Commodore Jalana Rajel - Date by the creek
Jess
(( Starbase 104, Outside the Night Garden ))
Because she had some things to finish first she had agreed with
Cade to meet there. That one of the thing would be to dig through
her whole wardrobe to find a dress she felt was right went unsaid.
Had she found the dress? Of course. Had she cleaned up her mess
again after? Of course not. That was a later Jalana problem. Now
Jalana was looking forward to her time with Cade wearing a lovely
knee long night blue number with silver applications that sparkled
a little when the fabric moved.
As she came around the corner she could see him waiting already
which brought a smile to her face. And a bit of a heart
fluttering. He looked so handsome in this purposefully unruly but
also zhuzhed up appearance. The outfit flattered the already
attractive man bringing out that youthful streak she had seen only
a few days ago.
Foster: Good evening! My dear, you are looking ravishing!
Smiling brightly she stepped up, how could such a short comment
make her feel like the prettiest girl in the galaxy?
Rajel: I hope I haven't kept you waiting.
Foster: Not at all. ::he moved near Jalana’s side:: have you been
to the Night Garden before?
Rajel: No, I haven't, didn't even know this place exist. So I'm
excited!
Yep, that was totally (not) the only reason.
Foster: I’m pretty sure it’s new to 104, though there are other
ones across the galaxy. Or at least similar ideas.
She grinned as he turned to her and held out his hand. She didn't
need more of an invitation than that and nodded taking it into her
cold one. Just Trill things.
Rajel: All ready to be enchanted.
Foster: Then let me be enchanting!
Oh he was, he'd always been, beneath all that grump and after she
had gotten to know him for a while, more and more of it shone
through the cracks until it was just outright there.
As he opened the door, the scents that greeted them floated into
her nose, now she knew where they had come from when she had
picked them up outside. The counter inside looked like any coffee
shop, presenting what they had to offer, which was mostly tea. So
much tea. So many she had not even heard of. There also were
coffees and such and a bit of food. She hoped they would come here
many times just so she could try many of these teas.
Hearing the voices around them she looked around spotting the
tables and potted plants and hanging baskets to pretty up the
place but then she noticed the area behind that, not a lot of it,
but there was the darker area that gave the establishment its
name. She cold see lanterns and bushes, and flowers...
Foster: So, I think it’s common to order a pot or two of tea or
coffee or… whatever beverage you fancy – to share and a few types
of food so the table can share. They’ll serve the beverage in a
semi-formal tea service, which is lovely.
Cade's voice brought her back into the here and now, she looked
over to him and nodded with a smile.
Rajel: That sounds lovely. How do we choose what to have?
Foster: You pick half, I’ll pick half and we enjoy everything?
Rajel: Making me choose from an endless list of teas. Oh the
torture. ::She chuckled and nodded.:: Alright sounds good.
Foster: Excellent!
After agonizing over what she wanted to choose Jalana finally made
a choice and they ordered their choices. After being given the
electronic flags the pair headed into the garden to select a
table. If Jalana thought choosing a tea was hard, this was
impossible. Everything looked so inviting. It was impossible to
say where her eyes were drawn to first. The glittering stars in
the projected sky, the lanterns along the walkways and the way the
golden glow reflected on the grass and flowers, the colours of
said flowers, the sound of the birds flitting around, the stream
that wound through the garden adding little splashes and a
freshness in the air.. there was just so much to see. And it was
breathtakingly beautiful.
Foster: Now the hard part. Where would you like to sit?
She looked to Cade, another breathtaking view. .oO Anywhere where
you are Oo. fluttered through her mind. Jalana blinked briefly to
bring herself into the now, what an impulse. Who was she? 13 year
old Jalana? She looked around again there was not much going on
right now, plenty choices. Maybe by the creek?
Rajel: That /is/ a difficult choice. What would you prefer?
Foster: I do like the water. That little sparkle of movement under
the lights is surprisingly calming.
Rajel: ::smiling brightly:: I was thinking the same. The creek is
quite lovely. ::Realizing what he had said she leaned in.:: Sounds
like you have some experience.
Foster: Yeah, ::he nodded:: when I was a kid, I used to love being
outside, going hiking and camping. I kinda lost that for a while
when I was in Starfleet. But I love having places like this to
rekindle that.
She remembered going hiking with him on the Mountain range and
smiled at the memory. Funny how that came to her mind first and
not the dozens of times she had been sleeping outside throughout
practically all lifetimes. Well not as a kid as Jalana, but at
least in this lifetime she had done it later.
Rajel: There is nothing quite like it. When I was I slept outside
all the time in the Jungles and Forests of Trill to observe the
nocturnal animals.
That same thing was also that had led to her end, but she wouldn't
mention that now. This was a date after all. So her eyes fell on a
table by the creek a bit away from the bridge to not have foot
traffic disturb them too much. With a smile she started walking
pointing towards it.
Rajel: Over there.
Foster: Response
The sound of the wooden bridge under their feet vibrated through
her, it was an old sound, one heard through centuries and it still
gave her some peace and excitement, which was a strange mixture.
Once they stepped out on the grass Jalana could feel the blades
run over her feet tickling her. They moved up to the table she had
chosen and found that the way the lanterns' light fell onto the
water in the creek made it look like little gems dancing on the
surface.
Rajel: This is perfect, don't you think?
Foster: Response
With a little chuckle she moved to sit down, brushing over the
back of the skirt of her dress. Now that they were here she had a
better view of the gardens than through the little opening in the
front room, finding herself marveling over what felt like a
completely different world from outside the establishment.
Rajel: I am amazed that they managed to do something this
beautiful without it being a holodeck.
Foster: Response
Her eyes sank down to look at Cade, and she took breath. She had
no idea why it had taken her so long to see. Actually she had seen
it before but she had made excuses. It was difficult to remember
them now. A smile played on her lips.
Rajel: I'm glad that we came here, it's stunning. ::Then she
leaned forward holding her hand out on the top of the table.:: And
I did neglect to tell you that you look very... very.. handsome.
Foster: Response
Commodore Jalana Rajel
Commanding Officer
USS Constitution B
Image Team Member
A238906JL0
Character Pronouns: She/Her
Player Pronouns: They/Them