Prepping up (Pregame 2 EM Cafeteria Open)

[Richard Winter]

"It's almost time, are you excited?" asked Richard to the group.

Thomas, John, and Scarlett sat at a table together with Richard.
While Old John looked like the blooming life, Thomas and Scarlett were the exact opposite. Scarlett's mane was still unkempt and spread in all directions. Her facial expressions said, "Talk to me and you die." While she held her coffee cup with both hands to absorb the warmth.

Thomas had deep bags under his eyes and a hollow look. Richard knew that in a few hours Thomas would be cracking jokes and boosting morale again, but still, he was worried about his comrade. Something had been haunting him since Kelenfold, and Thomas was too stubborn and proud to talk about it.

John was the first to answer Richard's question: "Sure Kid, it's time to move the old bones again. Besides, the fresh air on the planets will be a lot better than the constantly re-filtered air here." He started to eat some scrambled eggs and when he realized that neither Thomas nor Scarlett wanted to say anything, he strongly pounded on Scralett's back, who was sitting next to him.
This caused her to knock over her coffee cup, the contents of which inevitably went towards Thomas and drenched him in warm coffee.

"What the fuck old man" Scarlett hissed at him while Thomas responded with just "Oh shit Hot, hot, hot" and tried to take his shirt off as fast as he could.
John just started roaring with laughter "Looks like you guys are finally awake."
But Scarlett was already angry and just threw Spanish swear words around.
"Calm down" said the now upper body free, Thomas. "It's only coffee, and not a capital offense."

While his lancemates were bickering with each other, Richard had gotten Scarlett a new coffee and something to wipe the residue off the table. Gratefully, Scarlett accepted the coffee, still glaring Viciously at John.
"I would have liked a warmer planet, patrols certainly suck on this icicle" she said, somewhat huffily

"Maybe the cold planet will cool down your tempereament a bit" Thomas replied amused. "I for one am glad to see some civilization again. The metal box is getting on my nerves, what about you boss?" he returned the question.

Richard put down his coffee cup and looked around: "I think we can make a good profit here, maybe this time it will be enough for Alpha to finally retire" he said and grinned. "But seriously, it's our first deployment after Kelenford and with Scarlett. I want you to work as a team. The simulations went well, but no simulation can replace real combat. I'm counting on you!" he finished his speech.

"But dig in now, the briefing is later and we don't want to be late".
And so the Lance began to pounce on the breakfast.

[Yoko Lee]

Yoko woke up with a headache. Not a hangover really; She'd not drank nearly enough for that. No, this was just a mix of bad sleep, an uncooperative pillow, and the thrum of ship systems. Still, she'd taken a shower and got dressed, and she looked mostly normal besides a bit of a glower. Oh, and no smokes... DEFINITELY the lack of smokes.

Getting some meat and citrus juice and toast would help a little though, even if it was rationed and military fare. Salt and water and sugar and calories... Maybe she should ask if tea was a possibility?

Sitting down at a table she saw a lance of mechwarriors talking shop and, for once, wasn't really interested in eavesdropping. It really wasn't the morning for it,not to mention likely something that'd go over her head in her state.

[Richard Winter]

Richard saw Yoko come into the cafeteria. He had definitely seen her somewhere before but hadn't really interacted much. He said "Good morning" to her and after he saw that she was still half asleep he said "Coffee?"

[Yoko Lee]

Yoko looked up and blinked, "Hm? Oh, coffee, right. That stuff that tastes like sweaty socks. ...if they have enough cream and sugar for it maybe. I suppose it might do me some good. "

A small rueful sort of chuckle.

[Richard Winter]

"Not much of a coffee drinker, huh?" he chuckled "There should probably be a few things you can throw in the coffee, let me take a look".
He went to the sideboard and looked for what he could find. He came back a little later with a steaming cup of coffee, some sugar and a carton of milk.
"Slept badly?" he asked? "Or just not a morning person?"

[Yoko Lee]

"Did... did I come across as too acerbic when I said that?"

She rubbed her temples a little and took a breath before looking back up, "Apologies; I slept quite poorly indeed, yeah. I'm just not used tospace travel or the quarters, I think. I miss having a sunrise, as corny as that might sound..."

[Richard Winter]

"No need to apologize, my lancemate Scarlett isn't exactly a ray of sunshine after waking up either." he said, gesturing over to his people, "But I can't wait to land either, a few weeks or months without the vitamin D supplements and recycled air will be delightful, guaranteed." he said and took a sip of coffee himself. "Is this your first long space trip?"

[Yoko Lee]

She shook her head as she took the cup and accompaniments. Having real sugar she mixed three spoonfuls into the black liquid.

"I traveled from the western Combine to here, so that took a bit. But that was my only significant trip really. I didn't sleep well on that one either. You're more used to it then, perhaps? Or maybe you're just a deeper sleeper than myself?"

[Richard Winter]

"You can say that, I've been in these dropships for the last 7 years. Of course there were also breaks when we had a deployment, but in between you spend quite a lot of time in these tin buckets." he said with a shrug. "In the beginning I was like you, couldn't sleep, didn't know when it was day or night, and so on. But after a few years you get used to it."

He reached into his pockets and pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes, ripping off the plastic wrapper and taking one out, " One as well?" he asked, holding the pack out towards Yoko

[Alison Rodríguez]

It was way, way, way too early. Alice nearly turned over to go back to sleep at least twice more than she normally would. Unfortunately, previous night Alice expected this and thus not only set her alarm to go off three times, but put it on the opposite side of the room.

Curse previous night Alice and her intelligence!

After cleaning up and dressing relatively decently in a black button-up short sleeved shirt with a denim jacket and matching skirt (and remembering her glasses - impressive feat!) she made her way into the cafeteria to pick up some food. Trying to stifle the forth yawn of the relatively short walk to get a coffee and then the hunt for food. But first coffee.

[Richard Winter]

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...

"Another zombie stumbles into the cafeteria, what" he said with amusement. "Good morning," he called, a little too enthusiastically.

[Alison Rodríguez]

...

"No zombies here" Alison waved sleepily "at least not after this cup is consumed. Is there no cream anywhere?"

Ugh just my luck if not...

[Yoko Lee]

Yoko looked at the smokes like a person in a desert spotting an oasis. She was snapped out of it by Alison coming in though.

"Mornin'. And apologies; I had Mister Winter grab the cream for me actually."

She holds it out to Alison, coffee cup still in her other hand.

[Richard Winter]

...

...

At Yoko's look, he simply took out a cigarette and put it to her, he also nodded in the direction the milk was in

[Alison Rodríguez]

"Oh thank you. I was worried I'd have to take it black or something" Alison accepted the cream gleefully before going to make her coffee...putting in equal parts water, cream and sugar seemingly.

"Sorry for interruptin'" she added while making the drink.

[Yoko Lee]

A small nod to Alison as she took a cig, "Great minds think alike; Gotta make sure the coffee is good to drink, not just bitterness and caffeine."

She looks back to Richard, "...are we allowed to smoke in here? I'd never even asked, but I'd figured in an enclosed space like this it would be silly to ask."

[Richard Winter]

...

...

He shrugged, "So far no one has stopped me, but I guess it wouldn't really make a difference where you smoke one anyway, the air filters stay the same."

Horrified he watched as Alison ruined her coffee. The black brew in his cup spoke for itself.
"Not much to interrupt," he said with a grin, "We were talking about space travel, are you taking the trip well?"

[Alison Rodríguez]

"Don't stop on my account, don't care about smoking really as long as it don't get blown in my face. Plenty of smoke machines in my previous line of work" Alison said as she put the cream down, taking a long sip of the coffee before speaking again.

"Trips fine. Zero gravity is weird but you get used to it. Still would rather get my feet on the ground! What about you two?"

[Yoko Lee]

"I'm definitely a planetside woman. I'll leave space to the thrillseekers and pilots and such. I sleep poorly, the air's stale, the zero gravity portions make me nauseous sometimes, and there's not enough privacy."

She held out the cig to Richard for a light as she kept responding to Alison, "Other than that, I suppose it could be worse."

[Richard Winter]

...

...

Been on the road for years, so I'm pretty used to all this" he made a gesture " already." "What did you do before? Smoke sounds a lot like a factory to me.