WELCOME

[Hebrin Tayel]

It had happened. Hebrin Tayel had lost it. In the middle of Quark's, too. One moment he'd been watching the dabo wheel and reminiscing about Lonam, the next, he was all in tears, believing there was something he could have done to help her. He'd ended up on the ground, trashing. One of the Starfleet personnel had, however, calmed him down and told him she was going to take him to someone who could help him. Tayel noticed it wasn't the security office they were headed to, and he was relieved he wouldn't be spending the night in the brig.

The brig reminded him of Cardassian prisons.

Where the ensign led him was the Habitat Ring, and a section of it he hadn't been to. She led him to what seemed to be an office, and buzzed the door. "It'll be alright," she assured him, and Tayel waited with anticipation for whoever would answer the door, his face still wet with tears that he'd stopped crying.

[Branko Riina]

"Thank you," Riina clasped the hands of the labourer and nodded gracefully. "That's all there is. Your services are no longer needed." The burly Bajoran took the thanks but hung around in the room. He'd just finished bringing in all of the counselor's furniture. There had been quite a bit of it as well. "Is there something wrong? You can go." The blonde watched as the man set out his palm.

"What..? Do you expect... payment?" Riina turned her nose up at the man. He remained stood in front of her - his hand firmly insisting on latinum. "Whatever happened to good deeds?" The educated woman muttered as she reached for her purse - her eyes locked on his. She hadn't hired him in anyway. Merely asked for his assistance in lifting some furnishings. Finding one bar, she placed it in his claw but he still stood. The cheek! Taking another bar, she handed it over. Content, the man headed for the door just as the buzzer sounded. Walking to the door, Riina opened it and almost recoiled at the sight. Stood in front of her was a... Well, a demon. Cardassian. Her throat began to scratch as she held back her rage. It took her a few moments to notice the tears and Bajoran ridges on his nose.

Her anger washed away. She'd heard there were some war orphans aboard. Concieved in sickly ways. Bajoran women bound with children given to them unconcented. Bringing a concerned smile to her lips, she attempted to comfort the fellow. "Come in, take a seat. Thank you for bringing him." She nodded to the officer before watching him leave. Ushering the hybrid over to one of the sofas in the room, she glared at the labourer. "On your way."

He complied, leaving the two alone. "Now then," she sat beside him and handed him a tissue. "I'm Ms. Branko. What's your name child?" Her judging eyes tried their best to see past the leathery Cardassian hide that encased her client.

[Hebrin Tayel]

As the other Bajoran brushed passed him, the blond-haired one balked at the sight of him. Tayel was used to it. He looked more Cardassian than Bajoran. But then she grew calmer, appearing more than simply tolerant, and Tayel was relieved. She ushered him inside, and he took a seat, a stray tear dripping from his right eye. With shaken fingers, he fumbled with his earring as he waited for her to speak; it had gotten a little out of place in his fit. It was his mother's, a part of his identity, and showed his faith in the Prophets. He did not want anything to happen with it.

"Th-thank you," he nervously told the Starfleet officer before she left, waving awkwardly at her, before his attention turned to the Bajoran woman as she sat beside Tayel, asking his name handing him a tissue, which he dabbed at his tears with. "My name is Hebrin Tayel," he replied shakily. A Bajoran name, which he knew a Bajoran would recognise. He wiped his nose on the tattered sleeve of his clothes. Garak was working on his outfit, but in the meantime he was still wearing the same tattered clothes he'd had since coming to the station.

[Branko Riina]

"Of course," he nodded as he thanked her. It was nothing. As a counselor, she had a closet filled with tissue paper for this very nature. If she knew anything, she would never run out of the stuff.

"You're shivering... Computer, raise ambient temperature." She asked gently to the air. It complied and she immediately noticed the increased heat. Removing her cardigan, she slung it across the arm of the sofa before returning her attention to her client. "Would you like a beverage? Are you hungry?" She asked, gesturing to the tray of food items on the coffee table. Assuming his answer, she prepared him a warm drink before sliding it in front of him. "Alright, Tayel, what can I do for you?"

[Hebrin Tayel]

((OOC: Editing this a bit!))

She was right. He was cold. He was always cold. In fact the only place he hadn't been cold in was the prison. The lights were too bright for him in here too. He blamed his damned Cardassian body. Ironically, it was more comfortable on the station, though, than anywhere he'd ever been. Tayel was one who was used to discomfort. "If you could turn the heat up, please. Just a bit. And dim the lights. Cursed Cardy eyes..." he grumbled.

It was the shallow comfort, the physical kind. He had been content when he was with Lonam, even lying on what few cloths they could find, on the floor of a cold, damp cave. And now, he had everything he could have wanted, except for her. She was dead, and he remembered her death as if it was yesterday. In fact, that's not how he saw it. His memories of his life were there, richly detailed without a single thing being off. There were those warm, happy moments when he would make love with Lonam, and there were the terrible things, outweighing the good and making him realise there was no more 'good.' Lonam was gone, a memory.

"Chiraltan tea, please," he said, and accepted the drink gratefully, taking a sip. It was amazing, still, to him, how a replicator had made the beverage, rather than a person. It probably wasn't as good as homemade tea, but it would do, and it was satisfying. "Thank you," he told her, smiling briefly, before settling down in the chair, crossing his legs as that was a comfortable position.

"Alright, Tayel, what can I do for you?" she asked him.

"I would like you to hear my story," he replied. He hadn't told it to anyone in full, except for his mother, and Yemil and Donac. And of course Lonam. "My grandparents were Cardassian and Bajoran. They died before I ever met them." He didn't know much about his grandparents from what his mother had told him about them, but he did know that she said his grandfather was a gentle man who had been serving his two years as a Cardassian soldier. He couldn't believe such a thing before, but after meeting Garak, he had to admit that it was possible. "I was born to my mother -- Hebrin Dura -- and a Gul named Tazen Paveck. Now Legate Paveck. Who raped my mother. When he learned she was pregnant, he ordered her killed. But a Cardassian smuggled her to the surface and left her in Hedrickspool, where she gave birth to me. The Klane family helped raise me, there."

He paused, letting this part of the story sink in. He sipped his tea, and played with a loose thread on his shirt as he awaited her response.

This post has been edited by Hebrin Tayel on Oct 15 2011, 05:41 PM

[Branko Riina]

"Certainly," she nodded, before obliging his offer. With a simple order to the computer, soon enough the entire room dipped into a dulled darkness. The only light was a calming glow from the three lamps in the room and the gentle sparkle of the stars from the large windows. The Bajoran was familiar with Cardassian physiology and much of their culture for it was forced apon her. During her studies while the occupation was in full swing, she had spent much time looking into their weaknesses - psychological and physical. It had been for her own protection as well as aiding the resistance in their work. As a pacifist, she vowed to take no part in the fighting. The only time he had ever fired a weapon was when the resistance's base had been raided. Though she didn't set up camp there, she was always visited from time to time to help out with what she could and provide what new information had come to attention. Unfortunately, she had been followed and had been forced to disable a couple of enemy soldiers by reaching for the nearest weapon. No one had been expecting a firefight so no one was acting cautiously. It had only been lucky that Riina had been sitting beside the armoury. However, even with the clumbsy shots she'd fired in their direction - she had not been quick enough to stop them from murdering two of her comrades without mercy.

"There," she said. "Better I hope." It was strange to have a Cardassian sat on her sofa and so near to her but his countenance resembled nothing of the soldiers she'd stunned all those years ago. He was civil and polite. Seeing his reluctantance with the tea, she laughed. "I made it myself, don't worry. I shant ever trust a replicator with making tea properly."

"I would like you to hear my story,"

"Go ahead," she invited him and listening intently as he relayed his story. She had heard it many times before with slightly different versions but everytime she heard it - it never got any less horrifying. "I see," she said finally, remained professional in her comments. As a counselor, it was a golden rule to never show bias or thrust an opinion on your client.

"Tell me, how do you feel about your father? Do you ever think of him?"

[Hebrin Tayel]

The dim light, almost bluish. It was comfortable and warm, but it reminded him so much of the Cardassians, and where he'd been held and interrogated. Where he'd saw Lonam being raped. "That's hardly even the beginning of my life," he added. "The tea is very good. I remember when Tragal Lamm in our cell would make tea after a successful raid." He would share a cup with Lonam. Tears glistened in his eyes as he recounted those moments. Stars had twinkled down at them.

"Tell me, how do you feel about your father? Do you ever think of him?"

Tayel laughed, and decided to confide in her his true feelings about his father. "I've thought about him since I was little," His voice was full of loathing. "Never does a day go by that I wish I could rip off his smug face with my bare hands." He clenched his fists. "No, that would be too merciful." He sighed. "He's all the way on Cardassia or somewhere so I can't get to him, anyway." He shrugged, but it wasn't something he was happy about.

Sometimes his mind was filled with dark thoughts. About forcing upon Legate Paveck what he'd had to deal with. Paveck must have had a wife. Children. How would he have felt if Tayel found them and tortured and brutalised them before his eyes? You're not a Cardassian, he thought. Stop thinking like one.

"His fate, whatever it may be, is in the hands of the Prophets," he said finally, and then continued.

"The Cardassians had me working the mines once I was old enough. When they wanted to find a Bajoran to beat, it was usually me." Probably the only reason they didn't outright kill him. It was too fun, beating up the hybrid freak. "I once fought back. Bit a Cardy's hand. He bled into my mouth. That was my first act of violence, ever." He paused, remembering the moment with clarity, even the coppery taste. He took a sip of his tea, hoping to ease away the taste of a memory.

[Hebrin Tayel]

This one's stalled too long. As it is, I don't know how it affects Hebrin so I'd rather avoid plotholes, and close this one.

As well, weren't you going to drop Briinka and apply for a different character? ^^; If not, PM me if you want to redo this one.