Star Trek: Theurgy

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Nolan

With the meeting wrapping up, Natalie licked at her lips for a moment and glanced down at her padd, checking her schedule. She saw she had a message from Doctor Nicander pending, from the previous night, but was unable to spare the time to read it just then. She felt eyes upon her - the Chief of Security perhaps, who had up until that point been avoiding her? Or maybe the newly promoted Chief Intelligence officer, Lt. ch'Rayya? Whom had witnessed some of her buffoonery the night before  along side Dr. Parnak - whom she did not want to think of right then. It grated on her, not remembering as much of that night as she'd like to. Had she somehow contacted the Chief of Security and offended him, during some of the blur? She couldn't remember what had happened towards the end of the evening, just waking up in bed iwth a splitting head ache, her room a mess, and having spent the latter half of the night in conversation with both the Andorian officer that had sat next to her during the briefing, and the Cardassian Scientist whom was, at least for the moment, elsewhere on the ship.

Her bright - if slightly red - eyes darted up and around, and saw the source of the gaze - Lt. Simon Tovarek. They'd shared a look earlier, one of concern from Natalie, and now he was returning it once again. Oh thank god. No subtext to deal with there at all, she thought to herself. She gave a small nod of her head, and then jerked it gently towards the door leading out of the conference lounge  Confident that her message was received  the brunette ops chief tucked her padd up, under her arm, nestled against the left side of her torso, and then stood up, smoothing out her skirt. She gave a nod to the officers near her, murmuring a soft, "Excuse me," as she darted around the less then healthy looking Tactical Chief, and deposited her cup of coffee atop the lounges replicator, before hitting the command to recycle the remains. Her features were briefly lit by the blue white motes of light, before they faded, returning the color to her cheeks.

Fingers darted up, and she tucked a few stray curls behind her right ear, before turning and shimmying out the door, into the corridor. She saw many of her fellow officers returning to the bridge through the security access point. A few other had queued up at the turbolift, to descend into the depths the Theurgy, resuming their duty assignments for the hour. Given the state of the ship at rest, Natalie had shifted up her rotation - for the moment (and with the blessing of the XO) she would be away from the bridge, dealing with other matters, having assigned her recently delivered ACOps to cover the bridge watch. Which, in turn, gave her time to have a chat with a fellow Department Head - or , former Department Head, which was the source of her confusion and desire to talk in the first place. She found him, just outside and walked over to the man, looking up at him. He had nearly a head on her, all things considered.

"Lieutenant," she started, then paused, changing to, "Simon. Big change today, huh?"

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

As the meeting came to an end, Tovarek gave Martin another quick glance before nodding goodbye to her and standing up. He grabbed his PADD and cycled through it, some reports still being forwarded to him instead of Martin, which was to be expected, yet he simply forwarded them on to Martin as he had his own things to tend to. His eyes went over the rest of the people gathered in the conference lounge, his eyes stopping at Natalie Stark after the look she gave him during the meeting. His eyes looking over her attire and stopping at the edge of her skirt, before rising back up to her brown slick hair.

It was in that moment however that Stark realized she was being eyed at and when her gaze met his, Simon smiled faintly and nodded as Stark implied to head out. No doubt she had questions or wanted to catch up with him after his 'demotion'. He excused himself from the people around him as he made his way out of the conference lounge, his uniform seemingly plastered against his frame. It almost seemed like a second skin, yet at some parts it remained neutral. Once outside he looked at the officers heading out to the Turbo lifts and Bridge.

Simon waited patiently before the Operations department head showed up and walked over to him. He got a better look at her this time, noticing the red in her eyes and the somewhat fatigued impression she radiated. Unsure if it was from over exhaustion or whatever she'd been doing the night before, he smiled as she addressed him, first with his rank only to be followed by his name. "A natural and logical change really." he answered her dryly "Martin outranks me and has experience in the field. It'd be a hassle otherwise to keep me appointed as CSO." he paused for a second "Plus, Resolve crew needed to have some high ranking functions aboard the ship for a smoother transition." he stated, almost matter of factually as he shrugged and looked into her eyes.

"Essentially it does free up my time and hands. Less dreaded paperwork and the sorts and more time to focus on my drone project." he carried on, his Russian undertone taking the upper hand a little as he seemed a bit more excited about the particular project "Have you had any complaints from the CONN personnel about them?" he asked, quickly returning to a more business like conversation. Unsure if Stark wanted to actually check up on him on a personal level or not. He did get that vibe at the start, yet he was sort of a workaholic, though after being a department head he did get the feeling that he got a bit more people skills than before he had started working aboard Theurgy. Therefor he kept his eyes trained on the lieutenant commander "I suppose I don't get to sit with you on the bridge anymore though for future reference." he smiled faintly, even adding a flirty comment to it although it might also refer to his panel "I'll miss the view really." he chuckled softly before his eyes diverted from her eyes to the floor.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Nolan 

Typical Simon were the first words that popped into Natalie's mind as the taller officer launched right into how 'logical' the transition from his being CSO to the new officer from the Resolve, Lt. Cmdr. Martin, was the right way to go. Always with the logic, never with the feelings, these sciency types, she added to herself, crossing her arms up under her bust, with that PADD tucked in tight to her side.

Intellectually, Natalie understood the need for the crew of the Resolve to see themselves represented in the senior staff. It was not a hard concept at all to wrap her mind around. Her heart however, was doubly stung - once, for the potential slight to her friend, and again, from the memory of the crew exchange between the Theurgy and the Harbinger. The situation there was different at first, with both ships still being serviceable at the start, but it had ended in an attempted mutiny that  - among may nother things - had left Natalie and Simon both bound and beaten, and cost the life of a man Natalie had been swiftly falling for.

I hate that i have to worry about all this all over again, she told herself, only to focus back in on what the Lt. before her was saying. he bit her lip to hide a smile as she listened to him turtle right on in about his Drones, amused at the passion that suddenly filled his voice.

"I haven't heard any complains, Simon," she answered him diligently, a bit of the concern slipping from her voice, the more senior of the two officers starting to relax. "So far everyone seems quite impressed with their initial results, and rightfully so."

Natalie started to chuckle at his comments about views from the bridge, only to realize that there might be a double meaning to his words. In the wake of the pervious evenings events, the skittishness of the Chief of Security, and just the general lack of sleep, the bedraggled Operations Chief could not help but wonder if perhaps the view that Simon was speaking of was of Natalie herself. Her cheeks flushed a darker pink as Simon turned his gaze a bit, she worried at her lip further, rubbing the tip of her nose with one of her thumbs, the other arm still tucked under her bosom.

"I'll miss having you up there too," she avoided the view comment entirely, even as she dug one of her toes into the carpet. "I like having people around that I can trust. I know you can do the job when called upon. And we've...been through a lot." Understatement. "Are you sure you're ok with this?" She asked him, placing a hand on his arm, gently.

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

"Perfect, those drones will maybe some day be part of Starfleet's future. That is if we ever get back to that fleet in one piece." he murmured more to himself as he looked back at the senior officer. His eyes going over Natalie once more as his eyes paused for a second at her bust, which was more accentuated with her arms folded underneath them. He could see the PADD tightly clenched against her side and he was about to ask her if he should take the PADD from her. Yet it was then that her cheeks flushed a bit pink and she rubbed the tip of her nose. It was somewhat cute to see, yet Simon refrained from pointing that out.

The reply of the operations officer was one that made Simon smile and he nodded appreciatively that he'd be missed. He was a bit surprised when she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. He followed the extended limb and looked at her hands against his uniform before he seemed to snap out of it "I'm fine with it Natalie." he assured her, his voice sounding less formal and a bit more compassionate about his current situation "I'll have more time to work with the drones now. Make sure I keep your subordinates pleased." he chuckled before he looked back into her eyes "I'm sure though that whoever they send to replace me up on the bridge will be more than capable." he snickered before he placed his own hand on hers.

They had been through a lot, which had been an understatement to say the least. He recalled being tied up, back to back against her during the mutiny. He had done what his friends had taught him to do, stick up for the damsel. He did get a good beating there, but that was in the past. He didn't dwell further on it and he squeezed gently in the hand of the senior officer "How about we get some coffee or breakfast? You know as a sort of goodbye token?" he suggested.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nolan  
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Natalie had certainly felt Simon's gaze on her earlier when she'd blushed, though the shorter officer had not realized exactly what had drawn his eyes. She might have blushed more had she been clued in on the focus of his gaze. then again, she might have smacked him. None could tell, certainly not the oblivious Operations Chief. By the time she looked back up, from where her hand rested on his arm, to Simon's face, his eyes were no longer staring down at her chest. A smile tugged at her lips.

"I'm all for keeping the underlings happy," Natalie agreed, having been one of those self same underlings not all that long ago. It seemed like a lifetime had passed, but really it hadn't been nearly so long since Hendricks has been in charge of the Operations center, and Natalie had been his dutiful assistant, micromanaging the rest of the department so that her Chief didn't have to. And now she was in charge, with an assistant of her own that she'd only just met roughly two hours prior, and had no real feel for. She hoped that Ens. Zeshryr adjusted readily enough to the tasks at hand. She'd seen A'vura off with orders to get a tour of the ship.

Realizing her mind had wandered slightly, Natalie blinked, and then searched Simon's eyes looking for confirmation to back up his word. Finding it, she gave a slow nod, and a soft, "Well, all right then." A small smile quirked at her lips. "I'm not so sure the replacements on the bridge will be that great though. I mean, the next in line in your department is...who...Lt. Morali? If you're not covering a bridge shift, I mean. Our resident time traveler isn't known for conversation, after all." The teasing was comforting, and the clasp of his hand over her's was surprisingly reassuring.

She did extract her hands from his, long enough to pull the PADD out from under her arm and check her schedule. It'll be tight...but.... "Yes, I think I can squeeze a bite to eat in." Hopefully i can even keep it down. Why oh why did I do all that last night?

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

"Underlings..." he chuckled at her response, finding the word seemingly humorous as he kept laughing at it. He shook his head eventually as he wondered how he would call his fellow scientists when he was a department head. Squints? Lab rats? There were a couple of options running around in his head, yet he quickly came to the conclusion that it didn't really mattered. He wasn't a department head any longer, and he certainly didn't have staff below him at this time.

"Morali... I think it is... Unless one of Resolve is higher in rank. I'd need to check the rosters really to be sure. A teasing remark brewed up and rested at the tip of his tongue before he swallowed it. Asking Natalie if she was a fangirl like those other devotees might be a bridge to far after the helms woman beside her got a sizable hole in her head during the last active battle encounter. He assumed Natalie would never be part of the Morali cult in the end thanks to that encounter.

Her hand slid back and Simon placed his hands behind his back once more, almost standing in position like one would do in front of a superior officer. "Anything particular you'd like to eat? Or where you'd want to eat?" he asked her as he extended his hand to follow him to the Turbo Lift.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan  
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It was hard to miss the way Simon reacted to her choice of words in reference to her subordinates. Natalie summoned up a wry little grin, as he chewed it over. Her first choice had been 'minion's' which she had used once by accident in Cmdr. Hendricks' presence, back when she was just his Assistant Chief. He'd found it hilarious, laughing hard enough to need to brace himself against the wall. With tears pricking his eyes, he sternly admonished Nat for calling her subordinates such. The lecture hadn't really stuck, given that she had simply settled for underlings instead. He was laughing after all, and that made it quite hard to take the lecture seriously.

There was just a hint of a sigh at the pleasant memory, and the counter point of the man being no more.

Banishing it all from her mind, the brunette smiled up again at Simon and glanced once more towards the lift. "I'd imagine the closest lounge would be the best bet," she answered his question, rocking back gently on her heels. "I can only imagine your schedule is as tight as mine's looking today." unable to help it, her mind was running through all that she had lined up - from the chat with A'ruva she'd already had, and the reports on her desk to sort through. The meeting with Trent. The dinner later before one of her returning Transporter operators went back to their duty. There was a ton to do. And that didn't even begin to address the threat of the Devoted.

"Just somewhere I can get a cup of coffee and something sweet." And maybe a mild analgesic for my head. she belatedly added, once again repressing the urge to frown over the night before, that had become something of a blur towards the end.

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

"The closest lounge eh..." Simon murmured before he looked at the destinations in the lift "How about we go to the... Wardroom. It'll be less crowdy there." he mentioned as it wasn't the closest destination. He indicated their destination and swiftly enough the lift began to move, he laughed softly as he shook his head about the schedules "You'd be surprised how much free time I have after giving up a senior staff position." he answered, seemingly becoming more at ease with her at one on one than in a public environment.

"So when you refer to something sweet, are you implying donuts or pretzels?" Simon asked curiously, it was a wide sort of question, a plan to narrow down where exactly Natalie was from. It was a shame really, Simon and Natalie had worked alongside each other for a while now, yet he never really got in a personal conversation with her before. Most of their talks were more duty related and rarely did they converse about their personal lives.

Perhaps the ordeal with Harbinger had brought them closer, maybe that was the tipping point where Simon wanted to know more about her. Or maybe, now that he had free time on his hands he had more of an interest in social experiments so to speak. The lift chimed as they arrived at their destination and the doors opened before Simon stepped out. The Ward room lounge looked almost desolate as they walked in, besides the hologram waiters and waitresses.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan  
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Summoning up a memory of the place didn't take too much effort on Natalie's part. The wardroom wasn't closest, true, but Simon raised a good point. On a ship this big, there were plenty of places for officers - and enlisted - to eat and commingle beyond just a standard mess hall that most of the fleet was restricted, such as the smaller Intrepid and Steam-runner class ships. Being the largest in the fleet, Theurgy possessed lounges and eateries almost on par with some smaller star bases, and certainly more so than even the Galaxy-class behemoths that dominated exploration efforts by Starfleet during the middle part of the century.

"That should do just fine, Simon," she agreed vocally, realizing she'd only given just a short nod of her head while she'd raked her thoughts over the matter. She followed the taller man into the lift with little issue, tucking her padd and her hands behind her back now, resting them against her skirted rump. She flashed him a smile as they chatted about free time, and again fell into step with him as they exited the lift, and entered the low lit, abandoned room. She could see the shimmering holograms that served as the automated wait staff walking along pre-programmed paths, hovering near the few occupied tables, each that had its own slightly brighter cone of light surrounding them.

Turning her blue eyes up to him, she let a smile tease her lips, "Pretzels are usually salty, at least in my experience," she noted, bouncing on her toes. "I was thinking more along the lines of a bear claw, or a Danish perhaps?"

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

As the lieutenant commander fell in line with him, he couldn't help but smile at her as she had flashed him a smile. Once they got to the Wardroom, Simon's eyes went over the tables and holograms as they followed their pre determined paths. As Natalie spoke up once more about preferring a Danish or a Bear Claw, Simon chuckled as he nodded "So you're more into the sweeter things mmh?" He noted her bouncing on her toes and couldn't help but think of her like a girl in a candy store.

He placed his hand in the small of her back as he nodded towards a table by one of the view ports "Come on, lets sit down first and get a drink before we discuss food options." His hand was placed just above the skirt she was wearing and he didn't push or urge her in a certain kind of direction, yet it was simply placed there as an easy reminder to move forward.

Once they reached at the table one of the holograms arrived to take their orders. Simon glanced over at Natalie and nodded to let her order first. "I'll have a double expresso and the same as miss Stark to eat." he said to the waiter before he turned his gaze back into the blue eyes of his former bridge buddy.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan 
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"I have something of a sweet tooth, yes," she confessed with a small smile, nodding her head towards Simon. Natalie managed not to jump when she felt the slight pressure against the small of her back. The touch wasn't unwelcome, simply unexpected. After all, despite his height on her, she had the advantage of rank, and it wasn't often a junior officer made such a gesture to - or on, in this case - a more senior one.

At the same time the two of them had been held prisoner together, and while they were technically on duty, they were in a relaxed setting. Natalie decided to simply enjoy it, smiling in the low light and sauntered across the room. Simon's suggestion of a table by the view port was a welcome one. The nature of their flight from Starbase 84 non withstanding, the nebula that currently sheltered the Theurgy was quite beautiful. She carefully tucked her skirt under her rear as she slid into the chair and scooted under the table.

"Just coffee for me. Medium cream, extra sweet," she ordered, then, adding, "And a cheese and cherry danish, please." The wait staff holograms were not sentient by any stretch of the imagination (Unless someone had been fiddling about with them) but Natalie still treated the simulation like a person, politely addressing it. After all her interaction with Thea, it was hard not to.

"So then," she turned back to Simon, placing her hands on the table top, and crossing one leg over the other. "How long do you think its going to take us, out here?" She asked him, turning her hand around in a circle, to indicate the nebula they were recovering in.

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

The sweet tooth confession made Tovarek smile "Careful of caries in that case lieutenant commander." he warned her as they walked over to their table. It wasn't clear in Tovarek knew the saying or if he was just messing with Stark, yet his smirk would expect the latter. He watched the holograms saunter off to deal with their order as he turned his gaze back to Natalie. He observed her features and wan't too surprised that she treated the holograms with respect as he'd usually do the same. Unless things weren't going to his mind in the lab. In which case it usually ended up with tools flying around and Russian tirades.

As Stark crossed one leg over the other, her foot came against Simon's leg, who didn't react to it and just kept looking in her eyes as she spoke up and asked how long they'd linger in the nebula. His eyes still observing her intently as she rolled her head around, looking at her curly brown locks as they shifted along with her smooth skin. It was weird... He had never seen or looked at Natalie this way before. Yet with that blue shine of the nebula on her skin, she certainly had a certain thing about her that the science officer couldn't deny.

He shrugged and looked outside the window for a second before looking back at her "I've no clue actually... I suppose we'll need to map our way out of here. Hopefully we'll not be compromised by the task force." he answered her "Besides, some downtime is always a welcome change after the damage we suffered." He looked down at her hands as he placed his own hand on top of the table in front of him, just a few inches away from hers "What about you? Think we'll get out of here soon?" he returned the question to her.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan 
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She'd felt the brush of her toes against Simon's leg - inadvertent - but since the Chief - former chief - had no reaction, she pretended nothing had happened. It was an accident after all. She chalked it up to being tired from the night before. And still somewhat hung over, were she being honest with herself. If only the details at the end of things hadn't been so....fuzzy she thought with a mental sigh. The affects of true alcohol had rendered her memory of the end of the evening almost non existent, a haze of half remembered feelings and snippets of images, than coherent memory.

A heat threatened to bloom over her face as she belatedly realized she'd become lost in thought, and Simon had been watching her. But then he darted his gaze away, granting her a view of him in profile, and she wondered if she'd simply imagined that he'd been watching. She listened, and met his gaze without issue, when he turned back to her. It was hard to argue against a need for downtime but all the same...given the nature of why they were here.

"It's hard to actually rest when there's a task force gunning for us that we just barely escaped. Let alone the Asuarian threat," she concluded, aloud. Her shoulders slumped a bit, and then she leaned back in her chair, blithely tossing an arm over the back of it (pushing her chest forward) as she stared out at the blue haze. Even as she gestured out, indicating one of the Vector's hulls just visible out the corner of the viewport, her other hand ended up brushing his. The warmth of contact was welcome as she responded,

"We are days away from completing these repairs, and that's only if we can get the dilithium to replace the damaged crystals. They're so far gone that we can't properly recrystallize them, Simon." Ever since Montgomery Scott had discovered the process of recrystallization in the late 23rd century, starship's had been outfitted with small fission generators to repair and recharge the precious stones that powered warp drives, greatly decreasing the relative values of the ore. But the crystals for the Theurgy was so far gone that this solution wasn't possible. And so here they were, a drift in the Azure Nebula.

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

Simon's eyes came back to rest on the Chief of operations as she pushed her chest forward and he felt her hand against his. Yet his ears caught every word of her as his eyes were drawn to the bosom of the dark haired woman before he looked out, trying to follow where her eyes were aiming for. As her hand remained against his, he didn't pull it back, nor did he actually bring it up against hers. It just remained in place.

"The dilithium issue is indeed... Inconvenient." he concluded as his eyes darted back to her as she addressed him by his first name. His hand slowly slid away from her hand before he traced his fingers idly in thought over her hand "Either that or we need a new mastermind to figure out a way how these crystals can still be salvaged and reused to our needs." he murmured in thought. Before he could well realize what he was doing to the hand of the woman, the holographic servants arrived with their order and place it out on the table.

Simon had pulled his hand back for it and looked at the beverage and meal that was brought over as well as Natalie's order. The sugar coated snacks were somewhat mysterious to him as he had never indulged himself to eating one of them. "So, how does one start with pretzels?" he asked Natalie before he smirked mischievously. He took the double espresso in his hand first and blew at the top of it before he took a sip and let the hot beverage run it's course down his body. The warmth stinging a little, yet he savored it. 

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan 
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Caught up in listening to Simon, she failed to notice his hand moving until his finger tip traced over her knuckles. It was a rather intimate, and forward action, and Natalie had to decide if it bothered her or not. Concluding that a little harmless contact was just that - harmless - she simply smiled and pulled her gaze away from the worker bee that drifted past the view port. She let it come to rest on the man she was conversing with, instead. Regretably, the pleasant contact didn't last terribly long, for the waitress returned with their meal, setting the matching plates and cups down, before standing up and bowing slightly at the waist.

"Thank you," Natalie replied, automatically, as she too cupped her mug of coffee and then shot Simon a mock glare, at his description of the pastry. She sipped her drink and welcomed the hit of caffeine, easier on the tongue, and the stomach, than straight espresso would have been. Though there were certainly days - or more accurately long nights, especially at the academy - where Natalie had skipped the niceties and went straight for the booster shot of the undiluted java. Strange that she hadn't done more of that of late, she reflected idly.

"One eats a danish carefully, my dear Simon," she addressed the man, smirking and using her hand to delicately pull a sticky sweet morsel from the bun, and press it to her lips, sucking it into her mouth and licking her fingertip after. Pretzel my ass. Let him chew on that.

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

"Spaseeba" was the reply the waitress got from Simon as she walked away and he trailed her for a second as if his mind had caught on to something. Yet as quickly as it came he probably stored it in his mind as he turned his attention back to his conversational partner who unlike the hologram was very much in the flesh. His eyes studied her as she took her own nip of her hot beverage. In the meantime he waited to start eating as he awaited the reply of the Operations manager.

The answer she gave him was a bit surprising, he figured one should just dig in and devour it at some point. yet the dark haired woman before him told him to approach it with care. His brow frowning yet his eyes narrowing as he watched her pick a morsel off and eat it with the utmost care. It was undeniable that the whole way of eating that simple morsel was somewhat charged with an underlying erotic sensation to it. However the face of the scientist changed little, besides the slight flush in his cheeks. Was this action performed on purpose or was this actually the way to eat a pretzel?

"Fascinating." was the reply that flowed out between Simon's lips, a bit hushed, yet very much impressed. He chose to mimic the action of his female counterpart. Picking off a piece and studying it before he placed his lips around it. It did seem that the scientist provided a bit too much of suction as the piece of pastry just got vacuumed in his mouth, past his lips. She could tell he was moving his tongue against it before he licked his lips carefully and grabbing another morsel. "Not bad this sugar stuff.." he concluded as he looked back into Natalie's eyes. He started chewing and swallowed the first piece down before he took it more easy with the second piece, sucking out most of the sugary bits first before pushing the rest slowly in his mouth. All the while though, he kept his eyes on miss Stark.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan 
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Universal translators were a funny thing. While the device picked up the smattering of Russian from Simon, and even provided a translation it wasn't sufficient enough to completely suppress the sound of the original word from the Lieutenant. So Natalie got both her own native Federation Standard translation of the word, as well as the Russian from the man across from her. Even though the words were not directed at her. And amusing happenstance, she concluded, as she watched the exchange and then began her own attempt at teasing.

The plain truth was that you could eat one of these however you so choose. Usually she just picked the whole thing up and chomped in, especially as she was so very often in a rush. Natalie had little free time now that she was a department head. A hand held pastry made a lot of sense for a breakfast often consumed on the run. But it had a side effect - being quite messy,. And whens he was jaunting about or in the privacy of her own quarters that was no problem.

In the company of a fellow officer was another matter entirely.

That the other officer mimicked her so perfectly,. and that it was a delight to watch was a surprise. Welcome to be sure, she noted that faint flush in his cheeks, and now in her own - but a surprise all the same. Now just what are you up to Mr. Tovarek? she silently asked as she pulled another piece away, and made it disappear past her lips.

"Eating a pastry this way allows you to savor and enjoy each bite. Instead of just wolfing it down like one might do a common pretzel." She uncrossed then recrossed her legs under the table, switching which was on top and squirming a bit in her seat, getting comfortable.  She was, she knew, being a brat of the highest order right then. But it had been a long while since she'd allowed herself to feel comfortable enough in the presence of someone to act in such a fashion.

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus 

Tovarek could notice the red cheeks of Lt Cmdr Stark as he eyed her while he picked at his pretzel. The actions reminding himself that it looked quite a lot like a raven or any other sort of bird picking away at the same sustenance. His thoughts drifted off for a second before his mind brought him back in the moment. 'Why on earth is she blushing?' he asked himself as he should've known the answer to that question entirely. He did have to sidenote once more though that it wasn't the first time that he had seen Stark blush in this fashion. In fact, he had seen her blush heavier on some occasions. Thus he discarded the reason of her blushing to be the cause of his actions entirely!

Hearing the now rather logical explanation as to why one would eat the pretzel in this fashion was most illuminating for the science officer. The underlying logic to it surely made sense as Simon nipped away at his fingers to suck and lick the sugary substance off. He nodded at her wisdom with a smirk as he continued to look into her eyes, his peripheral vision noticing the shift in her seating as she crossed her legs over once more and adjusted in her seat.

"I suppose that goes for any kind of sustenance though? The slower you eat it, the more one is able to savor and enjoy it?" he offered as his eyes drowned into Natalie's blue pools. It took him a few seconds to get himself out of them as he blinked a couple of times and reached over for his cup to drink. "May I ask out of curiosity what else you might enjoy?" he asked her, almost making it sound like a formal question from one department to the other.

He straightened himself and leaned over a bit more as he never broke eye contact with her. He had picked two quarter portions from each pretzel before he shoved them aside. Seemingly he was full already or he had placed his interests on something else. His coffee was almost empty as well, yet he kept the cup between both hands as if to warm his hands.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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"I'll grant you that," she conceded, gesturing at him with the rim of her coffee cup after she took a fresh sip from the mug. She could feel the steam tickling her finger tips as she held the darkened metal cup up, seeing the registry number and the USS THEURGY etched into its surface  "But I would counter that some foods are meant to be enjoyed in such a fashion more often than others. A danish is one such food." She took her next piece very carefully, as it was dripping in cream cheese and cherry topping at this point. She should have used a fork, but she was enjoying the teasing (as out of character as the drinking had been last night) and truthfully, Natalie reasoned she needed a few moments of harmless fun, given her schedule for the day.

This time, despite her best efforts to the contrary, a little bit of the cheese and cherry topping ended up leaving a trail on her cheek, just below the corner of her lips. "Oops," she said, and swiftly swiped a finger over the mess, brushing it onto the tip to then suck clean. Oh, behave, part of her mind chastised her. "Of course, even taking ones time can be a bit messy." A sheepish grin, as she added, "so, perhaps using a knife and fork would have been smarter of me."

Natalie watched him lean in the, cupping his own smaller mug and ignoring the rest of his meal, focusing entirely on her. Such intensity caused that blush to rise again. He has no idea that his stare can do this, does he? Does any man realize that they have that power? He asked his question, and the Ops Chief had to collect herself to reply.

"You may ask," she told him, looking sheepish again as she pondered. After a brief laugh, a light giggle really, she set her hands down over her mug as well, and returned his stare, elaborating an answer for him. "I rather enjoy a good pasta, at least when it comes to food. With a Caesar salad on the side." She smirked a bit and figured he wasn't just talking about food, so she continued on.

"I enjoy working on and tweaking holo-technology. I'm not a savant like Mr. Lin Kae," the poor, tortured man she idly thought, "But it is a hobby that I do enjoy. And every once in a while i get the wild hare to draw something.

"how about yourself, Simon? What does Mr. Tovarek like to explore in his free time?"

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus  

The way Stark picked apart her Danish was somehow fascinating yet enthralling at the same time. The way the cream cheese was running off her fingers did spark a rather indecent thought with the scientist. One which he discarded quickly as he blinked a few times and continued to stare at the officer before him. The trail she left at her cheek only made things worse though as she spilled an oops which the scientist doubted was sincere if not more sarcastic. The sucking action she performed however let little to the imagination as the scientist could feel his arousal boil up between his loins.

He swallowed and emptied his cup quickly after that and he smiled as Natalie suggested that using utensils might've been more adequate for the job. "One should know which tools to use for certain jobs." he commented with a smile before he reached out and leaned in further. "Hold on, you still have some.." he simply used his thumb to wipe her cheek clean of the remainder of cream cheese and cherry topping. Once he had gotten the substance on his own finger he doubted for a split second to offer it back to Stark. He made eye contact with her before withdrawing the hand entirely. His head racing for a consensus to what would be most decent. He hadn't found any napkins or so to wipe it off on, nor could he do so on his uniform. Suggesting the finger to Stark would be rather... Wrong? Perhaps sucking it off himself? The consensus was made in his head and executed before any second thought could intervene. The finger slipping in between Tovarek's lips and his tongue quickly disposing of the evidence before he sucked it clean entirely.

He looked at her to see what kind of reaction it would've given and he leaned back a little before he gave her an innocent smile. He leaned back forward though once she started answering his previous question. As Natalie expected, the man had no idea what kind of impact his eyes could have on her as he just simply continued his gaze on her. To his surprise though, he hadn't figured her out as a pasta lover and he smiled contently at the reply. She continued further on and he listened interested and captivated by her voice as she gave her other interests to him.

"Holo-tech and drawing... Interesting combination that is."  he answered her as he composed himself to sit more upright. Even more so when addressed "Mmh, what does Mr Tovarek like..." he mused on the question as he gave it some thought "Currently, I'm completely getting sucked in for the drone works. Which is my full time job now together as my hobby. I enjoy tinkering mostly though, that with a glass of fine alcohol and I do sometimes enjoy the old movies from the twentieth century."  he confessed to Natalie.

"Foodwise though... I'm a bit of an experimental foodie. I'll try to eat whatever is exotic and I haven't tasted before, yet the classical menu's are delights as well. I wouldn't go as far as being a good cook though, most meals are just replicated. Though I've heard whispers of a cook on board." he smirked and shrugged. 

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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What was becoming swiftly apparent to Natalie Stark was that Lt. Simon Tovarek was a dangerous man. In a similar, but different fashion from Dr. Lucan Nicander. The latter, whose smoldering intensity had lead to Natalie's first willing physical dalliance still sparked a blush whenever she passed him in the corridors, or shared a semi private moment. The former - sitting across from her with such an innocent smile - left her wondering if she'd been played by a master.

Nat had been thinking she were the one that had control of the teasing game that had sprung up with the recently reassigned science officer. But after he swept tat last bit of sweet cream from her face and sucked his thumb dry, she had to wonder if she were utterly mistaken. Just how aware is he? she quietly asked herself as she tamped down on the rising heat in her cheeks and matching warmth of her groin.

Too much to do today for idle fantasy's girl. Get a hold of yourself. She smiled and used her mug as a cover, taking barely a sip but holding the cup in place as if otherwise, to indulge in a slow, calming breath. There we go, she encouraged herself and then looked back at the charming junior officer, devoting her attention away from her imagination and towards his words.

"Its always good when one's vocation is ones calling. Or at the very least one's hobby," Natalie decided as she finished up her meal and traced her finger over the rim of her mug. The cup was still half full, and she could feel the steam warming the palm of her hand. It was lovely, like the conversation.

"And rumors of a chef aboard? Don't let the ships galley crew find out, or they might press this poor individual into service." Her tone was light and playful, her smile conspiratorial. In all honesty, this was a much needed reprieve from a day that could only get more and more busy. After all, she had so many reports to review, and there was the meeting notice she'd seen. Plus she'd need to check in with A'vura again later, see how the Orion was handling her new duties.

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

The little payback game that Simon was playing seemed to have thrown off it's fruit. He could see her cheeks turn a bit redder, yet he decided to not point it out to the commanding officer. Instead he just tried to relax as good as he could, as the spark of arousal she had delivered to him was still lingering.

Simon had to smirk about the comment about the ship galley's pursuing the new cook into service "Perhaps, though I wouldn't see the downside of it. I mean, if we get better food out of it... Where's the downside of it?" he laughed and shrugged. He let a bit of silence fall between them before he looked into his empty cup and shifted in his seat. He slowly got up and asked "Would you like anything else miss Stark? To eat or drink?" he specified the last.

After getting her order or declination of it, the officer walked over to the bar and ordered a new cup of coffee for himself. This time he'd order a bigger mug as he just wanted to enjoy the warm beverage. After a few minutes he returned to the table and installed himself once more. He looked into Natalie's eyes and asked as if it just hit him "By the way, what kind of holo-projects are you up to  lately?" he asked her interested.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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"The only issue I see, Mr. Tovarek," Natalie began her reply, "might be to whichever poor department lost their crewmen. Or woman. Or person...crewperson." She settled on with a smile and a gentle laugh. "Our gain might very well be their loss, after all.

"As for anything else," A hot shower with those hands all over - no, a cold one, alone, easily the best option - " I wouldn't say no to having this topped off." The chief raised her mostly empty mug up to indicate its less than optimally full state. While the caffeine had been helping to cut through the lack of sleep and the pain in her head, it had done nothing to absolve her of the fuzzyness from the night before. She knew she had indulged in some very foolish antics at the bar - and she knew she'd spent some close time with a Cardassian doctor and an Andorian Intelligence Chief - but for the life of her she couldn't remember the specifics of the end of the evening.

It sobered her slightly, as she tried to pierce that haze, and watched Simon hop up and return moments later. She gratefully took her mug from him and basked in the warmth and steam. "Thank you, Simon," she said to the man, drawing in another long breath through her nose and savoring the smell of the brew.

"As for holoprojects...nothing of late," she pouted a bit over the rim of her coffee mug."I had been trying to come up with an...an interface. Dexterous display glove, with hologaphic key pads and self projecting screens that could worn on the wrist but well," A sigh and shrug accompanied her words. "Time has been fleeting, especially since I became the department chief." Not to mention the long hours they'd all been putting in, on the run, constantly. The project had started as a way to keep her sane. Now she didn't even have the time for it

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

Simon couldn't help but chuckle at the way Stark tried to define Deacon "I don't think the particular crewperson is belonging to any department." His eyes rolled to the top of his eyelids and thought it over, moving to the left and right as his face formed a serious frown, before shaking his head "In fact, I don't know where the cook came from in the first place." After that he took the cup from Natalie and checked the contents before nodding and walking off for the refill.

When returned he listened to the little project she had going for herself and he nodded slowly "I can try and help if need be. I didn't study robotics for nothing after all." he smirked before he shrugged "Either way, I don't want to push myself to your project either. It's your little project after all." he clarified as he didn't want to come over as a bulldozer on her hobbies. It was something he did a lot though, suggest help and usually finishing the projects himself as he usually got lost in his work far too often.

He stared at his regular cup of coffee himself now as he savored the warmth of the cup against his hands. He inhaled slowly before he added some cream and sugar to it. He stirred his spoon in the cup before nipping from it. "It is one thing I enjoy though, the freeing up of more time. I don't miss that after being a department head, I have to admit." he changed the topic now with a smile.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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Belatedly, Natalie realized that Simon was talking about the Kzinti civilian that she herself had left in charge of the Below Decks lounge, the evening prior. One of many sources of the headache that plagued her from a night she was having more and more trouble remembering the details of. The whole end of it still a foggy blur, despite all the coffee, simply leaving her with a feeling that she should be quite embarrassed. As it was, the Operations Chief decided to let that part of the conversation trail off. She'd much rather not think about that night, or Below Decks.

A smile formed on her face as Simon latched onto her own project with clear interest, though clearly that of a scientist with a need to tinker. She gave a little nod at his words, running her finger around top of her mug before cupping it between her hands once again, savoring the warmth.

"I appreciate the offer, Mr. Tovarek," she replied to the junior officer, stretching back in her seat. "When things calm down a bit, perhaps I'll send a few files over. Having a second set of eyes taking a read at ones work is never a bad thing, after all." She clearly wasn't concerned about him taking over her project. She could be plenty obsessive about her work after all. The fact was she let it drive her too hard when it came to her new duties as Chief. She had to fix everything, after all. She was the one in charge.

"Never enough time in the universe. Maybe if I were a civilian back on Mars, I could tinker to my hearts content," the brunette lamented, thinking about her home where she grew up, at Bradbury Point. The rolling red sands, the terraformed sky. The tub that overlooked the cliff outside, in their back yard. And a workshop full of half finished projects of a brilliant but shy teenage girl. The memories hurt, so very much, tugging at her heart and filling her stomach with a sense of pure, unfiltered loss.

Natalie sucked in a slow breath and gave a bit of a shrug. "Somehow I don't think that stepping down is an option for me to free time up."

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

As Stark seemed to appreciate the offer he made the lieutenant smiled as he nodded "I'll keep you up on that." he said as he raised his hand and waved his finger around to add some strength to the message. It was however not meant that seriously as he laughed right after it. He placed his fingers over the top of his mug, almost forming a sort of a dome over it as he let the warm air raise up against his palm. He seemed lost in thoughts again for a second before Natalie spoke up again.

"If you don't mind me asking lieutenant commander... What's Mars like? I've never visited it myself. I flew past it plenty of times though." he smiled as his curious side rose up once more. He had always confined himself to the blue planet, that and some space time. Sure he had visited foreign planets and such, yet never enough to get a good picture from it. His eyes looked back into the eyes of Natalie, locking on once more. he could tell she was feeling some sort of emotion about the topic. He wasn't sure what exactly and would only realize it probably as she started talking.

As she mentioned that stepping down wasn't an option for her he shrugged "Everyone is replaceable to some extend Miss Stark. Sure we might excel at our given duties, yet rational thinking will dictate that everyone is expendable." he paused for a second as he did try his utmost best to not implement to much Russian slang in his talking "That doesn't mean however that you should step down. Yet it might give you a different perspective on your work." he concluded as he shrugged and nipped from his coffee once more.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Conference Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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Despite the kind word about offering perspective on her work, and how stepping down might be beneficial there, she shook her head. She knew that Simon wasn't seriously suggesting she step away from the position of Operations Chief. Just playing - well, not so much devils advocate as making sure she was aware of the pro's and con's. And given his recent career moves and choices, she supposed she could appreciate his unique perspective on the subject at hand.

But rather than dwell on that, Natalie allowed herself to think of Mars. Of Bradbury Point. Of home.

A far off look seemed to settle in on her face, as she set the mug down on the table and let her gaze soften, focusing on some indistinct point that appeared to be just over Simon's left shoulder, but was actually far off, many hundreds of light-years, and a few actual years distant. A window to her past. A low sigh escaped her lips.

"It amazing," she said after a long moment of contemplation. "Contrary to popular belief, you can actually walk outside the domed cities. Some of them are opened air, built in deep valleys. Others are still enclosed to help ward off the radiation. The planet is teraformed, actually." She smiled, sweeping some hair back, "I remember swimming at Lake Casini. Red sand beaches, of course." She gave him an impish smile.

"It was fresh water lake, a filled in impact crater. Melted ice from the poles, and comets brought in by the venteron array's in the late twenty first and early twenty second centuries. All the lakes on Mars - all the standing water, actually, lakes, seas and rivers - are fresh water not a single salt water body on the whole planet." She paused, then shrugged, admitting, "of course, the total water coverage on Mars is only something like 10% of the planetary surface. Far more mountains and desserts than lakes and rives - Makes for some amazing hiking, as long a you have the proper kind of rad protection." Her attention shifted away from the natural beauty of the still very much Red planet, and more towards the pioneers that had settled it, and the impressive culture that resided on the planet.

"And the history, oh, the history, those first settlers. I had a cousin that married into the Martian Hopi-Pueblo Nation. They'd immigrated to Mars - settled large portions of it, really - when the tribes declined to submit to the United Earth Government. Many of them eventually spread further away from Mars, settling planets far away from the land of their Ancestors and their troubled history." Those settlements, she knew, had become caught up in the demilitarized zone between the Cardassian Empire and the Federation, and ended up as a flashpoint in the months prior to, and during, the Dominion war.

"But the history of Mars was tied so tightly to the history of Earth. All of our species fascinations with the solar system, the galaxy and the universe at large all started with a fascination of Mars." The young Chief of Ops smiled wider, but then it faltered a bit, turning bittersweet. A new memory, of home, sprung forth. A happy memory, tainted only years later by the accident.

"I remember when my brother Eric took me to the Sagan Memorial Station - it was built at the sight where the first Martian Rover finally came to a rest. The rover is still out there, under its own small, protective dome. They reinforced it a few decades back with dedicated atmospheric and debris force-fields. Daddy pulled a few strings, and we got to actually touch it. They crashed that thing into the planets surface from a probe, and then it bounced around for years longer than expected."

Natalie hadn't thought about that trip in years. The distant light of Sol, so far away, ghosting across the thin atmosphere, the wispy clouds and the red dirt ground. She could see the dome, see how the Martian sage grass had been cut back and replaced with a paver-stone circle and a small barrier with a dedication plaque. The stones were, of course, made of local regolith. Everything was locally sourced. The sprawling fields of solar panels, many of the later dome cities. The gossamer thin space elevators, built back during the first wave of colonization, used to launch precious ore into orbit to be shipped back to earth, or dropped to other points on the planet for use there.

Us Martians are a hearty people, she reminded herself, Make use of everything we have on hand, take nothing for granted, and damn proud of it. She remembered leaving their house, built into the side of a cliff, like so many of the dwellings at Bradbury Point, south of the space port. The journey to the Carl Sagan Memorial Station. The after hours tour, being allowed inside the dome itself, squatting down, a tiny hand on the small treads, her brothers hand, squeezing her shoulder tight.

God, but I miss him so much.

---

OOC: Fun facts, almost all references to Mars come from Memory Alpha and beta, as well as direct pulls from Enterprise: Beneath the Raptors wings. Only the details of what the Carl Sagan Memorial Station (http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/File:CarlSaganstation.jpg) entail were made up by yours truly, as well as the layout of Bradbury Point (also called Bradbury Township).

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus 

The Russian scientist listened amused to the cascading waterfall of information that Stark shared with him. As he knew so little of Mars it was interesting to hear an actual Martian talk about home. He seemed to be captivated by all of it and hung on her lips as she talked about life there and about the history of the planet. Mars had been one of those terraforming projects which professors had gone on about during his days in the university. Needles to say it wasn't Simon's forte as it was interesting, but not interesting enough to commit his full career to.

The idea of having red sanded beaches was hard to imagine for Simon as he only knew the beaches at Earth. He smirked at the notion of in and tried to imagine the sights of it, including the superior officer before him in any sort of bathing suit. To think of her as nude would be outright perverse. He did wonder how it would've been to only have fresh water seas and such, yet he refrained from asking the specifics to the lady before him. He did take another nip from his drink though as he continued to soak in the information.

Unaware though of the history of Stark's brother, Simon smiled as she talked about Eric "Do you have any other siblings?" he asked her and continued "What of Eric, did he lead the way for you in Starfleet?" he asked oblivious to the incident which had happened. It wasn't his fault though as Simon hadn't had the rights to read the personnel file of Stark. He couldn't have known unless he had checked for reports of accidents during that time.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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A short, bitter bark of a laugh escaped her lips at Simon's line of questioning. She should have known, the moment she mentioned Eric by name, that the questions would follow. They always did. And they always hurt. Twelve years gone, and they still hurt. Then again, Eric was her world, right up until he died. There had been Mommy, Daddy, Eric, and Nat. And there was just Daddy now, thinking his only remaining child was a traitor to the Federation. The dark thoughts swam right on along the current of depression, wondering if her father believed the news, or held faith in her.

Wondering if her father was still alive, or if shame had driven him to his end. Or if the parasites had gotten to him. They had to have crew records.

Enough. In her head, Natalie knew there was no point in dwelling on what may or may not be happening to her father. The trick was going to be convincing her mind to get with the program and, as her father had put it, 'play ball.'

"In more ways than you could know, Simon," she decided to answer. "My brother was the whole reason that I joined Starfleet. Directly responsible for me being here today, I suppose. " She quirked her lip up in a half smirk, the ride side rising, the left staying still. "All he ever wanted was to fly starships. Daddy built them, you see. He was a Chief at the shipyards - Utopia Planitia. I remember the way he'd complain about the Defiant project, and all the problems with the ship. Now the class is one of the most venerable in the fleet. A purebred warship. He hated that the Borg required them to work on something like that, instead of more explorers, like the great Galaxy-class. Then again, so many of them had issues in the beginning. Like the poor Yamato..." She sighed.

"Hazard of being a dockyard brat," she said apologetically, looking up at Simon from where she sat, shoulders hunches over and her weight on her forearms. The brunette gave a little shrug an addressed his other question. "There were no other siblings, besides Eric. It was just the four of us. Eric was the elder sibling. I was the baby. Spoiled rotten, Mom would say. Dad never knew his mother, had no sisters. I was his little princess." She smiled again, perhaps not as hollow as when she talked about Eric.

"Yes...." she sighed, "We were quite the happy family, growing up there on Mars."

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus  

As the scientist listened to the words of the chief of operations, he noted to himself that she referred to Eric in past tenses, all the time. He wondered at first if it was deliberate or if he was just imagining things, yet slowly it turned out to be a constant. That and the way that a pinch of sadness and melancholy had filled her words, made the scientist believe that the story presumably didn't end well. He could only assume the worst and came to his own conclusion that the brother and perhaps even whole family that Stark had been talking about would be deceased at this point. To probe further to the how and what of it, would perhaps be too soon, too blunt.

It seemed that the Starks had quite a reputation within the dockyards of Utopia and Simon could only smirk a bit wider as she mentioned that she was a dockyard brat. He cherished his cup in both hands now while he drank a bit more coffee as she told him there were no other siblings and how she used to be her father's princess. He felt the need to comfort her, or so that's what the class 'Empathy among crew' had tried to teach him. He slowly reach out, extending his hand to her as he carefully held hers and gave it a squeeze.

"Natalie..." he started as he searched for the lines he should walk on yet not cross "You sound like you had quite a good and extraordinary life back on Mars." he said softly before he looked up in her eyes "Yet I can sense a hint of sadness... I fear it's rather heavy for you to bear, but I also don't want to pry further on it if... If it is too hard for you." he concluded before he let go of her hand and just straightened up once more in the chair. He detested social aspects, another good reason why stepping down as CSO was a blessing for him. Perhaps he did miss people skills?

Effectively though, he had shut the conversation down now though and he glanced back up to Stark. Would the offering of a hug be pushing it? Or Should he get her more liquid comfort? He pondered about these questions all the while his face remained steady and unchanged.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
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Clearly, Mr. Tovarek is a rather perceptive. As befitting a scientist, I suppose. Not the best of tact, but well....Natalie let the train of thought peter out. That Simon had grasped her hand was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. The past few days had been so unsettling, leaving Natalie feeling like she'd been tossed about on the open seas of old. Heartache and confusion, depression. A simple, reassuring hand grasp was a welcome gesture of friendship, one that Natalie needed.

She curled her fingers back into her palm, feeling the warmth of the touch, flickering memories of others grasping that same hand. The slight tenderness left over, the faint ache, from the dermal regenerator that had sealed the cut she'd inflicted the night before. It had been....had been...she couldn't quite remember. There were faces and names but the night had kept them from syncing in her memory. Neither here nor there, Nat, she reminded herself. What she had to deal with was a curious colleague who was trying to offer her a bit of comfort.

Managing a bittersweet smile, Natalie gave a little nod. "Its not the kind of burden that ever goes away, Simon. Not that kind of loss." She shrugged a bit, drawing a circle on the table with the same hand he'd been holding, missing that flash of warmth, and the echo of other touches. Shrugging, the brunette continued on. "Life was good. And then it wasn't as good anymore. Sudden, unexpected loss has that affect."

The impact, the wail of an alarm, echoing in the cabin confines. The inertial dampeners straining against the inertia and the impact. The hiss, then the roar deafening, accompanied by a bone chilling cold, colder than she'd ever felt before, being pulled back, back, away, her brother tumbling past her, out into the deep dark nothingness. Fear, grasping up, worming from the pit of her stomach as darkness closed all around.

Shaking off the memory again, and slightly paler for it, Natalie leaned back in her chair and tucked one leg over-top the other. It would be so very easy to let herself pull away entirely, seal the emotion behind the wall of time. So very easy to shut Simon and his inquiry out. Just a quick 'thank you for the coffee, but I really must be going now' deflection and then that would be it. Simon would feel bad, sure, but Natalie wouldn't have to think about that, or about home...

"My Dad and I survived a shuttle accident that claimed everyone else aboard," she quietly told Simon. "Including my mother, and Eric, whom had recently been accepted to Stafleet Academy. Needless to say that changed things. In part, it lead to my joining Starfleet, and my current predicament, being on the run from Starfleet. With my father having to deal with the reality that his only surviving child is a traitor." She picked up her coffee and drained what was left in a long, shaky pull. "So yes, there is a sadness, and there will always be a sadness, even if we ever managed to clear our names."

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus

As Simon could feel the fingers of Stark withdraw in her hand, he couldn't help but think of crustaceans on Earth. Withdrawing within their shell for protection and safety. Was his touch perhaps overstepping it? Did he get the aspect of touch wrong again? The scientist his eyes looked at the covered hand before Natalie pulled it from underneath his palm. His hand remaining on the table before slowly returning to hold the cup. He could still see that she was hurting in a way yet at this point he had no clue what he could to make it better.

He listened to her as she shared the sudden loss of life. His lips parting briefly before he decided to just shut up and hear it out entirely before questioning. His eyes trained on the brunette as she shifted in her seat and took a new position in the seat she'd been in while she continued talking. He watched her drink as she poured out her worries about what her father would be thinking. They were all branded as traitors and Simon could only wonder what his family would think of it. He turned his eyes down to his cup as Natalie drank the rest of her cup and he rolled his fingers over the ceramic texture of the cup.

"I... I should not have inquired such personal matters..." he brought out softly as he felt like he had overstepped the invitation for coffee and a talk "I'm sorry to have brought up this painful memory for you." he apologized to Stark before he shoved his empty cup aside. His eyes remaining fixed on a non existent focal point on the table. In fact he truly had no clue what else he could say or add to turn this situation. Should he try and leave her to herself and head back to work? Would she need comforting for a traumatic event from so long ago? Would it be wrong to offer comfort? In what way should he comfort her?

The trivial and complicated routines of social interaction proved to be a larger problem than most scientific questions. Simon pursed his lips together as he finally brought up the courage to look back up at Stark. He didn't say a word as he just made contact with her eyes and silently watched her.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan 
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Natalie didn't say anything, not at first. Really, what more could she say just then? There is no way that Natalie had wanted to relive those moments. Especially not after they had just been royally fucked over by the former host of Edna Rez. It really was not at the top of her to-do list for the morning. This little diversion was supposed to be an enjoyable break to get collected and not think about everything she had to do today. TO try and get over the headache from the blur of a night before that was starting to throb again. No surprise there, since instead, the pleasing conversation and company had turned dark and gloomy. Perhaps that was just their lot in life now? Sorrow.

But Simon's eyes held a word of remorse, and Natalie could see it plain enough. She let out a sigh and closed her own eyes, hanging her head for a moment, then shrugging and looking back up.  "I know. I won't say its fine," she wagged a finger at him, "not upset with you." She needed to clarify that. This kind of thing was important. Simon had not meant to upset her and was already blaming himself - or so the more senior officer thought. It was her place to make sure that blame wasn't placed where it didn't belong. After all, he'd been curious and she'd put it out there. What scientist wouldn't latch onto that thread and tug, unraveling the mystery.

"Nothing about what I'm feeling now could be described as 'fine,'" she continued. "But I will be fine. In a bit. It'll just take some time is all. Thats how it usually is." This was not the first time she'd thought about her father, and their mission, the loss of half of her family and the impact of her choices on the one man that remained. No, not hardly the first time. Perhaps the first time she'd been hungover while having to deal with it. That might be a first, she quietly allowed.

Blue eyes darted about the table, noting the discarded cups, the distance between them, and sighed. "This had been going really good," she said, and reached out, closing that distance again to gently squeeze Simon's hand. "Thank you for that. by the way. I really did need the break. Could have ended on a lighter note I suppose." Another shrug of a single shoulder, and a small chuckle. "But well,probably still beats the staff meetings i have lined up."

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus 

As Stark could only inform him that she wasn't fine at all, it made Simon almost sigh out in front of her. Yet he had learned that the hard way as well that doing such a thing in front of someone would be considered inappropriate as well. The time he had done so back in Moscow whilst attending at university, he had sighed rather bored in front of his professor who had just lost his mother. At that time Simon really couldn't see what he had done wrong. He had attended the class for robotics yet only got a long and boring session of why today's class would be cancelled due to the passing away of said professor. It had been a a blessing in the end when the professor had moved away and a more adequate person had taken his place.

The fact that Natalie told him that she'd be fine but that it would take some time was greeted by just a nod by the scientist before her. The words that she wasn't upset with him setting him at ease just slightly, though the gnawing feeling remained. He should make it up to her somehow... Suddenly he felt the skin of Natalie's fingers and hand against his as she squeezed it and his eyes darted up to meet hers. His smile faint yet truthful as she thanked him for the morning break. He nodded as she concluded that it could've ended on a lighter note.

He had to smile a bit more as she had staff meetings lined up "Another thing I won't miss." he offered softly before he squeezed back gently in her hand. He doubted for a second before he voiced out the idea in his mind "Perhaps... We should do this again?" he suggested and paused "Without making the end so gloomy." he shrugged "Maybe over... Dinner tomorrow evening?" he pushed his luck as he looked into Stark's eyes. It was the least he could do for the poor girl. He had already ruined his morning somehow. Perhaps a dinner at the holodeck with a view of the Moscow or Saint Petersburg skyline would do her some good? That is if she were up for it.

[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Nolan 
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The sigh might have been off putting, if Natalie hadn't been aware, by this point, that in his own way Simon was as bad at social interactions as she was. While her issues tended to manifest in anxiety and reclusiveness  his seemed to take the shape of unintended rudeness and a general clashing with what most would consider established social norms. And even then, Natalie didn't view Simon as being all that bad at it, on the whole. She'd certainly encountered worse in her years in the fleet. And the soft smile he shot her told Natalie that the science officer was well aware of his own short comings in the department of social graces.

They were pulling apart again - the meal clearly at and end, and schedules would not allow her to dally much longer in any case - when Simon made his offer. Dinner, to make it? She mulled the question over in her mind, picking it apart, dissecting it. There was an immediate, general unease at the thought of any after hours meeting with anyone in a uniform right then. Some hold over from the misremembered evening prior, where she could not shake the feeling of having royally screwed up with an officer. But who, still eluded her. Sadly what was crystal clear was her little performance in Below Decks to one of Simon's new colleague, and one of the new pilots off of the ill fated Resolve.

After all, she had the cut to prove it - even if it had been treated. She must have used the med kit in her quarters before passing out.

Blinking away the momentary lapse, Natalie hastily smiled. "Honestly..." she paused, then pushing past the hesitation, the Operations Chief continued. "Sure," she said. "I could use a good meal after what I'm sure is going to be a few grueling days out here in the nebula. May as well make sure we have something to look forward to. Just no talking about families and I think we'll be all right. We can stick to something easier, like cultists." It was a poor joke, but she attempted it anyway. She knew they were all on edge over the revelations during the Senior Staff meeting, that some of the fanatics had radicalized and been making attacks.

"Speaking of, be careful out there. Your new boss has already been assaulted. I rather worry someone might take a swing at you as well."

[ Lt. Simon Tovarek | Wardroom Lounge | Deck 01 | USS Theurgy ] Atten: @Brutus 

The chief of operations seemed to be overthinking his offer. Yet from the facial expressions and lack of response Simon could only deduct the worst. When the brunette finally did speak up it started as he would have predicted. A hint of honesty that would undoubtedly be followed by the idea being shot down for further exploration. Oh, how many time he had been down thi-. The next series of words caught the scientist off guard. He blinked a couple of times before his smile broke through. He nodded quickly as they were to avoid any sensitive topics like family. The cultist topic reducing his smile to a faint one as he nodded "Please, lets not elaborate on those fanatics." he answered her.

"I'd be glad to... Entertain you after a few blue days in this cloud." he tried to crack a joke on his own "I suggest we don't wear the uniforms to make it feel more relaxing?" he paused for a second "I'd say free time clothing... Or if you're up for it, I can set the scenery to something more fancier? I mean, its been a while since I had to dirk up in a tuxedo or something along those lines." he smirked. "Regardless we can discuss the specifics before we meet. Say three hours in advance to check if nothing has blocked up our agendas?" he suggested as he was fully aware that trying to get some free time of a department head usually ended up poorly. Unexpected meetings, events or situations usually arose to bother them and cross their planning. It was a life Simon had gladly put behind him.

Before Natalie could reply him, Tovarek's combadge chirped "Lieutenant Tovarek, this is CPO Silverton. I have a problem with my ongoing project. Can you make it to the science deck for a hand? It's rather urgent..." Simon sighed softly before he replied "On my way, i'll be there shortly." he replied before he raised his hands to Natalie "Alas, I'm afraid I'll have to cut it short here Miss Stark. Thank you for breakfast and if I may say so, it was a pleasure." He smiled before he nodded at her and took his leave.

~FIN