Something Vulcan Wrong

Posted on Monday, 4 October 2021 - 7:14pm by Lieutenant JG Hayashi Hamura & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Lazarus
Location: Mess Hall | USS Standing Bear
Timeline: After Returning from Away Mission

ON:

Hayashi was on a mission. That little encounter with Soral...it...was all wrong. While there were bits of him there was something off and the best person to know was Kingsley. Haya's mission took her to the mess hall where she spotted Lady Alexandra at a table. Without ceremony she went over and plopped down. "I know you dislike me but we have to talk about your husband."

“Please, join me,” Alex commented with a heavy dose of sarcasm before enjoying another spoonful of chocolate chip ice cream. She ignored the comment about disliking the engineer- if that is what she thought that was on her. “What is it exactly about my husband that you need to talk about?”

"Something is off. It's Soral but not Soral...he's... different. There is a darkness to him. It feels....cold. Something is very wrong."

Alex raised an eyebrow, “you aren’t just speaking about my husband but about the first officer of this ship. What exactly do you think is off?”

"I don't know," Hayashi sighed clearly frustrated. "He's...more formal, he's cold, closed, and my soul feels...cold just being by him and here is an...devilish energy to him."

Setting aside her ice cream, being careful to keep her voice low, “you realise how absurd that sounds, right? Soral and I have a bond, and I have spent a lot of time with him… he is fine. Yes, not entirely himself but not in that way. You know he is going to Vulcan?”

"Yeah, healing with the Vulcans, he's been out of balance sure but … Soral has always had a gentle heart. He won't admit it, won't let anyone see it but this...he's...ruthless there is a rage in him that I've never felt. Has he been acting weird around you?"

“No,” Alex assured her. “He’s been himself. Overcompensating a little around others, it maybe makes him seem cold, distant but at home he is himself. Don’t you think I would have noticed? If it makes you feel better I will speak to him but honestly, I think this is an overreaction. You’ve had a lot of stress lately. Believe me, Soral is fine.”

Hayashi studied her. "I..." Hayashi sighed. They ran a hand down their face, tired circles formed under their eyes showing that lack of sleep was a very real happening. "I guess but I swear something is off. I saw him work out the other day and he...ripped the bag off the chain scaring half the crew."

“I’ll be sure to speak to him, I promise,” Alex placated them. “I’ve seen his strength if he doesn’t restrain it.”

Hayashi sat back. "Okay...I mean I know Soral suffers from VAS but he's flared up with a vengeance so be careful."

“VAS?”

"Vulcan Asshole Syndrome, they all have it your husband is usually great at controlling it now...not so much." Hayashi rubbed the bridge of their nose. "Just be careful."

Alex rolled her eyes. “Likewise,” Alex said quietly, “because you are speaking about a senior officer aboard this ship. Like I said, I will speak to him but you are way off base.”

"I hope so. Even Vali and the nurse thought he was a bit off. Maybe it is stress, he's worried about the kids, guilty about the healers."

“He is worried for our children, overly so at times,” Alex conceded. “He just needs some time to recover.”

Hamura gave a nod. "Maybe I'm not thinking straight either..."

“It’s been a difficult few weeks, perhaps some time off will help? A couple of days is not going to hurt,” Alex suggested.

"Yeah I have to look after Ori but I plan to work when she's asleep." Hamura groaned. "That reminds me I forgot to talk to Soral about the quarters."

“Quarters?”

Hamura sighed. "Well I'm the Chief Engineer I want my bigger quarters...but...I want them only if Oriana agrees to move in them with me." Hamura sighed. "Your husband will never let me live this down. He matchmade, I bit."

“I’m confused…. So you want new quarters or … not?” Alex frowned. “I can organise them for you as I’ll be covering for Soral when he leaves.”

"Yeah...If they are available then yea I just want to talk to Oriana first. Can I let you know tomorrow?"

“Sure,” Alex agreed with a nod.

Hamura studied her. "Can I ask you a question?"

“I have a feeling you will, regardless,” Alex mused, gesturing for the engineer to ask her question.

"Pretty much, yeah. What do I do to fix the reason you don't like me?"

Alex arched an eyebrow, “that.”

She leaned forward, “when we first met you tried to be cute, the flower in the hair thing? I like personal space, especially since … lately. You just burst right in. You are impulsive, speak out of turn and give the impression that the rules don’t apply to you because of your history with Soral. You know he will protect you.

Hamura, you are a brilliant engineer and a worthy Chief. I don’t dislike you… it is more that I’m undecided. Why is this so important to you and Soral?”

Hamura shrugged. "I don't know. We're all family now I guess. Soral and I...share a Katra so some of the stuff I do is me and some of it is him and vice versa. I guess we're both scarred you're going to make him choose."

“Choose?”

"Yeah...like maybe you won't like that we're so close and by close I don't mean in an inappropriate way, trust me you're more my type then he is, I mean maybe we're both afraid you'll be freaked out by how we are with one another and you'll make him choose you or me and it's a battle we both know you'll win."

“I have never once said such a thing,” Alex pointed out, “and Soral knows my… concern is not that you share this connection it was his secrecy around it. That is the last I’m saying on it because - frankly - I’m tired of it constantly being made an issue.”

Hamura sighed. "I get that. The secrecy part too." Hamura grinned. "I think that there is one more secret that you don't know about him that may be fun to know...want me to tell you?"

“Sure,” Alex sighed.

Hamura snickered. "You know how he lived with the Monks a while?"

“Yes…?”

"Well did he tell you on Vulcan he's ordained to perform joining ceremonies?"

“I don’t recall, why?”

"By your Earth standards he's a priest." Hamura winked. "Just the last of his secrets, all gone now. Now you're up to speed."

“Believe me, he is not like a priest. But I’m sure my husband will be delighted to know you are telling his secrets,” Alex mused, taking another spoonful of ice cream. “Are you absolutely sure there is nothing else?”

"Not that I know of." Hamura grinned. "Why you want dish some secrets?"

Alex fixed her with a look, “take a wild guess…”

Hamura laughed. "The look that had a thousand Klingons running for cover." Grinning Hamura added, "Gotcha, no comment."

"Other than quarters and dispelling your concerns about my husband, was there anything else?" Alex prompted.

Hamura studied Alex. There was an impatience to her that was not there before but also a coldness. Hamura took a moment, never one to be afraid of awkward silences. There was a moment of sad realization that perhaps Alex would never feel comfortable around them. "I guess not." Her jaw set a little. "I can take a hint, Red." Hamura stood and without ceremony turned and walked away.

Red. Evesta loved to call her that, of course it was unlikely the engineer knew. Alex bit back a comment of 'that's Lieutenant Red to you' and instead took another mouthful of ice cream. Hamura and her over dramatic tendencies could wait. Ice cream first and then ... then she would speak to Soral.

OFF: