Launch Party, Part 2

Posted on 15 Oct 2018 @ 4:35pm by Lieutenant Lake ir-Llantrisant & Commander Marisa Wyatt & Lieutenant JG Tris Shizn & Lieutenant JG Matthew Plumeri & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Petra Varelli Ph.D.
Edited on on 16 Oct 2018 @ 6:37am

2,902 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD -182 - 2231 hours

[ON]

Tris was always hesitant about ‘parties’. In his experience they never turned out as intended, getting out of hand, while things happened that he did not approve. Although, he knew making a presence for a short time was important, but he would be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Picking up a drink to carry about was a ‘first good step’. Synthol was required for he would be reporting for Bridge duty a little later. Tris felt just a bit self conscious about wearing his uniform. He saw so many elaborate and relaxed forms of dress in the room.

The Andorian walked about the room, smiling and nodding to others. Most he found to be engaged in conversations. No one was excluding him, he felt, but he hadn’t identified a group to engage just yet. He mostly just watched and listened. Social interaction, he felt, was an art-form, something that he had never quite mastered. He took another sip and moved to a different area of the room.

---

Aria Rice had looked forward to this. Not even just a little bit, that sort of easy anticipation. No, Aria Rice had really looked forward to this. She had been ecstatic. She had been eager. She had spent way too long getting ready for it as well. Because Aria believed that no party was complete without a great outfit to match it. So she had dressed for it. She wore tight red jeans with a black heart over the left white pocket and black and white criss cross stitching up the sides of the legs. She wore a black top with net arms. And a corset over it all to clench her waist in and give her (hopefully) the illusion of a fuller bosom. Because hey, sometimes a girl needed a lift. With it all she had done her hair with red streaks and completely straight because she was not on duty and it was amazing to let her hair down both literally and figuratively. Paired with heavy black and silver eye make-up, a clear lip gloss and her favourite pair of boots that reached up to her knee with lace and buckles and a platform heel she adored (extra inches on height because Aria needed it!) she felt good. And hey, just because it was that sort of day, she even wore matching sock and bra and knickers! Go grown ups! Woo! In short Aria felt like she could rock this place.

If the place didn't rock her first. She practically squealed as she walked down the corridor, seeing the decoration before she walked into the mess hall. "Lock up the alcohol! Aria is back!" she declared with a wide smile, quickly making her way to the bar. "Ooooh..." she placed her hands on the bar, taking in the bottles....Bottles! Bottles of real stuff too! It made her eager to abuse her liver. No tequila, brain has behaved lately and does not need the punishment she mentally noted, looking at Lake. "Please Sir, may I have a beverage..." she said in a pleading voice, putting her hands together almost as if begging for it, but there was a wicked and cheeky look on her face.

"Come now," Lake replied back with an intonation that practically said tut-tut. Frowning like the figurative tragedy mask, Lake shook his head in the negative. He worried a hand over his black hair, right where it was side-parted. "You don't look old enough to drink," he said to Aria teasingly. "Have you brought your legal guardian with you?"

"Hey!" Aria gave a pout at the words, her hands flat on the bar before she lifted herself to be nose to nose with him. "You do not come between a woman and her drink. Bad things happen, very bad things. Tears happen and with this make-up, that will be messy. So I demand to have some booze! I want it here and I want it...now...ish..." she stopped when she saw a woman approach. Who was even shorter than her! That was amazing! Because last time she had been here, that had not been the case. Sure, the woman was clearly an adult but who cared? Shorter. So...she gave Lake a look of a victory. "If you serve her, you serve me...." she whispered and winked.

Petra slid onto a barstool and smiled at Lake. "What do you recommend?" she asked.

Tilting his head to one side, Lake offered a surprised smile to Petra, since he hadn't seen her come in. The last time Lake had tried counseling Petra, she had ended up counseling him instead. "What'll it be?" he asked her and then turned his gaze on Aria too. "Manhattan or war nog?" he guessed, his eyes narrowing with uncertainty.

Aria looked at Petra before she clapped her hands. "Cocktails? Oooh...see, I saw myself with a bottle and shot glasses but hey. War Nog sounds...good. I am not the best whiskey and rye drinker...what about you?" she looked at Petra, curious.

"I'm up for a challenge," Petra said to Aria. She turned to Lake and grinned. "Surprise me."

"Hmm," Lake said, rubbing at his chin as he did so. "That's a dangerous proposition," he said to Petra, drawing out the vowels as he studied the shelves of bottles behind him.

Petra turned to Aria. "I'm Petra Varelli. Hi."

"Aria," Aria said quickly and smiled to Petra, giving a wave of her hand. "Nice to meet you!" The smile was warm as she watched Petra, as she looked at her. She liked the look of her, she was really pretty, her blond hair and blue eyes stunning. Even angelic. But what Aria loved the most was that Petra was shorter!

"Nice to meet you, too. What department do you work in?" Petra asked.

"Security," Aria said with a warm laugh and shook her head. "I know, I know, but we're not all brutes!"

"Of course not. Your chief is pretty hot."

Aria almost choked at the words, holding her eyes with her own wide. "I..." she wasn't sure what to say but she thought about it for a moment. "Yeah, he is I suppose. I never really thought about it." Liar! her brain almost shouted. When you first met him, when he was still a Marine, you thought he was hot as Hell! "He's my Chief, I sort of don't see him in that way."

"Better that way," she said sagely. "Me, I'm a civilian, so I can look all I want." She grinned at Aria. Petra didn't stalk people, but she enjoyed flirting when some guy showed interest.

"Hey, as far as I know he is...free..." Aria said before she grimaced, her eyes widening with something close to panic. "But in case he isn't, I am so sorry for misleading! He hasn't said anything one way or another to me and seriously, I don't even know anything about relationships full stop so can't advice!"

"That's okay," Petra assured her. "There are a lot of hot men on this ship. I'm not picky." Although she might have to buy him a drink.

"Good huntin'!" Aria grinned as she shook her head with a clear phew expression on her face, as if she has dodged some social bullet.

Matthew looked around the bar at all the hot ladies and finished his drink up. It was as if a ship full of hotties had docked; man these ladies looked so different out of uniform. He tried not to stare.

Aria looked over at the tall, fair haired man watching the women. She grinned before she winked at him, rocking on her high heeled boots.

Plumeri smiled back and moved closer, "Hey. Great party huh? I'm Matt. I'm new to the crew. Is this party a regular kinda thing around here?" he asked hoping to catch the sound of her voice.

"Well...I am not sure on this new ship," Aria admitted as she looked up at him. And yes, he was tall, so up it was. Wow, he is hot... she thought before she laughed softly at herself. "But the people can party. I mean, really party and drink."

She sounded happy and pleasant, her voice bubbled like a fountain drink to his ears and he grinned, "They sure can. I guess its been a while?" He scooted closer, standing next to her, "Where do you work?" he asked.

"Security," Aria said with a warm smile, nodding. "Yup, part of the patrolling and general joykilling. But not too bad, we're all for a party and all that. And you? What about you? I bet it is something brainy. Everyone here doe something sciency or brainy and I just can't keep up because I am really not that brainy and smart...can't do much on the smart department...unlike other people here!" she looked over at Petra, but the conversation was (luckily) interrupted by Lake before Aria could open her mouth again for more verbal diarrhoea.

"If I had to guess," Lake interjected, "nobody on this ship has heard of dresci," and he procured a rectangular bottle of orange liquid. Orange like the Kool-Aid Man. After lining up a row of shot glasses on the bar, Lake sloshed the open bottle over top them, filling them all up.

"No, I haven't," Petra said. "I'll take one of those."

"Oh! Me too!" Aria smiled excitedly, clapping her hands. "Oh my God, it's like Christmas!" she said as she watched the glasses before reaching out for a shot glass. She took it and raised it, holding Lake's eyes. "Cheers!" she knocked it back and then made a face, her tongue sticking out. "Urgh...wooooo...."

Having knocked back the shot in tandem with Aria, Lake was similarly hunched over with a hand sliding down his abdomen. "Aw, nouhha," he cursed. "Like drinking sand paper..."

The shots of orange attracted more people to bar now. It was getting crowded and Matt said to the person next to him, "Sup? I'm Matt. I'm new to the ship."

"I'm Petra. Nice to meet you." She raised her glass in a salute to Matt.

Clinking his whiskey glass to her shot glass he said, "Petra, I like that name. What department do you work in?" he asked pleasantly.

"I'm one of the civilians in science."

He looked surprised, "Petra Varelli?" he asked. "Doctor Varelli? You wrote a critique about the Sarthong V conference two years ago right? Petra Varelli who got her invitation cancelled? That Petra Varelli?" he asked incredulously.

At first she smiled brightly when he mentioned the Sarthong V conference, as she'd been asked to give a presnetation. Then she frowned at the memory of their reaction to her treatise. Some people can't take criticism." Then she grinned again because she really had enjoyed writing the paper that got her in trouble in the first place. "Needed to be said."

"Oh, I agree. If they want to protect their ancient cities then it can't just be with lip service and fines. I'm in total agreement."

Petra nodded. "Too many people think they know what's best and just throw money at the problem. they weren't very happy when I showed them, in detail, why their plan wasn't working."

Aria watched Petra and Matt for a moment and took her drink, moving back a little bit to give the brainy people more space to talk. Because...brainy people on a sciency ship needed to talk the smart out without her in the way.

"Say, Petra, do you know my friend here? Aria is her name."

"I just met her tonight," Petra said.

Looking at them both ans smiling warmly he said, "So we're all new friends together! Woo-hoo! Hey? You ladies feel like dancing?" he asked.

"I love dancing but I am waiting for someone," Aria admitted with an apologetic smile before she motioned to Petra. "But I bet Petra wants to shake it on the dancefloor!"

Petra grinned at Matt. "I'm game if you are."

"You don't have to ask me twice. Nice to meet you Aria. Enjoy the rest of your night?" He offered her a quick, friendly hug as was his custom. Then, taking Petra by the hand, "Shall we?"

---

Marisa chose to wear a simple Vulcan tunic in deep blue. She didn't even make it to the door of the lounge. The cacophony was so loud it was painful. So she found a place where the music was just a bass thrum where she could watch the party-goers and engage in conversation, if anyone wished to talk with her. If not, she would simply enjoy watching others.

Seeing the CSO walk in and take a seat he made a mental note to go over there and talk with her a moment.

Marisa saw him look her way and smiled in greeting.

"Hey there boss! Glad to see you here. You found a good spot to hang out?" he asked as he sat down beside her so she wouldn't have to yell.

"I think so. I can watch people come and go from here. It can be quite...fascinating," the half-Vulcan said. "How are you enjoying your evening?"

"It's good! I'm good. Loving the vibe in here. Everyone just...y'know...being friendly and getting to know each other. I like people watching too sometimes. I get the impression that loud, crowded parties ain't your thing?" he asked candidly.

"No," she admitted. "I prefer smaller gatherings and less noise. But I enjoy watching others. You learn a lot about people by observing."

He looked back at her and grinned. Her black hair was neatly arranged and looked soft and her hazel-green eyes had a calmness in them despite all that going on around them. He met her eyes for a brief moment and said, "Indeed you do." He returned his attention to the floor in front of them. He looked back at her, scooted closer and said as he pointed to a couple on the opposite wall that were sitting together but not looking at each other. Instead, they were angled towards the people next to them. "You see that couple across the way there? They had a fight earlier today, I'm guessing. And they both think they are in the right. They didn't make up before they came to the party and now they are stuck pretending that everything is alright until they can finish the fight after the party." He grinned, took a drink as he set the people watching game in motion.

Marisa chuckled softly. "All right." She glanced around the room and nodded to a woman seated by herself. "See the way her arms are folded across her stomach, how her legs are pulled out of the way? Look at her eyes, how they keep looking at people and then away. She's here because she has to make a public appearance, but she would rather be anywhere else. She's avoiding eye contact so she won't have to talk to anyone. Her posture is defensive, protective. She's practically telling people to leave her alone. I would love to see someone ask her to dance."

He nodded and said, "Yup. I see her. Someone should ask her to dance; because she's probably a very good dancer." He scanned the room and nodded towards a solo crewman, "There's somebody that could use a party. See how he's backed himself up against the wall? See how he's standing between the light sources and chosen the darkest part? He wants to be here; but he's too shy to ask anybody for a drink or dance. Now why do you suppose that is?" he asked taking another drink and enjoying the game.

"Probably been rejected one too many times," Marisa said. "Or he's never been asked before."

He shrugged, "Could be. Then there's that couple. Girl with the dark hair and Coulterian dress? Totally into her partner there. Both of those ladies know how to have a good time. That...is love and admiration if I ever did see." He let a beat pass and then asked unexpectedly, "You seeing anyone special?" He looked at her.


[OFF]

To Be Continued…



Lt. JG Aria Rice
Security
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vansen]

Lt. Tris Shizn
Conn Officer
USS Galileo-A

LTJG Matthew Plumeri
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant Lake ir-Llantrisant
Chief Counselor
USS Galileo-A

PO3 Constantin Vansen
Operations
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vansen]

CWO2 Oliver Sylver
CONN
USS GalileoA
[PNPC Vansen]

CH Verity Thorne
Chaplain
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

CDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Dr. Alexion Wylde
Medical
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Laeon Wylde
Civilian Dependent
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Second and Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A

Crewman Draia Theroh
Engineer's Mate
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC ir-Llantrisant]

Chief Petty Officer Kala Gorvel
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Wyatt]

LuAnn Lovegood
Counselor
USS Galileo-A

Lieutenant Marisa Sandoval
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

 

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