Unity – Opening the Box (backpost)
by Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
ON
“People are staring at you.”
Yolanthe didn”t look up from the map of the promenade she was examining. “I think level 2 is the best bet. Lots of passing trade, room to expand up and down, as well as sideways.”
Her companion, Klia, a young Orion woman, soberly dressed in vest and overalls, crossed her arms over her chest. “Aren”t you impressed? It must be a new a record.”
Yolanthe smiled, and for a moment her skin, a rich velvety violet hue, flickered to a shade of sky blue and then settled down. She was impressed, but it wouldn’t let Klia do to know how much she liked the attention. “More like they’re staring at you. After all, Orion women standing up with clothes on isn”t something they see every day.”
Klia jabbed her in the kidneys. “Bitch.” She said, but there was no venom in it.
“Slut” Yolanthe replied calmly
“Freak”
“Nerd”
They carried on down the promenade, settling into a litany of traded insults that went back and forth between them in a dozen languages with the worn and practised rhythm of an old ritual. Together they made an odd sight, Yolanthe towering over the diminutive Klia by more than a foot, and Klia”s bright copper hair and emerald skin making an eye-watering clash with Yolanthe”s shades of violet skin and purple hair. They stopped outside Q’uit”s. At this time in the morning, the Klingon bar was shut.
“Enemy number One,” Klia pulled a battered looking PADD out of the leg pocket on her overalls and made a few notes about the bar on it.
“Not worried.” Yolanthe told her. “We’re going to offer a touch of class and distinction to our customers. Live music, dancing boys,”
“Girls,” Klia corrected automatically
“Them too. Dabo and Tongo, maybe poker if we feel like going down market. Not the sort of gambling that goes on in there.” A notice on the window caught her eye; sports betting too. Sparring and cage fights, real and holographic. She nudged Klia and pointed at it. “Besides, if we get strapped for cash, I can always come here and put a few wagers down.”
“Just don’t clean them out. Not after last time.”
“Fine. I promise.” But Yolanthe has a big grin, and her violet skin was rising to a powder blue, her hair the colour of M-class sky already. They moved away from the bar towards the long stairs down to the next level. “Enemy number two.” She waved a hand towards the Holosuites on the north and south sides of the deck.
Klia snorted in disgust, “Only if you have really poor enemies. The units are ten years out of date, max occupancy of four, sessions limited to an hour, and the sims have meet ‘quality’ standards.”
“So no Pleasure Goddesses of Rixx?”
“Not in there.”
“We’re going to be rich.”
“Hell yeah.”
Yolanthe turned left from the stairs, scanning the deck for suitable premises. She knew what she wanted; it was going to have to be large, and easy to get to, not hidden off the core area where no-one could find it. And there it was.
The unit was shuttered, but a quick glance through told her everything she needed. Inside was spacious - more than enough for back rooms as well as front of house, and it towered up towards the first level, leaving not one but two mezzanines.
“What do you think?”
Klia squinted through the grille. “Three, four, major power taps in there. More than adequate. If we get the replimat in that corner, I can then install some general projectors all over, and you can change your decor as often as your skin. Shouldn’t take me more than a day.” Klia looked up. And sucked in a breath. “I could turn the whole of that first mezzanine into a holodeck. A big one. Bigger than anything public here.”
“I don’t know, would there be a demand?”
The Orion shrugged, “Who knows, and if there isn’t, you can always make it a customisable 2nd lounge, or even split into three, different acts in each. That sort of thing.”
Yolanthe turned to her with a big grin. “I think we just found our home. I’m going to see the administrator right now.” She practically skipped towards the central turbolift. By the time she got there, her skin had transformed to a vibrant and luminous cyan.
6 Days Ago...
The signs appeared all over the public areas over the next day or so.
Will you open the Box of Delights?
20.00
6 days
Over the week, they counted down.
OFF
Yolanthe Ibalin, Owner and Bar Tender of the Box of Delights
by Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin
Post Details
| Title | Opening the Box (backpost) | |
| Mission | Unity | |
| Author(s) | Alderman Yolanthe Ibalin | |
| Posted | Wed Jan 13, 2010 @ 10:06pm | |
| Location | The Promenade | |
| Timeline | 7 days ago |
“People are staring at you.”
Yolanthe didn”t look up from the map of the promenade she was examining. “I think level 2 is the best bet. Lots of passing trade, room to expand up and down, as well as sideways.”
Her companion, Klia, a young Orion woman, soberly dressed in vest and overalls, crossed her arms over her chest. “Aren”t you impressed? It must be a new a record.”
Yolanthe smiled, and for a moment her skin, a rich velvety violet hue, flickered to a shade of sky blue and then settled down. She was impressed, but it wouldn’t let Klia do to know how much she liked the attention. “More like they’re staring at you. After all, Orion women standing up with clothes on isn”t something they see every day.”
Klia jabbed her in the kidneys. “Bitch.” She said, but there was no venom in it.
“Slut” Yolanthe replied calmly
“Freak”
“Nerd”
They carried on down the promenade, settling into a litany of traded insults that went back and forth between them in a dozen languages with the worn and practised rhythm of an old ritual. Together they made an odd sight, Yolanthe towering over the diminutive Klia by more than a foot, and Klia”s bright copper hair and emerald skin making an eye-watering clash with Yolanthe”s shades of violet skin and purple hair. They stopped outside Q’uit”s. At this time in the morning, the Klingon bar was shut.
“Enemy number One,” Klia pulled a battered looking PADD out of the leg pocket on her overalls and made a few notes about the bar on it.
“Not worried.” Yolanthe told her. “We’re going to offer a touch of class and distinction to our customers. Live music, dancing boys,”
“Girls,” Klia corrected automatically
“Them too. Dabo and Tongo, maybe poker if we feel like going down market. Not the sort of gambling that goes on in there.” A notice on the window caught her eye; sports betting too. Sparring and cage fights, real and holographic. She nudged Klia and pointed at it. “Besides, if we get strapped for cash, I can always come here and put a few wagers down.”
“Just don’t clean them out. Not after last time.”
“Fine. I promise.” But Yolanthe has a big grin, and her violet skin was rising to a powder blue, her hair the colour of M-class sky already. They moved away from the bar towards the long stairs down to the next level. “Enemy number two.” She waved a hand towards the Holosuites on the north and south sides of the deck.
Klia snorted in disgust, “Only if you have really poor enemies. The units are ten years out of date, max occupancy of four, sessions limited to an hour, and the sims have meet ‘quality’ standards.”
“So no Pleasure Goddesses of Rixx?”
“Not in there.”
“We’re going to be rich.”
“Hell yeah.”
Yolanthe turned left from the stairs, scanning the deck for suitable premises. She knew what she wanted; it was going to have to be large, and easy to get to, not hidden off the core area where no-one could find it. And there it was.
The unit was shuttered, but a quick glance through told her everything she needed. Inside was spacious - more than enough for back rooms as well as front of house, and it towered up towards the first level, leaving not one but two mezzanines.
“What do you think?”
Klia squinted through the grille. “Three, four, major power taps in there. More than adequate. If we get the replimat in that corner, I can then install some general projectors all over, and you can change your decor as often as your skin. Shouldn’t take me more than a day.” Klia looked up. And sucked in a breath. “I could turn the whole of that first mezzanine into a holodeck. A big one. Bigger than anything public here.”
“I don’t know, would there be a demand?”
The Orion shrugged, “Who knows, and if there isn’t, you can always make it a customisable 2nd lounge, or even split into three, different acts in each. That sort of thing.”
Yolanthe turned to her with a big grin. “I think we just found our home. I’m going to see the administrator right now.” She practically skipped towards the central turbolift. By the time she got there, her skin had transformed to a vibrant and luminous cyan.
6 Days Ago...
The signs appeared all over the public areas over the next day or so.
Will you open the Box of Delights?
20.00
6 days
Over the week, they counted down.
OFF
Yolanthe Ibalin, Owner and Bar Tender of the Box of Delights