Star Trek: Starbase 777 - lt-cdr-tr’hara

[PADD] To: Lieutenant Vara'l Tr'Hara From: Lt. Cdr. Tevis Bor Pog Greetings Lieutenant! I wanted to reach out and personally thank you for your willingness to rise to the call of duty with the tribble situation, and applaud you for how professionally you conducted yourself in the admittedly strange, and harrowing series of events that took place during it. Along with that, I would like to extend you an invitation to join me for dinner in the senior officer messhall at 1930 hours tomorrow to talk further. Best, Lt. Cdr. Bor Pog

When Vara'l spotted the message waiting for him on his PADD, Vara'l proceeded to stare at the PADD message for no less than 5 minutes. These five minutes spent like a man standing on a rock in the middle of a ocean of panic that had started to rumble and grow as the man remained helpless in the face of the inexorably rising tide. A tide that overcame him for that 5 minutes. At least until sense pulled him back into the light and he shakily started to type the reply. Typed his way toward what he suspected was a reprimand.

[D] At the end of the school day, as normal, Telim arrived home with his father and sauntered off into the depth of the room to retrieve his gaming PADD before he planted himself in the couch. Settled into the couch after he'd retrieved his gaming PADD and set all right in the world as he snuggled into the soft cushions and called up minecraft, Telim looked up at his father. Watched the man he'd come to see as more father than uncle for a few moments as they started on food in the commencement of that end of day routine that his dad followed. Followed partly for his benefit, Telim reckoned. Reckoned as he observed his dad in the moment he finished preparing food for dinner and started over to the couch. Moving to sit down before, even as he continued making his castle, Telim smoothly moved as he used one hand and pulled his dad gently. Pulled him closer gently as they sat down and he scooted up to be next to them, showed them the castle they'd seen before the tribbles as he worked on it. Proudly showed them what was left of the hunted down enderman before he showed them the remote that, he hoped, would keep any other endermen out. Showed them that before he rested his head on their shoulder as he continued to play. Enjoyed his father's presence as his PADD played the minecraft theme and dinner hummed its way toward being ready.

00:13

Today was a good day, school had been good...everything had been good and not too loud and now. Well, now...his father was here and looked less stressed than he had with the tribbles. That was good. Also was good that his dads boss hadn't smited his dad or something. He leant into his dad a bit more and signed 'H-u-g?' as he gamed and enjoyed quiet gaming time with his father.

[D] As Vara'l slipped a arm around his son and hugged him while he watched the game, the older Romulan smiled slightly to himself. Content at this moment to sit as he watched his son's idea take blocky shape in minecraft and wondered when his son had gotten so interested in human castles.

[D] A day later, having realized what Stardate it was thanks to the chatroom and thanks to having interrogated a odd feeling of his for a hour or two as he tried to work out why he felt odd, Vara'l snapped upright. Snapped upright out of the chair he'd been settled into in his quarters on a break before he then rushed over to a draw and opened it. Opened it to reveal a series of PADDs and other small bits and pieces, all marked personal. As he carefully sorted through the item strewn chaos, Vara'l mumbled to himself as he excoriated himself for not keeping a eye on the date and occasionally kicked himself for making this the one draw he had chosen not to organize. Something he continued to do until he located the sleek form of the Republican PADD he had conducted his search to find. The located PADD opened after two attempts by him as he then started to call up files on the Padd as he walked over to his monitor and inputted the series of functions that linked the PADD to the monitor. "...Computer, call up file Tir'Cora for Telim 11."

14:25

"While your at it." He added after a moment. "Locate file's Tir'Cora Alpha 1 Theta please and .. put the message contents on the monitor." His request fulfilled by the computer after a few moments as he then started to quietly read through that and a number of other files. The Romulan remaining silent until he finished, when he finally proceeded to speak again. "Computer, make copies of all ported over files and transfer the copies to Tr'Hara file, for Holodecks and birthdays." He then paused. "And mark file Tir'Cora for Telim 11 for transfer to Civilian Telim Tr'Hara's personal files on his eleventh birthday under the name... from mom."

14:27

As soon as all this had finished, Vara'l swiftly disengaged the PADD from its link with the monitor and slipped the PADD back into the draw. "..Elements" He breathed as he settled the PADD into the draw. "Thank you."

After he'd.. sorted out all of this, Vara'l turned his focus to another matter. To a matter that involved someone he happened to hold in quite high regard in his own way. What with how they acted, with how they'd made him act, how they'd made him willing to allow himself to be emotional for once. Things on their own he felt had deserved a thank you more than just simple words on their own. They'd briefly calmed the storm in the centre of which he concealed so much about how he was for fear and out of habit. Talked to him as someone who'd understood somewhat of what he himself had experienced. Talked to him as someone he might come to call a friend or at least a valued aquaintance, as he considered how glad he was that they'd happened to be okay. At least as okay as one could be after something like that. That they'd left there with a pep in their step, resolved to meet again in a way that Telim would appreciate so so very much. To learn how to garden. Left after more talking that deserved yet another thank you gift. Though he'd resolved to not go overboard and simply try doubly hard. All things that had coalesced into the matter he now moved to deal with as he retrieved the tools needed to start work on a item. Something small but carefully decorated in manners drawn from human sources, he'd decided as he finished his preparations and opened a planning sketchbook to a new page and started to sketch out his initial designs for a gift for a fellow liberated Borg.

[D] It would be a little bit after that when Vara'l finally leaned back and selected one of the number of sketches that he'd worked up of potential designs. Selected that and then started to work on the metal, watched over it and began to coax it into the shape he'd selected for it. The shape of the gift he'd resolved to craft for Five, he'd resolved to craft for someone who firmly deserved a gift.

[PADD] To: Lieutenant Vara'l Tr'Hara From: Lieutenant Commander Rakim Subject: Regarding the talk with Telim Hope you don't mind my reaching out in this manner about this subject this Lieutenant but, I had a thought in regards to what Telim said about finding some books of the Archer period a bit dire to learn about. That being specifically around some books that might be of more interest to him and provide him with a bit more of a view into the period they're getting him to learn about in school, something that might I hope help you with improving the status of said books in his eyes. Ones that might well help make the others less...chewy. [Files attached] Have a good day. Rakim

His PADD checked soon after it finished its third round of beeps and started to flash a 'hey notice me' light in his general direction, Vara'l smiled at the message that he found waited for him on it. The Romulan taking a moment as he started to skim read each book, his smile growing as he perused each book and realized that the El-Aurian had selected books that certainly would spark Telims interest about the subject more effectively than any of his school lessons so far. A product of the El-Aurian's depth of life experience, he supposed then, as he started to compose a message to thank the other.

[D] As he arrived, stepping in at the end of another shift, Vara'l suddenly found himself assailed by a yelling small projectile in the shape of a young Romulan who happened to be very happy to see his dad.

Assailed by said young Romulan and ruthlessly tackle hugged, both Romulans ended up by the end of the encounter settled comfortably on the floor in their rooms. Settled as the younger of the pair of Romulans, after he'd snuggled into the comfortable shoulder of one of the major sources of stability he'd been blessed with in a life marred with far more loss than he deserved, allowed a body tired out by a days exertions to sucumb to the need for a nap.

Content once on the floor and having both realized that he'd mashed his PADD, confirmed he was okay and also detected the change in his sons breathing that suggested his having slipped into sleep, Vara'l settled in on the floor for a bit. He'd allow his son some time to rest in situ before he moved them to their bed and set about the preparation of their dinner, for whenever the decided they wanted it.

[D] As the music blared, Telim slipped under his bed with his noise cancelling headphones firmly placed on his head and shivered, overwhelmed by the sudden events and sensory inputs as he firmly started to have what might be described as a meltdown. So much noise, so much going on, screaming as well. It was almost like they were back where he'd first resided. First come to learn that the Tal Shiar was something you feared. His heart raced and he closed his eyes and tried to be as quiet as possible. This something he happened to be successful at for the most part as the only sound that really reared its head from him happed to be the soft rattle of his shakes as he unintentionally rattled the bed he hid under. (edited)

Telim continued to hide in terror before as a ghostly present passed along and bricked a PADD in his room, he proceeded to clap a hand over his mouth as he resisted the urge to scream in fear. Resisted the urge to run hard in one direction or another. No, instead he decided to dash out from under his bed as he grabbed a PADD and then bolted straight back under the bed. With the terror that gripped him and everything else, his fathers instructions had.. started to seem weak comfort. No.. as he remembered what his dad had said to do if he was ever distressed, Telim started to consider if he should call for help.

20:48

Telim decided after a time that it happened to be time he called for help as he considered he presently happened to feel. Which was really really bad and really really scared. As he pressed the PADD and opened it, Telim punched in the panic code his dad had ingrained in him. A code that opened up the PADD and presented a series of instructions as to how once called for help. Stuff that helped the mid-meltdown kid no end.

[PADD]

To: Medical department From: Telim tr'Hara Subject: Help I'm extremely distressed and in a state of meltdown and need assistance. My current location is: Vara'l Tr'Hara' and families quarters. Help.

The system designed by his dad for when he happened to be having a meltdown utilized to make a short message as he tapped out things carefully, Telim worked with shaking hands...finished and then checked the message over before he pressed send.

[D] Within a few minutes, the door chime to the tr'Hara quarters went off. Alin stood behind them, having run from his own quarters. He had no official duty to attend to at the moment, only functioning as a reserve medical officer when called upon. Therefore he had the time to come look for... Telim, it was.

Thanks to the fact his dad happened to be deaf whenever he decided to turn off his implanted Borg hearing tech, Telim spotted the door chime's going off as a light linked to it by his dad flashed. "Computer open the door!" He managed after a few failed attempts. As he did that, Telim turned a bit under the bed so he happened to be able to observe the door when it opened.

Alin was glad to see that the door opened, and he wouldn't have to force it open, potentially startling Telim. He already cut an imposing figure on the best of days, showing up unannounced and unexpected wouldn't help anything. "Telim, are you in here?" he called when he didn't immediately see him, hoping he'd make any sound that would alert Alin to their hiding spot.

As soon as he spotted the Starfleet chevron, Telim even though he failed to hear the other, was already out from where he'd concealed his bed even as he lipread what the other had happened to say. Swift steps silent as he moved enough as the terrified kid charged over. Charged over and tried to hug the officer. The utterly terrified kid after he tried to tackle hug them proceeded to sign the standard sign for terrified several times. The Romulan kid, marble pale, looked up at the other with his headphones clamped over his ears and his eyes that shined with utterly distressed tears.

21:45

Looked up at them and continued to hug them, too scared mid meltdown to have ever talked.

Alin hugged Telim back, not having quite been moved more than a few centimeters, and though he'd never been the best at sign, never properly learning more than a few basic signs, it was clear to see that Telim was very unhappy at the moment. "Alright, that's as good an answer as any," he mumbled, trying to sign "copy me" in his mediocre SSL at the kid before taking a super exaggerated, deep breath, hoping Telim would know what Alin was asking of him.

Telim tried to follow what they happened to do with the breathing thing, occasionally suddenly stopping as a conduit banged into overload and he detected that through the floor. Each time that or something sudden happened something that caused him to snap away as displayed what could obly be described as the signs of trauma related vigilance. Everything was so much, it reminded him too much of that place when he was young. It reminded him of that. It had sent his heart racing as his mind raced along with him. As he tried to get his breathing controlled and found in his current state that his breath hitched a stutter periodically in a way that destroyed the grounding of calm the breathing briefly teased him with.

22:05

He signed terrified again and then as he realized the other happened to not know SSL, looked exasperated. Then picked up his PADD again and opened a interface for typing.

22:05

He turned it and offered it to the other.

Alin noticed that Telim couldn't continue the breathing pattern, constantly getting set off by things Alin didn't even really notice, though if he tried to pay attention, he noticed stuff in the walls seemed to be making a lot more noise than usual. Except Telim was wearing noise-cancelling headphones, and shouldn't be able to hear that, not this much. He took the PADD from Telim, glad the kid had enough of a mind to help him out. He typed out a quick "how can I help you best?", continuing his exaggerated breaths to at least give Telim the reminder of how to calm his breathing back down whenever he lost it.

Telim continued to try and get his breathing under control as he proceeded to type. "Feel throygh the floor, vibrations." He then paused and added. "Not as bad as noise, but scared cause its bangs." As he attempted again to normalize his breathing a moment and then typed again. "Need somewhere else to hide, need quiet, help." "Having melt down, screams, bangs, like when bio dad got vanished." He then typed as he cried freely and continued to shiver, doing this happened to require from him a significant amount of effort exerted to overcome everything. The trauma and the other stuff that happened to have effected him.The Kid looked up at the other as his eyes continued to shine.

Alin thought for half a second on how best to help. Maybe... He grabbed the PADD from Telim, quickly typing before handing it back for the kid to read. It said "Can I pick you up?" and Alin stood next to him with his arms slightly open to pick him up the second he agreed to it. Alin may not have been a bodybuilder of any sort, but he was sturdy enough to pick up a preteen.

The kid watched the other as they took the PADD and, as he proceeded to read the message then nodded twice at the others query. Nodded and proceeded to extend his arms as he attempted to make himself easier for someone to pick up.

"Come on, then," Alin groaned as he picked Telim up, putting the boy on his hip, encouraging him to put his head on his shoulder. Romulans had better ears than humans, right? If Telim could hear anything, it should be his heart. He had a Klingon heart, anyway, its eight chambers beat a little louder than most other species'. "You shouldn't be able be able to feel much now, right? So we should be good to find a different spot to camp out in..." Alin said, more to himself than to Telim, aware that the headphones were still on. If anything, the vibrations of his voice might help to get him to freak out less, but that was speculation. He transferred Telim over to one arm, and motioned for the PADD again.

Telim, indeed a lot less freaked out by what of his voice he heard as they picked him up and the tell tale thud feeling of their heart as it beat. Beat loudly. Stuff that concealed utterly that vibration he'd linked with the bangs. The kid careful as he tried to ensure he would cause the other the least amount of problems as they carried him in regards to his weight as he remained as still as he could. Telim indicated with a confirming nod that he happened to not be able to feel much any more then handed the other the PADD when the other gestured for it.

23:05

While he did sign, he simply sign spelled slowly, conscious the other's knowledge happened to be basic. "Ba-bum-ba-bum" And mimed a heartbeat.

Alin chuckled, and nodded. Ba-bum ba-bum indeed. Clumsily, with one hand, he typed "anywhere you wanna go?" into the PADD, before handing it back to Telim and readjusting his grip.

Telim looked at the PADD and proceeded to shake his head in the negative as he indicated his surroundings and typed carefully. 'Dad working got nowhere, wanna go somewhere safe,scared.' The kid seemed to calm a tad a bit more now as he offered them back the PADD. Offered them it and tried as best he could to regulate his breathing as they'd indicated he should try to earlier. ..Tried to do so as he continued to work through a meltdown and its effect, the Romulan still marble pale as he watched and was carried.

Alin knew that staying put in Yellow Alert situations was probably the best idea, and frankly, he didn't think putting the kid in new situations would be conducive to him calming down. "Computer, give me updates on Vara'l tr'Hara's whereabouts, please. I would like to know when he gets back to the station." Alin didn't care to ask how the away mission was going. They were going to be fine. Instead, he started singing. It was a really old Dutch song, not one anyone was likely to know, but it brought him much hope when he was scared as a kid, and he hoped it could do the same for Telim. He swayed slightly, and hoped that too would help relax his small friend.

[D] After a time as Telim calmed, Vara'l tr'Hara's whereabouts started to be updated by the computer as being on the station and as having started to rapidly approach them. It wouldn't be too long before Vara'l happened to arrive. Happened to arrive to the mostly calmed Telim now in the aftermath of the meltdown. Happened upon the lieutenant who proceeded to say what they said. Who indicated what they indicated, told them that, something Telim thanked them for. When the other then departed after he handed Telim over, Vara'l entered his quarters and proceeded to hug his son close to him as he rocked them back and forward. Did so as he considered what else to say. Considered who his son could stick with if a yellow alert sounded. Considered what to do about what had occurred and what to do about it. Considered in his tacticians mind what others might have thought. Considered and worried a tad. Worried worries that were to be considered later. Considered while he reached out to others as a just in case.

00:32

But those were considerations for then, for now he simply intended to spend time with his son.

[D] In the aftermath of recent events, Vara'l proceeded to do the following things. Firstly, he sat his son down and took responsibility for what happened, explained in a manner carefully constructed for a ten year olds digestion After he'd done that, Vara'l explained how he intended to ensure what happened never happened again and explained that it was his responsibility as Telims dad to look after him and he'd failed in this situation so it was his responsibility to ensure that what happened never happened again and Telim would be safe in a yellow alert situation. (edited)

13:53

After he'd done this, Vara'l first worked on a personal log about it as he collected his thought and then proceeded to flag the matter in his report for his Boss's attention. After he did this, Vara'l proceeded to send off a message to his family's matriarch about it where he asked for help and also started down the road to getting fully educated on what help happened to be out there for single parents. Expecially ones who happened to be in situations like this one. It was during this period where Vara'l also discussed other matters like the 'bangs' with Telim in a careful way with a mind to the fact his son happened to be a ten year old, a traumatised one at that and as a result explained that there were people to talk to who could help. Explained that and then filed a counselling request for his son.

[D] Vara'l continued to work to ensure that what happened wouldnt happen again and take responsibility in more than just a report filed with his boss but through actions like attempted research and what else he happened to see as options in the time that followed. This time was intermittently filled as a result with back and forth messages between him and his families matriarch. That and a comm call placed with a member of the family who happened to be versed in certain medical manners. A comm call that resulted in both being taken to task for his not having called said member of the family in over a year as well as going on to inform him as it progressed that he should probably take certain concerns of his to medical. That was advice he took quite seriously, the comm call followed by his opening his PADD as he requested an appointment with a GP for Telim on a new issue.

[D] Vara'l, located in his quarters, had just finished reading another book when the time arrived for for lunch. The times arrival something that was followed by his son tapping his shoulder to remind him of the time before he proceeded straight into the Lunch time ritual. Prepared his sons lunch and started into the preparation of his. The duo having decided to spend what had turned out to be a teacher training day in their quarters today.

And here was Book. The Romulan hybrid officer who was rather short for their species. With a petite frame and long legs, in photos they looked like may have been close to 2 meters tall, but in reality Book barely stood higher than 160 cm... With shoe lifts. Book liked to think they were still growing, but with their mid-twenties soon approaching it was unlikely they were going to get much taller. Height insecurity aside, Book made their way towards the Hara residence and chimed the bell. Their dark hair and long fringe covered their forehead, obscuring their eyebrows which would give away their species, leaving them to look almost human. Book's ears were also hidden beneath their hair, with the only abnormality visible being their bright green eyes that seemed to spin a little every time they blinked. Awaiting a response, Book stood with perfect posture and hands clasped behind their back.

And at the second flash of the linked in 'someone at the door light' that he'd installed for when his ears were off, Vara'l arrived at the door to the quarters he shared with Telim. Arrived at them and opened the door before he looked out at the other officer. Looked out before briefly looking back as he signed something which, should the other happen to know SSL roughly amounted too 'I'm just answering the door, there's a officer outside' along with something that confirmed that his tomatos were 'free to be liberated'. A reference to something his son had queried out of sight of the man who opened the door.. As he turned back to watch the other, Vara'l took a moment as he returned his implants to their full sensitivity before he then proceeded to say. "Hello, how may I help you?"

01:33

Secured to his belt, his hands having been needed free for use in signing, could also potentially be spotted a PADD. A PADD that currently happened to be open on a book about the autistic spectrum.

When the doors swooshed open, Book greeted the man with a polite bow along with the common Rihannsu greeting, "Jolan tzru." Their low Rihan accent was more or less intelligible to native speakers, but certainly not a common dialect or intonation used on Mol'Rihan or even Romulus. Book's mechanical green eyes whirled as he took in the sight of the lieutenant, paying attention to his body langauge as well as the overall 'vibes' he got from the room behind him. "My name is Book Ra'tleihfi, one of the safeguarding officers on the base," They introduced themself, posture straight as they kept their hands by their side. "I apologise for showing up unannounced, do you have time to speak now and is your son available?"

When the other proceeded to identify themselves and then apologise for showing up unannounced...before they asked what they asked, Vara'l suppressed the urge to quirk a eyebrow at the other. 'Was that something that really needed an apology?' he wondered to himself idly as he briefly looked the other over, after all safe guarding sounded remarkably like it was a job where one happened to get a better view of what they happened to be there for if they turned up that way. Unannounced. ..Too him, it sounded like an apology for turning up as their job happened to sometimes require them to do so, at least that was what it seemed to him in a way. "Given how your identity, I'd put forward that the apology to me isn't required given what I suspect your role entails, so I'll thank you for its offering." He responded to the other before as he moved a hand behind him, waved to draw his sons attention and signed to let the kid know they had a guest. "I've time to speak now and Telim is here." He then paused. "I've let him know you're going to be our guest, though if you're going to talk with him I'd propose you accept a cup of tea and join us for lunch."

10:47

Vara'l stepped to one side then. "He always feels a tad more comfortable when he knows the person's been granted hospitality in that way." Vara'l calmly informed the other. "Shall we chat inside or would you prefer to chat here first?"

It'd be at this point that a small Romulan, two liberated slices of tomato clutched in one hand like candy in the moments before he popped them in his mouth and side happily, proceeded to charge up to the door. Charge up before he then hugged his dad. "Dadd.. I liberated your chicken too."

10:49

Having used this excuse so he could have a good look at the stranger who had approached the door outside of what he expected today, something that had disrupted the lunch routine he well.. liked, Telim looked up at the strange officer and waved at them one handed. "Hello!" He responded with a smile at the other before, after a whispered conversation with his father, he dashed back into the room and proceeded to grab up his own sandwiches as he resumed eating his lunch. (edited)

"I did not want to seem rude. We may chat inside," Book replied, voice calm and soft as they were aware that Vara'l and his son were both Romulan and thus probably had sensitive hearing. Also having read Telim's file and reports from medical, they were prepared to go into this matter as sensitive and calmly as possible. When the invitation to enter was given, Book took slow and careful steps into the room. Their posture and demeanour remained unchanged, they were on duty and were going to keep their professionalism about them. Once inside, the Romulan officer took a few seconds to glance around the room. Light green eyes quickly took in the sights around them. "Thank you, I would be agreeable to that," They bowed their head once more at the offer of tea and lunch. Book was very by the book, pun fully intended, and eating while on duty outside of designated break times was not permitted. However, given the nature of their current task, they were not going to say no. The gears in Book's eyes spun around as they blinked, their attention briefly diverting to the child who was quickly approaching the entryway. They watched the brief interactions between Vara'l and his son, taking into considering each and every detail. 'Liberated' was quite the word choice, Book thought. When greeted by the child, they waved their hand and flashed a quick smile as a way to convey their intentions were friendly. Such a shift in expression only lasted a few seconds before their attention was turned back to Vara'l. "I see that things have been good between you and him lately? He seems happy," Book commented, their eyes looking at Telim and then back o Varal.

"Thats appreciated.. and well, please feel free to step in" He responded then as he stepped to one side then, when the offer of tea and lunch was accepted, proceeded over to the food preparation area of the quarters before he then looked back to them. "You're welcome, might I ask after what you'd prefer, tea and food wise?" He asked the other quite calmly as he continued to keep an eye on his son as they ate their food, storm grey eyes not something that betrayed much bar during moments he interacted with the lad. His posture something that was much more open, his posture a lot less reserved and concealing of his emotion whenever he talked to them, a parents care for his kid something that caused any barrier like that to briefly blow away whenever they signed or quietly talked. Another bout of that quiet sign being what preceded the question asked of him, the older Romulans storm grey hued eyes having clearly noted with approval how the other approached interaction with Telim. "He is happy aye" Vara'l mused before he continued. "..And things have been alright-" He started as he briefly looked over to his son and confirmed they were busily engaged in the consumption of food and not at all interested in the adult conversation before he looked back to the officer. "..I've apologised to him for recent events and sat down with him and talked through some things, he understands what I did wasn't right and ...he's talked to me more about some things he's struggling with." The Romulan informed the other. "So perhaps what might be said is things have been alright, but we're working through to get to truly good...and to ensure what happened wont happen again." He continued.

Telim watched his father then, eyes that.. in a way understood emotions when his dads body proceeded to speak them but also were far too young to truely understand all the reasons why bodies did that careful as they absorbed what was going on. Was this adult like the talky people his dad had talked to him about and signed them both up to seeing? Could they make dad talk about why his eyes happened to be so stormy so much? Telim wondered these things as he watched the duo. Watched them and made no effort to speak yet. After all, his dad happened to be right, even if he suspected his dad was had spoken as he had happened to because they knew that he had happened to be listening in and continued to listen in. No. Instead of speaking yet, Telim instead nodded to confirm what had been said. Nodded and then looked to his dad then the man. "Lieutenant Ra'tleihfi, do you and my dad want me to put my headphones on?" He asked.

"Thank you," And with that Book proceeded to walk further into the room, giving the younger Romulan another glance. Hearing that Vara'l had spoken to Telim about the situation was a good sign, it showed that the father understood there was something to talk about, but Book still had a job to do and they needed to ensure Telim's safety going forward. "I am glad to hear you have spoken with him," Book replied, eyes now back to Vara'l as they made their way to one of the seats, assuming it was alright to do so. Vara'l was not going to let Book just eat standing up. "I do not have any preferences, you may give me whatever is easiest for you," Book said honestly, their eyes and voice not betraying their inner emotions of concern. They observed Telim again, seeing the child seemed a little lost as they and their father spoke. "Perhaps it would be best for you to finish your meal with your headset , I will ask your father a couple questions and then once you are done eating, we will call you to join us," Book told Telim, thinking it would probably be best to speak with Vara'l first to get a more direct explanation without having to worry about confusing the ten-year-old. Niwa was right, he really was only ten. It was one thing to read it on paper, but seeing the boy's visible confusion and innocence, it made Book's heart sink to think anyone could leave someone like this alone. Their personal feelings aside, Book looked at Vara'l, waiting for Telim to put his headset on so they could begin asking more specific questions.

"You're welcome." He responded. "...And as you wish." The Romulan then paused. "As the Lieutenant has said Telim, if you'd be okay with doing that we'll call.." He looked to the younger Romulan and then added. "While you're eating, you're welcome to chat more with Ro'Jodarek like you wanted to do if you finish your food before then, though just until we call." He added then as he watched his kid a moment before, once the other had popped on their headphones and turned to talk with the other. Watched and waited for them to finish putting the headphones on and for the telltale noise that indicated the boy had triggered the activation of the noise cancelling on the headphones and had turned his focus to his food. Once he happened to be sure that the lad had turned his focus to the food, Vara'l briefly looked over to his son and then turned his focus to the other as he finished their meal and proceeded to bring it over to them where they'd seated themselves. "Ro'Jodarek is a uncle of sorts to the lad, the Matriarch helped to facilitate further contact between the lad and him after I told her and a few others about what happened and after she.. ah.. took me to task for what happened...It'll help the lad to have someone to chat to while we talk." Vara'l informed the other simply once he was sure Telim happened to not be listening and had also not attempted to sit somewhere where he might have happened to lipread what the two adults happened to be saying. When he sort of twigged he was oversharing at the wrong moment as the other hadn't asked their questions again, Vara'l proceeded to abruptly fall silent a moment before he then asked. "Now the lad cant hear us, I believe you said you've got questions.." (edited)

Telim slipped his headphones on when requested after he happily nodded to indicate he found the suggestion of his fathers to be something he liked the sound of. The kid, as he sensed that the other two were about to have a series adult talk..one where the other adult probably told his dad off more about the thing dad said he'd done wrong, turned himself once they were on and the noise cancellation had been activated. Turned so he could eat and then talk and sign with Ro'Jodarek without being tempted to lipread either of the officers. Though he suspected what happened to be going on, even if he happened to not quite understand it. He'd been through a lot, more than he'd ever have happened to tell his either his old dad or his newer dad about before when they were hurtie like they had been. Least not until recently, not until the conversation where he'd made his dad promise to go talk to the talky people too, he'd talked with his dad then about things. Told his dad he could see how he was hurtie too, something that had left his dad what the book he'd read had called 'Pole-axed' No.. he harboured suspicions as to who this person was. He also understood though..as best as a ten year old happened to be able to, that his dad or another person happened to ask him to put his headphones on or didn't tell him things because he happened to be a ten year old. With how Vara'l had explained it to him, it happened to not even make him angry or anything anymore. No, instead as he ate..and turned on his PADD.

Book watched the short exchange between Vara'l and Telim. Once the youngest began to put his headset on, Book looked away and sat patiently as they listened to Vara'l explain who this uncle was. A few details seemed a bit confusing, but they would probably touch on that subject later so Book saved their questions for now. When the food was brought to the table, Book was pleasantly surprised to see it was Romulan sandwiches. They had been offered food in the past, but this was the first time they were presented with food from home. Of course a Romulan officer would serve them Romulan food, but the fact still remained they were happy to have some food that reminded them of their far flung colony. "Yes. First, I would like to state my reason for being here," As Book lifted the sandwich to take a bite, they realised they had yet to state a purpose for their visit. They did take into consideration that earlier Vara'l had mentioned speaking with Telim about events past, probably the same event that Book was going to bring up, but they couldn't be sure. "A couple days ago the station was put on yellow alert and you were going to be one of the away team participants. You left yout ten-year-old son in your quarters unattended. I would like you to walk me through the events of that day as closely as you remember them, starting from yellow alert," Book began with their first enquiry, taking small bites of the sandwich after they spoke. As if they were Vulcan, Book ate with small bites and were very quiet with each munch. After a couple bites, they put the sandwich down to pull their PADD out of their pocket so they could take notes.

"I suspected that that was your reason for being here, though I'm not too familiar with the human term for your role.. thats the event that was discussed with Telim by the way." He initially responded before then he continued and proceeded to do as requested. "While the specifics are in my report and the addendum too it I added specifically about the issue, following the issuing of Yellow alert following my duty shift I was ordered to take part in a away mission to the USS Kon-Tiki via a PA message from Captain Mo" He started, his tone formal. "This being after initially responding to the detonation of a conduit near the mess hall that I had presently been near." "I complied with this order and reported as ordered." He paused then as if he wanted to expound on that a bit but..he'd been asked or well.. ordered to detail the order of events by someone who happened to have a array of powers under their belt that happened however they happened to phrase what they enquired about to make his request best closely complied with. "Following what then occurred on the away mission in which we boarded the vessel and after an investigation of its interior during which a member of engineering neutralized the threat, I received a PADD message that alerted me to the fact my son had utilized the panic code we'd agreed on should something occur and needed me and departed immediately to where the PADD said he happened to be at the time, namely my quarters." Vara'l paused for a moment before he then said. "..The long and short of it Lieutenant sir is I failed to keep my son alert during a yellow alert.. a crisis situation and left him unattended when the lad needed me the most, I failed to keep him safe and left him alone while he had what the book calls a 'Meltdown' ..what followed all that was my apology to him and my dispelling his worry that he happened to be at fault." He then paused. "That and ah." He paused then as his jaw worked.

It'd be a moment before the other managed to speak again. "..Apologies for that pause." He initially managed before he continued. "My reaching out to my families matriarch and an number of others following the chat with Telim about what happened, to secure help and pointers on how to ensure it'd never happen again followed that He paused. "and discussions on how any and all arrangements I happened to have to ensure Telim was safe during a yellow alert or other crisis situation failed, had with my My families matriarch." He remained silent in the moments that followed before he then continued. "..That was the long and short of it" He swallowed again. "...It was all.. patently...I suppose the word I'd use is negligent of me and ah.." Vara'l idly noted as he continued to try and speak that he'd started to feel like something had clenched his throat slightly, like something happened to be in it. "A idiotic thing that left my son alone and distressed...Matriarch called it a mistake but elements know I should know better.. should have also seen he needed assessing by doctor far before now." He added and coughed as regret and guilt mixed with other emotions twisted his gut. "Thank all the elements for that Lieutenant that helped him." (edited)

Positioned as he was, Telim had yet to have noticed how distressed his father had gotten, instead engaged in in a back and forth conversation with Ro'Jodarek at the moment about how you can see moons when they don't happen to be like suns.

Hearing about a 'panic code' raised a few flags for Book. So they did have some sort of emergency plan. They had clearly spoken about what to do if Telim was ever in danger, but for some reason that plan involved him staying alone in his quarters? The more Vara'l spoke, the clearer the picture became for the Romulan safeguarding officer. It was good that the tactical officer was well aware of his mistakes and had been communicating with his family about said mistake. Book's expression remained calm and stoic as they continued to listen to the other's recounting of the event. A few things in particular stuck out to them, but they waited until the other was done. Vara'l's speech and the subsequent pauses did little to impact Book's impression and when the other apologised they simply waved their hand to say 'it's alright'. It was not uncommon that they encountered individuals who had a similar story to Vara'l. A loving parent who just had a brief lapse in judgment. "I am glad to hear that you have acknowledged your mistake, it makes my job easier," Book said, thinking they wouldn't have to do much in terms of explaining what Vara'l did wrong. The man clearly knew and was trying to make amends to ensure it never happened again. "Having a panic code is good. During these talks about things such as the panic code, is there a reason you had not arranged a safe spot for your son to go? We have numerous resources throughout the station, including babysitters and holograms. I understand the protocol for emergencies for civilians are to go to quarters, but of course if said civilian is underaged they should always be with a parent. We do not allow children under the age of 16 to be left unattended," Book directed their next question at Vara'l as they began to type out notes on thier PADD. They seemed calm and collected throughout the exchange, their mechanical eyes whirling about as their focus switched from the older Romulan to their PADD. (edited)

It might be telling that Vara'l looked surprised when the other proceeded to inform him that there happened to be babysitter services the station provided for more than just at the schools. Oh that certainly happened to make the guilt he felt worse. "I had informed him about the quarters thing and briefly gone over where else was safe but hadn't detailed sufficiently where else there was to go and what safe spots there were arranged happened to be school time related...I'd not thought about about it or looked into it enough on the babysitter front and...didnt realise about and" He sighed and paused as he did his best to not ramble as he instead proceeded to say. "I'd not sufficiently prepared him for this form of crisis situation and what happened during it, places he could go and the like from where he was,hadn't been specific enough...and hadn't arranged a sitter or a holo" He explained. "I never realized how disorientated he could get either or the fact what I'd prepared with him or for him had such a hole in it, if that makes sense." "So..long and short of it was that I'd.. not thought and with everything else that had been going on...It had failed to come to mind, arrangement of something like that.. the panic code was so he could tell me when he couldnt ah.." He Paused then his jaw worked "Verbally tell me when he was distressed and included that other function so if he needed someone quickly in a school or trip environment he could call for help quickly." He explained. "A idiotic mistake, I've talked with Telim to ensure he knows where to go other than here and had asked family about ensuring he isnt left unattended if something occurs and ..as you've just said that,I'll look into a Sitter on station as well."

He paused a moment then before he then added. "I'm aware of the mistake there,I'm aware its serious...and I understand the policy,all I can say is I'm doing what I can to ensure it wont occur again.." (edited)

So what seemed initially as maybe a caring parent's lapse in judgement was now a caring parent... Who clearly did not know the proper protocol and resources available to them on the Starbase. Book had no children of their own (but they did have a loving partner they hoped to start a family with some day), but surely anywhere they wanted to start a family they would check to see what resources were available. Or maybe Book was just highly optimistic about the diligence parents should have considering they spent most of their childhood in the Delta Quadrant where danger could be anywhere. Even with 21 children, Book's parents still made sure that each and every one of them had a safe spot to go to and wherever they lived had the capacity to provide what they and their children needed. The shock on Book's face stayed for a few seconds as the older men continued with his side. "I understand fatherhood was something thrusted upon you by a series of unfortunate circumstances," Yes, Book was making a reference there, their parents loved terran media. As shown by the fact they named their children after their favourite Standard words or words that they thought had 'meaning'. "But you were not even aware of babysitting services on the starbase. We are on the borders of Klingon and Romulan space, it is incredibly concerning you did not make any preparations for if there were to be a situation where you could not be present. As Starfleet officers we are often called into duty during times of emergency," Book resisted the urge to click their tongue and shake their head, this was an information gathering session, not a parenting lecture. Still, this left them utterly shocked and unnerved. x_divider

13:57

"Anyway, I acknowledge your remorse and I think it is time to have Telim join us. I have only a couple questions for him, I will make it brief as I am aware that he is a child. You may call him over," And as Vara'l did that, Book finished typing in the rest of their notes.

"I understand the situation as it stands and your assessment of it, I've provided you with a re-telling of the situation as far as I'm able." He responded before he continued. "I think we're both in agreement that the matter of this negligent error and lack of knowledge is.. serious and a concern no matter what its called and that what preparations that happened to be in place from me were woefully insufficient for what might happen on a station like this one." The Romulan responded, fully aware of the situation.. something that likely showed on his face, but also somewhat hesitant to elucidate on the matter further as they talked. After all, he sensed that the other happened to not be in the best of moods with him right now. Not that be blamed them, no he in fact rather understood that...even if he looked over what he'd said and... considered the exact wording of what they'd happened to have said perhaps not entirely accurate. Partially accurate perhaps, not something that happened to effect in any way the nature of the concern and the fact he'd firmly failed in his duties as a parent. "So if you'll permit me to decline to respond in fullness to what you've happened to have said, I'll instead admit that I've...struggled with reaching out myself or well communicating while here, stuff I have committed to working out with a counsellor." After that Vara'l then proceeded to muse "It probably doesn't help that.. you're right in that other point too I suppose you'd say I'm a new parent in a sense." Something that happened to darken his mood slightly as mostly concealed emotion clouded his features. The Romulan having considered with what he'd said there the fact that he hardly happened to understand how to deal with his own baggage. How was he going to provide a struggling kid the help they absolutely needed further to everything else when he struggled to reach out when he needed to. Remorse coloured his face then.

Remorse and perhaps something else that might have happened to be harder to pin down as he ...subconsciously covered the metal on one hand with the flesh of the other. "..If you'd like a copy of my personal log I can provide you with that, they go into even more exhaustive detail as to my thoughts regarding the situation.. and my line of thinking." He paused then. "If there's anything else alongside it that'd help with your considerations that you dont initially have access to yourself, you need only ask and I'll provide whatever you request." "I'll alert Telim to the fact you'd like to talk to him now, now." He then added as he looked to Telim and proceeded to wave his hands in a SSL 'Hello'. Waved them and then signed to let the other know that he was needed now over with them. (edited)

Having lipread barely any of it thanks to his dads move with convincing him to chat with Ro'Jodarek, Telim simply smiled when his father initially drew his eye as they signed at him. The kid at ease thanks to having been occupied with the conversation with Ro'Jodarek as he responded with signing of his own as he acknowledged what he'd been informed and then turned to the PADD. Turned to the PADD as he thanked the other for the conversation that they'd happened to have had and signed off. The PADD once he'd signed off, turned off by him also as he slipped it onto the table next to his chair and padded over to his dad. Padded over and once close enough, hugged his dad who well.. looked to the ten year old like he needed a hug. Hugged him and watched as Vara'l explained a bit more with sign, watched and then nodded as he slipped off his headphones and looked to the Lieutenant. "Hello Mr Ra'tleihfi!" Came his greeting as he smiled.

Book was accepting of Vara'l's response. He understood his mistake and seemed to be open, in fact, wanting to do something to prevent further incidents. Book keyed in some more notes in their PADD as they listened in silence, their mind slowly piecing together their profile of the tactical officer. If anything, they hoped this incident would be a message that one was never alone in parenting on the starbase. Starfleet really took the philosophy 'it takes a village' to heart. Well, at least in the more populated and important areas. Book had heard of a few incidents where children were not properly looked after, but the circumstances were usually very unusual and it was a compounding of many different events, not one single bad parent. Thankfully, Vara'l just seemed inexperienced and wrapped up in his own struggles, not like he was a bad person or had ill intentions. "You are free to provide any additional information, but it is not required. This meeting is all I need," Book lifted a hand and shook their head. Starfleet took privacy of their officers seriously and unless there was content that endangered the lives or safety of others, they did not step in. "Jolan tru, Telim," Book gave the child a little bow and smiled at him. Book may have been stoic and serious when speaking with Vara'l, but they were more animated and friendly with Telim. Book loved children, probably why they chose their profession, and hoped that one day they could have their own family. "The sandwiches are very good, I am quite found of Hlai. Did you have a nice dinner?" Book asked, knowing very well that Telim was ten and to keep their questions simple and short.

"If you are sure.. the offer will remain open should your opinion on that matter change." Vara'l replied as he returned his sons hug and gently moved their noise canelling headphones so the kid didn't end up sat on them or anything. The parent there but with no effort made to be anything more than someone there for Telim if he needed support when it came to this conversation with someone who happened to be a stranger. At least as much of a stranger as one who happened to wear that uniform could be considered to be, less one utterly unknown and more one that either of them had yet to truly get to know. The sort of person Telim sometimes preferred silent support when talking with. Least till he'd learned if they could be trusted or not.

"Jolan Tru!" The kid responded as he watched the other with eyes that focused intently on the other with a slight effort of the kids will. Eye contact something he'd learned to manage well with, even with worries and other things that effected him. "And the sandwiches are very good!" He agreed softly before he then continued. "We did, dad always makes good dinner, he's best at Romulan food...though when I asked for pizza one time he learned how to make homemade tray pizza for me and it was really tasty!" The kid declared. As he declared that, his eyes flicked briefly to his father as he analysed their face and then books. Analysed both and then.. hugged his dad again before he looked back at Book. "Dad said he's going to do tray bake again today with Hlai and stuff on it, its going to be really tasty too!" He then paused as he watched book again a moment with a certain intensity. "Why does your body speak different with dad than with me?" Telim then asked, curious.

01:22

"Dad says its fancy adult stuff but when people speak with different people they dont just speak with their faces a-and its the same if they sign!" The kid elaborated. "They like.. speak with their body too, dad calls it body language!" Telim paused. "I don't get it but i'm ten but likeee, you were one way, now you're not." He asked as he cocked his head slightly and watched the other.

Book appreciated Vara'l's offer of his personal logs, but it really wasn't needed. They continued to observe the father and son interactions, the gears in their eyes whirling around each time they blinked. It was incredibly subtle, only noticeable if someone held eye contact with them for long. "I have never had pizza, but I will take your word for it," Book was a big health nut so it was rare that they ate anything that was not perfectly balanced and although pizza was fine in moderation, they just never had a situation where they could try it. Hearing about Vara'l cooking food Telim wanted to eat was nice. This 'interview' was less about Telim's individual answers as it was a chance for Book to observe how the child behaved and responded so they could construct a profile of him * "My... Body?" *Book was caught off guard by the question, having to pause and figure out just what Telim was asking. He was inquiring about their body language? At least that's what Book deduced. Telim was highly observant, Book noted that in their notes. Probably due to the stress of their childhood, it was not uncommon for young children who have gone through traumatic events to be hyper sensitive to changes around them. Book had grown up with twenty siblings. They remembered memorising the sounds of each of their footsteps and within those footsteps, book could gauge their moods. It was... Not a skill they were particularly proud of. x_divider

04:39

"It is important to adapt to your situation. When you're at home, you can play with your toys and chat freely with di'ranov (father)," Book began to explain, their voice gentle and warm as always. "But when you are at school, you can not play with your toys and you need to listen to the teachers. It is like that," Book finished their explanation and leaned back on the sofa. They acted like a Vulcan parent, maybe they were? It was unclear what other species Book was, given that their ears were not as pointy as one would expect from a full Vulcanoid. "You are very observant, Telim. I am sure your father has told you that," Book looked towards Vara'l. "How have things been otherwise, Telim? Are you happy in school?"

Vara'l watched the conversation between Telim and the Lieutenant carefully, contented for now to not actively involve himself given the nature of the conversation. His response to the kids query something that happened to come as a result of that as a slight shift in his posture as he continued to make no effort to break from the hug and instead moved slightly so his son would be more comfortable while they hugged him and talked like that. Moved and watched the kid with the air of a parent who'd..noticed this before, after all.. he had. He'd noticed it and when the other happened to look toward him, nodded to confirm that this was something he'd picked up on.

"Oh okay!" The kid responded, the explanation of the other happened to make alot of sense to the kid. Enough he didn't consider another question as being needed and he'd happened to get the sense the other had questions he wanted to ask too. That happened to be just fine with the kid as he hugged his dad again and shifted to be more comfortable. Shifted that way and proceeded to sign a thank you to his dad, as he turned and looked to Book and considered their question. "He has said that, yeah!" The kid confirmed before he then added. "We did alotta talking recently and dad said sorry." Before he pushed himself to focus fully on the question "And things are good dad's gonna talk with a talkie person and so am I, Ro'Jodarek called em counsellors, like him!" "School is sometimes hard though." The kid continued, the statement elaborated on. "The from the book history is just words a-and I want to see things, makes it stick better!" The kid declared as he continued to sit calmly for the most part, a slight fidget with his hands the only thing that effected that calm look. "Been easier though since dad got more history stuff for me at home and we got to talk to Lieutenant Commander Rakim about when mister president Archer was around!" Telim grinned then before he took on a more thoughtful look as he considered the question he'd been asked again and decided he needed to not just look at school. The other hadn't asked just that. "Dad asked Uncle Ro'Jodarek to talk to me about the talkie people as well a-and I'm less uh. dunno what words good for it.." He paused a moment as he considered. "Anxious!" Was what he then decided after a moment. "Dad's been helping with that a-and uncle Ro'Jodarek taught me more stuff like dad did, the stuff for helping with that" Telim hugged his dad again then. "Other lessons in school have been good and dad said we're going to go to the holodeck next week to see the ship in the book, NX-O1!"

Book was glad that Telim understood their explanation. Although Book was not a parent yet, as part of their job it was important that they be proficient in a number of parenting techniques and know how to best explain things to children. If they weren't in Starfleet, Book's dream profession would have been an early education teacher. They did not seem to take much mind to Telim and Vara'l still hugging, it was only natural for a ten year old to cling to their parent. "Yes , I am glad you have been speaking with your father and the counsellors. They are all here to ensure that you can be the best you can be," Book said, their smile unwavering. They listened to Telim speak about how school was going for him. The good thing is it seemed like nothing was amiss on the education side. Telim preferred more visual learning, which only made sense as most children were not fond of just straight words on pages. Ironically Book was also like that as a child. Despite their name, Book did not like books are a child. "That is good to hear and I am sure the holodeck will be fun. I did a few retro ship simulations in my past as well, but I've always liked alien ships for some reason," Book chuckled with their eyes still on Telim, sometimes glancing at Vara'l too. In an impressive feat of multitasking, Book was also typing down notes without having to look at their PADD. It was one of their many skills. "I am also glad to hear about your chats with your uncle, it seems things are going well. And thank you two for the sandwiches," Book glanced at the sandwiches that they... Had only taken a few bites of. They did enjoy them! Book just wasn't used to eating on the job. "I think that's it for me. So unless you guys have any further questions I will let you two enjoy the rest of your evening."

"They're helping with the hurtie and stuff a-and they really help and.. I love my dad!" He then hugged his dad once again as he leaned into his father, the kid taking some strength from the presence of his parent as he remained there. "I-it's gonna be better than just the book, I read the book and it's just words a-and not images and stuff a-and this'll make it less boring!" The kid declared before he then added. "I like books for stories and history speaking books!" Telim then continued for a moment before he lapsed into silence as he simply listened to the other. "I like the chats with my uncle!" He'd then looked to Vara'l "Daaaaad can we give him a box for his sandwiches?" He asked before he then added a. "Please?" As he looked up at his dad and continued to hug them

"I'm sure we've got a box he could use, if the Lieutenant here would like to take his sandwiches with them, I don't see any problem in giving him one." He smiled warmly down at Telim then. "Its very good of you to ask about that for him, Telim, its a nice thing to do." Vara'l then turned back to Book as he then continued. "..Though ah, as for the questions thing, I don't have any questions at the moment.." The older Romulan continued to return his sons hug as they looked as his free hand ruffled their hair a tad as he briefly queried with sign if his son had any questions either. "And Telim doesn't have any at present." He paused as he proceeded to pick up Telim, who still happened to be pressed into him in a hug speaking a moment as he moved over to the food preparation area. "If that changes, I'll be sure to reach out.. and thank you..I hope you have a good rest of your evening also." The Romulan then, once he arrived over at the area, retrieved a box for sandwiches and moved back to the Lieutenant as he offered it to them one handed. "Here, a box for your sandwiches if you'd like it." (edited)

Book did indeed take the sandwiches and was happy that the chat seemed to go well. They bowed and said their goodbyes and headed out the door with their sandwiches!

[D] Following Book's report, a small conference was held with Vara'l, Telim, one of Telim's teachers, Book, and one of the lead counsellors to discuss emergency contingency plans. In this meeting the group discussed getting Telim a full mental health evaluation that would not only help with making him feel more comfortable at home and at school, but also lay the groundwork for what was best for him going forward. Vara'l was also given a comprehensive list of the parenting resourcse available on the station, including, but no limited to babysitters, teachers, childcare workers, and even hologram options if Telim was unable to leave his quarters. Since family counselling was already set up before the incident, nothing was done in that regard, although following Telim's formal medical assessment he would also be placed with a specialist that could help him through things. The meeting was thorough and it was clear that Vara'l and Telim were a loving family that just needed some extra help that Starfleet and the Federation in general was proud to give. After all this was put in place, social work informed Vara'l they would be checking in on him and Telim regularly to make sure everything was going smoothly, but such meetings would be brief. Book also took this time to say goodbye to Telim and thank him and Vara'l again for the sandwiches from before.

Swift steps by tired legs conveyed a uniform clad body past the double doored exit from the regimented order of Starbase corridor to the child-sitter managed disorder of a 'no-school day' as Vara'l entered at the end of a shift. Entered and with a effort of will pushed away tiredness and dropped the mask he effected during the day. Dropped it and allowed his face to light and become more emotive as he allowed the doors to close behind him and cleared his throat. "Computer, flicker the lights for one second in proximity to Telim tr'Hara and the babysitter." He'd then requested. As the lights flickered and both babysitter and Telim looked up, Vara'l slipped his bag off and placed it to one side before he waved both hands half in greeting half in a 'hey I'm over here'. Did so and then started to sign to the babysitter and Telim. "I've returned from my shift, hello!" He signed in the moment before he then queried if either of them happened to want a drink.

Having been alerted to the arrival of his father as the lights flickered and his babysitter signed 'hes here', Telim grinned and turned to his father. Grinned then and signed his response. "Hello, happy to see you're awake!" As he then indicated that a drink sounded good and he wanted a cup of tea! Something that then had him grinning when he observed his fathers stunned reaction! "Blame baby sitter!" He declared in sign before he finger spelled out their name, Charlie and then proceeded to use the babysitters sign-name that the other had decided to share with him. A sign name that happened to be 'Singer-that-snores.'

[D] With introductions having commenced, Vara'l, Telim and the babysitter proceeded to get drinks from the replicator before each then settled into a chair. Settled down and then found that several hours had passed them by spent in a lengthy back and forth conversation that primarily took place in sign language. Sign language occasionally interspersed with laughter filled pauses...or ones were snacks were consumed. Come the end of that chat and after dinner was had, the babysitter departed and left the duo of Romulans to the rest of their day, the departure on good terms.

[D] Ping. The sound rang out innocently as Vara'l worked to keep the Epohh from sitting on his PADD. Rung out and was followed shortly by two short flashes as the PADD alerted him to the message and with a brief moment he triggered the activation sequence for his hearing implants. As the Implants activated and the room filled with sound, Vara'l glanced up and as he smoothly worked a arm around the Epohh to prevent them from falling off, worked his PADD one handed and queried. "Computer, what was the nature of the notification ping?" The response, that it had been a message waiting notification, garnered a short nod in response before he opened his PADD up and called up the message in question.

To: Vara'l tr'Hara From: Matriarch tr'Hara (Executor for Joha tr'Cora.) Subject: Will.

Seeing the nature of the message and who it referred to, Vara'l looked about the room as he mentally calculated how long he had before Telim arrived home and then opened the message before he started to quietly read.

Once he'd finished reading, Vara'l then nodded to himself and proceeded to do a number of things. Firstly, he moved a number of things into Telims partition and locked several of them behind access restrictions that lifted on specific dates. Then after he did that, he marked a few other things and squirreled them away in their relevant places in databases or other places as the message had directed before he then finally took what remained and extracted it onto a PADD of its own. Extracted it and then slipped it into a pocket.. to hand over when the time was right. After he did that, Vara'l proceeded to shoot off a reply message and after he indicated his thanks for the sending of the message itself from the Matriarch, queried how it'd taken so long to find more of what had been intended for Telim. Intended for him from a father who'd gotten so little time with a son he'd so adored. "..Oh my friend, you'd have been such a good father." Vara'l sighed to himself as he briefly considered the times he'd had with two of the best people he'd ever met. Mir and Joha of the Minor House Cora and smiled wistfully as he remembered better times. When Telim finally returned, the babysitter wishing them well at the door and leaving them to enter and meet their father, Vara'l turned and smiled to them. Smiled before he gently placed the Epohh on the floor and strode over and gently hugged the smaller Romulan. "Hello son, enjoyed your day?" He asked as he idly noted the ping that indicate the Babysitter had sent him their agreed 'how things went today' message. [D] After their normal end of day conversation had started and finished, Vara'l and Telim spent a part of their day in quiet conversation as Vara'l broached the subject of the message he'd received. Broached that and then proceeded to share with Telim stories about the parent they barely remembered, their father. (edited)

[D] These stories had a rapt listener in the form of the young teenager who, quiet in their seat drank in every word uttered about their father. This glimpse into a figure from their past gratefully received by a child who'd always wondered what his bio father had been like.. when they hadn't had to be that bastion of stability who'd tried to keep them safe and vanished, when they'd been free to be more than just that. Fun stories, the happy ones where his young father got into trouble or something else occurred of that sort were something he pestered Vara'l to repeat a few times as they passed the time in talk and with retold stories.

[D] Settled on his couch, a PADDsettled on the other side of it from him, resided on the morning aft the the day following his meeting with Maggie a Romulan lounged. He'd just finished a animated spate of signing undertaken for the benefit of something called a 'Sign Bank' and had now, that sorted out and the PADD taken video sent off, settled in for a drink. A raktajino, requested from the replicator clasped in his metal ribbed hand already partly sipped at as it had been on his way to sitting down, a warm companion for the Romulan and his own thoughts as he had enjoyed some peace and quiet. A peace and quiet that, by dint of his being on the second of the two days he'd used holiday time to take off, hadn't been interrupted at all like it might have been on a work day. The 'door prompter' system he'd settled into pride of place in his new ACTO quarters something had remained quiescent for now, having finished being set up the day before, its dull casing a still bump on the wall next to the door. A wall, as he glanced over at the prompter, Vara'l had already resolved to prettify with a new bookshelf under the prompter as soon as he happened to get the time to find a candidate he liked. The dull grey something about the walls he'd never truly appreciated on its own. As he'd returned then to his drink, Vara'l had reached over and retrieved his PADD with his free hand and with swift movements had added a reminder for himself. Two words, 'Bookshelf, prompter' set so that it'd be something that flashed up every morning until he directed it not to. The PADD's beep, something more felt than heard by him at present, having turned off his implants for some true quiet as he'd pressed enter something that had then also drawn his attention to another message. One that'd reminded him of the other thing he happened to need to expect. A visitor. He'd then mused for a moment on that. Who could it be who wanted to see him who Samekir had hesitated to name? (edited)

Before too long, the doorbell chimed. It seemed Vara'l's visitor was here; a tall, stoic Romulan with white hair and dressed in simple but elegant clothes waited outside. He looked calm, though his brow was slightly furrowed, and though his hands were held at his sides, he was clearly messing with the fabric of his pants. At a closer look, the man was clearly nervous.

As the prompter proceeded to flash several times in the pattern he'd set that indicated 'Announcer pressed', Vara'l rapidly proceeded to clear away what needed clearing away to make the place look..nicer in his eyes. Once this was done, the Romulan cleared his throat and in a unknowingly off tone tone as he triggered the process that brought his hearing implants back to presently half unpleasant life. "Come!" The Romulan declared as he smoothly stood up and looked to and then walked over to the door as the world started to be one that contained sound once more. The Romulan's jaw worked as he waited for the door to open, anxiety something that danced a unpleasant dance in his stomach as he wondered once more who his visitor happened to be. Something Vara'l suspected he'd discover soon as he pressed the button on the internal door that would see the door open if the button outside hadn't already been pressed. "Its normally expected to announce yourself as you press the announce-" He'd then began as the door opened before his voice proceeded to bite off into silence and he simply stared at the person outside. All he then managed a simple. "I..Uh.....Hello" (edited)

"Brother," Senat said, in lieu of a greeting. He'd changed a lot, over the years, and yet was immediately recognisable. He stepped into the quarters, making sure to present himself as confident as Vara'l knew him as. At the same time, his calm demeanour was disconcerting, such a stark difference from the last time the two saw each other. "I thought perhaps if I announced myself, I would be turned away." Not an unreasonable assumption, not by far, and an outcome he had wanted to avoid at all costs. He came here for a singular purpose, after all.

As the realization sunk in that this happened to be his brother, his brother who'd just entered his quarters without having snapped at him once, Vara'l just stared at the other for a moment as his mind worked to try and recover from the utter shock. Once he'd managed to recover at least partly and had ..chewed on their other words a bit, the liberated borg arrived at a similar line of thinking to his brother. "..Hi." He'd managed at first as he cleared his throat, stepped back so they could enter the quarters more comfortably.. and his jaw twitched a bit. "I think your assumption was likely ah.. correct." Vara'l then managed as he looked to the other with storm grey eyes, conscious of how he himself looked now with all his implants and..also having realized that he wasn't alone on the implant front. "Can I offer you a drink?" He asked Senat after a long moment. "I feel its the least I can do before we get deep into talking further" He added then, a glance to the replicator something that probably betrayed the presence of a Starfleet style hearing implant part on one of his ears and a borg one on the other. The gesture of the offer of a drink one he'd undertaken in what he hoped was something that indicated he was at least willing to hear them out. "..Why are you here, brother?" (edited)

Senat stepped further into the quarters, though after a few steps he halted, hovering, as if not sure of what was allowed. What could he touch or look at, where would he sit? "Tea, if you have it?" he just asked, following a few more steps into the living room. "I would have understood. If you had turned me away," he added after a moment, slightly awkwardly. How do you speak to your brother who you haven't seen in ages? When he's so different, and you've changed just as much, and yet the two of you look so alike? "I wanted to see how you've been. At home, they have mostly horror stories about what you've gone through. I got worried." 'I was the bold one,' was what went unsaid, 'I expected such things of myself, never you.' But at this point, did they know each other well enough to pick up on what was left between the lines?

"I believe I've got the old blend you liked on replicator file still." Vara'l responded simply to their question as he looked to them, gestured to the couch as he indicated that they were okay to sit down and walked over to the replicator. "Tea, Hara Blend 4 from my personal files, hot...make that two of those." Vara'l requested then before, once the replicator had fulfilled the request, he turned and offered one cup to his brother and clasped the second. The warmth of the tea a balm to his nerves as he wondered about the sheer differences between his brother from now and then. So much had happened between them previously, so much time had passed. Did he really know this person before him? Did he even know how much of what had happened to have been Vara'l tr'Hara prior to assimilation remained? How much of his personality now happened to be 3 of 10 more than it was the sometimes unpleasant Imperial Navy officer. "..I'd have understood if you'd continued to avoid me." He'd initially added softly then before he remembered that Senat had at least in his youth happened to have some hearing issue or another and continued more loudly. Another comment died on his lips when Senat then said they wanted to see how he'd been. Informed him they'd heard things. What had remained unspoken picked up anyway...or guessed at at least. "I imagine its a bit more than what you'd expected you'd have heard of me doing, huh?" Vara'l queried, his tone slightly haunted. "I wish I could tell you they're false stories, Senat." (edited)

22:19

Vara'l then slipped onto the couch. "..I suspect that implant on your head has a story of its own as well though." He then added, a touch of concern something that coloured his voice even as it surprised him with the truth of its presence.

Senat took the tea gratefully, sitting down as instructed. He knew he himself had changed, and he'd suspected Vara'l had too, but still, his brother was calmer than he'd ever thought to predict. The person he'd been when he left home would have avoided his family until the end of time. But he was no longer that person. "No, but I believed every word once I saw you. The evidence is staring me in the face." It was hard to ignore the implants that betrayed his brother's time spent as a Borg drone. "You'd never been one to seek out excitement, so I had my doubts, but you're not a liar either. I didn't know what to think." Senat took a sip of his tea, finding that it tasted exactly as he was used to. He was surprised Vara'l cared to remember his preferences, even after so long. "Well, you know what I'm like. Did things I shouldn't have, and paid the price for it eventually. I can't imagine you're surprised I ran into trouble here and there." Senat's tone was light and unconcerned, despite the fact that they were talking about the metal holding his face together. It served to make the two brothers look even more alike, if nothing else.

As he settled into the couch himself once the other had accepted their cup of tea, Vara'l gazed at his brother. Senat's words, that the evidence happened to be staring them in the face like that, something he grimaced at. "...I suppose it is." Vara'l mused as with one hand he briefly traced some of the myriad bits of metal that pockmarked the side of his head. Senat's following perking him up as he smiled slightly. "I did always keep to the military and avoid certain things..I suppose." The Romulan mused before he then added. "And I can understand that though.. I've changed quite a bit over the years" His jaw twitched a bit then. "Just as you have I suspect." He added then as his eyes flicked to the metal on his brothers skull again as they started to talk in that light and unconcerned tone. A tone that deepened the concern apparent in Vara'ls posture. "I always worried for you, for the crowd you'd ran with, even back when I said the unpleasant things I said." His tone concerned but apologetic. "But you're here." 'And not arrested' left unsaid. "Vouched for by Samekir." He trailed off then as he sipped his own tea and sighed at the pleasing taste. "I suspect what trouble you got into...is far and away different to what I worried about." Vara'l added before he then signed with his free hand, aware of what he'd said and done in the past. "Are you well, brother?" (edited)

"If I were the same person I was, I wouldn't be sitting here," Senat pointed out dryly, introducing the slightest hint of humour in his tone. He was hopeful it would be met well. "You wear the changes well." You look healthy, and calm, and less unhappy than you were before. "You weren't the only one. I don't think anyone was happy with most of the choices I ended up making then. Not even me, now that it's all behind me," Senat said easily, though he was clearly not sharing much of what had actually happened. It was clear in his tone that he wasn't proud of who he'd been in the past. Elaborating further would only sour the mood they'd managed to create. Vara'l's signing shocked him, very obviously so. He only recovered after a few long seconds, wiping the expression off of his face in order to appear calm and collected again. "I'm as well as I can be," he signed back, "I have a wife, and a son, and I was welcomed back into the House. For the first time in years, I have a stable life. And you? I heard you have another child." Senat's signing was fast, and concise. It was clear that despite him being well-spoken and articulate, signing was his preferred method of communication.

"Now..thats an entirely fair point there." Vara'l responded, a slight smile allowed to creep into onto his face. The smile one that warmed a bit at what they said next. "I thank Starfleet and before them, the Republic for that." He responded with a smile. "..They've rather helped me to learn how to wear it all well." Vara'l then sipped his tea as he'd started to consider if he should offer food. Something he continued to wonder, even as he'd tried to work out what to say next that'd not ruin the mood. What he'd decided on in the end something, simple. "For what it's worth, I'm..glad that its behind you." He'd managed before he'd decided to add. "Just as certain things are.. behind me to." The Romulan added in reference to some of his behavior. The shock noted, Vara'l decided to not comment on it. No, he instead continued to sign, his sign very similarly fluent. "I'm glad and happy about that and well." He'd signed, also fast and concise himself. "..I'm mostly alright myself, broke a hearing implant recently but bar that I've been fine and" The Romulan the smiled, sipped his tea and signed "I do, an adoptive son Telim, we've achieved a.. stable life here also." (edited)

Speaking of adoptive sons, the deaf 'door announcer' had started to flash its someone at the door pattern then. The announcer having been pressed without anything being said, Telim having been way too engrossed in a sign conversation with the babysitter to remember that the spoken word existed. (edited)

The Republic had made a better man of both of them, it seemed. Senat too would forever be grateful for the opportunity it had granted him in breaking loose from the cage he'd crafted for himself, and rejoin the right side of history. "Time and experience have mellowed us out, it seems," he said, smiling slightly before taking another sip of his tea. He didn't want to ask about the hearing implant, but he guessed it had something to do with the other implants his brother had left over from his time as a Borg drone. He was afraid to bring negative feelings back up, too, potentially ruining the conversation they were having now. "I'm glad life is treating you well, now," he just said. "Were you expecting anyone else?" he asked when the "doorbell" began to flash. He had asked Samekir to prepare Vara'l somewhat for his coming, but he didn't expect that that preparation would have amounted to "bring back-up".

Vara'l nodded at that comment as he'd then proceeded to sign. "Indeed it has.." The Romulan as he signed this, conscious of the fact that his brother likely didn't even know how he'd happened to come by his own hearing implants. A conversation for later, he reckoned...or perhaps later on in this process of reconnection. He didn't know for sure, about that. No, instead of talking about that, he instead signed. "..Thank you brother.. and..I'm glad things are good with you also." His eyes then flicked to the prompter when Senat asked him that. "Only my son, Telim, though if he's arrived now he's early." Vara'l signed in a fairly truthful response. "One moment." He'd then walked over to the door then as he tapped the door button and opened it. One hand behind him as he signed. "I'm half expecting to be tackle hugged, if its Telim.."

The door, as it slid open, revealed a tall for his age young kid. Vara'ls adoptive kid, as the door opened to reveal his dad, breaking into rapidly signed words. That settled on over a tackle hug.. "Heya dad I'm back early, we finished the holodeck program early and I wanted to read and stuff for a bit now!" He declared initially before he hugged his dad. The hug broken from when he spotted Senat and peaked around Vara'l and signed, his own sign fluent. Hello mr, I'm Telim, are you the visitor dad was expecting?" He asked with a smile. "Why do you look a bit like dad?" Telim then signed as he paced slightly closer to them and looked Senat up and down then signed. "You look really like dad." (edited)

Senat watched as his brother and nephew greeted each other. It seemed Vara'l was quite close with his son, predicting the kid's behaviour like that. And, it appeared that Vara'l had taught him to sign. Whatever had messed with his brother's ears, it was bad enough that sign language was apparently a common form of communication in their household. It continued to remind him of his own family. Were he and Vara'l similar in every respect? "Hello Telim," he signed back, impressed with how well the kid was signing. "I am Senat tr'Hara, your father's brother. That would be why we look similar." He spelled out his own name, so the kid would know what his actual name was. "Do we really look that much alike?" he asked, though he knew the answer. Especially with their implants over their eyes and their hearing aids, they looked more similar now than they had ever done before.

A warm smile something that followed his son into the room after they'd hugged, Vara'l turned and watched them and Senat as they signed. When a moments pause arrived in the conversation, the Romulan proceeded to sign to Telim and Senat. "I'll make us all some food while you two talk." That short signed comment followed by movement as he rapidly approached the replicator and kitchen area. Vara'l proceeding to start on food once he arrived there. "What would everyone like?" He signed at another moment when both of their attentions could be drawn. Vara'l then started to move as he prepared the space for food preparation, his movements swift and professional and a completely sincere smile plastered on his face.

Telim started to smile at the revelation that they happened to be his fathers brother. "Its really good to meet you and that does make sense!" The kid signed with a happy smile as he padded over and silently queried if it was alright if he could sit on the couch with them. "And you do!" He signed before he elaborated. "More than just cause of the hearing implants and stuff, you've got similar faces too!" The kid grinned then before as he spotted his dad he signed a request for "Soup please!" Before he turned his focus back to Senat. "I bet dad said I might tackle hug him" He then signed out of the blue. "Wanted to talk more than tackle hug then talk." Telim then twitched as he heard the click of a draw being opened. "Its really good to meet you, hope I didn't interrupt anything" The signed addition in part an attempt by the kid to cover up the fact that he'd twitched at a small sound like that. Something that alongside other small movements, probably was enough to have betrayed that he was audiosensitive like Vara'l once had been. (edited)

Senat honestly didn't know what to ask for. He hadn't expected to be sharing a meal with his brother's family now, though his expectations had been low to begin with. He hadn't wanted to get his hopes up. "Ah, I'll have the same," he just signed, resigning himself to eating whatever Telim fancied. "You're exactly right, he said it the second before he opened the door. It's good to meet you too, Telim. You're not interrupting anything." Senat knew how important it was to reassure kids, having one of his own. You make time for children, no matter how much you have to spare. "Does my brother take good care of you?" Looking at Telim, Senat was pretty sure he did, but he asked the question anyway.

Having noticed their look but also not sure if it was something that should be commented on yet, Vara'l simply nodded once when his brother asked for the same as Telim. The Romulan commencing the preparation of the food after he signed a simple response. "Alright, I shall begin now." Even as he also quietly started on an addition to the meal he happened to remember that his brother had liked back before what had happened happened. "Want some more tea in the meantime?" As he started to work, his food preparation complemented by some replicator use as it always was. The conversation between his brother and Telim allowed to continue for a bit longer. That is, long enough for Senat's question to be responded to, before he proceeded to wave to get his sons attention. "You've got some time before food, if you want to start on some homework or just to get your PADD for a game or too, Telim." He'd informed them.

When Senat signed that, Telim grinned happily a moment and signed back. "Thought so..and I'm glad!" The young teen glanced to his father a moment then glanced back as the other signed their question. "He takes really good care of me and when he has to go do work things he's got a sitter who looks after me" Telim settled onto the couch a moment then as he continued to sign. "They're really nice too, though they're don't always get why hearing so much is hard" The kid's jaw worked a bit then as he then signed and elaborated on that. "They're like dad." Telim signed the sign for deaf or hard of hearing. "But without what dad knows from when he heard as much as I do so like..he knows but he doesn't know from experience but thats fine cause it'd be boring if we were all the same." His gaze then flicked focus to Vara'l before it returned to Senat. "If its okay, I'm gonna go put the stuff from my day out away before dinner, leave you and dad to talk" He'd then signed. "We can talk more during the meal?" (edited)

Senat gave Telim his full attention, only signing a "yes please" to his brother when he offered more tea. He was glad that the kid had a lot of deaf people around him, so he'd be able to communicate clearly with his family. If he had sensitive hearing though, he needed help with that, though Vara'l seemed to be taking good care of him, so he probably already was. "Alright, we'll talk more then," he signed to Telim, watching the boy go before walking up to his brother. "The boy looks healthy and happy. You are doing a good job with him," he signed to Vara'l, fetching his cup of tea as he came to stand close by to converse more comfortably.

Telim grinned warmly when the other signed to him then. "Alright, talk then!" He signed back as he turned and dashed into his room and proceeded on about the process of putting his stuff away.

Vara'l smiled warmly at his son as he watched them go before he turned and smiled at Senat as they walked up to him and fetched the cup of tea he'd made for him. "He is.. and thank you, I've been doing my best, though a lot of its simply expanding on what his mother taught him before she.. passed." He briefly sighed after he signed that, a look of grief likely having betrayed itself for a moment there at least to someone who happened to be his brother. "He's got quite the way with languages, especially sign languages, SSL's not all he's fluent in." Vara'l smiled slightly then. "Suspect he might end up learning more, as he grows up..I'm proud of him." As he then finished the initial prep for the soup, Vara'l then started that going as he turned his focus to what he planned to accompany it. "Just like I'm proud of Tha'ron my first son, I don't know if you'll have heard but Tha'ron completed basic and is a erei'Erein in the Republic Navy now." He signed then, Tha'rons name also finger-spelt out. "He's off on deployment at present."

"It is always a blessing to see our children develop," Senat concurred, signing with one hand. "His eyes shine with cleverness and empathy alike. You should be proud of him." In the short conversation he'd had with Telim, the boy had already betrayed a thoughtfulness that not many parents could boast their child having. Senat liked to think his own son was being raised to be the same way, but still. He nodded as Vara'l told him about Tha'ron, having heard some things but having been more concerned with Vara'l himself as of late. "I'm sure he will serve the Republic well. He's a good man." That was an easy thing to say. The only real "bad" Hara had been himself, before he returned. And while Senat wouldn't want to call himself a good man, what with the many mistakes he had made over the years, he did think he'd made a spectacular comeback from the direction he'd been going in once upon a time.

"It really is." Vara'l signed one-handedly in response, the movement as he signed one that likely conveyed a strong agreement with that. "And I am, deeply proud of him." Vara'l smiled a smile that likely conveyed he happened to be entirely sincere about that. "He's a very good kid." The Romulan then added in sign as he finished the preparation for the soup and turned his focus entirely to what he planned to be the accompliment for that soup. When the subject then turned to Tha'ron, Vara'l smiled slightly then for a moment. "I know he shall...and he is..though I regret that I missed out on a large chunk of his life." He signed before sighing as he paused a moment, his focused turned to a particularly finicky part of the food preparation process for a moment before he resumed signing. "I'm.. deeply proud of the man I know today." That comment followed by another. "With his mothers input he avoided quite a few of the mistakes we both made in our years, I think you'd like him." Vara'l paused then. "Have you.. talked with mother and father yet?" He queried.

"I'm sure you will guide him to become a good man," Senat said, nodding along as Vara'l spoke of Telim. He watched as his brother busied himself with their meal. The moments in which they weren't conversing were still, and he couldn't tell if they were awkward or not. Was their conversation comfortable, or was it stilted and were they both trying to keep it going for each other's sake? "I have spoken to our parents, here and there. They're happy I returned, more than anything, but I find it hard to look them in the eyes. I don't want to remind them of the disappointment I've been." Of course, when he'd returned, Senat had made his rounds. He'd talked to everyone he'd left behind, family he'd not seen all that time. Facing most of them had been fine, if perhaps not easy. But his parents had known him as they had when he was young and too dumb to listen to them, and it was difficult to be around them.

As the Romulan smoothly worked to finish each of the sandwiches that he intended to accompany the food, Vara'l turned to Senat and signed. "Thank you, your words mean a lot." He'd responded, his sign while it lacked the tone on its own to have indicated something about how he happened to feel, coloured by his body language and his facial expression. Coloured to the point that it probably betrayed how Vara'l felt, that he happened..to not be so sure that he himself was a good man and that he happened to be able to help make someone a good man. Somewhat of a hint perhaps at a certain darkness, pain that Vara'l carried now. "I'm happy to hear they're happy to hear from you" Vara'l initially signed before he picked up on what they'd signed next and turned toward them. Turned before he proceeded to sign. "Brother, your every word speaks to how you've changed and how you feel about past things.. your actions do too" The Romulan signed all this with a certain feeling, utterly sincere. "I suspect your presence reminds them why they're proud of what you've made of yourself now..of the person of the parent you've become" As he'd then finished the first of the accompanying sandwiches, Vara'l first verbally said. "Telim, food's ready!" *before he'd then signed. "Mother and father love you.. I love you brother." before he'd proceeded to sign. "I hope..you still like that old sandwich you always asked to be made." As he'd then offered one to Senat. "If not, I'll happily make you whatever you'd prefer.."

Senat lifted his hand as if he were about to sign something, but seemed to think better of it, taking a sip of his tea instead. He looked embarrassed, the tips of his ears going green. "I love you too, brother," he finally signed back, taking the sandwich from Vara'l. He did still like it, actually, and every second Vara'l continued to surprise him by how well he knew him. "I missed you," he confessed, signing hesitantly. "Not- not at the time. But in hindsight, I know it would have been infinitely better if I'd still had you." You never know what you have until you lose it, after all. Senat and Vara'l had rarely got along, as Senat had had many flaws that he refused to work on even when their parents regarded him with sad eyes whenever he spoke. Vara'l had been more spiteful, too, treating him with coldness and defiance. But a while after he'd left for what he thought was for good, he would have done anything to have his brother.

Vara'l noted the others embarrassment and that they'd been about to sign something but.. decided against commenting on it. The Romulan didn't want things to be awkward, he valued the conversation they'd had so far and really wanted to show that spiteful old Vara'l had been left in the past. A past he happened to feel rather bad about. Something that perhaps showed even as he proceeded to set out Telim's soup and sandwich ready for when they emerged from their room and settled his onto the counter away from the food preparation boards and the like. This was something he paused mid way through doing as he spotted their confession and turned. This needed to be provided his full attention, this confession. It deserved it. What was said something he found he agreed with from his perspective too. Things would have been better if Senat had still been in his life. "I missed you too brother." He initially signed, his sign also hesitant. "I know we rarely got along and I'm profoundly sorry about that" Vara'ls jaw worked a bit then. "I was angry, spiteful at the time and stayed that way for a bit." The Romulan trailed off a moment before he then started to sign again. "But as time went on..I looked back and realized how I'd been, worked through it again when I remembered chunks of it after Liberation" Vara'l sighed deeply. "Will you forgive me for my part in all that brother, for how I treated you then?"

Telim briefly entered then.. and as he noticed the two brothers body language, retrieved his food and headed back to his room. He might have been a young kid..but he knew that they seemed to have a old ouch to fix, he wanted to give them space to fix that. After all..old ouches like that kept hurting if they weren't fixed, mom had said as much.

Senat followed Vara'l's words closely, even as Telim came by to get his food. His expression was pinched, and his eyes got misty, though he wouldn't dare let a tear fall. He blinked hard, once, twice, and swallowed the crop in his throat before his eyes were clear again. "Only if you forgive me in turn. For being a hateful, short-sighted and ungrateful man, and for treating you poorly." His sign was steady, though his hands were shaking slightly. It was clear he still didn't know how to deal with things like this, and he'd avoided this kind of confrontation with his family for this very reason. He was simply not familiar with this kind of openness... but he was more than willing to get used to it.

"You've got a deal there, brother" He signed, utterly sincere as his own eyes started to mist while he tried to smile and emotion surprising in its strength surged up within him. Surged up to the point he was forced for a moment to swallow a few times himself as he turned and rubbed his eyes a moment then looked back. "I forgive you.. for your part in all of it." Vara'l looked into his brothers eyes a moment before he then signed again, his gaze utterly sincere in the moment before his eyes misted again and he coughed and turned slightly. "Elements..I missed you brother, even when I lost other memories to the Borg, I remembered that clearly." He moved a little closer to his brother as he looked him over and.. after a moment, turned.. rummaged in a drawer and produced a small pouch. "Ah" He coughed a bit. "I realize that when you left you left one of these behind." He signed one-handedly. "..But in the spirit of new beginnings and given the time of year..would you permit me to offer you a present?" The Romulan queried as he turned and revealed a Hara Broach in its fabric pouch, a pouch marked with Vara'ls smiths mark something that.. indicated he'd made the broach within. He then coughed softly as he tried to keep from tears. "I.. realize we've not talked for so long I don't even know all your likes or dislikes if your fine with hugs or some many other things so..perhaps this and my com code.. can mark the start of new beginnings?" The Romulan signed, also unsure of how one happened to deal with stuff like this. Time in the collective, service in two powers navy's before this one and raising an adopted kid all happened to provide no input on how one dealt with reconnecting with a sibling.

Senat followed every minute movement of Vara'l's hands with his eyes, taking a sip of tea to hide the fact that he struggled to keep his own emotions under control. He'd hoped for a positive reunion when he came this way, had contacted his brother's former CO to prevent being turned away at the door, but this was beyond anything he'd ever expected. "I would," he signed hesitantly as Vara'l slowly revealed the handmade broach. His eyes went wide with clear shock, and his gaze jumped from the broach to Vara'l's face, and back to the broach. "Are you sure?" he asked before he could think better of it, it clearly being an instinctive reaction. Still, he set his cup down and reached out his hands to take the broach to study it closely. "I'm... still not big on hugs," he signed absent-mindedly, still looking at the broach. He never had been a hugger, not as a child and not now. "But for you..." I'll make a million exceptions.

"I am, brother." He confirmed as he handed over the bag with the broach with in it a bag, when opened, revealed a beautifully made metal Hara broach of a design that Vara'l had only ever briefly meddled with when Senat knew him last. An interlocking series of pieces of metal that held within its vine like pieces the Hara Sigil, a Forge hammer and a Hara blade. Both haloed with carefully marked Romulan writing. "I learned the techniques that went following my liberation.." He then trailed off when the other said they happened to still not be big on hugs. "..I understand that brother.." When the other then proceeded to say what they then said, Vara'l opened his arms slightly as he offered them a hug. "..If you'll permit me then, brother." He then asked softly, the words his way of providing an out even as he offered them that hug. It wouldn't have felt right at all if he'd just moved in for a hug like that, not with what he did happen to remember about his brother. He'd given as good as he'd gotten, bullying and the like wise, he reckoned he knew that one for certain. "A singular exception, if it helps it'll probably also let Telim ah.. know we've got to a point where..he could come out and eat sat on the couch, pretty sure he's been giving us space to talk.."

Senat stepped into the hug, grasping Vara'l firmly and lingering for a few seconds. He let go slowly, coughing into his hand to hide any and all awkwardness he felt. The tips of his ears were green, though, betraying him. He'd never been good at hiding his emotions, the black sheep of the family in that regard as well. "Yes, uhm. Let's all eat together," *he signed quickly, before busying his hands by picking up his cup of tea with the hand that was holding the bag with the broach, the other picking up his plate. Then he moved down to the living room, intent on following through on what he told his brother. *

The Romulan continued to hug them until he felt them letting go when he withdrew and allowed them to back off. Vara'l's feelings of self conscious embarrassment at the fact the other had likely detected thanks to the hug his many implants and the signs of his old injuries around that area. Overwhelming evidence that he happened to be an xB. Something that profoundly embarrassed part of him still. Embarrassed him in a way the holes he still happened to feel within his memory * "Aye..lets" *He signed back as he smiled before he then picked up his own cup and food then started toward the living room. Once he arrived there he then gestured to the couch as he suggested sitting down and then..as he noticed Telim still happened to not be out, turned and proceeded to say. "Telim, wanna come out and join us?" He asked simply before he settled down onto the couch.

Telim then headed out then when his father called, his food clasped in one hand and his coffee clapsed in the other. His hands occupied as they were he beelined for the couch without signing and looked to the two adults, as he positioned himself so both could lipread. That is if his adoptive dads brother was one of the ones who was fine with that sort of thing. He happened to know some weren't and given they happened to also have implants like his adoptive dad and the fact they talked fine he knew the other could hear at least something. "Heya, please can I join you both on the couch?" He asked then as he looked to them both then with a look that happened to be understanding in its own way even if he didn't happen to understand everything that adults understood.

"Yes, yes, of course," Senat signed back, "Come sit, Telim." It wouldn't do to let the poor kid stand while they ate, and it was his home that Senat had intruded into. He took a bite of his sandwich as he watched the boy sit down to join them, and he was sure that conversation would resume soon, though he wasn't sure what to talk about. The significant emotional unloading of just a few moments earlier left him slightly off-kilter, unsure of himself. He was sure someone would come up with something, though. Telim at least seemed like the sort of kid who always had a question or thought (or three) ready.

The kid smiled in thanks when Senat indicated he could sit and proceeded to sit down and join the two adults. Joined them as he snuggled into his dad and proceeded to ask. "Mr Senat... please can I ask you a question.. or uh questions?" The kid asked as they ate and watched Vara'l and Senat with eyes that while young seemed to contain in their depths the edge of experience that spoke to younger years spent somewhere where the Tal Shiar held sway. "I promise to not ask about the hurtie you two are working on fixing or the forgetting thing, promise!" The kid then added as he continued to occasionally eat. "Just really wanna ask something." He'd then paused before he'd then added. "Alsoooo if your dad's brother, does that mean you're kinda like my adoptive Uncle?" The Kids query made in between the consumption of food as the thought struck the kid and he just asked the question as it arrived in his mind. Asked it as he continued to use his dad as a cushion, relaxed despite the occasional twitched indication of a sensitivity to noise.

The Romulan moved a bit to allow his son onto the couch and, as they snuggled up against them, allowed them to as he ate. Vara'l eating for a moment before he set his food down carefully and proceeded to wrap an arm around his son as they lent on him. The arm a calming one as, as his son twitched in a gesture he hoped was calming. The gesture only probably slightly effected when his son proceeded to say 'forgetting thing' the twitch from that probably enough to betray that it happened to be a...thing.

Senat wasn't blind, and he could hear fine with his hearing aids. He noticed how Vara'l jumped at the forgetting thing and he was curious, but he wouldn't ask. Anything Vara'l wanted to share with him was more than enough. "Ask away, Telim," he signed one-handedly. At the question, he took a bite, taking a second to answer. "Well, if you want me to be. If you're not alright with that, I don't have to be. You don't really know me, after all. You shouldn't be forced to call me family." Senat didn't ask his own son to call his entire family family either. If he didn't want to be family to someone he didn't have to be. Kids deserved their boundaries respected, and Telim was no different.

"Thank you a-aaaannnd " Telim had then proceeded to trail off for a moment then. "I'd be okay with calling you uncle!" The kid then declared softly "But only if you're okay with it and after more talking and stuffff." He'd then paused as he fixed the other with a deeply analytical look then proceeded to say. "But uh likeee, you don't know me yet and you're just reconnecting with your wider family and stuff a-and you gotta be kinda hurtie right now and stuff soo.. I'd understand if you don't want me to call you that yet either...dunno how to say that moree better." He trailed off then, unsure as he considered the words spoken how to further outline what he wanted to say in regards to that side of things, the kid instead as he considered a bit, turning to another point he'd previously touched on in a kids attempt to hide that he happened to be unsure what else to say on that front. "..I wanted to ask, do you work for the same people dad did before he transferred to the Starfleet?" He signed as he queried that before he continued. "A-and I also kinda wanted to ask, did dad really get a farm animal to eat his homework and book when he was my age?" He asked then. "Its just, grandma said dad did but dad's not sure about it."

Vara'l remained as he was for most of the conversation before, when Telim proceeded to first say he was game with calling Senat Uncle and.. then qualified that with something that sounded remarkably to him like the kid had identified a good part of the hurt, looked to his son in a quietly contemplative manner. There'd the kid had gone with.. a care and a understanding of how someone happened to feel that surprised him, especially when he compared the Telim of now to the Telim of when he'd first arrived. The Telim who'd left him to do the talking, who'd been deeply shy in more than a few situations. He happened to feel..very happy that the kid had changed a bit. A happiness that remained for a bit..before the other commented about his not being sure about something like that. Something he'd been informed had happened during a time he'd...really been anti-homework in some respects. A fact that caused him to sign, the admission..accompanied by...a pained look. "I'll admit..I ah." He paused before he signed more. "...Lost some time, thanks to the Borg, though I've..happily managed to retrieve most of it..I believe."

Senat had... forgotten, that people who'd been Borg tended to have memories lost. It wasn't like he knew a million people who had been Borg at one point, though of course they weren't exceedingly rare, especially with the recent incursion into the Alpha and Beta Quadrants a few years ago. Still. he hadn't considered that his brother would have lost parts of himself that way, too. He didn't respond to Vara'l, not knowing how to, and so just shot his brother a sad look. "In my memory, we worked mostly on computers, which are difficult for farm animals to eat. However, I'm sure he would've found a way. Neither of us were too fond of school." To say that was an understatement would be an understatement of itself. "And, you can call me uncle if you want. I gave you the choice for a reason, nephew," he told Telim more directly. "I have done some work for the Republic Navy, though I'm not currently an officer. I," he hesitated, not wanting to talk down on Telim or lie to the kid, but also considering the fact that his employment situation might be too complicated to accurately talk about it with Telim. How do you explain that you occcasionally help rat out the people you worked with for decades to the only people in Romulan space who could help you get out of that situation? "I don't think I can explain what kind of work I do while keeping it age-appropriate, kid. But I work with some of the same people, yes."

"I don't remember all the reasons I had for that but from what I do remember or have otherwise been told.. I suspect you're right." He'd said before he'd then proceeded to add. "I'm not sure what else to say about that..yet in all honesty." He paused as his jaw worked a bit. "..I'm still working through it, if that makes sense?" The Romulan added before he then signed. "From what I've been told of it all, I suspect that this is something that..shouldn't be gone into until he's older." *Vara'l mused then before he then proceeded to look to Telim as he watched them and listened to his brother speak. The man as he considered things like that and what he'd revealed, how much he had forgotten, both interested in what the other'd said about their school time and what the other happened to then say about the Romulan Republic.

When Senat proceeded to say that he could call them Uncle, Telim smiled softly and proceeded to say. "Alright...Uncle!" He responded with a smile before he then added. "And thank you!" The kid then lapsed into silence as he then listened to what they had to say about what they did, their eyes fixed on Senat as the other explained as best they could what they happened to do for work and then actually admitted it when they reached a point they weren't comfortable with sharing with someone his age. Something that not everyone he'd talked to had happened to do about their work. "That's cool annnnd I understand uncle, there's some stuff that kids my age aint really meant to hear about, thank you for your answer!" His smile warm and sincere before he then asked. "Please can I hug you?" Paused and then added the further query. "Also also also, one day if you and dad meet and stuff, could I get to say hi to your kid and your family?" A pause then followed with a comment. "It's alright if it wouldn't be, cause like your both just starting on fixing the hurtie and stuff.."

Senat opened his arms slightly for Telim, not wanting to deny the kid a hug this once. He seemed to be a touchy one, and children would always be an exception to most of his rules. From what he'd seen before, he half expected the boy to launch at him. "I'm sure we can facilitate our families meeting at some point. My son is a social boy, he won't mind at all to meet you." That would at least be a good excuse to come back at some point, or perhaps to get Vara'l and Telim back to Mol'Rihan. Their parents wouldn't mind seeing the two either, and Senat would find it much less difficult to face them if Vara'l was there as well.

Telim, while normally someone would have launched at the other when granted permission to hug, also had picked up on more than a few things while he conversed with Senat and while he'd just focused on eating. These things had if anything caused the kid to think that the other would probably appreciate it if he happened to just..hug them, not launch and hug them. So thats what he did, he slipped a bit closer to them as he listened to them speak and hugged them. "Thank you... and Yay!" He responded initially as he grinned happily "It'd be really nice to meet them!"

"Aye.. I'm sure we can facilitate that." Vara'l had agreed when his brother had responded as they did, before he'd warmly smiled at their other words and how his son had reacted to them. The sight of his son as they'd grinned as they had one that never failed to cause him to improve his mood. "I suspect we'll also encounter each other at the next house get together, should it intersect with my next shore leave." He'd added then, his words also a silent offer as he uttered them to be there if he could next time his brother faced their parents. [D] The trio conversed further as they ate, their meal turning into a long dinner as they talked, ate and enjoyed each others company as the brother's cemented the start of that process of reconnection and committed to continuing to work to mend the bridges between them and Telim enjoyed his time with his new uncle. When the time came for the trio to part company, Vara'l indicated Senat had a open invite to come visit whenever he wanted and committed to getting that meeting between the families worked out and the group parted on good terms. All the happier for having reunited or in Telims case for having discovered he had another uncle.

Bugged by memories that taunted him with visions of PADDs of art and the occasional paper drawing that remained just out of the reach of understanding, Vara'l returned to his quarters once he'd finished his paperwork. He had started another break upon its ending and had decided to spend it in meditation as he attempted to hunt the scraps of memory he had related to that. Attempted to do so after he fired off a message about it to family, just in case he failed. Once he arrived at his quarters he'd entered and made his way to his own room, Telim happened to be at school for a little bit longer and the babysitter picked them up today. He had time, he reckoned as he' stepped inside his room and proceeded to retrieve a small Vulcan style meditation matt. Settling down on it as he retrieved a PADD from the side of his bed and called up messaging app then set the addressee as his mother, the Matriarch.

To: Matriarch tr'Hara From: Vara'l tr'Hara Mother, I hope you're keeping well, I wanted to reach out further to take you up on a offer you made some time ago about being willing to answer queries about my past should more arise, given my memory. Another memory has arrived without much context to it and I was hoping you'd be able to enlighten me mother as to what it was. I've been remembering bits and pieces of things about drawings, on PADDs mainly, in what might be described either a Surrealist style at points or as portraiture of art according to the preferences of the realist art movement. People, places, items. Was I ever someone who engaged in drawing and the like, or would these be memories of galleries you took us to? Have a good day, Vara'l P.S thank you for the gift you sent Telim recently following his test successes, he really liked it.

11:05

Once he'd written the message, Vara'l commenced the initial stages of a period of meditation and allowed himself to loose himself in thoughts and memories as he attempted to put what a Vulcan had once taught the Borg they'd just liberated, to good good use.

Though it took him longer before he'd obtained the state of calm he'd attempted to reach for, the turbulent sea of his mind something that had resisted calming as guilt worked against mental discipline, the Romulan eventually reached the state he wanted. Lost in thoughts and memories as he'd analysed and considered the patchwork memory of a time before 3 of 10, considered the person he had been and where what he remembered would have slotted in to the puzzle. Considered such even as part of him almost growled within him as it cried out in protestation at time wasted in a search for something of the past, its irrelevant nature something that surely, it had argued, justified its consignment to being discarded to join what was taken in being lost. An argument he'd reacted to as it surfaced and was actively considered, mulled over with a detached consideration before he'd decided that while it might have been irrelevant to a Borg, he considered this relevant data. He wanted to remember, he wanted to know this. ''We' may be Borg.. but we're also Romulan', his mind had whispered. Whispered as he remembered something. Remembered a young hand, a hand that had oh so wanted to mess with the pencil, who'd wanted to move to do something to just release the pressure of being somewhere full of people somewhere loud. Remembered a older caring hand on a PADD, elation as this thing bled stress away in a joy at seeing mental image translated by pen movement into something there, on a screen. A memory that came in shattered fits and starts as it had declared itself to him and been mulled over. Was it even just one memory? Was it real or just something patched up by a mind that had wanted to pick up the pieces? These were things he'd wondered as he'd meditated. Before he was distracted when his PADD had pinged with a response notification. A ping that dragged him out of that state as he'd turned and picked up the PADD, had called the message up on screen.

11:30

To: Vara'l tr'Hara From: Matriarch tr'Hara Hello Vara'l, I am very happy to hear Telim liked his gift, I remembered he'd liked such things when he was a mite younger and had said he'd wanted it. It seemed a good gift, as a result. As to your query you did draw when you were a mite younger, I don't know if it was something you continued after you elected to enlist but the memory might be something related to your drawing prior to then if it wasn't something you continued. Hope that helps with it and happy to hear something else has returned to you. Have a good day, your father says hello. Enoae

Vara'l had smiled when he'd finished reading the message.. then moved up and off his matt as he had considered the memory and the message and then started to mull over what else he wanted to do with his day. (edited)

Some time after that initial communication chain, days having passed with the memory considered again and again, Vara'l returned home with his son to a surprise. The PADD he used for personal messages showing as he'd entered and looked about the flashed pattern of lights he preferred over a audio cue as it had indicated to his wandering eyes that he happened to have a message. A message he had eventually settled down to read once Telim was fed and had himself settled down to do homework then to enjoy a PADD game. The message something that hadn't been..as urgent as others might have been, after all it arrived on his personal PADD and hadn't been indicated as urgent. As he opened the message, Vara'l had found himself surprised as he'd noticed that the sender happened to be his mother. Why would they send him a message then, he'd wondered as he'd spotted that, the next expected message froom them being expected in a few days time. His curiosity satisfied quickly as his eyes flicked to the subject matter.

To: Vara'l tr'Hara From: Enoae t'Hara Subject: Re: Art when you were younger. Hello Vara'l, Further to our previous discussion, I feel I should say, I looked through some of your old stuff after you sent your query and have recently located two of your old art PADDs. As such I wanted to reach out to ask if you'd like me to send you copies of the work on them, if that may be helpful. Hope you're having a good day, Enoae.

Seeing that, Vara'l considered their offer for a few moments before he'd then selected the compose message option and had started work on a message of his own. Once which, when he completed it, he dwelled on for a moment before he then settled on what he wanted to do with it..and had pressed send.

12:00

To: Enoae t'Hara From: Vara'l tr'Hara Subject: Re: Re: Art when you were younger. Hello Mother, Thank you for your message, I would love that, be it helpful or just so I can have a look over it all. I.. think I remember art being something that I liked considerably. Thank you again and please send all my best to the family and father, Telim says hello and that he sends hugs. Vara'l

Vara'l was half way through working through a maths problem with Telim when the next message arrived. The message being ignored for a time as he'd worked through the problem with Telim, only being turned to when Telim finally started to understand the question and had then indicated they were okay with it now. The Padd retrieved from the table it had been left on as he'd reactivated the screen and called up the message. The message exactly what he'd expected, as he read it, the message received being from his mother.

To: Vara'l tr'Hara: From: Enoae t'Hara Hello Vara'l, Please find attached below the PADD data, I've done my best to ensure its sorted by date so you've a idea of what are you did when, thought that may assist with identifying the context for some images and otherwise gaining more info from the others. I've also attached a copy of an updated PADD drawing program, its an updated version of the one you used in your use. [Two large files attached, one program attached] They all are very happy to hear from you, your cousins are looking forward to seeing you at the next family get together. They all say hello and wish you well. Enoae.

Vara'l spent some time after he recieved that message as he downloaded the files and the program and then settled in as he started to look over the art of a person from long ago. A person who had eventually been assimilated on the Arrenhe.

Having managed to take a break in his room after he'd completed alot of paperwork, Vara'l settled into his chair in his private part of his and his sons quarters and allowed himself to rest. A compact regeneration device for his implants carefully placed to ensure his comfort as he allowed himself a nap and a recharge. Rested his body into the chair as he activated the device and closed his eyes, forced his mind to start to calm as sleep. Sleep that was hopefully set to be dreamless in its silent half bliss that such sleep of the sort he hoped for these days. As his eyes slipped closed and he started to nap and regenerate then as he, happily initially, dropped into what started as a dreamless sleep. A sleep that remained dreamless for a brief time before he then as his body started to twitch as it moved in the chair.. he started to dream. Started to dream a dream that fast turned into something else, something nightmare like as booted feet had arrived with a dream muddled clunk onto the deck of a vessel that lived on now only in memories. The silvered in places grey-green hull of the Arrenhe, of that ship. TW: Nightmare. Silence reigned as a he briefly glanced and caught the signal from his 'contact man', remembered pain mixed with the profound silence that came of being deafened. "Contact Immanent front, Borg." The signal had declared in the moment before he'd signed and had ordered his force into position. "Prepare for contact, we'll survive this." Raised his rifle and watched red lines cut through the darkness of the corridor ahead of him. Watched them and..fired.. fired into the mass of Borg. At...those who had fallen under his command that fateful last stand he'd realized with a start.. as he'd stopped firing. As one of them charged up to him and snarled at him. Howled accusations at him. 'You Lied, you lied!' the voices had screamed.. before he'd snapped awake, lathered in sweat.

19:14

As he'd panted, fully awake, Vara'l had glanced around and taken a moment. Taken a moment as he'd recovered, as he'd blanked the 'Regeneration incomplete' warning that chimed in his hearing implant and proceeded to stand. Standing up before he'd then stumbled to the shower, paused to pull off the regeneration aid, it left discarded on the floor, before he'd entered it. By the time he'd then departed the shower, it was almost time for his next shift. By the time he departed his quarters.. all evidence of what had occurred had been mostly eradicated. That is.. except for the regenerator that still occasionally pinged its 'regeneration incomplete' warning to nobody in particular even after Vara'l departed. (edited)

Sometime after the nightmare incident and having started to feel a bit like he'd only partially charged his implants, Vara'l elected to stop back off at his quarters briefly. The Romulan slipping inside, report clasped in one hand as he'd started to search for the regeneration aid, as he called it. A search that dragged on for a while on account of the fact it happened to not be where he'd expected it to be as he'd simply discarded it onto the floor. When he'd then checked the screen and discovered it displayed what he'd half expected, Vara'l scowled to himself as he'd softly uttered. "Elements." Exasperated at himself as he picked it up, settled into his chair and resumed the interrupted regeneration cycle. This time he'd see the cycle completed he resolved to himself, even if it meant.. dreams of a sort he profoundly disliked. Such inefficient things, dreams, especially of the sort he'd experienced as of late. A repackaging of memory and constructions of the mind clumped together into something that pushed the heart into racing and interrupted sleep. Interrupted regeneration. There was a time when that hadn't been something risked.. or at least something experienced alone. Not one, but part of the many. There were sometimes he missed that, in a way. A thought he tried not to dwell on as his regeneration cycle completed, the device removed and stowed again before he departed from the room and resumed his duties.

Vara'l entered his quarters quietly and after he then recorded a personal log, turned to his replicator and ordered. "Belgian Waffles, platter of six, honey and cream with assorted berries." Once the replicator fulfilled the request, Vara'l picked up the platter and started to eat. As he started to eat, he attempted to clear his mind of some.. painful memories that had danced about his mind and attempted to focus on the good memories. An attempt that didn't go entirely well as his mind called up memories of a time he'd jokingly played capture the flag with old friends of his. Remembered and sighed. * *Sighed for a moment before he, with a effort of will..pushed back the memory. Pushed it back and tolerated only the better memories. The painful memories unaddressed, irrelevant.. in the past. Even so, as he remembered something he'd promised Telim, Vara'l pulled out a PADD and proceeded to send off a request for a counselling session.

Some time after a Counselling session on another issue, Vara'l returned to his quarters with a comment from the counsellor stuck in his mind. Something about how he avoided parts of who he had been, for varying reasons. Or well, avoided re-learning what he'd lost, he honestly suspected like his counsellor had that certain memories had been removed from his mind in a way that couldn't be repaired. Part of his memory function modified, in some ways impaired, by the collective. He'd..found he considered some parts of his past best lost for now, the prospect of the inclusion of what he'd been back at certain times something that hadn't appealed when one considered how he'd been around those times. Considered what might have contributed to what might have caused, the anger that had laid foundations for what had then split the brothers apart, foundations that they'd only just started to break through. Started to replace with something better, with reconcilation. However, while he'd found that.. he'd also come to the decision that..some other parts of his part weren't things he wanted to stay lost. Hobbies and things, old loves.. old joys. He'd already revived his art making, though he'd been forced to accept that he and Vara'l prior to Assimilation happened to have two different styles. But well... there were other things he'd really explored about his past. About his heritage at least not in a way he felt that mattered. Smithing something that happened to be one of those things. So..as he entered his quarters, Vara'l picked up a PADD and queued up a message to send home. A message that he hoped best explained what he wanted. That he wanted to work off the rust, wanted to smith again in a more Haran way. To make more than just small trinkets. After he looked the message over once, he proceeded to press send and then placed the PADD down. "Vara'l lunch pre-set Alpha one, hot." He'd then requested as he'd turned his focus to other matters.