Ravenous

Posted on Sun Mar 21st, 2021 @ 11:42am by Ensign Rajeo & Lon Nren

Mission: Pathstone to History
Location: The Raging Deity

When Rajeo woke up, he spent an hour just lying...staring at the ceiling. He was starving. Usually a small meal and coffee would sate him in the morning, but the hollow pit of the petite Delta’s stomach seemed to echo with its rumbles, screaming, "Feed me, Rajeo!"

Finally, he rolled out of bed and made himself presentable—or as presentable he could feel before coffee.So when he arrived at the Betazoid operated lounge, he was happy to see that it was open for breakfast.

He sat himself at one of the tables in the sunken middle of the room, nestling into the seat.

After the excitement of the plant few days, Lon decided to work breakfast on his own. To be honest, there wasn't much to do. Most of the crew ate in their quarters.

The Betazoid was just polishing off his first pot of coffee when her heard someone come in. Jumping up, he gave his face a few gentle pats to wake himself up, and walked smartly to the occupied table.

"Good Morning Ensign." Nren said with a bright white smile. "Welcome, what can I do for you?"

"Good morning," Raj replied cheerfully. "I'm very interested in your morning menu—it's been ages since I've had a home cooked breakfast." His stomach growled at him in response. Although it was hardly an audible grumble, he self-consciously slid his hand over his tummy. He laughed nervously.

Lon smiled at the Ensign. He had learned long ago to accept the nutritional whims of servicemen. "The Chef makes a magnificent Targ blood sausage, served with Cardassian Vole eggs."

"Hmm... that sounds good. Maybe with a little bit of oskoid on the side? And coffee, lots of coffee."

Lon smiled. He liked a man who knew what he wanted. "Absolutely. I'll be right back with a pot."

As he waited, Rajeo pulled a tangle of black string and double pointed needles from a small bag he carried with him that morning. He was almost finished with this pair of fingerless gloves that he was knitting as a gift for his father. While most of the items he’d made were socks he was determined to try his hand at something different. He chose his softest wool for the project. This one was a Ba'ku cashmere, which was light and warm—perfect for working long winters on Earth.

Lon hurried back with the coffee. He set an ornate pot down on the table along with a cup, cream and sugar "A House blend, it's a three hundred year old recipe, brewed to perfection." He poured the Deltan a small cup. "What is that you're doing?" He asked.

"Knitting," Rajeo replied, smiling gratefully for the coffee. "This will be a pair of hand warmers, although I usually just make socks."

"It looks very relaxing." He said, observing the technique.

"It can be," he replied, setting the needles in his lap and reaching for the cup. "I've known some angry knitters, though." Curling his fingers around the cup, he lifted it to breathe in the aroma of the coffee steam. With a smile, he reclined against the cushion of his seat and took a long sip before he said, "This is perfect.”

"Make yourself comfortable." Lon said in a calm tone. "I'll check on your order."

He nodded to him. "Thank you." Sipping the coffee, he admired the ambiance of the new establishment. Details popped out at her that were lost in the crowd of his last visit

Lon returned hastily with a well balanced plate of foreign foods. He placed it gently in front of Rajeo. "Enjoy your breakfast." He said, stepping back. He always watched his guests take their first bite to ensure everything was satisfactory.

Carefully, he broke the yolk over a piece of toast, which he then topped with a slice of blood sausage. He sliced off a corner of the stack and popped it into her mouth. The savory complexity of the blood sausage was surprising, with bits of onion and something fruity. It was dense and rich against the creaminess of the vole egg. "I wasn't expecting that," he said after chewing and swallowing the bite. "Was that apple?"

Stepping back to the table, "Jakarine." Lon corrected, "It's native to Betazed. We like to use it, as it has a very strong taste and can be paired with many different flavors." Lon smiled widely.

"Mmm, interesting," Raj replied, picking up a leaf of Oskoid to nibble on. "I'm not familiar with Jakarine. Well, I wasn't. What do they look like?"

Lon smiled, always loving to impart knowledge of his homeworld to others. "A Jakarine is a deep crimson coloured fruit. The grow in bunches, and are covered by a rose hued husk that is is cotton like in texture."

Rajeo tilted his head, picturing the fruit. "Cotton like? Is it a fiber, like..." He reached for his ball of cashmere and held it up.

Lon’s smile continued, "Jakarine wool is the softest in the Federation."

The Deltan’s lips formed an "ooh" as he wondered why he hadn't come across this in his travels. "I must keep an eye out for that and add some to my stash."

"I have a waitress who spins the husks into wool." He smiled at Raj, "I would be happy to ask her for some."

"Would you?" Raj beamed. "That would be wonderful—thank you."

Lon leaned towards him, and with a smile he said, "I like to keep my patrons happy."

With that he straightened up, winked and left Rajeo alone with his meal.