Lei let out a small giggle and rolled her eyes at Geoff, "You can't do that, Geoff!  The pawns only move one spot at a time, you can't make him barrel down the entire length of the board." she explained, and smiled up at the huge man.  It had been a really hard past couple of weeks but Lei finally had her big brother back and she had no intention of ever letting him go.  She hadn't so much as let him out of her sight, except for when he had to go to the bathroom or sleep.  Lei looked down ... she just didn't want to loose him.  She didn't ever want to feel the way she had felt that day on the station again.  That pain she had felt deep inside, that pain that was so real even though she couldn't find any physical source for it.  It didn't make sense.  How could an emotion cause physical pain?  Lei wanted to research the topic but even the professors books couldn't explain it to her satisfaction.  So in the meantime Lei took preventitive measures.

Geoff frowned, "Who says I can't?  If I were a ruttin' pawn an' I saw an' openin' like that, you can be damn sure I'd be all over it.  An' I wouldn't be takin' no one step at a time either." he argued.  He didn't see anything wrong with his move, it was just what he'd do in a real fight, charge full speed ahead and take 'em out anyway you could.

"It's against the rules, though.  I told you all of them already.  Pawns move forward one, the rooks slide forward and to the side, the bishops ..." Lei laughed because Geoff was mocking her now, making faces as she continued to explain, pretending to yawn, "It's a strategy game, you're supposed to think about it." she concluded.

"Heh, thinkin's overrated." Geoff said with a wink to the small girl, "How 'bout you do the thinkin' fer the both 'o us.  Give me more time ta focus on what's really important like uh ..."  Geoff's eyes cast around for what was really important in life but ended up just staring down at his own boots. Well hell, why not? He looked up with a grin, "Like boots.  Ya ... like boot polishin', now that's somethin' really important.  All these folk that go 'bout thinkin' don't pay 'nough attention ta their boots."  This caused Lei to laugh and that made Geoff feel right good.  It was moments like this that kept him here with Destiny.  It was the fact that this here was his family and he ain't never had one quite like ... well he ain't never had one at all, but that was beside the point.  The point was that this was right where he belonged.

[From Destiny: Cargo Bay]

Kale stepped into the dining hall then still lost in his own thoughts, still regretting inviting Dake over for dinner.  It was a can of worms that he really didn't want to open.  He'd spent a good deal of time trying to bury all of that in his past.  He'd started himself a new life far from Santo and he had no desire to have to deal with all of that again.  And yet somehow he'd invited his past over for dinner and there was nothing he could do about it.  He didn't even glance at Geoff and Lei as he walked through the room and to the cabinets.  He opened them all, they had enough gorram protien to feed an army but almost nothing else.  He slammed them shut and placed his hands on the counter, looking down.

Geoff looked to the doorway as Kale came barging into the room, "Heya Cap ..." Geoff trailed off as Kale walked right past and began opening and slamming shut all of the cupboards.  He didn't say anything to him and Geoff took this as a sign that he didn't want to talk to him, that he must have done something wrong.  Kale hadn't talked much to Geoff since the raid on Torrance Station.  Granted most of that was his own damn fault, he'd locked himself up in his bunk for the better part of the time after.  He'd beed getting this sinking feeling that Kale was regretting promoting him to first mate though.  He didn't feel too much like a first mate.  He felt like a ruttin' mess.

He shook his head, Stop bein' a gorram fool, this probably's got nothin' ta do with ya. he tried to tell himself.  He glanced over at Lei who was looking curiously at the Captain.  There had been a time when she would have taken off running in the other direction seeing Kale in a mood like this, or at the very least come stand right beside Geoff - using him like a sheild.  She'd come a long way though since they'd first picked her up.  She didn't need him anymore ... not like she used to.  It made Geoff proud - but also a little said.  She arched a brow at him and he shrugged.

"Heya Cap'n?  Uh ... ya alrigh' an' everythin'?  'Cause I'm thinkin' those cupboards are takin' an unfair beatin' there."

Kale glanced back at Geoff and Lei disinterestedly his thoughts still on Dake, "Ya, ya I'm fine, just - I gotta cook up somethin' fer a meal.  We're havin' company." he looked hopelessly back up at the cupboards wondering why the hell he cared.  It was as though he had something to prove.  Like this meeting someone from his past was a testament to what he'd made of his life and if he couldn't even scrounge up enough decent food to feed the guy then what the hell had he amounted too?

Lei wrinkled her nose, glanced at Geoff and then back at the Captain, "You gotta make the meal?" she asked, she had had the Captain's cooking a few times and it was always really bad.  Like the chicken that he burned back at the professors.

"Why don't you let Lei and I do that Captain, I'm sure that Charlene will appreciate not cleaning the air scrubbers out." Kyoko says as she comes in with her shopping order of food for the crew. The items were simple and she had picked them from the bigger collection in her shuttle, but they were organic and grown, now cubes or processed protien, a definite change of pace for shipboard life.

Geoff tried to hold back a laugh at Lei's comment.  She was a sweet girl but had just as much tack as he did.  Brutal honesty, you could always count on Lei for that.  He looked up as Kyoko came into the room, "Heh, Cap'n I think ya might wanna listen ta Kyoko there and let the ladies handle the cookin'."

It was a sign that Kale was definitly not himself right now that he didn't argue the point that his cooking was worse then fei wu as he normally at least kept up the pretense of being proud of his skills in the kitchen.  Instead he actually looked at Kyoko and nodded his head, "Maybe yer right, this boat could do with a bit 'o decent food fer one night, I'll leave ya to it then." he said and left the room without another word.

[To Destiny: Kale's Bunk]

Geoff shrugged as the Captain left.  He was a bit surprised that he didn't say anything about his cooking being good since it was an ongoing battle of words that Kale and Geoff had going (just another sign that perhaps the Captain wasn't all too happy with him).  He tried to not let that thought enter his head though as he looked from Lei to Kyoko, "S'pose I should be askin' if you ladies will be needin' any help.  I'm a good hand in the kitchen - sight better then the Cap'n if I do say so myself." he said.

Lei looked at Geoff skeptically, "Not much better." she said bluntly.  She'd had Geoff's cooking before and while was right - it was better then the Cap'ns it was still a far cry from anything Kyoko could whip up or herself for that matter.

"Actually I think that you'd be better off talking with the Captain, Geoff. I know he's feeling down, but I doubt he'd be more open with me. You're more of the touch he might need at the moment. Try not to give one another too much trouble." Kyoko says as she makes a shooing motion.

"Well, I don' know 'bout me bein' the one ta be talkin' to him.  I normally just muddle stuff up.  But I s'pose I could go see what's eatin' him since my fine cookin' skills don't seem to be appreciated here 'bouts." he said and headed out of the dining hall.

[To Destiny: Kale's Bunk]

Lei watched Geoff move out of the dining hall and stared down the hall after him, her ears easily picking up the sound of the chair that Kale threw down in his bunk.  Her brow wrinkled slightly and she looked up at Kyoko, "The Captain isn't happy." she said.  As long as she had been aboard Destiny she was still mystified by the way the other crew members dispositions could change at the drop of a hat.  When Kale had gone off this morning he'd been in a fine mood and now he was throwing chairs around.

Or the death of Ren.  Everyone had been strongly effected by this.  Lei missed the old pilot but she had a feeling that she didn't fully understand what the rest of the crew was going through.  She simply didn't get it.  He was gone now, there was really no logical point in being overly upset, it wouldn't bring him back.

She stood up then and moved towards the bags that Kyoko had brought and began peering through them.

"We've gone though a lot of changes and loss in the last few weeks." Kyoko says as she pulls out a few cuts of beef, hard bought, and some vegatables. Rice follows last. "Not a lot, but enough for some stir fry I think."

Lei looked up at Kyoko and grinned, "How can I help?" she asked.  The sound of stir fry sounded delicious.  Kyoko had made it once before for the crew and Lei was looking forward to a good meal.

"I'll do the instructing and you can do the cooking." Kyoko says as she moves aside for Lei. She quietly points out what is in needed and how to go about it.

Lei carefully followed each of Kyoko's instructions.  Lei was a very precise young girl and a task as formulaic as cooking was just the sort of thing that she excelled at.  It was like chemistry almost.  Lei had read quite a few books from the professor on chemistry and thought that the comparison was quite appropriate.  Add some of this, a little of that and you come out with a combined mixture.

After a few moments though Lei had the hang of it and no longer needed to direct her full attention to the task of cooking, instead her mind wandered.  She looked to Kyoko, "Who do you think the Captain has coming on board?"

Lei had been thinking a lot about this.  Obviously he was not happy about this meal by his short exchange with them and the throwing of the chair.  But she wasn't sure what sort of person he would be unhappy to see but still invite over for dinner.  It really didn't make much logical sense.  If he didn't want to see their dinner guest then he shouldn't have invited him.

(From Destiny: Connor's Bunk)

Connor walked in slowly and looked around, seeing everyone doing different things...but the captain wasn't in the room. Huh, interesting.

"How is everyone...and can I help with anything?"

Lei glanced up from where she was working as Connor came in, they almost had the meal completely finished, "The meal is almost completed, further assistance is not necessary." Lei said.  She moved towards the cabinets to start pulling out the plates and silverware while Kyoko put the finishing touches on the food.  She paused though at the cabinet door as she caught the sound of an unfamiliar voice in the cargo bay - a sound that everyone else in the dining room most likely would not pick up.  Lei had begun to realize lately that she wasn't merely more intelligent then many of the others on the ship, she could hear better and see farther.  She didn't put too much thought into this odd phenomemon but it certainly hadn't escaped her notice.

"I think our dinner guest is here." she commented quietly as she removed the plates.

Kyoko nods as she continues cooking, watching Lei as she works. The girl was coming along, though she still wasn't quite socially compatible with most folks. She was trying and applying her mental talents to adjust quickly.

She did wonder how much smarter than the rest of the crew, herself included, Lei was. It was unbelievable how fast she picked up things, she finished a navigation course that had taken Kyoko weeks in days.

"That's good Lei, you're coming along fine in your cookign skills. Why don't you finish up the cooking while I set the p laces."

Wei-li entered the dining hall still talking to Dake.

"No, nothing sentimental, my mom just like the name." She said then nodded to the others.  She stepped out of the way and gestured towards Dake.


"Our guest has arrived," she announced.  "Dake Collins, I'd like to introduce you to, Kyoko, Lei and Connor.  Guys, this is Dake."

Connor nodded and waved to the man. He would have offered his hand...save for the fact that he was across the room.

"Nice to meet you, Dake."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:19, Mon 05 Feb 2007.