Sure, it was bold, but tonight didn’t seem to be a place where T’Vara felt remotely timid. She was blowing her cover of only being there for the therapeutic qualities for sure. Lindsy took note and gave a slight grin at the irony of watching her new friend get comfortable and enjoy herself.

Tiraa grinned as well. She loved the audacity of the Romulans; it made for lively conversations. “You’ve heard things, hm? What exactly have you heard?”

Nothing, most likely, but every now and then Tiraa couldn’t help but play cat to an easy mouse, and trapping them to where they’d have to admit they had gossiped together or heard nothing was a bit of harmless fun.

“Word gets around about the only two green people on the ships. Whispers in the mess hall, conversations with colleagues. He seems to be quite close to you, he doesn’t interact really with anyone else. People notice such things quickly and information flows fast with such a small crew to share it amongst. And of course, the real alcohol helps loosen tongues. Mine it would seem as well.” T’Vara took a sip, almost as if making an intentional joke about herself and her current demeanor. Everything was in fun at the moment. She had grown tired of being quite so serious between work and dealing with her recent after hours choices.

“Well that’s all very vague as far as ‘things’ to hear.” Tiraa waved her hand slightly. “Of course he’s close to me; I pay him.”

The Romulan wasn’t buying what Tiraa was putting down. Sure, she may have paid the man but his disposition was…unusual. “I don’t believe you would need to pay the man to have intimate relations with you. You are quite beautiful, and an Orion. I am confident, in many ways, you could have any man you wished for.”

Lindsy spoke up next “I’m sure the pheromones and the like would help, if you wanted to of course. But you don’t seem to be someone who is going to be manipulative in that fashion.” During her time back home, while she hadn’t spent too much time directly around Orions within her system, she had learned of a number of the variances and approaches the people could have. Not everyone owned slaves or servants, and not all of them manipulated through pheromones or killed one another in ritual combat. It was a ridiculous notion that all of them participated in such rituals.

Tiraa grinned at T’Vara, leaving Lindsy’s comments where they were for the moment at least. The truth was complicated and not one non-Orions tended to ever understand. “So is the real curiosity here if I have sex with Rallid or not?”

Mei-Lin chuckled “Of course it is. It’s a natural curiosity, and I think we all believe here that the rest of us deserve to be happy. While Cormus and I are just starting out dating, I am confident Lindsy and T’Vara would wish for nothing but happiness for me at the end of the day. We all have it tough enough as it is with everything, having a lover that you can share closeness and sex with, is important. Let’s face it, no one wants dry spells.” It led her back to thoughts of her time at the academy. Putting a bunch of young adults together was akin to releasing bunny rabbits into a confined area with ample food, water, and shade, and allowing nature to take its course. It was alot to navigate for her back then.

“Perhaps, but often times a little dry spell allows for growth in other ways.” Tiraa sipped her wine again and shifted in the water to cross her legs. “But yes, Rallid and I sleep together on occasion, both literally and figuratively.”

“The shared quarters do make these opportunities rather difficult.” T’Vara said. “I would rather have a voluntary dry spell; however, forced ones are…difficult for young Romulan women as it is. And our beds are only so big.”

Mei-Lin continued “Very true, I’m sure no one wants to hear through their wall what their roommate or neighbor is doing. At least the two of you have your own quarters and privacy” she said, a little jealous of Lindsy and Tiraa, but it wasn’t the first time in life she had to figure out how to make things work. “There are always options. But nothing out of sorts, of course.” She didn’t want to give the XO the impression of partaking in such activities in the wrong place or at the wrong time.

“I am fortunate for the move I was given, although in ways it was probably unnecessary.” Lindsy added, taking a sip of her wine and finishing her pastry. She really did enjoy what Rallid had made.

“It was, but men don’t think with the brain in their head often enough.” Tiraa noted with a shrug. “For you two, I imagine you’ll just need to come up with some sort of way to communicate that your quarters are currently occupied.”

“Perhaps, I suppose that discussion will have to take place when the time comes. It’s kind of tough when we don’t have any sort of handle or the like. But I also think it would be weird to do anything in Cormus’s quarters, he is quartered with Ragnar. Talk about a walk of shame the next morning.” Mei-Lin imagined the awkwardness that would have ensued in such an event.

Lindsy laughed “I would pay money to see that.”

At the mention of Ragnar, Tiraa found herself briefly wondering how the man was coping with everything that had been going on over the past couple of days, but she quickly pushed it from her mind in favor of focusing on her present company. “That would be… something… though perhaps Ragnar would not be the type to care. Men often celebrate when one of them sleeps with a woman, even if it isn’t necessarily the man himself and instead a friend.”