Say 'Ah!' (Open)

[Kali Reyes]

[USS Discovery - Mess Hall]

Low blood pressure. Low sugar. It's the third day through this week's 'graveyard' shift because some one higher up the food chain was probably mad at her.

Reyes half-walked, half-dragged through the near empty mess hall. Delta crew were nearing their clock outs and everyone was yawning for different reasons. This wasn't just any graveyard shift. This was Gamma crew starting. This was advanced graveyard shift. Someone to her left yawned loudly when she approached the replicator and in turn made her yawn. She swayed a bit on her feet until the machine finished with her coffee. Nurse Lyrni expressly told her to start eating something to raise her blood sugar, but food was just so... messy.

So she just ordered coffee. With lots of sugar. Coffee was life. Coffee didn't leave crumbs on her PADD. Coffee woke her up and buzzed sweet nothings that hot-wired her mind and overran the numbers. Sweet, sweet coffee.

DING!

Reyes gave a sleepy smile, took her coffee on a giant tray, and lulled her steps to a table. She didn't care if it was empty or not. This was Priority Level Red: Emergency Caffeine. She flopped ungracefully to her seat and picked up her drink. Her dark eyes were unfocused on nothing but sluggish equations on a bare wall until she took the first disgusting sip. It tasted nothing like Columbia brewed... not even the generic brand on Earth.

Whatever was on the table smelled better than replicator coffee. She took a dainty whiff and absently licked her lips. "Smells good," she admitted to the person across from her. "What is it?"

[Niosa Obrea]

[USS Discovery - Mess Hall]

Low blood pressure. Low sugar. It's the third day through this week's 'graveyard' shift because some one higher up the food chain was probably mad at her.

Reyes half-walked, half-dragged through the near empty mess hall. Delta crew were nearing their clock outs and everyone was yawning for different reasons. This wasn't just any graveyard shift. This was Gamma crew starting. This was advanced graveyard shift. Someone to her left yawned loudly when she approached the replicator and in turn made her yawn. She swayed a bit on her feet until the machine finished with her coffee. Nurse Lyrni expressly told her to start eating something to raise her blood sugar, but food was just so... messy.

So she just ordered coffee. With lots of sugar. Coffee was life. Coffee didn't leave crumbs on her PADD. Coffee woke her up and buzzed sweet nothings that hot-wired her mind and overran the numbers. Sweet, sweet coffee.

DING!

Reyes gave a sleepy smile, took her coffee on a giant tray, and lulled her steps to a table. She didn't care if it was empty or not. This was Priority Level Red: Emergency Caffeine. She flopped ungracefully to her seat and picked up her drink. Her dark eyes were unfocused on nothing but sluggish equations on a bare wall until she took the first disgusting sip. It tasted nothing like Columbia brewed... not even the generic brand on Earth.

Whatever was on the table smelled better than replicator coffee. She took a dainty whiff and absently licked her lips. "Smells good," she admitted to the person across from her. "What is it?"

Niosa had decided to take a break from work to grab something to eat without the bustle of a busy bar.  This was the time of night when people gathered, got merry and then made their merry ways to wherever they would find themselves in the morning.  The Betazoid had spent all evening listening to woes or to happy stories and adding her little bit of wisdom and insight.  Not that she had much, but mostly they just wanted someone to listen and she was good at listening.

She watched the young woman sit in front of her and lazily ask what Niosa was eating.  The Betazoid woman chuckled not needing to read her to know what she was thinking.  It was clear the woman was tired and at the moment needed to rest.  "It's a pastry from my homeworld, I had one of the lovely engineers program this into the replicator."

She responded and pushed it towards the woman who obviously needed it more than she did.  "It is sweet, sticky and full of Betazoid nuts called, Á¢â,¬Ëœmaraxons.'  They are said to be full of protein and whatever, just try it."  Niosa lifted a dark eyebrow as she blinked her impossibly black eyes at the other woman, "It seems like you could use something...um..sweet?"

[Kali Reyes]

Homeworld? Reyes blinked once, twice, and then three for the sake of sharpening the numbers fluttering around her breakfast companion. A lone trigonometric equation of circles curled around the woman's cheekbone which led her focus to pure black eyes. Oh my. It took Reyes a short beat to realize that she was Betazoid.

Her fingers twitched instinctively around her coffee mug. Then her lips twitched. The last time a Betazoid tried to make sense of her mind, it left him confused and demanding that she see an exo-neuro health specialist for her 'number' problem. That was when she realized that no, normal people didn't occasionally see Fermat's Last Theorem do the Charleston on Captain Briggs' shoulder.

"Think you can ask that lovely engineer to program a better tasting coffee recipe?" Reyes teased, if not half-heartedly, as she reached for the pastry. What she wouldn't give to start tinkering with some kind of mechanical device again. She took a bite of the Maraxon pastry and found it sweet and light; chasing some of the coffee down with it made the taste bearable at least.

When the Betazoid mentioned her sugar intake, Reyes dropped a bit of pastry into her coffee as she stared. "Betazoid, right? Can you read blood sugar levels too?" Or it could have been an astute guess. She didn't know what proper Betazoid etiquette was on consented mind reading.

[Niosa Obrea]

"Think you can ask that lovely engineer to program a better tasting coffee recipe?" Reyes teased, if not half-heartedly, as she reached for the pastry. What she wouldn't give to start tinkering with some kind of mechanical device again. She took a bite of the Maraxon pastry and found it sweet and light; chasing some of the coffee down with it made the taste bearable at least.

Niosa smiled at the sudden shock emanating from the other woman.  It was the usual reaction when people realize that they have been talking to a telepath.  What most didn't realize was that they weren't always listening into their minds.  That was just impolite.  "Oh, I'm not sure if they can perform miracles."  She teased, "But I may have some of the real stuff at the bar.  If you ever wish to have a cup of coffee, you're more than welcome to join me."

The Betazoid nodded, "I'm Niosa Obrea and I work at the bar, usually serving sythehol, but I also serve the occasional cup of tea and yes real coffee."  Niosa smiled warmly and took another sip of her tea.

When the Betazoid mentioned her sugar intake, Reyes dropped a bit of pastry into her coffee as she stared. "Betazoid, right? Can you read blood sugar levels too?" Or it could have been an astute guess. She didn't know what proper Betazoid etiquette was on consented mind reading.

"Blood levels?"  She chuckled lightly and shook her head, causing the decorations in it to sparkle under the mess hall's lights.  "No, I don't believe I do, but I do read exhausted and..."  She pointed at the woman's lack of food, "...food, particularly sugar, has the calories you need for energy."

Niosa leaned in close, her voice because a whisper, "I'll share a secret with you,"  She smiled, "I don't have to read your mind, your face is quite open."  The Betazoid woman leaned back and winked as she took another sip of her tea.  "So are we coming from work, or going?"

[Kali Reyes]

The Betazoid nodded, "I'm Niosa Obrea and I work at the bar, usually serving sythehol, but I also serve the occasional cup of tea and yes real coffee."  Niosa smiled warmly and took another sip of her tea.

"Crewman Kali Reyes," she greeted back, but then pulled her coffee away from her lips to correct herself. "Erm... recruit. Keep forgetting about that part." She was a greenie and a sleepy one at that. "I'm kind of surprised you mentioned a bar. I'd figure a military ship would be more interested in dry-docking than partying." But hey, who was complaining? Certainly not her.

"Blood levels?"  She chuckled lightly and shook her head, causing the decorations in it to sparkle under the mess hall's lights.  "No, I don't believe I do, but I do read exhausted and..."  She pointed at the woman's lack of food, "...food, particularly sugar, has the calories you need for energy."

So an astute guess. Relief flooded down Reyes' back. It was much too early to explain herself otherwise. And who had time for that anyways? "Food is overrated," she grinned before taking another bite.

Niosa leaned in close, her voice because a whisper, "I'll share a secret with you,"  She smiled, "I don't have to read your mind, your face is quite open."  The Betazoid woman leaned back and winked as she took another sip of her tea.  "So are we coming from work, or going?"

Reyes tried to school a genuine blank face, the kind that made poker a fantastic game for expressionless Vulcans, but she probably failed that too - tired or not. "Going," she admitted sourly. "It's gamma shift the next two weeks. You know, people are so uptight around here. You make one slight malfunction with your commanding duty officer's PADD and all of the sudden you're scrubbing Jefferies tubes in the late night hours."

[Niosa Obrea]

"Crewman Kali Reyes," she greeted back, but then pulled her coffee away from her lips to correct herself. "Erm... recruit. Keep forgetting about that part." She was a greenie and a sleepy one at that. "I'm kind of surprised you mentioned a bar. I'd figure a military ship would be more interested in dry-docking than partying." But hey, who was complaining? Certainly not her.

"Yes, because the Discovery tends to dock a lot."  Niosa returned sarcasm with sarcasm.  "Its a small bar, nothing like you see on those giant family type ships, but enough for crew moral.  That, and I believe the mess chief was tired of having people loitering.  I'm surprised no one has told you about it."  She grinned behind her cup as she continued taking tiny sips of her tea.

So an astute guess. Relief flooded down Reyes' back. It was much too early to explain herself otherwise. And who had time for that anyways? "Food is overrated," she grinned before taking another bite.

Reyes tried to school a genuine blank face, the kind that made poker a fantastic game for expressionless Vulcans, but she probably failed that too - tired or not. "Going," she admitted sourly. "It's gamma shift the next two weeks. You know, people are so uptight around here. You make one slight malfunction with your commanding duty officer's PADD and all of the sudden you're scrubbing Jefferies tubes in the late night hours."

Niosa laughed and slammed a fist on the table causing those around them to jump slightly; although she didn't seem to have noticed.  She did feel their shock, but it only added to the funniness of it all.  "That's rich!"  Her laugh turning into a light chuckle as Niosa controlled herself.  "What did you do?  Cause it to stream fake snakes?  Oh I did that to a professor once."  Niosa confessed, "I was suspended for two weeks to the chagrin of my mother."

The giggling fit settled and Niosa took a deep breath, "Oh Miss Reyes, I believe I like you.  Come over to the bar and I'll pour you a cup of real coffee.  How would you like that?" 

[Kali Reyes]

Niosa laughed and slammed a fist on the table causing those around them to jump slightly; although she didn't seem to have noticed.  She did feel their shock, but it only added to the funniness of it all.  "That's rich!"  Her laugh turning into a light chuckle as Niosa controlled herself.  "What did you do?  Cause it to stream fake snakes?  Oh I did that to a professor once."  Niosa confessed, "I was suspended for two weeks to the chagrin of my mother."

"He was complaining about the lag, so I overclocked his processor," she said simply. "Just didn't expect him to carry a dinosaur around on a hi-tech starship." And she certainly didn't expect his hair to stick up on all ends the moment he touched the base plate. "It err... fizzled out."

[Niosa Obrea]

Niosa smiled and nodded, yes she was going to like this one.  "Well my dear, we've all done something out of reflex rather than through clear thought.  Well, except Vulcans, but they're trained to think before acting.  Perhaps that's why it took them longer than the rest of us to explore the universe?"   The Betazoid patted the table top and stood up, "The offer stands, my dear, whenever you'd like to visit me."  Niosa picked up her cup to take it to the replicator and gave her farewells.  "I'll see you around Miss Reyes."  With that she left and went back to her bar and her customers. 

[Kali Reyes]

She laughed, a genuine bark of laughter, for the ironic Vulcan quip. With a wry smirk, Reyes watched Obrea rise up to leave and gave her a two fingered salute.

"Aye aye, ma'am." It hit her the moment she pressed the cup to her lips again.

She never asked where the hell that bar is!