07-04-2026, 03:06 AM
Hallowette listened with quiet interest as Ardanna spoke, her smile lingering throughout the answer. There was something deeply encouraging about hearing another officer describe the things they had chosen to learn simply because they found them worthwhile. Cooking lessons. Tinkering with machinery. Studying mythology. None of them seemed to belong together at first glance, yet somehow they painted a picture that felt far richer than any colored tunic or rank ever could.
"Norse mythology? I know little of human religious tradition, sadly." she echoed, genuine curiosity finding her before she had time to think about it. "But I've always loved how myths become little windows into a culture." Her fingers idly traced the condensation on her glass. "Not because they tell you what happened, but because they tell you what a people thought was important enough to remember - to believe."
The thought lingered for only a moment before she smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry..." she admitted softly. "Seems like everything somehow ends up becoming about languages, cultures or flight envelopes with me."
Before the other women had the chance to answer, another voice drifted toward the table.
"Room for one more?"
Hally looked up to see Lucy standing beside them, tray balanced carefully in her hands.
"Of course Lucy." The answer came easily as she slid her PADD aside to clear another place at the table. "Please, have a seat." She smiled sweetly, genuinely, "It's good to see you." before placing a hand on the science officers arm warmly.
The conversation had already wandered through childhoods, families, careers and hobbies. Somehow it hadn't felt heavy so much as honest. Hally found herself noting that it seemed to simply be what happened when a handful of Starfleet officers stopped talking about duty rosters long enough to talk about themselves.
Her attention returned to Ju almost before she'd realized it had. There was something unexpectedly familiar about the engineer. Not because they had lived similar lives — if anything, their stories were wonderfully different, but because they seemed to delight in many of the same sorts of things. Family. Food. Languages. People. The realization had crept up on Hally so gradually that she hadn't noticed it until now. She smiled to herself.
"Ju..." she began, almost thoughtfully. "I was just thinking..." She paused as she considered if the thought was sensible enough to state aloud, "...I'd really love to learn to cook some Korean food sometime."
She looked from Ju to Ardanna. "Actually..." her teal eyes sparkling in dim light of the lounge, "I think we all should." She laughed quietly, more at herself than anyone else. There wasn't a grand invitation behind it or the threat of some carefully laid plan. Just an honest thought that had arrived and refused to leave. Cooking had always seemed to her less about recipes than about people standing around the same counter, talking while something delicious slowly took shape between them. Only after the words were out did she realize she'd invited two officers she'd only just begun getting to know to spend time together. A faint blush dusted her freckled cheeks. "Guess it's too late to hide the fact that I... uhm," She glanced down at her glass with a sheepish smile, but some bright part of her personality shone through despite the awkwardness "I really enjoy making friends."
It wasn't quite an apology as much as an observation. The thought warmed her more than embarrassed her, which was a nice change.
Turning toward Lucy again, she rested her forearms lightly on the table, quietly widening the circle without changing its rhythm. "Lucy, Ju asked the table a fun question." Her teal eyes held the easy curiosity that seemed almost impossible to separate from her. "We were talking about what everyone enjoys when they're off duty." She smiled. "What about you? How was your leave?"
"Norse mythology? I know little of human religious tradition, sadly." she echoed, genuine curiosity finding her before she had time to think about it. "But I've always loved how myths become little windows into a culture." Her fingers idly traced the condensation on her glass. "Not because they tell you what happened, but because they tell you what a people thought was important enough to remember - to believe."
The thought lingered for only a moment before she smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry..." she admitted softly. "Seems like everything somehow ends up becoming about languages, cultures or flight envelopes with me."
Before the other women had the chance to answer, another voice drifted toward the table.
"Room for one more?"
Hally looked up to see Lucy standing beside them, tray balanced carefully in her hands.
"Of course Lucy." The answer came easily as she slid her PADD aside to clear another place at the table. "Please, have a seat." She smiled sweetly, genuinely, "It's good to see you." before placing a hand on the science officers arm warmly.
The conversation had already wandered through childhoods, families, careers and hobbies. Somehow it hadn't felt heavy so much as honest. Hally found herself noting that it seemed to simply be what happened when a handful of Starfleet officers stopped talking about duty rosters long enough to talk about themselves.
Her attention returned to Ju almost before she'd realized it had. There was something unexpectedly familiar about the engineer. Not because they had lived similar lives — if anything, their stories were wonderfully different, but because they seemed to delight in many of the same sorts of things. Family. Food. Languages. People. The realization had crept up on Hally so gradually that she hadn't noticed it until now. She smiled to herself.
"Ju..." she began, almost thoughtfully. "I was just thinking..." She paused as she considered if the thought was sensible enough to state aloud, "...I'd really love to learn to cook some Korean food sometime."
She looked from Ju to Ardanna. "Actually..." her teal eyes sparkling in dim light of the lounge, "I think we all should." She laughed quietly, more at herself than anyone else. There wasn't a grand invitation behind it or the threat of some carefully laid plan. Just an honest thought that had arrived and refused to leave. Cooking had always seemed to her less about recipes than about people standing around the same counter, talking while something delicious slowly took shape between them. Only after the words were out did she realize she'd invited two officers she'd only just begun getting to know to spend time together. A faint blush dusted her freckled cheeks. "Guess it's too late to hide the fact that I... uhm," She glanced down at her glass with a sheepish smile, but some bright part of her personality shone through despite the awkwardness "I really enjoy making friends."
It wasn't quite an apology as much as an observation. The thought warmed her more than embarrassed her, which was a nice change.
Turning toward Lucy again, she rested her forearms lightly on the table, quietly widening the circle without changing its rhythm. "Lucy, Ju asked the table a fun question." Her teal eyes held the easy curiosity that seemed almost impossible to separate from her. "We were talking about what everyone enjoys when they're off duty." She smiled. "What about you? How was your leave?"