Commander Lia Rouiancet: Best News of All

[Tony Colella]

(( Walking the Promenade, Deep Space 14, in orbit of New Bajor ))

Nilsen: I guess you've got to get back soon?

Lia was about to slow, to turn, to agree, because surely there was something that she needed to return to do, some work she needed to finish. There was, of course, but even as she slowed, she refused to go back on her word to take some time off. She perused the wide windows of a Bolian milliner's shop instead.

Rouiancet: No, actually. I don't have anywhere to be at all. (looking around) Have you found anywhere else you think is worth a visit?

Nilsen: So, holdodeck is boring, everywhere has one and we’ve done food for now….How about…I know, the arcade. I know the owner, he's got some old, like 300 year old games in there.

Lia looked around the promenade deck. Wasn't this an arcade? But no, not the way that Lhandon had clearly meant it. No, she'd heard that usage before, hadn't she, an arcade as a place full of games? Before she could ask, Lhandon interrupted himself.

Nilsen: I haven’t caught you up on this yet, I got a boyfriend now. He’s Eli Kovacs, he’s down in engineering.

If Lia had been eating or drinking anything, she would've spit it out.

Rouiancet: You are?! Congratulations!

She knew of Ensign Kovacs, since he was another transfer from the 'Oumuamua, but she hadn't ever had a conversation with him. That, she resolved, was going to change soon.

Rouiancet: How long has it been?

Nilsen: We met on that Alpha Brenkelvi mission when he worked in ops for a little bit, then we got chatting and I asked him for a date and we kinda went from there.

Rouiancet: (big smile) That sounds like the way it goes. Seriously, congratulations! How are you feeling about it so far?

If they'd only met at Alpha Brenkelvi, and had been dating for less time than that, then it could only be, at most, months. Time enough, though, to know if things were going well or catastrophically, though Lia very much hoped the former.

Nilsen: Response

Rouiancet: On the contrary, it sounds like I might be keeping you! I hope you two have been able to spend more time together this leave?

Nilsen: Response

Rouiancet: Sure, absolutely. Let's hit the arcade, and then I promise I'll keep relaxing if you promise to spend some quality time with him. Deal?

She doubted she had to convince him, but she also didn't want him to feel beholden to her, especially since he'd taken the important first step of convincing her to peek out of her office.

Nilsen: Response

I figure now we can do a fade to black as they head off to the arcade...

Tags! and END SCENE for Rouiancet!

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Commander Lia Rouiancet

Commanding Officer

USS Octavia E. Butler

V238208LV0

she/her/hers (this character)