The Doctor turned in his chair to see who was addressing him. The woman was
short, with wavy black hair and the same purple eyes as all other Trisians.
She had a long slender neck and a small frame. Quite beautiful. The Doctor
noticed she wore a plain white dress, which was quite different than any
other Trisian he had seen up till this point. According to Trisian customs,
one decorated their bodies. He tilted his head in confusion at this fact.
"Hello. Can I help you?"
She walked up to stand next to the bar. "Are you from Voyager?"
"Yes."
"You are the holographic doctor?"
"Yes." The Doctor was slightly dumbfounded as to how she knew who he was. "How do you..?"
She pointed to the chair next to him. "May I sit down?" The Doctor didn't seem to show any sign of protest so she seated herself comfortably on the stool. "I heard about Voyager's upcoming visit and I learned everything I could about your ship."
"I see." That was about all he could think of saying.
"Oh! I almost forgot." She held out her hand. "We need to properly introduce ourselves. We shake hands, right? That's what I read anyway."
"Yes, I suppose so." He took her hand and shook politely.
She took her hand back and tapped her chest. "I'm Imirika. Pleased to meet you." She grinned widely, obviously pleased with herself by completing the greeting properly.
"I'm the Emergency Medical Hologram.. but, um, I guess people just call me Doctor." he finished lamely.
"I know who you are. I've read all about you." She set her hands in her lap. They were small and seemed dry and grayish. "When I came in the Cantina and saw you here I just had to come over and introduce myself. You are such an interesting individual."
The Doctor, focusing on his ego, completely missed the come-on. "Really? How so?"
"Well, I think it's fascinating that you are devoted to the arts. I myself am a great art fan."
"Well thank y.."
"Considering you being a hologram."
The Doctor stopped short. "Oh. I see."
Imirika noticed she made a mistake. "Oh no no no. Please don't take it that way." She held out her hands. "I meant how incredibly wonderful it is for you to have gone past your programming and discovered your sentience, and try to improve yourself..." The Doctor raised his eyebrow. She paused. "I read the ships logs."
"Aah, that explains how you know so much about me."
"Yes" she said. Her cheeks flushed red.
The Doctor smirked in amusement. "Well then, Imirika, since you know so much about me, may I ask a question about you?"
"Sure" She smiled nervously.
"Why is it you dress so plainly? I thought that you all took pride in decorating yourselves."
"Oh." She looked down. "I'm an artist. A sculptor to be exact."
That accounted for the gray hands. "But why the plain clothes?"
She became more assertive, realizing this was a good chance to voice her opinion. "I don't believe we should embellish ourselves. It should be about the beauty around us. So I wear plain dresses to show people that I don't care about how I look." She glared at some of the Trisians in the Cantina. "I make sculptures, I believe in all types of beauty!" she directed towards them. They didn't seem to notice. "But no one wants to buy them. I'm abnormal because I think this way, and people know that and stay away from me." Her assertiveness gone, she lowered her head. "That's why Voyager interested me so much. I know you all love art in all its forms about as much as I do."
The Doctor nodded his head in sympathy. He knew how it felt to be considered a freak. He was starting to take a liking to this girl. "You're not abnormal. You're unique. You just are surrounded by people who don't share your beliefs." She lifted her head a little higher in acknowledgment. He continued. " I know I would really enjoy seeing some of your artwork."
She smiled at him. "Really?" He replied yes. "And I would love to see your ship!"
"One step at a time."
"O.K." She thought for a second. "Come to my studio this evening. I'll show you my favorite pieces. Then maybe I could..um.. show you around the city? We have some lovely gardens here."
The Doctor leaned back. Did she just ask him out on a date? He looked at her. Judging by the apprehensive grin on her face she was. He thought about it for a moment, and surprisingly found himself actually wanting to go out with her. And why not? She was kind, beautiful, an art-fan... The Doctor halted his line of thought. Wait a second, Paris was actually right? I guess I do owe him some thanks after all.. Finally he made up his mind and sat up straight. He beamed at her. "Yes, Imirika. I would love to."
***
Tom Paris trotted back to the spot where B'Elanna was sitting in the shade. "I've got something for you." He pulled his hand out from behind his back and passed her a small box.
"What's this?" She said playfully as she lifted the box's top. Inside was a necklace carefully set with various stones. All of them seemed to give off an eerie glow. "Oh Tom, it's beautiful." She smiled at him. "O.K., what did you do?"
Tom laughed and held up his hands in mock protest. "Nothing I swear! I just saw it in one of the stands and thought it would be perfect around your neck." He leaned down to kiss her.
She started to lean in but in the corner of her eye she caught the Doctor strolling out of the Cantina across the way. She turned her head sharply to stare at him, causing Tom to peck her on the cheek. "Hey Tom! He's out!" She pointed toward the EMH.
Tom, disappointed at having his kiss interrupted, looked over and spotted the Doctor. "Hey, you're right! That was fast." He gave B'Elanna his hand and pulled her up. "Let's go see how he did." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
They made their way over, waving their hands to try to get the Doctor's attention. After a few waves her saw them and stopped. They jogged the rest of the way over to him. "So," Tom said, "How did it go?"
The Doctor tried to keep a straight face, but failed. His lips involuntarily turned upwards. "Just fine."
"Oh?"
"Thank you for dragging me out here, Mr. Paris" He patted Tom on the shoulder and with that continued walking in a fast pace.
B'Elanna and Tom continued to stand there, flabbergasted. "Thank you I guess." Tom replied to the quickly disappearing back of the hologram. He turned to B'Elanna. "What just happened?"
"From what I can tell..." She shrugged her shoulders. "...I guess your plan worked."
She walked up to stand next to the bar. "Are you from Voyager?"
"Yes."
"You are the holographic doctor?"
"Yes." The Doctor was slightly dumbfounded as to how she knew who he was. "How do you..?"
She pointed to the chair next to him. "May I sit down?" The Doctor didn't seem to show any sign of protest so she seated herself comfortably on the stool. "I heard about Voyager's upcoming visit and I learned everything I could about your ship."
"I see." That was about all he could think of saying.
"Oh! I almost forgot." She held out her hand. "We need to properly introduce ourselves. We shake hands, right? That's what I read anyway."
"Yes, I suppose so." He took her hand and shook politely.
She took her hand back and tapped her chest. "I'm Imirika. Pleased to meet you." She grinned widely, obviously pleased with herself by completing the greeting properly.
"I'm the Emergency Medical Hologram.. but, um, I guess people just call me Doctor." he finished lamely.
"I know who you are. I've read all about you." She set her hands in her lap. They were small and seemed dry and grayish. "When I came in the Cantina and saw you here I just had to come over and introduce myself. You are such an interesting individual."
The Doctor, focusing on his ego, completely missed the come-on. "Really? How so?"
"Well, I think it's fascinating that you are devoted to the arts. I myself am a great art fan."
"Well thank y.."
"Considering you being a hologram."
The Doctor stopped short. "Oh. I see."
Imirika noticed she made a mistake. "Oh no no no. Please don't take it that way." She held out her hands. "I meant how incredibly wonderful it is for you to have gone past your programming and discovered your sentience, and try to improve yourself..." The Doctor raised his eyebrow. She paused. "I read the ships logs."
"Aah, that explains how you know so much about me."
"Yes" she said. Her cheeks flushed red.
The Doctor smirked in amusement. "Well then, Imirika, since you know so much about me, may I ask a question about you?"
"Sure" She smiled nervously.
"Why is it you dress so plainly? I thought that you all took pride in decorating yourselves."
"Oh." She looked down. "I'm an artist. A sculptor to be exact."
That accounted for the gray hands. "But why the plain clothes?"
She became more assertive, realizing this was a good chance to voice her opinion. "I don't believe we should embellish ourselves. It should be about the beauty around us. So I wear plain dresses to show people that I don't care about how I look." She glared at some of the Trisians in the Cantina. "I make sculptures, I believe in all types of beauty!" she directed towards them. They didn't seem to notice. "But no one wants to buy them. I'm abnormal because I think this way, and people know that and stay away from me." Her assertiveness gone, she lowered her head. "That's why Voyager interested me so much. I know you all love art in all its forms about as much as I do."
The Doctor nodded his head in sympathy. He knew how it felt to be considered a freak. He was starting to take a liking to this girl. "You're not abnormal. You're unique. You just are surrounded by people who don't share your beliefs." She lifted her head a little higher in acknowledgment. He continued. " I know I would really enjoy seeing some of your artwork."
She smiled at him. "Really?" He replied yes. "And I would love to see your ship!"
"One step at a time."
"O.K." She thought for a second. "Come to my studio this evening. I'll show you my favorite pieces. Then maybe I could..um.. show you around the city? We have some lovely gardens here."
The Doctor leaned back. Did she just ask him out on a date? He looked at her. Judging by the apprehensive grin on her face she was. He thought about it for a moment, and surprisingly found himself actually wanting to go out with her. And why not? She was kind, beautiful, an art-fan... The Doctor halted his line of thought. Wait a second, Paris was actually right? I guess I do owe him some thanks after all.. Finally he made up his mind and sat up straight. He beamed at her. "Yes, Imirika. I would love to."
***
Tom Paris trotted back to the spot where B'Elanna was sitting in the shade. "I've got something for you." He pulled his hand out from behind his back and passed her a small box.
"What's this?" She said playfully as she lifted the box's top. Inside was a necklace carefully set with various stones. All of them seemed to give off an eerie glow. "Oh Tom, it's beautiful." She smiled at him. "O.K., what did you do?"
Tom laughed and held up his hands in mock protest. "Nothing I swear! I just saw it in one of the stands and thought it would be perfect around your neck." He leaned down to kiss her.
She started to lean in but in the corner of her eye she caught the Doctor strolling out of the Cantina across the way. She turned her head sharply to stare at him, causing Tom to peck her on the cheek. "Hey Tom! He's out!" She pointed toward the EMH.
Tom, disappointed at having his kiss interrupted, looked over and spotted the Doctor. "Hey, you're right! That was fast." He gave B'Elanna his hand and pulled her up. "Let's go see how he did." He waggled his eyebrows at her.
They made their way over, waving their hands to try to get the Doctor's attention. After a few waves her saw them and stopped. They jogged the rest of the way over to him. "So," Tom said, "How did it go?"
The Doctor tried to keep a straight face, but failed. His lips involuntarily turned upwards. "Just fine."
"Oh?"
"Thank you for dragging me out here, Mr. Paris" He patted Tom on the shoulder and with that continued walking in a fast pace.
B'Elanna and Tom continued to stand there, flabbergasted. "Thank you I guess." Tom replied to the quickly disappearing back of the hologram. He turned to B'Elanna. "What just happened?"
"From what I can tell..." She shrugged her shoulders. "...I guess your plan worked."