#7 Making a Friend

Posted on Wed May 24th, 2023 @ 2:24pm by Lieutenant JG Marcus Resch {Meji} & Lieutenant JG Sheyla {Meji}

Mission: Character Development
Location: Main lounge
Timeline: current

ON:

As she had been invited, Lieutenant Sheyla arrived at the main lounge. The chamber was full with the crew obviously coming off of a rather lengthy mission that had consumed a great amount of time. Now, they were relaxing and mingling as was the intention of such facilities on starships and star bases. As a medical professional she could understand that, and approve of it. But, like many other things in life, over indulging was never a good idea. In her hand she carried a crystal bottle done up like a twisting corkscrew to the cork, and within the item was a blue liquid. The label/tag was still attached to the cork as she had not opened this particular bottle yet.

Her eyes scanning the room for familiar faces, Sheyla's eyes finally found Marcus Resch. He was alone, sitting at a table for two up against one of the large viewports looking forward out the bow of the ship. Walking over casually, collecting two tumblers from the bar, Sheyla approached his table. Each table had a jukebox access built into the touchscreen tabletop, so that if so desired, people could take turns picking the ambient music in the background. "May I join you, Lieutenant?"

Having been looking at musical selections, and not noticing the legs as they walked up to his table, Resch looked up with a bit of surprise. Seeing who it was elicited a grin. "Please," he said, motioning to the chair across from him. "Bring your own drink, Doctor?"

"I did, yes." Sheyla smiled as she placed the glasses on the table, then worked to uncork the bottle. One done she poured the two tumblers half full, placing the cork back on the bottle as she slid one his way. "An Andorian tradition. Upon meeting new friends we like to share a drink. So, in keeping with tradition I am offering you some Andorian brandy. And, yes, this is directly from Andor, not some replicated facsimile."

Resch took up the offered glass, holding it up before his eyes as he turned the glass this way and that to examine the contents. "Well, it's blue." He gave it a slight whiff, pulling his nose away quickly. "Smells potent."

Sheyla gave a giggle. "That's one word for it. My friends at the Academy appreciated it when I got gifts from home. The brandy never lasted long when one is drinking it on a California beach, the top of Mt. Hood, or any other area of Earth. I never did make it to Everest."

"Everest?" Resch quirked his brow. "I take it you're the adventuring type?"

"Guilty," she said, downing her tumbler of brandy and refilling, grinning once it had been swallowed.

Not to be outdone, and preparing himself as best he could having never drank the stuff, Marcus did as she had done. He got it all in, and swallowed, wincing at the burning all the way down. "Wow, that's..." His voice caught in his throat a moment so he cleared it and gave a light pounding to his chest. "That's potent, for sure." Another cough and throat clearing before she re-poured for him.

"Now, we can sip and enjoy a conversation," Sheyla smiled around the lip of her glass.

"I'm not a big drinker, so I'm sure this one," he pointed down to his glass. "Will be my last. Another thing--Doctor," Resch made sure to use her accolade. "In here rank has no meaning insofar as incidents. A commander can get a beatdown for being an ass as much as a marine private, and get called on the rug for it. So, whenever we're in here, please address me common. My name is Marcus."

Sheyla gave a few nods as she sipped, then held her glass on the tabletop. "Sounds good. I prefer Sheyla, myself. A personnel file can tell people WHAT I am, but not WHO I am." As she spoke, seeing as how Marcus had not picked a song yet and the lounge was musically bereft, Sheyla reached out and spun the access around to right side up for herself. She quickly found a song and tapped play, bringing up THE HOLLIES: LONG COOL WOMAN.

"Nice choice!" Stated Resch. "I take it you enjoy Earth music?"

"I do, very much. During the Academy I dated a few musicians from the Frisco area and they expanded my knowledge and tolerance for Earth music. Some are okay, but most are pretty damn good. Like when a group of friends took me to see the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time." She began to laugh to herself, which made her face light up and caused a sparkle in her eyes.

"Oh, jeez. This oughta be good."

"We all transported from the campus to the bridge park. They had all made sure that lil ole Sheyla had her guide maps and all the other essentials of tourism. I did the new to Earth thing with them for a while, never going too far away from them, wandering around looking at the mundane, but I could never find them. No matter where I looked I just couldn't find them."

Resch was now curious, being sure that's why she told the story the way she did. "Find what? Your friends?"

"No, no." Sheyla waved that off. "We spent the entire afternoon at Golden Gate Park, and in all that time I was unable to locate the Golden Gate they spoke of. My friends could see the confusion on my face, not saying a word until I actually asked the query. They all busted out laughing. On Andoria, we call things what they are. Such as the Wall of Heroes. You cannot miss that dark blue wall of ice, even from orbit, since it is the blood of all Andorians who have died to secure Andor and its people. Well, those lucky enough to have anything left of themselves to collect blood from."

"I've heard of it, but I've never been to Andor. Perhaps a tour guide would make that better." Marcus gave a smile.

Smiling in return Sheyla gave a nod. The two of them talked for hours, both of them switching to raktajino after finishing their second glasses of brandy each. Sheyla, great grand daughter of Commander Shran, had made her first friend on Amandora.

OFF: