"It is highly illogical, Commander Tucker, to assume that just because one is in love with someone, that that love would be returned," she retorted, those Vulcan eyebrows ever so straight and level on her face. "Being that it is an emotion, and only beneficial to the one experiencing it."
"Well, see, love isn't only beneficial to the person experiencin' it. If that love is returned, than both people benefit from it, mainly 'cause love is a good emotion, and good emotion's're, well, good to the people experiencin' it."
"What you fail to notice, Commander, is that it can be harmful for one to obsess over another, and for that other to not return the emotion. Assuming, of course, that you are right about love being a good thing, than the one who is obsessing," she carefully glided over the cough that I did, "will be dedicating so much emotional energy to the one that they are obsessing over that it will drain from their other emotions, like," and she raised an eyebrow at this one, "dedication to one's work. Not to mention the fact, Commander, that if the one obsessing does not get any form of willing emotional return from the one that they are obsessing over, they may...take it upon themselves to gain it. Willingly...or not." My, did she have a flair for the dramatic sometimes.
"T'Pol, not once have I said 'obsess', or 'obsessing'. I said love. Two different things," I countered, first off. "Next, though that's happened, it's not very common now. Mos' people move on if their love isn't returned. They adjust and find another person to love," I cleared my throat for what I was to say next. "An' as I was sayin', if that love is returned, than the person loving gains both that love put out, an' the love returned plus loyalty'n many other similar emotions."
She seemed to have to reconsider her strategy now. She still gazed at me with that flat, unemotional face, though. "That may be so. But what if such loyalty...breaks later on? Or...perhaps...shifts? Will the energy that one have spent gaining that loyalty and love in the first place be worth it in the long run? Emotions are very...fragile things."
I fixed her with my best stare back. "Assumin' that that happened...and dependin' on the person who experiences it...for most people, yes. Even after expendin' a lot of energy, they would bounce back, and start lovin' again. 'Spart of the experience of lovin', T'Pol."
"How can someone possibly find it worth the effort to spend so much energy to gain the love and loyalty of someone, only to lose it...and then do it again? And...again?" She piqued another eyebrow at this. She seemed genuinely curious, much as she tried to hide it.
"Simple. Love is such a good feeling that people want to 'xperience it over'n over again. It all goes back to that process of gainin' the love back, along with the loyalty'n such. Some people like the challenge of gainin' that love. It's like the first time all over 'gain."
"So it's an addiction, then," she replied, and softly too, after a very short pause.
"Well...yes, yes it is," I replied, for lack of anything to debate that with. It was true, though I'd never thought of it that way. Leave it up to a Vulcan like T'Pol to think of it like that!
A silence fell upon us, as the conversation came to a natural stop.
"Well, see, love isn't only beneficial to the person experiencin' it. If that love is returned, than both people benefit from it, mainly 'cause love is a good emotion, and good emotion's're, well, good to the people experiencin' it."
"What you fail to notice, Commander, is that it can be harmful for one to obsess over another, and for that other to not return the emotion. Assuming, of course, that you are right about love being a good thing, than the one who is obsessing," she carefully glided over the cough that I did, "will be dedicating so much emotional energy to the one that they are obsessing over that it will drain from their other emotions, like," and she raised an eyebrow at this one, "dedication to one's work. Not to mention the fact, Commander, that if the one obsessing does not get any form of willing emotional return from the one that they are obsessing over, they may...take it upon themselves to gain it. Willingly...or not." My, did she have a flair for the dramatic sometimes.
"T'Pol, not once have I said 'obsess', or 'obsessing'. I said love. Two different things," I countered, first off. "Next, though that's happened, it's not very common now. Mos' people move on if their love isn't returned. They adjust and find another person to love," I cleared my throat for what I was to say next. "An' as I was sayin', if that love is returned, than the person loving gains both that love put out, an' the love returned plus loyalty'n many other similar emotions."
She seemed to have to reconsider her strategy now. She still gazed at me with that flat, unemotional face, though. "That may be so. But what if such loyalty...breaks later on? Or...perhaps...shifts? Will the energy that one have spent gaining that loyalty and love in the first place be worth it in the long run? Emotions are very...fragile things."
I fixed her with my best stare back. "Assumin' that that happened...and dependin' on the person who experiences it...for most people, yes. Even after expendin' a lot of energy, they would bounce back, and start lovin' again. 'Spart of the experience of lovin', T'Pol."
"How can someone possibly find it worth the effort to spend so much energy to gain the love and loyalty of someone, only to lose it...and then do it again? And...again?" She piqued another eyebrow at this. She seemed genuinely curious, much as she tried to hide it.
"Simple. Love is such a good feeling that people want to 'xperience it over'n over again. It all goes back to that process of gainin' the love back, along with the loyalty'n such. Some people like the challenge of gainin' that love. It's like the first time all over 'gain."
"So it's an addiction, then," she replied, and softly too, after a very short pause.
"Well...yes, yes it is," I replied, for lack of anything to debate that with. It was true, though I'd never thought of it that way. Leave it up to a Vulcan like T'Pol to think of it like that!
A silence fell upon us, as the conversation came to a natural stop.