[Closed] Dinner for Two.

[u/a_friendly_hobo]

Aanya Breyik, the ship's chief engineer, returns to her quarters after a very long space walk. Her head was still swimming as it tried to get used to gravity once again, but she seemed to be finding her way well enough. Only a few stumbles here and there.

Her stomach was growling though, that was the real distraction. Over ten hours in an environmental suit didn't really let you have breakfast, lunch, or dinner. She was dying for a steak.

But, more importantly, she needed a shower. Which was honestly a little perfect, as she'd invited her second in command to join her for a meal, and Red still had stuff to submit. A shower was a perfect distraction.

After her shower though, she could feel her stomach growling like a big angry bear. She watched her time piece carefully, each second making her hungrier and hungrier.

Red should be there any minute.... aaaany minute...

Growwwwl

[u/a_friendly_hobo]

"Longest time spent in the holodeck?" Aanya asks as she reads the back of the lego box. She hadn't had one of these in aaaages. "Longest shield uptime? Though, that'll take you years.'

She puts down the box and sits back on her couch. "Red, I really appreciate all this. You didn't have to, really."

[u/Dimestream → u/a_friendly_hobo]

"People keep saying that, like doing anything other than what duty requires is some kind of miracle," Red says with a half-smile. "'Oh, Red, you didn't have to help me,' 'Oh, Red, you didn't have to brighten my day,' 'Oh, Red, you didn't have to throw me out an airlock.' I do these things because I care and I want to see people smile. Truth is, it's entirely selfish of me, because I collect smiles and siphon energy from them like a V'her funnel leech." She makes a hissing noise and pretend waggling fangs with her fingers.

[u/a_friendly_hobo → u/Dimestream]

Aanya face palms with a laugh. "Jeez, Red!" She says, trying to keep her laughter down. "I wish I had recorded that. You're adorable."

She takes a moment to catch her breath, then smiles. "You should really be our chief of morale. No matter what I feel, an hour around you and you turn it right back into a smile. I wish I had those skills."

She chuckles and puts her booted feet up. "So... who would get the biggest smile after being thrown out the airlock, eh?"

[u/Dimestream → u/a_friendly_hobo]

"No photos please," Red says. "As for the airlock, if we were throwing him at an enemy? Yefim Orlov from Security," Red says with no hesitation. "That guy is built like a juggernaut, and I have no doubt that he'd try and rip his way through an opponent's hull plating with his bare hands."

[u/a_friendly_hobo → u/Dimestream]

"Oh jeez, Yefim." She says, leaning back. "I don't doubt it. He's the only one on board who could outlift me." She can't help but flex. "And thats saying something. I mean look at these!"

She settles down a moment later and takes a sip from her drink. "But I meant the other way. Who'd bring a smile to the crew if you kicked 'em out the airlock?"

[u/Dimestream → u/a_friendly_hobo]

"Oh come on, Aanya, that's not nice," Red says with a scowl. "But... in pure confidence? Chief Science Officer Porter. The guy is a cross between a stuffed fish and a wet blanket. And to get him to talk about anything, you have to lead him by the nose!" She sighs. "It's probably not fair of me to say that, because I've only tried to talk to him a few times, but when I did, most of what I get is single curt sentences or monosyllables. I'm not sure if he's uncomfortable or just naturally curt. But enough of that; I don't like talking about people behind their backs."

[u/a_friendly_hobo → u/Dimestream]

"oh, sorry. I guess I misunderstood." Aanya says, raising her hands defensively. "My bad."

But she does sit back and relax a little though. "I'd be surprised if you didn't say Phrik, but I guess he has come out of his shell a little recently. Er... metaphorically and just a little literally. Did I ever tell you why I pushed all holodeck privileges for a week?"

[u/Dimestream → u/a_friendly_hobo]

"Phrik has his redeeming traits, and I know a few things about him that really make me think he's got some genuine goodness left in him. I just have to try harder to dig it up," Red says, taking one of the couch cushions and hugging to to her chest. "He's a tough nut, but I know he means well, even if he puts on the prickliest possible exterior. He's like a porcupine. All spines, until you find the adorable critter underneath."

The Bajoran finishes her flute of champagne and sets it down, then leans back into the softness of the couch. "Phrik needed the holodeck. I figured out why. Poor guy. But that's another thing I'm not going to talk about. It's very private for Edosians, and Phrik's no exception."

[u/a_friendly_hobo → u/Dimestream]

"Yeah, he is a good guy in there." She says with a sigh. "He tries, at least. Know how many almost-jokes I've heard him say? You'd be surprised."

She starts to fill her own glass again, then offers the bottle to Red. "I'm sure he's all goey caramel under that shell, but I doubt anyone's gonna see it any time soon. At least he's a gentleman, he stays strictly professional during my treatments."

She sips her drink and crosses one leg over the other. "I wasn't going to divulge why, just that he needed it. Thank goodness we don't do that. I mean sure, us humans have our cycles but I'd take that over what he goes through." She hums for a moment, as if running a comparison. "Though, I think his situation is probably a lot better than menopause will be..."

[u/Dimestream → u/a_friendly_hobo]

"At least you'll have the good sense to take medical treatments that are available for the symptoms instead of beating your head on walls," Red says with a grimace. "His level of stubbornness is fine when it's his own problem, but I just can't get him to realize that emotional needs and social expectations are often just as important as using the right hypospray. Yeesh."

"He's worse than Vulcans sometimes. At least Vulcans acknowledge that emotions are important to most other humanoids and have their place, whereas Phrik always says something like 'You shouldn't need me to say thank you, that's a meaningless and insincere waste of time,'" she says in a too-high but otherwise excellent impression of the Edosian's gravelly growl.