Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Putting on a Logical Top Hat (Tag XO)

Posted by Lieutenant Symar (Chief Medical Officer) in Putting on a Logical Top Hat (Tag XO)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander T’Aria (XO / Navigation Officer) in Putting on a Logical Top Hat (Tag XO)
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(Snip!)

T’Aria draped a quilted blanket over the table and shot Symar a cocked eyebrow. But, she detected the irritation bubbling in her belly and hindered any attempt at betrayal. She closed her eyes briefly and snatched the canvases from their perch. “Next time,” T’Aria strode into the dining module and tugged open a drawer, “we do this in your quarters.” From an indexed array of screws, small tools and what appeared to be substitute strings, she seized a roll of half-used duct tape. Then, releasing her supplies to the floor, she carefully stitched the canvases together with approximately three 10cm with two 15cm strips to reinforce the anterior.

“I am, too, not an engineer.” T’Aria ascended and swiftly returned the duct tape to its shady locale. It was neither a feat of engineering nor remotely aesthetic, but she hoped it was at least functional. She lifted her masterpiece and laid it at Symar’s feet. “Is this acceptable?”

— T’Aria, XO

Symar stopped for a second and let a smile pass his lips, “That will do nicely.” Then catching himself in the reflection on the bulkhead, straightened his face quickly, then catching a quizzical look from T’Aria, sighed deeply, “Commander, I have a confession to make.”

-Lieutenant Symar: Chief Medical Officer-

Relief touched her lips in a softened grimace, allowing her eyebrows reprieve from their near-perperual furrow. That was… until she caught the abrupt shift in Symar’s demeanor. “What is it, Doctor?” T’Aria tilted her head and took a careful step closer.

— T’Aria, XO

“Everything on my file is true, except for one notable absence, I’m half Romulan.” Symar pulled back a chunk of his hair to reveal a birthmark in the shape of a serpent; “I suppose you’ve worked out that emotional control is not my strong point.”

-Lieutenant Symar: Chief Medical Officer-

T’Aria stared at Symar through unfocused, half-lidded eyes.

Though his words grazed her ears in perfect clarity, she faltered, entangled in a web of implications and confounding emotion. ‘Half-Romulan’? The term struck like a phaser set on stun, blunt and throbbing, but she struggled to ascertain why. She harboured no fear for their distant cousins, so why did her gut writhe in panic? Vulcan society assumed Romulans were volatile and warlike, but Prisu dispelled her indoctrinated ignorance long ago. Why did her heart hasten and her blood boil beneath her skin? Her brain leapt to the defence, seeking to shield her from perceived danger, but it failed to consider the man before her. Symar.

She took in a slow, meditative breath and tempered the swells that threatened to drown her in anguish.

Clarity emerged from the din, encouraging T’Aria to appreciate his confidence. He did not owe her an explanation beyond the reach of his contract and oath. So, his confiding in her spoke volumes she could not begin to reach. And it sparked an ineffable warmth in her. T’Aria didn’t notice it, but a fond smile had taken the corners of her lips. Though her mind hounded her with suspicion in its crusade for control, she found it easier to quiet because, for once, she could not bring herself to care. Symar had divulged a deeply intimate truth, her energy was better spent supporting the man she cared for than doubting his intentions.

Despite her effort, she failed to subdue the emotion bubbling under her fixed (and woefully counterfeit) grimace. It was disjointed but unmistakable. “I had not noticed…” T’Aria tried to ease any distress her split-second stillness may have roused, “but I appreciate that you shared this with me. How do you feel, now?”

— T’Aria

A full smile now graced Symar’s lips, “Better, it feels good to be able to share this with someone.” At the slightly forced look of trepidation on the face of the XO, he added, “Don’t worry Commander, I’m aware of Nero’s activities recently, but I’m not affiliated with him in any way.”

-Lieutenant Symar: Chief Medical Officer-