Prompt: June Carter - "I'm telling you, with 100% certainty that it is not the time. It's not about time. It's not the right time. It's not even quarter to the right time." - 'Walk The Line'
After getting her meal from the replicator, Tal scanned the mess hall trying to decide where to sit. Despite there being quite a few people at this hour, there were still a couple of empty tables. Still, sitting with just Billy was an everyday occurrence. Today, the first full day of having a merge crew, she was thinking that reaching out to some of those new crewmates would be the friendly thing to do.
Spotting two of the former Maquis in a corner table, Tal Celes boldly set out in that direction. Billy Telfer followed her quietly for a few steps before he realized where she was headed.
"Are we sure they're not contagious? Who knows what they brought on board with them," Billy said, leaning close to Tal as he said it.
"Don't be ridiculous, Billy," Tal told her friend quietly.
It wasn't long before she was approaching the table where two men from the Maquis ship were silently eating a meal.
"Hi," Tal said as she approached the table. Only one of the two men bothered to look up at the greeting. "May we join you?"
"If you want," the man answered sullenly.
"I'm Tal Celes and this is my friend Billy," Tal said cheerfully as she sat down across from the younger male, who was Bajoran. Billy sat down next to her, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
"Kenneth Dalby," the older man replied. "This is Gerron Ral," he continued.
Gerron looked up and gave a nod of acknowledgment but didn't speak.
"Nice to meet you. My friends call me Tal."
"You don't put the family name first, then?" Dalby asked, having learned the customary order of Bajoran names from living on the frontier.
"Not since I started at the academy. It was less confusing to just switch the names," Tal replied.
Gerron pushed his chair back and stood up, gaining the attention of the other three at the table. "If they think I'm going by their naming customs just so things are less confusing they're sorely mistaken," he said, before turning an walking away.
Tal watched the young Bajoran walk away. As the door shut behind him, she looked over at his companion. "I didn't mean to upset him. Should I go apologize?"
Dalby shook his head. "Believe me, this isn't the right time to bother. He's having a rough time adjusting to the situation. Just give him space."
Tal nodded, even as she looked back at the door Gerron had just exited through. She planed on taking another shot at offering friendship soon. She got the feeling her fellow Bajoran could use a friend or two.