: Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Simon Andrews (Chief of Security) in COS' Quarters
: : Posted by Lieutenant Marina Jusaro (Chief Science Officer) in COS' Quarters
: : : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Simon Andrews (Chief of Security) in COS' Quarters
: : : : Posted by Lieutenant Marina Jusaro (Chief Science Officer) in COS' Quarters
: : : : : Posted by Lieut (j.g.) Simon Andrews (Chief of Security) in COS' Quarters
: : <snip>
: : : : : Simon watched her as she began eating. He hadn't thought of himself as particularly domestic, or romantic, but there was just something right, something warm and comforting about this moment and he wanted it to last.
: : : : :
: : : : : "I will have to remember about the rasberries for the next time. Assuming of course that you're open to a next time.
: : : : :
: : : : Marina looked up at him for a moment, as if pondering the question. Seeming to need longer to respond, she sipped some of the coffee before replying. "I am open to it…"
: : :
: : : He favored her with a big grin, "I'm glad to hear that. It was really nice sleeping with you, even if we just slept.
: : : : :
: : "I agree. But I should warn you that it is a somewhat difficult thing for me. I cannot say I have experience with men, very little in fact, and there are certain…
: : complications in my life, especially now that have made it very difficult to have even normal friendships, Marina said softly.
:
: "Well I have to admit that I don't have much experience with women either. As far as the complications, well that's what I like about you.
: :
: : : : : Spring is actually my favorite season, but I really like the summer too. I don't like the cold much, so I'm not really a huge fan of winter."
: : : : :
: : : : : Simon
: : : :
: : : : "You probably wouldn't like Zalda much then, or where my maternal family lives. Zalda's only surviving landmasses, which are tiny, are near the poles and are cold and rather wind-blown. And my mother's parents have a winery near the foot of the Alps. Beautiful summers, snowy winters…" Marina said with a grin. "Though I should say that most of the platform cities on Zalda are more equatorial, so they are warmer overall.
: : : :
: : : : Jusaro, CSO
: : :
: : : "I think I'd have to stick to the platform cities then," he replied, "Unless I had some way to keep warm."
: : :
: : : Simon, COS
: :
: : It was either fortunate or unfortunate that Marina didn't get innuendo or at least didn't read too deeply into things. "Well, there are some wonderful outer-garments you can get there. Very light but very warm. My father brought me back a jacket one year when I was a child. The piece only weighed 750 grams but kept me warm through Iadara's worst winter."
: :
: : Jusaro, CSO
:
: Simon's grin turned to a smirk as he realized she had not gotten his point. He was about to point this out to her, but decided at the last minute not to. That would be a conversation for another day.
:
: "That is good information," he said trying as best he could to keep his expression deadpan.

Marina simply nodded once and tore off the end of her croissant, popping it in her mouth. There was something comforting about the buttery, flaky layers of a croissant that never failed to relax her just a little bit. It was a small piece of life with her mother that she still truly missed. She pondered her grandparents for a moment, wondering what they were up to. They were back and forth between France and Mars fairly regularly and wondered if they had decided about their retirement yet. Not that they were very elderly, but Marina knew they had pondered finally settling down permanently on Earth or not. It was a call for later that she really should do. They knew about what was going on in her life lately, but had been gracious enough to let her bring it up when she needed to only.

Marina continued to eat, used to simply consuming her food and hurrying off to her shift. She also wasn't sure what else to say to Simon.

Jusaro, CSO