Future Chef

Posted on 02 Dec 2014 @ 10:12pm by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Lamar Darius & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

4,234 words; about a 21 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo -Warraquim's Quarters
Timeline: MD -21: 1840 hrs

[ON]

After strolling down one of Galileo's familiar and winding corridors, Lamar finally finished making his way to Allyndra's quarters for a long-overdue visit. Almost two weeks had passed since they had last seen each other -- let alone spent any quality time together -- and with the ship now in transit to SB-84, there was now an abundance of free time on the warrant officer's hands which he intended to take full advantage of.

Of course, there was also the issue of Ash that he felt obligated to tell Allyndra about, and while he wasn't exactly sure how well that would go over with her, he was nonetheless happy to be able to finally stop by and re-break the ice. Reaching out to tap her door chime, he quickly tugged his uniform down with his other hand to get rid of any unsightly wrinkles.

Allyndra tasted tje Soupe L'oignon, she could at least enjoy the broth part and adjusted the seasoning just a little bit. It was funny, though she could not sample most of what she cooked, she found the art an interesting one. Perhaps because such things like cooking were basically unknown on her world. Opening the tiny oven she checked on the Hachis Parmentier. That would be the main dish she had planned. Desert would be stuffed French toast with strawberries and Grand Mariner, but she had researched Philadelphia and decided that something called Italian Ice might be something they both could enjoy. While none of the dishes were what she had prepared for Mott and certainly not the variety, she used what he had told her to make small modifications in her cooking.

Everything seemed to be in order and Allyndra caught a reflection of herself in the window just above the small kitchen she had installed. She had her hair pulled back from her face but it hung loose rather than in its usual ponytail. She had washed it twice until the blue metallic streaks shone nestled in the glossy black. A dress cut low in front and back and ankle length and black as her hair she wore though for now a white bib apron with only a few smudges of cooking splatter covered the front. Allyndra had even put a little makeup on and as she looked at the reflection wondered if she was overdoing everything. The chime broke the reverie and making a final check that all was going well headed to the door. She pressed the open button and smiled as Lamar was revealed like some god with his well muscled body filling the doorway. She enjoyed the sight for a moment longer before moving to give him a kiss. "So long..." she murmured, "I've missed you. Come on in."

Lamar had to admit to himself that he was a little taken aback when she opened the door. The elegant dress she was wearing combined with her pretty features and slicked-back hair caused him to raise his eyebrows and smile at the sight of her, and then suddenly the smell of home-cooking seeped into his nostrils. "Wow. Hey," he managed to say with a sheepish grin before leaning down to return her kiss and give her a warm embrace. "I missed you too," he then added as he stepped inside and began to look around for the source of the delicious food scent. "Something smells good..."

Allyndra took Lamar's arm and tugged gently to head him toward the table just across from the tiny kitchen. "I have been learning French cuisine. Doctor Mott has been my taster to let me know how I have been doing. This is all new, but hopefully with his suggestions it will be alright. Now then, a drink while I get the final touches together?"

"French cuisine, huh? Sounds tasty..." he commented as she led him into the small cooking area and dining room. Though a bit cramped, it was still massively bigger than the one in his own quarters, and he didn't even have the luxury of a kitchen. Just a simple replicator, instead.

"I think a drink sounds good. Can't say no to that," he answered with a chuckle before sitting down in one of the nearby chairs. "So what else is Mott teaching you?" he then proceeded to ask. He remembered the Bolian from the last shore leave on Earth, and had helped prepare an anti-matter fireworks show for the portly man using one of Galileo's support craft for a flyover above a small European town. Nice guy. Talked a lot, but that was probably just a Bolian thing.

"Now, now," Allyndra said over her shoulder, "Nothing to get jealous about. He only samples my cooking." She had decided to start with a Champagne as a celebration of getting back together after the last mission had seemed to keep everyone busy.

Taking the bucket with the chilling bottle she returned to the table. "I bit a Bolian just once and it left a nasty taste in my mouth for a month. They have some really acidic properties. Now then like to do the honours?" She offered the bottle and set down the two glasses.

He took the offered bottle without hesitation and unwrapped the seal over the cap. Making sure to point the top away from any fragile objects, he then twisted the cork back and forth a few times before it finally came loose with a loud 'pop', sending a misty cloud of vapor into the air while a bit of the bubbly liquid dripped down his hand.

Grabbing a napkin to quickly wipe his digits clean, he then poured her the first glass before filling his own, then deposited the bottle back in the ice bucket. "Cheers," he said with a smile after lifting his glass in the air to toast with her.

"A'eloa," Allydnra replied. "Health to you," she supplied the translation. She took a long drink and then snorted laughed as the bubbles got into her nose. "Sorry, not very ladylike but I love the taste. Now then," she took a napkin to wipe with. "I can share some of the soup with you. Have a seat."

Allyndra turned back to her small kitchen and doled out two bowls of the soup though she strained hers since she could not handle the cheese. She returned with the bowls and set them down and then slipped off the apron and took a seat. She tapped her glass, "A bit more and this time I promise not to take such a big gulp."

"You can just drink out of the bottle, if you want," he teased before refilling her glass. He wasn't very keen on champagne and instead preferred beer and liquor, and was therefore happy to sip on his glass as long as possible.

Focusing his attention on the soup she'd presented him, he spooned some into his mouth to test the consistency and flavor, and was surprised to find it very tasty. "Mmm...not bad," he commented with approval before taking another spoonful. "What's this called?"

"Soupe L'oignon du fromage," she replied. "Except mine is sans the fromage, the cheese," Allyndra did not know if Lamar knew any french or not. "I cannot ingest that part." She sighed and very unladylike propped her elbows on the table cupping her chin with her hands. "I always knew when I went off world there was much I could not have, but now that I started cooking, the smells and aroma really tell me how lucky many are. Perhaps, reminding me of how just alien I am to most." There she had said it, in a sort of round about way, but it was one of her fears. That she was just too different from him or what he liked. His family had been nice enough but she could not have helped but notice the looks when she had spent time with them, especially when she had begged off most of the meals that had been served. It had made her feel even more out of place.

"Well, it's all relative, I think," he said while continuing to spoon away at his bowl of soup and thoughtfully comment on her observation. "A few hundred years ago on Earth, we used to call our own people 'aliens'. You know, the ones who were from a different country or had different skin color, or prayed to a different god. And then later there was a bit of fear and xenophobia after first contact with the Vulcans. But...I think most of that is gone now. Hell, Starfleet has members from over two-hundred different races and from throughout the galaxy. I don't think you're quite as alien as you think," he winked.

"Maybe," Allyndra mused. She played with the soup for a moment but only stirred it around and looked at it. She did not look up but only said, "I just feel out of place around others a lot. Stupid I know." Allyndra shook her head then looked up and said, "Ready for the main course?"

Nodding enthusiastically while finishing the rest of his soup, Lamar then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I thought you'd never ask. What did you make?" he replied with curiosity. He noticed Allyndra seemed a bit down tonight and not her usual cheerful self, but maybe she would feel better after she'd had a chance to indulge in some food. He wasn't sure how Akkadian physiology worked, but for him, food always made him feel better.

Allyndra brightened and said, "Hachis Parmetier. It is mashed baked potatoe, combined with diced meat covered in sauce du lyonnaise and served in the shell. Simple fare really but still considered to haute cuisine." She got up to fetch the dish she had kept warming. "Not too filling hopefully for I have desert still, stuffed French toast with stawberries and drizzled with Grand Marnier and on the side Italian ice. The later is a...Fill'a'del'fia," Allyndra still was not sure she had the name down right and over pronounced the town's name. "Local favourite if I read correctly. Thought you might like it."

Lamar wasn't the most avid food connoisseur and didn't know too much about the particulars of fancy names and ingredients, but he sure could recognize a tasty dish if it was put in front of him. He looked at the large plate when she brought it over to the table and anxiously awaited a sample of the deliscious-smelling platter. "I'm sure I will..." he mumbled with a tiny grin while he waited for her to dole out a generous helping. "You said this was French cuisine?" That would explain the strange sounding names.

"Yes, French. I wanted to do something Earth based and looked through the library. Almost to a chef, they considered your French area to have some of the most challenging and yet tasty cuisine. I wanted to do something special for you from your home world. If it is not too your liking I can learn something else?" Allyndra explained and wondered.

"Well, I'm not French but I hear they have good food. I'm sure it'll be fine," he answered while trying to dismiss the notion from her head that he somehow didn't like the dishes she'd prepared. If the soup was any sort of good indicator, he'd have a full belly in the next hour or so.

Taking his first bite of mashed potatoes and meat, he began to chew and nodded with approval. "Yeah this is great," he said in between mouthfuls. "You shouldn't second guess yourself, you're a good cook."

"Glad to hear that, it is hard when you can not sample most. Now then," she nodded with her chin, "save room for dessert. I know I am." Allyndra said that and the tip of her tongue just licked her lips. Her eyes glittered as well giving indication that it was not exactly food she looking forward to.

Lamar had never been good at pacing himself. With food, at least. He'd grown up in a household where he was told to eat everything on his plate, and later in life his long service in the SFMC had reinforced that same sentiment. By the time Allyndra had mentioned dessert, he was already well on his way to getting full and there still seemed to be a bunch of the main course left. "..Mkay.." he mumbled in between bites, clearly happy to indulge himself with what was already present on the table.

He took a short break after finishing what was on his plate, then used all of his willpower to avoid helping himself to thirds. The food was so good he'd almost completely forgotten about his need to talk to Allyndra about his encounter with Ash. And while he really didn't want to and it would probably have been much easier to just not mention it, he knew his conscience would kill him if he didn't confess. Especially considering all the work and preparation she'd put into cooking this dinner tonight.

Sighing and wiping his mouth with a napkin, he looked into her attractive eyes and gave her a weak smile. "Hey, so...something happened the other day after one of my flight ops meetings, and...I think I need to tell you about it," he began, letting his voice drift off.

Allyndra was about ready to think about fetching desert. The Italian ice was one of things she could actually enjoy but the look on Lamar's face and his tone when he spoke stopped her. "Something happened? You make it sound serious. I do not recall any records in the sickbay logs," she replied knitting her brows with concern.

Well, this was certainly going to be awkward, Lamar thought. "Oh...yeah, no it wasn't like that. I mean, something happened, but it wasn't an accident thing. Not a sickbay thing, you know?" No, she probably didn't know, and now he was having trouble finding the right words to explain it.

"It was after the meeting and we all got dismissed, and I needed to get cleaned up," he began to elaborate. "Because of the tribbles, you know? And so I had all this tribble dander crap all over me and the sonic shower in my quarters was broken, so I asked Ash if I could use the one in her quarters real quick." Lamar wasn't sure if Allyndra knew who Ash was, but decided to keep going nevertheless.

"So she said sure and we went back to her place, and I took off my clothes and started to walk into her shower. You know, to get clean," he cleared his throat for a second as the really bad part was about to be explained. "And then...well I'm not really sure what happened. I think she kissed me and then I kissed her back. And then, well...we both went into the shower and...well, you know..." He was now nervously bouncing his leg on the ball of his foot, unsure if he should keep talking or just shut up for a moment to let his words sink in.

Allyndra listened intently. It was almost amusing as Lamar got the rush of words out. "So you had sex with each other," she finished quietly. Her pulse quickened as she said the words and she could feel her hearts pound slightly. There was a rush of emotion for a moment but it went away as she reminded herself there was nothing binding them but exactly the same and maybe a bit more. Her culture while outwardly seemed stiff underneath had a free sexual thing until one was bound.

"An opportunity given, should be one that should be taken," Allyndra said. "Does it surprise me? Yes, but then in a way it does not. You are after all a prime specimen, you would have many in an Iresima house on my world. I think Akkadians are a bit more free than humans are until we are bound so it is not unusual on my world either to enjoy the dance of the Twins. I do have one question though." Allyndra now felt awkward. It was something she had talked to Mott about a little.

"I do have deeper feelings then that for you Lamar but...," Allyndra looked down at the table now having trouble with her own words. "I can not help but wonder if I am too alien. There have been others I have tried to form a relationship with but they never lasted and I can not help but wonder if too different, but..." she could feel that sting of tears in her eyes. "It does get lonely and even I am not immune to that."

At first, he had been surprised at Allyndra's seeming acceptance of his confession. He'd been expecting a champagne flute or a bottle to come flying across the table towards his head once she'd found out that he'd cheated on her, but instead she'd taken a more measured and reasoned approach while not seeming too upset. Strangely though, that produced even more guilt inside of him.

Then, the mention of being 'too alien' really caught him off guard. And when he looked up at her and noticed her eyes beginning to tear up, he felt like someone had punched him in the gut. Of course, it was a self-inflicted feeling, but now he officially felt like shit.

"...No, I, um...not too alien, no," he tried to find the right words to keep from upsetting her even further. "I mean, you have wings but that's not too strange. I just made a bad decision and let the heat of the moment get the best of me," he tried to explain. "It really wasn't because of you. It was my fault."

Allyndra searched Lamar's face. She had heard the words and he seemed truely sorry for what had happened. She took the napkin and dabbed quickly and then smiled.

"Done is done and as Guild Mother would say, 'One cannot put the Bloodflower juice back into the flower' Now then..." Allyndra stood, "Italian ice? It is something we can enjoy besides each other together."

"Well. Umm...sure?" He was a bit bedazzled that she wasn't mad, and he didn't really understand how she couldn't at least be seething inside. Maybe it was a cultural difference, he supposed, but it was had caught him off guard and now he wasn't sure what to say or do. Sometimes it was the most unexpected reactions that gave him reason for pause.

"Are...you sure you're not mad?" he proceeded to ask. He didn't want to pour salt on the wound but at the same time he needed a bit of clarification.

Allyndra cocked her head. She had said she was not. If anything she was more concerned about his perception of her and if that was what had caused him to seek another.

"No. As I said, we are not formally bonded." Allyndra was a bit puzzled and then thought about the Terran holonovels and movies. She got up and went over to Lamar and knelt down taking his hands. "In my culture it is not considered a problem to have other partners before one is bonded. In fact of matter, probably the females have many more than on your home world. As I said, I am more concerned you do not find me pleasing."

Lamar took a slow breath before replying. "I do, but...I feel bad for what happened." It was strange seeing her on her knees in front of him and it made him a bit uncomfortable. "I hear what you're saying about the different partners thing, but for me -- us Humans -- it's pretty rare when two people are spending time with each other but aren't in an exclusive relationship. It's not something that's commonly," he tried to think of the best word, "accepted."

Allyndra nodded and looked straight into Lamar's eyes. She still had problems with those simple eyes but was learning to let it pass. "Then you are forgiven this once but if I ever find out you are engaging sexually with another I'll personally boil you in oil." She tried to make it sound harsh but it did not quite come out that way.

Allyndra disengaged her hands and then used them to roam along his legs. "I guess you will have to make it up to me," she said suggestively.

"Yeah. I guess so," he playfully smirked. In truth, though, he had quite a bit of inner feelings he had to sort out. He wasn't exactly sure why he'd allowed himself to cheat on her with Ash in the first place, and without figuring out that root problem, it was hard to simply push everything aside and move forward. "How about we have some of your dessert and finish the meal? It's been real good so far. Can't let the final course go to waste."

Allyndra felt a little coolness in the first words but maybe she just misinterpreted things. She rose and went back to the small area she had installed and hummed while she prepared the strawberry stuffed french toast with a good dollop of Italian ice and made a glass cup of the ice for herself and then returned serving the concoction.

"French toast stuffed with strawberries and drizzled with a confection infused with Grand Mariner and in celebration of your home town of Feel-a-dell-fia," Allyndra still did not have the pronunciation quite right. "Italian ice. From what I read it is next to that sandwich a local favourite. Hope you enjoy." She gave him a kiss on his head and then returned to her seat. She took a spoonful of the ice and let the flavour and the coolness sit on her tongue. "Hmmm......I can see why, it is delicious."

French toast was one of his favorites. Who didn't like french toast? Especially with all the fixings. He delved into the dessert with his fork and began to munch away, pleasantly surprised at how phenomenal it tasted despite his already-high expectations. "Wow," he mumbled with his mouth full while giving her a grin of approval. "You cook pretty good Human food for an alien," he teased with a hearty chuckle.

Allyndra knitted her brows and the spoon was stopped halfway to her mouth. His mood seemed to be lite as the expression was accompanied by the indication of amusement. The spoon and ice she slurped quickly and replied, "Especially for one that cannot sample most of her cooking as well?" She figured he was teasing, it was not unknown amoung her kind to do such things.

Allyndra waved the spoon in his direction and decided to tease back. "Please enjoy. You will taste delicious I have no doubt." She did not chuckle like he had but her eyes sparkle gave away her intent of teasing.

And enjoy he did. It was only a quiet few minutes while he finished devouring his french toast and then began to start on his ice cream. Home-cooked food was so much nicer than the replicated kind, and it was refreshing to finally be able to have a proper three course dinner following the terrible tribble infestation which had plagued the ship for weeks.

"You know, you should cook every night. Maybe take up a shift or two in the galley?" he mused out loud.

"Oh?" Allyndra said. "It is a lot of work but a joy when it is for someone you wish to make happy. Do I make you happy Lamar?"

He nodded but felt a bit strange at the directness of the query. He couldn't quite put his finger on why it felt strange to him, but then again, he'd never been good at deciphering his emotions or the reasons for them. He had spent most of his life as a Marine, a branch of Starfleet which didn't require a great deal of thinking prowess. "Yeah," he answered, unsure of what else to say. It seemed like he'd been asked that same question a couple times in various forms over the past half-hour.

Allyndra just took the answer on faith. There were aspects to Lamar she did not quite fathom yet and it was more than he was alien. He was human and she had dealt with quite a few and had gotten used to nuances from each. Perhaps, she thought it was that officer enlisted thing or maybe something else. She smiled, "Good, then enjoy. I would love to cook for you more often, improve my skills if your willing."

"I'll never say no to that." He wondered how good she could get with just a little practice. She already seemed very adept at the skill, and Lamar wondered if she'd eventually turn into a master chef a month or so from now.

Allyndra toasted with her glass. "It is all I could ask," she said but she hoped that perhaps it would be more but she would not push. Whatever happened post dinner would happen or not and she told herself to be satisfied with that.

[OFF]

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Lt. Cmdr. Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

MWO Lamar Darius
Chief Support Craft Pilot
USS Galileo
[PNPC Saalm]

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