"So I was ship's medic on this independent hauler out in the Verge, mostly cargo but we'd take passengers if they were going our way.  One trip out we've got this accountant for Paragon- normally she wouldn't have touched a rustbucket like that, but the ship she was supposed to be on ran into some kinda trouble and she couldn't wait for another one.  Anyway, she kept to herself most of the first leg, but then our second stopover she lost an argument with some local fauna, had to stay in the medbay a day and a half for observation, we got to talking.  After that, she'd show up to meals with the crew now and then, swing by to chat, I didn't think much of it except maybe it was her first time outside a Corp facility and she'd learned we didn't have fleas."  Doors turns over a couple of skewers, grinning to herself.

"Then she shows up on our passenger list again two cycles later.  And again three cycles after that.  And we keep talking, she keeps getting into scrapes, starts bringing me little thank-you-and-sorry-I-made-your-job-harder gifts.  Finally I get up the nerve to ask her out and it turns out she'd been deliberately booking the worst, most convoluted flight plans, supposedly to save the corp a few credits but actually so she could keep flying on the Delphinium Jane and keep running into me, and she'd been too shy to say anything!"

"Awww, that is too adorable!"

"He is right. He is an expert."

"Zero argument here, you can believe me.  Once she tried to bring me a weird fungus she thought I'd like but they wouldn't let it through customs, and I will tell you right now, any girl who pays enough attention to accurately predict your tastes in fungus is a keeper."  She includes Peg as well as all three of the boys in a mock-serious look.

Thomas returns with an equal mock-serious look back.

"...I am tempted to figure out Kato's taste in fungus, now."

"Got someone back home, then?"

"Yeah, we are mutually dating the same dude." Thomas says disguising any worry in his voice. "You see, he is very tall. Too much for a single person to handle, it requires teamwork."

Peg cracks up, leaning back against the wall and covering her mouth with one hand.

"Ah, my students, has no one told you the secret?"  Doors is halfheartedly trying to keep up the serious face, but a smirk keeps creeping around the corners of her mouth.  "Height doesn't matter when you're lying down."

Thomas leans and stage-whispers. "You are failing to realize one thing. He is very proportional"

That sets Doors off- she whoops, trailing off into a chuckle before glancing at Peg and doubling over with a fresh bout of giggles.

"Don't say it!  Do not say it, Doors, don't you dare!"

"Do it! Do it! Do it!"

"Oh, I don't know- Peg, you obviously know what I'm thinking, why don't you share?"

"Hey, no fair, I don't know whether you meant him or them!"

Thomas loses it.

Felix is laughing and blushing a bit.

Fernando fails to keep himself under control.

Which sets Peg right back off again.  After a moment she manages to gasp, "Are you a closed system, should I be reassuring you of my honorable intentions?"

"We are not closed, no. We have to keep each other on the loop, but not closed."

"Oh good, I'd hate to get challenged to a duel or something when you just got here.  Terrible hospitality."

"Yeah, I am pretty sure that's the number one rule about receiving off-world guests."

A woman with a pouting child in tow approaches the cart at a brisk walk.  "One regular, one extra-spicy," she snaps, waving her hand across the corner of the cart without looking at Doors.

"Ooh, what an interesting custom you have here!" Thomas says, snapping and waving his head in a similar motion, towards the rude customer. "Is the not even looking at the person obligatory or optional?"