DECK 10; SECTION 1: TEN FORWARD

[ships_counselor]

The look of Deanna Troi's table is worrying.

Maybe not to the untrained eye, of course. There is no screaming. There is no bleeding. There is no fighting, or crying, or deep distress. In fact, Deanna Troi, herself, is currently sitting at a table, one forearm resting on the table, the other balanced on an elbow, so her chin can rest in the palm of her hand, while she studies a PADD flat on the table in front of her.

Next to it, though, is a small bowl of chocolate ice cream.

That looks to have melted a while ago without her noticing.

Comments

[ships_counselor]

Her vastly focused preoccupation gives it an extra second before she realizes someone has called her title and name in question. Making her lift her gaze for the paragraphs she was still skimming, and finding an unexpected but familiar face. She'd seen it come up in the constantly updated files about the new people, after all.

"Good evening, Lal."

[usescontractions]

She bows her head politely. "Good evening."

She shuffles her feet just a little as she goes on, "I can see that you are busy, but, would you mind if I spoke to you for a few minutes, Counselor Troi?"

[ships_counselor]

"Of course," Deanna raises a hand, and her a delicate turn of her wrist and move of her arms, she gestured to the chairs on either side of her square table. "Please do."

[usescontractions]

"Thank you, Counselor." Lal will seat herself immediately, folding her hands on the table in front of her.

"I have wished to tell you several things. I will narrow it down now," she assures, "but, I have not found the right time to do so. Until now, I suppose. But, first, I wanted to thank you. You were very important to me the first time I was on the Enterprise."

[ships_counselor]

Deanna felt no need to stop that her main reaction was a smile at the comment and compliment, even as she had set the statement up as being the first of importance, but perhaps the way she phrased it made something else in it more important to Deanna. Even as her chest swelled with the warmth of pride and gratefulness.

"I'm glad you felt that way. You very important to Data, and to all of us when you were here, as well," she said first, to cover what Lala chose as most important first. It had been a fraught beginning and a sad end, but a big step, too. For Data, as well as for the potential to make more like Data.

But that wasn't the reason for this one as far as she knew, and she kept her smile light and kind, easy and earnest in her honesty. "And I would be glad to help you with the rest of what you want to cover as you figure out how and when you'd like to do so. You know my door is always open to you."