K'hat'n'dlawa

Declaration

There was something about Amanda's presence Sarek found to be conducive to a state of peace. At times her behavior was rather erratic- but she was human, after all. More often than not her emotionalism was kept to a minimum.

She was calmest during the lunches she spent with him in his office. At other times she seemed nervous around him. Even now he knew she was not completely relaxed, judging by her rigid posture.

"Miss Grayson, is there anything you require to be more comfortable?" he asked. They were sitting in his 'living room' as the Terrans called it. He sat in a chair and she sat on a sofa across from him.

Finally, she seemed to relax and sank back into the cushions.

"No, Ambassador," she replied, and gifted him with one of her gentle smiles. His eyes lingered on her face for a moment before he looked away. There were times when he almost wished she would call him by his given name. He wondered what it would sound like when uttered by her lips.

The room was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Amanda was looking at the Terran decorations- the paintings of scenery and Chinese vases that had come with the house. Soft light poured in through the windows, illuminating her pale skin and making her chestnut-brown hair glisten as she moved her head. The corners of her lips curved very slightly upward- not quite a smile but almost. He had found since being on Earth that smiles- at least hers- were pleasant to look at. They softened her facial features, brightened her eyes...

"You have said that you attend a university," Sarek said. Amanda looked away from a painting of rolling green hills, towards him.

"Yes, San Francisco State. I'll be graduating next spring. I can't wait- I'll finally be done with hectic class and work schedules. I'm going to put in applications at schools soon- the sooner I can get away from the embassy the better."

"You seem to dislike working there," Sarek observed. He found it strange that the thought of Amanda no longer being at the embassy discomfited him. It simply would not be the same without her to call upon for assistance.

"It's not too bad sometimes. But my boss...and this girl I work with, Karen..."Amanda's smile was now more strained.

Ah...she knew the strange blonde woman. Perhaps now would be a good time to ask about her odd behavior.

"This...Karen. She was in my office three weeks ago. She exhibited some peculiar behavior," Sarek said. Amanda sat up and he thought the expression on her face was 'amused'.

"Peculiar?" she asked. "How so?"

"The tone of her voice was several octaves higher than I believe normal for her and she blinked rapidly. She seemed persistent in asking if I required her help...and she touched my shoulder." He felt displeasure at the memory. "Is this behavior normal for her?"

She was definitely smiling now, but attempting to suppress it. "Well...I guess you can say it's normal. It's called flirting, Ambassador."

"Flirting," he repeated flatly.

"Yes, it's...a pre-mating ritual, I guess you can say. Humans do it to show they're interested."

"I see," Sarek said. "And this Karen has an interest in me."

"Yes, I think so."

"And what other mannerisms are used in this 'flirting'?"

"Usually there's a little touching involved- which explains why she touched your shoulder. Smiling, too...and sometimes, if it's a woman, they play with their hair or fidget with something as they talk."

"Humans have strange pre-mating rituals. Vulcans do not bother with courtship," Sarek commented. "In fact, humans have many strange, barbaric customs. If they ceased these inane rituals and adopted more logical ones then they could concentrate on improving their primitive society."