Spock was a great many things, some of them even negative (i.e. kind of an asshole to that Ensign in Tactical), but the man was rarely late
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Marla had arrived late and managed to slip into the party unnoticed, which she was thankful for. Tardiness was something she was kind of known for, and she'd really prefer to not have it brought up yet again. Not her fault she tended to take her time making herself look presentable. Nothing too flashy, just an old dress that she found with her things.
She was not quite sure why she'd decided to attend anyway, besides perhaps the change of scenery from her quarters. She took a seat in a quieter corner, crossing her legs and taking a look around, hands folded protectively over the old paperback copy of Les Miserables that was in her lap. Never hurt to be prepared for boredom, after all. Somehow in her head reading at a party would look less odd than leaving early.
If Marla had wanted to spend the whole night hiding in the corner, she was going to be sorely disappointed. Angela spotted her bright red hair from across the room, and frowned to herself. Not having a blast was not okay. Marla was her new mission for the evening - Bones and Mira could sort themselves out, and if they didn't, she would just harass them again later.
She poured a second glass of champagne, and headed straight for Marla, reminding herself to try not to be overwhelming (a difficult task indeed). "Marla!" she greeted the woman cheerfully. "You can't sit in the corner all night. Here." Angela practically shoved the glass of champagne at the other woman. "Drink up. Relax!"
Angela, though uninvited, took a seat next to Marla. "What's that? You brought a book?" She was clearly surprised, and her follow up question was one of even more disbelief. "A paper book?"
Marla had just cracked into her book and was holding it close to her face when Angela appeared, and she jumped a little, remaining composed. Oh well, so much for making an appearance and being on her way. She closed the book and set it down again, smiling a little.
"Oh! Hello," she said, blinking rapidly in surprise at the flute thrust at her. She took it to be polite and took a dainty sip. Champagne wasn't really her thing. "Thank you."
"Mm, yes," Marla smiled, offering the book to Angela for inspection. "I prefer the paper ones. Just something about them, you know?"
Angela shrugged. She liked to read, and paper books were interesting in their own way, but this was a party. There was no reason to be reading at a party. "Yeah," she agreed, "I get it."
She studied Marla for a moment. The redhead was practically Angela's opposite, and it just made Angela want to drag some excitement out of the shy, quiet woman. "You really should have come to the last party. Jim throws an amazing party." She grinned. "But, whatever. I'm glad you're here. It's good relax every once in a while so it's not work work work all the time."
Taking a long drink of her champagne, she smiled. "You know, everyone is still pretty sober and mellow right now if you wanted to use the chance to say hi to everyone."
Marla smiled, setting the book down at her side again, and resting her free hand on it. It was one of her grandfather's copies after all, and he wouldn't be very happy with her if something happened to it.
"Oh, really?" She laughed softly, taking another sip of her champagne. "I don't remember what I was doing that day." She paused, thinking for a moment. "I was probably painting. I can get very into that when I'm working on something." She returned the smile. "Yes, I figured I could use an outing. I stay cooped up a bit too often, don't I?"
"Is that so?" She took a look around the room. "Maybe a bit later on, everyone seems quite involved at the moment."
Angela raised an eyebrow. Fine. Marla could be shy and try and stay in her silly little shy bubble all night, but it wasn't going to happen. She relaxed in her seat a little, willing to give Marla a few last minutes of enjoying her anti-social time.
"I feel like I never see you around. I wondered if maybe we had opposite shifts." she gestured to the room full of people. "I figure, I'm stuck with these people for literally years so I might as well get to know them. I'm not one of those people who can be alone all the time - it's too quiet."
She grinned wide at Marla's excuse. "Okay, but here's the thing. Once Jim get's here, you won't be able to escape social interaction. Everyone here right now - well, except for me - is content to let you do whatever, but Jim's just as likely as I am to drag you out into the room and make you the center of attention if he sees you over here alone." Angela shrugged casually, confident that she would get her way in the end. "But it's up to you. Socialize on your own terms, or be forced to."
"Yeah, that's entirely possible. I tend to keep to myself as well. I've been that way since I was a girl, though," she said, knocking back the rest of her champagne. She chuckled softly, here eyes moving over the crowd. "You've got a point there. I was raised to be very independent, that's probably a bit of a hindrance in a place like this."
Marla looked at Angela, and laughed, a little nervously. She knew that she wasn't joking around, and would definitely drag her out there. "Well, when you put it that way...guess it wouldn't be so terrible to network a bit, right? I'm the historian anyways, not likely anyone knows who I am."
Frank entered the recreation hall and spied the room for a moment. He had purposefully come to the party late. He felt it would give him an advantage when it came to speak to the females of the crew. He saw Angela over in the corner talking with a gorgeous red head he did not know. He decided to remedy that.
He walked by the bar, grabbed a beer and then approached the two women. Ignoring Angela completely, Frank focused his attention on the red head. "Hello there, beautiful" he said, laying on the charm. "I don't believe we've met."
Marla did not like being interrupted, especially not by men. Most especially not rude men. She rolled her eyes lightly in Angela's direction before turning to the newcomer in their conversation, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
"No, I don't think we have. I'm Marla McGivers, ship's historian. And you are?" Damn, on second thought she probably should've said Lieutenant or something instead of her first name. It would've been more sassy. Oh well.
Angela was a little pissed. She didn't like Frank trying to get in her pants, but she hated being ignored. That man made her blood absolutely boil.
She folded her arms across the chest, visibly annoyed. "This is Chief of Sleaze Frank Giotto," Angela jumped in before he could answer. Her eyes went wide, pretending that she was truly and terribly shocked at what had slipped from her mouth. "Did I say sleaze? I meant Security." she narrowed her eyes at the man who was still grinning like a bastard. "My apologizes, Chief. Freudian slip, I guess." Her tone of voice said she was not sorry at all.
Satisfied with herself, she turned back to her drink, finishing it off in one long swig. She looked longingly across the room to the bar, wishing she'd had the foresight to bring the bottle along.
Marla giggled, covering her mouth with her hand for a moment until she composed herself and had a somewhat neutral expression again. Aw, maybe this party would be some fun after all.
"Is that so?" Marla's eyes gave him a once over before she turned back to Angela. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, happens to everyone, right?" She glanced to where Angela was looking, and she leaned back a little in her chair, her smile broadening.
"Well, Chief, nice to meet you. Would it trouble you too much to go and get us another couple of drinks?" Oldest trick in the book, but worth a shot.
Frank just laughed at Angela's comment and threw an arm around Angela's shoulder. He loved that she played hard to get all the time. "That's great, Ang," he said. Frank smiled one of his cockiest smiles to date at Marla.
"The pleasure is all mine," Frank said.
He raised an eyebrow at her request for drinks. Surely she wasn't trying to get rid of him. She must legitimately want another drink. "What are you ladies having?" he asked.
"Angela," she corrected him. The ensign stiffened under his touch, feeling a little dirty. She really had to give him credit for the way he managed to get under her skin. He was very talented that way - all it took was for him to open his mouth and her eyes were already practically rolling out of her head.
She gave Marla an exasperated look, and decided to play nice for the moment. "We were having champagne, but I don't know if that's what she's planning on keeping with the rest of the night," Angela answered, trying to wriggled out from Frank's arm without being totally rude and shoving his arm off of her. After all, Pike was in the room. She flashed Frank a charming smile. "Oh, and no special additives, please."
Marla had not known this man for very long and she already did not like him very much, and she had good reason, if Angela's reaction was anything to go by. "Yes, more champagne would be fine for now, run along now!"
Hopefully they'd get a chance to slip off and join another group before he got back. Usually she didn't mind flirting with men in positions of power, but not when they went about it in such an undignified way.
The opinions of half his superiors and crew aside, Jim Kirk did occasionally do his job as captain of the Enterprise. And sometimes, that meant following his own rules and not attending one of the crew parties until he was done his shift, and the inventory, captain's log entry, and final-report that came after them. Normally he would have hurried through them and gotten to the party on time, but after having to sit out the first mission, and the cascade of paperwork that went along with it, he was more careful now. More meticulous. Jim was actually learning as he went
( ... )
Frank's smile faded as Jim Kirk joined the group. Anyone who knew Frank from the academy days knew that he was not a fan of the man. They never had any actual interaction, but Frank had heard about him and occasionally was on the receiving end of his pranks.
Frank noticed Kirk pulling Angela away from him and it hit him that they must be having a fling. Maybe that's why Angela hadn't been as accepting of the moves he's been making on her. Still this wouldn't keep him from continuing to try. He would wear her down eventually, that he was sure of.
Frank's nose crinkled in disgust as Kirk mentioned the encounter between himself and Dr. McCoy. Apparently the doctor had to run to the captain whenever he lost an argument or when someone hurt his feelings. Figures.
She was not quite sure why she'd decided to attend anyway, besides perhaps the change of scenery from her quarters. She took a seat in a quieter corner, crossing her legs and taking a look around, hands folded protectively over the old paperback copy of Les Miserables that was in her lap. Never hurt to be prepared for boredom, after all. Somehow in her head reading at a party would look less odd than leaving early.
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She poured a second glass of champagne, and headed straight for Marla, reminding herself to try not to be overwhelming (a difficult task indeed). "Marla!" she greeted the woman cheerfully. "You can't sit in the corner all night. Here." Angela practically shoved the glass of champagne at the other woman. "Drink up. Relax!"
Angela, though uninvited, took a seat next to Marla. "What's that? You brought a book?" She was clearly surprised, and her follow up question was one of even more disbelief. "A paper book?"
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"Oh! Hello," she said, blinking rapidly in surprise at the flute thrust at her. She took it to be polite and took a dainty sip. Champagne wasn't really her thing. "Thank you."
"Mm, yes," Marla smiled, offering the book to Angela for inspection. "I prefer the paper ones. Just something about them, you know?"
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She studied Marla for a moment. The redhead was practically Angela's opposite, and it just made Angela want to drag some excitement out of the shy, quiet woman. "You really should have come to the last party. Jim throws an amazing party." She grinned. "But, whatever. I'm glad you're here. It's good relax every once in a while so it's not work work work all the time."
Taking a long drink of her champagne, she smiled. "You know, everyone is still pretty sober and mellow right now if you wanted to use the chance to say hi to everyone."
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"Oh, really?" She laughed softly, taking another sip of her champagne. "I don't remember what I was doing that day." She paused, thinking for a moment. "I was probably painting. I can get very into that when I'm working on something." She returned the smile. "Yes, I figured I could use an outing. I stay cooped up a bit too often, don't I?"
"Is that so?" She took a look around the room. "Maybe a bit later on, everyone seems quite involved at the moment."
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"I feel like I never see you around. I wondered if maybe we had opposite shifts." she gestured to the room full of people. "I figure, I'm stuck with these people for literally years so I might as well get to know them. I'm not one of those people who can be alone all the time - it's too quiet."
She grinned wide at Marla's excuse. "Okay, but here's the thing. Once Jim get's here, you won't be able to escape social interaction. Everyone here right now - well, except for me - is content to let you do whatever, but Jim's just as likely as I am to drag you out into the room and make you the center of attention if he sees you over here alone." Angela shrugged casually, confident that she would get her way in the end. "But it's up to you. Socialize on your own terms, or be forced to."
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Marla looked at Angela, and laughed, a little nervously. She knew that she wasn't joking around, and would definitely drag her out there. "Well, when you put it that way...guess it wouldn't be so terrible to network a bit, right? I'm the historian anyways, not likely anyone knows who I am."
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He walked by the bar, grabbed a beer and then approached the two women. Ignoring Angela completely, Frank focused his attention on the red head. "Hello there, beautiful" he said, laying on the charm. "I don't believe we've met."
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"No, I don't think we have. I'm Marla McGivers, ship's historian. And you are?" Damn, on second thought she probably should've said Lieutenant or something instead of her first name. It would've been more sassy. Oh well.
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She folded her arms across the chest, visibly annoyed. "This is Chief of Sleaze Frank Giotto," Angela jumped in before he could answer. Her eyes went wide, pretending that she was truly and terribly shocked at what had slipped from her mouth. "Did I say sleaze? I meant Security." she narrowed her eyes at the man who was still grinning like a bastard. "My apologizes, Chief. Freudian slip, I guess." Her tone of voice said she was not sorry at all.
Satisfied with herself, she turned back to her drink, finishing it off in one long swig. She looked longingly across the room to the bar, wishing she'd had the foresight to bring the bottle along.
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"Is that so?" Marla's eyes gave him a once over before she turned back to Angela. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, happens to everyone, right?" She glanced to where Angela was looking, and she leaned back a little in her chair, her smile broadening.
"Well, Chief, nice to meet you. Would it trouble you too much to go and get us another couple of drinks?" Oldest trick in the book, but worth a shot.
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"The pleasure is all mine," Frank said.
He raised an eyebrow at her request for drinks. Surely she wasn't trying to get rid of him. She must legitimately want another drink. "What are you ladies having?" he asked.
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She gave Marla an exasperated look, and decided to play nice for the moment. "We were having champagne, but I don't know if that's what she's planning on keeping with the rest of the night," Angela answered, trying to wriggled out from Frank's arm without being totally rude and shoving his arm off of her. After all, Pike was in the room. She flashed Frank a charming smile. "Oh, and no special additives, please."
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Hopefully they'd get a chance to slip off and join another group before he got back. Usually she didn't mind flirting with men in positions of power, but not when they went about it in such an undignified way.
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Frank noticed Kirk pulling Angela away from him and it hit him that they must be having a fling. Maybe that's why Angela hadn't been as accepting of the moves he's been making on her. Still this wouldn't keep him from continuing to try. He would wear her down eventually, that he was sure of.
Frank's nose crinkled in disgust as Kirk mentioned the encounter between himself and Dr. McCoy. Apparently the doctor had to run to the captain whenever he lost an argument or when someone hurt his feelings. Figures.
"Sure, Jim," Frank said to the captain.
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