Zero Michelin Stars [Jettis]

[Jettis Jyur]

Jettis watched her curiously, as she spoke, noting her discomfort and quick avoidance of the subject. Clearly this was not a pleasant subject. But he had to decide whether to push it or to avoid the subject altogether.

"Yeah, it does." He responded, after a short pause. He didn't take her for the type that wanted to spill their guts to just any stranger she happened to not despise. And besides, he would do the same thing if she asked about his father.
"But, I talk to them often enough. And I'm pretty used to being far away from loved once." He gave another careless shrug, playing down his words. "I'm a traveler, not a settler. And I get the feeling you're not one to stay in the same place, either."

[Kali Reyes]

Kali nodded with a grin. "Always forward." She almost settled once and that ended badly. It was easier to just jump from place-to-place without settling down. Hurt less that way.

"You could've had your family on board. Lots of crewman do." Hell, there were plenty of high-ranking officers with kids running around.

[Jettis Jyur]

He smirked humourlessly, nodding in understanding. Although, they likely had different reasons for their lack of settling down.

He pursed his lips in thought at her comment. Maybe. Maybe he could. But something told him to stop that train of thought before it became wistful, or god forbid, hopeful. "I don't think so. There's a reason I said 'acquaintance' rather than 'family' or 'wife'.." Sucking his teeth, he shrugged and made a clicking noise. "It's complicated, and something best left safely on Earth, rather than up here where we could easily be destroyed." Pausing, he added a soft afterthought, more to himself than to his company. "But maybe, maybe someday I will have family aboard."

[Kali Reyes]

Her mouth formed a little 'o' once the words sank in. "Oh. Ohhh. Well congrats, you've finally witnessed Kali Reyes' patented 'foot in the mouth' moment. Brought to you by the cardboard turkey." She shifted a bit awkwardly in her seat and rolled her shoulders back.

"At any rate, career building aside, I would like to proudly remind all new officers that we have a zero ship loss rate at the moment," she teased, gaining the wind back into her sails. "It's still Discovery one, at least I think - quantum universe shifting aside."

[Jettis Jyur]

He gave another small, humourless smile.

"Don't worry about it." He easily brushed it off. It wasn't as if this hadn't happened dozens of times before - some cultures more understanding than others.
"Let's hope it stays that way." He commented, crossing his fingers. "And speaking of the cardboard turkey - I think I've had my fill of Thanksgiving cheer. If you're off duty, care to join me in the main lounge? Something to get that plastic-y taste out of your mouth."

[Kali Reyes]

"Between you and me, I ate this delicious meal so it doesn't warrant a trip to Sickbay," she bribed with a wink and slid the entire tray overboard into the receptacle. "But yeah, let's rock. They've got a killer blackjack table I've been itching to break into. Beer and snacks - the other best part of Thanksgiving." Maybe a good rousing game of cards and impending poverty would fix that empty smile on his face. Maybe.

No one should be feeling like that on this ship... except for her.

[Jettis Jyur]

He chuckled lightly. "My lips are sealed." He exaggerated it wit a zipping motion, standing up from his seat and dumping his mostly-empty tray as well. At least he had managed to get some of it down.

"Blackjack?" There was a glimmer of... something in his eye. Something mischievous. "Perfect. One of my favourite games."

[Kali Reyes]

Kali thumbed her hipbone when she got up. She was getting pretty thin from lack of food, but given her unique biology it really wasn't so big of a concern. Vulcans hardly ate as it is and the whole work/drinking binge was only exacerbating it. Food wasn't on her mind anymore and she had two weeks to bulk up before Dr. Cottle could try to gripe at her about it.

Thank god for the impending shore leave. "Kinda glad about that," she added to him. "It's hard to find a robust player on the ship. Lots of squares and the others way too busy. Last time I played a hand? Aboard the USS Traverse for basic training on Europa. The XO found five of us half-naked in the middle of Texas hold 'em." A tense hand it was, but good times.

[Jettis Jyur]

"Five of you, yeah? Looks like I won't have too much competition then." He laughed teasingly, as he turned to make his way to the corridor. The sooner they got out of the crowded mess hall, the better. "But at least you've got a poker buddy now. Call me up almost any time, I'm game."
Shoulders relaxing ever-so-slightly, his voice and speech became noticeably more casual. Maybe he wouldn't be totally isolated after all. One so called 'friend' was better than none, right?

[Kali Reyes]

She visibly brightened at the remark. "Oh no, don't tempt me on this! I'm trying to be a good, responsible chief here. And I've got your schedule marked - drag you out of bed during late shift just because I feel like it." The brass hasn't totally beaten maturity into her yet, but Captain Briggs did consider it. He wasn't here anymore and it dampened her spirit a bit.

Kirok was fine at any rate. She has yet to learned how to step on the Vulcan's toes yet (if it was even possible). The crowd even out as dinner rush officially started and it left the corridor to the turbolift blissfully open and quiet. Personally she could only stand the silence when she was tinkering up a storm in her workshop/quarters and was starting to miss the white noise of senseless chatter.

Jettis, on the other hand, was feeling the opposite. And hey, that was a better step in the right direction. "Need a drinking buddy too? You drink, right?" Len was her de facto drinking companion, if not because she enjoyed the way his thick scottish drawl slurred when he spoke.

[Jettis Jyur]

"'Good, responsible chief' doesn't look good on you. 'Reckless chief who somehow doesn't get sent to the brig for mutiny'? Yeah, that sounds about right." He smirked, eyes twinkling. "Strip poker isn't befitting a responsible, mature officer."

He snorted, before nearly-bellowing out loud when she asked if he drank. "Do I drink?" He repeated, almost mockingly. Boy, would Kali be in for a surprise. "I think the real question is, can you keep up with me? And are you willing to bet on it?" He grinned, an actual grin, albeit incredulous. A small voice far back in is head demanded he not make a fool of himself, but was spitefully drowned out by the feeling that his next shift was going to be hell, whether or not she actually did make good on her word.

[Kali Reyes]

Kali opened her mouth, then closed it. He had a point - a damn good point. She still refused to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Only went to the brig twice," she mumbled with a hit of petulance. "And I didn't even have a rank when I got caught with my pants down." Literally even. Her bottom lip peeked out more as they walked and she definitely looked more like a young cadet than an actual Operations Chief.

She sucked in that lip when he laughed. "You did not just challenge me to a drink-a-thon." He totally did. Kali puffed up her chest and gestured downwards. "See this fantastic body? Built on the perfection and tolerance of the deadliest grog this side of the Milky Way!" Oh, it was on. It was on like Galactic Kong. "Bring it, green legs. Bet credits or utter humiliation?"

[Jettis Jyur]

He grinned in victory at her petulant admission. "Two times too many." He hummed, crossing his arms like a disapproving parent.

When she tried to puff herself up arrogantly, he clicked his tongue with a patronizing 'awwh'. "Oh, but I did, in fact. You haven't seen 'deadliest grog' yet." Raising his chin, he mimicked her puffing out his chest, and dropped his arms. "Taking your credits after humiliating you in front of the whole lounge? That's just cruel..." He paused before frowning and tilting his head in an 'I accept this' sort of way. "But since I'm a cruel bastard, I bet whatever number of drinks you forfeit on. Try not to humiliate me by not getting past the single digits."

[Kali Reyes]

Kali sniffed in mock anger and drew herself up like a fluffed up peacock. "Don't worry about that! Just march that sass into the turbolift, soldier!" she ordered. "You just made an act of war!" She'll be damned if she was going to be outclassed by the new guy, especially one who slotted himself so easily with her it was almost scary.

And if he couldn't double-time it fast enough, she was already buffing him right into the platform, disturbing a couple of science officers who just exited out in confusion. Kali spared them a glare before the doors slid shut and she punched down for the observation deck where the lounge was held.

She spent the entire ride down on her tippy-toes because it'll be a snowball's chance in hell before she'd give up and lose height to Jettis. It was all in the presentation, baby. That's half the battle right there. She bitterly wished for Starfleet regulated heels.

[Main Lounge]

It was still dinner rush so the lounge was near empty, but it also meant the bar was well-stocked and free to wage war on. Kali stuck her chin up and sashayed down the steps for the bar. She tripped a bit, but it didn't smother her swagger.

[Jettis Jyur]

He grinned giddily as she began fluffing herself up like a wounded cat, trying to look big next to her competitor -both figuratively and literally. "Yessir." He mock saluted, lazily sauntering into the turbolift. Evidently, not as quickly as she would have liked, as he was nearly plowed into by someone probably half his weight.

Scoffing past her, he walked up Bartender, still smirking. "Two Andorian Ales, please." Turning around, he quirked a brow at Kali. "Unless the lightweight wants to start off easier, and ease our way into the purer stuff?"