PNPC Crewman Jozial Renirs – Catfood Culinary Connoisseur
Jovenan
((Corridor, Deck 5, USS Artemis))
You can do this.
You have fought against youth gang thugs and defended your territory. You have avoided cops, Ferengi mafia gorillas and your parents. You have faced threats much bigger than this.
Jozial inhaled deep. She could still run away, but she didn’t believe in giving up. Tactical retreats didn’t count. Still, she mustered all her courage, and pressed Kliss’lai’s doorbell. For the few short moments that she waited for a response, she tried to get a hold of herself. However, all her attempts to calm down were entirely wasted, as a new wave of nervousness hit her as the doors began to open.
Kliss'lai: Pretty.
Kliss’lai said… what? Her bewildered heart pumped blood from her brain to the legs, so she could flee as fast as possible. All the lines Jozial had prepared vanished as she had to focus on not fainting on that instance. Kliss’lai might have called her pretty under the influence of the sleepy gas and Jozial couldn’t hold it against her, but they hadn’t been inhaling any of that for a while now. This was on her. Which meant that… she… meant that?
Kliss'lai: I mean, hi.
Renirs: Hi, uh, Kliss’lai! I was wondering if, umm, you still liked food?
Kliss’lai: Oh. Yes! I'm famished actually. Do ... you want to go to Elysium or somewhere else?
Elysium would have been a nice place to go, but Jozial wanted some more room for them, someplace new, where they weren’t surrounded by their colleagues and, more importantly, where the Supervising Petty Officer wouldn’t find them.
Renirs: There’s this place on the Spacedock that has seafood. Would you, uh, like to try it out? It’s okay if you…
Now she had to hope that Gabe hadn’t lied about Kliss’lai’s love for calamari.
Kliss’lai: That sounds wonderful! I'm a big fan of seafood.
Kliss’lai stepped out into the corridor, and the door to her quarters closed behind her. She came very close to Jozial, both just standing on that spot, looking at one another in silence. She could hear her breath, and for a moment, she imagined she could hear her heartbeat as well.
There Kliss’lai was, in a purple blouse, white shirt and a skirt, emitting an aura of cuteness the uniform and the swimwear lacked. In uniform, Kliss’lai had been a strong and attractive woman. When Jozial had met her wearing swimwear, Jozial had to hold tight of the reins of her own mind so it wouldn’t drift into the perilous waters. But this Kliss’lai was someone Jozial would have wanted to find sitting by her side on a sofa, cuddling and discussing food or cats or something else equally pointless until they fell asleep to each other’s arms – ugh, how old and boring has she become to have such fantasies.
And yet, all three Kliss’lais were the same person. She was all those things. A perfect combo.
Jozial caught herself smiling widely. Like a dork. Not like a cool person she was purporting to be. She tried to regain a non-dorky expression to her face as she broke the eye contact and began to walk down the corridor with Kliss’lai.
Renirs: So, Kliss’lai…
Kliss’lai: You can call me Kliss if you want.
Kliss. Kliiisss. Kliss, Kliss, Kliss. Almost like kiss. Kiss Kliss. Haha, don’t mind if I do. No, focus!
Renirs: Okay, Kliss! You can call me Jozial if you want.
Kliss’lai: You have a very nice name, Jozial.
Renirs: Thanks! I got it from my parents.
Realising the stupidity of her statement as soon as it escaped her lips, Jozial wished the deck plating could eat her up. There was no way she would be able to go through the rest of the day without embarrassing herself multiple times, but still, there was no place she’d rather be right now.
((Timeskip: 20 minutes later))
((The Sea's Bounty Bistro, Cait))
Kliss'lai: Wow, Jozial, this place is really nice!
She had, of course, checked one or two images of the locale beforehand, but in her view, those were often polished marketing photos and hence misleading. Gazing around the bistro she had quickly chosen out of many, she began to wonder if the distrust was only a remnant of her upbringing. The lack of money still tricked her time to time. The place was just as advertised, just the way she had hoped for.
Renirs: I’m happy you like it!
She genuinely was happy for Kliss’s satisfaction. She didn’t have a plan B for in case Kliss had rejected the bistro. A Cat person, a staff member, judging by the clothing, approached them.
Bistro Host: Two this evening? ::after acknowledgement:: Right this way please.
A young cat girl showed them their table near the edge of the room, by an opening out. Kliss was immediately gazing out, marvelling the view they had been blessed with. Jozial took a look as well. She had to admit that the sight was beautiful. Endless forests and grasslands, and rivers, without a single rich person gated mansion, haphazardly constructed high-rises for the middle class nor pitiful slums in sight, like there had been at home. To think of it, been born a cat girl on the Cat planet, one would see these places all the time. How different…
She quickly turned her attention from the view to the menu. Fish and shellfish from all over the Alpha quadrant. Local, exotic species she couldn’t pronounce or even recognize. Drinks, salads, side dishes, desserts. She skimmed over the list for a specific meal.
Kliss'lai: What looks good?
Renirs: Hmm, I wonder if you would like… calamari.
Kliss'lai: I love calamari. I absolutely think we should start there. ::perusing the menu briefly:: Ooh! they have some really interesting choices!
Thanks Gabe for the hint! She couldn’t help but feeling gleeful for Kliss’ excitement. A cat server approached their table, seemingly ready to take their orders.
Kliss'lai: ::to Jozial:: You first.
Oh, she’d need to choose now. She run through the menu once again, almost overwhelmed by the different options.
Renirs: I’ll have calamari’n’chips with Roquefort mussels. ::side-glance to Kliss’lai and back:: Please.
Server: Sounds good, ::turning to Kliss'lai:: and for you?
Kliss'lai: I'll have the shrimp fritters, fried whiskerfish, a bowl of the chilled whitefish chowder, an order of the citrus shellfish, aaaaand ::scanning:: how about a broiled filet of guatoma fish. Does that come with sides?
Jozial blinked looking at her, and judging by the server’s expression, she wasn’t entirely wrong being surprised by the amount her date had requested. Kliss had just ordered five servings of food and still asked for sides. Unless she was planning for a food fight, this pretty girl was about to eat for five people.
oO I’m so gonna marry her. Oo
Server: ::snapping out of it:: Sides. Yes. They're listed down here ::indicating the bottom of the menu::
Kliss'lai: How about the field greens assortment. That sounds good.
The server cat nodded as he wrote the order down and left. They both turned to one another.
Kliss'lai: Did I order too much?
Renirs: Na-ah! If they can’t fulfil the demand, they should raise the prises. ::pause:: So, uh, I take it that you were serious about being hungry.
Kliss’lai: Response
Jozial hadn’t eaten in a restaurant since her childhood days with her rich parents. School, Training facility, the Artemis, all had cafeterias and replicators. Okay, Elysium might have counted as a restaurant, but it wasn’t like she had spent any of her precious free time waiting for her meal there. She wasn’t sure for how long they were going to wait for the kitchen staff to make their meals, and what was the proper etiquette for that time. As a kid, all she had done was pouting for being ignored by adults chatting. That’s it, chatting!
Renirs: So, you like… swimming?
Kliss’lai: Response
Renirs: Huh, that’s cold! I wouldn’t be able to do that. ::pause:: Wait, you’re not having too hot here, are you? I know you guys like it cool.
Kliss’lai: Response
Jozial nodded. The temperature was a tad on the warmer side even for her. Trills preferred mild chilliness, but she hadn’t even considered what Kliss might feel like. She gave herself a mental hit to the head for being such an inconsiderate jerk.
Kliss’lai: Response
Renirs: Gym. You know, lifting, punching bag. You gotta be in top shape to beat up the Chief Sec… ::stops, realises the company:: Oh. Uh, sorry. I bet you didn’t like it when I did that.
Kliss’lai: Response
TAG/TBC
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Crewman Third Class Jozial Renirs
Enlisted technician
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11