Interlude – Small Talk
by Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
Thomas sat at the bar and sipped his drink. He was still kicking himself for deciding to show up at a time when Yolanthe was away. The drinks just weren't the same and neither was the conversation. He turned and scanned the room, smiling to himself as he spotted someone he recognized. He quickly ordered a refill then weaved through the tables to where the Romulan woman was sitting. "Mind if I join you?" Thomas asked, sitting across from her.
Whilst not in uniform Nahir's choice of outfit was still rather more staid than the one she had worn the other evening when she and Lemat, her equivalent from the Cardassian embassy had taken the place by storm, albeit a storm of smiles, and lipstick and perfume. She lowered her padd and looked at the man.
"Would it not be customary to wait for a reply before taking a seat?" she asked in Federation Standard.
"Of course it is," Thomas replied, "but the place is getting busy and I didn't want someone to take the seat before you responded."
"I'm more than capable of saying no," Nahir said, "or of moving if I don't like the company I find myself in."
"Of course you are," Thomas said with a smile. "Are you enjoying your evening?" he asked, sipping his drink.
"I was," Nahir said reaching for her own glass which contained nothing more intoxicating than cranberry juice. "Do I know you?" she enquired bluntly.
"I'm hurt that you don't recognize me," Thomas said to her. "I'm Thomas Whitlock. We spoke at the Consulate."
Nahir still was not quite in the habit of memorising everyone who came past the reception desk, at least not when she ran into them in an outside context. "The journalist," she said with a nod, "There's not much point in being hurt, I'm sure that I would recognise you if you visited the consulate again," she said. "Did you want something?"
"I just wanted to talk to you outside of the office," he said to her. "You know, get to know each other....maybe start a friendship?"
"We can talk," Nahir said. She did not rule out the idea of friendship, but then the protocol when it came to friendships with those outside the consulate was hazy. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked sipping her drink.
"What do you do to relax?" Thomas asked, sipping his drink as well.
There were many things she could have answered, that she hung out with the girls, that she danced or played music, that she liked to read and use her own imagination and not rely on holonovels. "When you work in diplomacy you don't often get the cahnce," she said instead.
"That doesn't answer my question," he said to her. "You have to have at least a little time to yourself."
She reached for the padd and wiggled it back and forth, "I like to read," she said before putting it down again, "When I have time to myself," a statement that implied that this was no longer such.
"You don't like to socialize?" Thomas asked. "Spend time with friends? A loved one? A significant other, maybe?"
Nahir had no idea what Rh'vaurek was, and she was still angry with him so she wasn't going to think about him, nor though was she dim enough to talk about Rh'vaurek. "I like to socialise well enough," she said, "but I've been told I talk too much. I'm working on that."
"I don't mind when people talk," Thomas said to her. "I've been told I'm a good listener."
"Listening to someone talking is not socialising," Nahir observed, "and if I needed to be listened to I believe there are medical professionals on this station who are trained to do that."
"Okay, I can take a hint," he said to her. "Sorry I bothered you," he added as he stood up. "Enjoy the rest of your time off."
How peculiar, Nahir thought, to her it was perfectly obvious that it was one thing to talk with friends and other Rihannsu, but quite another to talk with members of the press. She simply was not authorised to do that, certainly not in a one sided conversation. Besides, Nahir knew that there was another name for a conversation where one side did most of the talking, that was interrogation and she had no intention of that from anyone.
"Have a nice day," Thomas said as he moved away to find another table.
:OFF:
Thomas Whitlock
FNS Reporter
DS5
Nahir i-Orinwen
Consulate Receptionist
Already made one mistake too many
by Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Commander Isha t'Vaurek
Post Details
| Title | Small Talk | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Commander Isha t'Vaurek | |
| Posted | Sun Jun 13, 2010 @ 6:52pm | |
| Location | Box of Delights |
Whilst not in uniform Nahir's choice of outfit was still rather more staid than the one she had worn the other evening when she and Lemat, her equivalent from the Cardassian embassy had taken the place by storm, albeit a storm of smiles, and lipstick and perfume. She lowered her padd and looked at the man.
"Would it not be customary to wait for a reply before taking a seat?" she asked in Federation Standard.
"Of course it is," Thomas replied, "but the place is getting busy and I didn't want someone to take the seat before you responded."
"I'm more than capable of saying no," Nahir said, "or of moving if I don't like the company I find myself in."
"Of course you are," Thomas said with a smile. "Are you enjoying your evening?" he asked, sipping his drink.
"I was," Nahir said reaching for her own glass which contained nothing more intoxicating than cranberry juice. "Do I know you?" she enquired bluntly.
"I'm hurt that you don't recognize me," Thomas said to her. "I'm Thomas Whitlock. We spoke at the Consulate."
Nahir still was not quite in the habit of memorising everyone who came past the reception desk, at least not when she ran into them in an outside context. "The journalist," she said with a nod, "There's not much point in being hurt, I'm sure that I would recognise you if you visited the consulate again," she said. "Did you want something?"
"I just wanted to talk to you outside of the office," he said to her. "You know, get to know each other....maybe start a friendship?"
"We can talk," Nahir said. She did not rule out the idea of friendship, but then the protocol when it came to friendships with those outside the consulate was hazy. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked sipping her drink.
"What do you do to relax?" Thomas asked, sipping his drink as well.
There were many things she could have answered, that she hung out with the girls, that she danced or played music, that she liked to read and use her own imagination and not rely on holonovels. "When you work in diplomacy you don't often get the cahnce," she said instead.
"That doesn't answer my question," he said to her. "You have to have at least a little time to yourself."
She reached for the padd and wiggled it back and forth, "I like to read," she said before putting it down again, "When I have time to myself," a statement that implied that this was no longer such.
"You don't like to socialize?" Thomas asked. "Spend time with friends? A loved one? A significant other, maybe?"
Nahir had no idea what Rh'vaurek was, and she was still angry with him so she wasn't going to think about him, nor though was she dim enough to talk about Rh'vaurek. "I like to socialise well enough," she said, "but I've been told I talk too much. I'm working on that."
"I don't mind when people talk," Thomas said to her. "I've been told I'm a good listener."
"Listening to someone talking is not socialising," Nahir observed, "and if I needed to be listened to I believe there are medical professionals on this station who are trained to do that."
"Okay, I can take a hint," he said to her. "Sorry I bothered you," he added as he stood up. "Enjoy the rest of your time off."
How peculiar, Nahir thought, to her it was perfectly obvious that it was one thing to talk with friends and other Rihannsu, but quite another to talk with members of the press. She simply was not authorised to do that, certainly not in a one sided conversation. Besides, Nahir knew that there was another name for a conversation where one side did most of the talking, that was interrogation and she had no intention of that from anyone.
"Have a nice day," Thomas said as he moved away to find another table.
:OFF:
Thomas Whitlock
FNS Reporter
DS5
Nahir i-Orinwen
Consulate Receptionist
Already made one mistake too many