#deanna troi headcannon

[aerospas]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 ; dating deanna troi!

deanna expresses her affection through emotional connection and understanding. she's attuned to her partner's needs and desires, and whether it's listening intently during a difficult moment or offering heartfelt advice, she shows love by truly connecting with her partner's emotions.

communication is paramount. she values deep, honest conversations where both partners can share their innermost thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. trust and openness are the cornerstones of her relationships, and she cherishes a partner who is willing to share their vulnerabilities with her. being able to express oneself openly and authentically is key to building a strong bond with her.

whether it's a quiet dinner under the stars or a stroll through a peaceful garden, she thrives in environments where she can engage in meaningful dialogue and share personal insights with her partner.

[captainpikeswoman]

Deanna discovering your affair with Picard includes:

•Deanna’s suspicions about the Captain have been aroused for several weeks now, somehow he’s more tense and secretive, while also being more relaxed and stress-free. It’s gotten to a point where she’s slightly questioning her own sanity.

•so she turned to Will and Beverley. They observe Picard and come to the conclusion that he does seem to be smiling more. At regular intervals he’ll smile to himself, run his upper lip and then tap away on a PADD for a few minutes before putting it down again and assuming his usual stoic persona. Will sees this and suggests that Picard has a new ‘lady friend’ that he might be messaging.

•Deanna goes full PI (Private Investigator) and starts to discretely follow the Captain- stating that she needs to ensure the ‘safety’ of the Captain- meaning her curiosity wouldn’t let her rest! His routines for the most part remain unchanged…apart from he’s started to check in with the Stellar Cartography department (where you work as Chief) more frequently.

•Deanna watches as the usually nimble and graceful Captain seems to become a bit clumsy and short-sighted as he slowly, seemingly begrudgingly, exits from the work space as he’s summoned elsewhere. He very nearly walks into the wall- his embarrassment hits Deanna like a brick even from her hiding spot some meters away. As the doors quietly hiss close, Deanna just catches a glimpse of your flushed cheeks as you gently bite your lower lip.

•Deanna makes a point of reading up on your file. The more she reads; the more she smiles and her excitement grows. You’re perfect! A challenge for sure, but for Picard…absolutely perfect!

•Deanna’s suspicions are confirmed when you’re summoned to the Captain’s Ready Room one shift to discuss the implementation of a system’s upgrade and the forecast improvements to scanner range etc. it’s a small buzzing feeling at first, Deanna can sense that Picard is pacing in his Ready Room, slightly fizzing with what she perceives as anxiety. But then you walk through the door and…Deanna is awash with sheer delight. She can’t help but grin. The sensation of pleasure and happiness that emanate from you and Picard is enough to have a physical bodily reaction in her.

•she rushes straight to find Will and tell him what she knows…this is about to become THE worst kept secret on the Enterprise.

[40cleverways]

Deanna Troi/ Betazoid Headcannons: Empathic Abilities

Deanna's abilities, as well as other betazoids, are less about detecting emotions and more about experiencing them. Truly empathic, they are able to experience the feelings of others to varying degrees depending on how strong the emotions are.All betazoids have empathic abilities but as they can also read minds they don't rely on their empathy as much.

Because Deanna can only sense emotions, her empathic abilities are much more refined (Similiarly to how your other senses become stronger when one is removed). So, while all betazoids can sense emotions, Deanna is probably more aware of them than a full Betazoid, as that's all she can sense. Growing up on Betazed, she probably relied heavily on her empathy to the point where she was able to comprehend the emotions and understand the thoughts that provoked them. So, while she can't read thoughts, she can determine what someone is thinking based on context clues and how they feel. (This is much easier with humans as they don't filter their feelings as much) her understanding of psychology has made this skill that much more accurate.

During counseling sessions, her abilities are very helpful as often times patients struggle to express what they are feeling, but because of her empathy, Deanna can actually 'feel' what they're feeling. This can cause problems within itself, especially on a ship full of so many people.

The fear of a whole ship during a red alert can make Deanna feel more panicky than she would in the same situation by herself. Having lived with it for so long, as well as her counseling background, she knows how to manage it, but she'll stay jittery for a few hours after the crisis.

She has to be extra careful to reign in any leftover paranoia after she has a session with Barclay because while he is only one person, his anxiety is very strong.

If a member of the crew dies, even if she doesn’t personally know them, she'll feel the ache of grief as if she did. Having mourned the deaths of many strangers, Deanna is rather sentimental when it comes to her friends, holding on to them dearly. (After Tasha's death, it was hard to determine what feelings belonged to her and what belonged to others).

Her abilities aren't just a hindrance when it comes to negative emotions, but can also be difficult when an event sways enough of the crew's feelings in the same direction, even in a positive way.

Deanna can feel almost manic during the days leading up to the holidays or shore leave. Usually, she can manage it enough that it comes off as her own excitement, but some days it can become too much, and she'll be giddy for no reason and can barely focus on a task. Sometimes, she'll run herself ragged and just work until she burns out because she's overly excited. Few people notice such instances because after such an occurrence, she usually recuperates during shore leave so she can return to work refreshed.

While Deanna can shield her mind from others, it's tiring and requires focus. She can’t keep it up indefinitely. Usually, her empathic abilities don't affect her so greatly. It often registers merely as background noise. If the same emotion is shared by multiple people, or an individual has very strong feelings, it can start to impact her.

[atl4ntisxx]

A guide to atlantis's blog ☆

About me : my name is atlantis im 19 im genderfluid he/she/they/xe i mainly use xe/xem

What i do : I write hcs/fanfics for characters that i think deserve more recognition in the fandoms

My fandoms are : dr who legion agatha all along chilling adventures of sabrina what we do in the shadows glass onion star trek the next generation a series of unfortunate events once upon a time

I will write hcs for : lenny busker rio vidal alice wu gulliver river song missy (the master) jennifer kale zelda spellman madam satan (miss wardwell / lilith) esme squalor olivia caliban nadja of antipaxos the guide birdie jay claire debella deanna troi beverly crusher regina mills

Are my requests open ? yes ! You can request any hcs/fanfics in my asks. I do not accept reqs via comments

My hashtags : #atlantis's blog - for page guidance #atlantis's headcannons - for my hcs #atlantis talks - answering non req asks #atlantis reblogs - any posts i reblog #atlantis's fanfics - for my fanfics

[anxious-astral-apple-blog]

Okay but...

Y’all are telling me that my girl Deanna, who is an empath and can feel the emotions of all other beings is straight? And she falls for Riker?

Troi is Pansexual, TNG writers were just homophobic. Thats the tea.

[stonktrek]

when you spoke about nb will and deanna you said about maybe data considering nb as a label for himself do you have anymore headcannons for this because I really think it's accurate like data says one time he's 'anatomically a male' but never really refers to himself as a man. Also I really appreciate your content you have such good headcannons

i will talk about anyone and everyone being nonbinary it’s kinda my thing >:) tw for transphobia but it’s only one bullet point

at first, data was often confused when being addressed as a man bc they felt they didn’t fit the dictionary definition of a man

they got used to it, assuming that’s how they’ll always be addressed

then someone (riker or troi) comes out as nonbinary, explaining that they aren’t a man or a woman. data decides to do research on the concept of nonbinary, approaching the person about it and asking what it means in human society

they quickly decide that’s what they are and announces to everyone that they will be using they/them pronouns. they’re meet with tons and tons of support

deanna is very proud of data for coming to this conclusion, saying this is them on their way to forming a sense of self outside being an android

data tries going between masculinity and femininity, wearing skant uniforms and dresses to formal events, trying makeup (alone in their quarters), changing the pitch of their voice when they speak

data worried at first that geordi would have an issue with data being nonbinary, but geordi reassures them that he still very much loves them and the fact that they’re comfortable with themself

(tw transphobia) lore demeans data for being nonbinary, telling them that dr soong made both of them to be men and that data couldn’t be nonbinary bc it wasn’t in their programming. this causes data to question their gender and if they rly are nonbinary, but deanna and will assure data that even if both of them were born female and male respectively, they’re still nonbinary

data finds they enjoy taking on female roles in plays after beverly casts them as a girl in a show on board the enterprise

picard tries very hard to get data’s pronouns right, and with more ppl on board coming out as nonbinary, he decides to just use they/them for everyone (unless told specifically not to)

being nonbinary makes data happy :))

[poetictrekkie]

TNG Crew Highschool!AU

Anonymous said: Hey! I was wondering for the 500 followers list prompt, you could do Headcannons for a TNG high school au? I was thinking of it as if they were students. Thanks so much if you decide do this!

Jean-Luc Picard

He’s one of those rare types who defies stereotype. 

No one can place him in any particular group, no set table in the cafeteria.

Of course, he prefers to spend lunch in the library. For some reason, the librarian never reprimands him if he eats there.

He’s fairly popular, and certainly no outcast. Whenever he enters a room, he exudes this undeniably authoritative aura.

Always taking the lead in group projects. Always.

Enjoys athletics, especially long-distance running. He’s trained for marathons in the past, and participates in cross-country events.

Subtly nerdy. He raises his hand all the time in English class.

Whenever students are assigned memorization work of a poem or a monologue, they can’t wait to hear Jean-Luc recite it.

His recitation of Hamlet’s To Be or Not to Be soliloquy went down in the history of the school as receiving a standing ovation and actual tears streaming down the teacher’s face.

He’s been the lead in the school play since his sophomore year. He was the first sophomore to get the lead.

Very private, especially in regards to his personal life. No one ever knows what’s going on in his head – or who he’s dating.

Will Riker

That guy. Every coming-of-age movie has one of them.

The more than slightly annoying, jock, “cool” guy that everyone wants to be around.

Secretly not a complete dunce. If he put in some effort, he could be doing great things.

Comes from money. The Rikers have been pumping money into the school for generations. Probably the only way that Will hasn’t gotten expelled.

There are probably several plaques in the school with ‘Donated by the Riker Family’ on them.

Has his own car the moment he turns sixteen, making him even more of an object of envy for the next few months.

Like his infamous escapades, his string of girlfriends is legendary. There’s a new girl on Will Riker’s arm every month.

But lately, since he started dating Deanna Troi, he’s toned down his reckless behaviour.

He’s also begun to realize that underneath his act, there’s a surprising amount of vulnerability that he’s refused to acknowledge.

Data Soong

Very likely the smartest person in the school.

He can memorize dates for history and formulas for math without a single error.

He is the captain of the school robotics team, and they’ve had a winning streak in the district and state tournaments since he joined.

He is also responsible for the construction of “Broomby,” a highly modified Roomba that can go 20 km/hr and is very good at wreaking absolute havoc when a distraction is necessary.

He is also on the autism spectrum (he has Asperger’s), and he finds it difficult to interact with people and feels uncomfortable in social situations.

This sometimes makes him a target for bullying, but Data has learned to ignore the people who tease him.

Even the teachers sometimes grow annoyed when Data tries to answer every question in class.

His adoptive father, Dr. Noonien Soong, is very protective of his son. But although he often wants to intercede on his behalf when he hears about the bullying, Data always stops him.

He hasn’t told him, but Data just wants to make his father proud, and prove that he can stand up for himself.

Geordi LaForge

The kind of person everyone wants to be friends with.

Rarely has a bad word to say about anyone. Very kind, funny, and helpful.

Geordi excels in the classes which require some hands-on work.

A star in woodshop. He has a knack for carving.

But he’s also very good at automotive work and technology-related tasks.

Always helps people with their homework. Might not know the answer every time, but he’ll sit and work it through.

He’s working at all the open houses for the school, talking to prospective students and touring them around the facilities.

When Data comes to the school, they immediately become fast friends.

Geordi understands how difficult it is to be different from other people. He’s visually impaired, but he doesn’t let that stop him from doing the things he loves.

The two of them spend late nights working on robotics projects, and Data even designed a pair of visual aids for his friend.

They didn’t work as well as the ones he already had, but Geordi kept them anyways.

He’s absolutely hopeless when he works up the courage to ask his crush out.

Hopeless.

But Data doesn’t really get that sort of thing either, so it all works out.

Beverly Crusher (Howard)

The model student and president of the Student Council.

Like Will, she also comes from a family of significant repute, but she doesn’t try to use her status for bonus points.

For her entire first year of high school, she denied any relation to the Howard family, just to prove she could make it on merit alone.

Everyone knows that Beverly is definitely going to get into a very good medical program in an Ivy League university.

She has top marks in Biology and Chemistry in her grade (Data is a year younger than her), and is an Honours student.

Beverly is friendly and effusive, but still introverted. She prefers to stick to her small group of friends.

She also has very high standards about the people she dates. Not many people can say they’ve gone out with Beverly Howard.

That’s why everyone was so shocked when she started dating Jack Crusher. A nice guy by all means, but no one particularly remarkable.

The two of them loved each other with a passion that could have went far beyond “high school sweethearts.”

But just before graduation, “could have” became all it ever could have been.

He was in the car.

Distracted. Listening to music. Talking.

Not seeing the truck that ran that red light.

Then Beverly didn’t know who to think to blame, not even Jean-Luc. Who was in the car too. Who survived.

Deanna Troi

The most popular girl in the school.

On first appearances, she comes off sometimes as a bit of an airhead.

Some people say she’s concerned more with her clothes than school itself.

But they couldn’t be more wrong.

Deanna is constantly motivated, trying hard in all her courses.

She knows she’s no Beverly Crusher, and certainly not Data, but she’s determined to succeed.

She’s an empath in every sense. She’s a great conversationalist, and has high emotional intelligence.

Whoever talks to Deanna always feels better and happier by the end of the conversation.

She gets top marks in the psychology class, and she’s considering becoming a psychiatrist or a counsellor.

She likes to make people feel good, and talk them through their problems.

Some people honestly prefer talk to Deanna than the actual school counsellor.

When Will Riker asks her out, she almost says no. In fact, she only says yes on the condition that she won’t become one of his cast-offs.

And surprisingly enough, Will Riker stays true to his word.

Because to him, Deanna is worth all the things in the world.

Worf

The slightly frightening exchange student.

He came from Belarus with his adoptive brother, Nikolai.

Compared to his rather rebellious and genial sibling, Worf is very stoic and prefers to keep to himself.

Some people joke that the brothers might as well have come from different planets.

Not many people have seen past his stony exterior. There are a few exceptions, though.

Deanna Troi, who he dated briefly in his junior year. But it ended up not working out, and they parted as good friends.

Jean-Luc Picard, who he respects as an intelligent person and capable leader. 

He is brilliant at sports, if rather aggressive.

He’s the captain of the school wrestling team, probably one of the best they’d had.

The bulk of sports-related injuries at the school had some relation to were caused by Worf.

He spends quite a bit of time in the gym, where he discovered he had an aptitude for basketball.

Tasha Yar introduced the game to him, and she remains his usual partner for shooting hoops.

He always stands up for the underdog, because he knows what it’s like to be one.

So, if he sees any of the younger kids being bullied, there’ll be hell to pay.

Tasha Yar

Ever since her first day of freshman year, Tasha Yar had acquired a sort of rebel mystique.

In the first lesson, she corrected the History teacher on a particular fact about the Cold War.

Not very politely, mind you.

By the end of the first month of school, she had been sent to the principal’s office twice.

Tasha’s very much a lone wolf. Wasn’t there to make friends, no matter how many people thought her defiance was “cool.”

“Tragic backstory unlocked at level 4.” No one’s got there. 

Protest is her art form.

She’s consistently skipped Fridays to strike for climate change.

She came early to school (for once) in order to put up signs protesting the heartbeat laws in Alabama and Georgia.

Tasha is a killer debater, and Debate is the only club she participates in.

If you try and argue anything with her, you’ve just dug your own grave.

Loves heavy metal, but also classical music. She doesn’t talk about the latter one as much, though.

When she’s not protesting the dress code, her favourite t-shirt reads: “Dismantling the patriarchy, brick by brick.”

And no one dares make fun of her, because they know they’ll pay for it one day.

[ezrisdax-archive]

Idk if you've done them already, but troi x tasha for the femslash headcannon thing pls? Thanks 💙

send me trek femslash pairs for my headcanons on them!

the sneak kisses on the bridge before Tasha has to go on an away missions a la Chapel and Uhura did

after they start dating Tasha tries to book her shore leave whenever Lwaxana comes because she’s just not used to ‘meeting the parents’ and Deanna’s always tempted to join her except she knows her mom would find her. (Tasha does meet her as Deanna’s girlfriend of course and Lwaxana asks when the wedding is)

Tasha comforts Deanna on that mission after the Romulans, listen she would 1701% be there for Deanna and be there if Deanna needed to talk. she might not be an empath but she knows when Deanna needs a shoulder and a friend (and a girlfriend)

Deanna cheers for Tasha during her parrises square matches and Tasha gets excited whenever she wins and kisses Deanna, half picking her up because height differences~

whenever they can’t really kiss because they’re at a function or both on duty they stand close to each other and their hands brush against each other and Deanna’s soothed by feeling how confident and sure Tasha is when she’s scoping a place out security wise and Tasha just looks at Deanna when she needs to feel calm because Deanna will meet her eyes and smile and then she know’s everything will be all right

[aerospas]

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐍 ; their pet for you - tng characters

𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐒 ; ᵇᵉᵛᵉʳˡʸ, ᵈᵃᵗᵃ, ᵈᵉᵃⁿⁿᵃ, ᵍᵉᵒʳᵈᶦ, ʳᶦᵏᵉʳ, ᵗᵃˢʰᵃ, ᵖᶦᶜᵃʳᵈ

( DEAR ) my dear ; with a glance, they convey a warmth that melts away the world's worries, leaving only a sense of belonging in their presence. their gentle touch soothes the heart, each caress a reminder of the love shared between kindred spirits.

data, picard

( HONEY ) honey ; a sweet moniker that encapsulates their essence of warmth and tenderness. their gentle gestures speak volumes, echoing the language of love in every embrace and tender word exchanged. their gaze holds a depth of understanding, as if they see straight into the core of your being, recognizing you not just as a friend, but as an indispensable part of their life.

beverly, deanna, riker

( ANGEL ) angel ; in their eyes, you are not just a partner, but a cherished soulmate, a beacon of light guiding them through life's journey. it's more than just a title; it's a recognition of the light you bring into their life, illuminating their path with warmth and tenderness.

geordi, tasha

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: ideally, i would have included worf, but i didn't feel like any of them fit him, sorry!

[40cleverways]

Troisha Headcanons: Tasha meeting Lwaxana

(I'm gonna be honest it's been a while since I've rewatched season one, I honestly can't remember if Tasha and Lwaxana have cannonically met or not)

Early in the mission, Deanna gets into a fight with Lwaxana, and Tasha comes to check on her. Deanna explains how she’s conflicted because she loves her mom, but she can be really overbearing sometimes and Tasha jokes that because she’s an orphan she has no emotional attachment to parental figures so she could totally yell at Deanna's mom for her. Deanna laughs (not entirely realizing that Tasha was genuinely offering). Tasha is just happy that she made Deanna feel better.

The first time Tasha actually meets Lwaxana officially (some time around when she starts to realize that she's in love with Deanna), she's actually kind of intimidated.

She does stand firm and actually calls her out when Lwaxana says something rude, though. (Tasha always was a little more brave than smart) Everyone just stops and holds their breath waiting for Mrs. Troi to explode, but she doesn't. To everyone's surprise, she laughs (meanwhile Tasha thinks she's just caused an interplanetary incident) and then says, "I like you, that Will boy never stood up to me." Winks, and promptly walks away.

Everyone let's out a sigh of relief and carries on with their day, Tasha is relieved that she didn't lose her job, but is thoroughly confused what Riker has to do with this, and Riker is honestly a little offended (he always thought that he was Lwaxana's favorite).

Tasha tries to avoid Mrs. Troi once her and Deanna actually start dating. When Tasha eventually meets Mrs. Troi, in a "meeting the parents" capacity, she’s super nervous. She knows Mrs. Troi wishes that Deanna had married Riker years ago, and Tasha knows that Deanna is basically a princess, and she's just some random weirdo who can never measure up. Plus, there was that whole incident where Tasha just straight up called Lwaxana out on her bullshit. It doesn't help that Deanna is also really nervous. Mrs. Troi keeps calling her 'Natasha' and making odd comments to see how she'll react.

Eventually, when Tasha doesn't seem to have done anything horribly rude or embarrassing, Lwaxana, without any warning, says, "Well, I think that will be all dear, I don't particularly like you, and my daughter is much too good for you. Mr. Homm, please show Natasha to the door. " To this, Deanna goes, "Mother!" Because dang, that was rude even for Lwaxana. Tasha just stands up, looking down anxiously at the table. Deanna tries to grab her arm and tell her that she doesn't have to leave. Tasha just gives an apologetic smile and tells her it's okay.

Then she squares her shoulders and addresses Mrs. Troi. "Before I go, Mrs. Troi, I'd like to say a few things. You're absolutely right. Your daughter is light-years out of my league. But I don't really care about your opinion, of me. For whatever reason Deanna has decided that she likes me, and until she realizes that she deserves much better than me, I'm going to keep spending time with her, even if you don’t like it. Because I make her happy, and I love her, and it's not your decision to make. You can't control her life as much as you may try, Deanna is a capable woman who will make her own choices, no matter what you or anyone else thinks. Good night." And then she would get up to leave and Lwaxana would stop her, she'd say that she liked Tasha's spark, and while Will was very ambitious he didn't always have Deanna's best interests in mind.

Lwaxana would end the night by telling them that they make a lovely couple. Along with a remark about when to expect wedding invitations. Tasha would sit dumbly in her chair with her jaw hanging slack. She wouldn't fully recover from the evening for a full two days.

Every consecutive interaction they have consists of Tasha just mentally going "oh shit oh fuck oh no don't mess this up don't embarrass yourself, don't say anything stupid, ahhhhh" and Lwaxana looks at Deanna and telepathically says, "She is adorable little one." Lwaxana would insist that Tasha call her 'Mother', and Tasha would awkwardly continue to call her Mrs. Troi instead.

[40cleverways]

So how I think the Troisha relationship would play out: a oneshot

When Tasha meets Deanna for the first time, she thinks she's beautiful but is suspicious of her telepathy. She also assumes that she's all Touchy-Feely cause she's very femme and works as a counselor. So she doesn't put much stock in her strategic advice. And doesn't entirely understand why she's a bridge officer.

Deanna is very friendly and jumps to invite Tasha to spend time with her and Beverly off-duty.

Tasha isn't great at socializing especially with other women so she just kind of awkwardly declines and works out instead.

After some time Tasha starts to pick up stuff about the counselor.

They haven’t worked a whole lot together but Tasha sees how Deanna acts with the other crewmembers.

She discovers that her kindness is genuine, not just a front. And while Tasha isn't sure just how much the counselor can sense, (she suspects it's more than she lets on), she's very discreet and doesn't pry or share anything untoward unless it endangers the crews safety.

Tasha still spends a lot of her time by herself or sparring with Worf off duty.

When she’s getting a drink off-duty at 10 Forward, she learns that Deanna has a sweet tooth. While most of the crew unwinds by getting drinks, Deanna unwinds by eating chocolate (tasha finds this bemusing and kimd of adorable). She doesn't drink often, but when she does, she normally gets some kind of cocktail that looks pretty. While she unironically enjoys fruity "girly" drinks, they actually have much more alcohol than some of what Riker drinks.

Speaking of Riker, everybody knows that there's something going on between the two of them. That there was something, and it ended badly. Riker does cast the occasional longing look when Deanna isn't looking, but for the most part, it seems that he’s moved on. Always willing to find company in the residents of whatever planet they're visiting.

While Tasha is pretty sure that Deanna is genuinely happy for him, she's not blind to the way she looks at him. Whatever they had together may have been a long time ago, but it’s clear she hasn't moved on yet.

And she could move on with anyone whenever she wanted, she's gorgeous, Tasha knows that, and she's intelligent. Far more than most give her credit for.

Only being able to read feelings leaves a lot out compared to full telepathy. Deanna has to really know the psychology behind people's actions and motivations. She has to be confident enough to bank the safety of the ship on her insights. Tasha learns to understand and respect Picard's choice to have her as a bridge officer. Tasha learns to trust Deanna's advice and to listen to any insight the counselor may have.

Tasha's not sure how it happened, but slowly, they've started working together more. When there's a security threat, Tasha finds herself asking Deanna for insight on their opponents. Deciding what would be the best course of action. Once Tasha started spending time with the other bridge staff off-duty, she just saw Deanna more often. Data would rope her into a strategy game of some kind, and she would see Deanna in tenforward. Beverly and her would come into the holodeck to do aerobics while she and Worf practiced judo. She would flash Tasha a knowing smile during Poker Night before playing a good hand. Deanna reliably attended Data’s poetry recitals, exchanging smiles with Geordi during rounds of applause. Suddenly, she wasn't just a work friend. She was just a friend.

As time went on, Tasha became accustomed to her company, to her friendly smile whenever their eyes met. After some time, it just became normal to spend time with her off duty. They'd talk about Data and Geordi and speculate when Geordi would make a move or if Data would figure it out first (neither seems likely at this rate).

They would practice (whatever martial art Deanna does), and while their workout routines were very different, sometimes they would do warm-ups together or go to tenforward and chat with Guinan after a long day. Tasha had never really had any girl friends before, and spending time with Deanna was really nice.

With their added time together, so too comes added understanding. Tasha starts to learn more about Deanna, beyond just her friendly outside demeanor.

She comes to learn that Deanna's empathic abilities are less about detecting the emotions of others and more feeling them. She experiences the hurt and joy of those around her. Tasha can barely deal with her own feelings she has no idea how Deanna manages it. And she does, manage it, that is. After the death of a crew member, Deanna not only helps the grieving parties come to terms with their feelings but manages to greet everyone with a smile, even while carrying the loss of a whole ship. It's taxing, and Tasha can see that clearly enough. She asks the counselor one day why she does her work, and she simply says that her gifts gives her a unique perspective when it comes to helping others, so she feels that it's her duty to do just that.

Deanna is very aware of her feelings Tasha realizes. They're not so different that way. While Tasha tries to be firm and stoic (not always succefully, Deanna always tries to be positive for the people around her.

One day, when a crew member dies, after the day is done, and the shift is over, she finds Deanna in a corner of 10 forward, staring out the viewport. The day had been long, and Tasha was exhausted. She was tired, and she felt guilty. As chief of security, she felt that any casualty under her watch was her fault. There was a lot of paperwork surrounding the incident, and tasha had opted to get it all out of the way in hopes of avoiding her own guilty conscience. She hadn't seen Deanna all day, but she hadn't seen a lot of people. When she did spot the counselor in 10 Forward, she thought that a glass of synthohol and some company might be just what she needed.

She saw the ice cream bowl and was unsurprised, but what did surprise her was that it was melting appearing to be untouched. She went to ask if the replicator was down but stopped when she saw Deanna's face.

Deanna was sitting perfectly still, looking out the window, tears running down her face. Tasha asked her what was wrong and what happened, Deanna only dabbed at her eyes, seemingly surprised to see Tasha standing there, with a sniffle she just said that she wasn't hungry, and that the crewmember was well loved. Then she went back to look at the window as more tears ran down her face.

Tasha didn't know what she meant at first "well loved"?

She hadn't thought that deanna knew him personally, and Tasha was upset too, but she just seemed so distraught. She thought that maybe Deanna menat that she was sad about a good person dying, but then it hit her.

'She's experiencing the loss of the crew, the pain of those who knew him,' she thought.

Right then and there, Tasha makes a personal promise to work even harder to protect the crew of the enterprise, if only so she never has to see Deanna look so sad again.

This is all the moment that solidifies Tasha's feelings for Deanna, but she won't realize that for some time.