Columbus Stories 1.5 - A Party to Remember

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Chapel]

Naira stood quiet, watching the exchange between the two men and the AI. It was kind of charming in a way, the way the admiral treated the AI just as he might treat a child of a similar relative age. A part of her was tempted to interrupt the men to state that Analyn had been in fact 'saved,' on a regular basis in fact, ever since the station was infected with a nanovirus and they had to resort to using an older backup after purging the system of the virus. However, she had a feeling that neither of the men would find her comment funny or amusing.

Then, the old Vulcan had to pull her into the conversation with yet another invitation to attend service. Great. Now she had to think of an excuse on the spot to get out of it. She could use the baby, he was a great excuse, but there was the off chance that they might tell her to bring him along. The religious type seemed to love having babies around. She could say she had a meeting, but if she lied and the admiral found out about it, it might make their working relationship even more strained than it already was. She was running out of time as they waited for her reply.

"I'll have to check my schedule."

That was it! Not a yes, not a no, but the perfect answer to appease everyone.

"In the meantime, I believe Ms. Mazal has gone ahead and put together a party to help welcome you back to the station, Admiral. Knowing her, she has likely gone all out to help you feel more at home."

[Chapel]

"I explicitly asked for no parties," Adeyemi said, as if he was straightening out a crucial point of an interstellar treaty. "Or none in my honor, anyway."

"Oh, Mack--here, have some dang candy corn!" Analyn shoved a flipper into a basket on a church table, and sprinkled a liberal amount of the confection into her own candy bucket. She mashed a handful of it into Adeyemi's grasp.

"Oh, dear--no, I don't like--" The admiral had to clutch all the corn to keep from dropping it on the deck. "This stuff tastes like sugary wax, or oil, or something."

The little girl wasn't paying attention. She had stuffed another mound of candy into her mouth and was chewing blissfully, eyed half closed as she followed the adults, fish tail knocking over items in the church and tripping others up as they all walked.

"What is the nature of this gathering?" Adeyemi asked darkly. The admiral had grudgingly eaten some candy corn, as he hated to waste food . It tasted just as bad as he remembered. "It's not a...costumes required party, is it?"

To say he was a trifle peeved to be attending a party, even with such pleasant company, was an understatement. But Adeyemi's mood would be even worse if he had to go in costume.

[Leanna Mazal]

[NPC - Crewman Kellen Gates - Observation Lounge]

"'Sackry wha I was goin' fer!" He said happily when Mrs. Puzzles declared his costume to be unique. "An' migh' I say, very brave o' you for goin' green!" She was supposed to be a witch, he knew, but he appreciated the controversial choice of colour, considering who their Captain was.

He made a sucking sound suddenly, trying to control the amount of saliva building up in his mouth and threatening to drip down his chin. He looked around the lounge, bobbing his head with approval as he studied the decor and noted the band setting up. "Looks grea! Supah spoopy!" He gestured around him, the model ships on the mobile dancing around with his enthusiasm. It was unusual to see the crewman quite so excited. He began to ask another question, but struggled to pronounce the words properly. With a good-natured eye-roll, he removed the horns and grinned at the woman. "Where is Second-in-Command Seamus this evening? I would like to buy him a beer for all of his capable assistance during the virus."

He popped the horns back on immediately.

[Observation Lounge]

Years of practice had enabled Leanna to understand others especially as Kellen's speech was somewhat limited by his costume but had never seen him so happy as he responded to her. She smiled in reply before he mentioned how brave it was for her to go green, which at first seemed a little strange but appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

" Thank you and when I decided to be a witch, it seemed only right to do it properly " she replied sincerely as Gates then cast an appreciative look around the room and commented about how spoopy it looked. " I'm glad you like it " she said as the band began to play the first song.

https://youtu.be/SOFCQ2bfmHw

Again she observed the Crewman as his excitement increased at being here although when he then removed the horns asked about Seamus, she had to suppress a grin at what he had called him. However was going to have to disappoint him as she told him where he was

"  I'm afraid Seamus is at Puzzles overseeing the celebrations there ".

[Xander Dorset]

[Personal Quarters - Xander Dorset]

She wasn't so far gone that she didn't register his confusion, but unfortunately that, along with his apology for not buying her flowers, only seemed to further frustrate her. "That's isn't... I didn't... That's not the point, Xander!" Had her anger stolen her ability to string a coherent sentence together? "UGH!" Felicity felt thwarted, and the noise she'd made suggested that pulling her hair out or throwing kitchenware around wouldn't be too shocking of a next step.

His next sentence though, elicited a very different kind of reaction.

Her raised, clenched fists fell to her sides and her expression slackened. The high colour began to drain from her cheeks and she studied him for a few moments, drawing out her silence for longer than absolutely necessary as she considered. Outwardly, she suddenly looked every bit the calm, put-together officer she was supposed to be, while inside the tightening pain in her chest grew. "My ass is no longer something that's appropriate for you to consider, under any circumstances." Her voice was lower, but no less harsh. She stepped closer toward the bedroom, where he'd claimed Dericka had been hidden. All the while she was mentally preparing to cut herself off, rebuilding those walls that kept everyone from glimpsing anything too real beneath the surface. "For that matter, neither is this friendship. You're in a relationship now, Xander. The way we are..." She gestured between them, taking another step closer to the doorway, "Wouldn't be fair on Helena." Or me. Charged banter, games, competitions and pranks, and not to mention barging through locked doors to shout at each other - not exactly harmless.

At first, she hadn't understood why she was so upset, either. Her initial reaction to finding the picture had been to laugh aloud, but that had quickly faded. In its place was something a lot more complex, but she wasn't about to give that any further airtime. "I just am, okay?" The anger was returning with force. She had come in swinging, she'd go out that way. She wanted the cactus and she wouldn't leave without it. "She has sentimental value." Felicity didn't even know what 'blooming' meant in regard to Dericka; she had no idea that cacti had flowers.

[Personal Quarters - Xander Dorset]

As Felicity spoke, Xander felt his expression cloud over and his frown deepen. None of what she was saying was making any sense. He pushed off the wall and stepped in front of her, bracing his arms on either side of the entrance to his sleeping area and completely blocking her path. "Relationship? Since when am I in a relationship? Unless you know something I don't, the last time I was in a relationship was when I was working on my second PhD - and I fail to see how you can hold that against me." Tjuv squirmed a little in Xander's right pocket, but Xander ignored him, keeping his eyes on Felicity and forcing her to meet his gaze. "I also fail to see what Helena has to do with our friendship."

Xander refused to budge from the doorway and leaned closer to Felicity, not at all intimidated by her returning anger. "And our relationship has sentimental value to me. You'll excuse me for not letting you go anywhere without figuring out why you suddenly hate me." He leaned back once more and another small smirk threatened to break out on his face. "Besides, Dericka and I have a bond now. You can't just heartlessly separate us."

[Naira]

[Chapel]

"I explicitly asked for no parties," Adeyemi said, as if he was straightening out a crucial point of an interstellar treaty. "Or none in my honor, anyway."

"Oh, Mack--here, have some dang candy corn!" Analyn shoved a flipper into a basket on a church table, and sprinkled a liberal amount of the confection into her own candy bucket. She mashed a handful of it into Adeyemi's grasp.

"Oh, dear--no, I don't like--" The admiral had to clutch all the corn to keep from dropping it on the deck. "This stuff tastes like sugary wax, or oil, or something."

The little girl wasn't paying attention. She had stuffed another mound of candy into her mouth and was chewing blissfully, eyed half closed as she followed the adults, fish tail knocking over items in the church and tripping others up as they all walked.

"What is the nature of this gathering?" Adeyemi asked darkly. The admiral had grudgingly eaten some candy corn, as he hated to waste food . It tasted just as bad as he remembered. "It's not a...costumes required party, is it?"

To say he was a trifle peeved to be attending a party, even with such pleasant company, was an understatement. But Adeyemi's mood would be even worse if he had to go in costume.

[Chapel]

Naira walked side by side with the admiral, not knowing if she should lead the way to the Observation Lounge, which he clearly knew the way to, or if she should follow behind due to his rank. Walking beside him just seemed like an easy compromise.

She cringed at the sight of Analyn bumping into objects in her bulky costumes, knocking things to the ground. Some poor crewman was going to have to follow along in her wake of destruction, mopping up the deck and scrubbing sticky bits of fallen candy. She didn't envy that person.

"No costume requirement," she answered the admiral. "I asked they put together some refreshments assuming you might be hungry after your long trip, nothing extravagant, though it does happen to coincide with this Human holiday, so I assume there might be a few people in costume."

Naira had asked for a simple cake and some drinks to be laid out in the event that the admiral might want to consume something while meeting and catching up with recent staff changes among the department heads. She had left a party related decision making up to Ms. Mazal and the Puzzle's staff, assuming they might place a few decorative gourds on a table, offer some colorful beverages smelling of fruit and a small collection of finger foods.

The sight was was greeted with upon exiting the turbolift to the Observation Lounge was anything but. The normal bright overhead lighting was replaced with this dim purplish light. Various strips of sheer fabrics hung from the ceiling. There were pumpkins scattered in what looked to be every corner and lining the walls. There was band, more food and drinks than she could remember seeing in some time and the number of people dressed in costume, including some that left little to the imagination, vastly outnumbered those in uniform.

Her cheeks darkened and her eyes widened in shock. This was nothing like what she had expected and she hoped the dim lighting hid her surprise.

"This is not what I had planned," she quietly tried to explain as a young female Bolian ran passed them wearing her own fish tail and nothing but a couple of bivalve mollusc shells attached to her chest.   

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[Chapel]

Naira walked side by side with the admiral, not knowing if she should lead the way to the Observation Lounge, which he clearly knew the way to, or if she should follow behind due to his rank. Walking beside him just seemed like an easy compromise.

She cringed at the sight of Analyn bumping into objects in her bulky costumes, knocking things to the ground. Some poor crewman was going to have to follow along in her wake of destruction, mopping up the deck and scrubbing sticky bits of fallen candy. She didn't envy that person.

"No costume requirement," she answered the admiral. "I asked they put together some refreshments assuming you might be hungry after your long trip, nothing extravagant, though it does happen to coincide with this Human holiday, so I assume there might be a few people in costume."

Naira had asked for a simple cake and some drinks to be laid out in the event that the admiral might want to consume something while meeting and catching up with recent staff changes among the department heads. She had left a party related decision making up to Ms. Mazal and the Puzzle's staff, assuming they might place a few decorative gourds on a table, offer some colorful beverages smelling of fruit and a small collection of finger foods.

The sight was was greeted with upon exiting the turbolift to the Observation Lounge was anything but. The normal bright overhead lighting was replaced with this dim purplish light. Various strips of sheer fabrics hung from the ceiling. There were pumpkins scattered in what looked to be every corner and lining the walls. There was band, more food and drinks than she could remember seeing in some time and the number of people dressed in costume, including some that left little to the imagination, vastly outnumbered those in uniform.

Her cheeks darkened and her eyes widened in shock. This was nothing like what she had expected and she hoped the dim lighting hid her surprise.

"This is not what I had planned," she quietly tried to explain as a young female Bolian ran passed them wearing her own fish tail and nothing but a couple of bivalve mollusc shells attached to her chest.

[Observation Lounge]

Adeyemi goggled at the sight of the nearly naked blue woman sashaying about the lounge. Blindly, he reached for Analyn, to cover her eyes, but the little girl had the dance floor and dessert trolley spotted. She rushed off with a happy squeal in her Cuddlefish costume, knocking over more things and banging into ankles, and alternated between dancing with the frenetic silliness of a toddler and pawing at all the desserts she saw.

"This is...unexpected." The admiral was somehow fuming and cogitating at the same time. Behind his narrowed dark eyes his mind was grinding away. Shit rolls down hill, as they say, and right now his gaze was locked onto the captain's.

"Seamus from Puzzles sends his regrets, admiral, but he said to send this." The Bolian wearing the equivalent of an aquarium said. She handed him a pint of a creamy,frothy looking ale. "Go on. We got a whole keg of the stuff set up."

It was from Seamus's private stock. Eyes still narrowed, the admiral as much snatched the pint from the Bolian and took a bracing swig. Anything to get him through this.

"He said to say, and I quote, 'You tell that Sassenach that this is the best damn beer in the quadrant and its from Ireland.' I didn't say that, Seamus did. Excuse me captain, admiral." The woman sauntered away.

"I see you've covered all the bases, Captain Naira," Adeyemi told her when they were alone. "Lure me in here for some kind of...racy party but bring my favorite beer."

[Felicity Ellis]

[Personal Quarters - Xander Dorset]

As Felicity spoke, Xander felt his expression cloud over and his frown deepen. None of what she was saying was making any sense. He pushed off the wall and stepped in front of her, bracing his arms on either side of the entrance to his sleeping area and completely blocking her path. "Relationship? Since when am I in a relationship? Unless you know something I don't, the last time I was in a relationship was when I was working on my second PhD - and I fail to see how you can hold that against me." Tjuv squirmed a little in Xander's right pocket, but Xander ignored him, keeping his eyes on Felicity and forcing her to meet his gaze. "I also fail to see what Helena has to do with our friendship."

Xander refused to budge from the doorway and leaned closer to Felicity, not at all intimidated by her returning anger. "And our relationship has sentimental value to me. You'll excuse me for not letting you go anywhere without figuring out why you suddenly hate me." He leaned back once more and another small smirk threatened to break out on his face. "Besides, Dericka and I have a bond now. You can't just heartlessly separate us."

[Personal Quarters]

She had leaned to the side a little, trying to catch a glimpse of this bedside table of his, where Dericka was allegedly safe. Her brow was one big angry frown as he positioned himself in front of her, blocking the view and her route. "What do you mean, since when!?" She asked incredulously as she finally met his eyes, listening with disbelief to his continued denial. "And Helena has everything to do with it." She couldn't help it, she said the name with just a slight sneer. "I don't know when you two got together, but it's serious enough to warrant you taking up semi-permanent residence with her in Sickbay, and filling it with bloody flowers..."

She gaped at him, unsure if she should be angry over the idea that he was lying to her, or that he was being so dense. "Lunn said..."

Why would Xander lie to her? Why would he pretend that he wasn't in a relationship with Edair? Her eyes slid to one side, focused on a mark on the wall that was suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. "He told me..." Something started to slide into place in her mind then, and if she wasn't still full of adrenaline from her virtuous indignation, she might have groaned, even backed off. "Bloody Kece Lunn," she muttered instead. But even if Xander wasn't lying and Lunn was exaggerating, that didn't at all explain how it looked.

Her attention snapped back to the man leaning toward her and she gave no ground, though she did balk a little at his choice of words. "I don't hate you." The corners of her mouth turned downward in a pout, the thought sending a flicker of hurt through her. It lasted only a moment, and was extinguished by anger at how ridiculous he was. "Of course I don't hate you. But I will separate your heart from your chest if you don't give me what I want. A bond, my backside you have a bond!"

[Xander Dorset]

[Personal Quarters]

She had leaned to the side a little, trying to catch a glimpse of this bedside table of his, where Dericka was allegedly safe. Her brow was one big angry frown as he positioned himself in front of her, blocking the view and her route. "What do you mean, since when!?" She asked incredulously as she finally met his eyes, listening with disbelief to his continued denial. "And Helena has everything to do with it." She couldn't help it, she said the name with just a slight sneer. "I don't know when you two got together, but it's serious enough to warrant you taking up semi-permanent residence with her in Sickbay, and filling it with bloody flowers..."

She gaped at him, unsure if she should be angry over the idea that he was lying to her, or that he was being so dense. "Lunn said..."

Why would Xander lie to her? Why would he pretend that he wasn't in a relationship with Edair? Her eyes slid to one side, focused on a mark on the wall that was suddenly the most interesting thing in the room. "He told me..." Something started to slide into place in her mind then, and if she wasn't still full of adrenaline from her virtuous indignation, she might have groaned, even backed off. "Bloody Kece Lunn," she muttered instead. But even if Xander wasn't lying and Lunn was exaggerating, that didn't at all explain how it looked.

Her attention snapped back to the man leaning toward her and she gave no ground, though she did balk a little at his choice of words. "I don't hate you." The corners of her mouth turned downward in a pout, the thought sending a flicker of hurt through her. It lasted only a moment, and was extinguished by anger at how ridiculous he was. "Of course I don't hate you. But I will separate your heart from your chest if you don't give me what I want. A bond, my backside you have a bond!"

[Personal Quarters - Xander Dorset]

'Got together'?? With Helena?? He listened to Felicity's response, his eyes widening first in blatant shock and confusion, then in understanding as he finally figured out what she was insinuating. As the pieces began to fall into place, both for him and Felicity, his smirk widened until it turned into an outright grin. When she threatened to rip his heart out of his chest, he couldn't help it - he doubled over laughing, his uncontrolled guffaws shaking his shoulders as his arms still braced himself within the doorway.

"You think..." He trailed off into another fit of chuckles before he could form a full sentence, punctuated every few words with another breathy laugh. "You think... I'm dating... Helena!" He had been looking at the ground as he laughed, but now he glanced up, meeting Felicity's gaze again with his ridiculous grin still plastered on his face. "I nearly killed her, Felicity. I think a few flowers are completely justified - plus they seemed to annoy Kece to no end..."

At that thought, something that Felicity said finally caught up with him, and his smile faded a little. "Wait... Kece. That gossiping, old skitstövel. What did he say? You know what, I don't even want to know. I'll deal with him later." He shook his head and felt his grin returning. "Ach, I can't believe you took anything the sladdertacka said seriously." He chuckled again as he shook his head once more then grinned even wider. "I also can't believe you were so jealous."

[Aryn Corliss]

[Observation Lounge]

Aryn and Alec approached the Observation Lounge around the same time as the admiral and Captain Naira. Aryn laughed and pointed out Analyn in her cuttlefish costume, causing Alec to chuckle as well.

Approaching the officers in dress uniform, Aryn greeted them. Captain, she acknowledged the Orion woman with a nod. Admiral Adeyemi, good to see you again. Welcome back to SBC. This is my husband, Dr. Alec Trenzal.

Alec stepped forward with a smile, putting one arm around Aryn. Admiral, it's a pleasure. Are you joining the party?

Both El-Aurians caught the tension in the admiral and between the admiral and captain, but Alec especially, being ignorant of Adeyemi's convictions, was simply making friendly conversation.

[Felicity Ellis]

[Observation Lounge]

Years of practice had enabled Leanna to understand others especially as Kellen's speech was somewhat limited by his costume but had never seen him so happy as he responded to her. She smiled in reply before he mentioned how brave it was for her to go green, which at first seemed a little strange but appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

" Thank you and when I decided to be a witch, it seemed only right to do it properly " she replied sincerely as Gates then cast an appreciative look around the room and commented about how spoopy it looked. " I'm glad you like it " she said as the band began to play the first song.

https://youtu.be/SOFCQ2bfmHw

Again she observed the Crewman as his excitement increased at being here although when he then removed the horns asked about Seamus, she had to suppress a grin at what he had called him. However was going to have to disappoint him as she told him where he was

"  I'm afraid Seamus is at Puzzles overseeing the celebrations there ".

[Observation Lounge]

Adeyemi goggled at the sight of the nearly naked blue woman sashaying about the lounge. Blindly, he reached for Analyn, to cover her eyes, but the little girl had the dance floor and dessert trolley spotted. She rushed off with a happy squeal in her Cuddlefish costume, knocking over more things and banging into ankles, and alternated between dancing with the frenetic silliness of a toddler and pawing at all the desserts she saw.

[NPC - Crewman Kellen Gates - Observation Lounge]

Kellen nodded in complete agreement with Mrs. Puzzles. He too believed there was no point in doing something in half measures. One had to commit to a costume, a veneer, if you will. They had to become what it was they presented to the world. Unfortunately, Kellen Gates knew very little about the Y'nari, and he hadn't been able to convince any of his superiors to let him use their clearance for research purposes. He tried not to dwell on it too much. He reassured himself with the knowledge that nobody on the Station really knew all that much about them, seeing as how they'd left in such a rush.

At the news that Second-in-Command Seamus would not be joining them, Kell appeared momentarily crestfallen. "Ah, sheet. Shlave-driver!" He accused her, right before the first song of the night kicked in. "Oh! I lub this one!" His uncharacteristic merriment made him look just a little unhinged, and the mobile on his head bobbed and swung dangerously as he started hopping from one foot to the other in time with the music. "Save me a dansh, Missurs Purzzles!" And with a wave and barely a backward glance, Kellen bee lined for the dancefloor, where he greeted Analyn and joyfully began to try and emulate the child AI's dance moves.

[Felicity Ellis]

[Personal Quarters - Xander Dorset]

'Got together'?? With Helena?? He listened to Felicity's response, his eyes widening first in blatant shock and confusion, then in understanding as he finally figured out what she was insinuating. As the pieces began to fall into place, both for him and Felicity, his smirk widened until it turned into an outright grin. When she threatened to rip his heart out of his chest, he couldn't help it - he doubled over laughing, his uncontrolled guffaws shaking his shoulders as his arms still braced himself within the doorway.

"You think..." He trailed off into another fit of chuckles before he could form a full sentence, punctuated every few words with another breathy laugh. "You think... I'm dating... Helena!" He had been looking at the ground as he laughed, but now he glanced up, meeting Felicity's gaze again with his ridiculous grin still plastered on his face. "I nearly killed her, Felicity. I think a few flowers are completely justified - plus they seemed to annoy Kece to no end..."

At that thought, something that Felicity said finally caught up with him, and his smile faded a little. "Wait... Kece. That gossiping, old skitstövel. What did he say? You know what, I don't even want to know. I'll deal with him later." He shook his head and felt his grin returning. "Ach, I can't believe you took anything the sladdertacka said seriously." He chuckled again as he shook his head once more then grinned even wider. "I also can't believe you were so jealous."

[Personal Quarters]

"I've changed my mind, I do hate you!" How... How was he laughing!? "What's so funny!?" She eyed him as he convulsed with laughter and she could feel her blood pressure sky-rocket. It was Felicity's turn to be confused then; the red in her cheeks deepening from the mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Of course I'm thinking that, because that's what it looks like!"

She wondered how it was that she could manage the most difficult, and sometimes even dangerous patients, but yet the man in front of her could unbalance her so much with just a sentence? It had been a long time since she'd last lost so much of her cool. She was royally pissed off and she did not like it. Felicity glared and was about to use him laughing so uproariously at himself to her advantage and try to swipe back her cactus, when something he said stopped her.

"Killed her!? With what, your rapier wit? Because its just slaying me." Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she stepped closer, her eyes narrowed and her finger pointed rather rudely at his chest. "You're a shitshovel," she declared, repeating the word he'd used earlier for Lunn, and knowing full well she was butchering the pronunciation, and not caring. "What could I possibly have to be jealous of? I don't have to stay and listen to this!" As lofty as the sentiment was, she knew she couldn't leave without the very thing she'd come for, so she made a break for it. She ducked under Xander's arm and bolted for the sleeping area and Dericka.

[Xander Dorset]

[Personal Quarters]

"I've changed my mind, I do hate you!" How... How was he laughing!? "What's so funny!?" She eyed him as he convulsed with laughter and she could feel her blood pressure sky-rocket. It was Felicity's turn to be confused then; the red in her cheeks deepening from the mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Of course I'm thinking that, because that's what it looks like!"

She wondered how it was that she could manage the most difficult, and sometimes even dangerous patients, but yet the man in front of her could unbalance her so much with just a sentence? It had been a long time since she'd last lost so much of her cool. She was royally pissed off and she did not like it. Felicity glared and was about to use him laughing so uproariously at himself to her advantage and try to swipe back her cactus, when something he said stopped her.

"Killed her!? With what, your rapier wit? Because its just slaying me." Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she stepped closer, her eyes narrowed and her finger pointed rather rudely at his chest. "You're a shitshovel," she declared, repeating the word he'd used earlier for Lunn, and knowing full well she was butchering the pronunciation, and not caring. "What could I possibly have to be jealous of? I don't have to stay and listen to this!" As lofty as the sentiment was, she knew she couldn't leave without the very thing she'd come for, so she made a break for it. She ducked under Xander's arm and bolted for the sleeping area and Dericka.

[Personal Quarters - Xander Dorset]

He rolled his eyes at her sarcastic comeback. She knew very well that his cure is what nearly killed half of the people in Sickbay, and given that she seemed to be on a rampage, she didn't give him a chance to clarify. Xander did his best to keep his grin in check as Felicity raged, but it was very difficult with her stabbing her finger into his chest and butchering some colourful Swedish.

As soon as Felicity declared she had nothing to be jealous of, he couldn't help it, he smiled. "Hey, you're the one who decided to barge into my-" He broke off as Felicity ducked under his arm and made a dash for his bedroom. "Ach! Oh no you don't!" He pivoted on his heel just a half second after her and bolted after her, quickly covering the distance between them with his longer legs. After only a few steps, he caught up enough to throw his arms around her from behind, yanking her back against his chest and effectively trapping her.

"Now," he murmured into her ear, "that wasn't very nice. I'll accept your apology at any time." Now standing in his sleeping area, Felicity and Xander were surrounded by an organized chaos that had been absent from the rest of his quarters. While the rest of his space was neat and orderly, here Xander's personal life seemed to ooze from every crevice. Stacks of PADDs, holonovels, and even a few paper books cluttered the floor, and his bed was only partially made and entirely rumpled. A series of tanks along the opposite wall housed a collection of terrariums, all of them filled to bursting with bizarre plantlife. Outdated and somewhat embarrassing posters for ancient Earth musicals covered one of the walls. His desk was cluttered with work PADDs, half-finished mugs of caffeinated drinks, data printouts, and a microscope with an opened box of slides next to it... And on his bedside table, like he promised, sat Dericka.

[Naira]

[Observation Lounge]

Adeyemi goggled at the sight of the nearly naked blue woman sashaying about the lounge. Blindly, he reached for Analyn, to cover her eyes, but the little girl had the dance floor and dessert trolley spotted. She rushed off with a happy squeal in her Cuddlefish costume, knocking over more things and banging into ankles, and alternated between dancing with the frenetic silliness of a toddler and pawing at all the desserts she saw.

"This is...unexpected." The admiral was somehow fuming and cogitating at the same time. Behind his narrowed dark eyes his mind was grinding away. Shit rolls down hill, as they say, and right now his gaze was locked onto the captain's.

"Seamus from Puzzles sends his regrets, admiral, but he said to send this." The Bolian wearing the equivalent of an aquarium said. She handed him a pint of a creamy,frothy looking ale. "Go on. We got a whole keg of the stuff set up."

It was from Seamus's private stock. Eyes still narrowed, the admiral as much snatched the pint from the Bolian and took a bracing swig. Anything to get him through this.

"He said to say, and I quote, 'You tell that Sassenach that this is the best damn beer in the quadrant and its from Ireland.' I didn't say that, Seamus did. Excuse me captain, admiral." The woman sauntered away.

"I see you've covered all the bases, Captain Naira," Adeyemi told her when they were alone. "Lure me in here for some kind of...racy party but bring my favorite beer."

[Observation Lounge]

She smiled at the Bolian as the woman passed on a message to the admiral and handed him a drink. She could see it in his eyes that he was just as caught off guard by the party as she was. If there was one thing the two of them might have in common, it was likely to be a sense of unease at the casual gathering. While she suspected the admiral was struggling to hold in his objections to scantily-clad adults indulging in extravagant food, drink and...flirtation, her discomfort had to do with an inability to relax in such situations. She struggled to separate the professional work life mentality from off duty hours. These were the people she saw and worked beside each day, she wanted them to see and respect her for all the hard work she put in and what achievements she had made, if she got too comfortable with them, she was afraid they might not feel the same way.

Still though, this was not what she was expecting.

"I only asked for cake and some drinks. This was all Ms. Mazal's doing." Naira still couldn't believe her eyes. In the back of her mind she told herself that she should have known that the bar owner would have gone all out for this party. Every time the woman was asked to help put together an event, she poured her heart into it. She'd put together custom menus, decorate according to some kind of theme and spend the evening mingling with the guests. Why Naira thought this time would be any different, she didn't know.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep?

[Observation Lounge]

Aryn and Alec approached the Observation Lounge around the same time as the admiral and Captain Naira. Aryn laughed and pointed out Analyn in her cuttlefish costume, causing Alec to chuckle as well.

Approaching the officers in dress uniform, Aryn greeted them. Captain, she acknowledged the Orion woman with a nod. Admiral Adeyemi, good to see you again. Welcome back to SBC. This is my husband, Dr. Alec Trenzal.

Alec stepped forward with a smile, putting one arm around Aryn. Admiral, it's a pleasure. Are you joining the party?

Both El-Aurians caught the tension in the admiral and between the admiral and captain, but Alec especially, being ignorant of Adeyemi's convictions, was simply making friendly conversation.

"Hello Lt. Corliss, Dr. Trenzal," Naira happily greeted the pair. At that moment, any distraction was a welcomed distraction. "I'm so glad to see that the two of you have returned and will be joining us tonight."

She turned her attention from the happy pair back towards the admiral. "Lt. Corliss here is our new Chief of Operations and her ummm...husband, here has offered his services in Sickbay. I don't know if you remember him, but he helped with the cure for the nanovirus." While Naira could go on singing highly of his praises, she fumbled over that one word. She swallowed hard trying to get rid of that bad taste in her mouth. That word always left her with a bad taste in her mouth.

[Leanna Mazal]

[NPC - Crewman Kellen Gates - Observation Lounge]

Kellen nodded in complete agreement with Mrs. Puzzles. He too believed there was no point in doing something in half measures. One had to commit to a costume, a veneer, if you will. They had to become what it was they presented to the world. Unfortunately, Kellen Gates knew very little about the Y'nari, and he hadn't been able to convince any of his superiors to let him use their clearance for research purposes. He tried not to dwell on it too much. He reassured himself with the knowledge that nobody on the Station really knew all that much about them, seeing as how they'd left in such a rush.

At the news that Second-in-Command Seamus would not be joining them, Kell appeared momentarily crestfallen. "Ah, sheet. Shlave-driver!" He accused her, right before the first song of the night kicked in. "Oh! I lub this one!" His uncharacteristic merriment made him look just a little unhinged, and the mobile on his head bobbed and swung dangerously as he started hopping from one foot to the other in time with the music. "Save me a dansh, Missurs Purzzles!" And with a wave and barely a backward glance, Kellen bee lined for the dancefloor, where he greeted Analyn and joyfully began to try and emulate the child AI's dance moves.

[Observation Lounge]

Lea smiled again as Kellen nodded in agreement to what she had said regarding costumes although noticed how he then became slightly crestfallen at the news that Seamus wasn't here. Not taking it to heart when he called her a slavedriver besides she had been called worse in her life and didn't think she was that too bad of a boss.

However was saved from answering that particular accusation when he then declared that he loved the song that the band was playing and agreed to save him a dance before he left just as enthusiastically towards the dance floor.

Lea watched him go and smiled as he joined in dancing with Analyn and if the little AI was here then .... she looked over and sure enough there was the Admiral stood with Captain Naira as well as Aryn and someone she recognised as Alec.

It seemed as though things were a little awkward over there and yet was happy to see that Bindi her newest server had passed on Seamus's message to the Admiral judging by the beer he was holding. Although Lea did wonder how they had reacted to the decor and such but for the Betazoid this was what she did best and never did anything halfheartedly. However hoped that it would still be a success and be remembered for the right reasons.

With that in mind, Lea then turned her attention to the cake and getting it ready for the Admiral before she would go over to the group.

[Felicity Ellis]

[Personal Quarters - Xander Dorset]

He rolled his eyes at her sarcastic comeback. She knew very well that his cure is what nearly killed half of the people in Sickbay, and given that she seemed to be on a rampage, she didn't give him a chance to clarify. Xander did his best to keep his grin in check as Felicity raged, but it was very difficult with her stabbing her finger into his chest and butchering some colourful Swedish.

As soon as Felicity declared she had nothing to be jealous of, he couldn't help it, he smiled. "Hey, you're the one who decided to barge into my-" He broke off as Felicity ducked under his arm and made a dash for his bedroom. "Ach! Oh no you don't!" He pivoted on his heel just a half second after her and bolted after her, quickly covering the distance between them with his longer legs. After only a few steps, he caught up enough to throw his arms around her from behind, yanking her back against his chest and effectively trapping her.

"Now," he murmured into her ear, "that wasn't very nice. I'll accept your apology at any time." Now standing in his sleeping area, Felicity and Xander were surrounded by an organized chaos that had been absent from the rest of his quarters. While the rest of his space was neat and orderly, here Xander's personal life seemed to ooze from every crevice. Stacks of PADDs, holonovels, and even a few paper books cluttered the floor, and his bed was only partially made and entirely rumpled. A series of tanks along the opposite wall housed a collection of terrariums, all of them filled to bursting with bizarre plantlife. Outdated and somewhat embarrassing posters for ancient Earth musicals covered one of the walls. His desk was cluttered with work PADDs, half-finished mugs of caffeinated drinks, data printouts, and a microscope with an opened box of slides next to it... And on his bedside table, like he promised, sat Dericka.

[Personal Quarters]

It really only took half a second, and Felicity had actually stopped when she reached the bedroom, trying to spy Dericka among everything else. For a big bloke, Xander was pretty speedy. She barely had time to enjoy how messy the room was; though from a quick first scan she thought she recognised one of the posters, and she found the various terrariums quite arresting. It prompted a little feeling of disappointment at her constant failure to keep any plantlife she'd ever had alive. She'd had little Dericka for all of six months, and that was the longest she'd ever managed to keep any plant.

Pretty... She thought, taken by the colourful array, right before her back met a solid form with a vice-like grip.

She could feel his voice in her ear, and the shiver it coaxed down her spine. It did little to relieve her temper, however. "You should hold your breath in anticipation for that," she bit back, wholly unimpressed. He'd be waiting a while for any apology from her. As if... the arrogance! "Let me go, Xander! I won't touch anything, I swear, just give me the stupid plant so I can leave!"

In the strength department there was no contest. Her arms were pressed into her sides but that didn't mean she was totally useless, her legs were somewhat free, after all. She'd started to kick backwards at his shins, wishing that she was wearing her boots and not her runners, and also that she hadn't just lunged into his bedroom without being sure exactly where the cactus was beforehand...

Initially she'd discounted the flowers on the bedside table, thinking that Xander had misled her. On an accidental second glance though, it did look familiar. There was her pudgy, little short-round self, with three flowers blooming atop her. "That's... Dericka?"

She had movement in her forearm and was able to wrap her hand around Xander's wrist and tug it a little, as though she was looking for his attention. She'd stopped trying to fracture his shins at least. "What did you do? Xander." Her voice confused, her expression borderline suspicious, she turned her head against him in order to get a better look at him and gauge. "Why are there flowers coming out of her head?"

[Malcolm Adeyemi]

[NPC - Crewman Kellen Gates - Observation Lounge]

At the news that Second-in-Command Seamus would not be joining them, Kell appeared momentarily crestfallen. "Ah, sheet. Shlave-driver!" He accused her, right before the first song of the night kicked in. "Oh! I lub this one!" His uncharacteristic merriment made him look just a little unhinged, and the mobile on his head bobbed and swung dangerously as he started hopping from one foot to the other in time with the music. "Save me a dansh, Missurs Purzzles!" And with a wave and barely a backward glance, Kellen bee lined for the dancefloor, where he greeted Analyn and joyfully began to try and emulate the child AI's dance moves.

[Lounge]

Analyn saw the man dancing and joined in. The man talked and smelled and moved funny, but he looked to be having a good time. So was she. The tail of her costume repeatedly thumped into the man's ankles as she danced, threatening to topple him over onto the dance floor.

[Observation Lounge]

She smiled at the Bolian as the woman passed on a message to the admiral and handed him a drink. She could see it in his eyes that he was just as caught off guard by the party as she was. If there was one thing the two of them might have in common, it was likely to be a sense of unease at the casual gathering. While she suspected the admiral was struggling to hold in his objections to scantily-clad adults indulging in extravagant food, drink and...flirtation, her discomfort had to do with an inability to relax in such situations. She struggled to separate the professional work life mentality from off duty hours. These were the people she saw and worked beside each day, she wanted them to see and respect her for all the hard work she put in and what achievements she had made, if she got too comfortable with them, she was afraid they might not feel the same way.

Still though, this was not what she was expecting.

"I only asked for cake and some drinks. This was all Ms. Mazal's doing." Naira still couldn't believe her eyes. In the back of her mind she told herself that she should have known that the bar owner would have gone all out for this party. Every time the woman was asked to help put together an event, she poured her heart into it. She'd put together custom menus, decorate according to some kind of theme and spend the evening mingling with the guests. Why Naira thought this time would be any different, she didn't know.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep?

[Lounge]

"I see." Clearly, Adeyemi wasn't having any of it. Orion were known for their larger than life personalities and emphasis on social gatherings. But then again, Captain Naira wasn't a typical member of her species, just as he wasn't of his own.

"I suppose, as it is Halloween, I will get into the spirit of things." It was one night, and Analyn was having a great deal of fun. Then again, she had fun staring at a fish tank for minutes on end.

[Observation Lounge]

Aryn and Alec approached the Observation Lounge around the same time as the admiral and Captain Naira. Aryn laughed and pointed out Analyn in her cuttlefish costume, causing Alec to chuckle as well.

Approaching the officers in dress uniform, Aryn greeted them. Captain, she acknowledged the Orion woman with a nod. Admiral Adeyemi, good to see you again. Welcome back to SBC. This is my husband, Dr. Alec Trenzal.

Alec stepped forward with a smile, putting one arm around Aryn. Admiral, it's a pleasure. Are you joining the party?

Both El-Aurians caught the tension in the admiral and between the admiral and captain, but Alec especially, being ignorant of Adeyemi's convictions, was simply making friendly conversation.

[Lounge]

And so it began. Adeyemi braced himself with a prolonged swig of Seamus's Irish but still acceptable ale.

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor. Lieutenant." Was all the admiral said. When the question about the party came up, Adeyemi could only mildly grunt.

[Observation Lounge]

"Hello Lt. Corliss, Dr. Trenzal," Naira happily greeted the pair. At that moment, any distraction was a welcomed distraction. "I'm so glad to see that the two of you have returned and will be joining us tonight."

She turned her attention from the happy pair back towards the admiral. "Lt. Corliss here is our new Chief of Operations and her ummm...husband, here has offered his services in Sickbay. I don't know if you remember him, but he helped with the cure for the nanovirus." While Naira could go on singing highly of his praises, she fumbled over that one word. She swallowed hard trying to get rid of that bad taste in her mouth. That word always left her with a bad taste in her mouth.

[Lounge]

"I quite remember." The admiral favored the couple with a small, genuine smile, an unusual expression for his usually stolid face.

Another scantily clad server, this one a human with bright aquamarine hair who was nearly as tall as he, sauntered by with a tray of sandwiches. Trying not to look, the admiral scooped up a tiny egg salad tea sandwich and stuffed it into his mouth to cover the slightly awkward moment.