Personnel File for Lieutenant Junior Grade Syirik

USS Rhode Island, Counselor's Office
January 12th, 2387
1000 HRS

Clasping his hands behind his back, Syirik slowly walked the length of the hallway towards the counselor's office. His current outer layer of Vulcan clam was a facade. He was taut and nervous about his appointment, and it was not the only thing threatening his emotional control. A few crewmen were spreading unnerving rumors, and Syirik could sense their heightened emotions as he passed them in the hall.

Before he got to the door he stopped momentarily, closed his eyes and inhaled, drawing in the ships cool air. In his minds eye he saw Vulcan's sky on a late-summer morning. Soft pink morning tones danced majestically between the fiery reds, oranges and yellows of midday.

"Syirik!" said a voice from behind, snapping Syirik out of his stupor.

Syirik raised both eyebrows in a clear display of surprise, at least for a Vulcan, and turned on his heels just as a yellow-shirted human man closed the distance between them. From the looks of the man, he had just finished working out. His shaggy brown hair was dripping wet with what the Vulcan quickly discovered was pungent human sweat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I surprise you? You wouldn't be the first I scared today," he apologized.

Without a trace of humor, Syirik replied, "Vulcan's don't get scared."

The man flashed a knowing smile. "Uh huh, of course not. Look, I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'm just going to give this back now." He tossed a elastic exercise band to the junior officer. "It worked like a charm. Thanks, mate. See yeah."

Before Syirik could utter a single word the man was half way down the hallway. Syirik raised an eyebrow and looked down at the exercise tool in his hand. It'd be odd walking into the counselor's office with it, but he wasn't about to put it back in his room now and make himself late for his appointment. Shaking his head, he turned to the counselor's door and rang the chime.

Eiri stood from behind his desk and pulled on the hem of his uniform. "Enter!" He called out, stepping out from behind the desk to greet his next appointment. He already had a PADD in hand with Syirik's service record on it. He had been expecting the Vulcan. They usually kept appointments. The touch to the mind on the other side of the door confirmed that Syirik was punctual, like many of his species.

With it's signature pneumatic hiss, the door obediently slid open. Lieutenant JG Syirik stepped across the threshold into the room and fixed his emerald eyes upon the slender counselor. Before he said anything, he held the object out in front of him instead of trying to hide it.

"Sir, I must apologize for bringing this," he said with no preamble. "It was... unexpectedly returned to me on my way here."

Eiri chuckled and gestured to the chocolate colored furniture. "I do not believe that item will present a problem with my evaluation. Do you Lieutenant Syirik? May I call you Syirik? You can call me Eiri."

Syirik nodded. "Of course, you may call me Syirik." He sat down ramrod-straight on the very edge of a chair, feet flat on the ground, hands neatly folded over the tool in his lap. "And no, I guess it wont. I just thought, if I didn't say anything, you might think I was odd or disorganized for bringing it."

"No no, not at all." He furrowed his distinctively Vulcan eyebrows. "What is it anyway?" he asked, curious, looking at the item in the Lieutenant's hand. "And would you like something to drink?" he headed for the replicator and ordered spiced tea for himself and waited for Syirik's order.

"I am not thirsty," he said plainly then looked down at the tool, tightening his grip around it. "It's an elastic exercise band. An ancient human tool. By holding onto one or both sides then stretching it, it puts stress on certain muscles. However, it was not designed to withstand Vulcan strength, so I lend it to human crewmates to make sure it gets used. It was a gift from a human female from my last post: Ensign Kayla Backes." Memories of the time he spent with Kayla flashed in his mind, bringing with them a sudden pang of nostalgia.

Eiri blinked, surprised to feel the emotion coming from the Vulcan. He smiled softly, hiding his surprise and sat down across from Syirik with his teacup, PADD under one arm. "So, tell me Syirik, how are you?" He sipped the tea and then set it gently on the table, leaning back to place the PADD on one knee.

"How am I?" Syirik raised an eyebrow. It was a strange question to ask a Vulcan, he thought. He paused for a handful of seconds, then decided to give a simple three-word reply that he hoped Eiri would accept. "I am Vulcan." He tightened his grip on his elastic band till it flattened, then slowly loosened it, before adding, "If you are referring to my physiological state of being, then I am performing optimally, sir."

"I should have guessed," Eiri laughed a little. "But it is something I must ask. Are you finding yourself comfortable at your new post?" The posts were new for everyone. Even though Eiri had served as ship's counselor before, he still considered this a new posting. New ship, new environment, new crew members.

"My duty shifts have gone well so far, and the chief has been intriguing, " he said. "Though I am finding the smaller quarters here to be...challenging. I understand most humans are less than meticulous when it comes to their domestic habits, but my bunkmate is extremely negligent. He leaves his equipment and clothing laying on the floor and often interrupts my meditation. I have offered him to meditate with me on multiple occasions, but he always refuses, saying he's not fond of 'Vulcan parties'."

Eiri frowned. "Have you asked him to cease his behavior? I'm sure you have. Human's can be difficult to deal with. My only suggestions is to ask him to stop. If he does not you can put in for a change of quarters. No sense in making people miserable."

"I have, but he does not listen. I will follow your advise and put in a request," he replied with almost a melancholy nod.

Syirik wished he could work things out with the human, or simply stay. He disliked the idea of being like his parents — who were unable to tolerate humans and looked down upon them — but he knew that if his meditations kept being interrupted, his emotional control would be compromised, if it wasn't already. Trying not to focus on that, he took a quick moment to look around the room. On the left side, behind some odd objects, he thought he saw t'an rods of Kal-toh, and tipped his head to try to get a better view.

Eiri turned to see what he was looking at and smiled. Rising, he went to the collection of t'an rods and brought the game back to the table. "Is this what you were interested in?" he asked, sitting back down and placing the t'an rods on the table. He folded his hands in his lap. "One of my favorites. This one was a gift from my father, who is Vulcan. Puzzles are sometimes the best meditation tools. What do you do to relax?"

"It is indeed. I use to play Kal-toh often. Mostly with my father, who always defeated me." Syirik fought a frown away and leaned forward, taking a rod which prompted the game to reset. The glittering rods formed into a geodesic, appearing to be chaotic yet maintaining it's dimensionality. Right away, Syirik began to calculate the stress points, attempting to establish possible future arrangements. He paused to look back up at Eiri. "I still use Katheera-blocks, another game. I know quite a few meditation techniques, but, for my nightly meditations, I normally try clearing my mind of all thoughts. At my last post I used Vulcan neuropressure as well."

Eiri nodded. "All excellent tools for meditation. Sometimes all people need to clear their minds is a little big of mindless distraction. Of course things like Kal-toh are not mindless, but I think you understand what I mean. "How are you sleeping?" he asked, leaning forward a little in his chair and folding his hands in his lap, his eyes on the t'an rods.

"The time I have allocated for sleep has been disturbed by my lack of meditation, due to my bunkmate. By my calculation, at least one thousand three hundred and twenty four minutes, thirty four seconds, and five hundred million nanoseconds from the time I close my eyes to sleep till I open them in the morning have been lost since I boarded the Rhode Island. Put simply, around two hours a night."

Returning his gaze to the Kal-toh geo-design, Syirik made one more calculation before inserting his t'an rod near the bottom. The structure began to shimmer, changing it's shape to adjust to his installation. Syirik fixed his posture and looked back at Eiri, the half Vulcan. He wondered if Eiri was going to play too. Kal-toh was a game of logic and patience. A game that could last days, weeks even, and be started by one person, ended by another. It all depended on the players moves. Besides the game, Syirik was starting to find himself curious about Eiri himself, but stayed quiet. He wasn't sure if it was proper for him to ask questions.

<Tag>

USS Rhode Island, Counselor's Office
January 12th, 2387
1000 HRS

Clasping his hands behind his back, Syirik slowly walked the length of the hallway towards the counselor's office. His current outer layer of Vulcan clam was a facade. He was taut and nervous about his appointment, and it was not the only thing threatening his emotional control. A few crewmen were spreading unnerving rumors, and Syirik could sense their heightened emotions as he passed them in the hall.

Before he got to the door he stopped momentarily, closed his eyes and inhaled, drawing in the ships cool air. In his minds eye he saw Vulcan's sky on a late-summer morning. Soft pink morning tones danced majestically between the fiery reds, oranges and yellows of midday.

"Syirik!" said a voice from behind, snapping Syirik out of his stupor.

Syirik raised both eyebrows in a clear display of surprise, at least for a Vulcan, and turned on his heels just as a yellow-shirted human man closed the distance between them. From the looks of the man, he had just finished working out. His shaggy brown hair was dripping wet with what the Vulcan quickly discovered was pungent human sweat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I surprise you? You wouldn't be the first I scared today," he apologized.

Without a trace of humor, Syirik replied, "Vulcan's don't get scared."

The man flashed a knowing smile. "Uh huh, of course not. Look, I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'm just going to give this back now." He tossed a elastic exercise band to the junior officer. "It worked like a charm. Thanks, mate. See yeah."

Before Syirik could utter a single word the man was half way down the hallway. Syirik raised an eyebrow and looked down at the exercise tool in his hand. It'd be odd walking into the counselor's office with it, but he wasn't about to put it back in his room now and make himself late for his appointment. Shaking his head, he turned to the counselor's door and rang the chime.

Eiri stood from behind his desk and pulled on the hem of his uniform. "Enter!" He called out, stepping out from behind the desk to greet his next appointment. He already had a PADD in hand with Syirik's service record on it. He had been expecting the Vulcan. They usually kept appointments. The touch to the mind on the other side of the door confirmed that Syirik was punctual, like many of his species.

With it's signature pneumatic hiss, the door obediently slid open. Lieutenant JG Syirik stepped across the threshold into the room and fixed his emerald eyes upon the slender counselor. Before he said anything, he held the object out in front of him instead of trying to hide it.

"Sir, I must apologize for bringing this," he said with no preamble. "It was... unexpectedly returned to me on my way here."

Eiri chuckled and gestured to the chocolate colored furniture. "I do not believe that item will present a problem with my evaluation. Do you Lieutenant Syirik? May I call you Syirik? You can call me Eiri."

Syirik nodded. "Of course, you may call me Syirik." He sat down ramrod-straight on the very edge of a chair, feet flat on the ground, hands neatly folded over the tool in his lap. "And no, I guess it wont. I just thought, if I didn't say anything, you might think I was odd or disorganized for bringing it."

"No no, not at all." He furrowed his distinctively Vulcan eyebrows. "What is it anyway?" he asked, curious, looking at the item in the Lieutenant's hand. "And would you like something to drink?" he headed for the replicator and ordered spiced tea for himself and waited for Syirik's order.

"I am not thirsty," he said plainly then looked down at the tool, tightening his grip around it. "It's an elastic exercise band. An ancient human tool. By holding onto one or both sides then stretching it, it puts stress on certain muscles. However, it was not designed to withstand Vulcan strength, so I lend it to human crewmates to make sure it gets used. It was a gift from a human female from my last post: Ensign Kayla Backes." Memories of the time he spent with Kayla flashed in his mind, bringing with them a sudden pang of nostalgia.

Eiri blinked, surprised to feel the emotion coming from the Vulcan. He smiled softly, hiding his surprise and sat down across from Syirik with his teacup, PADD under one arm. "So, tell me Syirik, how are you?" He sipped the tea and then set it gently on the table, leaning back to place the PADD on one knee.

"How am I?" Syirik raised an eyebrow. It was a strange question to ask a Vulcan, he thought. He paused for a handful of seconds, then decided to give a simple three-word reply that he hoped Eiri would accept. "I am Vulcan." He tightened his grip on his elastic band till it flattened, then slowly loosened it, before adding, "If you are referring to my physiological state of being, then I am performing optimally, sir."

"I should have guessed," Eiri laughed a little. "But it is something I must ask. Are you finding yourself comfortable at your new post?" The posts were new for everyone. Even though Eiri had served as ship's counselor before, he still considered this a new posting. New ship, new environment, new crew members.

"My duty shifts have gone well so far, and the chief has been intriguing, " he said. "Though I am finding the smaller quarters here to be...challenging. I understand most humans are less than meticulous when it comes to their domestic habits, but my bunkmate is extremely negligent. He leaves his equipment and clothing laying on the floor and often interrupts my meditation. I have offered him to meditate with me on multiple occasions, but he always refuses, saying he's not fond of 'Vulcan parties'."

Eiri frowned. "Have you asked him to cease his behavior? I'm sure you have. Human's can be difficult to deal with. My only suggestions is to ask him to stop. If he does not you can put in for a change of quarters. No sense in making people miserable."

"I have, but he does not listen. I will follow your advise and put in a request," he replied with almost a melancholy nod.

Syirik wished he could work things out with the human, or simply stay. He disliked the idea of being like his parents — who were unable to tolerate humans and looked down upon them — but he knew that if his meditations kept being interrupted, his emotional control would be compromised, if it wasn't already. Trying not to focus on that, he took a quick moment to look around the room. On the left side, behind some odd objects, he thought he saw t'an rods of Kal-toh, and tipped his head to try to get a better view.

Eiri turned to see what he was looking at and smiled. Rising, he went to the collection of t'an rods and brought the game back to the table. "Is this what you were interested in?" he asked, sitting back down and placing the t'an rods on the table. He folded his hands in his lap. "One of my favorites. This one was a gift from my father, who is Vulcan. Puzzles are sometimes the best meditation tools. What do you do to relax?"

"It is indeed. I use to play Kal-toh often. Mostly with my father, who always defeated me." Syirik fought a frown away and leaned forward, taking a rod which prompted the game to reset. The glittering rods formed into a geodesic, appearing to be chaotic yet maintaining it's dimensionality. Right away, Syirik began to calculate the stress points, attempting to establish possible future arrangements. He paused to look back up at Eiri. "I still use Katheera-blocks, another game. I know quite a few meditation techniques, but, for my nightly meditations, I normally try clearing my mind of all thoughts. At my last post I used Vulcan neuropressure as well."

Eiri nodded. "All excellent tools for meditation. Sometimes all people need to clear their minds is a little big of mindless distraction. Of course things like Kal-toh are not mindless, but I think you understand what I mean. "How are you sleeping?" he asked, leaning forward a little in his chair and folding his hands in his lap, his eyes on the t'an rods.

"The time I have allocated for sleep has been disturbed by my lack of meditation, due to my bunkmate. By my calculation, at least one thousand three hundred and twenty four minutes, thirty four seconds, and five hundred million nanoseconds from the time I close my eyes to sleep till I open them in the morning have been lost since I boarded the Rhode Island. Put simply, around two hours a night."

Returning his gaze to the Kal-toh geo-design, Syirik made one more calculation before inserting his t'an rod near the bottom. The structure began to shimmer, changing it's shape to adjust to his installation. Syirik fixed his posture and looked back at Eiri, the half Vulcan. He wondered if Eiri was going to play too. Kal-toh was a game of logic and patience. A game that could last days, weeks even, and be started by one person, ended by another. It all depended on the players moves. Besides the game, Syirik was starting to find himself curious about Eiri himself, but stayed quiet. He wasn't sure if it was proper for him to ask questions.

"How is your concentration? Are you able to focus on your work?" The silver haired counselor sat forward and picked up his cup of tea. His eyes on Syirik. He did not participate in the game, feeling that it would be inappropriate for him to do so during a session.

<Tag>

USS Rhode Island, Counselor's Office
January 12th, 2387
1000 HRS

Clasping his hands behind his back, Syirik slowly walked the length of the hallway towards the counselor's office. His current outer layer of Vulcan clam was a facade. He was taut and nervous about his appointment, and it was not the only thing threatening his emotional control. A few crewmen were spreading unnerving rumors, and Syirik could sense their heightened emotions as he passed them in the hall.

Before he got to the door he stopped momentarily, closed his eyes and inhaled, drawing in the ships cool air. In his minds eye he saw Vulcan's sky on a late-summer morning. Soft pink morning tones danced majestically between the fiery reds, oranges and yellows of midday.

"Syirik!" said a voice from behind, snapping Syirik out of his stupor.

Syirik raised both eyebrows in a clear display of surprise, at least for a Vulcan, and turned on his heels just as a yellow-shirted human man closed the distance between them. From the looks of the man, he had just finished working out. His shaggy brown hair was dripping wet with what the Vulcan quickly discovered was pungent human sweat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I surprise you? You wouldn't be the first I scared today," he apologized.

Without a trace of humor, Syirik replied, "Vulcan's don't get scared."

The man flashed a knowing smile. "Uh huh, of course not. Look, I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'm just going to give this back now." He tossed a elastic exercise band to the junior officer. "It worked like a charm. Thanks, mate. See yeah."

Before Syirik could utter a single word the man was half way down the hallway. Syirik raised an eyebrow and looked down at the exercise tool in his hand. It'd be odd walking into the counselor's office with it, but he wasn't about to put it back in his room now and make himself late for his appointment. Shaking his head, he turned to the counselor's door and rang the chime.

Eiri stood from behind his desk and pulled on the hem of his uniform. "Enter!" He called out, stepping out from behind the desk to greet his next appointment. He already had a PADD in hand with Syirik's service record on it. He had been expecting the Vulcan. They usually kept appointments. The touch to the mind on the other side of the door confirmed that Syirik was punctual, like many of his species.

With it's signature pneumatic hiss, the door obediently slid open. Lieutenant JG Syirik stepped across the threshold into the room and fixed his emerald eyes upon the slender counselor. Before he said anything, he held the object out in front of him instead of trying to hide it.

"Sir, I must apologize for bringing this," he said with no preamble. "It was... unexpectedly returned to me on my way here."

Eiri chuckled and gestured to the chocolate colored furniture. "I do not believe that item will present a problem with my evaluation. Do you Lieutenant Syirik? May I call you Syirik? You can call me Eiri."

Syirik nodded. "Of course, you may call me Syirik." He sat down ramrod-straight on the very edge of a chair, feet flat on the ground, hands neatly folded over the tool in his lap. "And no, I guess it wont. I just thought, if I didn't say anything, you might think I was odd or disorganized for bringing it."

"No no, not at all." He furrowed his distinctively Vulcan eyebrows. "What is it anyway?" he asked, curious, looking at the item in the Lieutenant's hand. "And would you like something to drink?" he headed for the replicator and ordered spiced tea for himself and waited for Syirik's order.

"I am not thirsty," he said plainly then looked down at the tool, tightening his grip around it. "It's an elastic exercise band. An ancient human tool. By holding onto one or both sides then stretching it, it puts stress on certain muscles. However, it was not designed to withstand Vulcan strength, so I lend it to human crewmates to make sure it gets used. It was a gift from a human female from my last post: Ensign Kayla Backes." Memories of the time he spent with Kayla flashed in his mind, bringing with them a sudden pang of nostalgia.

Eiri blinked, surprised to feel the emotion coming from the Vulcan. He smiled softly, hiding his surprise and sat down across from Syirik with his teacup, PADD under one arm. "So, tell me Syirik, how are you?" He sipped the tea and then set it gently on the table, leaning back to place the PADD on one knee.

"How am I?" Syirik raised an eyebrow. It was a strange question to ask a Vulcan, he thought. He paused for a handful of seconds, then decided to give a simple three-word reply that he hoped Eiri would accept. "I am Vulcan." He tightened his grip on his elastic band till it flattened, then slowly loosened it, before adding, "If you are referring to my physiological state of being, then I am performing optimally, sir."

"I should have guessed," Eiri laughed a little. "But it is something I must ask. Are you finding yourself comfortable at your new post?" The posts were new for everyone. Even though Eiri had served as ship's counselor before, he still considered this a new posting. New ship, new environment, new crew members.

"My duty shifts have gone well so far, and the chief has been intriguing, " he said. "Though I am finding the smaller quarters here to be...challenging. I understand most humans are less than meticulous when it comes to their domestic habits, but my bunkmate is extremely negligent. He leaves his equipment and clothing laying on the floor and often interrupts my meditation. I have offered him to meditate with me on multiple occasions, but he always refuses, saying he's not fond of 'Vulcan parties'."

Eiri frowned. "Have you asked him to cease his behavior? I'm sure you have. Human's can be difficult to deal with. My only suggestions is to ask him to stop. If he does not you can put in for a change of quarters. No sense in making people miserable."

"I have, but he does not listen. I will follow your advise and put in a request," he replied with almost a melancholy nod.

Syirik wished he could work things out with the human, or simply stay. He disliked the idea of being like his parents — who were unable to tolerate humans and looked down upon them — but he knew that if his meditations kept being interrupted, his emotional control would be compromised, if it wasn't already. Trying not to focus on that, he took a quick moment to look around the room. On the left side, behind some odd objects, he thought he saw t'an rods of Kal-toh, and tipped his head to try to get a better view.

Eiri turned to see what he was looking at and smiled. Rising, he went to the collection of t'an rods and brought the game back to the table. "Is this what you were interested in?" he asked, sitting back down and placing the t'an rods on the table. He folded his hands in his lap. "One of my favorites. This one was a gift from my father, who is Vulcan. Puzzles are sometimes the best meditation tools. What do you do to relax?"

"It is indeed. I use to play Kal-toh often. Mostly with my father, who always defeated me." Syirik fought a frown away and leaned forward, taking a rod which prompted the game to reset. The glittering rods formed into a geodesic, appearing to be chaotic yet maintaining it's dimensionality. Right away, Syirik began to calculate the stress points, attempting to establish possible future arrangements. He paused to look back up at Eiri. "I still use Katheera-blocks, another game. I know quite a few meditation techniques, but, for my nightly meditations, I normally try clearing my mind of all thoughts. At my last post I used Vulcan neuropressure as well."

Eiri nodded. "All excellent tools for meditation. Sometimes all people need to clear their minds is a little big of mindless distraction. Of course things like Kal-toh are not mindless, but I think you understand what I mean. "How are you sleeping?" he asked, leaning forward a little in his chair and folding his hands in his lap, his eyes on the t'an rods.

"The time I have allocated for sleep has been disturbed by my lack of meditation, due to my bunkmate. By my calculation, at least one thousand three hundred and twenty four minutes, thirty four seconds, and five hundred million nanoseconds from the time I close my eyes to sleep till I open them in the morning have been lost since I boarded the Rhode Island. Put simply, around two hours a night."

Returning his gaze to the Kal-toh geo-design, Syirik made one more calculation before inserting his t'an rod near the bottom. The structure began to shimmer, changing it's shape to adjust to his installation. Syirik fixed his posture and looked back at Eiri, the half Vulcan. He wondered if Eiri was going to play too. Kal-toh was a game of logic and patience. A game that could last days, weeks even, and be started by one person, ended by another. It all depended on the players moves. Besides the game, Syirik was starting to find himself curious about Eiri himself, but stayed quiet. He wasn't sure if it was proper for him to ask questions.

"How is your concentration? Are you able to focus on your work?" The silver haired counselor sat forward and picked up his cup of tea. His eyes on Syirik. He did not participate in the game, feeling that it would be inappropriate for him to do so during a session.

"Yes I am. My focus is fine," he said plainly as he picked up another t'an rod. "Even with the loss of sleep. "

<Tag>

USS Rhode Island, Counselor's Office
January 12th, 2387
1000 HRS

Clasping his hands behind his back, Syirik slowly walked the length of the hallway towards the counselor's office. His current outer layer of Vulcan clam was a facade. He was taut and nervous about his appointment, and it was not the only thing threatening his emotional control. A few crewmen were spreading unnerving rumors, and Syirik could sense their heightened emotions as he passed them in the hall.

Before he got to the door he stopped momentarily, closed his eyes and inhaled, drawing in the ships cool air. In his minds eye he saw Vulcan's sky on a late-summer morning. Soft pink morning tones danced majestically between the fiery reds, oranges and yellows of midday.

"Syirik!" said a voice from behind, snapping Syirik out of his stupor.

Syirik raised both eyebrows in a clear display of surprise, at least for a Vulcan, and turned on his heels just as a yellow-shirted human man closed the distance between them. From the looks of the man, he had just finished working out. His shaggy brown hair was dripping wet with what the Vulcan quickly discovered was pungent human sweat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I surprise you? You wouldn't be the first I scared today," he apologized.

Without a trace of humor, Syirik replied, "Vulcan's don't get scared."

The man flashed a knowing smile. "Uh huh, of course not. Look, I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'm just going to give this back now." He tossed a elastic exercise band to the junior officer. "It worked like a charm. Thanks, mate. See yeah."

Before Syirik could utter a single word the man was half way down the hallway. Syirik raised an eyebrow and looked down at the exercise tool in his hand. It'd be odd walking into the counselor's office with it, but he wasn't about to put it back in his room now and make himself late for his appointment. Shaking his head, he turned to the counselor's door and rang the chime.

Eiri stood from behind his desk and pulled on the hem of his uniform. "Enter!" He called out, stepping out from behind the desk to greet his next appointment. He already had a PADD in hand with Syirik's service record on it. He had been expecting the Vulcan. They usually kept appointments. The touch to the mind on the other side of the door confirmed that Syirik was punctual, like many of his species.

With it's signature pneumatic hiss, the door obediently slid open. Lieutenant JG Syirik stepped across the threshold into the room and fixed his emerald eyes upon the slender counselor. Before he said anything, he held the object out in front of him instead of trying to hide it.

"Sir, I must apologize for bringing this," he said with no preamble. "It was... unexpectedly returned to me on my way here."

Eiri chuckled and gestured to the chocolate colored furniture. "I do not believe that item will present a problem with my evaluation. Do you Lieutenant Syirik? May I call you Syirik? You can call me Eiri."

Syirik nodded. "Of course, you may call me Syirik." He sat down ramrod-straight on the very edge of a chair, feet flat on the ground, hands neatly folded over the tool in his lap. "And no, I guess it wont. I just thought, if I didn't say anything, you might think I was odd or disorganized for bringing it."

"No no, not at all." He furrowed his distinctively Vulcan eyebrows. "What is it anyway?" he asked, curious, looking at the item in the Lieutenant's hand. "And would you like something to drink?" he headed for the replicator and ordered spiced tea for himself and waited for Syirik's order.

"I am not thirsty," he said plainly then looked down at the tool, tightening his grip around it. "It's an elastic exercise band. An ancient human tool. By holding onto one or both sides then stretching it, it puts stress on certain muscles. However, it was not designed to withstand Vulcan strength, so I lend it to human crewmates to make sure it gets used. It was a gift from a human female from my last post: Ensign Kayla Backes." Memories of the time he spent with Kayla flashed in his mind, bringing with them a sudden pang of nostalgia.

Eiri blinked, surprised to feel the emotion coming from the Vulcan. He smiled softly, hiding his surprise and sat down across from Syirik with his teacup, PADD under one arm. "So, tell me Syirik, how are you?" He sipped the tea and then set it gently on the table, leaning back to place the PADD on one knee.

"How am I?" Syirik raised an eyebrow. It was a strange question to ask a Vulcan, he thought. He paused for a handful of seconds, then decided to give a simple three-word reply that he hoped Eiri would accept. "I am Vulcan." He tightened his grip on his elastic band till it flattened, then slowly loosened it, before adding, "If you are referring to my physiological state of being, then I am performing optimally, sir."

"I should have guessed," Eiri laughed a little. "But it is something I must ask. Are you finding yourself comfortable at your new post?" The posts were new for everyone. Even though Eiri had served as ship's counselor before, he still considered this a new posting. New ship, new environment, new crew members.

"My duty shifts have gone well so far, and the chief has been intriguing, " he said. "Though I am finding the smaller quarters here to be...challenging. I understand most humans are less than meticulous when it comes to their domestic habits, but my bunkmate is extremely negligent. He leaves his equipment and clothing laying on the floor and often interrupts my meditation. I have offered him to meditate with me on multiple occasions, but he always refuses, saying he's not fond of 'Vulcan parties'."

Eiri frowned. "Have you asked him to cease his behavior? I'm sure you have. Human's can be difficult to deal with. My only suggestions is to ask him to stop. If he does not you can put in for a change of quarters. No sense in making people miserable."

"I have, but he does not listen. I will follow your advise and put in a request," he replied with almost a melancholy nod.

Syirik wished he could work things out with the human, or simply stay. He disliked the idea of being like his parents — who were unable to tolerate humans and looked down upon them — but he knew that if his meditations kept being interrupted, his emotional control would be compromised, if it wasn't already. Trying not to focus on that, he took a quick moment to look around the room. On the left side, behind some odd objects, he thought he saw t'an rods of Kal-toh, and tipped his head to try to get a better view.

Eiri turned to see what he was looking at and smiled. Rising, he went to the collection of t'an rods and brought the game back to the table. "Is this what you were interested in?" he asked, sitting back down and placing the t'an rods on the table. He folded his hands in his lap. "One of my favorites. This one was a gift from my father, who is Vulcan. Puzzles are sometimes the best meditation tools. What do you do to relax?"

"It is indeed. I use to play Kal-toh often. Mostly with my father, who always defeated me." Syirik fought a frown away and leaned forward, taking a rod which prompted the game to reset. The glittering rods formed into a geodesic, appearing to be chaotic yet maintaining it's dimensionality. Right away, Syirik began to calculate the stress points, attempting to establish possible future arrangements. He paused to look back up at Eiri. "I still use Katheera-blocks, another game. I know quite a few meditation techniques, but, for my nightly meditations, I normally try clearing my mind of all thoughts. At my last post I used Vulcan neuropressure as well."

Eiri nodded. "All excellent tools for meditation. Sometimes all people need to clear their minds is a little big of mindless distraction. Of course things like Kal-toh are not mindless, but I think you understand what I mean. "How are you sleeping?" he asked, leaning forward a little in his chair and folding his hands in his lap, his eyes on the t'an rods.

"The time I have allocated for sleep has been disturbed by my lack of meditation, due to my bunkmate. By my calculation, at least one thousand three hundred and twenty four minutes, thirty four seconds, and five hundred million nanoseconds from the time I close my eyes to sleep till I open them in the morning have been lost since I boarded the Rhode Island. Put simply, around two hours a night."

Returning his gaze to the Kal-toh geo-design, Syirik made one more calculation before inserting his t'an rod near the bottom. The structure began to shimmer, changing it's shape to adjust to his installation. Syirik fixed his posture and looked back at Eiri, the half Vulcan. He wondered if Eiri was going to play too. Kal-toh was a game of logic and patience. A game that could last days, weeks even, and be started by one person, ended by another. It all depended on the players moves. Besides the game, Syirik was starting to find himself curious about Eiri himself, but stayed quiet. He wasn't sure if it was proper for him to ask questions.

"How is your concentration? Are you able to focus on your work?" The silver haired counselor sat forward and picked up his cup of tea. His eyes on Syirik. He did not participate in the game, feeling that it would be inappropriate for him to do so during a session.

"Yes I am. My focus is fine," he said plainly as he picked up another t'an rod. "Even with the loss of sleep. "

"And your new post is adequate? Do you feel you are fitting in well here? Aside from the roommate issue." He sipped his tea, keeping an eye on the young vulcan.

<Tag>

USS Rhode Island, Counselor's Office
January 12th, 2387
1000 HRS

Clasping his hands behind his back, Syirik slowly walked the length of the hallway towards the counselor's office. His current outer layer of Vulcan clam was a facade. He was taut and nervous about his appointment, and it was not the only thing threatening his emotional control. A few crewmen were spreading unnerving rumors, and Syirik could sense their heightened emotions as he passed them in the hall.

Before he got to the door he stopped momentarily, closed his eyes and inhaled, drawing in the ships cool air. In his minds eye he saw Vulcan's sky on a late-summer morning. Soft pink morning tones danced majestically between the fiery reds, oranges and yellows of midday.

"Syirik!" said a voice from behind, snapping Syirik out of his stupor.

Syirik raised both eyebrows in a clear display of surprise, at least for a Vulcan, and turned on his heels just as a yellow-shirted human man closed the distance between them. From the looks of the man, he had just finished working out. His shaggy brown hair was dripping wet with what the Vulcan quickly discovered was pungent human sweat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I surprise you? You wouldn't be the first I scared today," he apologized.

Without a trace of humor, Syirik replied, "Vulcan's don't get scared."

The man flashed a knowing smile. "Uh huh, of course not. Look, I'm in a bit of a hurry so I'm just going to give this back now." He tossed a elastic exercise band to the junior officer. "It worked like a charm. Thanks, mate. See yeah."

Before Syirik could utter a single word the man was half way down the hallway. Syirik raised an eyebrow and looked down at the exercise tool in his hand. It'd be odd walking into the counselor's office with it, but he wasn't about to put it back in his room now and make himself late for his appointment. Shaking his head, he turned to the counselor's door and rang the chime.

Eiri stood from behind his desk and pulled on the hem of his uniform. "Enter!" He called out, stepping out from behind the desk to greet his next appointment. He already had a PADD in hand with Syirik's service record on it. He had been expecting the Vulcan. They usually kept appointments. The touch to the mind on the other side of the door confirmed that Syirik was punctual, like many of his species.

With it's signature pneumatic hiss, the door obediently slid open. Lieutenant JG Syirik stepped across the threshold into the room and fixed his emerald eyes upon the slender counselor. Before he said anything, he held the object out in front of him instead of trying to hide it.

"Sir, I must apologize for bringing this," he said with no preamble. "It was... unexpectedly returned to me on my way here."

Eiri chuckled and gestured to the chocolate colored furniture. "I do not believe that item will present a problem with my evaluation. Do you Lieutenant Syirik? May I call you Syirik? You can call me Eiri."

Syirik nodded. "Of course, you may call me Syirik." He sat down ramrod-straight on the very edge of a chair, feet flat on the ground, hands neatly folded over the tool in his lap. "And no, I guess it wont. I just thought, if I didn't say anything, you might think I was odd or disorganized for bringing it."

"No no, not at all." He furrowed his distinctively Vulcan eyebrows. "What is it anyway?" he asked, curious, looking at the item in the Lieutenant's hand. "And would you like something to drink?" he headed for the replicator and ordered spiced tea for himself and waited for Syirik's order.

"I am not thirsty," he said plainly then looked down at the tool, tightening his grip around it. "It's an elastic exercise band. An ancient human tool. By holding onto one or both sides then stretching it, it puts stress on certain muscles. However, it was not designed to withstand Vulcan strength, so I lend it to human crewmates to make sure it gets used. It was a gift from a human female from my last post: Ensign Kayla Backes." Memories of the time he spent with Kayla flashed in his mind, bringing with them a sudden pang of nostalgia.

Eiri blinked, surprised to feel the emotion coming from the Vulcan. He smiled softly, hiding his surprise and sat down across from Syirik with his teacup, PADD under one arm. "So, tell me Syirik, how are you?" He sipped the tea and then set it gently on the table, leaning back to place the PADD on one knee.

"How am I?" Syirik raised an eyebrow. It was a strange question to ask a Vulcan, he thought. He paused for a handful of seconds, then decided to give a simple three-word reply that he hoped Eiri would accept. "I am Vulcan." He tightened his grip on his elastic band till it flattened, then slowly loosened it, before adding, "If you are referring to my physiological state of being, then I am performing optimally, sir."

"I should have guessed," Eiri laughed a little. "But it is something I must ask. Are you finding yourself comfortable at your new post?" The posts were new for everyone. Even though Eiri had served as ship's counselor before, he still considered this a new posting. New ship, new environment, new crew members.

"My duty shifts have gone well so far, and the chief has been intriguing, " he said. "Though I am finding the smaller quarters here to be...challenging. I understand most humans are less than meticulous when it comes to their domestic habits, but my bunkmate is extremely negligent. He leaves his equipment and clothing laying on the floor and often interrupts my meditation. I have offered him to meditate with me on multiple occasions, but he always refuses, saying he's not fond of 'Vulcan parties'."

Eiri frowned. "Have you asked him to cease his behavior? I'm sure you have. Human's can be difficult to deal with. My only suggestions is to ask him to stop. If he does not you can put in for a change of quarters. No sense in making people miserable."

"I have, but he does not listen. I will follow your advise and put in a request," he replied with almost a melancholy nod.

Syirik wished he could work things out with the human, or simply stay. He disliked the idea of being like his parents — who were unable to tolerate humans and looked down upon them — but he knew that if his meditations kept being interrupted, his emotional control would be compromised, if it wasn't already. Trying not to focus on that, he took a quick moment to look around the room. On the left side, behind some odd objects, he thought he saw t'an rods of Kal-toh, and tipped his head to try to get a better view.

Eiri turned to see what he was looking at and smiled. Rising, he went to the collection of t'an rods and brought the game back to the table. "Is this what you were interested in?" he asked, sitting back down and placing the t'an rods on the table. He folded his hands in his lap. "One of my favorites. This one was a gift from my father, who is Vulcan. Puzzles are sometimes the best meditation tools. What do you do to relax?"

"It is indeed. I use to play Kal-toh often. Mostly with my father, who always defeated me." Syirik fought a frown away and leaned forward, taking a rod which prompted the game to reset. The glittering rods formed into a geodesic, appearing to be chaotic yet maintaining it's dimensionality. Right away, Syirik began to calculate the stress points, attempting to establish possible future arrangements. He paused to look back up at Eiri. "I still use Katheera-blocks, another game. I know quite a few meditation techniques, but, for my nightly meditations, I normally try clearing my mind of all thoughts. At my last post I used Vulcan neuropressure as well."

Eiri nodded. "All excellent tools for meditation. Sometimes all people need to clear their minds is a little big of mindless distraction. Of course things like Kal-toh are not mindless, but I think you understand what I mean. "How are you sleeping?" he asked, leaning forward a little in his chair and folding his hands in his lap, his eyes on the t'an rods.

"The time I have allocated for sleep has been disturbed by my lack of meditation, due to my bunkmate. By my calculation, at least one thousand three hundred and twenty four minutes, thirty four seconds, and five hundred million nanoseconds from the time I close my eyes to sleep till I open them in the morning have been lost since I boarded the Rhode Island. Put simply, around two hours a night."

Returning his gaze to the Kal-toh geo-design, Syirik made one more calculation before inserting his t'an rod near the bottom. The structure began to shimmer, changing it's shape to adjust to his installation. Syirik fixed his posture and looked back at Eiri, the half Vulcan. He wondered if Eiri was going to play too. Kal-toh was a game of logic and patience. A game that could last days, weeks even, and be started by one person, ended by another. It all depended on the players moves. Besides the game, Syirik was starting to find himself curious about Eiri himself, but stayed quiet. He wasn't sure if it was proper for him to ask questions.

"How is your concentration? Are you able to focus on your work?" The silver haired counselor sat forward and picked up his cup of tea. His eyes on Syirik. He did not participate in the game, feeling that it would be inappropriate for him to do so during a session.

"Yes I am. My focus is fine," he said plainly as he picked up another t'an rod. "Even with the loss of sleep. "

"And your new post is adequate? Do you feel you are fitting in well here? Aside from the roommate issue." He sipped his tea, keeping an eye on the young vulcan.

((OOC EDIT: I think I'm gunna edit Syirik's bio before continuing any JPS with him. I'll probably get around to it sometime next week.))