STF

Side Sim: Reunion with Old Friends (TAG Kastarak, T'Aria, and Sega'a)

Posted Jan. 18, 2023, 1:45 p.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Umbri Hawkins (Acting Weapons Officer) (Yvonne Sephiran)

Posted by Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Side Sim: Reunion with Old Friends (TAG Kastarak, T’Aria, and Sega’a)

Posted by Ensign Kastarak (Doctor / Counsellor) in Side Sim: Reunion with Old Friends (TAG Kastarak, T’Aria, and Sega’a)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Umbri Hawkins (Acting Weapons Officer) in Side Sim: Reunion with Old Friends (TAG Kastarak, T’Aria, and Sega’a)
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(Snip, snip!)

Umbri tilted their head to the side. “I’m not sure I grasp what you mean, Kastarak. It almost sounds like you want to begin a relationship as partners, which I wouldn’t be opposed to,” they said. Hearing what they said out loud, Umbri got a little flustered. They really hoped they didn’t interpret Kastarak the wrong way.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Umbri Hawkins, Acting Weapons Officer

For a second, Kastarak felt a strange sensation. It was as a rush of adrenaline, and heat in his face, as if a fever. It was not pleasant. He immediately tried to analyse what it meant. Was it a fear response? What was he afraid of? Could it be shame? Then he unpacked what Umbri had said. It almost sounds like you want to begin a relationship as partners. What did they mean? Were the two of them not already partners, colleagues? But begin a relationship as partners, did Umbri mean romantic? That was Kastarak’s first assessment, but there was still room for many other interpretations. Then, which I wouldn’t be opposed to.

He had to unpack this even more. He created a logical argument in his head: If what Umbri interpreted what he had said as an invitation to begin a romantic partnership, then Umbri would not be opposed to begin a romantic partnership. If Umbri did not mean that, what did they mean?

It was unpleasant and uncomfortable situation. He had not even assessed whether he would be interested in a romantic relationship with Umbri – he had never had the thought of any kind of romantic partnership since his betrothal to S’parek was dissolved upon her presumed death in the destruction of Vulcan some thirteen years ago.

If Umbri would be romantically interested in him, how could he convey to them that he was not, without injuring their friendship? He knew humans would find this exceptionally awkward. And did he, as a Vulcan, not also experience the awkwardness and confusion to the fullest degree? This had never occurred to him, it had never been that anyone might have been interested romantically in him, yet he did not know if Umbri actually was. How could he know?

Why can’t humans just speak plainly?

Then again, he had tried to speak more as a human to further the amicable bonding with Umbri, and thus did not speak plainly – and that caused this situation.

Kastarak did not have time to formulate a response, as his thought processes were interrupted by the loud thumping knocks he now heard:

Soon, a series of knocks reverberated from the corridor in the thump, thump, thump of eager green knuckles connecting with the soft metal of their quarters’ door.

Sega’a smoothed the wrinkles adorning his shirt – a button-up painted with muted greys and blues to resemble ripples in their abstractness – and stepped back, narrowly missing the Vulcan behind him. He’d nearly forgotten she was there. On that thought, maybe he should pretend to bump into her. Would that earn him a grumble? An irked remark about how he should ‘pay closer attention’? Anything would be better than the silence he endured since their “hi”/”hello” exchange in the turbolift. Sega’a shifted between his feet and caught his companion’s tepid expression in his periphery. He thought not to test his luck, but the stillness made everything louder. His heartbeat, the blood rushing through his veins, the thoughts running rampant in his mind… everything.

He didn’t mind the noise, really, but he wished something less repetitive would fill the silence.

Though quiet and deceivingly indifferent, T’Aria was not unaware of his discomfort. He rocked and fiddled with his rings, rolling them between his thumb and second finger until the sensation lost its appeal, and they settled on his other hand. He was nervous. Why? She was under the impression he felt close to Umbri. They shared a friendship. Would it not evoke feelings of joy to see them again? T’Aria searched his face for any indication of his emotional state. Perhaps it was not anxiety she sensed but excitement. They were both aroused states marked by a rise in cortisol levels. Increased heart rate, perspiration, breath rate, stimming… he exhibited signs of both. Was he experiencing anxiety and excitement? He must have known she was watching, because she found herself confronted by a pair of eager green eyes and an unnervingly bright grin before she could assess him.

Sooner than risking his disappointment by averting her gaze to a rather fascinating spot on the bulkhead, T’Aria made use of the only conversation point that came to mind: “Why did you knock?”

Her question disrupted his thoughts, including the ones intended to nag her for the conversation she readily provided, but he quickly regained his composure.

Sega’a raised an accusing eyebrow and assessed her with an up-and-down glance he learned from another yeoman, “how else would I let Umbri know we’re here?”

“The chime serves that precise function,” T’Aria ignored his look and tucked in the cuff of her rust-coloured sleeve. “Why risk them mistaking your knock as background noise?”

“The chime is impersonal and boring,” he shrugged and stole a careful glance at the door to see if someone had yet answered, “I want Umbri to think ‘Hey! That must be Sega’a’ when I knock.”

“Yet, they invited you.” T’Aria understood his point, but the conversation seemed to detract from his thoughts, anxious or otherwise. “And, they could request the computer inform them of their visitor.”

“Ma’am…” Sega’a huffed, “I’m starting to think you like to argue for the sake of arguing.”

T’Aria stiffened her stance as if offended by his assessment, but her cocked eyebrow and almost amused look (if not for her otherwise impassive face) said otherwise, “perhaps.”

Sega’a laughed.

— Sega’a
— T’Aria

Just before Kastarak could respond, Umbri heard a knock at the door. Only one person they knew would actually knock as opposed to using the doorchime. “Get your butt in here, Sega’a!” they called.

“You don’t have to ask me twice…” came his muffled reply before he sauntered into the room as soon as the door, in its usual leisure, allowed.

When the door opened, Umbri saw not only Sega’a but T’Aria as well. They got up and greeted T’Aria with a traditional Vulcan greeting. “Peace and long life,” they said.

Kastarak quickly formed his fingers on his right hand in the traditional “V”-like shape, and nodded to T’Aria and Sega’a.

“Peace and long life,” T’Aria raised her hand in the usual Vulcan manner, then bowed her head to extend the same warmth that a hug might provide. “Kastarak, Umbri,” she turned to Umbri, “I hope your leave proved rejuvenating.”

Sega’a knew his fingers stubborn and adapted to the tight, bent grip required for his particular set of skills. But the Vulcan salute? For reasons unknown to him, he couldn’t master the split-finger hold. He still tried. So, while Kastarak, Umbri and T’Aria exchanged their greetings, Sega’a forcibly adjusted his fingers to match… sort of.

Turning to Sega’a, they figured a hug was appropriate. So that’s exactly what they did. “It’s so good to see you!” they said, grinning from ear to ear.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Umbri Hawkins, Acting Weapons Officer

“Oh!” Sega’a coughed, distracted from his painstaking attempt to mould his fingers into something resembling a ‘V’ (though better resembled a ‘W’ or high five) by their hug. His surprise faded within seconds and he wrapped his arms around Umbri in a warm, tight hug.

“I’ve missed you, my friend!” He held them for a few heartbeats before pulling away to take a good look at them. If not for the gentleness touching his face, his concern might’ve been mistaken as scrutiny or anger. “You look well, though I suspect you could use a few homecooked meals. I’ll have your favourites prepared! Any protest will be respectfully ignored.” And he shot them an impish.

As he saw Umbri and Sega’a hug, Kastarak noticed a strange, and rather unfamilar sensation, in his body. The sensation was as if he had come across a threat – with a similar preparation of hormonal and other physiological responses, as if the body was preparing to defend itself from a threat, but it did not make sense. Why did he see the hugging between Sega’a and Umbri as a threat? What about it threatened him?

Umbri had moments earlier potentially declared their agreement with a faulty proposition of beginning a romantic relationship. Kastarak had concluded that the thought to join them in a romantic relationship had never occurred, but could there be something deeper, hidden a few layers below the conscious surface? It did not seem right. Yet he recalled how felt when he saw Sega’a, how he would always feel warm in Sega’a’s presence, a warmth which he felt when he had been reunited with Umbri too. When Umbri was gone, they did appear in his mind, in his head as memories and random thoughts. But the same was also true with Sega’a.

This was all very confusing. He looked at Umbri again, and tried to notice what sensations he might feel in his body. He noticed increased temperature and tension of muscles. Anger? He asked himself. Surely it cannot be anger? He was confused as to why his body might signal anger toward Umbri.

He tried to approach it logically.

(1) He felt a threat response in his body when he saw Umbri and Sega’a hug.
(2) He felt feelings that he interpreted as anger (however illogical – why are emotions so illogical?) when he then looked at Umbri.

He could not make sense of this. The situation was overwhelming. To unlookers, it must have appeared as if Kastarak was zoning out, almost dissociating. He was aware of what was going on, but at the same time, he was not.

He felt his gut turn. Moreover, he felt a strange response in his lower jaw, with an acidity and dryness around the saliva-producing glands. His mouth got dry, and he experienced dizziness. And he felt his body temperature rise even higher.

He fell on to his knees and vomited.

– Kastarak

“Kastarak—!” Sega’a froze as a cold, nauseating shiver rushed up his spine and into his chest. He knew Kastarak got sick. He’d seen it before, especially in new recruits first getting their space legs, but this was different. Fear seeped into his mind. What happened to his friend? Someone get him water! He wanted to rush to his side, to do as he had with so many officers and crew before, but he couldn’t find the inertia.

Move! He urged himself, but by the time he managed to dislodge his feet from the ground, his friends were already on it. So, he prepared himself to listen and retrieve whatever Kastarak needed.

“Umbri,” he heard T’Aria’s voice cut through the haze and he turned, finding her with a hand placed gently on Kastarak’s back. “Do you have a bowl and a cloth to wet?”

Umbri looked at the scene in shock, but shook themselves out of it when T’Aria spoke up. “Yes, I’m on it,” they said, getting the things she asked for and handing them to her.

“Sega’a,” he perked up when his name was called, “there’s a synthesizer down the corridor in section 4. Retrieve a glass water, room temperature, and ice chips.” And he was on it, rushing out of the room when T’Aria asked Kastarak, “what are you feeling?”

— Sega’a / T’Aria

(OOC: apologies for the rushed conclusion, have to rush off to class. Lol — Trin)

OOC: You’re fine! I wasn’t expecting that reaction from Kastarak, either. I guess this is what Ric meant when he said “Vulcans come out best in awkwardness”.

IC:
After Sega’a left the room, Umbri stood a few steps away while T’Aria spoke to Kastarak. “I think I might have overloaded him. He said something which my silly human brain must have interpreted wrong,” Umbri said, mentally slapping themselves. ‘He’s a Vulcan, Umbri! He doesn’t do awkward situations well!’ they chastised.

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Umbri Hawkins, Acting Weapons Officer


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