Wan-kur-veh

Posted on 10 Mar 2025 @ 12:49pm by Lieutenant JG Selon Illialhlae & Petty Officer 1st Class T'Lin

1,266 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 21 - Helix
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 4, Planetary Development Lab
Timeline: MD 01 1200 Hours

[ON]

There were innumerable things about Selon that set him apart from wider Vulcan society. The fact that he was half-Romulan, that he was a member of the V'tosh ka'tur, but it was his blond hair that truly set him apart as a statistical anomaly among his fellow Vulcans, all the more because he did not style his hair in a typically Vulcan way. While the term 'Fam-kurus' was reserved for true albinos, 'Wan-kur-veh', light ones, were those who were unusually light of skin and hair. His paternal second-foremother had been one and while his sea-green eyes came from his mother's people, he received his fairer skin tone and grain colored hair from her.

But what was equally unusual was that Selon was not the only radiant Vulcan onboard the Galileo. In addition to Serran the Operations Manager, there was his colleague T'Lin, who in every other respect save the cast of heir mien, was typically Vulcan.

Every time Selon met a fellow Vulcan his anxiety would spike about how he would be received by his kindred. His accent, appearance, even his half-Romulan heritage could be excused, but his status as V'tosh ka'tur was not something he could hope all Vulcans would accept with their normal stoic professionalism. While there was nothing to indicate that T'Lin held him in contempt, his own anxieties and neuroticism continued to run wild whenever he encountered the Petty Officer, which made the silences between them as they went about their work often 'awkward'. At least from his point of view.

T'Lin paused in what she was doing. "It would appear that you are not comfortable with something, Lieutenant."

"So where are you from T'Lin? On Vulcan I mean, I don't think I've ever asked." Selon asked aloud, talking to fill silence just as much as he was trying to parse out what T'Lin thought of him.

T'Lin didn't know what that mattered, but it made no difference. "My parents and my early years where in ShiKar before I spent many decades at the Temple of Ta'Shya."

Selon nodded to himself, as if to say 'good start'. "I'm not familiar with it. My family's ancestral roots are in Gol but my foreparents spend the vast majority of their time in ShiKahr, other than some early years in T'Paal that's where the majority of my own time on Vulcan has been spent." Selon rambled off, still slightly anxious and guarding his words as not to let T'Lin know exactly where in T'Paal he spent his early childhood. "Most of my life has been spent in Britain on Earth, Cambridgeshire specifically." Selon didn't know if T'Lin could tell from his accent.

"Interesting. Did you have much difficulty being around emotional beings? I still find myself having difficulty. The training at the Temple was instilled deeply into me. Even among other Vulcans I can seem remote." T'Lin cocked her head. "I can not help but note your eyes are not the typical brown, yet you do not appear to be the same as I, an albino."

Selon nodded, appreciating her curiosity. "My mother is Romulan, she always used to say my eyes reminded her of the color of the Apnex Sea." 'Used to' had taken on an even more bittersweet tinge after the last few years, for since the destruction of Romulus she had ceased making such remarks. "My second-foremother is wan-kur-veh though, I guess that's where I got the hair from." With a cast of his head Selon drew attention to his hair, causing it to shift at his temples.

"Fascinating. I'm surprised at that since traditionally one of the white ones such as I and your second-foremother are sent to be priestesses. Did she escape such a fate early or later in her life in order to marry?"

"It's not the custom in Gol from what I understand. My grandmother did spend time in an open or 'secular' order but she didn't take vows." Selon looked to give T'Lin his full attention. Just try and stop me from talking about my heritage... "She met my second-forefather after she left the community and decided to attend the Vulcan Science Academy to study theology, so I guess it must have had an effect on her."

"I see. I will say that I did appreciate my time there. I learned so many things that most Vulcans do not ever get a chance to explore. Tell me do you meditate. Forgive me if that is a sore subject considering the Romulan side of your heritage. I will say I am not familiar with them as I should be."

Her concern was both unusual and welcome. Most Vulcans had the temerity to slander Slon's Romulan heritage as a disability from the start but T'Lin had shown restraint if nothing else. "I do actually," He started. "I consider myself to be a student of Vulcan mysticism and spirituality even if the pursuit of Logic is not my goal."

T'Lin cocked her head slightly. "I am curious then how you manage passions and emotions. I almost was to the point of Kolinahr. Are you familiar with that ritual?"

"The purpose of it if nothing else, my second-forefather is a Kolinahru." The last four generations of Selon's family were a spectrum of emotions, from Selon being the most emotional to his second-forefather Serevan being well... the least to put it mildly. That short and sharp descent from the purging of all vestigial emotion to being born and raised V'tosh ka'tur was certainly a subject of discussion among other Vulcans. In such an esteemed family as the House of Sidak doubly so. "For myself I guess I just picked up what was modeled around me. Emotions were regulated, not repressed, and spirituality was still a part of that."

"Fascinating. Perhaps, I could learn more from you. Everyone tells me I come off as too cold. Learning to regulate rather than suppress might be something. Would you be willing to teach?"

Selon smiled. Success? "I'd be happy to." No doubt there were some Vulcans who thought that his last sentence was the beginning of the downfall of Surakian civilization, but Selon was used to such hyperbole and paid it little mind. He didn't know if he could distill what he had learned from the emotional regulation models around him into a discrete, study-able curriculum but T'Lin was both willing and sincere in her desire to learn, Selon could sense her enthusiasm even from across the room. He certainly found her more... direct than most Vulcans but cold? No, not in the slightest.

"Are there any particular dishes you like? Perhaps we can share a meal and you can work with me."

Selon thought back to all of his favorite foods that were served during his different times on Vulcan, from the fruit-heavy breakfasts of his foreparent's home to the meats that might be eaten in the V'tosh ka'tur communes. "Plomeek, gespar, pok tar." Selon listed off some of his favorites. "I've been told I make a good Perach kisan."

"Very good. Shall we say 2000 hours? Your quarters would be better than mine since you are an officer." T'Lin replied.

"That would be... most agreeable." Selons words were tinged with a slight sense of humor as the sides of his lips upturned in a serene expression of relief.

T'Lin made a small nod and then the Vulcan sign. "Until then."

[OFF]

Lieutenant Junior Grade Selon Illialhlae
Anthropologist
USS Galileo-A

&

Petty Officer 1st Class T'Lin (PNPC)
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

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