JP Lt Herrick, Ltjg Nilsen, 1lt Maxwell, Ens Yinn, Ens Kovacs, Zarah Johnson - JOPA 404 pt1

[Lhandon Nilsen]

((Lhandon’s Quarters, Room 4, Deck 4))

Due to its location, Lhandon had ended up naming his quarters the 404 room. It was a joke that harken back to the 20th and 21th century computer systems. He didn’t want to show it much, but Lhandon could be a nerd when he wanted to. 

Food was cooking on the stove. He was grateful that his brotherhood, at this point, with Toxin came with this perk of having this cooking space all to himself. 

A one pot beef stifado, following his grandma’s recipe was close to completion, and Maxwell was first to arrive. Lhandon specifically wanted Maxwell here earlier, he needed his chief taste tester to hand, particularly after Toxin’s last visit didn’t quite go down as well as the two would have liked. 

His quarters were split into two parts. The main living area and food prep area was all one large room, with a door separating off the bedroom. 

Stepping into Nilsen’s quarters, Max paused to take a deep breath of the food smells that filled the air. A low growl indicated that his stomach approved of them.

Maxwell: Alright boy, what’s new?

Nilsen: So we need a new bingo list. Now I was thinking we need to make these ones achievable, the OEB is a different ship and her security is so much tighter, but ::smirk:: that just means there's more ways to annoy the senior staff. So far, we can carry over the gator deck sleepover,  

It had been a week since the Chey’d mission was concluded, but despite his harrowing experience in the Kings Path Mine, he was grateful to be on the other side of it. He did notice that a few people had started treating him a little differently. Toxin seemed withdrawn, and Herrick…he couldn’t put his finger on it, but he hoped to work it out this evening.   

Maxwell: Hadnae noticed.

Nilsen: You sure you never noticed them? We scurried around like rats on the Moo Moo 

Lhandon lets out a little smirk.

Maxwell: There is that. All part ae the fun though, aye? 

Nilsen: Oh that reminds me, you remember when we all transferred here, and we planned that thing for Greaves? 

Max snorted a laugh out, imagining the colonel's face every time he entered a room.

Nilsen: He left before I could activate it, but…it is loaded on his combadge.

Lhandon switches a program on his PADD from the recipe to a command line prompt with an instruction.

> activate program Darth01

Nilsen: Would like to do the honors my good man? All that’s needed is to hit that button there.. 

He reached out to press the indicated button.

Maxwell: This one here, aye?

Just as Maxwell spoke, the door chimed. Yinn entered carrying two bottles under each arm.

Looking up, Max nodded to the Bolian woman that entered before eyeing the bottles she was carrying.

Yinn: I tried to find stuff I’d like but wouldn’t be overly toxic to humans. So…

She fumbled to place the bottles on the countertop one by one. Lhandon’s eyes were wide with the joy of a kid in a candy store. 

Yinn: A bottle of… brandy… blood wine… kanar… and ferlic acid. That last one’s for me. It’s very flavorful, but you humans waste it as an industrial solvent. So… probably not the best thing for your watery body chemistry.

Maxwell: Brandy is good. ::He offered up a grin.:: Best if I swerve the kanar though.

That had been an interesting night at the Academy.

She threw herself on the sofa. The Butler had much nicer quarters than the Moo, and LJGs had nicer quarters than ensigns, especially given hers was given over to refugees at the moment and she was sleeping in the science lab.

Not that she minded. All the better to watch over her chronitons and antari leaves. She was sure she was close to a breakthrough on both.

Nilsen: Mate, these are more than enough. You’re the best Yinn.

Yinn considered the bottles arrayed on the counter.

Yinn: Yes. Yes I am.

He smiled at Yinn’s response. Lhandon had gotten around to understanding Yinn’s communication style. It was honest, without innuendo or double entendre. Most humans love their double meanings. Lhandon certainly regretted his first impressions and first frustrations he had, he should have known better, but at least now, he was making up for it. 

Maxwell: We got a plan the day?

Nilsen: You two are the first here, we won’t have a huge turnout I don’t think. You know the mission and..

He gestured to his face that hadn’t fully healed from the abuse he suffered as a slave for the King’s Path. Offering a sly wink to Yinn, Max turned back to Nilsen and copied the gesture towards his own scarred face.

Nilsen: …this, kinda took all my time. But I’m glad you're here

Yinn: All the more reason to have a party! You’ve been through too much over the past few weeks, you need to balance that out with some relaxation. What is it humans say? Work hard, sleep hard.

Jerking a thumb towards Yinn, Max gave a hearty nod and went rummaging for some tumblers in order to pour drinks.

Nilsen: Party hard. ::smiles:: that’s kind of you to say Yinn, and you’re right. That balance is important.

Party hard was it? Max smirked to himself as he poured drinks, before turning to the nearby wall console and dialing up the ship's archive of music.

Maxwell: Aye, party hard indeed.

That was indeed the name of the song, by a guy called Andrew W.K.

As the nuances of this partying hard was discussed. The door chimed. Lhandon called out.

Nilsen: Come in. 

Eli stepped through the door frame and looked around, and a strong smell of aromatic spices greeted his nostrils. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until just this moment, and now was hoping dinner was soon.

Kovacs: ::carrying a purple bottle:: I saw the invite said BYOB, so I brought along this new thing called Raktale, I heard it’s some sort of cross between a Raktajino and Orion Delaq, and a bit spicy… so we can all try it out?

Lhandon paused for a second, he smiled, and forgot for a second where he was, at that moment for Lhandon, it felt like he and Eli were the only two people in the room. 

Maxwell: Sounds good tae me.

Yinn: Human spicy, or spicy-spicy?

Kovacs: (looking around the Terran heavy room) Human spicy, otherwise we’d need medical on standby. 

Lhandon didn't hear what the other two said but as he mentally came back into the room he said that one thing he was thinking about, almost forgetting to mention the drink which he thought was the best choice ever.

Nilsen: I'm glad you're here. That…erm that sounds awesome, where…where did you find it?

He was speaking truthfully, and it would be obvious to anyone watching that there was something there, at least from Lhandon side.

Kovacs: I just had this laying around for… gods who know how long. Since I started at the academy, it was a celebratory gift. ::looking at the bottle, hoping it hadn’t turned:: I’m sure it gets better with time.

Just as the door almost whisked shut, it reopened with another yellow-clad officer standing in the shadow of Eli. It was a bit awkward for Josh, who had mixed feelings with both Eli and Lhandon (and was now in Lhandon’s place) but less awkward than avoiding the JOPA all together. As Eli moved out of the way, the engineer waved a friendly hello.

Herrick: Hey gang! ::holding up two six-packs of Quark’s Official Federation Approved Academy Endorsed Root Beer:: Brought some root beer (beat) non-alcoholic. See we all made it through the other side — ship certainly feels less cramped..

At this point, Lhandon had fully recovered from his momentary lapse of attention brought on by Eli. 

Nilsen: Sup Josh, glad you could make it.

He smiled as the engineer came in and took stock of the root beer..

Nilsen: This is perfect!

Max smirked at Nilsen. Anything being claimed as “official” by the legendary name of Quark immediately aroused his suspicions. But as long as any inter-department gathering didn’t result in him waking up naked in a holding cell - again - he supposed it was all good.

Maxwell: Think I’ll stick tae the brandy for now. You guys been up tae anything good so far? I hear New Bajor is lovely this time ae year.

Yinn: I’m eager to beam down and see the colony, but there’s so much work I want to finish first. I’ve been sleeping in the lab to fit more refugees in my quarters, which means I don’t have to stop working as often. But other people are also sleeping in the lab, which means I have more distractions, so it’s kind of a trade-off.

Lhandon had been the one responsible for the rearrangement of everyone, they had far exceeded their evacuation capacity and he knew starfleet operations were looking into the mission and how ops responded. He hoped he hadn’t embarrassed Toxin…maybe that’s why Arlill had been so withdrawn.

Nilsen: Yinn ::Picking up his PADD:: Where are your quarters?

Yinn: Deck 6, aft

Nilsen: ::muttering:: 06-1012

He tapped on his PADD a few times. 

Nilsen: Consider them quarters yours again. Consider it some ops magic.

Yinn: No! No, it’s fine! I like spending more time in the lab, and the refugees need their space. Besides, [she leaned in conspiratorially] there’s a cute Klingon ensign I don’t mind sharing sleeping quarters with. Not that we ever have any privacy in the lab, but I might try and drag him into the library if we get a quiet moment.

Kovacs: (laughing) And you’ll find more privacy in The Writer’s Room? 

Herrick: Or, at least some more conducive atmosphere. ::winking towards Yinn:: Has anyone had a chance to get off the ship yet?

Taking a sip of his brandy, Max shook his head lightly. Milly wanted to go exploring, maybe even find somewhere good to go for a camping trip, but Max’s leave had so far been filled with checking in on some of the refugees, post-op paperwork and debriefings.

Maxwell: No yet. Been too busy myself.

Kovacs: I’ve been meaning to go exploring on DS14; I haven’t been there before.

Josh looked around the room; this JOPA was certainly calmer than most — more intimate, platonically at least, than the arcade but there were some candidates missing. His tummy started grumbling a little bit more audibly than he would have liked.

Herrick: So… when do we dig in?

Nilsen: You folks heard from the others?

Yinn: Tenna might drop by if she gets a break from work. Wauhk said no and did not elaborate. Which is a shame. I bet she’d be the life of the party.

Nilsen: Yeah, I don’t want to be known as the one who let JOPA die.

Kovacs: (playfully nudging Nilsen’s side) I don’t think you’ll get that distinct dishonor… the evening is still young.

He smiled a little as Kovacs nudged him, that meant a lot to him, and with that said. The door chimed again and the youngest most honorary member of JOPA arrived. 

Zarah had never been one to simply sit by and let things happen. She was a woman of action! Of adventure! Of excitement! Currently, she was also a woman bearing a load. In one hand, she clasped a plate piled high with dark, brown square objects. The other hand clutched a bottle of some sort of drink, though the dark glass allowed no guess as to its contents. 

Johnson: I’m here!

She declared brightly, a grin spread across her face.  

Spying the laden plate, the gruff-looking Marine broke out in a grin of his own.

Nilsen: Hey, glad you’re here. You know if anyone else is showing up?

Johnson: Personally? No, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be! I brought brownies and raspberry cordial!

Stepping further into the room, she grinned at the officers gathered, then placed her offerings upon the table. 

Yinn: Come! Join us! Have a drink!

She shuffled through bottles on the table in front other.

Yinn: Okay, this one’s poisonous to humans, this one might make you go blind, this one you’re way too young for… have some water! Clear, refreshing water!

Kovacs: (jokingly) Well, if Toz makes her way here, we won’t need to worry about going blind.

Maxwell: No the kind ae blind drunk I had in mind.

Not that he was planning on it in reality. Milly enjoyed loud wake up calls and party music as a wind up when her father had been out drinking with friends.

 

Lhandon was worried. He hoped he wasn’t showing it. 

Nilsen: Listen, erm, any of you heard from Tox? This is meant to be his last one since he got that promotion and…you know I’m overthinking this stuff. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. 

Johnson: I haven’t. But I’m sure he’ll be here soon. 

Of all of them, Toxin was the closest to Nilsen, and she knew the two were like brothers. WIth his most recent promotion, she wasn’t sure why he’d come to a JOPA meeting, but the man must have been invited if Nilsen mentioned him.  

Herrick: He might be more diligent than I am with the paperwork, ::giving a gentle smile:: Starfleet’s onslaught of report requests never seems to cease and I’m sure it’s doubly so with an Ops-intensive mission. (beat, with some humor) Maybe he’s just worried if it’s going to be a prank-heavy send off.

There was a momentary flash of mischief in Max’s eyes.

Maxwell: Sensible….

Nilsen: Anyway, it’s ready. Who wants food?

It was an almost instinctive, reflexive action. Max raised a thumb to confirm that in fact - as usual - he was down for food.

After some time, after everyone had a chance to taste Stifado a la Nilsen much to their delight and some smaller side conversations had started, Sasha started the next course. 

Johnson: Try the brownies. It was a recipe that got five stars in the replicator database!

As if to encourage everyone to take a bit, she peeled off the plastic cover and crumbled it up before stepping over to Nilsen’s replicator and recycling it. Then she playfully waved her arms at the brownies, as if showing them off. 

Johnson: The raspberry cordial is supposed to be good too!

Yinn: Is that the one that’s nauseatingly sweet? Or is that strawberry?

Josh looked over the assortment of brownies, each had different swirls of red, orange, pink, green, and purple. The first several colours clearly indicated matching flavours, raspberry, orange, strawberry and mint, but he wondered what ‘purple’ tasted like. Curiosity getting the better of him, he popped that one in his mouth and instantly regretted it.

Maxwell: Alright there?

Herrick: (grimacing as he swallows) Eugh… eggplant brownie. I was in the mood for something sweet. Always an adventure in this life.

Sweeping in like some kind of voracious brownie-hunting beast, Max snaffled one of his own and took a hearty bite from it. Chewing appreciatively, he offered a fresh thumbs-up towards Johnson. Max loved his food. Max *knew* his food.

And boy was that a good brownie!

Josh poured himself a small shot of bourbon, the alcohol leaving a slight burning sensation as he cleansed his palette.

Johnson: So what’s the agenda for today?

Nilsen might have been nervous, and she may have noticed it, but that wasn’t the focus on the meeting, wasn’t? What was? That’s what she wanted to know, and she needed to drag Yinn out and finally do that prank. 

Yinn: We have very important research to do. We have to see which of these [she waved her hand over the assorted bottles of booze] mix together well. [she poured two fingers each of the raspberry cordial and fermented fish oil into a glass, and downed the whole thing.] For science!

Herrick: Well, go big or go home is what my family says… ::rubbing his hands together:: How about we do a full on mix, a bit of everything?

Eli thought that was a terrible idea, but he enjoyed the thought of seeing his chief try to down that after the brownie. He patted Lhandon’s leg before getting up, and splashing a dash of every bottle into a glass. He smirked a bit, getting heavy handed with the fish oil. As he brought it back, he sat down beside Nilsen again and reached his arm out, glass in hand, toward Josh.

Kovacs: (offering the glass) Bottoms up… ::nodding to Yinn:: for science!

The acting chief trepidatiously lifted the glass and tilted it up to his mouth, a drop passing between his lips. It was more than enough..

Herrick: (setting the glass down) Some hypotheses are meant to remain untested; for me at least, please ::motioning to the glass:: if anyone else is brave enough. 

Lhandon reached for the glass from Herrick. 

Nilsen: For SCIENCE!

Lhandon couldn’t help but laugh and soon that laugh turned into him sticking his tongue out with watery eyes and reaching for the water. 

Nilsen: :laughing: Oh that’s is horrible

With a grin, Max made a comedic show of flexing to get ready before accepting the glass from Nilsen and chucking back some of its contents. It wasn’t all that bad to be fair.

Sure it had a bit of an afte-

Oh.

One eye screwed shut and tongue poking out, Max visibly shuddered as he held the glass out for somebody - anybody! - else to take.

Maxwell: That has got tae be the worst thing I’ve ever tasted in my bloody life! ::He paused to throw down the last of his brandy, before pouring another and tossing that back as well.:: And I’ve survived my sister's lasagne…..

TBC

Lieutenant JG Lhandon Joseph Nilsen

HCO & Acting Asst. Chief

USS Octavia E Butler

O240007LN1

He/Him/His (Both player and character)

&

1st Lieutenant Arturo Maxwell.

Marine Officer, 4/73 Marines.

USS Octavia E Butler: NCC-82850.

O239311AM0

&

Ensign Yinn

Science Officer

USS Octavia E. Butler

O240011Y12

&

Zarah Johnson

Civilian

USS Octavia E. Butler

M239008AD0

&

Lieutenant JG Josh Herrick

Acting Chief Engineer

USS Octavia E. Butler

O240005JH3

he/him/his (player/character)

&

Elijah Kovacs

Engineer

USS Octavia E. Butler

he/him/his (player/character)