Playing Catchup
Posted on 07 Sep 2024 @ 3:29pm by Ensign Tora Zalos & Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeysa Zeror
Edited on on 07 Sep 2024 @ 3:36pm
1,123 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Episode 20 - Reconstruction
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 02, 1750hrs
ON:
With all the newcoming crew onboarded and their quarters assigned Jeysa had returned to the bridge and whatever Tarin had in store for her for the rest of the afternoon, after a few hours she was finally released from her Captains whims and quickly her stomach was demanding its own whims be satisfied and she headed straight for the mess hall.
Most of the current watch had ended long before she had and the mess hall was fairly quiet which was nice, replicating herself a club baguette she headed for one of the tables near the window.
"I thought I'd find you here." Tora's chipper tone of voice was unmistakable. The Cardassian science officer had a tray piled high with what seemed to be a plate of mac and cheese in her hands as she approached Jeysa at her table. "How're you holding up. I'm sure commander Tarin's been putting you through your paces. Mind if I join you, by the way?"
"Hello Tora." Jeysa said looking up at the woman blinking several times at her very casual outfit of just shorts and a t-shirt though she had once before seen her in even less. "Glad to see you finally made it onboard, a little late I might add."
"Better late than never." Tora sat down across from her and smiled, eyes twinkling with excitement. It'd been a long while since she and Jeysa had last talked - just a few months really, but still - yet the Trill looked equally as radiantly beautiful as the last time they'd met. The wonders of genetics! "I think... I owe you another outing." She quipped as she picked up her fork and dug into the large plate of pasta that sat in front of her.
Jeysa smiled back, she remembered when they had first met while she was stargazing out of a big window on Regula one, how she'd been talked into taking the strange woman she'd just met to a holodeck to go swimming on a Risian beach. "I need to get my loss to you at swimming recovered."
"You can try. We'll see who comes up on top, alright." Tora grinned. She remembered the last time they'd gone swimming together. "Loser takes the other to dinner? Or something else if you'd like."
"Perhaps," Jeysa said remembering the 'favour' Tora had asked for after she beat her in the swimming race; a kiss. Which she thought about but had ultimately not acquiesced to. "But not tonight, have personal work to do."
"Anytime. So. What's been happening in your life since I left?" Tora asked. "Go any place new? Meet anyone interesting maybe? Things like that. 'Course, if you're not comfortable telling me certain things then you don't need to."
After taking a bite of her sandwich Jeysa shook her head slightly. "Lirha still isn't back from whatever it is she's doing, Tarin is still a hard assed ice queen as much as I try."
"Same old, then." Tora summarised. "I was hoping a little more might've happened. It's been months, and I know how quickly things can move in Starfleet. Still, though. Meet anyone new and interesting? Surely you can't be cooped up in wherever your little office is all week and not see anyone else."
"Doesn't feel like it has been that long." Jeysa remarked. "There was an interesting assignment I can't tell you anything about as it all got classified. Ensign Mimi, the cat lady if you ever met her is planning a wedding soon. Other than that everyone has been too busy with work."
"She's getting married? Sweet! When is it?" Tora asked. "I'll be sure to bring a present for her."
Jeysa shrugged slightly. "We're not sure yet, whenever Tarin lets them, maybe now we're back here we'll get proper shore leave and they can do it then."
"Whenever it is, I'll be glad to come. I'll even help with the decor and food if she needs an extra pair of hands." Tora remarked with a smile. Or the invites. I used to do work like that at the Academy for friends' birthday parties..."
"You'll have to ask her and see if she needs help," Jeysa said then took another bite of her sandwich. "Don't think she has done much planning yet, hard to plan when you don't know when or where you're going to do it."
"I will. In time." Tora nodded. "In the meantime, I have so much catchup to do - and so many new people to meet. I've got to check in and all that all over again, you know?"
"That you do, we just onboarded 28 new people, everyone is goin to have a lot of new faces to get used to seeing, people are going to have to having a room mate now too." Jeysa said, having seen the quarters arrangement herself she'd found that Nesh was leaving them and her and Katja now had a new 3rd person in there quarters.
"Already did. Her name's Amanda. She seems a bit jumpy but otherwise she's okay. Which is normal. I hope she'll warm up eventually." Tora remarked cheerfully. "I imagine it's no easier for you as yeoman, having to in-process everyone. Including me."
Jeysa chuckled ever so slightly. "Amanda has a very.... stressful history behind her, 'jumpy' is the least of her problems."
"I think I'll find out eventually. We've only just met. I'll let her open up whenever she feels comfortable." Tora nodded. "I know it's not going to be nice to hear. But I'll be there if she wants me to. That much I promise."
"If I know Amanda the way I do, that 'feels comfortable' will probably never happen unless she's out cold, even then her finger would still be on the trigger of her phaser." Jeysa said after taking a bite of her sandwich. "I swear she has a death wish."
"Maybe. We'll see. For now, I want her to warm up and share at her own speed. Rushing it will achieve nothing." Tora decided. She stood up with her empty plate and smiled. "I should get back to my quarters to prepare for tomorrow. Let me know when you're free to meet up?"
"I will, dont have a clue when that will be, we may be back at Regula but theres still lots to do." Jeysa paused to bite down on the last bit of her sandwich. "Don't forget your meeting with Lieutenant Ullswater later." She reminded her through a mouth partially full of food.
"Will do. See you around." Tora smiled and trotted off to the replicator to recycle her plate.
OFF:
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Ensign Tora Zalos
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A
PO3 Jeysa Zeror
Yeoman
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Mimi]