Old deals, new friends

Posted on Thu Mar 26, 2020 @ 11:05am by Captain Lazanos Torena & Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin

1,720 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: The Box of Delights
Timeline: MD 01 2200

[ON]

If there was one universal truth Laz had learned in his twenty years in the Corps, it was that Marines liked to play almost as hard as they fought. The enhanced discipline in the Marine Corps lent itself to a group that liked to blow off steam even harder, and ever since getting his own command, Laz made it his business to get familiar with the most popular recreation wherever he was posted. And for Deep Space Five, that meant the Box of Delights.

It was a jumping place, and Laz could see why people were drawn to it. Big, but weirdly intimate despite the multiple levels and what looked like several holosuites. Gaming tables, space for dancing, and plenty of places for drinking, not to mention a well-stocked bar. That drew Laz. He had a very small and well-curated selection of liquors that came with him everywhere he went, and he was always interested in something new or rare.

He’d opted out of his uniform, preferring to be off when he was actually off, and was wearing a loud green, blue and orange shirt covered with tropical leaves and brightly-colored birds from several different planets, tan pants and his usual battered sneakers. Laz sidled up to the bar and looked over the collection of multi-colored booze assembled there.

Standing at the bar was one of the tallest women he had ever seen. She had several inches on him, and many of her other patrons as well. She was mixing up some sort of cocktail, throwing and spinning bottles as she did so. She finished with a long strain into the waiting glass, with one hand and flicking a string of cherries in after it with the other. Job done, she handed the glass over to the waiting drinker and moved to him.

"Hey sweetie, Whats your poison?"

Laz looked up at the bartender, and kept looking up. She was a tall one, and her skin was a rich purple tone that you didn’t see often. She was also stunning, and the combination of all the above took Laz a second to catch up. “Yeah. Uh, yeah, sorry.” He nodded at the collection of bottles. “Is that a bottle of Garva’s Orion Whiskey? I didn’t think I’d see that again after the war.”

She mad a show of checking. "Why, yes it is. Good eye." She lifted it off the shelf. "Can I tempt you?"

“Hell, yeah, you can. Make it a double.” He watched as she poured the whiskey, and it sat reddish-gold in his glass. Laz smiled and swirled the whiskey around, and looked up at her. “You’ve got a good collection here. You in charge of it?”

She gave a little bow, "Welcome to my humble establishment," She gestured to the huge club with its bars and booths and gaming tables, rising up to the function rooms on the mezzanine and the holospa above that. "Where the alcohol is real, and the holosuites have no censorship, and only the prettiest of boys and girls spin the dabo wheels."

“You sold me,” Laz said. He took a slow drink of his whiskey, savoring it. When he swallowed, he said, “I love a good saloon.” He offered his hand. “I’m Laz.”

"Yolanthe." She shook his hand. "So, passing through, or looking to become a regular?"

“Regular, I hope.” He took another drink. “This is my new posting. I just took command of the Marines here.”

"You did?" The tall woman's skin and hair faded from violet to shades of pink. "Will you be continuing the arrangements of the previous commanders?"

For a moment, Laz wasn’t aware her skin changed color. It was subtle and he thought for a second he imagined it. Also, he didn’t know anything about an arrangement between the Marine CO and the bar. That was either really bad or...really good. After taking a sip of whiskey to cover his momentary confusion, he asked, “What arrangement would that be?”


She held up a finger, "just a second." She hutned along under the bar until she found a padd, and connected to the file in question. She handed it over. "A standard tab is allowed per month, payable by the office of the Marine CO. Should that tab be exceedd, the difference is paid by individual marines, with prices at preferential rate. Should the tab not be completely consumed, the remainder does not rollover. Also marines have access to certain drinks and services on their birthday, and occasional free entry to any special functions."

“Well, that’s...harmless.” Laz was surprised, and also a bit wary of the figure on the PADD for the tab. Either his predecessor had money or he didn’t worry about it much. Still, he didn’t want to be the one to cut the bar tab. “I’ll have another double, and I would love to know what you get in return for this arrangement.”

She poured out the Orion spirit by eye. "Well, whether or not it all gets drunk, I end up in profit. The marines aren't exactly what you'd call abstemious, and as a rule, they then don't drink anywhere else. And a gregarious crowd brings in even more punter, so I end up in latinum whatever happens.

“That is really smart business.” He nodded, impressed. “You don’t see that much out here. Have a drink on my tab and tell me about yourself, because now I gotta know.”

The pinks turned to a pale blue, and she smiled. "Ah, and lose my aura of exotic mystery? That wouldn't get you coming back now, would it?"

“I was never very good at mysteries,” Laz replied. “I’m more of a straightforward kind of guy. Point at something and tells me it needs to get knocked down, I can find a way to knock it down. The complexities of a mysterious woman?” He toasted her with his glass. “Well, I guess the right motivation can surprise you.”

"You knock things down. Maybe I should be more wary of you. I could end up flat on my back."

Laz looked at Yolanthe for a moment, then smiled. This was a nice place, he decided. He could see why the Marines spent so much of their time here. “I don’t know. That doesn’t sound so bad. I hope you’d let me at least buy you dinner first.”

She gave him a frank once over. "Well, If you need something to give you stamina, then why not?"

He grinned as she gave him the once-over. Laz hoped she liked what she saw. “That sounds like a challenge,” he said. “Are there any rules, or is it anything goes?”

"Oh, anything goes. And to the winner, the spoils..."

He finished his drink and set down the glass, looking back at Yolanthe. “I’ve got a very rare bottle of Acamarian Brandy. 2281 vintage. It hasn’t been opened yet. Would you be interested in giving it a try with me?”

"I'm always interested in trying new things." Yolanthe smiled as waiter swung by, dropping off one tray and taking another one already loaded with drinks. "Though I trust you're planning to savour it, and not try to drink me under the table. That's both unlikely to happen, and a waste of good liquor."

“I stopped playing drinking games a long time ago,” Laz replied. “There are much better ways for us to spend our time.”

"Now, there's making promises you might not be able to keep," she laughed the pink fading back to blue. The terminal under the bar pinged with a new order. Yolathe reached for a cocktail shaker and scooped up some ice. "When would you like to attempt that epic endeavor?"

“I’m new to the station, so I don’t really have much going on when I’m off-duty,” he said, watching the way her skin shifted color. It was fascinating to see. “So whenever you’re off work and free, I can make the time. Is it rude to ask how many colors you can shift through? Because that is really cool.”

The blues got stronger, like the sky on a spring morning. "Flattery will get you everywhere. And one of the benefits of being the boss is that I can come and go as I please. So let me know when you're settled in. As for how many colours? I don't know. How many colours can humans see?"

“I don’t know,” Laz mused, considering the question for a second. “But I think I’d enjoy finding out.”

She finished pouring various liquors in the shaker, sealed it and sent it spinning up into the air. She caught it as it fell behind her shoulder without a glance. "Many have tried. Few have succeeded."

“My mothers didn’t raise no quitters. Where I’m from, if you don’t work or you don’t fight, you don’t eat.” There were scattered cheers in the club as she caught the shaker. “I was never afraid of some hard work.”

She cracked the shaker and strained it into a martini glass. "Glad to hear it. How about tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow night’s great,” he replied, standing up, his drink finished. “Say eight? It’ll give me time to tell my cat to be on her best behavior.”

"Works for me, just let me know where to come."

“Marine Country, Deck 73,” he said. “I’ll meet you at the lift. You ever been down there? It’s worth a look if you’re interested.”

"I'd love the guided tour." She signaled for a waiter, "I shall see you then."

Laz stepped back from the bar, and took a second to watch her work. He liked seeing a professional work who knew what they were doing. It didn’t hurt that she was fun to talk to, either, he decided. His Marines could keep drinking here, even if they did run up a tab every month. There were worse things to do than come here and pay it off, he thought as he strolled back along the Square Mile.

Marine Captain Lazanos Torena
21st MEU CO
Deep Space Five

Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner
THe Box of Delights

 

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