driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Beverly Crusher and invited guests
Broadcast: No
Action: Planetside
When: October 13th, mid-morning

[Another year for the Drift Fleet, another birthday for Beverly. She’s given up on trying to determine exactly how old she is - fifty seems a good enough compromise - but that does not mean she’s not going to celebrate. She’s had people she loves unexpectedly returned to her and that alone is worth celebrating.

So, after a bit of flying around the forested planet, she finds the perfect location for a little birthday brunch picnic, right on the edge of a grassy mesa, with one of the enormous fungus-trees providing some cool shade. A large blanket is set out with the finest smorgasbord the Blue Fish can offer: smoked t-rex meat, fresh fruit from the garden, pastries, and of course, syntheholic mimosas. People are of course free bring their own food as well. There are also a couple of decks of cards and poker chips, should anyone fancy a game. All in all, a it’s a very relaxed, casual atmosphere, simply a nice meal with close friends.]

ooc: if you have any questions regarding invitations, feel free to send me a message

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Mm, that's a good idea.

[Always best to do that. But he smiles and holds out his package]

Anyway, here. I want to give you this.

[Beverly easily returns his smile as she takes the package.]

Oh, you didn't have to get me anything! But thank you!

[And she begins to unwrap it...]

Yeah, but I wanted to!

[And inside the package? Is what looks to be a handmade photo album, nothing too fancy but definitely nice. Beverly's name is written on the cover. Below that, is the starfleet symbol next to the blue fish symbol.

Inside the album? The slots are about half-full. They're full of pictures of crew and friends of Beverly, both present and past. Kairi, Hawke, Daneel, Ladon, and several others who have left the fleet are in there. Some are posed photos, while others seem to be candid photos- carefully taken off Timcanpy's recordings.]

I know you have your tricorder...but I always found there's something nice about real photos. [You can't really touch a recording]

Oh...

[Beverly traces the outline of the symbols with her forefinger before opening the album. For a long minute, she doesn't speak, all of her focus on the pictures, on these faces, some of whom she knows she probably will never see again. She lingers especially on Daneel. The three intervening years since they last were together have softened the loss, but that doesn't mean she has stopped missing him, stopped missing any of them. Her eyes well with tears as she looks back up at Allen, but she's smiling still. Without a word, she sets the album down and reaches over to hug him.]

[He'll return the hug, smiling that she liked it. He thought she would, he knew Beverly was the sort that loved to cherish the time she got to spend with people. But...still, it's a relief to actually see her react this way]

Happy Birthday.

Thank you.

[She pulls back and laugh-sniffs as she wipes the back of her hand across her eyes.]

Sorry for for getting teary on you.

Hey, it's alright!

It's your birthday, you can do what you like! Even cry!

At least these are happy tears.

[She holds out her hand to Timcanpy.]

I should thank you too, for taking all these photos.

[Timcanpy's wings move to stand in alert surprise, his face (?) even turning a bit red at the attention. How does a metal ball blush? It's a mystery, okay.]

Yeah, he did most of the work. He's a great photographer!

[At this point she just accepts the strangeness that is Timcanpy. Besides, he's even cuter when he blushes.]

He is! I'm very impressed - though I'm sorry I can't give him a hug too.