Posted by Captain Alex Becket (Commanding Officer) in Side sim: Slight dinner in captains quarters
After getting to know that his new first officer is going to work well. He had thought to himself. He had started to get something to eat but had thought about Nala. =/\= Lieutenant Nala. Would you mind having a little dinner in my quarters? =/\= he tapped his combadge and started to get the replicator going on some food and drinks.

Captain Alex Becket
Commanding Officer
U.S.S. Ark Angel

Her ears flicked, confusion cutting through her concentration.

Dinner?

For a moment she just stood there, PADD still in hand, brain trying to shift gears from molecular structures to… social interaction.

“Yes—sir ” she answered quickly, then paused, recalibrating. “I mean yes. I’d be… happy to.”

A beat.

“=/= I’m on my way. =/=”

The channel closed, but she didn’t move right away.

Her gaze dropped back to the PADD.

It’s definitely a repeating sequence… but it’s not stable…

Her tail flicked once in frustration then she started walking again, already reading as she went.

⸻

By the time she reached his quarters, she was still buried in the data.

The door chimed, but she barely noticed it herself, one hand lifting automatically to trigger it while the other held the PADD close. Her ears were forward, posture slightly hunched not from anxiety this time, but from intense focus.

“…if it’s reacting to environmental stressors, then the expression rate would shift here”

She stepped inside mid-thought, only realizing where she was a second too late.

Nala froze.

Her ears shot upright, tail snapping still as awareness caught up with her.

“Captain sir” she said quickly, straightening a little too fast, PADD still clutched in her hand. “Sorry I was reviewing some genetic data from earlier scans and I think there’s”

She stopped herself, blinking, trying to switch contexts.

“…I didn’t mean to walk in like that,” she added, more composed but still a little breathless. “Thank you for inviting me.”

Her tail gave a small, apologetic flick as she finally lowered the PADD though not very far.

She clearly hadn’t let it go yet.

Lt. JG Nala