Interlude – Persistance Is Futile
by Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
ON:
Thomas hated being unprepared so he decided to take a little trip to the Box of Delights to familiarize himself with the area before he met the doctor and the others. As he stepped through the doors he was assaulted by the noise of the patrons. He paused and looked around the room. He smiled to himself at the possibilities the crowd presented. He was still smiling as he walked to the bar and looked for the bartender.
Behind the bar, being cheered on by a rowdy bunch of fleeters, were two tenders. One was a young bajoran man, the other was instantly more notable. She towered over everyone else at the bar, and she was purple. Between them they juggled and threw and elaborate array of bottles and fruit, until two large glass pitchers were full of a sunset pink drink, and half a fruit salad. The feat of dexterity ended when bajorran managed to light two sparklers the woman was juggling in mid throw, and she gave them a last flick, and they landed sparkling end up in each pitcher.
The crowd screamed and cheered for a moment more. The two bar tenders took a little bow, and as Thomas watched, the purple woman turned a tropical blue. Then the gaggle of fleeters took their pitchers away to a large table away from the bar, and the two behind it turned back to serving other patrons. The woman saw Thomas, and smiled down at him. "What's your poison, Sweetie?"
Thomas looked at her for a moment and smiled. "What would you recommend?"
She looked him up at down. "I mix a truly heavenly martini, or if you prefer something less intoxicating, I have some good ales, both Terran and bajorran." She put a slim black covered volume in front of him. "if that doesn't appeal, I have a very extensive menu."
"Surprise me," Thomas replied with a wink.
"A dangerous request when I have all this to choose from." she warned him, indicating the vast collection of bottles lining the wall behind the bar. "let's see what we can do.". She pulled down a couple, apparently at random, and begin to pour them into a cocktail shaker. "So, new in town?"
"I've been here for a few days," Thomas confirmed. "I'm still trying to learn my way around the base."
"It's a big place, Moving in, or just a temporary stay?"
"I'm here to stay," Thomas replied, turning to scan the room again. "How long have you been here?"
"Couple of weeks," She finished with the bottles, and added ice and something from a tap to the shaker. "Most of it locked in here getting ready to open. I keep meaning to take some time off, but something’s always happening round here."
"Anything interesting?" Thomas asked, starting to smell a story.
"Take your pick." She put the cap on the shaker, and gave it a rapid shake. "Apparently there was a bunch of romulans attacking a few weeks ago. Someone tried to shoot the captain. Not to mention some dangerously deluded fanatics trying to change history through bombs and hostage taking." Her blue skin faded down and shifted hue to the colour of mustard. "Bastards ruined my opening night."
"We'll have to get together later so you can tell me more about it," he suggested, turning to look at her again.
She poured the drink out into a long glass. "You must have heard it all by now. No-one's talked of anything else for days." She put the glass in front of him. "First one's on the house."
"Thank you," Thomas replied as he took a sip. He closed his eyes for a moment to let the burn subside. When he could speak again he said, "What the hell is this?"
"ion storm. A Dark and Stormy Night topped off with bajorran fire spirit and a dash of Tellerite bitters." She grinned at him, and the mustard colour of her skin dissolved back to violet. "Surprised?"
"A bit...intense...but I like it," Thomas replied, wincing again as he took another sip.
"You wanted a surprise," she reminded him. "So, you're waiting for someone." it wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.
"I'm meeting some people here later, yes," Thomas said with a nod. "I wanted to stop by and check the place out first."
"And what do you think of my little pleasure palace so far?"
"Not bad," Thomas replied, looking around the room again. "Not sure about the pleasure part yet," he added, looking at her and giving her a wink.
She laughed, and there was something more than a little suggestive about it. "Well, we have many exciting and exotic diversions on our menus. Unfortunately, sweetie, I'm not one of them."
"That's too bad," Thomas replied, looking at her again. "That could have been quite the adventure." He turned and looked at the room again. "What would you recommend then?"
"Flattery will get you many places." She allowed, her skin shifting to a royal blue at the compliment. "But for now, it gets you as far as my gaming tables. If you're waiting for someone, Dabo's the easiest thing to drop in and out of. Do you play?"
"'Watch the table, not the girl', right?" Thomas asked, looking at her again. "I've taken a spin or two in my day."
She shook her head emphatically, "Definitely not. Watch the girl. She's very pretty. Or the boy. He's pretty too. Pay no attention to the wheel. None what so ever."
"Spoken like a true Ferengi," Thomas teased with a wink.
She snorted with amusement. "I'm not a charity," she allowed. "But I like to think I'm better than them. And I'm taller."
"And much easier on the eyes," Thomas added with a wink.
"Bold and persistent." She leant across the bar, resting on her elbows. "does that get you into trouble much?"
"Depends on your idea of trouble," he said to her with a sly smile.
"I meant the gets-you-stabbed-and-shot kind. It obviously gets you far more trouble than that."
"I've managed to avoid that kind of trouble so far," Thomas replied, emptying his glass and wincing. "I'm always looking for a different kind of trouble though," he said, looking at her again.
She gave a amused shake of the head. "And when you're not desperate to find trouble, what do you do?"
"Write," he said to her. He lifted his glass and said, "Can I have another one of those?"
"Sure," She began to mix again. "What sort of writing. Fiction? Holonovels?"
"I write for the FNS," he replied off-handedly.
"A journalist? Are you here for a specific story, or just investigating life on the frontier?"
"I'm here to see what's here," he said to her. "There are stories everywhere."
"I'll take your word for it." Yolanthe put his second Ion Storm in front of him. "So have you found any good ones yet?"
"Nothing that can be substantiated," Thomas replied, wincing again as he sipped the drink. "Right now though," he said, looking her up and down again, "I'm just looking to relax and have a little fun."
"If you put the same amount of effort into those stories as you have in flirting, I don't think they'll be unsubstantiated for long."
"Anything worth doing is worth doing well," he said with a wink as he took another sip of his drink.
She shook her head. This one was definitely going to be persistent. She didn't mind that; it would provide her with a lot of entertainment, not to mention it was all money in the bank. "What's your name, sweetie?"
"Thomas Whitlock at your service," he said, extending his hand.
"Yolanthe," she took his hand and gave it the traditional terran squeeze, "Likewise, as long as it involves drinks, gambling, and holosuites."
Thomas held her hand a little longer than necessary and said, "A pleasure to meet you. Any suggestions for something entertaining to do on the holosuite?"
She smiled broadly, and her skin hue deepened again, so she was now a deep and striking blue. "A cold shower?"
"That doesn't sound very entertaining," he said as he sipped his drink again. "Anything else?"
"Oh, you are definitely going to be trouble." She straightened up and ran a hand through her hair. "We have thousands of titles." She handed him a padd. "Everything and anything. Educational, historical, Noir, combat, erotica, Shakespeare, K'Ratak, Preloc, T'Hain. And if you don't see anything you like, my business partner can write or adapt you a custom program for all your personal wish fulfilment needs. She's on the top mezzanine, in our Holospa."
Thomas scanned the list then looked at her again. "Well...what are you in the mood for?"
She shook her head. "Oh no, I have a bar to run, I have to stay here and look after all the other troublemakers who come through my doors. I'm afraid you'll just have to go play with yourself."
"Well then, how about after you get off work?" he asked her.
"It'll be four in the morning, and I'll be going to bed." She fixed him with a look. "My bed built for one, on my own."
Thomas laughed and said, "I understand." He sipped his drink again and said, "I do want to sit down and talk with you sometime away from here though."
"I suppose I can't leave such flattering stubbornness completely unrewarded." His tone suggested he was offering something far more like business than pleasure, and a little bit of healthy publicity would probably be a good thing. "Tell you what. I'm normally up by about mid day. Stop by when you have a free lunch hour, We'll get breakfast."
"It's a date," he said with a smile. "I should probably get to my meeting though. It was a pleasure talking to you."
OFF:
Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner & Bartender, The Box of Delights
Thomas Whitlock
FNS Reporter
by Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
| Title | Persistance Is Futile | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Arrival Thomas Whitlock & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin | |
| Posted | Tue Jun 08, 2010 @ 10:35am | |
| Location | Box of Delights | |
| Timeline | SD 20, evening |
Thomas hated being unprepared so he decided to take a little trip to the Box of Delights to familiarize himself with the area before he met the doctor and the others. As he stepped through the doors he was assaulted by the noise of the patrons. He paused and looked around the room. He smiled to himself at the possibilities the crowd presented. He was still smiling as he walked to the bar and looked for the bartender.
Behind the bar, being cheered on by a rowdy bunch of fleeters, were two tenders. One was a young bajoran man, the other was instantly more notable. She towered over everyone else at the bar, and she was purple. Between them they juggled and threw and elaborate array of bottles and fruit, until two large glass pitchers were full of a sunset pink drink, and half a fruit salad. The feat of dexterity ended when bajorran managed to light two sparklers the woman was juggling in mid throw, and she gave them a last flick, and they landed sparkling end up in each pitcher.
The crowd screamed and cheered for a moment more. The two bar tenders took a little bow, and as Thomas watched, the purple woman turned a tropical blue. Then the gaggle of fleeters took their pitchers away to a large table away from the bar, and the two behind it turned back to serving other patrons. The woman saw Thomas, and smiled down at him. "What's your poison, Sweetie?"
Thomas looked at her for a moment and smiled. "What would you recommend?"
She looked him up at down. "I mix a truly heavenly martini, or if you prefer something less intoxicating, I have some good ales, both Terran and bajorran." She put a slim black covered volume in front of him. "if that doesn't appeal, I have a very extensive menu."
"Surprise me," Thomas replied with a wink.
"A dangerous request when I have all this to choose from." she warned him, indicating the vast collection of bottles lining the wall behind the bar. "let's see what we can do.". She pulled down a couple, apparently at random, and begin to pour them into a cocktail shaker. "So, new in town?"
"I've been here for a few days," Thomas confirmed. "I'm still trying to learn my way around the base."
"It's a big place, Moving in, or just a temporary stay?"
"I'm here to stay," Thomas replied, turning to scan the room again. "How long have you been here?"
"Couple of weeks," She finished with the bottles, and added ice and something from a tap to the shaker. "Most of it locked in here getting ready to open. I keep meaning to take some time off, but something’s always happening round here."
"Anything interesting?" Thomas asked, starting to smell a story.
"Take your pick." She put the cap on the shaker, and gave it a rapid shake. "Apparently there was a bunch of romulans attacking a few weeks ago. Someone tried to shoot the captain. Not to mention some dangerously deluded fanatics trying to change history through bombs and hostage taking." Her blue skin faded down and shifted hue to the colour of mustard. "Bastards ruined my opening night."
"We'll have to get together later so you can tell me more about it," he suggested, turning to look at her again.
She poured the drink out into a long glass. "You must have heard it all by now. No-one's talked of anything else for days." She put the glass in front of him. "First one's on the house."
"Thank you," Thomas replied as he took a sip. He closed his eyes for a moment to let the burn subside. When he could speak again he said, "What the hell is this?"
"ion storm. A Dark and Stormy Night topped off with bajorran fire spirit and a dash of Tellerite bitters." She grinned at him, and the mustard colour of her skin dissolved back to violet. "Surprised?"
"A bit...intense...but I like it," Thomas replied, wincing again as he took another sip.
"You wanted a surprise," she reminded him. "So, you're waiting for someone." it wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.
"I'm meeting some people here later, yes," Thomas said with a nod. "I wanted to stop by and check the place out first."
"And what do you think of my little pleasure palace so far?"
"Not bad," Thomas replied, looking around the room again. "Not sure about the pleasure part yet," he added, looking at her and giving her a wink.
She laughed, and there was something more than a little suggestive about it. "Well, we have many exciting and exotic diversions on our menus. Unfortunately, sweetie, I'm not one of them."
"That's too bad," Thomas replied, looking at her again. "That could have been quite the adventure." He turned and looked at the room again. "What would you recommend then?"
"Flattery will get you many places." She allowed, her skin shifting to a royal blue at the compliment. "But for now, it gets you as far as my gaming tables. If you're waiting for someone, Dabo's the easiest thing to drop in and out of. Do you play?"
"'Watch the table, not the girl', right?" Thomas asked, looking at her again. "I've taken a spin or two in my day."
She shook her head emphatically, "Definitely not. Watch the girl. She's very pretty. Or the boy. He's pretty too. Pay no attention to the wheel. None what so ever."
"Spoken like a true Ferengi," Thomas teased with a wink.
She snorted with amusement. "I'm not a charity," she allowed. "But I like to think I'm better than them. And I'm taller."
"And much easier on the eyes," Thomas added with a wink.
"Bold and persistent." She leant across the bar, resting on her elbows. "does that get you into trouble much?"
"Depends on your idea of trouble," he said to her with a sly smile.
"I meant the gets-you-stabbed-and-shot kind. It obviously gets you far more trouble than that."
"I've managed to avoid that kind of trouble so far," Thomas replied, emptying his glass and wincing. "I'm always looking for a different kind of trouble though," he said, looking at her again.
She gave a amused shake of the head. "And when you're not desperate to find trouble, what do you do?"
"Write," he said to her. He lifted his glass and said, "Can I have another one of those?"
"Sure," She began to mix again. "What sort of writing. Fiction? Holonovels?"
"I write for the FNS," he replied off-handedly.
"A journalist? Are you here for a specific story, or just investigating life on the frontier?"
"I'm here to see what's here," he said to her. "There are stories everywhere."
"I'll take your word for it." Yolanthe put his second Ion Storm in front of him. "So have you found any good ones yet?"
"Nothing that can be substantiated," Thomas replied, wincing again as he sipped the drink. "Right now though," he said, looking her up and down again, "I'm just looking to relax and have a little fun."
"If you put the same amount of effort into those stories as you have in flirting, I don't think they'll be unsubstantiated for long."
"Anything worth doing is worth doing well," he said with a wink as he took another sip of his drink.
She shook her head. This one was definitely going to be persistent. She didn't mind that; it would provide her with a lot of entertainment, not to mention it was all money in the bank. "What's your name, sweetie?"
"Thomas Whitlock at your service," he said, extending his hand.
"Yolanthe," she took his hand and gave it the traditional terran squeeze, "Likewise, as long as it involves drinks, gambling, and holosuites."
Thomas held her hand a little longer than necessary and said, "A pleasure to meet you. Any suggestions for something entertaining to do on the holosuite?"
She smiled broadly, and her skin hue deepened again, so she was now a deep and striking blue. "A cold shower?"
"That doesn't sound very entertaining," he said as he sipped his drink again. "Anything else?"
"Oh, you are definitely going to be trouble." She straightened up and ran a hand through her hair. "We have thousands of titles." She handed him a padd. "Everything and anything. Educational, historical, Noir, combat, erotica, Shakespeare, K'Ratak, Preloc, T'Hain. And if you don't see anything you like, my business partner can write or adapt you a custom program for all your personal wish fulfilment needs. She's on the top mezzanine, in our Holospa."
Thomas scanned the list then looked at her again. "Well...what are you in the mood for?"
She shook her head. "Oh no, I have a bar to run, I have to stay here and look after all the other troublemakers who come through my doors. I'm afraid you'll just have to go play with yourself."
"Well then, how about after you get off work?" he asked her.
"It'll be four in the morning, and I'll be going to bed." She fixed him with a look. "My bed built for one, on my own."
Thomas laughed and said, "I understand." He sipped his drink again and said, "I do want to sit down and talk with you sometime away from here though."
"I suppose I can't leave such flattering stubbornness completely unrewarded." His tone suggested he was offering something far more like business than pleasure, and a little bit of healthy publicity would probably be a good thing. "Tell you what. I'm normally up by about mid day. Stop by when you have a free lunch hour, We'll get breakfast."
"It's a date," he said with a smile. "I should probably get to my meeting though. It was a pleasure talking to you."
OFF:
Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner & Bartender, The Box of Delights
Thomas Whitlock
FNS Reporter