We All Fall Down – This is Happening, Isn't It?
by Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
Kieshma stood at the door of the Box, hands stuffed in the pockets of her filthy coveralls. When she'd been here earlier, the place had been next to deserted. But at this, the beginning of the rush hour for a joint like this, she looked a bit out of place. Granted, this was a frontier station bar, not one of those nice ones closer to the Federation core, but she was in greasy yellow coveralls. No one came to a bar dressed quite that badly.
At least she looked like a mechanic. Yolanthe insisted that was the point of this whole stupid plan.
Stupid plan. Kieshma knew it was stupid. And she kept reminding herself just how stupid it was. No one wanted an Orion female for a mechanic. But Yolanthe said she might have a chance.
Kieshma sulked. If Lise knew she was here, she'd be out of a job. And then where would she be. One step away from a life as a whore. That's where. It wasn't worth it. She turned around, ready to march straight back to the cargo bay and finish her repairs.
A young man, long hair down to his waist, and impossibly good looking with it, stopped in front of her. "Kieshma, right?"
Kieshma looked him up and down slowly. He seemed harmless enough. But then again, so did Lise. You never could tell with males. "Um... Yes...?" She said.
"I'm Blake. The boss told me to look out for you. She said you'd be coming by." He gave her a smile that shone like the light of angels.
Kieshma smiled back, albeit a bit half-heartedly. "Oh... Okay," she still wasn't sure this was a good idea. "Well, I guess... is Miss Ibalin here?"
"She is, we'ved saved you a seat at the bar." There was a reluctance in his voice. "But I think we better take you upstairs first."
Kieshma followed the young man upstairs, uncertain what to expect. It was a bit quieter on the second floor than it was down below, though the ambient noise was still louder than she liked.
"What's up here?" she asked the male slowly.
"The Wardrobe. I'm going to get you some clean clothes, okay? You can change over there." He pointed to the changing rooms. He stepped over to a replicator an started tapping buttons.
"I'm fine," Kieshma insisted softly. Nevertheless, she stepped into the nearest changing stall and striped down to her bare skin. Her yellow coveralls really were disgusting, she had to admit.
"Here you go." Blake flipped a pair of clean overalls over the door. They were almost identical to her current ones, except black rather than yellow. "If you want another colour, just shout."
Kieshma took the black coveralls and turned them over in her hands. These were obviously much better quality than her yellow ones, and in much better condition. Her's were threadbare in places, patched and grease stained. These were actually *supposed* to be black.
Quickly, she stepped into the garment and zipped it up the front. Now that she saw herself in it, she had to admit, this was a good idea. Yellow and green most definitely did not mix. Not like that.
She stepped out of the stall, hands clasped in front of her body and looking down at the ground. "Well?" she asked, not quite sure if her own assessment lined up with truth. She was far to used to being spoken down to in her life to believe anything she thought of herself.
"You look great," Blake reassured her. "Shall we?"
he led her back to the bar, and pulled up a stool to a space towards the end, but not right and the end. Yolanthe came along and put something that looked like half a fruitbowl in front of her. "Don't worry. Its perfectly non-alcoholic. No getting fuzzy brianed tonight. Ready?"
"i suppose," Kieshma said. She glanced around the room quickly, taking in all the sights, smells, and sounds.
"The correct answer is: I was born ready!" Yolanthe grinned. "Sit tight. This will be over in no time."
The evening marched on. Kieshma could see Yolanthe bend towards a succession of individuals talking quietly as time went by, but all were dismissed; too cheap, too prejudiced, too slimy, too flaky, too demanding, but eventually the statuesque woman spent a much longer conversation with one, a man that was heavily scarred and somewhat scary looking. Then she saw Yolanthe beckon.
Kieshma approached with caution. She recognized the man as a person who had tried to talk to her when they'd first arrived. She wasn't stupid. And she definitely wasn't trusting. Men always had reasons for things. And it was rarely good reasons.
"Kieshma, this is Colonel Makani. Colonel, this is Kieshama."
"Pleased to meet you, Kieshma," Makani said. His voice wasn't at all like what she'd expected it would be, what with the scars covering his face. She'd been expecting a damaged, cracked, wheeze. Instead, his voice sounded like the steady crash of waves over sharp rocks. Not soft, but not unpleasant either.
It was too good. She was immediately on guard.
"Hey," she said, steeling herself for fight or flight.
"Colonel, Kieshma is an excellent mechanic in need of a posting. I know you have a ship of your own. " Yolanthe gave him an encouraging smile. "Do you need an engineer?"
Akamu huffed. "Prince has been begging me for a 'proper engineer' for years." He rolled his eye and added under his breath, "I don't see why I'm not good enough."
He sighed again. "You've been on many ships, kid?"
Kieshma scowled at him calling her a kid. Yes, she was young, and she did look younger than she actually was. And the Colonel was definitely older than he looked. But all that was no reason to be rude.
"I've only been on the Desire," she said, a little too quickly. "But before that, I worked on the speed boats and high performance air skimmers at my father's garage."
"Air skimmers?" Akamu repeated skeptically.
"Orion Air skimmers use a mix of impulse and anti-grav to provide personal flight in atmosphere." Yolanthe explained. "Klia had one and it was an absolute bugger to keep in the sky. Anyone who can keep them flying can manage a spaceship without any trouble," she assured him.
"Alright, kid," he said at last. "I'll take you on, but you have to help me out first."
"What if I don't want to join your crew?" Kieshma demanded sullenly. She still wasn't completely certain about this... human?
"Why don't you find out what he needs help with first," Yolanthe suggested, she didn't want Kieshma to shut Akamu down before she'd had a chance to get away. Orion's weren't well known to Gamma Quadrant species, and she knew from talking to the Duchess that Telians were unlikely to treat Kieshma badly. It would be the best chance ot live life free of the associations with her species. "Right Colonel?"
Akamu nodded. Yolanthe was so much better with "nice" people than he was. Or, rather, she was quicker on her feet. She knew how to get results without cracking skulls.
Not for the first time since meeting her, Ka'er was jealous of that particular talent.
"Precisely," he said, smiling. His spiderweb scars glowed pale against the tan of the healthy skin. "Kieshma, you work for the Ferengi, yes?"
If Kieshma had been tense before, then this was panic. Her eyes went wide and they could see her visibly forcing herself to remain where she was. Akamu wondered briefly if he was going about this all wrong.
"I can give you a chance to get back at him." Akamu continued. "For everything."
Kieshma rolled her shoulders back at that and cocked her head to the side, clearly calculating his meaning. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she smiled. Looking over to Yolanthe, she licked her lips, then grinned even wider.
"The art." she said.
"Oh colonel," Yolanthe sighed. "Dragging the girl into shenanigans already." She gave Kiesma a conspitirorial smile. "I think you two will be a good match. What do you say Kieshma?"
Kieshma smiled. "I can sabotage the Desire's engines," she said. This man was offering to not only get her out from under Lise's thumb, but give the Ferangi a swift kick in the ass on the way out. This was better than she could've ever hoped. "I wouldn't even have to do much. It's more a matter of neglect than anything."
Akamu smiled. "That's the spirit. And, rest assured, you'll not have that problem aboard my ship. I invest a significant portion of my funds in the Selen'ai and his upkeep."
"I think I can handle that," Kieshma said. Now that Yolanthe had broken the ice, she was finding conversation with this man easier than she had expected. She wouldn't say their were friends, or even amicable, but there was a start.
Yolanthe beamed, and turned bright blue, "well then." She brought out three tumblers and poured a simarly blue liquid into them. "This calls for a drink." She raised the glass. "Here's to crime."
Ka'er grinned, handed a drink to Kieshma, then picked up his own.
"Here's to new beginnings," he said.
~For us all.~ He added mentally.
OFF::
A post by:
Kieshma
and NPC by Charity
Col. Akamu Makani
Captain of the Selen'ai
Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, the Box of Delights
by Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
| Title | This is Happening, Isn't It? | |
| Mission | We All Fall Down | |
| Author(s) | Citizen Akamu "Ka'er" Makani & Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin | |
| Posted | Sun Sep 14, 2014 @ 9:43pm | |
| Location | Box of Delights | |
| Timeline | Day 1 - 20:30 |
At least she looked like a mechanic. Yolanthe insisted that was the point of this whole stupid plan.
Stupid plan. Kieshma knew it was stupid. And she kept reminding herself just how stupid it was. No one wanted an Orion female for a mechanic. But Yolanthe said she might have a chance.
Kieshma sulked. If Lise knew she was here, she'd be out of a job. And then where would she be. One step away from a life as a whore. That's where. It wasn't worth it. She turned around, ready to march straight back to the cargo bay and finish her repairs.
A young man, long hair down to his waist, and impossibly good looking with it, stopped in front of her. "Kieshma, right?"
Kieshma looked him up and down slowly. He seemed harmless enough. But then again, so did Lise. You never could tell with males. "Um... Yes...?" She said.
"I'm Blake. The boss told me to look out for you. She said you'd be coming by." He gave her a smile that shone like the light of angels.
Kieshma smiled back, albeit a bit half-heartedly. "Oh... Okay," she still wasn't sure this was a good idea. "Well, I guess... is Miss Ibalin here?"
"She is, we'ved saved you a seat at the bar." There was a reluctance in his voice. "But I think we better take you upstairs first."
Kieshma followed the young man upstairs, uncertain what to expect. It was a bit quieter on the second floor than it was down below, though the ambient noise was still louder than she liked.
"What's up here?" she asked the male slowly.
"The Wardrobe. I'm going to get you some clean clothes, okay? You can change over there." He pointed to the changing rooms. He stepped over to a replicator an started tapping buttons.
"I'm fine," Kieshma insisted softly. Nevertheless, she stepped into the nearest changing stall and striped down to her bare skin. Her yellow coveralls really were disgusting, she had to admit.
"Here you go." Blake flipped a pair of clean overalls over the door. They were almost identical to her current ones, except black rather than yellow. "If you want another colour, just shout."
Kieshma took the black coveralls and turned them over in her hands. These were obviously much better quality than her yellow ones, and in much better condition. Her's were threadbare in places, patched and grease stained. These were actually *supposed* to be black.
Quickly, she stepped into the garment and zipped it up the front. Now that she saw herself in it, she had to admit, this was a good idea. Yellow and green most definitely did not mix. Not like that.
She stepped out of the stall, hands clasped in front of her body and looking down at the ground. "Well?" she asked, not quite sure if her own assessment lined up with truth. She was far to used to being spoken down to in her life to believe anything she thought of herself.
"You look great," Blake reassured her. "Shall we?"
he led her back to the bar, and pulled up a stool to a space towards the end, but not right and the end. Yolanthe came along and put something that looked like half a fruitbowl in front of her. "Don't worry. Its perfectly non-alcoholic. No getting fuzzy brianed tonight. Ready?"
"i suppose," Kieshma said. She glanced around the room quickly, taking in all the sights, smells, and sounds.
"The correct answer is: I was born ready!" Yolanthe grinned. "Sit tight. This will be over in no time."
The evening marched on. Kieshma could see Yolanthe bend towards a succession of individuals talking quietly as time went by, but all were dismissed; too cheap, too prejudiced, too slimy, too flaky, too demanding, but eventually the statuesque woman spent a much longer conversation with one, a man that was heavily scarred and somewhat scary looking. Then she saw Yolanthe beckon.
Kieshma approached with caution. She recognized the man as a person who had tried to talk to her when they'd first arrived. She wasn't stupid. And she definitely wasn't trusting. Men always had reasons for things. And it was rarely good reasons.
"Kieshma, this is Colonel Makani. Colonel, this is Kieshama."
"Pleased to meet you, Kieshma," Makani said. His voice wasn't at all like what she'd expected it would be, what with the scars covering his face. She'd been expecting a damaged, cracked, wheeze. Instead, his voice sounded like the steady crash of waves over sharp rocks. Not soft, but not unpleasant either.
It was too good. She was immediately on guard.
"Hey," she said, steeling herself for fight or flight.
"Colonel, Kieshma is an excellent mechanic in need of a posting. I know you have a ship of your own. " Yolanthe gave him an encouraging smile. "Do you need an engineer?"
Akamu huffed. "Prince has been begging me for a 'proper engineer' for years." He rolled his eye and added under his breath, "I don't see why I'm not good enough."
He sighed again. "You've been on many ships, kid?"
Kieshma scowled at him calling her a kid. Yes, she was young, and she did look younger than she actually was. And the Colonel was definitely older than he looked. But all that was no reason to be rude.
"I've only been on the Desire," she said, a little too quickly. "But before that, I worked on the speed boats and high performance air skimmers at my father's garage."
"Air skimmers?" Akamu repeated skeptically.
"Orion Air skimmers use a mix of impulse and anti-grav to provide personal flight in atmosphere." Yolanthe explained. "Klia had one and it was an absolute bugger to keep in the sky. Anyone who can keep them flying can manage a spaceship without any trouble," she assured him.
"Alright, kid," he said at last. "I'll take you on, but you have to help me out first."
"What if I don't want to join your crew?" Kieshma demanded sullenly. She still wasn't completely certain about this... human?
"Why don't you find out what he needs help with first," Yolanthe suggested, she didn't want Kieshma to shut Akamu down before she'd had a chance to get away. Orion's weren't well known to Gamma Quadrant species, and she knew from talking to the Duchess that Telians were unlikely to treat Kieshma badly. It would be the best chance ot live life free of the associations with her species. "Right Colonel?"
Akamu nodded. Yolanthe was so much better with "nice" people than he was. Or, rather, she was quicker on her feet. She knew how to get results without cracking skulls.
Not for the first time since meeting her, Ka'er was jealous of that particular talent.
"Precisely," he said, smiling. His spiderweb scars glowed pale against the tan of the healthy skin. "Kieshma, you work for the Ferengi, yes?"
If Kieshma had been tense before, then this was panic. Her eyes went wide and they could see her visibly forcing herself to remain where she was. Akamu wondered briefly if he was going about this all wrong.
"I can give you a chance to get back at him." Akamu continued. "For everything."
Kieshma rolled her shoulders back at that and cocked her head to the side, clearly calculating his meaning. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she smiled. Looking over to Yolanthe, she licked her lips, then grinned even wider.
"The art." she said.
"Oh colonel," Yolanthe sighed. "Dragging the girl into shenanigans already." She gave Kiesma a conspitirorial smile. "I think you two will be a good match. What do you say Kieshma?"
Kieshma smiled. "I can sabotage the Desire's engines," she said. This man was offering to not only get her out from under Lise's thumb, but give the Ferangi a swift kick in the ass on the way out. This was better than she could've ever hoped. "I wouldn't even have to do much. It's more a matter of neglect than anything."
Akamu smiled. "That's the spirit. And, rest assured, you'll not have that problem aboard my ship. I invest a significant portion of my funds in the Selen'ai and his upkeep."
"I think I can handle that," Kieshma said. Now that Yolanthe had broken the ice, she was finding conversation with this man easier than she had expected. She wouldn't say their were friends, or even amicable, but there was a start.
Yolanthe beamed, and turned bright blue, "well then." She brought out three tumblers and poured a simarly blue liquid into them. "This calls for a drink." She raised the glass. "Here's to crime."
Ka'er grinned, handed a drink to Kieshma, then picked up his own.
"Here's to new beginnings," he said.
~For us all.~ He added mentally.
OFF::
A post by:
Kieshma
and NPC by Charity
Col. Akamu Makani
Captain of the Selen'ai
Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, the Box of Delights