Star Trek: Starbase 777

Aside from the name of the shop being rather humorous, Sakkath had no other thoughts about the bubble tea establishment. They had only had bubble tea a few times in their life. It was often sweet with many toppings, which was what turned the Vulcan-Romulan officer off of it to begin with. Checking the menu at the front of the shop, Sakkath saw that one could customise the drink to their liking, meaning they could order their drink without sugar and with coconut balls instead of the sweet and chewy tapioka. Sakkath was off duty that day and was dressed in a long black pleated skrit with a fluffy beige knit sweater. On their shoulder, tucked under the mess of dark brown curls was T'Kath, their very hangry tribble. Over their shoulder they had a small brown tote with their PADD that had some of their research work loaded up on it for after this meeting.

Sulak had been sitting at a window seat, patiently waiting for Sakkath with a black tea with lemon pearls in front of him. He had looked up what Sakkath looked like now before coming here, in order to recognise them as they came in. Once they had, and had both ordered and received their drink, he stood up, and, upon catching their eye, formed the ta'al to let them know it was him. He wasn't certain they remembered him, even though he didn't look much different now than he had all those years ago. "Sakkath," he greeted, decently warmly despite his even tone, "it has been quite some time."

Sakkath ordered themself some Vulcan fruit tea with coconut balls or.. nata de coco as it was called. Once their received their drinked they turned their attention to the person whom they could only assume was their biological father. Sakkth had not seen their father in two decades now. The last time they had been face to face was when Sakkath was young, too young to have properly remembered. To be expected, the 29 year old Sakkath looked like an entirely different person. Their hair no longer forced to be straight and in a bowl cut, but instead free and curly. Their hair bounced with each step, the long blonde streak prominentaly hanging to the side of their face. "Sulak. If I am correct," Sakkath held their tea in their hand at chest level, not realising that was the perfect level for T'Kath to slowly move out from its furry hideout to attempt to cheekily attach itself to the tip of the straw. "I will admit, I did not recognise you," Sakkath had turned out to share more traits with their mother than their father. Despite having spent so many years apart, Sulak's voice sounded familiar. Sakkath knew better than to let their emotions get to them, but they felt a sense of joy at connecting with their Vulcan family again, even if it was just Sulak. "You look well."

"I had not expected you to. I made an effort to ensure I would recognise you instead." It had been a while, after all. Sakkath no longer subscribed to T'Lora's strict rules for personal grooming, which Sulak was glad to see. IDIC, after all, and T'Lora's insistence on conformity had never been to his taste. "I have been well, thank you. You've grown up a lot. I am glad to see it." Sulak nodded slightly at Sakkath, before motioning towards the little table he'd claimed, nonverbally encouraging them to sit down. He waited until they were seated to sit down himself as well. "You look well, too. I-," Sulak took a breath. "I am struggling to find the words, now that I am here. Forgive me."

Sakkath followed Sulak to the table and took a seat. Once seated, T'Kath made the big leap off of Sakkath's shoulder and onto the side of the cup. Although Sulak had a rather generic look about him, Sakkath knew their large hair made them easy to spot. They wondered what Sulak's initial reaction was to their appearance, if he approved of them wearing their hair naturally. "Thank you," Sakkath bowed their head slightly as they lifted a hand to gently stop T'Kath from getting too close to the straw of the cup. "I hope you do not mind my pet, its name is Tiny Sakkath or just T'Kath. It is a tribble with the same hair texture as my own," Sakkath thought it would be rude not to mention the moving, breathing, fur ball that was joining them. T'Kath cooed softly. Just like Sakkath, the tribble had lucious locks and a blonde streak of hair. "I did not expect to see you, especially after what happened with T'Lora," Sakkath did not call her their mother, because she had made it very clear that she did not want to recognise Sakkath as her child. They looked Sulak in the eyes with the same blue and brown eyes as their mother.

T'Lora... what a strange thing, to call your own mother by her name. Sulak wouldn't comment. Instead he inclined his head towards T'Kath in an effort to acknowledge the things Sakkath was telling him. "T'Lora... your mother, she-" No, wait. He wasn't here to speak poorly of his child's mother. Keep it to facts only. "I hadn't intended to let you go as if it were nothing to me. She insisted on leaving, taking you with her, and I wasn't convinced you would thank me for fighting to keep you with me. I could only guess at what the future would hold, but I know that back then, you preferred her over me, and she fought harder than I ever could." Sulak was a lover, not a fighter, and his nature was far gentler than T'Lora's had been, though she certainly brought out the worst in him. Still, he would only talk about the past as much as Sakkath was able to ask for it.

Sakkath pressed the palm of their hand against T'Kath's back, causing the little tribble to vibrate with excitement. "I was too young to understand at the time and I will admit, knowing what I do now, I would have fought to stay with you," Sakkath said with a soft sigh as they lifted their cup to take a small sip of the tea. It was alright, a little sweet, but surely something T'Kath would enjoy. "T'Lora has disowned me. I have since reconnected with my Romulan family and become head of the Rllaillieu house. T'Lora gave me my uncle's contact information on Mol'Rihan and told me not to both coming home after that," Sakkath explained with their gaze averted, looking down at T'Kath who was now attached to the straw and drinking the tea. "I suppose you know nothing of what happened to me after I left? Did you remain on Vulcan?"

"I am glad to hear that. I do not blame you for what happened then. It is illogical to blame children for their own circumstances. I only regret my powerlessness, at the time." Sulak could have done a lot of things, all of which involved physically keeping T'Lora from leaving. But in the logical equation of being unhappy together, or being unhappy apart, the choice where he did not have to resort to force was preferable. "It is unfortunate that your relationship with your mother ended up that way, though I must congratulate you on becoming the Head of House Rllaillieu." When Sakkath made the assumption that he didn't have any of the details, he had to nod. Of course he didn't; T'Lora had severed contact quite neatly. "I did. I took some time to gather myself, and have dedicated the better part of the last two decades fostering children. Which is how I became familiar with your work, in turn."

"I understand," Sakkath was thankful that Sulak did not hold their actions as a child against them. The same could not be said for T'Lora and V'Lar who very much did hold their actions against them. Although she would never say it, T'Lora was afraid of Sakkath. They saw it in her eyes whenever they approached her. The subtle flinch when they walked past her. She spoke to them with a subtle disgust in her voice, Sakkath was never good enough, or more importantly /Vulcan/ enough. "And thank you. Ironically, my Romulan family has been the most welcoming to me. My uncle is gentle and kind. I regret being unable to be so forward with my emotions in return," Sakkath said, thinking about how many times they had rejected hugs. They understood it was not as unusual amongst Romulans, but it was hard to undo the years of strict rules in their Vulcan house. Sakkath was surprised to hear that Sulak had been busying himself with fostering children and he-- knew their work? "That is an admirable thing to do. I was unaware you knew anything about my job let alone my professional work," Sakkath said as they pushed some of their hair to the side and nudged T'Kath to get off of the straw so they could sip the drink too. "Which work in particular? I have participated in a few studies."

"It is the burden many Vulcans carry. But I am sure your actions as the head of house sufficiently communicate your gratitude. It is the best way to speak, when words are insufficient." Despite his authorship of books for children, he struggled with this himself, sometimes. It turned out that writing and expressing himself in words in the moment weren't the same set of skills at all. "I have taken in a number of Romulan and Reman children, over the years. Orphans, from the Great Loss, and the Romulan Free State." He used the Romulan name for the event, always had. 'Hobus Supernova' didn't quite cover the cultural and personal impact the disaster had had on Romulan culture, but also on the people fighting to escape its devastation. "I had noticed, after a while, that it became easier to understand even the refugees from the more remote places. I do try to keep my UT updated. When I tried looking for the reason, I found your name, attached to research on regional dialects." Sakkath couldn't possibly have known how their own work and achievements would directly impact Sulak's work, much less how it would lead him directly to them.

Sakkath was shocked to hear such words coming from Sulak. It made them realise they had never heard praise from their Vulcan family. Ever. Even V'Lar, their step father, never praises them. Not even in the Vulcan way with words such as 'acceptable' or 'adequate'. It was nice to finally have validation from a Vulcan family member, their biological father too! They nodded upon hearing about what Sulak had been up to. Helping Romulan and Reman children was another thing they did not expect. All this time, Sakkath thought Sulak had no desires to be a father, but he clearly did. Even if he couldn't be a father to Sakkath, he was a father to so many kids who needed parents. "It is good to hear that my research has assisted you. It is also comforting to hear about your work aiding other Romulan and Reman refugees," Sakkath lifted their cup to sip some tea, causing T'Kath to quickly jump off and roll on the table. "T'Lora took me to Surak Prime where I was surrounded by other refugee children, it is impressive how fast language changes, even in just a few years, it was hard to tell Vulkahnsu and Rihannsu apart," Sakkath stated, looking down at T'Kath who was slowly moving towards Sulak. It seemed to be curious who this other individual was, the one with the shiny hair!

Sulak nodded at Sakkath's words, intimately familiar with the phenomenon they described. "When there were multiple children in my home at once, the dialects and languages would almost merge, even with Havrannsu. I sometimes had to fight to speak normal Vulcan with my neighbours, because the language we spoke at home was not the same thing anymore." He looked fond, as he spoke like this. He had no idea what Sakkath's thoughts were, nor, he was sure, could they know what he was thinking, but with his every word he exuded fondness, and, in a Vulcan way, perhaps even happiness as he spoke of his children. "So when I recognised your name, attached to work so important to me, I aimed to meet with you. I wished to congratulate you, on your successes, and inform you of the impact you have had on my life, and the lives of those in my care." It couldn't possibly sound (or be) more sincere if Sulak tried, and he hoped that came across. With whatever negative experiences Sakkath had had with T'Lora and her other family, it wouldn't do to give off a similar impression on their first meeting in twenty-two years.

"Language is something ever changing, it is interesting to hear about your experience. I do not know much about Havrannsu, but I am aware that my house was a Reman house, technically. The dialect my uncle and aunties speak has many similarities to Havrannsu from the Biscae region," Sakkath explained, They wondered what Sulak knew about the Rllaillieu house. T'Lora did not like to speak about her experiences on Remus, which Sakkath had later learned was because she felt remorse for being selfish and escaping without her brother and the rest of their family. Hearing such praise from Sulak made Sakkath almost want to cry. T'Kath rolled over towards Sulak and coo'ed softly, the fluffy ball that shared the same hair colour pattern as Sakkath. Although T'Kath's blonde was due to a birthmark where Sakkath had dyed their hair. "This... Ah, I apologise, I am not used to hearing praise. It is a little overwhelming to me," Sakkath pushed their drink to the side (there wasn't much left, T'Kath somehow managed to down a good amount of it). They took a deep breath and closed their eyes briefly. "T'Lora and V'Lar, my step father, were never impressed with my work. V'Lar, I am sure he hated me and I am sure T'Lora was afraid of me as I was... violent, as a child," Sakkath didn't want to get too sad, but they hadn't really had anyone in their family they could tell any of this to. Hanaj was supportive and nice, but he was Romulan and as much as he tried to understand Sakkath, there were just experiences that they couldn't connect on.

Sulak nodded. Language was constantly involving indeed, even the Vulcan that he spoke sounded archaic to the ears of young Vulcans now, but then the Vulcan he spoke with his foster children was far removed from what he had learned as a child, let alone what he spoke with other people. "That is interesting, usually Havrannsu tends to take characteristics of Rihannsu, not the other way around." This was the sad reality of being a subjugated species under an unforgiving regime, and it was always remarkable to hear how much of its own structure Havranssu had managed to retain over the millenia. He stretched out his hand to meet T'Kath, seeing if it wanted to be petted. "Emotions are difficult for hybrid children, often moreso than for purely Vulcan children. They could have responded by giving you the mental support you clearly needed. I'm sorry they didn't." Sulak learned a lot over the past two decades with regards to mixed-species children, and he had close connections with several child psychologists on Vulcan. Refugee children could use them, and forcing Surak's teachings on children experiencing extreme emotions was rarely the way, but ignoring the issue was never better. "For what it's worth, I am proud of you. The work you do has done a lot of good, and you have clearly worked hard to overcome the hardships of your youth."

T'Kath was thrilled to be pet and immediately turned over, latching itself onto the palm of Sulak's hand. The creature loved attention, especially from new people. One would have guessed Sakkath never gave T'Kath any love, but they did... T'Kath was just a lil spoiled. "As T'Lora told me, our house was banished to Remus because of our ourspoken nature. For that reason I wondered why I was constantly punished in my youth for being outspoken," Sakkath never understood why T'Lora did what she did. Perhaps it was Sakkath's step-father V'Lar and his distaste for them, or maybe T'Lora simply didn't care about what Sakkath had to say. "That is logical and it frustrates me that T'Lora or V'Lar never understood that," Sakkath glanced at T'Kath and then back at Sulak. "... Thank you, sa-mekh," They could feel the tears welling up in the corners of their eyes. It had been the first time -- ever, they had heard praise from a Vulcan family member. Hanaj and their aunties were just as forward with praise, but it was different coming from their father who had known them since birth. It was a shame that due to T'Lora's selfishness, Sulak wasn't able to be the father he wished to be. At least to Sakkath, it was clear that the man was very fatherly to all the children he fostered. It only made Sakkath more angry towards T'Lora that she took them away from a man who would have been leagues better at parenting than she ever was.

"One can only guess at another's reasons for doing something, as we do not live in one another's heads. Perhaps it was left over from your mother's own upbringing in a house devastated by their own inability to keep things to themselves. In which case, it seems to have stuck for neither of you." It was said with some mirth, as much could be said of T'Lora, but not that she was an unopinionated or weak-willed woman. Sulak scratched at T'Kath, glad to have been accepted by Sakkath's pet as well. "Don't thank me, t'nash-veh kan. I apologise, for the time I have missed, and that I was not able to be there for you before." He reached out his hand, the one that wasn't scratching the tribble, tentatively, to wipe the tears from Sakkath's eyes, his large hand coming to cradle their face. "Don't cry, ashal-veh. We cannot right the wrongs of the past, but we can make our futures better. You've worked so hard already, and it is logical to regret a difficult past. But you would not be the person you are today without it, and I am proud of the person you've become." (edited)

Sakkath's eyes went back to T'Kath, seeing the little ball of fur vibrate happily when scratched. "I never felt good enough in her eyes. I.. The only thing she ever did for me was betroth me to a Romulan. It is not about my betrothed that made me upset, but the fact that she did it to control me," Sakkath could already feel the anger begin to simmer from the back of their head all the way to the tips of their ears. "Sa-mekh, I apologise for.. Having a lot of emotions on this topic," Sakkath lifted their head when Sulak wiped the tears from their eyes and leaned their head against his open palm. "I appreciate your kind words and support. I did not think I would ever hear such kind words from another Vulcan in my family," To calm their mind, Sakkath closed their eyes and let a few more tears fall. They breathed in and out, steadying their emotions as they had been taught to do many times. "I.. have to admit something, Sa-mekh. I do not believe I am deserving of such praise you give me. I have done wrong in the past. The betrothal, I mentioned, I received the news when I was 10, three years after we left Vulcan. I lashed out violently towards T'Lora and V'Lar, I regret what I did that day. I was just as much at fault," Sakkath opened their eyes and looked at Sulak with a serious gaze. As much as they disliked T'Lora, she was not the only one who had a history of bad behaviour. They did not outright say what they did on their birthday twenty years ago, but they assumed Sulak would understand what sort of unrestrained violence a Vulcan-Romulan child was capable of.

"You were young then, t'nash-veh kan, and you were dealing with injustices you were not prepared to deal with." Sulak wanted to make it clear that whatever Sakkath had gone through, he did not consider it their fault. From their words, clearly T'Lora and V'Lat were unprepared, or perhaps unwilling, to engage with them on any constructive level, and Sulak had been a father for long enough now, and to enough different people, that he knew what not to do. "Won't you forgive yourself the past, Sakkath? You are not the helpless child you were then, for whom lashing out was the only resistance." He would never blame any of his foster children for doing what they could to retain their agency, and neither would he blame the child Sakkath had been two decades ago. "You could not leave, and you could not speak up, and at some point, the dam breaks, and the water floods the fields below. That is not a fault, that is a logical outcome of the circumstances. You were a child."

And here Sakkath was, crying in Space Balls of all places. The words of their father felt like a gentle touch on their ears, the sound reverberating through the metal cuffs they wore to keep unwanted sounds out. Sulak's voice was foreign, yet comforting. Sakkath had lived so long without hearing even a small bit of praise, that the perfectly normal and loving words from their father made all of their emotions pour out in waterfalls. T'Kath unstuck itself from Sulak's palm and rolled over to Sakkath to nuzzle itself right into their hands that were still resting on the table. "Thank you, sa-mekh. I... really needed to hear that-- to see you. It has been very lonely, even in the Rllaillieu house. I love my family there, but I am also Vulcan. I miss our house on Vulcan, do you still live there? I always think about it when I feel lost," Sakkath spoke through tears, trying to remain strong but the emotions were overwhelming. They were happy tears, tears they shed because they felt loved and most importantly seen.

Sulak did not take his hand away from Sakkath's face, even when it became wet with tears. "I do still live there. I never had a reason to leave, so I didn't." He did take the hand that T'Kath had vacated, and grabbed a napkin to attempt to dry some of Sakkath's tears more effectively. Then, a small worry cropped up. "It has changed a lot since you were last there. It will not be the same house you remember." In twenty years, over a dozen kids had managed to put their stamp on the house, too. Some were only present in pictures, and some were the reason why the kitchen was remodelled, or why there were well-kept flower bushes in the garden, or why there were locks on the bedroom doors. "But you are welcome to come visit, whenever it suits you."

Sakkath felt so embarrassed to be crying so much, especially in front of their own father. In the past, they had been scolded whenever they showed any signs of emotion. Ironically it was their Romulan mother who seemed to want to control their emotions the most. Their Vulcan step father would give them disgusted looks, but it was hard to tell if that was because he didn't like them or if it was something they did. "I understand, I would like to visit sometime," Sakkath took a deep breath to try and stop the tears. T'Kath latched onto Sakkath's hand and slowly began crawling its way up towards their face to 'soak' up the tears. "Do you still have kids going in and out? I do not mind if that is the case, I am not very good with children though," Sakkath was still unsure if parenthood would be the right path for them, but it was something they would be willing to try as a babysitter or something low commitment. They had not spoken to Syrax about children, but had a feeling that he was also not eager to have children. Not yet at least.

"I do," Sulak confirmed easily, "though at the moment the house is quiet. I do suspect it will not be long before I am called about a new placement, though." Sometimes he went months without seeing new children, but most of the time, there were more than enough people that needed help. He wasn't concerned about Sakkath's ability to get along with children, though. "You can follow my example, but I think you'll do fine. Just treat others how you would want to be treated, and that goes for children too. And if something is too difficult, or you're unsure of how to proceed, you have me to solve it." Perhaps after all this time, Sulak was finally allowed to be a father to Sakkath, getting to help them in difficult situations, even if he was no longer needed to raise them.

"I have missed Vulcan greatly. Even though I am half Romulan, I cannot help but feel a little.. Alien, on Mol'Rihan. There are many quirks in Romulan society that have been quite a big culture shock to me," Sakkath began to explain. "Such as the.. back door? I still try to walk into my house through the front and then I subsequently feel like an idiot trying to open a fake door," Sakkath didn't laugh, but their eyes reflected their own amusement at their numerous failures to get into their house. They never understood the point of the false doors, it was confusing and not intuitive at all. Who was going to come knocking? The Romulan Babadook? "I think I could take some time to visit in the upcoming winter months if that would be alright with you," Sakkath said as they gently pulled T'Kath off of their face and held the furry creature in their hand. "T'Kath would enjoy it too, it is surprisingly hearty in hot weather, which is strange considering it is entirely fur."

Sulak nodded along as Sakkath shared their struggles. "You could simply make a front door, too. Romulan culture has gone through more than enough changes in the past decades, you could change traditions to suit you, too." It was something Sulak had told a lot of children, especially mixed children who struggled to fit into a specific mold. There was nothing wrong with changing some details to suit your needs, even if you were trying your hardest to assimilate. "I will keep the guest room free for you. You are forever welcome in my home, Sakkath. I may not have been a good father, but you will always be my child." He took his hand away for a second, to dry it, and to dry Sakkath's face with the napkin now that they'd calmed down a little. "And T'Kath is welcome too, of course."

"I feel like that is much of a burden to my family. I am head of the house, but I feel as though I need to respect the lifestyle of my Romulan family. My uncle has three conspirators who are kind, but have their own work flow. I do not want to come in an seem like I am trying to impose Vulcan culture on them," Sakkath brought up their constant fear of pushing their own beliefs on others. They had been told their whole life they had to conform to Vulcan ideals perfectly, which they later grew to resent their parents for, and swore they would never do such things to anyone else. "Thank you, sa'mekh," Sakkath sniffled a little, their tears stopping, but the joy and warmth in their heart continued to burn bright. "Yes, T'Kath goes everywhere with me," Sakkath lifted their hand to place T'Kath back onto their shoulder. The creature easily found their favourite spot right on its guardian's shoulder under their luscious locks of brown hair. If one did not know where to look, it would be easy to miss the Tribble. "I.. apologise for so many tears. I do not remember the last time someone from my Vulcan family or even T'Lora, has ever shown me such affection."

"Your Romulan family accepted you for who you were, which included your Vulcan parts. If you talked to them about it, I am sure they would be understanding," Sulak pointed out, not unkindly. He would like for Sakkath to realise that the people around them cared for them no matter how Vulcan or Romulan they were, and their needs and wants were important to them. "We are not known for our affectionate nature, and I am not sure I would have been, twenty years ago. I have had to learn too, to take care of those around me." Sure, Sulak had always been on the gentle side, and he hadn't ever had a true capacity for cruelty, but calling him affectionate was another thing entirely, and even now he showed it more through his actions than through his words. Speaking of which, something he had learned over the years was- "Would you like a hug, ashal-veh?"

"I will discuss it with them," Sakkath was always nervous about bringing up small quality of life things with their family. Especially since they didn't live on Mol'Rihan for longer than maybe a month or two a year, it seemed illogical to ask for long term changes when they weren't going to be there. A working front door seemed pretty minor though, considering their family lived in a forest and it wasn't like the epohhs could unlock the doors or something. They were smart creatures, but to think they could stack and work a lock would be too far. "I can tell you are a very caring parental figure to those under your care, it is something I wish T'Lora would have been," Sakkath sighed, wondering if T'Lora even thought about them now that they were gone. When Sulak offered a hug, Sakkath's eyes widened as they looked upon the man they now called sa-mekh, utterly stunned. "A... hug?" Sakkath said as if they had never heard of a hug before. "Yes, I would like that," They said after a few seconds, sliding their chair back and turning their body so they could hug their father! T'Kath cooed, vibrating softly under the locks of hair.

Sulak stood up as well, opening his arms so Sakkath could step into them. He knew physical contact could be comforting for people, and a hug was a sign of trust and affection that many appreciated. Including, apparently, Sakkath; he wouldn't have been offended, had they declined. He embraced them firmly, speaking into their hair. "I am sorry, Sakkath, for the time I have been absent. Thank you for meeting with me still, and for allowing me back into your life." Perhaps the hug was as much for him as it was for Sakkath, in the end.

Sakkath moved slowly, but as soon as their arms were around Sulak, they didn't want to let go. T'Kath leaped from Sakkath's shoulder onto Sulak's and attached itself to his back. The creature was just scared of being crushed in the hug and needed to get to safety. Sakkath rested their head on Sulak's shoulder and tried not to start crying again, but they were crying again. "Thank you for seeing me, sa-mekh. I appreciate this," Sulak felt warm and the hug was comforting and familiar. They were far too young to remember anything about their father, besides the numerous fights he and T'Lora had, but surely Sulak must have hugged them. The sensation was too familiar for this to be the first time they embraced. Sakkath stayed silent for the rest of the hug. They pulled away after about half a minute more. "I needed that, sa-mekh. Thank you," Sakkath said with a small, but noticeable smile. T'Kath, sensing the danger was over, slowly moved to Sulak's shoulder and then slowly down the man's arm so he would notice the critter and return it back to Sakkath.

Sulak let go of Sakkath as slowly as they had embraced, before placing T'Kath on their shoulder when it crawled all the way to his hand. "It has been good to see you," he told them sincerely. And then... he didn't know how to round the interaction off. "I will see you in a few months, then? We can contact each other easily now, so I will send you my address." They had no excuse to not stay in contact now, and Sulak would probably be sending pictures of Vulcan so Sakkath would know what they would come home to. "Don't be a stranger, I believe humans are fond of saying." And with a few more goodbyes, he left, very satisfied with the outcome of their meeting.

Xuan was at Space Balls! An odd name for a shop considering they knew tapioka was not cooked in space. Unless the shop was in reference to eating balls in space in general. Which Xuan was always down for. Beside them was their service pet, an Elachi Skitterer named Thyroid with purple lights as his 'face'. The critter walked slowly beside Xuan and turned its body every few steps to survey the area. Xuan was dressed in tight fitting navy jeans with a cropped tank top. Around their shoulders and waist they had black straps. They were not typically open to showing so much skin, but they liked how the cropped tank top showed off their spots! That yes, went all the way down. Xuan stood in the queue and looked over the menu. They were so thankful most shops offered Rihannsu translations for their menu. There were usually photos which also helped.

He was new to the station, though he was not new to being stationed on a space station as a whole. Starbase 777 might have been different from the Apollo Terminal in many ways, but one difference that he definitely appreciated was the sheer diversity of civilian owned and operated shops and installations that a Starbase had. A Hospital Base was many things, many of them good, but one thing that it was not known for was food. Diahjir was definitely taking in his surroundings, and he was quite enjoying himself as he prepared for his new position. At that present moment, he was wearing something that he would usually wear, something that wasn’t out of the ordinary for him – a pair of pants and a short-sleeved turquoise cardigan (handmade by someone on his previous post) over a white tank top of his own. He was comfortable, and that was all that mattered – at least to him. It was warmer, on this starbase, than it had been on the Apollo terminal – yet another thing that he appreciated about his new post. Things were really looking up for him now, he had to admit, a new position somewhere he had never been before. A new place to really show what he could do. And he felt like that deserved a little treat. Hence, his appearance at a shop that offered Boba, one of his favorite treats back in university. Diahjir stood in the queue himself, already knowing what he wanted (a strawberry mochi type drink that probably contained way too much sugar), looking up and away. (He thought he caught the distinct markings of a Trill in front of him, perhaps he would make contact soon, but he doubted anyone would like to be accosted while in a line).

As Xuan approached the register to order, Thyroid turned its little body to survey the area once more. He caught the sight of the other Trill doctor and the lights on his little face flashed. Xuan was busy ordering his food so they did not noticed their pet's actions. They ordered mango milk tea with regular tapioka and proceeded to wait for their drink at the reception counter. They soon received their drink and realised they had not heard the familiar click of their pet's metal legs and looked around for him. Thyroid had not followed Xuan to the reception counter and was actually still at the other Trill doctor's side. Xuan waited for the other to order before approaching them. "Apologies for my pet, is he bothering you?"

He had not noticed Thyroid at first, too caught up with the task of ordering to do much of anything else. Though once he did order he noticed that there was something at his side – an Elachi Skitterer if he thought correctly, he had not seen one of them in a while. Not only that, there was someone approaching him – most likely the owner of the Elachi Skitterer in question. He looked up, one hand running through his hair, and once the other had spoken, he glanced to the pet once more. “I am not bothered by your pet, though I do wonder why it is so interested in me,” he spoke with an easy smile, hoping that might help to diffuse the situation. He had his thoughts, of course, maybe the Skitterer was drawn to him because he was a Trill, maybe it was simply because Diahjir smelled interesting – he did not know much about Elachi Skitterers as a whole. “May I inquire as to its name?” he offered another question, wanting to get to know this person who had come up to him.

Xuan was thankful that the other was not bothered by Thyroid. They did have a harness and leash for the creature, but they only used those when they were going into an area with many other animals. Xuan knelt down and gave the small creature a pet on its 'head' to get his attention. "His name is Thyroid," Xuan said the term in Standard. Xuan typically spoke Rihannsu and counted on the UT to fix their words into other languages, but upon seeing the other was Trill they switched to speaking that language. It was odd speaking the language to someone besides their father. "Perhaps he mixed us up? We are both Trill with a similar hair and skin colour," Xuan stood up and Thyroid scurried to their side. Maybe Xuan's theory that Thyroid was attracted to Sul'hoth was false after all. They didn't think they looked similar to this kind stranger, but to a machine maybe they did? "Thyroid is an Elachi Skitterer, he is harmless. He's my service pet," Thyroid's little face lit up and it did a few little jumps in the air. It wasn't sentient, but it had enough intelligence to know when he was being talked about. The critter took a few steps towards the other Trill. "You may pet him if you'd like."

Diahjir watched Xuan and Thyroid interact for a moment, smile crossing his face as he thought for a moment of a time in his youth when he had a pet of his own – a family pet, but a pet all the same. Seeing the other speaking Trill, he decided to do the same, the language coming easy to him because of his background. “Perhaps, though I am not entirely sure how Elachi Skitterers work, if it is sight based alone, then…” he mused for a moment longer before he chuckled, leaning down to pet Thyroid gently on the head. “My name is Diahjir, by the way, I am new to the Starbase, and I don’t believe that we have met. I am Diahjir Lan, and it is a pleasure to meet you,” He introduced himself from his place crouched on the floor. Though he did get up soon after that, still smiling slightly at the interaction with the other Trill, perhaps they could learn about each other, though he was not quite sure where to start. Maybe just with a name would be enough.

The skitterer's lights on his 'face' lit up with excitement when he was pet. He loved attention, especially from strangers. The creature was a lot more outgoing than Xuan, which helped encourage Xuan to interact with more people. It wasn't that Xuan didn't like talking with strangers or meeting new people, they just weren't sure how to do it or felt like they were too awkward. They were happy to speak Trill with someone other than their father. It was good practice and they loved the language. In a way, they felt like they could be more emotional and forward when speaking it. "It is nice to meet you, Diahjir. My name is Xuan Nhat, double first name. It was my father who decided to go with something terran," Xuan thought they had to mention why their name was not Trill at all. "Xuan Nhat.." They had introduced themself many times to others, but it was usually with their full Romulan name or just their given name. Now that Xuan thought about it, they rarely interacted with Trill outside of their own family. "Sul'hoth, I suppose," They decided to give their symbiont's name instead of their Romulan house. Names were confusing. "What brings you to.. space balls? I assume you are also a chewy ball enjoyer?" Xuan had been speaking for many many years now, but casual conversations still didn't come naturally to them. They spoke slowly, choosing each word carefully before saying it.

Diahjir had never been the best with conversations either. He had been getting better, as he got older, he had to be getting better, with the jobs that he had been assigned to, and with the job that he was currently assigned to. (What use was a Chief Medical Officer who was not good with others, whether they be coworkers or patients, at least, that was what Diahjir believed). He listened to the other introduce himself and offered an acknowledgement of that introduction with a nod. “Xuan Nhat Sul’hoth then, it a pleasure to meet you, it is quite the comfort to know that there are others who speak Trill aboard this vessel. I haven’t spoken the language in conversation in over a decade I fear,” he admitted with a small laugh. He was not about to assume anything about Xuan, just as he wouldn’t assume anything about anyone else on board, but he did recognize the name… or at least part of it… from somewhere. “I do have a question, and I do not mean to imply, but what is your role here on this starbase? I myself am a member of the medical division – incoming chief medical officer, in fact, but that is neither here nor there, as I am currently off duty.” He asked, making sure his own words were careful, and that everything seemed ‘normal’. He still needed to answer what he was doing there, which he did eventually do. “I came here because they sell a drink that I do quite enjoy, so you can probably assume that we are here for the same reason.” He finished with a nod of his head.

Although Sul'hoth was part of their legal name in the Republic, they encountered very few Trill so it was strange to hear the symbiont's name attached to their own. In the past, Xuan would have been upset or even distressed hearing it, but they had since come to terms with the strange worm and hearing their name said in Trill was validating and affirmed their Trill identity. "I would think there would be more? After all, we are Federation members," Xuan mentioned, thinking a Federation officer would surely have encountered other Trill who spoke the language. Still, they were equally glad to be able to speak the language to someone outside of their family. Xuan liked their Trill family, but sometimes they were a little too pushy with their questions, especially ones pertaining to Xuan's job. "Yes, for the drink with the tapioka balls. I am curious about the texture, you probably know more than me," Xuan stated, with a very tiny smile of amusement, but oddly enough it was only their mouth that moved to show the change of expression. "I am a consultant in otorhyinolaryngology, I am one of the Romulan Republic exchange officers," They explained right when the staff had prepared their drink and handed it to them over the counter. Whilst most people would have been nervous or anxious speaking to the person who was soon to become their boss. Xuan's demeanour stayed the same and they gave Diahjir a nod. "I understand and I look forward to working with you. What is your specialty if I may ask?"

“Perhaps there are more Trill on board, that would make sense, but perhaps we just have not met them yet. I know that I myself am quite new to the station, so it would make sense that I have not met many of its inhabitants,” Diahjir spoke softly, having thought more to himself than anything. If there were more Trill on board, he would like to meet them, for one reason or another. “My last post, there were other Trill, but many of us spoke standard for the sake of convenience – at least, that was what I did most of the time.” He finished with a sigh. Looking back, he supposed it would have been nice to speak with them in Trill, but most of their interactions were few and far between – hardly time for a deep conversation. “The texture of the drink? Well, I suppose it depends on what sort of balls are in the drink. Some of them are chewy while others just kind of pop in your mouth. Some of them are smaller and chewy too – those last ones are my favorite, they usually have a different flavor than the other ones – more like jelly than anything else. But… I must be talking a lot about this,” he chuckled softly, reaching up to scratch at the back of his neck for a moment before he reached out to take his own drink, taking a sip of it with a smile. It did taste wonderful, just as good as he was hoping. “Otorhinolaryngology, a wonderful speciality. I look forward to working with you as well,” he nodded seriously, glad to have met a fellow medical officer at that. This was turning out to be a great way for him to meet at least someone in his division. Besides that, he was glad that Xuan had not shifted his demeanor, it put Diahjir more at ease. “My specialization is Cardiothoracic Surgery, however.” He responded politely.

"Interesting. There are very few Trill in Romulan space, well, natively. And even fewer in the Republic outside of exchange officers," Xuan looked down at Thyroid who seemed intrigued by the drink they got. Unfortunately the mechanical creature did not have a mouth and even if he did, there would be nowhere for the food to go. Xuan gripped the unusually wide straw with their fingers to take a sip of the drink. Just as the other Trill doctor said, the balls were indeed chewy. It was a fascinating sensory experience, they thought. "Hm.. I got the normal balls. The texture is fine," Xuan had to chew a little more to get the tapioka at a comfortable size before swallowing, but the taste was good. "Shall we go sit?" They offered, gesturing to an empty table up ahead. Thyroid assumed the gesture was instructions for him and the mechanical creature scurried over to the table. He climbed onto one of the chairs and then onto the table. Xuan did not smile upon hearing Diahjir's speciality, but they did give an affirming nod to show they were equally pleased to meet another surgeon. Xuan took careful steps over towards the table, they walked confidently with an even pace. It seemed almost liked Xuan had practiced every movement they made, the way their eyes looked straight ahead and the way they rolled their feet as they walked -- heel to toe, until they reached their seat and sat down. "We have overlaping specialties. I am sure there will be many opportunities to consult with each other. Although doctors have specialties, often health issues are not confined to just a single area or system in the body," Xuan was happy to know their new boss would be an internal medicine doctor and a Trill! Maybe this would be enough incentive for Xuan to use Trill more often. "If Thyroid is in the way you can nudge him," Xuan said as they touched one of Thyroid's legs. "Were you raise on Trill? I apologise if my Trill is not very good."

Diahjir was listening intently to the other’s tale, where they came from, learning as much as they could about them from their words. It was fascinating really, gaining a deeper insight into those that he would be working further with in the future. Because of this, he welcomed the idea of speaking more at an empty table, taking Xuan’s offer to go and sit with a grateful nod “I am glad you appear to be enjoying your drink, quite the experience, is it not?” He asked as he took a seat at the empty table, adjusting his cardigan for a moment in order to achieve maximum comfort. He nodded again at Xuan’s statement about needing to work with doctors across all specialties – it was good that there were others who understood the importance of teamwork and interdisciplinary study! He had noticed just how practiced the other’s movements were, something that reminded him of himself when he was younger – though probably for a different reason. As such, he decided not to comment on it, thinking that it might be rude to do so – and the last thing he wanted to do was be rude on one of his first days on the station. “You are correct,” he started as he rolled his shoulders back, trying to show how at ease and relaxed he was with this situation. “Working with others in different specialities is part of what makes medicine so successful – though I am glad that our specialities overlap.” “There is no need to apologize about whether your Trill is ‘good’ or not, I think it is quite good. And yes, I was raised on Trill, mostly in Mak’ala, though I left rather soon after becoming an adult, yourself?” he asked, so far rather proud of himself for his ability to make small talk.

"It is a sensory experience that one cannot understand without having tried it themselves, that's for sure," Xuan gave a very Vulcan-like response. It wasn't a surprise that they were often mistaken for half Vulcan. Thyroid flinched a little when the other Trill sat down. Xuan frowned ever so slightly and shook their cup of tea in front of the skitterer's 'face', causing the creature to immediately move towards his owner and plop right into Xuan's lap. Even though Thyroid couldn't eat, he still got excited whenever food was around. It was probably the fun colours of the food that attracted him, after all as a former war drone, he was taught to hone in on any movement. "I look forward to our future collaboration, hopefully not in an emergency setting," But they'd probably be meeting in an emergency setting first, Xuan thought. Thyroid's face lit up as he attempted to curl up on his owner's lap. It was difficult when Thyroid wasn't exactly made for cuddling or curling. The creature eventually made himself comfortable with the help of Xuan folding his legs for him. divider

01:47

"Thank you, it means a lot to me," Xuan was always self conscious about how they presented themself, especially when it came to using skills they weren't fully comfortable with using in public. "I was also born on Trill, in Mak'ala," They replied as they grabbed their cup and took a few more sips. They took a few seconds to chew the balls, they were an interesting texture. They made sure to eat only one at a time, anymore would be a choking hazard. "My mother brought us to Virinat following the Great Loss. I have mixed feelings about her decision, but I understand the need to ensure the safety of one's family," Xuan used their free hand that wasn't holding the cup to gently pat Thyroid's little head. He technically couldn't feel, but Xuan couldn't help but treat him like a furry pet. "I spent the majority of my childhood completely mute so even though I was on Trill for my entire early childhood, I can't say I spoke much Trill until my adulthood," They explained with a little tilt of their head as they looked at Diahjir adjusting his cardigan. "Your fashion is unique, where did you get your clothes? I like comfy attire with soft fabrics, which is why I ask."

Diahjir noticed that Thyroid had flinched when he sat down. Had he done something wrong? Was the Elachi Skitterer alright? Perhaps he should ask about it, perhaps he should say something. “Is Thyroid alright? I noticed him flinch when I sat down… but he seems to be fine now…” he commented, clearly just a touch concerned for their coworker’s companion. He knew that they probably would work together during emergency situations, but he had hope as well that there would be other times when they worked together. Not everything was an emergency though, even on a starbase, there was a lot of paperwork and meetings, and all of the mundanity one would expect in the day to day running of a department. “Perhaps I should have a meeting to introduce myself to the rest of the department, I have heard that it’s a good way to get to know everyone – or at least the officers who would be interested in going to such a meeting…” he shrugged, scratching the back of his neck and smiling sheepishly. He was sure to listen to Xuan’s story, nodding but not offering any commentary until later. “I do understand the need to see if family is alright, and I cannot imagine how much the Great Loss must have affected your family.” He thought that maybe he should speak to his own family, even if he had not in many years for his own reasons. He probably wouldn’t however. “My cardigan? One of the officers on my last post made it for me as a ‘going away' present. Quite the item, wouldn’t you say! I find it quite comfortable personally, I wear it any chance I get.”

"Thyroid has proximity sensors which allows him to avoid being in the way of others. I believe you triggered the sensor and he did not know where to go since the table is too high for him to jump off of and he did not want to jump onto me," Xuan provided their best explanation as to why their pet reacted that way. Xuan gently pet each of Thyroid's three legs, the skitterer seemed calm and relaxed by the action. "I think that would be a good idea," Xuan responded when Diahjir proposed the idea. "We have some great officers in our department, I think you will be thoroughly impressed by the resumes of all our officers," They assumed that a good amount of people would want to show up, the question would be how many people and would they need to rent out space for it? "Maybe put out an invitation and RSVP or something? It seems like something that we could get an event space for, I do not know if the medical briefing room would be sufficient for what you'd want to achieve," Xuan mentioned, wondering if Diahjir would want to offer food or drinks, in which case the medical briefing room may not be the best place. "I am thankful my Romulan family is nice and accepting," Xuan recounted their first meeting with their family on Virinat. They were all very kind people, the only person they had a 'problem' with was their younger cousin Veren. Veren was friendly, but loud and obnoxious. "It is a very nice cardigan, your colleague is skilled," Xuan sipped more bubble tea, hoovering up the bubbles at the bottom. They held the cup up to Thyroid who could not drink the tea, but he could boop the straw with his leg. "If you need help planning the get together you can ask me, I enjoy making plans and scheduling," Xuan offered to Diahjir, not smiling, but their seemed genuinely enthusiastic to help their boss.

"Thank you, that would be very much appreciated," Diahjir said with a smile on his own face, all while he finished the last of his own bubble tea. He was quite content with how this meeting had gone, but at the same time, he knew he needed to get moving at some point. And so, he checked the time, and he checked his surroundings, and he decided that now would probably be the best time to leave. "This meeting was a wonderful time, but I think I have to leave -- I still have to set up my quarters the way I would like, and all of that fun stuff," he chuckled slightly as he made some little jazz hands at the statement that he just said. "I am glad your family were accepting of you, however, that is something that everyone needs." He seemed much more confident in himself and his ability to lead the medical team on this station.