LtCmdr Jovenan – You gotta be the nicest and prettiest couple I’ve ever met
Jovenan
((Brew Continuum, Deck 3, USS Artemis))
Talos’ and Sam Richards’ relationship had come as a surprise to Jovenan. It wasn’t because they wouldn’t have been a great match – as far as Jovenan could see, they’d make a perfect couple – but because she hadn’t known that the two had even met. The way she learnt about the relationship also contributed to the surprise; she had now been on lunch with both of them this shore leave, but between them, it had been her newer acquaintance that had spilled the news.
She had known Talos for a few years now, and while the time spent with Richards only accounted to a few hours at maximum, she could tell that the Amity scientist was an intelligent and kind person. The way the red-headed scientist seemed to adore his goofiness reminded Jovenan of her experiences with Talos over the years, making it even more certain for her that the two were going to be great together.
Jovenan: He is, but he can be caring and sensitive too. He must be very lucky to meet you, you seem a great person too!
Richards blinked heavily a few times, leaving Jovenan to wonder why such a reaction.
S. Richards: Thank you, ::smiling:: That really means a lot.
Jovenan: Have you known each other for long?
S. Richards: Uh, not for very long, ::nodding:: a few months.
Jovenan nodded, though she wasn’t quite sure what it meant. Moving from meeting to a relationship in a few months seemed quick, considering that it had taken much longer for Jovenan to get comfortable with her friends. Then again, the entire concept of dating was very different in her own culture and the human and Betazoid courting practises were somewhat alien to her, so she didn’t know for how long such a move should take. A far more interesting question was, how did it start, considering that “a few months” ago could mean right after the Battle of Frontier Day. Although the pastries had run out and her shift was starting soon, Jovenan wanted to stay a little longer and learn more.
Jovenan: So, how did you meet, then? ::waves hands sideways a few times:: You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I’m just curious, and I hadn’t heard any of this before.
She regretted immediately snooping around other people’s affairs. Richards, luckily, didn’t seem to mind.
S. Richards: Oh, no it’s fine! We met in a bar in San Francisco and just kind of hit it off. ::sipping the last bit of her drink:: It sounds pretty cliche, but we came together at a dark time after Frontier Day. I can’t help but think of him as one of those silver linings.
Jovenan: Sounds just lovely to me!
Not too familiar with the clichés of romance, their meeting only appeared to Jovenan as very nice… for someone far more social than she was. And considering how invaluable help her friends had been to Jovenan after the death of her sister-across-the-universes and after the Frontier Day, the two helping each other at the worst times made her only happy.
Unexpectedly, Richards reach for Jovenan’s side of the table and patted her hand. Jovenan’s initial reaction was to look up eyes wide, since she had set herself a rule not to touch others so not to discomfort them, but as it had been Richards who had initiated the gesture, she calmed down and smiled.
S. Richards: Thank you, for taking the time to talk with me. I know you have to get to your shift. Hopefully I will see you around before I head back to Amity, but if I don’t, I have a feeling I might be around here more often.
Jovenan: I hope you’ll do! Thank you for coming to talk to me. I’ll have to look up some of your research papers for the next time so that we’ll have something more intelligent to talk about than just Talos.
Despite Richards’ hopes that she would be back more often, Jovenan wondered how the relationship would affect the two in the long run. Long distance relationships were a thing, of course, but rarely did they expand the entire galaxy. Would either of them move to so different locale for the other? As they stood up from the table, Jovenan decided that it wasn’t her job to worry about it; she would support her friend if he ever brought it up, but not earlier.
Before they departed, Richards walked around the table to give Jovenan a quick hug. Every second with the other scientist made Jovenan like her more; too few of her friends were willing to share a casual hug like this.
S. Richards: I’ll see you around Jovenan. Stay safe out there. Let’s keep in touch okay?
Jovenan: Absolutely! You too!
End scene
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11