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Eh...no' really [He gives a sheepish smile and a faintly apologetic shrug] Y'know me, if I can't take it apart wi' a spanner it needs a good run up t'get my attention.

And you know me. I can't help but overhear- well, everything. [A small smile, she's just getting off a shift on the bridge.]

So what's been happenin'? [He falls into step beside her, both of them heading for the mess hall after a long beta shift. Something nice and greasy to eat is very much on his agenda at the moment]

Do you want the official news or- [her grin gets a bit wider] the current ship gossip?

Oh, c'mon [He grins and tips her a wink] Gossip. Always.

Good man. [Uhura glances around first. She may be willing to exchange rumors with Scotty, but it's not really the image she likes to show to people she's less close to.] ..alright. For starters, Chekov and Sulu, confirmed. I caught an encoded message that was sent from one of their stations to the other. It was- I'm just going to say steamy and adorable and leave it at that.

Aw that's nice [He smiles broadly, the brightly pleased expression of an honourary older sibling simultaneously happy for them and relishing the opportunity to tease them at every possible opportunity. He shakes his head in mock-disapproval] Sendin' dirty messages on duty though. Shockin'.

It's cute. I think they'll get away with it for a while. [She wasn't going to be the one to point it out, anyway.] I'm sure professional reality will find them once the newness of it all wears down a bit.

[Kind of the same way she feels like a big sister to them both. More so with Chekov, but then again, Sulu and Uhura haven't always had sibling vibes. Had she been available... well, anyway, she was happy for both boys.]

[Sometimes he forgets for a little while how young most of the crew are. Most of the time they're just colleagues, and the age gap doesn't even register. It's little things like this which remind him with a jolt. Youthful feelings and fooling around on duty seem so far in the past that he can't quite connect to the idea any more]

Least I can hide out down in the engine room 'til the puppy stage wears off. I'm feelin' old just hearin' about it.

Now you're starting to sound like McCoy. [She shakes her head.] Neither of you are old.

[Besides, sometimes the few extra years helped balance out the rash impulses of the 'younger' crew.]

Well maybe we wouldn't feel it if you lot weren't goin' around bein' so bloody young all over the place. [Well...Uhura wasn't bad for it, in fairness. But even Kirk makes him feel ancient sometimes. And the less said about Chekov the better]

I tend to look at some of the things that command sends to me. And, as much, as we'd like to think we're pulling our own punches, Starfleet still is in charge.

And yet, who can still drink everyone under the table. Be honest, Scotty, you haven't grown out of your academy phase, and you never will. [Smirking, she brushes against his shoulder with her own.]

But if you really want a 'let's be old' night. I can probably be convinced to join you for shuffleboard and card games and, I don't know, watching old vids from the archives.

Don't know about you, but drinkin's a perfectly acceptable old person pastime where I'm from. My grandad could drink me under the table 'til the day he died [Grin]

I know you have it the worst. [She gives him a semi-sympathetic smile.] You and the Commander have to vet everything. I just- if you needed help getting through some of the less important notifs. I can give you a general update.

My family isn't big on drinking. Some wine at parties, but then again, I tend to be the black sheep.

It's what y'might call a way of life for us. Uisge beatha. Water of life.

So we'll add drinking to the itinerary. [Because, yes, she's planning this old timer's night now. She may or may not invite McCoy depending on his mood of the day.]

Drinkin', havin' a wee moan about the youngsters... [He laughs] Sounds like a good time.

[ Kirk reclined back into his chair, and he titled his head to the side. ] Sure, I'm not going to stop you from giving me a rundown on the small stuff.

I'm glad you approve. You're hosting. [Don't argue, it's kind of futile.]

Wouldn't have it any other way. Might want t'bring your own vids though, I'm no' well stocked on anythin' other than drink.

Well, for starters, Command has issued several messages calling attention to the problem of interpersonal relations between officers. Apparently someone put a bug in the ear of an Admiral about it, the fleet recommended disciplinary measure be taken for senior crewmen. However, three hours later, a redaction was sent via subspace. The previous recommendations were overthrown by a general consensus.

...hmm- there is something regarding tribbles on Alpha Centauri, they ignored trade regulations about it and this is what they get.

[She nods, agreeing to the terms.] I have a couple in mind, but I'll surprise you.

[And then they've reached the mess hall, and Uhura's stomach rumbles slightly.]

[ Kirk put his hand to his chin, as she read to him about the smaller things that went right past him, and even more-so Spock. He mmmed to himself. And, he's sure some of those relationships might have been his own. This almost prompted Kirk to start to blush, and he cleared his throat. ] I'll have a word with the commander about that one. I don't exactly see the issue with the crew mingling with one another, I mean... [ He removed his hand from his face, and he tried to think of something. ] Um. Well, that's good to know that it was overthrown.

And, please, we don't need to deal with the tribbles again. They're not even cute! They're just hairy cockroaches!

[He's not even all that hungry until they walk into the mess hall and the smell of hot food hits him like a punch in the stomach. It'd been a long shift - him being him, a fair amount longer than it was strictly meant to be - and he hadn't quite managed to take that break which was supposed to happen halfway through]

Christ, I hadnae even realised how hungry I was.

So a salad isn't going to cut it?

[Wry and amused, Uhura hasn't quite decided on what she wants yet. She'll slide behind Scotty in line for the food synthesizer.]

[The smaller things have never escaped Uhura. Life is in the details, or at least, for a communications officer, the details can make a difference between having a good day, and having some diplomatic disaster on your hands.]

Starfleet tends to give us a little credit, well, maybe we have earned it. [Actually she's speaking for everyone who's passed through the Academy. They worked damn hard to earn a place up here in the stars. Often putting family and personal goals on hold for years, if not forever. The least that command could do was turn a blind eye on harmless love affairs.]

Don't worry, Captain, they've sent out the Excalibur to deal with the tribble situation. Though, I'm sad that you're not a fan of them. I've always wanted one, myself.

Salad? Don't use that kind'a language around me [He sniffs in mock-haughtiness. Something deep-fried and greasy enough to make his arteries panic at the mere sight of it sounded like just the thing right now]

I think we've earned it too, and I'm really going to have to tweak Spock's ear if he was the one who leaked anything to command. [ But he was sure the Vulcan didn't get involved, especially seeing it was obvious that the Vulcan had feelings for Uhura.

He groaned when he heard that she had wanted a tribble as a pet, and he just hung his head down low. ] We don't need to be knee deep in hair, and I know Bones keeps one down in the lab but. [ Kirk shuddered in horror. ] I would rather have a peace conference with the Klingons.

Maybe you just haven't been trying the right ones. [And more beside, she'll follow up with using the word 'salad' in about six other languages.]

[Uhura presses her lips together to keep from laughing at that image. As if Spock would let Jim anywhere near his ears.]

Well, maybe you will get your chance at that.

Translate it all y'like, I'm still no' convinced anything green counts as proper food.

I know that's the truth, they're still pissed off about what happened on Kronos with Khan. [ Kirk looked up towards the sensors, and he was sure if the Klingons were going to blow them out of space they would never know what hit them. ] And, command is understandably nervous that The Klingons will eventually declare war on Earth.