What the duck? Part 1(Day 2 Morning)

Serena woke up early, grinding the sleep out of her eyes from a fitful night. The new chair certainly didn’t feel like the safest place on the boat, but at some point, she was happy to report Sistah Doctah Lyen got the hang of typing Heran. Groggy and in need of caffeine, she padded to her room to drop Bart Jr. down the hatch, then headed off in the hopes that Roose made coffee and something edible -- but mostly coffee.

“Oh, hiya, Crew Chief,” she said, shuffling into the galley. They’d had a long trek yesterday, but there was a ton of work to be done, so resting, recuperating, all that would have to wait. “Thanks again’ for takin’ me with you to see your friends.”

Vas poked at his meal. “No problem. It was fun.” He said as he tried to dexter in Rooses meal was an attempt at porridge or just a mashup of various failures dumped into a pot. He tasted it. “I hope you’re hungry …” You would have to be starving to enjoy this. “ … and can hold your breath for long periods of time.” He added in a mutter as he choked down his meal.

Serena shook her head and slunk into the chair beside him at the table, putting four or five teaspoons of sugar into her coffee before resting her chin on her hands atop the table. “I’m not,” She said with a frown. “Hungry.” It still felt like there was a big hole where her stomach should be, and she didn’t feel like trying to fill it with -- she wasn’t even sure she’d call that food.

“You sure? It beats being hungry … almost. Just hold your breath and try not to taste it.” The Crew Cheif encouraged.

“No,” Serena said with a shake of her head. “It’s not Roose’s cooking, it’s just -- “ Just what? Contracts don’t always get re-upped, sometimes people leave. Sometimes they get spaced. Sometimes they just die, and then things go on. “I miss --” He and Mistah Doctah Adluh hadn’t had a chance to square up, she didn’t want to make things worse. “The duck we had,” she finished.

“Yea well, Duck by comparison …” Vas sighed remembering it fondly. “... I wonder if they make duck flavored protein paste or bars?” He said thoughtfully. “Don’t you worry we go ‘round lots of places … we’re bound to have some more at some point.” The punk aid in an upbeat tone.

“Yeah, but I mean, I liked that duck,” she protested. “And I want that duck, not just any old Duck… you know? That was the duck I liked.”

“The Duck on Greenleaf? The one we got at the Bizzare?” Vas said warily while also thinking really hard. The Duck on Greenleaf had been really good but there were plenty of places that made it equally good. “I mean yeah it was good duck but it was your first time so you gotta keep your head open to try other kinds of duck too … plenty of duck in the ‘verse!” He assured her. Vas couldn’t blame her … duck was amazing and very addictive!

Serena looked at him incredulously. “I don’t want to try other kinds of duck! I want our duck!” she huffed with an exasperated sigh. “How can you just pretend that our duck didn’t matter?”