Posted by Lieutenant Commander Ryder Raauhl (Executive Officer) in There’s a first time for everything

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Ryder Raauhl (Executive Officer) in There’s a first time for everything

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in There’s a first time for everything
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Raauhl paced his quarters, for once Casela wasn’t lurking in the shadows or sleeping on his sofa which for some reason made him feel slightly empty, he had grown used to coming off duty and finding her either already asleep or simply just waiting for him and since their previous conversation he had decided to take their ‘relationship’ to the next step. He had realised they had not officially been on a date and so after hours of deliberating finally sent her a private message using the LCARS system in his room to arrange such. He had planned a simple picnic, he wasn’t even sure she liked a picnic but everything else seemed too romantic, ideally, he would have taken them to watch a sports game but anything in the holodeck seemed too fabricated and so a picnic was decided.

So far however he hadn’t had a reply and the time he stated in his message was already fast approaching perhaps she just wasn’t ready?

• Lt Cmdr Raauhl, XO

Casela was not in his quarters, in fact she was no where near them. She’d even missed RTF training. She was on the counseling deck, dealing with a very young officer who had no business being in ARU. She couldn’t take it and was near hysterical every. single. day. More than half way into her regular shift she’d heard the girl come in, already upset. She had taken pity on the rest of her staff and taken the girl into one of the rooms and talked with her at length. Finally, finally after weeks of this, she finally told Casela what was wrong. Casela was recommending a transfer to another posting. The poor girl. Finally Casela had had to sedate her and put her in a patient room. Hours, it had been hours with the young officer, but she was sleeping now. Casela walked back to her office and flopped into her chair to write the report and recommendation. It wasn’t until then that she saw all the messages she had, but one caught her attention and made her smirk, close to a smile, but, well her office door was closed, so who cared? She smiled. She read it, looked at the time, and very quickly sent a reply, I just finished my shift, I’ll meet you at the holodeck. Luckily for her, she kept a patient room for herself. After cleaning up and changing she stepped out of the room and crossed the lobby to the turbolift. NEn Ziecest saw her, took a double take and laughed, “Have fun Lt.” and then snickered. Casela sighed…she’d better get used to it.

1 minute before she was supposed to meet him, Casela walked down the corridor arriving at the holodeck.
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

Raauhl noticed her immediately, she was that kind of person that would be lost inside a crowd but alone, hard to miss. “Casela, you came” He smiled unsure if he was delight med or terrified because he just didn’t know where this would go. Where they about to take the next step in their relationship or was this to mark the beginning of the end?

• Lt Cmdr Raauhl, XO

Casela had made an effort. Hence the laugh she’d gotten from Ziecest as she left. Her hair, instead of her normal tight braid, was down, hanging well past her shoulders.
She had on an almost knee length dress, but with wide shoulder straps rather than sleeves, allowing the scars along her shoulders to show, and calf high leather boots.
She grinned, “Yes I came. I didn’t get your message till 20 minutes ago. I was with a patient all day until then. I hope I didn’t make you wait long.” Wow she sounded…odd for herself. This was a totally different experience for them both. But the thing was she cared whether or not she’d kept him waiting. It hadn’t been her intention. For a lack of what else to say, ” You and I will be having a conversation about a personnel transfer, tomorrow.” That did make her wonder though. Their jobs over lapped quite a bit and would that be a problem? And then she gave her self an internal shake. They’d been seeing each other for awhile and still working together, so she needed to stop being....nervous. She was nervous and the concept was both strange and comical to her. Casela didn’t need to be telepathic to see the same tension in Ryder. She wasn’t sure if she should hug him, kiss him, hold his hand, or just stand there. They’d been very discrete until this point. It was totally unknown territory for her, but the humor in the situation didn’t evade her. Her eyes laughed at both of them. “So, what did you have in mind?”
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

Getting over himself Raauhl noticed just how beautiful she looked and especially for someone who only found out 20 minutes ago. “I’ll free up some time for you tomorrow to discuss it but for now” He turned around and picked up the hamper he had replicated, “It’s a picnic, it’s a little less formal than what I’d consider but I figured it would suit us nicely , I’ve asked the computer to randomly select a location from its database on searches for picnics so it’s a surprise for me too. I’m just hoping it’s not the icy tundra for Andoria.” He smiled before taking in breath, with his free hand he offered it to her “You look beautiful by the way, I think having your hair down and showing of your shoulders suit you” and his compliment was genuine.

• Lt Cmdr Raauhl, XO

Casela dropped the work topic. She wasn’t there for that and she was excited to see where the computer had chosen. “Well if it is Andoria we can always request something else or we could light a really huge bonfire.” She took his hand with a smile, the compliment creating a warm flush. “Thank you, Ryder.” It felt rehearsed to just return the compliment because he had, but she had been about to when he spoke. “You know I think I’m biased because I think you ate a striking figure no matter what you wear.” And it was true. Casela had a mind for details and she always noticed whatever he was doing, wearing, discussing. She might have a problem.

She stepped up to the doors and grinned when they opened. “No glaciers. I think we’re safe.” She winked at him and stepped past the doors, huge trees stretched tall in the distance and a light breeze whispering past them.
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

Raauhl allowed the breeze to wash over him, the smell of the wild caressing his nose he didn’t recognise where they were but a wooden sign read “Redwood National and State Park” which he did know to be on Earth, “Sometimes I think the computer is always bias to Earth locations when asking it for a surprise. Still it is beautiful.” He smiled and turned to Casela, “Shall we walk a while first?”

• LtCmdr Raauhl, XO

“I would love to walk first. I don’t know about you but sitting all day makes me want to stretch my legs.” Still holding his hand she aimed to follow the path that the sign had marked. “Hmmm, I do think you are right though. Maybe next time we should specify: not Earth.” She took a deep breath. It wasn’t real fresh air but the holodeck did a great job of recreating it. She looked up at the massive trees. “You know you could build a very large house and live up there with no problem.” It was probably the most fanciful thing she’d ever said. She was comfortable walking along not speaking, with Ryder. They spent a lot of time quietly, or she did, while he got his beauty sleep. The thought made her smile, but really, they could sit quietly and she never felt the need to fill it with chatter. But Casela was also skilled at creating conversation, and it occured to her that there were many topics they had never actually talked about, and chatter was a good way to learn about people. About each other. She knew he had been a science officer before entering command, and he had mentioned botany and ecology. This setting seemed the kind of place he would have liked to study. “Do you miss being just a science officer? Getting to study new ecosystems, being in places like this?”
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

“All the time” He answered looking around and taking in the marvels of what the forest had to offer, “Being the XO has it perks don’t get me wrong but boy do I miss getting my hands dirty and doing the real sciency stuff, now its duty rosters, disciplinary and paperwork” He shrugged as they continued to weave between the towering trees, “But I dont think I’d change it for the world, my job that is. I do good things and sometimes I get to put my geek cap on and do the things I love, it only makes them more special when I do.”

• Lt Cmdr Raauhl, XO

Casela smirked. The idea of Ryder with a ‘geek cap’ on was amusing. “So with ARU on board, how much time do you get to play in the labs? Or is it all restricted? It’s too bad if it is. There are a lot of crew, yourself as well I’m sure, that would like to be able to work on their own projects.” Cas had access but only on RTF duties. She wasn’t interested in peaking in on the science crew so she stayed out of it. As long as she didn’t have to go in and contain something they let loose she was happy to stay away. “On Betazed, in the Jalaran jungle the trees are huge, but not like this. I’ve never seen anything like this.” She looked up at one of the trees contemplating it. “My dad would have liked this. He used to take us camping all the time. He took us into the jungle once, teaching us about what was safe and what would hurt us.” She walks with him weaving past the giants around them until they come to mostly flat sandy area. “Should we stop here?”
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS