Star Trek: Starbase 777

The spruce forest stood tall and towering, the chirping of birds and buzzing of bugs hanging in the background. Three trails split off to the other locations, the campsite, the lake, and the hiking trail. Fireflies and other alien insects flickered and glowed gently in the night, and if one were to look up, they would see a sky full of millions of stars. Fairy lights were strewn along the trees so as not to have one lose their way, a sign posted with the location each path went to. (edited)

Vara'l arrived at the forested area, his son now awake as they both explored the area in silence. The two, now side by side as they walked, content to sign instead of verbally speak as they conversed. It was a language they both happened to be fluent in and one they preferred to use from time to time. The two deep in conversation as they'd walked and enjoyed the vista that was this forest environment they'd entered.

Finally stepping away from the group of people, she felt like she could breathe again. Plus, there was a lot still to explore! I mean she didn't even know that cabins had been set up, what a nice idea! And the way the lights lit up the whole place made it feel warm and inviting. What she didn't expect was to see someone else here, as she had thought that everyone was still at the main campsite. She didn't know if she was intruding on anything, but it also looked like she had not been noticed quite yet. She recognized her superior by look but could not remember a name off the top of her head, so to announce herself she cleared her throat. "Sorry, I was just exploring this whole place and didn't want to scare you or anything... It's pretty nice, the places I've seen so far." (edited)

Fully aware his dad happened to have his implants set so sound was reduced as was sometimes his way, Telim first had glanced to the ensign. He'd then smiled as he tapped his dad and ensured they were aware the ensign happened to be there. "Hello and you didn't scare me or dad, we were just talking in sign!" Shortly after he informed the ensign of that he then tapped his dads shoulder. After he did that he then signed a explanation to his dad as to what had been said "I'm Telim by the way, heya!"

Alerted to the arrival of someone new by his son, Vara'l smoothly turned as he mentally returned his implants to full volume and then smiled at the ensign. "Hello, no need to apologise.. as my son said we were just chatting, you've not scared us." He then paused before he had then continued. "And.. I agree, they are pretty nice, the places of the retreat as far as I've seen." At least before he'd then taken another moment as he'd realized he'd never actually introduced himself to the other before. Their face one he'd somewhat recognised from reports. "I realize I've not introduced myself" He'd then commenced. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Vara'l tr'Hara, Telim's my son."

She actually didn't expect such a warm welcome from the two of them. This was a nice surprise, and put her at ease a bit more. She gave a kind smile to the two of them as she introduced herself. "Coda Mitchells, I work in engineering, so I understand why we haven't exactly met properly yet." There was a slight moment of awkward silence when Coda stopped speaking, but she powered through and continued with more confidence than before. "Yeah it's pretty nice how this was all put together, Are you staying in the forest, or are you gonna try one of the trails? The campsite is kind of packed now so... I was looking for a more quiet place."

"Pleasure to meet you Ensign Mitchels and aye..I work in tactical myself so i imagine there times when our paths may cross during work hours are probably quite few and far between." Vara'l observed as he watched the ensign, their momentary pause noted when it occurred but not commented on. The Romulan instead more than content as he focused on * "We've both decided to spend a bit of time in the forest, in answer to your other question, wanted to enjoy the forest for a bit, we'd debated perhaps exploring along one of the hiking trails but..wanted to explore the forest a bit first" *Vara'l responded.

"There's less people around here than in the campsite." The kid then declared as he'd looked around. "And there's so many good sights!" A hand pointing out several beautiful looking things about the forest as he declared that. Those things pointed out stuff that looked truly beautiful, at least in the eyes of the kid. "Do wanna try and hike a bit after though, dad said we could!"

She smiled at both of them, at least they were having a good time. Maybe later they could sit by the campfire and enjoy some of the food that the others brought. It would be a nice way to end a hike, but she wasn't sure how long the trails were or what sights they would see. "I haven't tried the hiking trails yet, but that might be my next stop after some sight seeing, if you don't mind me tagging along? If I'm intruding on anything please let me know, I'd hate to ruin any quality time you two are possibly planning."

"We wouldn't mind at all, you'd not be intruding." Vara'l responded after the other finished speaking and had inquired if they could tag along. The older Romulan sure how Telim intended to respond as he replied himself. While they both happened to dislike crowds, Telim due to how he dealt with noise and himself thanks to the left overs of his own battles with audio processing issues and other factors, they both happened to not mind company. They just minded having a lot of company. * "Please feel free to tag along." *He'd then moved a bit as the two then proceeded to move closer to one of the hiking trail. "That is if you're alright with our pace, we rather intend to go rather slowly along the hiking trail, best way to enjoy it." He'd then added then.

Telim nodded when his father indicated that neither of them would mind. They were right, he'd not mind he reckoned. Company in the form of one person happened to not be company that could put out the amount of noise all the people who'd congregated elsewhere could. Small scale company happened to mean a chance to converse more without getting overwhelmed by sound. "Dads right, don't mind and you'd not be intruding!" He'd get more chances to spend time with his dad talking on their own, he happened to be on a on a camping thing with his dad. Talking to more people sounded good. "I and dad get to talk alot after he's finished work and I'm back from school so we'll have time for dad and son time another time!" Telim had then added as he'd watched the ensign perched on his dads shoulders as he happened to be as they'd talked.

To say she was excited was an understatment. This camping retreat with the rest of the crew had made such a massive impact on her social skills so far, that nothing could stop her speed now! Soon she would be described as a social butterfly... if she doesn't embarrass herself on this hiking trail that is. "Oh I don't mind going at a leisure pace. I've never really gone hiking before so I'm not that experienced or anything. I'm pretty sure I have the correct shoes... I overpacked a lot of things when I heard about this retreat... its a little embarrassing to admit, but no harm in learning I guess... sorry I'm saying a lot of nothing..."

A smile crossed the features of the ACTO at the others reaction to their response. He lacked many memories of a similar time of his life when he happened to be a ensign, such things lost to his time as a Borg, but he remembered bits of that time. Remembered how he himself had been, though he'd been coming up the ranks in a world, in a fleet that belonged to a police state. Remembered how anxious he'd been some times, an anxiety not born of where he grew up but something that happened to have been born of.. the prospect of social interaction outside of that regimented work setting. Something that granted him enough insight to recognize something of how he'd once acted in how they did now. "Brilliant." He smiled softly then before he'd considered how they'd looked and proceeded to speak once more. "And ..theres no need to apologise and well.. if it helps, you're doing far better regarding the best shoes to wear and what you've packed than a acquaintance of mine did when they were a similar age and rank to yourself." The Liberated Borg observed then. "I believe they brought a suitcase to that camp, the ground wasn't.. exactly fit for a suitcase either." That commented then, as it was uttered, was followed by another smile as he'd then proceeded to propose. "Shall we walk and talk?" He proposed. "We're close to one of the hiking trails and it'll be nice to converse further while we all explore."

"Sometimes I overpack too, dad says thats okay though and, dads right, no need to say sorry!" As Vara'l talked, Telim listened to the two as they conversed, deeply interested even as he occasionally glanced off and watched things like fireflies as they danced about the sky. This silent interest and listening something that continued until the proposal that they walked and talked, something he'd then grinned at as he chimed in as well. "Can we can we please?" He asked.

She nodded to the two of them. "I don't mind walking and talking, that's how I prefer to do things anyway. Working in engineering kind of makes you accustomed to that type of thing." Coda takes a few quick steps toward the two of them so now she is walking next to Vara'l "It's a really nice touch to add fireflies... have you two ever been on a camping trip before?" She is careful as she walks not to trip on any rocks or branches, but the nice fairy lights make seeing things a lot easier. "When I was younger I would go on camping trips with my family. We would catch and release fish, make some S'mores, enjoy a hot fire, and look at the sky."

"Admittedly also get used to it in tactical also, walking and talking." Vara'l responded simply as he continued to walk and headed for a hiking trail. "Not entirely sure which I prefer in all honesty, being the ACTO has meant I have spent a lot more time in a office." He'd then trailed off for a moment before, when they asked their question, he smiled and responded. "We have, once or twice together on Mol'Rihan." As they walked, the Romulan also careful as he navigated his way along toward the path himself. His steps careful as he walked and attempted to avoid stepping on any rocks or branches either. "We didn't have anything like S'mores when I was young, in the empire, but we did similar from time to time.."

Still perched on his fathers shoulders, Telim grinned when the camping trips were mentioned and nodded. "Uh huh, both times were really really fun!" The kid declared before he then, as the other mentioned S'mores, proceeded to say. "Not tried a S'more yet, dad said I can try one later!"

It was nice to hear that they have both had fun vacations... even if Coda had never been there herself. If it was a fun time for both of them, then that was good at least. Turning to answer Telim, Coda smiled "Oh it's nothing too special, but it taste amazing! Trying to keep your marshmallow from catching on fire is the hardest part, but so rewarding. Usually you tell stories as you make them too. Scary stories are kind of the norm, but it can be any story really, there aren't any specific rules." Coda continued to walk with the two of them, conscious of Vara'l's pace so that she didn't fall behind. Coming up on one of the hiking trails, it looked pretty simple and the sign said it lead to a cliff with a wonderful view. "Oh, if you want, we can make a campfire up there and roast the marshmallows for the s'mores! It will be nice to have such a view while eating them."

Vara'l smiled a bit as the Ensign talked with Telim, the father keeping close attention to both the path ahead and the duo as the two conversed but content as they talked. Content and as it happened, somewhat curious to hear about how things were with other species camping on other planets as the two talked. Scary stories as being kind of the norm but there being no specific rules being things that deepened his curiosity further as they walked. When they arrived at the hiking trail entrance, Vara'l waited briefly for a moment to chip in before he proceeded to say. "A campfire does sound good, especially with the view that we'd get along this route, according to the sign." He'd then paused before he'd started to move down the route slightly. "Shall we head this way?"

Telim grinned a bit at the description of what a S'More was, it sounded absolutely as amazing as the ensign said it tasted! He really wanted to try one now and it probably showed as he'd perked up a bit more, curiosity something that practically bled off of him as they'd then talked about human camping. It sounded similar in some ways but marshmallows sounded very cool, he reckoned he..wasn't too sure about the scary stories thing though. Though he also happened to remember as he thought that that he'd..not really encountered human scary campfire stories before. "That sounds really cool, are marshmallows like the things Rakim had, the like..really squishy soft cylinder thingys?" He asked before, as the other proposed a campfire for S'mores, his eyes widened a bit and he glanced to his dad. "Can we can we please please please?"

Vara'l chuckled at his sons question and nodded slightly before he then proceeded to say. "We can, but I'll be supervising, got to be careful when roasting things after all." He declared.