Ensign T’Fearne - [BACKSIM] A Call From Home
teayl.thorn
((OOC: Hopefully I don't offend anyone by saying that T’Fearne’s mother sounds like someones mother in law from the Netherlands, very friendly, a little bit nosy and blunt in her manner.))
((Alyndra & T’Fearne Shared Quarters, Section 04, Deck 8, USS Ronin))
The awards ceremony had been cut short as the Captain received an urgent call and sent them all back to their duty stations. On her way to the Security Complex, T’Fearne took a brief detour and stopped by her quarters to change out of dress whites, spend 90 seconds in the sonic shower and plan to get back into her gold uniform and to the tactical briefing room.
As she hopped out of the sonic shower, the computer chimed an incoming subspace call message.
T’Fearne yanked a towel around herself and answered the call.
A tiny woman with silver hair and a web of laugh lines at the corners of her eyes appears on the screen. The woman was immaculately dressed in a burgundy gown that T’Fearne knew was custom and designer-made with matching earrings of precious gemstones.
T’Fearne: Hello 1M'adi. Why are you calling without notice? Is 2Sa-mekh alright?
She clutched the front of the towel with both hands, suddenly nervous that her mother had called about bad news. The woman broke into a big smile and trilled into the sub-space connection at top volume.
Sonna Elaazni: Darling! Why are you naked? Is there a special occasion? You should have sent me a message. I’ll get your father so you can tell us together. :: Shrill calling:: Elonat, come here my 3Imzadi, I have our baby on a subspace call:: some off-screen shuffling could be heard, and her father's face abruptly appeared, seemingly forced into view from off-screen.
A Vulcanoid man’s weathered, suntanned face gazed through the screen at her with piercing blue eyes below the slanted brows she had inherited from him.
Elonat Elaazni: 4T’Fa’tahr, S’tar!
His deep voice resonating through the subspace connection made her heart suddenly ache.
Elonat Elaazni: Is that you, my daughter? I received the digital scans that you sent me of the Jintara nebular. They were fascinating. How are you?
T’Fearne::: relived:: I’m well, father. And you? How is the studio?
Sonna pushed into view again as Elonat made room for his Betazoid wife.
Sonna Elaazni: Oh, darling, talk about the studio later. :: gleeful grin, suggestive tone:: Is there anything you want to tell us now that we are together?
T’Fearne felt an uncontrollable swell of embarrassment and frustration at her mother's overbearing assumption. She couldn’t remain unemotional and buried her face in her hands.
Elonat Elaazni: Wait, Imzadi. :: gentle chiding:: Let the child speak.
That just made her feel worse. Her mother was in her mid-sixties, and her father was in his mid-second century. Despite her achievements, skills, and burgeoning career, she must still seem like a silly child to them.
She took a deep breath and gazed back at the screen at her parents, waiting with somewhat restrained expectations. She had fought Tholians, Sheliak, fanatic cultists of the Pagh Wraiths in ancient Bajor, but her mother always seemed to render her defenceless. Steeling herself, she shook her head.
T’Fearne: There is no big news, I was merely in the shower when you called, M'adi! I thought it might have been an emergency. :: another deep calming breath:: It is lovely to see and hear from you both, but I need to get back to my shift. What is it that you are calling about?
Sonna Elaazni::: Casually waving away the chaos she caused:: Well, if you don’t have exciting news for us, then perhaps I can make you smile with some news.
T’Feanes eyebrow went up sceptically.
T’Fearne: I doubt that.
Sonna Elaazni: Always such a sombre girl, but your father can make you smile, but no smile for your m’adi? Darling?
T’Fearne: Father doesn’t keep asking me to smile for him, M'adi!
The Betazoid woman didn’t seem faded in the slightest.
Sonna Elaazni::: bursting with excitement:: Your sister is pregnant!
T’Fearne blinked and then she did break into a slow smile.
oO That is interesting news. Oo
T’Fearne: Really? Wait, which sister?
Sonna Elaazni: Oh, you know it’s Errila. She is due in 9 months!
Her mother's meaningful tone was clear. “Come home for a visit around then and celebrate with the family!”
She glanced at the ship's crono-display, conscious of her pressing duties.
T’Fearne: M’adi, as much as it is good to see you, all this information could have been sent in a message.
She saw the faint expression on her mother's face, the lines of worry buried in the laugh lines, the way she gripped Elonat’s arm, and the tension in her thin fingers. There was a vocal fry that her vulcanoid hearing picked up even though the spotty connection.
T’Fearne::: Looking from one parent to the other, sternly:: What is wrong?
Sonna sighed dramatically.
Sonna Elaazni: It’s probably nothing, in fact, don’t even worry about…
T’Fearne::: Interrupting:: M’adi, Tell me!
Sonna Elaazni: It’s Rweemme. She’s not been in contact lately, and a mother worries about her daughters. :: hopefully:: Has she been in contact with you, darling?
When Sonna said that it was Rweemme that out of contact, T’Fearne initially felt relieved. Rweemme was the most level-headed of her three older sisters, the second oldest and had an important job with Betazed’s Agricultural Department. She became engrossed in her work at times and would respond to messages slowly.
T’Fearne: No, I haven’t heard from her in weeks, she sent me some seeds as a graduation present months ago. Why? What has happened to make you worried?
She looked to her father as he was the more reasonable of the two.
Elonat Elaazni: Your M’adi is just being cautious, S’tar.
Sonna Elaazni: Nothing, well, maybe nothing.
Elonat Elaazni: Rweemme is on an agricultural trade negotiation assignment off-world, and she hasn’t called in a while.
T’Fearne: How long has she been out of contact?
Sonna Elaazni: Not very long, a few weeks. :: putting a bright smile on:: I’m sure we will hear back from her by the end of the week. Don’t worry about it, darling, but if you hear from her, please let me know.
T’Fearne: Of course!
Sonna Elaazni::: shameless begging tone:: And come visit your old parents…
She had to finish getting dressed and down to the Security Complex before the Chief arrived with a briefing for whatever was happening on Proxima Sigma.
T’Fearne::: Dry tone:: Oh, I’m losing connection… proximity to a pulsar… interference… love you both.
She cut the connection in her end with a sigh of relief.
She loved both her parents deeply, but at times they were very irksome. That had been a lot to think about. Errila’s news, the family growing, Rweemme potentially MIA.
She threw the towel into the refresher and quickly donned her gold uniform. Her thoughts lingered on Rweemme. For some reason, she thought of how the Chief’s battle-scarred hands reminded her of Rweemme’s, though her sister wasn’t a warrior but an agricultural specialist.
Her breath slowed, and she paused, doing up her jacket. She pictured her sisters' hands, rough, muscled, and riddled with tiny white scars, just like Kirsty’s.
Suspicion bloomed in her mind and then took root.
oO What was Rew doing off world? And what exactly does she do for the “Agricultural Department”? Oo
She hoped her sister would get in contact soon, she had pointed questions for her.
She didn’t have time to ponder further as she left the room in a rush.
[No Tags]
(( OOC: Just a sim to set some things up for the future.
1M'adi - Betazoid for mother.
2Sa-mekh - Vulcan for father.
3Imzadi - Betazoid for beloved.
4T’Fa’tahr, S’tar! - Vulcan translation: T’Fa’tahr - T’Fearne’s name (t’- belonging to, fa’tahr - a type of tree - Vulcans are known to sit beneath them to meditate), S’tar - Nickname of endearment (s’itar-bosh = “from the thankful”)))
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Security Officer
USS Ronin - NCC-34523
R240107T14