Pass the Tea

[Ardyn Jaeger - Wu]

[Jaeger-Wu quarters]

To be honest, it wasn't often that they had someone over to their quarters to just hang out, and boy did they need someone over.  Senior officers didn't really need to be under the constant regulation and scrutiny that their junior counterparts were under, but the addition of a six-year-old made it next to impossible to keep things clean on a regular basis. Normally,  Ardy was content to keep the disaster zone strictly to Maddy's room, but with Cali coming over at some point, Ardy had taken the opportunity to try to get Maddy to clean stuff up.  Try being the operative word.  At the end of the day, it would probably still be a disaster, just a disaster behind closed doors and slightly more presentable than it  was,

"But why?"

"We have a friend coming over, and we need our place to look nice.  Can you move your dinos to your room? 

The little girl took the toy dinos,  most likely to get distracted before finishing the task, but at least they were in the other room for now.

  " How's it going on your end? she asked Alex from across the room. 

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Jaeger-Wu quarters]

Before Alex could respond, the door chime rang.

Just outside, Calindra stood with her katana wrapped in cloth, anticipation simmering beneath her composed exterior. The mystery of the blade had lingered in her thoughts for too long, and now, with the Wus' invitation to tea, she finally had the perfect opportunity to verify its authenticity. If there was even a chance that it was genuine, she needed to know.

She shifted the weapon in her grip, then glanced at the small hover droid floating obediently beside her. A sleek little sphere no larger than a child's fist. It chirped softly as it performed a quick spin in the air—a trick she had programmed just for Maddy. It wasn't much, just a simple toy modified to respond to gestures and voice commands, but she figured the girl might enjoy it.

[Alexander Wu]

[Jaeger-Wu Quarters]

Alex wasn't sure whose great idea it was to invite people over to their perpetually messy home, though it might've been himself in a moment of motivation to get to know his people better. It'd be a hard sell to know them all well, considering he ran the biggest department onboard, but Alex was determined to at least meet them. One of the first on his list had to be Challenger's newest lieutenant and meteoric rising star, Calindra Hejaran. Alex had no doubt she'd be his future replacement someday, if she chose to stay onboard and if she managed to stay alive that long. Based on the past few missions, he was giving her an even draw on odds.

Though he'd spent the past hour cleaning up, the doorbell still chimed too soon for him to be fully satisfied, though it was far better than before. At least now Alex was reasonably confident that Calindra wouldn't sit on anything sticky or step on a piece of lego. Dropping the last bag of trash into the waste disposal receptacle and washing his hands in the kitchen sink, he called out, "Come in."

[Calindra Hejaran]

[Jaeger-Wu Quarters - Living Room/Dining Area]

The buzz droid zipped into the Wus' well-lived-in quarters the moment the door slid open, darting forward with an eager energy. It wove through the space, scanning its surroundings in search of what it deemed a suitable play area.

Calindra followed at a more measured pace, stepping inside with her katana resting securely in its intricate casing. She took in the familiar yet slightly tidied-up chaos of family life with an amused glint in her eyes before turning her attention to Alex.

She greeted him warmly, her voice carrying a light, friendly tone. "Thanks for having me! Hope you don't mind—I brought a little something for Maddison," she added, gesturing toward the buzzing droid as it continued its exploratory loop around the room. "I also brought this conversation piece," she said tapping the Katana.