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Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #25 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

He seemed to be thinking about where he wanted to go grab a bite.  She was used to replicators and whatever she had or could scrounge up in her Quarters.  She wasn't all that worried about it, while she was a tough woman she wasn't hard to please.  At least not when it came to food.  She truly enjoyed cooking and she missed the Korean food that she used to eat back home.  She loved the food there, the spice, the little street carts with fish cakes and the blood sausage.  Things like that were things that she missed and sometimes she wished that she had someone that she could share it with.  He offered a place for them to go eat and she wasn't surprised that it was Below Decks.

“Sure, lets do it.” she gave a smile and looked over at him.

He seemed nice and they clicked pretty wel.  Which was really nice.  Whether they stayed friends or went beyond that would be fine and remained to be seen.  She was in no hurry.  It would take time to develop anything and contrary to some people's thoughts she was in no hurry.  Brushing a hand through her hair the suit that she normally wore while she was working zipped up except a small section of her upper chest.  She thought about his question though, was there anything else that she needed to do.  Looking around the deck and up at the big fighter that now sat safe and inert in her bay.

She would be coming back to work on it more and she had a feeling that he would want to as well.  They got along well enough which was nice.  She liked having someone to talk to and hang with while she was doing the work.  It made the long hours go by much faster than she liked to think about otherwise.  When she worked alone she usually listened to music or something so that it would help her pass the time.  Otherwise it just drug.

“Can't think of anything, lets go, my stomach is bitching and I'd like her to kindly shush.” Ji chuckled as she let him take the lead since they were heading to his destination.  And because she had found in life that most males liked to take the lead.  As they headed for the Turbolift she stood more beside him than behind her.  Her strong hands were hidden in the pockets of her yellow mechanics suit while she walked.

“I'm still really fucking amazed of some of the work you did to get that fighter off the ground.” she said as the Turbolift opened and the pair stepped in, oddly alone.  She wasn't often alone in a Turbolift, with a crew the size of theirs it was often that she was riding with several people with various stops along the way.  But not tonight, or.. whatever time it was, afternoon?  Yeah, afternoon.  She ran a hand down her face, having removed it from her pocket.  I should sleep at some point, that's a thing, right? she thought with a bit of a grin. 

“It shows your resilience though, not giving up, but instead putting your fighter back together to at least get her and yourself home.  We'll get her fixed up so you can fly out again.” she grinned softly as she gave a shrug.  “Did I ever ask you what got you into being a pilot?” she asked because she might have and forgotten but she didn't think she had.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #26 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 2 | Deck 16 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr

"Sure, lets do it."

With a nod Thomas smiled at the Korean mechanic as she zipped her jumpsuit up and looked around on deck before glancing one more time at the abomination. Ji certainly had a certain flair around her, yet Thomas was in no real rush to push things further with her. He just enjoyed all the company he could have after his isolation and that included grabbing a bite with so called grunts.

"When was the last time you had an actual solid meal?" Thomas asked Ji as he smirked "Or is it a sort of diet that you're following to keep in shape?" he teased her. In the meantime he assumed the lead and walked out of the bay and onto the flight deck. As usual, it was buzzing with activity and deck hands were running across doing all sorts of jobs. Welding, maintaining ordinance, refueling, re calibrating ships and so on. The eyes of the SCO went over them yet he remained silent as he made his way to the turbo lifts.

Once in the lift Thomas couldn't help but smile faintly "Honestly, I'm just as amazed that I got that bucket off the ground. I figured I'd probably disintegrate at warp or just crash down a few clicks further. Seems like I was wrong... Hell, it even managed to participate in a full on space battle." he concluded as he shook his head at her next statement "Oh, I don't plan to fly her out anymore. Sure, she looks feisty and packs a punch... But in the end, that thing will remain a death trap. It'll always be a liability as you'll have alerts and lights going all over the place. I think the safest option is to gut her for parts. Maybe keep the fuselage as props. Like a reminder what survival could be?" he thought out loud now. As much as he loved his old fighter, the chances that he'd be able to return his ship to it's former glory was improbable.

As she asked him what ever got him into flying, Thomas laughed softly "Chief, you asked me that question before while we were working." he informed her, yet answered the question nevertheless "Like I said, I just excelled in the subject matter. Sort of like I was a natural at it. That and just that feeling of freedom." he mused before the lift chimed, indicating they arrived at their destination.

"Say Ji, you reckon they have anything Korean stocked in the replicators? I mean, I never got Korean food before... But since I'm here with a person who's perhaps a subject matter expert at it..." he grinned.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #27 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Fighter Assault Bay | Turbolift |  Destination Unknown | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

The last time she had a solid meal.

Ji leaned casually against the wall of the turbolift, and it was clear in her eyes that she was mentally going through her schedule and trying to remember the last time she had sat down and eaten a solid meal.  She was pretty anal about making sure all the men and women of the flight deck got their breaks, lunches, and clocked off shift when they were supposed to.  Avoiding overworked and over tired people.  But, she was really terrible about looking out for herself.  She was fairly certain that most people in positions that actually held merit and rank had the same issues. 

“Yeah.  Can't remember.” she said honestly. 

It was probably... pre-shift or something, who knew, she wasn't usually the sort that remembered everything that was the mundane things someone did every day.  She had probably swallowed breakfast on the way out the door.  She knew that she'd had something to eat today, but she was pretty sure that it wasn't a solid meal.  Then again, she wasn't really hungry until he mentioned it.  She was the sort that got single minded about her work. 

She gave an unapologetic shrug.

Something else for Nicander to bitch at me about.  Bring it on Doc, I do so enjoy our little chats, check ins, and furthermore, our bickering about the care I give myself. she thought with a bit of a smirk.  She knew that he couldn't hear her or anything which was probably good.  She had a feeling that Nic would rise to the challenge to follow her around all day putting bandages on every cut, and making sure she ate every x amount of hours.  Then later, someone would probably find his dead body in a maintenance shaft.. probably not the best idea. 

He pulled her attention back to him when he mentioned that he, too, was surprised he had gotten off the planet.  Much less participated in a all out space battle in the bucket of bolts he had shoved together to save himself.  She smirked softly  “Maybe you should give up the spiffy title and come work for me, you have some skills.” she winked over at him as they headed where ever he wanted to go.

When she asked him about flying he reminded her that he had been asked and answered that question all ready.  “Ah, you've found my weakness then, when I”m working I totally forget like.. everything else.  Forgive me.  I'll try to make it up to you at some point.” she chuckled, mostly joking but there was a kernel of honesty in it as well.  She did tend to forget things that she talked about while she was working sometimes only because she was so in her work that she kind of blocked it all out.

He tossed a question back at her, about Korean food.  A smile, true and bright crossed her face.  “Of course they do.  It's what I practically live on if I can.  You want to try some.”  She smirked warmly.  “Great, you want to just head to my place?  It'll be easier?  And we can chill on a couch instead of a crappy plastic chair in the mess.” she shrugged. 

“Enlisted Quarters, please.” she spoke out loud to the Turbolift which then began to start moving.  Ji continued to lean comfortably. 

“Do you know anything about Korean food, what you might want to try?  Or is it all up to my discretion?” she asked him curiously.  “Where are you from, originally, anyway?” she asked trying to keep the conversation going.  The Turbo opened on the Quarters deck and she stepped out with him so that she could lead him to the Quarters that she shared with her room mate.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #28 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Turbolift | Vector 02 | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr

"Become a grease monkey huh?" he chuckled "As tempting as it sounds, I think I'll stick to flying for now." he winked at her "Besides, working under a Korean chief... I'm sure I'll get myself in all sorts of trouble." he laughed "Not to mention the unorthodox ways of welding and wiring ma'am." he teased her before he rested with his back against the wall of the lift.
 
With a shake of the head Thomas raised his hand as Ji apologized for forgetting what he had told her earlier "No worries, just another sign of how work can really swallow you up entirely when you're so dedicated towards the job." He had to smirk as she mentioned she'd make it up to him and he wanted to tell her that she didn't need to, yet he refrained from doing so. "Either way, if that's your only weakness I guess it's alright. Although when there's a lot of pressure on the job, do you have that problem as well? Or is it more like ciphering out the background noise and focusing on the task at hand and everything around it?" he asked her curiously. It wasn't aimed to be bad criticism, yet he wondered.

"Your quarters?" he asked a bit in surprise before he nodded with a shrug "Sure, I can work with that. Your bunk mate won't mind?" he asked her whilst his mind wondered how her bunk mate would react as a senior staff member entered an enlisted crew quarter. Would it be shock, awe or just awkward? The slight shift of his mind made a grin appear on his face and he blinked his eyes a couple of times before he looked back at Ji.

While the Turbolift started moving again to the enlisted crew quarters, Thomas laughed softly as he shook his head "I sadly do not have any experience with Korean dishes or flavors. So, I'll gladly leave it up to your discretion, however please do go easy on me." he answered her as the lift buzzed to the correct deck. Once the lift reached deck 14 Thomas stepped out and waited for the CPO to take the lead.  He seemed to grow more at ease around her as his body language seemed to be more relaxed.

"What exactly do I need to expect taste wise? Is it more on the spicy pallet? Or more sweet or rawer?" he asked curiously before pitching in about his origin. "Originally I'm a space monkey, grown up on a Starbase. Starbase 173 was pretty close to the Romulan Neutral zone in the Beta quadrant. Suffice to say that we didn't have a lot of the... Original Terran dishes." He followed Ji to her quarters and waited for her to open the door before entering and taking a glimpse at the CPO's shared quarters.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #29 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

Ji grinned as she looked over at Thomas.  He was a good guy, honestly, and she liked that he talked to her as a person, not a woman.  There were times she felt that she was always seen as a woman and there fore, a potential mate or.. maybe even just something else.  She had no idea, but it was nice to find a guy, especially a high ranking one, that she could just get to know.  She brushed a hand through her short hair and gave a nod.  “Fair enough, you fly your planes but when something explodes on my flight deck and I need an extra hand I'm calling your ass in.  Unorthodox may save lives one day.” she grinned giving him a little bit of a wink.

He asked her how she dealt with her 'weakness' when it was crunch time.  She sighed softly.  “I always thrive better in a critical moment.  I think what happens is that everything around me becomes background noise, unless it isn't the right.. sound.  I'm not sure if that explains it right.  I liken it to like... you know the sounds your fighter is supposed to make right?  Well, that becomes background noise to you while your fighting and flying her out there.  But should something .. suddenly be off, a little change in pitch, or something clacking and clanging lightly... you'll notice that because.. it's different.  It's like that for me.  Only with fixing shit.  So yeah.. I tend to kind of be .. really bad at conversation while working.” she shrugged her shoulders.

He questioned where her bunk mate would mind.  She checked her chronometer to see what time it was and shook her head.  “Nah she's probably out banging part of the crew by now.  We work opposite shifts so we hardly cross paths, but yeah.. she's.. eh.  She likes sex.” she shrugged and then looked over at Rav, she hoped that he wasn't the guy that would blush form something like that.  It wasn't Ji's stand on sex, but then, she had slept with a few people.  One for reasons even she could not fully fathom, and the other because they had been stuck together.  But then the second time she had hoped it meant they would turn into something more, yet, that hadn't happened.  She didn't mourn it or anything but it had been a disappointment.

The lift doors opened and they spilled out into the deck 14 corridor as he mentioned that he had never had anything Korean before.  She smiled.  “Oh, you're in for a treat.  And it's.. can be spicy.  Lots of my favorites are, but there is a lot of things you can eat that aren't spicy at all.  Ramen is very popular, and sushi, soups, things like that.  Our kimchi, and duboki, and things like that are more spicy.  Oh fish cakes, you'd probably like those, they sell those at street vendors, they're so good.” she smiled, just thinking of all the food she could eat that represented her home country made her really want to do this thing.  Thankfully, Rav seemed up for the challenge of eating her food.

“Oh a Spacer, nice.” she smiled as they headed down the corridor, took a left, and walked down another one until they got to her door.  She palmed the door panel and it slid open.  She poked her head in, it wasn't as bad as some had seen it so she let him in.  Right across from the door was a large couch, that sat behind a coffee table.  There were two desks, one was Solessia's and clearly only used for make up, facial products, and beautication.  The other had Ji's family pictures, and blueprints that she was working on spread out all over it.  There were two doors that lead to two separate rooms.  Here and there you could see a piece of laundry laying against the bulkhead but overall, it wasn't too bad. It had been far worse before she had brought Chris here to watch a movie with her. 

“Make yourself comfortable.” she said as she turned and headed for the replicator, for a moment she wasn't sure what to replicate, she wanted him to get the full experience but also not waste a bunch of food.  So she went with ramen, two bowls, and then she went with duboki, which was a rice cake that looked a lot like a giant noodle, but was smothered in spicy sauce.  She also replicated some plain rice, and some of her favorite traditional side dishes including pickled radishes and kimchi which was very spicy itself.  Finally, she came over and began to lay out all the food on the table that they could use.  The coffee table, it was usually wear she ate anyway.  She also made sure to get herself chop sticks and him a regular utensil because being a spacer she doubted that he would appreciate having to struggle through chopsticks.  She took a seat beside him and she looked over.

“All right, so what do you want to try first.  Spicy.  Spicy.  .. Uh little spicy.  The rest.. are normal non-spicy fare.” she said pointing each one out in turn with a smile on her face.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #30 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr

As Ji spoke more about how little her weakness had any effect on her job, Thomas had to nod in agreement. One could say that he had the similar feeling when flying. How that narrow tunnel vision combat would still sometimes be broken open to get in details of things that happened around him. It was as if he felt those things happening around him, situations where others sometimes wouldn't pay any attention to. However, Ravon was just a human in the end, even he slipped up and made mistakes or forgot certain things from time to time.

"Well as long as people can have actual conversations with you, you'll be fine I reckon." he winked at her. As Ji continued to answer where her bunk mate would be, Thomas certainly didn't seem to flinch at her comment. If anything it had brought a grin on the pilot's face as Ji added to her sentence that her bunk mate liked sex. "To be honest, who doesn't like sex?" he shrugged "I mean, regardless of everything around the concept of sex... The act of sex itself is... Enjoyable?" he seemed to ask Ji. It was as if the man wasn't sure if he had found the right word yet he shrugged it off.

Thomas himself was a rather open person when it came to sex. Sure he'd commit if the right person would come along, he would've tried to build something out with Skye Carver. Yet his isolation on the planetoid and her early demise seemingly grounded that plan to a dead stop. Thomas still felt grief for that particular fallen pilot, yet he had to move on. Many more of his friends and loved ones had fallen, plus people were looking up at him in these dire times. He simply didn't have the choice to mourn completely.

His darker thoughts and emotions were parted apart like the sun breaking through a cloud deck as Ji mentioned Korean food in all it's forms and flavors. It certainly sounded like a wide variety of textures and tastes which caused for Thomas his stomach to growl out loud as they reached the door of Ji's quarters "Well, looking forward to those treat." he laughed apologetic as he placed his hand on his stomach. "If it's any help though, I'm alright with spicy food. I mean, not the spicy as 'I'll not taste anything else for five days kind of spicy', but you get what I mean right?"  he chuckled.

Once Eun let him in Thomas looked around in the crew quarters. His eyes moving over the stuff of Solessia before he walked over to Ji's table and looked at the pictures. He held his hands behind his back as he didn't mean to pick up any of the pictures of her family without her permission. Sure he could ask, yet he'd find it disrespectful to investigate these personal items after just getting to know her. As for the pieces of laundry laying around Thomas didn't mind really. It wasn't exactly like it were things he hadn't seen before.

"Yes ma'am." he answered her as she told him to be comfortable, walking over to the couch he flopped down in it as he looked at the table in front of him before looking back to Ji as she stood by the replicator. Consider he was going to taste new sorts of food, Thomas took off his uniform jacket in order to keep it clean from spillage. He rolled his tongue over his teeth as she displayed the various dishes in front of him and explained what was what. "Mmh.. Well..." he murmured as he took in the scents of the various dishes and pointed at the ramen first. "How about... I start with the non spicy stuff first and gradually spicen up." he said to Ji as he took the classical utensils. He waited for Ji to take her portion before smiling "Enjoy the meal chief." he said before he dug in and tried to keep it as civil as he could. He couldn't help but look at Ji as she used the chop sticks, it was an odd contraption to say the least and after having a couple of bites he couldn't help himself.

"Say Eun... Those sticks... How do they work? Can you give me a tutorial on how to eat with those? You know eating with stick one-o-one." he asked her with a certain level of curiosity in his voice. Little did he know that it would probably end in disaster for him. 

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #31 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Ji and Solessia's Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

She noticed that he was looking at her pictures.  There was one of her and her brothers, there were two of them and they were taller and older than her.  Not by a whole lot but definitely older.  The first picture had her sitting on one of the wings of a Black Eagle fighter, taken when she was young.  The same tattoo that sat on her arm now was the logo.  Another had her flanked by both her brothers, they had her arms around her and were all looking at the camera and smiling.  It must have been summer or spring as they were outside by a lake.  Fishing poles and foldable chairs could be seen in the back ground.   There was another of Ji and a older Korean man sitting on a rock wall, looking out at something though it was impossible to tell what.  A candid shot.  Probably her father.

She wouldn't have minded if he touched them, she wasn't weird like that, but she appreciated the discression anyway.  Once he called her ma'am though she couldn't help but turn and look at him in surprise.  Very few called her ma'am.  She was used to Chief and she was used to Ji but ma'am hardly ever came up unless it was a new recruit.  They hadn't had any of those in a while.

He shed his coat.  She didn't blame him, they were still on duty, just taking a lunch break.  She laid out all the food and was excited that she got to share it with someone.  There was a large amount of people on the ship that seemed to be excited about Korean cuisine.  Her eyes shifted over to him as she picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of her ramen.  Slurping it up.  Chewing the chewy noodles for a long moment before swallowing and wiping her chin off from the juice that had splashed on it.

“I think that's wise, some of this stuff won't.. cinge your tongue but it'll remind you that it's spicy.” she chuckled as she gave another shrug.  She reached over with her sticks and expertly picked up a piece of kimchi.  A fermented spicy radish that was very common in Korea.  It was almost always on the table and almost always served with soup and ramen.  She bit into the crunchy vegetable watching him as he tested his own food with his normal utensils.  But she could feel his eyes on her and her native implements. 

She reached over and got some bean sprouts and put them on top of her rice, before scooping up a bit with her chop sticks and eating it together.  She was definitely the person that had eaten with them all her life the way she could use them for even the small things.  He called her name, and she looked up at him, with a smirk.  She was so used to being called Ji even by her friends and things that she hardly ever remembered being called Eun Sae or just Eun, it just depended on the person.  She supposed.  He inquired about her sticks, and how if she could give him a lesson. 

Ji laughed softly. 

“Hmm, you know I can't remember the last time someone called me Eun, bonus points Tom.” she chuckled.  “I am so used to being called Ji or Chief I'm pretty sure those have become my name at this point.” 

She held up the sticks.

“Chop sticks.” she admitted, giving him the name of the sticks that he was interested in.  “Dexterity and strong hands make it easier.  You're a pilot, so that should help.” she chuckled as she slid over so that her leg and his were pressed against each other and held up her right hand with the chopsticks securely held within them.  “So your thumb secures one, and doesn't move, it's your steady.  Your index and middle finger maniuplate the second one.  It's like .. pinchers.  You reach down and use the metal to pinch your food.  Your hand holds it in place, with the torque.” she said as she demonstrated how one part of her chop sticks moved and the other didn't.  She leaned over and picked up some of the food slowly a few times over and over again, before she pulled the chopsticks back up and a piece of spicy kimchi and held it up for him.

“Here, taste, and then you can try.” she said holding the chopsticks out for him if he wanted them.  She waited for him to take the bite before she wiped off the chop sticks and handed the back end to him.  If he needed additional help, which he probably would, she would give it to him but she wanted him to try first.

“Lets see how you do.”

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #32 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr 

While eating Thomas checked the pictures from a distance once more as he chewed on the ramen. He started to expand the flavor pallet by going with the bean sprouts first before testing his luck with the Dobuki. After a single bite though from the giant noodle, it was time for Thomas to place the bowl down as he took a nearby glass of water to cool his mouth off. With a small cough he corrected his posture "That packs a punch." he cleared his throat once more before digging back in. It wasn't the spiciness that hit him most, yet it was the warmth of the dish.

As Ji chuckled and awarded him bonus points, Thomas had to chuckle himself "Really, I didn't know I was working for points?" He replied with a certain flair to it, yet he could understand why Ji stuck or chief for that matter. It was short, powerful and easy to shout out. Not that Eun wasn't, it was just... Different.

His eyes narrowed once more as she took the utensils and explained to him what they were and how they could be used. As Eun Sae offered him some kimchi with the sticks he leaned in and carefully took the radish completely in his mouth. He started chewing and felt the heat rise in his cheeks from the fermented dish as he took some water again to wash it down. Despite the spiciness though enjoyed it and ended it with a "yum" before he smiled contently at Ji. "I guess flying sticks just got a whole new meaning when you start eating with Koreans..." he murmured under his breath as Ji gave him the short version of how the mechanics worked. The pilot mimicked the actions she presented to him without the sticks and did so again before he got handed over the chop sticks.

It took a few minutes for him to stabilize the sticks in his hands, the actions feeling very much alien to him. After another good five minutes he seemed to got the grasp of the mechanics in theory. He was sluggish to say the least and failed to pick up the finer things from the table. The noodles were to slippery to hold on to, yet the rice and the kimchi were fine to hold on to. He tried eating like that yet it proved to be a challenge as on more than one occasion, the sticks just crossed over each other and caused for the sticks to slap the corners of his lips. Their legs that were connected to one another after Ji had moved closer started to feel a slight nervous tic from Thomas as he started shaking his leg up and down.

After a good ten minutes, Thomas placed the sticks down and took the classical utensils for sake of finishing his food while it was warm. "Okay, I guess one might need to grow some dexterity with these to successfully work a meal down... I'll keep it at classic utensils for now." He smiled greenly as if he had to admit defeat. He glanced over at the chief of flight propulsion and grinned "Any other Korean traditions one should know about when visiting?" he asked.

It wasn't like he was interrogating her, yet it was more like true downtime. They weren't talking about the job, mechanics or anything else. Thomas had this idea in the back of his mind during their conversation. The more he'd remind her of home and the foo, traditions and the sorts, the more he'd be giving her the chance to truly unwind and feel a bit closer to home. Of course, the risk was there that she'd get homesick, yet Ji was a strong woman. Thus the SCo saw no problems there. Yet essentially, the origin of the woman did truly interest him.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #33 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Ji and Solessia's Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

She grinned when he told her that he didn't realize that he was working for points.  “Aren't we all?” she teased.  She didn't mind, she was only teasing really.  Eun Sae was just enjoying letting her hair down in the metaphorical way.  She didn't get those chances very much.  Being the Chief of the flight deck meant that she was almost always busy and she was also always on call.  She tended to be the kind of person that was always the first to know and that was exactly how she wanted it.  She wanted to get up and head down to the flight deck where she could get onto whatever was going wrong immediately.  Waiting when you were dealing with fighters that could, at any point, be needed was never a wise idea.

She watched as he tried over and over again to struggle through the mechanics and the technique that was needed to master the chop sticks.  She didn't tease him, they weren't easy for people that hadn't grown up using them.  She had learned how to use them when she was little and she could even pick up a single grain of rice if she needed to.  It wasn't that hard once you got used to it, but then Ji had strong hands.  Not just from using chopsticks her entire life but also from her job.  Oddly they went hand in hand for the most part.

“You got it.  Take your time.”  Ji smiled over at him, she could feel his leg bouncing up and down.  She didn't know if that was because he was nervous or if it was just something that he did.  Some people were naturally ansty and it was hard to tell since she didn't know him very well yet.  But her eyes studied him, he was a good guy, at least that was the read she got on him.  There were some guys on the ship that sent her red flag flying high.  Reminding her that not everyone had other people's best interests at heart.  But for the most part, everyone was a pretty good person.  Starfleet tended to pick the best but not everyone on the ship had originated with them and that meant there were a lot of variables on the Theurgy these days.

He managed to get some into his mouth but the thinner harder stuff he couldn't, not that she was surprised.  It would have been odd if he was able to pick them up and use them like a native.  She smirked as he finally lay them down in favor of the old normal utensils.  She grabbed up her own and tapped them on the table with the tips to adjust her hand into the proper position and then she went back to eating.  The rice was sticky and it was made that way so it would be easier to eat with the sticks.  She put some of the kimchi on top of her rice and ate a big bite chewing slowly as he asked if there was anything else he needed to know about visiting with Koreans.  A smile formed around her chewing until she could finally swallow.

She sat back on the couch slightly and thought about it.  “Always greet the elder first, and foremost.  Bow to them and offer your hand to them but do not take theirs.  They make the move.  Also, if you are with a girl that you are not married to, you don't touch her skin, it's a very intimate thing.  Hmmmmm.” she thought as she put another large noodle into her mouth and chewed.  “If you decide to date a Korean you could possibly get drug into a drinking contest with her father.. that happens sometimes.” she laughed with a shrug. 

“What is it you would like to know?  I'm not sure of all the differences, just some that I've noticed others don't do here.  Like.. the skin-ship, or .. touching other people on the skin, it's very accepted here.  It took me a while to get used to it, it's just not that way at home.” she chuckled and ran a hand through her hair for a moment.  “What about you and where you're from?  Anything I need to know about visiting?” she decided to toss back since one never knew, and even if he was from a normal place his family might have customs that were considered different.

It was another way to get to know him.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #34 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr 

The teasing that had started between the both of them hadn't been purposeful by Ravon. Yet it was a welcome change from the more official talks he was having. It seemed that rising through the ranks also meant a lot more stiffness from crew. Perhaps it was because he had returned from the planetoid where he had been left for dead so to speak. Or it was because people saw him in a different light as an SCO. Thomas couldn't help but notice that a lot more people addressed him more with 'Sir' and generally left little room for the old days where he could goof around with people.

In the meantime, the sticks were proving to be a test for patience. Once he had given up on the ordeal, he smiled over faintly at Ji as she had encouraged him. Once she retook her own chopsticks he watched her as she expertly leveled them out on the table with a subtle tap before she continued eating with the utensils. As she started eating once more Thomas did the same as he did feel his stomach protest that he hadn't gotten enough just yet.

He nodded as Ji started to talk about cultural heritage and customs. It made the pilot smirk as he mentioned teasingly "Right, no skin to skin action Eun. Got it." He had to laugh at the dating customs as he chuckled a bit more before replying "Oh man, I sure hope the old man knows how to drink." he grinned as he had to laugh once more "Either way, is the elder supposed to emerge victorious during that or would it be rude to drink him under the table?" he questioned her, still laughing, yet on a more serious tone as he was curious about it.

As Eun continued that touching one another was very much accustomed to the ship, Thomas couldn't do much more than nod. The delights of the flesh were a very loose protocol aboard the ship. Not something he minded, yet he did wonder at this point if relationships were a good idea. Skye and him could possibly turn into something more, yet with her gone now... All he could feel was that empty void where love should be. Which of course didn't mean that his carnal feelings would subside so easily. It was a slippery slope, one that he'd have to guard during his time to come on the Theurgy.

His gaze seemed to be a tad distant before he smiled faintly again as he did seem to recognize the question Ji asked him "Oh, customs on my end?" he repeated after her and thought it over "Well, I'm a space rat... Born on a confidential ship and jettisoned out into space with an escape pod. Raised on a space station after that." he slipped to her, it was part of his personal background, one which he hadn't shared with a lot of people. Yet Ji felt like the right person to share it to. "Anyway, I was a bit of a troublemaker on the station, I didn't really follow any guidelines or customs so I don't think there's anything specific hat you'd need to keep into account." he smirked, hiding his rather poor past behind a facade once more.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #35 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Eun and Solessia's Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

She nodded as he began to go through some of the customs of her home country.  She knew that he was curious and highly doubted that he was asking because he was interested in her.  For some reason she highly doubted that she was his type and honestly, that was fine with her.  She didn't know who she would end up with.  But it was going to have to be the right person.  It was going to have to be the person that built a foundation with her, that could allow her to stand on her own most of the time but lean on them when she needed to.  Someone that could deal with the fact that she worked predominately with men, but also the fact that she didn't just go around sleeping with them.  That she would come home covered in grease and exhausted but she never wanted more than what she had.

She didn't want to be an officer.

She loved being a grease monkey and she truly enjoyed her job.  The only job she would like to have would be Liam's or Sten's.  Both of them seemed quite happy and secure in their positions and so was she for the moment.  It was also going to have to be someone with the stability to understand that she had been quite betrayed and was a bit of broken.  She chuckled and gave another quick nod.  “Yeah, skin to skin is pretty intimate.  That's only for someone that you want to be close to.  Like.. if you wanted to hold her hand, that's basically making her your girlfriend or taking her off the market so to speak.  If you do that it's to show everyone else that you're together.” she gave a shrug.  Her culture could be odd, but she didn't mind.

When he laughed she watched him for a moment.  It was interesting to watch people laugh.  They tended to light up.  There were those that laughed without it touching their eyes, and those were the kind of people that were sad on a deep down level.  One that wasn't a good place to be sad, a place where you were broken.  She hoped she never got that bad herself but it was hard to say sometimes.  Still, she could see the light in his eyes and it brightened his face considerably.  Taking another bite of her rice cake she chuckled when he mentioned that they needed to make sure the old man could drink.  Then he wondered if he was supposed to let the father win.

“Well no actually.  It doesn't really matter who wins.  If you're Korean, male or female, it's a good thing to be able to drink people under the table.  If you can't hold your booze, then you're a pussy.” she laughed a sparkle twinkling in her eyes as she picked up her drink and sipped at it for a moment before she continued.  “Honestly, it's about getting to know each other without the pretenses of father and possibly son in law.  It only happens with those that are serious about the girl.  Probably before engagement or whatever.  But it's a good thing to win.” she chuckled as she looked over at him.  “Though I've yet to see anyone drink my Appa under the table, then again I haven't been home in a long time so.. who knows maybe someone set the family record.” she laughed again.

He checked out somewhere after that.  She let him have his thoughts, knowing that she too did the same thing, and thought about asking about it when he came to.  She grabbed her bowl of rice from the table and added some Korean beef to the top and began to eat it while she let him have his moment asking him a question that might help him come out of it for a moment.  And it worked, soon he was telling her about being raised in space.  Her brow rose as he talked about being tossed out in an escape pod and growing up breaking the rules on a space station.

“Wait... what?” she chuckled for a moment.  “How is it that you were born and then tossed in an escape pod?  Why?  What about your .. parents or something?  You're gonna have to back the truck of knowledge up and give a woman a bit more info there, my friend.”

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #36 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr


The senior officer surely didn't feel any form of sexual or physical attraction to the Korean woman. She wasn't really his type, yet it was nice to just have a regular conversation. Of course, Thomas had fallen for women before who hadn't been his type before in the past, yet right now there was no reason why he'd make a move on Ji. Besides, After Skye, Thomas wasn't even sure if he were up for a relationship with love or anything of that.

Hen nodded as Eun explained him what holding hands meant to Korean culture. He nodded intrigued by it and wondered how their culture had developed to that point. Why those certain customs came to be and how it would collaborate with other cultures. Would it often lead to a clash or misunderstandings? Ji continued to explain the pro and cons of drinking another Korean under the table and he chuckled a couple of times while she laughed. There certain did seem to be a theory around it and Thomas couldn't help but incline that drinking buddies shared pretty much anything in their life.

As Eun told him to truck back a little as she couldn't follow, Thomas smiled faintly I never knew my parents really. Heck, I don't even know what they looked like. They were part of a secretive Starfleet mission, it had to have gone sideways somewhere there. I was conceived and brought into the cold confines of space and given care to one of the medical staff as the ship was going down. She took care of me and raised me at a space station after we got picked up out of the pods. I never knew about my parents until my guardian passed away." he paused there as the silence between them lasted for a bit longer "Anyway... I found out about my parents then and there. I was angry for a long time, a bit of a rebel and my ten hormones probably didn't help. Got recruited in Starfleet and the rest is history really." he sighed as he pushed the bowl aside, his appetite faded away now.

He leaned back against the couch as he looked up at the ceiling "You know, sometimes I wonder what my life would've been like if I had a real family. You know, It's not that I'm jealous or so, cause I doubt it would be perfect and all." his eyes slid to the pictures of her and her family "It's just something I wonder." He rested his hands back on his lap as he sighed and smiled with a sad smile "Anyway, don't want to break the mood here." he cleared his throat and looked Eun in her eyes.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #37 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

She kind of wished that she hadn't asked the way that his voice changed.  But you couldn't bring something like that up between friends and not have someone ask.  She wondered if sub-consiously he had wanted to talk about it.  Since if it was off the table she assumed he wouldn't have brought it up all together.  Yet he had.  She watched him, her eyes studying his face while he told her about the various things that had happened to him.  The tone of his voice was one of gravity and she felt that he was telling her something he probably didn't offer freely.  Though she could not know that for sure, she was glad that he had decided she was someone that he felt he could confide in.

He told her that his parents were born on a special secret space mission.  The ship went down and he and a medical personnel had gone off in an escape pod.  That woman had raised him until she died he never knew about his parents.  Ji's brow rose, she could not imagine not knowing a family.  She had her brother and her sister.  Her Omma and Appa, her Halmoni... she had left a dog behind too.  It was just.. what life was for her.  But she could see that the difference had weighed heavily on the mind of the man that sat there pushing his food to the side.  Saying that he wasn't jealous but he had to wonder what it would have been like to actually have family like others did.

She didn't miss the fact that his eyes cast over to her slew of family pictures that decorated her desk and work area.  Eun turned to face him again and found him meeting her eyes with his own.  She put her chopsticks down and she turned her body so they were facing each other a bit better.  She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged the yellow clad limbs to her chest for a moment before she said her next bit.

“It's.. a different kind of hard.  Back home, things were good.  We were happy.  Out here... I don't.. know if I'll ever see them again.  I could die, they could die.  I'm on a runaway ship that is wanted by the Federation.  Even if I don't die, if we get caught, I could be persecuted and never see them ever again.  I can't call them, or anything.  I'm stuck.”  She let that hang for a moment, mostly to prove the point that the grass is not always greener.  “But also I found out something interesting...”

She smiled at him.  “This ship, this... crew.  It is a family.  You want a sister?  Look no further.  You can call me yeodongsaeng, little sister, I can call you Oppa which means big brother.  But aside from Korean names and shit, is the fact that this fucking place is a family.  You don't really need a mom and dad to have a family.  I'm sure you have a million and a half questions about them, and what they were like.  What parts of you came from where, what personality you have.  And those are sadly things you may never know.  Keep in mind though, you have a family.  This family.  We're totally fucked up sometimes.  There's a whole lot of love and comraderie here.”

She gave a bit of a shrug.  “That helps me get through the day.  And, maybe it'll help you too.  You're not without one.  You're choosing your family.  This crew, this position, this ship.  Family and home.”

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #38 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr

The rather sob-like story of the pilot didn't seem to miss it's effect on the chief. It wasn't of course the point of it, yet it was something that became quite clear to the pilot as Eun Pulled her legs up to her chest and had positioned herself so that she could perfectly look into his eyes. When he had finished talking Eun spoke up and he listened to her as her folded his legs and got into lotus position. He rested his hands on his knees as he looked at Eun's eyes. Studying them himself as he gazed in them and smiled faintly at her words.

He could perfectly understand the darker side of the medal when having family. Especially if one was so close to their family like the Korean crew member before him. He asked himself if he could live with that pressure. Despite not really knowing what it must've felt like. He could somehow relate to it as he thought about is Wolf brothers and sisters. They were his new family sort of and it always felt a bit double when they had to fly out and engage in space combat. Sure the thrill of the hunt and all made up for it, yet there was always that gnawing feeling in the back of his head. The off chance that one of them wouldn't make it back. The loss of Skye and Evelyn had only intensified that feeling and he looked away from Ji's eyes to his lap as he fiddled with his fingers.

The faint smile that had earlier decorated his lips now came back more vibrantly as she offered to be his sister. "I can call you what now?" he asked as he didn't quite understand yeodongsaeng from the first go. Oppa sounded somewhat weird in his ears as well, yet he never thought to branch out his family relations outside the wolf pack to other members of the crew. Sure, they were all a merry bunch, but to consider them all as family? He weighed the pro's and cons of the certain matter in his head as he winked at Ji "Does that mean that by definition I need to look out for my little sister and go on drinking nights with potential lovers you have?" he grinned as the thought alone only made it more funnier.

He had started chuckling now as he shook his head "Your words hold truth though Eun. I've always considered the lone wolves as my family. My real family. Same with some of the people I've met throughout the years in my life. Family is what certain bonds make, yet... You know, I wonder what my own blood would be like. I don't know if I have any other relatives besides my mom and dad. Do I have grandparents? Uncles, Nieces or nephews, aunts? I can't even get their names or look it up." he answered before he sighed and shrugged. It did seem to bother him that he didn't know.

His eyes met hers once more as he smiled "But hey, I love the family I have right now. Even though I'm losing them faster than i'm getting them." he held out his hand to her "But I'd love to be your Oppa." he smirked in a somewhat more enthusiastic state than where he was moments ago.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #39 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

She chuckled as he seemed to stumble on her Korean.  She said it quickly and fast, and naturally.  It was her native tongue after all.  She had learned that language from infancy, other language had come later.  She didn't get to speak Korean very much, and that was okay.  She mostly did it in her logs when she could especially when they were logs for her parents.  But, she never knew if they would ever see them or not.  Not that it mattered, honestly, she just enjoyed getting to say them.  Knowing that maybe they would, or not, but her thoughts and feelings were out there none the less.  She did miss them, and while she had never had the experience, really, of 'no family' she could understand the sadness of not being able to see or hear them.

But he was far more ramped up than her, he didn't know what they looked like, sounded like, were like.  He was left in a completely aire of mystery.  She felt bad for him.

“Yeo.. dong.. saeng” she went slower this time, it sounded like 'Yoh, don-seng'.  “It means little sister.” she chuckled softly.  “Mouthful I know, but you don't have to use it if you don't want to.  I was kind of trying to make a point here.” she admitted with a shrug of her muscular shoulders as he went on to talk about if he could follow her around when she went drinking with the boys or any lovers.  She laughed.  “Ha!  Lets not get carried away unless I get to pal around all your lady friends before you get to take them back to your Quarters too.” she teased at him as she shoved his shoulder playfully.

He admitted to always thinking about the wolves as his family and that while it wasn't the same he was glad that he had them.  She knew that it would never be the same, it would never.  He would one day have to get over the fact that he would just never know his parents and the truth of who they were would probably never come out unless he got some high ass clearance.  “Have you ever thought about having Captain Ives look into it?  They might have the clearance that you need to get at least their names?  I don't know how black ops your parents were but maybe it's something?  I don't know, it's worth a try anyway.  It couldn't hurt to at least give it a go.  I'm not a hacker, but maybe.. there's a hacker on board that would be able to get past some of the defenses.  Hard  to say, but again, something to look into.”

He held out his hand to her and said that he supposed he could be her Oppa.  She smiled warmly and took his hand giving it a firm shake, as she did so.  Her hands were calloused and rough from her job and she supposed that she could have used dermal regenerators and so forth to make them smooth again but she didn't really want to.  She didn't mind her hands, they were a network of words about her job and the things that she loved about her life.  To make her hands soft and gentle would not be her.  She couldn't actually remember them being all that soft.  Probably when she was just a school girl or something back in Korea. 

“Are you finished eating?  If so you want to walk slowly back to work?  Or did you want to finish some more of this amazing Korean food that I made just for you, all my blood, sweat, tears, and a little engine grease went into this.” she chuckled as she turned back to the food but waited to see if he was still hungry.  She could take it or leave it at this point.

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #40 –
[ Lt Cmdr Thomas Ravon | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Blue Zephyr

"Yeo..Don..sheng..?" he mimicked her words as he ran it a couple of more times in his head before he pronounced it properly this time "Yeodongsaeng." The Korean tongue rather thick with his basic accent and no where near what it would normally sound like if two Koreans would converse with one another, yet the pilot was content that it sounded like what it should be. "Are there any abbreviations to it? I mean, Oppa sure sounds simple enough.." he smirked as he looked at Ji who had shoved his shoulder in the meantime as he had suggested that he'd have to drink her potential boyfriends under the table. "Hmm, I usually take my ladyfriends right back to my quarters?" he admitted as he had to smirk and shrug innocently.

"I'm glad to expand any form of family." he chuckled faintly, yet his voice sounded truthful "I'm happy to become closer." he nodded as they shook hands. Razor smirked and thought about what she mentioned about having a higher access. He shook his head as she had mentioned asking the captain "I don't want to bother the captain with it... I think he's got enough on his plate." he shrugged "I do have higher clearance myself though... It's stupid I haven't thought about trying to check it out myself." The chances that he'd be able to do so were slim however. He'd be trying to access databases that were probably under very close inspection of Starfleet. If anything he could easily back trace their location to the Task force that was hunting him. He shook his head slowly "Maybe with a hacker... But those are problems for later." he assured Ji as he smiled.

Thomas had to laugh as Eun asked if he was done eating "Well... If you say it like that.. I think I'll doggybag some?" he suggested before smirking "I'm pretty full actually. Which doesn't mean your efforts of cooking have been in vain." He narrowed his eyes a little "So I think I'll skip eating more for now unless you want to roll me down to the Fighter bay after this." he smirked. It was a good time to wrap it up here. Work had been stalled by them with their little project and lunch, yet work never rested. The chances of more work being there when they returned was rather realistic. "I enjoyed this Eun... Thank you for taking your time to share this with me." he said on a softer tone though as he looked her in the eyes.
 

Re: Day 02 [1345 hrs.] Vivisection of Kludge

Reply #41 –
[CPO Eun Sae Ji | Ji and Solessia Quarters | Deck 14 | USS Theurgy]
@Nolan

He tried, and it was adorable.  He got pretty close considering his accent and working his tongue around the way that Korean was completely different than Standard.  But, he managed it really well and she smiled, it lit up her face brightly shimmering in her eyes with true delight.  He asked if there was any abbreviations to it causing her to chuckle and shake her head.  “No, but if you feel better you can just call me whatever.. you want.  Sis, Little sis.  Whatever it is that feels right to you, I'll stick with Oppa.  It's just what.. I like to call those that I consider family.  Besides, you need family and I'm more than happy to fill the role.”

He admitted that he had never actually tried to look up his parents.  He didn't want to bother the Captain with it but he could try himself he had just never thought of it.  Ji shook her head and just laughed, only a man...  Still, she hoped that he could get some closure, she could not imagine living a life without knowing anything about your past.  At least he had been raised well, it seemed.  Starfleet didn't take just anyone and not just anyone could rise up to the rank that he was.  Not to mention that everyone trusted and seemed to like him, herself included.  Thus, she knew that he had been raised well.  “Well if you try and find anything let me know.  I'm kind of invested now.” she chuckled.

He said he would doggybag some food and she smiled.  Getting up she crossed the room and replicated him a container with partions in it for him to take his food back to his own Quarters with.  She smiled as she perched on the edge of the couch while he filled the container talking about rolling him onto the flight deck.  “Well I'd be willing, but then you wouldn't fit in your fighter, and then Ives would be all pissy about me fattening up their favorite lead fighter.”  she sighed.  “Korean food problems, I tell ya what.”

She smiled as he finished getting his food together and told her thank you for taking the time to hang with him.  She stood up and walked with him to the door.  She walked beside him, hands in her pockets.  “Well Rav, thanks for coming to hang with me and eat my food.” She chuckled.  “We better get back to the deck before search parties are mounted, that just gets awkward.” she grinned and opened the door.  The pair stepped back out into the corridor so that they could head back to check on his fighter again.

~Fin~
 
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