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 Lieutenant Junior Grade Tandra Mika (Incoming Chief Medical Officer) in Side Sim - The Long Awaited Dinner
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

True to Aili’s interpretation, in her work life, Mika was quite particular. Notes should be thorough. Doses kept track of. Cabinets neat. Things done in a timely fashion. She always made sure her work at least, was done to her expectations. Truly, as a department head, she’d likely be rather strict. Yet in her more casual home life, she understood that unpredictable things popped up and mistakes happened. She was not the type to freak out over something little. Or even something big, usually. “How about a nice, cold, white wine, to go with dinner?” She said, to answer Aili’s request. “Synthehol wine may not compare to the real stuff, but I think it’ll go quite nicely with the food.”

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

Aili responded simply, “Right you are.” Swivelling to face the replicator, she went to speak before cutting herself off, electing instead to input the request by hand. Wine was not her forte but Tandra didn’t need to know that. A quick search for a white to accompany salmon naturally resulted in a seemingly endless list of candidates. After choosing one at random, yet making sure to specify that it should be cool, and waiting for it to synthesise, she presented it to Tandra. “That should go well!”, she blurted as if she had any clue. She wielded her fork, gesturing with it for Tandra to join her in beginning their meal. “I hope you like it. I always find it challenging to cook for someone who’s tastes I don’t know.” She paused. “At least that I don’t yet know… It’d be easier to just ask what you’d like from the hole in the wall after you arrived of course but that’d be too easy on me.” She poked her head in the direction of her cooking area. And she winked. She winked? Dear lord Aili, was all she could think to herself. That wasn’t like her at all. She wasn’t entirely sure she didn’t enjoy it though.

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

Mika accepted the glass of wine, placing it on the table. “It’s challenging, but worth it. Even if I don’t end up liking it, it’s a chance to show me some food that you like. And, of course, your cooking skills,” she said, grinning. Mika was no cook, there was no going about that. Replicators were a blessing to her. All she had to say was, A hot plate of Meatloaf and potatoes, please and it appeared for her, just as specified.

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

Having speared it with her fork, Aili lifted a small piece of the food toward her lips. She spun it slightly as she struck a playful tone. “Well I hope I don’t disappoint. You’re my guest this evening. It’s my job to please you.” Her eyes glanced away from Tandra as the fork reached it’s destination. She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, as if to say “this is okay”.

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

Mika lifted a small piece with her own fork - a trial piece. Taking a little sniff first, she popped it in her mouth and began chewing, slowly. …And then her expression changed… and then she brightened. “I like it! It tastes amazing, Aili!” She said, nearly squealing the words. Taking a sip of wine, she cut another, larger piece, of the food, and stuck in her mouth. Forgetting her manners, she said with her mouth full - “So. What’ve you been working on lately? You know, all that… science-y stuff you do.”

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

When her peripheral vision caught Tandra sampling the dish, Aili’s stare darted back to measure her response with tense antication. Oh thank god, her mind sang out. It’s at least good enough that she can pretend to enjoy it. Her lack of faith in her own cooking dissipated as Mika continued her shovelling. Oh, really she does like it! Aili released herself from her still observation of the other cadet and began enjoying the appetiser herself. A sigh was her first response to the question that came her way. “I’ve been working on my research project. Well, Garth requests it of us science cadets to be done outside of our duty time. I mean, it’s going quite well I think. I just don’t have much time to rest, y’know?” Her fork found a resting place on the corner of Aili’s dish, her fingers gently holding it in place. Her shoulders folded forwards and she looked up timidly at Mika, the stress of her work surfacing as a sheen of vurnerability. “This is helping keep me grounded… and sane. And I don’t just mean this meal, I mean…”, she delicately gestured at either of them with her finger, “this. Whatever that might be.” The fork sunk itself into the risotto once more as the typical, less open Aili returned. Her posture straightened up and her vocal power was bolstered. “Anyway”, she shook her head, “how’s sickbay?”

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science