Breakfast Happiness

Posted on Fri Mar 10th, 2023 @ 4:46pm by Lieutenant JG Calanthe 'Cal' Diaz & Commander Benjamin Jamesson
Edited on on Fri Mar 10th, 2023 @ 4:48pm

Mission: Sojurn
Location: Relea
Timeline: Day 334 08:00
4216 words - 8.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Benjamin winced at the blast of warmth that greeted him as he stepped through the door of the cafe he had agreed to meet Calanthe in, it was a stark contrast to the icy chill outside. The walls were made of thick, polished wood, and the floors were tiled with heated ceramic to keep customers warm. The man walked over to a free table and smiled, relieved that he was in time despite the headache . The room is filled with the comforting aroma of fresh food and something that if he closed his eyes was nearly like coffee.

He could not help but notice the breathtaking view outside. The cafe sat on the edge of the frozen sea, where icebergs floated lazily in the water and the sky was painted in shades of blue and white. The view was uninterrupted by walls; instead, the cafe was designed to embrace the surroundings, with a glass window from floor to ceiling that allowed customers to experience the majesty of the icy landscape but kept them warm.

Given the significance of the morning's arrangements, and what had occurred in the lead up to bring them to a point where making them was possible, it was understandable that Calanthe had formulated every good intention she could muster to ensure that she was on time. The trouble was, it just wasn't in her nature to arrive with calm deliberation, that was definitely Ben's contribution to whatever dynamic had once existed, and though she invariably became frustrated with her own capacity to run things right up to the line, no amount of pep talks or promises to be better prepared next time seemed to fix things for long. This was mostly because it was never the same thing twice that got in the way of her being on time.

This morning, it had been a bug.

Or whatever species the monstrosity that had invaded her bathroom actually was. Typically, Cal wasn't overly squeamish about wildlife. She didn't go out of her way to share close quarters with creepy-crawlies but she neither fretted overly much at the sight of them. So much time spent in space had dulled her to the expectation of discovering any, however, and alien bugs were unexpected. And massive. And who knew if they were carnivorous and, more to the point, who wanted to find out? She had been stuck in limbo for far too long, debating how to deal with it, not wanting to hurt it but neither wanting to handle it lest it reveal a defense mechanism that was, at the very least, unpleasant. A complicated entrapment procedure had eventually unravelled but not before it had taken up almost all of the preparation time she'd allotted herself.

She yanked open the door to the cafe, already red-cheeked from a mixture of the cold and exertion.

And he was there already. Cal expected to feel a little guilty about that but, as it happened, her overriding reaction was elated relief. All things considered, she might not have blamed Ben for second-guessing the wisdom of the arrangement but she was grateful to see him, even if his first encounter with her for the day was a rapid scramble to wriggle out of her jacket as she took a seat opposite him.

"Sorry I'm late, have you been waiting long?"

Benjamin watched her trying to escape from her jacket and it was just like always with her lateness but he did not judge at all. It was a quirk and it was all hers. It was another thing his version of her shared with the one desperately trying to get rid of the jacket. “The staff are friendly and attentive, eager to chat about the wonders of the frozen sea and the wildlife that calls it home so yes I have been waiting a while but it has not been boring.” He assured standing from his chair for a moment before he sat when she sat. “Are you okay?” He wondered seeing the red cheeks that seemed a little out of place.

Hanging the recalcitrant jacket over the back of her chair, Cal glanced up at the sound of concern in his tone and realised that he was probably owed an explanation. "Oh, I'm fine." The ease of her smile didn't seem to be trying to smother any reason for that to be a falsehood. "I was doing well, actually," she added, falling into the slight trap that was going to be a perpetual issue of not remembering that he was not the Ben who had already weathered her endless parade of hilarious reasons for being late. Slipping into her chair, Calanthe started pulling off her gloves and continued. "I was right on time up up until my bathroom being invaded by a potentially hostile alien lifeform." A huff of laughter ensured that the description didn't need to be taken seriously. "They have some pretty angry looking bugs around here."

“You would think being this cold at the moment they would not exist but alas they seem to just try and escape inside.” Ben said brightly trying to cheer her up a little more even though it seemed she found the thing funny or least draw the bright side.

"I guess all creatures adapt." Cal was definitely circumspect, though she would have felt a lot better if she'd understood how the thing had got inside in the first place. She didn't cherish the thought of waking up with its friend hanging over her head. Craning around, the brunette gazed towards the serving area with eyebrows raised. "Something smells almost caffeinated in here. Don't tell me they've already figured out how to replicate coffee."

“Possibly. The Captain did give over a copy of our food banks so it might have gotten this far. It seems that a lot of different species come here do they likely cater for anyone who comes in.” He had been people watching for a lot of the waiting and had been offered a few drinks but he had wanted to wait for her.

"I will take one of everything that they have tried to replicate if adding our cuisine to their menu has had any uptake." It was only a partial exaggeration, the prospect of actually being able to eat food she hadn't tasted in over a year had Calanthe suddenly very distracted. Dark eyes, vivacious with curiosity, tried to stare down a waiter and, when that didn't prove likely for a short while, she turned her attention back to her breakfast date.

And her expression softened.

It was interesting, really, there had been so much twisted anticipation for the simple arrangement, a tossing and turning as she'd tried to fall asleep without playing over various scenarios, or haunted memories. The bug in her shower had thrown her completely and Cal had found herself just being without giving any thought to a preconceived attempt to meet expectations. Suddenly, the colour on her cheeks was only partially the fault of the cold and she focused on studying his face as she asked, "How did you sleep? Your head okay?"

The man nodded at her suggestion of ordering one of everything. He could agree with that sentiment. He had not had a longing for anything much whilst they had been lost in space but the urge for something warm and comforting like poutine had been hitting hard the last couple of weeks. It was not something that he had experienced since the beginning of the drama but that could be as things had slowed down the last couple of weeks to an almost lull in activities.

He caught her gaze and offered her a smile. “I am alive. He punches well for marine.” Was all he said before shrugging at the sleep. “I have not found a good sleep remedy yet.”

The consternation behind Cal's faint frown was obvious enough, especially given the only person paying attention to it had a clear advantage when it came to interpreting her expressions. She was not a woman that hid her emotions well, and rarely sought to. "We really need to do something about that," she replied softly, involving herself without hesitation. "I know sleep medication was something we were low on but maybe the locals have something that can help."

The man blinked at her engaging in his situation without a moments thought and smiled as he recovered his wits enough. “Maybe.” He decided that as ideas went that was not a bad idea. The world that they were lucky enough to stumble on was full of lots of things they needed. His response was non committal but he would give it some thought.

An interruption by the return of the wait staff hindered Cal's immediate response, and by the time she'd got through quizzing the accommodating worker on all the options, the window of opportunity for her to delve deeper into Ben's sleeping issues had passed. It wasn't a lack of compassion or empathy, far from it. If anything, it was the simple gregariousness of having new people to meet, something she had a natural talent for, and the opportunity to practise some of the local greetings and phrases she'd been trying to master. Flushed with success, Cal took a sip from the chilled water with a hint of mint in it that had been offered to them as a palate cleanser and glanced at the view over Ben's shoulder with a whimsical smile.

"Cold as it is, it really is beautiful here." Her eyes found his again. "You have any plans for things to do while you're here?" As much as it was just a genuine attempt to share her optimism, Cal couldn't quite deny an element of personal interest in his intended movements. Breakfast was a start but if his itinerary included far too much sight-seeing on his own, she might have to find other points of intervention.

Ben had not thought on any plans going forward. He was pretty sure that he was going to be recalled back to ship and to be told he was going to be questioned. "I had not really thought that far ahead in my plans for the time spent on the planet. I only have limited time due to the engineering issues." He had been given the first rotation due to all the issues that he had come his way.

"You should drop by the Central Library, I'll show you the interfaces I was talking about." As much as she would have loved to ditch responsibility for an opportunity to offer him a more frivolous option, Cal had undertaken a task that she knew would be important even though it encroached somewhat on her shoreleave. Working with Saloosh was an experience she'd never get again, however, and as evidenced by her attempts at ordering breakfast, she was starting to make headway into deciphering the local dialect. The Realians were being generous with the material they were willing to share and, in exchange, she was doing her best to create a representation of the crew's linguistic origins that was worthy of permanent posterity on an alien world so far from home.

A library had always offered the man some solace where the last year of lack of new reading material had not offered it to him. He nodded at her last offer though it was kind. He would definitely take her up on it if he got the time. “I will go there but the ship and the repairs to it comes first.” It was all that was keeping him sane at the moment. It was a welcome relief when the drink arrived and they looked almost drinkable to him.

A smile and a dip of her head saw Cal acknowledge his priorities. "Smart." Another thoughtful sip of her drink followed before the brunette frowned, her eyes narrowed to a pensive squint. "Have we been given any sort of indication about how long it will take?" The sudden diversion to unexpected shoreleave had created so many opportunities that Cal hadn't really spared much thought for what the timeframe might be for her to try and squeeze everything into.

“Not sure really. I am not part of the bits that are broke. I am part working on the other bits that keep us operational.” He replied looking at his drink thoughtfully. He picked the mug up and sniffed it. It almost smelt like coffee but the taste was more honey like. “It is good. Tastes sweeter than what I normally have my coffee but it’s good. Much more warming than expecting.”

Cal, who could alternate between black coffee and practically-all-cream, watched his face for a moment before bending over to inspect her own drink. It resembled a macchiato, which was a good start, but as she lifted it to her nose to smell, there were undertones of something she could have sworn was butterscotch. Whoever had been feeding the Realians recipes certainly had a flare for creativity.

"Whoa." The first sip actually startled the Lieutenant. "Okay, we're not putting this on the list of sleep aides. Here," she slid it across the table, previous decisions regarding how she was going to approach this meal leaving Ben no choice but to participate in her gregariousness. "Try it, it's strong. Kind of spicy. Tastes a bit like dessert. I can't figure it out."

The Commander raised an eyebrow at the woman and the fact she had passed him the mug so easily. He raised it and took a sip of the drink and nodded approvingly. “Almost a macchiato but with a bit more kick.” It was something that twisted the senses for a moment. “Neither can I but it is good. I might order that next.” He decided sliding it back across the shiny table to her.

"Something for tomorrow perhaps."

It was a hopeful statement, a little bold in its presumption though entirely in keeping with the woman's capacity to take the reins of a situation. As much as she'd been successful so far at behaving naturally, Cal was struck in that instant by the unmistakable similarities between this conversation and the easy friendship that had existed between her Ben and herself. The attraction had sparked, they'd both enjoyed the comfort and security of allowing it to slowly unfurl, at least Cal hoped he'd enjoyed it as much as she had...and then he was gone.

And now he was back.

No, he's not.

To force herself to stop mid-comparison, Cal picked up a spoon to stir her drink and asked quietly, "Are you sure you're okay after yesterday? I'll make sure I talk to Nate." There was a pointedness to her tone that may have given some warning as to what the marine was in for, especially if someone already had some kind of idea of how feisty the brunette could get when indignant.

The woman was wanting to make this a more regular thing if she was suggested something tomorrow. A slow smiled spread across his face and nodded. He would enjoyed that if he was honest, she had requested time to get to know him and he was a better person in the morning rather than later so maybe he could do that. “I could do that.” He said quietly before shaking his head. “I have had better weeks but it’s done now and neither of us are in the best shape and completely at fault.” He did not want the Marine getting in trouble for something that was his fault.

"Well, I can always give you a piece of my mind too if you really want." It was a quip, a jest, though the pointed look complete with raised eyebrows had a daring aspect to it that, if pushed hard enough, could be coaxed into actual challenge. It was her mother's contribution to her personality. "Though I am inclined to give you a little more benefit of the doubt, you didn't throw the first punch."

“He had every right to.” Benjamin did not blame the younger man at all. He was not going to lay him have all the blame or the suggestion that because he threw a punch first it was all on him. “Looks like our food.” He said seeing plates being brought in their direction.

"At least, we hope it's edible," Cal murmured, keeping the element of doubt just between the two of them by smothering her anticipation with a warm smile of thanks. The plate slipped in front of her certainly seemed to resemble the pancakes she'd meant to order, which was a good start. "The thing with Cusack," she continued, dabbing a finger to the fruit half that somewhat resembled a lemon and tasting it before squeezing some of the juice over a portion of her food to test it further. "...is that you can't let him get away with anything. Complete loose canon, he's going to punch a hole in the bulkhead one of these days and then we'll all be screwed."

Taking up her cutlery, Cal tentative cut off a portion of pancake-substitute and nibbled on it. A pair of eyebrows conceded at least tolerance. "Well the fruit is really sour so it needs sugar but this is pretty good." Carrying out her finger test on the condiments they'd been left, she poured a likely look syrup over the same portion and continued her earlier comment. "Either way, don't beat yourself up too much for it. Just...next time, ask maybe? I know things are weird and stressful but I've never not wanted to talk to you."

“I am sure they will be.” Ben was in no doubt that the food files that Beth had shared in exchange for some engineering support would be put to good use in allowing them to be fed something familiar. “Tastes good. I like sour.” He admitted thinking of the sherbet he used to love back on Earth. He had nearly cried when his roommate on the Columbia had brought him some back from shoreleave years ago. “I am learning from my mistakes.” He said quietly not looking up. It had not been her not talking but him trying to avoid changing her life plan.

"I can't argue with that." Cal hoped her smile was as reassuring as she meant it, despite the fact that his downcast eyes called upon two compatible urges to crawl into his lap and hold him. The impetus, she supposed, was hers, but the memory of having done it before wasn't. The resulting slurry of emotion made it feel like she was damned no matter what she did. "How's your food?," she asked after a moment, taking a moment to make Lexi proud with her efforts to salvage the deteriorating morale.

"Pan cakey." It was not something that he could think could be done wrong but he had to admit there was something just under the surface that he could not quite work out the flavour of but it suited the sour fruit and almost nectar that was the syrup replacement. It was perfect in his opinion but his tastes were rather unique in almost everything. "Yours?" He asked quietly back looking up to see her staring at him.

And, whilst before she would have immediately tried to hide it, Cal simply took the opportunity to smile at his description. "Not quite the same as home but closer than anything I'm likely to get for a while." It struck her then, and she wasn't entirely sure why it took that moment to make her remember, but as much as Ben had returned to his grassroots, there was something about the way this version carried himself that revealed the differences inherent in accepting a command trajectory. Curiosity flared and, like so many of her questions, the next appeared as if out of thin air. "I have a question. You can feel free not to answer it." She took a second to cut another portion of food before moving on. "How did you end up in charge?"

He could easily have denied answering, but it was a question he often asked himself. Someone need to know other than Hughes what had happened to bring him on the road that he’d ended up coming in on. It was simple but it was a stark reminder that those things have not happened in this universe. “Everyone died. Leroux then Sloan and then that just left me to be Morgan’s Executive Officer.”

Empathy softened Cal's gaze further. "Our situation has forced quite a few people into roles they might otherwise not have taken too." Her tone remained gentle as she probed just a little further. "Were you in command for very long?"

“300 days or so. I was Executive Officer within a week of us getting lost in space.” It was simple to use the excuse that them being lost in space had quickened the process but he had never looked to be in charge of anything other than engineering but once there he had become pretty good at it.

The Ben she had known had specifically voiced a lack of interest in any position that moved him out of his beloved engineering department. Despite striving not to draw automatic comparisons, Cal still found herself sympathising with what was very likely the last thing he'd wanted to do. If nothing else, she had the vague recollection of another woman's attempts to reassure him. She smiled softly. "I bet you were better at it than you wanted to be."

The man actually laughed around a mouthful of pan cake and nodded. It was not a loud laugh but it was enough to make the creases around his eyes more pronounced and gave him a look of not being quite as exhausted for the moment. Leah had a way of bringing out the best of people and he very much resented the best he had brought out in him. “Very much I…” he stopped as he heard his communicator going off in his jacket pocket.

That laugh had been worth every moment of confusion and angst leading up to it. Matching it with a grin of her own, Calanthe paused with a forkful of food halfway to her mouth as it took her a moment to realise it was his communicator and not hers that had sounded. "Someone's forgotten it's breakfast time," she huffed.

Ben smiled, but he was fully aware of what a communication request at that time in the morning meant - Yesterday was catching up with him in. There wasn’t much to do about so he pulled the device out and flipped it open to speak into it. He listened carefully to the request to come back to the ship, it was loud enough, that Calanthe would be able to hear and he gave her apologetic look. “Looks like breakfast is over.” He sighed.

Having watched his posture intently during the short summons, Cal drew her own conclusions and beat back a wave of weary defeat. "Nothing too serious, I hope," she smiled, respecting his earlier dismissiveness by not pushing to have more input. "I'll let you take a raincheck," she offered, manoeuvring expertly. "Tomorrow, same time?"

“I am being requested to appear in front of Commander Gerhard.” The man admitted quietly as he started to eat quickly. It was going be an interesting meeting to say the least. “It seems I am in trouble.” He shrugged. It was only to be expected when they had been so much in the open.

A deep furrow creased Diaz's brow. Her first instinct was to insist on attending, having apparently been a silent third-party in the entire debacle. But Gerhard being recalled from shoreleave to deal with something like this was likely to make him cranky, and the pair of them had enough of a lively dynamic without her potentially feeding his agitation. He was a good guy and he made Lexi happy but he had responsibilities now that got in the way of previous camaraderie.

“But hopefully the rain check stands.” He said rising from the table and putting some of the shell coins he had acquired on the table. “That will cover it and the top.” He explained having gained some currency after helping some people the previous days.

"Of course it does." Calanthe glanced around the remains of breakfast and came to a decision. "I think I'm done here anyway, probably best to let it all settle. I'll walk with you, you can drop me at the Library on the way." Already out of her seat, she had given him no room to argue, though had shown him a similar courtesy by not quibbling over the bill. She took what he'd placed and scraped her chair backwards. "Give me five seconds to pay for this and we can go."

“Got it.” He watched her leave with a small smile playing around his lips. It had certainly been the best breakfast in a long time. It was just a shame it had been cut short.