Targ Roast & White Chocolate

Posted on Tue Nov 13th, 2018 @ 8:59am by

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Estelle's Cabin
Timeline: en route
2310 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Estelle had put her downtime to good use. Not only had she been able to finish the gift she had made for Tayalas, she had also finally been able to bring aboard all her goodies that had just taken up space on the station. Her quarters looked much better now, at least in her opinion.

There were shelves with books, each and every one had a rubber band spun from side to side to make sure the books would stay in place even during times that the inertial dampeners were straining to keep up, and all were decorated with a Celtic band pattern on the forward-facing edge of the wood, a relief carving painted in rich green, blue and red colours, depicting either vines or snakes.

All the standard furniture was gone, and in addition to a kitchen Estelle had also put in her favourite ornate coffee table with a built-in chess board of black and white marble, and a desk that looked like Henry Blake might have been proud of it once, except it had a computer console built into it. The armchairs and the sofa looked much more comfortable than before, despite the carved wood their frames were made of, and the corners of the room held a variety of colourful plantlife.

Now, with the table already laid out, Estelle was in the kitchen putting the final touches on her targ roast, which she had carefully seasoned with a flavour that simulated a wood fire spit-roasting process, which she couldn’t fully replicate inside her own cabin.

Liorga rang the chime, waiting for Estelle with chocolates in hand.

“Come in”, Estelle called, not moving away from her pots and pans, where she was currently frying potatoes, on which she had cheated by replicating them cooked and diced. Little of her evening’s attire was visible under the large apron she was wearing.

Liorga entered and walked to Estelle, handing the doctor the box of chocolates, “These are for you.” She informed, “Seven different kinds of chocolates in there.”

“Oh, thank you”, Estelle smiled. “Who snitched on my weakness?”

“You’ve a friend in engineering who can’t be quiet.” Liorga laughed, “She’s the source of your leak.”

“I should have known”, Estelle grinned. “But these will have to wait until after dinner. The targ roast is done, just simmering, and these potatoes won’t be much longer.” There was already a side-dish sitting on the table, consisting mostly of lettuce, mushrooms and aioli.

Liorga took a deep breath and took it all in, “Well, if smell is any indicator, this is going to be a fabulous meal.”

“I try”, Estelle smiled, then quickly moved the potatoes from the pan into a bowl and started putting everything on the table. “Why don’t you surprise me with one of your great ales?” she suggested.

“Will do.” Liorga smiled, quickly replicating one of her favorite called Andorian Lady for them both, “It’s got some punch, but not enough to be unpleasant, I think it pairs well with Targ.”

“You’re not trying to get me drunk, are you?” Estelle grinned. She was used to quite a bit from her Andorian upbringing but wasn’t going to let on. She figured her behaviour the other day made Liorga believe she was a lightweight. Estelle undid her apron and pulled it off over her head, now revealing a black, thinly-striped blouse that was see-through in all the right places except where it would have been indecent, paired with her signature black trousers which she liked to wear with almost anything.

“Oh, wow…” Liorga stopped dead and stared, Estelle looked absolutely amazing, “If you’re going to go around looking like that, yes, I’m going to get you drunk until I look just as good to you.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that”, Estelle grinned. “Oh, and my eyes are up here.”

“And they’re beautiful, too.” Liorga complimented, then offered the doctor her glass, “And this stuff might cross them for you.”

“Thankfully, we needn’t worry about an empty stomach”, Estelle smiled. “Let’s sit and eat before it gets cold.” She wasn’t going to try any of the strong stuff without at least some potatoes inside her.

“Wonderful idea.” Liorga smiled, pulling a chair out for Estelle, “Please.”

Estelle took the offered seat. “I checked with your medical file, none of this will trigger any allergies or other unwanted side-effects. Except for the targ, they’re all Earth foods. You’ll have to try some of the aioli, the rest is optional.”

“Okay, sounds good.” Liorga nodded as she took her seat across from Estelle, “So, do you always check a dinner date’s allergies before making the meal? I mean, it’s definitely a nice gesture, prevent any sort of nasty surprises. Just never had anyone do that before.”

“It’s an occupational hazard”, Estelle admitted. “Lots of things can go wrong with different species, and many foods are not compatible. I admit, I haven’t got a lot of experience with Deltans. You’re only the second one I’ve met, and the only one I’ve actually shared food with.”

“Awww, now I feel special.” Liorga blushed, stopping for a second to taste the aioli, “Okay, now that is good.”

Estelle started with the lettuce on aioli as well. That got any possible awkwardness because of the garlic out of the way. “Aren’t we all special? I’ve often been told I was. I’m not sure it was usually a compliment, though.”

“I’m sure it was.” Liorga nodded, putting some of the aioli on a piece of the roast targ as she tried to remember the last time anyone told her she was special. Yeah, that was right, it was the day she got demoted when Captain Kirok told her she had a special talent and had wasted it, “That is really good targ, Estelle. You’re quite a cook.”

“It’s all in how you cut it”, Estelle explained, a completely serious expression on her face. She held her knife like one would a scalpel and showed Liorga some impressive wrist action.

“Is it weird that I find that kind of hot?” Liorga giggled, though the question wasn’t a joke, “Something about a woman who can really handle a knife…”

Estelle laughed. “You should serve on a hospital ship. Deltan pheromones versus an entire staff of surgeons… there might be a publication in that”, she teased.

“I guess so.” Liorga shrugged, “Though we might have to see how those pheromones work on surgeons, that way we’re not talking out of our backsides, huh?”

“My cooking is carefully tailored towards preventing that particular issue”, Estelle winked, taking another bite.

Was Estelle playing with her, Liorga wondered, no way she was that oblivious. Unsure what to do, she simple giggled at Estelle’s apparent joke.

Estelle took a sip of the ale and pursed her lips. “You don’t think I’m too goofy, I hope? I’ve already got to expect retaliatory action from the XO, any day now.”

“Goofy? No.” Liorga shook her head, “I think you’re a smart, talented, beautiful woman who just happens to have a good sense of humor. Nothing goofy about that.” Liorga took a slug of her ale and laughed, “As for the XO seeking revenge, well, nothing I can do for you there.”

“Thank you”, Estelle smiled. It felt nice being appreciated. “I went to the Academy costume ball, and I admit it was a rather skimpy outfit. My date asked me what I was, so I told him I was a harp. You know, with me liking music and all, I thought it was a nice idea. He said my outfit was too small to be a harp. I accused him of calling me a lyre.”

Liorga lowered her head and groaned, “Punny, very punny.”

“True story, though”, Estelle insisted. “It did start a tradition.”

“Oh, I’ve got to know about this.” Liorga gasped, turned her rapt attention to Estelle, “Go on, go on…”

“Oh, whenever there’s an event that lets me dress up, I make sure there’s a good pun… well, some pun at least, which I can make regarding its description”, Estelle smiled. “And with one thing leading to another, people keep asking me whether I need my funny bone removed.”

“That I’ll have to see one day.” Liorga nodded, “I’m sure there’s plenty of opportunities coming.”

“It’ll be time for carnival soon”, Estelle agreed. “So, what do you do in your free time, other than share meals and drinks with weird caffeine addicts?”

“Not much lately, to be honest.” Liorga shrugged, “I’ve spent a little more time out lately than I had before, spent a lot of time with Ens. Norris on the holodeck. She’s got a new program, a holographic submarine tour of Loch Ness, constructed from drone footage. Had some weird shadows in one of the deeper areas…”

Estelle laughed. “I bet it does. The Scots will never get tired of that. Did you know there was a proposal to take a single Sarpeidonian whale lizard and put it in Loch Ness as a tourist attraction?”

“Oh geez, don’t tell Gallia.” Liorga laughed, “She’ll go all Braveheart on us…”

“We’ll have to make sure there are no spiders in her quarters, then”, Estelle giggled. Liorga knew a lot about Earth history, it impressed her but also made her self-conscious about knowing jack shit about the Deltan past.

“I only know about Braveheart because Gallia never shuts up about Scotland.” Liorga admitted, “I don’t know, maybe she’s homesick or something.” Liorga wouldn’t know what that was like, having never really had a home she wanted to get back to.

“If you want a symbol for persevering in the face of adversity, I guess there are worse role-models to pick than King Robert the Bruce of Scotland”, Estelle had to admit. “I had an ancestor who was a veteran of our second world war. In a single day during the Battle of Britain, he downed nine German planes and killed, I think thirty-something German aviators. Must have been the worst engineer the Luftwaffe ever had.”

Liorga did a quick drumroll and rim shot on the table to go with Estelle’s joke, “Good one, Shecky.” She laughed, thinking the doctor was becoming cuter and cuter with every passing quip.

“Thank you, I do try”, Estelle smiled. “I’m still undecided. I like people with a sense of humour, you see… but is laughing about my jokes, or making me laugh, a sign of a sense of humour? And how conceited am I allowed to be before it’ll get tiresome?”

“So far…” Liorga said, sipping her ale thoughtfully, “so good.”

Estelle leaned in and gave Liorga a peck on the cheek. “Thank you. You’re too kind.”

“You’re welcome.” Liorga smiled, countering the cheek kiss with an equally soft one on Estelle’s lips. If you’re gonna go, she thought, always go for broke.

“I must be doing something right”, Estelle concluded, her mood much improved all of a sudden.

“Everything so far.” Liorga said, though she had hoped for a more… intense reaction from the doctor.

Estelle finally pieced together the fragments of conversation. Liorga had been making compliments while Estelle had just been silly, which was her usual state of mind. She understood, and it was most delightful. “I suppose dessert will be the deciding factor?” She had to come up with something quickly, something that made it look like a natural progression, not a sudden change. Nothing awkward.

“And what’s on the menu for dessert?” Liorga asked, wanting to see where this went.

“Berries coated in white chocolate, with a hint of vanilla flavour”, Estelle revealed. “Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, roddenberries, I’ve got a small selection.”

“Roddenberries, nice.” Liorga smiled, remembering her mother telling her a story about how roddenberries were a gift from the great bird of the galaxy.

“I have to admit, they’re from the replicator”, Estelle said. With the main course finished, she started moving the dishes towards the aforementioned for recycling. “I can’t afford them on a Lieutenant’s allowance, otherwise.”

“Well, I’m an old spacer.” Liorga shrugged, “Almost everything I’ve ever eaten has come from the replicator, so that’s not an issue for me.”

“I’ve looked at your file, you’re not quite that old”, Estelle smirked. “Though, admittedly, I’d struggle looking as good when I get up there.” She retrieved the dessert from the cupboard in the kitchen, where she had kept it hidden.

“You know how we do it, right? I mean looking so good into our older years.” Liorga teased, “It’s an ancient Deltan secret.”

“You’re saying there’s more to it than a generally longer lifespan?” Estelle asked, carrying the chocolate-coated berries over to the sofa, where she decided they’d be more comfortable.

“There is.” Liorga said with a smirk, “No hair equals no gray. Simple really.”

Estelle laughed. “Would your hairlessness join me on the sofa?” she asked.

“With pleasure.” Liorga replied, moving herself to a comfortable place beside Estelle, “There. Better.”

Estelle put her arm around Liorga’s shoulders and put the bowl with fruit in her lap. That, in her book, was the best way to get comfortable which didn’t involve caffeine. She held out a chocolate-coated roddenberry to Liorga.

Liorga leaned forward, taking the roddenberry into her mouth seductively, moaning softly, ”Mmm, delicious.”

"I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure it would work with chocolate", Estelle said, pulling Liorga closer. No matter what, she couldn't resist being silly about things.