Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kiama Naim (Chief Science Officer) in CSO’s Office - Icebreakers and Appetisers

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Namid Argimeau (Scientific Intelligence Officer) in CSO’s Office - Icebreakers and Appetisers

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kiama Naim (Chief Science Officer) in CSO’s Office - Icebreakers and Appetisers
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(Snip!)

Their gaze drifted through Kiama’s nook, unwittingly gravitating to the Eastern Murex they’d discussed a week prior. Week. Namid struggled to accept a mere week elapsed since they met Kiama. It wasn’t like an “I feel like I’ve known you forever” kind of jazz, but it felt longer than a week. Perhaps it was the way she made them feel. Content? Exhilarated? Curious? Namid could ascribe a host of words to the feeling, but none of them felt right. Maybe it was too soon to tell. It’d only been a week after all. Namid scowled inwardly at the thought.

“Oh, no. I’m okay…” Namid assured with a minute smile and took the seat across from her desk. “What’s on your work agenda today?” They sensed the awkwardness in her tone and tried to remedy it with a standard question. Whether it’d work was up in the air. But it was worth a shot. Awaiting her answer, Namid slung their bag over the chair and pulled a PaDD from its depths. They didn’t have much else but analyses and reports to write. Simple enough.

— Namid Argimeau

After getting a cup of herbal tea for herself, Kiama slipped onto her chair and said, “Feel free to help you to anything if you change your mind.” She then let her gaze travel across her desk before looking at Namid again as she continued, “Just some paper work. I have a few reports to write and the duty roster needs a few adjustments. What about you?” Lifting her cup, Kiama took a small sip. She seemed - and felt - a little more relaxed, less nervous and awkward than a few moments ago. Talking about something so ordinary as reports and duty rosters had helped settle her nerves a little. Even though she still felt like a giddy and hormonal teenager, though with slightly more control over what she was doing.

~Kiama Naim

Namid scraped at a small, nearly undetectable spot on their PaDD. It mocked them with pings and reminders that Argimeau set themself but somehow became a testament to their forgetfulness. “Nothing nearly as exciting as paperwork…” Ami shifted their gaze to Kiama, relaxing when they noticed the ease tempering her tension. “I’ve got a few reports to submit,” they waved the PaDD, “and metabolomic analysis of a ghouri’i plant.” An earnest, wonder-filled glint touched their eyes as they mentioned their research. Kiama had likely been on the receiving end of their countless reports speculating the medicinal properties of the alien plant. They trusted they would soon know for sure.

Eased by their idle conversation, Namid knew they could and would babble for hours, but duty urged them to fall quiet. Their attention to work didn’t stop them, however, from tossing her the occasional lopsided grin or fleeting glance.

– Namid Argimeau

OOC: Hey Trin, I’m so sorry. I thought I had already replied to our thread.
OOC: No worries! It happens to the best of us. :)

IC:
“I can’t wait to read your next report about the ghouri’i plant,” Kiama replied sincerely, grinning at Namid before bowing her head slightly as she pulled up the duty roster. For a while she worked in silence. Well, near silence as she sometimes muttered something inaudible to herself. It was a habit friends had teased her about before and something she was never aware of doing. Now and then she glanced up from her work to look at Namid. Every time she laid eyes on them, especially if their gaze met, she felt the butterflies in her stomach move a lot.

Namid halted, tattoed fingers hovering over a mass spectrometry report. Her comment enlivened them with unfounded joy that touched their lips in the form of a grin. But, ever-pervasive anxiety crept into their thoughts. Really? They questioned, aching to rid themself of their innate tension. To mild success, they dismissed it with a string of self-assured musings. But the sentiment lingered.

Once the duty roster and the most important reports where done, Kiama looked up once again. Her head tilted to the side she watched Namid thoughtfully for a moment before asking, “So I have read your reports about the ghouri’i plant and it sounds fascinating. No question there. But outside of what good something might do, I’m always curious to hear why someone finds a certain plant, or phenomenon or whatever fascinating on a personal level?”

~Kiama Naim

Namid peeked up from their reports, pensively chewing on their cheek. “It’s…” They furrowed their eyebrows and briefly glanced away to gather thoughts, “…er.” How did they go about explaining their connection to the ghouri’i plant? Was it simple curiosity? Well, yes. But it was more than that. “What else do you have to do today?” Namid asked somewhat spontaneously. “And can it wait?”

If they couldn’t describe what fascinated them, maybe they could show her.

—Namid Argimeau

“I have a few more reports to read and to write, but everything that needs to be done today is done. So yes, the rest of my work can definitely wait,” Kiama replied with a wide smile as blood rushed into her cheeks. She felt all giddy again. Like a child the morning of their birthday. And yet she was also nervous. It had been a long time she had felt like this about anyone. Especially this intensely and so quickly. She always cared deeply for the people she loved. And she loved easily. Maybe too easily at times. But this felt different to what she felt for Faye or any of her other friends both on the Manhattan and in other parts of the galaxy.

~Kiama Naim

“Awesome!” Namid leapt to their feet in a breath of simple joy. They clicked off their PaDD and shoved it into a lifeless, standard-issue bag and glanced at Kiama. “There’s something I want to show you,” sheepish laughter touched their eyes, “I don’t think my explaining it will do it justice. I’ve got a bad habit of putting my foot in my mouth.” Namid hoisted the bag over their shoulder and extended a hand for Kiama. Anxiety instantly washed over them in a cold sweat. Too forward? They expressed themself through playful jabs and shoulder nudges, but it was different for Kiama. Their gesture wasn’t frivolous nor shallow. And yet, they still couldn’t put a name to the way it twisted their gut. “What do you say?” They cleared their throat and wiggled their hand in fabricated playfulness. “Up for a fieldtrip?”

— Namid Argimeau