House Cawl

Posted on Mon Apr 15th, 2024 @ 7:11am by Lieutenant Commander Sayori Summers & Lieutenant Commander Gwendolyn Griffith

Mission: Double Dealing
Location: Officer's Lounge
Timeline: Before reaching the Calypso

Gwen was sitting back in a seat near one of the bay windows, watching the stars go by. She had a bowl of lamb stew in hand and was chewing thoughtfully, thinking of home. She glanced up seeing a figure standing next to her and gave a wave. "Hey there. Commander...Summers is it? You're our new Head Tinkerer, yeh?"

"Hi!" Sayori had spotted the doctor, whom she met on the recent station mission, and decided to take her plate of chicken wings and sparkling sugary caffeine drink to join her. She took Gwen's greeting and question as a tacit invitation to sit. She picked a seat ninety degrees from Gwen so that she wasn't blocking the view of the stars, and could see it herself. "That's right! Sayori Summers, Chief Engineer Extraordinaire! She who leads the tinkerers to tinker with the ship's ticker! And you're Doctor Gwen, right? Happy to meet you properly! Over food!" She grinned and took a bite of a particularly succulent wing, whose spicy goodness seemed to radiate outward enough to be smelt on the air.

Gwen grinned back and raised a fork in salute. "Aye, although you can call me whatever. Everyone finds their own nickname for me." She put her bowl down and inhaled deeply. "What are those drenched in?"

"Original recipe from my ex, who was the head chef on my last assignment," Sayori answered. "He called is the Sayori Special Suicide Sauce. A bit on the nose, but it's good! I brought the recipe with me when I came to the Leto. It's in the replicator under Summers-Three-Nine if you want to try some."

"Sounds good," Gwen said, taking her bowl back to the replicator and recycling her stew. She came back with a similar plate, piled with drumsticks. "Personal preference," she said, grinning. She held one up in salute and took a bite. "Nice kick," she said, approvingly. "So, who blessed you with a lead-lined stomach?"

"I was raised in a very multicultural place," Sayori answered. "Japanese cuisine isn't known for heat but Okaachan and Oba Reina's friends were from everywhere, so we ate some of the best and hottest foods around!" She took another bite, and once it was savoured she continued. "What about you?"

"Mum was training to be a chef in Glasgow when dad met her," Gwen said. "She can cook damn near anything, and, being the eldest, I was often her 'taste-tester'. So when she opened a restaurant in Cardiff, I was the one she tried out all her weird ingredients on, to see if it fared well for younger customers as well. It taught me to try anything once, and I pretty much eat anything, now." She took another bite. "Then again, I don't really shy away from sensory experiences in general. If it's fun, delicious or satisfying in some way, I'm game to try."

"Hear, hear!" Sayori cheered, raising the next wing toward Gwen for her to cheers it.

Gwen tapped her drumstick against the wing and saluted. "Cheers," she said, grinning.

"So we've not crossed paths until we both became senior staff," Sayori observed. "How long have you been aboard? And where have you been hiding?" Chomp.

"Not even two months, yet," Gwen said, "and Sickbay, mostly. I've got a bit of a routine going between work, some holodeck time, the gym, et cetera. Some of us in Sickbay have gotten together for a game night now a couple times. Little things like that. I'm still feeling folks out a bit. Although, a couple of crewmen have 'made their interests known.'" She gave a slight eye roll and grinned.

Sayori couldn’t help but giggle. “I suppose it helps that you look like that,” she said, gesturing generally toward Gwen. “I’d be making interests known too if I swung that way. I’ve been here two years, mostly overseeing engine room gamma shifts. And getting my fair share,” she added with a grin.

Gwen didn't blush but she inclined her head a bit. "Thank you, but don't sell yourself short," she said. "And for the record? I have, and I would," she said, but left it at that. "As for hiding, that's what holodecks are for. What do you do for fun?"

"What don't I do for fun is a better question," Sayori joked. "If you're not having fun while living your life then what is even the point? But to get to what you really mean, I like holodeck games, building little ships, reading, eating of course -- did you know that the number of distinct available foods that are edible to humans in the replicator menu now exceeds forty thousand? -- and most outdoor activities. Beach volleyball is a particular favourite," she admitted. "There's a good beach program I've been enjoying lately. Volleyball net, good wind and waves, cool water, warm sun and sand, lounge chairs, drinks with little umbrellas, a variety of attractive NPCs. It's a good spot to spend an hour or three between shift and bed."

Gwen grinned at finally meeting a kindred spirit. "Oh, that sounds lovely," she said. "I haven't been to a beach in ages. I did a great rock climbing program last week, though. The mountain air was crisp and cold and the sky was a gorgeous blue. I told Valla--my Andorian head nurse--she needed to join me next time, she'd appreciate the coloring." She chewed a bit and swallowed her last bite. "You should too. I think you'd enjoy the climb and the scenery."

“You take me up the mountain, and I’ll take you down to the beach,” Sayori declared. “I haven’t climbed in forever but it’s like riding a bike, right? Right.” She nodded firmly and bit into her last wing, spicy sauce by this point forming a near perfect Joker smile.

"Exactly, just hurts more when you fall," Gwen said, chuckling. She took the liberty of putting their dishes in the recycler and sat back down. "In the mean time, you can fill me in on who's been worth a 'fair share'." She gave a wicked grin and leaned forward conspiratorially.

Sayori grinned and giggled. These two would get along great. “Well, for starters, have you met Petty Officer Morrison? Lab tech. Steadiest hands I’ve come across yet…”

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A post by:

Lieutenant Commander Gwen Griffith
Chief Medical Officer
USS Leto

Lieutenant Commander Sayori Summers
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Leto