Object
Riker's Cup of Steaming Tea (Ten-Forward)
A modest ceramic cup on a small saucer, containing a dark, steaming tea. Heat fogs the surface and a faint ring marks the saucer; the liquid sits at a manageable, half-to-three-quarters level. Will Riker holds or cradles the cup between lines of dialogue, lifting it to his lips in moments of private reflection. The cup acts as a tactile anchor in Ten-Forward—warmed, plain, and slightly worn rather than ceremonially ornate—registering use and proximity to the drinker while remaining visually unremarkable to onlookers.
4 appearances
Purpose
To contain and deliver a hot beverage (tea) for personal consumption.
Significance
Functions as a physical and emotional prop that grounds Riker's private grief and guarded realism during Data's probing; the cup's warmth and repeated handling register solitary mourning, punctuating the shift from elegy to operational urgency when Geordi's comm interrupts.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used