A Denar For Your Thoughts...

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

When the music stopped La'Mara clapped out of politeness, thanking the musicians. She then turned to Christian. "I take it you had fun?" La'Mara asked with a sweet smile. It'd be worth it all if the answer was yes. "Ya know, you weren't too bad helping to tell the story. I do have a question though; where did you learn Greek? I was quite surprised when you spoke it."

La'Mara then very lightly giggled. She quickly put a hand to her mouth. "Sorry."

Tag: Christian

[Commander Christian Hughes]

Christian applauded too, then turned to La'Mara. "Yes," he said, smiling. "I tremendously enjoyed myself." Then she complimented him on his role in story. He assured her that he'd work on it, then got the question where he learned Greek. "Oh," he said, as if it were nothing. "I learned some of it during my Academy time, when I read Homer." He had read it in Greek: there was nothing like the original poem.

Then La'Mara giggled, and acted as if she were acting inappropriately. This puzzled Chris. "Why do you apologise?" he asked her.

Tag: La'Mara

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

"I learned some of it during my Academy time, when I read Homer."

La'Mara was again, surprised. Her eyes also seemed to sparkle with her happiness. Sometimes awe and wonder too. "The whole thing? Not many people bother actually learning Greek or its history, but it is quite fascinating, even if I do say so myself. I can read, write and say a few words in Greek, but I've not exactly had the time to dive in and become a scholar on it." La'Mara pointed with her index finger.

"The food however; have you ever tried it? Not replicated. It's quite delicious. I'm not exactly what you'd call an A one chef, but I have learned to actually cook a few things. Maybe you'd like to try it sometime?"

"Why do you apologise?"

La'Mara sort of lightly blushed as she looked to the ground. She couldn't help it. "I was going to comment on something, seemingly 'cute', but I thought it might be a little inappropriate."

Just then a sheer teal cloth got thrown and landed on La'Mara. "Hey!" She moved her arms about trying to get the fabric off of her. As she was fighting her way out a person came over; a sales person.

"I just knew that color would work on you when I cast it!" The sales person said giddily.

"Cast it?" La'Mara was finally out and balling up the fabric. "Do I look like a fish to be caught in a net to you?!"

"Well, no. But you do look pretty."

La'Mara tossed the fabric back. "Sorry, but I don't have and money, and besides, we're just passing through." La'Mara said politely.

"What about you sir? Don't you think your wife looks fetching in this rare teal color?"

La'Mara put a hand over her mouth and turned her head. She was doing her very best not to laugh until her sides hurt. Something tells me he might not want to watch the sunset from a serene place I know of. Least not after this.

Tag: Christian

[Commander Christian Hughes]

"It'd be lovely," said Christian, smiling at the thought of Greek food. When he asked La'Mara about her apology, she blushed and looked to the ground, and told him she was going to say something was cute. "You don't have to be embarrassed," he said. "You can say everything you like to me and of me." Well, not everything, but almost.

Then there was a whole episode with a merchant trying to sell La'Mara some fabric or another. She frantically tried to get the salesman off her back. Christian could not help laughing. When the merchant turned to him, it became clear that he thought La'Mara was his wife. Christian, embarrassed at this notion, turned red at first.

He recovered. "My wife?" he said, laughing. "You are surely a very perceptive fellow, are you?" The last question was dripping with irony. I must admit it looks good on her, but if she wants the salesman off her back I'll do my best.

Tag: La'Mara

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

"You don't have to be embarrassed," he said. "You can say everything you like to me and of me."

Well that was something very nice to know. Of course La'Mara still would try to be careful, no matter how comfortable she felt around Christian. She was the captain still, though currently off duty. Maybe she'd write something about it or him and let him read it later.

"My wife?" "You are surely a very perceptive fellow, are you?"

Despite her previous thinking La'Mara started to drift off into thought. I wonder what it would be like to be his wife... It was a curious thought. La'Mara was a curious person. She started running her fingers through her long, light curled, strawberry colored hair.

"Naturally. I'm in the business of selling thing." The merchant replied to Christian with a smile.

"We're fine, I mean I'm fine..." Think! "Look! Here come the kings fifty daughters!" La'Mara yelled enthusiastically pointing in the opposite direction. The merchant looked. When he did La'Mara took Christian by the hand and started running. "Sorry about this."

Eventually they ended up where La'Mara wanted to take Christian. It was pretty much an open field, unless you counted the fact that they were at the edge of a cliff with a waterfall below. A lake outstretching into the vast ocean. The sun could be seen slowly sinking in the waters. All an all it was quite a view. La'Mara sat on the edge and sat with one foot hanging over the edge. She patted the grassy ground, next to her. "Care to sit?"

Tag: Christian

[Commander Christian Hughes]

The annoying assidiousness of the merchant unfavourably reminded Christian of Vhat of the Vessel Veer, one of their earlier less pleasant encounters. At a loss for words, Christian was infinitely grateful when La'Mara intervened by distracting the merchant, but he was startled when she took his hand and made a run for it. "Wha-" he began, startled. "Where are we going?"

The place they ended up was beautiful. Christian wondered whether La'Mara had known about it already or whether it had been an exceptionally lucky find. Responding to her question, Christian sat down beside her. "It's breath-taking," he said, gazing at the sunset in the distance.

Tag: La'Mara

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

"It's my favorite spot," La'Mara said, then paused a moment as she thought. "well, okay, one of my favorite spots. There's a place in Evia where you can stand out and see the what seems like the whole Aegean sea. Then there's also a place in Crete that has beautiful forestry with a very small waterfall, flowers, and a babbling brook." La'Mara laied her head on Christian's shoulder. "Very good places to think, or write."

Tag: Christian

(ooc: Was hoping for this to be better but I'm being rushed off the comp.)

[Commander Christian Hughes]

Christian tried to relax when La'Mara laid her head on his shoulder, but some tension remained, as if it just wasn't right. She was his Captain, after all, even if off-duty for the moment. It might help her relax though, one of few rare moments, he reflected, and tried his hardest.

"I can imagine. Do you write often?" he asked her. "And what do you think about?"

Tag: La'Mara

(OOC: I have come to the conclusion that if there is to be any CO/XO affection it has to come from La'Mara's side at first. It's just too much fun for Christian to experience some discomfort at first.)

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

"Whenever I get the chance. There is something to be said for writing, and I don't mean a recording on a PADD. I like to actually replicate paper and a writing utensil like an old ink pen that requires a bottle of ink. Somehow it feels more natural, and sometimes easier to express...well everything and anything." La'Mara explained or more so rather tired to. Her writings always came from the soul, and expressing how it made her feel was something very difficult; not that she had objections. Just, how do you describe ones soul or essence?

The next question. Where to start?

"Before the join I thought mostly about people, life, exploration, adventure, beauty in the world, love." La'Mara looked at Christian. "I still think about those things, but I've also thought of other things. Suffusive to say I hold a lot of contemplation hours about a variety of subjects and things and even people when I'm alone. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking about a past hosts child. I love children."

Tag: Christian

[Commander Christian Hughes]

Writing was rare in this digital day and age, Christian noted. Not as rare on the Orion though. For one, his best friend did the same thing! "Lisa," he started, then corrected himself. "Lieutenant Huygens, I mean, does much the same thing. She actually keeps a handwritten diary." He decided to add in some humour. "Well, I hope you don't write down your reports to Starfleet Command. They'd frown on that!" He chuckled.

"That's sure a lot of food for thought," Christian said, a bit overwhelmed, after he had heard the answer to his second question. "I don't know what I'd do with so many thoughts in my head. It would be a big mess. But then, I'd make a pretty bad Joined Trill anyway." He smiled.

Tag: La'Mara

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

La'Mara laughed at the joke. "Actually..." La'Mara began. "I did do that once. Not to Starfleet command, but when I was working at the Commutations Research Center I became really good friends with the superior officer, and he used to tease me all the time about writing and such. He just found it odd, so I wrote up a report for fun on paper and placed it on his desk. With a little P.S. at the bottom."

Truth be told La'Mara ended up becoming close friends with all the commanding officers she had in her Starfleet life. She never could figure out how or why it always happened. It was just unusually rare a thing to happen. COs generally didn't get chummy with lower ranks. La'Mara could understand why and how it happen on the USS Voyager as they were far from home unintentionally.

"I don't know what I'd do with so many thoughts in my head. It would be a big mess. But then, I'd make a pretty bad Joined Trill anyway."

"Not every Trill that wants to be joined gets to be. So, not every Trill is cut out either. There's a process you have to go through. I do think though, if you were a Trill you'd be good at caring for the Symbionts. You just seem to have a certain good quality about you."

Tag: Christian

[Commander Christian Hughes]

Christian laughed at La'Mara's story about the handwritten reports. "What was the P.S.?" he informed curiously, still laughing. "Paper ain't that bad?" He wouldn't tease La'Mara about writing on paper, not just because he wouldn't do so with Lisa either, but because it wasn't that strange. "People act that way around my glasses, too, sometimes," he admitted.

The conversation turned to the Trill. La'Mara mentioned he'd make a good provider of care to the Symbionts, mentioning a vague 'good quality' to him. Truth be told, Christian didn't know much about Trill society. "Caring for the Symbionts?" he asked. "Don't they transfer from host to host?"

"And what would this good quality be?"

Tag: La'Mara

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

"The P.S. was sort of an inside joke. I don't think Commander Tulsa would be too pleased if I told you. Assuming he still is a commander... Last I remember was he was being asked to be an instructor at Starfleet Academy for some reason. Maybe they had a teacher shortage." La'Mara lightly shrugged. She actually hadn't given it much thought until now.

"People act that way around my glasses, too, sometimes,"

La'Mara smiled. "I don't know why, you actually look kinda cu-" La'Mara caught herself and rephrased. "I mean they suit you." Watch yourself. La'Mara reprimanded. Just because I'm off duty, feel comfortable, and think he's kinda cute is no reason not to watch what I say...

Blast it all! This had never happened before. Even when she was still in the academy La'Mara hadn't really paid much mind to the guys, even if some were nice or nice looking. Sure they hung out sometimes, but she had always been more interested in learning than fraternizing; despite being a hopeless romantic. Starfleet sort of looked down on that anyway.

"Caring for the Symbionts?" "Don't they transfer from host to host?"

"Yes, but it's not really quite as simple as you make it sound. The Trills that care for the Symbionts are unjoined and called guardians. They maintain the underground pools that nurture the Symbionts, they also help new hosts to adjust to the join, and serve the well being."

Sometimes Trill culture could be a bit difficult to explain to people that knew little about it. Also, it could be a bit difficult to grasp even after explained.

"And what would this good quality be?"

This might sound a little bit corny. Strange even. "I know I've not know you for very long, but I think you are one of those people that just have a good heart; caring, do your best, and if possible make peoples burdens a little lighter."

La'Mara then peaked over the edge, down to the waters. A fun idea popped to mind. Fine. Some might call it crazy, but whatever. She looked back over at Christian and smiled.

Tag: Christian

[Commander Christian Hughes]

For a moment, Christian could have sworn that La'Mara called him cute. He blushed inadvertently, then reprimanded himself. What the hell are you thinking? he told himself. She may be a nice woman, but she's still your Captain. You know what the protocols say. But then, she caught herself on the Freudian slip too, so things were alright.

Luckily for Chris, the conversation was diverted from his looks to her inside, so to speak, the Trill. Apparently, people cared for the Symbionts. "Doesn't sound like a job for an autist," he said, distancing himself from the compliment. She did, however, cautiously praise him for a good heart, caring and doing his best. "You mean to say I am a nice man," he summed it up. "I've made a good impression on you."

He returned her smile as soon as he noticed her looking back at him from the cliff's edge.

Tag: La'Mara

[Captain La'Mara Tiho]

"If you want to sum it up that way I suppose you could." La'Mara said softly, as not to make Christian feel uncomfortable then he must already be feeling. Which she didn't mean to make him feel that way if she had at all. "I have an idea." La'Mara stood up and walked about ten paces away from the edge. "Ready?" She then started running and dove off the edge and straight down into the waters. After a couple of minutes she surfaced. "You coming?!" La'Mara called up to Christian as she moved some hair off of her cheek.

Tag: Christian