Star Trek: Eventide 777

Wandering the ship during the chaos L1 gathered as much information as she could in case the ship was damaged. As she had been ordered to she was not allowed to access the ships systems. She could however map the layout of the ship in case something was in need of repair. After she decided to sneak a small soda because she was curious of how it tasted.

Noticing the smoke in the ship she found it curious. Knowing fire was dangerous to humans she used it as a reason to override her orders. Taking a look into the system she could tell the fire suppression system was disabled. Using the diagnostics she saw multiple damaged sections. Nodding she used the map to guide her to Engineering.

Austin went to the replicator and asked for. "One order of Oysters and one order of Dungeness crab please." Though they were never as good as the ones at home Austin always liked to judge a replicator by the food from home. Not to mention that kind of food doubled as his comfort food.

Wink got himself a simple grilled steak. In his opinion that was the best way to judge a replicator. "I see you still love your selfish boss." He commented as they sat down in the mess.

She had decided to take a break from her routine to have a power snack, moving to the replicator and having a smoothie bowl minus anything resembling tropical fruit within it. She went for a berry blend with a protein powder. She took her food before looking around the room and then deciding her best intention was to get to know the remainder of the crew present, sitting beside the Lieutenant and Lieutenant Junior Grade. "I see that you're a part of security, I figured that I should introduce myself as we should be working fairly closely. I'm Lieutenant Commander Hanna Stone."

Austin shyly blushed at the Lieutenant Commander. Mona had told him he was free to come aboard the Eventide as he wished but, he wasn't sure if she had told the ships staff. "I'm Lieutenant Austin Whidbey... but I actually am the chief of security on the station. Though Mona has told me I'm allowed on the ship." He spoke meakly, his shy side was showing but atleast he wasn't still pretending to be something he is not.

Winker smiled to both Hanna and Austin and then turned to Whisper in Austin's ear. "You might want to get to know the crew here if you are thinking about transferring." He told Austin encouragingly, he always seemed to need a little push when it came to social interaction. Winker then smiled at the Lieutenant Commander. "I'm Lieutenant Junior Grade Winker but I actually serve on the Vancouver. Austin here was just showing me around a bit."

She raised an eyebrow at their body language in relation to each other, a brief table of data being made to evaluate if they were friends... or more than friends... or lovers. A slight squint as she couldn't quite tell specifically and as such, didn't want to tease them too outright. She nodded her head at the introductions before softening her gaze a bit before she responded, "If the captain has approved you being present, I see no issues with it. I hope to get to know you fairly well then, in the off chance that we will see one another on missions. I do hope you're not one that treats tactical as your extra ensigns."

Whidbey was about to speak up again quietly when he was cut off by Winker...

"Yeah he's actually been thinking of transferring aboard, he heard the security spot was open." He gave Austin a teasing grin, he knew that Austin would've struggled to get things out so he bit the bullet.

Austin froze up slightly, he hadn't intended to let anyone know about that. "Wink! I wasn't going to tell anyone that..." He turned to Hanna pleadingly. "Please don't tell anyone, no one on the station knows yet."

She placed a spoonful of her smoothie in her mouth before giving a slightly dismissive shrug, "It's not my news to give. However, that being said, I will probably try to look over your previous history to see how we will effectively work alongside one another."

Winker decided that he'd leave the two of them be so Austin could get to know the Tactical officer. "I'll let you two play this game of figuring eachother out." He took his food with him and left the room to wait outside.

He laughed slightly at the way winker had dismissed himself, something that had always been a pain when he was incharge of him. "I intend to look over yours aswell... though I must say it would be refreshing to have a non dominion CTO to serve beside."

She dropped all pretenses of having dignity and reservations, "So is that your boyfriend?" Her posture leaned in, very clearly and nonverbally implying that her interest in this answer was strong.

5

4

He laughed, trying his best not to come off as rude. "No, Wink is just an old friend of mine. I'd been in charge of him ever since he was just an Ensign." He leaned back with a little bit of confusion. "What prompted you to think that?"

She pouted slightly as she leaned back in her chair, placating her tongue with another spoonful of smoothie before she replied, generally waving between Austin and the direction that Jesse had went, "The flirty way he leaned in to whisper to you before he divulged your secrets just to make you flustered." She readied another spoonful before finally commenting on his initial statement, "I take it you're referring to the other Chief of Tactical as a 'dominion' based officer... however, I would consider him a child that has been given a bit too much for his current abilities. He needs further training... especially in getting the tactical ensigns to respectfully follow his commands. I have never had an issue on my ship that even hinted at the behaviour on the starbase."

Austin took a moment to take down an oyster. It wasn't too bad but the starbase had better ones. He then laughed, it seems she shared his opinions on the escapades going on within the starbases tactical division we're shared be her. "I absolutely agree! He never should have been put in such a position atleast this early on. He needs to learn how to lead and how to properly earn the respect of those under him. I'm glad that we share opinions on such things." He then leaned in glancingly as if to ask for a secret. "Between me and you, have you heard anything about me as a CoS?"

She paused as she tapped a finger against her chin before responding, "I know Mona got this terrible report by the previous captain of the starbase. Something about the CoS being a complete and utter lovelorn idiot for his previous officer that he trained on a different ship.... Something called the USS Canuck or something..." Her eyes shimmered as she teased him before seriously gave her knowledge, "Actually no. I'm neither second officer, nor captain. Much is not told to me as it's really not my place to know it before it's revealed to the remainder of the crew."

He laughed but he was also clearly flustered by her comments. "Really, Wink is like a brother or maybe a son to me. I really don't have any romantic interest in him." He was blushing slightly, he definitely didn't like his old friend in that way but it still continued to make him nervous. "That is fair then, I really am tempted by the idea of moving here. The truth is I have really missed serving aboard a ship."

She nodded her head slowly before she pointed her spoon at him, "Fine. But let him down gently. I would hate to have to watch all the ensigns cooing over his puppy dog tears. That also begs the question of who are you interested in? You didn't break up with someone on the starbase that you're trying to avoid by being on my ship, are you? I don't tolerate drama."

5

4

He chuckled again. "No drama here, it's really been a while since I've dated someone." He decided to tease her back to see how it felt. "Why are you interested?" He wasn't normally much of a tease but he decided it felt good. So far he was glad the tactical officer aboard the ship seemed just as great as the captain.

3

She lifted up her hand, showing off quite the shiny rock, "Sadly, gonna have to let you down gently. I'm am the most awesome Tactical officer, but I am very happily taken by a strong and professional medic. You should see him do literally any PT or OT." She winked right back at him, "Might be more your type then me... unless you want to prove me wrong and let me get first knowledge on who you like when it happens."

4

He laughed once again, he really was having quite a good time with the CTO. "I suppose I could use someone to gossip with. Though to be honest I much prefer women from science to those from medical." He joked. "But sure next time I meet someone who I'm interested you will be the first to know."

3

She smiled as she took another bite of smoothie before nodding her head, "I think I'm partial to tactical and medical over science or security. No offense."

4

He shrugged. "I suppose everyone has their own tastes but atleast none of them are ops or engineering. They all can just be so boring sometimes." He didn't necessarily fully mean it but he was happy to play along.

4

She made a slight gesture before shrugging once, "I know a captain and xo that were both previously engineers and they were pretty dope. I think it's up to each individual about how their personalities are that define if I could consider them someone that I could work alongside and not want to send Supernanny after them on their off time."

He shrugged, he suddenly thought back on his fiance he had lost so many years ago. All those nights they spent together, he had always protected her but was always happy to clean up or cook for her. "Personally, I dont mind cooking or taking care of whoever I'm dating. Though I like scientists so much because we tend to have a lot of shared interests."

She snickered as she thought about something and just had to share it. "Totally fell for Marcus because he was this big buff guy in medical who didn't put up with my shit and legit carried me to the med bay after a really bad mission and I had successfully hid my injuries from a commanding officer - the guy was an ass and didn't like girls who couldn't keep up and it was only a slight bruise up the length of my side - but flinched when I took off a sweater and somehow the handsome ass just knew."

4

"Sounds like a smart guy." He looked at her finger and then internally frowned. It wasn't all that dissimilar from what he had given Venessa. "I'm surprised he put up with you hiding your injuries. I probably would have been so scared." He half joked.

3

She pouted again, more at the memories of how many times she did try to hide it and somehow failed because he knew her too well, "It's honestly not often that I can. He typically will do things like place an ice pack on my leg or just massage the joint when he notices that I'm limping cause it's tight or tense. It's really nice honestly to have someone be so aware of me on a subconscious level that we just flow together."

4

He turned his head in a little bit of a teasing motion. He clutched his hands together. "Well I'm glad you were able to find Mr big medical man. You two certainly sound like quite the pairing. I hope I can meet him at some point." He then adjusted his tone to a bit more of a serious one. "If we do end up serving together I hope you won't be hiding any injuries from me." He raised his eyebrow slightly in anticipation for an answer.

3

She equally raised an eyebrow before looking at the man before her, "You might find out within the first five people... but no promises that I'll tell you outright at least for the first few times."

Austin took note of that internally. It was slightly concerning but something they would likely have to get over in time. "I see..." He then decided to change the topic. "As far as the ship itself goes what do you think of it? It's certainly smaller then everything else I've served on."

"You learn it's quirks and charms really well. There's plenty of places to store weapons that most security officers will never find, and those that do would not dare to touch with the notes that I've left." She stated this so matter-of-factly as she ate the final scoops of her smoothie.

He narrowed his eyes at her as he took a sip from his drink. "Do you hide weapons?" He asked somewhat suspiciously, he was having a lot of trouble properly reading her. "I'd like to think you shouldn't have much need to hide weapons from security."

She raised an eyebrow as she gestured between the two of them, "We're the same team, but you are focused on defense. I am offense. If we get captured and someone infiltrates the ship, I want a variety of weapons to select and various numbers to give to other senior staff, should it be required."

He shrugged. "Its not that I have much of a problem with stolen weapons on my..." He cut himself off. "This ship but, perhaps we should more work together to find a logical weapon situation for ou... the senior officers on this ship." He cut himself off a second time. Part of him was beginning to really visualize himself here.

3

She smirked before waving her spoon at him again, "Then I'll have to put a good word in for you with Mona so I can have this further discussion with you about what and where things are hidden."

3

He squinted at her slightly trying to figure out what she meant. Had he really let loose his cards that much? either way he decided just to tease her. "Do you really want me on the ship that bad? Perhaps I might just to take the opportunity to join up here then."

3

She winked at him before gesturing to him, "I read body language, Austin. You're practically buzzing every time we mention the ship and you're already calling it yours."

3

He chuckled a light chuckle. "Perhaps I did show you my cards. Don't tell anyone just yet, I'm sure Mona-Captain Caddel will be quite excited to here." He was so used to talking to her and treating her as a friend. Her becoming his superior would certainly make for an odd change of pace.

"Fine fine. But I will be the first to let Mona know that you're a good egg and should be transferred in." She said with full seriousness before leaning back in her chair. "Now then. Anything I can help you with specifically? I was going to head to my office to work on some breathing exercises and clear my mind, if you and your not-boyfriend wanted to join?"

He nodded eagerly, though he was still a bit disheveled by the boyfriend comments. "Sure I'd love to come along if you would have me, though Wink probably wouldn't like that kinda thing. He's very... high energy."

She shrugged before getting up to place her bowl back in the replicator for it to be done away with or something. Whatever the lore is for StarTrek fancy food. She walked back to the table before gesturing for him to come when finished, "Alright. I'll be in my office when you're ready. And you'd be surprised. It's a regulation tool for either side of emotion and allows you to get in touch with what you're currently feeling."

He nodded and then looked back down at his food. He had hardly eaten anything at all. Over the course of a minute or two he took down all of his oysters and then went to put his food and dishes in the recycling unit. He then finally left to go check up on Winker.

After a rather boring tour of the Station, Valleka had moved to the ship to continue the tour. As per standard she wore the Romulan Republic dress uniform, complete with the tight fitting miniskirt and tights. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, gems and clips sprinkled throughout for that extra flare. She wore silver ear cuffs that accentuated the pointy tips of her ears. She sat at the table in the mess hall waiting for her tour guide. She played with a bracelet around her wrist, it was made up of silver metallic crystals, a subtle nod to her connection with the Remans and dedication to their cause. She did not look like the typical 100+ year old Senators, she was youthful with an aura of deception around her. Well, she was Romulan after all. And the most unusual thing of all wasn't her pretty and youthful looks of her stare that could cut through diamonds, but she was there alone. She had decided to ditch her Republic guards from the start. She was Valleka T'Rylov, she did not need any protection. In fact she pitied the fool who even tried to hurt her during her trip. (edited)

The local romulan chief ops made his way in on time, looking around for the person he was supposed to escort. A tall and slim man, he certainly looked healthy and happy- minus the outward happiness. He endured a lecture from his blood father on romulan culture yet again, eagerly pushing himself to conform. He found Valleka after a few seconds, making a beeline over. He nodded once. "Jolan'tru. I am Satok Aylek, the one who will be giving you today's tour if you are... Valleka T'Rylov," he said, speaking rihan as if he was born speaking it. He noted what she was wearing... and what Renakir said about her, albeit vague. He looked with a cocked brow.

Her eyes immediately locked onto the Romulan who just walked into the mess hall. She stood so she could no greet him properly. He looked like a typical Romulan, tall, slim figure, and what was this? A happy aura? Such persona was rare amongst Romulans, which set off all sorts of alarms. Hopefully this meeting would be brief and require minimal 3d chess. She was not averse to a little battle of the minds but something told her this meeting was best kept purely professional and brief. With a slight nod of her head she greeted the man, offering a very slight smile. "Jolan tru, you are correct," She was slightly miffed he didn't address her as Senator, but for all she knew he could have been a reunification child. The name 'Satok' was certainly not Romulan. Behind her kind smile and calm demeanour she was weaving theories and ideas about this Romulan Starfleet officer, perhaps he'd prove her wrong. "And what may I call you?" A polite request, but his response would dictate the mood of the rest of their interactions.

"Satok," he repeated the same name again, bowing his head politely. "And I apologize for not calling you senator, I... it was uncalled for," he said, bowing his head again as if to say that he was sorry. He was around so many romulans and they made him nervous as hell, truth be told. He figured that if he didn't act a certain way he'd be looked at funny. As is the life of someone in his unusually colored shoes, metaphorically. "The Aylek family offers its greetings to you... and if you would like to meet my father, you can..." He said. His father was a prominent figure in the Romulan Empire and was one of the romulan-side people that assisted in the evacuations to a great degree after the Hobus Supernova.

The man's apology came as a surprise, but she kept her neutral expression and nodded back at him. He was quite an interesting fellow, she thought. Of course her mind was still buzzing with a million different explanations, all of which were the worst possible scenarios. She leaned up against the table and let her gaze shift away from Satok for a brief moment. "Aylek, I am familiar with that house," She said as she thought about the name. She was quite young when the Supernova happened, however she was familiar with the events that followed. The resettling on Rator III and of course the migration to Mol'Rihan. "I am just here for a tour, I do not want to keep you too long," As much as she wanted to know more about this Romulan, she was here to learn more about the Federation. "For a Federation Starbase there sure are a lot of Romulans onboard."

“Yes, there are quite a few romulans on board... and you don’t need to worry about keeping me for too long, I’ve got all of the time in the world to show you around- starting with this very own mess hall. Have you ever been in a mess hall like this before?” He questioned, tone flat and respectful. He was here to help and, as usual, didn’t sense anything amiss with her at all. He didn’t read into or look so deep into a simple interaction like this.

"How kind of you, Satok," Valleka took a few steps closer to him as if to see how he would react. She carried herself as anyone would expect of a Romulan senator but her tone was more friendly. She twirled her long pieces of hair around her fingers with her gaze fixed on Satok. There was something different about him, something that worried her. Or maybe it was he who would be worried? "No, we don't have places like this in the Republic fleet that I've seen. A communal dining area sounds dreadful, honestly," Even though Satok was a Starfleet officer, he was still a Romulan. She felt that gave her the permission to be honest. Her tours with Federation officers had been boring. She had to smile and nod, say things were nice. But with a fellow Romulan she could be honest, or at least she felt like she could and he would instantly understand,

She might be understood in some places and woefully misunderstood in others, it seemed. Satok was one to be honest to in any case and he wouldn’t bite or stab, simply contented to listen and live his life. He noted her stepping closer, not backing up in the slightest. “Understandably, a communal dining area on a romulan vessel seems rather dreadful but on a Federation vessel it helps spawn social interaction and build a sense of community with the officers and enlisted on the ship, Senator,” he explained, a singular nod in her direction. He was very honest himself, hoping to explain things she didn’t understand.

She simply nodded and took a few steps back, walking between the tables. Build a sense of community, that was something they didn't really value in the Republic either. Well, maybe on the surface they said all that, but truth be told Romulans were always just a dirty look, wrong stare, sneeze in the wrong direction, away from just stabbing each other. A life without paranoia sounded dreadful from her perspective. She liked the mind games, the danger, it kept her on her toes. "And what officers have you interacted with, hm? Anyone of interest lately?" Valleka was very curious to learn about what sort of connections a Romulan could possibly make on a Federation Starbase. Although she was personally hesitent about making friends with aliens (aside from Remans, that was a different story), she understood a lot of Romulans from the Republic sought out a better life within the Federation. She was curious what their experiences were.

Ah yes, those were indeed positive experiences and one very interesting experience. “All of my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. As for officers, a certain Lieutenant Renakir... Ensign Pollop, and a Vulcan Bajoran,” he replied, rattling the three off that stood out in his mind. The first one, though, may grab her attention as a reman name at the very least. Also his dad... but he left that out. The older romulan likely didn’t want to be bothered.

Valleka was facing away from Satok when he began to rattle off names, but she did turn her head when she heard the nane of her fiance. She had met three people, all who have met Renakir. Well her worries about him not getting out and making friends were clearly for nothing. A certain Lieutenant Renakir, since when did he become a Lieutenant? Last time she heard, he was still an Ensign scrubbing power conduits. Oh well, guess she would just have to interrogate him later. Vulcan Bajoran-- that rang a bell too. "How curious, I also met a Vulcan Bajoran, he was a kind boy, messy hair, a bit day dreamy, but not a bad kid," She said, purposefully ignoring the rest of the names. She didn't want to raise suspicion as to her and Renakir's connection.

"Not bad at all. Dreamers are the best sorts to have around in my experience- they always manage to come up with better and better solutions. But... anyway, there are many many people here that all keep this small ecosystem going," he said, looking at her. Satok seemed to carry himself like a more energetic and open romulan, speech enunciated and a small smile working its way onto his face. "But this is the mess hall, of course. Would you like to try some Federation cuisine?"

"Being of a creative mind does have its advantages, I'll give him that," Was Valleka's only other comment to that. She didn't want to startle the poor boy again, but she was very curious about his story. She was always interested in the reasons why Vulcans were so willing to mix their DNA with aliens. She was more progressive than most Romulans, but still held some xenophobic tendencies. Even with her own fiance who was of mixed race, she was not entirely keen on the idea of possibly creating more mixed children. "Oh, are you offering me food?" Valleka looked at Satok very suspiciously. Well, he would have a lot more to lose if he tried to poison her. Unless this was a pre-meditated attack. "I would love to try something if you're willing," Valleka took note of his energetic and cheerful attitude. She was almost certain that he had been raised off world somewhere. A colony? Maybe an alien planet. She took a seat at one of the tables.

"Of course, this is the mess hall. Perhaps some pizza?" He questioned, making his way over to the replicator. He wanted to know, by the way she reacted, if she knew what he was referencing. He noted the suspicious look and simply ignored it, knowing the romulan suspicions and mind games all too well. He wasn't a giver but he certainly went through many with his father.

Offering food to a senator was definitely a bold move. In fact, if they were on Mol'Rihan she would have already been plotting a counterattack. Well, she was riding off her theory that he was actually an off-worlder despite appearances. "Pizza, I have never heard of that one," She responded with curiousity. Despite having read up on a lot of alien cultures, she never had any interest in foreign cuisine aside from the poisonous things. "What planet is that from? It sounds Kobali," She guessed as she twirled her hair around her fingers again.

"No, not Kobali. Human, of course. A staple human dish- from an old country state called Italy. Italia. I am sure you will like it. Here... you have any allergies- you a vegetarian?" He asked before replicating the dish just to make sure it wouldn't get rejected off the bat. He certainly was alien in culture himself, but the chances of him divulging any information was low.

"Human, interesting," The Federation was based on earth and no doubt this man most likely had lived there for at least part of his life. Valleka was still suspicious of Romulans who lived abroad, they knew things that she didn't, understood concepts and cultures that she would never. If anything, she envied her countrymen who had the luxury of experiencing different worlds. "No allergies, unless you're feeding me Vorta Q'lava," She let out a small laugh as she joked about this nice Lieutenant slipping Dominion poison into her food. Not that he would. Or would he?

"Hmm? Vorta what now? Sounds like an awfully bitter treat, that's for sure," he said with a small chuckle himself, oblivious as to what she meant by it. He grabbed two plates, a slice of New York style pizza in each. Satok's had pineapples, pepperoni, pepper bits, and a few meat chunks. Hers was a simple pepperoni slice to get her toes dipped into the metaphorical water, so to speak. He seemed to be looking on his PaDD and sending out a small message before turning it over to turn his full attention to her.

"Oh, nevermind. Thank you for this food," If Valleka wasn't suspicious of the man's actions before, this was definitely setting off all the alarms. Serving her alien food and typing away on his PADD during their meeting? She sensed a set up. She took a small case that looked like a pack of gum from her pocket and took a strip out to place on top of the pizza. She was not going to touch this food until she was certain it was not poisoned, she couldn't let her guard down.

He looked at this again and cocked his brow, humming as he saw this. "Erm... I saw Renakir do that... what is that really? Er..." He looked at it curiously, wondering what exactly she was doing. His actions on the PaDD were merely his squaring away an ops order and spending a second on the chatroom, a Starfleet officer like himself wouldn't plot a murder.

Oh, he said Renakir's nane again. A smile crossed her face as she lifted her head to look up at him. "It tests for poison. Green if there is poison, no reaction if it's safe," She said as she pulled out a second pack and slid it over to Satok. "I am surprised you've never heard of it. I doubt you will have a needf for it on a Federation Starbase, but if you ever find yourself on Mol'Rihan they are quite useful," She said in a friendly tone, happy to help a fellow Romulan. So he really must have grown up off world if he didn't even know what poison test strips were.

"... oh. Poison. I'm not trying to poison you, I a-assure you..." He stuttered slightly, looking down at her and his food nervously. There was no reaction from her strip, after all, indicating that the food was safe to consume. Why would people try to poison each other in the first place? It made no sense to him... he put his own strip on the pizza, no reaction occurring then either. "See? It's okay to eat... why do romulans try to kill each other all the time?"

The stutter in his words and nervous expression was actually quite cute. This man truly was full of surprises. It was as if she were trying to play a game of Romulan 3D chess but instead of playing along, Satok was eating all the pieces (metaphor cr. eshen, thank you). She let out an audible chuckle at thought. Once she confirmed no reaction she put the case back into her pocket and picked up the plate, wondering how one would go about eating such a food. Perhaps it was best if she waited for Satok to eat and follow his lead. "You are correct, no poison," Valleka put her plate back down and looked at Satok. "Is that a serious question? Apologies for being direct, but I am curious about where you grew up."

1

"My wife is half vulcan and... basically spent her whole life on Vulcan. I myself grew up on Earth so... and my father wasn't as open about our culture as to divulge this. It's a serious question indeed," he said, explaining the various family member pieces to the puzzle. He picked up the slice of pizza by the front part and not the crust, biting right through the crust to purposefully teach Valleka the wrong way to eat pizza.

She listened thought fully as he explained his family. A Romulan married to a hybrid, now that was something. She had a million things to say about that, but this was a tour, not Valleka's 'I am not spacist but...' talk show. She rested her elbows on the table and just smiled. "I see, I had a feeling that was the case," She was patronisinf him, she truly was. She observed how he ate the pizza and gave him a curious look. Picking it up from the pointed end and then eating from the bread crust? She copied his action, carefully, trying her best not to get her hands too dirty. The crust was crispy but holding the pizza by the front was burning her fingers. After taking her bite from the side she plopped the slice back down on the plate and shook her head. "Oh, this is difficult to eat," She said as she waved her hands over the pizza to try and cool it down. Unpleasant, dry, this was nothing like Romulan cuisine. "And about your question, Satok," She nearly forgot the other had asked about Romulans killing each other. "It is because Paranoia is a way of life for us. Well, less so in the Republic, but--" She was trying to explain and try and cool down the pizza so she could eat it. "Are you teasing me, Satok?!"

"No, it's just how I eat it," he stated quickly in his defense. "It isn't how most people eat it, of course. You usually hold it from the crust but I like to do things backwards when it comes to pizza. Hold it from the crust," he instructed, noting the patronizing comment. He knew it was patronizing... but showed no reaction at all. It was neither unpleasant nor dry on the actual pizza part... and he didn't usually hold it like this. He simply taught some aliens to do it wrong because he thought it was hilarious.

"You know what happens when you try and prank a Romulan senator. Surely your father taught you that," Valleka said as she picked up the pizza from the crust this time and took a bite. Much better. It was a bit salty but a tad sweet and... It was greasy. Not her favourite at all, but she was here to experience all aspects of alien life and culture. She definitely didn't trust a word Satok was saying now. He was doing this as a prank, to let her guard down or perhaps just to have fun. Earthlings, those humans, they make fools out of Romulans. Of course this earth-raised Romulan would try some sort of low brow prank. Valleka took a couple more bites before putting the slice down and pushing her plate away. That was enough of that bullshit.

He looked down and away, clearing his throat. It was a simple, harmless joke. Why were these people so serious all the time? He coughed and looked back at her after a few seconds. "Sorry, sorry... I thought it would make you smile. 'Tis the reason I did that. But... it probably looks like something malicious. I'm sorry," he said in a somewhat hushed tone.

Once he explained himself, Valleka paused and stared... And stared. A few more seconds passed until her frown turned into a smile and she began laughing quite loudly. This boy really wanted to play a joke on a Romulan senator? As a Starfleet officer? Oh he was bold, and actually, she liked that. "Satok! You're too cute," She leaned forward their faces coming dangerously close. Thankfully there was still a table between them, stabbing distance apart of course. "You know, I like you. Well played."

Satok blushed deeply, a deep green, avoiding eye contact when he was called cute. He smiled slightly and looked at her, a weirdly neutral smile. "Cute? Hmm... okay," he said, nodding to her after she said 'well played'. He chuckled softly as he slowly got somewhat comfortable again. "Thanks. You're nice too," he said, at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say.

Seeing the other blush so easily was amusing and very tempting, too tempting. Not only was he blushing but also avoiding eye contact. How far could she push this? Maybe a little bit of flirtation wouldn't hurt, it seemed like this kid had a lot of time and besides, she needed to get revenge for his practical joke after all. She may not have known much about earth culture, but she did know how to read people and ruffle some feathers (in good fun, it was a friendly gesture). "Just nice? Aww, I was expecting more praise," Valleka laughed, a genuine laugh this time. No deceit or subterfuge present. "I said you're cute and I like you. You have a fun attitude, cute face, oh and-- you're bold enough to try and prank a senator. You know if I was any other senator you'd be dead by now," She said, her voice a bit more serious and harsh for the last few words, but it was all part of the plan.

“Oh... you do? I’m flattered, thank you for the compliment... if I’m being honest, though... I’m a married man and...” Again, he struggled to find the words at all. He furrowed his brow at her and rubber the side of his face. “And... I’d be dead? Oh...”

Oh, that was right, aliens do relationships differently. She was just trying to have some fun, but it seemed like Satok may actually get upset if she pushed too far. She moved away from him and just rested her arms on the table. "First, yes. Romulans do not appreciate pranks, well, most of them anyway. They would take it as an attack and you'd probably be best to never sleep again if you wished to keep your life-- And second, I think there was a misunderstanding," It was clear subterfuge and Romulan 3d chess was not going to work on this guy, nor was trying to play the earth courting game of flirting. "Romulans have 3 way marriages, but it's not an exclusive pact. In fact, relationships with others outside of wedlock is common. We do not even have a word for 'adultery' in Rihannsu, isn't that neat?"

“Hmm, no wonder she talked about it and... kinda said that it would be another route of exploration. I think I’d honestly be open to such a relationship if it ever presented itself to me,” Satok said with a shrug. Knowing his wife, she was in a poly relationship before meeting him. His demeanor shifted slightly as he remembered this tidbit.

Valleka tilted her head and frowned. What was bothering him? She knew that aliens, especially humans, practiced monogamy, but she didn't realise that had any affect on Satok who was supposedly fully Romulan. What were his parents thinking? She had to pry, she was Romulan after all. "It's not a matter of being open to it, it's what is required and what it means to be Romulan. I have to know, what were you doing on earth?"

"On Earth? Growing up," he said in a matter of fact tone, taking a massive bite of his pizza. "I was raised by humans in a rural area- I have a somewhat human mentality. That probably explains how I am unable to understand some romulan things, but that's okay..." He said, clearing his throat. He hated being asked questions because of his ignorance.

"You poor thing," Valleka said, full on patronising mode now. She shook her had and sighed. Not only was he horrible at Romulan 3D chess, but he also seemed to really like that abomination of earth cuisine. People turn their nose up at Romulan jumbo mollusks, but pizza? That was next level disgusting. "Please tell me you have a Romulan friend who is teaching you, this is too painful to see," She gave him a disappointed look as if she were completely serious. Someone would even say she sounded genuinely concerned.

“What’s too painful to see?” He asked, eyes conveying a questioning look at the woman. He knew, however, and was internally insulted to the core. Satok sighed and rubbed his nose, “no. I get it. My eating pizza? My human ways?”

His response made her laugh once again, he really was terrible at reading the atmosphere. She wasn't sure what was more horrifying, his lack of Romulan 3D chess skills, his love for pizza, or his carefree attitude in the presence of one of the deadliest senators on Mol'Rihan. Well, maybe she wasn't the deadliest, but she liked to think anyone who crossed her knew they were asking for an early grave. "Satok, Satok, no, please, I can't laugh anymore," Valleka shook her head and covered her face with her hands. She didn't think she had ever laughed so much in her life. "By the grace of Tellus, just answer me, you have a Romulan friend who is teaching you about our culture, right?"

“In all honesty, no. My father only shows me... art and cuisine and those kinds of things that are the closest, truth be told,” he said with a deep sigh. He was indeed fumbling through the conversation, thinking like a human. He felt somewhat dumb but wouldn’t show it at all. The atmosphere... felt different than in most human conversations and he had trouble making sense of it. He was casual with prominent figures in the Federation- or somewhat prominent figures...

This conversation had started out funny, but now hearing Satok's situation she was beginning to feel very sorry for him. He kept fumbling over his words, struggling to read the air. Honestly, it was pathetic and she wished she wasn't just visiting so she could teach him everything she knew. She was thinking about how to respond to that when she heard a small beep coming from the PADD she was given when she arrived on the station. She took a couple seconds to click a few buttons and then turned her attention back to Satok. "That's too bad," She began to speak, a frown crossing her face. "Hmm, I know a guy named Solait who could help you," She said, speaking plainly with no sign of subterfuge. (edited)

“Renakir. Okay. He’s a nice dude, very nice dude. I’ve been talking to him already- do you know him well, Senator?” He asked, looking at her again. He spoke with some more confidence, though it was clear that it was feigned. Satok indeed had an ego and he was wounding it by his own actions.

Oh, he was getting more confident now? Valleka raised and eyebrow when she heard Satok call her fiance by his Reman name. She was mentally kicking herself for letting the wrong name slip. That is surely what prompted the man's second question if they knew each other. She froze. A million things were going through her mind at that time. What Renakir messaged her as well as her own feelings towards the Reman people. One more spacist thing and I am calling off our engagement, Valleka was on thin ice here. She had to be tactful. Valleka looked away from Satok and sighed, trying to hide the fact that she was going through an internal crisis at that very moment. "Our families are allied," She couldn't bring herself to lie, her words were rushed, as if she was scared of something. "Because we believe in Reman freedom," She gestured to the bracelet she was wearing, covered in shiny silver rocks. "I don't suppose you learned about them on earth, did you?”

"I know about the Reman struggle for freedom and reparations, yes. I, too, sympathize with them and see how the romulan race stepped on their heads and used them as slaves- and that is wrong. I, myself, hold the uncommon view that every sentient species is indeed equal across the board..." He internally registered the fact that their families were allied, that translating in his head to the duo being together in a relationship. He drew the conclusion that they were together either for political reasons or otherwise, neglecting to comment on their alliance. * "Even though I may be oblivious to many romulan social intricacies, I am certainly in-tune with major romulan events..." *He said, eyes moving to her bracelet. "It's beautiful... I've never seen such a thing before. May I have a closer look?"

Oh, so he knew? Valleka listened to his words and nodded. The one good thing about growing up on earth was he didn't have that Romulan superiority complex. Too many politicians on Mol'Rihan had that problem and Valleka was definitely amongst the minority who did not. She noted his failure to comment on her relation with Renakir, but maybe that was a good thing. She could read him like an open book, perhaps he didn't think much of it. "I am so glad we could agree on this," Valleka said as she slipped off her bracelet and put it on the table so Satok could examine it. Of course she wasn't going to hand it to him, that may result in accidental touching. Inappropriate! "It was a gift from--" Valleka began to say before catching herself mid-sentence. "The Remans, as a sign of union and cooperation," She almost mentioned Renakir again. She wanted to, but at the same time she kept thinking about what Renakir had said to her earlier.

"Wow, it's... beautiful..." He repeated himself, leaning in to get a look at it without touching it. He didn't want to upset her with touching it, instead opting to examine the alien stones. "Union and cooperation..." He repeated, looking up at her after a long pure minute of examination. He got a small flashback from when he used to wear those quite often, his missing their designs. Why did he ever stop? He found wearing them... foreign and unusual, the thought of wearing one in public something he didn't consider or want to do. Had his personality and interests shifted so dramatically? It seemed so. "Lovely. Thank you for sharing this with me, Senator," he said, smiling softly. He reached into his pocket for something to show in turn, fumbling in there...

Valleka watched him closely as he examined the bracelet, taking note of his body language. It was quite nice of him to not touch it, although she had no problems if he did. She merely smiled as she watched, wondering what he could be thinking. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a feeling seeing her bracelet sparked some sort of emotion within him. Interesting. Once he moved back she picked up the bracelet and put it back on. "Of course, Satok," Her voice was soft to match his as the tension between them slowly melted away. "Hmm, are you going to show me something too?" She inquired, a look of curiosity crept across her face.

He pulled a pair of earrings out of his pocket, two blue orbs at their ends with green blotches on them. Earth earrings. Their hooks were made of sterling silver; they were quite beautiful under the light. "My earrings. Blue Earth orbs- made of sapphire and silver. Would you like to see them?" He placed them on the table as an offering, feeling somewhat more comfortable now.

Without thinking, she reached her hand forward to take one of the earrings but in the process brushed their fingers together. A light green blush crossed her cheeks when she realised what had just happened, but other than that her expression remained unchanged. She picked up one of the earrings by the ends and examined it closely. "They're beautiful, Satok. Blue earth, I am sure you would look lovely wearing these-- or does your uniform not permit it? I met another officer who wore earrings, I am sure it would be alright," She carried on as if they had not just touched. She was great at keeping her calm and she was not nearly as touch starved as her fiance. The earring sparkled under the lights of the mess hall, she noticed the blue shine reflected in Satok's eyes, how lovely.

He noticed the brushing of the fingers and curled them back, vulcanoid brow rising slightly for a second before returning to its original state. "It is not for religious purposes so I cannot wear them while on duty..." He explained, likely assuming that she met with someone of Bajoran heritage. The base of one of the earrings read a message, though small: You will always be mom's boy no matter how far you travel. Take these whenever you get homesick. Satok took the other earring and let it rest between his thumb and index fingers. He blinked. "Oh... I'm sorry for holding you up with this- I have... uh... gotten a bit carried away..."

Hmm? She glanced at the earring once again, seeing the message briefly before putting it back on the table so he could take them back. "Hmm, the person I met was mixed, Vulcan and Klingon," She said, specifically talking about Eshen. This boy was sentimental and honest, a bit silly and perhaps his brain had seen more than a couple passes with an iron, but it was a breath of fresh air for her. "It's alright, I enjoyed chatting." She stood up and walked over to his side of the table. "Well then, shall we continue the tour?"

[D] And tour they did, Valleka was thoroughly impressed with the Eventide. With no further mention about their accidental touch in the mess hall or Renakir.