Posted by Lieutenant Orvos Legen (Chief Engineer) in Lounge - Post Dinner Rush

Posted by Civilian Marishka (Lounge Host) in Lounge - Post Dinner Rush

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Stark Nightstalker (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Lounge - Post Dinner Rush
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
snip
“I apologize if I sounded blunt before, but I get fed up with innuendo, half-truths and what they calling “beating around the bush”. I’m really much better at killing people than I am at talking to them… present company excluded of course”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Marishka laughed and smiled thinking ‘Ah yes, you say that now.’ she wanted to quip.

“I suppose I can understand. When one part of your nature is called on more than another it can be incredibly frustrating. There is always a little truth in what I say. I suspect most people are intelligent enough to find it but lazy enough not to want too. Present company excluded of course.”

• Marishka

Stark smiled, “Truth within jest, blunt innuendo, heart hidden on the sleeve, you’ve obviously been through hell and back, as have I, as has Orvos. His frustration with you is a compliment by the way, most people he simply ignores, you should be flattered”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Marishka couldn’t help a small bit of laughter but managed to calm herself before she spoke.

“I don’t think that man would know how to flatter a woman if she begged for it, which I am not. In case I am wrong I will take your words under advisement.” she said with a charming smile, “Now you said I could ask you a question. If you know why I’m here, why is my behavior important as long as I get the job done?”

Marishka was interested in his answer for several reasons. Stark was the CIO after all and she was curious to know more about how he viewed things. She was also considering the ramifications of her behavior in case she stayed aboard the ship.

• Marishka

“An honest question that requires an honest answer,” he said dark eyes distant like a universe within a star, “I am Caitian, when I bond, I bond for life. I bond with all who I accept as family and that means I have to be very careful who I bond with. You’re important to my bonded sister and seemingly making moves on my bonded brother, that makes you very, very important and worthy of further study in case the time comes where I consider the blood bond with you and you become family as well.” He paused and then continued, ” I take family commitments more seriously than my own life”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Marishka gave the moment a respectful silence.

“I believe I understand. I’ve known several Caits in my life but they rarely spoke of such things. I could sense you were different from the beginning though. I appreciate your answer.”

She paused for a moment and slowly looked around the room before looking back into Stark’s dark eyes.

“I can’t help but being unorthodox but I am not here to hurt anyone that doesn’t, by all rights, deserve to be.” she said quietly.

• Marishka

“I hear that,” Stark said with a tight grin that showed a sharp canine, “Your motivations are your own and unorthodox can often just be a misnomer for a misunderstanding of said motivations.” He sighed, “Orvos is super serious, I’m super paranoid and you’re super “unorthodox”. We were bound to clash a little but stop and think for a second of the nature of our relationship if we were to collaborate…” He smiled again and his eyes blazed, ‘Look out…”

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Marishka returned his smile.

“Now there you see, I have nothing against collaboration but sometimes I understand it to be better done in degrees. I’m willing to entertain anything either one of you are willing to say or put in front of me.”

Marishka paused and laughed a bit.

“That was one of the times where no innuendo was intended. I’m just here to work. Whether it is as a simple bar tender or a complicated part of something bigger, only the fates will tell. And I am not putting moves on anyone.” she added.

• Marishka

“Message received,” Stark said quietly, “and no doubt Orvos has been eavesdropping on this conversation and gets it too”. Stark looked around for the inevitable bug or remote.

OOC: Now that’s an interesting thought…lol!

IC: Orvos’s eyes went wide at hearing that. Yes, he had been eavesdropping, with good reason. Thankfully, the tiny piece of technology he had left behind had its own personal camouflage and was invisible to most sensors.

-Lt. Orvos Legen, CE

Stark sighed and it seemed the breath that came out carried decades of worry out into the ether. “I have a personal request if you’d be so kind as to entertain it”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO

Marishka studied Stark. If she ever entertained thought she might find herself attracted to him but, that was off the table for a multitude of reasons. She had recently learned what it was like to have a platonic male friend and that’s all Stark would ever be. Orvos was to be determined later.

“I will entertain it, of course. What’s your request?”

• Marishka

“My nephew S’Raal and his wife T’Pon are expecting a youngster any day now. As I stated family is very important to me and I would like to enlist your aide as a protector of the family. They are a target and several attempts on the child’s life have already been thwarted.” He paused, “your skills are evident and I’m asking you because I need every ally I can find. I need an ace in the hole for the inevitable day when my foes find a way around me, I would, of course, owe you a life debt for this but I’m willing to bet that you would do this thing even if there was nothing in it for you, you’re a good person”.

Stark Nightstalker CIO