A Mighty Celebration of Divorce

Posted on Saturday, 30 December 2023 - 7:01pm by Commander T'Varis Pren & Commander Soral & Lieutenant JG Hayashi Hamura & Ensign Oriana Skye Sety & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant K'Var & Lieutenant Konata Hiiragi & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt & Lieutenant Tazuko Miyahara & Lieutenant Scarlet Rogers & Lieutenant JG William Knight & Lieutenant JG Jarin Alexander MD & Lieutenant JG Ethan Connelly & Lieutenant JG Kay’la

Mission: Operation: Lobes & Liberties
Location: USS Standing Bear
Timeline: Post arrival at Station

ON:

Soral stared at himself in the mirror. The mission having concluded the crew had some down time and he and Alex had thought it best to call everyone together now. He sighed as he finished adding his dress jacket, the final time he would wear the Starfleet uniform. The crew had received their invitations the day prior, hand written notes that he'd taken the time to put together with Alexandra's help.

It arrived personally to each and every invitee on cream colored paper with a deep green emerald ribbon. When unrolled, the scroll, said

You are cordially invited to the closing of a happy chapter in our lives.

Lieutenant Alexandra Kingsley and Commander Soral are celebrating a life built together,
a love that is all sustaining, and a parting that although bitter to the heart has ended on a sweet note.

Stillwater would be the one to serve the divorce papers that Alex and Soral would sign. This would be a party for that and a party where Soral would spend one more night celebrating with the crew before his long journey. A part of him was sad yet excited about the journey that both his and Alex's lives would take. He had even decided to graciously shake a lieutenant's hand...one that he'd promised Alex he wouldn't airlock, a promise he was fighting hard to keep.

One final look and he headed to the cargo bay to meet Alex where they would greet their guests.

The invitation sparked curiosity when it arrived at Konata and Tazuko's quarters. Neither of them had heard of a 'divorce party' before. Both of them had been raised to believe that divorce was a shameful act, usually not celebrated. The invitation had prompted a discussion between Tazuko and Konata about how their marriage had outlasted someone else's while deciding what to wear. Konata had suggested they wear their wedding dresses, but Tazuko had shot the idea down on the grounds that it was tacky.

Eventually, the two had settled on wearing matching colored pea green dresses. A more muted color, but matching to reaffirm their own love for each other. The only thing that differed between the two women was the style of their dresses: Konata's was looser-fitting while Tazuko's was more form-fitting with a deep cleavage, which had made Konata particularly happy.

When Tazuko and Konata arrived in the cargo bay (a rather strange place to be holding a divorce party), they appeared to be among some of the first to arrive.

"I hope we're not too early..." Tazuko sighed skeptically.

Soral welcomed the first guests. "Not at all. There are drinks over there, please help yourself. There are finger foods on the table over there," He pointed to the food table.



Lieutenant Kingsley’s personal quarters

Perhaps there had been a hidden message within the invitation, a secret code. Either way, since said invites had gone out, it seemed there had been a constant stream of visitors, especially in the run up to the main event. As she applied the finishing touches to her make up, she could hear the voices in the next room and she glanced up just in time to see T’Lanna’s reflection in the mirror as her friend approached.

It had taken her a long time to settle on what to wear. It was a celebration of sorts but also an ending. And so a few initial outfit choices had ended up in a haphazard pile on her bed.

Eventually she had gone with a dress she knew Soral had adored the last time she had worn it to dinner. Since he had taken the time to obtain another after the original was destroyed, it seemed safe to assume he still did. The form fitting satin and lace, the deep cuts and tailored fit, all complimented her frame and the emerald green contrasted with her dark red hair which as usual was unwilling to be tamed. At least thanks to the medical staff her most recent brush with death had left no outward physical damage. Beyond her inability right now to wear heels.

“I am as ready as I will ever be,” she announced as she turned to face her friend. “Shall we go before half of the ship ends up here rather than the cargo bay?”

T’Lanna nodded as she held onto Jayce, the two year old was toddling around now an£ always getting into mischief. “Let’s indeed, I promised to meet Jarin there. To be honest this feels so...wrong, celebrating your divorce.”

She couldn’t argue with that. “This is also his chance at a big goodbye,” she pointed out as she slipped on a pair of dark green bejewelled sneakers at odds with the elegance of the dress and yet somehow perfect. “Alright, everyone out! I’m late to my own party people. Jayce, you and me kid, we are owning this dance floor tonight.”

The group filed out and before too long they were inside the converted cargo bay which Ilian and her colleagues had spent hours decorating. The bar immediately drew her attention but before all of that…

“One minute,” she whispered to T’Lanna before crossing to Soral.

Soral turned away from the group of Vulcans he was talking to at seeing Alex approaching him.

“Getting your money’s worth out of the dress uniform, huh?” She teased as she reached him. “And I see I missed some early birds. Shall we welcome the good doctor and the others?”

"Indeed. On both counts." He held out his arm. "My last time in this uniform, a lot of last times today."

Taking his arm she was frankly already thankful for someone to lean on. Perhaps this was all a little too much too soon. “Think of it as a new chapter,” she encouraged, “that starts with a party.”

"Perhaps." He led her over to Hamura who stood off to the side. "Hamura, why are you standing here."

"Avoiding your sister."

Soral, unable to control his emptions, snorted. "I cannot believe you are still afraid of her."

Hamura bristled. "Even Alex is afraid of her." They turned to Alex. "Right Alex?"

“Ooh no,” Alex shook her head firmly. “I’m not touching that subject unless I’ve had at least three hours at the bar.”

Soral shrugged. "She's like a cactus. Let us greet everyone. We'll draw Hamura out later."

Hamura made a rude gesture that made Soral laugh.

"The Good Doctor, huh?" Konata remarked teasingly as she and Tazuko approached the couple who were separating. "You know, if you guys keep this up, I might actually be seen as a competent medical professional who knows how to do her job."

Alex turned to face their guests. “If it helps, pretty much everything hurts in some way but who can resist a party right?” she offered as she welcomed them both with quick hugs. “You both look wonderful, I’m really glad you could make it.”

"It is a rather unusual occasion to be holding a party over." Tazuko commented. "Normally, one doesn't put their shame on display like this."

“I promise to feel suitably ashamed tomorrow,” Alex vowed. “For now, we want to celebrate the many good memories we have shared, make a public commitment to our children and also give Soral a farewell party as he starts his new life outside of Starfleet.”

"Well, hopefully us being here won't make you too uncomfortable." Konata commented. "Not to brag or anything, but Taz and I have been married going on 17 years-!"

Tazuko bopped Konata on the head.

"That's just rubbing it in, Kona-chan!" Tazuko muttered, turning back to Alex. "Excuse my wife, here. Subtlety is not her strong suit."

“Well congratulations either way,” Alex offered, not wanting to point out that seventeen years ago she was far far too young to be married. “I hope you both still manage to enjoy yourselves. Ilian has set up a karaoke stage for later.”

"Oh, how fun:" Konata said. "Karaoke is always better when you have someone like Taz to harmonize with."

T’Lanna couldn’t help but feel that this was a very weird celebration as she found a table to sit at, Jayce was having a wail of a time as he tottered around in front of her watching the arrivals. She wondered if Jarin would make it out of sickbay, or whether he’d be on duty for the duration instead.

“Can’t have you sitting alone with the most adorable boy in the universe all to yourself,” Siana Ilian declared as she appeared at T’Lanna’s table, waving hello to Jayce. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all” T’Lanna smiled warmly. “Please grab a seat.”

“Thank you! I spend so long on the decorations and then realised I had no idea what to wear… is this a human tradition I have somehow never heard of?” the Trill asked curiously.

“No it isn’t” T’Lanna shook her head. “This is a first, to be honest to me it feels wrong but this is how Soral and Alex have decided to do things.”

“I suppose they at least aren’t killing one another,” Ilian reasoned. “A friend once got a divorce and came home to find his partner had used a laser scalpel to cut every belonging in half, including some priceless heirlooms. If I am not being too personal… if it feels wrong, why come? You can tell me to mind my own business, I won’t mind!”

“I wouldn’t do that” T’Lanna smiled. “It’s just...you don’t normally celebrate divorce. It’s the end of, what was, a loving relationship. Two people going their separate ways, it’s such a shame.”

“In this case they seem to have agreed it’s for the best,” Siana reasoned, “and I see it more of a goodbye to the commander. It will be very strange not having him on the bridge.”

“Indeed it will” T’Lanna nodded in agreement.

“Are you tempted to become XO again?” Siana asked as some more guests began filling up the spaces at the tables. “You did very well.”

T’Lanna shook her head. “No not right now, maybe in the future at some point but I’m not ready to be First Officer yet."

"Well, whenever the time comes, you will do great," the Trill assured her, leaning in and lowering her voice, "Ilian has a great sense for these things. Just don't rush into admiralty... it seems a poisoned chalice for sometimes the most unexpected people."

“Ohh don’t worry!” T’Lanna grinned. “I’ve no plans to rush away from what I do, I’m a Psychologist at heart. I’ll see where my current career path takes me.”

K’Var was fashionably late to the party after a long shift, but had finally made it and quickly looked around for a place to sit.

"Lieutenant K'Var!" Ilian called out, half standing and waving to ensure she could be seen. "We have some spare seats if you'd like to join us?"

As K’Var made her way over she wore a smile. “Thank you” she was truly thankful to be invited to sit with them. Carrying a mug of warm cream and milk “how are you?”

“All good, I love parties,” Ilian enthused before pausing, thinking on it and adding, “well Siana does. Ilian and most of our former hosts have been somewhat neutral. But a new joining is all about new experiences!”

“Several lifetimes of experiences” K’Var paused and smiled “well what an exciting experience.”

“It is, and in a way quite brilliant,” Siana commented as she leaned in, ensuring her voice wouldn’t carry beyond T’Lanna and K’Var. “Think on it. Soral is headed to New Romulus to run for the senate and from there who knows? If history has taught us anything it is that politics can be … well, hazardous to your health. Let alone with what Soral hopes to achieve. A very public divorce will ensure his potential rivals and enemies do not consider the Lieutenant leverage to use against him, right? A private signing would have left doubt. Especially as I’ve heard he has signed practically everything over to her name. Not exactly a typical approach to divorce.”

Siana had a point “I have to agree” the Ciatian looked over “now that you mention it” she added quickly.

Adrianna stepped in and put four bottles of grappa down. She sat down silently and uncorked the first bottle.

Leaving Soral to fend for himself, Alex crossed over to Ade, snagging the uncorked bottle. “I’m not supposed to be touching alcohol until the doctor okays it but to hell with that, shall we hide behind the karaoke stage?”

"Screw the doctor," Adrianna smirked, "I've never known a heart a bottle can't cure. Best medicine out there."

“You are the best good bad influence,” Alex declared as she gestured for Ade to bring some glasses. “We aren’t savages, after all. Come on. I need a little break before signing away my marriage.”

"Thank you," Adrianna chuckled. She poured two glasses, and went to toast , "to new paths."

“I like that…” Alex grinned as she touched her glass to hers, “to new paths.”

Soral stood off to the side watching Alex for a moment. This was...the most difficult moment of his life but he did not want to leave things on a bad note. He was feeling selfish in that he wanted her to have fond memories of their time together, even their divorce.

"Sulking in a corner?"

Soral turned to see Hamura staring at him. "I am not. I am merely trying to give her one last memory..."

"Or you are giving yourself one."

Soral sighed. "Perhaps both."

Hamura put a hand on his shoulder. "I have known you a long time. Your heart is breaking so why all this, for real."

He shrugged. "Prolonging the goodbye. My future will be ... interesting. I wish to hold onto one moment of stability."

Hamura gave a nod. "Let's get a drink then."

T’Lanna spotted Soral and Hamura, walking over she offered a polite smile. “You do know this isn’t what usually happens when someone gets divorced, right?” She gave Soral a wry smile. “Generally divorces go by quietly.”

“Indeed they do but it felt fitting to celebrate or perhaps mourn with family.”

T'Lanna nodded. "I guess in some ways that makes total sense." she smiled warmly.

"Indeed. Please have some food, enjoy the night. I am glad to share it with you."

He finished chatting with T'Lanna and then moved on to greet others. Tonight he was enjoying just being amongst friends and in a sense saying goodbye to good people. He would start his new life soon.

Within another hour they had signed the paperwork and shared cake, in the same sense as their marriage started and the finality of it all hit him. He left the party a bit early to tend to his own thoughts and so another chapter was closed in his life. Tomorrow a new one would begin.

OFF: