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 (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

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

“Well- I’m glad. And I’m hoping, that this is… something that’ll last. I would quite like that.” She said, feeling a nervous flutter as the words made it out. She took another bite of the food, and then continued, “Busy as ever. I swear, Lt. Tija summons patients for us to run around between. There’s always someone needs an eval. Or who’s done something to themselves. Or caught something, or- Well, you get the idea. And if that’s not the case, then we’re running drills. Not very frequently are we bored over in Sickbay.” She told her. “This is… a nice way to relax. Something I enjoy much more than being in my quarters or ten forward, by myself, usually.”

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

As she came to the end of her small portion, Aili glanced down to check Tandra’s progress in an effort to ensure that they finished up at around the same time. It seemed… polite. She wasn’t quite sure why; this was all new to her after all. “Well, I’m glad to hear my company beats that of no one. A high bar indeed.” She smirked… then winked again. What is it with the winks?? Cut it out! Their risotto running thin, she continued her role as host. “Has the appetiser done its job Tandra?”

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

“That it has! It was very good. I can’t wait to see what else you’ve got in store,” she said, and she met the eyes of Aili, giving her a rather… affectionate look. She did not seem to have any particular thought for Aili’s sudden habit of winking, except, maybe there’s something in her eye. But, she said nothing about it. Instead, she said. “So, what do you like to do in your free time? Besides cook and grow seasonings, that is.”

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

With the course finished, Aili arose and collected their plates. “I mean, as I say I don’t have a lot of free time because of the research.” She placed the dishes in the replicator, allowing them to vanish into nothingness. The lid of the pot still on the heat was lifted and a poke was given to something inside before the lid was returned. Aili then stuck a finger in each of two other pans. “Mmm, still warm. Perfect.” She proceeded to begin mashing the contents of each, dropping in nobs of butter and liberally sprinkling seasoning as she continued the conversation. “I have my daily runs, as you know. In fact, I’ve been helping put together a parkour based holodeck program for some of the other cadets. Trenton and Fayth, maybe more I’m not sure. Anyway, I expressed an interest and long story short, we’ve both been invited to Trenton’s wee class. I said I’d ask you but… I don’t know if you’d exactly fancy that after… whatever that was before… Besides! I don’t know if that’s your kind of sport?”

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

“Don’t worry, Trenton and I worked out our.... differences.” Mika said. She had remembered after she’d left the Holodeck meetup that Trenton had asked to see her as a Doctor later on, and true to her word, Mika had shown up. It was then that they spoke about the events of the Holodeck meet up and come to an understanding. And then Tandra smiled. “Don’t you remember? I do martial arts? Parkour sounds like a fun challenge! Especially if I get to watch you try to do it, too,” she said, trying to see what Aili was mashing and sprinkling by putting her hands on the table and craning her neck. Finally, after limited success, she asked, “What’s that?”

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

As Tandra responded, Aili was really putting her back into the mashing. “Ah! Well I’m glad to hear that. It’s good for us all to get along.” She continued plowing the masher into the pot. “Oh, I know! I wouldn’t forget”, she said with a smiling glance over her shoulder. “Great! Well, I’ll let you know when it’s happening. This?” She finally finished mashing. Turning off the heat, she spooned a dark ball out of the bot, shaking it to dispel traces of water. “Haggis! Have you ever tried haggis?”

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

Mika looked at the food ball, seeming surprised. “No. But I’ve heard of them.” And then she broke into a smile. “But if you like them, I bet they’re delicious! Here, let me try one!” She said. The opinion of haggis where she was from was… not high. But then again, no one she’d spoken to had ever tried a real one. And besides, she was willing to give anything a go. Could be her new favorite food for all she knew.

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, CMO