Star Trek: Starbase 777 - lt-th’islador﹢lt-tr’arriufvi

[D] Chyun was in his private quarters that day. He didn't have any shifts scheduled that day, but he did have a meeting with one of his former colleagues from the RRW S’Task. He tried to keep up with news at home, but it was hard when all his family and friends had their own jobs and duties to attend to. Even though he had only spent three months in the Republic, he considered it home. Perhaps it was the fact that he was never truly welcomed on Barzan or maybe it was Maiell's overwhelming personality, but he cared more about staying in touch with his Republic friends. Chyun couldn't even name one person besides his sister from Starbase 420, and that was supposed to be the 'most chill' starbase, but honestly all those memories were a blur to him. The call didn't last too long, only about an hour with Chyun and his friend swapping stories from their lives. It was a lighthearted conversation and it made Chyun wonder if this whole officer exchange thing was the right thing to do. Hearing about all the fun activities that were going on with the S'Task crew. They played pixmit, had a table top game going on, they even had stopped by the lunar colony t'Rllaillieu to watch a football game and study a newly discovered aquatic animal. Oh how much Chyun would love to hear about those lungs. He sat in silence for a few minutes when the call ended, it was comforting to talk to his friends, but technically they weren't his friends, they were friends with Maiell. Thankfully they didn't seem too weirded out by Chyun's whole transporter incident thing. If anything they found it fascinating. With his mind still in a bit of a funk, Chyun headed out of his bedroom to the common area to replicate something to drink. He was in his own world, just trying to remind himself why he was here and why he wanted to stay. He liked Starfleet, he liked the diversity, and he just got there, it was too early to leave.

[D] Ayr had also taken the day off, as it was the Aenar day of parental recognition, and because of this, they had been on a subspace call with their parents; an experience they knew would not end well, but did anyway out of respect for tradition. Over the years Ayr had developed quite the thick skin, but their parents in particular always knew how to get under that skin and poke and prod where they were most sensitive. The comments about their appearance, disappointment in Ayr for not having mates and children yet, minimizing the work that they did and outwardly mean comments about how their parents ‘rasied them wrong’ and how they ‘should have had more children’ always served to cut into them, and put them in the worst possible mood. Being gaslit, minimized and openly insulted by one’s own parents was one way to ruin any good will or happiness that they’d had, reducing them to a mass of cold indifference, anger and shame. The very moment the line cut off, Ayr was up out of their chair and making their way to the replicator for a drink at quite the clip, but as soon as they entered the common room, Chyun also bolted out, seeming to be in his own world, and completely cut Ayr off, getting to the replicator first…only further souring their mood, and making the prospect of some Andorian tequila that much more appetizing. (edited)

Chyun was none the wiser to his roommate who was also in the room and just gave his order to the replicator. "Romulan ale," A very Maiell order and even if he didn't like the drink as Chyun-Maiell, he just needed something bitter to drown out his sorrows. Once the order was given, the replicator began to hum as it worked the generate the beverage. There was a brief moment of stuttering before the replicator went completely dark and the familiar blue of the ale began to leak from the top panel of the machine. Chyun swore all of the Rihannsu swear words he knew and slammed his hand against the wall as if that would fix it. Now he would need to call OPS and he wasnot feeling like seeing people right now. A few more slaps and some choice Rihannsu words didn't seem to make the machine cooperate (to no one's surprise). Chyun turned around and when he did-- he was face to face with his roommate. "It's broken, move," He was way too frustrated to worry about formalities and him and Ayr were the same rank anyway. Whilst Chyun the sweet and kind Barzan had strong mental control, it was Maiell's overwhelming temper that easily won out against his Barzan consciousness.

Of all the times for the replicator to go out…it had to be this one…typical. Ayr could sense the agitation from Chyun, matching their own, though his moment of temper boiling over and slamming his hand against the wall was surprising to say the least, Chyun usually being a calm and measured presence. Ayr themself was known for their long fuse and deep well of patience, partially due to their isolated upbringing and partly due to their training, but in this instance, following the unpleasant interaction with their parents, was also in a terrible move, and that fuse had already been almost burnt to its end…the final part being Chyun’s open rudeness. With a deep scowl and a clench of their jaw, Ayr let out a low, gravelly grunt, mental presence turbulent and angry. “It is likely broken because of your violent behavior toward it…perhaps your less than stellar attitude would improve after some self-reflection…” They said, tone dripping with sarcasm.

Chyun was not expecting Ayr to fight back, at least not with such openness. Perhaps if he were only Barzan he would have stood down, Chyun's biggest fear was making others upset, but Maiell's boldness and arrogance was winning out in this situation and he only doubled-down on his remark. "It was broken before I hit it," Chyun swore under his breath, taking advantage of the fact that he could speak Rihannsu low enough that Ayr or the UT couldn't hear. There was a bit of mumbling, mostly swears directed at no one in particular, but he did call Ayr a veruul (idiot) somewhere in his mumbling. Chyun took a step closer to Ayr, now well within stabbing range, almost at safe human range. Certainly not 'in Ayr's face' but pretty close to it. "And don't tell me what to do, it's none of your business, you don't know anything about the Romulan mind," He hissed right back, glaring daggers at Ayr. He didn't care if Ayr couldn't 'see' him, they were blind after all. However Ayr could 'see' his emotions, maybe that was enough to get their point across.

While Ayr couldn't verbally hear what Chyun was saying, the Romulan-Barzan had certainly not been quiet with his thinking, and because of that, Ayr'd gotten every single word of his rude mumblings. While Ayr was not one for outbursts such as Chyun's, there was a limit to their ability to maintain composure, especially when someone was testing them so by getting so close, thinking so loudly and carelessly and speaking to/about them in such a rude manner...in short, Ayr snapped. They too took a step forward, absolutely getting into Chyun's face, their expression a model of fury and anger. "Do you think I am stupid...do you think I don't know a fucking thing...or are you so dense that you can't see past your own emotions and thoughts to have one iota of concern for another person's?" They said, jaw tensing and fists clenched, drawing themself up to their full height and looming above the smaller of the two. "Mumbling out insults is so cowardly...if you want to say something, say it to my fucking face...you got a problem with me huh? Or are you just pissy you couldn't get your foul tasting drink? I'd rather have a bucket full of swamp water..." They growled out, their antennae curved back against their head in a clear sign of anger.

It was times like these that Chyun wished he had remembered more Standard, he'd of loved to say every curse word at Ayr right about now. His eyes narrowed and he only further closed the gap between him and Ayr, the two were now definitely in each other's space. His emotions didn't waver, if anything, he was feeding off of his roommate's anger and channeling it right back at him. He was only half Romulan, but his emotions were incredibly strong as if he were fully Vulcanoid. It was Maiell's personality that was so volatile and overwhelming, easily drowning out whatever calm Chyun's Barzan side had. "I do have a problem with you. You think you know me, but you know nothing, and I will tell you how I feel to your face-- you're a know-it-all veruul, you may be intelligence but you know nothing about me," Chyun pointed at Ayr, fully aware that the other could not 'see' his actions, but it was the thought behind them. He seemed to only be getting angrier, so angry he was even tearing up. "I don't care if you hate ale, so does most of the galaxy so you're gonna have to find a better insult than just my choice of drink," He only raised his voice more, the anger becoming even too much for Chyun to handle. It wasn't just anger towards Ayr, but Maiell's frustrations as well. He was Chyun-Maiell, but there was a clear split in his mind, Barzan and Romulan halves both fighting for dominance. Maiell was channeling all his anger into his moment. Anger towards Ayr, anger towards Chyun, towards the entire galaxy it felt like.

Ayr had to stop and take a breath, the anger in the room quickly becoming overwhelming for them, as they were generally used to positive or more neutral emotions, and brought back deeply unpleasant memories of their childhood. They were quick to hold up a hand, take a few steps back, and level their mental presence and facial/body language. “Chyun…please, let’s take a few moments to calm ourselves and de-escalate this situation…” They said, holding their hands up in mock surrender, expression open and calm, wanting nothing more than to just go back to their pleasant and genial relationship. “I don’t want to fight, you and I both deserve better, and are more mature than that.” They said, desperately wanting to fix the situation.

Chyun's expression quickly changed to that of surprise when Ayr took a step back. He was fully ready to throw hands, but seeing his roommate back off told him the sentiment was not returned. He stayed frozen in place and closed his eyes, also trying to calm his emotions. It was harder to calm down when he literally had two sides fighting for dominance in his mind. "... You're right," Despite the height of his emotions, Chyun reminded himself that he was here representing the Republic and he was also a doctor. Getting a little angry may not have been too bad for him, a non-telepath, but he knew how much stress it put on telepathic species such as Ayr. "I don't want to fight you either," He shook his head and crossed his arms. "I... I am just frustrated. You know.... I... Guess you would know my story, everything that had happened to me before coming here on exchange... I didn't mean to take it all out on you."

Ayr let out a mental, and physical sigh of relief when they saw and felt Chyun start to calm down, the cloyingly heavy atmosphere of anger dissipating enough for them to feel a moment of mortification at their own loss of control. Perhaps it was because they had simply become more finely tuned in to Chyun’s mental presence and emotions, or perhaps they simply got caught up in their own miasma of unpleasant feelings, either way, it was something they’d take great care not to repeat in the future, especially around someone they thought so highly of. “Your frustration is thoroughly justified, especially given the circumstances and situations you went through prior to arriving here. I can never fully understand what you went through, but I can respect that you have come through it as strong of an individual as you are today. A minor slip in control is hardly something to worry about, I am neither offended nor angered.” They said with a bow of their head, antennae curved forward in understanding and care, their own body language and tone as non-threatening and open as they were able to carry out. “Truth be told, I was also troubled and angered…I was on a call with my parents and they are…difficult to interact with at the best of times, today however…” They trailed off, expression distant as they processed the horrible, unpleasant, and frankly highly troubling interaction with their parents, one that they will be mentioning during their next therapy session.

Chyun was still very much not fine, but he kept his distance from Ayr and his eyes elsewhere. It was taking all of his strength to control his emotions as all of the mental control he had spent years of training in his youth had seemed to have disappeared following his accident. He had to learn everything all over again, which ironically just made him more frustrated and his mind harder to control. "I... Did not mean to sound so rough," Chyun felt strong remorse for his words, he didn't want Ayr to think he was unapproachable or unwilling to talk things out. In fact, he wanted to talk more with Ayr, but his own temper made such a thing difficult. "It wasn't really that long ago," He let out a soft sigh and held his hands together, looking down at the little scars that covered the edges of his fingers. "I am sorry to hear about your parents," He offered, light blue eyes looking up at Ayr's clear white ones. "I.... Understand about the parents. My Barzan family and I do not really get along," He told Ayr, assuming that Ayr already knew the story about him and his Romulan family as they were directly involved with his accident. "Yeah umm," Chyun was trying to fill the air of silence with something, but he was also a loss for words at this moment. He fiddled with his fingers and looked away. "We.... Let's sit down," He suggested as he lifted his hands as if to reach out to Ayr. He quickly stopped himself though and hid his hands behind his back as he made his way towards the sofa in the middle of the room. "I would offer you something to drink but... Yeah, we should call OPS."

Ayr could feel how much Chyun was straining to control himself, and felt very grateful for that in the moment. While they were trained to deal with wildly different scenarios and mental states, they found that while around Chyun, it was more difficult to block things out, as if he was always a part of their awareness…perhaps it just had to do with him being their roommate…yes…that was it. “I completely understand, you went through something I, nor anyone else can truly understand…” They said, their expression softening as they felt the remorse from Chyun, appreciating how open he was being, and in turn, Ayr released some of the more hardened mental blocks of their own, letting their own remorse, guilt and embarrassment flow freely. “Family is not an easy topic for many, though I appreciate you and I have similar struggles. It helps one’s growth when around those that understand and appreciate the experiences we have gone through.” They said simply, voice back to its usual neutral gravelly baritone. Ayr watched in surprise as Chyun reached out to them, and in a moment of surprise even to themself, they gave an aborted twitch forward to reach out to Chyun, even though that is absolutely not something they would do with anyone outside of their family, or a confirmed mate…very strange indeed. They took a seat across the table from Chyun, a soft, awkward smile on their face as they waited for him to speak, not trusting themself in the moment not to say something to make the interaction any more charged or awkward than it already was. “…I would agree, though I do have some Andorian ale stashed away in my quarters…perhaps I could crack a bottle?” They offered, thinking that a moment in their pleasantly cool quarters and a drink of something real would help to calm and focus their mind that was currently wandering to thoughts of their roommate, and just how…attractive he looked when he was angry.

Chyun was gradually calming down, but it was quite hard for his much weaker Barzan consciousness to control the raging emotions of a Romulan. He now understood why Vulcans practiced the teachings of Surak so closely. It was something that his counsellor had been coaching him on, but as he had learned, Surak was more than just meditating regularly. Although his emotions were still not very controlled, he was glad that they weren't making Ayr more upset, at least, not from what he observed. Light blue eyes certainly picked up on Ayr's twitch forward and wondered what would have happened had he not stopped himself in the moment, Would Ayr also reach out to him? Would they have... Touched? Scandalous thoughts aside, he turned his head away and just listened to what his roommate was saying. "No no, it's alright. I think the last thing I need right now is mind altering substances," Chyun held his head in his hands and looked down at the floor. Not only was he still upset, but horribly embarrassed that he let his anger show in front of his roommate. He could only imagine the additions to his intelligence file. In order to look a little less vulnerable, Chyun grabbed the two arms of his breather and pressed them cloesr to the corners of his mouth, thus giving him a bit more of the delicious toxic Barzan gasses. It also helped him deal with dizziness. "I am really sorry, Ayr," He lifted his head to look at the other, equally admiring his roommate's features for a moment. The antenna, the white eyes, he was also imagining the other's lungs. Ah yes, Chyun was not an ass man or a leg man, he was a lung man. "You... If you want to tell me about your parents or anything else... We can talk," Maybe hearing the other's struggles would be a good distraction from his own for a few minutes, he thought.

“That is a fair point, though I hope you don’t mind if I imbibe?” They said, partially wanting something to do with their hands, and partially out of the fact that right now, they would like to alter their mind, just enough so that their parents cruel words wouldn’t cut so deep. Their was no way that they would ever had anything of a personal nature to Chyun’s file, especially not Chyun, not when their mind had been so mixed up about him lately. It wasn’t as if they were completely unaware of what romantic and physical attraction was, they certainly weren’t a prude, but it was the fact that the first time they developed those attractions, it was to someone they considered a friend, their status as roommates notwithstanding either. Truth be told, Ayr felt more vulnerable now than they had in a long time, and while it was certainly…unsettling, they found it was not necessarily unwelcome. Watching Chyun in turn show his vulnerability and his emotions only served to deepen those attractions for them. “Again, no need to apologize, in fact, I do feel more comfortable now knowing that we both have had our struggles today, but were able to deal with our less than pleasant feelings in a mature way.” They said, their voice as low and gravelly as ever as they in turn took in Chyun’s features; the meaningful tattoos, his positively angelic bone structure, and the way that he seemed to carry himself…Chyun was much like the gases he was breathing…intoxicating. “…I believe that may do us some good. Given that you are the person I trust most on this station, I feel comfortable with you knowing the…less than stellar relationship I have with my parents.” They said, before making their way to their room, grabbing a bottle and returning. The grey-ish color was similar to that of the most ancient icebergs, something that comforted and discomforted Ayr in equal measure as they poured a healthy amount into the glass, antennae twitching slightly as they downed a sip.

"No, not at all," Chyun responded when Ayr said they were going to get the drinks anyway. As much as Maiell enjoyed drinking, he was still a doctor and fully aware of his own limitations. The storms in his mind were slowly simmering down, but as his mind cleared, he realised just how much he had let slip by. He heard Ayr's voice and then the subsequent footsteps as they headed to their quarters to grab... What was the drink they said? Chyun was still struggling with memory and his heightened emotions from earlier were not making things any easier for him. When Ayr returned, Chyun's eyes shifted back to them. "... Trust," Chyun repeated the word as he had never heard of the concept before. Through his translator the word came out as ihrrilhra. Although the two words shared the same technical meaning, the Rihannsu nuance was much more serious than what the term was in Standard. Eyes widened and his lips parted for a moment as he attempted to parse the translation was hearing. "Khlinae arhem, irae-we lyrr-t'ddreen (Thank you, I am honoured you feel comfortable unveiling your concealed truths," Chyun's eyes looked at Ayr as he spoke, only maintaining the eye contact for the duration of his utterance before looking away. He wanted to show the other how serious he was, but at the same time his own mental state made it difficult to keep focus too long. Instead, he looked towards the bottle that Ayr had brought in, it looked much different than Romulan ale. He wondered if it was just as intoxicating though? As Chyun sat on the sofa, he continued to gently fiddle with his breather, inhaling in deep and slow breaths.

Ayr, for as much as their appearance might lead one to think one way, but they did on occasion, find someone to put a modicum of trust into, and in the case of Chyun, quite a bit. And while they were mildly surprised at the translation, they did not correct it, as they felt that was accurate to how they meant it. They took note of Chyun’s eyes on the bottle, and subtly slid it and a glass over, an open invitation for them to drink if he wished, before leaning back into the couch and exhaling deeply, their shoulders sagging and antennae visibly relaxing, as if they’d put down a great weight. “My parents are not kind people, and they never wanted to have a child…I was, to put it mildly, unwanted even from the start.” They said, the words heavy in their tone. “My relationship with them has been distant, strained and quite negative my whole life because of that…enough that in recent years I have considered cutting off all communication with them…” They said, words punctuated with them downing another sip of the liquor.

As curious as Chyun was about the hazy liquid, he was still wrestling his inner demons (mostly Maiell) and alcohol would probably do more harm than good. The last thing he wanted to do was let his mental control waver with the introduction of mind-altering substances. Instead, he sat back on the sofa and listened as Ayr began to speak of their childhood and their parents. "O-Oh... I am surprised to hear that considering," He began to speak, eyes shifting to the tattoos on Ayr's arms. He remembered they had told him about the significance and their ties to family history, but now was speaking about their strained relationship with their parents. "Your dedication to tradition. Why were you unwanted?" Chyun sympathised with Ayr, not that he was unwanted-- in fact quite the opposite. But he knew how it felt to never feel like 'enough' to his parents. As much as he had Maiell's short temper and passion, he also had Chyun's desire for validation from others. He cared a lot about how his parents viewed him and always felt like whatever he did, he never quite met their expectations.

Ayr let out a deep sigh at Chyun’s question, a pensive look on their face. “My dedication to tradition is out of respect for my ancestors, and for the traditions and history of my people, moreso than my family as it were.” They said, ‘looking’ down at their tattoos, the history depicted in them, and the significance behind the tradition that themself and many others carried out. “My parents…they do not care for the culture or traditions of my people, only for themselves and their ambitions in life. They’ve said many times that I kept them back from advancements and from being as social as they hoped.” The more they thought about the harsh words, total lack of care and attention only given to Ayr when they wanted someone to put their frustrations onto, rather than love. “…I appreciate your willingness to listen, I feel that sometimes what makes one feel better is putting troubles into context when spoken. I am here to listen if you would like to do the same.” They offered, face open and earnest.

"I admire your dedication to tradition. In such an intergalactic world, it is easy for us to forget the paths our ancestors left for us," In the past, Chyun probably wouldn't have been so intrigued by someone who cherished their family history, but after learning more about his own culture and traditions, it was a trait he admired a lot in Ayr. The other's tattoos were beautiful-- Ayr was beautiful. His cheeks turned a darker shade of gray the longer his eyes stayed on the other. He only noticed he was staring after the hearing the other's invitation to speak freely about his own problems. "O-Oh," He stuttered, not quite sure how to phrase what he was going through. He missed home, he missed his family. He.. Missed his old life, in many ways. "I am sorry to hear that about your parents, but you have a lot of people here who support you. Like.. Me," He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. Chyun extended a hand towards his roommate. "I know you are telepathic and I am Romulan but I have found physical touch can be comforting," He leaned a little closer to Ayr and looked into those pale white eyes of theirs. It was oddly comforting to lock eyes with his roommate, even if he knew they couldn't 'gaze' back at him.

“I could not agree more. I find that you and I often have similar views on topics of this nature, I am…glad for that.” They said, not mentioning that they’d never felt as close as quickly to anyone else; a strange, but not unwelcome realization as Chyun was truly someone special, and someone they knew that they’d want in their life for as long as he would stay. They felt the eyes on them, and the jumble of emotions coming from Chyun, along with noting the blush on his cheeks…a sight to truly behold as Chyun was far and above the most gorgeous person they’d ever met, inside and out, and they were grateful that it seemed like that feeling was mutual. “You do not know how much that sentiment is appreciated…as I am here to support you just as much…you have become a very important person in my life.” They said, their tone and mental presence full of surety and steadfastness. Chyun’s offer had a dark blue blush of Ayr’s own spread across their face, neck ears, all the way up to their antennae, as no one had ever willingly offered physical contact to them before…it was significant and flattering in equal measure. They met Chyun’s gorgeous blue eyes, and held out their hand with confidence, knowing that they could trust Chyun completely in that moment.

Chyun nodded when Ayr said they were glad the two agreed. Him and his roommate really had a lot in common, which was a welcome surprise considering Chyun wasn't expecting to be able to connect with anyone on 777. He still felt distant from others, fighting a battle that no one else knew about. Well, Ayr was soon to be the first. Calloused hands reached out to gently entwine fingers with the Aenar's. The way Ayr's entire face seemed to blush was incredibly attractive, but he had to keep his calm. Who knew what hell Maiell would cause if his overwhelming personality came to the forefront now. Maiell would probably be much bolder than Chyun was being. The urge to tighten his grip on the other's hands, to grab at his wrists, to... His breath hitched when the thought crossed his mind, which forced him to shut his eyes tightly as if in pain. "I.. Did not expect your hands to be cold," He playfully teased, forcing a chuckle and trying to keep Maiell's overwhelming desires at bay. "Is this alright, Ayr?" He asked, slightly fearful that the intimate connection would make Ayr feel his emotions too strongly. He wanted to tell the Aenar he thought they were beautiful too, but he was already too shy to talk about his personal feelings, let alone his growing interest in Ayr. So Chyun remained silent and held Ayr's hand in his own, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes as he was desperately trying not to just let all his emotions go. He just hoped he own stress wasn't leaking into Ayr's mind. "... Do Aenar have the same beliefs about holding hands as Romulans? Our belief stems from our Vulcan past, even if we no longer possess touch telepathy."

The moment their hands made contact, the slightly hazy cloud of Chyun’s thoughts and emotions instantly distilled down to something immersive and strongly defined, and getting a chance to see inside the man’s mind, to sense how deeply he felt things…it was one of the most deep and meaningful experience they’d ever encountered, as well as reinforcing just how attractive they found him, inside and out. The feel of Chyun-Maiell (and yes, in this case they felt both of them), the way his slightly smaller hand fit so well into their own, the rough callouses, how strong it was, was simply unlike anything else. They knew that while they’d never held hands with anyone else, holding Chyun’s was something that they would want as long as he would let them. The intensity of everything rendered them speechless for several moments as they just experienced everything, as well as taking in just how stunning he was, and the flame of desire for more alighting in the pit of their belly. “You are…so gorgeous…” They finally got out, their stupefied face replaced by a small smile and and even deeper blush as they gently brushed their own mind against Chyun’s, just enough for him to get a sense of what they were feeling in return. “Your hands are strong. And perfectly warm.” They said, giving in to the temptation to run their thumb along the back of Chyun’s palm, their milky white eyes locked onto his beautiful blues. “It is more than alright…to be honest, I have had thoughts about holding hands before, but until you, there was no one I trusted enough to do so with…I am glad you are the first though.” *They said, tone, expression and mental presence full of honesty and earnestness. divider

21:55

When they saw tears welling up in Chyun’s eyes, they gently reached up with their free hand to wipe them away, leaning closer to the man. “Please, I would be most honored if you would join me in the zt’ral translation: opening up of ones emotions like a iceflower, I trust you with my own, and I would gladly serve as witness for yours.” They said, once again presenting Chyun with all of the openness and honestly they were able to give. “Holding hands for Aenar is something of an exercise in trust and openness, as not only are we extremely telepathic normally, but when in physical contact with someone, it is greatly magnified. Typically, holding hands are reserved for courting mates, those who are in romantic relationships, or very close friends. Even family do not hold hands. I suppose it is a similar reason to why Vulcans and Vulcanoids do not.”

Chyun's light blue Barzan eyes looked right into Ayr's pale ones. The constant push and pull of Chyun and Maiell calmed to a soft crashing of waves. All of that Surak Chyun had learned in therapy was helping, he didn't want to make the other uncomfortable with his incredibly strong Vulcanoid emotions. Depsite being only half Romulan, Chyun's emotions felt just as strong, if not stronger, as Maiell's. The dance of emotions that flew across his mind almost caused him to miss the compliment that left the other's lips. "... Thank you," came his soft reply, not entirely sure what to think of it. The words felt like they were just blowing through his ears, his brain being way too slow to process the meaning until more compliments came his way. "Ayr.." When it finally registered that the other was giving him such intimiate sounding compliments, Chyun's cheeks turned a dark grey, extending all the way up to the tips of his pointed ears. Brows furrowed, but his eye contact did not waver from the Aenar. "You too, this feels nice," His fingers tightened around the other's with his lips pulled tightly together. He was deep in thought, not entirely sure how to process these feelings but also trying not to feel too much. He managed to keep his emotions steady, even when the other's cold fingers reached up to wipe his tears away. 'What a beautiful person I get to live with', Chyun thought. A smile crossed his face at the Aenar term of endearment, his shyness and surprise clearly evident. x_divider

02:35

"I see, I would like to try telepathy.. One day," Chyun wanted to try it now, but he also knew he probably needed to do some more mental training. He was barely holding his emotions back as it was. Besides, holding hands was more than enjoyable for the time being. Ayr had such a comforting presence. "I like your cold hands and you're very pretty too. If it becomes too overwhelming we can stop whenever you'd like. I mean.. Maiell's emotions, he is much more moody than Chyun," Chyun took a deep breath as he attempted to keep his mind steady. "This is my first too, thank you for allowing me to share this intimacy with you," Chyun's fingers still held Ayr's firmly, but his mental focus was slowly waning as the physical contact continued on. The warring personalities in his mind were behaving, but he wasn't sure how much longer they could get along before he had to take his hands away.

“There are many things I would like to try with you one day, but I am grateful to have been able to get to know one another in a deeper way, as well as this…” They said, gesturing to their still clasped hands, their own blush matching Chyun’s. “I much prefer this to arguing…” They said, a soft chuckle escaping them, as well as a soft smile warming their face as they took a few moments more to experience the the closeness of the two of them, before it quickly became too much for them, unsure if they were feeling their own emotions, or Chyun-Maiell’s. And while that was something they would be very curious to try at some point, for now, they were content with the little glimpse they had gotten, as well as the one they’d given. With a nod and one last soft squeeze of his hand, Ayr disentangled their own, and stood, the smile never leaving their face. “Thank you for this Chyun, I am…more than grateful to have you in my life, as roommates and as friends. Perhaps we could share a meal soon.” They said, gathering the bottle of liquor and glasses, and making their way to their room. “I need to meditate, if you will excuse me.” With that, they headed into their room to take some time to think over the interaction.

A Secret Santa gift arrived for Ayr: Ayr’s gift was book-shaped and wrapped carefully in some snowflake-covered wrapping paper, complete with a little colour-matching bow and tag. The tag read: “Lt. th’Islador, Season’s Greetings! I hope you’ll enjoy your gift. - Your Secret Santa.” Within the paper covering the awfully book-shaped gift was in fact a physical hardback book! But not just any book, it was a book on the history of cryptanalysis throughout the Federation, covering all parts of time from the earliest instances long before most civilisations first travelled to the stars, to some of the most recent advancements in methods that were public information. The book contained information on both the methods and technology used, as well as instances they were used, including both famous and not so well heard of cases.