P.A.R.T. Why? Because it's expected of me...

Posted on Sun Sep 22nd, 2024 @ 12:50pm by Chief Armoury Rormu Yazlin & Leiddem Kea (*)

Mission: Shackles
Location: Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 05
1230 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Leiddem could not deny he was enjoying himself greatly at Cami’s birthday party, which had also been organised as a crew party for everyone to unwind after several cargo runs over the past couple of months. The mess hall, temporarily transformed into the party, buzzed with excitement and energy that he felt the ship had been missing for a long time. He had danced with abandon, savouring the rhythm of the music that filled the air and indulged in the delicious food spread out in a buffet. He had also sampled some of the cocktails, which, he suspected, were significantly stronger than they should have been thanks to Rianne.

Leiddem's gaze wandered across the room until it landed on a Bajoran standing on the opposite side of the mess hall. A grin spread across his face as he watched her. Curiosity sparked within him, compelling him to find out whether the party's success was due to it being the birthday of one of her species, or if it was simply a party that had everyone in high spirits.

“Hey.” He greeted over the music.

"Evening." Yazlin wasn't really one for parties, but it had been pointed out to her that she should mingle with the crew in order to be an effective leader. So she had dressed in something more casual and made her way over to the mess hall, bringing a bit of a traditional gift for Cami, which she had left on a table somewhere that there were other gifts gathering already. She wouldn't mind if Cami didn't find out who bought her the small bit of jewellery, though she suspected not too many people there would understand the significance of it. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Very much though I do seem to have lost Delaney ," he admitted to her with a broad smile, raising his glass in a casual salute. "I have to know—are all Bajoran birthdays this fun, or is this party just exceptionally great?" He wondered turning his gaze too everyone around them hoping to catch Delaney in the crowd.

"Some of the extravagance is due to it being suppressed for almost a century." Yazlin commented, looking out over the crowd there weren't many other Bajorans there so one could hardly blame 'her people' for making the party such a roaring success. "but I guess it's down to personal preference. I tend to keep it to myself. How about you? Big party or quiet get together?"

Leiddem glanced around and shrugged a little. He had never really had a choice in the parties of his youth and now as an adult, he never really had a chance to celebrate properly."I am betazoid so I am supposed to say big party but I think I would rather have a quiet get-together for my birthday." He admitted.

"Do large gatherings strain your ability to keep out other people's surface thoughts?" Yazlin had worked with a Betazoid in her mercenary outfit, but conversations rarely really strayed off mission parameters, and besides she'd felt that the man hadn't been a shining example of Betazoid culture.

Leiddem glanced to the side and looked at the woman and broke into a big grin. "Yes but I do not mention that to many people but I do love a good party. It might strain my ability but it is fun thoughts. I once had to be in a small space with the whole crew and it was so much negative." The only good thing that had come out of it all had been Delaney so he would happy to go back through it again.

"Music, merriment and ale will do that to you." Yazlin commented. It still felt odd to be there. She barely knew these people and it had been difficult to get somewhat of a connection going. It wasn't that they were all so different, or that she couldn't appreciate them. There was just this mental block. She wondered if her parents had ever struggled with this in the resistance. They seemed so merry and had loads of close friends. There was an unbreakable bond. It almost made her yearn for a chance to forge such a bond herself. "Speaking of, I actually came into a good vintage Spring Wine recently. Perhaps I should find an excuse to share that with some people."

"Department party?" Leiddem wondered before he grinned more. He was enjoying the stability of the department head being someone who wanted to be involved and seemed to be enjoying being on board so he held out his hand. "Come on dance with me boss?" He enjoyed dancing and there was something different about dancing with telepaths but he did not need that to be a thing in an environment that he classed as home.

There was a moment where the hairs in Yazlin's neck stood up. Dance? With a subordinate? Aside from the fact that she didn't really have subordinates in any of her previous jobs she'd never really seen herself as that. "Yeah. Sure. Why not." She took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. One of the reasons she never saw herself as someone who'd dance with her subordinates is that she was a terrible dancer. Ask her to camouflage and lay still for hours, even days, on end and she'd be all over that. Ask her to take three steps in rhythm? Better have the emergency medical transport on standby.

Leiddem let out a fake cheer and threw his free hand up in the air as he got a yes to a dance just as a lively song came on the system. "Great song to groove to boss." He laughed as he pushed through the crowd to find a good space to dance, spinning her around in front of him. He shifted with the music easily as he genuinely enjoyed dancing.

That wasn't so much the case for Yazlin. She was quiet, dexterous, and quick on her feet. Anyone observing now would notice graceful wasn't part of that list. She wasn't familiar with the music, nor the genre the music existed in, nor the dance he was trying to get her to participate in. In the end, she settled into a small groove of stepping to the rhythm, keeping her arms close and nodding her head a bit back and forth.

Leiddem smiled encouragingly and carried on dancing for a moment until the song ended and he noticed Delany across the mess hall. He could how uncomfortable she was and he wanted to let her out of commitments if he could. "You can escape if you want boss... I can make a hasty exit place for you?" He wondered teasing.

"I'll slink back to the relative safety of the perimeter," Yazlin appreciated the offer but it seemed bad form to excuse herself from the party entirely at this early hour. "I'm sure there's more spring wine to be enjoyed." She pointed at the bar. A birthday was as good an excuse as any to drink.

"There has to be seeing who the birthday girl is. Maybe follow her around to track it down if the bar has not." He suggested grinning still before racing off to find Delaney before she disappeared again. He was going to enjoy the party to the fullest one way or another.