really sick. And he now doesn't want to talk to me... I... I am worried." She explained with a self conscious tone. She turned her thoughts to all of the things she could have possible done wrong. What made it worse was he was a hybrid, thats two cultures she could have offended... what had she done? She had screwed up big time, and probably lost her friend in the process.

"That's really unfortunate, I'm certain with all the advancements of medical technology that we have your friend will recover just fine. But is there a reason why he doesn't want to talk? I'm certain it is something you could discuss over tea or whatever else the two of you like." She wasn't a counselor, certainly not someone who could provide a likely to work solution for solving this, but arguments are something she is used to, so Ching-ling hoped that she could provide a new perspective for the Andorian.

"I do not know, I will probably try to contact him later." She said with a small nod. She wasn't really sure about what was wrong with him but she would be checking with him later for sure. She shrugged and looked awkwardly at her PADD before realizing that it wasn't even running yet... she had forgotten to start it.

"Maybe it was something you said. With the amount of people on the station with different backgrounds, I wouldn't be surprised if it was something like an accidental wrong greeting or something like that, do you think it could've been something like that? Or is he just not feeling that well?" She didn't talk to people that often, something that she rarely tends to regret, but does want to slowly change, so interaction isn't the most surefire thing for her to solve.

"I have been thinking about that, I probably did mess up something. I plan to ask when I contact him." She said with a small nod. She really was worried that she had done something super stupid and messed up her friendship with him. She sighed and started the simulation.

"It might just take a bit of time, I am certain that whatever it was they can get over it... unless they're a Klingon and you offended their honour, I don't think you could do too much in that regard, unfortunately." Ching-ling commented on the scenario, but it seemed like she was intruding a bit, so she grabbed her VISOR and placed it back on. "I do think I should be going though, if you ever wish to join me for tea or something else, I am always available to be contacted."

"I... yeah. I understand. Thank you for letting me talk about my problems..." She said with an awkward tone, she wasn't quite sure how to say thank you for that. She gave the woman a small smile and nodded to her. "I will keep that in mind."

Ching-ling nodded before walking off, it was nice to meet someone new, and she hoped that the issue with Sh'vaqon's friend would be resolved.

She tried to put her focus on her PADD but it just kept going back to what did she do wrong?

“Perhaps I do not wish to,” T’Lenar said evasively, her cheeks finally clearing of their blush.

"You don't want to? Oh, my." Niatha batted her eyelashes at her while walking down the promenade hallway. "So you do find yourself being affected by me, hm!"

“….I do, yes…” T’Lenar admitted in a quiet voice. “Is that a problem?”

"No problem at all, just amused it happened. So. How do you feel about me, then?" She pressed.

“That is not- that is a rather personal question, is it not?” She asked, her cheeks once again a light olive green.

"Yes. Just asking. Don't have to answer if you don't wanna." She quipped.

“Then I believe I will save my answer for later,” T’Lenar stated, glancing at Niatha.

"Can't wait to hear it- ooh, look at this. I think you might like this.' She nodded at a green dress in a shop window, about the right size and fit for T'Lenar.

T’Lenar stopped, looking at the dress in question. She had to admit, the science officer had an eye for fashion “Shall I try it on?”

"Won't know till you do. I'll wait." She smiled. "

“Alright…wait here.” And T’Lenar entered the shop, then returned, wearing the elegant pale green dress. “It is rather formal,” She noted.

The Cardassian walked round her with her lips slightly curled upward with approval. "Looks good." She remarked. "Formal is fine! You can't really wear robes or dress uniform to every formal event. Thing is, how else do you feel wearing it?"

“I find it…rather freeing,” She admitted. “Perhaps I will purchase it.”

"Sounds good to me! You like clothes like that?" She raised an eyebrow. She'd always known Vulcans to be rather conservative with their tastes - this was unusual.

“Occasionally, yes,” She confirmed with a nod of the head. “Sometimes it is enjoyable to dress yourself up,”

Niatha smirked and walked away picking up an armful of clothes, after which she disappeared into the changing room like T'Lenar had. When she next emerged she'd put on a purple dress that fitted her figure perfectly and showed off her scaly shoulders and neck. "What do you think?"

“Very nice,” T’Lenar said, offering Naitha a smile with her eyes. “I am going to make my purchase,” She announced, partly so Niatha wouldn’t see her blush again. She went to pay the store worker, then changed back into her robes, holding the dress in a small shopping bag.

Making excuses - rather un-Vulcan of her, she thought with an amused smile while changing and thereafter paying for the purple dress. "Are you in the mood for anything?" She asked. "Ice cream and so on... surely we can find a vegetarian version if need be..."

“I would not be opposed to the idea,” * T’Lenar nodded.* “I have not spent much time exploring the Utility ring, so I will allow you to lead the way,”

"Don't come here often, do you?" There was a sort of smugness to her expression as she nudged her side and off down the promenade. "We can visit other shops that strike your fancy if you like..."

“It is up to you,” T’Lenar, in her infinite social awkwardness, decided. “I will simply go with you, unless you no longer wish it.”

Hm, where to go... how about the bakery, a sandwich would be nice.

Kassell traversed through the busy promenade and made his way to Rana's bar.

Kassell walked to the turbolift.

Lurror followed.

Comet strolled along the promenade, organizing their thoughts for the upcoming Social Journal. They had profiles to make for Ensign Nalas Za'ari, Ensigns Heinrich and Weber, and a couple Unnamed Engineering Ensigns. They looked out a window at space, smiling as they enjoyed the view.

[D] Since his writer doesn't remember where he put Heinrich, Heinrich walked up by this young Lieutenant, raising a brow. Even though he was tall and muscular, he was rather silent in his walk. Approaching her, he looked out the window as well. "Enjoying the view I see Lieutenant."

A person approached them! Hooray! "Yes, I am. You can call me Comet, I'm off duty. What's your name?" They asked, preparing to make another Social Journal file. They turned to look at the...rather large looking human ensign.

"Ensign Boheim ma'am, at your service." Heinrich nodded with a smile somewhat. "I presume you are new to the station."

"Uh. I use they/them," Comet corrected. Boheim...wait. Nalas had warned them about him. "Yes, I am,"

"I see..." Heinrich nodded a little as he looked around at the people. Some were also stargazing. "Come to think here often?" Heinrich looked back at Comet.

"Well, actually, I got here yesterday, so, I don't come anywhere often," They said, laughing nervously. They were still...wary of Heinrich, based off of what Nalas told them.

"It is indeed a nice thinking spot, though I sometimes just prefer the silence of more secluded spaces, I've actually been trying to do other things, more socialization. Though I usually do come back to just wanting peace and quiet. It helps set your mind at ease."

03:20

"When I want to do things that are more...active, I prefer the holodeck, the fitness section, a few hours at rana's, and then if I feel like it or the occasion arises, spend a few hours with Lieutenant Steiger."

"I can see that it would! I like seeing the stars," Comet mused, looking out with a somewhat spacey expression before turning back to Heinrich. At the mention of Steiger, however, they looked up. "You know her?" They asked, interested. Maybe he could help them make another file in the Social Journal.

"She is what humans of old called a girlfriend, I believe it is still called that but I prefer the more...correct term of significant other."

03:23

"But yes, she is my significant other in a relationship."

"Oh! I'm her new roommate," Comet told him. "Anything helpful you could tell me about interacting with her? I'm trying to learn how to interact with everyone the right way," Comet said, and then realized those were thoughts, not things to say aloud. "Just to...make sure I don't mess up,"

Heinrich chuckled a little. "I see starfleet doesn't take long to replace people..." He nodded a little. "Well..I suppose just take your time with her, she's swiss so...if you like chocolate and or hot chocolate, that's a start, skiing as well." Heinrich's brow perked up about interacting with people the right way. "I know how it feels to be the outsider and trying to interact with everyone the right way, I was...not very good at it when I was first awakened. My first interactions with starfleet was trying to blow them up." He nervously chuckled.

Oh. Oh, shit. "Haha...oh," Comet laughed awkwardly. Maybe this guy was okay? Maybe Nalas was wrong? Conflicting information, but Field Research always came first in importance. "Chocolate? I love chocolate," They smiled.

"Then you have something in common with Lieutenant Steiger."

"Perfect, I can tell already that we'll get along," Comet beamed. They enjoyed having a roommate, it would be a shame if they disagreed with said roommate. That was one good thing about being Not Senior Staff. "Who's your roommate?" They asked curiously.

"An Ensign Eshen, but I barely spend time in my quarters, since he occupies the room with his...lovers and or friends."

"Eshen! Eshen K'Tann, I met his boyfriend! Can't wait to meet the Man Himself," Comet grinned. "Do you have some kinda beef or something?" They asked, noticing the way he spoke of Eshen's 'lovers or friends.'

"Beef with the Ensign? No, I have no beef with him at all. I just let him have his space. I do not require the quarters as much as he does."

"Huh, fair enough," Comet shrugged. "So, I guess you spend quite a bit of time in Steiger's quarters?" They asked. It would be...rather awkward if they didn't at least tolerate the presence of a man who hug around their living space often. Hopefully, however, they would more than tolerate him.

"I suppose you could say that, its probably not as much as she would like, but that's here nor there." Heinrich turned towards the window looking out at the stars and whatnot.

Haha...okay...this guy was a little weird. He loved his girlfriend though...respect, I guess? Comet laughed nervously again. "Alright, I guess I'll be seeing you. Good thing we like each other good enough," Make him think he likes you and maybe he will- Stop manipulating people, you limp noodle.

"I never said I liked you, but you are friendly." Heinrich said with a little nod, walking off into the distance.

Well. Comet simply stood there. They'd messed up again, hadn't they? Shit. They finally moved, making their way to the #deleted-channel .

He slinked over to his favorite window, staring out at space with a very brooding expression.

Eshen spotted a sad Sauk in the distance. Oh dear. Did his other parent die this time? Better find out. He casually sat near Sauk on a chair near the observation window. "You look sour as a sand viper, my dear - whatever is the matter?"

"I overheard your boyfriend spewing Cardassian propaganda in the mess hall," Sauk said with almost no emotion. Vulcansona was battling for control. He didn't turn around to look at Eshen, just kept looking outwards at the stars, the constant expanse...

Surak stopped Eshen before he could flinch. He knew Sauk of all people didn't mean it, but hearing a word he'd been relishing recently said with such cold Vulcan venom brought back bad memories. "That's... That doesn't make sense. He's been really trying." (edited)

"Well, trying or not, I specifically heard the word 'Bajorans had it coming, they were infeior to Cardassians in every way, their lifestyle, their faith, the Occupation was their fault, Cardassians were just following orders. Gul Dukat was one of the few who actually wanted to make things better for his workers,'. So I just don't really care about that right now." He hissed, finally turning around to let Eshen see that he'd been crying. Sobbing, in fact. After waking up from his nap, Sauk had spent an hour, curled up in a ball, ugly crying into Jack's pillow. "My ancestors lived in Kendra Province."

He should've expected this. He couldn't associate with such problematic people without it coming back to him eventually. He forgot Rule 11: clout is a valuable resource; go to where is it most abundant, particularly among people who possess the three Ps: polite, palatable, and popular. You should have dated someone you could use, you mean, said the Entity. For someone terrified of arranged marriage, you sure pick your partners for anything but love. No! If he was still doing that he would have cut ties with Aella long ago. It's not like Dominion agents were considered any of the three Ps on this station. Besides, he was Eshen K'Tann. He didn't need to use other people for their connections and influence - he could get those things his damn self. "...I'm sorry to hear that," Eshen said, his voice smooth and calm as though the fear Nalas had regressed like he thought he might wasn't tying his stomach in knots. "He's a hybrid of a kind, too, like us, but he was forced to choose one side and it's not been easy to reclaim the other. I promise he doesn't really mean the things he says, he just - I apologise on his behalf." (edited)

"Whatever," Sauk just shook his head. "It's not like anyone on this station gives a shit," He was angry again. No one did seem to care- he'd basically lived through hell already, and he was only nineteen. What was next? Bajor exploded? Jack died on an away mission? Shoe got hit by car? He felt like tearing something, anything up as his nails dug into the veins on his wrist, just lightly enough so he didn't draw blood. It was painful and Sauk really wished it would stop, but he couldn't, otherwise he wasn't sure what his hands would do. "You can leave if you want."

"I give a shit," Eshen said, and he really did. You could tell by the way he swore, a rare thing for him. "And I'm not going to leave you just because you're upset, Sauk, especially not about Bajoran oppression. I'm your friend."

Well. That was...unexpected. Eshen said the shit word, too, and Sauk had never heard him swear before. "There isn't very much you can do, Eshen. It's not like you can magic Cecil's spacism out of his head," He sighed.

"I can't, no, but I can support him on his journey. That kind of thing takes decades to unravel. I won't get into it any more, because it's his business, but he's not an oppressor - he's a victim, too. I like you both, and I'd hate to see you fight when you have more in common than you think." Eshen gestured to a nearby chair." Now please sit down and stop harming yourself. It's painful to watch."

"I can't," Sauk said, demonstrating by slowly removing his hands from his wrists. Right away, they started flapping up and down, up and down, in fast, anxious motions, almost like he was trying to shake the anger and the hurt out. He gave Eshen a distressed look, rocking back and forth on his heels. "I can't." He had never found anything better for his hands to do. It was either this obvious, unnatural flapping or jabbing his wrist.

Eshen tapped his sharp talons on his knees, looked around (checking for Vulcans), then stood up. "Come a little closer for a second." Assuming Sauk complied, he held out a wrist and pulled down the sleeve of one long opera glove just enough that Sauk could see a multitude of scars, but the most recent ones were the telltale crescent moon shape of digging nails piercing skin. "We have a similar bad habit, it seems. By all means, stim if it makes you feel better, Sauk, I won't judge you. It's better than this." He wouldn't usually show anyone this sort of thing - and indeed, as soon as Sauk caught a glance he immediately pulled the cloth back down and folded his hands behind his back to hide them again - but there was potential here for at least some of his scars to help someone by a show of solidarity instead of hurting him all the time. "I have my own techniques, but I believe there are devices that can occupy your hands as well."

"I-" Sauk just squeezed his eyes shut. "I need to get out of here," It was suddenly too loud, too crowded. "Can we go somewhere quiet?" He asked, looking around for an escape. He lowered his hands, tapping them on his thighs, struggling against the urge to do other things with them.

Eshen nodded. "Certainly. Where would you like to go? The quickest quiet place is probably one of the holodecks. I was going to go there soon anyway."

Sauk just nodded. That worked. Anything to get him out of all of these people, and the noise, it was suffocating...all he had to do to get out was weave through a mob of people.

"Alright, let's go. You can hold onto my arm or sleeve, if you want." Eshen started walking in the direction of #holodeck-02. He was tall enough and made himself enough of a presence that most people just got out of their way, no weaving required.

Sauk followed, grateful for Eshen's crowd-parting abilities.

[D] After a long day at work, Nalas was eager to get away from that new Romulan ensign. Working next to him felt like he was constantly being watched. They were both Starfleet officers, but it felt like a meeting of two evils. A Romulan and a Cardassian walk into a science lab... Nalas was walking briskly down the promenade, trying to avoid running into people.

Heinrich had emerged from the coffee shop, he seemed to be in a hurry, his mind was rushing and he wasn't looking where he was going. So he bumped into Nalas full force. It would've knocked Nalas back or made him stumble.

He was walking at such a high speed that the collision knocked him straight onto his ass. If he was walking at a normal speed maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much, but he was in a lot of pain. "H-Hey watch--" He was about to scream at the person who just rudely bumped into him when he realised the man he bumped into did not look like the type he wanted to pick a fight with. Oh for the love of Cardassia. "I'm sorry umm-- I had no idea you were there and I was here and..." A strange mix of muddled Cardassian words poured from his mouth as his poor translator was attempting to make sense of it. He totally sounded like he was speaking gibberish.

Heinric looked down at the man. He grabbed the man, lifting him back up to his feet. "Sorry about that, my mind was in a funnel, so I wasn't thinking straight, apologizes my friend."

He breathed a big sigh of relief when the other pulled him up and apologised. Good, good, so this guy wasn't going to fight him. Nalas was still in Romulan-defense mode, those guys looked like they could shank a bitch if you looked at them funny. "It's alright. Umm, I'm ensign Nalas Za'ari, exobiologist," Nalas introduced himself with a warm smile. He was a nice boy even if he was a little scatterbrained at times.

"Ah yes..I've heard of you. The plant boy? Or am I thinking of someone else." He smiled.

"The plant-- OH! Yea that was me," Nalas laughed nervously as he combed his fingers through his hair. Well looks like his reputation proceeded him. Not exactly what he wished to be known for, but from the sound of this man's voice he didn't seem to be bothered by it. "And you are?"

"Ensign Boheim, I'm Odessa's Hus- im a tactical advisor and or weapon specialist." He was stumbling over himself and had to correct himself fast, so when the words came out, they sounded rather garbled.

Odessa's--? The words that came through his UT were a bit jumbled so he was only able to catch the name Odessa. That was the person involved in the trial, right? Honestly, he didn't really know much about it aside from rumors that flew around the station. Nalas took another deep breath and nodded. "Oh, that sounds pretty cool, tactical gets all the action," Sometimes he envied tactical for getting all the action. "Boheim, oh are you by chance German? I know a little," He said shyly, eager to test out his (barely passable) German skills.

He nodded slightly. "Ja, ich bin von Deutsch anständig, du bist Deutscher ist schrecklich..."(Yes I am of German Decent, you're German is terrible though.) He took a small breath "As for getting all the action, I would disagree with this statement, but it is somewhat true we do see action from time to time."

"I studied at the Academy in France and my mother lived in Germany,"Nalas was really trying his best to enunciate his words, but truth be told, he spoke German like a Cardassian. Pretty terribly. "Have you ever been on the eventide?" Seeing how this man was not impressed by his German, Nalas switched back to speaking Cardassian through his translator. Maybe he would study more and be able to hold a real conversation in German someday.

"Yes I have been aboard the eventide during my time here."

"I actually asked to go on the next away mission, maybe we'll see each other!" Nalas said, eyes bright and full of hopes and dreams. He was tired of looking at bacteria under a microscope. "Well ehh, I'm sorry for the run in today, really Ensign Boheim.”

"Quite alright Ensign, there was no harm done to me. I should be going though, so farewell Ensign." He nodded slightly.

"It was nice meeting you-- I'll study German more," He still felt bad, but at least this tactical officer was nice. And not a Romulan. That was a plus. He bowed his head politely (a Bajoran habit he never really shook off) and scurried off.

"You dont..." Oh well he was gone. Leaving Heinrich alone. He was confused as to if this Nalas was scared of him or not. He continued on.

Back from poppy's, he went back to the coffee shop.

After having some really awful cotton candy, Aella made her way to the promenade to wander around. She was not planning on bullying anyone today, but she did lowkey feel the urge to piss someone off. She was a Vorta after all, she had to stay on brand even fi she had claimed to be a changed woman.

A tall romulan in a Starfleet uniform made his way down from the other end, walking down with pomp and purpose in his step as he went. If anything, a romulan might look like a prime target to piss off as they usually got angry very quickly. He bit into a sandwich he held, peanut butter and jam, as he approached her coming from the opposite direction.

Honestly, Aella was nicer than most Vorta, but she was still a piece of shit with a pretty face. As soon as she saw her victim, there was no stopping her. She immediately turned on her heels so she could walk side by side with the tall Romulan. Now, Aella Five stood a total of five feet one inch, but she had the face of an angel and a bite of a viper. As she tried to keep pace with the Romulan she called out to him. "Hey-- Hey you, what's that you got there?" Aella pointed to the sandwich, very interested in what this man was doing. Being much shorter, Aella had to take two steps to keep up with the taller man. It would be obvious by the clicking of her heels that she had to work extra hard to keep up with him. Her outfit for the day was the Vorta commander uniform. A low cut top with a frilled collar and long sleeves paired with an equally hideously patterned mini-skirt. Despite her short stature, her legs were long and slender, definitely not the body type that would be accustomed to walking around a station all day. Somehow, Aella made it work.

He kept on walking, though her turning on her heels to walk side by side with him made him pause mid-bite and chew it down quickly. He looked at her boredly, nodding slightly before giving her an answer. He slowed slightly to ease the burden of his long strides... "Peanut butter sandwich," he replied in a matter of fact tone, snooty Rihan accent ever present in his speech. He noted her uniform- Dominion. His father was in the Dominion war and he knew many that perished, still holding a certain dislike for the Dominion. He usually hid this, however, and was polite to all. He judged each person individually and simply saw her as a good person until proven otherwise. "Why do you ask?"

Aella gave the other a cheeky grin as she slowed her pace to follow his speed. Well he was slowing down, that meant he was willing to talk to her, right? Aella was getting dangerously close to him though, their shoulders barely touching. She adjusted her glasses so she could see his face properly. Serious look, pointy, well they had the pointy ear trait in common. "Ohh what is peanut butter?" *Aella asked in an innocent tone, speaking fluent Rihannsu. If there was one thing Vorta were good at, it was manipulation and that is where language ability came in handy. She took note of his posture, facial expression, and tone when addressing her. Aella sounded like she was up to something, but she really wasn't, or was she?

"Peanuts but ground up," he replied very simply, taking another bite of the sandwich. He didn't bother to explain what they were at the moment, thinking that everyone knew what peanuts were. He remembered after a while that many aliens didn't know... "Earth food. I took a liking to this in particular because I can eat it on the go. In any case, I am Satok Aylek, lieutenant..." He introduced himself, wishing to know who he was talking to. He noted her getting closer and he smoothly adjusted course to keep the distance. He hated it when his personal space was encroached upon.

Aella pouted at the other's reply, she had no idea what those were. She tilted her head and waited for him to speak again, watching him carefully as he chewed. Eating and walking, some solids really had no respect, she thought. The explanation the Romulan provided did not make it more clear, in fact it only confused her more. Why was a Romulan eating earth food? Weren't they xenophobic? Oh, Aella was going to have a jolly good time with this one. Her pout became a smirk and her eyes narrowed. "Ohh. that sounds convenient, we don't have such things in the Dominion," She spoke in a sing-song tone. Kind and courteous on the surface, but anyone with half a brain knew when a Vorta was up to no good™️. "Hello Mr. Aylek, that's not a very Romulan name. Don't you guys have a million names?" Aella had to know this guy's story. She blinked a couple times, pulling out all the cute and innocent looks she could.

He bit into the sandwich again, either not knowing that she was up to no good or simply not caring. He was definitely not 100% romulan in the head- but oh boy if she saw him 8 years prior to their meet here... he was 50% romulan in the head, getting more and more there as days went on. "It is indeed Romulan- a misspelled name so it would be more personal," he clarified. "And we have a few names- but those are the only two of mine you will hear. Your name?"

The more the other spoke, the more interested Aella became. He carried himself like any other Romulan, but his speech pattern was closer to that of a human. If he was into earth food maybe he grew up on earth? It was clear that the Vorta was already weaving up theories about this new stranger. "Oh, secrets, you guys love your secrets," She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "And me? I'm Aella 5, Vara'toran, Dominion Liaison and official speaker for the Founders," Aella introduced herself with a flawless high Rihannsu accent. In fact, this was the first time she got to show off her Rihannsu skills. Aella's voice was confident and posh, as if she was royalty. Well, she was. Everyone was but a subject in her queendom.

"Aella 5. Nice to meet you," he said politely, a certain non-romulan thing. Most of them didn't see the logic in saying such a thing if they didn't feel like it- though Satok held a human mentality in this field. "Your Rihannsu skills are very good, I must applaud them," he said, a small grin on his face. He found it fascinating that another species would learn the romulan language just like that...

Nothing escaped her Vorta ears, especially not that distinctly human greeting. The smile across her face grew as she took a couple steps closer to him. If he was human-raised or at least had exposure to human culture he would surely let her get closer. She was here to get in his face and tease him, not to actually do anything mean. No, she would save actual meanness for when she saw that Cardassian kid Nalas again. "Why thank you, Mr. Aylek," Aella accepted the compliment with a proud smile as she tucked a piece of hair behind one of her pointed ears. Unlike Romualns and Vulcans, the Vorta ears stood straight up and hugged the sides of their heads. "The Vorta-- Well, the Dominion is very good with languages. In fact there are few languages out there I can't learn. Hmm maybe Havrannsu or Tamarian," She said thoughtfully. "You seem more human than Romulan, do I sense a mixed upbringing?" She decided to shoot her shot in the dark. He was too emotional to have grown up on Vulcan, but too friendly to have been raised around Romulans. And he liked earth food. In many ways he reminded her of her Zhimata, Eshen. The Klingon-Vulcan raised on earth.

"Yes, a mixed upbringing. I grew up on Earth... a beautiful planet," he said, tone shifting overall. He indeed let her get closer, though if she got too close he would certainly inch back. He looked to the side at the bustling promenade momentarily before looking back at Aella yet again. He switched to his native tongue, English. He hadn't spoke it in a heavy capacity in eight years, melting into a UT induced total Rihannsu immersion. Even though English was his first language, he thought in Rihannsu instead. He spoke English, however- an easy and fluent American. "Have you ever been to'Earth, Aella?" He questioned, vulcan brow rising.

So she was right! Aella listened intently to what the other had to say, nodding her head. She decided not to step closer, but her eyes shifted to his sandwich. She wanted to try it, but Romulans were strange with touch. That and he was nearly a foot taller than her and if there was a physical altercation she would most certainly lose. Aella hummed softly as she swayed her hips a little. "Mmm, never earth, I want to go someday though," Aella replied back in English, just as fluent as she was in Rihannsu. She was a bit surprised by the language shift, but she was great at adapting. Her pacing sound a bit unnatural though, the ending syllables of each word getting lost. If anything her accent was closer to the common Singaporean English than the American accent. "Where on earth did you grow up? It must have been hard living amongst your former enemies," She said, alluding to the Romulan-Earth war.

When she mentioned 'your former enemies' in the sentence, he went silent and sighed softly. He didn't want to constantly lie through every interaction because he couldn't nail the romulan persona down. "Colorado- and it isn't polite to ask people such private questions about living when we have only met two minutes ago," he said, stuffing his face with the sandwich. He got peanut butter on his nose and he looked like a chipmunk as he chewed. "Isttth beautiful anywayth..." He said with a mouthful of food.

She definitely noticed that small sigh, which only got the gears in her little Vorta brain turning. Was that upsetting? Aella was no stranger to trauma, in fact, many of the officers she had manipulated during her time in the Dominion had trauma that she brought up in their negotiations to promote an emotional response. However, this was the promenade, not a war zone or negotiation table. Aella looked at the other with wide eyes before watching him stuff the sandwich into his mouth. What a fascinating boy. She had never met a Romulan like him. She blinked with a look of confusion when he mumbled some words between chewing. "Hmm alright," Aella gave a simple reply and tilted her head. "Do you have any other Romulan friends?" If she couldn't bully Satok, maybe she could pester some of his friends.

"Yes, why?" He asked, facing her full on and coming to a stop in walking. He wiped the peanut butter off of his nose and licked it off of his finger, the yumminess too much to waste. He wanted to know why this was such an important question, looking her in the eye. Why were her eyes so wide? Why was she like this? He didn't know.

She stopped walking when he did and watched him lick the peanut butter from his fingers. This Romulan was very strange. She was definitely going to have to pester her friends for insight. "Oh I just want to learn about your culture. Could you give me a name or two? I am the Dominion Liaison, it's my job to be acquainted with all others on the station from a number of different factions," She was lying through her teeth, but she was one hell of a liar. Her wide and innocent eyes, charming persona, sweet voice, it was all a clever trick. "And you missed a spot," Aella pointed to the side of Satok's nose, making sure not to touch him, but she did come pretty close.

He noted her finger getting very close, ready to back his head away at a second's notice. He despised being touched because it violated his comfort zone and germs, something different than the superstitious touch telepath business. He wiped the peanut butter off and licked that too. "I cannot give you a name or two, I'm sorry. I don't know anyone here on the station- I haven't talked to barely anyone outside of work," he said, shrugging. He purposefully omitted Renakir, not wishing to have his name put on a Dominion romulan list of the station. His thoughts ran wild...

Aella noticed the other's expression when she got closer to him and quickly backed away. She was here to bully him, not touch him without consent and cause a real issue. She was already security's Most Wanted Vorta™️, she didn't need another infraction on her list. On this station she was always on thin ice. "Oh, when you said you had Romulan friends I thought you meant on this station. You know I can just look up the crew manifest and find them myself," Not entirely true, but Aella did sound convincing. She put her hands on her hips and gave the other a cheeky grin.

"Have fun with that, then. Chances are I won't know them; I'm not a member of an endangered species," he said, shrugging yet again. He was a hard nut to crack for information, consistently deflecting and saying slightly different things that were somehow related. He replied to the cheeky grin with a deadpan serious look, yawning softly. "Do you have any friends on the station?"

The other's attitude was growing annoying and Aella was not going to keep playing this ping pong with a stupid earthling-raised Romulan. She huffed and crossed her arms as she looked the man, studying his facial features again. Aella probably looked really silly next to this very tall and uninterested Romulan. "Of course! I actually have a Zhimata, he's nice to me and feeds me good food," Aella boasted. proud that even a Vorta like her could have meaningful relationships. "I heard you people are touch starved, sounds awful. Well I should get going, I am sure the Founders will love hearing about you in my report."

In that very moment he yawned loudly and rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Yup, I'm sure they will. And I'm not touch starved in the least, but I shall let you go on your way, Aella. Jolan'tru," he said, internally happy that this conversation could be over and he could get some sleep. It had been a few days- stretching the vulcanoid limit and he wanted the nice warm covers...

"Jolan tru Mr. Aylek," Aella waved to the man before darting away, she had a report to write and maybe she could find more Romulans to pester. This was actually quite fun. She was looking forward to meeting him again.

[D] Sauk was on the promenade again, having his Staring Into Space and Contemplating time, but this time, with glasses! He could see shit! He was still getting used to having things on his face 24/7, but it was worth it for the gift of Vision. He was eternally grateful to Ensign Avignon, his roleplayer assurmed, seeing at that hadn't actually happened yet in his roleplayer's timeline. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of a window, staring out and swinging his legs idly, a small smile on the Vulcjoran's face, almost indulgent. He sighed contently, feeling at peace with himself despite his conversation with Renakir installing a sense of trust issues in him (for the third time).

@Ranka 💥 here you are//

After being escorted to her quarters, Valleka was given the clearance to explore the station as she wished. Despite her status as a Romulan senator, she insisted she go alone. She had a couple of guards from the Republic with her, however she was there to experience station life, not as a senator, but as a normal person. Valleka donned the Romulan Republic dress uniform. All black with some accents around the sides of her shirt and skirt. She had black tights with tall black boots. She didn't want to stand out, but the Republic uniform was hardly subtle. The golden accenting around the neckline paired with the shiny sequins around the chest and waist area made her shine like a thousand suns. She wore black gloves and had her hair tied back in two long french braids. A few silver clips held down any stray hairs. Her ensemble was much more comfortable than her senator robes, those were so bulky. She was definitely turning heads, but that didn't seem to bother her. She walked with long and graceful strides, as if she were a queen walking through her queendom. In the corner of her eye she noticed a boy staring out the window. Odd, but she wanted to see what he was staring at. She walked up to the window, keeping a distance from Sauk though. She didn't want this boy to notice her or think she was trying to interact with him. She was only here to see what was so special about this view.

Sauk immediately noticed her presence due to the paranoia instilled in him by Renakir, standing up and whirling around on his heels. "Who-" Oh, ketapi, another Romulan. "Who are you?" He asked bravely, straightening his back and adjusting his stance to one of confidence. Which was something he certainly did not have. His typical off-duty 'uniform' was all he had on: a yellow hoodie with bees embroidered on it, black sweatpants, and a pair of ratty old tennis shoes that could've been taken out of a dumpster. He was a student, so sue him, he wore whatever was comfortable, cheap, and available in his size.

Valleka's attention shifted towards the strange boy sitting only a couple meters away and gave him a friendly smile. He looked young, very young. She assumed she must have been nearly ten years his senior. His messy hair, nose ridges, and pointed ears? Now that was something she as not expecting . She took note of the other's tone and posture when he address her. Back straight, chin up, but he was dressed like a potato. Well, he was a kid and an alien. The boy's attire mixed with his oddly confident tone got a few chuckles from Valleka as she gave him a friendly wave. "Why hello there," She spoke in a friendly tone, her voice as smooth as honey. She addressed the boy in Federation Standard seeing as that was the official language of the station. She spoke with genuine confidence, each word enunciated with a near flawless accent. "I am a visitor, and who are you?" Like a true Romulan Valleka wasn't going to be giving her identity out to just anyone. He could probably tell she was from the Republic by her uniform and her clearly Romulan features. Pointed ears and pronounced forehead ridges.

"My name is Cadet Sanel Sauk Tral," He stated, voice even. He had been using that name in his head, and Renakir called him Tral, so he would tell this random Romulan(!!!!) woman to call him the same thing. "You may address me as Cadet Sanel or Tral. I work in the operations division, stationed on the ship," He stated, keeping his tone even and Vulcan-like. Dressed like a potato, indeed, but he simply enjoyed comfortable clothes. And, of course, underneath his rathy tennis shoes, there were no socks.

"It is very nice to meet you Cadet Sanel," Valleka gave him a friendly nod, taking note of his tone. Sauk, now that was a Vulcan name if she ever did hear one. Sanel and Tral, though, sounded Bajoran. Judging from the nose ridges and pointed ears he must have been a mix, how delightful, Valleka thought. "Oh, operations division, that sounds interesting. What do you do exactly?" She inquired, raising the pitch of her voice at the end of her sentence. Sauk spoke like a Vulcan, but it wasn't hard for Valleka to see from the tips of his hair to the bottoms of his scuffed shoes, he was a passionate boy. Not the emotionless pointy-eared drones who couldn't even crack a simple smile.

"I work in communications. I am here for experience," It was the same introduction with almost everyone he met. Where he worked, why he was here and not at Starfleet Academy. He relaxed his posture the tiniest, almost imperceptible bit, then frowned. Wait a minute. Sauk was practically getting interrogated, and this woman hadn't even told him her name! What was he supposed to gather from that? He frowned, trying to Think Like A Romulan. "What is your name, ma'am?" He asked, his tone shifting some as well, unconsciously, as tone was lost on the station's local Vulcjoran.

"Communications, well that would mean you are studying Rihannsu, right?" She asked with a curious smile. When she noticed the other boy relax she took a step forward. He was just young and inexperienced, no need for her to try and intimidate him. She noticed his frown and bent down so she could see this boy on eye level, perhaps having a tall Romulan looking down on him was making him uncomfortable. Oh, that question came as a surprise. He was bolder than she had thought. "You may call me Valleka," She gave just her first name, there was no need for a formal title. Besides, she was here to explore the station as a normal person. This poor boy would probably have a heart attack if he knew she was a senator. There were many senators on Mol'Rihan, unless someone had gone through the list of every single one of them they would probably not recognise her name. Although on Mol'Rihan her reputation often proceeded her.

Valleka. Hmm. "I am learning the language, with help from a friend," Sauk confirmed, nodding. "His name is Lieutenant Torre'vnau. He is mixed as well," He was being generous with his information, because Autism Rambling Brain decided to show up today. "I met him two or so weeks ago." Valleka. Valleka...that didn't sound familiar...had he heard her name from somewhere, though? It didn't sound familiar, yet it did. It was a truly baffling experience that had the poor frightened Cadet furrowing his brows, deep in thought. And he was frightened, oh so very frightened by this tall-ass Romulan lady with an official uniform and a face that said 'cut-throat queen'. He took a steadying breath.

Valleka's ears perked up when she heard the name 'Torre'vnau', a slightly shocked expression crossed her face. It only lasted a couple seconds, if Sauk blinked he would have easily missed it. "That's very nice if your friend," She said as if she had never heard the name in her life. So this boy was one of her fiance's friends? She had to learn more about him. "Mixed as well? May I asked what species are you mixed with?" She asked with genuine curiosity. She knew he was probably Vulcan and Bajoran, but she wanted to hear him say it. Plus it was an easy question, gotta start easy before things get harder. Valleka began to play with the ends of one her braids as he gazed shifted from the nice cadet to the window. Act friendly and casual, that's how you win their trust.

Sauk sighed quietly. "I am Vulcan and Bajoran, but follow the path laid out for me by the Prophets." He stated, gesturing to the earring clipped onto one pointed ear. "The name 'Sauk' is Vulcan, while 'Tral' and 'Sanel' are my Bajoran names," He explained. He hadn't noticed Valleka's shock at 'Torre'vnau', because he'd been too worried trying to seem somewhat confident for this interaction. "And yes, I suppose it is rather kind of him."

She listened to what the boy had to say and looked at his earring when he gestured to it. Beautiful piece of jewelry, she thought. His voice was clear like a Vulcan's, but this Romulan senator was still afraid she was scaring him. She fiddled with one of the clips in her hair and looked out the window. "Vulcan and Bajoran, that's a very interesting combination you have. And it is nice to hear you love the Prophets,“ Valleka chose her words carefully, just like Renakir. There were a lot of similarities between the way the two of them spoke. Not because they spoke often, but because they both came from similar upbringings. The only different was Valleka spoke Standard without a French accent like Renakir did. "How do you like life on the station? I hope people have been treating you well, I hear hybrids still face prejudice, even in such a diverse place like this," She said casually, the words just rolling off her tongue. She was a talented speaker and it definitely showed.

"I have found a home here," Sauk answered almost immediately. He loved the station, he couldn't imagine himself anywhere else anymore, even though his year...was coming to a close, he would have to leave soon. He pushed that thought away, saving it for a time when he wasn't dealing with a strange Romulan civilian. "I have not experienced very much prejudice, hardly any," He told her, and it was true, the only time he could think of that involved spasicm was...the cafe, with Renakir, when they were seated near the back, and the waiters kept eyeing the pair, almost as if they wish they would leave, thought they were spreading some kind of disease in the space- He shut down that train of thought as well.

"I am glad you feel at home," Valleka may have had an intimidating aura at first, but her tone was much different. Friendly, caring, honest, all the things one would not ascribe to a Romulan senator. "Hardly any? So you have experienced some?" She turned her head to look at Sauk once more. Unlike Renakir, she did not have sunglasses to hide her eyes. Her ever curious nature was evident in the way she looked at Sauk as she waited for his response. Her gaze remained gentle, but her slanted eyebrows and forehead ridges gave her that constant Romulan bitch face.

"Yes ma'am, I have. Very often on Earth, and once, here, in a cafe on this ring," He told her the story of the visit to the cafe, leaving out any unimportant details, remaining on the topic: He and Renakir had been seated in the back of the cafe, away from the eyes of the people passing on the promenade, and been almost monitored, constantly, by the staff. It was a frustrating event, the entire thing. He'd simply been enjoying a croissant with a friend, and he was treated like a criminal or something.

His use of 'ma'am' was quite cute, Valleka even cracked a smile when he said it. She wondered where they used that word. Was it a Vulcan or Bajoran thing? Certainly not Vulcan, perhaps it was Bajoran. As the other told his story she nodded and listened attentively. So he managed to get her fiance out for a snack? That was odd, she was hoping to get more information about that, time to ask. "Oh that does sound very awful. I'm so sorry you had to go through that Sanel. Hmm you mentioned your friend was a hybrid, what is he a mix of?" She asked, still playing ignorant.

"Romulan and Reman," Sauk replied. "His first name, or the one he goes by, is Reman." Sauk knew how to tell names by cultures, knowing almost seven languages at only nineteen. Quite the feat to some, but Sauk's brain was simply wired in a way that let him build pathways from words in one language to the same word in another. "He is called Renakir,"

"Romulan and Reman, now that is a combination I never thought I would see," Valleka said, a clear look of shock crossed her face. This time she wanted Sauk to notice. "You know, being Reman could be considered a crime amongst Romulan people, I am glad he has found a friend in you, Cadet," If she was human, she may have given Sauk a friendly pat on the back. But she was Romulan and instead just gave Sauk a gentle smile. "You are a very kind boy, Sauk. I'm glad we could chat," Valleka wasn't here to interrogate anyone. Baby steps, Make a good impression and slowly work up to friendship and maybe get some intel. "I have some business to attend to, please stay well and if anyone gives you any problems and I mean anyone, just tell me and I will make sure the matter is sorted," She said, emphasising the last word specifically. Sauk was kind and had a pure heart, she felt a lot of sympathy for him, in many ways he reminded her of Renakir.

Well. Okay then. This would...probably be something to talk to Renakir about, maybe he could help him detangle the meaning of Valleka's words. Sauk simply nodded on the outside, however. "I will, ma'am," Sauk told her, somewhat confused by the insistance that she help him with...spacism, he supposed. Were Romulans very anti-spacist? Was that something? He had no clue. "I'm sorry for holding you," He added awkwardly. Had he been dragging the conversation on? He didn't...think he had...but he didn't have a very accurate perception of the world around him.

"It was no problem, I enjoyed talking with you, I am touring the station. It's amazing how much I still don't know about this place despite it being practically in my backyard," Vellaka chuckled and gave the boy a friendly wave. "Au revoir, mon ami," She said in French with a pretty good accent for just knowing a few words. With that she disappeared into the crowd of the promenade.

Very confused and slightly shook, Suak returned to ~~Waving~~ Looking Through A Window.

[D]Four entered the promenade with a slow look around, he was still wary of being around here because of that ensign but he couldn't see him do he decided that it was safe enough to go to a free table on the promenade and sit, be wasn't going to go bother anyone but he was trying to get more interactive with the people on the starbase so he sat down and if anyone wanted to talk he was willing to. He briefly reached up and ran his hands through his black hair, his hand grazing the remains of his old optical implant that had been painted to match his skintone.

Georgia walked over the promenade, making her way to... somewhere. She did stand out a little with her bright blue turtleneck sweater and black jeans, but she didn't seem to notice the Ex-B. If he wished to talk, he'd have to call her over.

He noticed the odd clothing of the woman and being liberated Borg and not used to a lot of the things people did, he wanted to learn why she wore what she did. He stood and walked over to her. "Excuse me," He started in a monotone voice. "may I ask what the colors of what you are wearing means? I am not familiar with a lot of species customs."

She turned to look at the man that approached her and smiled softly as he asked her the question. "Well, they don't mean anything, dear. I just thought they'd look nice together. Why do you ask?" She said as she raised her eyebrow slightly, looking at the younger man.

"I am... unfamiliar with life on a station. I am used to having a ship where everyone is in uniform... I didn't know if the colors meant anything else." He explained with a slightly confused tone, his head cocked to the side slightly.

"Well, people wear what they like when off-duty. Sometimes red, another time yellow. I've seen some pretty crazy colours going around the station." She chuckled lightly before looking at the man again. She noticed the implants on him, those were all too obvious; an Ex-B. "And truth be told, the Borg aren't exactly fashionable, now are they?"

"They are not. No. I apologize if I offended you, I was just curious." He said with an apologetic yet still monotone voice. He hadn't meant to be rude, it was just a curiosity that he had wanted to solve.

"You didn't offend me, dear. You'd have to do a lot better if you want to do that." She smiled warmly at him, giving a slight pat against the side of his arm in order to reassure him. "Anyways, what brings you here?"

He shrunk back the slightest amount at the touch but otherwise he didn't react to the smile or pat. "To the station or to the promenade?" He asked, trying to get clarification.

"Both." She said with a slight grin. "I'm rather curious."

"I am here on board the station because I requested a transfer from my last ship and was sent here by Starfleet Command. As for being on the promenade, I am here to try and talk with others. The Counselor on my last ship wanted me to talk with others more." He explained the same monotone voice as always. His tone didn't change at all during the entire time he spoke.

"Really now? Well, if you want to have a chat with people, you're best bet is the clubs and bars around the place. Lots of people to talk to!" She grinned brightly at the man. "Though it's good to see you reintegrating with us all."

"I am trying my best to adapt. It has been a rough nine years." He said with a small nod. He thought he caught sight of someone he really didn't want to see and adjusted his foot placement just enough where he was turned away from them enough that the crowd would help hide him. "I try to avoid the bars and clubs, typically that is where I had the most problems during my time at the academy..." He added on in the same monotone voice.

She raised her eyebrow at his sudden turn. That really seemed to interest her. Truth be told, she's always had a keen eye for people's behaviour. "Is something bothering you, dear?"

"No. I am fine." He said with a slightly hurried monotone voice. The man passed by his peripheral vision again and he saw it wasn't that ensign and he returned to his original position.

She looked over her shoulder to see what was behind her, noticing the crowd. She turned back and face him, raising her eyebrow slightly. "You want to avoid someone, no? I've seen this behaviour before with others. It's pretty recognisable.*

He gave her an almost imperceptible nod. "Yes..." He started in a still hurried but also slower monotone voice. "We have had various altercations over the last nine years and I would prefer not to have any more."

"Those will happen either way, dear. You can't avoid it. I've had altercations with people because I'm an empath. Trust me, we all get some type of confrontation. It's simply up to you if you let those influence you or not." She said with a small grin.

"I would prefer to not almost have to go to sickbay again. It is very inefficient." He said firmly. He had a slight emphasis when he said inefficient'. Being efficient and effective was the two most important things for him, and he hated being anything else l.

"Right. How about you take some self-defence classes then? If people try and hurt you for who you are, you should at least be able to defend yourself, no?"

"I will be fine if I do not run into him." He said firmly. He didn't want to hurt people, that was one of his largest do not do's. He refused to do it during the academy and on the ship, he wouldn't do it now. "I do not want to hurt others." He added with the same firm monotone voice.

"You don't have to hurt them, you simply have to dodge their attacks, tire them out enough." She said with a soft smile, making a small gesture with her hand.

"I see." He said with the same monotone voice. He probably would look into it later but as of now he was just going to focus on this conversation. "I will look into it."

"I hope it helps you." She said with a warm smile. "I never caught your name by the way." She said as she raised her eyebrow slightly.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Four of Six." He said with a small, polite nod at the end of his monotone introduction. "And you?"

"Lieutenant Georgia Hill. Glad to meet you, Four." She extended a hand towards the man with a warm smile on her face.

He hesitated before he politely and firmly shook her hand. He really didn't like touching people and it was once more happening... "It is agreeable to meet you ma'am." He said, automatically latching onto the lieutenant part of her introduction.

"Just Georgia, please. I'm not one for all that "Ma'am" stuff. Makes me feel older than I already am." She chuckled softly before letting go of his hand. "You won't mind if I call you Four, right? Unless you want me to use your full designation?"

"Four is acceptable. Just as long as you do not just call me "Borg" I couldn't care less." He said bluntly. It wasn't meant to be blunt, he was just trying to remind himself that he needed to remember to call her 'Georgia' and not 'ma'am'

"Why would I call you Borg? You're not a Borg, so I don't see a reason as to why I should call you that." She smiled warmly at him.

He gave her a small nod. "That is appreciated." He said in a somewhat thankful but still monotone voice. He briefly brought up his right hand and ran it through his hair.

"So. Tell me, Four." She gestured forward a bit before starting to walk, indirectly asking him to walk with her. "What do you do on the station?"

He started to walk besides her, matching her pace. "I am a quartermaster, I was on my last ship as well." He said with the same monotone voice. He slowed his step counts a little and increased his gait to what was a little more comfortable to him.

"Quartermaster, hm? That's quite the job! How're you enjoying it thus far?" She asked as she looked at him.

"It is acceptable. I do not mind it if that is what you are asking." He said in the same monotone, not really bothering to go into more detail than that because it efficiently summed up his opinion.

"And do you have any wishes for the future? Maybe you'll become Chief of Operations one day. Won't that be fun?" She smiled warmly at the younger man, walking along in a steady pace.

"I do not know, I am just here." He said with an almost verbal shrug. He really didn't care, he was really just here, he just didn't want to hurt others, and this was one of the ways ge saw that could help others.

"Is that it? You're just here? Come on, anyone has to have some sort of dream, no?" She asked with a light chuckle, raising her eyebrow.

"I am simply here, I want to help others, there is no other reason." He said with an almost verbal shrug as he walked besides her.

"Really now?" She looked forward with an amused smile. "You surprise me, Four. I really thought you had some big plan to become the COO or something along those lines." She let out a slight chuckle, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.

"What is the point? I would have the same basic duties as I do now." He said with a slightly confused tone, his head cocking to the side some.

"Most people strive to become the best of the best in their respective areas of expertise. I myself for instance would love to become the lead tactical advisor on Earth, but that is a long ways from now." She explained with a warm smile on her face.

"I see. So most people have these goals... I will think about it. But I am perfectly content staying here at this rank and in this position..." He said with the same slightly confused tone and slightly cocked head.

"And that's a wish I can respect. I believe a lot of people can learn something from you, Four. I think more people need to have that content with their current positions."

"I do not think people would like the process..." He said with his voice losing the monotone and his head returning to its normal position. "Most people do not like the prospect of joining the collective."

"They don't have to experience the same things you have experienced in order to have the same desires. Sometimes all it takes is a little convincing!" She said with a bright smile, continuing their little walk.

"I see. I do not understand how I would help teach people to enjoy where they are at." He said with a more casual monotone.

"Tell them why you're content with being in the position that you are in. It's quite simple, really." She had a warm smile on her face as she looked at the Ex-B.

"Oh. I... will think about doing that..." He said after a clearly thoughtful second. He continued to walk besides the Lieutenant in the same way as he had been since he changed his pace and gait.

"Well, Four, dear. This has been very nice, but I have a daughter to raise. She's been acting like a little brat as if late. I'll see you around, ok?" She said with a bright smile before walking off in the direction of the nearby lift.

"Understood ma'am." He said with a small nod before moving to the south promenade.

[D] T'kelio leaned against a wall beside a window, eyes full of sadness but her face otherwise stoic. Tral had been avoiding her. She knew that he would take the news somewhat poorly, but to completely avoid the woman who had once been his only friend? She was almost hurt. She let out an imperceptible sigh, running her hands through her short hair and looked out at the stars surrounding the station.

When Renakir arrived on the promenade the area was surprisingly quiet. He adjusted his sunglasses and walked towards the window to stare into space. He had no idea there was someone else beside him, his mind was still thinking about what Valleka had said. He had no idea what caused her sudden outburst. Was she made he didn't make any plans to meet her? Maybe she thought he was avoiding her. Untrue, well, he was a busy man. Renakir folded his hands behind himself and stared into the vast open space. It was hard to believe home was just a short shuttle ride away.

The Vulcan archeologist looked over at the person suddenly beside her, blinking. "Hello," She greeted, acknowledging the man. He appeared to be Romulan....though there were some qualities about him that suggested maybe not fully.

Renakir was just vibing and looking out the window when he heard a voice greet him. As if turning on a light switch, his whole body tensed up when he turned his head and noticed the other's slanted eyebrows and pointed ears. His first assumption was Romulan, but upon a second glance he noticed she was indeed Vulcan. This mini panic only lasted a few seconds, but the other would certainly have noticed a brief look of shock on Renakir's face. "Jolan tru," He greeted softly, turning his head to look back out the window. He was never quite sure how to go about interacting with Vulcans. Although reunification was not forced upon all Romulans after the supernova, there was always a part of him who thought he was somehow 'wrong' for not wanting to seek out the Vulcan way of life. For what it was worth, he was practicing Vulcan meditation and it showed in his flat and emotionless voice.

She had seen his body language before he tensed up, so she knew that Something Was Up. The question was what. Now, most Vulcans would be content to never find out, but not T'kelio. How to go about this...introduction first. "My name is T'kelio. I am currently visiting my betrothed. How shall I address you? She said in an equally emotionless voice that only wavered on the word 'betrothed'.

*Visiting my betrothed, what a coincidence. Her wavering voice when she said that word rang every alarm in his head. A Vulcan woman on the starbase visiting her betrothed who was most likely also Vulcan and talking to Renakir who also had his betrothed on the station. What a funny coincidence that he was definitely not buying. Even though he pretended not to have been affected by Valleka's words, the Romulan paranoia was beginning to take over again.* "T'kelio, it is nice to meet you," Renakir spoke with a neutral tone, hiding the inner turmoil that was slowly taking over his entire being. "Re-- You may call me Solait," Renakir closed his eyes, thankfully they were hidden behind his dark sunglasses. "May I ask who you are here to visit?"

"His name is Cadet Sauk Tral," She replied. What had he been about to say? Nevermind, that wasn't a problem. "He works in the operations division. Perhaps you have met him?" She prompted.

His mind was telling him to nope the fuck out of the conversation as soon as he heard the familiar name. He had no idea Tral was engaged-- or maybe he should have realised even someone who was half Vulcan would have a betrothed from birth. Renakir hid the shock from his face, but the shift in emotion was obvious by the way the tips of his floppy little ears turned a darker shade of green. "He is my... Friend. I am a transporter operator but we are both in OPS," Renakir stated, pausing before saying the word friend. They had called each other friends in the past, but thinking about what Valleka had said, Renakir was seriously beginning to doubt if he even deserved to be 'friends' with anyone. Was he really just a dirty blooded liar? Hybrids in Romulan society were even worse than Remans.

"I see. Then perhaps you can help me? He seems to be avoiding me..." She frowned. "We haven't spoken in quite some time, he is being rather illogical in this situation, seeing as the betrothal is almost unavoidable. Is there anything he's told you that could help me understand his odd behavoir? Or is this normal for him?" She asked.

*He seems to be avoiding me, it wouldn't be the first time he's heard that. Renakir took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut. He rubbed the tips of his ears with his fingers, a nervous habit he used to have when he was younger. Why was he feelings so on edge and with a Vulcan none the less. She was not Romulan, there was no 3D chess here.* "He has never mentioned you to me," Renakir stated, his voice emotionless, but his body language conveyed his emotions loud and clear. "I do not know about Tral, however.. I am in a similar position. My betrothed is also here and I have been avoiding her," Renakir spoke slowly, but his tone was wavering. "I think Tral is similar to me so, perhaps I can give you some insight," He turned towards T'kelio, noticing her frown. She was Vulcan, but all he could see was Valleka standing there. "Many cultures have done away with arranged marriages. The concept of being set up with a partner by one's parents could be embarrassing, especially if one grew up in a culture that does not have that practice. In my case, I have always felt out of place as a Romulan in the Federation. It is not that I dislike my betrothed, but instead feel anxiety when face with my own culture. I do not believe this is a reflection on you, but perhaps on his own struggles with his Vulcan identity.“

T'kelio listened to this, nodding slowly as the Romulan man spoke. She pondered his words, her expression thoughtful, before speaking. "I hadn't thought about it that way. Another thing that is concerning me is the fact that Tral identifies as aromantic, and isn't interested in any sort of romantic relationship. I fear this may contribute to his discomfort," She said, basically doing the Vulcan equivalent of spitballing ideas.

Now this was quite a revelation. Sauk identified as aromantic? Romulans did not have a concept of sexuality or romantic attraction, there was only 'trust bonds' and 'I will probably murder you in your sleep', bonds. As for genders? 'Dead' or 'Alive'. Renakir adjusted his sunglasses on his face and nodded slowly. "Perhaps," He said thoughtfully, considering everything he had said and what he knew about Sauk. "I apologise I do not know how Vulcan relationships work, however Tral seems happy with his life on this Starbase. He is of mixed heritage much like myself and perhaps he does not wish to return to a Vulcan life. It is often difficult to feel at home in a homogenous society as a child of a mixed union," Renakir paused, realising he had divulged maybe too much. "He enjoys his friends here, perhaps you could consider the possibility he has also found another relationship or his sexuality may not align with your own. I can speak to him on your behalf, however I cannot make any promises he will see you."

"I would appreciate that, Solait. I admit that I hadn't considered the fact that he may already be in a relationship...it has been too long since we've seen each other," She would've sighed, but she wasn't alone anymore. So she simply shook her head. "I can't even picture him happy with someone, that just doesn't seem right," she added. Tral....in love? That was like...that was like Trral without his love of cats. Wrong.

"Many things can change," Renakir spoke calmly and softly. His voice was no longer emotionless, his tone was that of sadness. T'kelio was kind and honest, she was nothing like Valleka. A part of him wished she had been his betrothed instead, maybe he wouldn't feel as much anxiety over the arrangement. "Perhaps it would be logical to drop preconceived notions about him and approach him with an open mind. He may be more willing to talk if you show interest in getting to know him as he is now instead of trying to remind him of what he left," Renakir rubbed the tips of his ears again before letting his hands drop to his sides.

Solait...truly was wise. "I suppose that would be the best plan proceeding. I truly do wish to know him...I am simply struggling to wrap my head around how much time it's been, and the fact that anything has changed. It is logical, however, to assume that it has," She nodded.

He could tell she was listening to his words and he was glad. He may not have been able to help himself, but at the very least he could help T'kelio. Maybe this conversation would help him face Valleka in the future. "He has a lot of potential. He is one of the kindest people I have ever met. I wish you all the luck in the universe, T'kelio," He gave her a reassuring nod and a slight smile. He made sure to keep his mouth closed, afraid to scare the nice Vulcan lady with his teeth. She already knew he was mixed, but he purposefully withheld the details. He felt bad for her, he was definitely going to ask Sauk about at least sitting with her to talk.

"I thank you for that. I see that his kindness has stayed the same...he was like this when we were young. It is one of my favorite things about him," She noted, a small smile that showed in her eyes forming on her face. "He is truly a wonderful person, isn't he?" She meant all of this platonically, despite being betrothed to him.

"He is," Renakir caught the small smile that crept across her face. To see a Vulcan smiling, now that was something. He could tell how much she cared for him and did hope he could get through to the young Sauk. Renakir combed his fingers through his fluffy black hair and sighed. "I should be on my way. Thank you for your company, T'kelio. I will tell Tral to contact you. I apologise I cannot be of more help."

"It is alright. It was nice to talk to you," T'kelio nodded, recognizing the social cues that indicated that the interaction was drawing to a close. She stepped back and gave Renakir room to leave, remembering how Romulans were about touch, accidental or not.

He noticed her stepping to the side and appreciated the space. Vulcans were also sensitive about personal space, but a bit less so than Romulans. Whilst Vulcans preferred personal space as respect, Romulans preferred personal space for safety. “I hope to see you again soon," Renakir said before existing the area and walking back down the promenade.

With that, T'kelio left in the opposite direction, going back to wherever NPCs are kept when they aren't needed.

Jack was sat back on one of the windows of the promenade, enjoying his book. It was an old novel about world War 2 bomber crews that he always loved he had probably read it a million and one times by now yet everytime he still found himself thoroughly entertained.

He walked in and began looking around for the ensign, the promenade was busy but the old commander had never lost his keen eyes. After a short scan of the room he pointed over at Jack. "Ah, there he is." He marched over and leaned against the wall. He cleared his throught and then asked out of formality. "Excuse me, would you happen to be Ensign McLellan."

Jack was taken by suprise and nearly dropping his book in the process of giving the man his attention. He hadn't expected anyone to disturb him while he was reading, even if he wasn't doing anything important. He slowly looked up to the unfamiliar face above him... wait... three pins... what had Jack gotten himself into. Now he really jumped straight up to attention. "Yes Sir?" Jack was quietly sweating as he looked weighed the possibilities. 'Have I been replicating too much ice maybe?' He thought to himself 'am I not supposed to do that?'

He chuckled. "Don't worry ensign, I'm not here to arrest you, or to cause you any trouble. No, no I actually wanted to give you an opportunity, to add you for an away mission I'm putting together. From what I've read your one of the best pilots their is, even if you may replicate a bit too much ice which, I don't want to see you doing on my shuttle, got it?"

He thought for a moment 'I guess replicating a lot of ice was a problem wait...' "You want me on an away mission?! Like you wanted me? I didn't think I'm that great but I'd be happy to come along sir, and I promise I won't be replicating any ice."

He smiled at the young ensigns enthusiasm. "Perfect young man, this should make a great opportunity for you. It's a stellar cartography mission into a nebula, some kinda dangerous stuff so I just want to make sure you are up for it. Oh, and did I mention you may be acting in a bit of a leadership compacity? Basically everything us scientists need lives and dies by your flying, you think it isn't safe? It's up to you? So I ask you again, are you sure you're up for this?"

He weighed over the danger for a moment... Sauk might not like that... but this, this was the opportunity of a lifetime for Jack. A man like Commander Myers would more likely then not have a lot of connections at the top of star fleet. Performing here could mean a lot for his career. After only a few second mulling it over he responded. "Yes! I would love nothing more then to fly for you commander. Thank you for this amazing opportunity." Jack gathered up his book. "Sir, until the mission I promise I'll be running some heavy sims, you won't regret this!"

He smiled a little bit wider, the ensign was certainly a good one. He even reminded Lewis of a younger version of himself. "Never lose that enthusiasm young man and you'll go far in starfleet, oh and don't tire yourself on those sims, I know just as well as anyone how fast they can wear a man out." The commander walked off just as fast as he came. He had a lot of work to do.

With nothing else to do, she began to look around for a place to sit for a while. She had quite a lot to think about after all. She wandered around the promenade with confident strides. Her presence was hard to ignore, a tall Romulan lady, Republic dress uniform, her flashy style and make up. Despite not knowing where she was going she walked around as if she owned the place.

And Sam walked around the promenade as well, humming a song to herself. Seeing the Romulan walking around made her raise an eyebrow though. Who did that lady think she was? Some evil overlord?

There were so many people on the promenade that day. Moreso than usual. It was difficult for Valleka to swerve in and out to try to avoid contact. Perhaps it was her little showdown in the turbo from earlier, but she had more than just a few close calls. In her attempt to side step a pair of very wide Bolians she ended up crossing right in the path of a certain human security officer!

Well, as the laws of cause and effect predicted, Sam ended up bumping into the Romulan woman. She, however, didn't seem to be pushed back that far. She was basically a pillar of stone, just standing there, menacingly. "My apologies, miss. Are you ok?" She said calmly, looking at the Romulan as she raised her eyebrow slightly, a soft smile on her face.

Valleka was easily knocked back when she collided with the security officer. She was much thinner and her heels were not making it any easier to regain her footing. Of course she kept her poker face the entire time, not wanting to give any hints as to what she was thinking. "Fine," She spoke in a hurried tone, her eyes quickly scanning the woman before looking at her own feet. "Sorry, there are just so many people here," Now in a much calmer tone, Valleka was putting up her best innocent act as she typically did in these sorts of sitautions.

"Then you better watch out. We don't want you to trip, now do we?" Seems like Sam couldn't care less about the innocent act. She recognised the woman as the one that was trying to rule the place a few seconds ago. That alone already caused Sam to be weary of the woman. She didn't trust Romulans, especially the "I did nothing wrong, but I'm still gonna walk over you" types. And this one definitly was exactly that type.

"Is there something going on today? It's definitely more crowded than usual," Valleka crossed her arms and frowned, looking at all the people passing them. This human was not giving her any sympathy and she could already feel the judgement. Typical of humans, they never trusted Romulans, but the feeling was mutual. "Is there no place to sit down here-- away from all the people scurrying about?"

"I'd say enter a shop, look for a seat and sit down. Or go to a cafe, that works too." She gave a shrug and looked at the Romulan. "This is a Federation Space Station, it'll always be crowded. No escaping that." She said with a chuckle, looking back at the crowd. "I'm Lieutenant Voxellus by the way, Chief Security."

Valleka huffed and then sighed. Well, guess she wasn't going to have any peace in the utility ring after all. That Eshen boy made it sound like this was the place to be, but maybe he didn't account for the crowd. "Lieutenant, nice to meet you," She gave Sam a polite nod, no handshake of course. "Chief of security, so that must mean you have quite a lot of duties, you must have exciting day to day."

"Mainly those duties are that of making sure people don't cause any issues. We don't want any conflict, now do we?" She gave a slight chuckle, looking at the Romulan once more. She indirectly meant the woman in front of her, but the Romulan didn't know that. "But who might you be?"

"With a Starbase this size I am not surprised you need to be on your toes," Valleka chuckled, covering her mouth as she did so. She began to play with the ends of one of her braids as she looked at Sam in the eyes. That Romulan stare, piercing, and a clear attempt at intimidation. "Oh, just a visitor to see my promised mate, but he's been avoiding me. What a pity, but that's men for you. Elusive as always," She sighed, pretending to look distraught by the whole situation.

Sam stared back at the Romulan, staring right through her. She's dealt with Romulans before, their tricks wouldn't work on her. "I'd prefer a name, not a riddle." She said with a sigh, looking at the Romulan. She definitely wasn't buying the act. It seems as if she had a lot of experience with handling Romulans.

Alright, this woman was clearly not going to play along. She was chief of security so clearly she was smart. Still, Valleka liked messing with humansm especially those who didn't play along. She looked away from Sam for a moment before locking eyes once again. "A name, well you can just call me Valleka, Lieutenant," She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave Sam a friendly smile. She had no doubts the human would see through her kind gestures and sweet words, but it was the game she played.

"Well, Miss Valleka." She said as she looked at the Romulan with a small hand gesture. "When will you stop the kindness act?" She raised her eyebrow slightly, a frown on her face.

"Kindness act?" Valleka pretended to look shocked and then shook her head. "It's not an act, Lieutenant. Are you sure you are not projecting your own prejudices against Romulans on me?" She put her hands on her hips and frowned. She knew she should have followed Renakir when he stepped out of the turbolift. "And what would I gain by putting on an act? I'm not plotting anything if you're worried about security. I have no guards with me, I'm completely unarmed, and-- I said I am here to visit my betrothed who also happens to be a Starfleet officer."

"To tease and annoy. That is the reason 9 out of 10 times. I'm quite familiar with your people, miss Valleka." She said as she looked at the woman, raising her eyebrow slightly. "You walk on the promenade as if you own the place, and when spoken to you put yourself in an innocent position in the hopes of gaining empathy and compassion. Truth be told, it's more effective when children do it."

"No way, I would never!"She shook her head and crossed her arms. Now she was really wishing that she had Renakir with her. At least if he was there she'd have someone to help her with these sorts of human interactions. Still, she was good at keeping her calm, she was totally not still upset from her earlier adventure in the turbo. "I don't expect empathy and compassion from a human, especially not one in security."

"Who's the one with prejudice now?" She said with a slight smirk, raising her eyebrow at the Romulan next to her. It really was too easy sometimes. Truth be told, most Romulans were like this in her experience. So she wasn't surprised by all this.

"You of course, oh well I guess I'll be honest with you. I just came here to clear my head, my fiancé was being mean to me earlier," Valleka sighed and looked away from Sam. She was telling the truth here, even if her voice did sound insincere. She had an inkling suspicion that perhaps this was a set up. No way the chief of security would just 'bump into' her. She certainly knew Renakir and this was a set up. "You're.. not here to arrest me, are you?"

She laughed when she heard the last comment, shaking her head. "You serious?" She said with a wide smile, raising her eyebrow at the Romulan. "No! Why would I? I have no grounds to do that. Unless you were to punch someone in the face right now, I'm not allowed to arrest you."

She sighed with relief, oh good so Renakir didn't tell security to arrest her-- well, she didn't do anything wrong so of course he wouldn't have any grounds to report her. Right? "Oh good well if that's not the case I think I'll go back to my temporary quarters now, Lieutenant," Valleka took a deep breath and tried to keep a neutral expression but she was clearly still worried about Renakir.

"I guess I'll see you around then. Though I guess it would be best if you saw less of me; me being chief security and all. Anyways, have a good day, miss Valleka." She gave a nod and smiled softly at the Romulan. What an odd person, though her intentions seemed truthful enough. Now to wait and see what she'll do in the future besides causing trouble.

She gave Sam a polite smile before gracefully walking away. She definitely still suspected a set up, maybe that was something to ask Renakir later.

Having met with Del around an hour ago now (fifty-three minutes ago if anyone asked, not as if he was counting ~~not impatiently at least, just instinctively~~), Giles had spent his time on a slow wander along the promenade. He was beginning to realise that he had really underestimated how large this station was - and that was something he didn't like, because his predictions were normally accurate to a T. It was evident that his perception of what these starbases were like had been skewed. 777 certainly wasn't remote or desolate or run down like he had expected it to be, and it was such that he was almost in awe as he wandered along, taking in the sights. Eventually he was interrupted by a message from one of the Security officers who he had spoken to earlier informing him that the CoS was now free, so he ended his sightseeing with the intention of getting to work in mind - but he would definitely be back to explore the remainder of the promenade later.

"Really? I don't think I've actually ever been in any that still do, actually, but I was thinking about hooking something up to.." The engineer stopped for a second as his brain actually processed what Dion said. Wait, Dion sang? This was actually great news, because if he could sing, then maybe... maybe ... it was an old idea Allan had on his old posting, and nobody ever wanted to do it, but now?? Now there was a chance. Maybe. "You sing?" A look of absolute excitement came to the man's green eyes, not even taking much notice to the environment around him as they walked down the promenade. Exploring be damned, he just learned his friend could sing.

"Ah, yes. I mean, I compose songs, why wouldn't I sing them?" Dion said, deciding to bullshit his way through this. He was Eshen K'Tann - no, he was Dion, and Dion was not afraid to wear short shorts or sing, and especially not the Dion he was around Allan, a brazen influence. Besides, Allan just looked so damn excited for some reason and it was adorable. "What was that about hooking up?"

He was excited, for a multitude of reasons right now, but particularly because like, multiple of his interests were all being fired at the same time right now in his brain. "Yes, exactly! I think that's amazing. You know, on my old base, I tried to make a band, but nobody was ever quite interested, but like... I sing, and play a few instruments, and I can compose a melody or two but am kinda, admittedly shit with the writing but you..." he looked at Dion again, same excitement still in his eyes. "You can write! And sing! So." He looked over in the direction of the turbolift long behind them again. "Well," he started to say, but then his brain for some reason decided to forget what he was thinking about so he went with something else. "I don't actually remember. I'm constantly hooking up, though, so maybe something along those lines..?"

The boy arrived! The writer is too tired to come up with a fit, so use your imagination. He made his way toward Allan, noticing the other man he was with. “Hey, you!” He said, grinning as he reached the pair. “And hello, Dion, was it? I don’t believe we’ve met, I’m Risren Detta,” He nodded in acknowledgment. Three polyamorous men on the promenade, what would happen next? Most likely chaos, knowing these three.

"Ha, me too. As for singing - well, I'd love to join your band, but I wouldn't want to take away your spotlight," Dion lied, as if singing on a stage like Freddie Mercury wasn't a frequent shower fantasy of his - he named one of his plants after the man, even, "So perhaps I could write and you could - oh! Hello, Risren!" Dion said, holding out a gloved hand for the Orion to shake. His own fit was the same as previously described in #deleted-channel if you scroll up a bit, but with short shorts on his shapely Dion derrière. "I've heard very good things from your handsome business partner here. Love your earrings, by the way." (Assuming Risren might be wearing the ones as seen in his icon). (edited)

"You'd just make it, like, infinitely better, don't worry," Allan said, mentally noting to make actual band plans for later when Risren came up to them both and Dion and Risren introduced themselves to eachother. "Oh, Risren! I've gotta catch you up on some things," he said, taking the notepad out of his satchel and slowing his walk so he could show it to Risren properly. "So, Dion over here is pretty impressive, I mean - obviously you can tell that just by looking, but we made... we made a petition for the Starfleet Shorts. And then," he flipped the page on his notepad to go back to the little limerick Dion had written. "Dion also wrote this! Super talented, right?" For all y'all's sake I'm going to put the limerick again in #rp-discussion because yeah.

“This is gonna be official? You’ve already got my signature, we’ve gotta work on getting more!” Risren grinned, keeping pace with the other two. Turning his attention on Dion, he smiled. “That poem thingy is really good, too! I love it! And thanks! I made them myself!” Risren said, flaunting his pair of earrings shaped like jewels, colored like the genderqueer flag.

"You're welcome! I admire your craftiness; wish I could say the same, but I just bought mine," Dion said, gesturing to his dangly amethyst earrings that were shaped like a tiny bunch of grapes. "Now, the question is," Dion continued, standing outside the entrance to #misc-shops, "Do we want to stand around looking pretty outside getting petitions as people walk in? Or wander around in there?"

"Wait, you made those? Wow," he looked at the earrings again. They really were very well crafted! He looked around the entrance, and then peered into the #misc-shops . "I think standing around looking pretty would prooobably be best? Unless," he looked at his business partner, "you had any other ideas?"

“Well, I suppose we could do both, but that would be unfair to the person doing it alone. So I’ll just go with what this sexy genius thinks is best,” He said decisively. “Sound like a plan?” Risren asked, looking at what he was now referring to as Team Booty Shorts.

Eshen broke character for a second and shot Risren a brief grateful look when he mentioned it would be unfair to the person doing it alone, then went back to playing Dion. Tuthfully, the idea of walking around like this where any old Vulcan could see him was absolutely not something he had the confidence to do alone just yet. Dion seemed confident - partially because this was sort of becoming his confidence-sona - and he was, but this would still usually be a bit outside of his comfort range. It was ironic that their presence was what was emboldening him and they didn't even know about it. "Sounds like a plan. Sexiness in numbers." Cue petitioning montage?

Sexy Starfleets Shorts Petitioning Montage! Basically, what that probably consists of is these three handsome people doing fun little poses in their Starfleet Shorts and then when people came by, asking them if they'd be willing to sign their petition to ensure everyone can be most comfortable in their own skin while on the job! There was probably some people who thought it was ridiculous and rolled their eyes and walked on by- or people who said that was unprofessional and they wouldn't sign, but they admired the enthusiasm - but all in all, at least we'd like to think - there was probably a good amount of enthusiasm and signatures gained for the Starfleet Shorts Movement, or whatever this was now. Overall, they got eighty (80) signatures (counting their own or not, I don't know) and that was an amazing start. Sexiness in numbers seemed to pay off.

“Fuck yeah!” Risren called when they had assumably decided to call it a day. “80 signatures? This is happening, you guys!” He was uncharacteristically excited, and especially glad to be doing things with friends. His fear of being alone in life instilled in him by his isolated childhood still lingered, and he got a rush from every interaction that he referred to as the People Like Me High. People liked him, Allan maybe more than a friend, and he definitely liked them as well. “Team Booty Shorts, taking 777 by storm!” He cheered, pumping a fist in the air. Man might as well have been jumping up and down with joy, he was so excited. “Oh- and, Allan, Captain Branch is coming to the station! He agreed to help!” He said, turning to his business partner with a ridiculously big grin, yellow eyes shining.

Dion put his all into this. Every pose meticulously articulated like he was his own wooden doll, every smile for a stranger just warm enough, every eloquent word of explanation appropriately honeyed. Except for one particular Vulcan Eyebrow Raise from one potential petitioner that made him have to excuse himself to the bathroom to recover, any accusations of indecency or unprofessionalism were like water off a swan's back to him. By the end, he was beaming almost as hard as Risren was, despite how an incident like with one the Vulcan would usually put a cap on his emotional expression. "Team Booty Shorts. That would be a fun band name. Who's Captain Branch?" Dion asked. Some sort of tree man? "Don't tell me you got an actual Captain involved in these shenanigans? Quite the connections." (edited)

"Quite the band name, you're right...!" Allan said, writing that down on the same sheet of paper that had the limerick Dion wrote earlier. Team Booty Shorts... yeah, it'd probably grow on him. The same excitement Risren had turned out to be contagious, because he also was grinning ear to ear, green eyes shining right back as he looked at his business partner. "No way. Like actually!?" He asked in disbelief, turning to Dion to explain what he knew. "Yeah, he's an actual Captain, apparently, so if we get a photoshoot with him it'll really boost our look, we think. That's -" he still was in disbelief of all of this. That the Captain agreed to help out, that they'd met Dion and Dion had helped in such amazing ways, and that they got 80 fucking signatures on this petition in just a few hours. He looked back at Risren, into those shining yellow eyes that, for some reason, made him feel the same warmth inside as sunshine on a summer day. "That's absolutely amazing. We ... we did great." He looked across the group again. It was amazing to have friends, too.

“Yes, an actual Captain! Adam Branch, Captain of the Challenger. He used to be one of my professors, and the minute I saw him my gaydar went off,” He nodded, confirming what Dion had asked. “He’s going to arrive some time this week, he says. If we can convince him, maybe some officers on the Challenger will sign! Oh, and I can ask my friend Yuso on Starbase 21 to sign! She’ll definitely want a pair,” He said excitedly. “You guys, I’m so fucking happy right now,” He couldn’t help but say, looking back and forth between the two. He was definitely Feeling Things, a lot of things. So many emotions were thrashing around in his head that it was almost overwhelming. He felt like he was full of sunshine, but there was a shadow, as well. A tiny seed of worry that whispered ‘what if Allan and Dion get rid of you? They don’t need you anymore…you’re worthless to them’. He shook his head, tossing the feeling aside to the back of his brain. “We’re unstoppable,” He declared, giving the human and the Vulkling a determined look. “The ‘Fleet uniform designers have nothing on us,”

"Officers on other stations? Is this becoming a fleet-wide movement? A uniform uprising? A culo-covering coup d'état? An act of space-spanning sexy shorts sedition?" Eshen looked both amused and intrigued by the idea. He wondered if Risren's radar had pinged him already. Probably more than a ping. A blaring air-horn. "You're right, though, we are unstoppable. Although, not to deflate both of your endearing enthusiasm, I'd quite like to stop for food somewhere while we're here."

Allan was simply overjoyed at all this. "Me too," he said in response to Risren, "we really are unstoppable. Except," he looked back around at Dion, "for some stupid reason we do have to satisfy silly needs like hunger, sure, sure. Where's the best place around here to go?" He would hopefully finally learn a good food place or two around here! Yay! "Also, I was thinking that..." he thought for a moment on the options Dion had so effortlessly laid out before them. "You know, I like all of those, but I'm definitely a fan of the alliteration behind uniform uprising and... space-spanning sexy shorts sedition. Those are great."

"Yeah! Campaign expanding!" Risren agreed. "Uniform uprising!" Why not? He kept forgetting to message Yosu, he'd do that as soon as he got back to his quarters after this. He had been thinking this over in his head, but he tuned back in when he heard 'food'. "What a coincidence, I'm starving," He replied. "Maybe we should eat together? I'd love something that isn't replicated, for once. Although I do have my roommate, he's apparently some fancy chef from a place called 'Paris'. He asked me on a date, actually," Risren said. "But that's off topic. Food! Where to, Dion?"

"Paris? I love Paris! And hunger. I quite enjoy such primal needs. I don't think eating would be quite so satisfying without it. 'tis the way of life that one needs negative space in art, the silence between beats, etcetera..." Stop being a renaissance man for a minute, Dion. "Anyway, feel free to use my artistic alliteration amalgamations for advertising. The best places I know are Gliqqigug's for coffee, Rana's for drinks, Dich's for pastries, and a few places in #xarantine-cuisine, like Klingon Kuisine and Surak Snacks."

"A date?" Allan asked, and for some reason he looked a bit too... concerned about that? For a second before he quickly realized there was no reason to be asking like that and he had better do a 180 real quick so help him. "Nice." He offered the other a smile, then thinking about the different food places Dion had mentioned. And then he squinted at him. "Did you just.... use alliteration to describe your use of alliteration? I- okay, okay, um-" back on track, "Surak Snacks sounds kinda fun?"

That was...a little sus of Allan, Risren thought to himself, then shrugged when he said 'nice'. "I literally couldn't care less as long as the food is good. But isn't Vulcan food kinda bland?" He asked, frowning slightly. "I enjoy flavor in my foods," Should be fine, though. At this point, he fully expected Dion to break into song, music and everything, musical style, complete with choreography and random background participation. He wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised.

Oh my. Was that a Look? Was Allan jealous of some French guy? Dion hoped he wasn't prone to that kind of thing because that really hampered his intentions of flirting with both of them at the same time. He was interested in them both in his usual fun, casual way, so he'd been doing his best to be inclusive of their business relationship, but he didn't want to stir up any green-eyed devils. Wait, ouch. "Hey, hold on, just because you're completely right doesn't mean you need to come for all of Vulcan like that. I swear, they know how to use spices! A connoisseur like myself wouldn't go there if they didn't." Dion did give that vibe. The irony that they still didn't know he essentially had stage fright was increasing by the minute.

Allan was finnne. Totally fine and definitely going to still try and hook up with Dion later if he remembered. Definitely. And he certainly wouldn't be opposed if Risren tagged along for that. But- "How can he be completely right and yet you're saying he's not...?" He laughed, though, making it very clear he was just teasing about this. He honestly had no idea about this place, but he trusted Dion's word about it. Dion seemed to know about most things, honestly.

Risren just laughed at that, shaking his head. “Are we going to get some food or not?” The Orion asked, nudging the two in the shoulders. “We should get a move on before it’s too late for lunch, I have a dinner date and I definitely plan on eating,” He said lightheartedly, looking around the promenade. “So, which way do we go?”

"This way," Dion said, walking off in the direction of #xarantine-cuisine before they could dilly-dally any longer. "One day I'd like to cook for one or both of you, too. I mostly make Earth food, but I could try to look up something Orion, if that's something Risren would appreciate?"

The date's tonight..? Allan thought to himself as he followed Dion to the #xarantine-cuisine area. "I'm honestly down for trying anything," He said. Both in and out of the dining world, but that was aside from their point as he followed Dion and Risren into the area.

[D] Dion returned to the North, where he, Allan and Risren had once charted dangerous waters into the unknown (which is to say they started a petition and tried out a new restaurant). Risren had suggested yellow, which was a colour Dion hadn't tried much as of late, so it should be fun! He'd put together a halter neck white top exposing his back, a brown canvas of scars, a sheer white cardigan over it, and a pair of light blue denim jeans embroidered with small daisies and daffodils running up the leg and on the back pockets that matched a pair of white converse sneakers with sunflowers on the heels. His gloves were white and ended in lace at his elbow, his earrings were amber and drop-shaped like drizzling honey, and his eyeshadow was a sky blue that made his hazel eyes seem like a warm summer's sun. Today, it seemed, was cottagecore Dion day. He lounged in this fit outside #books-and-blooms, waiting for Risren to turn up. (edited)

Not five minutes after Dion arrived, Risren pulled up in the fit previously mentioned in #deleted-channel, plus a pair of violet earrings, shaped like stars, that the roleplayer had forgotten to mention. Once again, made by Risren’s very own verdant hands. He made his way over to his Vulkling friend, waving to get his attention. “Dion! Hey!” He stopped beside the man. Another thing forgotten by the roleplayer: his eyeshadow for the outing was layered blue and purple, with small flecks of silver glitter, really setting off the galaxy look. He also had with him a blue handbag, what one might call a man purse, or a satchel. But Risren wasn’t 100% a man. So void-purse worked.

Aha, shorts; he should've expected it, really. Dion waved enthusiastically at Risren. It felt odd to compare the only two Orions he knew on the station, especially when one of them was a green Vulcan, but good lord, was meeting with Risren a far less stressful experience than encountering Remun ever was. "Your eyeshadow matches your top! Love it. And the earrings, if I am to assume you made them yourself, are expert craftsman ship. We look like night and day right now, don't we?"

“You’re right, we do! And I did make them. If you ever wanted, I do occasionally do requests for other people,” He offered, laughing slightly. “I could see a pair of cloud earrings working well with that outfit, but the amber ones you have on pair perfectly as well,” Risren mused, picturing that in his mind. “So. Books and Blooms- an interesting combo for one shop,” He noted. Books and flowers weren’t typically sold together, unless he missed something.

"Requests? Oh, I'll definitely take you up on that. I have so many ideas. Let me know if you need any art that's more textile or two-dimensional, or music. Maybe an art trade?" He thought of requesting a gift for Aella or Nalas, but he wasn't sure if Vorta ears could wear earrings, and Nalas kind of already had the one. "It is unusual, but I do quite enjoy both of those things. Speaking of plants and books, if you buy anything interesting, you should try having a nice read in the botanical gardens; I often go there just chill out." Yes, Eshen was capable of putting his high energy lifestyle on pause every once in a while. Who knew? "Shall we go in?"

“We shall, my dear friend,” Risren smiled. “And yes, an art trade sounds lovely, but I’d be more than willing to do it for nothing in return,” He assured the Vulkling. He was a generous person when it came to his friends. Books and blooms were two things Risren also enjoyed. And a read in the botanical gardens sounded lovely, he’d have to find the time for that at some point. He’d had too much Booty Shorts Excitement, it would be refreshing to take a day to relax.

"I enjoy the connection of collaboration. Speaking of..." Eshen stepped a little closer, but not overbearingly so; just enough to read Risren a little better. "How are you feeling after ours and Allan's little stunt in Engineering? Things were stressful, you got a little heated, and as much as it was a little attractive I wanted to check in and see how you were doing and if you had any frustration you'd like to talk about, regarding the events with Crespo or in general." Eshen was incredibly reluctant to show, discuss or even ever acknowledge his own anger. However, he had no problem helping someone else through theirs.

Risren laughed nervously. Nobody was supposed to see angry, pissed off Risren. He was supposed to have disappeared thanks to therapy, but he got…a bit worked up over injustice. “Hah, what? I’m fine,” He waved a hand at, physically dismissing it. “I was just…angry at Crespo for hurting my boss,” No reason go dwell on this. They were supposed to be getting books and blooms, not trauma and therapy!

"Are you sure? I really don't mind talking about it. I'm half-Klingon, so I'm hardly going to judge you for getting a little mad." Plus they had a higher chance at making a genuine connection by talking about Real Shit than with small talk. He let Risren decide as he entered #books-and-blooms, expecting him to follow.

As promised she waited outside the said Italian restaurant early, as was polite after all. The establishment itself was incredibly packed, almost to full, a testament to its popularity - but she'd booked a table for two just in time. All that remained was her dinner date.

Agrippina dressed in a typically Ionian-style chiton, it was cut just above her knees and exposed her arms and shoulders. She seemed relaxed, and tired, her shift had ended mere minutes ago, and she didn't want to keep Niatha waiting for that long considering how nice the Ensign seemed. As she walked through the promenade, she looked for the restaurant that the Cardassian had described, eventually finding it and spotting her outside. "Hello sir- sorry, hi Niatha."

The Cardassian took a few moments to admire the woman and her muscled frame with a smirk. Not often she met people her build - or her culture for that matter. "Hello, Agrippina. I hope you came hungry, because I booked us a table for two.. " She gestured into the restaurant where an empty table waited...

"My shift was long, I feel like I could eat an entire peacock. Although I doubt they have that on the menu. I am eager to see what options there are." Agrippina said while entering into the restaurant with Niatha, it was very busy, and all the tables with food looked like they have amazing meals in front of them. She took a seat at the table and waited for Niatha to sit as well.

"Peacock? Nah. I don't think so." She laughed. In all her months eating here she'd never seen the restaurant serve peacock - at least, not yet. The day it did she would most certainly try some, though. She sat, shrugging the straps of her tank top a little further down her shoulders, and handed her the menu on a PADD. "You do look wonderful, though. I'd consider snapping you up for dinner if ever possible..." She winked once.

Niatha was being very flirty with Agrippina, and she didn't mind it at all, even if she went red in the face out of embarrassment from the comment, but she managed to get a reply out that she thought would be equally as flirty. "I think that I'd be a bit too much for you. But I'm happy to be proven otherwise." She said with a sly expression and a wink, so far she enjoyed the flirty banter and was getting used to it.

"Is that a challenge, chief?" Niatha laughed. "Because if it is I'll be quite glad to try it out... and if I fail at least I've tried." The Cardassian winked back slyly and looked down at the menu on her end of the table. "I think I'll have a carbonara pasta... with bacon..."

She went beet red at the comment, hiding it behind her menu. The Chief wasn't too flirtatious, she knew how to respond, but felt a bit rusty having not tried love in awhile. "I... erm... there are a lot of options... and they all sound good as well. I had a decent amount of protein before my shift started with one of those concentrated replicator bars. Should I go with the Spaghettoni al Nero di Seppia or the Trenette al Pesto? Both of them seem really good, I think I'd enjoy both." (edited)

"Try the Trenette al Pesto. I love it." She smiled brightly, smirking to herself internally at the redness of the Roman's cheeks.

"I will then, it seems like a tasty meal. Flat pasta with potatoes and string beans, tossed in a luxurious pesto sauce. Should we get anything to share? Foccacia? Bruschetta? A meatball perhaps?" Agrippina inquired towards the Cardassian, it felt like just a carb-loaded pasta dish wouldn't be enough for her, bruschetta or a meatball would be good, maybe both... but it was up to Niatha.

"They have excellent meatballs and bruschetta - I've ordered both before and I'm sure we can order both to share." She said. All great dishes - perhaps she should have expected no less from the one whose culture so closely resembled that of Italy, despite having evolved on an entirely seperate planet. "You did say wine - have you any recommendations?"

He just took a quick look in every room and corner, he could possibly find.

11:33

After that he left for the corridor.

P’Nelar walked onto the promenade, practically floating. Her cheerful nature was annoying to some, but she was just a bubbly person, she couldn’t help it. Her ears twitched as she padded over to a pair of chairs and a table, flopping down and curling her tail around her body. Out in front of her, there were stars. Hundreds of thousands of stars. Ever since she was little, she’d look up at the sky with her mothers and tell them ‘one day, I’ll be up there’. And she was. She had kept her promise. She felt a glow of pride at this realization.

After the surprisingly non-disaster which was Surak Snacks, Renakir headed out into the promenade. Donning his new sunglasses, the noise and lights were no match for this Romulan-Reman boy. It was crowded, but nothing he couldn't handle. He walked slowly and carefully, making sure to avoid touching others when passing. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, there was still some apprehension towards Romulans in Federation space, which meant people naturally avoided coming too close. Today he had his fringe pulled back too, exposing his forehead ridges and making him appear more Romulan. Although he was trying to get back to the turbolifts, he caught a glimpse of a familiar furry face out of the corner of his eyes. His peripheral vision was back now that he had sunglasses that were appropriately fitted to his face. He identified the soft fur as belonging to a certain Ensign P'Nelar. The Caitian who helped him earlier. Renakir slowly made his way through the crowd and took the empty seat across from her. "Jolan tru, we meet again, P'Nelar," He gave the other a soft smile, lips closed but it was warm. (edited)

P’Nelar looked over at the Romulan-Reman. “Renakir! Hello!” She said, as always with the tiniest hint of a southern drawl. She grinned, revealing mostly pointed teeth, a trait that all Catians shared, being natural predators. She blinked slowly at him, tail flicking out of his way so she wouldn’t accidentally brush him; she knew how Vulcanoids were about touch, especially Romulans. “How have you been?” She asked, her body language portraying sincere interest in his well being and life since their first meeting, cut short by an electrical storm.

He was greeted by the familiar and friendly smile of the Caitian. His eyes immediately went to her mouth, filled with pointed teeth. “It is nice to see you again, I'm sorry about before," He said, referring to their awfully short meeting. He was meaning to give her a proper thank you for helping him out. He did notice the way her tail moved when he sat down, out of stabbing range. Although for once Renakir was not suspicious of P'Nelar. No, her smooth southern accent and the soft twang as she said 'Renakir' was much too friendly for even a Romulan to be suspicious. "I've been... Alright," He ran his fingers through his hair, gently fluffing up his whispy locks. "I got new sunglasses from my-- uncle, he works at Surak Snacks," Renakir told her, trying to remember the proper Standard term for it. Family terms were always difficult for him. ”And you? How are you? I heard the force fields in the brig shut down."

“You’re fine, it’s not like you can control the space-weather! The…speather? That’s gonna catch on, I guarantee,” She cracked a grin. “I’ve been alright, I was in the tubes patrolling when the containment fields went down. It’s cool that you got new glasses! I guess your eyes are pretty sensitive, Remans used to live in mines, right?” P’Nelar was the daughter of a history teacher; she’d be a disappointment if she didn’t know her history. This was mostly a joke.

"Speather?" Renakir let out a small laugh at the attempt to create a new portmanteau. Oh, Romulans and Remans loved those, by the way. He leaned back in his chair and rested his hands on the table. Long grey fingers extended outwards, perfectly manicured black nails as well. He was an ops officer so naturally he had to keep his nails neatly trimmed at all times. It would be a safety hazard if they were too long. "Glad to hear you were alright," He turned his head to gaze out at the stars. It was calm in their little nook away from the crowds of the promenade, it was peaceful until P'Nelar said, "Mines, Yeah," Renakir felt his shoulders tense up and his breath hitch. "We lived on the dark side of Remus so it was always dark. Not too unlike the earth Luna, one side is always facing the earth, the other side is in darkness. Although your Luna doesn't have any natural inhabitants, right?"

“I’m actually not sure,” P’Nelar frowned. “I grew up on earth, so I wasn’t really taught much about Cait unless Mom decided it was time for a lesson. Which was often, but she never told me about the moon, she preferred going into the history of the planet,” She was a history teacher, after all. Who could blame her for practicing for her job with her child? It seemed like the best option.

"Oh, does that mean you were homeschool? Sorry I don't really know much about terran education," Renakir was from a society that pretty much handed over all control to the state. Sure there were prestigious academies and learning centres, but none would welcome a boy of mixed heritage, no way. With the quick change in topic, Renakir was able to relax again. He focused on the stars outside the window.

“Oh, yeah, for sure. Both my moms were teachers, so I went to classes, but most of what I learned came from them. So I guess that makes it a mix of both? Huh,” She shrugged. “Not sure. I mean, I did go to public school,” She pondered this. “I think the answer to your question is ‘maybe’,”

"I think so," Renakir was having a difficult time wrapping his head around it. Terran culture was night and day to his own. He turned his head to look at P'Nelar as she spoke, observing how her ears and fur seemed to move with her expressions. "Mums? Two? How many parents do you have? I'm sorry if that's a strange question, Romulans usually have 3, that's why I am curious," He raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Another culture that practised polygamy? Maybe. With so many monogamous species, even the hope of meeting someone who also came from a polygamous culture was intriguing to him. Andorians and Denobulans also came to mind.

“Yeah! I was adopted, kinda, by Mama. Mom got a donor for me to be conceived, and they raised me together. Kids used to call me the ‘almost-hybrid’. Actually, thinking about that, they were probably making fun of me. Huh.” She blinked a second before her grin returned. “Three is cool though! Did you have three? She asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

"I see, so in essence three parents but monogamous?" Renakir nodded slowly as he listened. The term 'almost-hybrid' stung his ears and he made a slight grimace when he heard it. Bullying of any kind made his grey skin crawl, but especially when it involved this very kind Caitian. "That was not nice of them, you know, if we went to school together I'd--" He almost said what Saren said in the mess hall. Don't be the stereotype. "I'd steal their lunch money," At least he didn't said assassination, that was totally a more alien-appropriate way to say it, right? "Kinda. I'm Reman so our families are by generation. I have my biological father and then my mother's siblings, I call them my parents. I know you have terms like uncle, auntie, cousin, but for me they're all my parents or my siblings. My father, well, mother's brother, is the one who works at Surak Snacks.”

“Oh, that’s interesting! I don’t really think of the donor as my father, I’ve actually never met him. But I suppose technically I do have three parents. But doesn’t it get confusing to call everyone in your family either a parent or a sibling? Like, how do you know which one you’re talking about? Do you have to say, like, “Father [Reman sounding name I’m lazy]”? That sounds weirdly religious, actually, nevermind,” She tended to think out loud, which led to some interesting conversations.

Renakir laughed, an honest, open mouthed, belly laugh. It was a friendly laugh, he was amused by how the poor Caitian officer was trying to make heads or tails of the Reman family structure and he did admit-- it did sound complex when she started asking questions. "We do have big families and indeed it gets confusing. We use each other's names in most cases, we only have one name too, like mine is just Renakir," He explained with a smile, pointy teeth showing completely now. "But I am half Romulan so I have a Romulan name too, it's much longer. Romulans love their secrets, we even have secret names that we only tell our most trusted friends. I believe you have a similar concept on earth-- in Ancient China, you had "courtesy names"? And a few famous leaders adopt different names, like that one Queen Elizabeth or the Pope. I am sure there are more in history."

“Oh, yes, I’ve heard about those. Interesting, that you come from two cultures who’s naming traditions are so diverse. My parents just agreed to call me something Catian and that was that. Sometimes, though, Mama would struggle with my name, especially when I was little. It was kinda funny,” She laughed. “She used to call me ‘Penalair’,” Not at all the pronunciation, by the way. It was Pen-ay-lar.

"I will tell you, enlisting in Starfleet was a completely nightmare. First, middle, last, for such a diverse organisation you would think they would cater to-- well Romulans are not part of the Federation, nevermind I guess I understand," He shrugged, still frustrated his name would forever be Renakir Torre'vnau instead of the proper Renakir Solait ir-Biscae tr'Torre'vnau, but what could he do? He folded his hands in his lap and leaned back in his chair. "She would struggle? I thought your parents both spoke-- ahh wait Standard, right? Not Caitian?"

“Yep, Mama’s human, it took her until I was twelve to learn Catian. It’s a lot of hissing and purring, so it’s understandable that she struggled. I mean, people don’t naturally make those sounds,” She giggled. “If sucks that you couldn’t put your full name. What is it, if you don’t mind me asking?” She tilted her head curiously.

"Purring and hissing, sounds a lot like some Reman sounds," Renakir was still trying to learn his own language himself. He turned back to the large windows as he scanned the starry sky with his eyes. He was no astrologist, but he totally found Mol'Rihan in the sky. "My full name? It's a novel. Renakir Solait ir-Biscae tr'Torre'vnau. But not all of that is my name. Renakir is my Reman mononym, Solait is my Romulan name... ir-Biscae is just my birthplace, yes Romulans care about that. tr is a male prefix, and Torre'vnau is my house name," He explained, all in one breath somehow. "Well, not really male.. We don't have genders like other species do. More like," He waved his hands ambiguously. "Feelings?"

“Oh, neat. In my opinion, that’s the dopest name I’ve ever heard. Renakir Solait ir-Biscae tr’Torre’vnau? That literally sounds royal,” She grinned. Her pronunciation of the name was a bit off, of course, but it was close. She did her best with other languages, but sometimes, her Catian mouth just wasn’t built for certain sounds. It was a struggle, especially when her language teachers in school would try to grab her face and move her mouth the right way, even if it hurt/wasn’t possible.

"Dopest?" Renakir raised an eyebrow, very unfamiliar with the terminology. He was French and outside of France the only other earth country he knew was China, which was... Very different. They had strange slang as well, but nothing like 'dopest'. "You... That is the first time anyone has ever said my name sounded royal," This was a strange feeling, his chest was tightening, but not from anxiety or fear but some other emotion. He closed his eyes for a moment shaking his head slightly before opening them. Not that the Caitian would be able to tell with his dark sunglasses, but.. He got quite the shock. "If anything people call it... Dirty. A Romulan name tarnished by the Reman language."

“What? Come on, dude, ‘Renakir’ is so fucking cool,” P’Nelar insisted, giving the other a look of disbelief. “Like, if I was reading a story, and the author was like “And here’s Renakir Solait ir-Biscae tr’Torre’vnau” my immediate thought is ‘this dude is some kinda prince’,” She grinned, tail swishing behind her.

The swishing tail and shocked expression on the other's face meant that she was genuine. She really thought his name sounded like royalty. Honestly, Renakir thought the breath was sucked out of his stupid green lungs at that very instant. In fact, he ended up leaning too far back on his chair and fell backwards! A crash and loud 'OOF' and Renakir was on the ground but he was smiling, laughing even. "Oh-- P'Nelar, I... I can't believe you think I sound like a prince from a story," He was grinning from ear to ear, opening his mouth so the other could see all of his pointy and very white Reman teeths. "--I think you just made my day."

“Aww, really? I’m just telling you my honest opinion…” P’Nelar gave a pointy grin back. Pointy teeths buds! “Everyone deserves to be appreciated, plus, you seem really nice,” She shrugged. She thought about offering Renakir a helping paw off the ground, but then remembered how Romulans were about touch. “You alright down there?” She asked instead.

"I'm fine, it's alright," He said as he grabbed the edge of the table to pull himself up. Despite having long legs and arms-- well, he was just a very long man, he was actually not very clumsy typically. He stood up and dusted off his trousers and shirt. He tugged at his collar to try and give his neck more space, plus it was hot, he was probably bright green at that very moment. "You're really nice too, P'Nelar. Really nice, actually one of the nicest-- everyone on this station is nice to me for some reason. I don't really understand it or maybe I'm just Romulan," Despite the dark undertone of his words, he still managed to laugh.

“Well, I mean, why would anyone go out of their way to be rude? That just doesn’t make sense!” P’Nelar said, because she genuinely didn’t notice when people were being rude to her. She was blissfully unaware of social cues, a lot of the time. “I don’t think I’m the nicest,” she added, blinking. Sure, she hadn’t met very many people yet, but no way was she the nicest onboard.

Renakir looked at P'Nelar, eyes obscured behind his dark sunglasses. It was a bit darker in their little nook away from the promenade which meant his glasses were more transparent than usual. Beady little silver eyes looked at the Caitian through the darkened lenses as the Romulan-Reman boy grinned from ear to ear. "You are a treasure, P'Nelar. Perhaps you should go teach the Romulans how to treat those who are different," He said lightheartedly but he did think she could teach his people a thing or two. "Thank you for this," He said as he pushed in his chair. "We should... meet up again. Maybe... Surak Snacks?" Renakir hesitated before giving the suggestion. He had never invited anyone to eat. Or even showed interest in eating in public. But he felt like he was slowly getting more comfortable with the idea.

“Oh, sure! Wait…can I even safely eat there? Vulcan food, that’s vegetarian, right?” P’Nelar frowned. “Whatever, I’m sure it’s fine! I’d love to! Maybe tomorrow, 1900 hours?” She suggested, ears twitching. She wasn’t quite sure how she was a ‘treasure’, but she was glad Renakir enjoyed her presence.

"Tomorrow 1900, I can do that," Renakir gave the Caitian a smile and a polite bow of his head. Sadly they did not hug or shake hands, not even a fist bump so a nod was pretty much all he could offer. "I think you can eat there, vegetarian is fine right? They also have Romulan food and Reman food too, vulcanoid food is diverse."

“I mean, I can’t really eat most veggies, but I’m sure there’s something there,” P’Nelar shrugged. And in response to the confirmed plans? Well, a nod was just sad. “Alright, great! See you then! Air high-five?” She offered, holding up a paw and keeping it steady so she wouldn’t accidentally hit Renakir, should he accept.

"Maybe Reman chilly, I think you'd love Reman food, Romulans also have meat," Renakir reassured her that there was certainly something she could have. When the other raised a paw for an 'air high five' Renakir honestly thought it was a trick. But then he looked into her eyes to see nothing but kindness reflected in them. He lifted his hand as well and chuckled. "Alright, air high five. Jolan tru~!"

It definitely wasn’t a trick, she kept her hand still as he put his up. “Jolson tru!” She replied, assuming that was the right thing to say, she didn’t know.

"Yep, good job! It means hello and goodbye, very versatile. I'll see you tomorrow P'Nelar," Renakir said with the softest of smiles before he turned and walked back into the crowd on the promenade. He had to get back to his quarters now.

After a long day of work, Wheatley had finally finished his shift and strode into the promenade for the very first time since he got in the station. What he saw had him speechless, because all he could see was a dark veil decorated with tiny glowing dots of all colors and distances. He was first going to get himself some new clothes, but the view on itself made him stop and sit down.

[D] Who do it be? It is the resident Vorta! Aella was dressed in a long purple skirt, very flowy, paired with a white crop top and some cute hoop earrings to accent her frilly ears. Of course she had her dark rimmed glasses that accented her light purple eyes. She spotted a new face, a very tall and long blond boy? She had never seen him before-- or had she? She approached him and spun around. "Helloooo~~ Never seen you here before," She was lucky he was sitting down or else there was no way she could get a proper look at his face. Poor Aella stood only barely above five feet after all.

Wheatley was so into it, he barely even registered the frilly Vorta until it was too late and he jumped slightly. "AH-....Oh! Hello there! May i help you? And well, I've never been here before! I haven't seen you before either... But again, I wasn't even here." He chuckled and scooted to the side so she could sit down if she wanted to.

"Mmmm, just wanted to say hi," Aella waved and pulled up a chair next to him. As to be expected, she was terrible short now that they both were sitting. She swung her legs that didn't quite reach the floor, even in her heels. "What's your name? Where are you from?"

"Name's Wheatley, Wheatley Pendleton! And I'm from Earth, specifically from England. How about you?" Meanwhile Wheatley just looked awkward. He was too big for his chair, so he kind of stood out like a ragdoll. A tall, lanky ragdoll.

"Hey Wheatley, isn't that like.. an Earth plant?" Aella tilted her head and gave the tall man a friendly smile. She was good now, capable of making friends and being out in public. "And I'm Aella 5. Vorta commander, rank Vara'toran, Dominion Liaison and official speaker for the Founders," She introduced herself proudly. She was aware some humans still held bad feeling after the war, but that did not stop her.

He chuckled loudly and nodded, "It was based of it, yes. And oh, Aella? That's a pretty cool name!" But hearing her full title, he hummed softly and already began firing the questions, "I've never seen a Vorta before, how's it like to talk to the Founders? If you do talk to them, of course- I'm not exactly well versed in these things, after all I'm just an engineer."

"Thank yaaa! Chose it myself!" Aella said, as energetic as ever. She combed her long black hair with her fingers as she kept eye contact with the goofy looking human boy. "Oh it's fun, they are our gods you know? They know everything. At least it seems like that," Aella mused, batting her eyelashes a bit as she spoke. "An engineer huh? So you get to play in the tubes all day? I love the jefferies tubes!"

"I don't have any gods myself, but it must truly be something else to have gods who actually speak to you." He replied, adjusting his shiny golden hair as he ruffled it away from his eyes. "And yes, an engineer! Also eeehhh... I wouldn't exactly call it 'playing in the tubes all day'. The chief security officer gets pretty mad when we stay there for long without authorization."

"Oh yeah, she gave me quite the scolding," Aella frowned when she remembered having to visit the chief security officer about her time in the tubes. She sighed and turned her attention to the blackness of space in front of them. "Yeah, it's nice. I speak to them every month. They allowed me to come here and explore my own freedom. I even have a partner on this station, would you believe that?" Aella said with the brightest smile as she thought about Eshen. He was really kind to her, she just wished she could give him something in return for his kindness. She didn't have much latinum and honestly was still pretty beginner level at cooking.

"Don't even mention it." Wheatley too turned around and stared out, the vast emptiness stretching out right in front of them. "And oh, they let you do that? Well that's very kind of them, I'm glad they let you do those things." Wheatley smiled along, thinking about Hsarr when the word 'partner' was said. He's yet to cook something else for them... "You new in here?"

"The Founders are very kind. Well they are now. They weren't alwats this kind," Aella giggled as if she was not literally talking about when the Dominion did a genocide. Technically not the big g, she was not glorifying their actions. "I'm not new-- been here for.... 4 months now? I have just been busy with my liaison duties. I don't really have any reason to interact with any Starfleet officers either. It's the one pain of being a civilian. Sometimes I wish I could see what you guys do in those others rings. I wanna see a warp core!"

".....Well, uhm... We do know that." He coughed awkwardly, but quickly went back into the conversation as he soon replied, "And four months? Man alive, you've been here for more time than most of the ensigns down in Engineering! And oh, that must be a pain." With a chuckle, Wheatley put his hands behind himself for support and replied, "Whenever they're not working, most officers just do normal things such as hanging out with each other or sleeping, but there are also the other ones who do.... Er, quite strange things if I say so myself." He noted, remembering the whole booty shorts thing that was still going on. Hell, even he wanted shorts.

"For real? Sounds like this Starbase is a bit short on hands isn't it?" She said with a cheeky grin, purple eyes sparkling under the lights as she turned back to the funny blond boy. "Strange things? What kind of strange things if I may ask? I need all the information I can get-- to report to the Founders of course!" She said with much enthusiasm.

"Not at all, we have way too many ensigns down in engineering." Wheatley sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as he remembered the chaos that happened. "And well, they aren't strange per se, just unusual. Y'know?" He explained to the Vorta, hoping she'd understand.

"Oh do you? Hehe sounds like a party. I already met that shorts boy," Aella giggled, covering her mouth and closing her eyes as she did so. The engineers on the station were quite eccentric, how fascinating! "Just the usual? You know I'd love to get a tour of the tubes sometime-- or of engineering!"

The romulan made his way down without his son this time, on his way to a restaurant or something to get a bite to eat. He had a greenish mark across his face, the result of oddly leaning on a pole to get a better look at a busted conduit that he repaired. He rubbed his face with the side of his arm, something in his hand that he held with a balled fist...

Alizati was coming back from a successful day of work. He was going to go to Surak Snacks, however he noticed that Romulan reporter was hanging a little too close to the restaurant so he quickly did a 180 and headed the opposite way on the promenade. The android engineer looked perfect as always, no wrinkles on his uniform, combed hair, smooth skin, there was nothing off about him today. He was feeling a little better too. His eyes caught sight of the ops officer walking in the same direction as him. He was not intending on approaching him until he remembered an off-screen conversation he had with Lalisa. It was a brief conversation, but he was intrigued and approached the officer. "Jolan tru, Lieutenant Aylek."

He seemed to be in a sort of daydreamy land, looking back at the vulcan after a second and nodding, yawning softly. He was, yet again, caught near the end of his seven day sleeplessness stint. But... why would this man approach him? Hmm... "Ah, hello! How may I help you?" He asked, polite and respectful as always.

"You are Lieutenant Aylek," Alizati spoke in fluent Rihannsu, the right dialect this time. Although his Rateg accent was unmistakable. It seemed that despite switching his system language to the correct language file, he could not rid himself of Dzharok's unique speech pattern. "You are here to eat? May I sit with you?" He asked directly, his tone flat and void of emotion. He was not one for small talk or pleasantries, he was going to get straight to the point, it was that Vulcan efficiency of his.

"Uh... sure, I guess. Have a seat..." He said, looking very awkwardly at the vulcan. He looked to a local replicator, brow furrowed. He was speaking his typical Rihannsu, licking his lips to wet them afterwards, uncharacteristically dry. He leaned over and replicated himself a cheeseburger, a stereotypical human American dish he absolutely loved. He tilted his head at the other, a nonverbal ask of what he wanted.

It was illogical to eat for him, however the head tilt from the Romulan and the awkward look told him otherwise. He took slow and even breaths, his eyes shaking ever so slightly as he thought about what to ask for. "Krei'la," He said plainly, it was a simple Vulcan bread and relatively easy to eat, not much chewing so it wouldn't be loud. He took a seat as his eyes stared at the curious Romulan man. "It is about the reporter, Lalisa T'Kota. I heard she spoke with you."

"Oh... her. What about her?" He asked, pressing a few buttons and handing the vulcan his bread in the bowl before getting himself his burger and fries. Satok himself sat and leaned back in his chair, looking at the burger like it was the single most important thing in the world. He skipped lunch, truth be told... He took a normal bite, however, watching the other.

Alizati took the bread that was in a bowl and placed it in front of him. He made no move to eat it though, his eyes were focused on the task at hand, plus he had to keep up his organic functions as well. For some reason it was easier this time, blinking and breathing came almost naturally and he didn't have to devote so much memory to those actions. Although speaking standard Rihannsu and trying to keep his unique accent subtle was quite a feat for him. "You are the Romulan father of a mixed son, are you not? I am interested in learning about how to parent him and connect with him. You are a child of two worlds, but genetically you are only Romulan. I am doing research on the relationship between Vulcans and Romulans, this is a personal matter so you may speak freely."

"I raise him as my father raised me. I educate him on his culture and act like myself... though T'Lak calls me a bit strict at times. I... don't really see... species, I just see my boy..." He said, speech stumbling a few times. It was indeed personal but he indeed gave a textbook and shallow answer that seemed informative but wasn't. And a 'child of two worlds'. He frowned. His neutral look changed to one of irritation and annoyance. "Am I being gossiped about now? Why'd I come up in particular in conversation?" He questioned, tone neutral. He took another greedy bite of his burger, cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk.

”Strict, I see," Alizati said, pondering the other's reply carefully. He was great at keeping his expression neutral, however anyone perceptive enough would certainly have noticed the brief interruption of his breathing and shaking eyes. His information processing function was taking up the majority of his memory and so organic functions were now just an afterthought. "You don't see species? Fascinating," Alizati caught the change in the other's expression before he asked his question. Like a true Vulcan, he did not let the other's emotions or way of eating effect him. He rested his arms on the table and took a slow and deep breath. "She mentioned you were a Romulan raising a son of mixed heritage and thought..." He paused, trying to remember what Lalisa had told him off screen. "If I spoke to you, I would understand myself better, hence my questions."

"Do... you require assistance with being a father?" He asked, believing that this was where Alizati was angling at. If he required help in that realm, Satok could certainly assist. The romulan took another bite of his burger, enjoying the texture and taste and everything. He awaited an answer from the other, brow cocked. His demeanor changed instantly; Lalisa simply wished to get this man speaking with him because she thought that he could help.

He noticed the change in demeanour when he explained the situation, but his expression remained unchanged. He still did not make any move to eat his bread, he was too focused on the task at hand and he knew if he was to try and eat there was no chance he could keep up his organic functions. "I am half Romulan, however my Romulan father has already reached the halls of Erebus. There are many things I am curious about and listening to Lalisa, I have concluded you would be the best person to ask as you are a romulan father raising a mixed son. My main question is why would a Romulan take a Vulcan spouse yet refuse to abandon all emotion? Wouldn't it be logical to raise your child the Vulcan way?"

He paused and sighed, holding the burger in his left hand as he weighed his response. T'Lak never really pushed for emotional suppression; she was always the emotional sort herself to a degree. He would focus on himself, however, in his answering. "Well, the answer is that I'm a romulan and simply will not abandon the passion and emotional driving force in myself. I also don't want to let go of my humanity... though I feel as if it has mostly melted away with how distant I am from my human family... and my wife is only half vulcan. Joel is a quarter vulcan, my son. I don't want to force something on Joel that he doesn't have to endure; I want him to have life and not just be... emotionless..."

Alizati listened closely to the other's reply. There were still a lot of questions he had, but he wasn't sure if this isekai Romulan was really the best person to ask however he didn't have many other options. Perhaps he could ask Men? His eyes began to shake a little more, but it was nothing a couple of fast blinking for a couple seconds couldn't wash away. "I see. Do you know any logical reason a Romulan father would have for keeping secrets away from his son? Or really, why would a father lie to his son? I do not think you would ever do such a thing, but I am curious if there is any logical reason at all. Or is it just Romulan paranoia? You do not feel the same paranoia, do you?"

"To shield him from the horrors of this universe... I lie to him all the time. The realities of growing up and learning about the world shouldn't be accelerated... he's in a time of boundless optimism and happiness. A father lies to his son in his son's best interest. When he grows older he'll find out on his own like I did," he said, revealing his learned parenting tactic. Why was Joel so motivated? Because he simply saw the universe as a great land of greatness... a lie. "If he really wishes to know he'll look for the answers; they're at his fingertips to search for on the web. And... I do feel the romulan paranoia when around others of my species..."

Alizati's eyes narrowed when he heard the other's words. To shield him from the horrors of this universe. Is that what Dalin was doing? Lying to him to keep his best interest. He looked down at his bead and actually began to eat it slowly as he listened. This time he did not nod in acknowledgement, but say there nibbling bread thoughtfully. Organic functions had ceased and he was there eating without breathing or blinking. "What lengths do you go through or would you go through to protect him from the universe? If you care about protecting him, why not teach him the ways of Surak. No emotions means when he does seek information, he will do it in a loglcal way instead of seeking answers from agents-- other less reputable sources?"

His romulan pride simply wouldn't allow him to change his ways now- and his logical side didn't see how it would help. "If I care about protecting him, make him suppress his emotions. That sounds like a foolish idea if I've ever heard one. No. I know how to raise a boy. If he falls along the way he'll get back up. If he makes a mistake he'll recover and learn from it..." He said, taking another thoughtful bite of his burger. "And I'm always there to assist him... but about you. Being half romulan. Did you grow up on Vulcan or?" He questioned.

He was trying to understand the other's logic but in all honesty, he did not understand Romulans at all. Dzharok did not either, but he also did not understand Vulcans. Alizati looked at the other curiously as he pondered over his reply. "Yes. I have never been to Romulus or Mol'Rihan. My mother was fully Vulcan and strict however she was never home due to her job. My father was overly protective of me, I couldn't even walk outside without him hovering over me. My family was quite notorious on Romulus, but I was never told any of that, for my protection. When I questioned my father why strange men somehow knew my name he lied, said they were social workers. We moved around quite a bit, but i kept seeing the same men. I didn't find out who they were until my father was on his deathbed. What drove him to go so far?"

He was thinking of Alizati and his father's protection of him... and these 'social workers'. They sounded like very bad actors out to get him and his father ultimately shielded him from them... right? Hmm. Alizati's protection. "He sounds like he loved you and wished to protect you from those that wished you harm. A father... always feels a drive to protect his young. So does a mother. If either doesn't care, they're people I would find to be quite despicable." Speaking from his own experience, of course. He always was over-protective of Joel to the boy's dismay.

For a very split second he felt a rush of emotion when the other said his father loved him. He did not show his surprise on his face, but inside the literal gears of his mind were turning. Trying to process every word the Romulan was saying to him. It was strange, here he was, an android with the memories of a dead person-- talking to a fellow officer, not as Alizati the Vulcan android but as Dzharok the child of two worlds seeking closure. Oh how he wished he had access to Dzharok's memories right about now. ”I understand that. If he had just told me the truth or at least told my mother the truth, I wouldn't have lived my life paranoid of some unknown threat. Wouldn't it have been logical to explain the situation to me once I was able to think for myself?" Alizati proposed, still not very convinced of the other's words. His tone stayed flat though. He stared at Satok now, eyes reflecting the smallest bit of what seemed to be sadness? Loneliness? He looked distant, like he was a lost child.

"It would've been... but I can't speak for your family and how they work. I just don't know..." He said, looking at the other as he took a small nibble of his burger again. Satok's demeanor reflected curiosity and interest in this man. Never had someone simply opened up and told him so much information... and the other seemed to reflect something like looking distant like a lost child. He frowned. "You should ask someone that would know. Since you are half romulan there may be cause for concern. Knowing your threat... is the key to seeing if it is a threat or not..." He said, numerous pauses in his speech. His second portion was in English, his very emotional language. Since he didn't really practice or speak it in eight years save for a few circumstances, it was slow and weird. Satok felt concerned for Alizati, hoping that the man wasn't in trouble. They'd only met twice but seeing a fellow man struck down by an unknown foe was scary.

Alizati's expression returned to its emotionless and vacant state after hearing the other's reply. He nibbled his Krei'la ever so carefully, still in thought. He had completely forgotten to breath at this point, his mind was preoccupied. "I come from the house of," Alizati closed his eyes briefly as he attempted to search for a name. But there was none, none that he could access at least. He only knew Jarok and Dalin. "I am not sure. Perhaps I will seek out someone who would know," Alizati looked at Satok and then at his bread that was only half gone. He noticed the other switch languages and thought it was something they had in common. When he felt emotional he defaulted to Rihannsu, it was a logical choice as it was an emotional language, something that Vulcan could not express. "Thank you Lieutneant Satok. I would like to request that you do not discuss this conversation with anyone else. It is not a secret, however I would prefer if it remained quiet."

"I don't tell information that you don't wish for me to share. I... don't gossip to begin with, Commander. I must say, it was a pleasure speaking with you," he said, smiling and taking another bite of his burger. He took a hint that Alizati was drawing their encounter to a close and he was happy to get to know him better, even if a little bit. Satok pondered giving a bit about himself so it wasn't all Alizati... venting a deep problem. "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions? I've always... been meaning to ask some..."

Alizati was glad that this Romulan was not going to gossip about him although he did not think of Romulans to be very gossip-y. They did more murdering than gossip and now he could freely think that without feeling like he was being spacist. "Yes, you may ask me anything and I will answer to the best of my abiltiies," He was hoping Satok wouldn't ask him more about his Romulan heritage becaues honestly Alizati did not know. He knew a few details here and there but he didn't even know what his real name was. He stared at the other man, eyes not blinking, not even breathing, just staring emotionless into the other's eyes.

Satok would only murder someone that did terrible harm to his son intentionally... he wasn't the sort to do so because of simple paranoia or want. He yawned softly and replied after a few seconds, pearly whites showing for him. The lack of emotion... and breathing... came off as very weird but he didn't comment. "Did these people ever try and hurt you?"

"No," He replied simply before realising he had to breathe. He opened his mouth to take a deep breath, trying his best to make it seem natural. It wasn't, but he was attempting. Alizati blinked a couple times as he studied the other's expression to try and piece together any sort of hidden meaning. "They wanted to take me to Romulus, but that is all I know of the matter," He answered honestly, unable to give any further details as such information was hidden behind multiple encryptions in his mind.

He didn't know much... this stuff must have been really well concealed from him for a very long time or... he didn't remember. Satok rubbed his nose and took the final bite of his burger, humming. "If you can ask your family this stuff it would be best. Living with the knowledge is better than without. I'm a man of different worlds; I don't know the parenting tactics of romulans or vulcans..."

As expected his situation was too strange for even the station's one and only Isekai Romulan to grasp. But it was no matter, he already got the answers he needed. Whilst he could not ask Dalin himself, he did get some insight from his fellow officer. "I do not have any living family members, as far as I am concerned my bloodline ends with me," He said, his words slightly ominous as he spoke. He was aware of one family member; Dzharok's mother. But she and Alizati had agreed to keep their distance years ago... Back before Alizati had locked away Dzharok's memories. "Thank you for answering my questions. I hope your meal was enjoyable, Lieutenant."

"Thank you for speaking with me... it's always good to make new acquaintances as we go... but anyway, my wife is likely waiting for me to return so we can sleep," He said, rising and giving the other a respectful half bow. The man's look was always kind and gleeful, a far cry from the other romulans. No wonder Joel was such an energetic and humanlike sort... Satok was intrigued by Alizati in turn and would certainly wish more conversations in the future...

"Very well, enjoy the rest of your day, Jolan tru," Alizati bowed his head and stood up fromt the table. He was blissfully unaware of the hell that would unfold him in the next two interactions. He walked out out into the promenade, perfect posture and everything.

The caitian entered the promenade abd starting walking his regular round. Watching the people, looking around. And enjoying the view. He took a deep breath in, there were many peoples today.

The nervous tzenketh was wondering around the promenade holding her data recorder, she was trying to find her quarters. But was also detailing every member and the equipment she spotted.

The caitian spotted the ehm person. And walked right up to them, trying not to show his insecurity that he felt. "How may I help you?" He asked in his cold tone, just not showing any emotions. "You are new here. Are you working for starfleet?"

Ta'vam jumped, as she heard his voice, she stuttered alittle as she turned to him. "Oh I'm just new here. I'm uhm the new quartermaster!"

"Ah, I see." He said, the caitian looked at her. Scanned her. "So how may I call you?" T'kata asked calmly and still politly. "I am ensighn T'kata, security."

"You may call me.. Ta'vam. Sir."

"Ok, Ta'vam" He looked around, just to notice that the erea got more croweded. "So what were you searching for? Before I stoped you, I mean." He began asking. "Where do you come from?" He asked a little hasitant, because he wasn't sure if that question was appropriate.

"I come from Tzenketh sir, I'm currently searching for my quarters and really where I'll be working." She said before it dawned on her and she jumped, standing at attention.

He rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, ok. Never where on that planet" He stated honestly. "Let me have a look on my padd, and we are gonna know in a few seconds were your quarters are." He stated, noticing that she now stood at attention. "Oh, you can stand normal now." He stated. Putting her name on his board and there were her quarters. "yeah, I can show you were your quarters are in a second." The caitian said calmly.

Ta'vam nodded, her posture relaxed. "Oh thank you sir. Your help is deeply appreciated, thank you!"

He hadn't smiled the whole conversation long. However now he had to, she just reminded him abit about himself on his first posting. "I can show you the ship a little bit if youd like?" He asked.

"Sure that sounds like fun!"

He nods shortly. "Fine, so this is the utility ring. Here are mostly stores and the Holodecks. So bassically a place were you can buy stuff or just chill around." He explained, everything on the ship.

[D] He explained everything and brought her to her quarters as promised.

Rigel whistled an old Terran tune- fly me to the moon, no less. He’s a connoisseur of old Terran shit, i tell y’a. He walked around, looking for something to do. Shore leave was killing him!

Del was walking down the corridor and also whistling an old trill drinking song to himself as he was simultaneously filling out a PADD report. With all the personalities within him he never found himself struggling when it came to multi-tasking though it often left him inattentive.

Rigel looked up at the other tune, grinning and starting to harmonize where he could. Nothing like a bit of ol’ music to make friends!

He continued along as he strolled but he was quick to notice the other pitching in. She was off for most of it but she was correct enough for him to ask. "Are you familiar with Trill music?"

Rigel looked up and grinned. “Oh- a bit. One of my friends in the Academy was Trill. I’m probably tone deaf though-“

"That isn't a tune most Trills would know." He shrugged. "It really hasn't been commonplace for about 200 years even at the oldest bars. It was one of Dessaults favorites though." He did not elaborate much in who Dessault was.

For the umpteenth time since she'd arrived on board a few years ago the Risian wandered the hallways of the promenade; it was her favorite lunchtime pasttime at this point, wandering, walking, meeting people and occasionally having the odd friendly chat. In one hand she held a half eaten jumja stick, which she nibbled on every so often. That little Bajoran lady making these really did do them well, she thought, and had been ever since her first time aboard...

@Leilani Mo'naa | CIV (@Deleted User) - jump While Leilani walking and eating at the same time, a figure walking against the flow of traffic accidentally bumped into her, and it felt strangely mechanical in nature. Max looked down at her with her fish-eyed ocular sensors and angular mechanical head. "Oh, please excuse me."

Truthfully, Leilani didn't know what she was looking at, or what exactly this... person? Who's bumped into her was. It looked feminine at least, sort of, with... a sort of beaky, birdy head? Weird. Certainly an unusual individual for sure. "Oh, no worries! Forgive me, but-" The Risian took a moment to step back and look the other over in entirety. "-what are you exactly?"

@Leilani Mo'naa | CIV (@Deleted User) - jump "I am an android. My name is Y-34-X experimental prototype. You can call me 'Max' for short. I am observing the promenade to see what wares are available." Max was indeed more than obviously an android. Though something else was apparent. Her pilots jacket and environment suit was obviously scorched and damaged

"I've lived here for years. There's a lot of food if you eat... assuming you eat... a pet shop, a few bars..." Leilani pursed her lips playfully noting the other's very obviously scorched and charred clothing; was that an environment suit and jacket? "...and clothes. I should know, I run a clothes shop just down the promenade." The Risian giggled. "I can set you up with something new if you like."

@Unknown

@Deleted User - jump "I would appreciate help with picking out some clothes. However, I would also like if I could have these clothes repaired. They are customized for my body and cost a lot of money."

"I can do that for you too, sweetie, if you have your measurements I can most definitely have them repaired," The Risian smiled warmly and looped an arm around her metal shoulders. "And I think I have a few things you might like..."

@Leilani Mo'naa | CIV (@Deleted User) - jump "What do you have in the way of Earth fashion? I find their clothes are more suited to my body style, as they often have clothes that close from the front instead of having to pull them over my head, which us quite difficult, as you can imagine."

"I can imagine." What with that beaklike head and all it must've been quite difficult to put on a shirt, surely, she thought to herself as she began to walk, leading the android to her shop. "I have plenty of things that close from the front, jackets, shirts and so on... and many types of bottoms too..."

Max started off with taking off her current clothing, not at all caring that she was in her undergarments. She didnt seem concerned at all with modesty in the slightest, but it also offered a full view of the extent of the modifications she made to her body. Her skin was entirely composed of carbon and composite mesh, and mechanical components like her head were made of poly-alloy and duranium. "I have a particular taste for the style of 20th century earth pilots. My jacket prevents my internal processes from freezing up in high atmospherem and my environment body suit offers a free range of movement, as well as compensating for gravity fluctuations. these are neccessary as some of the shipping routes I take are...not hospitable."

The Risan's eyes widened - partly from the fact that this android woman had just stripped down (in a matter of speaking, considering she was made entirely of metal and didn't seem to have much in the way of sexual parts) in the middle of a busy promenade, partly from the extent of modification to her body. "Well, I can most certainly drum up something for you - though 20th century aviation jackets from Earth aren't my specialty." She admitted. "But I'll do my best..." Lani led her into #deleted-channel afterward. Best to do that before people started staring and asking questions.

The turbolift opened for Oshan Ch’talrar. Dressed in civilian attire, for a welcome change, the ensign had decided some station exploration was necessary. The adjustment to life and future has been hard thus far. It took a stern lesson from a superior officer that the term “pink skin” wasn’t endearing to the various other sapiens on board. The heat, however, was still barely tolerable. It was joyful that upon Oshan’s arrival he learned that his human cabinmate was from the northern latitudes of Earth and herself preferred a chill in the air. While not as frigid as he preferred, it is still far more comfortable than the station’s standard, that’s for sure. Dressed in a deceptively thin brown tunic a gift from his mother, and a simple pair of black trousers he surveyed the surroundings of the Promenade for the first time.

Orza was rather bored, they had no work to do nor any antique restoration projects to do in their off time. They were currently snacking on some of their oatmeal cookies they’d made that morning, whilst wandering aimlessly around the station.

A young blue skinned man approached the snacking individual smelling the delectable baked good. It was so enticing that his antennae equally reflected delight. “What is that delicious odor?” Oshan sternly requested.

They looked up at the Andorian, smiling. It had been a while since they’d had an opportunity to talk to someone new, outside of work of course, so this’d be a good opportunity to attempt to make a new friend! Maybe? “Cookies! Want one? I have lots!” Orza offered, after all, what was the point of having a stash of cookies if you couldn’t share it with someone! Strangely enough, Oshan was probably the first Andorian they’d ever met, aside from their father of course… But it wasn’t like they remembered him all that much.

Oshan noted the slight eccentricity of his new company and delicately took one of the offered cookies by hand. As his neck seemed to bend forward towards the ‘cookie’ his antennae did the same as he sniffed the sweet baked good. “Where did you procure those ‘cookie’ “ Oshan inquired.

They were quite happy that Oshan asked, explaining with obvious passion “I made them! Apart from restoring antique equipment and devices, during the last couple of years I’ve taken up baking! The taste of food made fresh is infinitely better then those you get from replicators! If you like that cookie, I also recommend fruit scones, and butter tarts!” Orza was making small, excited hand movements. This seemed to be going well so far!

Oshan took a first, reluctant bite of the cookie. After unnecessarily chewing at the small bite for an exorbitant amount of time he smiled and proceeded to take a much larger chomp upon the morsel in his right hand.* “What do you call this exactly?” He uttered.

They weren’t exactly sure what he meant by that, frowning a little as they said somewhat slowly “The cookies…? Oatmeal cookies would be the broad term? Although some people might mention the added cinnamon?” Orza was kinda panicking again, would their tone have came across as rude? They really hoped it didn’t… (edited)

He sensed the frustration on his conversation partner’s face and rushed to reply. “These are amazing. They’re unlike anything I’ve ever eaten. I’d like to try more!” He emphatically said. “I’m Oshan Ch’talrar. Ensign Oshan Ch’talrar.” Standing tall he proclaimed with all the dignity a crumb covered Andorian could.

”Thank you!” Orza exclaimed, holding out a hand, for a hand shake. Did they do those on Andoria? Would this be taken as weird? “I’m Orza Zaakrerh, the first name is Trill, last name is Andorian, although I suppose that was already obvious…* Orza’s antennae drooped a little, for no obvious reason. Although it was obviously negative.

Oshan returned the human greeting with Orza proudly meeting the individual for the first time. “Do you find yourself to feel alien in this place.” Oshan inquired.

”Somewhat yes?” Orza wasn’t exactly a hundred percent sure they were understanding that right “I mean, I don’t know anyone, and I’m not really like anyone…? It’s surprising how many glances you get. You wouldn’t expect anyone to be all that surprised in this day in age, no matter if it’s positive or negative…?”

Oshan put a reassuring hand on Ozra’a shoulder. “I get it:” *He said. “We look different. We have…. Appendages they don’t. It will naturally raise suspicion. I just had no idea it would be like this.” Oshan referred to his early treatment on board being hazed by officers senior to him.

”It doesn’t exactly help that I don’t even look like I really belong anywhere…” They sighed, even though most people didn’t find this an issue, just more of an interesting thing, it really bugged Orza “I mean, even if I was just an Andorian with black hair, which of course I’m more then just that, that would strike a lot of people as odd…” Orza had a tendency to think of the universe as more like the past was, being someone who spent most of their mental energy, outside of work, learning about history, and rebuilding parts of it. Although, technically a lot of planets were still not exactly the best, and there were some species that seemed to have… Issues with the idea that someone could belong to multiple species.

After sitting down the Andorian looked at Orza in the eyes. “Listen, we are all different in our own right. It is being comfortable with our own skin, whether pink or blue or even spotted or not.” He added. “I’ve never been this far from Andoria. I also have never been this close to so many people not my own. I just hope I can find my place here before too long.” Oshan commented. “Changing the subject. What do you do here, my new friend.” Oshan’s expression changed as he tried to pivot off of the difficult subject.

”Oh uh, me? Well I’m currently doing some time here, engineering. I’m still a cadet, but I suppose the uniform made that obvious. So the opportunity to work on an actual base instead of just at the academy is amazing!” Orza explained, making hand gestures as they did so “I’m hoping I do good enough to get an actual position, but if worse comes to worse, I would also enjoy being a historian. Antiques are kind of my passion.”

Oshan realized that he had a lot more in common with Orza than he knew. With himself being a graduate of the Imperial Guard Academy and not Starfleet in San Francisco, he didn’t have the exposure to the myriad of races many fellow officers did.. “I’ve spent my first week checking phasers’ batteries. Heck, I was sent to find something that doesn’t even exist as a joke. It is never fun feeling like an outsider.” He exclaimed.

“Tell me, Ozra, are you due back at the academy or are you completing your studies aboard the station? Beyond that, what vocation would you like to fulfill?” Oshan asked.

”I’m going to be completing them here. And truthfully, I’m not sure. Most of my skills, well I suppose interests would be more accurate, seem to be in fixing old equipment. Which, isn’t exactly the most useful skill for Starfleet. Although I can do other things!” Orza wondered if that seemed… Ungrateful at all? Since it might somewhat imply that they might leave once they’re done studies, which they did not mean to convey.

So like me you will earn your first collar pip outside of San Francisco.” *Oshan stated. “Tell me more about your admiration of old weapons. I, myself have an Ushaan-Tor in my quarters.” He added. “I doubt old blades were what you were talking about though.” “Many great officers came to Starfleet with backgrounds not in warfare or command. Perhaps your calling is on the frontier uncovering the remains of a civilization long passed?”

”Well really, I have an interest in all sorts of old tech, although on the weapons side of things, unfortunately a lot of old technology is somewhat… Un-tech related… But there are some rather fascinating old designs! Back in the 1870s on earth, there was a warship called the Novgorod. It was known to be rather, well….. Strange looking. Usually in the oceans ships were not circular, unlike the starships we have today. Despite its weird design, it was known to be rather effective!” Orza’s mind was filled with all sorts of random research and facts they’d acquired over the years, some of it useful, some not so much. Orza wasn’t too surprised that Oshan assumed it was just weapons, as they were both from a warrior race after all, although Orza only partially.

“I know little of waterborne craft. Andoria never had any elongated heatwave that kept temperatures above freezing.” He added. “I could only imagine how oceangoing combat was during the age of projectile warfare.” Oshan’s eyebrows and antennae raised. “Since you enchanted me with a delectable treat and seem to have been here longer than my short week, where can I find a proper meal for an Andorian that isn’t replicated?”

01:44

Oshan felt a kindred kinship for the cadet. They appear to be handling conditions Oshan was just not used to.

”I’m not exactly sure, as I tend to cook my own food if I have time, but from my limited knowledge I know that a lot of people seem to go to Surak Snacks” Orza wasn’t really the restaurant type, too many people talking at the same time.

“I never once cooked for myself. I had some relatives who made large traditional feasts but my father always had me focus on my martial skills as a young boy. “. With himself being a son of a Guard officer, he found the life was pounded into him at a young age. Some regret appeared on Oshan’s face as the self realization of a pre determined life washed over him. “No matter. I hope to one day indulge upon your baked goods. If you ever (Oshan emphasized) need anyone, just look for these pointing antenna. I wish you the best of luck on your endeavors.” Oshan concluded. The ensign bowed his head to the cadet. People like Orza help him feel like he’s not the only one feeling alone on the station right now. The slight awkwardness of the Andorian/Trill was endearing. His last thought was “what is cinnamon?”

Satok, a 6'4 and rather imposing-looking man from afar, stood off to the side near one of the support beams taking a bite out of his fudge. Pumpkin pie fudge, the best kind in his mind- replicated with the same recipe of his friend back on Earth. He looked slim with his whole ensemble, wearing a t-shirt, jean jacket, and a pair of baggy jeans. He hated the tight kind, truth be told. He looked curiously on in the crowd, shuffling his left foot on the ground as he started walking again.

(I'm sorry my friend had an emergency but I'm back!) Elias was wearing black trousers and a dark grey turtleneck. They looked slightly nervous, a bit lost, even, but filled with wonder. Unconsciously, they wandered over close to Satok. They were a bit intimidated by the man, but it seemed like he knew where he was, so they stuck by him.

03:53

"Excuse me." The tucked their hands behind their back and dipped their head respectfully. "I, um, well, to be honest I'm new hear and I don't quite know where everything is." They trailed off, looking around.

He paused mid-bite and looked to the newcomer, furrowing his vulcanoid brow. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I am Satok Aylek, chief operations officer of the Eventide. You are?" He asked, tone soft and polite to avoid spooking this person. He wanted introductions first, smiling slightly. He had a fun personality, to say the least, though he looked mostly like the serious sort.

"Lt. JG. Elias Murrow, Medical." His tone put them at ease. They relaxed, feeling lucky that so far everyone they had met had been kind. Chief operations officer on the Eventide. Elias admired this. Mentally, they paired his rank with his appearance and that with his name. It was a bit hard though, with the hustle and bustle. They shifted, and it was clear that they were a bit uncomfortable in this area, now that they had no one with them.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Murrow. Since you're new, I understand the need to be shown around, and I can oblige you a bit," he replied, looking at his watch for a few seconds. This was the first of his days off and after some time he spent self-teaching his son about algebra again. It seemed somewhat difficult for the boy, unfortunately... though he turned his attention back to the other. "Today your first day on the station? And are you heading to the medical labs?"

"Likewise! I've been here a couple days, but never really to this area, and yes, I can't seem to find my way back to the labs! I will try not to take up too much of your time." Their tone was calm, rather than accusatory. They proceeded with caution and spoke with respect; though they were off-duty, which usually calls for more casual behaviour, they wanted to wait until they knew this individual a bit better.

Satok did a slight eyebrow shrug, looking at the leather watch on his arm. "I do feel rather refreshed anyway, had my twelve hour weekly sleep just a little while ago," he said, chuckling as his green eyes attempted to maintain contact with Murrow's. "So, I'll take you to the medical labs. You don't have a PaDD to act as a... navigator for you on the Starbase? It might do you well to get assistance in that fashion for the future," he said.

Elias smiled and chuckled at the joke. "If that's what the workload is like on this station, I'd better prepare myself. And no, I don't have a PaDD. Probably a shortsighted mistake on my part, if I'm being honest. I think I overestimated my sense of direction." The respectful front slipped a little bit and their eyes twinkled with humor. "I'll make sure to get one. Also, nice outfit. Very stylish." Elias smiled and their tone was genuine.

He looked down at his outfit and blinked, straightening his ensemble out. He always was one to dress casually with a bit of style, happy to have his wife look everything over before he went out on his days off. He smiled slightly. "Thanks. My wife puts attention into making sure I look at least somewhat presentable. So, how long have you been in Starfleet, hmm?" He asked, starting to walk down the promenade.

Elias followed the lieutenant, smoothing out their own clothes unconsciously. "She does a good job." Their smile faded and a bit of nervousness shown through, but they tried to hide it. They wrung their hands. "Only a few days. I've tried to see as many places and people as I can in that time, though." They moved to the side to avoid a small group of people.

"Well, time to get acquainted with your workplace, though I'll likely just take you to the lift itself and set you off with the correct floor number. You're a doctor?" He asked, simply curious. He didn't move as much to the side to avoid the group, pulling a classic New Yorker and making them dip over to the side to avoid him.

"That'll work, and yes, I'm a Junior Doctor." A bit of warmth and passion crept into their voice when they talked about their job. "Hopefully, one day I'll be a CMO. And you? What division are you in?"

[D]Having headed down from their quarters, Elias threaded their way through the crowds of people milling about on the Promenade. They were back in black pants and a gray t-shirt, satchel slung over their shoulder. Back inside it was the usual detritus; jewelry, some rocks and pretty leaves, a journal, pencils, pens, a snack or two, a couple PADDs. They weren't quite sure where they wanted to go; mostly they were looking for somewhere quiet to sit and either draw or read, maybe catch up on some reports.

The promenade was crowded that day and there was a big whoosh right past Elias, knocking their satchel off their shoulder to the ground! With the crowd it was hard to tell who was responsible but the rocks and one bracelet from the bag had been taken.

"Sh-" Elias stumbled, whipping their head around. "Hey!" Damn, it was too crowded. They snatched up their bag and rummaged through it. Their bracelet and rocks were gone. Holding it close to their chest, they stood on their toes, peeking above the crowd to see if anyone looked suspicious. But they knew it was close to impossible to spot them in this crowd. They ran their hand through their hair and sighed. I could report it but... how would they even find the person? With this many people on the station... Dejected, they slung the bag over their shoulder. It would've happened eventually.

Running through the crowds of people was a certain fluffy blue haired Vulcan-looking man. Dark eyes, naturally green lips with some dark smokey eye, he definitely stuck out. In his desperation he ended up crashing into the officer who had just gotten robbed, causing the crowd around them to disperse as little as people immediately moved to get far away from the scene. The cobalt blue haired man was out of breath at the time of the collision. He held one hand to his chest and the other was holding his long fringe from his face, exposing his twin forehead ridges. He didn't say a word, but just stared at the poor sod he crashed into.

Elias crashed to the ground, yelping in surprise. Today was not their day. Laying flat on their back, Elias groaned a bit as they rubbed the back of their head, shaking their curly black hair out of their eyes. They could hear murmurs of surprise and irritation as people backed away. They hadn't even had time to see who it was who had run in to them. Sitting up, hand still on their head, Elias grimaced and turned to look at the person. They did not appear angry, at least not much, mainly apathetic. Immediately Elias registered his unique appearance, and it didn't match anyone they had seen before. Interesting way to meet someone, but a way no less. "Excuse me... erm, are you okay?" In the confusion of the commotion, they forgot that they were the one who had been ran into.

Lun did not offer a hand or any assistance to the person he crashed into. No, he just stared as if expecting them to get up on their own. The lawyer looked away for a split second so he could take a deep breath to calm down. Despite the obvious exhaustion shown in his body language, his face remained neutral. "I am undamaged," The man turned to look at the strange, speaking in a very classic Vulcan monotone. Little did he know that line was also commonly spoken by the station's chief engineer. Lun might as well be a Vulcan android too with how he spoke and acted. "And you?"

They inclined their head slightly, silent for a moment. His stare was slightly off-putting to them, and they shifted awkwardly. "I'm glad, and I'm fine. What were you running for? Did you see someone else running?" Apathy forgotten, suddenly Elias was full of hope and eagerness, as well as depseration. Perhaps he was chasing the thief? This was most likely wishful thinking, Elias realized. They took in his speech patterns and facial features. Not Vulcan, at least not entirely. Mostly they thought he was curious, perhaps a bit odd by human standards, but after all, he did not look human. His appearance was... aesthetically pleasing, they decided.

Unlike the engineering chief whom he looked awfully similar to, Lun was skilled in weaving through social interactions and keeping his motives hidden. Looking at the person in front of him he concluded they were most likely human. Federation aligned. Lun was sharply dressed, perfectly ironed suit with nice shiny oxfords, and complete with random chest harness because Romulans. "Yes, I was chasing a Reman. His name is Kianarix and he is my boyfriend," Lun said with a soft sigh. "Did he take anything from you? I hope he did not cause you trouble, he has been stealing things around the station and I want to catch him before security gets involved," Because the last thing Lun needed was a black mark from Starfleet security. He was already hot on the radar as Akuvek's lawyer. "I am Lun e'Kota Tr'Rylov," He gave his full name, but of course did not offer a hand because he was Vulcan-Romulan. "I work as an interceptor on New Romulus, I am visiting with Kianarix. And you are?"

The inability to determine his feelings and expressions was like being dropped in a completely new environment. They felt helpless, subject to whatever he did. They would have appeared to be unsure, but calm. "I'm Elias, Elias Murrow. And yes, as a matter of fact, someone stole a bracelet and some rocks from my bag! So you know him then. Very well, it seems." They perked up, standing up quickly. "If you help me get my things back, I won't press charges."

Won't press charges-- Now that made him more alert. Normally he would not care if Kianarix got in trouble; the Reman had no tact or ability to survive in society without supervision, but out of Romulan space that was... Concerning. Lun closed his eyes and pressed his two index fingers to his temples. This was already quite a headache. "Elias," He opened his eyes again and sighed when he said the name. "Come," Lun gestured for Elias to follow him through the crowd of people. He was going to assume that his Reman did not switch directions and continued running. Thankfully in this section of the promenade there was significantly less people. "I.. Apologise for the inconvenience Kianarix has caused," Apologies were illogical because they represented regret, but in this case he felt like he definitely owed something to the officer his boyfriend troubled. "What is your division here on the station? I assume you work here?" Vulcans did not engage in small talk, but Romulans did and Lun was also going to try and get some intel whilst he was here. He spoke calmly and softly, a similar cadence to Alizati in fact.

”It’s alright. Such things happen. I’m just glad you know how we can find him.” Elias followed him, swiveling their head around to make sure Kianarix wasn’t around… although they didn’t know what he looked like anyway, so it was mostly fruitless. Now that there was hope for their belongings, Elias felt more it ease and strode along next to Lun. They couldn’t help but wonder how someone like Lun had ended up with someone like Kiaranix - although to be fair, the only thing they knew about Kiaranix was that he had apparently taken Elias’ things. A few mere moments had passed while they processed this, and they quickly snapped back to attention. “I do. I’m a doctor. Lieutenant Junior Grade. Welcome to the station. An interesting way to meet, but a pleasure nonetheless. I appreciate your help.”

Lun walked calmly beside Elias, taking note of their mannerisms and tone when they spoke. Judging from their name they were human, not that Lun cared all that much about species, but it was important when trying to understand how other people thought. Perhaps if he continued being friendly with them it would lower the chances of them notifying security even if they didn't find Kianarix. "Thank you, Doctor," Lun said with a nod. "I did not expect Kianarix to cause so much trouble. He is illiterate so I doubt he has gone too far," Little did he know Kianarix travelled much faster than either of them could know. "He is around my height, a little shorter," Lun was really out here being seven feet tall whilst his boyfriend was just a hair shorter. "He has green-grey-ish skin and his hair looks like seaweed. He is also not very great at personal hygiene, which is a shame because he has a nice face," Lun shrugged as he turned his head, looking to see if he would catch a glimpse of his boyfriend's floppy green hair. "I assume you must know a bit about Reman and Romulan physiology, do you not? Hybrids between the two species have a very unique look about them, inside and out."

"Hopefully you're right and he hasn't gone far." They nodded as they continued to listen to Lun speak. "Good to know. Im sure I won't miss him." They joked. "And yes, I know a bit about Remans, but much more about Romulans. Very interesting physiology. It's fascinating, the different-" Passion crept into their voice, but they stopped and reassured a calm and polite persona. "I can talk about that a different time." They tucked their hands behind their back. They didn't want to... scare off this other person.* "So... how long have you and Kianarix been together?" They tried to make small talk, but they weren't quite sure how to with this person.

Lun took long and slow strides, not trying to talk too fast for the other to keep up with him. He knew he was tall and did not want this human to fall behind. He held his hands behind his back as he walked with perfect posture, glancing over at Elias from time to time in between his scans of the area for any signs of his boyfriend. "I think physiology is fascinating, I suppose it is because I am half Vulcan myself," Lun told Elias, his dark eyes shaking ever so slightly as he spoke. The weird shaking of his eyes was usually not distracting, but when he was focusing on too many things at once it became almost impossible to get a clear view on anything. "Two years. He and I both found ourselves in the Rylov House. As you probably can tell from our names, we are of the same house. He was adopted and I married in to the family. All organic beings need companionship of some kind, especially in toxic environments. That is what brought us together," No mention about Kianarix's personality or charm, it seemed like Lun kept the Reman around for convenience and nothing more. "But our relationship is not very exciting. Do you have any relationships on this station, lieutenant?"

Elias listened with some interest, noting the tone, or lack thereof, and the eyes, as well as how he spoke about his partner. Interesting circumstances. This was the first time Elias had met such a person. They had a harder time building his fike in their head from the like of vocal and facial cues. * "I see. And I understand. Companionship is important for mental health. There have also been studies associating companionship to a rise in physical health. And relationships do not have to be exciting, if they still benefit you. I have always thought that action is not the key component, at least not as much as affection and compassion for each other is." *At his last question, Elias shook their head and sighed softly. "I do not. I hope that one day I might. Affection, both emotional and physical, is very important to me. However, I have begun to make a few friends. I haven't been stationed here very long." They explained.

"Affection and compassion? I am Vulcan," Lun said flatly as if Vulcans were not capable of such things. If anything, they were more affectionate and compassionate than other species. However judging from Lun's way of speaking he felt neither of those things for Kianarix. They were a relationship of convenience. Lun continued walking in the direction of where he last saw Kianarix, but as they continued to walk it was clear there was no one on this section of the promenade. With a heavy sigh he gestured for the officer to follow him to look out at one of the many large windows to the side so they could just chat and not be in the way. "How long have you been stationed here?" Lun asked as he pulled out his PADD so he could view the layout of the station to try and brainstorm any possible locations his boyfriend could have scurried off to.

"Ah..."Elias nodded and pursed their lips, speaking in a wry tone. What was the basis of this relationship then? Were they in it because it was easy or convenient?* "Of course." They followed Lun, gazing out at the field of stars beyond the glass, twinkling cheerfully. "A week at most. I lose track of time. And you?" They adjusted to match his pattern of speaking, as both a way of self deflecting and as a way to perhaps make the person feel more comfortable; though it did not always come across in this way, and they doubted it would do anything at all for Lun.

Lun also looked out at the stars. He could have sworn he could see Mol'Rihan from here. His new 'home'. In fact Lun never considered the new Romulan homeworld as any more than just a temporary residence. He knew his real home was on Vulcan, he had been living around Romulans for way too long. "Only a few days," Lun replied, a hint of sadness in his voice when he said it. He was too distracted by his own thoughts to properly focus on the conversation at hand at this point. "I will not be here long though. I must go back to Mol'Rihan and return to work," As an interceptor. He had a nice life under the Republic, but it wasn't where he belonged. "Where are you from, Elias? I assume you're far from home on this station in the beta quadrant?"

Sadness? That was the first clear hint of emotion Elias had observed from the man. "Ah," They responded quietly. "I am. I grew up in a colony on a small planet near the Neutral Zone." They switched topics abruptly, deciding not to go into detail for now. There wasn't much to say anyway. They weren't very sentimental about their former home. Now, they only lived on the station. They had no home of their own on any planet. Occasionally, theybwoukd visit their parents on Earth, but that was rarely. 'What is it like on Mol'Rihan? Were you wishing you could stay here longer?" They were curious as to whether or not they could access more of the mysterious person's thoughts and emotions.

"Neutral Zone, I assume the Romulan Neutral Zone?" Lun asked with a curious head tilt. So they weren't that far from here if they were so close to Romulan space. He wanted to say something about humans living too close to the neutral zone, but this was not the time or place for that. As a former Tal Shiar operative, Lun was all too familiar with disputes along the border and the neutral zone. "It is fresh," Was Lun's only comment about his new homeworld. It was not bad, it was not good, it was simply 'there'. "I want to return to Vulcan some day. That's my home," He said softly as he lowered his PADD and tucked it into his small shoulder bag. "But it is almost impossible for a man like me to get there. I am not a Federation citizen," And travel permissions would be difficult. He could probably visit, but to live and work would be.... Quite a task. "Do you ever miss home, Lieutenant?"

"I see." Elias smiled. "Vulcan. I visited a while ago. It's beautiful. A bit hot for me personally." They laughed lightly. "I wonder if there'sa any way for me to help you. It sounds like you prefer it to Mol'Rihan." But their smile faded at Lun's question. "It was the Romulan Neutral Zone. And no. I don't miss it. I much prefer my home here, on the station." They straightened their posture and and fell silent for a few moments. "Do you travel with Kiaranix a lot?" Elias looked over and up at Lun, politely curious.

"Hot... You're right, it is a desert planet," Lun said, as if his mind and body were in two different places. He looked at Elias for a split second before the shaking in his eyes became too distracting and he had to look away. "If I was in your position I would feel the same, anywhere is better than around the neutral zone," Lun said as if it wasn't literally his fault the neutral zone was hell. He commanded many warbirds that patrolled the area, he was the reason no one wanted to go there. "No, I have never taken Kianarix out until now. He begged me to take him to the station so he could visit his fiance and father," Lun explained with a soft sigh. "I don't know much about what he plans to do here, but I will tell you robbery was not on his list," Lun was frustrated that Kianarix was behaving so badly, but he wanted to make it clear to Elias that his boyfriend was not trying to cause trouble. "And do not worry about it. I have long accepted that I may never return to Vulcan, I do not think they would take a Romulan war criminal there anyway."

Elias did not look upon Lun with anger, but with pity. “I’m sorry if that was insensitive. I don’t hold any negative feelings for you or other Romulans. We were all just doing what we were told, what we needed to do to survive, and what we thought was right. It’s pointless to continue to resent it, so I do not.” Or, they tried not to. It was hard. An immediate aversion to Romulans was so deeply ingrained into their mind it was hard to ignore, but they did their best to not openly treat Romulans any differently. They had always been associated with the looming threat of attack and danger and blood for Elias, but in reality, they knew that very few Romulans they had met were ones they had also encountered in the colony. And if they were… well, Elias didn’t know what they’d do. They would do their best to be civil, if the Romulan returned the favor. If not, again, Elias didn’t know how they would react. “Don’t worry about it. Unexpected things happen all the time, including robbery.” They smiled faintly. At the words “war criminal” they inclined their head to the left. They were curious, if not cautious as well. “War criminal?”

"I am not offended," Lun said, blinking rapidly for a few seconds before turning his attention back out at the endless sea of stars in front of him. "I consider myself more Vulcan than Romulan, if you can believe that," His service record did not match his words, but to him he did what he had to do to survive. He did not like what he did nor was he proud of his actions, however that did not change the fact that those crimes were always going to be with him. "Once I find Kianarix I will tell him to apologise to you personally," Lun had a feeling he would have to take Kianarix around the whole station to apologise once they met up again. "Anyone who served the Star Empire carries that title. Do I not look that old?" Lun turned his body and gave Elias a curious look. "I served as a commander following the Supernova, I was tasked with collecting former Empire citizens and bringing them back. It is a bit ironic that I spent my whole life bringing people back home when I, myself, have never been home."

"I do believe that." Elias kept their eyes on Lun's face. They spoke quietly, sounding a mix of mournful and - was that a hint of perplexity? "Bitterly ironic, yes. I am sorry. I can only imagine how it is living with that title." They cracked a smile. "And no. You look great." They had inexplicably warmed up to this other person. Elias wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the subtle hints of emotion that Lun occasionally showed, or the intriguing story of his life. Either way, Elias felt... sorry for him. Maybe that was why they wanted to be kind to him. He didn't seem proud of his actions, he didn't boast of them, he just quietly acknowledged them, stating the facts and allowing nothing more - no feelings - to slip past. "Thank you again for helping me find Kianarix. Do you have an idea of where he might be?" They looked away again, appearing to have switched subjects when really their mind was still occupied with Lun's comments.

Lun was surprised to get sympathy from this stranger. He was unsure what type of relationship he was forming with this human, but it was not an unfavourable one. To no one's surprise Lun had few people he could call 'friends', in fact he couldn't think of a single friend. He was polite and even enjoyed the company of a few people, but there was no one he could really confide in. In the earth days of their relationship he would express his frustrations with his house and life choices to his boyfriend, but Kianarix was, to put it lightly, blissfully ignorant of the world around him. It was nice to get things off his chest, but he might as well be venting to a brick wall when trying to talk to the Reman boy. "I will accept the compliment," He said when they replied that he did not look old. Vulcanoid aging, always very youthful or very old, there was no in between it seemed. "I have an idea where he could be. I will continue my search for him and notify you once I have your missing items," He told Elias, not wanting to take them on a wild goose chase around the entire station. The officer probably had better things to do with their time anyway than follow some Vulcan-Romulan man around to find his lost Reman.

Elias nodded and gave him one last smile. "Thank you very much, Lun. It was a pleasure meeting you. Until the next time." They dipped their head to him and turned, striding away and disappearing into a passing group of people. They hoped that one day they might meet again, aside from when Lun returned their stolen items.

Orza had a look of absolute joy on their face as they walked down the promenade, walking with the sort of posture of someone who just had a great day. Or was really confident. Orza brought themself to a stop once they found an unoccupied bench, and took out a cookie to snack on. Recently they didn’t have any projects they were working on, it was hard with such small, and shared, quarters to keep all of their antiques.

The young and quite short trill was only a few meters away, thinking and grumbling out loud to nobody but herself. She typed away on a PADD, while eating her dinner.

Orza felt like waving, this could be a great opportunity to meet someone new! But that’d be somewhat awkward, right? “Um, hello!” Orza said, their antennae kind of twitchy, anxiety perhaps, or leftover excitement? Yeah, perhaps waving would have turned out better.

"Oh- Heya!" Her demeanor shifted slightly, but you could tell she was focused on something. "Is there anything you need?" She was still wearing her uniform though, making it easier to know what she did.

”Oh, no I was just saying hello! I’m sorry if I bothered you!” Orza’s antennae drooped a bit, did they do something wrong? Or were they misinterpreting the conversation again? Orza wasn’t sad, just trying to decipher Jayrehi’s words.

"It's alright! I'm just trying to find away to boost the performance of the shields, I've got about 5 possible upgrades, and I'll be testing them out in the holodeck later."

”Ooh? That sounds rather interesting!” Orza nodded enthusiastically, they couldn’t wait to be an ensign so they could actually do this stuff, instead of just watching and helping. Very soon though! “What kind of shields do we use here? I haven’t actually done any studies on that yet, mostly the replicators and the maintenance robots… Well, robots are cool, but shields are just a whole other cool!”

"I'm fairly certain we're using regenerative shielding? but those were modifications made if I got all my data correct, so basically standard shields." She hoped she didn't make a mistake, it would make her look like a fool and she hated that.

Even if it was wrong, it’s not like Orza would know “Oooh? It’ll be interesting to see, that is if I do, how those upgrades turn out! And the data from the simulations. Well, I would probably not have access to that, but still!” Strange how Orza had transformed from nervous to enthusiastic in the month(s) they’d been here. The friends they made had really helped boost their confidence, a lot.

"Well, I guess you could observe. If you want too, of course!" She smiled, trying to reassure the Cadet.

”Really?” Orza gasped, their antennae perking up “That would be amazing!” Real data that’s not out of a textbook? Real simulations being run for real purposes? It couldn’t get more interesting then that! Well, for the most part.

"Yeah! I'm sure watching won't do any harm. Besides, if you're a good enough cadet to study and be aboard a vessel, I'd say you should've gotten something like this sooner!" She giggled a bit. He was quite bubbly and cheerful, if a bit awkward, kind of like herself.

”Thank you! Seriously!” If Orza was any more exciting they’d probably start jumping up and down.

"Well, if you aren't busy, we could do it now!" She grinned back, very happy she could make someone so joyful.

”Okay! Should I get anything or just bring myself? I mean, I have cookies, but that wouldn’t help much” Orza asked, taking a giant cookie out of their utility belt just to show they had them. How many cookies did Orza have with them at a time..??

"Cookies? Ooh! Lovely!" She smiled, very warmly. "Right, you ready to go?"

”Yep!” Orza nodded. It wasn’t exactly the most detailed response, should they have used something bigger?

"Right! Let's go." She stood up with excitement, leading the way to the turbolift.

Orza followed, humming an old Earth tune.

She walked out of the turbolift, looking around for a second and walking through the area for a while before deciding to enter #deleted-channel

She rushed towards the #turbolift , her face exceedingly red.

[D] It was a normal and thus far happy day for Elwyn. She was currently on patrol on the promenade in uniform as she always liked to make sure the vendors were up to Health and Safety regulations, and that no one could get hurt by anything. The android hummed a little tune as she wandered along, smiling happily at those who passed by.

A man approached. He was of Romulan expressiveness, greeted her with a Vulcan salute, and when he spoke, he had the teeth of a Reman. Some sort of hybridism going on. That was fine, just three different cultures. What was NOT fine was his three different hair colours. It was clearly dyed, so who spent that long making their hair look this terrible? This guy, apparently. "Excuse me? Madam? I have a crime to report." Other than his haircut, presumably. (edited)

As Elwyn was approached she stopped in her tracks and offered a friendly smile to the man, only for her brow to furrow slightly as she heard he had a crime to report. "Okay sir, if you could tell me what happened I can start the process of remedying the situation!" She replied cheerfully as she took her PADD out of her pocket.

"During my time on this station I have noticed MULTIPLE people wearing shorts instead of the Starfleet regulation trousers or skirt. This is ILLEGAL and, frankly, they should all be arrested for indecent exposure!" He said, as though a civilian had any idea what the technicalities of uniform code were.

As the man stated what 'crime' had been committed Elwyn expression slowly changed from her brown being furrowed to subtle confusion. "As far as I'm aware, wearing shorts isn't illegal sir, and it's definitely not indecent exposure." The android explained calmly, all while feeling ever so slightly concerned about what this person considered indecent.

"But - but they're not just any shorts! They're Starfleet shorts!" In the distance, someone went 'hell yeah, Starfleet Shorts!' "And they're so... Short!" No wonder this man had terrible hair. He seemed unable to comprehend the basics of clothing.

"I'm not aware of them being in our official dress code, so if you'd like to file a complaint I would be more than happy to help you with that, but I'm not aware of any crime associated with wearing them." Elwyn replied with a friendly, reassuring smile. The android was more than entirely aware folks could get confused over what was and wasn't allowed, so she really didn't mind helping this person out and explaining the rules to them.

"Complaint? I'll complain right now!" Clearly. "They should all be arrested, as I said!" How he expected one person to arrest, like, a few dozen people at once, we cannot know. We are unable to comprehend the depths of this man's mind. He lives in another universe. His sight flicked down to the seam on Elwyn's neck. From his face journey, you could visibly see him coming to conclusions. "Ah. I see now. You're not programmed to deal with this kind of nuance, are you? Or did the shorts people override your ability to think rationally for their agenda?" Irrational guy accuses someone of being irrational, more at 10. (edited)

"And as I said, sir, there is no criminal offense that has been committed so I can't arrest anyone." Elwyn replied calmly, already internally not liking how irritated this man was getting. It was as he looked down at her neck and his face expression changed that the android knew something was now about to go very, very wrong. As soon as he said she wasn't programmed to deal with this her expression changed to show really no emotions at all, and at the mention of her being overridden in some way made her feel, if anything, rather disgusted. "I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from using that kind of language around me, sir." She stated, now sounding quite like a slightly peeved police officer.

"Why? It's hardly inaccurate, is it? Robots can be hacked. Why, is a fancy Starfleet Officer so offended by my choice of words? I thought tin cans would have thicker skin than organics, but I suppose not!" He folded his arms and huffed. "Is there some sort of code I need to say to get you to listen to me?"

"I am not a robot, I am an android. I'm going to ask you to refrain from using this kind of language aboard a Federation starbase as hate speech and harassment will not be tolerated." Elwyn stated calmly, albeit still sounding quite peeved. As she carefully watched the man and his actions she put her PADD away, subconsciously preparing to either have to defend herself, or arrest him, both of which required free hands.

Walking by was none other than the chief engineer. And what did you know he was donning his Starfleet uniform paired with Starfleet shorts! The dark green eyes and cobalt blue hair looked nothing but organic as the android happened by his mentoree from the mentor programme. Curious, the Vulcan-Romulan looking man stepped close to Elwyn so they were standing side by side like a protective father over his child. That's when he heard the word 'robot'. "Is there a problem here?" Alizati would not tolerate spacism on this station. Perhaps it was also a good thing he had disabled all organic functions so he was just standing there-- not breathing or blinking, just giving the stranger with terrible fashion the most judgmental Vulcan eyebrow raise he could manage.

"The problem is that -" He glanced down at Alizati's shorts. "Oh! Oh! You! You're one of them too! You defile the noble name of Starfleet! To such degeneracy we have sunk, truly!" Was he some kind of Starfleet fanboy angry that the shorts didn't match Starfleet canon? "Who can I speak to who isn't brainwashed or a robot?" Robot wasn't a slur, but the way he spat it out like rotten meat made it sound like one.

“I will only say this one more time, sir. Please refrain from using that kind of derogatory language aboard a Federation starbase.” Elwyn reiterated calmly, despite internally feeing really quite disgusted and even upset by how rude this man was being. “If you would like to file a formal complaint about the shorts you can send it to Starbase 777’s Commanding Officer, or I can file one out for you now.”

Oh so this man was spacist AND couldn't handle some bare legs? Alizati was judging him so hard at that moment. He looked to Elwyn who was handling this quite well, and then back at the fasion disaster. "Sir, I will not tolerate this disrespect towards one of my fellow officers and a fellow android," Alizati crossed his arms, standing close to Elwyn just in case this guy wanted to lash out physically. He was not afraid to kick around some spacist, although he was hoping Elwyn's warnings would be enough for this strange and ignorant man.

"Fellow? By Surak! You're brainwashed and a robot!" He said, quite loudly, voice shrill. Then he gasped and looked around, eyes wide, hand over his mouth. "Is everyone here a robot? Am I surrounded? I demand to speak to a higher, organic authority!" Fun fact: his middle name is K'ren.

It was at this point that Elwyn legitimately considered getting someone else involved to fix this problem, but the android inside her didn't want to step down and let a biological person deal with this man. She was just as valid as anyone else, and so was Alizati. But despite this, there was one part of her that wanted to cry. "I see no reason to bring in a biological person to address this issue just because of your prejudice against androids. Commander Dzharok is a higher authority than I am, and he is right here so you can speak to him right now." The android stated, all while gesturing to Alizati when mentioning his name so this man knew exactly who she was referring to. "But I will formally warn you sir, if you continue to use hateful and bigoted language aimed entirely at a Starfleet officer for the purpose of insulting them we can remove you from this starbase." She stated firmly.

Alizati was in full on dad mode trying to protect Elwyn, but also giving her space to make her point. After all he was an engineer, not a security officer. Although his Vulcan senses were telling him this man was nothing more than all bark and no bite, the Romulan part of his mind sensed a physical altercation brewing. The man's tone of voice, the way he gasped, his demands, this was all too concerning. "I am the chief engineer on this station and Ensign Preston is a security officer, if you do not wish to speak with either of us then we can arrange your removal from the station," Alizati's eyes were shaking as he spoke, but his gaze did not falter.

"You seek to remove me for such a minor slight as using bad word? Aw, are your feewings hurt? Of course not! You don't have them. Now, I demand to go higher! I demand to see... THE CAPTAIN HIMSELF!" K'hunt yelled, stomping his foot like a toddler. Little did he know that was an impossibility because his roleplayer never self-RP'd.

"The Captain has official duties to perform so I'd not want to disturb him over what is a small complaint. If you are going to continue to act aggressively towards Starfleet officers we will have to remove you from the starbase, sir. If you wish to write a formal complaint to the Commanding Officer of this starbase you can do so." Elwyn responded calmly, all while still very much so hating this entire situation.

"It is a word that is being used in a derogatory way and it is inappropriate on a Starbase for cultural exchange and collaboration," Alizati kept his tone steady as he spoke, although there was a slight bitterness to his words. He did not like how this man was stomping his foot on the ground, at this point he was certain that the individual would not hesitate to take out his frustrations in the form of violence. Alizati took a small step closer to Elwyn, prepared to shield her if things turned. "You are acting illogically. File a complaint if you must, but you will not raise your voice and disrespect two Starfleet officers," Alizati gave this man the most judgmental look he could before glancing at Elwyn as if to silently reassure her that he had her back.

"You - you're imposters in Starfleet uniform! That's the only explanation! Fine! I'll raise my voice alright! AAAAAAARGH! Help! These two imposters are robots! And they're threatening to throw me out the airlock!" That was certainly one way to interpret being removed from the station.

As the man started shouting Elwyn was admittedly taken a little by surprise, and as she heard what he said started worrying people would actually think she was doing those horrible things. "Sir, I need you to calm down. if you continue to make a scene I'll have to detain you for public nuisance." She said as firmly as possible, all while internally hating this entire interaction.

At this very moment Alizati was trying to resist the urge to just tackle this man to the ground. This was getting out of hand and they needed to get this stranger off of the station. He stared at the man, not knowing what to do other than to call for security so they could escort this man to whatever transport would take him back to the bin or whatever he came from. "Ensign, you can notify security and I will make sure he does not harm you," Alizati was certain that any more outbursts would surely be directed at his fellow android and as much as he did not enjoy fighting, he could be a lil Romulan to fight a spacist.

"Ugh. Can you get out of my way, please? I'm trying to address the root of the problem here." Then, impulsively, he shoved Alizati away by the shoulder so he could get all up in Elwyn's space. "You can call security all you want, robot, but know this - everything I'm saying out loud? That's what everyone who isn't one of you is thinking in their heads when they see you," K'hunt sneered, looking up at her. "Nobody believes robots are people any more than they believe holograms are people. They're just afraid of not being politically correct. Everyone you think is your friend doesn't even think you're a person. And who can blame them? You can't even really understand what friendship is." Not like him, guy who definitely had hundreds of friends and didn't sleep alone with a Spock body pillow at night.

Elwyn watched as the very mean and rude man shoved Alizati out of the way and was about to interject when he got into her personal space. As she looked down at him she listened to every word he said, feeling more and more unable to respond with every passing second. No, no this wasn't true. People think I'm a real person, my friends think that. They have to think that, right? I understand friendship... Right? No, he's getting in my head. He's mean and he's getting into my head! But what if he's right? What if everyone has been lying, and that they don't really think I'm a real person? These thoughts kept getting louder and louder in the young android's head, as she looked down at him, her expression just barely betraying her enough to show her discontent as to what he was saying as she started feeling more and more upset with every passing second. Elwyn stared at him for a good second after he finished speaking, before practically clutching at the memories of her training as if it was a lifeline to snap herself out of it, at which point she stepped back to put space between her and the verbally abusive man as her face once again turned back to that of an increasingly more irritated Security officer. "I need you to back off and keep your distance from me. If you touch either of us again I will arrest you for assault."

Nearby, Logan was walking around the promenade and looking at all the shop fronts. Not for any real security reason, he just hadn't been around any of the station while off duty, not for ages at least, and he wanted to see if there what had changed in his absence. In all honesty he did feel guilty about not exploring the entire starbase as a whole, his life for the last couple of months had been from his quarters to the command deck and back again, and who knows how long it had been since he'd gone down to the engineering and ops levels. Being out and about was almost a breath of fresh air for the XO, despite all the air here being recycled. He had been looking at the shop front of a particularly nice-looking bookshop when he heard someone shout something about the Captain from around the corner. Fortunately Logan was still in uniform, having elected to go out and break the cycle sooner rather than risk going back to his quarters and staying there. He made his way over to the source of the shouts and took note of the fact there was a security officer already here. "Is everyone alright here?"

Alizati was surprised by the sudden physical contact. Man he wanted to punch this guy, but no he wasn't going to do it. Instead he took a step closer to Elwyn, trying to block her off from the rude visitor. "Step back," Alizati was not going to hit him, but he did managed to at least reach at his arm so the man couldn't get closer to his officer. And just on time, Captain Logan had been passing by. The android turned his head to look at the kind human officer. "The man is using discriminatory language and acting hostile towards Ensign Preston and myself we need security to escort him off this station," Alizati told him. His eyes quickly went back to the Vulcanoid man who was clearly upsetting Elwyn quite a bit. Alizati was going to stay on defense as much as he wanted to fight. He would save that for behind Waffle House, not promenade north.

K'hunt took a deep breath, about to say something probably incredibly insensitive and annoying - but then he saw Logan and deflated. Three people versus one. He couldn't beat those odds. "No need to escort me. I'll show myself out, thank you. Hmph!" He looked over to Elwyn. "Just remember what I've said here today." Then he walked off, to never be seen again... Or would he?

As K'hunt told her to remember what he said today Elwyn's mind started replaying what was said, as she watched the man leave. As he did leave her expression turned slowly from 'professional yet irritated' to 'I'm not very happy right now and I want a hug', looking more and more upset with every step he took as she silently stared after him.

His expression did not change when the spacist stranger walked away, but mentally he was thankful he left when he did. Alizati was not feeling like defending himself for acts of violance if he was charged. Well, at the very least Captain Clark was there so anything he did would have two witnesses. Once the stranger was out of sight, Alizati turned to Elwin and bent his knees so he could see eye to eye with her as he was nearly a foot taller than her. "Elwyn, are you alright?" His voice was soft, like fluffy clouds on a sunny spring day. Gone was his typical Vulcan monotone now changed to a more sympathetic and even comforting fatherly tone. He even addressed her by her first name, something he rarely did. It was like the father switch turned on in his brain and his whole focus was on ensuring his mentoree was alright.

Not having the full context of the situation, all Logan could do was look at Elwyn sympathetically and watch as K'hunt walked away just to make sure he didn't change his mind and come back.

Elwyn silently stood as she watched K'hunt walk away, and only after a few moments did she actually look at Alizati, tears now in her eyes. "What if he's right?" She asked sadly, practically on the brink of sobbing as she stood with her arms to her sides with her fists clenched. What if her friends had been lying to her? What if they weren't really true friends? What if she was just a robot, and not a real person.

Alizati saw the look in Elwyn's eyes and could see all of the sadness and doubt welling up behind lime green orbs. Oh how he wished he wasn't so Vulcanoid, maybe he would have offered her a hug. "No, he was wrong. He was illogical and does not respect life. There is no place for people like him on this station or in this century," He spoke firmly, the anger and bitterness coming through at the end of his words. A part of him was thankful the conflict did not escalate, but another part of him wished he could have at least gotten one hit. For Elwyn. How dare someone insult his fellow officer, his mentoree, his friend. "Elwyn," Alizati spoke her name again, looking into her eyes even with his own eyes shaking. He thought for a moment about what went through is mind earlier; hugs. If he was this, if he was that. There was no time for ifs here, Elwyn was not a stranger. "May I hug you?"

Elwyn listened silently as Alizati spoke, all the while desperately trying to make her mind focus on what he was saying instead of K'hunt's words that were repeating over and over. It was when her mentor offered her a hug that something inside her finally snapped and the expression on her face turned to that of the exact moment before someone started sobbing, as tears welled up tenfold in her eyes. "Yes please..." The young android replied sadly as she finally started sobbing, immediately going to wrap her arms around Alizati tightly and bury her face into his shoulder, as tears ran down her cheeks.

As soon as he got Elwyn's permission, Alizati wrapped his strong arms around her and let her cry as much as she wanted. His embrace was comforting and it was the first time he had ever hugged another android. Unlike an organic being his skin felt cool to the touch, not cold, but cool. He was gentle as he held her, as if he had become the clouds in a mist embracing the trees. "It's alright, Elwyn," His words were breathy as he rested a hand on the back of the younger android's head. He felt very fatherly in this moment, like he wanted to just fight away any evil that would ever hurt Elwyn. How could someone deny the sentience of a person with as much life as Elwyn? He wasn't going to actually fight the strange spacist man, but if they crossed paths a second time he couldn't guarantee he'd be able to hold back. "You are valid and you're life is meaningful, those who say otherwise are illogical and do not respect life."

As Alizati slowly comforted her Elwyn continued to cry into his shoulder, grasping onto his words almost as if they were a life line right now. 'You are valid and your life is meaningful'. She repeated those words on loop in her head as she tried to calm down and get that horrible man's horrible words out of her head, but no matter how hard she tried she still felt doubt circulating inside her. It was after crying into her mentor's shoulder for probably a good few minutes and repeating the words he said that she she finally started calming down, her crying getting less and less until it was just the odd sniffle, at which point she looked back up at the other android, all the while still hugging him. Unlike most biological people (as she wasn't one) her eyes weren't blood shot, but her face and nose were red, and her eyes and cheeks were wet. She had a look of appreciation on her face, all while still looking quite sad. "Thank you, Alizati..." The young android said quietly.

It felt like time had stood still as the two of them stayed in their embrace. Like a falcon protecting its young, Alizati felt as if he could shield Elwyn from all negativity. He had no idea what was running through the younger's mind, but whatever it was he hoped his words were fought those thoughts back. When Elwyn repeated the words back to him, he pulled away so he could look into her eyes. Beautiful lime green colour, round. She was a living and sentient being, he was still trying to wrap his mind around how anyone could think otherwise. "You're welcome, Elwyn," He took a slow breath and stood up straight again. It didn't even matter to him that they were still in the promenade, his focus was purely on Elwyn. "If you would like to return to your quarters I am sure Lieutenant Voxellus will understand," Alizati was also to be sure to add this to his report and let the station commander know.

Elwyn took a quiet moment to think about what she wanted to do. She didn't want to let the mean man win by her hiding in her quarters, but at the same time she knew she was still upset and probably wouldn't think straight if anything else happened, and the last thing she wanted to do was make a situation worse. That solves that debate, then. "I think I'd like to go back to my quarters..." The young android said quietly as she wiped her eyes to dry them, all the while feeling entirely grateful for Alizati's support (and hug).

Alizati didn't vocalise it, but he was happy that Elwyn chose to go back to her quarters. Perhaps it was him still in dad mode, but he thought it was best if Elwyn rested for the remainder of the day. They were both machines, but they also had feelings and souls and rest was important. He gave the younger android a nod and glanced around the promenade looking for a clear path for them to walk. "I will walk you back, don't worry I will make sure you are safe," He told her, his voice still warm and soft. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Elwyn now, ready to protect her if something were to go happen again, although the possibility was unlikely. He was sure the mean stranger was gone, he wouldn't dare return when he knew he was outnumbered. Before beginning to walk, Alizati turned his head and contemplated if he should offer out his hand or his arm? He wasn't sure what was appropriate so he just opted to walk next to her. Besides, it allowed him to have his hands free in case the stranger with the terrible hair did end up returning.

"Okay, thank you..." Elwyn replied to the offer of walking her back. The young android walked next to Alizati quietly, still trying to keep his kind words in her head rather than the mean man's mean words. She looked down at his hand as they walked, wanting to hold it or literally anyone's, but deciding it was probably not appropriate to do so. The two headed out into the utility ring corridor.

Agrippina had her legs sticking out from a panel on the side of the promenade, she was assigned to work on some basic repairs, just a panel that got an alert, work that could be easily done with basic tools. She shimmied herself out of the small space to grab an ODN recoupler, reaching into the bag and trying to find it without having to look at the tools. She struggled to find the specific shape for of the recoupler.

"Oh, hello there! Haven't seen you around for a good bit..." Niatha's usual chirp came from behind her, a few seconds before the Cardassian herself came into view, beaming as always. She'd dressed down to a dark blue tube top and jeans for the night and had what appeared to be a shopping bag in hand.

With a determined look on her face, Agrippina had finally grabbed the coupler before being greeted by a familiarly chirpy voice. It was Nia! It felt like ages since they had last talked, unfortunately for Agrippina it just felt like constant small tasks that she was assigned. She looked up at the lizard with a smile on her face at hearing the voice. "Oh! Salutations Nia, it has been a while since we last talked. I've just been so busy with repairs and management issues."

"I understand. It's really been a while hasn't it?" Niatha grinned down at her with her arms folded. "Join me for food? Or... whatever else you might like? Even you need to take a break sometime!" She suggested, lightly squeezing the woman's much more muscular shoulder.

"This repair is an easy one, just need to recouple an ODN relay, I'll be just a moment." She said while slipping back into the panel with the ODN recoupler, fixing the connection before pushing herself back out. Her hair was a bit messy, tied in a bun like normal, but some strands had slipped out in a cute way. "I could go for some food, haven't eaten out much, late shifts and all, just wanting to go to my quarters and sleep."

"We could also go to your quarters if you like. I'm about done shopping anyway." She held up her shopping bag, which seemed to be full of... food. Or at least ingredients to make food. "I'll replicate you dinner when we get there, how about it?"

"That sounds nice, this was the last thing on my repair docket." She got up and stretched, standing taller than her lizardly compatriot, yawning as her arms stretched out. "What do you want to have for dinner?" Agrippina asked while turning around to re-apply the panel, closing off her work and making it look good as new. With a smile, she began to shove her tools back into the work bag.

"I was thinking... something Italian. Like pasta of some kind. I'm feeling a carbonara sauce if you've ever tasted that." The Cardassian stretched and began to walk towards the turbolift, once more shouldering the shopping bag she carried. "Would you be down for that?"

Agrippina picked up her bag, closing it and turning around to talk with her friend. "I am fine with anything, pasta tastes good and I'm certain I'll like whatever you feel." She followed Nia to the turbolift, catching up to walk next to the Cardassian with relative ease.

She followed behind her humming all the way, leading her into #base-turbolift-3.* (edited)

Nalas was here, dressed in his same blue dress with patterns of the moon and stars, he was ready to give out mooncakes to his friends. He had quite a feew people he had to give the lovely Bajoran treats to. His heels clicked as he walked along the promande with a little bag in hand filled with treats. His dress was Bajoran style, oddly reminiscent of the terran Chinese hanfu, but it was completely Bajoran. He skipped down the promenade, stopping ever so often when he saw a friend, or friend of a friend, whom he wanted to give treats to. He had a whole list, it was a big operation after all!

Jayrehi was somewhat chipper as usual, but there was an air of exhaustion that made her move in a way that felt like slow-motion. She tried not to give it any thought. The short trill was outfitted in a weird mashup of a collar shirt, vest and a traditional skirt, as she strolled like a hopping bunny through the promenade.

Nalas was about to take a rest when he saw someone who looked vaguely familiar. He couldn't remember where they had met, but--- maybe they wanted moon cakes? Nalas skipped over to the person with the spots-- Trill? He waved and smiled, happy little Bajoran boy with dimples and a a funny green earring on his right ear. "Hey hey!" He said, not remembering the person's name at all, but maybe she would remember him? Nalas' dress was very floofy, almost making him look like some moon space princess, very cute.

“Oh! Hello!” she waved very cheerfully, as she walked over to Nalas. She had forgotten his name too, but remembered his face. Even if it was the wrong person, she probably wouldn’t find it too awkward.

"Yeah! Hey I think we've met before, haven't we?" Nalas tapped his index finger to his lips and tilted his head. He knew her name, he totally did! it was just a matter of finding it amidst the jumble of other information. Plant names, element names, even names for his plushies came to mind, but not this Trill's name."I'm Nalas, exobiologist, stan talent stan exo-- I mean, exobiology is cool. And you are? I'm sorry I forgot your name," He laughed nervously and pressed his palms together in a praying motion and bowed his head as form of apology. It was actually a Bajoran gesture, believe it or not. Nalas was really going all the way with the Bajoran aesthetic and culture today. (edited)

"Jayrehi! Um, what was yours?" seems like the forgetfulness for names were something they had in common, as she awkwardly giggled. "Engineer here, though you'll probably find me in the vents because I'm a little small."

"Jayrehi! Nice to meet you-- again! Well anyway, I think we have some mutual friends," He wasn't sure who they had in common, but if Jayrehi was an engineer she probably knew Allan! The handsome boy he was just smooching in the pool area, which was fantastic by the way. He swooshed his skirt a little, not minding that the Trill was just as awkward as he was. "It's-- or well it was, the Bajoran harvest festival so I prepared some moon cakes! I have quite a lot with me," Nalas reached into his little tote bag and shuffled through the boxes he had in there with all of the flavours of the cakes labelled. "Would you like some? Do you have any flavour preferences?" He had a lot left and was unsure if Trill had dietary restrictions like Vulcanoids.

"Moon cakes...?" she seemed a bit confused, she obviously was not familiar with the dish. "What is that? I don't think I have ever tried it. Oh! And no, I don't have any preferences.'

"It's a Bajoran treat umm.. Like a pastry? There's real sugar in it," Nalas warned her, just in case she wasn't a fan of sugary desserts. Some people didn't like them, and he wasn't sure what sort of foods they had on Trill. "I have some chocolate and jumja flavour," Nalas said as he had to dig around a bit for two wrapped cakes. It was hard when his sleeves were so big and flowy, but he managed to get the two out of the bag without damaging them. "Chocolate is from earth and jumja is a traditional Bajoran flavour, it's like fruity? Very yum," He said as he presented the two cakes to Jayrehi.

“Oooh!!” her eyes seemed to lighten up, looking at the two cakes with awe. She did enjoy a break from her daily food routine, and she looked very eager to munch happily. “I think I’ll have the chocolate one!”

"Okay! You don't want the jumja one too? You can have both," Nalas said as he handed the chocolate cake to Jayrehi. The cake was round with an intricate pattern engraved into the top, hand made as well. Nalas had crafted the little stamps by hand and wrote the flavour on the cakes in his very quirky Cardassian script. He was not here to get a perfect penmanship award, but the boy was trying! "Where are you heading now? Maybe we can walk together," Nalas didn't really have anywhere else to go, plus he wanted to chat with new friend!

“Wha- WHAT?!?” She exclaimed, as she heard she could have two of them! Yippee! Her face showed her visible excitement as she nodded in response. “Thank you! Thank you so much!” She equally found it uplifting that someone wanted to chat with her! She thought others found her a bit too upbeat sometimes, oh well! “Sure! I’d be happy to walk!”

"Yes of course!" Nalas was surprised by the sudden loud exclaimation, but he smiled back and laughed. Jayrehi was sure animated, just like he was! From her body language she seemed to have just as much energy as he did. For only having one lung Nalas sure could get lost in the sauce, never seeming to tire. "Yeah let's walk around, we can look at some of the shops or something," Nalas repositioned his tote back on his shoulder and straightened out his flowy skirt. Aella was right, walking around the station in heels was really not the most practical thing, so after a little walk he was gonna head back to his quarters. "You're in engineering, right? You must know-- or well maybe you know Allan Allen? Uhh he has black hair now, but he used to have red hair, he's pretty eccentric just like me!"

“Allan Allen..? No, I don’t recall someone by that name.” she tried to think again, her face reflecting this attitude almost perfectly. “I did remember a guy with black hair! Not sure if that was him though…”

"Really?" Nalas looked at his new friend with surprise. Well, it was a pretty big starbase, it wasn't like everyone knew everyone in their divisoin, that would be a ton of names. Nalas didn't even know all the scientists. He knew some of the other exobiologists, but honestly he had only met a handful of people. He began to walk slowly, his strides pretty short as he was always careful not to use up too much energy all at once for risk of becoming short of breath. "Anyway, what's engineering like? I hear you guys get to spend a lot of time in the tubes!"

“Yeah! We do actually! Or maybe it’s just me because I’m rather small…” she giggled a bit, a spring in her step as the two began to walk. “It’s rather nice really! The sounds of all the different machines humming and beeping, it could make me fall asleep!”

"Well that sounds fun. I mean, honestly I kinda hate the tubes," Nalas said with an awkward chuckle, walking shoulder to shoulder with his Trill friend. They walked along a less crowded area of the promenade so they could chat without having to shout over people. It was a good thing it seemed to be at an off time, most people were sleeping or working, depending on their shift and for civilians it was 'night time' on Mol'Rihan and Qo'nos, the two planets where lots of visitors came from. "Engineering ASMR? Don't let your boss hear that," Nalas said as if he knew who Jayrehi's boss was. "I have fallen asleep a couple times, ehhh, my boss is super Vulcan and like.... I am not gonna say she scares me but... Man she kinda scares me," He said before laughing out loud.

"My superior officer is a Vulcan too!" Wow! they had something in common! So cool! "He's rather nice though! I think he's slightly different to other Vulcans though..."

"Really? Man, Vulcan conspiracy," Nalas joked and shook his head. So they had two senior officers who were Vulcan? Wild! Well Jayrehi said he was nice, so many he wasn't as stiff as Commander Evoras was? She was a good boss, but their interactions were very umm... Stressful for the poor Bajoran boy. "Slightly different from others? Don't tell me he doesn't do the whole logic thing or soemthing," Nalas grabbed a moon cake from his bag and began to unwrap it, this one was Osol fruit flavour!

"He hasn't yet... but he likes to say... what was it? Joe-lam True? I think it's Romulan or something." she had horrible butchered the word, but she just seemed puzzled (while in the distance, a Romulan cries out in pain).

"Oh good and uhh what? I only really speak Cardassian and French," Nalas said with a nervous chuckle, really regretting not trying hard enough in the academy with his language classes. He learned Standard, but he pretty much just fulfilled the bare minimum in regards to language requirements. He took a bite of the moon cake and chewed softly as he pondered Jayrehi's words. "Mmm... Romulan? Oh yea they say some weird things," He shrugged, not thinking anything of it. Maybe past Nalas would be worried, but current Nalas was very C'est La Vie. "At least he's cool. I feel like I cause my boss a lot of headache because I'm always tardy or working overtime, no in between. You know once i spend 20 hours straight working on my project. Man, super illegal I know," Nalas said it like he was guilty of robbing a bank or something. "Is your boss cool with overtime? Wait we're not supposed to have that unless its an emergency."

“Overtime?” she giggled, ponder for a moment. “I don’t think he’s okay with it if we aren’t fit for it. He seems to care at least a little.” She smiled, trying to appear friendlier.

"Oh well that's really good. Man if I had more braincells maybe I woulda been interested in engineering. I just love studying the little plants," Nalas said before taking a hug bite out of his mooncake, finishing it completely. Wow it was a pretty big pastry and here he was just chomping away. The dichotomy of Nalas' pretty dress and the way he munched the moon cake was night and day. Nalas had the prettiest of sheer fabric shalls on with an intricate gold and blue sun galaxy skirt, but he ate his food like a Cardassian prisoner who hadn't had a thing to eat in weeks. Thankfully no one was staring, it was just a Trill and silly Bajoran strolling along. "I have off tomorrow, my desk neighbour is doing some experiments with Romulan epohhs if ya wanna come see," Nalas was gonna visit his fav chaotic trio!

“Oooh! Experiments?” her head tilted, almost mimicking a pondering puppy. “I’d like too come along! If I’m allowed- of course.”

"Yep yep, you can! I'll go tomorrow after I wake up and munch some food. Uhhhh i think it'd be around 1200, I think my coworker will be there so we can play with the epohhs," Nalas said with a smile. Oh he hoped Saren would be alright with him and this random engineer just coming into the labs to play with the epohhs. Nalas always gave them attention during his shifts so they trusted him. He hoped they would be fine with a new face. As Nalas spoke he kept smiling and turning his head just to make sure he wasn't going to hit anything. He held up his long dress with his free hand, swooshing it around as he walked so his glittery heels were visible. He felt like the prettiest boy in the universe, he'd definitely need to show Eshen his fit when he got home.

“Oooh!” she was excited! though she didn’t know what an epohh was. Maybe it was best to leave it as a surprise. “Oh! And if I may ask, where did you get that dress? It’s very pretty.”

"Thank you so much! It's actually a traditional Bajoran outfit!" Nalas said as he swooshed his skirt again and then shook his arms to get some of the mooncake crumbs to fall out of his sleeves. He would have had a bounce to his step too if he wasn't in heels and terrified of tripping on his dress. His skirt wasn't touch the ground, but if he stepped without looking he'd probably trip. "It's kinda based on an outfit I had when I was younger. Like really really young, before I could really walk properly. I decided to recreate it with a replicator and Spoogle," Nalas wasn't a fashion designer, but he did have a good eye for what looked good. He was absolutely glowing with the compliment! "Bajorans have a lot of cool clothes, I'm only just learning about it because mmm... Well I was raised on Cardassian, that's why I'm so bad at Standard," Although Nalas was speaking Standard this whole time! With a French accent, but he was doing it!

“Ohh! But why do you have a human accent?” she wasn’t sure, but it was European. She was somewhat of a nerd for accents.

"Oh! Becasuse i went to the academy in France!" Nalas said with a soft chuckle before taking a deep breath and just saying, "I am a lot better in French than Standard. It is because all of the cute guys spoke French and it was just more useful than Standard," All in perfect French. If Jayrehi had her UT on it would have translated his sentence into whatever language she was using (Trill?), but if not she would have heard Nalas speaking French. He gave her a cheeky grin with an okay hand gesture and a little wink. "All just to talk to cute boys. But I usually speak Cardassian with the help of the UT," Nalas slipped back into his accented Standard, he was really trying to speak better. It was just difficult when the UT was so good and him and his boyfriend spoke French at home. Nalas continued to walk alongside his friend, making sure not to lose her in the sea of people. "Yeah yeah you speak-- Trill, right? And Standard? I assume you went to the academy in uhh United... Fe.. No it's Prefectures? Provinces? That country where people wear cowboy hats!"

Going after cute guys..? She could not relate to it. “Yeah! I do speak trill, oddly enough I prefer english, despite um, y’know, living on trill most of my life.” She heard his statement about some country. United what….? Oh! “The United States? Yeah! I went there, though I actually lived in England!” An English Trill and a French Bajoran, wowzers.

"Oh! I mean the main language of the Federation is Standard so that makes sense," Nalas shrugged as he kept walking. He slowed his pace a little as his legs began to get tired. He needed to be mindful of his energy level especially when he was wearing all the various layers of clothing. "England? My boyfriend lived in England! He's super cool, very uhh English. But he speaks french," Nalas said with a smile, he always loved talking about Eshen, in fact, he wanted everyone to know he had such a nice boyfriend! "Is there a reason you didn't choose France? I mean, it's closer to England and the temperature is a little more mild," Nalas said, after living on Cardassia Prime for most of his life he was done with hot weather.

“I- could not speak it.” she giggled a bit, it made her feeling weird when she admitted to not being up to snuff or competent about a lot of things, but she shrugged it off. “Also because there was this guy who adopted me, and he used to live in England. So… bias, maybes?”

"Oh fair, languages are hard. Honestly I didn't even want to go to the academy on earth. I kinda wanted to explore one of the colony worlds, but my mum said they had better food on earth," Nalas shrugged, ironically he was not the biggest fan of alien foods back in the academy. Now he was more willing to try, but when he was younger anything non-Cardassian had too strange of a texture for him to tolerate. He adjusted his earring cuff, untangling it from the long bits of hair on the side of his face. Maybe he needed to ask Eshen for a haircut soon? Or maybe he could just rock the long hair? If only it wasn't a hazard as a scientist, he would have grown it out earlier. "Ohh you were adopted? By a human? What was the circumstance-- if you will tell me, just curious. I was adopted by my stepfather kinda, coz he married my mum so he had to legally adopt me to get custody when we were on Cardassia. It was a whole thing," Nalas spoke casually of the event despite it being honestly one of the most traumatic periods of his life.

“Um, if I remember correctly, my parents were doing something for Starfleet, and entrusted me to this Admiral friend of theirs, but they never came back. I don’t know where they went or what they were doing, not even my adoptive father knows for sure, or maybe he doesn’t want to tell me? Eh, who knows.” she shrugged, the impact of the whole thing seemed to have numbed out, as she really didn’t feel anything too bad telling him this. “I did grow up on Trill though, maybe so that I was more comfortable. Y’know, compared to an alien environment.”

"WHAT?! Your parents went to buy milk and never returned? Man, same with my biological dad," Nalas said with a laugh, but the Trill's sudden drop of info almost made him trip. He grabbed his skirt tightly and held it up so he wouldn't trip when he stepped forward. "That's whack. I mean, you must know your parents' names? You could search in the Federation registry?" Nalas suggested, wondering if Jayrehi was ever curious where her parents went or why they left her. Sometimes, Nalas looked up his biological father's name to see what he was up to. Nothing exciting, although he supposed had two children before he married his mother? Weird.

She burst out giggling, she never thought of it that way! She still walked with a hop in her feet, keeping up with the (cardassian) bajoran. “I did search them up, all I found where their civilian IDs and later on their Starfleet records. There seems to be some stuff missing, and there was only a vague mention of that mission. It just looks like they disappeared or maybe even died. Eh, there’s not much I could do so I just stopped looking. After all, it was a long time ago.” She had suspicions, maybe they died in an accident Starfleet didn’t want people to hear about? It was strange. Very strange.

"What!? Jayrehi, that's fucking whack as the Bajoran firecaves," Nalas stopped walking so he could just stare at Jayrehi with wide eyes, shocked that she didn't know what happened to her parents and didn't seem too upset about it. "Damn you are telling me you have no idea where your parents are? You don't want to find out?" Nalas let go of his skirt and readjusted his tote bag on his shoulder that had been slowly slipping down this entire time. He didn't care much about his biological dad, but he literally never knew the guy, but Jayrehi grew up with these people! And they just left her? Or disappeared? How was she so calm about all this?!

"I mean, yeah, I don't really have any idea, but at the same time, where else could I go for answers? And I- I can't keep thinking about that right? It's not really that nice." She made a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a sigh, as she gestured for the bajoran to keep going. She didn't want to ruin the day, so kept a relatively happy face, hoping Nalas could maaaaybe just overlook the mistake, and she'd never bring it up again.

Nalas frowned, but made sure not to show much more emotion than that for fear of making Jayrehi sadder about the situation. He crossed his arms and tapped his chin with his index finger as he thought about what resources they had that could locate Jayrehi's family. "My coworker-- umm, she's kinda crazy, her name is Maggie Roode, she lost her parents to a wormhole and I also got a friend ehe-- boyfriend in law, he does hacking. Maybe.... Well if you were interested I could ask him? Or Maggie? I won't push it, but I couldn't imagine not having my parents. Well, I could do without my father," Nalas laughed as he said it, no longer too upset with the man. He still didn't like him, but now was not the time to throw hands. "Anyway, let's keep walking, the corridors to the lifts are over there," Nalas pointed behind Jayrehi and gave her a soft smile.

"Ohh..? I suppose it wouldn't really hurt to try. If they don't mind, of course." She seemed to waver in tone a little, as the two continued down the corridor. "Well, if you don't mind me asking, how was your father like?"

"Huh my father?" Nalas did not expect her to ask about Giyon but he didn't mind telling her. "Well he's Cardassian, and uhh... Pretty crazy, a bit spacist too. He hates Bajorans, but married my mum and raised me. Now that I look back on it, I'm pretty sure we were just tokens to him to add legitimacy to his career coz-- I'm not proud of it, but I used to think he was cool," It was hard to believe that six months ago Nalas was really here thinking he wasn't Bajoran. He still didn't think he was very Bajoran, but at least he wasn't going to outright deny his own species. He shrugged and continued walking alongside his friend. "Him and my mother got remarried recently, I don't like it, but... I said my eyes are watching," He said as he narrowed his eyes and pouted his lips. "And the rest of my Cardassian family agree with him too. They are also super spacist, yikes!"

"Oh what?!-" God, that was AWFUL. I mean, really awful! She kind of made a worried face, concerned. "And.. that's why you never want to see him again?"

"Yep, that's why! But he's my dad annnnnd I guess my mum is still in love with him," Nalas shrugged and shook his head. After all he put him and his mother through he was sure there was some grade A manipulation going on. There was no way his mother would honestly choose to go back to his father. "They said they wanted to give me a nice home on Cardassia to return to with a loving family buuuutt... Uhhhh it's kinda weird because I'm like.. 25, I don't exactly really need a family to support me. If two parents split up it's usually after the kids grow up so I don't know why they said that," Another reason why this was sus. Nalas had been living on his own for years and was currently enlisted in Starfleet. It wasn't like he needed support from his parents, not that his father's family on Cardassia ever gave him any. "It's whack, especially when you know, my dad was in the Cardassian military during the Occupation, all kinds of yikes," He shook his head again and fiddled with his earring. "But anyway, that's in a whole different quadrant! You're far from home too, well earth is closer to 777 than Cardassia is."

“Earth? I’m not human, y’know…” she giggled after a brief, overdramatic pause, as she continued to walk alongside him. She did somewhat consider Earth to contain more important events in her life though, and had picked up several slangs that she still used. “Hey, um, what is Cardassia like? I know about Bajor, I visited my uh, friend there once. She was Bajoran too! But, I have no idea about Cardassia.”

"Trill! I don't know i mean I was born on Bajor and I don't call that planet my home," Nalas laughed when Jayrehi paused and then smoothed down his hair with his palms. "Ah you wanna know what Cardassia is like? Ummm humid. Like, you might as well be swimming, I swear you could cut the air with a knife it's so thicc," Nalas said as he made a chopping motion with his hands. It looked more like he was giving a massage than chopping. "Oh and people are ok in the cities, but in the countryside people are mega spacist. I mean like, they don't think the Occupation was that bad," Nalas frowned and shook his head, remembering he was like that not too long ago. "You visited Bajor? Where?"

“Sakelo City, I think.” She tried to recall more about her visit. Though it was a while ago, she still could remember most of it. “I stayed in my friend’s home for the duration of it, and we were flatmates, so we were used to it. It’s a very nice city! Rather large too.”

"Oh I don't really know where that is," Nalas shook his head and listened to her story. Staying a friend's house in a Bajoran city sounded nice, even if it wasn't something he would personally do. He was the guy who chickened out of staying on Bajor with his own mother. "And that sounds like a good shore leave, uhh I haven't been to Bajor since my family moved. Ehh they are kinda judgmental I think," Nalas grimaced for a brief moment before turning his attention to the corridor up ahead. "Anyway I think this is where we will part ways. Enjoy the moon cakes by the way! And if you ever want more treats, I always got tons of snacks. And do tell me if you want to come play with the epohhs in the science labs, I'm sure they would love company!"

“Sure! I’d love to!” she had a great grin on her face, happy as always it seems. “Just tell me when!!” she squeaked, as she waved her new friend goodbye.

[D] Lyrat was having its usual day routine, working at the Starbucks, some crafts, and the walk around the base. It still was a slow walker, but recently found it wasn't falling as often. Practice makes perfect? Lyrat pondered to itself. It had been making so many crafts, it was starting to overwhelm their quarters. As Tarlin walked beside it, it looked around. Maybe a shop? Though it already had a job and money didn't interest it... Maybe a giveaway? That would be easiest. Though it could just recycle the materials in the replicator, but it couldn't bring itself to get rid of artworks like that. A few days ago Lyrat was also gifted with a specialized PADD from Keynuk, customizable text to speech capabilities. Saves time from handing someone a PADD and have them read it. The PADD is held in their left hand.

In a similar fashion, Kerutep had also been walking along the promenade and going from here to there, although this had been with a purpose. For the last little while he had been examining the outlets of the station’s commercial centre – or more specifically, the ones that needed filled. A few months back he would never have considered the possibility of moving aboard some Starfleet station. He wouldn’t even wanted to set foot in Federation space, given the amount that Nausicaans had done against the Federation (and others), whether that was while aligned with the Klingons or just as mercenaries. Recent events had changed his mind, though. Starfleet being the ones to save him had changed his perception: maybe it didn’t have to be so awkward when it came to him and Federation things. It was while stood there examining the empty outlet – and also pondering if he really wanted to move his business all the way here – that he caught sight of a rather odd figure in the window’s reflection. He turned quite sharpy, firstly looking down at what he had come to know was a 'dog,' and then secondly at the person… Because what the fuck kind of species was that? He almost said it out loud until he realised that people probably asked the same of him: if he had been given more of the features of an Aenar he might have looked like a hybrid, but Section 31 hadn’t been so thoughtful. He looked the figure up and down, went to speak but stopped himself before he said something unintentionally rude… But because of that, he instead just stared.

It had been a bit too busy lost in thought to realize someone was staring. Who would benefit from the giveaway? While it was still trying to figure out the internal dilemma, Tarlin's attention was focused on Kerutep. The dog wasn't too sure what to make of someone like that but he definitely was curious. His head focused between Lyrat and Kerutep. Tarlin took a few steps forward, but not straying too far, nor getting too close to the other individual. When Lyrat noticed Tarlin wasn't by it, there was a faint squeak of confusion from its throat. Huh? It realized Tarlin had been focused on something, or someone in this case. Lyrat slowly looked to catch... the... man staring. That was new. It definitely hasn't seen anyone like that before. The metal hands gripped onto the PADD, Lyrat glancing at Kerutep before typing on it.
"Are you alright?"
Lyrat just assumed Kerutep was probably lost or something. It never was too sure what to make of when people stared. The PADD had an androgynous voice when it spoke what Lyrat typed.

It was lucky that he caught himself staring and looked away, but by that time, this person had already caught sight of him… Or rather the dog had, and the owner had noticed in turn. Staring was impolite in this culture. To be fair it was impolite in most, but the reaction from different species varied; some thought it was rude and would be offended, others took it as a challenge. It seemed like the two were set to stand there in awkward silence then, just staring at one another, before this figure moved to begin typing on their tablet. While the person was typing, Kerutep hazarded another glance – again, not trying to be impolite, just… Trying to work out the species. They had the same legs – some Federation species he thought he had seen before, but the name eluded him. They also had a robot tail and… The tablet reading something out broke his train of thought. ‘Are you alright.’ Ah – so this person didn’t speak. That was fair. “Yes, I’m alright,” he replied and also took a step forwards, but purposefully slouched a little in an effort to look less intimidating. “I didn’t mean to stare. I was trying to work out what species you are. I don’t know all of them that you find within the Federation.” That hadn’t been rude, right? Just an enquiry to this pale, robot-tailed person? “You’re… Cybernetic? Part Borg?”

It didn't respond at first, needed to process a bit. Of course. It was to no surprise someone would be confused as to what it was. Lyrat frowned slightly, not because it was upset by what Kerutep had said. The metal fingers tapped onto the PADD again.
"It's a long story. I know at least I was made from three species, Klingon, Gorn, and Kelpien. Apparently my... creators... weren't too successful in everything hench the robotics."
Tarlin sat down, keeping his attention on Kerutep for a while before he focused back to his owner. Essentially all the robotics were a dark black, some alloy of sorts. Which definitely contrasted to the Kelpien head while was pale from albinism.

It was like an increasingly awkward moment of silence as he waited for the other person to reply. He stood there watching, looking from between the dog and the person. One of the Lethean’s antennae twitched. And then the person frowned, and that hadn’t been the response he wanted at all. He raised a hand and took a half-step forward as if going to comfort or apologise to this intriguing newcomer, but stopped. “I’m sorry if that question is rude, I’m genuinely just curious-“ his attempts to interject and clarify, however, were halted by the other person typing again. Okay. Maybe they weren’t upset after all… And then came the reply, at which he stood there, wide-eyed and almost gaping. “You’ve got to be kidding. Out of all the people that could run into each other on this station, it’s the two hybrid-people?” He actually laughed, finding it exhilarating, but then felt he ought to clarify. “I mean – I’m three as well. Lethean – obviously – Aenar, Betazoid. The two to faaaar lesser portions. Proportions? I don’t know. And for me it was less ‘create’ and more ‘splice’ but – there’s a similarity there!”

The mechanical eye suddenly did a faint click sound, Lyrat's focus had shifted to see the other hybrid's features. It had just recently started life as a civilian, and had thought Kerutep wasn't a hybrid like itself. There was still much to learn it seems... The species Lyrat was aware of were the few it had encountered and what it was made of. Lyrat began to type again, clearly with interest to learn more of this person.
"So like me in a way. I didn't really think I would meet anyone else who was a hybrid such as I. My name is Lyrat."
It certainly never thought it would meet anyone similar. The chances had to be really low to find another person. This had Lyrat excited, now wanting to try to meet more people.

There was a singular, sharp twitch of one antenna in response to the clicking sound – those antennae were full of unconscious reactions that he was still trying to control. He would have had them hacked off had he not been advised that doing so was quite dangerous. Part of him was still hoping that these Starfleet people with their medical knowledge could revert him back to normal, but most of the talk so far had revolved around genetics and things he didn’t understand. What he did understand was ‘too complicated.’ Apparently that Rigelian with the white stripes had done a number on him. “The universe has a strange way of bringing similar people together, it seems!” He replied after patiently waiting while the other hybrid typed out the message. It was a very philosophical statement for a Lethean (the species being known for their brutality, not their philosophical ways), but he thought it sounded good enough. Another step forward was taken and then he extended a hand, but paused, waiting. “Do you do handshakes? I’ve noticed that it’s the usual sort of ‘I’ve just met you’ formality here, but I’ve also noticed that some species don’t do it. I don’t mind if you don’t. Just – trying to do the ‘polite Federation’ thing.”

It stared at the hand Kerutep had held out. One eyebrow lifted, the side that didn't have the robotic eye. Lyrat stayed still for about five seconds. Slowly, it reached out it hand but didn't take Kerutep's. Its hand just hoovered over there, and the next second, Lyrat shook it in the air. Seemed pretty evident Lyrat didn't understand that concept. Well at least it tried. It glanced at Kerutep as if asking it had done it right, its hand still in the air but now still. Keynuk had introduced Lyrat to mainly Kelpien customs and behaviour, and tried with some Klingon. Though the latter one didn't seem to please Lyrat when it was shown a bat'leth.

It was a very awkward five seconds, what with this Lyrat person just staring (but to be fair, Kerutep had done the same earlier,) and himself just… Stood there, arm out and hand extended, just… Hovering. Should he say something? Would saying something make it worse, coming across as rude? Maybe he should just wait, awkwardly, as the seconds ticked on… And then when the fellow hybrid finally did move and it looked like the handshake had been accepted, his worry was abated. …Just for a moment, that was. The awkwardness came crashing back as soon as Lyrat did some form of an air handshake. “You’re uh, halfway there,” Kerutep commented, and gave a (slightly awkward) smile that was too full of pointy teeth to look reassuring. At least it was obvious that he was trying to be nice; he had been going out of his way to observe the culture here and act not like the typical aggressive Lethean. “You do that but with physical contact. That’s only if you do that sort of thing. I mentioned that some species don’t like doing that – so you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I’m fine with air-handshakes.”

It then gave Kerutep an unsure expression. Oh. You had to touch someone with the hand? Lyrat made a slight frown. Definitely wasn't something it liked especially to people it just met. And to be honest, it wasn't still sure what to make with touch gestures, so it shook its head slightly. It went to type onto the PADD again, the back of it now was visible to show a sticker from an old Terran game... It looked like a simple burger but with... googly eyes? Also what appears to make it tusks and legs are... curly fries. The eyes actually were googly eyes, the black dots shaking whenever Lyrat had moved the PADD.
"Maybe not then. I appreciate the thought. Honestly I am still unsure what to make of... physical touch for communication. Is there a different version of this handshake?"
When the PADD finished saying what was typed, Lyrat's hand moved over the sticker, now obscuring it.

The frown said it all to begin with, but Kerutep had been getting used to this not-just-telepathy thing from the Betazoid side that he had been… Spliced? With? He still wasn’t sure of the correct term. The scientist that had worked on him had spoken in Standard, but the more academic and scientific terms hadn’t gone across well on the UT. For a Lethean, telepathy was all about power; it was used as a weapon. It had been difficult to get used to this empathic side of things and consider that maybe it should all be about understanding other people instead. It was as such that he picked up on the other hybrid’s discontent not only from the frown, but also from the shift in emotion that was detected empathically. It might have actually helped considering how it took its time to write out on the PADD. You could understand the emotion before it had even said – or written – anything. His hand was lowered in response to the frown, taking that as enough of a hint. Unconsciously he found himself focussing on the wobbly eyes placed upon the sticker of whatever that was on the back of the PADD. He felt like he had been exposed to one heck of a lot of other cultures (read: Federation cultures) over the past few weeks of being aboard this starbase, but things like this just showed him that he still had a lot to learn. When the PADD started reading the message he looked back up, giving a somewhat sheepish grin as if to say ‘sorry, I swear I’m still listening.’ “A lot of people don’t like physical contact, so you wouldn’t be the first. I don’t really know much about the other ways. You can wave, but that’s not as formal. The Vulcans do the uh… Thing.” An attempt at the ta’al was made, but he failed miserably. A few days ago his youngest son had taped his fingers together in an attempt to make him able to do it. “…Going off topic: can I ask about the… Thing with the eyes? On the back of your device? What is it – and why do the eyes move?”

It knew what Kerutep had been talking about. Lyrat effortlessly did the Ta'al. The robotic hands were designed to do a wide variety of guesters, including the majority of signs for sign language. It was one of the few things that didn't seem too flawed in anatomy. Lyrat then looked back onto its PADD where the sticker is. Of course it couldn't help but start shaking the PADD to watch the eyes before flipping it back over to type the response. The eyes... What was even the purpose? The sticker almost look like it was in shock considering how WIDE the eyes were.
"That's a sticker of a creature from a Terran game called Bugsnax. It's a bunger. Also the eyes are also of Terran origin. Googly eyes. I heard kids tend to use those in craft projects. It's able to move because it has two parts. One holds the dots so it can move..."
Tarlin listens, but as being a dog, he doesn't understand the concept of googly eyes. Nor did it seem to bother him anyways.

A resigned shrug was given in response to Lyrat immediately managing to do the ta’al. He had tried for hours (mostly because his sons wouldn’t stop picking on him for not being able to) but it was to no avail. He also had little to no knowledge of much terran culture at all, never mind games or craft projects, but he listened intently none the less. Truthfully, he could have been doing with all of these other cultures – this terran one in particular. Imagine being able to raise his sons somewhere that you could focus on games or doing projects with ‘googly eyes’ instead of joining a gang or getting coerced into criminal activity from a young age, or having to learn to defend yourself from attack from other telepaths, or having to deal with the judgement of the Klingons who would only let you stay in the slums… It would have been so much better for them. “I don’t know anything about bungers or terran games or crafts, but I like the idea behind it anyway. …I know you uh, mentioned that you’re a hybrid – created and all – but you seem to know a decent amount about how things go around here with the different species and their lifestyles. Do you uh, recommend it? I’m trying to decide if it’s worth staying here.” He cast a brief glance back over his shoulder to the empty unit behind him. “Rescuing all of us from that science lab already puts the Federation in my good books, and anywhere is obviously safer than that run-down piece of Empire space where we stayed before… But I’m not sure if I want to take the entire leap yet. It’d be a lot of change.”

After her shift, Conny was strolling through the Commercial Centre. She wasn’t really here to buy anything, so she just entered shops at random to look around. She’d already made her way about halfway down the corridor, when she remembered that she had sent a message to her stepmother that she hadn’t gotten a reply to yesterday and decided to stop so she could check whether that had changed yet. Trying not to be a bother to anyone walking by, she stepped out of the way and opened her PADD.

Just as Conny was walking by, a stranger bolted past her, bumping shoulders briefly before scurrying off. It was nothing-- right? The stranger had disappeared into the crowd before anyone could notice.

A certain completely-normal-civilian-not-teenage-Section-31-officer had found their way here. The adrenaline of getting out of the brig must have worn off seeing as how they were suddenly so tired. Yawning into the crook of their elbow, they wandered down the promenade of the commercial section, looking into all of the shop windows to see what there was. Why was there a bike shop on a starbase? You would probably get told off for riding a bike, fuckiiiin NYYOOOOM down the promenade knocking people over as you went. Maybe they should just run over Radin with a bike...

Lorin was sleepy too, but that didn’t stop her from going shopping. She needed a gift for Halcyon before the holiday rush got all the good stuff. She wasn’t looking where she was going, though, so she ran into Derek.

Having been totally caught up in the thought of running over Radin just for fun - and I mean totally caught up in the thought, standing there at the window staring at some nice-coloured mountain bike - they hadn't put much attention towards those who walked by. When someone walked directly into them, however? Derek stumbled, caught their balance, and then turned, glaring at this random Starfleet person. "Hey, watch where you're walking! Can't you see that I'm looking at bikes?"

“Fuck, I’m sorry!” It was just then she got the call on the commbadge, so she booked it to the turbolifts.

"Uhm, fuckin' bye, then?" They muttered, having listened to the intercom and watched as the officer subsequently legged it. Hey, it had been a good idea to wear civilian clothes, then. It didn't look suspicious that they weren't going off to work! Instead, they got to stay and look at the bikes. Which bike would be better for Bolian-running-over-time?

Allan had actually just gotten done shopping at the retail outlet. Who knew that they carried vintage Gucci now? He didn't, that was for sure. He had multiple, and we're talking like - three bags on each arm multiple, bags of shit he'd bought right now. He felt a little sleepy, to be honest, and he wasn't sure why. He was just trying on a bunch of fab clothes! He even got flirted -with- by the shopkeeper, so... So why would he be tired? Weird. Gucci bags still in his hands, he heard the intercom and... what the fuck! "What the fuck, a sleeping gas?" He just said out loud, looking at the person just standing there looking at bikes while the station was put on red alert. "Huh. Glad I had extra espresso shots in my Gliqqigug's today, I guess." He looked at the person just standing there. "Sooo, you gonna uhh... ride a bike out of the red alert or...?"

They almost grinned when they saw Allan - hey, it was one of the cool Starfleet people who had been in the Section 31 base when everything went down - but they soon realised that Allan wouldn't know them in turn. Derek hadn't even considered that for the duration of that raid, they had been cutting about with their S31-brand EV suit on. Their helmet had remained on the whole time. Uh, would the Starfleet dude recognise their voice? Should they say something? Uh, uhhhh.... "I mean, maybe! It's faster than walking to get away from bad guys or whatever, right?" Dumb answer in response to the question, good choice!

[D] Eshen was here too, also holding many bags. He'd been clothes shopping with Allan - a passtime he greatly adored, especially knowing they were probably going to steal half of one another's clothes. He took two red matching silk scarves they'd bought out of the bag, tied one around his mouth and nose, and handed the other to Allan. "I'm fairly resistant to that kind of thing, but we should find some gas masks... Hi, Derek!" He definitely recognised their voice; he'd spent a lot of time talking to them in that suit, after all. Also, he'd probably visited Derek in the slammer offscreen, I just forgor. (edited)

"Ohh, thanks babe," he said as Eshen handed him one of the silk scarves, also tying it around his face. "Oh, Derek! Hmm... I mean..." he smirked, looking at the bikes with a hand on his chin as he thought about it. "Honestly? I think I probably could get to engineering faster on one of these, and run over any baddies in the way too, right? Any bike big enough to fit the three of us, though.." he looked at the bikes in the window, wondering if there was something like a fucking huge ass four-wheeler in there. "Like, I'm just saying. It'd make for a pretty sexy entrance, too." He looked in the bags for a second before realizing he didn't buy any more scarves, but pulled a spare pants leg from shorts-making out of his bag and handed that to Derek to tie around their face instead. These things really came in handy, huh. (edited)

Oh, so they were recognised! Okay, that was fine, I mean maybe not find seeing as how they were Starfleet officers and would probably have to go and drag him back to the brig or something, but… It was still nice to be known. “You can get those uh, tandem bikes? I don’t know what they’re called. The ones that have a few seats and you just ride at the same time, they look fucking weird and probably not so sexy, though. Uh – I also don’t think that it’s a good idea to get a bike, I mean. I don’t think you guys are meant to steal, and I don’t want to get into more trouble, so…” They trailed off as Allan handed them what looked like… Formal work trousers? One leg of formal work trousers? Uncool looking, but sure. They yawned into the fabric before trying to tie it. “Wait – I get to go with you, though? Aren’t you going to just arrest me and put me back in the brig again or something?”

"As long as you're under our supervision it's probably fine, right? Mo said 'secure' the prisoners; technically we could just handcuff you and keep an eye on you and that counts." There was always a 75% chance he or Allan had handcuffs on their person. Don't ask why. "And you could help us out, too!"

"Yeah!" Allan nodded to what Eshen had said, going towards the entrance of the shop. "Probably would be a waste of time to go, get you to the brig where the forcefields probably still aren't working, and then go to engineering. Better to just keep an eye on you, I've got handcuffs but.." he frowned, looking at one of those tandem bikes. "You wouldn't really be able to ride the bike with them on, so we're just gonna have to trust you to be good, right?" He got out the latinum he had in his bag, counting it to see if it was enough for the bike and then realizing - "Could we uh, actually um... take this for a test ride, maybe?"

”Wait, we’re actually getting the bike?” Not that you could see it from where they were (still) trying to tie that fabric to cover their mouth and nose, but they were definitely grinning. First these guys weren’t going to haul them back to the brig, and now they were saying they could ride some dumb looking bike to engineering AND that they could go too? Friendship ended with Section 31, now Starfleet was their best friend. They should have just gone to the technical academy and be done with it instead of getting roped in by Section 31 – Starfleet were clearly cooler. “I won’t do anything dumb, promise!” They shouted as they watched Allan go and speak to the shopkeeper, catching word of something about being able to take it for a test run as long as deposit was placed. The owner did seem pretty suspicious about them using it in the middle of a red alert crisis, though. “I don’t even have a weapon or any equipment or anything anyway, just this clothes! This jacket is kind of boring though!”

"We'll get you a new jacket. A cooler jacket. This jacket." He reached into the bag and pulled out a cool leather jacket with spikes on the shoulders and handed it to Derek. It would probably be a bit big at the shoulders for them but it was the thought that counts. "I can pay as well, if we need?"

"I shouuuld have enough for just a deposit," Allan said as he thumbed through the latinum and yes, he did have enough for the deposit to place for the bike, hoping they wouldn't unceremoniously crash it, but even then he could probably fix it up just fine and add something cool to it too, he was an engineer after all! He handed the latinum to the shopkeeper, thanking them profusely as he put in his information or whatever, and all was good. "Okay okay, great choice for the jacket, babe, get on the bike, c'mon, let's go-" he went over and took the bike off its little stand and got on in the first seat. "If you've never ridden a bike before, Derek, you just kinda fuckin' go. If you can't do that, think about how cool you look in that new jacket and tell yourself that you can. That's all you need, really." Confidence!!

”Holy shit, that is a cool jacket.” There were grabby hands from Derek until the jacket was firmly in their grasp, immediately throwing it on over their existing quickly-replicated jacket which was nowhere near as cool. What was cool, though, was having two jackets, one that was leathery and had spikes. “I’ve been on a bike before,” they informed Allan, taking the seat at the back because they had figured that Allan and Eshen would want to be ✧ together ✧. “I stole it from the neighbour when he was being a dick to me. Then I crashed it and broke my arm, but at least the bike was broken too!”

"Yeah, and we'll be doing two thirds of the work anyway so we should be fine, just copy what we're doing. And... Hmmm. Theft is probably not good retribution for being a dick... Depending on what kind of dick he was being." He felt the urge to be a Responsible Adult suddenly. Eshen sat behind Allan and wrapped his arms around his waist (because yes, he did want to be Together) which may or may not have been something he'd always wanted to do. "Have I ever told you how incredibly cool you are, my beloved?"

"Prooobably not, but it does depend, yeah," Allan said, mostly because he'd absolutely done theft as retribution many, many times when he was a teenager. That included thieving Starfleet's admin account passwords. Woopsies! He also was reminded of a Responsible Adult thing as he just pedaled over to the front of the store, grabbed three helmets for all of them which were definitely included in the trial run of the bike, passing them back to Eshen who would then probably give one to Derek. They looked kinda crazy in silly little helmets and fabric tied around their faces, but it was also kind of cool in a weird way. He chuckled as Eshen called him cool, adjusting his helmet and just pedaling lightly out of the store before pausing at the turbolift doors and looking back at the both of them. "You absolutely have, darling, but - you should probably have your hands on the handlebars, as much as I'd love to stay like this. Derek, your helmet on and all?"

There was a very whiny statement of “uuuuugh, but helmets don’t look cool,” before Derek remembered the safety adverts from back home about how you could smash your head in if you fell off. Yeah, fine, whatever – reluctantly, they put the helmet on. What a strange figure they looked, with their dual jackets (one of which with the punk spikes), trouser fabric around their mouth and nose looking like a hoodlum, and a bike helmet on. At least it was fun. You didn’t do this sort of thing at Section 31. “Okay, never mind, I put it on. How fast do you think we can go?” Trying not to tilt the bike but to see past Eshen’s shoulder, they leaned ever so slightly to the side. “I’ll tell you if I see any Section 31 people, you can just run them over, no one will really care!”

"Derek, you're a Section 31 people," Eshen said, reluctantly letting go of Allan and put his hands on the handlebars, but not before whispering, "You owe me a romantic hoverbike ride in the holodeck later."

Allan couldn't help but snort at that comment, shaking his head as he wheeled into the #deleted-channel when the doors opened. "Well, we're about to see that, Derek, when we get to the engineering corridor. Get ready to just," he pedaled to turn the bike around so they were facing the doors so that when they were getting out, they could just, "fucking go for it. And ... yes, of course." He said to Eshen, although it would have sounded like he was also saying yes to Derek's comment about running over Section 31 people, which was not the intention.

Nora exited the turbolift into the midst of the shopping center, looking around the place and breathing in some of that nice, fresh, okay maybe not-super-fresh space station air. She looked around the place; she had heard it's good for finding stuff that can't easily be replicated. Like analogue media for example! Oooh, excitement time! Nora was not quite aware that most of these shops took latinum for payment, which she did not have much of, and none at all on her at this time.

No time to look around, there was a party to prepare for, ~~unfortunately~~. Nora was very much not a social individual, but if she missed the party she'd definitely regret it. That's why she was headed to a shop that sells nice clothes, to get something that looked nice on her. She had no idea what would but if she was going to a party she was going in style! Hopefully the tailor would be able to help her out with it. (edited)

Sakkath stepped off of the lift and into the commercial promenade. They were dressed in casual Vulcan robes, dark reds and blues paired with some ash coloured accents. Their outfit was modest as always, covering their legs and arms, they almost looked like they could be some sort of scholar, but no they were just wandering around. In their hands they had a small purse with some cash, they were heading to buy their secret santa recipient their gift. It had to be soemthing rare, and special, but they weren't exactly sure what it could be.

[D] Look who was also here - Saren, with an inconspicuous looking messenger bag by his side, also wandering about. Though, his movement, while relaxed and slow, did seem to have some purpose behind it. A man on a mission? His head turned, gaze sliding over Sakkath before returning to them, a spark of recognition in the Romulan's green eyes. A bit reluctantly, Saren raised his hand hello, but after a brief moment of consideration he made his way towards the ops officer. The fact that Hanaj was not by their side played a big part in that particular decision. "Hello, Sakkath," Saren greeted with a short nod. "Looking for something specific here?"

Sakkath was too focused on reading all of the shop names as they strolled on the promenade. Books and blooms? No. Prism law? They are not getting their secret santa recipient a lawsuit, imagine that. Their concentration was suddenly interrupted by the sound of their own name. Muffled at first until they turned their head and stopping in their tracks. Their noise cancelling devices recognised someone was engaging with them thus allowed the scientist's voice to be clearly heard. "Saren," They replied with their classic flat tone, no emotion or stress in their voice although in their mind they were definitely feeling both of those things. "I am participating in Rapture's 'Secret Santa'. I am looking for a unique gift for my recipient," They said as they tucked both sides of their long curly hair behind their ears. Somehow their hair looked like it was double in size than what it was at the ball.

He tilted his head with a short hum. Right, Secret Santa was probably celebrated on many other stations and Federation ships, and the Rapture was no exception. "I see... maybe I can give you some pointers where you could try your luck." Saren then fell silent for a bit. You could almost see the cogs turning in his head, until suddenly the Romulan, his eyebrow raised, blurted out: "Not to be that guy, but... I have to ask - are you and Sy..." He made a very ambiguous motion with his hand. It almost looked like he was swirling an invisible glass of champagne, or flexing his wrist, or maybe casting a spell. ".. a thing, or something? He told me nothing, but... he was also kinda shit at masking his body language that whole evening." "And yours was weird too", he wanted to add, but didn't, because Saren was smarter than that. The younger Romulan had an almost apologetic look on his face - he knew well how awkward such personal questions could be. But also, if his suspicions turned out to be correct... (edited)

Sakkath nodded in response to Saren offering to help them look for a gift. They had never really received gifts before up until recently so they couldn't think of what they wanted, let alone what someone else would want. They stared at Saren as the two stood in silence together, not trying to look menacing, but it was just how they were. "A.. Thing? Our parents arranged our engagement as per the Vulcan custom. Our current relationship is.. Complicated," Sakkath said, ignoring the way the words stung on their tongue, 'complicated', oh how they hated that word. They did not wanted to complicated for that is what their mother always called them-- but there was no other way to describe what they had between Sy. "Does it displease you? Because I would be willing to discuss the terms of our arrangement to make things clear?" Sakkath said, their default assumption going to that Saren was trying to protect his cousin and that he was lying about Sy telling him 'nothing'. If there was one thing Sakkath knew about Sy, it was that he loved running his mouth. Or maybe Saren was right.. Maybe Sy did not tell him much? Either way, Sakkath felt like they owed Saren an explanation especially if they were to be in-laws. One year left.

"Ah, okay, that explains some things," he looked away, a slight frown on the Romulan's face. "Displease me? No, not at all. Worry is... more like it." Saren thought about it, before continuing: "I got the general vibe that something was going on by seeing the way you two interacted. Which is not the issue, by the way - it's his... I've never met him before the ball, for the main Morvar House - or, well, what's left of it - and my side of the family were separated. When I tried to ask him about you, and by extension about his own family - because I know nothing, and I was just being generally curious - Syrax got... really quiet, really quickly." Green eyes refocused on Sakkath, as Saren gave them a slight head tilt. "While I recognized that he was just feeling... complicated and also protective over you, the silence that followed my question about his parents was..." he sighed, shaking his head slightly, "... heavy. A stark contrast over how happy he was to learn more about my family back on Mol'Rihan. I gave him the contacts and the copy of the photo folder, by the way. And, ah, speaking of that..." He chuckled, then. "While Sy has no Lareth blood, I see that his... actions, and association with me, did not make your family happy."

Sakkath's eyes narrowed as they observed Saren look away. Contemplative? They wished they were as perceptive as Zero was, but they could only use the subtle changes on the man's face to try and figure out what was going through his head. 'Protective', that was something Sakkath didn't expect from Syrax. And then the fact that he wouldn't even open up to his own cousin about their own family was.. Concerning. Sakkath blinked rapidly a few times, for some reason the urge to break down into tears rushed over him. They were not sad though, more like.. Frustrated. That the enigma that was Syrax could not be solved by them or Saren. What was he keeping? "I do not know either. When I asked he tentatively agreed to tell me one day but... I am unsure if he ever plans to tell me," Sakkath was Vulcan, but they trusted like a Romulan, which was to say barely at all. "I am head of my house, the opinions of my family are irrelevant because only I control my future now," Even though the words they were saying suggested they were confident and ready to take charge, they delivered them with hesitancy. As if they were reading off a script for the first time. Fumbling to keep an even cadence as the stresses on each word in Rihannsu came out differently. "... So did he really say nothing about me? I..." Now Sakkath was looking away, tucking a piece of hair behind their ear, a look of solemnness upon their face as if disappointed. They knew the reason behind Sy's secrecy was his own family and not Sakkath but the emotions were still there.

"He did? Well, that's at least something. He didn't make such promise to me," Saren smirked, shrugging his shoulders. The Romulan had his own suspicions and theories, from Sy just being a closed-off person when it came to those sort of matters, not unlike Saren was; the other options were... much less simple, and much more unpleasant to consider. "Only time will show, really. But, between you and me, he doesn't seem like a type to lie." Head of the House, huh. If they and Sy went through with the whole marriage thing, Sakkath would become his in-law. What an insane thought. "It's still, hm, upsetting? That the conflict had popped up in the first place," he then sighed. "And that your betrothed had decided that showing teeth to your uncle, that is supposed to be his family at some point in the future, was a good idea. That mulleted brain of his works in mysterious ways, truly." And yet Saren couldn't help but appreciate it, just a little bit. "Feels weird calling yourself that, huh? You'll get used to it, eventually," the younger Vulcanoid commented on Sakkath's unsure tone, offering them some sympathy - he was going through a not quite same, but a similar struggle, and the double surname was evidence for that. His stare soon turned... just a tad mischevious, as he added, voice slow and casual: "No, he didn't say anything about you. Not verbally. But I do know that, as he escorted me away from the lounge, he kept looking over his shoulder. He wasn't looking out for Hanaj, though. It's kinda fucking hilarious - no offense, Sakkath, I am saying that as a witness to my older cousin acting like a lovesick teenager."

Not the type to lie, well that was reassuring, they thought. Sakkath looked back at Saren with a serious gaze. As if suspicious that this other Morvar could also be lying? But it was illogical. What would Saren gain from lying to someone like Sakkath? The head of a no-name house, a mere whisper compared to the heaviness that he carried with him as a Lareth. That house that had done so much wrong, but they couldn't bring themself to feel the same anger as Hanaj. Not towards Saren at least. The eye contact only lasted a mere couple seconds before they felt the corners of their mouth curl into a frown. "Upsetting is an understatement," They responded with an exasperated tone, their eyes reflecting a tinge of frustration and sadness. "Mulleted brain?" And to that comment Sakkath actually chuckled. It was subtle but easy for a Vulcanoid's hearing to pick up. "Putting it that way makes it sound like his brain has a mullet," They said, a lighthearted statement delivered in a serious tone. "It feels weird to be a Vulcan and be tasked with leading a house of Romulans on a planet I have never even been to," And then Sakkath's eyes met Saren's again, catching the slightly mischievous look on his face when he mentioned Syrax. A couple seconds of silence past and in that time a light green blush became visible across their cheeks. "... Is that so?" They said with a single eyebrow raised. "Thank you for that insight, Saren. I apologise again on behalf of my uncle. I do not hold any malice towards you, I will make sure my family stays... Civil."

Saren let out a huff of a laugh, eyes squinting in that invisible smile of his. "I wouldn't be surprised. My rian is a walking mystery to both of us." A Vulcan? Saren almost made an inquiry about that, but then realized - ah. Maybe Sakkath meant not just his blood, but also the way they were raised. That would make a lot of sense - and explain the apprehension with which Sakkath approached this new aspect of their life. The blush was not missed, and Saren made a mental note that he was obligated to tease the shit out of Syrax for this. Revenge for being so damn secretive. Saren never got to be the annoying younger sibling, so he will abuse this new position as much as he can. He then nodded, a solemn gesture. "It's okay. I am..." he paused, suddenly scared that if he continues that sentence, it will summon a very angry Romulan, and he will get another earful of how he should "stop taking shit from other people, like damn, tell them to go and stuff their stupid opinion in their...". Direct quote from Syrax. Instead Saren continued, "His rage is, in some way, understandable. It's only human... well, Romulan, to blame someone. It's easier to process the grief and loss and pain. Maybe you should try and... help him process that? In a healthier way? I can't provide you, or him, with any sort of... comfort, for the man responsible for all of that is still missing... somewhere, but, still. My House has a lot of work to do, and mending bridges... would be a good start." [D] They talked some more, exploring the commercial promenade - Saren may have been able to help out and give some pointers to specific shops, while also continuing to lovingly roast his cousin, taking any opportunity he could. After that, they said goodbye to each other - Saren with a twinge of satisfaction in his heart, for he made a good acquaintance in Sakkath. He hoped that they, and Sy, would take good care of each other on Rapture. Off to Delta Delights he goes!

T'she was observing the area below them, looking for a place that might catch their eye. They were not hungry -- so they decided that they would not go to the food court, but in lieu of that, they walked towards a store that looked much newer. Maybe they would just look around.

“Yes, that is a good idea. For both electing you as a champion and verifying the authenticity of the items.” She was still out here walking like a boss in her dress. She was always pretty good-looking, but definitely better today. She had upgraded her dress, after all.

Sakkath kept their eyes straight ahead, still worried about running into anyone. The promenade was quite crowded, although thankfully not very noisy. Perhaps it was their noise cancelling devices or maybe people were just quiet. They proceeded to #delta-delights once they saw the sign for the store. "Remember, no hands on hips. And the shopkeeper is very eccentric."

[D] Following the events of the bubble in the CTO's office, Vara'l worked his first full shift. Once that shift was completed, he and Telim took a trip to the commercial quarter and after they explored the area a bit, entered Delta delights. The name of the business being something that if anything, intrigued the duo.

With a new purchase safely secured the duo of Romulans headed out of Delta Delights and proceeded in the direction of the turbolift. Vara'l and Telim talking quietly as they walked. His son was concerned for him and it showed in the line of questioning the kid cautiously pursued. His kid had twigged about the metal bits and had seen how he'd reacted to it. Telim was worried for him. Worried because of him. That hurt. The Liberated borg turning as they entered the turbolift and he hugged his adoptive son.

Nowadays Austin always seemed to take his patrols much more seriously then when he arrived. At first he viewed patrols as just being about helping out others but over time and especially after the diplomatic conference he began to be effected much more on a mental level. He spent more time glancing in different direction and analyzing things rather then just zoning out and walking leisurely. Nothing in particular happened on 99% of his patrols but that 1% had him a little bit paranoid. If he remembered correctly one of his crewman, Paxton been on patrol when he died. Never again

[D] Aella was here, dressed in her Dominion uniform actually! A red dress with a purple collar that was tighter than what she usually wore. It accentuated her lack of shape, but she had added a simple chain belt to make it look like she wasn't just a walking thin rectangle and of course she had her cute black rimmed round glasses on. On her feet Aella had some purple crocs with a very terrible cheetah pattern on the fur-- yes the crocs were lined with cheetah print fur, it was very comfortable! With her crocs of course, she wore a pair of orange socks. Aella was watching where she was going this time, gracefully walking through the promenade like she owned the place. She had her head held high and her pretty black twin tails tied off with pink bows. It wasn't until she spotted a familiar face that she deviated from her path and rushed over to greet the security officer. "Austin! Joe mama true, long time no see," Aella said with a cheerful wave, batting her eyelashes as she spoke, really trying to play up her cute Vorta game. She just wanted to tease Austin and make him laugh, that's all, there were no bad intentions here and he would probably be able to tell. "How are youuu?"

Austin raised an eyebrow at what he assumed was a mispronounced version of the classic romulan greeting. It took him off guard though and the miss pronounced version much more-so. Perhaps the Vorta was hanging out with romulans and wanted to give the greeting a try. Austin stopped however he didn't stop glancing around, he took his foot patrols very seriously. He stood at a rough approximation of full attention but really he just looked kind of awkward and a little bit rude just constantly looking around. "Ah yes, how is our resident Vorta doing." He paused his ticking just momentarily to look her in the eyes and give her a once over. "I have just recently returned from vacation however, I'm on duty at the moment." This guy really was acting like a square right now someone probably needed to cool him down. "Is there anything I can assist you with?"

Aella was either completely oblivious to the fact that Austin was technically working or she didn't care. Or both. She was fully aware that Starfleet officers had jobs they had to do, but everyone always seemed more than happy to chat with her. She noticed the eyebrow raise from the younger man and mimicked the action as best she could before bursting into a giggling fit. "Very good, cool and handsome assistant security chief! I read the roster, congratulations on the job," Aella didn't know why Austin had stepped down, but being caught up to date on all the goings-on of the station she was happy to see him back at the position. "Ohhh vacation! Where to? How was it?" Aella said, choosing to completely ignore his statement about being on duty and his question if she needed assistance. In true Aella fashion, she just wanted to chat, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. As Aella spoke to Austin, she stood up on her tippy toes, everyone on this station was so tall, Austin stood well over a foot taller than her tiny Vorta self.

He decided to not react to her mimicking his gestures but he didnt quite like it. Shortly thereafter Austin decided to slowly start walking in a loop around the promenade again presumably with Aella tailing him. "You do realize I was Chief of Security before don't you?" He paused for a moment before continuing. "As for my vacation, I had some personal matters to attend to at home." Personal matters sounded a lot better then, 'I finally decided I needed therapy and went back to the island I grew up on to get treatment.' Still though Austin yearned for his homeland even now. One day, once he finished up all the unfinished buisness he had here, and perhaps helped return a stable hand to the security department he could return home and follow in his father footsteps. "Really I just went home, there's always so much to attend to on Earth."

Aella followed Austin as he walked, having to take much bigger steps to keep up with the taller man. Her little crocs made a squeaking noise with each step, almost inaudible under the hustle and bustle of the crowd in the promenade. "Oh, that's right. Well, still, congratulations being senior staff again!" Aella said with a genuine smile. It may have seemed like she was patronising the human officer, but she was not! She considered Austin her friend, even if he did... Eat the crabs. She nodded when the other mentioned attending to personal matters, she may have been pushy but she wasn't going to pry at Austin's personal life. She did think about the crabs though, they still creeped her out a little. "OH! That's nice! Sometimes we all need to go back home and be with our people-- not that I would know, but I've spoken to enough people to know that's something most solids need," Aella said with a shrug and a tilt of her head. She noticed herself falling behind Austin and did a quick little hop and a skip to catch up. "Sheesh, slow down Mr. ACSO! I'm short!" Aella teased, waving both of her hands and then giggling. "Anyway, how were the crabs? I saw a meme the other day on SpaceGram! Apparently when good things happen, people post a short video-- a ... Jaif," What a way to say 'gif', "Of a bunch of crabs on the beach dancing with some steel drum and marimba music. Do they do that in real life? Like dance on the beach with steel drums and marimba music?"

He slowed his pace just a tad but still spent most of his time glancing around for any trouble, only taking the time to look at Aella when he spoke to her, even then though it was apparent he had other things on his mind. "I haven't ever seen a crab dance, however in the little crab traps they do tend to bunch up and move around." He shrugged, he knew that they didn't dance but he did take the time to exaggerate the truth ever so slightly. "The crabbing season this year was quite good, the population has managed to grow since last year." He had a small smile on his face, he wasn't a monster, the crabs were just part of his culture. He was always happy when the population of crabs was up which they had been most years since commercial fishing operations siezed. Reluctantly he decided to make niceties and ask her some questions. "Don't you have something else to do, what have you been up to." The question in itself was still somewhat rude and he still lacked focus on Aella. He was focusing purely on his work, he had to.

Aella was thankful Austin slowed his pace because she was starting to get tired trying to keep up with him. The shuffling of her crocs and the fact her feet slid around them because she was wearing socks, was getting a little uncomfortable when she was trying to walk quickly. She didn't seem to mind that Austin was on duty at all, but she had a feeling his mind was really on work. Like really really on work. What a serious guy, she thought, it was pretty amusing to her. "The crabbing season? I surely thought you would have called it the crabbening," Aella said with the utmost seriousness, trying to imitate Austin's demeanour a little, but it was hard when she was here in her crocs and socks, twintails bobbing with every step she took. "I hope the crabs had a good season though, the ones that don't get eaten," Another giggle escaped her lips when she said that, her 'serious' facade quickly fading soon after. "Oh no not really, I already gave my report to the Founders this month and we're in full force with our SpaceGram! We're trying to better our reputation in the galaxy and the want me to write about my interactions with Starfleet officers specifically-- technically talking to you right now is my job!" Aella walked a little closer to Austin, partially so she wouldn't lose him but also to show she was not going anywhere. "What are you patrolling? You seem awfully into it. Is there something fishy... In the neighbourhood.. Something bad... and it don't look good?"

The crabbening, he'd have to write that down for next season, he could imagine himself saying such a thing next time he comes across a full pot. "Its not as though we eat all of them, truely, we care about the balance of the ecosystem. Those who carry eggs tend to have a pretty nice season every year." He thought about some long lost memories of his childhood where he'd play around with the crabs. The only outward sign those was a quick shake of the head and then a refocus. "On a station this large there's always something happening. I am simply observing, making sure the vendors play fair and the customers aswell." He went back to looking around the station and gesturing around at all the people nearby. "Feel free to mention me in your reports but I do think I've made my opinions clear on the dominion in the past." He never forgave them for the dominion war even though so much time had past, he knew of people from his island that had passed in the war. Then he could go on and on philosophizing and pontificating on their form on government, their outward manipulation. 'My opinions on the dominion are allready known' was likely a much more amicable approach at the end of the day then going on an anti government rant.

"Oh I do remember you mentioned that, well as long as you are protecting the environment too," Aella may not have liked the idea of eating living things, but as long as others weren't overhunting or overfishing it seemed alright. She was a bit confused what caused Austin to shake his head quickly, was he unamused at Aella's title for crabbing season? "True, there is always something going down- oh you should check Delta Delights, that guy is always ripping people off!" Aella said, pointing to the Tak-Tak owned shop in the distance. Ik'ala was standing in the front of his store doing some weird dance. It was him wiggling his hips from side to side with his hands balled up into fists hanging straight down. Aella remembered seeing a similar dance on SpaceGram? SpaceTok? It was called flossing? Or something, anyway, the Tak Tak was clearly just minding his own business having a great time. "I always mention you! I tell the Founders how handsome and serious you always are!" Aella said with her most flirty smile, twirling a long piece of hair around her finger as she said it. "The Founders say they understand why you think that about them, but they're trying to change. You know, people can change. You know, you should visit Dominion Space, I think your opinion will change once you see how peaceful we are now! A lot of Vorta have chosen to go into the sciences, I heard there was one Vorta who is helping some Federation scientists make the perfect slime that is stretchy but also doesn't get dirty! Great for stimming, I love slime! One of my favourite Federation inventions! Besides glasses and crocs of course."

The thought of entering dominion space still honest to god sickened him. Perhaps people could change but he viewed the structure of their government as oppressive. It wasn't down to mear moral disagreement though there was still plenty of that on account of genetic engineering and what not but a single species supplanting itself atop others very much rubbed him the wrong way. He didn't quite want to get into that though while he was on duty because he was truely passionate, a 6 foot 3 security officer yelling at a much smaller person about morality would undoubtedly come off poorly for him. So he just simply answered. "Perhaps." What caught his attention much more was the idea that a guy was ripping people off. Austin adjusted his sleeves up as a very light show of force and readiness. "The partitioner of Delta Delights is ripping people off." He upholstered his PADD to begin writing things down and documenting them. "How is this guy ripping people off?" No matter who he was ripping off, Austin viewed it as an imparitave to at the very least talk to the guy.

Aella took Austin's 'perhaps' as a definite no. She knew very well how much he hated the Dominion, but that didn't stop her from trying to convince him. Although she was here as a civilian, she did want to show the good faith of the former Gamma Quadrant power house. She had been 'friends' with Austin for nearly a year now (well, she considered him a friend, she wasn't sure if he would ever want to be 'friends' with a Dominion officer, but oh well), there was a part of her that was a little disappointed Austin still hadn't changed his mind in that time, but oh well, solids were pretty strict in their ways. "He just charges a lot of money for junk. He claims they're from the Delta Quadrant and really rare, but I just don't think so," Aella said with a shrug, looking at Ik'ala who was happily flossing at the front of his store, probably some weird promotional advert? "I heard Starfleet security already investigated him, but nothing has changed. He also gets very offended when you do certain actions, like incredibly offended! Does he not realise we're all aliens and we can't possibly know all the rules of his culture?"

Though he may hate the dominion, he certainly didn't hate Aella. No matter how poor the government was there was no philosophical reason to hate a government if not on the grounds that they treated their people poorly. What he truely viewed Aella as was misguided in her support of what he still viewed as a horrific government, a government that had in the past committed tragedies and one that still operated in an almost theocratic manner. To conclude he liked Aella, he had a bit of respect for her opinions but viewed them as unequivocally wrong. "Hmmmm, I'll have to look through the files again tonight then." From what he understood he truely was selling some objects that couldn't be obtained outside of the delta quadrant. "It ain't a crime to be offended though, it's starfleet code that all people deserve to have their culture respected. I might feel disrespected if someone ran up and gave me a big ol smack on the neck but for all I know that could be their hand shake." He was about to go on a whole rant about starfleet directives and why diversity is great and all that but he figured Aella had allready been loaded with pontification on starfleet morality. "You can get mad at him for doing that but it accomplishes nothing beyond escelation. The best solution is simply to live and learn."

Aella pouted when she didn't get the reply she wanted from Austin. She was expecting him to be a big and tough security guy who would defend the people... But she also understood he needed to be diplomatic and couldn't just go around telling shopkeepers how to run their business, even if they were selling literal junk and trying to pass it off as rare. Still, Aella thought the store was just day light robbery. "Yeah, but he makes a big deal about it. he's also rude," She grimaced and shook her head and then let out a sigh. "I s'ppose you're right," She said to Austin's mention about cultural diversity. "This kinda thing would never fly in the Dominion. We have no tolerance for shady business practices or disrespect of any kind," Aella stated, still walking along with Austin but she was starting to get tired. "When we conquered the T-Rogorans we saw they enslaved another species and of course we had to step in and stop that. I know that's an extreme example, but if there was someone like Ik'ala in Dominion space he would have gone out of business a long time ago. We pride ourselves on making sure all our member worlds trade fairly," It may have sounded weird that the Domionion of all factions was all about fairness and justice, but there was more to the Gamma Quadrant faction than just aggressive military expansion. "Anyway, where are you walking to? You don't have to walk so fast for a patrol, you'll miss stuff if you keep walking at that pace!"

He shrugged, finally stopping so he could stay in sight of Delta Delights. "You know we have a saying back home on earth." He grew into a smirk just before he said it. Growing up he had always really liked the saying, he found some kind meaning in the fact that people could find redemption in an object. "One man's trash is anouther man's treasure. It's outdated in its singular use of Pronouns but I've found it to be quite apt. Though you may view it as trash it certainly has value in accord with other people's wishes." He was about to move into a tirade into how the dominion is a bunch of haters, high key. However he stopped himself, perhaps there was a lesson in all this that he could impart if Aella truely had the founders ear. He wanted to see the dominion move away from oppressive policy. "if hardly call that fair commerce if you'd string the guy up just for selling something you personally don't care for. Slavery is indubitably awful but yet it's also indubitably hyperbole in this case. Do you really think that man is just a villian for selling that which some people would overlook." He placed a look of concern upon his face. He was concerned in general just not enough for his facial expression to really show it naturally. Austin was a great debater though and he knew how to elicit the kind of response he wanted.

Aella was glad that Austin stopped walking and when they did she slouched her shoulders and gripped her knees so she could catch her breath. At least her shoes were comfortable but he really walked fast! She straightened her posture once again when Austin began to talk. "I guess, but it is truly junk and I don't believe some of the things he says. It seems like some shady marketing tactics," She said with a grimace, putting BOTH hands on her hips, knowing very well that it was a rude gesture to the Tak-Tak (who seemed to be happily flossing and minding his own business). “It's not about if I like what he's selling! He's ripping people off! He tells people he sells some rare book all the way from the Delta Quadrant- but in reality it's just a Bajoran replica of some mythology. He is lying to people about the goods he sells just to make some extra latinum, that's a crime!" Aella made her point, not wanting to argue about what the Dominion does now-- this was about truthfulness and honest business, not about people selling stupid things. "He has one employee, I wonder how he treats him, he better give him a fair share of profits," Aella grumbled, looking at Ik'ala again.

He shrugged and then began his walling pace again. "Lieing like that isn't right, that's made well clear by anything that Kant or most other philosophers have to say. The thing is I don't necessarily see much proof that he is really lieing. I've only heard decent things about them." He tried to bring things to a more amicable solution. "If it makes you feel any better I can put in a tip with some of the people in charge of making sure the businesses here are clean. They can look into it but the guy really doesn't seem all that bad." He looked back over to the guy one last time as he was about to lose sight. "Plus I'm pretty sure the guy is dancing over there just to drum up buisness. Many wiser then me have simply said, live and let live." He also remembered some writers penning the phrase live and let die but that didn't quite fit here.

"Well you can't believe everything you hear, I would keep a close eye on him, tell your people that too," Aella shook her head and resumed following Austin. She didn't know much about philosophers, but she did know that the Tak-Tak was ripping people off and she was looking forward to the day he got caught in the act. Maybe he wasn't doing anything now, but she didn't trust him after he tried to charge her five strips for some new 'delta quadrant' croc charms. Aella pouted and let out a loud sigh, knowing she wasn't going to convince Austin that Ik'ala was bad news, at least not now. "And do you have to walk so fast? I'm short, ya know!"

He slowed his pace just a tad at the note of Aella but truely he had just been walking at his normal walking pace. Even though he grew up on an island, he spent enough time in Seattle to learn to hold a city walking pace. "I can slow down a tad but this is just how fast I walk." He relented to Aella and then continued to address the topic at hand. "I'll make sure your complaint is noted to my people. The guys got rights so I must admit that it most likely won't go very far."

"I'm short!" Aella said as if Austin wasn't fully aware she was nearly a foot shorter than him. She didn't get where he had to go in such a hurry. Also it seemed a little illogical he was walking so fast when he was supposed to be patrolling which meant looking closely at everything that was happened. She readjusted her twin tails and crossed her arms. "Thank you, and I know he has rights but he shouldn't be allowed to use underhanded marketing tactics, especially not on people like me who have no idea what stuff is worth!" Aella whined and shook her head. "Well, I think I'll let you do your patrols. We should meet up and go holodeck adventuring or grab a meal sometime," Aella walked with a little skip in her step to keep up with Austin. "I can show you my new croc charms too," She added, giving Austin a wave with both hands. Perhaps it sounded like she could be flirting with Austin, but that was just how she spoke. Social skills for Vorta were surprisingly limited despite them being a highly social species. She knew how to persuade others and act charming, but when it came to genuine and honest friendships she struggled, but those who knew he could identify when she was being sneaky and when she was being genuine. In this instance, she was being genuine, she liked Austin a lot.

Verelan stepped out of her shop, not bothering to turn the lights off or lock the door. If people wanted to look around while she was out for a bit, they were free to. She walked past the shops on the promenade, looking at what they sold, what their general level of competition was. They couldn't seem to find any. No matter. They made for the turbolifts, intending to explore some of the other levels of the station today.

[D] Adjusting to the new life on the station seemed to have been a slow process for Lyrat, but it was starting to feel normal for once. The other species living here... definitely diverse here. Tarlin was at Lyrat's side as usual. Occasionally Lyrat's wrist would tic and cause its hand to shake. It wasn't something that bothered Lyrat though; minor tics were common. The hybrid also carried its personal PADD for communication purposes, the bunger sticker still on it. It looked around for a bit before it went to a less crowded spot to rest. Tarlin sat down by Lyrat's feet.

Volkswagen Jetta prided herself on being someone who could grit her teeth and power through. Hard work? Hard things? She'd hit 'em back just as hard. So, she wasn't thrilled to be sitting here on an out-of-the-way bench in the promenade, subtly practicing the breathing exercises her therapist had drilled into her head, getting a hold on her overwhelmed nerves. Being on this station was almost like adjusting to The Academy all over again; no matter how far she'd come, her brain's baseline still seemed stuck on Fenris. Better to dive right in and get a jump on the adjustment, she supposed. Her attention was drawn to an individual who sat down on the bench beside her, a service dog sitting dutifully by its feet. It looked...Saurian? But not quite. She was curious. In a more collected state, Jetta would probably been better at trying not to stare, but this time she caught herself too late. "Hi." She offered a friendly smile.

Its pink eye darted to see there was someone there. Lyrat typically hunched itself due to how the anatomy was made. Even with this, Lyrat found itself a bit surprised with how much taller it was compared to Jetta's height. Tarlin doesn't get up from where he sat, but the dog did look to Jetta's direction. Lyrat waved with a metallic hand before it held onto the PADD. It was used to being stared at, though it was trying to work on conversing. This seemed like a good opportunity! Lyrat didn't take long to type on the PADD.

"Hello."

The PADD bunger sticker's googly eyes bounced a bit. (edited)

Despite its imposing stature, the little wave was undeniably...cute. And definitely disarming. Communication via PADD was something she'd come across a few times before, and she gave a tiny nod of understanding. It appeared to be a civilian, or at least out of uniform if it was Starfleet personnel. Jetta wondered, perhaps it was a liberated Borg? But the metal components didn't look quite like any Borg tech she'd seen. "I'm sorry for staring. I was curious." She cleared the air, flat out. Her eyes drifted down to the googly eyed sticker, and she smiled again. "I like your sticker."

It gave Jetta a nod before the metal fingers tapped at the PADD. The tapping wasn't hard but more of light clicks when it did type.

"I am used to it. Do not worry. People tend to wonder of my appearance often. You're free to ask if you have any questions. I don't mind."

"Thank you. I have been meaning to get more but I have been unable to figure out which to put there. I like bunger a lot."

At times Lyrat would occupy itself with silly hobbies, one with studying video games from different cultures. Terran ones always seemed interesting in a way.

A much more open response than she'd anticipated, but she nodded with understanding. It was used to being stared at, and didn't seem to display any defensiveness where many others would. Where she probably would. If anything, it led Jetta to consider her questions more carefully. She scooted a little closer on her bench, facing Lyrat a bit more head-on. "Alright." She extended a friendly hand-- very clearly also synthetic. "I'm Volkswagen Jetta, by the way. Nice to meet you." Jetta took a closer look at the sticker. Some kind of arthropod? "What is 'bunger'? I'm not familiar."

It looked genuinely confused with the hand for a second. Given the context, it was a greeting of sorts? After a few moments of wondering, Lyrat held out its hand. Though it didn't grab or shake Jetta's hand. Curious... though a few seconds later, Lyrat moved its hand away. It typed onto the PADD again.

"Hello Volkswagen Jetta. I am Lyrat Nihil. Also the dog is called Tarlin."

"The Bunger. It is a creature from a Terran game called Bugsnax. Basically it is a bug burger. Buns. Bunger."

The bunger sticker's eyes bobbled as Lyrat moved the PADD, even from typing. Tarlin had briefly looked up to the PADD when the device said his name, though he doesn't move from his spot.

"Hi, Lyrat Nihil." Jetta withdrew her hand in turn with a smile-- she would absolutely take that greeting --then regarded Tarlin the Dog with a slightly stiff nod. (She still wasn't very accustomed to animals as pets, but it seemed like the polite thing to do.) "Bugsnax, huh. Haven't heard of it, but the bunger is pretty cute. Especially the eyes. To be honest, I don't know many Terran games." Well, aside from a few sports she played at the Academy, and a few less savory games played mostly in bars. But Jetta was getting the sense that neither of those were Lyrat's scene. Maybe she could look up 'Bugsnax' in the holodeck. She tilted her head a little, considering her words. "Is it okay if I ask about your technology? I haven't seen any like that before." She held out her hands, a show of similarity. "I have prosthetics myself, so I find it interesting."

Lyrat tilted its head too, its cybernetic eye making a few soft clicks when looking at Jetta's hands. It was surprised. There haven't been anyone it met before with robotic parts. The metallic tail tapped the ground slightly. The hybrid nodded with a slight sadness before typing onto the PADD again, the bunger's eyes bobbling.

"The technology. I was not exactly born like humanoids would have been. I was created in the lab. The mechanical parts were from the experiments."

Lyrat's explaination was brief but covered the deal. There were so many horrors during that time... However it would be too dangerous to have the robotic components removed. Lyrat had enough health complications as it was.

"If it is not too much. I am also curious of your cybernetics. I have not seen anyone else with them before."

Lyrat wondered if it should put stickers on its components like the bunger on the PADD. (edited)

Lyrat's answer hit her like a brick, not at all cushioned by the impression of sadness brushing at the corners of her mind. Jetta couldn't stop the sympathetic look passing over her face in response, the kind of look she hated to be on the receiving end of. It wasn't fun to feel pitied or underestimated, she thought, or to feel reduced to unknown pain. And this was definitely something she couldn't know, not fully. Jetta didn't want to make it feel that way with her response either. "Wow, that's--" With a breath, she regained her composure and looked Lyrat in the eyes. "I'm sorry if I've brought up something painful for you. I probably can't imagine. But, thank you for the answer." Jetta was happy to follow its lead if it wanted to change the subject. "I don't mind." She smiled and hiked up her sleeve a bit, holding out an arm. The prosthetic was pale and silvery on the surface, and flexed like muscle as she moved her hand in demonstration. "Starfleet tech, Vulcan design. They go up to about here on either side--" Jetta pointed to her mid-upper arm. "--and connect to implanted neural ports. So I can take them off if I need to." She shrugged, allowing herself to relax just a bit. "I lost my original arms a few years back. Blown clean off, couldn't regrow 'em. But hey, these work pretty well too."

Had it had eyebrows, thows would have been furrowed in concern. Ouch! That had to hurt, Lyrat had heard of accidents like this where people survived. Though the prosthetics were impressive. Even the muscles- Lyrat's mechanic parts were made more for function rather than accurate mimicry of anatomy. It typed onto the PADD again.

"The past is over now though. Not too much of a big deal. Though that sound like it had hurt. However the technology does look impressive. Mine are permanent. I cannot take any of the mechanisms off."

Lyrat was not too bothered that it couldn't anyways, but it would be nice to have a break. Ah well. The bunger sticker eyes wobbled.

"Neural ports? I think mine are similar. I still try to learn about it. Signals from... nerves?"

It was no scientist. That was the best it could remember from Keynuk's explaination when he treated it. Body wires? Biology was difficult for it to understand fully.

"Mhm." Jetta tugged her sleeve back down. "The past is over now," she echoed in agreement, not particularly eager to dwell on the details of the event either. She considering the implications of Lyrat's permanent implants as it explained. What would that be like? Was it designed for a specific purpose? And if so, how did it come to be here on SB777 with a service dog and cute googly-eyed sticker? "Neural ports, yeah." Jetta's brows grew heavy with thought as she tried to recall an explanation. "I'm no scientist, but the way I understand it, most species have brains that send and receive signals to their bodies through nerves. They can be things like instructions to move, or feedback like a sense of pressure or temperature. A neural port just connects the existing nerves to the synthetic system. It's not a perfect replacement-- like, I don't have the same kind of sensation in my arms --but it's still way more advanced than I understand. Since yours can move, I wouldn't be surprised if they're similar." "What's it like for you?" she asked, curious.

It paused. Science is reslly weird! This is a lot to take in. Lyrat's face looked like it was frozen, or just buffering. It felt like a long minute passed before Lyrat blinked. Then it started typing.

"I think mine are similar. Not sure. The Kelpien doctor that treated me mentioned my components work like that. Brain signals. He said something with my nerves being attached to synthetic wires. It is very confusing."

The hybrid took a moment again. It never thought about its technology other than moving. Lyrat raised its free hand and scratched its other arm. Not much, there was only a very faint sensation. Probably going to have to polish that arm later though. It was unbothered despite the claws? Lyrat acted as if nothing happened, typing onto the PADD again.

"Seems like it does not work the same. Or broken. I never thought of it though. Wonder if anyone in the area can make improvements."

Lyrat felt slightly inconvenienced- the sensation on the arms did not match with its face. Though would that be something for an engineer to do? Or a doctor? It tried to understand how things worked.

"Brain signals and nerves attached to wires, that sounds about right," she said, with a shrug and a look that suggested a shared degree of uncertainty. Jetta watched with sympathy as Lyrat contemplated its robotic appendages. She could remember many nights doing the same, running a finger down her arm and trying to recall what it felt like before, trying to quantify exactly what was lost. In her experience, it rarely led anywhere good. "Improvements could be possible, but I don't know for sure. And even with the best technology there is, I don't know if it ever works the same as it did before." She rested her elbow against the back of the bench, face honest. Despite its size, she was getting the sense that Lyrat seemed somehow...young. Jetta chose her words carefully, trying to walk the line between speaking her mind and not jumping to conclusions and coming off patronizing. "But I don't think there's anything wrong with that either. Just because parts of us works differently doesn't mean they're broken. Being different means we're still here, and that's good, right?"

[D] And so the odd pair (or trio, counting Tarlin) had a nice chat in the quiet corner of the promenade before rejoining the hustle and bustle and going their separate ways, no longer strangers. Perhaps they'd cross paths again. (Jetta certainly thought so; even among the diverse population here, it was hard to miss a 7-foot-tall cybernetic hybrid with a service dog.)

[D] A somewhat taller than average Andorian woman strolled along the side of the promenade with a reasonably sized bag strapped around her right shoulder. Her eyes would study the shops and stores surrounding her on both sides, almost as if she was commiting them to memory. It seemed to her that almost all Starbases were essentially the same. Give or take a few off details with this or that it wasn't hard to get used to one or another with previous experience. But this was her first time on Starbase 777, and she since she'd be trekking past and through the station in the future it would be good to see what was there. There has been a Klingon restaurant on her last station, and a few other stores that seemed reasonable as well. But with her new route firmly established she had to set her sights on the starbase she was currently on. Especially one with such an advantageous location. It would be good to make connections there. Speaking of connections, building up relationships with the people on the station was something she should focus on then too. And as much as she'd rather (internally, at least) stick to who she knew, social relationships were an important part of her job. She didn't hate her job, but there were certainly more fun things she could think of within it.

Yoco'clis walked down the commercial promenade looking for any suspicious figures or anything out of place. He is an older Jem'Hadar wearing the standard Dominion uniform with a plasma pistol holstered at his side. Everything about his is generally out of place on the Federation station. Quite a few glances were made in his direction, and a few people were just staring at him. He is a new arrival at the station, so most of the civilians had not yet seen him. None of this particularly bothered the Jem'Hadar though. He looked around the area, seeing if there was anyone or anything who seemed out of place. Unfortunately the Federation had far stricter regulations for this sort of things compared to the Dominion. Yoro'clis was not able to take any action without evidence or a serious probable cause. Even as a security officer he had very little true power. For now Yoro'clis walked around and observed, looking at and into each of the different stores. He had been assigned to temporarily patrol this area, and took this time to learn all about it. This space was generally poorly defended and vulnerable after all. It was a civilian space meaning that anyone could enter and do what they wished. Yoro'clis had been ordered to this station, and would defend it to the best of his abilities. He just walked and observered, ready to respond to any threats.

[D] After a few more minutes of wandering about the promenade and buying what she was told was a Bajoran jumja stick, the Andorian woman caught sight of a Jem'Hadar soldier meandering his way through the area. Strangely, she had not heard about a Jem'Hadar soldier on the station. Which told her that the sight was either familiar enough that it didn't make good gossip or he was a new sight. And if the civilians around her were any indication, the Andorian decided it was probably the ladder. Especially with how the alien walked down the pathway, scanning his surroundings and looking for possible threats. She walked over to the officer, and her right antenna bobbed amiably. "You're one of those...exchange officers -- aren't you?" Observed the Andorian with a nod of greeting as she drew closer and matched her speed with his. She took another bite of her jumja stick and found it a little sweeter than she'd like. She made a note to try something else in the future. Then again, she was never one for anything too sweet or bitter. "You know, my favorite thing about stations is that you can meet all sorts of interesting people. That and all the cool extra things that ships don't have." She mused and gestured to the shops and stores around them. "It really is quite nice. Oh, and I'm Tesa, by the way. I'd welcome you to the station, but really, I'm just a visitor. And a new one at that, too."

Yoro'clis watched as a young Andorian approached him, unsure of the purpose of this all. They did not appear in any distress or need a security officer for any particular reason. He just hoped that this was not some sort of attempt at a chat. Yoro'clis was not a fan of meaningless talk, even more so with those who were not Starfleet. He had been told that this was part of the job however, and therefore would do it to the best of his ability. That was his position and therefore his goal. "I am a member of the Khitomer Alliance officer exchange program, yes." *It was defenitly always interesting to meet new people. Yoro'clis thought of this as generally incerasing the potentaial threat level on the station however. One could not control if new arrivals caused tensions to rise or other events to happen. This station as a whole was far more volatile then what Yoro'clis was used to within the Dominion. That was an adaptation that he would have to make however. "And I am Yoro'clis"

"Cool, I've met a few in my lifetime but never a Jem'Hadar." The Andorian mused. "New aliens, peoples, and characters...the more you talk and the more you get to know someone new the safer you are. Threat or ally, who knows until you give them a chance?" She tapped her head with a knowing smile. "Not that I'm anyone important or anything, I'm just a regular girl from Farius Prime." She clucked, strolling along side him. "When you live in an area like that you always make sure to know your surroundings." The Andorian said. "I suppose I'm just...explaining my actions after seeing that tactiturn ook on your face. Really I'm just a social person but rarely do I ever do things without purpose. Besides, you seem like an interesting guy; maybe a bit direct, straight to the point, and a little reserved, but loyal and diligent in your work. At least from what I can tell anyway. But here's what I really want to know...is it true that Jem'Hadar are born full on adults?" She asked with a curious quirk of the head, her antenna bobbing curiously as she walked. The change of topic was abrupt and sudden but the Andorian blinked at the Jem'Hadar expectantly in genuine curiosity. (edited)

Yoro'clis doubted that speaking to anyone increased or decreased the threat introduced by a person. Everyone had their own motives and most loved to lie. It was best to threat everyone like they were a potential threat, no matter how they acted. He doubted that the civilian wanted to hear about how Jem'Hadar were trained to be cynical. The Federation treated it's civilians differently than the Dominion did. He decided to not to speak about all of this though and focus on the other question. "The Jem'Hadar are born as children, however we do mature to full adulthood in a matter of days. From there our training begins." As per the other points, the Andorian was not wrong. Yoro'clis was a solider in all senses, and saw no reason to act otherwise. He had no time to waste on chats and games. He did agree with the idea of not wasting time however. "We also do not do things without purpose. Sleep, for example, is a wasteful thing that we do not do."

Trallis's antenna - for this was Trallis poking through from thr usual Lantesa facade - dipped forward slightly as she studied the Jem'Hadar as he spoke and also as he listened, trying to decipher thoughts and feelings. It was her own curiosity that guided her to the conversation. Jem'Hadar was a somewhat rare appearance in her life, but if something happened on the station, she was curious to see what he would do in a pressing and difficult situation. Of course, she wondered that of everyone - including herself, but particularly of people of interest. "Interesting, sort of like how Klingons... or at least hybrid Klingons tend to age faster in their adolescence than others. Not to the same extent, of course. We Andorians actually train from a young age too...well, depending on our parents and what they might want us to do. Or just for self-defense, I suppose. We aren't full on adults at that point, though." The Andorian's eyes widened slightly at the notion of not sleeping. "You don't sleep? I wouldn't say it's wasteful per se, at least for those of us who aren't Jem'Hadar, but I do sort of see your point. Many people take ages sleeping, not out of necessity but simply because they can." She agreed.

Yoro'clis observed as the andorian's antenna moved, remembering that this was some sort of emotional scan. He did not understand exactly what it was, but did not believe that it was anything worth worrying about. The Jem'Hadar still did not show any particular emotion, and he was not feeling particularly annoyed or friendly. He was clearly stuck in the conversation however, and decided that it would be best to just continue it. "Jem'Hadar train to be soldiers in the first weeks of their lives, I do not think that the same is true of Andorians. It is good that all are trained in self defense however." When it came to the sleeping comment, that was largely due to the difference in how the species came to be. Most species simply had become what they were over time, but the Jem'Hadar had been designed to be the perfect soliders. "I would say that spending a third of your life on sleep is wasteful, but most species cannot help it. I have also found that most other species cannot function without enough sleep, so it is good that Starfleet allows time for this."

"It's true. For those going on certain paths it's more of a gradual practice that starts more when we're 4 or 5. Sometimes younger or older depending on the parents and the child." She explained. "I know a bit of self defense here and there but it's hard to really train when you live on a cargo ship. That and my mother didn't really want anything else for me but being a cargo ship captain." The Andorian shook her head. "Sure, most species spend a third of our lives asleep but it's not like that time is spent for nothing. The first or second stage of sleep is supposedly helping to file short term memories from that day into long term storage. Plus sleeping helps us regenerate energy for the next day and helps our immunse systems, mood, and focus. You may not need sleep because you were genetically altered to be more efficient but naturally mother nature hasn't found a way around sleep that easily. But no, I agree. We really can't function without sleep." She chuckled.

Yoro'clis understood the concept of having one's fate predetermined. He was created for a purpose and trained only to serve in his predetermined role after all. It made life far simpler when one simply followed orders, and that was all a Jem'Hadar needed to do. From the sounds of it Andorians were also a militant race, and would therefore understand the same concept. "Some of us are born with our fates decided by higher powers, this is the way of things." It was somewhat difficult to operate on the station without sleep however. There was an expectation that one spent much of their day sleeping or doing recreational activities. Yoro'clis was trained to not waste times on such things, and instead spend as much possible time on duty. This issue would likely need to be dealt with later. For now, this appeared to be a difference of lifestyles. "And the need for sleep is unavoidable. Most species cannot function without sleep and food and games. Clearly you all still operate however."

"Vurry vurry true," The Andorian nodded in agreement. "Although, I'm sure I'm thinking of it a little differently than you are. As for sleep, I've heard Vulcans can last a good deal without it. Then again, that same Vulcan who told me that fell asleep not 15 minutes later." She mused. "Anyhow, I'll get out of your hair right about now. Sorry for the disturbance but it really was nice meeting you."

Yoro'clis nodded, looking forward to continuing his duties. He did not want to disappoint his superiors by failing in his duties. The conversation was enlightening, but it was also a distraction. There could be consequences later. He is not sure exactly what to say now, but figures that some sort of goodbye was in order. That was how one was supposed to normally talk after all, even if the Jem'Hadar did not exactly adhere to such social formalities. "Good luck with your travels."

"And good luck on your patrol!" The Andorian nodded to the Jem'Hadar in farewell before slipping into crowd moving to and fro down the promenade. In a few moments, she was gone.

"First day on a Starbase...er, being stationed on a Starbase. How fun." She murmured to herself quietly and slipped her PADD out of the reasonably sized satchel that hung around her left shoulder. Mila was of the quiet sort and was somewhat uncomfortable about the whole transfer itself. Or maybe that's just because of the rather depressing reasons she had left the ship in the first place. Whatever, it was a new start on Starbase 777, and Mila likened it to the start of a new life. Or perhaps the continual of her last one if things went right. Mila scrolled through her PADD thoughtfully. Let's see... she had already dropped her bags off at her quarters, checked out the research facilities...and now she was on her way to get her nails done and maybe grab something to eat. It really depended on what she found there.

Wandering once more to acquaint herself with the starbase, Copia strolled through the promenade and happened upon where Mila was. Although she didn't notice Mila just yet, as she was focused on the atmosphere here. Copia found all this fascinating - having been in a secretary role in business before, she hadn't seen these types of businesses around much, or even at all. It was intriguing to her - and she was curious to figure out more. Then, Copia noticed Mila. Respectfully, Copia stood at attention as she could tell by Mila's uniform that was a senior officer. "Pardon my presence, sir! I hope I did not intrude. I am merely familiarizing myself with the layout of the starbase."

"Oh, hello." Mila slipped the PADD back into her bag and nodded her head towards Copia with an amicable smile. "I'm afraid I can't really help you with the station layout. I'm actually fairly new to this area, too." She apologized kindly. "You're free to join me in the retail outlet, though. I was just about to get my nails done...er if you want to, of course." The spotted woman realized that the android possibly thought there were better things to do than that. In fact, curiously enough, Mila hadn't met many androids. Not like the one in front of her seemed to be like, anyway. Almost sentient, really. At least by the mannerisms and way of going about that Mila noticed. Then again, she wasn't that sort of scientist. "I was also thinking of getting something to eat... you probably don't need to do that either, do you? Well, I was thinking it would be nice to have a buddy of sorts to sort of explore the station anyway." She explained and sheepishly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "If you're free to, that is. And don't you have anything else to...do?" Mila had to admit she felt incredibly dumb at that moment.

Copia nodded, understanding completely of Mila being new to the starbase. Regardless, Mila did seem like she could benefit from Copia's presence, in opposition to what Copia had originally apologized for. Copia's eyes scanned Mila. "Analyzing... Lieutenant Commander Aumila Leir." Copia's attention stiffened up that much more out of reverence. "It is a privilege to make your acquaintance, Lieutenant Commander Leir. I am Lieutenant Copia, command division. If I may be of assistance, I will handily oblige." Then Copia heard Mila's offer to join her in getting her nails done. "Sir... I am confused. Nails are small metal spikes with broadened flat heads, driven typically into wood with a hammer to join things together or to serve as a peg or hook. Neither you nor I contain any nails, I am unsure how you would, as you say, get them done. I am curious as to what you are planning. I would, however, like to join you for such activity, in addition to your offer to secure something to eat as well. Thank you for offering that to me!" (edited)

"Please, just...Mila will do. I'm not even really in charge of anything here. I'm just sort of quietly doing my research." She mused "And it's nice to meet you, Lieutena - Oh, oh no... not those kinds of nails." The Kriosian lifted her left hand up to demonstrate and used her right hand to gesture to the tips. "Finger nails." She explained. "The hard part at the top of our fingers? I think you have some sort of nails..." Her eyes glanced at the Lieutenant's hands to check. "Yes, you do. Though I'm not sure if they grow or not...actually, probably not all things considered. I suppose it's a cosmetic thing. People like to make their nails look nice by painting them and giving them small adorable little designs - I'm not dumbing this down too much, am I? I'd hate to be patronizing." She said with an uncertainly apologetic smile. "And your help would definitely be helpful. I've already checked out some of the more important areas for my field, but I'd hate to get lost on the promenade. It's so... big, isn't it? Almost like it's own little world. I've only ever been on starships before, and planets, actually. But the only time I've been on stations is when I pass through and rarely are they ever of this size." (edited)

Copia's head tilted as she listened to Mila speak. This indeed was helpful to her! "Hmm... Getting nails done. I am unfamiliar with that phrasing - but I suppose I am able to comprehend your meaning, Mila. I have never gotten my nails done before. I believe it will be an intriguing experience." Copia pondered for a minute. "You mentioned that it is a common cosmetic phenomenon to apply aesthetically interesting and eloquent designs on the nails of the fingers. Are there any other nails that are commonly adorned with these designs? I would like to try it all out." When Copia got curious, she got over-curious. "I would be more than happy to accompany you in navigating the starbase," Copia said. "It will be beneficial for both of us."

"It's relaxing, really. At least to me, that is. It's certainly not for everyone. But you should try it. The end result can look so cute. It's finger nails and toe nails are most commonly decorated like this. Though some alien cultures have other keratin-based areas that they do something similar on." She explained. Mila adjusted the stap of her bag idly and resisted the urge to talk about the developmental aspects of keratin parts on species as a whole. Who knew if Copia would appreciate the rant or not, but Mila thought it probably would be best not to waste much time on the matter. "They can get in the way of work if they are too out of hand, though. That's why I generally keep mine pretty simple. It's hard getting dirt and grime out after leaving a site." She shuddered "I learned that the hard way years ago. But thank you, I appreciate the company." She said warmly. (edited)

Copia nodded in fascination - she had never heard such interesting ways to decorate oneself before. "I am happy to accompany you," Copia said. "And I am eager to begin this interesting journey - my creator never divulged this information on adorning my finger nails and toe nails with beautiful designs. I am unsure of which designs to select in undertaking my first time getting them done - will you please assist me?" Copia was intrigued by all this and didn't find Mila's rambling any bit boring or unappealing. Copia's curiosity flourished - she thrived upon trying new things, and enduring the rewards of it. "I believe I am ready to go into the salon with you - I am unsure of the process that will occur when inside."

"Oh, of course. I'd love to." Mila led the Lieutenant over to the salon while they talked. "I suppose nail art wouldn't really be high on the list of things to know, would it? Essentially, the person will ask you to choose a color they'll want to paint your nails with and ask you what sort of nail you'd like. Gel and...regular, I think. I'm not sure if there are other options but I think you can ask them to do cool and interesting designs on your nails. My last post didn't have a nail salon, really so I mostly did my nails myself. Nothing too big, of course. Just enough to make it look neat - it's against regulation to have it too ostentatious. And not practical either, at least for my job." She explained. "Are there any colors you're thinking about in particular?"

Copia pondered the question - which color? Which color...? Hmm... something that represented her, definitely. Something that would be not too flamboyant, but not hidden enough that others wouldn't see it. "I must say," Copia said. "I am desiring to have both my finger and toe nails be painted orange. Perhaps a design mimicking the pathways of circuit boards, symbolically representing my neural network. It would be an interesting experiment to try." [D] And no sooner did Copia say than than the manicurist arriving and asking her what she would like. "Yes, I would like color number twenty-three F, please," Copia requested. "Both finger and toe nails. And may I also have interspersed circuit-board-esque lines arranged across them? In color twenty-seven-B, please. Thank you!" Copia looked at Mila as if to ask "am I doing this right?"

"That would look absolutely lovely," She enthused with a warm smile. Mila turned to the manicurist herself. "Color number 83-5, please. Just the top." She chose a regular nude color, the color of desert sand. Mila then turned to the Android. "You did perfectly, Lieutenant." She said with an encouraging smile. Mila settled into the chair. It was nice talking to someone in such a friendly manner. Really, if she had stayed one more year on her last post, she might have gone crazy. Even after the accusations had been over and done with, things had gone eerily quiet and very uncomfortable. How she could have looked anyone in the eyes, she didn't know. She much preferred the previous ship. "Tell me, Lieutenant. What sort of thing do you do around here?" She asked the android curiously.

Copia watched as Mila requested her color - huh! Wasn't such a complicated process after all! She was worried that she wouldn't have gotten as far as Mila did, but this was going swimmingly! "Well, I--" Copia began. But then she realized since she requested a full mani-pedi and she still had her boots on, it would be difficult for the manicurist. "I believe these will be an obstacle. One moment." Copia slipped off her boots and socks so that the manicurist would be able to perform the full mani-pedi. "My apologies for my oversight," Copia said to the manicurist. Then Copia turned back to Mila. "I serve as part of the command division as a Mission Specialist," Copia continued. "I research, organize and supervise the successful execution of away missions, the logistics therein, and how to ensure the crew's safety while surrounded by unfamiliar or hostile environments and life forms. It is rather interesting of a position, as I have held duties with similar styles of managing multiple tasks, each completely different from the other, back on Earth with my creator's home business."

"How nice, I might work with you in the future then. I'm sure you know what I do, don't you? Bioanthropology is my main passion, though I stray into other fields every now and again. I was thinking about charting the planets near this station to see what sort of life live or might have lived there." She explained. "It would be interesting to compare my finds to that of the Kalandra sector." Mila's toes were still in good condition, with no chips or anything of the sort, so she had no need to take off her boots or socks. So she simply allowed her fingers to be first cleaned and then painted while she chatted. "The similarities between the Kalandra system and the Laurentian system...that would make for a good book, don't you think? The Kalandra system is closer to the core Federation worlds while thr Laurentian system is more towards Klingon and Romulan space...oh, better not. It would be better to find an overarching idea in both systems and use the data to support it. The systems are much too random for each other...why the Kalandra system when the Sol system is much closer? And I'm sure the same could be said for thr Laurentian system as well." She finished, thinking out loud. Mila then blushed in light embarrassment. "I apologize, I got a little carried away by my thoughts."

Copia listened closely - Mila was incredibly inspiring just by saying her one unique account on what she did and the sorts of thing she was interested in. "Indeed, Mila," Copia agreed. "A published dissertation of the discrepancies and relationships between the Kalandra, Laurentian and Sol systems would be highly beneficial to those studying those planets and the specific bioanthropology existing there. You have excellent intuition and spirit, Mila. I encourage you to seek this path if you believe it is one that will allow others to learn and benefit from your research and curiosity. I will be one of your first readers in support of your work." Then, Copia's manicurist began on her fingers. All of a sudden, Copia stopped and dissected everything. "According to my sensory cortex, the paint being applied to my finger nails is approximately 52° Fahrenheit. Roughly 10° colder than the metals comprising my outer shell. However, it is registering in my tactile sensor array as soothing. I am able to deduce why you find it to be a relaxing recreational activity. Quite fascinating."

"Thank you, I appreciate the support." She blushed. Mila never was one for praise or attention. She tilted her head forwaed demurely to better glance at her nails. "It would be fun to build something up again. I'm afraid three years was good enough for regular work, but I haven't written a good paper since the USS Juniper. I'm looking forward to going into that deep dive of study more common before my last post." She confessed and then chuckled lightly at Copia's observation. It was fun seeing how enthusiastic Copia seemed to be at these sorts of new experiences. It made her think back to her days on Vulcan with the children or even further back with her younger brother. Not because Copia seemed younger but because of that curiosity she seemed to have. "It is nice, isn't it? I don't necessarily get my nails done a whole lot. Professionally, that is. But it is a nice thing to do every now and then when I have the time. Especially when there's a place so close now. Do you think you'll come back here in the future?" She inquired curiously. (edited)

Copia bowed her head slightly in response to Mila. "You're quite welcome, Mila. It is the least I can do for a fellow officer doing what they love. You should be recognized for your scholarly and research endeavors. It is always possible to, as the colloquialism goes, get back on the horse." Copia watched as the manicurist continued her process of painting Copia's finger nails. But as they did, small giggles emerged from Copia! "I suhuhuhppose I am dehehehestined to come back hehehere - interesting! The sehehensation is light enohohough to make me laugh! Is this usual?"

"I think I tend to enjoy the act of exploring more than the actual recognition." She said with a thoughtful tilt of her head. "Not that the idea of my name on a famous paper or book doesn't thrill me in some way, but I hav-" She paused and shook her head with a chuckle. "Why, you're as easy to talk to as an El-Aurian - or maybe I'm just starved of good conversation." She mused. "Usual?" She giggled at the scene. "I've never known an android to laugh before - then again, I don't know too many androids in general. While I've never laughed because of getting my nails done, I'm sure it's plausible. I'm usually a fairly quiet person anyway." She explained.

Copia smiled. "I am sure, whatever mode of research and curiosity you explore, that you will do great things nonetheless. I am proud of you, Mila. Even for continuing on despite the obstacles that have presented themselves to you." The manicurist continued on Copia's finger nails. "I was built with an emohohotion chip inside of mehehehe! My creator has told me thahahat... And life has been overall much more enjohohoyable! It makes sense given the function of my fihihingers to perform complex tahahahasks, they are naturally mohohore sensitive!" Then, when the finger nails were finished, the manicurist moved down towards Copia's toe nails. "Based upon my creation and how it was modeled off of human evolution, I believe the sensitivity will be amplified for the tohoHOHOHOE NAILS!" Copia indeed had been programmed with emotions - she didn't want to be bland and emotionless. She wanted to feel, and she wanted to empathize. It was truly a noble quality... And yet, in this case, it would prove...an inconvenience.

"Mm," Mila sobered briefly. Her obstacles seemed small in comparison to others. A brief...spat in her previous post, the death of two very important people, and the abhorrent thing that started it all. Perhaps she wouldn't be as...accomplished as she was without that starting point. "Emotion chip - that makes a lot of sense. I suppose we've come a long way from the time of Lal and Data." While Mila wasn't exactly knowledgeable in that subject area, she had studied in the Daystrom Institute for half a decade - the very same place Lal had been taken to be studied after her system failure...or death, really. Mila always found the situation to be sad. Though she was sure there was a better fitting word than just "sad." Even if Lal's creator never got the chance to feel the emotion of her loss. Mila smiled quietly. "I'm glad you can experience such emotion. Even if one thing or another can be a little too sensitive." She chuckled. "Emotion...really can make life more enjoyable. Though there are times where it amplifies the more sorrowful things. Emotion really is a complicated subject." (edited)

Copia couldn't help but keep giggling as the manicurist continued painting her toe nails - and the smile on her face was just as genuine, if not more so, than ever. "Indeed we hahahave," Copia said, holding onto her chair to keep from moving around too much. "I'm glahahahad you find my reahahaction entertahahahaining!" [D] The manicurist had to stand up and get another bottle of nail polish as she was out of the first one, giving Copia a chance to pause. Then Copia noticed Mila's facial expression. "I hope I did not offend by addressing the subject of emotion," Copia said. "I apologize if I did. Is there anything I may be of assistance in that specific regard to you, Mila?"

"Oh, you haven't offended me. I've only been thinking of your precursors that allowed you to develop in such a way. It is amazing, is it not? To look back and see how far people have come? I suppose that's one of the reasons why I'm in bioanthropology. I look at the very same things but biologically and socially." She said thoughtfully before giving Copia a reassuring smile. "There's no need for apology at all." Mila thought back to what she thought was her most successful study. "I wonder how far we can replicate biological function. You can have emotion, that's a very large step for the Federation technologically. But how far can we go, really? I apologize for my sudden rumination. I tend to go down these pitfalls of scientific thought quite often." She mused.

Copia smiled, bowing her head again once more. "It is alright, you did not offend me either," Copia said, smiling. "I must agree, I have studied the accomplishments of many of my progenitors including Lieutenant Commander Data. It is remarkable to notice how far we have come. As for the future of synthetic life forms and simulated emotions, I am unsure as to where the future will lead. I have not conducted sufficient research to ascertain an adequate hypothesis. Regardless, you and I are similar in regard to reminiscing on the past and appreciating the present - I am glad we met, Mila. I would like to offer the opportunity for you to be friends with me and I would be honored if you would take it." Copia's smile was just as big as when she was being tickled by the nail polish brush - no. Even more so. She truly believed in Mila. She had faith in her. And she was confident in her.

"I'm glad we met too, Copia. It'll be good to have a friend on the station." She said warmly. "Yes, I think I'll accept your offer of friendship." The Kriosian mused. The Lieutenant was a fascinating individual, and one who seemed worthy of friendship. Whether it be hers or someone else. She was sure there were others who found the Lieutenant perfectly enjoyable to be around.

Copia smiled - she was happy that Mila was so understanding and eager to join her in friendship! Copia had only made a few friends in the starbase, but she made sure to pick them carefully. Mila was an incredible person and a true friend to have in her life! "Thank you, Mila," Copia said, nodding in respect. "I am eager for our journey together on the starbase. I am hoping that I will provide the best support I can to you in every regard possible. You deserve nothing less." [D] The manicurist returned with a full bottle of nail polish and approached Copia, preparing to continue painting her toe nails. "Is this an appropriate circumstance to use the colloquialism, 'oh boy, here we go again'?" Copia asked Mila. (edited)

"What does anyone deserve, really?" She mused. "But yes, I thank you too. It's just a round of thank you's at this point, right?" Mila chuckled. "And yes, I believe that would be the adequate term." The Kriosian waited as her nails were left to dry, and the manicurist who tended to her nails left. "How long have you been in Starfleet, Copia?" She inquired and studied her nails briefly before returning to her newly-friended android. "Were you doing anything before that?"

Copia let out much louder laughs now, unable to keep it all in from the manicurist painting her toe nails. "Wohohohonderful!" Then, the manicurist finished, leaving Copia to recover. "Haha....hehehe. Please excuhuhuse my outburst... I am recovering." Copia heard Mila's question and almost immediately responded. "I have been enlisted in Starfleet for nearly fourteen years. It is interesting - it does not feel like it has been that long - is it a common occurrence that time moves slower or faster for some than others? Even if it is just an internal perception of the environment around them?" Copia then responded to Mila's second question. "Prior to Starfleet, I served as my creator's secretary for his home business, which he still runs to this day. He is a consultant and career coach for prospective Starfleet enlistees. I managed phone calls, scheduled appointments, dealt with all accounting tasks, served as a receptionist, and provided economic guidance to my creator if he deemed it necessary. Does the name Lieutenant Commander Tobias Ulrich sound familiar? He is my creator."

Mila chuckled at the joyful laughter coming from the Lieutenant. "Oh, most definitely." Mila nodded in agreement. "It's something that can affect anyone, really. Sometimes, it feels longer in the moment or vice versa, and then you have another perspective on it looking at it through the past or the future. I know certain large areas in my past seem like an entirely different lifetime or only a few days ago." She mused. "I've been around for around two decades, but it's really one decade and eight years if you count the Academy." She seemed to pause as she raked her mind for the creator. "Tobias Ulrich...he sounds somewhat familiar. I might have read his work before in the past, but I don't tend to dwell in that area of science." She confessed. "He sounds like a lovely person though."

Copia nodded, listening to Mila as she described her own experience with the academy and with time itself. "Fascinating... I can imagine your experience has felt in some scenarios like a drag and in some scenarios as the fastest phenomenon to ever occur in the realm of physically possible scientific occurrences. Nonetheless, you evidently have put in tireless amounts of work to attain your current rank of Lieutenant Commander. I applaud you for your perseverance and your drive, Mila. It is truly an honor to call you my friend." Copia smiled - she didn't know Tobias published any work! Her eyes darted around as she searched her memory base for information. "Accessing... You seem to be correct. He must not have informed me that he published any scholarly work in the duration of his Starfleet tenure. I will be intrigued to discuss it with him when I am able. He was always interested in the interpersonal relationships between humans, specifically the scientific phenomena comprising them. Ironic, he has the spirit of a communications officer despite having enrolled in the science program."

"The percievment of time relies heavily on mood and the way we think about the time frame too." She said thoughtfully before letting out a small laugh. "And thank you, though I never really thought of rank a whole lot. I was a scientist even before my time in Starfleet, so really, it's the contributions I make to the scientific community - to, er, me at least." She mused. "I think most Starfleet scientists publish some amount of work in their career, from personal experience at least. For those who don't, I'm sure their work is well documented in their logs. I know I've read quite a few with some very interesting data and such." Mila lifted her hands to blow quietly before letting them rest back down on the sides of the chair. "Did he ever do work on sociology? I'd love to see if he did. That area of science tends to overlap with anthropology." She explained. "He must be brilliant regardless if he could creat someone like you. A terribly large amount of work goes into creating semi-sentient or arguably sentient people. I'd love to talk to him sometime."

Copia smiled - she was so happy with Mila, she found everything Mila saying just as inspiring, if not moreso than the instructors back at the academy! She listened closely as she took every word in. Copia was very lucky to have Mila as a friend! "I would like to join you the next time that you engage with other scientific work within the Starfleet archives," Copia said. "If you will allow me, that is. I believe it will be beneficial for us both to reflect on scientific endeavors such as those you've seen." Copia watched Mila blow on her fingers to dry her nails, and curiously tried to replicate the motion. She tried blowing just a little - nothing happened. She tried blowing harder - too much, thankfully the design didn't suffer. Then Copia found the middle ground and was able to help her nails dry. Copia perked up hearing that Mila would want to meet Tobias. "Absolutely!" She replied, a little more energetically than usual. "I would like for you to meet him as well! That can certainly be arranged - I have not seen him in person since I had enlisted in Starfleet. I believe it would be quite fulfilling for us both to visit him."

Mila grinned at the offer. "Definitely! I could use the company for sure and I'd love to have you there. I hope you won't find it overly boring. A lot of it is just data collecting when you're there." She mused. And then after was the recounting and the organizing of it...really, she always had a field day with it. But she knew not everyone did. "Oh -- you don't want to do it too hard," She said after seeing Copia blow on her nails. "Yeah, like that. Too hard, and you'll ruin the smoothness of it - design or not." She explained. "Then it sounds like it would good to have him here. It sounds like you miss him. I know I miss my father." She said thoughtfully, with a streak of hidden tensenss at the end. It faded just as soon as it came. "And he'll be able to see all that you've accomplished in person. Have you kept in somewhat close contact with him?" She asked curiously. (edited)

Copia was having the absolute time of her life - spending time with Mila, her nails freshly done, talking about what both of them were passionate about, and both feeling better with the starbase. "I am eager for that," Copia replied. "Whenever you wish to meet with me to look at scientific endeavors in scholarly work, please notify me - I will be soon to follow!" It was honestly common for Copia to discover and experiment with new things like a toddler learning to walk. And yet, she took everything to heart, trying to learn it to the fullest. When Mila suggested Copia didn't blow as hard to dry her nails, Copia nodded, her curiosity growing even more. Copia sat back in her chair. "Indeed, I do miss Tobias," she began. "I have attempted to, yes. Due to his schedule and my own I am only able to contact him every so often. Every year, if I am lucky. He is like a father to me. I would also like to meet your father if possible! Since you wish to meet mine."

"Sounds like a plan then," Mila mused, glad to have a friend and company on her brief scientific journeys. "I'll be sure to do just that and notify you when the time comes." "Yes, schedules can be such a nuisance sometimes - especially when one is light years away." The Kriosian pursed her lips quietly at the mention of her own father. "Jhera Boras has a very...narrow view of reassociating with her past lives. I ran into her briefly at an archeological site on Arvada III, but she keeps her lives separate." She explained, her smile fading into that of a small simper. "You are welcome to meet her, of course. But that luxury, I'm afraid, is best left to you and others who were not closely acquainted with her past life." She knew her father's ideas on reassociation after joining, but it always bothered her. Or maybe she just never fully understood why...er, wanted to, really. She had lost one father all those years before - if the second had some conscious mind and memories to go with it...alas, the rules were the rules, even if Boras did want the rules a little stricter than they had to be.

Copia's smile faded seeing Mila's facial expression change at the mention of both her father and Jhera Boras. She was worried she said something wrong again. "I am sorry if my mentioning your family has distressed you. I did not mean to elicit any negative memories or emotions. Can I support you in any way in such regard?" If Copia was anything, she was overly caring about her friends. She was determined to make sure Mila was alright. Copia thrived upon connection, deep connection with people she cared about, especially Mila.

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's fine, really." She said with a slight shake of her head. "There's no point in dwelling with the past...bad choice of words; my whole profession deals with the past." She corrected with a short chuckle. "But she really is brilliant if you do want to meet her in the future." Mila was glad that she was raised by the people who raised her, and while the strain of constant travel for her at a young age wasn’t the most fun, being able to see all those different sites and being able to have her family around as a girl was something she had enjoyed. However, she had felt somewhat excluded from Trill society whenever they had visited Trillius Prime or a colony filled mainly with Trill. Maybe it was because of the way the spots differed or because she was a stranger to most of their customs. Her family had been somewhat separate, even if both her adopted parents were Trill.

Copia felt better knowing that it wasn't her - but inside, she would always be there for Mila, and she would do anything to support her. "I will consider it! In the meantime, I do believe it will be more fulfilling to spend time with you and acquaint myself with you more. I do enjoy our time together as it is rewarding to connect with someone as spiritually similar as myself." Copia was about to stand up, but she realized... "Oh. According to my tactile sensor array, the nail paint on my toes is not yet dry. Is there anything the manicurists have to allow me to stand and walk without sacrificing the nail design they had worked hard to create? I would like to explore elsewhere in the promenade with you. Perhaps a -- what is the colloquialism? 'Bite to eat?' Will allow us to move more freely and explore."

"I agree," Mila nodded with a smile before looking searchingly around the room. "Oh, yes -- over there...I believe you could use the machine over there to dry it quicker. Or I suppose you could use the separaters and go out barefoot." She said with a thoughtful pause. Aumila stood up from her chair and inspected her nails before determining they were, in fact, dry. "Where would you like to go next? I admit, I am curious - can you eat?" She inquired as she rolled her uniform's sleeves back down to standard. "And yes, that's correct. I am a bit starved so something to eat would be helpful - even if it is something small. I've only had a cup of tea since yesterday."

Copia considered her options - she immediately had a better idea of what to do when Mila said she only had a cup of tea the day before. "Only a cup of tea?" Copia asked, almost incredulously. "Then there is no time to lose. Indeed, I shall traverse barefoot and utilize the -- you called them separators?" Copia motioned for the manicurist to come over. "Do you have any separators I can use? I promise I will be careful in preserving the design you have created." [D] The manicurist returned with separators and put them in between Copia's toes - allowing her to stand up. "Please, Mila, quickly - we must get you something to eat," Copia said, grabbing her boots. "It is unhealthy to not intake nourishment for an extended period of time." Copia was genuinely worried about Mila - she'd drop everything that she was doing to help Mila, as she just did now, and unapologetically so. She cared so much about everyone she met and was close to, and Mila was no exception.

"There's no need to rush! It's not as if I'll drop dead if I have nothing to eat within the next few moments." Aumila said with a light look of amusement. "I'm not so fragile as that - I was meditating half of yesterday and then didn’t have the chance to eat much today." She explained. Due to her long years on Vulcan, she had adapted some of their practices and mediation, and fasting was one of them. "Besides, I haven't been too horribly hungry today. Nerves tend to keep the hunger down for a bit. Have you seen anything around you think might be good?" She asked curiously. With her unexpectedly Klingon roommate and the details of her transfer in general, hunger hadn't really been on her mind.

Copia's head tilted curiously - but as she heard everything Mila said about meditation and keeping herself regulated, everything fell into place for Copia. "I suppose," Copia said, her smile returning. "If you insist. According to the schematic of the starbase, there is a Starbucks in that complex. Perhaps both the parties there and the caffeine in their coffee would prove beneficial to you. I myself have never had coffee - as I have never had any need. But I am eager to taste it for the first time with you." Copia struggled to stand and almost lost her balance due to the separators between her toes, but quickly regained it. "Apologies if I startled you - this will take some getting used to. But if we are to head to our next destination soon, I will assume it nonetheless."

"A Starbucks? I remember seeing something like that on Earth in my academy days. I never went in there, though." She said thoughtfully. "Are there pastries there? I'm afraid I'm not too fond of coffee, especially when I'm in a state of hunger." Aumila raised her head to look out to the shops all lined up one after another. "I wouldn’t know where else to go unless we went to your usual mess hall. But that does defeat the purpose of wandering the promenade, doesn't it?" She mused.

Copia reconsidered. "Perhaps there are other options that we may pursue," she suggested. "The food court has a host of miscellaneous restaurants and vendors that supply other styles of food and beverage. If there is something that peaks your interest upon arriving there, it is possible you are able to find something you can be more familiar with and fulfill your hunger even further."

"Probably," She nodded. "But you know, I wouldn't be opposed if you want to try a coffee. I'll have something later at the mess hall near my quarters." Aumila suggested, not wanting to get in the way of the Lieutenant's exploratory nature. "And I'm quite certain they have other drinks rather than coffee on the menu; I'll take something from there to tide me over." She said assuringly.

Copia's interest sparked immediately once Mila offered to have her try coffee for the first time. "Oh! If you insist, then I shall join you for coffee! I am intruiged as to how I will react to the beverage and I am eager to witness your reaction as well." Having finally figured out her balance, Copia stood up straight. "If you are ready now, the food court should not be far from here. That is, if the paint on your finger nails has dried. I do not wish to expend your nail design that the staff so painstakingly worked to complete."

"Then let's go," She smiled warmly, "And my nails should be dry by now - and shouldn't be hard to fix if they do get messed up. It was a simple one-color design." Aumila said reassuringly. "I think I saw it over in that way - the food court at least." She collected her things and with the Android, made her way over to the #deleted-channel at the Station's food court.

Copia nodded and followed Mila over to the #deleted-channel.

[D] Udrat wandered through the promenade, currently headed toward his next job. He held a toolbox in hand, which was full of tools needed to repair a local terminal in this area. His Starfleet uniform showed his station as an engineer, as well as his rank as a Ensign. He also wore a Ferengi headdress, which was colored to match his uniform. When he arrived to the terminal, he kneeled and removed the front panel before he inspected the interior. His tri-corder revealed faulty wiring and so he would need to take sometime to repair that situation. A sigh escaped the Ferengi as he knew this job would take him a long while.

It was Ensign Tennibrook Balmossie's first day on Starbase 777, and she'd been given a couple days off from her duties to allow her to get acclimated to the station before having to go to work. She's taking the opportunity to look around the promenade and see what they have on offer, and possibly buy something and meet people.

Tenni is dressed in her Starfleet uniform still, as she'd just come off the runabout less than an hour ago. She's delighted for the opportunity to sit down in something that's not moving.

Udrat would be elbow deep in the guts of a terminal. A few choice Ferengi curses became audible when the terminal shocked him. This caused his little body to twitch and he snarled in frustration. He proceeded to finish fixing the wires up.

Tenni blinked as she heard someone getting shocked nearby, and looked to see the boots of a Starfleet officer inside a terminal. She quirked her head. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Fine, fine," he said as he crawled out and dusted himself off. He looked at Tennibrook and then down his tools as he kneeled to begin gathering them. He still was a bit wired from the zap and shivered. "Just got zapped by the terminal, but I'm fine. I'm Ensign Udrat by the way."

"I suppose that's an occupational hazard with engineers," Tenni says, frowning. "Glad you're okay, though. It's nice to make your acquaintance. I'm Ensign Tennibrook Balmossie, phaser specialist. You can call me Tenni." Tenni extends her arms downward to help the Ferengi off the floor, if he should require her assistance.

He takes her aid and once stood, he smiled at her. He was only 5'3 ft. in height. His eyes were vibrant green in coloration and his teeth were rather shape and crooked. "Nice to make your acquaintance, Tenni. I hope we are to become great friends! Perhaps you'd like to get something to eat? Perhaps a drink? If not, I could help you find your way around this place? I've only been here about a month now, but I know this place well."

"I'd be delighted," Tennibrook said, with a gentle smile. At 5'10", she's about a head taller than the Ferengi. "This is my first day on the station, actually. Fresh out of the Academy. I hope there's something here that's home-cooked and not out of a replicator."

"Uh, a fair few of the shops provide fresh cooked meals," he said, thinking for a moment. Then he snapped his fingers and looked up at her with a smile, a slight gleam in his eyes. "If you're up to try it, I could cook up a traditional Ferengi meal, but our diet is mostly insects. I understand many are not keen on such meals though."

Tenni's face turned a little green. "Um, I'm usually up to trying anything once, but... tonight, I think I could do with something a little more traditional for humans. Like, perhaps, a country-fried steak or something, and eggs. Know anywhere that might serve something like that?"

"I understand," said the engineer before he thought for a moment. Then he nodded his head and indicated for her to follow. "I think I know a place where you can get some decent real food. Shall we head that way now?"

Tenni smiled brightly. "Sounds good to me. You said your name was Udrat, right? Names tend to go in one ear and out the other with me... it's a minor character flaw." She smiled apologetically as she followed the smaller Ferengi. "So, what were you working on just now?"

"Just an information terminal for visitors," he said as he led her through the promenade. He had a chipper attitude to him, a smile resided on his face. He stopped for a moment and hummed softly. "Let's see. I'm unsure if any of these restaurants are open. We have a ton of guests here as of late. So, many in fact, that most of the restaurants are pacted."

Tennibrook shrugged. "Wherever we can find an empty table is fine with me," she said. Tennibrook looked chipper too, happy to have made a new acquaintance and possible friend. She liked the Ferengi. She'd always considered their race to be great fun.

"Hm, we could sit out here in the promenade with our food," he said as he moved to a restaurant window. He spoke with the worker and ordered himself a traditional hotdog with mustard and a side of fries. Then he looked at Tenni and waited for her to order.

The menu at this particular restaurant didn't have a country-fried steak, unfortunately, but when she saw a bacon cheeseburger on the menu, Tennibrook just had to get one. She got it with ketchup, honey mustard, and mayonnaise, with a side order of fries and onion rings. To drink, a Coca-Cola. "Oh, don't forget to order a drink, Udrat," Tennibrook suggested.

"Oh, one Slug-O-Cola," he said and paid for the food in latinum slips. Then he moved to a nearby table, where he sat down and got comfy before he started to eat. "Mm, human food is strange, but enjoyable! I do find it to be a bit rough on my stomach, but it isn't so bad."

Tennibrook took a silent moment of prayer before she started to eat, closing her eyes and folding her hands. Then she took her first bite of her cheeseburger. "Yes, well... I can't say as I doubt that. Hot dogs have rather dubious origins. Is there any human food that doesn't upset your stomach?"

"Hm, probably?" He shrugged his shoulders and now sipped some cola before eating a few fries. His gaze slowly wandered around the promenade as he watched some people walking past while shopping. "So, were you stationed anywhere before Starbase 777?"

Tennibrook shook her head. "No; this is my first posting right out of the Academy. I'm fresh off of a runabout an hour ago. Good to stretch my legs a little bit and see other people, and meet a new friend." The human smiled lightly, and took a bite of some onion rings.

"It is my first posting as well," he said with a smile. Now he wondered if they went through the academy together. He doubted if she would know or not honestly. However, it could not have hurt to ask! "Perhaps we graduated together? I haven't seen you around before, but that doesn't mean we couldn't have."

"Quite possibly," Tennibrook said. "I knew a few Ferengi at the Academy. Even roomed with a Ferengi woman in sophomore year. I have a bad memory for names and faces, though, as I said. So I'm not sure if you and I met at the Academy." Tennibrook took a long sip of her Coca-Cola, and then, having eaten a few bites of her food, she reached into her uniform holster to retrieve a hypospray. She pressed it against her neck and pushed the button, injecting her daily medication into her bloodstream.

"Uh, what was that?" He looked confused, even stopped eating to look at her. He knew it was impolite to ask, but he was curious. Perhaps an allergy? He didn't know, but he wanted to. His green eyes shift between the hypospray and to her again.

"Hm? Oh, I have a few health conditions that I take daily medication for," Tennibrook explained. "I'm generally asymptomatic as long as I take my meds on time, and with food." The young ensign put the safety back on her hypospray and put it away. "So, you've been here for a few months?" *Tennibrook asked Udrat. "How do you like it? Is it a nice challenge for an engineer to keep a Spacedock-class facility functioning?"

"Just a month, but it is a bit of a challenge," he said with a laugh. He work as an electrical engineer was less detrimental, but it had it's up and downs. "My work is primarily with smaller electronics. Primarily replicators, terminals, and that stuff. Not as grand as ops, but still good!"

"What's your ultimate goal, in Starfleet?" Tennibrook asked. She found herself completely at ease with her Ferengi peer. Which was a big deal for the relatively introverted Tenni.

"Well, I want to see the galaxy, but I was placed here," he said and began thinking. He tapped his chin with a finger, then he hummed. What was his goal besides that? "I also joined because I have always had a skill for engineering. What about you?"

"I want to be security chief on a starship some day," Tennibrook admitted. She smiled lightly. "And I also want to see the galaxy and meet new species. Maybe get to go on some first contact missions."

"That's also why I joined, but here we are! On a space station doing the grunt work," he said with a smile. He finished off his food and sat back in his seat to begin studying the civilians and such that walked past. "I hope we get to follow our dreams! Who knows? Maybe one day you will be a captain."

Tennibrook finished off her food as well, and laughed at Udrat's comment about grunt work. "Well, someone's gotta do it," she replied. "When I told my father I wanted to join Starfleet, he told me that it would take a lot of hard work to get to where I wanted to be. Hard work, and sacrifice. But living on a starbase doesn't sound too bad. Means I can probably start a family in relative safety if I ever find the right partner. I grew up living in basically a single-parent home, with my mother, brother, and sister living with me on Balmarrow, while my father traveled the galaxy."

"Hm, we Ferengi sign contracts for marriage," he said, crossing his legs. He shrugged a bit at the thought of having children or a wife. He rubbed his chin and sighed a bit. "I don't think there are many women in this Starbase that find Ferengi men handsome. I tried relationships when in the academy, but I always got shunted away or stood up."

"Contracts for marriage?" Tennibrook asked. "Sounds kinda... unromantic. Oh... no offense. But whatever works for you, I suppose. Humans have marriage certificates, and sometimes are bound by religious obligations and children and such. I had a couple relationships growing up, and a handful at the academy as well, but I was devoted to my studies and nothing really stuck, either." Tennibrook shrugged. She doesn't think there's anything wrong with her looks.

"The contracts are similar to your certificates I suppose?" He shrugged as he did not know how human marriages worked honestly. He proceeded to tap his hand against the table in a loose rhythm. He wasn't sure what to say and decided to strike up a new conversation topic. "Tell me about some of the fun things you like to do? Any sports? Hobbies?"

"Sports, mostly," Tennibrook replied. "I was on the Academy wrestling team, earning a bronze medal in my weight class in the Solar System Champinship in senior year. I was in the Boston Marathon; that's a running championship. I also play basketball and keep up with my phaser skills. I'm very competitive when it comes to sports. "But I also enjoy just sitting down with a good book. I like reading biographies of old Starfleet and Klingon captains. I'm an admirer of Captain Klag of the I.K.S. Gorkon. Ever hear of him?"

"I have not," he said with a smile. He had not heard of Captain Klag. He wondered who they were and now he began to think. Klingons never caught his interest besides for a quick chat. "Perhaps you should tell me about them?"

Tennibrook spent a few minutes telling Udrat the tale of Captain Klag, son of M'Raq, hero of the battle of Marcan V in the Dominion War, and victor over the Children of San'Tarah and the Elabrej shortly after the war. "The Gorkon went on to become one of the most important Klingon vessels in the post-war era," Tennibrook said. "Even some of the rank-and-file soldiers went on to become legends."

"Impressive," said the Ferengi, who had listened intently to her recounting the tale. He rubbed his chin a bit as he found the tals to be rather interesting. He was surprised that he had never heard of the tale before, but Ferengi didn't usually tell stories unless it involved profit. "Perhaps I will find the time to read up on this tale in my spare time! Sounds like an excellent read."

Tennibrook nodded. "The crew of the Gorkon and the Children of the San-Tarah came up with a series of five challenges to determine the fate of the planet," she said. "The Gorkon won in the hunt and in capture-the-flag, while the San-Tarah won in a battle of strength and in naval combat. That left Captain Klag to battle the Pack Leader of the San-Tarah in armed combat. The San-Tarah won, and per the terms of the agreement, the Klingons prepared to leave the planet. "But then Captain Klag's commanding officer tried to force him to go back on his word, and then Klag's crew teamed with the San-Tarah to face the other Klingons." She took a sip of her Coke.

"Don't tell me the whole story now," he said with a laugh. He sipped his slug-o-cola and sighed. The drink always made him think of home and his family. He shook his head before he looked back at Tenni. "I wanna read that story and you're telling me the whole thing."

"Haha... sorry," Tenniborok said. "Just read the tales of the I.K.S. Gorkon. It's all in there. It's a good story. Violent, of course, but that's Klingons for you." She laughed, and took another sip of her Coke. It was good meeting someone who had an appreciation for stories.

"Klingons are always more focused on their weapons than their brains," he said with a chuckle. The Klingons had always amused him to say the least. They were scary, but they would not know a good deal if it slapped them in the face. He smirked to himself when thought about a Klingon getting knocked out. "You're a fan of Klingons? I don't like the opera stuff they call music. Just seems like them yelling."

"Not a fan of the music either, but I do like the stories behind it," Tennibrook said. "Of course, there's more to Klingon music than just opera. They have other genres of music. Some of them are even relatively peaceful." She finished off her Coca-Cola. "I like Klingons. I made a Klingon friend at the Academy. He was on the security track, too."

"Really? Many Klingons I've met here are from the Klingon Defense Force," he said before he finished his drink off too. He proceeded to burp a little, but excused himself afterward. His gaze wanders from her and to the shops. "So, how was your trip here?"

"Six days of rest and relaxation," Tennibrook said. "I got caught up on my reading. The runabout was one of those big ones with the table in the back, you know? So one of the other security officers and I would do a little sparring back there. I got into some chess matches with a Vulcan j.g.. Lost all of them, of course. I think I found the games more stimulating than she did. But she was nice about it." Tennibrook looked around the shops then as well. "So, what's there to do around here?"

"There is plenty to do," he said and began to think. He looked around curiously and pondered. "You can join a club I guess? I bet there are all manner of groups to join. Maybe a chess club or a wrestling club?"

Tennibrook would consider. "Maybe I'll see if there's a wrestling club, or a shooting club. Or some way to add to my collection of classic Starfleet memorabilia. I have a 2260s-era tricorder, and a field jacket from the 2280s."

[D] Yovim had just finished a shift and a meal, and was now simply wandering around the station. He was a younger Cardassian wearing the black uniform of the Union with the rank insignia of a glen. He scanned the area, looking around at the different shops to see if there was anything of interest. All in all he clearly stood out both due to the unique uniform and due to being Cardassian.

Two paced frantically around the promenade, looking rather anxious. The laser producing device on the side of his head was on, but he didn’t notice- Puff had to be here somewhere…! Right…? Oh he hoped nothing happened to them…” *He hugged Fuzzy tight, scared that he’d lose them as well.

The Cardassian noticed the Borg pacing, noticing that they were concerned. He was both surprised to see a Borg on the station and also surprised that someone was so panicked in such a nice place. Yovim could only conclude that there was something afoul and decided that it would be best to ask. Yovim walked up to Two with a slightly smile on his face. "Is something wrong?"

“Yes!” He exclaimed, a slight buzz in his voice as he spoke “My tribble! They’re just a small little guy! They went missing an hour ago… I… I… What if something eats it or…” Two paused, gulping before whispering softly “An angry Klingon kills them…- I knew a Klingon who used to say she was going to if I brought them anywhere near her…”

Yovim would immediately paniced somewhat when he heard that there was a loose tribble. His face would not show it however. The Glen was surprised to hear that tribbles were even allowed on the station, but then that was not his concern. Instead he needed to help the Borg deal with this issue as soon as possible. "Perhaps I can help. I am Yovim, one of the station's detectives."

“Oh that’s a relief! Would it help if I gave you a picture or uh… A list of their favourite foods? They’re about yea big!” Two made a small circle with his hands, nodding. Wow that was lucky! What were the chances that the first person who talked to him was an expert at this sort of thing!

The detective paused for a moment to debate how to find a tribble. They were tiny creatures but also simple ones. They likely could be found wherever food was, which meant that the two likely only had a few different places to look. It was mostly a matter of which of the restaurants and mess halls. "To start can you tell me where you lost them?"

Two was silent, frowning as he tried to recall- in his panic most relevant details had escaped his mind. “Erm… Either at the gardens or at work?” Two shrugged, grimacing.

Yovim listened and tried to think of where the tribble could have gone. The gardens were just above the shops so it was likely that the tribble was in a store that sold food, assuming that this was where it came from. The comment on work was not as useful however. "And where do you work?"

“Delta Delights! The owner, Ik’ala, is AMAZING! And the shop sells so much cool stuff! You should go there sometime!- Oh wait, Puff… Um… Sorry” Two’s shoulders drooped, and he looked at the floor…

So the tribble was either lost in the commercial center or directly above it. Therefore he could only assume that it was chewing at crumbs somewhere in one of the stores. It was only a matter of figuring out which store he needed to search at. Yovim normally tried to think like the person that he was investigating, but then he could hardly think like a tribble. Only an animal could understand an animal. The Glen then had an idea. "May I have your other tribble please?"

“Uh… Sure! Just be gentle, Fuzzy is kind of shy” Two handed over the large, ridiculously fluffy tribble, giving them a quick pat to reassure them. Fuzzy let out an annoyed squeak, but didn’t protest.

Yovim took the tribble and then gently lowered them to the ground, not wanting to hurt or scare it. He wanted the pet to be allowed to go where it wished and just hoped that it went for something other than its owner. "Now we just follow them. Hopefully this tribble will be attracted to the same thing as the other." The Glen knew that he would attract a few stares following a tribble around the shopping district but he did not care. This was the best option that there was.

Fuzzy was still for a few moments, before suddenly taking off in a quick roll- something had obviously caught it’s attention. “Come back!” Two waved his arms as he shouted, running after them.

The Cardassian would begin to job after the tribble, smiling as he did. This entire situation was just funny to him. By now all that mattered was that Two and Yovim managed to follow the tribble. If this failed there would be two missing pets. "No, no, this is what we want. Just keep pace"

“But…? I’m not that fast- what if they get away…? Then… Then… Then I’ll never see either of them again!” Two found himself wishing he had normal legs- his weren’t built for speed, but endurance and strength… And, as he’d discovered, was horrendously difficult to get glitter out of.

Yovim began to run faster to keep up with the tribble. The little critter was fast, but it was important that it could go wherever it needed to. The Glen thought that the less interference that there was the more likely the tribble would lead to the other. "Have faith. We just need to keep up."

He was already starting to lag behind- but it was somewhat of a relief that the Yovim didn’t seem to be struggling as much as he was. “I’ll… I’ll try…!”

Yovim sped up as the tribble did, surprised to see how fast the little animal was. He noticed that it was moving towards one particular direction with a few shops and other doors. The detective was curious where exactly the tribble was going.

The tribble stopped abruptly, letting out a frustrated squeak. Two finally caught up to them- his legs were squeaking slightly due to their abnormal use… He’d probably have to get that fixed at some point…

The detective watched the tribble stop in front of a supply closet door and shook his head slightly. It was likely that a nearby store had extra food stocked on shelves or something along those lines. Yovim, figured that only time would tell. Yovim pressed the button next to the door to see if it was locked. [D] The door slid open to reveal a few rows of shelves covered in different foods, toys, tools, and other items. A tribble could be seen on the ground nawing at something.

Here wandered Victoria, away from most places where she assumed she might be recognised. Adjustment issues, she supposed, were making themselves known. So she came here, an idea provided from her time earlier watching crowds pass on the food deck. Being lost among the rabble wasn't that bad of a way to get her mind off of things. To those ends, she dressed casual, as civilian-like as she could. It was the better part of an hour before she decided to take a rest, already feeling marginally on the better side of things. Victoria found a bench in a quieter corner of the promenade, closed her eyes, and stretched her arms.

Lapan had been walking along the promenade to see if there was anything he could get Morgan as a sneaky little present. It had been his birthday at the start of the year, but his son had been doing well in school and Lapan wanted to surprise him. He whistled to himself, happy to be among people. After walking around for a while, having found a box of animal toys he knew Morgan would like, he noticed a woman looking a little tired, overwhelmed maybe? She was sitting to the side with her eyes closed, and Lapan just wanted to make sure she didn't need any help. "Hello, are you alright?" he asked her, finishing his sentence off with a melodic trill that he probably got from an earth songbird of some kind.

Tired? Check. Overwhelmed? Only since she arrived. Bishop took a few moments to register the voice had been directed at her - why did it sound so shrill? She sat up and placed her hands on either side of herself atop the bench, taking a quick look around to pinpoint who exactly had called her out, and noticing how she was the only person who appeared, well, somewhat homeless looking on the entire deck. Perhaps she deserved to be called out. “Do I look… not alright?” she asked, a genuine mix of surprise and curiosity. Her gaze settled on Lapan, an unsure shake of her head seeming to only make things a little muddier for both parties. Still, Victoria continued on, providing a lukewarm explanation, “I’m fine. Just, you know, moving- who likes it, right? Sorry, who are you, again?”

Lapan whistled lowly, a little worried as the lady in front of him, but reassured enough as she started responding. "You looked a little overwhelmed, but I'm glad you're responding! I'm Lapan," he introduced himself, trying to keep from ticcing by whistling like he wanted to. Overwhelmed people usually didn't do too well with loud, shrill noises, so he'd try to keep it down. "Yeah, I know all about moving. My son's been doing well the past month, all things considered, but coming here was the first time he's really done a big move. It's definitely something to get used to, a Starbase like this!" Finally, he cawed like a crow, snapping his head like he usually did when he'd been surpressing tics. "Sorry about that, I don't think I even asked for your name in return!" For his part, he did look slightly embarrassed by that fact. It seemed he was aware of social convention, but just... forgot it, sometimes.

Victoria had just about opened her mouth to respond with a mix of indignant confusion and, well, her name, when she was interrupted by Lapan's whistling. Instead, she merely watched him with a bit of her own concern, manifested in a raised brow and her lips left ajar, although she nodded in acknowledgement of his words. "I'm uh... Victoria," she said, slowly, certainly feeling the visceral awkwardness. Dusting her lap, she stood so that they could be at eye level. Fortunately, awkwardness and aggressive friendliness were good cures for the funk she had found herself in moments prior. It left her alone, for now. "Well, you're definitely right. Big, big move. You and your son, where'd you fly in from?" Talking about someone else was probably a good distraction, she thought.

"Nice to meet you, Victoria! I'm- oh, I already said that." Lapan was a scatterbrained sort, and had almost forgotten that he'd already introduced himself. "I came from Earth! My son's family is from Earth, and I wanted him to meet them before we spent a few years in space. I suppose that might have been a surprise, just looking at me." He wasn't wearing his uniform, or his rank of Lieutenant would have shown, but aside from that, his proportions were slightly off for a human, not to speak of the many dark spots that were scattered across his face. He didn't look human, at least not fully. "I'm actually from Beryl 4, myself, from the Celes Sector. It's not too far from here." If Victoria knew her Federation planets, she'd probably be aware that that was in Illyrian space, and be able to make a very good guess as to Lapan's heritage. Not many Beryllian Illyrians ever made it to Starfleet, preferring to keep to themself, so the chance was low that she'd have met one, but Illyrians themselves were hardly rare. Lapan unfortunately had the habit of only vocalising half of his thought process, though, so that was for Victoria to decipher.

Now, Victoria wasn't exactly the most skilled when it came to recognising and identifying various species at first glance. Perhaps she might have figured it out sooner if she had been on the job, but she never did purport to be good at pop quizzes. She tilted her head, brows furrowed, and briefly trained an analytical glance upon Lapan's features. "Calder II. Taugan Sector. Not too far from here either," she introduced. Perhaps she had, by now, had at least a passing guess at Lapan's biological origins - the story he had presented was already good enough at piqueing Victoria's interest regardless - but she naturally felt it a little rude to outwardly ask about one's species. She pushed her hands into her pockets, they always itched to move if left unrestrained when she slipped into work-mode. "Sorry," she admitted, "I did pretty good at sector geography, but I gave up when it came to planets. Remind me what goes on on Beryl IV?"

"Nothing much, to be honest! Lots of rainforest, and very little else. We're some of the more reclusive Illyrians, so I'm one of very few to leave the planet permanently in a while." He himself was the only one Lapan knew of, ever, to be fair. His entire family had stayed on Beryl 4 even after Lapan had left, but then, he was the odd one out after all. "I'm pretty terrible at topography too, though! What kind of place is Calder II? I don't know if I've heard of it before," he said, offering for Victoria to share more about herself. At least when he was talking he wasn't ticcing so much, though his hands and neck were twitching as he restrained sounds.

It had been a bit now, since all that had happened had happened. Since the chop shop, since things that had happened since as well. Since he'd visited a Captain in the HDU, since he'd talked with others as well. He'd just dropped Telim off as school and had after he'd done so, decided on a quick spot of shopping himself. That decision had led to a brief stop over at their quarters as he'd retrieved a slightly larger bag he'd acquired to be his designated shopping bag before he'd then headed via turbolift to the promenade. The trip a quiet one, at least until the doors had opened as he'd finally arrived and had stepped in through the wall of noise into the sounds, sights and smells that all happened to make up the Promenade. Ones that he noticed, after a time spent walking, happened to be moderately different now, shops having gone, new shops having arrived. A bakery something he'd dwelled on for a time before he'd spotted a familiar face, or at least had thought he'd spotted a familiar face. * *That thought something that had pulled his attention away from the shops around him and turned his focus to the people. Who had he spotted, had he really spotted them, he'd wondered in the few moments before Five came back into view. With them then spotted, Vara'l paused very briefly in indecision before he decided to walk over, intent on saying a brief hello to someone he respected. "Hello." He'd said as he had attempted to muster a convincing smile. "..Hope I'm not interrupting, just wanted to pop over and say hi and the like.." The Romulan conscious he appeared to have potentially interrupted their shop.

Five had been tending to a few odds and ends, picking up a few things for Holly mostly. He'd taken quite a liking to a certain kind of treats he'd tried out, and now, of course, he couldn't remember what in the world it was. His eye darted from place to place as he frowned a little, shifting his bags onto his good shoulder so as not to put any more weight on his mechanical arm, before someone came swarming towards him and nearly made him drop his bags, though definitely made him jump in surprise-- "Oh, Vara'l, hi," Five sighed, hand on his chest as he let out a little nervous laugh. "I didn't see you coming, don't frighten me like that! Goodness..." He reached up to move his hair from his face, offering his fellow officer a big smile. "How have you been? Healed up and good to go, I presume? Medical should've fixed everything by now, so,"

Vara'l was, for want of a better word, quietly mortified when he realized he'd made Five jump. He'd not intended to surprise him. He'd intended to come up and say hi, a fact that coloured his face with a sheepishly contrite expression for a moment before he returned their smile. "I apologise for making you jump." He'd responded then, contrite before, when they'd proceeded to ask him how he was, his face dropped into a careful mask that likely suggested something other than what the Romulan might have then proceeded to say. The Romulans statement that followed a calm one as he'd proceeded to say. "That was Medical's assessment, they've fixed everything there was to be fixed, bone and muscle and all." In the moment before he realized that sort of roundaboutly betrayed the fact he'd played down how he'd been in the tunnel and added. "My injuries were only minor, so I'm told." Conscious he'd just admitted that he'd been more than.. bruised. Also possessed by a need to keep the storm clouds that haunted him concealed as best he could behind that mask as he had continued to converse with them. As he'd then asked "How have you been, yourself?"

Five, perfectly distracted with in the middle of a shopping trip for his cat, didn't notice Vara'l's façade -- or just didn't have the energy for a heavy conversation right now, and chose not to bring it up. He just nodded along, double checking he'd gotten almost everything, the last on his list being something for himself. He had his eyes on a new pot for one of his plants, growing faster than he could keep an eye on. "That's good to hear," he said, folding his hands politely behind his back and now giving Vara'l his full attention. "I'm doing just fine myself. I have a few herbs I'm taking care of that are growing faster than I expected," he laughed, shrugging it off. Nothing not cat safe of course. "Much enjoying the downtime after that whole fiasco. I'm hoping for no more station-endangering events for the next few months at least, please and thank you..." "On that, have you and Telim got any plants to take care of? I hope my lessons have helped at least a little." He tipped his head to the side, thinking it over. "I recommended something small to start, but I'd be happy to help you look if you haven't yet. Tell me everything if so, though!" He was excited at the idea his hobby had rubbed off on someone, or that he was working to improve under Five's instruction. He wasn't perfect, there were always things to learn, and that's what he liked about it so much. No one could ever be a perfect gardener. It was good for bonding, too. (edited)

Hands clasped each other as Vara'l occupied both of his in that way as the day to day noise of the promenade briefly caused him, in the presence of someone he regarded almost as a friend if not.. as a friend, to want to stim. Something he rarely allowed himself to do, even if it might have helped his health or anything. It happened to be a highly inefficient use of body movement, for one thing, or so the Borg elements of his mind had and had continued to contend any time other elements of his mind raised the subject to the entirety of the rest of his mind. Not that that was something that concerned him at present, as his mind indulged in a brief pang of relief at the fact the other had seemingly not noticed his façade. Something he'd reckoned was rather..good. "Glad to hear that.. and ..I'll admit I share that hope there, it'd be nice to have a good bit of time without station endangering events." Vara'l had then commented as he'd considered their surroundings for a moment before the xB had returned his gaze to Five. A smile something that blossomed then on his face as the other then * "And.. we have, we did actually pick something small, Telim got something called a 'String of Pearls' , I got a lily." *Vara'l informed them. "They're doing alright at the moment, something I'd argue is a very good indication your lessons have been very helpful, thank you again for the lessons, Five." He'd smiled again then, his smile still slightly coloured with the guilt that haunted him. "Admittedly got that Lily given to me as a gift by a acquaintance, I believe they'd been informed by Telim I'd had lessons from someone and might nolonger be so fatal for a plant to get in proximity of."

Fives' brows furrowed a little at the mention of the plants chosen. He didn't know much about Epohhs, but he'd done copious amounts of research on plants toxic to pets, cats especially for obvious reasons, to see if he'd have to rehome anything. "Those are safe for Epohhs, right? Both of those are incredibly toxic to Terran pets, though I'm not so familiar with Epohhs." They frowned a little to themself as they tried to remember. They were drastically different than Earth pets for sure. "I think it's okay, but be sure to do your research just in case. Oh-- and let the String of Pearls dry out quite a bit before you water it, they're dramatic little things," he said, waving his hand idly. Five realized he was rambling on quite a bit and cleared his throat. "I should get back to shopping soon, Holly'll be howling for me. Is there anything else you wanted to catch up on? We should arrange something soon, it's been a while," since they've had a proper talk besides racing after criminals in the tubes, anyway. Five felt a little bad rushing things along, but if they didn't go soon they were sure to forget the other things on their list, and that'd be no good for anyone.

The Romulan, when the other proceeded to say that, smiled slightly at the other Liberated Borg before he then proceeded to say. "The plants in question are kept far away from the Epohh as is as a precautionary measure either way as I've always rather preferred to be cautious with such things." Their frown noted as he proceeded to say. "I'll be sure to do my research on them just in case. as well.. and I'll also keep that in mind regarding the string of pearls." A pause following there before he then added. "Admittedly hadn't realized that thing about ah.. when to water them." When Five then proceeded to say that, Vara'l considered things for the briefest moment before he then shook his head and replied. "There was nothing else at present..though I'd be amenable to arranging something soon, should you like.. as it has rather." His words decided upon as well, even if there did happen to be anything else he happened to want to say, nothing that rattled around his mind seemed worthy enough to be raised now. Five was clear, they happened to have other things they needed to do now, other claims on their time. He wouldn't stand in the way of that, he'd decided. "I wont take up more of your time, admittedly also got a bit of shopping to do myself, it was nice to chat." The Romulan continued as he moved a bit, ready to head off.

Well, here it goes. Copia was in her command uniform, having just finished a duty shift, and was ready to do something nice yet again for Talos, going above and beyond to be compassionate for her. In all honesty, Copia's life hadn't been the same since she finally met the real Talos, and in the absolute best of ways. No more was Copia her vengeful, lost, misguided self, twisted by hatred and selfishness to get even, as the Cardinal. After having Talos lay it down to Copia exactly how it was, and how she could think differently, it's as if that hardened shell had completely dissolved and the sweet, kind, loving and caring Copia was back. Well - maybe Copia still was the Cardinal. Just a new kind of Cardinal. Since having visited Talos in the HDU bay, Copia had taken steps to analyze and correct her ways of thinking. It was all fitting together, like the most perfectly fitting puzzle. All the lessons she'd been taught from Yoro'clis, from Alin, from Vara'l, from Tevis, had all assembled together and wrapped themselves up in a bow with Talos' wisdom. Something clicked for Copia. Something that she wasn't expecting to, given her downtrodden and distraught mindset for so long. It was difficult having been so used to beating herself up and seeing the worst in every situation, switching to a new outlook on life, one that was pure, innocent, and much healthier for Copia in the end. Finally, with her emotion chip having settled into her system, Copia internally adapted to match the emotion chip's output, which meant she was able to control her emotions tenfold better than she used to. In fact, she had been calm and happy ever since seeing Talos. x_divider

(edited)

16:29

And now, she felt the need to repay Talos for the favor. Even though she predicted Talos would say she didn't have to, Copia still wanted to go above and beyond. It was only sensical in her mind to take the extra step and thank Talos for her unending kindness, even in recovery from the Undine. That made Talos a true hero. So, Copia sat outside in the commercial promenade, taking a brief break and checking her PADD. Under her arm on the table she sat at, was a small box - a box labelled 'Marshall's Munchies' on it, tied neatly with a bow. After her break, Copia planned out in her mind how it would happen. She'd march right to the HDU bay - or wherever Talos was, Copia didn't know - and have a cupcake with Talos. At least, that's how she planned it in her mind. For all Copia knew, she could be turned away when asking where Talos was, she could be told that Talos had left the starbase ages ago, she could be told a number of things that made it so Copia would never see Talos again. But Copia had to try. It's the least she could do. The least she could spare for Talos for, in a way, saving Copia's life. (edited)

How funny it was that the very person that Copia was en route to see was set to come daundering past once the distance between them both had closed. On a starbase as large as this one (and with so many people on board) the likelihood of running into someone you knew was probably quite slim, but it still happened. No matter where you went things proved that it was a small world - it wasn't surprising to go to an entirely different planet for shore leave and still run into an old friend. Maybe people who knew one another were simply cosmically drawn together somehow? It hadn't been too long since Rhea had been discharged from medical. She would say it had been a lengthy process, being a month and a half, but given that others were still in there she really had it lucky. Borg techno-organic components had worked in her favour (even if she wouldn't admit it). It had felt like a lengthy journey between the ICU, HDU, general wards and discharge lounge... But in hindsight it hadn't been that bad, and she didn't need to look backwards now that she was out. To stay true to the agreement with her physiotherapist that she would take things slowly she had opted not to go all out, so today's stroll was set to be short with breaks in between. She had even been disciplined enough to keep using the orthotic back, knee, and ankle splints. x_divider

19:14

While walking along outside of the shops (exercise plus getting to know the station's layout, multitasking) that Rhea spotted the familiar figure. Copia was looking downwards at her PADD. What a fun opportunity. Talos moved as though she was going to walk past only to halt in front of Copia purposefully, jokingly blocking the view. Unlike Copia she wasn't quite in uniform yet, wearing a pair of thicker leggings made for hiking, a delta-patterned sports t-shirt, and a thin bomber jacket patterned with mission patches from her previous postings... But it was far better than the pristine white inpatient garb she had been in when the two of them had last spoken. A purposeful moment was given before she spoke - just enough time for Copia to clock that this person wasn't moving. "Sorry, Lieutenant - am I blocking your light?"

It genuinely took a moment for Copia to realize that there was someone else in the vicinity. In all honesty, Copia was one to get easily distracted and carried away doing something that caught her attention. Even something as simple as looking at her PADD. But true it was, she had no idea for the longest time that Talos was even there, and it genuinely took her by surprise to have a voice call out to her like that. Copia was startled a little when she heard that voice, but thankfully, she didn't jump. She simply looked up - and it was the very person she was trying to find. It was Talos - and right away, Copia's eyes widened as her mind went right away from the PADD to Talos. That talk she had with Talos truly did something to Copia. Something that even she couldn't fully understand, something that, in time, would make itself fully known to her. But for now, Copia was blessed to be in the moment, across from the most recent officer she looked up to in times of turmoil. It was her... it was finally her... and she was here... she didn't leave... she was here! She was really here! This wasn't a Undine illusion... although Copia suspected for a second... but after that second... Copia accepted that it was real. x_divider

19:40

Copia's hands shot to her mouth as she smiled so big it practically stretched off the sides of her face. If she could tear up, she would, as on the outside, while no tears came out, she still reacted as if she were now full-on crying the happiest of tears she ever cried happily. Copia let out a few heartfelt laughs, laughs that were somewhat choked up, and as she removed her hands from her mouth, Copia's face was revealed fully to Talos. A face that was needing to see Talos again. A face that was like Copia had been given a second chance at life itself. And with her initial near-tears reaction, Copia spoke. "C-Captain... You don't even know h-how good it is to see you... I was worried you'd be gone forever... but you're here... thank the stars..." (edited)

Copia’s grin resulted in Talos raising an eyebrow, although doing so was partially concealed by her fringe. She really needed to get her hair cut. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so happy to see me,” she mused casually. Internally she was actually a little taken back by such a reaction, but externally she didn’t show it. Her previous conversation with the Lieutenant had been pleasant, and Rhea had been glad that she could offer some help to the android, but she hadn’t thought that this would be the reaction when they met again. Maybe their conversation had more of an impact on Copia than she had realised. Not even Cronos had been this happy to see her… Although, to give him credit, he had just woken from a Vulcan healing trance and was struggling to process pretty much anything in that moment. “You worried I’d be gone forever?” She found herself continuing, and decided to stop blocking the Lieutenant’s light and move aside instead. It was a little heavily that she took a seat on the bench beside Copia, lacking the grace that she used to have. Her back still hurt a bit too much for graceful. She’d get there though – just like how she was in no fit state to go running through the station or climbing mountains or anything right now, but she’d get to that point again. That wasn’t even down to determination, she just viewed it as a basic fact. Practically all of her free time was taken up with some sport or another. She liked to stay busy and had to put her energy somewhere. If she couldn’t then she’d go crazy. “You make it sound like I planned on suddenly dropping dead.” The statement was given with a tone of amusement despite the morbidity. “I didn’t die aboard that terrasphere and I don’t plan on doing so here. If you mean going somewhere as in, going somewhere – I have no plans to. The last time I tried going somewhere I got captured by Undine. I think I’ll stay somewhere nice and safe for a while.”

Copia's mind reeled at the fact that Talos was even here. Over the past weeks, in her mind she had constructed a multitude of scenarios giving reason why Talos wouldn't be there, all reasons which were beyond Copia's control. But none of that was here. To be fair, anything involving Talos wasn't the only scenario Copia's mind happened to think up. A good number focused around Vara. Some, Yoro'clis. Some, Vara'l. Some, Tevis. Some, even Mo. And that was the real villain in Copia's mind - her own imagination. The Undine didn't even need to bypass Copia's positronic brain and construct the fabricated reality that they wanted others with organic minds to see. The one who was making the illusions in her mind was Copia herself, and she didn't even mean to. The organic - and, evidently - positronic - mind was so powerful, maybe even too powerful for Copia to realize. Through these constructed scenarios in her head, Copia had been the one to step into the role of Undine herself. That scared her, honestly. But this? This reminded Copia that the Undine had lost. That she was stronger than the illusions made within her mind, be them placed there by the Undine, or self-inflicted. x_divider

22:50

This was here and now. Copia had to step out of the confines of her own mind and be present with Talos. And Talos confirmed that she wasn't going anywhere for a while, that just made Copia feel even better. It was evident in Copia's mannerisms that Talos' presence was comforting to her. Finally, Copia could set all of that negativity aside. Finally, it was over. The seemingly countless days and nights of worry, were over. Copia nodded eagerly to Talos. "I am incredibly happy and pleased to hear that you're staying, sir, and even more happy to see you back on your feet again. It's refreshing, truly. It's... part of the reason I was actually wanting to find you. I... have a gift for you. A gift that can be shared." Copia brought the box from Marshall's Munchies into the center of the table. "I hope it's not a bad time, sir. I wish to offer my gratitude for-- well, for everything. Both for what you've done for me, and for others. I had these made specifically for you by Melody Marshall at Marshall's Munchies. Would you care to join me?" x_divider

22:50

Copia undid the bow on top of the box, before opening the box to reveal... two rather large but not ginormous cupcakes. Both chocolate cupcakes, designed with the most sleek and illustrious metallic frosting, topped off with a white chocolate Starfleet badge. On one cupcake, below the Starfleet badge, were two small white chocolate pips - lieutenant rank. On the other, below the Starfleet badge, were four small white chocolate pips - captain rank. It was no surprise for Copia to have said she had these specifically made for Talos - and for Copia as well.

The captain found it somewhat interesting how from a single interaction she had managed to form some sort of bond with Copia. It was evident that they had both been through a lot with the Undine – herself on the Terrasphere, and Copia with Talos’ own impostor – and that had resulted in some sort of connection. For the most part you might meet someone in passing, have a conversation with them, and go your separate ways. Maybe you’d have more conversations and a friendship would form from there. But from a single instance something had formed: to the point that the Lieutenant had actively went out of her way to buy her a gift of all things. It was the sort of gesture you expected from friends, not from someone you had crossed paths with once. It was nice to know that despite everything that had happened lately she could still make an impact on someone’s life… And that Copia seemed to have gotten out of that self-imposed punishment of hers, learning to live a little instead. “You didn’t have to get anything for me,” she mused, although you could tell by her tone and smile that she was thankful. She wasn’t quite sure what she had done for others - it wasn’t as though she had done anything worthwhile in the past year aside from annoy some Undine by not having answers for them – but she was grateful that she had managed to help Copia at the very least. “But I really appreciate the gesture. This is lovely – thank you. And let’s be real: it’s never a bad time for cupcakes.” Well, first thing in the morning might have been a bad time, but you got the gist. She spent a moment looking over the design, smiling at the sight of the delta shields and rank pips. “These are precious; a really nice idea. You didn’t have them custom-made, did you? I wouldn’t want you to be going out of your way with all this effort just for me. It’s my job to offer advice and help people get on track, you know.”

Copia giggled slightly when the Captain mentioned that it was never a bad time for cupcakes. Internally, Copia did the math - well, cupcakes were a solid food item, so there was no reason to have to deny cupcakes as a suitable food for any occasion of the day. Well - theoretically. But now wasn't the time for theories. Copia eagerly took the two-pip cupcake from the box, while sliding the box with the four-pip cupcake towards Talos. "Melody left napkins in the bottom of the box, she told me," Copia commented. "But of course, sir, it's the least I can do. You showed me such a new, fresh, and healthier way of thinking, one which I hadn't ever seen. I've been able to live life better because of you. And for that, I can never thank you enough. So I decided that this would be a good way to both thank you and to give you a sense of what's on the starbase, if you've gotten around to see - and, in this case, consume - what's around. Shall we?" Copia held up her cupcake in a sort of toast to Talos. "To you, Captain." Before she unwrapped her cupcake and took a bite - Copia's eyes rolled back into her head before they fully closed. This cupcake was -- INSANELY good! What, did Melody have some sort of princess powers she infused into the batter? Well, no, unless one counted just the sheer time and effort at baking school. Anyway, Copia loved the cupcake so much, she couldn't wait to hear Talos' reaction to the cupcake. The metallic frosting on top was actually just white buttercream frosting with silver leaf on top, so Copia didn't have to worry about her or Talos eating literal metal. x_divider

00:29

Copia's eyes darted from side to side when she was asked if she had these custom made. "Maaaaybe," Copia feigned mischief in her voice. "In all seriousness, sir, I did. I simply told Melody I was wanting to visit you, and that I was wishing for a dessert that could accommodate two. Melody simply told me, 'say no more' and came back with these cupcakes. One for me, one for you - down to the pips. She believed this would be a perfect way to lift both our spirits up. She would love to meet you in person one day, sir, she wished for me to tell you that. Anyway, she sent me along as soon as the cupcakes were complete - and now, here we are."

She reached a hand out to slide the box the rest of the way across the table, then took a moment rifling around for the napkins so they could be set aside. The thought of eating something that a person had put such time and effort into baking almost felt cruel. She knew that was the whole point, but still. When people were practically doing artwork when it came to baking it just didn’t feel right. You wouldn’t paint a picture to consume it, for example… Or maybe you would. Modern art could get weird, and it had never been Talos’ forte. What convinced her was Copia’s own reaction. There was a second of complete blankness in Rhea’s mind where she started contemplating exactly how an android ate, but she pushed the query aside. She felt it wasn’t exactly polite to go wondering about the internal mechanisms of sentient beings. You wouldn’t go up to any organic person and ask them how their digestive system worked, after all. “Well – even if I still think you shouldn’t have gone out of your way just for me, I really do appreciate the gesture. You’ll have to give this Melody person our compliments.” She unwrapped her own cupcake and plucked the chocolate delta shield off the top. She bit the ‘leg’ of off one of the sides, letting it melt in her mouth. There were at least three admirals she could name who would count eating a chocolate delta shield as some kind of heresy. They were the type of people who weren’t very fun at all when it came to designing birthday cakes. “So – have you been up to much since I last spoke to you? You said you’re a… Mission advisor, right? Sorry if I’m misremembering. Things are still a little hazy.” While speaking, she concentrated on what seemed like manhandling the cupcake… Although it soon became evident what she was doing. Breaking the sponge part in the middle, you could flip the frosting upside down, put it in the centre, and have a cupcake sandwich. “How much work do you see aboard the station?”

It certainly wasn't ever out of character for Copia to love what she was eating, and this was no exception. The sugar even made it so that her system went a little faster than normal. "OhyesabsolutelysirIwillgiveherourthanksforthesedeliciouscupcakes!" Copia responded, sounding like she had just inhaled helium, before realizing that she sounded and spoke like a chipmunk. Copia promptly bumped the side of her head with her hand. "Er, sorry. Apparently I have a curious reaction to sugar. I myself am not sure how it is scientifically possible. I sometimes have to manually slow myself down in this situation, however. I do beg your pardon!" She said, her speech back to normal. "Anyway. I'll absolutely give Melody our compliments for you, sir! And of course, anything for you, sir!" Copia also nommed on the white chocolate delta - mmm! Perhaps she just figured out her favorite chocolate flavor! White chocolate! She followed the delta up with the white chocolate pips before returning to the rest of her cupcake. "Oh! No worries, sir! You had it almost right!" Copia replied. "My assigned job title is Mission Specialist, however, the terms are arguably interchangeable. Since we last spoke? Mostly low-energy, low-stress work to both allow my body and mind to recover. Although, in the past, I have organized and supervised full away missions, something I have yet to do as part of my 777 tenure. Aboard this station specifically, I mainly research and document the findings of away missions in the database. Thankfully, now that my new emotion chip has fully adjusted to my system, I believe I can ease myself back into leadership, or at least assistive leadership thereof, in official away mission functions moving forward. I've learned a lot about myself as an officer and as a person over the past few months, sir. Things that I wouldn't have learned at the Academy. And I partly have you to thank in that regard." (edited)

Unsure of how to react to the Lieutenant’s sudden, very rapid speech, Talos merely blinked as her mind processed that. Never mind trying to work out how an android could eat – she was now trying to work out how an android could be subject to a sugar rush. Maybe it had been programmed like a funny quirk? She really ought not to question it. For one, it was none of her business. For two, it was amusing. And for three – this was Starfleet. Stranger things than this happened on a daily basis. “Don’t worry about it,” she simply mused in response when it came to Copia’s apology. “I’m sure that a sugar rush for you is nothing compared to what happens if you give a Vulcan chocolate.” Chocolate liquor + Commander Cronos = one heck of a time. As Copia spoke of recent events – including her own development – Talos nodded in turn. Copia seemed like the sort of person who would be interested in a leadership role. Most people in Command were. There was a reason that you had to go through Command to become a first officer or a commanding officer, after all. Some people were in the division just because their job happened to align with it (she had been one of those people, for example,) but the ambitious young officers of the fleet flocked to Command, often as early as they could. It was nothing new. “How often does the station actually get involved in away missions?” Was her next enquiry, wondering about such a thing. The crew had been the ones to head to the terrasphere because they had been involved with finding out the truth on the New Dawn, and they had attended that because they were the closest. She had never stayed on a starbase for any extended length of time before. How often did they get involved in the action like a ship would? “Do you get to see as much as people on a ship would, or is it a bit more… Quiet?” She could practically feel the judgement of unseen officers for that. How dare she use the q word.

Copia took a moment to internally analyze the source of her sugar rush reaction - aaaand nothing. No leads. Oh well. She guessed it was just a quirk of hers. Maybe it would be a fun party trick! Wow-- even something as silly as a sugar rush reminded Copia of the things she missed in life - the simple things. The things that she didn't expect to make her smile a month ago, now made her smile again. It was refreshing, And judging by Talos' seemingly indifferent reaction to it, it confirmed that Copia was on the right track. The track she needed to be on. The track she had missed for so long. As Copia listened to Talos's curiosity in how often the station got involved in away missions, she considered the question briefly before responding. "In all honesty, sir, I in fact have not witnessed an abundance of away missions during my time on this station," she began. "Obviously, the distress call and the subsequent rescue. Before that, soon after I was transferred to this station, the U.S.S. Kon-Tiki, and the abundance of ghosts -- or other entities that may have likely been aboard that vessel -- docked for our investigation following the ghosts essentially hijacking all station functions and operations. I will say, however, each of these away missions occurred temporally between one and two months between the other." x_divider

01:46

Copia considered the second part of Talos' question before responding. "In terms of seeing as much that officers on a standard Starfleet vessel would, I will say, the frequency of which away missions may happen on standard vessels may very well equate to the amount of fun or rather notable interactions between members of the starbase. So, in a way, to answer your inquiry, both yes and no...? If that makes sense?" Even Copia wasn't sure. "Although, personally..." Copia continued. Was she going to tell Talos? Was she going to let her in on what she'd been doing? The very incident that made her undergo surgery for her new and current emotion chip? Yes. Yes, she would. She decided to. "...I have sought out to practice quick critical thinking and leadership skills when in a high stress scenario," Copia said. "If you are aware with the Chief of Security, Honored Elder Yoro'clis, I met him last year when I was visiting the holodeck. Through programming the holodeck to assume a one-versus-one naval battle, I myself have seen where I lack experience and wish to strengthen my skills. I myself have never coordinated a full naval fleet operation, with the exception of the Kobayashi Maru back in the Academy. Attempting to lead a fleet in the holodeck simulations has revealed flaws in my leadership style which I am currently working to correct, under Honored Elder Yoro'clis' supervision. So in a way, sir, even though the opportunity for many away missions have not as often presented themselves to us, I myself have brought the missions to myself through these simulations." Phew. Wow... that was a long-winded answer. So much so she decided to reiterate it. "That was lengthy, I hope I did not lose you throughout that answer!" (edited)

There was a lot to unpack there. She appreciated an in-depth answer but it appeared that this one had left her with more questions than usual. Most of Talos' recent reading had been about whatever was in the news, trying to catch up on everything she had missed. Then there had been what felt like one-million different Starfleet bulletins. Now she was starting to wonder if she should have spent her time differently, reading up on the history of the station instead. Maybe that could be her next task. Considering the position she had applied for - the organisation of which was still in the works, but she hoped it would go through - it would all be good for her to be aware of. "Do I want to know what you mean by 'ghosts'?" Was her reply, although it was light-hearted. 'Entity' was a common fleet term for something not entirely understood. "So I suppose what you're saying is that if the station doesn't get involved in away missions as much as ships would, something will still wind up happening, but it'll be aboard instead of anywhere else. It makes sense. This wouldn't be Starfleet if strange things didn't practically hunt us down wherever we were, would it?" Strange things, dangerous situations... It wasn't an average day in Starfleet if something didn't happen. Then when you did have downtime, it didn't feel quite right. While Copia spoke, Talos took another bite of the cupcake... And subsequently almost choked on it. "I'm sorry-" she said, coughing between her words but trying to rapidly get clarification. "The CoS is trying to teach you how to command entire fleets? Look, leadership skills are good and all, but - that's far above your pay grade, to use that old-time metaphor. It's far above mine. You shouldn't run before you can walk, you know? I'm sure this... Honoured Elder is just trying to be helpful, but there's such a thing as starting small and building skills up. Away teams, part of a division, a division, a ship..."

Copia couldn't help herself from snickering at Talos' attempt to understand the ghosts situation. "In all fairness, sir, we managed to control that entity fairly quickly. Ghosts is just the best term I can use to describe the entity, other than simply spectral. I will need to resort to my mission report for the full details, as it has been a while since I have written the report." Copia listened to Talos' attempt to understand what it was like in terms of away missions, and nodded in response. "Indeed, sir. It's much more often on the starbase itself than... Away. We certainly have quite a few 'characters' aboard this station, which makes the on-station missions all the more interesting. Oh, and that's a compliment to them, by the way, not derogatory!" Copia clarified. She had no ill will towards anyone on the starbase. Well... Except Undwari. But Undwari was long gone. Still. It was the most interesting phenomenon - Copia felt more comfortable talking to Talos than she did anyone else. Well, her own father was the person who she could tell anything to, period. But Talos was up there. She certainly was. Copia briefly panicked seeing Talos nearly choke on the cupcake. Her eyes popped open as she prepared to move towards Talos and help clear her airway if need be, although, thankfully Talos didn't choke. So, Copia stayed seated and listened. And soon, Copia realized that she hadn't given all the necessary context. "Ah -- forgive me sir, I forgot a few details. The battle simulations weren't originally meant for instructional purposes. They originally were meant as fun pastimes. After I ended up seeing flaws in my decision making logic and my reaction to stressful battle stimuli, my system couldn't handle the shock and my old emotion chip overloaded." x_divider

08:51

With a breath, Copia comtinued. "So, Honored Elder Yoro'clis offered to bring me back to assist me in practicing quick critical thinking when in battle. But you're right - I wouldn't be expecting to do this now or even anytime soon, not only given my rank of lieutenant, but also given the fact that fleet command isn't something I'm used to. Although, I agree with you in that at least the principles of quick critical thinking and decision making that these simulations are teaching me can be analogous to the decisions I make in real life. Dare I say since in real life I have much less pressure on me given I'm not in charge of a whole fleet, normal mission operations will be much easier for me as I would be desensitized to their respective severity. However, sir, I will refrain from such activity if you believe it necessary. Would you also have any alternative recommendations?" Copia asked eagerly, she wanted to ensure she was remaining faithful to Talos and her wisdom.

When she had happened to come across the job opening for deputy station commander aboard 777, Talos had contemplated going for it because it would bring stability. For practically all of her life she had yearned to travel, disliking being stuck in one place for any length of time… But apparently, ten months of psychological torture would change your mind and make you want to stay in the place that you knew was safe. She should have known that ‘safe’ was relative; this was Starfleet, and daft or downright dangerous situations liked to follow the fleet everywhere. It was interesting that she found that didn’t put her off, though. The fact that the station still saw its own amount of action actually attracted her to the job more. She had never liked being bored. As for the rest about commanding fleets? Talos wouldn’t judge someone if they did want to play fleet commander, but she had watched far too many officers be too big for their own boots. Ambition could be good but it could also be dangerous. There were lots of people out there who wanted command just because it made them feel capable, made them feel powerful - and those people often started off as officers of a normal rank feeding their hunger for power via a holodeck programme. After a moment of panic (mostly at Copia’s behalf, hoping that this Honoured Elder wasn’t trying to drill some false sense of authority into the Lieutenant,) she settled. “You don’t need to refrain from such a thing – especially if it’s just for fun. I can understand the idea behind it; that if you’re used to things on a grander-scale, then it’ll be easier when it comes to a situation on a smaller scale. Just… Remember to take things one step at a time, yeah? I know that the Kobayashi Maru gets a little tedious, but there are a lot of other programmes out there for teaching leadership both on the bridge or on an away team. Commanding an entire fleet definitely isn’t all there is.”

The most peculiar thing happened to Copia as Talos spoke this time. For some reason, a reason she couldn't put her finger on, her mind went back to Undwari in the long term brig. Now, Copia of course was not at all scared of Talos. She was afraid of Undwari, at least, even if a little bit. So her mind unconsciously reacted as if Undwari was speaking. At least, initially. But then she remembered that this wasn't Undwari. Undwari was a killer. Undwari was a coward, a lying snake. Talos was kind. Compassionate. Concerned for Copia. So Copia took Talos' advice in with the most amount of urgency. "Aye, sir," Copia replied. "That I believe will be quite beneficial for me in the long run, trying out different simulations or even hypotheticals outside of the holodeck to foster and accumulate my leadership skills in all environments, in due time, like you say. If I ever run into you again, I think it crucial that, depending on your availability and interest, that we explore this together. With all due respect to Captain Mo and the others ranking above me, if there is anyone I look up to when it comes to my professional career, it is you, sir. And that certainly needs no explanation." She said with a respectful and dutiful smile to Talos. All during this interaction, Copia had no idea that Talos had assumed a position that would make Copia much more likely to run into her on the starbase. She was so focused on the cupcake and the fact that Talos was even here that she didn't put the pieces together with Talos being here and the formerly-open position of XO that Copia was going to be getting much more than she bargained for.

When Talos put some thought into it, it was actually a little mind-boggling how things had gone for her in the past year. Being aboard her own ship, sent to the AFS, getting kidnapped by the Undine, held aboard a Terrasphere… But somehow the strangest part might be right now: just so happening to end up as the person an officer looked up to in regards to their career. Genuinely she wasn’t quite sure what she had done to deserve such an honour. She could dish out advice, sure, but that was just part of a captain’s job. Throwing out a finely-tuned mix of logic and inspirational speech was second nature to her by now. It wasn’t that she minded – she was more than happy to help, and watching someone develop their skills in the fleet was nice – but she was still trying to work out exactly how things had gotten to this. Ah well. She would never say no to helping people out, nor would she say no to holodeck simulations either. They were fun both to evaluate an officer’s performance and just to enjoy in general. There was nothing quite like getting lost in another reality for a couple of hours. “I’d be happy to help, Lieutenant. It sounds like you’re very invested in developing your skills. It’d be good to see what you’re capable of – plus I’d like to see some of these holodeck programmes of yours. I’m not sure if commanding a fleet is my idea of fun, but I’m sure you have some other good ones saved.” Now… Did she bring up the rest? She might as well, seeing as how it had been kind of brought up. “You know, though, when you mention you running into me again… It might be more likely than you think. The paperwork is still in progress, but I’m hoping to get a position on this starbase.”

It was at this point where Copia had, unknowingly, began to feel the same as Talos. That she and Talos had begun to form some sort of bond between the two of them, a bond that meant so much to Copia. While Talos was in no way related to Copia -- as Copia was a legit android and couldn't be related to any organic life form -- Copia realized she never had a mother figure in her life. She had her father, Tobias, surely. But no mother figure. No strong, powerful, and inspiring woman to look up to, as a woman herself. It seemed that in Copia's mind Talos was becoming that. Of course, she'd need to be very careful about saying that if she ever decided to, as Talos was still a senior officer in the command division. But the thought was still there. Still lingering in the back of her mind. Copia seemed to have confirmed that suspicion when Talos agreed to help Copia out at the holodeck, especially when it came to developing her skills. "That means a lot, sir, thank you. I'd love to show you! In fact, I think it would help to show you the exact ones I've used in the past, as well as my specific performance therein. I have an idea - perhaps my father--er, my creator who I see more as a father-- can format a memory chip with the copied memory of myself partaking in the holodeck situations so you may see my decisions in real time. I shall ask him. One moment." Then, Copia, with her PADD still out, sent a message to Tobias. "Aaaand...there." x_divider

13:02

But Copia wasn't expecting to hear that Talos was hoping to get a position on the starbase. As soon as she heard that, Copia's face lit up. At the same time, it contorted as if it was about to cry. And for the first time - ever - Copia actually did begin to cry. Tears actually escaped her eyes. Thank goodness Tobias programmed this into her and built small tear droppers into her face. But Copia wasn't devastated or distraught. She was happier than she'd been in what felt like forever. "I might... Be able to work for you...?" Copia said, her voice choked up once more, and her happiest tears flowing from her eyes. "I might... Be able to work for you... I might be able to work for you!!!" In that moment, Copia forgot about everything and anything that caused her pain, stress or worry - and remained in the moment with Talos.

She had to admit, Copia sending a message to her father/creator for old memories that she could review, and sending that message right there and then, really was dedication. It was evident that she was a very dedicated individual who wanted to do better in her work, and thankfully, Talos hadn’t picked up on any of the red flags that other officers tended to exhibit. There didn’t seem to be any desire for power or overly-competitive ambition here; just someone who genuinely wanted to learn and improve. That was how Starfleet officers were supposed to be. It was while Copia was typing upon her PADD that Talos explained how she was hoping to stay aboard the station. She wasn’t too sure whether to be panicked or concerned when she saw the Lieutenant’s face first beam, and then suddenly scrunch up and her eyes well up with tears. This was not the result that she had been expecting. Sure, she had expected Copia to be happy, but the tears definitely hadn’t been anticipated. She couldn’t remember if there had ever been a time when she had seen someone cry tears of elation, never mind because of her. She had dealt with officers crying before (quite often because of something she had said, telling them off for something or other,) but not from happiness. Was this an improvement? Maybe? She patted the pockets of her jacket although she already knew that she didn’t have anything in said pockets. “I’m sorry – I’d offer you a handkerchief, but I don’t have one with me. Don’t cry. I know that dealing with me is a pain, but I’m sure it won’t be that bad.” A cheeky wink was given as she said that, naturally using a joke to turn the conversation around and hopefully help calm Copia down. “Joking, of course. But yes, you might get to work for me. I mean, ‘might’ is more ‘it’s likely that you’ll get to,’ because I’ve been told that it’s approved, I’m just… Waiting on the administration side of things. You know how slow that can be.”

To say Copia was delighted wouldn't have even come close to how ecstatic she was to hear that Talos would be on the starbase for much longer than she had originally anticipated. This was going to be amazing. Furthering herself in her career, and Talos being willing to monitor her progress especially in areas which she believed she lacked. But there was one more thing to be done. "No, no, no sir, it's not a pain, I promise you," Copia said, wiping away her tears. "I promise. This is the best news I've heard in a long, long time. I can't believe I'll be able to serve with you. With a true Starfleet hero. I'm absolutely blessed." Copia was about to continue her response when her PADD vibrated and a notification for a message popped up. It was her father. "Oh! It seems my father will be willing to help in the area of retrieving my memory for you to see--" Before another message from Tobias came up. "Oh! One second. He wants to know if he could please be present with us for the replaying of the holodeck simulations in which I had endured, sir. He believes his being there and his knowledge of having assembled me will offer critical insight on your pedagogy for further improvement where I lack experience. In his own words, it would be integral for you to hear how I operate, coming from him. That way you can best understand me. I will also say, he's also only heard the best things about you from me." *Welp. This was it. Copia was going to schedule time with Talos to see where and how she could get better at being -- well, at being.*

’A true Starfleet hero.’ Talos certainly wouldn’t have called herself that. She wasn’t sure where Copia was getting the impression that she was a hero either. Heroes generally didn’t need rescuing from Terraspheres, convinced that the entire Federation had fallen and whatnot. In her eyes, all of the officers from the away team were far more heroic than she was. They were the ones who had gotten her out of the Terrasphere, facing off against however-many Undine under incredibly dire circumstances. Really, they deserved the title far more than she did. There was no comment made about it, though. Talos simply opted to let Copia dry her eyes and then check her PADD as it buzzed. That was a quick response. It was a somewhat strange request, she had to admit. Starfleet officers tended to do things without family involvement – from the moment you attended Starfleet Academy, your parents weren’t exactly around to hold your hand. When you were evaluating an officer’s performance you didn’t have their family there telling you how they were raised. In her mind, that was no different to Copia’s creator wanting to be there to explain how she had been assembled. It was something that she would have to think about. “Let’s… Leave the logistics of things for a later date and wait until we can actually do these holodeck programmes, okay? I won’t lie, I don’t tend to go asking officers’ family on the details of how they function so I can know where they lack experience – but again, let’s leave all that for later. Let’s wait until I’ve actually managed to get this deputy commander position.” She gave a short shrug at that, but smiled. “I hope the paperwork doesn’t take too much longer. I don’t want to keep you waiting."

It didn't register immediately in Copia's mind Talos' hesitation for moving along with the holodeck programs when it came to her father attending and providing insight, but Copia did understand right away the fact that Talos' paperwork and needing to actually get the job of deputy commander before moving forward with a deep dive into Copia's leadership strategy. Copia was a bit far removed from the social sphere in the regard of not understanding how parents leave their children at a certain age, but after a bit of careful analysis in her head, she began to understand what Talos meant and nodded politely in response. "Ah yes," Copia replied. "Perhaps I have gotten a little more excited than I meant to be. I agree, sir, let's wait until your paperwork has processed and you've gotten the deputy commander position. But please, don't worry about keeping me waiting. Your acceptance into this position is going to positively affect the entire station and then some, little old me can certainly wait for you, sir -- oh! Sorry... I was just too critical of myself again... at least I caught it this time!" In this moment Copia desperately didn't want to disappoint Talos. Given the length of time Copia had been beating herself up, it was only a matter of time before something would prompt her back into that way of thinking - but Copia was stronger than that. Instead of not knowing and Talos having to tell her, Copia stopped herself and reframed her mindset - conveniently WHILE Talos was there! x_divider

17:31

After a few deep breaths, Copia's genuine smile returned. Wow... she really was stronger than she thought! She'd definitely learned a lot from Talos, certainly. Talos had put the icing on the cake for everything that Yoro'clis, Mo, Alin, Vara'l and even Vara had taught Copia. It was all a wonderful culmination of knowledge. And now Copia would be able to work under someone who knew all this, someone who had met Copia and understood her individual needs. Copia tried to think of another word to describe all this, but she kept on returning to one - refreshing. It was only after a chime on her PADD that Copia was brought out from her focus on her conversation with Talos. "Oh! One moment," Copia looked. There was a notification - DUTY SHIFT IN 15 MINUTES. "Oh! Goodness me, is it that time already?" Copia looked a bit flustered. She was thankful she had set the notification so far in advance so she could center herself and get ready for her shift. "I regret to inform you that this is where I leave you for now, sir, for my duty shift begins in 15 minutes." Having finished her cupcake, Copia took the box from Marshall's Munchies, leaving Talos with her remaining cupcake and a few extra napkins just in case. "Sir... to say that I am excited to work for you is an understatement. I cannot wait to show you not only what I have been up to but to serve alongside you." (edited)

P'tak made his way in a long, slow circle around the promenade. This was nothing like his last ship, the YuDHa, which was a haven of order and service. Back there, everyone had their role, their place, all in coordination for the bold exploratory mission of a warrior. But this... His Captain had told him that this was a serious promotion, that he should be very proud of himself for being nominated to work on the station so young. Even still, he couldn't help but feel he'd been moved from a warship to being a mall security guard. He perused his eyes over the establishments. Thot Topic, Waffle House, Delta Delights... Wasn't there anything these humans took seriously? He had been warned that he'd be one of few Klingons aboard, but he hadn't expected how few. There were a few like him, half-breeds with other races that he'd heard gossip of, but only one other exchange officer, in the tactical division. A lagh. He'd have to meet them when he got the chance. Much of the station though, it seemed, was more Romulan and Borg than Klingon... Perhaps it was optimistic of his superiors to assume he'd be so open-minded just because of his human blood. Humans he already had a distaste for, but to work alongside Romulans?! P'tak leaned against the railing on the promenade, letting out a long, slow breath. He let his wild, unruly black hair fall around his thin, medium brown face, his dark eyes scanning the lower decks. This is a position of great honor, he told himself solemnly. The Empire is in an age where tolerance and patience would serve it better than xenophobia and thoughtless violence. And if he was to be the vessel of that, so it had to be. He scanned the promenade for a little longer, appreciating the quiet.

Something to write about... Something to write about...... Terahl was in the deepest pit of hell for any writer, especially someone who wrote for a living; writer's block. Maybe it was the lack of station-ending disasters. Or maybe he was just stuck in a slump... The Andorian journalist bit absently at the cap of his pen, glowering at his empty notepad as if it had sapped the motivation right out of him. Maybe since the footage had been processed, he could write something fun about the Capture the Flag event, even if he ended up keeping it to himself... Terahl turned his gaze to the rest of the promenade, propping himself up on the wall of one of the shops as he scanned the crowd. If nothing else, people-watching was bound to strike something up. It was a fun little habit of his, pretending to be infiltrating a sea of spies. One particular person caught his eye today, though; a new transfer officer, by the look of his uniform. And one not too pleased to be here, by the look of his focused expression. The journalist slipped through the crowd easily, pushing up his sunglasses before taking his spot maybe a foot or so away from P'tak, idly scrolling his PADD for the public crew roster. "Morning," he greeted, flashing the young Klingon a sly grin. "I haven't seen you around before. New Security officer, I take it? On promenade duty for today? That's a lot of faces to keep an eye on."

P'tak immediately streightened, startled by the presence of someone else. However, just as quickly, his professional posture left him. He was so accustomed to his superiors going around and making sure nobody was slacking off, he forgot that 'slack off' was 80% of what people did on this ship... He looked up and down the andorian, noting the sunglasses and otherwise fashionable style. He didn't know much about Andorians, as Klingons were generally too busy talking about humans and Romulans to formulate detailed stereotypes about other species. And anyway, stereotyping wasn't what he was here to do... He squinted at 'new security officer' - He was correct, but he didn't care for the fact that it was almost certainly an assumption made based on his race alone. Humans, he knew, considered Klingons to be mindless brutes incapable of any nuance. He felt the overwhelming urge to tell him that his mother was one of the most brilliant doctors on Kronos. As for being on promenade duty, that part wasn't correct. In fact, he'd finished his duties for the day, and was roaming as a civilian in an attempt to scope out the ship. He supposed, unfortunately, that gave him no means to escape this small talk on the grounds of professionalism... He attempted politeness, flashing a sharp-toothed smile. "A lot of... kinds of faces, compared to what I am used to," he confessed, scanning the many races who walked the promenade. "I will warn you now, if you are here to advertise your wares, I will disappoint you. I am not shopping today."

Terahl raised an eyebrow, a razor-sharp grin flashing across his face as the officer squinted at him. "Relax, I checked the crew roster. I'm not stalking you, or anything like that," he chuckled, seeming to find the younger man's annoyance very amusing, stashing his PADD in his messenger bag. Half as receptive as most of the officers on duty on the promenade were; most of them were bored out of their minds and waiting for somebody to talk to. Hmmm. He supposed he'd just have to turn up the charm. Either it helped, or it made things worse; either way, an eventful outcome for him. "Aha, advertise my wares? I can't tell if that's an insult or a compliment; you think I look slick enough to be a businessman...?" Terahl propped himself up against the wall, taking his sunglasses down to wipe them off with a handkerchief in his pocket. It wasn't the first time he'd been assumed to be a salesman, and he'd posed as one once or twice, but it was no less funny. There were so many faces on this station. "Y'know what? I'll take the latter. I'm happy you think I'm smart enough to sell something. I'm nothing but a journalist, though." Pushing his glasses back up, he offered P'tak a handshake. "Terahl Th'vhireq. Self published, and not trying to sell you a newspaper, I swear-- I get the sentiment, sorta. My home colony was plenty diverse, but I've heard plenty of folks transferred in from the Republic and the Empire getting a bit...ah, disoriented. Everybody's pretty friendly for the most part, so I imagine it won't be too much of a big deal."

P'tak was somewhat confounded about the rapid stream of somewhat benign information coming out of the Andorian's mouth, and he feared the perplexed and slightly annoyed look on his face reflected that. Even on a station like this, what could he possibly hope to accomplish with so much blathering? At the word 'journalist' his expression became less confused and slightly more annoyed. Ah. That made sense. He tried to replace his look of irritation with a polite smile, though, as usual, it looked more like he was baring his teeth. "Yes, everybody is friendly. Perhaps it has occurred to you that that is why so many from the Empire do become... disoriented." He made no comment on the Republic - He didn't know much about Romulan culture or how they might have reacted to this. That said, some part of him wasn't in love with the Empire and the Republic being lumped together, even after several years of peace... "Am I to understand, then, that you have approached me in search of some kind of... interview? An Empire perspective on the station, perhaps?" The question was sincere, if a little condescending.