Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, Tea
Posted on Tue Jun 1st, 2021 @ 2:27pm by Lieutenant JG Shaille Levine & Ashe Zachariah & Linza (Lin) Esni & Joquer & Lieutenant JG Tamarack & Chief Petty Officer Lisa Terrix & Ensign Rajeo & Ensign Elaine Goff & Warrant Officer Koh Ottasu & Warrant Officer Callisi Veera
Mission: Pathstone to History
Having left the drone at the conference lounge with the rest of the senior staff, Shaille looked toward Linza. "While they're in their briefing, how about we go grab a coffee in the lounge?" she suggested. "I'll tell Koh and the others to meet us there."
"Coffee sounds amazing," Linza stated as she pushed a few loose hairs from her face and tucked them behind her ear. "Extremely strong coffee."
Astro Lounge was the Astraea's secondary lounge, which also doubled as a Nightclub, and like the ship's primary lounge, the Raging Deity, Astro Lounge had also been leased by a civilian contractor, though unlike the Raging Deity, Astro Lounge had been leased by a company originating in the Ferengi Alliance: Drumpf Intergalactic Hotels and Casinos was a household name in 3/4 of the galaxy. However, the company's head, Joquer, felt this simply wasn't good enough, and had signed a contract to inhabit Astro Lounge on the Astraea's journey to the Delta Quadrant so that he may pursue prime business opportunities once there.
Though so far, it didn't feel like Joquer's gamble was paying off:
"Looking good, chief." Joquer said to his waitstaff as he looked the place up and down and was pleased to see not a health code violation in sight. "A business that keeps up to code is one truly destined for success."
The doors to the Astro Lounge opened, admitting two unusual members of the crew. The son and the daughter of Ts'usu, Koh and Callisi. Like the Ferengi, they had a set of ears on them, though unlike the Ferengi their ears went straight up. They resembled earth creatures known as rabbits (though if you were to ask them, it was the other way around), with both of them dressed in flight suits of some form. The aesthetic didn't exactly match the Federation's love of the onesie, though. Maybe an outside contractor or a private military firm? Maybe just a personal choice.
"Oooo, this place is new." one said, the one identifiable as female, missing an eye from the looks of it. Her companion gave a nod, "I like it. Well this is the place Shaille said to meet. Let's grab a table."
The Ferengi observed his first couple real new customers in a while as they found a table among the still plentiful seating before he decided to serve them.
"Hello, there;" Joquer greeted his customers. "Welcome to Dru-" He began before he stopped and snapped his fingers. "Damnit, wrong intro again... Welcome to Astro Lounge, can I start you two off with something to drink?"
"I'll start with a black tea." Koh started, followed by Callisi ordering up a coffee. Koh gave her an odd look, to which she just shook her head, "Hey, it's not bad once you get used to the fact that it tastes like an active battery."
Linza looked around when she and Shaille got to the lounge. "So much different than any lounge I think I've ever been in, even when I was away from Starfleet."
Shaille sank gratefully into the chair between Koh and Linza. She glanced at the Ferengi momentarily before looking back at her friend. "This ship is pretty well equipped," she offered as an explanation. "Mocha latte with a shot of irish cream please?" she ordered.
Lisa came in several minutes after the others and nodded approvingly at what the Ferengi had done. She'd not bothered Evelyn about this lounge and she made her way up to Joquer with an easy smile, "Hey Joquer, do you have Guinness by chance, on tap of course?"
"I'll take what Shaille is having, please." Lin glanced around a bit. "These drinks could be dangerous but I think we all need them.
"Right, so black tea, two Mocha Lattes with a shot of Irish cream, and a Guinness on tap." Joquer recited what had started as two simple orders which had turned into a flood, pointing at who ordered what as he listed the orders off. "Right; I'll get those right back to you all."
Joquer then left the small gathering and made his way behind the bar, where the coffee machines were kept and began pouring mocha into one of the cups. However, he stopped when he realized that the coffee felt rather lukewarm. Joquer poured himself a sample and took a sip; and the coffee tasted as lukewarm as it felt.
"DAMNIT, WHO DIDN'T MAKE FRESH COFFEE??" Joquer shouted angrily. "I WILL HAVE THEIR HEADS ON PLATTERS FOR THIS!"
Joquer then proceeded to empty the mocha machine of the lukewarm stuff that had been sitting out for who knows how long to make some fresh stuff.
"Stupid staff, thinking quality standards are some sort of joke..." He grumbled to himself.
Koh noticed the new arrivals, and waved them over to himself and Callisi.
"Thanks," Lisa smiled at the Ferengi and wandered over to where the two Ts'usugi were holding court, "Sorry on the delay, I got dragooned into helping with something." She looked questioningly, "Callisi, is it?" She semi-asked the female pilot, "I've been wondering... What's with the eye? I'm surprised you're wearing a patch and not a prosthetic?"
"It is." she confirmed. The question made one of her ears twitch, but it honestly wasn't a question she wasn't used to hearing. As she turned to look towards Lisa, at this proximity there was something on the patch. Or rather, under it. There was a tiny, tiny little blue spot, almost impossible to see, that seemed to follow Callisi's living eye as it moved. There was something under there.
"The patch covers the prosthetic." she replied. Scars along the top and bottom of the orbital of her eye, her brow and cheek, told the story of how she'd lost it, but to have it replaced just to hide it...
"Deep down she likes the pirate patch," Shaille retorted quickly, taking the drink as it was set in front of her. It was only after the Ferengi finished serving the drinks that Shaille offered him a hint of a smile and waved to an empty chair. "You can join us if you want."
"Transparent to the visual field of the prosthetic?" Lisa asked, not quite getting the hint that was there, just an engineer's line of thinking, but nodded at that as well in anticipation, "No harm in it."
"Thin enough to peek, thick enough to conceal. I take it off when I get into a fighter." She affirmed. "In everyday settings, I prefer it to stay under cover." she turned her face away slightly, favoring her living eye to turn the false eye away.
"Fair enough, curiosity killed the cat.. Meow." Lisa raised her hand in acknowledgement of the apparent answer, "And here we are, relegated to just wondering what's going on while our betters ponder the actual thing behind closed doors." She laughed quietly.
"You know, sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer;" Joquer interjected as he approached the gathering, Lisa's Guinness in hand. "It's the 208th rule of acquisition, you know. Here's your Guinness, Miss Terrix; everyone who ordered coffee or tea, I thank you for your patience while we make them fresh."
"Thanks, no really, thanks." Lisa said to Joquer with a smile, "Two hundred and eighth... How many rules of acquisition are there? And how do you manage to keep them all straight?"
Koh gave a chuckle, "I imagine he comes from a people that place a great emphasis on education." while Callisi relaxed her posture, raising her glass in response to Lisa's motion.
"285 Rules of Acquisitions," Ensign Elaine Goff said from where she was sitting. "At least the last time I checked."
"You're exactly, right, Goff!" Joquer responded. "Well, provided you don't count the unwritten rule: If no appropriate rule applies, make one up."
Ensign Rajeo had just completed back to back diagnostics on the Warp Core. A bit of the day to day minutae that he had built habits around in his duty. Still it had been a long day, and he was in need of a strong drink. Walking into the Astro Lounge, he quickly took up a seat at the bar.
Koh gave a smirk, and a nod to Shaille, "I for one don't mind being out of the loop on this one. Politics and protocol are in my blood, raised to know how to greet people and how to address them since I was seven, but I don't miss having to go through those motions." his smirk evolved into a soft smile. "I've flown with the Dalacari before, I've worked with them, I've relaxed in their shore houses, I've spent a night or two in their detainment complexes. This is a little too close to home for my taste."
After a quiet moment, Callisi turned her attention back towards Lisa, "I didn't mean to spoil the conversation. Just, it's a personal matter. A reminder that all it takes is one moment, and you're re-evaluating everything. I..." she hesitated for a moment, choosing her next words, or working up enough nerve to overcome her pride. "I'll show it to you, if you want to see it. Just one small request." she paused, "Don't tell me how nice it looks."
Lisa raised one of her hands in a stopping motion, “Don’t worry about it, ma’am. As I said, it was just curiosity, something easily quashed. I didn’t intend to put you in a situation that made you uncomfortable, never my intent.” Her voice was understanding of everything that Callisi was saying, “Don’t push yourself to do something just because you think it’d make me happy, especially if you’re hesitant about it. We’re good, I promise” The redhead smiled softly.
Shaille picked up her drink and took a sip. "So what was it like being detained by the Dalacari?" she asked curiously. "I've heard their detainment cells are quiet nice, personally I've never found out and I think I'd rather keep it that way."
"Oh, it was dreadful." Koh started, "We hadn't eaten for ten whole minutes, and the fabricator wouldn't allow us anything more then plastic cutlery for our immaculate meals. Prison life was harsh, the steaks were only breathtaking, rather than their usual masterpieces, and the sofa only had three cushions and two throw pillows." he gave such an embellished performance. "It was only by thinking of you, that I made it through that hell intact." a pause, "Downvote, negative trending, four out of five." and he gave a snicker.
"Dalacari detention is the equivalent of when the place you booked a vacation at has to give you a downgrade, but they comp all your food." he assessed. Callisi offered an addendum, "Except the drones don't listen to you if you ask to leave." Lisa's commentary towards the rabbitess seemed to brighten her mood somewhat. At least, it took a lot of pressure off. Which she seemed to appreciate. She turned to their host, Joquer, and gave a nod, "You know, I appreciate that rule. A catch all just in case."
"Oh, yes;" Joquer responded. "Especially considering 'Expand or Die' is quite a few of the rules."
Grabbing her drink, Linza took a sip and looked to where the conversation was taking place. She wasn't going to interrupt, but was enjoying hearing it.
"Take me prisoner any day." Lisa toasted with her glass with the comment, "Place in the sun, all the food I can eat."
"And a never ending barrage of drones to monitor your every move, every word, every meal, every drink, to slowly learn everything about you." Shaille shook her head. "No thanks, I'm glad I stayed on the ship, that was exciting enough."
At Shaille's comment, Koh made an odd gesture. It involved tapping his nose with his thumb twice, then sliding his pinkie finger up along the ridge of one of his ears. Callisi gave a smirk, "That's not how they do it." she commented softly, before just tapping her own nose with her pointer finger twice. Koh responded with a soft chuckle, then mimicked the motion that Callisi made, tapping his nose twice with a pointer finger.
Shaille laughed and shook her head. "I guess we'd better hurry up and finish our drinks. That meeting isn't going to last forever and there's still work to be done."
"But the drinking and conversation is so much fun," Lin pretend-fussed and looked to Shaille. She then smirked and downed the rest of her drink.
"Indeed," Elaine said. "We've got a new chief counselor, so I suppose that I can expect the inevitable staff meeting to prepare for."
"Yes, just what we all need right now, psych evals," Shaille grimaced and shook her head. "C'mon Lin. I'd like to have at least one Security Chief on this ship who doesn't want to peg me out of a torpedo tube." With a laugh, she started toward the door. It may have been an exaggeration, but not by much.
