(Untitled)

[ol_yellow_eyes]

Data is in the bar with his cat today, occupying one of the booths. Spot is standing on the table with his face in a bowl of (apparently delicious) cat food, next to which is a datapad that his owner is currently studying

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[notimewarp]

Back in London, putting a lead on his dog is second nature to Tim. Here in Milliways, not so much. Colin's past the point where he feels the need to wander, and usually stays fairly close by -- Even when Tim's ignoring him by way of scribbling madly in his sketchbook.

Today is one of those days. Tim is colouring, and Colin is being lazy by his feet (lately, they both have begun to feel the need to get out of the apartment and away from the mad woman they live with).

Until, that is, a soft mew piques the dog's interest. He gets up to find the source of the strange noise, eventually making his way over to the man and the animal in his arms.

He barks once. He does not mean either of them harm, but rather, just wants to see what the animal is, and why it is in the bar.

[ol_yellow_eyes]

Data and Spot both turn to look at the visitor.

"Hello," the android greets pleasantly.

The cat mews somewhat loudly, not in a threatening way but as if to say, "Hey, that food on the table is mine. What do you want?" --the last dog Spot met in Milliways stole some of his meal, so he can only assume that this one is after the same thing.

[notimewarp]

Colin's little stump of a tail begins to move furiously, and he barks excitedly.

This in turn alerts his owner, who comes over to retrieve his wandering dog.

"Sorry, mate," Tim says, picking the dog up from the ground. "He's not bothering you, is he?"

Colin, now at almost eye-level with Data, tries to lick him.

[ol_yellow_eyes]

"Not at all," Data assures the man. He offers the back of his hand to the canine for inspection. "Your dog seems very friendly," he observes.

Spot glances up at his owner, as if to say, "What, you're not going to pet me anymore?"

[notimewarp]

"He's all right," Tim says indifferently. "He's not actually mine. We just can't stand my flatmate right now."

Well, it makes sense to him.

[ol_yellow_eyes]

"Why is that?" Data asks, curious.

[notimewarp]

Tim shrugs and struggles for words for a moment.

"Well... she's pregnant, isn't she?"

[ol_yellow_eyes]

"Oh." Data's eyes practically light up.

"Is that not a good thing?"

[notimewarp]

"You never been around a pregnant woman before?" Tim asks, baffled.

He's stopped paying attention to his dog, which is never a good thing when food is in close proximity. Catfood or not, Colin decides he wants it.

[ol_yellow_eyes]

Data thinks back to the period of time when one of his friends, Keiko O'Brien, was pregnant. He remembers some odd behavior, including rapid mood swings. He had quickly learned the cause.

"I have," he replies. "Are you referring to the manner in which hormonal changes can sometimes result in unpleasant variances in mood?"

[notimewarp]

Tim laughs. "What are you? A robot or something?" he asks.

This is him being tactful.

[ol_yellow_eyes]

If anything, Data is probably impressed with this man's powers of perception.

"That is correct," he replies. "More specifically, I am an android."

[notimewarp]

Tim clears his throat awkwardly. "Oh," he says, not expecting that.

In his mind, robots are something that more resemble R2-D2.

"What's that like?"

[ol_yellow_eyes]

Data blinks, looking somewhat uncertain.

"I am not certain that I have anything with which to compare it," Data replies. "It is all that I know.

"Was there some specific aspect of my existence that you were referring to? Perhaps my specifications, or my social interactions with human beings?"

Meanwhile, Spot is eyeing the dog. He seems to have figured out what Colin wants.

[notimewarp]

"Uhh..."

Tim hates it when his cheeky remarks come back to bite him on the arse. That seems to happen a lot round here, he notices.

While he tries to figure out the next logical thing to say, Colin manages to get close enough to the cat food and starts going to town on it.

And it IS delicious!

[ol_yellow_eyes]

Spot jumps out of Data's arms and onto the table. "Mmrrrow," he warns, taking a somewhat defensive posture on the other side of the bowl. His tail whips back and forth.

"Spot. Be nice," Data scolds. It does not seem to have much of an effect. (Data does not have much control over his cat, in general.)