Raiya and Arun (Late Evening Drink)

Deck 2, USS Perseus
Stationary Orbit, Earth
Day 1, 2101

One of the perks of being the First Officer of a starship, Arun had recently discovered, was that his own personal quarters were vastly more luxurious than encountered during any previous tour of duty. Which then raised the question, of course, as to just how much more luxurious and spacious the Captain's quarters were compared to his own. Stepping away from the catastrophe that was his own pseudo-unpacked quarters, Arun retrieved a bottle of vintage whiskey and two small shot glasses. Exiting his quarters, he padded the short distance down the corridor to the nearest door in the adjoining section and depressed the door chime.

Raiya had been laying on her bed trying to absorb the days events when Ameen chimed her door. Her day had gone from gaining her first command, to meeting her senior staff, ordering furniture (which still wasn't here all she had was the bed, a small table, and a couple of chairs until it came in tomorrow), checking on systems, prepping for the launch, and the awkward "date" she'd had with Eun, that she was still trying to wrap her head around.
" By the prophets this better be important," She grumbled to herself as she got up slowly, and against her better judgment. She slowly staggered to the door off balance, with her head a little numb from the sudden blood rush of getting up. She pressed the button to open the door, and was surprised to her First Officer standing there with a pair of glasses, and a bottle of some sort of booze she presumed.
"If that's booze you better get in here," She told him, with a weary smile.

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He cracked an infectious grin, "I come bearing gifts of gold in liquid form." Very quickly, he scooped into the Commander's quarters. "Blimey!" He exclaimed, looking around. "I was right, this place is bloody well enormous. Umm, but, well, you're missing a wee-bit of furniture, Ma'am." He concluded, when his eyes finally came to rest on the outwardly appearing deflated Raiya. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked, hints of concern evident in the question.

"Yeah I'm fine," Raiya replied,"It's just been a long damn day if you know what I mean."
"As for my furniture," She continued, answering Ameen's first question," It's still been shipped from my storage on Luna it'll be here tomorrow."
She went to the small gray/silver table and pulled up one of the chair's.
"Now pour me a glass of that will you," She ordered him with a grin, motioning for him to take the seat opposite her.

"As you wish." He replied cheerfully. Approaching the chair opposite Raiya, Arun slipped into effortlessly. Dressed in a pair of gray sweatpants, a form fitting black tank top and no shoes, he looked more like a bum than the First Officer of a Federation starship. But hell, it was well into the evening and he'd required comfortable attire after the strenuous workout he'd been subjected to by the good Doctor. Placing either shot glass down upon the tables surface, he cracked open the sealed cap of the glass bottle and poured a significant amount of amber-colored liquid into both glasses. Discarding the larger bottle for now, he retrieved one of the two shots and held it up in toast. "To new beginnings."

"New Beginnings,"Raiya replied, clinking her glass with Ameen's. Raiya was also in sleep wear, with a black tank-top, with matching shorts, robe. She took the shot glass and poured it all down her throat in one go. The smooth amber whiskey burned pleasantly in the back of her throat as she finished off the glass and licked her lips, setting it back down. She wasn't a heavy drinker, but you spend enough time hanging around Starbase Engineers and you can pound the most rotgut Klingon brews galaxy without breaking a sweat.
"So what do you think of our Ship and Crew?"

Raiya Laren wrote:"So what do you think of our Ship and Crew?"

Arun watched the Commander tentatively, hazel-colored eyes intent on the beat of her movements as the liquor was consumed rapidly. He, himself, flicked the glass he was holding and winced only slightly as the amber-colored liquid poured down his throat, a residual burn following in its wake. "Well," clearing his throat loudly, "I've only met a few of them in passing, but from what I've observed thus far, they're like any newly assembled team; only time will tell how well one will work with the other, but I've the inclination it won't take long to find out." He poured another shot for himself and the Commander. "I did, however, have the opportunity to speak a little bit with our Lagashi Doctor; she's quite ... interesting ... to say the least." His voice was soft and raspy, the latter caused by the alcoholic beverage; however, his eyes were intent, probing upon the Commander's reaction.

"Ohhh you don't even know,"Raiya chuckled, before grabbing the bottle and refilling her glass." Apparently I went on a date with her, only thing is I thought it was a friendly get to together, you know? Two people new ship, not a lot friends, seemed like a perfectly reasonable excuse to have a girls night out dinner. Only thing is she had some more romantic intentions...," She finished sipping lightly from her glass, rather than knocking it back like she did the first, to enjoy the taste more.

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Arun nodded his head very slowly, each dip an attempt to acutely register what the Commander had just said. Finally, in a bit of a stunned tone of voice, he replied. "She wastes very little time apparently ... after all, you only did meet for the first time today. How did it go?" He asked, topping off Raiya's glass, fully realizing she most likely needed the drink in-of-itself. In truth, he really wasn't interested; there was nothing more awkward than delving into the personal lives of coworkers, especially those of his superiors. He didn't want to know, but in a way, he needed to. It was his job, after all.

"Great right up until the part I learned it was a date after that a little awkward but I don't think it'll be a problem going forward," She replied taking a deep gulp of her newly refilled glass, wondering vaguely if her XO was trying to get her drunk. She brought a hand up to her earring to move the miniaturized Bajoran Harp it sported from digging into the side of her neck the way it had been. "So why did you bring up our Cyborg Doctor in the first place? Did she say something about it to you?"

Raiya Laren wrote:"Great right up until the part I learned it was a date after that a little awkward but I don't think it'll be a problem going forward," She replied taking a deep gulp of her newly refilled glass, wondering vaguely if her XO was trying to get her drunk. She brought a hand up to her earring to move the miniaturized Bajoran Harp it sported from digging into the side of her neck the way it had been. "So why did you bring up our Cyborg Doctor in the first place? Did she say something about it to you?"

Arun consumed his own shot before pouring another; the alcohol, was apparently needed. He'd most likely have this last one before calling it quits. "She did ..." He replied simply before slugging back the liquid. "How very awkward it must have been ... apparently it takes very little time for the Doctor to make a move, let's hope she's just as prudent in her professional capacity as to that in her personal."

"Well at least she has good taste," Raiya replied with a laugh, before taking another sip of the whiskey. As she downed the glass Raiya thought of her science officer; the one most likely to confuse her and mystify her with big words, and complex math, and the like. "So what do you think of our Science Officer by the way?," She asked, as she remembered seeing Ameen looking after the CSO on the bridge for a minute longer.

Raiya Laren wrote:"Well at least she has good taste," Raiya replied with a laugh, before taking another sip of the whiskey. As she downed the glass Raiya thought of her science officer; the one most likely to confuse her and mystify her with big words, and complex math, and the like. "So what do you think of our Science Officer by the way?," She asked, as she remembered seeing Ameen looking after the CSO on the bridge for a minute longer.

Arun chuckled at the Commander's remark; at least she wasn't lacking in confidence or modesty, rather, that was him for certain. Shaking his head to her question, he simply shrugged. "I don't know much about him, we've not had the chance to actually meet aside from our first encounter on the bridge. I'm planning on researching each member of the Senior Staff tomorrow morning so that I may become a bit more familiar with the all encompassing extents of their service jackets. As this was a very ... last minute ... reassignment, I've not yet had the opportunity to do so." He paused for a very long moment, sitting back in the chair and crossing either arm over his chest. "So, Captain, how is it that a swashbuckling tactician such as yourself was placed in command of a vessel of exploration?" He asked coyly.

"Wellllllllllllll," Raiya started stretching the word out as she leaned back in her seat slowly." I'll be the first to admit exploration and science stuff isn't really my thing if you couldn't tell," She laughed, setting her glass down, and letting her arms fall to the sides of the chair." I've been a strategist and tactical officer my whole, and peace time isn't the best for those career options, but the selection board decided someone with some common sense should keep the science types safe,"She finished with a grin.

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Arun raised the empty shot glass, "I'll toast to that; how about one more for the road? Tomorrow's going to be ... a day, that's for sure." He finished with a rather goofy looking grin.

"Hey it's your bottle, not mine so pour yourself one for the road," Raiya replied with a grin, gesturing toward the now decidedly less full bottle with her empty glass."Don't drink to much more you don't want to be in the meeting with a headache..."

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Arun poured one last shot for the two of them. Raising his own, he made a silent toast before downing his own. "Well Commander, I bid you a good night." He said in a regally polite tone of voice. "Thank you for sharing a drink with me. Please, hold on to that for ... future times." He concluded, a grin drawing one corner of his mouth upwards as he gestured to the empty, wet shot glass the Commander had attempted to return to him. He had the thought that this would not be the last drink the two shared with one another.