round 5 Avaris Torrin - Jenny needs lipstick

[+ Salkath]

((Quarters - Torrin ))

::It was late afternoon, the Apollo was safely docked at Starbase 118, but Avaris had stayed put in his room, sorting through documents relating to his new position at the shipboard schools Headmaster. His day had been beyond weird, and he had eagerly awaited Artem's return for the few hours he had to relax before going back on duty. He wanted to tell him all about his conversations with D'Sena and Counselor Walker, to celebrate their probationary acceptance of the School Boards offer of employment. He even wanted to tell him about meeting Dr Renos, although he had planned to gloss over that part a bit... he was still very nervous about the call he needed to make later on.

But Artem had arrived home, eyes bloodshot and temper raging. Avaris had greeted him with an excited smile, only to be met with a seething glower and a snarled accusation ::

Dragumov: Explain to me why a civilian reported to security today, that she had overheard a bearded, long haired very tall Trill man discussing with a J'naii doctor his involvement in an arson case, while he was walking down a crowded hallway, in the middle of the day.

::Torrins face blanched, the smile evaporated from his face. ::

Dragumov: The citizen said that this Trill was whispering, which is good I suppose, that he wasnt just yelling treasonous things like a crazy person. So she could only hear snippets of conversation, but that he seemed to be confessing to taking part in the burning of a library of some sort, back on Trill. Explain to me how that happened Avaris, because I am sure there is a reasonable explanation, and that the reasonable explanation that there is would not be that you, in fact, were talking openly about burning down a building on Trill. Perhaps there is another tall long haired bearded Trill ex-anarchist onboard the Apollo. Perhaps she misheard you. Tell me, for the love of god, that there is a reasonable explanation Avaris, why on my FIRST DAY of active security duty, I heard a report that seemed to be about you.

::Torrin sat down on the couch silently, unable to look his husband in the eye. ::

Dragumov: When you are finished explaining to me why that happened, perhaps you can also explain to me why the ships first officer asked the security department to remotely search our quarters computer terminal, and determine how it was that you came into possession of an old intelligence report on yourself.

:: Avaris stayed silent for another beat. Looking back up to his husbands furious expression, he smiled weakly ::

Torrin: Are you still feeling rough from the party last night buddy?

::It was the wrong tact, and Artem roared furiously ::

Torrin: I am sorry Artem... today has been a bit of a roller coaster...

Dragumov: I don't care Avaris! Is this a game to you? This is our life, and we have been here for THREE DAYS! How are you already on their radar in three days Avaris?

::Torrin stood up, slowly approaching his enraged husband, speaking as soothingly as his shaking voice would allow ::

Torrin: baby, you know I was on their radar before we even got here.... I am so sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out today....

::Artem shoved him away, clearly not interested in being touched ::

Dragumov: Its fine, you cant help yourself apparently. I knew that when I married you... so its my fault I guess.

::His words cut deeply, sounding dangerously close to regret that they had gotten married, that he had included Avaris in his new life as a Starfleet Officer. The computer interrupted the thick miasma of silence growing between the two men, cheerily informing Avaris that a message waited for him. He went to the terminal and sat down, opening the communication. He looked at it, his eyes widened... was this a joke?::

Dragumov : What now?!

Torrin: There must be some mistake, commander D'Sena has asked me to meet herself and some of the crew for... a team building exercise tomorrow? Maybe its supposed to be for you?

::Artem glowered, but an expression of puzzlement was showing slightly through his scowl. Torrin got back up, and walked towards his husband, snatching the communicator from his chest, he activated it. ::

Torrin =/\= Torrin to Commander D'Sena? =/\=

D'Sena =/\= D'Sena here, what can I do for you, Mister Torrin? =/\=

Torrin =/\= I apologies for bothering you... I just got a message from you about a team building exercise tomorrow, I am wondering if there has been some sort of mix-up and it was meant for my husband? =/\=

D'Sena : =/\= I can assure you, Mister Torrin, that it was meant for you. =/\=

::Avaris looked anxiously to Artem, whose own look of horror could only be matched by the one Avaris himself must have been wearing ::

Torrin: =/\= Well... thank you so much for thinking to include me Commander, but I'm afraid my preparations for duties in the school will be keeping be busy for most of the day tomorrow.... =/\=

D'Sena : =/\= You will have enough time for that after we are done, Mister Torrin. From my reports, I see that you are now a member of our crew, and therefore will be participate in our exercise. =/\=

::Avaris sighed, defeated ::

Torrin: =/\= well... of course I suppose you are right. Very well commander, I will see you tomorrow. Torrin out =/\=

::He handed the comm badge back to Artem, who angrily snatched it from him ::

Dragumov: Great. This is just great. Now you are going to spend more time with the command staff, where you will no doubt continue to make an amazing impression for us both. I cant do this right now, I need to lie down. We will talk about this later Avaris.

Torrin: I'm really sorry Artem... can I get you anything? Do you want some water?

Dragumov: Just leave me alone right now.

::Artem stormed into the bedroom and threw himself on their bed without even taking off his uniform. Avaris went over and activated the door, to give his brooding husband some time to calm down. He was right, Avaris had been very sloppy today... he was finding adjusting to life on this ship far more difficult than he had imagined, and he had imagined some pretty serious difficulty.

He went to the replicator and made himself a tumbler glass with some ice, opening the bottle of Saurian brandy he had done a number on the day before, pouring carefully at first, but abandoning pretense halfway through and filling the glass. He had felt like he had gained some ground, and that Artem might even be proud of his efforts, it had been no small thing getting himself hired on at the school. But without meaning to, he had set them back two steps for the step he thought he would gain, and they were fighting, again. He caught his mind wandering, wondering if this was the right thing, wondering if he had made a huge mistake, before snapping himself out of it. There was no use thinking like that right now, they had only just arrived, and they could make this work, he absolutely had to believe that.

At least he had a project. The Doctors friend, on the J'naii homeworld. That was something he could do. The doctor still hadn't given him any details, but he figured sending out some preliminary feelers would be proactive and make him feel a little less worthless. The first step was going to be brutal, but now seemed like as good a time as any to do it, he didn't think his estranged old colleague, and once good friend Andressa Castyr could possibly make him feel any worse than he already did.

He sat down at the rooms terminal again, and instructed the computer to place a subspace call back home to Trill, hoping that she wasn't home and that he could just leave a message. He realized he didn't even have any idea of what time it was in Vrans, he had so thoroughly acclimatized to the 26 hour Starfleet Standard time that he might be calling in the middle of the night.

Luck was not with him, the call was answered. A pretty, slight middle aged Trill woman with long red hair and a prominent chest tattoo framing the symbol of the Unjoined Majority in its centre appeared on the screen. As soon as she registered who was calling her, she scowled and went to disconnect the call. ::

Torrin: Wait! Andressa please....

Castyr: I have nothing to say to you Avaris.

Torrin: Hear me out, please its important, I have an ask.

::The redheaded woman scoffed dramatically. ::

Castyr: You dont get to ASK for ASKS anymore Avaris Torrin. Where is your husband? Is he monitoring this call? You gonna play bait in a sting? Nobody here would fall for it, just to save you some time...

Torrin: Adressa, please, you know I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.

::She banged a fist on her desk, the screen wavered with the reverberations of the impact. ::

Castyr: You have some nerve Avaris, calling me in the middle of the night out of nowhere, from a Starfleet ship no less. You fitting in nicely with those pigs then? They putting you up to this?

oO so it is the middle of the night in Vrans then. Good timing as always Avaris Oo

Torrin: ... I am sorry it has been so long Andressa... you were a sister to me for so long, I miss you so much. It has been hard here, trust me, it has been... so hard

Castyr: Good.

::Avaris blinked back a tear. The worst part of it was, a part of him thought she was right to be so angry. ::

Torrin: ... like I said, it is important. Our friend Jenny is out of lipstick again...

::The Trill woman glowered, her eyes narrowed and her lips were pursed so hard that they were white. But he had gotten her attention, Jenny was their less-than-imaginative code word for any J'naii "Deviant" who was in danger, in need of help from their network of support.. ::

Castyr: ...Alright then. Where is Jenny now?

Torrin: I dont know yet, she is also a friend of someone else onboard, I am just relying a message... would you be able to get some lipstick to her if I found out where she was??

::She paused, still glowering. ::

Castyr: I could look into it for sure. But to be clear, I'd be doing this for Jenny, not for you.

Torrin: Thank you Andressa.

Castyr: By the way, for future reference, don't you dare call me sister, you don't get to call me sister ever again Avaris. I cant even imagine what Jaheran would think of you if he could see you now. Just send the information when you get it, don't call me again. Give love from all of us back in your old life to Officer Dragumov.

::She disconnected the call abruptly, before Avaris could say any more. With the screen black again, he allowed a single tear to roll down his cheek, remembering his old life and his old friends, remembering Andressa, and remembering Jaheran. What would he have thought of Avaris now?

It was best not to think about it. He wiped the tear away, and continued to pour over the School Board documents, mentally preparing his plans to prove himself capable of molding the minds of the next generation of Federation citizens. ::

Avaris Edral Torrin

Civilian School Headmaster

USS Apollo - A