Starbase Epsilon-Day 33-Evening (Open to all who came on the Enterprise at the starbase)

[green_psyd]

David had walked by the karaoke bar that he'd seen a few times and even sung in once or twice in these last few days. It was full of people, many from the Enterprise, he noted.  He'd watched from the doors for a while before walking away. Instead of lingering in a highly populated area he decided he needed to clear his head. He found an observation

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[physicalstimuli]

Saval could never admit to having mixed feelings about his new assignment, because that would entail admitting to having feelings at all. He'd never taken well to change, always preferred to stay with what was easy and familiar and comfortable rather than venturing into the unknown. He hadn't planned to stay on Starbase Epsilon for a minute longer than necessary when he'd still had a planet and wife to go back to, but now this freezing metal hulk was the only home he had left, and he didn't want to leave it for something even less predictable.

He didn't know whether the Enterprise would constitute a fresh start or not, when Spock was there to remind him of everything from his past that he'd actually wanted to lose. The one thing Starfleet had given him was a welcome chance to reinvent himself, and now he'd be serving under the only person alive who knew him for the vicious coward he used to be. But even so, he couldn't object to seeing a familiar face. So few Vulcans had that luxury now.

He hadn't expected to be alone on the observation deck the night before an important transfer. It seemed that his new Orion crewmate had had the same idea. Saval recognized him vaguely by sight, as the man was difficult to miss.

"I believe we are bound for the same ship," he said absently, gazing out the window. "You are assigned to the Enterprise, aren't you?"

[green_psyd]

David turned around at the voice. He also recognized the Vulcan. Aliens tended to be the minority which made picking out if you'd seen a person before that much easier. Humans all looked the same, anyway. Alright, that wasn't true. But they certainly didn't look as varied as an alien in a lot of them.

He pushed his hands into his pockets and nodded with a smile, "Looks like it."

Vulcans weren't touchy people, so the books said. So David kept his hands in his pockets. He thought for a moment to pull out his hand and split his finger customarily. But it felt trite especially still so close to Vulcan's destruction.

"I'm David, by the way," he introduced. It was nice to be able to look at someone in the eye as apposed to feeling as if he should scrunch down to accommodate them.

[physicalstimuli]

Not everyone was considerate or knowledgeable enough not to offer a handshake, and Saval was always more favorably inclined from the start towards people who didn't. He nodded, offering the traditional Vulcan salute himself out of habit.

"Saval." Among other Vulcans, he would think nothing of including his title in a casual introduction. Humans, though, seemed to consider it pretentious, and so he'd long since stopped bothering with the 'Doctor.'

"Where are you transferring from? I am sure I have not seen you here prior to a few days ago."

[green_psyd]

While David didn't necessarily think it was pretentious to introduce yourself with your title, he didn't introduce himself this way because it would quickly turn to the type of doctor David was. And many times the other person became immediately wary of him.

Though he admitted to wondering how a Vulcan would react with their lack of expressed emotions.

"I worked at the Academy. It was highly suggested that I join the Enterprise. And by highly suggested I mean did everything but push me into the shuttle. I'm exaggerating. But this wasn't in my immediate plans," he said, looking out at the ship again. "What about you? Do you--I assume you work at the station."

[physicalstimuli]

Vulcans tended to avoid therapists like the plague, for fear of being compelled to talk about feelings and other such nasty things. Right now, though, Saval would be willing to risk it anyway.

"I do--until tomorrow, of course. I have been stationed in the sickbay as a general surgeon for the past eleven months." He hadn't been the very best of the xenobiology students at the Academy, but apparently he'd been talented enough to trust with the oddly-placed internal organs of a bunch of red-blooded aliens. He thought he'd done a pretty good job.

"I cannot say this transfer was in my plans either, though I really had none to speak of. I would prefer to be on New Vulcan right now, but clearly that will have to wait." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted the bitterness of them. He should be showing much more restraint, especially when making a first impression on a new crewmate. The last thing he wanted was a reputation for showing emotion.

"What exactly is your field?" he asked, changing the subject as he realized he hadn't a clue what this guy did or which department he was in. He wasn't in any kind of uniform.

[green_psyd]

He nodded at Saval's explanation of his job on the station. And he gave a look at Saval's body signals and even voice when Saval spoke of his opinion on his destined career turn. He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced down at the floor. He wouldn't dig. He would not dig. Not digging.

Despite the temptation being strong to continue down the road of Saval's disgruntlement, he was relieved when the topic changed. Though he wasn't exactly overjoyed at the subject.

"Doctor," he said and waited a beat. "Counselor." He nodded and took a subject change for himself. He had every right to twist the conversation in a different direction as Saval had! "It's good to know that there'll be a doctor with experience in shades of blood other than red," he said with a grin.

"I'm sorry that you aren't getting to spend time on New Vulcan. I can imagine that it can be a little frustrating," David said and bit his lip with a sigh. That psychologist shovel had sneaked up on him out of nowhere! He looked out to the ship again and closed his eyes briefly, quietly chastising his sensibilities that he could have sworn he had at some point in his life.

[physicalstimuli]

Saval's immediate instinct was to shut down as soon as he heard the word 'counselor'--not deliberately, or out of any kind of malice, but simply because Vulcans didn't think of counselors as people whose services they would ever need. He certainly wasn't going to talk about anything personal.

"Yes, I am pleased that I will have at least one crewmate whose physiology I will be more familiar with," he said. It was a relief, even though Orions were hardly identical to Vulcans--of which Saval wouldn't be the only one, so really, there would be at least two easy-to-treat crewmates. Had Saval been unaware of what David did for a living, he might have mentioned this, but he wasn't about to risk bringing Spock up now. That was one relationship he was not up for having analyzed.

David's question wasn't much more welcome, though, and Saval debated ignoring it altogether in favor of another subject chang, but...no, that would be much ruder than he wanted to be when making an impression on a new colleague. His expression took on that peculiar Vulcan slate-blank quality, and he contemplated the most logical, neutral answer he could give.

"It is true that I believe my professional services would be better utilized there. However, I am well aware of Starfleet's dire shortage of personnel, and I cannot say their decision to assign me here is illogical. It is simply a matter of my priorities differing from those of my superiors."

[green_psyd]

"Fair enough," David replied to Saval's last statement. Saval might be outwardly unemotional but he could sense that the topic was hands off. And even though David was extremely intrigued by Saval, the whole Vulcan race and practices, he would work hard not to cross any boundaries.

"How familiar are you with Orion physiology specifically?" David asked, deciding that this conversation might be a little less intrusive. "I know that humans don't really have much knowledge in the subject. Do Vulcan's have any more of an extensive knowledge?" He licked his lips. "I'm under the impression that Orions didn't exactly give their physiology away to anyone." He smiled a little. "But I don't really know much about...it...them really. So."

He left it open.