[center][h2]”The Breakfast Club” (Shoreleave Day 2 Morning)[/h2][/center] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fABgAge.png[/img] [/center] JP/Collab from [@Xandrya], [@wanderingwolf] and [@sail3695] “I thought we were out of bacon?” Edina looked up from her work to see Yuri across the galley’s work counter. She couldn’t help the contented smile that blossomed upon her face. “Well, I conjure it passed the smell test,” she replied. “Did you know that there are tons of recipes for protein paste? Sam hit the cortex and found this one,” she waved a spatula toward the brownish strips sizzling in a skillet. “Add the right seasoning and fry em up in lard…voila!” She offered him a piece from a serving plate. “Give it a try.” “Don’t mind if I do.” The first mate tucked the clipboard under an arm before selecting a slice from the lighter colored stack. “What are those?” he asked, his faux bacon now used as a pointer. “The mistake pile?” She lifted two strips from the pan, allowing a gentle shake to help the excess grease run off. “For Elias,” Edina said of the brittle, darker pieces. “Still guessing about his palate, but right now I think if I jack the seasoning way up and overcook a little, it helps his taste buds.” She paused, an expectant smile on her face as he chewed thoughtfully. “Well?” she quizzed after he swallowed the first morsel. “What do you think?” With a slight lift to his brow, Yuri nodded and said, “It’s close.” “How close?” She asked. “One to ten.” “Seven…eight,” he waved an ‘iffy’ gesture. “I don’t conjure it’d ever make ten, but for ‘not bacon’, this is pretty good!” “Uh huh…uh huh,” Edina nodded. With a glance toward the cortex reader on the countertop she asked, “what do you think, Sam? Should we dial it up?” “We can,” the Boston accent rose from the little device. “The Alliance human physiology database reports that excessive seasoning of food will suffer a diminishing return from the taste buds on the tongue. Based on Yuri’s compromise score of seven-point-five, I’ve altered the recipe to achieve a hoped for outcome of eight-point-five to nine.” “Mmmph,” Yuri reached for a cup. “So I’m your guinea pig,” he chuckled as he poured the fresh coffee. “Give you a refill?” Edina took the pan off heat, setting it aside. “Please,” she answered. “Take our cups to the table and I’ll bring the bacon.” After peeling out of the cook’s apron, she brought 2 plates, a jar of ‘sorta’ mayonnaise, and a loaf of bread. “Sandwiches,” Edina piped up as she took her seat across from him. “White bread?” Yuri cocked an eyebrow. “Isn’t that exclusively for our young deckhand’s ‘peebee-and-jays?” “I don’t conjure she’ll mind.” With efficient hands she constructed two sandwiches, arranging the artificial repast into a crosshatch pattern between the bread slices. “B L T’s,” Edina said proudly, “minus the ‘L’ and the ‘T.’ Maybe we can afford those next time.” Yuri took his sandwich with a grateful nod, going three bites in before he paused. “It’s good,” he encouraged after a swallow of coffee. “Compliments to the chef,” the mate raised his cup in toast. “Chefs,” Edina’s cup met Yuri’s with a subtle clink. “Sam pulled the whole thing together. Just wait,” she giggled, “til I start trying to bake.” After a moment’s companionable silence she asked, “heard from the Captain?” Yuri shook his head. “Told me he had to ‘see a man about a mule.’ That was yesterday,” he added before pulling a sip from his cup. “Shouldn’t we check on him?” Concern washed over her face. “From what he said, he and Sam are pretty much joined at the hip,” he answered. “If things go South I’m certain we’d know. But right now? With Alana in the wind? I think the best thing we can do is just give him space.” “Think they’ll work it out?” “Hope so.” Imani paused for a split moment before walking into the galley. She'd overheard the conversation Edina and Yuri were having, or at least the end of it. "Smells good." Walking past them, Imani eventually grabbed a plate and helped herself to three pieces of "bacon". She wasn't all too hungry and so didn't bother for a sandwich, though no doubt she was open to one in the near future. "Curing a hangover? Because that's at least a couple of plates more." Yuri loosed a chuckle. “Thank Buddha! Another guinea pig. Now the pressure’s off.” “Not for you, it isn’t,” Edina fixed him with a mischievous eye before turning her gaze. “Hey Imani. Don’t listen to him,” she said. “We’re just trying out a recipe for Bacon Ala Protein Paste. Need coffee?” she asked. Taking a bite, she smirked at the two. Imani thoroughly chewed the paste-turned-bacon that Edina had cooked up, and eventually, her approval was delivered with a subtle nod. "No complaints from me, actually. But hold the coffee, I prefer to warm up a cup later in the morning." The smell was just divine, the nun thought, as she followed her nose to the galley. Her orange kasaya robe appeared in the entrance a moment later, and she laid eyes on Edina, Imani, and Yuri gathered around the table. “Mind if I join you?” she asked, as she surveyed the fruit the cook’s toils. Bacon! Or.. something like it? Lyen cocked her head as she took in the smell and sight of the fried, brown strips. They looked delicious, given they belonged to the various recipes Edina had been able to build with paste as their main ingredient. In the days she’d spent aboard the China Doll, Ly had made her peace with taking a cup of coffee in the morning to get going, but yesterday, thanks to the Captain’s explosive display, she spied a small copper kettle that had been freed from the back of a tall cabinet. Her slender hands filled it now as she asked the group, “Anyone for tea?” ‘Tea’ was a generous term, but the loose, powdery leaves of some kind mostly passed muster. "Tea sounds exquisite just about now," Imani smiled up at Sister Lyen. “Shiny,” she replied. Water set over a flame, she joined the cook, the first mate, and the… well, she wasn’t exactly sure what Imani’s station was on the ship. Deckhand perhaps? She watched as the mayhaps-deckhand settled in with her plate. Lyen took a seat while she waited for the boil. “Good morning, Sister,” Yuri greeted the nun before recoiling from a mild jab to the shoulder. “Hey!” he exclaimed at the light hearted affront, “what did I do?” “That,” Edina replied as she rose to collect a fresh plate and silverware, “is for refusing to let me buy some decent tea.” The first mate lifted his hands in supplication. “Yes, ma’am,” he grinned. “I have seen the error of my ways.” To Sister Lyen he offered, “since I’m now under new orders today, do you have a pref on tea?” “Anything suits me,” she said, head tilting to the side in thought. With a finger in the air she belayed that, “Though I’m keen on green and oolong. Ooh, and honeybush!” Her almond eyes lightened, and she forced out a shallow cough, “but I’ll drink anything,” the nun fibbed. “Honeybush,” he repeated, adding the three teas to a list on his cortex. “Got it. Imani?” Yuri’s eyes lifted. “Speak now or forever drink the Sister’s choices.” "A honeybush sounds mighty fine if only for the sake of simplicity," she added as she pushed back the chair to get up, smiling to Lyen as she went. Imani went to fetch her canteen as she waited for the tea. "I'm sure the Sister's choice don't disappoint, not sure about yours, however..." Her back was turned to them, making her unable to get a glimpse of their reaction. A confused Yuri traded glances with the boat’s ad hoc cook. “What?” he mouthed the silent question, to be met by an equally bemused Edina passing a hand over her head. “Uh,” he fumbled for a suitable reply, “she looks after all my choices,” the attempted quip emphasized with a pointed finger. “First time I’ve heard that,” Edina cocked an eyebrow. “It’s in your job description.” “Ooooh,” she replied with an understanding nod. “Is that what you meant by ‘other duties as assigned?” “Among other things,” Yuri chuckled, grateful for the rhetorical escape hatch. “Yes.” “Note to self.” Edina arranged a place setting for the nun. “Always read the fine print. So we’re experimenting this morning,” she explained as more of the aromatic strips landed on Lyen’s plate. “How close does this compare to actual bacon? One to ten, ladies,” she said, “ten being ‘I can’t tell the difference’ and one as ‘what is this abomination?’ The cheapskate here,” she handed a wry grin to Yuri, “has already voted. What do you both think?” “Thank you,” Ly said, surveying the appetizing substitute with her chopsticks. With a gentle tap, the protein-bacon cracked authentically into the carbon and she lifted a morsel to her mouth. The crunch was authentic, from what she could tell, only having eaten actual bacon a handful of times. As she moved the piece to either side of her mouth, the salt and the smokey flavoring from what she knew to be the hard work of seasoning, were more than enough to fool her taste buds. She started her response with a smile, lifting a hand to cover her mouth, “Edina, this is delightful. I’d say the only way I can tell it’s not bacon is because it tastes better than most of the soggy, stringy stuff I’ve had before this.” "Oh, we're working with numbers now?" Imani let her head rest on her palm as she scratched her plate with her fork in no particular pattern. "A well-deserved eight I'd say." [i]”Ku,”[/i] Edina sipped her coffee. “Round Two will come tomorrow morning…unless we score an actual cook before them,” she smirked. Yuri lifted an index finger, swallowing his food before he spoke. “Not sure that’ll happen,” he said. “Captain’s got a thing about folk who show initiative,” he said as he eyed the last remaining strip. “You took on the galley when Hook left, Edina. I’ve got a feeling he’ll be inclined to make it official.” “Wow,” she answered, her smile sheepish toward Imani and Lyen. “I’m sorry about your luck, guys. While we’re talking food, will any of you be around for supper, or have you all got plans?” As the tea’s boil made itself known with the telltale sound that the Japanese called ‘the wind in the pine trees,’ Lyen rose to join Imani and serve her. Ly replied to Edina as she approached the kettle, “I haven’t got any business on Pelorum; you’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.” “Shiny,” Edina met Lyen with an easy smile. “I’m laying out dinner plates at four o’clock,” she explained, “because Yuri and I have passes to a shindig at a museum. So far, it’s you and Elias eating in tonight. I’ve already got him figured out,” she continued. “Any idea of what you might like, Sister?” The nun contemplated the question for a moment, in light of what she knew Edina was capable of, especially with protein paste. Ultimately, her comfort food was rather simple: “I’m partial to noodles and broth–a little spice suits me just fine.” She flashed a grin at Edina as she took another bite of her bacon stand-in. “But I’m an easy customer when it comes to food; the monastery taught me a lot of things, but being picky was not one of them.” Edina listened, taking Lyen’s preferences into memory before turning toward Yuri with imploring eyes. “Hey, since these good folk are all gonna have to suffer my protein paste recipes and canned everything else, you think maybe we could eek out some decent noodles and veg while we’re here?” Having already opted to be ‘that guy,’ Yuri found himself beneath the directed gaze of the three women, caught red handed with the final strip of faux bacon in his fingers. “Well,” the first mate replied in an air of outsized thoughtfulness, “since you put it that way…and since I’m already under orders to go tea shopping today..why not?” His eyes flecked with humor as he shared a glance with the mocha skinned woman. “Give me a shopping list, but try to keep it limited to what one ignorant man can carry. Imani?” he steered the conversation. “Got a non-caviar food idea for tonight, or will you be out carousing?” "Quite tempting the offer, and I don't see the harm in serving as a guinea pig once more before heading out for another adventure." The nature of this planet meant that physical things and experiences were paramount to its inhabitants and those journeying here to partake. Still, off the beaten track, there were temples of her Order, but they were much too far to visit from the hub. She’d have to suffice with meditations and prayer aboard the China Doll, she conjured. “Ready?” Lyen asked of Imani, her almond eyes checking for permission. A basket of the crumpled, black leaves landed in the woman’s canteen, then the ‘wind in the pine trees’ funneled into her cup. Afterward, she arranged her own cup. "The aroma is divine..." Imani cupped her hands around the canteen to immerse herself in the scent. She found comfort in the warmth radiating to her palms. "I appreciate this Sister Lyen." Sam listened to the easy goings-on through the keyhole of Edina’s cortex reader. She had long known that for a system such as herself, the demonstrable characteristics of empathy served as a key to unlock the mysteries of human emotion to digital intelligence. Upon collating the group dynamic through their tone and banter, Sam’s findings indicated a distinct absence of tension among the four. The varying levels of affability provided an overall result that she could describe as ‘friendly.’ The next step would be interpolation of those findings to determine the more nebulous ‘vibe,’ as Cal chose to describe it. While broader research was ongoing, simple hypothesis based upon this moment in time offered its’ own conclusion. Through application of those applied numerical values, S.A.M.A.N.T.H.A could experience the sense of inclusion…and contentment.