Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: This Is So Surreal
Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek
OOC: After speaking with Rich, he gave me permission to go ahead and sim them being there in person.
OOC2: Lael didn't feel comfortable leaving Maddy behind for an extended time on the Veritas, so she brought her with and because she needed a babysitter for when she's at the ceremony, she brought one.((Temporary Quarters, DS26))
::Lael was nervous. The invitation to attend Captain Brell’s promotion ceremony had been unexpected and very much a pleasant surprise. Though she was going to support Captain Brell, she was mainly focused on two facts: Brell was the captain of the Atlantis. Toryn served on the Atlantis. She grimaced, running the brush through her long, curly copper brown hair for the nth time, pushing upward to give it a bit of volume. She’d programmed the nanites special for tonight, knowing that there was a high probability she would be seeing Toryn in person.::
::Instead of the usual trousers she paired with her dress whites, she’d borrowed the black skirt that Dassa often wore, which clung to her curves and ended just above her knees. A pair of slim black dress boots completed the outfit. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she felt the butterflies flutter anew in her abdomen at the thought of being able to reach out and touch him.::
::Her hands shook as she pinched the clasp of her pink tourmaline cross necklace and secured it around her neck before slipping it under the collar of her uniform. Brushing down the front of her jacket and the length of her skirt, she again studied herself in the mirror.::
Maddy: You look nice, Lael.
::Lael had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t heard the little girl coming up behind her.::
Maddy: Where are you going?
::She offered a wane smile that she hoped was more convincing than she felt it was, then turned to Maddy.::
Rosek: ::brushes a kiss against her forehead:: I told you, darling. I’m going to a party. An officer just got promoted to Captain.
Maddy: ::arches her eyebrows:: So that outfit is for him?
Rosek: ::blushes profusely:: I just wanted to look nice tonight.
Maddy: ::skeptically:: Uh-huh. And why isn't Jon going with you?
Rosek: ::arches her eyebrows in return:: He had to work and couldn't get the time away.
::It took everything Lael had not to back down from the little girl’s intense gaze. Maddy, given her El-Aurian heritage, was far more perceptive than most (including Lael) gave her credit for. The emotions were most likely written all over Lael’s face, despite her best attempts to conceal them. Lael’s ability to project emotions wasn’t helping the situation. Sometimes it was a gift and at other times, like now, it could be a curse. If she didn’t control it, she gave those around her emotional feedback--the empathic equivalent of whiplash.::
Maddy: ::expression softens and she smiles:: Well, I hope you have fun.
::Lael’s eyebrows arched higher, but she chose to ignore the implication behind the comment.::
Rosek: You be good for Anjar. Don’t you and Liara cause him any grief and you both need to be to bed at a reasonable hour.
Maddy: ::grins:: We’re just going to watch movies and eat ice cream.
Rosek: ::shakes her head:: Anjar indulges you girls too much.
Maddy: ::shrugs:: He’s been in a good mood lately, I guess.
::Lael arched an eyebrow. Anjar Thoran? In a good mood? Granted, he usually was. But it had to be above and beyond if even Maddy was noticing. She wondered what was going on in the older man’s life that had him so chipper. Checking the chronometer, she again felt the butterflies filling her stomach at the thought of Toryn waiting. She exhaled heavily and kissed the little girl again on the forehead, wishing her goodnight before heading for the door.::
Maddy: Why isn’t Anjar invited?
::Lael ignored the comment. Maddy was nosing around and Lael didn’t feel like answering her.::
Rosek: Behave yourself, Maddy.
Maddy: ::grins:: I always do, Lael.
::Lael shook her head, smiling, and stepped through the open doors, heading for Holodeck 1 in the Main Building.::
((Holodeck 1, USS Atlantis))
::The moment Lael entered the holodeck, she sucked in a sharp breath at the beauty surrounding her. The pair of binary stars circling one another like two playful children chasing each other, the stars and nebula making Lael feel as though she was literally standing in the middle of the heavens with nothing beneath her feet. Any thoughts of Anjar or Maddy or the Veritas immediately flew from her mind as she focused on the emotions the scene stirred in her. It was so--romantic.::
Rahman: RESPONSE
::She jumped, blushing.::
Rosek: Fine, Captain. Just admiring the view.
Rahman/Blake: RESPONSE
Rosek: ::fans herself:: It’s a bit warm is all. It must be all the people packed in here.
Rahman/Blake: RESPONSE
Rosek: ::nods:: That’s a good idea. A glass of something cold might help. ::smiles:: I should make my rounds, anyway. Part of the point of these gatherings is to socialize, isn’t it?
Rahman/Blake: RESPONSE
Rosek: I’ll see you both later.
::She moved further into the room, seeking out something to drink. With a glass of brandy over ice to calm her nerves, she moved back to join the crowds. A blush filled her cheeks at the thought of her first in-person meeting with Toryn being in such a beautiful place. It was even better than the Christmas party she’d attended years ago with Jansen, the placement of the mistletoe and the prodding from her friends leading to her and Jansen sharing their first kiss on possibly the most romantic holiday of the year.::
::The brush of a mind against hers caused her to freeze. It was surprising, but not altogether unwelcome. The presence was warm and projecting overwhelming happiness. Drawing in a breath, she turned and found herself staring into the bright sapphire eyes of the man she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since their first call a couple of months ago. The Shoals was plagued with all kinds of dead zones, for lack of a better term, so the call shouldn’t have connected or gone on as long as it had. More and more, she was thinking it was a sign that something was meant to happen between them.::
Rosek: ::breathily:: Hi.
Raga: RESPONSE
Rosek: ::blushes:: Well, the invitation was unexpected, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to celebrate an officer’s proud achievement and maybe make some connections with other officers in the fleet in the process.
Raga: RESPONSE
Rosek: ::smirks:: I’m trying to decide if you’re just teasing me or if you really think that highly of yourself.
Raga: RESPONSE
Rosek: ::laughs and kisses his cheek:: I’m just teasing, Toryn. ::smiles:: I admit that you possibly being here turned it into an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
Raga: RESPONSE