Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21 
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 8, 2020 17:30:53 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]1900, day after the Talorian IncidentAs soon as Charlie and he had parted company in the Aft Lounge the previous evening, Josh had found himself realizing he'd yet to have set a venue where they would meet for dinner. However, that was quickly rectified. A quick check of facilities availability had led him to find somewhere appropriate, somewhere that private yet relatively public, and that would shield them from any kind of disruptions. Which meant, he had to let her know, which he did in writing, with a quick message sent to her quarters. The day had been interminable for the Lieutenant, and he'd spent all of it looking forward to having dinner with the journalist. But, when he came off watch, he wasted little time in making it back to his quarters for a quick shower and to change into some civilian clothes, selecting comfortable but stylish attire for a dinner he was rather unsure himself of what it would really be; part of him hoped it would be a proper date, but he dared not presume just yet. Though, true to form, he did arrive at the dining room a little early, where he found himself pacing as he waited.
Tag Charlie Fox [/quote]
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Charlie Fox
Civilian
FOX NEWS
Posts: 730
Likes: 81
Position: Journalist
Species: A human of some kind
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Post by Charlie Fox on Sept 8, 2020 20:11:18 GMT
[Charlie Fox - Private Quarters -> Private Dining Room, Officers' Mess, USS Mac]Charlie stood in the center of the small living area of her quarters, wrapped in a towel, hand covering her mouth as she re-read the message. Charlie,
With regards to our upcoming dinner, I've taken the liberty of booking a private dining room for us in the Officers' Mess on Deck 2. I look forward to seeing you then.
Yours truly,
Josh It was a date. And not only that, but the message was so formal that she suddenly felt woefully under-dressed and under-prepared. Wasn't this, like, a letter of intent that precedes courtship? Should she bring a 'kerchief or glove or something to present to him as a token? Maybe this was just the stiff-upper-lippy part of Josh that she'd pointed out the night previous. Maybe he was just a very proper, mannerly young man who wrote very professional-sounding correspondence. Perhaps this was a precursor to his asking for a favour? Did he want something from her? Is that why he was going to the trouble of arranging a private dining room? I guess I'll find out soon enough, she thought to herself as she abandoned her towel and addressed the next problem: what to wear. Two hours later and wearing a casual black tunic dress, cinched at the waist with a leather belt and flat, knee-high boots, she walked into the Officers' Mess with zero clue as to what to expect. She was a little late, though she had a very legitimate excuse in the shape of her disapproving editor, who had called her first draft submission "contrived" and "listless", which was out and out savagery as far as Charlie was concerned. She'd almost cancelled in a fit of pique, but decided against it at the last minute. Maybe she was going soft in her old age, but she hadn't wanted to let Josh down. He'd obviously gone to some hassle. "Oh, no candles. Good. They always make me feel like I'm about to be ritually sacrificed," she said conversationally by way of greeting. "I'm starving."
Tag: Joshua Niles
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 9, 2020 15:58:52 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]
Upon her arrival at the Officers' Mess, a steward did come forward to meet the journalist. A Sovereign-class starship had a large complement of officers on board, but the people whose job was to manage the mess knew enough to recognize at least most of them by sight, and of course recognizing Charlie Fox was no hard feat, especially as they had been notified she was someone's guest in one of the private dining rooms. Thus, when she entered the mess, she was greeted, and pointed towards her destination. 1900 came about, and still Josh was alone in the small dining compartment. Then quarter after, and still no Charlie. Part of the Tactical officer wanted to tap at his commbadge, the only part of his uniform he had been wearing, to inquire as to her whereabouts, but instead he restrained himself... but when the door hissed open he stopped dead in his tracks, only to see Charlie enter. And, for a moment, words failed him. She was better-dressed than he'd seen her thus far, and a good match for his own fairly casual attire. Thankfully, she had been the one to break the ice, making a joke about candles, and that erased his moment of temporary dumbfoundedness and his lips quirked into a grin of his own. "I never much cared for candles indoors; on a patio, that would make sense. But not indoors." Then, his grin widened, poking some fun at his own formality. "Besides, open flames are not allowed on a starship without a dispensation, and that is entirely too much paperwork."Then, gesturing towards the table, he moved to pull back one of the chairs for Charlie. "Thank you for coming," he said simply.
Tag Charlie Fox [/quote][/quote]
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Charlie Fox
Civilian
FOX NEWS
Posts: 730
Likes: 81
Position: Journalist
Species: A human of some kind
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Post by Charlie Fox on Sept 10, 2020 12:36:21 GMT
[Charlie Fox - Private Dining Room]It sometimes took her aback seeing Fleeters out of their uniforms, and Josh in civilian casual-wear was no exception. She often had a set way of looking at them in her mind, and Charlie knew it was wrong to tar them all with the same brush, and to generalise so harshly. Every now and then she was reminded that they weren't all drones; even the proper, rule-obsessed ones. And speaking of rules... "Ah, now we get to the truth of it," she responded to his self-deprecating humour, a smile of her own spreading across her face. "Did you have to file paperwork for this, too?" She was teasing, though in reality she probably wouldn't at all be surprised if he did. She moved toward the table at his invitation, her eyes flickering from the chair he was pulling out, to his face. In response to the simple chivalry, her smile grew. "Well, thanks for asking," she said when he thanked her, the amusement obvious in her tone. She smoothed down the back of her dress against her thighs and took her seat. "Most people would avoid being in such enclosed quarters with me." When she was secured at the table she crossed her legs beneath it, and leaned back a little so she could survey the room and try to figure out what might be in store. "And I'm sorry I'm late. Spil, that's my editor, said my first draft didn't have enough emotion." She shook her head, appalled at the injustice of it all. "He's a Vulcan."
Tag: Joshua Niles
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 10, 2020 19:40:48 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]As Charlie made herself comfortable at his invitation, Josh couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, but only a little. I just had to book the room with the senior mess steward," he replied. And, frankly, there wasn't much else to say about that. And with his dinner companion safely ensconced in her seat the Lieutenant made his way around the table to take his own seat just as she was saying most would seek to avoid being in a small room alone with her. "Now I wonder why that would be. You may be a journalist, and known to be critical of Starfleet, but you can't be that fearsome? Or am I being led into a false sense of security by your guile and my callow youth?" And still he was grinning. Perhaps he did come across as very stiff and formal while on duty, or when handling stress, but it would seem a night's sleep, and a set of civilian clothes, had done wonders to relax him. "As for being late, I'm given to understand it is a lady's prerogative. Although, I have to wonder why your editor, a Vulcan no less, wants to see 'more emotion' in that piece. I understand that blood sells, and there might be this desire to make people truly imagine what it was like out there... but the idea of sensationalizing what happened on the Star..." Josh shook his head, That was something he couldn't really wrap his head around. At least, with Starfleet reports he could be stiff, formal and clinical about his experiences and use that cold writing to insulate himself from the memories, but to want to read that sort of stuff for fun or general information? "Now, enough shop talk," he segued. The dining cabin itself was small, clearly meant for a small group of officers and their guests to enjoy a private meal without being in their own quarters or in the wide-open mess; and its decoration was pretty much straight out of the Starfleet standard selection of furniture and paintings, but the real attraction, save for the attractive journalist sitting across from him, was the large window the compartment was graced with. "And the good news about eating here, we have the chance at some real food, not necessarily replicated, but it can vary."
Tag Charlie Fox
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Charlie Fox
Civilian
FOX NEWS
Posts: 730
Likes: 81
Position: Journalist
Species: A human of some kind
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Post by Charlie Fox on Sept 11, 2020 22:19:44 GMT
[Charlie Fox - Private Dining Room]"Oh, it's not my kindly face and approachable manner?" She asked, pretending to be disappointed that it should be her guile that lulled him into offering her a decent dinner, and not her obvious charm-school education. She smiled as she looked around, eyes automatically drawn to the large window. Charlie was still peering at it when he gave his opinion on how the Star should be represented. "He'd initially warned me off getting too bloody, then when I stuck to facts, he claimed it 'listless'. Anyway, he's a moron. I'll find an unhappy medium, somewhere," she sounded dismissive at first, but when Josh called an abrupt end to shop talk, she found herself chuckling. Her gaze was pulled from the inky-black view beyond, to her dining companion's much lighter eyes. "What is there to talk about, other than work?" Though she supposed food was a good start. And wine. "So, Josh, what's on the menu for this evening, then?" She placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm. "Let's hope it's just dinner, no show." The previous night's performance had been quite unexpected, and pretty dramatic.
Tag: Joshua Niles
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 12, 2020 0:42:22 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]Well, there were other reasons as to why Josh was entirely willing to be in the same compartment privately with the journalist. However, those he was not entirely ready to get into just yet; at least not entirely openly with her. After all, he was expected to maintain at least a degree of gentlemanly conduct at first. And thankfully, she did not seek to push the discussion about their respective work any longer; he wanted to avoid those topics, and chief among the reasons why was how she'd pointed out he seemed to never disconnect from his duties. And with the talk of food, he found himself grinning. Getting the dining room was easy, the meal had required a little more effort, including looking in what was left within the ship's stores. A smaller ship would not have the sort of luxuries the Mac could carry. But as a Sovereign-class vessel forward-deployed in largely unknown areas, she had departed with a full diplomatic fit... including a great deal of fresh food held in stasis storage and a cellar well-stocked with actual wines. A little of poring over the lists showed that there were some leftovers available, a few portions of this or that, and he selected a menu he hoped would be to Charlie's taste, with the help of the head chef. "I had to do a little scrounging, and I do owe a few favours to the chef because of the short notice, but we have a Wagyu carpaccio, a sea bass with a tomato ragout and some asparagus, and a New York style dark chocolate cheese cake with a port wine reduction. Oh, and a bottle of a lovely Rioja. And it just so happens that nothing is replicated, everything coming out of our stores or the hydroponics bay."He found himself grinning now. For, well, he was rather proud of his efforts... and he hoped she would appreciate them.
Tag Charlie Fox
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Charlie Fox
Civilian
FOX NEWS
Posts: 730
Likes: 81
Position: Journalist
Species: A human of some kind
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Post by Charlie Fox on Sept 12, 2020 19:58:38 GMT
[Charlie Fox - Private Dining Room]Charlie couldn't help but be impressed. She listened as he listed off the very appetising menu that had been prepared and her hunger returned with a vengeance. He was ticking all of the boxes: a potentially tender meat, a mild, sweet white fish with actual fresh greens, and then to finish it all off - her favourite dessert. She wondered if it was coincidence or if he'd somehow found out. But how?She studied him for another moment or two, her brows raised and her expression reflecting her surprise. "That all sounds amazing." Her eyes flickered upward as the steward approached, holding a bottle of what she could only assume contained the Rioja he'd mentioned. "Those won't be small favours you'll owe." The corners of her mouth were curved upward; though she wasn't sure if she should feel honoured, special, or bewildered. The steward opened the bottle with a practiced ease, and then was poised beside her to fill her glass with a sample. "Oh, go ahead, please. If he says it's lovely, I believe him," she nodded toward Josh and then gestured toward her glass with her free hand. Besides, it wasn't like they could send it back and order another, was it? She thought she caught a flash of something on the steward's face, perhaps he thought her quaint, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. With a flourish, he poured the red wine into her glass, gave her a small bow, and then turned to do the same for her host. "I will return momentarily with your first course," he announced in a muted voice, before wrapping the bottle in a crisp white linen napkin around the neck of the bottle and stepping away. Charlie watched him go and then reached out to pick up her glass. "What should we 'cheers' to?"
Tag: Joshua Niles
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 12, 2020 21:26:55 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]There was so much doubt within the young Lieutenant as he called out his menu, for he had no idea how Charlie would react. Would she think he was trying too hard? That it was too much? Not enough? That she would hate his selections? That he had picked something she would be allergic to? His eyes remained glued to her face just as she was watching him, and when those eyebrows went up, he felt his heart skipping a beat. The jury was coming back in. And with her response he felt a massive weight come off his shoulders. He'd chosen wisely! As the steward entered with their wine, he grinned at the mention of the favours he would owe. Of course he could say he did draw from little-advertised stores marked as available for personal use as there weren't amounts considered worthwhile for official functions left, and that the favour he would owe the galley would be limited to the short notice, but instead he decided to go on another tack altogether. "I expect it is a small price to pay for a private dinner with the famous and lovely Charlie Fox," he instead said with a grin. And, that expression remained on his face when his dinner companion instructed the steward to simply pour the wine, citing her trust in his selection. And, truth be told, it was a fine selection if not the best the region of origin had to offer. But it was nicely aged, between the time it spent in the cask and the bottle at the winery and how long it had sat in the ship's cellars practically forgotten about. And once it was poured, Niles offered a nod to their steward, with a polite 'thank you' before returning his attention to his guest. What should they toast about? Well, that was a good question all right... The Fleet? The Federation? To a willing foe and sea room? Or perhaps... "Good food and the best company, perhaps?"
Tag Charlie Fox
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Charlie Fox
Civilian
FOX NEWS
Posts: 730
Likes: 81
Position: Journalist
Species: A human of some kind
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Post by Charlie Fox on Sept 14, 2020 19:09:57 GMT
[Charlie Fox - Private Dining Room]Famous and lovely?
Infamous and disagreeable, more like, Charlie thought to herself as she regarded Josh for a few moments, trying to gauge how suspicious she should be. When the steward had poured and made himself scarce, and a toast had been suggested, she leaned forward a little to tap her glass to his. She took a sip, for it was bad luck not to drink after the clink, and then took some time to appreciate the red, which was rich and tasty. "It'll do," she said with a cheeky grin, and replaced her glass on the table. "I'm trying to figure out if you're buttering me up to ask me a favour, or if you just want to get into my knickers," she told him, her chin still in her palm and her eyes flashing with challenge. "Or maybe you've got an alter-ego that comes out to play when you step out of uniform."Her fingers wrapped around the stem of her wine glass and she tapped them distractedly against it as she gave him the force of her total focus. "Feel free to let me know if I'm getting warm, Josh," she said through a smile, before raising her glass for another delicious sip.
Tag: Joshua Niles
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 14, 2020 21:33:41 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]Glass kissed glass with a crystalline note, and Josh matched Charlie's taste of the wine that had been served. Now that certainly was a good one! Niles himself had a liking for Spanish wines, and that one certainly met his approval. And, it would seem, so did his dinner companion, her grin giving the lie to her words that it was merely adequate. But what followed, had he any wine left in his mouth, would likely have made him spit it out. Perhaps he had no favours to ask of the journalist, but the idea of getting into bed with her, that one was much less far-fetched; for indeed, he certainly would not mind that particular turn of events, and to be honest, it was one of the outcomes he would like to get to at some point. After a first meeting of this sort might be somewhat unreasonable, but one could always hope, right? "Well, in public and in uniform I do have a certain image to maintain," he replied with a grin. "And, well, someone reminded me yesterday that there are times I might need to loosen up some." Once again, he matched her sip of wine, and setting down his glass, he knew he'd have to at least fess up to some degree. "While I can't think of any favour I may want to ask you, I'd be lying if I didn't say you are very attractive and the idea of taking you up on that offer to inspect your underwear wasn't very, very tempting."
Tag Charlie Fox
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Charlie Fox
Civilian
FOX NEWS
Posts: 730
Likes: 81
Position: Journalist
Species: A human of some kind
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Post by Charlie Fox on Sept 15, 2020 21:40:41 GMT
[Charlie Fox - Private Dining Room]"Sounds like a wise person," she muttered when he mentioned someone's gentle reminder the day previous. Charlie thought it would take a lot more than a night out of uniform with tasty food and decent wine for the Lieutenant to separate himself from his image. He seemed keen enough to try, however, so points to him. Charlie wasn't very good at taking compliments. A therapist or her foster father might tell you it was because she never got any as a child, but she herself reckoned it was because she assumed everyone was full of crap. The mention of her underwear, however, got a reaction. She'd been lifting her glass again to her lips, but paused mid-movement when she realised what it was he was saying. "My, aren't you literal." She placed the glass down without drinking from it, then removed her chin from her palm and leaned back a little in her chair. This was another classic example of Charlie's mouth writing cheques that the rest of her had no way of cashing. "You know, people tell me this mouth of mine is going to get me killed one day." Landing her in a Starfleet underwear inspection hadn't been mentioned, but then they hadn't met Joshua Niles. She didn't feel like she'd met Joshua Niles, either. "Tell me Josh, is there anything you've wanted in your life that you haven't gotten?"
Tag: Joshua Niles
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 17, 2020 15:01:59 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]Charlie Fox was not one to pull her punches. Not in her writing, nor in her conversations. So, Josh opted to make use of the same sort of ruthlessness, if in a rather playful sort of way. He was not quite sure what to expect in return; would she be offended and storm out, or would she laugh it off? People could be funny when their own words would come back to bite them later, but he had a notion that she would be taking it well enough... And so she did. When she leaned back, her change of posture did some rather interesting things with the drape of her dress, but he managed to restrict himself to only to merest of glances taking his eyes away from hers. This was as close to a real conversation he'd had with anyone in... that was a very good question how long that had been since he'd last had one. Her response was light enough, but what followed stopped him dead in his tracks. That was the sort of question he'd never expected from anyone, and gave him a glimpse into Charlie's own mind; of course her inquisitiveness was something that came without saying, but that exact sort of question spoke of depths he could really only guess at. "That's... wow that's quite the question," he answered softly. That was one he could not answer quickly. Not only because a quick answer might look less than flattering, but because he legitimately did not know how, or what, to answer. "And I really don't know how I can answer that just yet. I suppose I could blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, but that wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, and it would most likely just be... surface stuff, easy stuff, you know? Probably not the kind of answer you're after here."
Tag Charlie Fox
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Charlie Fox
Civilian
FOX NEWS
Posts: 730
Likes: 81
Position: Journalist
Species: A human of some kind
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Post by Charlie Fox on Sept 17, 2020 16:40:08 GMT
[Charlie Fox - Private Dining Room]"I'm after whatever answer you want to give me," she responded, still looking at him thoughtfully. Her eyes moved over his face as she deliberated, weighed, and then following a moment of silence they flickered away as the steward approached with their first course. She offered a distracted smile as the man presented their food and placed some well-constructed plates first before her, and then Josh. He stepped back and said something about it, but Charlie was only half listening, becoming aware instead that Josh had actually managed to give her no answer at all. There was no doubt that the lieutenant before her was a determined sort, and made an effort when he went after whatever it was that he decided he'd like to have. But there was something in Charlie that railed against expectation and routine. "Sometimes not getting what you want is the best thing for you," she said softly as their waiter moved away again, leaving them to enjoy their course. She was still feeling a tad pensive as she picked up her knife and fork and began to cut. "When I was little I wanted the same things as most kids; a puppy, my own room, you know, the usual stuff." Her gaze was focused on her plate, though despite the personal nature of what she was saying, her mouth had begun to curve upward. "Of course, I never got those things. But I did spend the holidays with this really nice family one year, and on Christmas morning, they gave me this old-fashioned recording device that could store months and months of talking and thoughts. I drove everyone mad with it, asking terribly nosy questions, walking in on them in the bathroom, sitting on the sides of their beds in the middle of the night, demanding interviews. And now here I am."She looked up then, fully aware of what it was she was saying. Charlie had a talent for getting people to talk without saying much of anything about herself in return. If by offering a peek inside her own life she could spy something of Josh that mattered in return, not just the duty, Starfleet bollocks, but the stuff beneath, then she'd try it. Pursuing what they wanted seemed to be something they might have in common, if nothing else.
Tag: Joshua Niles
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Joshua Niles
Security & Tactical
[TI22]
Posts: 649 Likes: 21
Rank: Lieutenant
Position: Tactical Officer
Species: Human
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Post by Joshua Niles on Sept 17, 2020 17:07:23 GMT
[ LT(JG) Joshua Niles - Private Dining Room - Officers' Mess - Deck 2, USS Mac ]And still, with Charlie's answer, Josh found himself off-balance. Whatever answered he wanted to give? He had the very keen impression that whatever he would say, his answer would be getting dissected, analyzed, and would serve to judge him. Which, truly, worried him; for some reason he'd yet to fathom himself, Charlie Fox' good opinion was something that mattered to him. However, before he could answer, he found himself saved by the steward who came in, bearing their appetizer. The beef carpaccio looked perfect, paper-thin slices of wagyu beef that had just been kissed by the flame of a kitchen torch to render out a little of the fat, drizzled with olive oil and scattered with capers, delicate slices of red onion, and a lemon wedge. A simple presentation, simply arranged on the plates in an artfully simple fashion. But, when the man departed with the Lieutenant's nod of thanks, Josh found that his reprieve had been short-lived for her gaze was back upon him... And she spoke again, but this time of what had led her on the path of being a journalist, by way of what she had wanted as a child. Truth be told, he could hardly relate to that, for he'd come from an affluent family. Save for a dog, he'd pretty much had it all. Well, except for the whole thing about a nice family. Oh, his sister was much more like him, and he reminded himself he should write to her when he would have a chance, and his parents, aunts and uncles and grandparents had never been unkind, but there had always been that distance, and that obsession about their social status that had pervaded every inch of the lives of every member of the Niles family. And now he knew what he wanted out of life that he'd yet to make with anyone else. "A connection with someone. A real one," he said softly. "That's what I want out of life. As a kid, I couldn't have possibly wanted for anything... material. By my parents... they were all about social status, obligations, connections. They weren't cold or cruel but there was always that... distance and being more worried about their associations and the optics, and the family tradition... Number of times they told I couldn't play or be friends with someone because they were beneath us, their family were political opponents, or not the sort of people we want the world to know the Niles family was associated with... I don't think I ever really had friends as a kid. At least none I'd made honestly, so to speak."He was speaking softly, quietly. "I did make a few friends at the Academy, though we've all gone our own separate ways after commissioning, but now, let's just say I have a hard time figuring out where the line is between protocol and social occasions. Hell, I don't think I've had a purely social conversation that was more than small talk with anyone since I got on the Fawkes to head over here. Until now."And, once more, he found himself compelled to use her own words, if not entirely to throw them back at her, but because they were certainly apt. "And now, here I am."
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