Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: Now It's A Party
Lael Rosek
((Observation Lounge, Deck 6, USS Chin’toka))
{{Time Index: New Year’s Eve, Evening}}
Rosek: Isn’t this place beautiful? ::smirks:: The galley crew really went all out tonight.
Skyfire: Aye, it is. Beautiful. :: He paused briefly for a moment and smiled at her. :: Just like you.
Many men over the years had complimented her appearance, but with Chythar, it was different. She knew that his was genuine and complimented more than her looks. Smiling sheepishly, she laid a hand on top of his and squeezed.
Rosek: ::teases:: You’re easy on the eyes yourself there, handsome.
It was a joke, but they both knew there was more to it than that. In her wildest dreams, she couldn’t have imagined a man who understood her so well and fit her so perfectly. Years of waiting and she’d finally found something that could truly last forever. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted a crewman approaching their table.
Without hesitation, she ordered them a bottle of Hakkaisan Tokubetsu Junmai to share. It was what they’d drank all those months ago on the magical night that had transformed their friendship into something more. Though it wasn’t a traditional New Years’ beverage, it was theirs.
Skyfire: Interesting beverage choice.
Rosek: ::smirks:: You know me. Hopeless romantic.
Several moments later, the crewman returned to the table with the bottle and two glasses.
Rosek: ::to Skyfire:: Well, they probably won’t have decent sushi.
The crewman handed them a PADD containing the menu for the evening.
Crewman: These are the selections we have available.
She accepted the glass of sake Chythar poured for her and inhaled the scent of it. It was certainly less pungent than wine, which was a shame given Lael’s dulled sense of smell and taste. All the same, she enjoyed the beverage for the memories more than the taste itself.
Rosek: ::grins and lifts her glass:: To another year of facing danger and living to tell the tale.
Skyfire: I will totally drink to that. :: He raised his glass and clinked it against hers. ::
Pulling her glass back, she took a small drink and smiled.
Rosek: It’s been a year of change, that’s for certain.
Chythar nodded in silent agreement and said nothing. She opened her mouth but was cut off by the arrival of a familiar face. Setting the glass down on the table, she rose to hug the new arrival before pulling back to eye the woman’s outfit.
Rosek: Esa! You look lovely!
Kiax: Why thank you! ::She gushed, as she twisted back and forth, swaying the tassels on the hem of her dress.:: You’re looking pretty tasty yourself. What’s your excuse?
Rosek: ::grins:: Just celebrating the new year with my partner. Our first official night out since he came aboard. ::motions to Chythar:: I don’t know if you’ve met, but Esa, this is Chythar. Chythar, this is our Operations Chief Esa Kiax.
The doctor inclined his head in greeting and snapped his fingers as he came to a realization, putting the name, spots and authorization together in the same sentence in his head.
Skyfire: A pleasure to meet you, Esa. I’ve been meaning to talk to you, actually. When you have a minute, of course. It is sort of work-related, but it can wait. Just need to get it done before the awards ceremony.
Somehow, Lael resisted the urge to roll her eyes, smiling affectionately. Even on a night where they were supposed to be socializing and relaxing, he managed to think about work. She leveled him with a playful look that said, “Turn it off”.
Kiax: Charmed.
Skyfire: A pleasure to meet you, Esa. I’ve been meaning to talk to you, actually. When you have a minute, of course. It is sort of work-related, but it can wait. Just need to get it done before the awards ceremony.
Kiax: I’ll probably be taking the morning off, if you catch my drift, but I’m sure I can set up a meeting for the following day in the computer. It’ll be in your next-day’s schedule by the evening.
From across the room, she noted Toryn and Ishka making their way over. She waved, before ducking out of the conversation to return to her posse of friends.
As the group was talking, another familiar pair approached and Lael arched an eyebrow. As the two approached, she saw Esa leave out of the corner of her eye and make her way through the crowd in the direction of a man standing with two others. By his seeming lack of interest in the conversation, she assumed he was here with Esa.
She smiled, glad that the woman was opening herself up to the possibilities again. Though she typically ignored rumors, she felt the ones surrounding Esa’s wife’s abrupt departure were likely based in fact.
Rosek: ::turns to Chythar:: I see we’re not the only ones looking to celebrate tonight. ~ I know this was supposed to be just us, but would you mind if I invited them to join us? ~
Skyfire: ~ You’ll have to introduce me. I’m sure I’ll be healing them eventually. ~
She expected that wouldn’t be necessary, as the former Atlantis crew were very welcoming and friendly. They certainly weren’t the type to miss a chance to welcome aboard someone new.
Skyfire / Any: Response
Raga: ::He nodded:: It’s nice to finally meet you doctor. Welcome aboard the Chin’toka. ::He smiled and gestured to the gorgeous redhead beside him:: This is the love of my life.
Lael arched an eyebrow. Well, that was quite a leap. It didn’t seem that long ago that Journs had reacted poorly to perceived unfaithfulness on Toryn’s part. But then, Al-Leyans were a strange species that she didn’t completely understand yet--and she was half Al-Leyan. She supposed that was because she’d been raised human.
Journs: ::smiles and offers Chythar a hand:: A pleasure, doctor. I read the article you and Commander Rosek co-wrote in the SMFJ. The crossover between technology and humanoid physiology was fascinating.
She said nothing, tamping down of the bite of bitterness that rose at how Journs fawned over Chythar’s contribution. If she were a less secure woman and doubted even for a nano-second Chythar’s devotion to her, she might have thrown some passive-agressive comment the women’s way. As it was, she simply smiled and nodded, allowing Chythar to enjoy his moment in the limelight. His part had been critical to the success of the whole and she couldn’t knowingly begrudge him that.
Skyfire / Lephi / Raga / Any: Response
A silence hung in the air for a moment before Toryn changed the subject.
Raga: Looks like everyone came out in style tonight. I guess after all we’ve been through these past few months a party hits the spot.
Lephi: We clean up nicely, eh? ::Chuckles lightly::
She grinned and looped a hand through the crook of Chythar’s arm, squeezing his bicep affectionately, her gaze locking with his.
Rosek: ::murmurs:: Especially this one. ::smirks:: And imagine. I get to keep him.
It was a joke, but there was no mistaking the adoration in her eyes. She trusted him with her life and needed him as much as he needed her. Every day, she went out of her way to show him how much she loved him in a way that she’d never done before with a partner. Nothing shy of a black hole was going to tear them apart.
Kiax / Davis / Skyfire / Lephi / Raga / Any: Response
Rosek: ::turns toward him and smiles:: Chief Davis. What a pleasant surprise. ::gaze flickers toward Esa:: I thought that was you I saw keeping our Chief Operations Officer company.
Davis: Response
Rosek: Everyone, please feel free to pull together a couple tables and pull up some chairs. ::grins:: It’s the end of the old year and near the beginning of a new one, after all. We should see the former out it style.
Kiax / Davis / Skyfire / Lephi / Raga / Any: Response
Reaching for the bottle, Lael poured herself another glass of sake, taking a small drink of it.
Rosek: So...what are everyone’s plans for the new year? Anyone have any interesting resolutions?
Kiax / Davis / Skyfire / Lephi / Raga / Any: Response
