Shore Leave: Cottage 114

Zephyr strolls up to the party grinning to himself. His mood is light, and he's ready to drink up! Maybe he'll take it a bit easy tonight after underestimating Stone's drinks last night though.

As he approaches the party, however, his expression sours. He looks around the room at everyone attending, in shock at what he sees. Then his face slowly turns from surprise to horror, and then to anger. Searching the room, he sees Vega in her slinky dress and makes a bee-line straight for her.

You told me they decided to make this a costume party! he says with raised voice as he approaches her.

He rips the mask off of his head and throws it to the ground. From head to toe he is dressed in yellow feathers, with bright red stockings on his legs, red gloves, and big floppy chicken's feet slippers. His yellow-feathered arms have fabric sewn on the backside that hang down and are sewn again to his torso to create a mock set of wings.

I should have known not to trust you! This is just like our primary school dance!

He looks down at himself in frustration.

Get me a drink, he says to Vega without looking up.

Cass strolls up to stand beside Zephyr and casually asks, "Expecting fowl play?"

Alira wanders over.

I bet that outfit is a chick magnet.

Cass doesn't miss a beat. "Forget it. You're not the first one here to have egg on your face." She grabs a beer from the table and hands it to the cadet.

"Oh, no," Cass says solemnly. "This isn't what life is like anywhere, at any time."

While this is my first giant chicken party, it's pretty tame compared to some after mission cool down parties I have been at.

Cass is suddenly reminded of something Nic was fond of saying back at the academy. "A true reveler," she I tones, "brings the party with them wherever they go."

Moira, still uneasy of Nic, and definitely now annoyed with Vega, winks at those she's standing with and hops behind a palm tree. Which....doesn't really hide her.

As the puns wrap up, she reemerges with her hair floofed in a large orb around her head with her skirt acting as some sort of makeshift lampshade-style crown trying to contain it. She has fashioned herself a skirt of palm branches (luckily it wasn't "kilt day") and tied up her shirt into a halter. She takes some marking chalk from her belt and colors in half her face, and wears her normal bandana as a sort of apron on the front of her skirt.

Zeph! Wonderful ta see yeh! Ah got tha message, too! Ah came as a "Failed-History-Class-Sexy-Robert-tha-Bruce". Imagine mah surprise! Can ah get yeh a drink?

Moira whispers harshly.

Ah was tryin' ta help!

Thanks RC.

Zephyr locks eyes with Vega, and says with sudden resolve, You know what? Screw it.

He pulls off his gloves and reaches down to remove the feet since theyre the most cumbersome part, but leaves the rest of the suit on.

I'm enjoying the attention. its plain from his look that he doesn't want to let Vega win. Not to mention the puns. Let's just wing it.

From the brief, tense line her mouth settles into, it seems Alex would like to continue pressing the point, but she accepts the change of subject for the time being. "I have not had the opportunity yet. But I took a course on non-planetary cultures between missions a few years ago. It was taught by a Farredan, though not in person. The gravity would have taken too much of a toll, I'm sure."

It's at this point that Zephyr walks in, and not surprisingly, it draws her attention almost instantly. She puts a hand over her mouth to stifle laughter, but it can't hide the sparkle in her eyes as she looks the science officer over from beak to talon. Whatever pun she might have come up with stays unvoiced for now, as she remains sitting with her daughter's fiance.

Seeing Cassandra's nervousness and watching her down her drink so quickly is disconcerting to Cass, so she takes a seat next to the head of the table, where she can hopefully lend some support. She shrugs off her irritation over the hiring protocol issue and smiles at Cassandra to demonstrate that as she sits down.

Alira is fine sitting between Nic and Lisa.

Nic, join us. How are you enjoying the evening so far?

Tell us what life is like as freelance spacer.

Alira's tone is genuine, not sarcastic like she usually is with Nic.

I think it's only fair that Lisa hears what the other side of life on ship is like.

Cass leans close to Cassandra and quietly asks, "Are you okay? You seem a little rattled."