JP Yogan Yalu & Talos Dakora — I'll eat any kind of burger, I'm so cheesygoing, Part 2
Yogan Yalu
(( Burger Nagus, Deck 227/228, Deep Space 224 ))
Yalu: Your telepathy was overwhelming. Amazing, but overwhelming. I still remember some of the things I ‘heard,’ and so I figured the experience might have imprinted on your memory in a more, shall we say, robust way than a non-telepath’s.
It was an extraordinarily circuitous way for Yogan to ask, “Hey, what all do you know about me, and how worried should I be about it?” Of course, verbal gymnastics were less effective in conversation with a Betazoid, who could just aim their telepathic antennae and get the score. Yogan wasn’t sure whether Talos was doing just that, or if he was simply inferring exactly what Yogan was implying, but either way, he seemed to pick up what was being put down.
Dakora: I’ve still got a lot of it. The memories and, uh, experiences that were explicitly shared with me during the swap are a part of me now. It’s hard to separate them from my own memories at this point.
He shifted a bit in his chair, worried that he’d made that sound like a bad thing.
Dakora: Really, I should be thanking The Four that it was you that’s left fragments bouncing around in my head. You… and they ::His eyes momentarily dropped to Yogan’s abdomen.:: kind of seem like you all have got things figured out.
Yogan laughed at the unexpected observation.
Yalu: I won’t lie. The collected experiences of eight–– ::beat, gestures to Dakora:: nine lifetimes are nice to have; I’ve relied on each of their memories to solve some problem or find a way out of a bad situation. But all of them were flawed, and all of them made big mistakes. Yogan included.
Talos had tried to do his own research in the days following the whole Cytarix-Switcheroo, but there was shockingly little data on how long it took the consciousness of a Betazoid, swapped into a joined Trill’s body to bond with the Symbiont. Weird. Now that it was confirmed that he’d left some or all of his memories behind, he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
He had lived an interesting life thus far, maybe even unique enough to provide the Yalu Symbiont with a new experience or two. But, then again the idea of someone reviewing a first person account of his more debaucherous moments or worse; his most personal failures, made a bead of sweat threaten to form on his forehead.
Dakora: ::His brow furrowed a little.:: I don’t know how much of me is left behind, but I know I’m sort of a mess. Sorry about that.
Yogan raised a hand, as if to swat the apology away.
Yalu: No, I feel like I should be apologizing to you. ::beat:: You didn’t ask to be Joined, and you got none of the preparation that Initiates get before the deed is done. I know you didn’t intend to, but you’ve given me a hell of a gift.
His eyebrows rose, seemingly of their own volition. Talos had been wrestling with his emotionally nomadic tendencies and the deeper reasoning behind his preference for shallow self-gratification ever since he’d come back to himself. His head felt kind of like a someone had accidentally turned on the house lights in a dance club and now he could see how filthy and poorly maintained it all had been. To hear all of that referred to as a gift gave him pause.
Dakora: A gift!? ::He softened his shocked tone.:: I polluted your collection of the wonderful minds of people who had accomplished great things with… whatever I am.
He tried not to look as downcast as he felt about the whole thing, but probably failed.
Yalu: Talos, you love life. I can feel that in every memory I have of you, even the difficult ones. I walked around the station and saw ships departing, people meeting, people flirting… ::chuckles:: Talos Yalu finds excitement and adventure and potential in everything. It’s a hell of a way to live your life. So, thanks for that.
A part of Talos understood that. Though, that was the part that was being crushed under the weight of the maturity the Yalu symbiont had thrust upon him. Yogan’s words did have some small effect. The Trill’s optimistic review of his core being gave him one of the first glimmers of hope that a happy-medium might exist.
Dakora: ::A half-felt grin.:: Yeah, I’ve always been fond of snatching excitement from the jaws of monotony.
Yogan couldn’t help thinking about his conversation with Karrod Niac. There was some overlap between Talos’ philosophy and Niac’s, and when two people tell you the same thing, it’s probably best to listen. As Yogan’s stomach growled with hunger, he thought about Yalu, tucked away in his gut, and what kinds of experiences would really elevate the symbiont to the next level. Surely the long-lived vermiform was overdue for some seizing of the day.
Yalu: And what about you? ::beat:: Hopefully getting to know Yogan this way wasn’t permanently scarring.
Talos’ brow furrowed
Dakora: Not at all. ::He paused.:: You’ve worked hard for everything you have, even when it didn’t come easy and somehow you still have a relentlessly positive attitude. The only scarring part is when I start comparing myself to you. What’s that bit about the thief of joy, or whatever?
Yogan nodded, and despite himself, let out a chuckle of camaraderie.
Yalu: So you’ve got the jist of being Joined, then. I can’t tell you how many sleepless nights I had at first. All of their lives just seemed–– ::beat:: so much more important than mine. It took me a few years to realize that it’s not true.
The shoddy holo-chip chose that moment to emit a half-hearted buzz as their floating order number changed to an less-than-pleasant greenish hue in celebration of their imminent feasting. Thoughts of greasy food served to drag Talos from the depths of the funk he was experiencing. At least for a little while.
Dakora: That’s us. ::He pushed away from the table.:: Good thing too, because I was getting desperate enough for that fried lettuce to sound alright. ::He stood.:: I’ll get it
Yalu: ::nods:: Aye aye. Thanks.
Talos crossed the bustling eatery and found the tray on the counter with the correct number and traded the holo-chip for it. He wasn’t sure if the amount of grolv was sufficiently extra, but he was too famished to care. Returning to the table, he set the tray down between them and took his seat, and in an effort not to seem too desperate to throw down, picked their conversation back up.
Dakora: Where were we? ::He screwed up his face in thought.:: Oh right. I think it’s just a time and distance thing. You know? Eventually I’m sure I’ll be able to embrace all of the great things I learned from being Talos Yalu, but maybe without judging Talos Dakora so harshly?
Yalu: This whole experience taught me a few things too. Not least among them, that it’s a beautiful galaxy out there, and it’s OK to appreciate it. I think I can work on that.
Talos nodded as he picked up the large burger and both hands and took an ambitiously large bite. Instantly, he was met with an explosion of meaty, fatty, cheesy flavor that set his taste buds and heart aflutter with each actuation of his jaw. It was all he could do to keep his eyes from rolling back in his head as he swallowed the delicious greasy bit.
Dakora: Holy strokes. ::He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.:: This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten.
Yogan picked up his Double DaiMon Bacon Burger and held it tightly to keep it from coming apart before he could get it to his mouth. He raised it slightly, as if toasting with it.
Yalu: Welcome to the family.
CHOMP.
Lt. Commander Yogan Yalu
Strategic Operations Officer
USS Excalibur NCC-41903-A
Justin D238804DS0
and
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Ensign Talos Dakora Intelligence Officer USS Excalibur-A O238811CD0