Tea at Typhon

Posted on Mon Oct 31st, 2011 @ 7:16am by

1,231 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Orbital Yard Project Athena I
Location: Oriental Tea Room

Harold had watched the tea woman serve several customers, prior to approaching him. She seemed easily agitated. He smiled, and bowed slightly, when she approached him.

"Hello. You want tea?" The woman asked.

"Tea would be lovely." Harold said, nodding.

The woman nodded, and led him to a short table. Harry sat down. "Do you run this shop, alone?" He asked, watching the woman's reactions.

She shook her head. "Used to. Aeshia just employee now. Just like him." She said, nodding over to a man at what appeared to be a sushi table.

"That's unfortunate." Harold said. "Did you decorate this place?"

Aeshia nodded. "Is Aeshia's design. Witch lady say she is going to change it, soon."

"That's unfortunate." Harold said. "It looks very comforting, to you."

"It is piece of home." Aeshia said, nodding. "What about you. What you do?"

"I'm a doctor. From the USS Relentless." Harold said.

"Doctor. Is good. Is good. What tea you like?" Aeshia asked.

"Do you have any kind of berry herb tea?" Harold asked.

"House special tea. Is green tea with raspberries." Aeshia said, nodding.

"I'll have that, then, Miss." Harold said, nodding.

"You want any foods?" Aeshia asked.

"A large salad." Harold said, nodding. "And some sweet cookies, if you have them."

Aeshia nodded. "Salad, and cookies, and tea."

"Would you care to join me?" Harold asked.

"Aeshia not dine with customers. Is wrong." Aeshia said.

"Even if you are asked?" Harold asked.

"Is wrong. Have other customers." Aeshia said.

"Alright, then." Harold said. "Just the tea, and food stuffs, then. No company for the lonely guy."

"I sorry, Doctor man." Aeshia said. "Aeshia busy lady."

She went to go collect his order, and he watched her go.

Another woman entered the tea room. She surveyed the tea room.

"Sorry, Captain Vulcan lady." The tea lady said, passing her. "Is busy today! No open tables."

"If the Captain doesn't mind, she's welcome to join me at my table. It is acceptable, by tradition, isn't it?" Harold asked.

The tea lady nodded. She placed his order in front of him, then returned to the Vulcan Captain.

"Captain Vulcan lady, Doctor man over there invites you to join him at his table." Aeshia said, pointing to Harold.

The Vulcan woman nodded, and sat down at his table.

"I'm Lieutenant Junior Grade Donovan, recently assigned, for the USS Relentless." Donovan said. "However, I'm off duty. I'd appreciate it if you could just call me Harry, or Harold."

"Captain T'Yuna." The Vulcan woman said, nodding. "I am the Commanding Officer of the SCE team assigned to Starbase Typhon's Athena project."

"What you like, Captain Vulcan lady?" Aeshia asked T'Yuna.

"What he is having." T'Yuna said, nodding to Harold's plate.

Aeshia left, to gather her order.

"You are stressed." Harold said, watching T'Yuna carefully. "You are over-worked, even for a Vulcan. Your face, though you apparently are attempting to hide it with make-up, clearly has stress lines, from excess time awake. When did you last rest?"

"You are not a medical doctor." T'Yuna said, with a frown. "You are a psychologist."

Harold nodded. He sipped his tea. He set the cup down. "Tell me about it."

"About what?" T'Yuna asked, calmly, and borderline innocently.

"What you hide, behind the make-up. The stress lines on your face."

T'Yuna quirked an eyebrow. "You are very adequate, at your job, Doctor Donovan. Do you not stop doing it, even when off duty?"

Harold shook his head. "It keeps me thinking. It keeps my mind engaged."

T'Yuna nodded. "That is why I enjoy the SCE. I constantly have puzzles to work on."

"What is it, then, that you need to keep your mind engaged, to avoid letting your mind wander?" Donovan asked, before biting into a cookie.

"You, first." T'Yuna countered.

"My son died, two years ago." Donovan said, with a brief scowl. "But I'm undergoing psychological assistance for that."

T'Yuna stopped. "You collected all that you need, to bring me to this subject, in the brief time you've seen me?" T'Yuna asked, curious.

"I've seen you about, a few times. An Admiral, and a Commodore are usually with you, if you aren't doing something related to that fancy Athena Project thing." Donovan said. "I saw a few noticeable traits of hypertension. I was worried about you."

"You have followed me." T'Yuna said, with a quirked eyebrow.

"And you have not noticed." Donovan countered. "I had to explain myself to Admiral Ongaku-Chi's private goon squad. They thought I was trying to assassinate her. What the hell happened on this ship, that she has to bring a goon squad?"

"I cannot discuss open investigations." T'Yuna said, attempting to refrain from adding to his curiosity.

"Back to the original question, though, Captain T'Yuna. Why do you hide, behind your make-up, covering up your stress lines, and your Admiral, and your Commodore? What is it, that scare you, so much, about showing yourself, in public. Even that Vulcan mask is nothing more than just that. You hide it well, from those who are Vulcan, who don't look past your mask, and those who are not, who don't know better." Donovan said. "A trained psychologist, however-"

"You see, through it, because you are deliberately looking for it." T'Yuna said. "You've observed me for how many days?"

"Seven." Donovan said. "You fascinate me."

"Interesting." T'Yuna said.

"So, what is it?" Donovan asked.

"What is what?" T'Yuna asked, her lip quivered slightly. She didn't know why.

"What are you hiding. It's something. Something big. Something important." Harry said, watching her closely. "Something that matters."

"The last ship I was on." T'Yuna said. "A close friend was lost."

"A male close friend?" Harry asked.

T'Yuna shook her head. "She was a child. The Captain's daughter."

"Your closest friend was a child?" Harry asked.

T'Yuna nodded. "She was the only one who understood."

"Understood what?" Harry pondered.

"Me." T'Yuna said, watching Donovan carefully. "And now, there is you."

"Me?" Harry asked.

"You understand things, that I did not think people could gather, from such a short period." T'Yuna said.

"What are you saying?" Harry asked.

T'Yuna quirked an eyebrow. "That you have obscure pick-up lines, Lieutenant Donovan."

"Dare I ask?" Harry asked.

"You invited me to dine with you. You attempted to impress me with your knowledge of your field. Are you not showing off? Preening your feathers, as an earth peacock would?" T'Yuna asked.

Harry stopped. "Am I?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" T'Yuna asked.

"You seem to be stating that I have some-" He stopped. "You want me to have an ulterior motive."

T'Yuna said nothing. She sipped her tea.

"What do you want to happen next?" Donovan asked.

T'Yuna quirked the edge of her lip, slightly. "I intend to finish my meal."

Donovan watched her carefully, as she took a forkful of salad.

"And then?" Donovan asked.

"I'm told humans are very imaginative." T'Yuna said, with her half smile, barely noticeable.

Donovan dropped his tea cup. Thankfully, it didn't break, and it was empty.

"Hey! Doctor man! If you want more tea, you can ask! No need to break china! Is expensive!" Aeshia yelled.

"Sorry, ma'am." Donovan said, not able to look away from T'Yuna.

-------------------------------------------------

Lieutenant Junior Grade Harold Donovan, PsyD
Chief Counselor
USS Relentless

Captain T'Yuna
SCE Team Leader
SCE Dispatch, Starbase Typhon

Aeshia Dew
Tea Lady
Starbase Typhon

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