Star Trek: Eventide 777 - ┊torre′vnau-estate-romulan-complex

Shuffling around, Cerrub kept his PADD on the table as he helped one of the servants clean up the kitchen area. He didn't spend much time on the Romulan side of the house (mostly because most of them disliked Cerrub), but he made it a goal to visit at least twice a week. There was a part of him that just wanted to follow Renakir and take him, but another part that told him it was better to wait. Unfortunately the latter part had won out and Cerrub had spent the last three days glued to the screen waiting for a message from his son. Why would Renakir come to Mol'Rihan only to run away? Didn't he care about the Akuvek case? What about Dion? Cerrub had a feeling it was deeper than just a random mood swing. "Tell Rai the kitchen is clear, he can come in here to study," Cerrub told the servant before folding some of the towels and placing them neatly to the side. He felt guilty, guilty for everything. His whole life he lived in regret for bringing his son into a world that would never accept him. And now the one place he thought Renakir would feel accepted was clearly inadequate if he felt the need to leave right away. He would be fine if Renakir had just told him he was going out or something, but to leave without saying anything... He couldn't help but feel like it was his fault for being a bad father.

"Fly me to Mol'Rihan, let me play along the stars, Let me see what spring is like in Ekhaem and Khaa, In other words, hold my -" Making his way through the empty halls staring starry-eyed at the architecture and how big and ornately decorated everything was, Dion stopped singing abruptly as soon as he got to the kitchen door, partially because one of the servants (servants! What the fuck!) had told him Cerrub was in here and he couldn't sing around him, and partially because that part of the song was not safe for Vulcanoids. He opened the door and walked in, still looking around with that starry-eyed gaze of someone who'd obviously never encountered this much wealth. Back home he was bougie, but not THIS bougie. The countertops were some kind of shiny black marble or the stone, and even the cupboards had fancy carvings in the doors, and everything was well-lit, organised and very very shiny. Still, Dion looked as bougie as he could, in a silk dress shirt with Van Gogh's Starry Night printed on it, with gold buttons, gold cufflinks, gold ear-cuffs, a few gold rings with turquoise gems, gold star-shaped earrings, and cerulean eyeshadow that glittered like gold stars in a twilight sky, all of which matched his gold eyes. His trousers were indigo and his heels boots black, and his hair was tied up with a turquoise ribbon. Tonight's theme was 'galaxy bougie'. Though he didn't feel as though he fit in, he walked as though he owned the place. "Mr. Torre'vna, sir?" Dion said, standing with one hand on his hip and the other doing a ta'al. "I wanted to talk to you about something. By the way, your house is lovely!"

2

Cerrub was just about to leave when a familiar face stepped into the kitchen. Standing before him was a man he had only met via video chat. He knew that Dion was a trendsetter and fashionista, but seeing him in person was something else. Cerrub was over here dressed in long flowing purple robes that resembled traditional Vulcan style. It was a modest Romulan style, perfect for lounging around the house. Cerrub walked around to the other side of the shiny black stone countertop so he could greet the man. What was that shirt he was wearing? It reminded him of something, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Dion could easily have passed as a guest at a Reman banquet with that type of outfit, the gem stones were a great touch too. "You may address me as Cerrub," He told the man. Maybe family name was more formal, but he was so used to spending time with his Reman partners that it felt strange to be called anything but his given name. Plus, Dion was a friend of Renakir's, no need to be formal. "And thank you, Tiravurik and Meruvix were the ones who drafted the original design. Meruvix is Renakir's aunt, she's a senator," He told Dion, hoping that one day he would be able to meet her. "Yes, let's talk, shall we go to the courtyard? There's comfortable seating there and you can see what Tiravurik and Onusuk worked so hard on."

"Let's go, Cerrub!" Dion said. He was here to talk about serious things, but he was also just kind of excited to be here, and kind of wished Cerrub would tour him 'round the whole complex. He made no effort to hide his excitement, either, since in this case such an emotion would be considered flattering. "I'd love to meet them both someday, and the Romulan side of Renakir's family." They probably wouldn't approve of his existence... But that obstacle had never stopped him before!

"Meruvix would love you, she is very friendly and she was a good friend of Renakir's mother," Cerrub told his guest and he led him past the servant at the entrance to the kitchen and down the long corridor. The corridors weren't as nicely decorated as the Reman side, although there were a few paintings and scrolls displayed on the walls. As this was the Romulan side, all the decor was of course handled by the Romulan side of the Torre'vnau house and they were singificantly less flashy than the Remans. They also had significantly more people to please, whereas the Remans typically had no problem agreeing on new pieces for their side of the home. "The Romulan side, hmm I think on Rai would be interested in meeting you. The rest are very well.... Romulan, for lack of a better word," He told Dion, making no effort to hide the fact that he did not get along with the Romulan side of his family despite being fully Romulan himself. The spacism was too much for him and also he killed their son, or at least they suspected he did. Cerrub had no regrets about that though, one less spacist in the universe. They finally stepped back outside into the large garden courtyard that sat between all four buildings. There were large stone slabs on the ground that made a path for the two men to walk towards the centre. Archways decorated with ivy and flowers welcomed them, providing slight shade from the Mol'Rihan sun. It was clear there was a lot of thought into the garden, with each type of flower given its own section. There was also some vegetable plants and berry bushes. The Romulans were not as keen on eating plants as Remans, which was odd considering Remus had very little in terms of natural vegetation. They soon reached the centre of the courtyard, complete with a chair, sofa, and a long rectangular glass coffee table.. "Please have a seat," Cerrub gestured to the sofa as he took a seat in one of the chairs.

Dion walked with a slight skip in his step. He'd wanted Renakir to be here with him so he could get his perspective on all the decorations and maybe use the facilities like the pool with him, since this was also supposed to be a fun holiday, but he wasn't here. It was actually a bit overwhelming as well as exciting, actually, which his presence would've helped with, but once again, he wasn't here, so Dion simply Surak'd that feeling away. Maybe when he was feeling better, they could have some fun here? "I don't know. I'd like to get some practice in charming Romulans, even ones that are predisposed to not liking me. I can't just always go for whoever's easiest, can I? If I want to be a big fancy diplomat like you someday, I'll need to interact with people with all sorts of prejudices." Dion took a seat on the sofa, one leg folded over the other. "This place reminds me of home, you know, in a weird way. I mean, my house is much smaller, but we had a very nice garden, too." Apparently one thing he and both his parents both agreed on was that it was logical and worthy of a warrior to spend a lot of time attacking rose bushes with shears in order to shape it like a perfect circle, and things like that. Gardening was hard, physical work that kept you fit, and also required a level of organisation and knowledge recall that a logical Vulcan approved of. However, his father disliked that they couldn't grow Vulcan food on Earth soil, even though it was logical; they were an invasive species, and that would be bad for the ecosystem. His mother, of course, preferred meat, so had no interest in home-grown vegetables.

12:19

So, in the end, as always, his best memories were with Grandma: bringing her vegetables and fruit that he'd grown, helping her bake and cook with them, and helping her tend to her own garden because it was too much for her and her old bones to do on her own. He suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia and regret that he hadn't gone to see her for shore leave, but he Surak'd that away, too.

"I suppose, Renakir doesn't like them too much," It was again, no surprise. They were horribly spacist and having someone like Renakir in their family was not welcomed at all. Cerrub wasn't aware of the true horrors his son faced with his Romulan family, but what he did see was pretty terrible. It was actually much much worse, but Renakir would never say anything. It was hard to ignore the glaring problem they had in front of them; Renakir had run away and they still needed to sort Akuvek's case. He had a feeling Dion was here to discuss one or both topics. Cerrub sat up straight, hands on his knees, and his eyes straight at the other man. It was a good thing they had a nice garden to sit and chat. it would have been way too stressful in any other setting. Although Cerrub was a man who could hide his emotions easily, after all that was half of what it meant to be Romulan. The other half was the potential to murder, obviously. "On that subject, first, Renakir. Do you know why he's running around this whole planet? I'm worried about him, he's taking public transportation, do you know how dangerous that is? In the Reman districts no less," He said, a look of loneliness evident in his eyes. It was well known that the Reman disctricts were certainly not 'separate but equal' but actually significantly less developed and maintained, at least by the Romulan government. There had been some efforts, but with the budget for development cut by 30% it was becoming more and more neglected.

The way Cerrub said public transport in such horror was actually really funny, though of course Dion didn't laugh at him. Ah, yes, the scary buses and trains! In poor districts he didn't imagine they were the nicest ever way to travel, but Remans probably weren't mugging one another in the aisle seats. That said, with how expensively dressed Renakir was dressed last time he saw him, he might be a bit more of a target alone in the streets. "I don't know. Some kind of emotional dilemma, I think?" And the fact that he didn't know bothered him. Renakir hadn't even tried to talk to him about whatever his problem was. He was trying not to take that too personally, but it was hard not to when Eshen was hard at work helping him with a different problem as well. Did Renakir trust him or not? "Maybe something to do with the Romulan side. I know he's been feeling pretty underconfident about his Reman side lately. The thing is, I'm usually pretty good at reading people well enough to discern what their issue is, but it's hard to read a guy who literally isn't around."

Cerrub was unaware of what Renakir was wearing, but if he knew that his son was walking around Mol'Rihan looking like a million bars of latinum he would certainly be double worried. He sighed once more and looked down at the glass coffee table between them. So Dion didn't know what Renakir was doing either? It was one thing for a son to hide things from his father-- that was almost a given, but to hide things from his friends. As far as he knew there was nothing Dion had done to betray Renakir's trust since the video call, right? If only Tiravurik was there, he was always good at reading Renakir, perhaps it was because aside from Jianux, he was the closest one to Renakir when he was an infant. "I'm worried it's something I did. When he arrived he was in a bad mood. Maybe it's because I touched his sunglasses? It was strange, he said he'd eat dinner with Meruvix and I, but when I went to get him he was gone. Maybe he didn't like the decorations in his room, Onusuk tumbled the rocks for months to get them to shine," Cerrub was truly a troubled man trying to think about what could have set off his son. Renakir was 29 so it wasn't like Cerrub could just go chase him. The man was an adult, even if he was acting like a child. "He's safe though, right? Has he messaged you?"

"He's safe. He's... With friends. I don't know where, exactly, though." Only partially a lie. He knew Renakir was going to Saren's last time they talked, but he had no idea where that was beyond the Ih'lagga district. "I don't think it was the decorations that did it, though, which I'm curious to see, by the way." Who wouldn't want to see some shiny rocks? "Possibly it's... the language you use sometimes regarding his emotions could be perceived by him as a little... Invalidating sometimes. Rewatch that video call you did with me and him, maybe."

'Safe with friends', now that made Cerrub feel a little better. He wished he knew which friends these were. Renakir never did speak with him about his friends and unfortunately Tiravurik was illiterate so it wasn't like he could get communications from him except for some sporadic video calls here and there. He looked back at Dion, trying his best not to look too tired, but he hadn't slept at all since Renakir's disappearance. Not that Romulans needed much sleep to begin with, but it was starting to take a toll on him. "Language regarding his emotions? I don't think I understand. I have always encouraged him to embrace his emotions. I have watched the call and I think it went fine, he didn't seem angry or emotional at all, right?" The video call? Cerrub didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, if anything Renakir seemed less emotional than usual. It was quite mature of him to let his friend speak. As much as Cerrub loved his son, he had to admit Dion was more eloquent than Renakir and respected his son a lot for recognising that and having Dion approach him.

"That's the thing: I taught him some methods of Surak, which he has continued to study and become quite adept with, to regulate his emotions. I think he was using them during the call so that you wouldn't invalidate his concerns about the Akuvek incident. I think the fact that he felt he had to do that might be connected to the problem." Probably. Who knows? It was an educated guess.

"You have been teaching him about Surak? Oh, I am so glad to hear that, Dion," Cerrub did not smile, but it was evident in his gaze that he was relieved that Renakir seemed to be getting closer to a solution to controlling his anger. "I think he handled it well, he's growing up. I know he's 29 and legally an adult but he didn't exactly have the best environment to be a child. I have to say I'm partially to blame, I was the one who took him to Rator III," And he would do it again if given the chance because any other option would have meant death for his poor son. Cerrub looked from Dion again. the loneliness had returned to his eyes too. "Thank you for guiding my son. I hope he comes home soon, I don't know why he would think I would ever invalidate his feelings. He does tend to get overly emotional, I am sure he told you what he did when he first saw Akuvek. He could have gotten himself arrested, he did act selfishly. And now.. I suppose this is on brand for him too."

Cerrub kept giving him that lonely look that made him want to give him a pat on the shoulder or even a hug, but he didn't, because that would be wildly inappropriate for several reasons. "That's the thing, sir, I'm not guiding him - I'm supporting him, as an equal. I'm not a mentor, I'm a friend. Daelhen, even." And they were supposed to support one another. He kept fixating on that. Why was Renakir avoiding even him? He'd gone to Allan's beach house, Saren's, and who knows where else, but if he hadn't run into him, Dion wouldn't have seen him at all since coming to Mol'Rihan. Maybe he did something wrong? But what? "This is going to sound discongruous coming from a Vulcan, but Renakir's emotions aren't a bad thing. They should be regulated, but also, listened to. Emotions exist for many reasons - logical reasons, in fact - and one of them is that they're signals, trying to bring attention to something. If Renakir is upset, he's not being irrational - it means there's something wrong that we need to pay attention to." (edited)

4

"Daelhen, I know," Cerrub took a deep breath as he tried to process what Dion was telling him. He was not a hugging man, however he really did need a hug right about now. It was harder to hide his distress in person than over video chat. It felt like there were a million tiny epohhs running around in his mind and all he wanted to do was drop everything and go find Renakir himself. And what would he do? Beg him to come home? Apologise? He kept telling himself he was doing the right thing. And look at Dion, he was Renakir's daelhen and he wasn't chasing him. As much as Cerrub wanted to believe him and Renakir had a strong bond of trust, it would be foolish to deny Dion probably knew a lot more about Renakir than he did. "I know Renakir gets upset easily when it comes to Reman affairs. I just worry. Dion, surely you know the story of Shinzon and the Enterprise D, right? In trying to free his people, he led a military uprising, killing the whole Romulan senate and almost destroying the Federation. That is the power of Reman anger. I've lived through a lot of smaller Reman uprisings, even assisted with some, and I just don't want Renakir to go down that path. I don't want him to be Vulcan, but he needs to learn how to control his anger and think before he acts. I am always willing to listen to him, but only if he can speak to me like an adult."

"He is an adult. I've been working with him in Starfleet for a while now, and in tense situations, he always keeps cool, steps up and does his job. You just don't see that because you don't work with him like I do. Regardless, if you don't listen to him unconditionally, of course he won't speak to you." Why did he feel like he was giving parenting advice? He never had a kid, he just liked the idea of having one someday. Maybe Cerrub should talk to Men. That guy had, like 5 children or something. "I know the story of Shinzon, but I hardly doubt Renakir has it in him to become a revolutionary considering I'm the one dealing with the Akuvek thing and not him." Dion smiled in amusement. "Actually, we have this joke that I'm the 6th coming of Tenakruvek even though he's the one who's half Reman."

"I suppose you're right... I never thought I'd have to single parent a Reman child. I wanted to protect him from all the bad things in the universe and the only way I knew how to do that was to raise him just as a normal Romulan child. Do you think that's why he has always resisted me?" Cerrub said as he slumped his shoulders down and sighed. What he wouldn't give to see Renakir right now, he wished he could actually speak with him. It didn't matter if Renakir was still mad, he just wanted to talk to his son. "Tenakruvek? He told you that story?" Cerrub's ears twitched and he looked up at Dion in surprise but also curiousity. "I suppose he also taught you about how Remans view kinship amongst one another. Despite all that, Renakir has never accepted hugs from me, or any of his other family members," He tapped his foot on the ground and sat back in his chair. They were talking about important diplomat things, but Cerrub, just like Renakir, was exhausted. When would his son come back from his teenage angst?

"Yes! He said I was a Reman, which was quite nice, because we hybrids have a tendency to not really fit in anywhere. I can't say if he's resisted you or not because of the Reman thing, but I know the reason I left for the academy is because my folks were always trying to get me to pick one side or the other. It makes you feel like you're being... Split in two." Wow. He did not expect to be talking about hybrid issues with Cerrub Torre'vnau, of all people. "It doesn't necessarily make you hate them, but it does mean you need to get away for a while to figure yourself out. Maybe... Maybe that's what he's doing." Did Dion hate his parents? Did Eshen? He wasn't sure. He was very bad at hating people. The main difficulty was that he didn't know why they did what they did, as though that would excuse it somehow. Hybrid children were not easily brought into this world. Did they see him as a big investment that didn't pay the dividends they thought it would? Maybe he would never know. Maybe that was life; you go through it encountering people, some of whom hurt you, and much of the time, you don't get an explanation, and you just have to move on from that. You have no choice. "Don't worry about the hugs thing, though. We're working on that." Dion looked away and fiddled with his gloves. Actually, he felt more like Eshen at the moment. "May I ask you a personal question, Cerrub?"

Split in two, now that was a way to put it. Cerrub never considered the complexity of being of two worlds, perhaps because he never felt like Romulans and Remans were that different deep down. Both had a strong loyalty to family, whether that be blood or found family. And then after the Supernova both races were desperately searching for a home. Although, the Remans did not have an unhinged secret police nor did they have a very problematic superiority complex. Luckily neither Cerrub nor Renakir seemed to have inherited that particular trait. "I thought raising him as just Romulan would prevent this. So he wouldn't be torn between two worlds," Cerrub said, still not exactly comprehending what sort of struggle his son was going through. He furrowed his brows and rubbed his eyes. Sleepy, and trying to hide his own anxieties about his son's disappearance. "You're working on that?" He said in response to what Dion said about hugs. So this man was not only teaching his son about Surak, but also how to hug? It was good news, but he couldn't help but feel inadequate as a father for not being able to get his son to open up like Dion could. What was he doing wrong? Did Renakir just dislike Romulans? Honestly after living on Rator III most of his life, Cerrub could believe it. "You may ask me anything, Dion."

For a second he was silent, then he pushed ahead. He couldn't afford to be too hesitant around Cerrub; he had to be Dion around him, even if he didn't feel much like him right now, because Dion was who Cerrub was impressed by, and Dion was bold. He looked straight into Cerrub's eyes and asked: "Do you ever regret having Renakir? Even though it was difficult to raise him? Are you grateful that he exists? And do you tell him that often?"

And then there was silence. Cerrub stared at Dion, blinking slowly in anticipation for the man's question. Despite their obvious differences in appearance, Cerrub and Renakir made the same face when faced with a difficult question. They had the same blank stare, even the way their forehead ridges wrinkled was the same. Like a true diplomat, Cerrub did not answer immediately. He thought about how he was going to answer the question and how to tell Dion. "I am not sure if Renakir ever told you the circumstances of his birth," He began, keeping his eyes fixed on Dion as he spoke. "I did not even know he existed until the Reman evacuation to Cretaris. His mother snuck away from the guards so she could give him to me so I could keep him safe until the Remans could reunite with the Romulans again. Renakir was five and I was just a stranger who spoke a strange language to him," Cerrub clasped his hands together as he recalled the events. "Truthfully, Dion, I do regret having Renakir. Not because I dislike being his father, but because I brought him into a society that would never truly love and accept him. I am grateful he exists though. I cherish every day I have him in my life -- he knows that for sure. I paid for the best tutors, let him do whatever classes he wanted, pursue any study he wanted. When he told me he wanted to enlist in Starfleet I supported him. I learned how to make baguettes, all for him," Cerrub didn't think there was a problem with Renakir feeling underappreciated. If anything he spoiled his son with all the gifts and money he threw at him constantly. Wasn't that enough?

It was interesting that Cerrub had the same mannerisms as his son. It made Eshen wonder if he had any mannerisms in common with his SoS or Sa'mekh. He came to two conclusions: probably, and that he didn't like that. Then he said he did regret having Renakir. Oof. Not what he wanted to hear and certainly not what Renakir would like to hear either, probably. But at least he was honest about it, and it's not like he made the choice to have him - he just suddenly had a kid one day and had to deal with it. At least he was grateful and made an effort to show it. Eshen felt briefly jealous hearing of all the things Cerrub had done for his son, but he Surak'd that emotion away because he knew it was unfair. "I still think you should tell him. It's in the nature of us diplomats to be ambiguous sometimes so we never have to say exactly what we mean, but it's nice to hear such clear affirmations as 'I'm grateful you exist' and 'You're important to me' and 'I love you'. Romulans especially - in my experience, you tend to make a game of your words, one where each player has to decipher true meaning from false words, like true names and false names, whereas Remans are far more direct. Hybrids need that kind of simple assurance especially, since we can feel a little like our existence was a mistake or a sin of some kind sometimes. I think this all started when Valleka called him a dirty Reman, in fact." It was much easier to divorce himself from the problems he experienced by saying it was hybrids who felt that way, though it was often a problem.

Cerrub listened closely to Dion's words, taking them to heart. Ambiguous, was he too ambiguous? He had to seriously think for a moment, but to do this he had to break eye contact for a moment. He focused on one of the small bushes that lay beside the sofa Dion was sitting on. Thankfully it was pretty quiet in the courtyard, most of the Romulans were at work and the Reman side never made much noise given that there were only two other people living in that section. "We do make a game of our words and isn't that what it means to be Romulan? I know those sort of terms of affection are common in other cultures but we just don't do that here. If he wants those words, he can ask Tiravurik or any of his Reman parents," Cerrub wasn't quite sure what Dion was asking of him. Of course he loved Renakir, but he didn't think he had to say it. Romulans never said such things to anyone outside of their trust bonds. "Ahh yes, Valleka. That was another time he over emotional. He demanded I call off the engagement and I did it. All for him. That was how I showed him my love, I think that speaks louder than words, wouldn't you say, Dion?"

"That's what I mean. That's what Romulans do. But he's a Reman, too. You have to connect with that side of him, too, because it's a part of him. I think, even as a kid, when you were trying to raise him Romulan, he knew that was only one part of who he was. Actions are important, but words have power, too. They can be tools of violence and of peace, start wars and end them. We're both very aware of that. So... learn to speak his language, if you'll accept one hybrid's advice." Eshen sighed. Cerrub calling Renakir over-emotional all the time was disturbingly Vulcan of him. "Also, it wasn't over-emotional to call off the engagement. I called one off myself once, and I don't regret it. It was both an emotional and logical decision. Those things are not always at odds. As a child of three worlds, including Vulcan, I feel quite qualified to make that judgement."

2

"I see what you mean, I wasn't there for the first five years of his life. He never told me what it was like those years on Remus," Cerrub said, trying to hide the loneliness and despair that was clear in his eyes. Sad eyes, not too dissimilar to Renakir's look whenever he would say 'I'm ugly' or 'I'm Reman'. Self loathing and regret seemed to be something that the two shared. "Renakir is very jaded, I don't know if my words could really do anything to break that but seeing as nothing else has worked I can try," Cerrub had low expectations for talking with Renakir. As much as he loved his son, talking was one thing that never seemed to go over well. But Dion did made a convincing argument. "I do not believe it was very logical for Renakir to call off the engagement. The Rylov family is very powerful. Being my son, he would not carry the family name so I had to be very careful to choose a good suitor. It was not just about him, it was to help unite the Romulans and the Remans," He sighed and shook his head. "I sacrificed so much to give him the life he has. I had to work so hard to protect him on Rator III, lying to his family, lying to his teachers. I risked my own life to ensure his safety. And then... After one comment he wants to cancel the engagement I worked so hard to arrange? Any way you look at it, Renakir acted selfishly. But I would never force my son to do anything, so I cancelled it," Cerrub said in very asian-father-like style. He risked it all for his son, but his son could not even follow through with a political marriage, one that only needed to exist on paper. "I told Renakir he didn't have to have children with Valleka or even like her. I married someone I hated," He said, not mentioning what happened after said marriage.

"You don't need to keep passing down the same habits, or they create intergenerational patterns of harm. You married someone you hated for political gain, but that didn't mean he needed to. You risked a lot so Renakir wouldn't have to suffer, right? And when people say things like what she said to him, he suffers. Speaking from experience, political gain means little when you're foreseeing the psychological stress you might have to suffer go through with it." Eshen leaned forward on his knees and smiled thoughtfully as a bird chirruped nearby. "If I ever have a kid of my own, which I'd like to, I'm going to try very hard to make their life better than mine was, so they can make their kid's life better than theirs, and that's the point of it all, isn't it? Creating a better world isn't just about grand things like political marriages, but just trying to do better than the generations who came before you. And if it helps any, by not forcing him to go through with it, you're doing that. He has a better life now, so the most important thing is to let him live it."

3

"I understand him being upset, but to call off an engagement. Well, it's cancelled now so there's nothing more I can do about it. If anything, we can hope the Rylov family falls out of favour with the people enough to not win re-election," That was the one good thing about Mol'Rihan politics; the democracy. Well, at least it seemed like a democracy. In many ways the old oligarchy of Romulan society still existed, but luckily for the Torre'vnaus either way meant they had a comfortable position up top. "That is.. True," Cerrub looked down for a moment before his gaze returned back to Dion. "Is his life really better now? He's not even here with us, he's off in.. I don't know where. Am I doing the right thing by not chasing him?" He looked into Dion eyes, tired and very lonely. Where was his son? What was he doing? The typically confident diplomat was now just a lonely father who had no idea how to make his son happy.

"Materialistically? Definitely. I mean, look at this bloody garden!" Eshen said. He was beginning to feel a little more expressive, a little more Dion again, but not quite. He'd mostly been focusing on being eloquent. What it seemed like Cerrub had needed was honesty, unexpectedly, and Eshen was better at that. "Emotionally? Well, that's up to you and it's up to him, but yes, I think so. He has friends, and a good career. Even if he doesn't feel like it right now. I can't tell you if you're doing the right thing or not, but I can tell you I'm not chasing him either because sometimes people just need time to figure stuff out. I do hope he spends some time with me here when he's done, though. I want to sit with him in the garden and swim in the pool..." Eshen turned to look at Cerrub, a hopeful look in his eyes. "...If you'll allow it, that is. Now, can I ask for your advice on something?" He felt a little bad asking, since Cerrub clearly had a lot on his mind (yes, he still wanted to hug the guy; no, he still would not offer), but he had to ask someone about the thing with Lun before he just gave all his information away. With Renakir gone, what, was he supposed to just do this whole thing on his own? Just because he was good at diplomacy and subterfuge didn't mean he couldn't use some support dealing with an ex Tal-Shiar agent on a planet he was completely new to.

"If I could make him the prince of Mol'Rihan I would," Cerrub said with his full body and mind. They were a democracy with elected officials, but sometimes Cerrub wished he could make his son a Prince and then maybe more progress would be made between the Romulans and Remans. However that was only a fantasy and it seemed like Renakir had more emotional needs than monetary. "I prepared this whole house for Renakir and h is guests, of course you are welcome to explore the estate. The Romulans don't mind either, I made sure they would stay out of your way," Cerrub said, realising that shore leave was going to be coming to a close in about a week and still Renakir was not home to enjoy it. If Renakir did not come back soon, Cerrub would tour Dion around himself. "Yes, I can give advice," Cerrub gave Eshen that curious look again, his face looking awfully like Renakir's. The two men had the same silver eyes that seemed to glow in the shadows.

Eshen looked into Cerrub's silver eyes with his gold ones, then away, fiddling with his gloves. "Okay. Well, I spoke to Lun, and he said he'll do the thing, but only if I give him information on some other people I know. Only thing is... I wasn't expecting to have to get them involved in this at all, even tangentially. So my question is: should I give it to him? I mean, you know, he's an ex... You know, and I'm still a Federation diplomat, not a Romulan one, I don't... want anyone to get hurt." As accustomed as he was becoming to playing the Romulan social game, he he was not the kind of person who could marry a spacist and then kill them for political game. He just didn't have the ruthlessness. Not yet.

Cerrub watched Dion fiddling with his gloves. He wondered what they meant, he noticed the man always wore them. A few Romulans also wore gloves, but usually to hide knives or poisons. Was it the same with Dion? Not that Cerrub suspected a Federation officer to try such underhanded tactics, that was a Romulan thing but maybe there still was a reason. He listened to what the other said about Lun and his concerns. So Lun wanted information? This was not a surprise to Cerrub at all, Romulans rarely worked for free. Whether it be latinum or information, there was always some exchange. "I'd give him the information as long as it is not classified security information. If you are worried for the safety of the people in question, tell them what you did so they have time to build up their defenses."

Eshen was about to say 'isn't that kind of backhanded?' before he remembered it was a Romulan he was talking to. "Is that it? Just give him information and then give them information?" He had a million questions. What if Lun found out? What if he told Lalisa what he was doing and she was like hey, why are you telling him stuff about me, what the fuck? "I can't tell them without them knowing I told Lun information about them, and then it's like I've betrayed them or something. I need to get Lun on my side, but I need to maintain the connections I've already made, too." Sure. That was a diplomatic way to ask 'what if Lalisa and Alizati don't like me any more if I tell them I told Lun stuff about them.'.

"Tell them to be careful and that someone is watching them, no need to tell them about Lun," Cerrub shrugged, not thinking it was strange to have a web of secrets at all. It was certainly underhanded, but the ends did justify the means in his eyes. That was one thing about Romulan society he honestly did not like, but they had to play the game. He wanted to believe that Remans would help push the Mol'Rihan society to be more open, but Remans were just as capable of hiding secrets as Romulans, they just were enslaved for so long they never had their chance to shine. "It would be easier if I knew who these people were-- at least their affiliations. I assume all of these people are Romulan? On Mol'Rihan? I cannot imagine why Lun would want information on Starfleet officers. As far as I can tell he mainly deals in Romulan affairs. Wait.. He's not looking for information about Renakir, is he?" The idea just popped into his mind and it scared him to think someone would want information on his son. Renakir was the only heir to the Torre'vnau family and he was half Reman, there were many reasons why someone would want information on him.

Tell them what? That was the most ominous thing he'd ever heard! If someone told him that, he'd think he was about to get taken out by the Tal Shiar! "No, I've actually kept Renakir and the Torre'vnaus entirely out of it. Lun has no idea how I knew of him. Er, hopefully. It is someone Romulan, though. He wants a person's schedule, but that's the only clue I can't get and I don't know why he wants that information."

"I am glad to hear that, actually," Cerrub was able to relax a bit knowing there wasn't someone interested in his family. No one touches him or his son! He was not a fighter like Renakir was, but he would certainly meet someone behind Romulan Aldis if they dared messed with him or his Reman family. The Romulans could take care of themselves. Maybe he'd throw hands for Rai though. "Schedule you say? Sounds like someone is plotting a murder," Was what Cerrub's mind immediately went to. "If you have someone's schedule you can easily plan an... Unfortunate event. That's how Valleka murdered her father," Cerrub frowned, now wondering who Lun could be trying to murder. "But Lun is also Vulcan and supposedly he is a pacifist. Tell the person what you're doing and leave it up to them to keep their defenses up."

1

...Well, that decided it! Lun was not getting that schedule. Akuvek cased be damned, he wasn't potentially getting someone murdered over it. Lun had said that was optional, and Eshen could probably tell him all the other stuff safely enough, right? "I... See," Eshen said as he stopped fiddling with his gloves, folding his hands politely in his lap. "Well, thanks. That helped. Sort of. Final question before I go, though. Do you know anything about Lun that would help with convincing him to pursue the Akuvek case in the event that my information isn't enough?"

Cerrub wondered what Dion was thinking and if he was really going to give Lun the information. Of course Cerrub had no issues with doing some murder and thought one life was a small price to pay if Akuvek's fair sentencing would save thousands of Remans after her from unfair punishments. "I am happy to be of service," He replied, bowing his head and trying to get back into diplomat mode. He couldn't be sad anymore, Renakir was definitely going to come back and when he did he would apologise properly. "Information on Lun... Well he married into the Rylov family, to Valleka's cousin, although she has been dead for ten years. The only thing holding him in is his trust bond with Valleka's older brother Kianarix. The two of them are on shaky ground with the Rylov family as it is, they only have each other although the two of them haven't been getting along well lately. I think refusing the Akuvek case would not be in his best interest right now."

Ooo, trust bond? Spicy gossip. Also, he married into the family and then the cousin he wed died? Sus. Eshen was beginning to wonder if Romulans planned funerals in advance after every wedding, just in case. Eshen stood up, gloved hands clasped in gratitude, giving Cerrub his warmest smile. "That's very helpful, thank you, sir! I think I'll go meet with him now, but what do you mean by not in his best interest?"

1

Cerrub stood up when Dion did and straightened out his robes. That was quite a talk and he hoped that it would not be their last. Dion was just has interested in person as he was via video chat. Also he was the first friend of Renakir's from 777 that Cerrub met. Hopefully Renakir came home soon so he could tour his friend around. "I have no doubt Kianarix will leave Lun if Lun does not take the case and if he does, Lun will be without a house which is as good as dead in Romulan society," Cerrub said with an ominous look. He did not say anything else though, like a good diplomat he never gave away everything he knew. "If you bring up his name. I am sure Lun won't be able to refuse the case."

Kianarix will leave Lun if he doesn't take the case? Good lord, how unstable was this relationship? "Why would he leave Lun? I know the Rylovs are a bit more progressive than the other houses... Is he a Reman revolutionary, then?" Eshen said, half joking as he walked towards the exit of the gardens and/or house with Cerrub.

Cerrub began to walk out of the gardens along the stone slabs that led them to the clearing in the first place. He looked down as he stepped, being on the look out for any uneven stones. Tiravurik was good with rocks, but there were a few uneven surfaces or sharp edges one had to look out for. "Not a revolutionary," Cerrub chuckled at the thought. He didn't think anyone in the Rylov house was emotionally stable enough to lead anyone, they couldn't even lead themselves. The amount of in-fighting in that family could make a reality show of their own. "If your information is not enough for Lun and you do have to mention him, I am sure Lun will tell you everything you want to know," Cerrub stepped out of the gardens and now they were back on the Romulan side.

"Oh? How very forthcoming of him." Then Eshen made polite conversation with Cerrub 'til they got to the exit. "Well, I hope it goes well with Renakir when he comes back, if I'm not here at the time. We should have tea together sometime and talk about trivial matters sometime, though, sir, I think it would help get your mind off things. Anyway, jolan tru!" Then, with a ta'al, Eshen turned to leave.

2

"He can be," Cerrub replied. He led Eshen to the exit, walking him through the Romulan complex once again. They passed a couple of servants on the way out, none spoke to them of course. As soon as they got to the entrance he returned the ta'al and bowed his head. "I will tell you once Renakir returns, Jolan tru."

1

"I know, I will, I'm sorry for all of this," Renakir clasped his hands together as he made his way out of the gardens, ducking out of the way of trees and flowers that got in their way. He was tall so being face to face with hanging branches or flowers was pretty much a given. They made their way to the nearest transporter hub. The hub was not incredibly big, but it was certainly not quiet. With just one flash of his black card the two Romulans gained access to the the transporter to head to Renakir's house.

Dion had just left and Cerrub was sweeping the entranceway of the estate. They had servants to do that, but he much preferred to do the work himself if he could. Plus, he was still hopeful that his son would show up. Renakir's estate had an impresside facade. The entrance had a large wooden gate and tall stone walls circled the whole complex. Of course, the walls were not too tall that Renakir couldn't parkour his way over them, but they were still impressive. Past the gate was the front of the first building, which was part of the Romulan complex.

[D] Hey there Torre'vnau's, it's me, ya boi, with a bunch of plums in his pockets. "Holy shit," Saren breathed out, as soon as the gentle shimmer of the transporter died off and he could take a look around. Yep, this place exceeded his expectations, leaving him feeling weirdly agoraphobic, even though Saren, for a huge chunk of his early life, basically lived in the forests and fields. But this was different, even though the Romulan couldn't exactly pinpoint how. Maybe it was the busyness of the whole place? He looked at Renakir, both for his input and for some sort of guidance: "Do we just... go? Or we have to tell someone we arrived?"

4

"We just go," Renakir said as he walked towards the large wooden gate that opened as soon as he approached it. As the gate opened there was Cerrub with his broom in his hand watching the doors as they opened. "Of course, my father is here," He gently slapped his face with his hand when he realised his father was literally waiting for him right there. This was embarrassing and he was hoping to at least have some time to show Saren around and not be perceived. Seriously, today was the day of perceiving Renakir apparently.

As soon as he saw his son, Cerrub dropped his broom and rushed towards him. "Solait!" He said, careful not to hug Renakir or anything lilke that. He kept stabbing distance away, a bit strange for a father and son but Renakir was always pushy about personal space. "And you brought a friend I presume?" Not only did his son return, but he brought someone with him! Cerrub waved at Saren and walked towards him. "Jolan tru, thank you for bringing Solait home."

Of course the first person they see is Renakir's father. Saren held his back straight, gaze even, as he nodded at Cerrub: "Jolan tru, sir. Of course, it was my pleasure," he replied politely, not entirely sure yet how to act around this man. He's Renakir's dad. He's a stranger. He's acting... pretty friendly, and called him a friend, but oh dear, should he just offer this man a plum and throw him off completely and see what Cerrub does? Okay, no, focus Morvar. He did notice the distance between Renakir and Cerrub. Huh. His dinam did say they had some issues between them, but seeing them visually... He repressed the light frown that threatened to appear on his face, instead choosing to keep his gaze on the older Romulan. The two needed to talk, probably without Saren lingering in the background. His introverted nature really wasn't helping here... wait, Ren also mentioned Eshen. Was he also here?.. "I should also introduce myself. Saren ir-Llaiir tr'Morvar, a fellow Starfleet officer."

"It is nice to know there are other Romulans serving with Solait," Cerrub said, finding it rather ironic that Renakir's whole purpose for joining Starfleet was to get away from the rigid structure of Romulan society. However here he was with a Romulan friend. Well, Saren seemed polite, Cerrub had nothing else to say about him though. The name did not ring any bells and as far as he could tell he was from a Romulan colony. "And I am Cerrub i-Ra'tleihfi tr'Torre'vnau, Solait's father," He introduce himself with a polite bow of his head. "And welcome to our estate. I am sure Solait has told you we have a mixed house, Reman and Romulan. I assume that will not be a problem?" He assumed if this boy was a friend of Renakir's that he had no problem with Remans, although it was always good to ask. If Dion knew that Renakir was Reman then Saren must have known, right? Honestly, Cerrub did not know what to assume, sometimes Renakir was proudly Reman and sometimes he acted recklessly to hide it. Like walking around without his sunglasses, but he was wearing them now so at least that was something.

Renakir stood there watching the two converse, his posture straight and hands by his side. He was the living embodiment of at that moment. He was hoping that his father wouldn't be too embarrassing, Cerrub was certainly friendlier than most Romulan parents in his opinion.

1

Okay, whew. The first hurdle has been passed. "He did. Oh, and I have no issue with that," he simply replied, because it was true. Well, half of the truth. The amount of truth Saren was comfortable with sharing. "Thank you for your hospitality, sir." He could see Renakir in his peripheral vision, just standing there, non-menacingly, probably hoping and praying that his father won't go into the Embarrassing Parent mode, a seemingly common fear amongst many, many sentient lifeforms. There was no way right now to reassure his friend that it was fine, so Saren just continued the Romulan staring contest with Cerrub: "Would you mind if Renakir showed me around a bit? Or do you two want to... talk, for a bit?"

"Oh, of course, don't worry Solait and I can speak after you two are done with your tour," Cerrub said as he turned to look at his son who was just standing there watching. He gave Renakir a nod and shuffled back to pick up the broom he had dropped and went into the house.

Finally that exchange was done with, Renakir breathed as sigh of relief as he straightened out his blazer and unbuttoned one of the buttons on his dress shirt. As if he was showing enough skin as it was, but he was hot and they were at his house. No one cared. "Alright Dinam, let's see my house," Renakir gestured for Saren to follow him. [D] Renakir toured Saren around the Romulan complex first. It was rather brief as there were a lot of rooms that for some reason Renakir did not show Saren. His Romulan family was extremely secretive and not exactly eager to show their living space to strangers. Plus they were already not fond of Renakir so him bringing someone to tour around was a definite no. Still, Saren got to see a good portion of the Romulan side. Next was the gardens between the two complexes. Renakir explained how his Reman family made and maintained the garden area. #┊torre′vnau-estate-reman-complex

Into the Romulan complex Renakir shuffled, dodging each of the servants who tried to offer him towels so he wouldn't drip everywhere. He had to settle this once and for all. It did not even occurred to him that he was out here, soaking wet, dripping on the nice hard wood floors and carpet in some areas. He stepped carefully down the corridor in an effort to not slip and fall. He held one hand on his sunglasses and the other was pressed against the wall. He could hear the whispers from the people he passed, servants and family alike. He was quite used to getting stares, it made no difference to him. "Father?" Renakir called as soon as he reached Cerrub's study. He hoped his father was there, he didn't want to have made this trip for nothing. He wanted to get this over with so he could go back and enjoy his time with his dear friends.

"Come in," And with that the doors opened to reveal a spacious study. Going along with the Chinese theme, the hard wood floor had a large carpet in the middle. There was a only a single desk at the front of the room where Cerrub sat. As it was traditional the desk was low and Cerrub sat on a pillow behind it, reading over some papers when Renakir entered. It smells like aged wood despite the complex only being a few years old. The lacquered walls and winding vines of leaves around the room made the space feel less like an office and more like a cozy reading space. On the walls were scrolls covered in black brush paintings with beautiful Reman calligraphy. A gift from Renakir's Reman family when they joined the Torre'vnau house. “I thought you wanted to play with your friends today, Solait?" Cerrub put down what he was reading and looked up at his son. He gestured to the pillow in front of his desk for Renakir to sit on.

Renakir walked lightly into the room, careful not to shuffle too much. His father disliked it and always told him to 'walk like a Romulan', whatever that meant. He rolled his feet as he walked, heels to toe, to avoid making a sound. When he reached the centre of the room where the pillow was he sat down on his knees, seiza style with a straight back and chin up. "I wanted to talk to you first. About when I ran away."

3

Cerrub sighed when Renakir mentioned his disappearance. He remembered what Dion had told him, about how he needed to listen to Renakir honestly and openly. "Alright. You can speak freely," Cerrub nodded. Even though they were father and son, the exchange sounded more like two officers in the military speaking. The two of them spoke in formal high Rihannsu, devoid of contractions or any colloquialisms. It was a strange dynamic they had, clearly.

"My problem is in regards to the Akuvek case. I felt as if you did not respect my feelings nor the urgency of my request. However, when my friend Dion expressed sympathy for my concerns, you listened to him. When other people are passionate for a cause, they're noble and brave. But when I express the same feelings, I am allowing my Reman impulses to get the better of me?" Renakir was trying to hide the shaking in his voice, but having conversations with his father were always like this. Cerrub was a nice father, but he demanded a certain standard of respect and formality before he would even consider taking Renakir seriously. He balled up his fists on his knees, he was going to keep his cool and calm image, he had to.

Meanwhile Cerrub seemed quite relaxed, shoulders slumped a little, tired droopy eyes looking at his son. "I was wrong and I am sorry I invalidated your feelings by saying that. Your feelings are important to me and I acknowledge that by saying what I did, I have only added to the spacism you feel every day as a child of two worlds," Cerrub spoke slowly in a tone that matched Renakir's. His voice was a bit deeper and huskier than his son's, but the cadence was the same. He pressed a few buttons on the side of his desk so he could dim the lights to Reman-comfort levels.

3

1

It was a good thing his father dimmed the lights because Renakir thought his eyes and ears were broken when he heard the words. I am sorry I invalidated your feelings? Was Cerrub apologising for being... Spacist? He took his sunglasses off and laid them on the ground. "I... Yes, thank you. It has been very difficult to grow up with Romulan standards but also be part Reman. I have never felt quite right in either society, I'm too grey to be Romulan but too closed off to be Reman. I have always felt as if you did not really want a Reman son so you raised me Romulan and hoped I'd just forget I was Reman," Since his father was willing to listen to his feelings, Renakir was going to bring up the other thing that was on his mind too. He stared into his father's eyes, silver irises that resembled his own, but lacked the same glow that his did.

"Solait," Cerrub took a deep breath as he looked back at his son. It was easy to see Renakir in the dark, the glowing silver irises stood out against the darkness of the room. "For a time, that was true. I never wanted to see you suffer, which is why I tried to raise you like any other Romulan child. I was harsh on you because I thought it was the only way to protect you," Cerrub laced his fingers together and looked down, a wave of regret washing over him. "I cannot change what was, but I would like to change what will be. Now that our house is reunited, you don't have to hide anymore. I have been trying to learn more about Reman culture so that I could understand you better. You are as much Reman as you are Romulan and that is the beauty in you, Solait," Cerrub smiled softly, his eyes meeting Renakir's once again. He was unsure if his apology would resonate with his son, but his words were sincere. He had taken Dion's advice to heart and it certainly showed.

3

"I understand the situation on Rator III and I do not hold it against you," Renakir said, calm as ever despite having a million feelings. He was still mindful about just how much emotion he showed, fearing that at any moment Cerrub would change his mind. This was... A start, he thought. But only time would tell if his father's words were honest. He did not detect any deceit or subterfuge, but at the same time reading Romulans was incredibly difficult. "Did you say.. Beauty? You think I'm..." Renakir rubbed his eyes and then looked down at his hands that were resting on his knees. Long grey fingers with black nails, a bit dirty from climbing rocks outside.

"I have always thought that, Solait. In fact that's why I named you Solait. The sunshsine in darkness, the beauty in twilight, Renakir Solait," Cerrub paused for a moment before getting up from his desk and walking over to sit in front of Renakir. Now the two were sitting face to face, not touching, but Dion say they were working on that.

"That's... Very poetic when you say it like that. Honestly, I've always felt like I got all the worse traits from both races. I don't like scaring people with my teeth or the fact that my hands always look dirty," Renakir admitted as he continued to look down at his own hands. He seemed completely unaware that his father was now sitting in front of him.

"Solait," Cerrub opened his hands and held them palm up in front of Renakir's, letting the other choose if he wanted to hold hands or not. "All of your features are beautiful and anyone who says otherwise is spacist, full stop. Your grey skin, floppy ears, even your black nails, they make you who you are. I am sure your friends can agree, especially Dion. He gave you that wonderful hair cut, right? I wish I could show you what I see whenever I look at you."

3

In a turn of events, Renakir actually put his hands on Cerrub's. His grey skinny spider fingers contrasted with his father's more peachy skin tone. Looking at their hands it would be impossible to tell they were related, like literal night and day. "Yeah. He did," He spoke softly now, the formal tone dropping from his voice. "Father... Do you think my mother would think I'm beautiful if she saw me now?"

Cerrub's eyes widened when Renakir mentioned Jianux. The loss of Jianux was something the both had in common, but for some reason had never really discussed their feeling about. Perhaps it was a mix of Renakir's hesitation to show emotions around his father or Cerrub's grief and regret that he could not do anything to save her. "Without a doubt. She would be the first person to tell you," He said without a second of hesitation. "She loved you more than anyone else in the universe. I wish I had known her better, Tiravurik has told me many stories," He said as he curled his fingers around Renakir's, holding hands.

3

"Mother..." Renakir said in a low whisper. He missed Remus a lot. The circumstances were bad, but the community was loving. He had so many parents, so many friends, and they all worked together. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Anything, Solait."

"How did you know I was struggling?" Renakir stared at Cerrub, his fluffy hair and silver eyes being the two features that were visible in the low lighting.

"I had a spiritual encounter with the 6th coming of Tenakruvek," Cerrub said in a serious tone, staring right back at Renakir. And without skipping a beat the room was filled with laughter as Renakir was caught completely off guard. Cerrub could not keep a straight face either and laughed along with his son. How long had it been since they were able to joke around like this? In fact, Cerrub could not even recall the last time he saw his son laugh. He really did have Jianux's smile, pearly white sharp teeth paired with sparkling silver eyes. "Your friend Dion and I had a conversation and he enlightened me about the struggles of those of mixed heritage," He said once they had both calmed down. Cerrub kept holding Renakir's hands firmly in his own. "He told me that you have accepted him as our lord and saviour Tenakruvek."

1

"Dion-- Yeah, he is the 6th coming of Tenakruvek, you're right about that," Renakir was still laughing, he couldn't believe his father knew about that. And even moreso, he couldn't believe his father was making a joke. He didn't know his father knew how to make jokes. Well today was certainly a day of firsts.

"I'm sure your friends are waiting for you in the pool, you should go back. I can walk with you if you'd like," Cerrub offered, speaking warmly and more casually now.

"I... Yeah. You can come," Renakir said as he pulled his hands away and stood up. He was still damp, but at least not dripping wet like before.

"And Solait. I am grateful to have you in my life and I love you. I think about you every day and sometimes I wish I could be like Tiravurik and work on the station. You're my one and only son and I am happy you are with me."

4

Renakir paused for a good few seconds, absolutely stunned that his father would say something so... Bold? His diplomat father who liked to weave compliments and feelings into cryptic phrases or ambiguous idioms. But here he was saying exactly what he meant, flat out, no lies, nothing. "I love you too," A father and son showing mutual love and respect for each other?! This was truly a new experience for Renakir but he didn't dislike it. He took a step towards Cerrub who without hesitation, wrapped his arms around Renakir to hug him. This time Renakir did not feel scared nor did he feel the urge to push Cerrub away. He actually felt happy and loved, two things he did not think were possible for a Romulan-Reman boy like himself. "And thank you. For everything," Renakir told himself he was not going to cry, but he was definitely going to cry. Why did hugs make him want to cry? Was he really that touch starved that even simple gestures made him emotional?

1

3

[D] Once everyone had retired for the evening, Cerrub found himself once again in his study talking to Renakir. "I've spoken with Valleka, she's agreed to deferring your engagement to Kianarix if you would consent,"He said as he sat crossed legged on the floor. He was helping Renakir make tiny sailboats from wood and paper. The two men wore matching epohh slippers and green Romulan silk robes.

1

"I would be agreeable to such an arrangement. I know we aren't going to get married now, but I was hoping he'd still be able to move in to our house as he has a difficult home life," Renakir said as he held his knife firmly and began to delicately carve into the side of the wood.

1

"Of course. I'll inform him right away. It'll be nice to have 2 new residents on the Reman side now that you and Tiravurik are gone. Don't worry, I'll make sure their room is far from yours. I will keep an eye on Lun."

1