Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kord (XO) in Side Sim - Tiastri’s XO Check in

Posted by Lieutenant Tiastri Ezial (Chief Engineer) in Side Sim - Tiastri’s XO Check in

SNIP

Tia smiled and she was glad the blush wasn’t as deep as she imaged it was, or at least hoped it wasn’t. “Thank you, Sir… Sorry. Ok,” she took the ordered breath and smiled once more. “I will make sure you are notified if anything serious occurs. Sir can I make you dinner one night?” The last was almost blurted out. She hadn’t meant for it to come out so uneasy, “I don’t want you to think it’s anything untowards, honest. I was merely wanting to thank you.” When she realized he may think it’s for the promotion, she added just as quickly, “For making my first day so … entertaining. It’s not every day someone joins a new assignment and gets to build a bomb on their first day. I mean, if it’s not proper, it’s all right. I mean, I understand. I just thought.” She shook her head realizing she was just blabbering now. “Sorry… was just a thought,” she swallowed nervously wondering if she’d crossed a line she shouldn’t have, “Sir.”

Tia
CE

Kord looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Just dinner? No ulterior motives? Not an attempt to garner favor or romance me for special consideration?” he asked.

It was hard to tell if he was serious or just giving her a hard time.

• Kord, XO

His response reminded her of ranks and places within those spaces. “Sorry, Sir!” She half stammered as the crimson on her face deepened from embarrassment. “Of course not. I meant.. I mean, no, it’s not to try and garner favor. I swear. I didn’t mean…” She suddenly felt very foolish and wished invisibility was a character trait amongst humans.

Her voice dropped as she realized she was stammering. “Sorry, sir… Forget I mentioned it… Please…” She had flash visions of him and the CO and other Department Heads laughing at her childish behavior. Great way to start your new promotion, Ti, her brain laughed at her.

Lt Tia
CE (hopefully ‘still’ lol)

Kord’s serious look broke and he gave her a friendly smile.

“Relax, I was just giving you a hard time. The easiest answer would have been ‘Yes, just dinner.’. Where and when would this dinner take place?”

Kord hadn’t meant to panic her. Sometimes he forgot that unless he made an effort to show that he was being humorous, a lot of people couldn’t tell when he was joking.

Kord, XO

Tia looked at him and cocked her head as she narrowed her eyes. “What if I said my quarters, the first night you are available?” She was starting to get a bead on the XO and she liked it. If she crossed the line, he’d tell her, not throw her in the brig. The side of her lip curled up. She was starting to realize, this was a place to be honest and sincere. Straightening her head up, she smiled, “Yes, just dinner…”

While she seemed cool on the outside, her heart was racing hard enough to feel like it was about to land on the floor between them.

Tia
CE

Kord nodded.

“Unless there’s something that requires my attention I’m pretty much available every night after duty. I stand sentry not out of necessity but out of habit. It’s something I did for over ten thousand years. What is it Earther’s say? Old habits can be hard to break. Imagine a habit eons old. So if you wish, I can come tonight.”

She concealed her nervousness well. If he couldn’t sense her bioelectric fields, he never would have known. His ability to sense emotional states wasn’t refined, he could only tell if one’s emotional state was heightened or not and had to use visual cues to determine the rest.

• Kord, XO

She was glad he had taken it well. But as he mentioned doing something for ‘eons’, she cocked her head. “Forgive me, Sir… did you say ‘ten thousand years’?” She had known he was older than her, many had hinted he was far older than anyone even in Star Fleet. But she had known there were species who could live a hundred years… but ten thousand? No, longer. He had been standing watches that long. So tack on another 18 to 20 years for his ‘youth’. And that was if it was a one to one ratio on maturation.

Shaking her head as she realized she was probably prying, she changed the subject. “So, what would you like to eat? Surely there is something you haven’t had in ‘ages’ that comes to mind when you want something special.” She wasn’t sure how much was in the replicators, but given the chance, she was going to be the one to figure it out and make sure he smiled a bit more often. While many people joked of wanting to live forever, it always struck her as extremely lonely. It must be double hard for a man on a ship of short lived creatures who must seem ridiculously young to him.

A moment ago, he intrigued her… now, if it was possible, she was even more so.

Tia
CE