Star Trek: Eventide 777

Karvak sat in his quarters with some baked goods he made in his oven. Cookies and a pumpkin pie, the only two present but there were many choices of cookies. The Romulan liked his sweets.

James buzzed the door to Karvaks quarters.

"Come in! Computer, keep the doors open..." He commanded, the doors sliding open and staying there. He looked at the newcomer and smiled kindly. "Ah, Lieutenant. Hello! How are you?"

James walked in with a bright smile on his face. He gave a quick and respectful nod towards Karvak as he responded. “I’m doing fantastic! How about you?”

"Very well, very well. I wished to meet some people... another ops fellow... and this seemed like a good way of doing it. Venturing outside of my social comfort zone," he replied, smiling. "So, we have... c-c-cookies. Lemon, peanut butter, chocolate chip, and... well... have a look for yourself. Allergic to anything?" He asked curiously.

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He shook his head as he looked around the quarters. My.. they were a bit larger than his own. But hey! He earned it. “Ohhh those all sound amazing! Can’t wait to try them.” he then shook his head. “Nope, no allergies here!”

A small, fuzzy creature darted into the room and hid behind James’ legs. It was only about knee height, and was shaped like a raptor. It watched the door with what can only be described as a troublesome smirk, showing off blunted, round teeth, and carrying a hyperspanner in its claws.

He went to speak again, picking up a cookie and biting into it before seeing this unusual fuzzy creature. He furrowed his brow and just looked, wondering if James would notice or not. "Hmm..." He hummed, taking another bite of the cookie.

James eyes immediately went to the creature. Ah, he backed up slightly and then he stopped just as the thing hid behind his legs. “Oh?”

It looked up at him and pressed a claw to its lips in a shhhhhh motion, waving its tail.

James just looked at the creature with a curious smirk on his face; he then immediately went to look at Karvak.

He shrugged and just looked at it, still confused but intrigued.

“I swear, I’ll turn you into the world’s fuzziest can opener!” There was a skidding sound of rubber on carpet as Hop came speeding down the hall and turned sharply, nearly tipping her chair over. “Hiding behind my superiors, eh? Ya little coward! Fave me man to robot!” She demanded when she spotted the fluffy thing behind James. Sweetums peeked out to stick its tongue out at her. Hop puffed up her cheeks in frustration, then let it all out in a sigh. “I give up! Beaten by my own creation! What a way to go!” She slumped in her chair and held a wrist to her forehead dramatically. The fuzzy robot, Sweetums, did a little victory dance and held up its little claw to James for a high five.

James looked curious at the little… robot? He kneeled down and gave it a high five anyways before looking at the Ensign. “Hello!”

"Hello there. Little machine run away from ya?" He asked with a soft chuckle, assessing the tiny robot with his eyes himself before looking at Hopper. He scratched the side of his face and sighed himself, finishing his cookie off as he saw the scene. Cute little robot.

“He’s meant to be a companion, but I can’t stand him! He acts like a 3 year old!! He even told me I’m not his mother once! I made him!!” She explained as she came into the room. “My name’s Hop. Sorry! That was a bit rude of me to barge in here like that. What are your names?” Sweetums handed James the hyperspanner and went for the cookies.

James took the hyperspanner and looked at it curiously before looking up at the Ensign. "Why hello, Hop! I'm James." he chuckled with a smile. "He's very adorable; I'm sure he'll mature with age." he gave another smile as he eyed the robot.

"Karvak. Keventh Karvak. It's all good, you were invited after all... A pleasure to meet you, Hop. How's it going?" He asked, looking at the little robot going for the cookies. He smirked and blinked curiously. "He can't eat, can he?"

“It’s nice to meetcha too! And no, he can’t eat, but he can hoarde, and he’s very good at it. Sweetums, you know better.” She scolded gently. The robot crossed its arms and pouted, sticking it’s tongue out at her. “I’m an engineer. What do you guys do?”

"I'm the c-c-c-chief of operations on the ship. I work the transporters, comms... and do minor adjustments on the transporters," Karvak replied, stuttering again. He picked up another cookie and bit into it, pulling up a schematic on his PADD. He showed it to Hopper, the whole transporter layout and bluish highlighted areas. He seemed to be the one that maintained them as well out of his own volition over having his subordinates do it.

”I’m the communications officer!” he said excitingly. “looks like we’re all in similar fields.”

“Ooo! We studied transporter systems last semester!” Hop said, studying the schematics as she got a peanut butter cookie. “Is comms fun?”

“Indeed. I’m the telephone operator, so to speak. I look at the systems and make sure they function properly. How did you find transporter systems?” Karvak asked curiously, picking up another cookie for himself.

“Honestly? A little boring. I mean, I like working with the tech, but maintaining a system that’s already been built so many times over, it’s just a little…. boring! No offense?” She replied, “I’d rather use a transporter system to build something new! Like a spybot that can walk through walls! Or maybe a medical device that puts food into people who can’t eat! I liked learning about all the repair bypasses, though. That was fun!”

"Indeed, it's always good to innovate and make new things. I maintain the old systems that would take some effort to improve... effort and sure weighing in... hmm..." He yawned softly and looked at his watch. "Grab as many sweets as you can hold."

“Is it late already?” She asked, glancing at the clock on her PADD Sweetums had taken the Lieutenant’s word quite literally, beginning to grab cookies and stuff them into his chest panel, which he had opened.

"I sleep like a big baby. Nine or so hours a night... it's eight and I like getting up at around five for my breakfast. Also need to see about meeting my superiors... fun stuff. Suppose your robot will dispense the sweet treats later..." Karvak replied with a yawn. "You should get a watch so you can simply look at your wrist... don't understand why everyone is glued to the PaDDs these days..."

“Oh, I do have a watch. I just forget to put it on. I don’t use my PADD much anyway. I just have it in case I need help and COMMS are down.” She replied cheerfully. She gave Sweetums a pointed look that meant: don’t be greedy. “Thanks for the cookies! It was wonderful to meetcha!”

"You as well, Ensign. You as well. I..." He scooted out without another word, heading somewhere else presumably.

[D]Whenever Karvak returned to his quarters he would find a neatly wrapped blue box with the words 'To a most fascinating Romulan. I hope you enjoy the contents of this box, and merry Christmas to you as well!' written on a sticky note and pasted on the top.

He was simply at his small stove cooking up French toast for himself, in a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt for his off-duty ensemble. He had just slept very well and felt very good. As for his quarters, they were neatly made up. Not a speck was out of place and no dust rested on his shelves. His bed was made meticulously, edges tucked underneath the mattress and pillows tucked in as well. He had a couch facing a small holo-TV and a white cover on the couch, tucked in well too. An opening was present, however... the dining table. He needed a dining table. "Here we are... almost done... made a bit too much though..." He said, scratching the side of his face. His father was coming later in the afternoon- romulan blood father that he formed a strong bond with. But now it was the present... and he was waiting for his table to arrive.

Renakir looked down at his PADD as his eyes scanned the room numbers. He didn't even bother to check the name before he got there, but once he did he realised. Aylek, he let out a heavy sigh as he mentally prepared himself for this encounter. Why was it always Romulans, he had nothing against his countrymen, but he was suspicious. When he visited the science lab he was told to talk to the Romulan officer (despite a more superior Vulcan officer on duty) and now he was delivering furniture for the latest Romulan crew member. Alright maybe this was just the second time, but Renakir's brain weaved conspiracy theories like rent was past due. Another deep inhale through his nose and a moment of silence. He chimed the buzzer and awaited a response.

He opened the doors, looking at the one that was supposed to deliver his furniture. He blinked once he realized who it was- the reman/romulan acquaintance from the holodeck and lift. He smiled slightly and stepped aside. "Please, come in and have a rest. How are you, Renakir?" He asked in a pleasant tone, being himself as always. Polite and proper to a human standard; he wished to make the man comfortable oblivious of how he thought.

As soon as the doors opened, he could smell something cooking. Why were people always eating when he came by? This was the fourth time in the past week. Well, seeing how this person was a fellow Romulan, he may be able to side step any food offers. Renakir took note of the other's smile, an earth custom. Romulans only smiled to each other if there was a plot-- wait, was this a plot? Conspiracy theories aside, his face remained neutral as he stepped into the other's quarters. Like a good Romulan he scanned the room, looking for any potential hazardous items or anything suspicious. It was immaculate, although the man had just arrived so it would be a surprise if his quarters were already trashed. Still, the tidiness was impressive. His attention went to the man's bed, the sheets perfectly tucked. They only needed to sleep every few days so it wasn't like they had to make their bed every day. This quick scan of the room may have taken two whole paragraphs for the roleplayer to type, however Renakir achieved this feat in just under a few seconds, impressive. "I cannot rest, I am on duty. You have submitted a request for a dining table, is that correct?“ Satok may have been speaking casually, but Renakir was on duty. He was not trying to be curt, but it certainly came out like that. "And I am doing fine. And you?" He almost forgot to answer the man's question, human socialisation and customs were lost on him. 'How are you?' and the like were very strange questions to this Romulan-raised Romulan-Reman boy. What was even weirder was the response was almost always 'I'm fine' lest one wanted to divulge their actual emotional status. Which was frowned upon in most contexts.

"Oh, just had a few nightmares last night and overslept, but it's no biggie. I have a request for a dining table- I can assist you with lifting it and bringing it in. Breakfast is also ready... and I figured that I would invite you to it. It's filling food yet healthy, good for us," he said. Satok looked out the door to see if the table was sitting in the hallway, wishing to bring it in to dine on. Upon a second glance, family photos sat on the small table sitting next to where this dining table would go. Most showed Satok, a taller romulan, standing among a family of humans that were all shorter than him. One showed the older human woman hugging him... though there were a few before that next to those that showcased a short blonde human woman in Satok's place. She was smiling like crazy as well... one could learn a ton about him from his pictures.

The other's response came as a surprise to him, he thought-- Well, this Romulan was unique in that he was raised by a human family. He took note about the nightmares and the oversleeping, but did not respond when he heard it. Satok was going to have a lot to learn if he ever wanted to integrate into Romulan society. Divulging such information so casually, it sounded like he was wishing for an early grave. "I will be transporting the table so there should not be any need for assistance, please show me the location you would like the table," Renakir said as he looked back down at his PADD and pressed a few buttons. Although he had his eyes focused on his PADD, he wouldn't be a good Romulan if he didn't steal a couple more glances at the room around him. Family photos immediately caught his eyes. He really was raised on earth, Renakir thought as the gears in his head began to turn. He was familiar with the human custom of keeping photos of family members, although the cultural practice was still alarming to him. Especially growing up as a mixed child, in many ways you could say Renakir's existence was seen as a crime by the Free State. Such photos would have gotten him killed. Reminding himself that he was not on Rator III nor Mol'Rihan, Renakir thought about how to best reject Satok's invitation for breakfast. He usually accepted, but that was dealing with aliens, but Satok was a fellow Romulan. "I'm afraid I cannot eat whilst on duty, it would be improper. However I do not have any problems if you would like to eat seeing as you are currently off duty."

"You can eat on duty, Renakir. If you insist, however. I will not eat in front of someone else in the same room as I unless they eat with me- that is called hospitality. There is enough for two," he replied, sighing softly. He felt uncomfortable about eating in front of another that had no food, truth be told. He pointed towards a spot on the floor for the table, a chalk line present in a rectangular shape already present. "There, have it transported there," *he instructed.&

Now this was a difficult position to be in. He thought a simple 'no' would suffice and the other could go about his breakfast, but it seemed like he was too stuck on his earth customs. Hospitality, the French had a similar custom, but honestly he would rather not think about all the ’lovely dinners' he had in France. He didn't show his feelings on his face, in fact, he proceed with his work calmly, his shoulders and posture relaxed. A few beeps and whirls from his PADD and the new table was transported successfully. Renakir did a couple of visual checks as well as knocked on the top and bottom to make sure all the parts were in place. It was stable and looked quite nice in the space. "Please confirm this table is to your standards," He instructed as he took a step back so he could allowed Satok to examine the table for himself. As he stood back, he took some more time to observe his surroundings and formulate a proper response to the other's invitation. "I suppose I can indulge in the earth custom,” It was not worth putting up a fight about and truth be told he didn't eat breakfast that day and he was quite hungry,

"Table is certainly to my standards. It works well with me! Thanks a bunch," he said, taking two plates out of the replicator. He plopped two slices of French toast on Renakir's plate, then two on his own. He grabbed a cover for the new table, whipping it out sideways before pulling it over the new dining table. He tucked the ends and worked quickly and efficiently, the blue cover protecting the wooden masterpiece from being stained. He placed four placemats on the table- then Renakir's dish and his own on two of the mats. He placed syrup in a glass dispenser in the middle- then some butter as well. He replicated two bacon bits and a flower as well, placing the flower in the center of the table to top off the look. It had been a while since he had anyone over to cook for. "Here is your meal, delicious and tasty. Back when I was a human girl-," he stopped immediately, biting his lip. He let that slip. He pointed at Renakir's dish... "I... hope you like it," he said in a more hushed tone, hoping to distract his slip with the good-smelling food.

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"That is sufficient," Renakir said as he clicked a few buttons on his PADD to confirm that he had completed the job successfully. He watched as Satok set the table. Placemats, table cloth, everything. It was really bringing him back to France and all those memories. They weren't exactly the fondest of memories, Renakir was struggling to be as human as possible during those years, but he would be lying if he said it was a completely dreadful experience. He took note in the care that Satok put into the table setting. If they were on Mol'Rihan he would have thought Satok was setting the stage for an assassination with how delicate he handled each item. But they weren't on Mol'Rihan. They were two Starfleet officers having a casual meal together. Renakir took a seat and was about to make a comment about the food when-- Back when I was a human girl, oh, what was this? The gears in his mind began turning again and soon everything clicked. The family photos, the girl, the human attitude. Renakir could not just let this one slide. "So, Satok," He took a deep breath and looked straight at Satok in the eyes. Of course, with his sunglasses, Satok probably couldn't even see his eyes. "I would like to hear this story, how did a human girl become a Romulan boy?" It was rare that he was this direct with his questions, but he had to know. Unfortunately for Satok, this only made Renakir's suspicions grow. As he waited for a response, Renakir pulled out what looked like a pack of gum from his pocket. He pulled out a white strip and gently ran it across the top of both pieces of French toast.

He sat down himself, cutting the food with the side of his fork. He sighed and blinked slowly, looking down at his own food. He glanced up at the sunglasses, however. "It isn't polite to wear sunglasses at the table," he mentioned as a 'for your information' thing, taking a swift bite of his meal. He thought of how to tackle this large question presented to him, a deflection or lie difficult at this point. He rubbed his chin with his palm, a bunch of unnecessary movements indicating a touchy subject. He also neglected to shave, stubble visible on his face... "More storytime to make me look like I'm crazy again. Though your action with the... gum? There... why are you doing that?" Satok asked as he pointed at the white strip, questions of his own he wanted addressed first. His tone indicated that he was indeed willing to tell the story to a pair of open ears.

*It isn't polite to wear sunglasses at the table, More fighting words if Renakir ever did hear them. Scratch that last thought, this was just like his dinners in France.*

"Hey Soleil, tu portes toujours ces lunettes de soleil. C'est parce que tu penses que tu es meilleure que nous ? (Hey Soleil, you're always wearing those sunglasses. Is it because you think you're better than us?)"

It was hard to hide the distress from his face, the memories were beginning to flood his mind. Renakir's breathing hitched for a split second before his face returned back to the same old neutral expression. Surak knew a thing or two about controlling one's emotions and for that he had a great deal of respect for his genetic cousins. He was only zoned out for a few seconds in real time, but by the time his mind came back to reality, Satok was already munching on some French toast. He was mentally slapping himself for letting his attention drift, he didn't even see the other lift his fork. A fatal error if they were on Mol'Rihan. "C'est une condition médicale-- It's a medical condition," Renakir accidentally spit out the sentence in French, his mind clearly still lost in his past in France. Without skipping a beat he corrected himself, speaking Rihannsu once more. Despite the look of calm that had returned back to his face, his tone hinted at something else buried beneath his façade. The Romulan-Reman hybrid looked down at the white strip in his hand and folded it up, shoving it into his pocket. "I have dietary restrictions being part Reman, I was just confirming the food did not have any thing I cannot eat," A tactful lie, Renakir's tone was confident without a hint of deception. "I am ready to hear your story," He did not pick up his utensils though, choosing to keep his gaze fixated on Satok.

"I will take reman dietary restrictions into account in the future if I serve you again, Renakir. I am also sorry about the sunglasses comment..." He said, noting how the other spoke French for a bit. French? Wow, Renakir was more fluent in human languages than he was. Of course, growing complacent around Satok meant that death was the last thing that could happen. He said and did things with good intent most of the time. But the story. Yes, he wanted the story. He looked from the utensils to the other, confused but not showing it. Why wasn't he eating? It made little sense. "So... where to start? My first posting and an away mission to a planet with funky particle signatures. I beamed down with five others to start- there were six of us to begin. The second we touched down, our consciousnesses..." He snapped his fingers on his right hand. "Swapped. Two members of the six person team perished immediately- a human male and a vulcan male. I... was a blonde human girl but I... ended up in this body. I was terrified and disoriented but I urged the group to push on to get to a point where we could radio for help- aid those that had recently died to resuscitate them... but three behind me were sucked up into a sinkhole. They suffocated and died in the sand," he said, taking another bite as he retold a part of the chaotic story. His weight wasn't enough to be pulled in but theirs was...

No doubt that Satok was cooking up theories about himself as they spoke. Renakir was trying to forget his slip of the tongue. He was a man who prided himself on choosing his words carefully, to make such a blunder was honestly appallng. He caught the other's gaze shifting from their utensils to his face. Yes he was being judged for speaking French and for not eating. Renakir straightened his back and folded his hands in his lap to listen to this supposedly wild story Satok had for him. The whole Satok spoke, Renakir's expression didn't change. He was Mr. Jpeg Sunglasses, not a single smile or change in his face. When the other finished their story with They suffocated and died in the sand, he offered a soft 'Oh', before closing his eyes to process the story. Thankfully his dark sunglasses made this action undetectable to Satok, which was a big benefit to Renakir. He watched the other take another bite of the French toast, but did not follow suit. Instead, he sat at the table with eyes closed. "I am sorry to hear that," Renakir's voice was soft, he was a caring man. "Thank you for sharing that with me, I can imagine this identity of yours must be very confusing," Now everything made sense. He was not turned off from this sudden truth, in fact, he felt even worse for Satok than before. He thought the other man was just a lost earth-raised Romulan, but knowing that this boy had to live his life in a skin that was not his own? Romulan skin no less, a race that was night and day to humans. "I still wish to assist you to learn Romulan culture if you still want," He added. "Since you told me that story, you may ask me questions in return, that is the earth custom, is it not?"

"I certainly wish to learn romulan culture. You must understand... all I want is to learn. I don't want sympathy, I just want understanding. I feel more... at home in this body than the last, it just feels right. Perhaps I started in the wrong body... and linked up with the right one? Possibly. The identity is... confusing, but I know what I want and I'll go for it. Your aid will be valuable, should you provide it," he replied, speaking as a romulan would. Satok was indeed happy- always in a somewhat positive mood. "I will finish the story, of course, with a brief summary of a challenge I overcame. I cried over the death I saw... for two days, grew thirsty and hungry, and thought I was going to die. In that moment- the fire and hunger burned in my heart to survive. Fire and passion. You're never more alive than when you're on the brink of death. But I'm rambling," he said, taking another large bite. Satok looked forward, then back at the one eating with him. It had been a while since he talked to anyone at the same dinner table. "I know how private our people can be... so simply share something about yourself you find worth sharing," he said. How he carried himself in speech and confident manners spoke that he indeed held the confident mentality of a romulan- something few humans had to that degree. He analyzed the reman/romulan male across from himself; he didn't do it in a judging way but in a curious way.

*Started in the wrong body, now that was something that made Renakir visibly shocked to hear. Although the Lieutenant's story was sad, he couldn't help but feel conflicted about his stance on it. Identity, that was something that was quite a mystery. Before he let his mind wander to strange thoughts, he readjusted his sunglasses and rubbed the tips of his ears with his fingers. The temperature was much too hot, it felt like his ears were on fire. They were dyed a bright green at this point, it was his stupid Reman physiology making a come back that no one asked for.* As Satok took another bite of his food, Renakir blinked a few times to try and keep his mind in reality. "It sounds like you have had quite an eventful life thus far, Satok," Was the only thing he could think of as a response. Renakir looked down at his food and then at the other Romulan who was looking at him again. Now that he knew that Satok was once human he shouldn't have felt bothered by the other's gaze, but if anything he felt more on edge than before. "I am half Reman, my people were enslaved by Romulans for many years. The relationship between the two races has never been peaceful until recently, in many ways the Reman people are still seen as second class citizens even under the new Republic," Tactiful, smooth, confident, Renakir was great at giving information but not actually giving information. He spoke as if he were a senator giving a lecture, not a man trying to have a casual breakfast conversation. Renakir did not make any moves to touch his food, still just shifting his gaze from Satok to the table.

"What about yourself, Renakir?" He asked, taking a calm and slow bite of his food after the question. Of course he knew about remans and romulans- he sensed a diversion tactic. His tone was kind and nice, comforting even. He wasn't as dumb to the inner workings of a romulan's mind- his blood father taught him plenty of it but he simply hid when he knew other romulans were lying or hiding things. He seldom found this out, however, his time with Senior Aylek (a Sub-Commander in the Republic) mostly spent on New Romulus exploring and learning about art and music. Satok also started to feel insulted that his food wasn't being touched, though he hid this as well. Did it smell wrong? Did it look funny? Did Renakir think it was poisoned?

Renakir was a bit surprised when Satok asked the question, but he had a feeling the other sensed his diversion tactic. He watched the other take another bite of his food, reminding him that he still hadn't touched his own. Right, this was the earth custom. Renakir picked up his fork and cut off a small piece, as small as he could manage. If he was going to be eating in front of the other he would need to do it tactfully. "I have a soft spot for my Reman countrymen," Renakir stated as he lifted his fork slowly. "They have lived as slaves for so long, I believe the Republic owes them reparations," A bit of a controversial topic, but he hoped it would be enough to show Satok that he was also willing to share bits of himself. With his free hand Renakir covered his mouth and ate the piece of French toast off his fork. Not very subtle, but it was better than the alternative. Now that he knew that Satok was originally human and he made that comment about his sunglasses, Renakir was not ready to open up this can of worms. Not now. He chewed the small bit of food carefully, savouring the taste. It wasn't bad, nothing like what he had in France though. "The French toast is lovely," He spoke honestly, giving Satok a warm smile, mouth closed to avoid showing his pointed teeth.

"I... am happy that you enjoy the food. I also do believe that the remans are owed reparations... but from whom in particular? And will this government ever offer this? Likely not," he said, avoiding eye contact for some reason. Their whole conversation, he maintained it. Now, however, he did not. One would think that it was because he didn't believe what he said- this wasn't true. Satok simply felt like this was one of those cases where he shouldn't comment but accidentally did. "I hope you understand now why I act the way I do. Believe me, it used to be worse... but I'm becoming more of a romulan with time. My English skills have degraded since I haven't really spoken the language in eight years... and I have taken to learning as much as I possibly can. I would refuse my old human body if I could go back," he said, hoping to smooth things over with Renakir... those were his unfiltered true thoughts he gave out unlike many other romulans.

Renakir put his fork down and turned his head to the side, hoping that the other wasn't going to be looking at his mouth. He had been trying his best to move his lips as little as possible, but if Satok was perceptive maybe he would have caught a glimpse of his teeth. Renakir rested his hands in his lap again and faced the other again. “Romulans. We are owed reparations from the people who put us into slavery in the first place," His words were firm, showing his dedication to the cause. Although reparations have been in debate within the senate since the founding of the Republic, he would be hard pressed to find any Romulan who believed such a thing had any hope of getting through. The other's inattentiveness did not go unnoticed, in fact, it was a little insulting. However now that he knew the other was a former human, the way he read his body language had to be changed. Renakir glanced back at the family photos on the table, looking at the human girl again with her human parents. It was hard to believe that same girl was sitting right in front of him, in Romulan skin. The idea alone made him frown, particularly when the other spoke again. Becoming more Romulan with time, Renakir could only shake his head when he heard those words. "I do not believe you need to ignore your past to become more Romulan. In fact, you have a unique outlook on life because of your experience, isn't that in itself what it means to be Romulan? To gather as many experiences as possible to know more cultures and to better get into your enemies' minds?"Renakir leaned forward as he began to present his case. "I am Romulan, born and raised. But I lived in France and I speak French. I listen to French music, watch French films, even eat French cuisine. If you throwing away your earth life makes you more Romulan, then does my indulgence in my own earth experience make me less Romulan?" (edited)

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He looked at Renakir as he spoke, contemplating what he meant. His words made sense... but his blood family was influencing him as well. Satok ultimately believed that he didn't need to abandon his past (his contact with his human family still strong as ever) but he believed that he wished to adopt the romulan mentality. "I... guess your reasoning makes sense. It doesn't make me more romulan to ditch my past and stuff. I want to understand those around me... and I have an advanced understanding of the humans. Your time in France... doesn't make you less romulan," he said. The argument was sound.

Someone rang the doorbell!

He gave the other a slow nod as he listened to his words. Perhaps this new Romulan was still trying to make sense of what it meant to be part of the diaspora. An identity that Renakir had been comfortable with his whole life. He was Romulan, but he was also Reman and proud of both identities. Satok's story still didn't sit right with him though, but he wanted to extend a hand in friendship. He was trying to dispel the preconceptions of Romulans being xenophobic and judgmental, it wouldn't be right to walk away whenever he felt confused on uncomfortable. Renakir was just about to speak when he heard the chime of the doorbell. He sat in silence, his expression unchanging. In the back of his mind he was wondering if this was one of his superior officers or someone stationed on the ship. It would be very embarrassing to be caught 'slacking on the job'. He straightened his posture and pushed his sunglasses up on his nose. His gaze was fixed on Satok, observing him just like Romulans did.

He, too, was proud of being romulan... and had a romulan family to thank for this. He had to let his father in, however, and did as he clapped twice. Satok grinned slightly, tapping his knuckles on the table.

An older romulan with some facial features of Satok stepped in- indicating that they were indeed relatives. This man also gave off a distinct 'romulan' aura, the room feeling somewhat tenser as he stepped closer to the table. His steps were measured and slow. "My son," he simply said, brief and to the point as he looked at his blood. He stood next to Satok and looked at Renakir. "Who are you?" He asked, face emotionless and whole attitude like night and day from Satok. He was very serious.

*Not today, Shinzon, was the first phrase that came to mind as soon as the older Romulan man stepped into the room. Renakir immediately shot up from his seat and gave the man a respectful bow. For some reason his immediately response was to grab his sunglasses and take them off, shoving them in his pocket. Something about this man gave him flashbacks to Rator III and it was very unsettling.* Beady eyes stared at the older man, Renakir's dilated pupils and silver irises stood our clearly against the dark circles under his eyes. Without his sunglasses the green blush across his cheeks was obvious as was the green on the tips of his ears. My son, so this man was Satok's Romulan father, that explained a lot.

"Solait, we're having guests, take your glasses off and come greet them."

Slow and steady breaths through his nose, his eyes fixed on his friend's father. The lights in the room were already causing distress, but he didn't let it show on his face. "Solait ir-Biscae Torre'vnau," Renakir replied, purposefully leaving out his Reman first name. If this guy was the type of Romulan he thought he was, it was best to keep his mixed heritage a secret, just like he had been conditioned to on Rator III. Renakir's gaze shifted from Satok to the taller man, praying to Tenakruvek that this would all be over soon.

2

He bowed slightly himself in turn, noticing Solait's state. Why was he wearing sunglasses to begin with? Hmm... and why were the dark circles and the green blush there? He kept a neutral look on his face, Satok's human kind ways rubbing off on him. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Solait ir-Biscae Torre'vnau. You needn't be intimidated by me, I am simply his father," he said, looking at Satok.

Well, that was indeed the first time he saw Renakir's silver irises and state of his eyes. The green blush, too... he stood as well out of respect, almost sensing the fact and seeing how Renakir was unsettled. He looked to Nivek and smiled slightly, wrapping his arms around the older romulan in a hug. "I didn't think you'd come. This is my... friend, Solait. He brought the dining table in and shared breakfast with me," he said, giving the reman/romulan a positive picture.

He stayed silent when the other said his name. His first instinct was to look away when Satok hugged his father. Even though they were family, such an act felt oddly intimate to be doing in front of an outsider. Renakir had spent his whole life passing as a full Romulan, but perhaps all these years in Starfleet and under the new Republic have caused him to go weak.

This is my friend, Solait.

Renakir furrowed his brows when he Satok addressed him by his Romulan name. It felt weird, even though he had used that name his entire life. Forced to hide his Reman heritage for so many years, it was like a breath of fresh air when he joined Starfleet. He could be truly and wholly himself, it was an experience he never realised he had missed. Maybe it was the lights or the way Satok and his father hugged, but his mind was starting to grow hazy. “Yes, Satok is a wonderful cook," He spoke with a flat tone, confident, and with intent. He moved his lips as little as possible, knowing the older Romulan would no doubt notice his sharp teeth if he messed up. No matter how close him and Satok were, he was still a Romulan and someone he had to be cautious of. "I apologise I cannot stay much longer, I am still on duty,"Renakir grabbed his PADD, he was going to get out of this. (edited)

"The food..." He said, pulling away from the hug that Senior Aylek reciprocated. He looked down at Renakir's mostly full plate with a frown, Satok's empty. He knew that Renakir was half reman and that Nivek may very well hold some spacist reservations against that, so he simply addressed him by his romulan name. "Thanks for stopping by, Solait. Always a pleasure. Jolan'tru," he said, nodding once to Renakir.

He nodded once to Renakir as well, slowly and methodically. "He has always been a wonderful cook. He is the cook of the family. Satok, get him a container to take the food with him. We mustn't take up more of his duty time... as you know, I am in the defense force and mingling like this will get you disciplined there," he snapped his fingers.

Satok moved quickly, listening to his father and elder as any good romulan would. He presented Renakir with a box sized for the food, much like a take-out bag.

Defense force, that was all Renakir needed to hear to support his plan of getting out of here as fast as he could. He watched Satok dig around for a box, it was nice of him, really. He plopped the french toast into the box and bowed to Satok and his father, polite the whole time. "You have a wonderful son, he's a great friend," Renakir's words were genuine and honest, but it was clear there was something else on his mind. There were so many things racing through his mind, but he had to get out of there quickly. "I look forward to crossing paths again, Jolan tru," He said before walking calmly out of the room, as if there was nothing wrong, nothing at all.

Once Renakir left, he looked back at Satok with a sigh. "Satok, you do know that he is not a full-blooded romulan? He is a half-breed, crossed with an alien species," he said, looking Satok in the eye dryly. "Their blood is tainted with lies and they are dead to our society. He may very well turn you into a monster. I will support you in your endeavor to become... an upstanding romulan citizen as I have been doing for eight of your human years. All I ask is that you consider who you associate yourself with. If, from experience, he is good... then associate yourself with him. Many hybrids are terrible people..."

4

"He's a good person... and hybrids are okay too!" He said quickly, speech in a quick and natively fluent rihan.

"You are my only son, you are my main concern for survival. Now, food? I am hungry; bacon?" He asked, a smile forming on his face.

"Bacon yeah! I love bacon..." And the scene after this could simply be summarized as two somewhat happy romulans enjoying a breakfast together.