Post 423: It Was No Dream

Stardate:70831.1250
Title: It Was No Dream
Author: Ensign Xhian
Scene:Various
Time: Morning After Xhian and Ella?
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It was the next day after the party, and Xhian had an early morning shift.

As he got out of bed, he still wondered about last night being either a dream or a set up of Stratton concerning the bet they had made. In any case, Xhian noted that if he didn't go on with his day, he would be late to work. . .

~~~Engineering~~~

As Xhian arrived at main engineering, Ensign Ella Briggs walked towards him to say hello.

"I had a great time talking to you last night, and I wanted to know are we still on for dinner after work?"

Xhain really looked puzzled, as he just wasn't used to anyone wanting to spend so much time with him.

"It would be acceptable for us to dine together. At Seven. After work."

Ella smiled and walked off to perform her regularly scheduled duties.

As their shift went by, Xhian stole a glimpse of her whenever he could as he worked. He really didn't notice last night, but she was quite attractive. He thought that she would make a wonderful subject for his next art piece, and went back to work.

~~~~Later~~~~~

As their shift ended and Xhian was about to go out the door, Ella took him by the arm and smiled as she said, "Are you ready to go? "

Xhian actually smiled back and said, "Sure, I am kind of hungry anyway," knowing that was a lie since he really doesn't need to eat as often as a normal, fully organic humanoid.

~~~At Seven~~~

As the two began to follow Jeaq past the podium, Benjamin Stratton, who appeared to have a dinner date with the new nurse Bergman, came up to Xhian.

"Hey, buddy, so what's going on here?" he asked with a grin. It looked suspiciously like a date to him- which would mean that he'd won their bet already.

Xhain didn't answer exactly, only gave a grunt. As Stratton tried to pry more information from Xhian's sealed lips, Ella took a few steps back toward him and said that Jeaq had found them a table near the window, and that she had already ordered some drinks.

Xhian thanked Ella and looked at Stratton as if to say, "got to go!" as he followed his date to their table.

As the pair talked, Xhian couldn't stop looking at her, even as he was eating he still couldn't believe that someone like Ella was talking to him like this or sitting with him here. It was still a shock to him of sorts.

At the end of their date, Xhian asked Ella if they could meet again but at his quarters next time, as he had a surprise planned for her.

"Sure," Ella replied, smiling, "I hope it's a good one!" She giggled as he walked her back to her door.When Xhian returned to his quarters, he instantly grabbed his paints and canvas, and started to paint Ella in the dress she had worn last night at the party.

He spent his full day off the next day, and half the night applying his usual laser-like surgical detail to the work in the effort to recreate on the canvas the image he saw of her in his head.

He wanted this to be his best work ever, so that it might impress her. . .
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Ensign Xhain
Engineering Officer
USS Independence NCC-90791