Lt. Robin Hopper: Knowing Me, Knowing You
Lt. JG Kivik
((Peace Park, Amity Outpost))
Tidrid: Well, hello, Robin Hopper. I'm Tidrid.
Robin smiled up at the tall dark and handsome hoverball player, subconsciously wrapping a lock of her chestnut-brown hair around her finger and playing with it flirtatiously.
Hopper: Nice to meet you, Tidrid. I just stepped off a transport and was taking a look around, actually. I don’t suppose you’d like to–
Istrol: What's taking you so long, Atda?!
Suddenly, a boy – perhaps around ten or twelve years old - emerged from behind the adonis.
Tidrid: Forgive me, children can be so impatient. This is Istrol, my son.
Robin felt her heart sink, just a little, at the sight of the boy – and she moved her hand from her hair down to her other arm, now feeling uncertain. But she wasn’t about to make any assumptions.
Hopper: Hey, Istrol. My name’s Robin. I just ran into your dad. You guys were playing hover ball, huh? Awesome! ::Looking around:: Is your mom playing too?
The boy looked up at her and shook his head silently. oO Interesting… Oo Before she could ask any more questions though, another boy emerged – this one quite different from young Istrol in both appearance and manner. oO Perhaps Tidrid works in childcare. Ohhh I hope he does. Oo
Ayeden: Hello. I'm Ayeden.
Robin smiled and offered a small playful wave to Ayeden.
Hopper: Nice to meet you too! ::Glancing up at Tidrid:: This is a lovely park! Do you bring the boys here often?
Tidrid activated the hoverball, causing it to light up, before he threw it towards the boys. It hung in the air between them.
Tidrid: Boys, why don't you go ahead and get back to the game.
Istrol: Sure.
Ayeden: Okay!
As the two children ran off back towards the open field, Tidrid looked back at Robin.
Tidrid: Sorry about that. So you were saying something?
Robin tucked her hands behind her back and chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed as she began to realize the absurdity of the situation. She’d been rather caught off guard by Tidrid’s sudden appearance – and now felt a little flustered. His charismatic, yet reserved, responses made her wonder if he also felt a little uncomfortable.
Hopper: Ha ha hehh… I’m sorry. You’re very handsome and I just… ::Smiling and trying to ‘reset’:: You’re married, aren’t you?
Tidrid raised a hand, looking rather like he was confessing something. She inadvertently looked for a ring.
Tidrid: Actually, I'm here with my wife...
Hopper: ::Raising a hand to her forehead in embarrassment:: Ohhh yeah. Yeah, of course. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean… ::Laughing at the awkwardness of it all:: I completely respect that – and I’m sorry if I made things weird.
oO Just own it Hops. Oo
Hopper: ::Scrunching her nose:: Yeah, I made things weird. Let’s start over. ::Smiling genuinely:: Nice to meet you, Tidrid – you seem like you have a lovely family. ::Looking about:: Is your wife here as well?
Tidrid: Yeah, she's partaking in one of the yoga classes. Have you ever done it?
Robin nodded, raising her eyebrows as she recalled her ill-fated attempt at joining a Yoga class aboard the Wall Street. Something about ‘Navasana’ had caused her prosthetic leg to freeze up and remain rigidly locked for nearly six hours.
Hopper: ::Smirking:: Not very successfully! I prefer dancing – keeping things moving. But Yoga’s been practiced on Earth for thousands of years, so it must be doing something right.
Tidrid: It's not something we have on Betazed, although I suppose there are some similar exercises. Still, I'm sure you've heard that if there's one thing you can count on Rivi Vataix for, it's to try new things.
Robin suddenly clammed up, her normally-bubbly personality dropping out of her like someone had just opened a trap-door below her.
Hopper: … Did… Did you say Rivi Vataix? As in… Ambassador–
Before Tidrid could reply, or indeed before Robin could complete her sentence, she heard a warm voice from behind her and, turning around, found herself face-to-face with Ambassador Niarivi Vataix. Tidrid’s wife. oO Oh God. Oo
Vataix: There you are, Imzadi!
While she had never traveled to Betazed, nor paid much attention to their oft-vaunted tabloids, she had served aboard the Wall Street with – and briefly dated – Egan Retel. The sensitive young Ops officer had spoken quite highly of Betazed’s Noble families… though he’d always jokingly described himself as ‘just a simple commoner’. According to Egan, every single Noble was as glamorous as they were tenacious.
Robin gulped. Even in her workout outfit, towel around her neck, and yoga mat under her arm, Ambassador Vataix did look glamorous. She radiated a regal energy and a warmth that would have put Robin instantly at ease – if she hadn’t just been flirting with her new boss’s husband.
Vataix: Oh, hello!
oO Don’t. Be. Weird. Oo
Hopper: Hi! ::Pause:: Ambassador! ::Pause:: This is unexpected. ::Trying to recover:: I’m Robin… Lieutenant Hopper, that is – I’m your new transfer from the USS Wall Street.
Vataix: Ah, welcome to Amity Outpost. I'm Niarivi Vataix, Daughter of the Eleventh House of Betazed. But please, call me Rivi.
Hopper: ::Nodding:: Sure thing. Thank you, Rivi. I hadn’t planned on our first meeting being quite so, hmm, informal. ::Smiling, a bit embarrassed still:: But I can’t say your timing isn’t impeccable.
Vataix: I see you've met Amity's "First Gentleman" as the press calls him.
Tidrid shook his head, rolling his eyes just slightly. Robin let out a small controlled breath of relief – happy to have the conversation shift off her, even if just for a moment. She wondered, momentarily, if he had summoned his wife telepathically to rescue him.
That said, Ambassador Vataix – Rivi – seemed like a very lovely woman. If she had caught on to Robin’s earlier intentions, she didn’t seem to hold it against her. Robin supposed some Betazoids did feel differently about these sorts of things… In fact, she supposed, one would probably have to, given their gifts for sensing the thoughts and feelings of others.
Tidrid: I still haven't gotten used to that nickname.
Hopper: Yes. I unintentionally intercepted their hoverball match. ::Looking to Tidrid:: He was very kind – ::Looking back to Rivi:: And your boys seem lovely as well.
Vataix/Tidrid: Response
Robin put both her hands on her hips, encouraged and heartened by Vataix’s energy.
Hopper: Well, as unorthodox as this meeting is, I’m happy to ‘talk shop’ if you like, Rivi. ::Smiling:: I’m buzzing with excitement to get started, actually!
Vataix/Tidrid: Response
Hopper: ::Smiling:: Two years aboard a deep space science vessel has me excited to ‘spread my wings’ a little, so to speak. I hear your Science Center is fairly expansive – a far cry from our cramped quarters aboard the Wall Street. ::Waving her hand playfully:: Not that I would take any of it back!
Vataix/Tidrid: Response
Hopper: I’m happy to speak to any of that. What would you like to know?
Vataix/Tidrid: Response
TBC
