Posted by Cadet Aili McMorran (Scientist) in Side Sim - The Long Awaited Dinner

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Tandra Mika (Incoming Chief Medical Officer) in Side Sim - The Long Awaited Dinner

Posted by Cadet Aili McMorran (Scientist) in Side Sim - The Long Awaited Dinner
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
This was probably the first day in all her time aboard the Challenger that Tandra rushed out of the Sickbay the very moment she was off-duty. Jogging down the ship’s corridors, she very narrowly avoided a few collisions as she rushed back to her own quarters. She had two hours before her date with Aili, and she felt it couldn’t possibly be enough time. Between finding something to wear (why was it that all she had were uniforms and T-shirts?) and getting ready (should she wear make-up, or should she stick with her usual strategy of just avoiding all but the bare minimums?) and showering, and…

Stop it. She told herself, Getting all nervous and rushing about is how you’ll make a fool of yourself. Again. Slowing down, the first thing she did was take a shower and freshen up. As she dried her hair, she couldn’t help but think, I… really need a haircut… Her hair, once cut short into a pixie cut style, had grown down to her ears. A little past there, now. And she was awfully out of practice at styling hair… Finally, she decided to just leave it be, threw some product in, and moved to her closet.

Clothes, clothes… She flipped through shirts, neatly hung up on their hangers, thinking no, no, no. Ew, why do I still own this? No, no. as she did so. Finally, she settled on a plain white T-shirt and some beige slacks that sat more on the casual side of the style scale. For her shoes, she picked out some dressy flats, which were a darker lime green in color.

Leaving the closet, she returned to the mirror and began with her make-up. She started with a base layer, some primer and anti-aging lotion. (Yes, she was only 24, and rather a tomboy, but even she did not want to be wrinkly when she got old. Or at least, quite as wrinkly.) Then, she applied some foundation, which luckily, she had been able to find one that matched her skin tone very well. Her skin was naturally fairly nice, but a little evening out the tones never hurt. All her make-up was quite light-weight, she hated that cake-y look girls got when they wore too much. She started then with the colors, beginning with a light pink blush. For her eyes, she used a few shades of blue eye shadow, to bring out the color in her eyes. She applied some mascara, and then a little bit of eyeliner underneath her eyes. Finally, she finished up with lip balm. A lightly tinted pink, just to make the color come alive a little more. In the end, she was left looking mostly like her usual self, but more polished, enhanced. Lastly, she put on a dash of perfume, a scent in an expensive brand called “Blueberry Muffin”. She never understood why they named perfumes these things, they never smelled much like the name, but it was a sweet, fruity smell.

With a final peek in the mirror and brush through of her hair, she felt confident that she was ready. 18:53. Just in time. She headed out of her own quarters, and walked rather briskly to Aili’s quarters. I hope she hasn’t forgotten, or changed her mind or something… She thought, hesitating just outside the door. No, she was as excited as I was. She’ll be happy to see me, she managed to talk herself up, took a deep breath, and rang the buzzer for Aili’s quarters.

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

“Come in!”, came a call in Aili’s voice from beyond the door. As the doors slid open, Mika found herself observing a humble abode, of much the same nature as her own quarters. The space was only gently illuminated, light from the corridor spilling in and brightening the space from the centre out. Immediately on the left hand side as she entered, a somewhat truncated purple sofa sat facing a screen interface with the ship’s computer. Beyond this, the wall immediately stood out. A large canvas banner was mounted across nearly its entirety, boasting an panorama of a deeply green, wet, hilly and forested landscape. The banner continued into the sectioned off area Mika recognised as the sleeping space. On the other side of the room, a small round dining table was accompanied by two companion chairs. Another two seats were stacked in the shadowy corner beyond. Mika could also just make out an old-timey record player in the darkness, presumably the source of the faint and granular sound filling the room: slow relaxed fiddle playing with a deep sounding wind accompaniment, other sort of music designed to add a sense of warmth to any space it fills.

Aili rounded the table, shrinking her distance from Tandra. Her choice of colour in clothing was not dissimilar to the night before. A deep green shirt provided a flash of colour beneath a much darker green waistcoat, which appeared almost black in the dim lighting, loosely buttoned up in accordance with the shirt which sat with its top few buttons open. Her trousers matched the colour of the waistcoat, suggesting they were components of an incomplete suit. Her flat shoes attracted little attention. Aili’s hair seemed curlier than it had been previously and her face was lightly made-up. Mellow crimson lipstick and a very light application of mascara were most obvious. Her pecan-brown eyebrows seemed somehow sharper as well.

Tandra paused in the doorway, taking in the scene. “Nice place,” she said. Her own was… a little more barren, to be sure, and the warmth of Aili’s was rather nice. As Aili rounded around the table and Tandra got a look at her, she caught her breath. “Oh, you look fantastic!” She said, smiling as she moved further into the room.

“Good evening!” She paused while she considered the phrases she had practised earlier in the evening. “You look good in white. Minimalism suits you.” She smiled cheekily.

Cadet McMorran - Science

“And thank you! I’m never sure if I look ridiculous or not, to be honest.”

“Evening! And thanks!” She said, and her smile widened. “I’ve been waiting… rather impatiently all day. I, ah, probably could’ve been more focused on duty today, but, oh well, right?” She said. She was still pretty nervous, but determined to act like her normal self. It’s not like we haven’t hung out before. Yeah, it’s a date this time but it’s really no different, right? she thought, trying to allow herself to relax. She still really wanted this date to go well, and she had to keep reminding herself, that the more nervous she was, the worse it would likely go. She noticed the music just then, and said, “I like the music choice, too.”

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

“Ah”, Aili glanced back at the device, “to be honest I only had two records with me. It was either this or 22nd century jazz and… bleugh.” She shook her head as if to shake off something horrible, her hair falling in her face as she did so. Elegant, Aili, she scolded herself. Brushing her locks out of her eyes, she gestured to the table. “Please! Sit.” She pulled the chair nearest to Tandra out from the table and swivelled it slightly in the other woman’s direction.

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

Tandra took her seat, pulling the chair into the table as she sat. “So. What’re we eating?” she asked, rather enthusiastically, as she looked up at Aili. “I hope it’s something good!” Even if it wasn’t, Tandra planned on pretending it was.

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor