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 (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

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, Doctor

Internal laughter spilled out as Aili burst into hysterics. “Your face!” Her hand swiped across her mouth, wiping away the laughter. “I’m sorry, that was a classic reaction. Glad you’re up for it. I don’t know what you’ve heard but this is just replicated anyway… unfortunately.” After some further preparation, Aili laid down two plates on the table, each with conservatively sized piles of crumbly brown meat, mashed potato and mashed turnip. “It’s not exactly elegant, I know, but I couldn’t pick what to make so I ended up just going back to the familiar.” She shrugged as she became very aware of her heartbeat. Her choice of delicacy was a risky one, she had come to realise. Many had no time for it whatsoever. Loving it herself, she hadn’t considered the risk of Mika finding it distasteful until it was too late to start over. That’d be brilliant wouldn’t it? You finally get her round and serve up something that disgusts her. She’d better like it. Masking her anxiousness with a warm grin but with raised eyebrows conveying deep sincerity, her thoughts simply translated into: “I do hope you’ll like it.”

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

Mika turned ever so slightly red, her insides burning with shame for allowing her knee-jerk reaction to surface. “I- well, I haven’t tried it yet!” She said, bursting out laughing herself. When Aili stopped, so did Mika. “It’s a fine choice. Besides, I want to know what you’re familiar with. That’s the whole point in a date, isn’t it?” She said, leaning into the table once again. As a plate was sat in front of her, the smell of the haggis hit her nose, and well… she couldn’t decide whether she liked it or not. But this time, she kept her smile, well, smiley. She showed no hint of her uncertainty for the delicacy.

She actually wanted desperately to like it, that something Aili seemed rather fond of would end up being something she did like as well. That it could be like, their special comfort food or something. You’re putting way too much importance in a ball of… She glanced down at the food, stabbing it with her fork. Whatever exactly is in these, she thought, and with that, she pulled off a large piece of the thing, more than half of it, and put it in her mouth.

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

A date. It was a flustery feeling to hear Mika use that word. “Quite”, Aili responded before lifting her fork and glancing down at her dish. When she looked back up, Tandra was moments from tasting the haggis. Aili opened her mouth to intervene but it was too late. “Waii…” The meat was flavourfully spiced but Mika was unable to taste that as it was piping hot, fresh from the boil.

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

As soon as the whole thing was in her mouth she jumped and let out a small scream, allowing the food to dribble back out of her mouth and onto her plate. “Hot hot hot hot!” She said, fanning her mouth desperately. And then, she took a big drink of the wine. She felt like she’d just set her mouth on fire. “Oosh, that was… not fun,” she said, still fanning her mouth with her hand. “Guess I could’ve waited a bit longer, huh?” She said, vaguely reminded of the Soda Spilling incident in the Holodeck the day before. She must’ve seemed like such a mess…

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor

Clack! Aili’s fork smacked down on her plate as her hands shot up to her mouth. “Oh my…” she hummed through them. What have you done? You’ve hurt her! “I am so sorry. I am so sorry”, she found herself repeatedly spouting. Aili jumped to her feet, sending a shake through the table which expelled a little wine from each of their glasses. “Water! Water!” She turned to the replicator. “Water you stupid machine! Cold water!” Lurching into the device’s chamber before the process was even complete, Aili grabbed the freshly fabricated glass and ran around to Mika, offering it from over her shoulder. How do you make this better Aili? Comfort her! Comfort her? Before she knew what was happening, she found her free hand resting on Tandra’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Cadet Aili McMorran - Science

By the time Aili had gotten a glass of water for her, Mika’s mouth felt less like a fireplace. She took the glass anyway, taking a big swig as soon as she could. As she set the water down she felt Aili’s hand and momentarily tensed before relaxing once again. “Oh, that was completely my fault. No need for you to apologize.” She said, and then she turned to look at Aili and smiled. “Thank you, though.”

~ Cadet Tandra Mika, Doctor