Finding My Way Again

Posted on Tue Mar 17th, 2020 @ 3:39am by Lieutenant Commander Anthony Duval & Commander Hsirr Duval

Mission: Mission 98: Building Our New Home
Location: Duval's Quarters - USS Heart of the Tiger
Timeline: 1700Hrs - June 10th, 2393

Lt Commander Hsirr looked down at her mates kit from a previous liaison and she found that while she liked Ryuujin's company, she found she didn't know him, at times she did not mind this issue but at other times she did, now was the latter. "Are you well Ryuujin?" she inquired in her gentle tone of voice.

The ten-year-old boy shifted his attention as he looked up at Hsirr, he found her fascinating most of the time but today was not his best day so he didn't wish to speak his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Hsirr. I got into a fight today."

"What happened son?" the female Caitian inquired.

"You won't yell at me?" Ryuujin asked softly.

"Have you ever known me to raise my voice?" she rotated her ears as she fixated her looks on her son. Ryuujin was as human, in as much as she was a Caitian. "I have not or will ever yell at people. It's not my approach," she added, by way of explanation. "All I have to do is growl or snarl at them, it works. Well for me it does."

"Just that one of the other kids was picking on Daisy Young. I didn't like that so I hit him." Duval explained in a sheepish tone of voice.

"You were defending someone else but Ryuujin, there are alternatives to fighting." she paused. "You recall what happened at that resort we were visiting last year, the three of us, as a family." the kittenish looking Caitian explained.

"I recall that mean guy who wanted you." Ryuujin paused. "At least I think he did." the ten-year-old paused.

"Recall what your father did?" Hsirr responded in a quiet tone of voice.

"I recall dad getting really angry." Ryuujin paused. "I also recall dad threatening him but security separated them." he regarded Hsirr. "Dad was going to hit him."

"I was going to claw him," Hsirr responded with a nod. "I wanted to spend our first vacation together and he very nearly ruined it." the Caitian female explained. "The guy who was causing the three of us such a hard time that afternoon."

Ryuujin nodded his head. "I remember." the ten-year-old commented in a quiet tone. "Then there was Lia.."

"Ahh yeah," Hsirr commented. "I was wondering when her name would come up." she hissed ever so softly. There was no mistaking the anger in her tone. "I get my claws on her, I'll make mincemeat out of her."

"She didn't like me as she saw me getting in the way of her relationship with dad," Ryuujin explained. "I knew it wasn't my fault that mom died and I ended up with dad, a guy I didn't know." the ten-year-old human child explained. "But I couldn't help it Hsirr, she made no effort to try to get to know me, she wanted dad and not me."

"She is a foolish, small-minded woman Ryuujin, do not trouble yourself with her. Your dad deserves better and I like to think I measure up." the Caitian female explained as she regarded Ryuujin. "You are not my blood but you are my child."

"I know mom." Ryuujin grinned at her. "I mean this family is unusual and I like it." the ten years old explained. "I have the coolest mom ever. I mean she's covered in fur and has claws, one can't go wrong with that." as he regarded Hsirr.

"Well, I do what I can son," Hsirr responded. "Ours is a family that's mixed. I am mated to a human and his child. Your father and you respectively." she paused as she let out a sigh. "Its almost a shame your father is not a Caitian or that I am not a human."

"It doesn't matter mom," Ryuujin answered as if it didn't matter to him. "You are still cool," he added.

Hsirr blinked as she was not quite sure of what to process that statement. A moment later the Caitian female started walking forward again as Ryuujin had left her behind, she quickly caught up to him again. "So why did you feel the need to give James Vronn an ass-kicking?" she inquired. "How badly did you beat him?"

"Well, he slapped Daisy Young." Ryuujin paused. "so I hit him back. The first one didn't do much since he is older than me." the ten-year-old sighed softly. "I think Saki pulled one of her usual stunts at that point. James went over to her and belted her one too. Saki laughed at him for it before she jumped on him, Now that girl is something else so I separated them, sending Saki back to her chair as the teacher did nothing."

"Nothing?" Hsirr sounded like she did not believe him. "I will speak with him myself." but she had been expecting Ryuujin to talk her out of it when he held his silence she raised an eyebrow. "You do not seem worried."

"Its what happened. The system will support my facts." Ryuujin answered quietly.

"Alright, so for now, I'll take you at your word and I'll leave punishment until after I look into the matter," Hsirr responded. "It takes a lot for stand up for yourself but a lot more to stand up for your friends." she paused before she smiled.

The two reached their destination as the door opened to the family sized quarters that Hsirr shared with her husband. He was sitting on the sofa, with a rather large PADD in hand. What was even more alarming was that he wore a very wide smile on his face. "Ahh, Ryuujin. I was waiting for you."

Ryuujin paused, like a deer caught in the headlights of a rather large vehicle "Umm. Hey Dad... Am I in trouble?"

"Yes," Duval answered, his smile losing none of its luster. "Allow me to explain why," Duval commented. "Have a seat Ryuujin while I explain. Hsirr, you need not look at this matter as the school board thinks that Ryuujin started the matter and that blame should fall on him."

"I didn't do it!" Ryuujin protested.

Duval regarded his son, his smile faded quickly. "I know that son, I did the homework on the matter and I've also dragged Captain Hunt into the matter, he is most displeased that you were to be blamed for defending two of the girls in the class, one of those was the daughter of the ships Chief Medical Officer. You prevented Saki from getting bruised up at the hands of Mister Vroon. Even though Mister Vroon proceeded to provoke you and when he failed, he proceeded to punch you in the back."

"Yeah, I'm still sore from that. That's when the teacher finally intervened." Ryuujin explained.

"Yes, I did note the long time for the teacher to seem to want to get involved. I wanted your side of the matter, that's why I sent Hsirr to make sure you came straight home." as he smiled at his mate who nodded back. "I was called from Engineering to deal with this matter." he paused. "Ryuujin, what were the two mistakes you made?"

"Um.. getting into the fight and letting it escalate?" Ryuujin looked at the floor, he knew better and everyone present knew that he knew better too.

"The first was unavoidable but essentially correct and the second, yes correct," Duval answered. "However, son, not everyone will be reasoned with and not everyone can be talked to, you did the right thing, you defended a friend and helped a second friend at risk to yourself. I will not punish you, however. I would very much like it if... you could try to avoid fighting." Duval answered. "Alright. Go change and dinner will be in twenty minutes."

"Thanks, dad." and with that Ryuujin hopped off of the chair he had been sitting in.

Hsirr came over as she sat down next to Duval, who gently slipped an arm around her waist. "You were gentle with him."

"He had done nothing wrong, his only mistake was not laying Mister Vroon out and ending the fight before Saki had gotten involved. But I'm not gonna tell him that. I'd rather be accused of overprotecting him then ignoring him. Ryuujin has already been through so much... Had I known.." Duval sighed, this was an old lamentation and he knew it.

Hsirr smiled as she gently reached over before she kissed him on the left cheek of his face. "That crime in judgment was Olympia Vales and not yours, she did not tell you of him and that's on her, not on you," Hsirr added quietly, but with conviction in her tone of voice.

"Yeah. Then she ragequit on life and left me to clean up after her." he sighed softly. Suddenly the doorbell beeped at them both.