Star Trek: Theurgy

Re: CH03: S [D06|0945] A Matter of Trust

Reply #25 – March 21, 2019, 06:15:45 PM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Executive Officer | XO Office | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Cosmos 
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Vanya was right, of course. Natalie did need a friend now more than a Science officer, or a ships senior officer with insight into department management. A colleague was useful, and her professional insight was welcome, but what the Ops Chief turned Acting XO was in dire need of, and perhaps had been in need of ever since Jupiter Station was someone that simply understood her.

And by luck and fate, there was no one else in the fleet that knew Natalie Stark as well as Vanya did. Even separated by six years of divergent experiences.

Natalie let out a soft, slow sigh, as she felt the girls thumbs working over her fingers. The touch was soothing. She knew that Vanya was very much a tactile creature. That touching to sooth Natalie was probably just as comforting an act for Vanya as it was to Nat. That had been a struggle to come to terms with at first, in the Academy. The woman had zero boundaries or inhibitions, as far as Nat was able to tell at the time.

A smile started to work its way across Nat's face before Vanya's words really hit her. Or the possible implications of "Hopefully that won't be the only way you'll hold me." murmured in that familiar, but alien timbre.  Her eyes went wide and her cheeks took on a distinctive blush again. Even Natalie could realize that there were meanings to those words that had implications. Surprise showed on her face. and whats more....she didn't immoderately refute the notion, which was a totally different surprise for Natalie.

"Oh really?" Was the best that Nat could come up with as a reply, curious now as to what Vanya meant or had in mind.

Re: CH03: S [D06|0945] A Matter of Trust

Reply #26 – March 30, 2019, 10:24:33 PM

[ Lieutenant Vanya | XO Office | Deck: 01 | Vector: Combined | USS Theurgy ]
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Vanya’s dark green eyes beheld Stark as she started to relax a little and the touches soothed her. The Romulan took in the details of the Maritan’s face as the smile started to creep across her features. Then. Oh.. oh. There it was. The dawning realization of what Vanya had said. The widening of those blue eyes. The look of surprise, but surely not shock. That full realization going off like a grenade, whose pin had been pulled a bit previously.

Vanya grinned a bit at that surprise and the coloring of Stark’s cheeks that came along with it. One of Vanya’s hands rose. The nails carefully maintained, short, as to not interfere with Scientific procedure, but maintained a dark metallic green hue. The fingers curled softly and their backs brushed one of Stark’s blushing cheeks. Feather light, but present. Warm and ‘alive’ as they were.

A gentle nod accompanied the motion. The soft touch. The look in those Romulan green eyes. Her voice with it’s accent, that wasn’t covered by the Universal Translator, as it wasn't’ being ‘translated’. Vanya spoke Federation Standard, just with the Romulan tonals. That voice came out soft and a touch throaty.

“Oh…. Really.”

Re: CH03: S [D06|0945] A Matter of Trust

Reply #27 – March 31, 2019, 12:06:17 AM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Executive Officer | XO Office | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Cosmos 
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They were sailing into uncharted waters, Vanya at the helm, and Natalie lashed tightly to the mizzenmast. Or more like a deer in the proverbial headlights, were the Martian officer prone to mixing metaphors. Her face was flushing all the more as a finger drew down her cheek, oh so slowly. She shivered, adrift in an ocean of feelings she had little frame of reference for dealing with. In truth, she let out a soft squeak, and didn't realize it.

"I...um...that is...." Natalie stammered, ineffectually as she struggled for words. As Vanya would well know, when it came to relationships - even simple friendships - Natalie wasn't the best at making them, or maintaining them. Present company included, to an extent. They had become fast friends, but Vanya was the far more outgoing, gregarious of the pair. And even then, Natalie had not kept in touch as often as she should have with her Academy roommate after they parted ways for separate billets after graduation.

Romance however, was just as bad, if not worse, for Natalie. And she tended, naively, to associate anything that was more than mere friendship as romance. Save one exception, and that was an encounter in the Jefferies Tube with a Doctor that she refused to think of in this context, then and there. She would not allow him into this moment.  Up until this point, what little flirtation Natalie had ever done, had been with members of the opposite sex. She had considered herself, to use the well worn term, 'straight as an arrow' when it came to her tastes.

But then, you did enjoy that shower, all those years ago. As Uncomfortable as you were. You can lie to anyone else, but you can't lie to yourself, girl. A voice inside her head reminded her. And it was undeniable that Vanya was eliciting the same kind of reaction, just with a few words and a shift in tone, that Rory had evoked. Now what does that say about you? And what are you going to do about it? Run away, or....?

"Okay...wow. This is...new. Natalie stated the obvious, as that apparently was what she was going to do about it. She reached up, and traced the spot where Vanya had touched, and then bit her bottom lip, hard. Her cheeks were flushed, and curling up, into a smile, despite herself. "You sure about...that? Really, really?"

Re: CH03: S [D06|0945] A Matter of Trust

Reply #28 – May 09, 2019, 03:35:26 PM

[ Lieutenant Vanya | XO Office | Deck: 01 | Vector: Combined | USS Theurgy ]
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Vanya smiled, and began to lean closer...

"Oh, really... really sur-" she began to say, her lips drifting closer - their breaths mingling. Her, artificial and a part of her features as an infiltration unit, and Natalie's, oh so real. Vanya's eyes had drifted close as she neared the woman, and she'd oft question how she could feel such real desires if it wasn't for the imprint of her creator's mind upon her programs. A cause for questioning her 'self', surely, but right then, right there, she did not care. She knew she wanted Natalie, and the anticipation of the contact made for ample distraction...

...but not distraction enough for the Alert.

Vanya's eyes parted and she straightened, looking around.

[Commander Stark, you're needed on the bridge,] came the call, and Vanya had no idea who it was. She cleared her throat, even though her oesophagus was just as false as the other quirks of her flesh-clad platform, and she smoothened her own uniform.

"Hold that thought?"  she said, and pulled back, letting Stark go first, and at the same time wondering what may come next. She surely hoped that the stolen moment shared wouldn't be the last.

Re: CH03: S [D06|0945] A Matter of Trust

Reply #29 – May 09, 2019, 06:44:32 PM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, Executive Officer | XO Office | Deck 01 | Vector 01 | USS Theurgy ]Attn: @Auctor Lucan 
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She even breathed like a real person Natalie thought, remembering the quirk from years past, rising to the surface as her friend leaned in. She also chastised herself, because as far as she (and the Federation Legal System) was concerned, Vaynya was a real person. Inorganic, but no less real, with all the agency there in, of any other sentient and sapient creature in the Federation. A third part of Natalie's rapidly fracturing psyche told the other two parts to shut up and enjoy what was happening. They all three found concurrence there, and melded back into place as Nat let her eyes drift half closed, leaning in -

[Commander Stark, you're needed on the bridge,]

For a moment both women hung, frozen in space. Then Natalie swore a mental oath and pulled back, a look of frustration passing over her face, swiftly melting away to sheepish embarrassment. Just what did you think was going to happen, Nat? she asked herself as she tapped her badge with her right hand and swept her hair back into place with her let.

"This is Stark. I'm on my way," she replied to the summons, recognizing the voice and making a promise not to take out the interruption on the young officer. Duty before pleasure, and all that. She rose as did Vanya, and both women set their clothes to order. Smiling softly, the shorter Martian reached out, clasping both of Vanya's hands in her own, and nodded.

"Yes, I would like that a lot. Later," she agreed, and then, "After all, you're crashing at my place for at least tonight. I insist. It'll be like old times." Well....not quite old times, she allowed, before stepping away and leading the android out of the XO's office, and down the corridor to the bridge.

-FIN-