Alora DeVeau

I wonder what would happen if @Sera and @Alieth got together...

You sweet, innocent Vulcan you.

Is that what they're calling it these days?

This will be on @Wes Greaves' tombstone. "His name was Wes, and he hit things."

She shares my criteria for a dress/skirt. Gotta be able to climb a tree or kick some butt in it.

This is just open for so, so many snarky comments.

((Bajor, Raijalla Valley, Unity Temple)) Ferri and Geleth had been taken, and instead of waiting at home as Lukin had told her to, Arys had cleaned her face from tears and left the hotel they were currently staying in. Shutting the door behind her had been freeing and given her the sense of actively doing something, even if it defied Lukin’s wishes. With Jeni by her side, she had left the building and followed the same way Ferri and Geleth had taken. They had wanted to go to the temple, and Arys had the same destination. As the sun slowly began to set, the market on the plaza was in the process of being closed for the day. Wares were removed from their displays and booths were shut down, but the smell of yeasty baked bread, local spices and musty fabric lingered. Arys would have liked to visit the bazaar with Geleth, had she known that there was a market so close by. Had Arys agreed to take Geleth to the temple, even if only once, she would have seen it. Had Arys agreed to take Geleth to the temple, just today, the girls wouldn’t have disappeared. But Arys hadn’t wanted to, and when the little girl had begged, she had asked Ferri to take her there. And now they were both gone. ‌Arys blinked away a few tears as she felt Jeni’s hand on her shoulder. Jeni: Let’s keep going. ‌Trovek: Yeah... ‌Arys sighed defeatedly and followed the path leading through the centre of the market and towards the temple. Unity Temple’s central dome was distinctly Bajoran and glistened in the last rays of sunlight, but most other architectural elements belonged to other cultures. Eight spires flanked right and left, and Arys knew Lukin would appreciate the nod towards Cardassian architecture. In contrast to that, the wide, squared archways reminded of Klingon or perhaps Terran influences. Behind the dome-shaped structure was a lower building, perhaps a place for the Vedeks and other religious devotees to remain during their pilgrimage, and a squared building with large windows likely served as a visitor centre or museum. ‌Arys knew that one of the buildings held the Orb of Wisdom in a protected chamber, and while she hadn’t asked Jeni where exactly they were going, she could only assume that the artefact would hold the answers she was looking for, and once they had entered the temple she remained blind to the beauty around her. Despite the fact that the festivities had come to a close a few days ago, the temple was visited by worshippers and tourists alike. The latter kept to the main part of the temple, where paintings and sculptures and similar that had been taken and sold during the Occupation, were displayed. Arys knew that they had made their way home to Bajor over the past decade, but didn’t care much about art and architecture. She cared about very little else than Ferri and Geleth’s return. At least that’s what she liked to tell herself, but the truth was that Arys noticed her thoughts again and again returning to her mother instead. The woman Arys blamed for everything that went wrong in her life, and of whom she was convinced to have something to do with what had happened. And yet, Jeni’s words had given her pause, and now resulted in almost intrusive thoughts. ‌What if it wasn’t her? What if I got it all wrong? ‌She moved away from the tourists and followed the pilgrims towards the direction of the prayer rooms, and from there, steered into the direction of the orb. She knew that people experienced visions and guidance, and if she was looking for either, surely the orb was the right place to start. The only problem was that Arys evidently wasn’t the only one in need of an encounter with the Orb of Wisdom - people queued patiently, and the entrance was guarded by two temple workers in beige uniforms. Arys looked over her shoulder where Jeni gave her an encouraging nod, and approached the two guards. Trovek: We… would like to… ::beat:: I don’t know. ‌She only vaguely motioned into the direction of the door, which seemed to be enough. Guard#1: You and that… creature? Trovek: No, me and …. Arys looked over her shoulder again, expecting Jeni to be standing right behind her. But the woman had disappeared, and Arys turned her gaze once more to the temple worker, and then slowly looked down at Geleth’s Hornicorn. A sudden thickness in her throat signalled the onset of tears. Trovek: It’s just me. Just her. Without Lukin, without Geleth, without her mother, father, grandfather and brother.‌ Just her. Without Ferri, Foster and Tito and Aine.‌ Just her. Without uniform, pips, fancy position and office. ‌Just some half-Bajoran woman holding a children’s toy in her hands. ‌The guard sighed in annoyance - probably not at Arys in specific, but it was likely that this wasn’t the first time today that someone asked for an exception and an opportunity to skip the queue of waiting individuals. Guard#1: I understand that, and I can can only tell you the same I am telling everyone else. You will have to wait. ::pause:: Like everyone else. Trovek: Wait? But I need to-… I… ‌The other guard shook her head. Guard#2: I am sorry, but there is just no way. ‌Trovek: My daughter is missing! Her voice was shrill and her plea desperate, but neither the temple workers nor the people around her seemed impressed by it. ‌Guard#1: Quiet it down. Please. Reflecting on this encounter a few weeks later, Arys would understand that she wasn’t the only one with a tragic story and a need for guidance. But at there and then, Arys was about to simply push past the guards when of of the Vedeks approached. The elderly woman seemed to have been attracted by the noise, and her bright eyes settled on Arys. Pekrile: What is going on? ‌Finally someone willing to listen to her. Arys took a calming breath, trying desperately to regain her composure before she spoke. ‌Trovek: My child is missing, that’s what! Everyone always says the Prophets have answers, and I am here now, but those people won’t let me GO to the orb to GET the answers. Pekrile: How about… how about we go over here and just… talk. The woman motioned towards a corridor, and gently took Arys’ hand at the same time. Arys didn’t want to ‘go there’, but followed regardless. She realised that she had been making a scene - Lukin would have hated that - and people were looking at her with a mixture of pity and annoyance. Or maybe it was compassion, and Arys imagined the rest. Arys vaguely noticed that the prayer she led to was in the back of the temple, and perhaps even private to the Vedeks, Prylar and Ranjen monks who travelled here. It was quiet, comfortable, and the elderly woman lead Arys to one of the cushioned areas. Pekrile: My name is Vedek Pekrile, what’s your name, child? ‌Child… ‌Arys knew that it was the usual way for a Vedek to refer to basically anyone, but part of Arys wanted to protest at this description. Then again, she was close to tears and hugging a Hornicorn. So maybe the ‘child’ was more accurate than she cared to admit. Trovek: Arys. Pekrile: Arys. ::she smiled:: You said that your daughter is missing? ‌Trovek: Yes… she… she and a friend of mine disappeared. My partner is looking for them, and I was supposed to stay at home but… I guess I was convinced to come here. Pekrile: Convinced? ‌Trovek: A friend came by. She is more into… this… than I am. She said I would get answers here. She was… evidently she was wrong. ‌The woman remained silent, giving Arys a chance to sort through her feelings. Trovek: You must get sick and tired of people turning to the Prophets when they want something. Vedek Pekrile gave a gentle smile. Pekrile: It is something very normal, Arys. ::pause:: Children often run ahead, believing themselves all grown-up. And then they fall and return to their parents for comfort. That was true. Geleth often did the same. She was all brave and Cardassian until something spooked her and she held onto Lukin’s hand for the rest of the day. And sometimes, in the middle of the night, there was the pitter-patter of tiny feet moving into their bedroom, followed by Geleth climbing into bed with them. But Arys didn’t have any memories of her being the child and seeking comfort. Sileah had been an absent mother, and emotional warmth wasn’t something Arys was likely to get from her. ‌Trovek: I am… not good with that metaphor. My family situation was… difficult. I think my mother has something to do with my daughter.. maybe… She had been sure about this not long ago, but now? Arys wasn’t sure what she was supposed to believe any more. Pekrile: I do not know your mother, but harming ones own child or grandchild doesn’t come easily to someone. You don’t seem sure that it was her. Trovek: I was sure. Now I am not any more. I just… Pekrile: What is it? She swallowed hard, and buried her face in the soft fur of the plushy. Trovek: I want my family back… She wanted Geleth and Ferri and Lukin safe and happy at home. She wanted her grandfather to not be dead, she wanted her father to not be gone, she wanted Aaron to be a normal older brother, and she wanted her mother to help her figure out how to be a decent parent.‌ Pekrile: Sometimes all you have to do is open a door.‌ Open a door. A very common metaphor, used across countless of cultures and species. Arys usually associated the phrase with familiar hiss of the doors to her office or her quarters. But today, something else came to mind, and she remembered a conversation she had with Jeni, a few days ago, when she had visited Aaron’s home. ‌ Jeni: Sometimes answers are hidden in plain sight. ::she shrugged:: Maybe in that secret room. Trovek: The.. what? Arys asked, but she knew exactly what Jeni meant. The room with the locked door, which Hilja had called the 'prayer room'. Arys had thought about it as 'secret room', largely for her own entertainment, but she hadn't said it out loud. Jeni: The room with the locked door. Trovek: The prayer room. Jeni nodded and Arys sighed. Find answers in prayer. Really? Jeni: ::sensing Arys' apprehension:: Maybe not now. Maybe opening that door won’t make things better. ::She paused, letting the silence settle, before eventually, she added:: But it’s odd that a prayer room should be locked, isn’t it? Why do you think that is? Trovek: I… suppose it’s to keep people from going inside? Jeni: That is one out of two options. ‌ Arys was sure that Vedek Pekrile hadn’t meant a literal door. She knew perfectly well that Ferri and Geleth were somewhere else, and she was surprised as she sensed herself getting up. ‌Pekrile: What is it, Arys? Trovek: I have to open that door. She was well aware that none of this made any sense and that the rational thing was to sit down or to return home. But she also knew that she was going to do neither of these things. ‌[End Scene] ***************** Lt. Trovek Arys Chief Medical Officer Starbase 118 Ops J239809TA4

Shades of Garak.

Dead giveaway.

Because if you're going to go to a bar and get in a fight with Nausicaans, you might as be well fed.

Did we ever figure out what those were used for? 😄

She deserves extra kudos for writing a song in Vulcan!

This line in particular made me laugh

It's just inevitable, @Wes Greaves.

From the narration of Avander Promontory.

OOC: Arys has been working on this wonderful story arc. This latest installment highlights struggles that parents sometimes deal with. ((OOC: Not a happy sim. You have been warned. )) ((Arys' and Lukin’s temporary quarters, City Hotel, Bajor)) ((Time Index: Two hours after Geleth and Ferri went missing)) Arys hadn’t chosen motherhood, and she was well aware that she wasn’t going to make “Mother of the Year 2399”. She cherished her alone time, only watched Geleth when both Lukin and Ferri were unavailable, and there were times she perceived the little girl as an annoyance more than anything else, and as someone who took time away from her and Lukin. If she was honest with herself, there were times Arys felt… tricked. Lukin had lured her to Cardassia, knowing full well what she would find there, and having prepared the way to adopt Geleth. Everything had gone so fast that Arys barely even had time to think, much less to make an actual choice on the matter. Were she still a Counsellor and were she her own patient, she would call it manipulative. She didn’t love Geleth. She loved Lukin. And that was a difficult thing to admit, even to herself. Because, really, what was wrong with her? Why did affection come so easily to others? Arys made her way to the corner where a few travel crates stood packed and ready for departure after their last afternoon on Bajor. The biggest one belonged to Geleth, and Arys opened it carefully. Arys and Lukin preferred to travel lightly, but Geleth insisted to take along as many plushies as possible. One of them was the Hornicorn Tito had gifted her, and Arys gingerly took it out of the crate. Tears came, but Arys wasn’t sure if they were out of fear or anger. Despite her evident failings, she wanted Geleth to be safe and happy. Even if she was an awful mother. Lukin made more than up for it, but that too made Arys angry. Why did it came so naturally to him? Why wasn’t anyone helping her to figure this stuff out? Was she supposed to just have some inherent knowledge of how to be a decent parent? The doorbell chimed, but this time Arys didn’t even feel any desire to open it. She knew it wouldn’t be Ferri or Geleth, and everyone else who meant something to her was either on their way to find them, or unaware of what had happened. The chime came again, and Arys’ jaw tightened. She wanted to lash out, tell whoever was so persistent that they had picked a bad point of time to go on her nerves. She got up and opened the door with hiss. Trovek: What?! Of all the people Arys had expected, the woman in front of her wasn’t one of them, and her appearance took the wind out of Arys’ sails. She took a calming breath that did absolutely nothing, wiped her tears out of her face, and with as much composure as possible she asked: Trovek: Jeni. What are you doing here? Jeni: I thought you could use some company. The Bajoran woman didn’t seem surprised to see Arys in the state she was in, neither did she seem to judge her. Instead, her voice was steeped in compassion. Logically, that would make Arys suspicious. Did she know anything? She was part of her brother’s sect, even if they seemed to have split from Sileah. But when she inquired, her voice didn’t convey those suspicions. Trovek: ::defeated:: Why? Jeni: Just a feeling. May I come inside? Arys nodded. She had so many questions. What did Jeni know, how did she know where to find Geleth and Ferri? But as the woman stepped inside and embraced her, those questions faded into the background and all Arys felt was warmth and comfort. Tears came again, and this time they wouldn’t stop. Trovek: It was her. I know it was her. Her. Sileah. Arys’ mother. Jeni: ::softly:: You think it was her. You don’t *know*, Arys. Trovek: I do! ::she insisted:: Arys hated her mother, as much as that was possible. Sileah had been a mixture of emotionally absent, negligent, and abusive. The woman’s motherly affection had only ever belonged to Aaron, Arys’ older brother. Of course Arys knew that Aaron had been a sick child with special needs and that Sileah had suffered from depression after having Arys, but that didn’t invalidate decades of feeling unloved and not good enough. Jeni: When have you last spoken to her? Arys didn’t understand why that mattered, and she understood even less why she answered the question. Trovek: I… I think more than half a year ago. I had just transferred to Ops and I wanted to speak to my father. Arys’ father had sold their family home, quit his job as Chief Physician, and left Earth. Arys had assumed he would be traveling to Bajor to reunite with Sileah. Jeni: But he wasn’t there. Trovek: ::shaking her head:: No, he was not. And Arys didn’t know where he might have gone. Sometimes she wasn’t even sure if he was still alive, and there were moments she hated herself for their last conversation having been an argument. Jeni: And you told her that you are going to find Taril. Again Arys wondered how Jeni could possibly know that. Had she been in the room, out of sight? Had her mother shared the conversation? And, most importantly, why did her mind simply dismiss these thoughts of suspicion without a single logical reason to do so. Trovek: Yes. She warned me. She said it wouldn’t end well. Jeni: But you didn’t argue. Trovek: No we didn’t. I said I would call again. Then I found out about Taril’s death and… didn’t talk to her again. Obviously. Jeni: You think she killed Taril. Trovek: Yes. She left him to die of exposure before. Someone who was capable of leaving their own child to die of exposure was certainly also capable of having them killed, and of kidnapping a child. Two children. Ferri was barely twenty years old. Jeni: That’s what the files said. Arys nodded. The files she had received upon her grandfather’s death detailed how Sileah had killed the Cardassian who had gotten her pregnant, and wasn’t seen again until months later, when she left her newborn child out in the cold. Jeni: The Cardassian files. ::Jeni reminded Arys:: Arys nodded again, and she knew what Jeni was implying. Deep down, she had thought the same. As much as she hated her mother, she knew that she had received a one-sided narrative of the events. Jeni took her hand. Jeni: Maybe you can find answers. Arys peered at the other woman, for a moment unsure what to respond. She knew exactly where this conversation was going. Trovek: Let me guess. I should pray, or go to the temple. ::she pulled her hand away:: How about no. Jeni: Because you don’t have faith. Trovek: I don’t. I don’t believe in the Prophets, at best I acknowledge that they are wormhole aliens who somehow managed to convince all of Bajor to worship them. I’m sorry to offend, but that’s just what it is. Geleth had wanted to go to the temple, which had quickly become her favourite place on Bajor. Arys hadn’t wanted to go, and instead, Ferri had agreed to take her there. Had Arys been willing to accompany the child, Ferri would have spent her time with Aine. Geleth would be safely home. But they weren’t safe, and they weren’t home, and that was because Arys had been selfish. Again. Jeni: It doesn’t matter, Arys. Arys blinked and let Jeni redirect her thoughts to the matter at hand. Trovek: What? Jeni: Perhaps they are simply wormhole aliens. But that doesn’t change that faith in the Prophets helped Bajor to survive the occupation. You know of the orbs - it doesn’t matter if they provide visions or hallucinations. ::she paused and once more took her hand:: You know of countless people who have experienced guidance and comfort. Why would you be exempt? Arys closed her eyes. Decades ago, she had tried to find a connection to the prophets. She had prayed with her mother and her brother, she had celebrated Bajoran holidays, and she had spent her time studying what past kais and vadeks wrote. Trovek: I guess it … was always Aarons thing. Not mine. I tried. It didn’t work. Aaron had received visions and healing from his illness, and every step of his path seemed guided by the divine. Arys had received silence. Jeni: Just because it didn’t match what Aaron seemed to experience, you assumed it doesn’t work for you. Trovek: … Yes. And it had been one of the reasons she turned away from her Bajoran heritage, and any kind of tolerance for religious beliefs. Jeni: You felt that you weren’t good enough. Arys nodded and fell silent. Despite her success in the medical field, self-doubt and comparison with others were often present and followed her home every evening. Home, where Geleth *insisted* that Lukin read her the goodnight story and tucked her in, and where the little girl wanted to ‘eat what Lukin eats’ and did chores because it would make Lukin proud of her. She was trying what she could - allowed sweets and longer PADD-times, purchased things she liked… and Geleth still preferred the stricter parent. The one who wasn’t even related her. It was unfair. And perhaps that was the answer. Arys loved Lukin, and Arys loved Geleth too. But Geleth didn’t seem to love her back, and that … hurt. So Arys avoided her. The Prophets didn’t seem to answer Arys, so she avoided them. Jeni: Faith can grow. So can affection, Arys. ::she smiled gently:: And both can grow to look different than we’ve imagined them. ::she paused:: All I am asking you is to give it a chance. A seed cannot grow if you do not water it. Arys was sure she had heard that phrase before and she was certain that she had ignored it because it sounded stupid. Ignoring it now would be easy. Dismissing it would be easy. She did neither, even if she didn’t quite know why not. As a matter fact she didn’t know why she even listened to Jeni in the first place. None of it made sense, but Arys was too drained to ask question. Trovek: Okay. ::she nodded, once more wiping the tears from her face:: I… can give it a chance. [End Scene] ***************** Lt. Trovek Arys Chief Medical Officer Starbase 118 Ops J239809TA4

Welcome and welcome back!

I foresee a long line of puns surrounding Wes' name in the future.

Why do I get the suspicion that Sera is secretly a Mob boss?

.... ......... Boy, can this be taken out of context.

Oh it definitely still counts.

You and me both!

This was a good sim! Don't mess with Rue.

Everything's better with bacon.