Alone in the Crowd:

<<< As the announcement to grab your partner came over the speaker along with the countdown, Yeldarb found himself alone in the corner, collecting his thoughts. Others were having a great time but he found himself reflecting on all of his wasted years, wondering what life might have been like if he would have never been born.

"Never had the right knobby parents!">>>

Straightening his leather jacket over his leisure clothes of a nice button down shirt and denim trousers, Gerbil gave an interested glance over to Yeldarb. The officer then glanced at the bowl the other man had been refreshing from a bottle. Smiling a bit at catching onto the prank the Technician must be playing, Gerbil laughed and waved a hand.

"I always did wonder who's job it was to make sure enough . . . uh . . . spice got into the punch." He looked around then back at the Technician. "I'm sorry I missed your words, though. Something about knobby parents? Sounds Interesting."

Gerbil always tried really hard to make friends, and he was trying his best at that moment. 'Be polite. Smile. Show interest in what the other guy says,' he reminded himself. He had come to the party to relax and meet people. After having traveled who knew how long in that garbage pod then being scooped up by this unknown crew from out-of-time, he needed all the friends he could get. After all, the last group of friends he'd hung out with had accidentally smothered him to death.

The young officer shuddered and renewed his smile for the Technician, politely waiting for a response. If one didn't come, he might have to jump in with interesting trivial tidbits . . . something he rather enjoyed doing, actually. As people called for everyone to find their partner, Gerbil deliberately ignored the call. He wasn't about to go kissing someone he didn't know. If they threw a fit, he'd use his hologramatical status as an excuse . . . or maybe he could claim a cold?

He coughed into his hand experimentally but decided that he didn't sound sick enough. And whoever heard of a hologram being sick? Well, he'd forgo kissing, and coughing, then. It wasn't as if the Technician was cozying up to someone, either. He smiled once more at Yeldarb.

<<Tag>>