Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Breathe, It’s Just Vacation

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Breathe, It’s Just Vacation

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Breathe, It’s Just Vacation
Posted by… suppressed (43) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Rand sighed, she didn’t want to go on vacation. Risa had a reputation that she was certain she would find agonizing. Rand wanted to see other planets, and from more than just orbit, she just thought she’d get to do it on duty. She stared at her packed bag and lamented not having her uniforms. She hated picking out clothes. Randy had told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t allowed to spend the entire time hiding in her hotel room.

Pipkin hopped onto the bed and looked at her. She picked up the bunny and nuzzled her. “That’s it, I’m not going. I can’t leave you here.” Which wasn’t true. Randy and Gorshin had promised to take care of her. Rand would take any excuse to not have to go. The ship was familiar and safe. How was going somewhere unfamiliar and unknown supposed to help with her confusion?

Rand

Roman wasn’t happy about it. He’d gone on and on about his work and his labs and his animals but Randy and the Captain weren’t having it. He was to go to Risa for shore leave, which he had not done in more than three years. He packed his bag - some clothes, but mostly full of his PaDD and violin. He didn’t intend to leave the hotel room either up until Randy banned Rand from staying in there. He couldn’t make her go out alone. He entered the room with an annoyed frown and grabbed his bag. “Ready?”

~ Roman

Rand was still holding Pipkin and shook her head. “No. What about Pipkin? She’ll be lonely. I can use my shore leave to watch her.” She didn’t know Roman was being made to take leave. She knew the captain had insisted that everyone went, but she thought Randy was really making Roman go because of her.

She was packed and dressed casually in slimming slacks and a soft green halter top. She just didn’t want to go.

Rand

“You know as well as I do Randy’s taking care of Pipkin,” Roman said. “I don’t want to go either. It’s just not a choice.” He gave Pipkin a little scratch. “Make sure she gets back in her hutch before we go.” He said, grabbing his bag.

~ Roman

Rand didn’t want to go. She hated socializing and now she had be around strangers that she had no idea how to relate to them. She hated that they were making Roman go because of her. Oh no one said that, but she knew that had to be the only reason he agreed to take time off was her. She carried Pipkin over to her hutch and took a long time, obviously procrastinating, making sure her cage was clean and there was plenty of food and water and toys and treats. She thought about saying she should go find Randy and make sure he remembered everything to do for the little rabbit, but finally she gave in to the inevitable and closed the cage. She grabbed her bag with a forlorn sigh and followed Roman to the transporter room.

Rand

Roman looked at the Ensign running the transporter. “Beam us down, Ensign,” he sighed. “By Captain’s orders.”

~ Roman

“Have a good vacation, Cmdr, Rand,” and then they disappeared.

Rand looked around the lobby of the resort. She had checked plenty of the crew in and she moved toward the counter. “Oh hello again Ensign.”

“Hello Peltra. Cmdr Alden is checking in.”

“You as well?” The pretty blonde woman asked. She gave the Cmdr a long and interested look. “Yes, please.”

She turned her screen around, their names, Roman Alden and Miranda Farquharson, were listed. “If you could both sign please.” While they did she handed them both a pass. “Welcome to Risa, and please let anyone know if you need anything at all. We are here to please. Your room,” she subtly emphasized that it was only one room, “Is on the 6th floor. The lifts are just down that hall there.” She was polite and professional, but if either of them were telepathy they would have been worried.

Rand

“Thanks.” Roman turned down the hall without a second look at the woman. “Miranda, let’s go,” he said. He forced a little smile. “At least it’s some time with just the two of us.” That he was genuinely happy about. He just wasn’t that happy about the forced vacation.

~ Roman

He sounded irritated. Rand thanked the woman by name, and then lifted her bag and headed down the hallway. Maybe they had a zoo or nature park or animal preserve or something. Roman would like that, and then he wouldn’t be deprived of his work for the whole 6 days. “We can do whatever you want. That’s the point of vacation isn’t it?”

Rand

Roman smiled more genuinely. “What we want. You get a say, too.” He said softly, wrapping an arm around her. They got on the lift and gave it the floor they were on and it started going up. “This is both of our vacation.”

~ Roman

This was not her idea of relaxing. A strange place with customs she didn’t know, with no purpose or guidelines. And lots and lots of strangers. She wouldn’t complain to Roman though. He had been kind enough to go with her. “I’m sure we can find something to do.” Stepping off the lift they headed down the hall toward their room.

It was a large room with a balcony that actually led out onto a rise where the hotel was built into the side of a bluff. The room was comfortable and airy. The furniture was plush and comfortable and encouraged laziness.

Rand

Roman wasn’t excited. He set his bag on a hard surface, then plopped down on the bed with a sigh, leaving enough space for Rand. “Of course we will” he said without much interest.

~ Roman

Rand felt horrible. He didn’t want to be here, and he was because of her. She sighed softly and moved toward the small table. There was a computer interface and she sat down and read through what was there. “Do you want something to eat?”

Rand

Roman shook his head. “Not right now.” He sighed heavily, leaning back on the bed. “Captain ordered me here, I’m fulfilling my orders.” He glanced at her with a little grin, “I suppose you are, too, they only came from Randy instead of Rende.”

~ Roman

“No… I tried to tell the captain I had too much work to do. She added her order to Randy and Elbbirt’s.” She sighed. “Randy ordered me to go out, but you don’t have to go with me.” How was she going to find things to do for 6 days? “I don’t know how to follow these orders.” She sighed again. There was the beach and a pool, but she was too shy to go out in a bathing suit with strangers around. There were lots of food choices. She had to eat, but the idea of eating alone or with strangers was horrible.

Rand

“I don’t either,” Roman sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for a pool, or beach, or spa, or anything like that. He certainly wasn’t interested in Risans drooling over him. That had been fun once upon a time with… someone else, but now he was engaged to Rand and simply not interested. “Wherever you’re going, I’m going. I’m not leaving you by yourself here.” That had to be her personal nightmare.

~ Roman

Rand smiled at him. “Thank you.” She really didn’t deserve him. He shouldn’t have to be saddled with her. She would find a way to manage if he didn’t want to go. She’d figure it out. “Have you ever been here before?” she asked absently as she stared with resignation at the local offerings. Some of the restaurants sounded nice.

“Yeah,” Roman sighed, “About five years ago.” He didn’t want to go further into it, not wanting to make the vacation they weren’t excited for worse with a grief episode.

Rand caught his eye and nodded. She understood and wouldn’t ask about it. She had thought maybe to ask what he’d done before and wanted to go back, but now she knew he wouldn’t want to do that.

Her eyes lit up and then dimmed at one point. They had theatre. She would love to go see it. She loved theatre even just as part of the audience, but she convinced herself very quickly that it was too risky. That part of her life was over.

“Oh. They have horses.” Roman said he used to like to ride when he was younger. Maybe he would enjoy that. If he was going to accompany her, the least she could do was find things he liked to do.

Rand

“I wonder how they treat the horses,” Roman said. “Might be worth a see, anyway.” He decided with a sigh. “Oh, theatre. Is there anything you want to see, Miranda?”

~ Roman

“We could go see. I like horses. I remember you used to like to ride.” He’d said he’d take her some time when they went back to Earth. She remembered vividly because that was when she realized he liked her because it would be months before they ever got back to Earth. It was very shortly after that he’d asked her to dinner the first time. Rand could sit a horse at a walk and that was about it. Roman had said he’d take her and teacher. She didn’t remind him though, because she didn’t want him to feel like he had to take her.

She looked at him when he said her full name. It always made her stomach flutter and her face flush when he did. “I love theatre,” she whispered. She looked at the titles and could have gushed for hours about them. “Any of them would be wonderful.”

Rand

“We can do both. I was going to teach you to ride, wasn’t I? Pick whatever you want to see. We have more than enough time here, I’d rather you get to see what you want, then we’ll schedule the horses.”

~ Roman

Rand nodded, “When we got to Earth.” She looked at the different shows. There was one the next evening, she hadn’t seen before, there would be no regrets attached to it. She could enjoy it. Rand didn’t bother to see what troupe was putting on the production. It didn’t matter to her. “Tomorrow? Thieves of the Plague. I’ve never seen it.”

Rand

Roman nodded. “Okay. It plays at 1500 hours. We’ll have time before that to do something or we can just stay here at the hotel… Then perhaps the day after we’ll go see about the horses.”

~ Roman

Rand nodded. “We can stay in.” It was a simple matter to reserve the tickets. Shebused Roman’s name because she was so used to not using hers for reservations and things. It allowed some privacy. “The stable is reservation only. I don’t know what to pick.” She wasn’t familiar enough to know if they should have a guided trail, take a class, she didn’t think she should try cross-country if that was anything like track, or free ride.

Rand

“Let’s do a guided trail.” Roman said after looking over the options. It would be a little boring for him but would give enough support for Rand who hadn’t really done this before.

~ Roman

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be bored.” Rand was sure she could learn, as long as she didn’t get nervous. She picked a time in the morning. “I’ll probably go shopping once. I hate it, but I think my parents would enjoy getting something from somewhere I visited.” She didn’t want to shop though. “Maybe the hotel has a gift shop instead.”

Rand

Roman chuckled. “I’ll go with you and we’ll pick them out something nice.” He said, putting an arm around her. “I sure wouldn’t want to get something from the hotel gift shop.” He added and gave her a playful look.

~ Roman

Rand looked up at him and grinned. “Well, I wouldn’t get you something from a gift shop. When I got back, you’d get me.” Then she turned bright red and hid her face in her hands.

Rand

Roman smiled and hugged her. “I think I’d like that gift most of all.” He said softly to her. “I hope I’ll be getting that one soon.”

~ Roman

Rand turned even redder, but she lifted her face to look at him. “Maybe we could start our vacation. That way?”

Rand

Roman chuckled, lifted her into his arms, and carried her to their suite’s bedroom. “I am more than happy to oblige that request.” He said, using that soft, husky voice of his.

~ Roman

---

Rand curled close to his side, listening to his heart beat under her ear. “Do you think they have room service? I really want to stay here with you.”

Rand

“Resort like this? There’d be a riot if they didn’t.” Roman commented. His hand rested gently against her side, his head leaned towards her. “I would rather stay here too.”

~ Roman

He was right about the resort. They could take their time and relax. Wasn’t that the point of vacation? She looked up at his eyes and melted. “And just think, no one can comm us for an emergency. No one to disturb us.”

Rand

Roman managed a little smile at that and hugged her tighter. “No disturbances… That might be a little nice.” He admitted, almost begrudgingly. Rand knew how much he hated being pried from his work.

~ Roman

Rand knew it. He hated missing work. It was his whole focus. It was his whole life. There had been times though when he had said he would like to stay with her and not go to work. She hoped being with her could make up for missing out on his lab.

Her work was the same. It was safe and routine and predictable. She liked that. There was no guessing or worry. Roman made everything easier though. She didn’t worry so much when he was around. “I know you didn’t want to leave the lab. Thank you for coming with me.”

Rand

Roman smiled. “Of course I would come with you.” He hugged her tightly to him. “I was ordered to go, too, so don’t feel like you’re pulling me away from work.” He said to her. “But I would’ve gone for you.”

~ Roman

She flushed and was shy. “I know. I just…” she sighed. She loved he went with her, that he didn’t mind her anxiety, that he did things to make it easier for her. If she thought about it too much though, she got anxious over becoming annoying and burdensome.

Rand

Roman just smiled and kissed her. “Neither of us wanted to be here, but let’s try to enjoy the uninterrupted time together. Okay?”

~ Roman

Rand smiled, “Okay.” She kissed him and relaxed with a sigh. “Do you want to order or go out?” She twisted the sheet in her fingers. “I’d rather go early so… there aren’t so many … people. If … if we go out.”

Rand

Roman shook his head. “Let’s order and eat in, just the two of us.” He didn’t feel like going anywhere. He rested his head against her. “There’s got to be something to order around here.”

~ Roman

Rand didn’t want to get out of bed, but she was quite thirsty. “There is probably something on the terminal.” She sighed and got up very reluctantly, slipping on her robe and padded out of the bedroom and returned with a small portable interface. She curled up next to him and scrolled through the menu until she found the hotel’s menu. “Here.” She handed him the small device and rested her head against his shoulder as he looked.

Rand

Roman scrolled through it so they could both look. He picked something for himself, and then gave her control of it so she could pick something.

~ Roman

Rand picked something that sounded exotic, but the description seemed like it might be familiar enough to be safe to try. She had always wanted to visit new places. Unlike Kelmao, where they couldn’t try anything because it wasn’t tested, here she could. AND from the comfort of her own room.

They had a leisurely half hour together before there was a knock on their door.

Rand

Roman stood, dressed well enough to answer, and opened the door. He politely nodded to the person standing on the other side and stood out of the way of the door.

~ Roman

The food smelled delicious and as soon as the server left, Rand came out of the bedroom and walked over to the table and lifted a lid. “It smells and looks good. Hopefully it tastes just as good.” It was obvious she was excited. It wasn’t much of an adventure really, trying new foods, but she seemed to think so.

Rand

“Mind if I try yours?” If she thought so, Roman was going to do it with her. He sat down at the table and set her plate in front of her seat, his in front of his own.

~ Roman

Rand sat beside him and slid the plate between them. “I’d like that.” The meat was tender and seasoned with something fruity, but unlike anything she had ever eaten.

Rand