Food Trip For 2

Posted on Fri Aug 11th, 2023 @ 8:45pm by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Ensign Michael Sloan

Mission: Sojurn
Location: Relian Food Court
Timeline: Day 337
1061 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

"I just don't understand any of these names," Michael said as they took turns looking at the menus of the various food vendors. Not only was the alphabet completely different, it almost seemed like the naming convention for food held no resemblance to what it actually was. "I wish I could just point at something and say that," he added with a bit of frustration leaking out. Looking to Beth, he offers, "Let's just get a few things from a couple of vendors. Something has to be good."

Beth laughed and lay her head on the man's arm for a moment trying not to let his frustration soak into her. They had left the skating mostly intact other than a couple of bruises and had wandered until they had found a vibrant marketplace. Beth's senses were immediately overwhelmed by a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and mouthwatering aromas. "Go take a seat and I will bring some stuff back." Beth prompted smiling.

Giving a smile back, Michael nodded. "I'll scout out a good table. Something with a view," he said. After they split, Sloan looked around the area. He picked out a table that was sort of to the side of the main crowd, but gave the occupants a nice view of the storefronts and park that lined the pedestrian pathways. It seemed like a perfect place.

Beth laughed as she came to the table he had found moments later with a tray heavy with what she could only describe as tapas. "They are called Zlurps." She explained pointing to the Zlurps, which were squishy and jelly-like delicacies that come in a myriad of flavours. "Fried.... whatever." It was a selection of crunchy, deep-fried creatures from the oceans all accompanied by an assortment of zesty dipping sauces.

Narrowing his eyes, Michael picked up his eating utensil as he suspiciously echoed, "Zlurps." He picked up one of the deep fried chunks and dipped it into the sauce that could be described as pinkish orange. He first gave it a small test bite before taking a regular one. He smiled back at Beth and said, "I really didn't expect that taste. Not really spicy but also not really fishy. But, both?" After another bite, he added, "It is kind of good."

Beth waited for him to try before she got one herself. She piped the little fried creature in her mouth and made a happy face. “It is really good.” It had been months since she had anything deep fried like that but it was an assault on her taste buds to have something so different. She picked up a different looking one and made a face. “That one not so much.”

Picking up another one of the same type, Michal carefully examined it. "Squishy," he pointed out as it felt much more gelatinous than the first. As if expecting a monster to jump out, he carefully dipped it into the green sauce and took a small bite. He did not hate the taste, but the texture got to him a bit. "That one is... unique."

Beth made a face but swallowed the offending piece of food with a quick slurp of the cocktail that she had gotten them. It was fizzy but cold, exactly what she had hoped for. “Unique for sure.” Beth agreed.

Taking the cue, Michael took a bigger sip from his cup. If nothing else, it chased away the feeling of the last mouthful of food. His eyes drifted a bit to look at all the people of a wide variety of species going about their day. In some ways, it gave him good feelings and felt a little like it could be a home. The thought itself brought a hint of sadness, were they so far away that even an alien world could feel better than Earth?

Beth said nothing for a long time as she turned thoughtful as she started to take in the scene around them. It was stunning in how reminiscent of Earth it was. “This is nice.” She finally settled on. “Does this count as a first date?”

"It really is," Michael replied. Smiling at Beth's next comment, he said, "Are you sure? Slipping in contraband doesn't count?" She did visit him in the brig a few times and was responsible for slipping a book into his cell on a few occasions.

“You were out of the brig when this started.” Beth grinned glancing at the drink wondering if it had alcohol in. “Though bringing you books did cause the argument that led to this so no regrets.” She assured glancing at him.

"Well, I didn't want to mention the laundry incident," Sloan grinned. He picked another of the selection of food choices. It reminded him more of a tuna sushi roll than fried gelatin. He dipped it in the brown sauce that looked more like soy. After taking a bite he nodded a bit. "That was not what I expected, but it is pretty tasty."

“Will try.” Beth choose the same thing and dipped in the sauce having not used it so far but it was so much better with the sauce. “That was still before.” Beth teased. “Unless you are finally admitting the tension between us before that night was exactly this.” They had never just stopped and talked like they were there with food and alcohol. It was nice and assuring Beth that after six months they were okay.

"I suppose I should have thought more about just how much you offered to lock me up before," Michael teased back. "Perhaps I took it the wrong way," he chuckled. He took a sip of his drink, still really unable to tell if he liked it or hated it. He definitely felt strongly, just did not know if it was positive or negative. "Did you ever think you would find yourself somewhere like here?"

“And maybe I was just locking you up to get you alone.” The woman teased back grinning as she took her own sip. Her drink was sweeter than she liked things but it hit the spot that she did not realise she had. “I always hoped that I would get to be somewhere like this. Did I think it would be exactly like this? With you? Not in the slightest but this is nice.”

TRUNCATED