Trekkies United: Going Boldly

"It's fine - don't worry about it," Matrix reassured again, turning a little gold himself, though his awkwardness was now fighting a flicker of amusement at the whole situation. After a few more moments, he gave a tiny giggle, quickly masked by a cough, though this didn't really work out for him, seeing as it made no sense for an android to cough. Realizing this, he blushed a brighter shade of orange, and quickly moved another of his pawns, barely paying attention to where he was putting it.

Brianna was, on the one hand, very used to thinking of Matrix as any other organic being, and on the other hand very familiar with his personal habits and eccentricities, so the cough took a couple seconds to register in her mind as a cover-up for a laugh. when it did register, her eyes snapped up to him, and then she let out a helpless giggle at his failed attempt to hide his mirth, especially since she could feel it anyway. the single giggle gave way to another, and then she burst out in an uncontrollable fit of laughter, almost ducking out of sight as she bent double in her chair with mirth.

Matrix, who had kept his eyes averted out of embarrassment, looked up in surprise as Brianna started laughing, his cheeks flushing an even more vivid color. It took a few seconds for his amusement to return in full, and he began giggling again, too - quietly at first, and then a bit more fully. Soon enough, he, too, was laughing hysterically, bent over a little and gripping the edge of the table, tears leaking from his eyes.

his laughing only reinforced her own, and she was soon gasping for breath and rolling on the floor clutching her sides as they started to ache, tears leaking from her own eyes. "I...I can't...Mat...why?!" she managed to choke out between coughing fits. "y...you...know...better!" she was helpless, barely making noise she was laughing so hard now, starting to see stars and unable to stop

(Well I mean... don't kill her, Mat. XD)

Matrix still clung helplessly to the table, continuing to laugh as he watched her slip to the floor. Effectively, he wasn't even breathing anymore, though, thankfully, he could get away with it. "I'm... sorry...!" he managed between giggles. "I didn't... mean... to! But... you... started it...!" Finally, he managed to get ahold of himself, and realized she didn't seem able to stop. "Um... you should probably stop to breathe soon..." he told her with another tiny, this-time-nervous giggle, watching her carefully.

her giggles faded fairly quickly and she managed a deep breath or two before passing out anyway from a lack of oxygen due to the uncontrolled hysterics. thankfully, it didn't take long at all for her  to come to. she groaned and flopped a wrist onto her forehead rather limply. "owww..."

Concerned, Matrix slipped out of his chair and onto the floor to kneel next to her, making sure she was breathing before checking her pulse in her wrist, as he didn't have a medical tricorder on-hand. He wasn't horribly alarmed, and knew this could happen due to lack of oxygen, but was still worried regardless, and hoped she awoke soon; if she didn't, he would have to take her to Medical. Again.

He was hunched over her when she awoke, a nervous look on his face that quickly mingled with one of relief. "Are you alright?" he asked, offering a hand to help her sit up slowly, his other hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry - I never meant for that to happen..."

"uh *cough* yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she managed to stammer, taking his hand in a firm grip and sitting up, taking a deep breath as the sudden shifting of blood left her light-headed again for a moment. "sorry, I'm a lot more sensitive to mood shifts right now than normal. I kinda need you to stay calmer for me, or I'm going to amplify however you feel. the counselor warned me that was a side effect I could get." she didn't let go of his hand once she was sitting up. it was nice and warm, and she absently started running the pad of her thumb across the back of his hand gently

(I wonder how warm he would be. I always imagined Data to be quite cool to the touch, but just powering his brain, let alone all of his other components, would create a lot of heat (which is the reason we can't construct a computer with his brainpower today without it being absolutely enormous due to the necessary cooling systems), and I doubt his respiration would be enough to vent all of it, so in actuality he'd probably be fairly warm. Interesting to think about.)

Matrix nodded in concern, feeling sheepish. "That makes sense. I'll do my best to minimize the strength of my emotions." That was easier said than done, he thought, just due to his very nature - he was, generally, more sensitive to emotions than most humans - but, as he'd said, he'd do his best. Suddenly feeling a soft touch on the back of his hand, he looked down, and was surprised to see her thumb stroking it. He frowned slightly in puzzlement, surreptitiously looking up with his eyes at her face.

(I assume he'd have capillary structures in his skin that would help to vent excess heat. he does, after all, bleed if poked, and most heat transfer in mammals occurs with surface capillary action)

she noticed his rather confused look but didn't register why he had that expression. she hadn't noticed how touch starved she had been lately, avoiding people far more than normal as she worked on her projects. today was likely the first time in more than a week that she had touched anyone, even him. it was nice, but a hug would be better...should she ask for one? she unwittingly gave him a hazy mental image of a tight embrace, and then an image from media she'd seen as a child, of a man and woman lounging together on a bed, with the woman using the man as a cushion while they looked through a photo album or something like that.

(Maybe, though I'm pretty sure he also vents heat through respiration, as he said as much in one of the episodes. In the grand scheme of things, though, we really don't know much about his internal workings. He stated that he bleeds if poked in The Naked Now, and then they never once showed as much on the show. x_x Still, I like to believe that it was true, and the producers just... forgot? xD Or maybe never bothered. Who knows?)

Matrix was further puzzled by the hazy mental images he suddenly received, and looked away from her, his frown deepening slightly. Apart from his confusion due to the abrupt shift from her distant behavior these past few weeks, he also wondered what the second image meant. The first seemed obvious, if odd, but the second... baffled him slightly, and, strangely, even made him feel slightly awkward. Shaking it off as best he could, he looked back to her with concern for a few moments, before opening his arms invitingly and wrapping her in a gentle hug. Though she clearly wanted one, it seemed apparent that she was reluctant or unwilling to ask for one herself.

(it was probably a matter of ratings. can't have too much blood without getting bumped up in ratings and they didn't want that)

almost as soon as he wrapped his arms around her, she pulled him tight to her chest and squeezed him tight, putting her chin on his shoulder and closing her eyes. she didn't let go for a solid thirty seconds, long enough that her arms started to ache a little from the force of holding him so tight. when she finally did let him go, she looked him in the eye for a split second, then quickly away, turning quite red.

(Possibly, but they showed small amounts of blood at other times, and besides, they didn't even need to make it look like blood. His tears are gold, so I always kinda thought maybe his blood was, too - that it was all the same substance.)

Matrix's eyes widened as she pulled him tightly toward her, not having expected the vehemence of the action. He kept waiting for her to let go, but she just continued to hold him tight, making his awkwardness grow once again due to the length of the 'session'. ...Not that it wasn't pleasant, but hugs didn't normally last this long...

Finally, after precisely 34.29 seconds, she let go, and he slowly leaned back, staring at her awkwardly before averting his gaze as she did and feeling his own face burn. "Ahem... so... um..." he fumbled, clasping his hands together on his lap to try to avoid fidgeting. "...Should... we... resume our chess match, or... do something a bit more enjoya-- er, I mean, preoccupying?" He blushed further at his slip - he didn't want to imply that she was no fun!

(I don't even know if that usage of 'preoccupying' is proper, but I sat here for a good five minutes trying to think of a better word and came up with nothing. Me speak English real good. xD)

"I, um, well...maybe I should take a nap or something instead?" she suggested, refusing to look even in his general direction. "...how much have you studied about mental health, Mat?" she asked after a beat of silence, picking at the knee of her pants. "have you ever heard of touch starvation? I hadn't, until my counselor brought it up about a week ago. he expressed concern that even my closest relationships had essentially no physicality. I hardly even shake hands with anyone. he said it wasn't healthy for humans, and because I was having to learn to isolate myself, my emotional closeness was causing me difficulties as well. I guess betazoids need mental and emotional closeness as much as humans need physical closeness." she sighed. and finally, finally looked up at his emerald green eyes. "I hate to rely on you for everything, but is it too much to ask for a five second hug whenever we meet? I think it might help a lot, honestly. I haven't wanted to say anything, you get so awkward about anything between us all the time..."

Matrix's eyes quickly snapped back to her as she mentioned touch starvation, most of his awkwardness giving way to concern once again, and then, shame. "No... Please, don't feel bad about asking, ever," he told her, feeling terrible that the full realization of her plight hadn't clicked with him sooner. "I don't know much about the condition - I've studied far more about physical health than mental health - but I know enough to know that it's serious, and, most certainly, a very miserable thing to experience." He sighed softly and sought out her hand, grasping it and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know I tend to feel awkward a lot, and I'm sorry for it. It's just... I haven't ever really had a friendship with anyone outside those I consider my family before. Yes, there are individuals I respect and admire, but I wouldn't call them 'friends'." He frowned, looking down at his lap again. "I excel at treating patients... but I suppose I am not so proficient when it comes to holding friendships. I'm sorry."

"well, I think you've gotten a lot better at it than you give yourself credit for lately," she offered a small smile and returned the gentle hand squeeze. "oh, he also suggested I get a pet or something to care for and snuggle. something that would always be around to interact with. I keep forgetting to ask for a list of approveable animals...any suggestions?" she shifted a little closer to him until one of her knees bumped into his

(Dangit, Brianna, quit bumping into people awkwardly. xD)

"Well... I'd like to believe that is true..." Mat said quietly, though he was unsure. He had opened his mouth to reply to her request for pet suggestions when her knee bumped his, and he looked down at it briefly before focusing on her once more, clearing his throat softly and blushing just slightly. "Ah... well, the only pet I've ever had notable exposure to is Spot, my father's cat. They can be surprisingly affectionate, and require much less work and training than a dog. Then there are birds, reptiles, or fish, though none of those really qualify as "cuddly". Perhaps some birds." He shrugged. "Or, if you were to go the non-Earth route, there's..." He began to list off several notable possibilities from other planets, and would probably continue for a while unless she stopped him...

(Mat... don't be your dad. Please. xD)

she didn't bother stopping him for a good few minutes, fascinated by the list of fauna he knew about. the only one she'd really heard about was the tribble, and she knew enough to know they weren't allowed on the pets list, and why they weren't allowed, too. "okay, okay...maybe we should stick with earth animals?" she suggested after she felt he'd rambled on long enough. "I grew up with a dog, so, perhaps a puppy? or I suppose I could get a cat..."

Matrix blinked in faint surprise as she interrupted, then frowned slightly, realizing he'd been babbling and feeling faintly sheepish once again. "Yes... Perhaps that would be best," he agreed. "Either would be ideal, really, though, as I said, a dog - and especially a puppy - does require more hands-on attention." He tilted his head slightly, thoughtful. "Perhaps we should look in the Planetary Animal Rescue Database. Sometimes people turn over animals they can no longer care for. Abandoned pets are certainly no longer nearly as prevalent as they were just a few centuries ago, but there are still those that need homes."

"hmm...that might be a good idea..." she mused. "do you want to come with me to look?" she scratched her head a little, trying to think of what sort of fluffy animal she might want to bring home with her. should she get a younger animal so she'd have more time with it? or would an older individual with lower energy suit them better?

Matrix nodded, getting to his feet and offering her a hand up. "Sure. Though I certainly hope I don't wind up bringing back half a dozen of my own!" He gave a soft chuckle. Cats were animals he was particularly fond of, and, of course, he had a huge soft spot for any creature that was in need.

(I have no idea how a 24th-century animal shelter would work xD I imagine animals would have a large area to roam around in, with a few others of their kind that they got along well with, and, of course, regular attention from humans.)

"well, you're not the one with the permission to get a pet, mat," she teased, nudging him with her elbow as she got up with his hand to help. "I'll go ask permission for you to accompany me to the shelter..."

soon, they found themselves there in quite a sizable facility, with animals of every variety and level of fluffiness. there were even cats--dogs too--with basically no fur at all, which Brianna couldn't make any sense of. "don't they get cold?" she wondered, watching one walk past.

"...True..." he admitted with a grin, following her out.

Once there, Matrix was, as predicted, finding it difficult not to become attached to every animal they came across.  The hairless cats and dogs were of particular fascination - he'd never seen one in person before - though he wasn't sure he'd want to actually own one.  "They can, yes, and they need a lot of other special care, as well," he said, watching one walk by.  "I've heard that owners of the so-called 'hairless' breeds often create knit sweaters for them to wear to keep them warm, especially when they're taken outside."  He smiled in amusement.  "That, I think, is something I would quite enjoy seeing..."

"hmm, I think I could go for a little more fluff and a little less maintenance..." she mused with a smirk for him, heading for the kitten room. 

there was a variety of kittens, from barely old enough to be adopted to nearly a year in age. one, a calico, strutted right up to the newcomers, sniffed Matrix's leg, sneezed, and walked away with her tail in the air and a haughty expression. bri couldn't help but giggle. "my my, she was sure impressed with you!"

"Indeed," Matrix agreed, continuing to watch the dog with evident intrigue before realizing Brianna was leaving and hurriedly following her.

Inside the kitten room, Matrix was, again, resisting the urge to scoop up all the kittens he could and run for the exit. He watched as a young calico padded straight up to him, sniffed his pant leg, and then proceeded to sneeze on his foot before walking away. He giggled. "Thanks for that!" he told the kitten with a teasing glare, before glancing to Bri with a smile. "I guess so. Not sure what for, though." Thinking, he settled down cross-legged on the floor, wanting to see if any of the others would feel more comfortable with him closer to the ground and come over.