All the Universe is a Stage....

Posted on Wed Aug 12, 2020 @ 2:52am by Lieutenant T'Lul & Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin

2,552 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Et In Arcadia Ego
Location: The Box of Delights
Timeline: MD04, 1200

[ON]

Having met the Captain, Executive Officer, and Doctor and then sorting out her few personal belongings, T'Lul was starting to get a bit peckish. Having remembered the Captain's recommendation, she headed to The Box of Delights. Perhaps there would be some nourishment there and she could take in some more observational research on the logic of emotions.

Finding it was little effort, given the computer's directions. However, the place seemed to be chaos in motion. Heading towards the center, she asked a rather tall woman, "Where might I find something to eat and a good place for maximum observation of individuals?"

Yolanthe's skin went from violet to blue. It was the sort of question that promised a lot of latinum. "Well, right here, welcome to my humble establishment." She made a sweeping gesture across the bar that was starting to build up the lunchtime rush. "We offer bar snacks and light bites, and if you like to watch..." there was heavy innuendo on that.

The bokkai stopped a passing waiter, a pretty Risan male with bright white hair and slim hips that had been poured into tight black pants. "Rowan can show you to the mezzanine. That will let you watch most people."

T'Lul looked curiously at Yolanthe, especially when the provocatively dressed Risan was purposely stopped for her. "Some light food would be acceptable. Do you have a menu? After that, if you would simply point me to the best spot, that would be acceptable. I merely came here because the Captain suggested this establishment."

The bright blue of Yolanthe's skin deepened. "Soran suggested this place?" She cackled a laugh. "That's a turn up. But she's absolutely right to recommend us. We have all manor of earthly delights to tempt and gratify."

She patted Rowan's shoulder and he took it as a signal to fetch a menu. "Any allergies or restrictions I should know about?"

"No, I do not have any allergies that have been discovered. Though, I am curious why you say that it is unexpected that the Captain recommended this place." T'Lul retorted with her left eyebrow creeping upwards. "And were you aware that your hue has changed? I do not believe it is the lighting in here that has caused it."

Yolanthe chuckled. "You know, not many people have the nerve to point that out to me. As for the commander, sorry, captain. She is a fun-free zone. I'm surprised she'd recommend anywhere."

"She definitely appears dedicated to her tasks," T'Lul replied politically. "And why would nobody comment on your hues? May I inquire as to your species that you have the ability to do that?"

"We're called Bokkai. It roughly translates to 'Women' in most of our languages. And I'm from a very, very, long way away, so don't feel bad if you've never heard of us. Most haven't."

"Feelings are irrelevant. However, I must admit that the new information is intriguing." T'Lul tilted her head slightly to the left and then back nearly completely to where it was. She decided to use her trained counselor's voice and niceties. "Please tell me about the Bokkai. I desire to know more about your species."

Yolanthe laughed. "That's not a short story. Or a particularly nice one. I thought you were here for people watching?"

"It is true that the Captain recommended this as a place for that. However, you are fascinating in your own right. Therefore, I would prefer to spend my time hearing your story."

Rowan returned with a padd that held the menus. The lunchtime food was a small selection of light bites and snacks. The drinks menu ran to thirty pages; a comprehensive selection of beers, wines and spirits, and cocktails and more cocktails. "I'll give you a taster," Yolanthe offered. "The whole thing would take many visits."

T'Lul blinked at the menu and told Yolanthe, "A taster would be acceptable, as long as it is non-alcoholic. I find that alcohol dulls the senses and leads to poor decisions. And you may surprise me with a vegetarian sandwich of your choosing."

"Fair enough. I'll go mix, and join you up there. Rowan, show her to table B4" She winked at T'Lul as the young man headed towards the stairs in his tight pants. "Enjoy the view."

Obediently, T'Lul followed Rowan up the stairs. She took a seat at B4. As she did, she asked Rowan, "Do you feel exploited?"

He unfolded a napkin and laid it across her lap. "Which answer gets me the biggest tip?" he grinned.

"Neither," the Vulcan replied straightforwardly. "Tips are gratuitous and based upon satisfaction with service. I was merely curious based upon how you were garbed but I believe your question has already provided me with the answer." She gave Rowan a nod dismissing him. Silently, she observed her surroundings and waited for Yolanthe to join her and tell T'Lul of the Bokkai and Yolanthe's personal story.

Rowan looked at her, trying not to laugh. "Vulcans can be so cute," he observed, "She'll be right up, shout if you want me. Or if you want me," he added with an arched eyebrow, before walking away to the stairs.

T'Lul made note of the comments and made no reaction as Rowan left. She knew that pon farr was off several months; however, she hoped that she would find better prospects than Rowan. She then lost herself in her thoughts, debating whether she should allow her emotions to come up sooner or not repress them when pon farr was completed. The debate resulted in no solutions, as she still had to determine the logic of emotions.

Below the front half of The Box was laid out below her, filled with small groups, each often a mix on species, with plenty of Cardassians and Klingons, but a notable amount of other common species from all over the quadrant, especially non-aligned worlds like Nausica, Cort, Ferenginar and Pakled. There was a stage set up to one side, and she could just about see the first of multiple gaming tables, that were tucked under mezzanine. T'Lul could hear a single Dabo wheel operating, and the sharp clack clack of a domjot game.

T'Lul decided to focus her attention on the Klingons. Over all, they seemed like a straightforward lot. Most had a high sense of honor and acted upon it. Yet, they were highly volatile and seemed to take the greatest offense at the smallest slight. Certainly, there had to be some sense of logic here. She also was aware from texts that Klingon mating rituals were not far different from pon farr. They could be violent and highly animalistic but Klingons seemed to revel in them whereas Vulcans were ashamed of them. Why? The questions continued to come to her as she watched their behavior.

The Klingons seemed to be having a comfortable lunch, a large bowl of wriggling worms between them, and sharing a jug of bloodwine between them. They were dining with a human and an Andorian, neither or which seemed bothered by the worms, even if they avoided the bloodwine.

"Eyeing up my regulars?" Yolanthe appeared at the table, a tray in one hand. She set down a plate with a toasted sandwich and tall glass with a drink that faded from sea green to dark blue. "Megillio curd toastie and an Acamarian sunset. Virgin."

"Thank you," T'Lul told Yolanthe in response to the food. "As to eyeing up your regulars, I would not know who is regular or not. I am merely observing their behaviors. Perhaps I should have informed you before, my name is T'Lul, I am the new Chief Counselor on Deep Space 5. Would you please sit and join me? I wish to hear the stories you spoke of."

Yolanthe put a glass of liquid, tinted a pale yellow green in front of the other seat at the table, and sat herself, leaving the tray on a nearby table "I'm Yolanthe Ibalin, Owner of the Box of Delights. Where would you like to start?"

"I would say the beginning, but I would not want you to take that literally." She sampled some of her Acamarian sunset. "The taste is pleasing," she informed Yolanthe before returning to the original topic. "Tell me of the Bokkai and why your hue changes."

Yolanthe thought about what she was going to say. "Its linked to our emotions. When I was at school, the theory we were taught was because we had evolved in jungles where it was very very noisy. Our oldest city has a waterfall a kilometer and a half tall and half as much wide. You can hear the roar for kilometers around too. It gets in your bones... anyway, its a part of communication as much as gesture and words, this..." she gestured to the shirt and pants she wore. Even with substantial cleavage, she was mostly covered. "Is considered unforgivably rude. The only time we cover up otherwise, is in battle."

"I see," T'Lul answered in a typical counselor fashion. "Then why have you come out here and donned clothing? That seems like that this would be a contradiction to your species." T'Lul started to formulate theories as to why Yolanthe would clothe herself. Perhaps she was an outcast or criminal. Perhaps she was a rebel. Perhaps she had a case of wanderlust. More information clearly was required.

"I learnt that the vast majority of species are mostly the same colour, whether that's blue or brown or green, and that they all tend to wear clothes. Some who isn't and doesn't gets stared at a lot." Yolanthe took a sip of her drink. "The humans taught me an expression. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'"

"Ah, yes," T'Lul answered. "I am familiar with that expression. I believe it was coined by St. Augustine in the Earth 4th century when some humans from Milan found out that Saturday was a fast day in Rome and St. Augustine was consulted regarding how the Milan couple should handle the matter. It seems that advice is rather wise."

T'Lul took a bite of her sandwich and chewed it slowly as she mulled Yolanthe's words further. When she swallowed, she took a breath and asked, "What color are you normally? Are you aware of your color changes? Can you control them?"

Yolanthe held up her violet hand. "This colour. I can't feel anything when it changes, if that's what you mean. And no. You can hold it off. Like trying not to cry, but its rarely effective for more than a moment or two. Do you always interrogate strangers?"

Tilting her head slightly to the left and raising and eyebrow at Yolanthe, "Is that how I've made you feel?" The Counselor looked at the Bakkai and continued. "I am a counselor and I am Vulcan. We are prone to asking a great deal of questions, especially when our curiosity is piqued. Have you not met a Vulcan before?"

"I've met plenty of Vulcans. None quite as chatty though," Yolanthe smiled "A few years ago I was working on a tramp freighter as a deckhand and the XO was a Vulcan. He was more...taciturn."

"Chatty?" T'Lul questioned. "Perhaps, but I am a counselor," T'Lul answered. "It is necessary to listen and talk to do one's job. May I inquire what you were doing on a freighter and why you decided to run this place?"

"I needed money. I'm not a Federation Citizen. I don't have any qualifications, and if I hadn't been fitted with a UT, I wouldn't be able to speak the language either, so I took what I could get, changing berths until I ended up running a bar on a cruise liner, and I came here, oh, three? years ago, to be my own mistress." Yolanthe sat back, "It's working out quite well," She looked around her bar, her violet tones turning the colour of ducks eggs.

T'Lul noted the change in Yolanthe's hue but made no comment, silently wondering what her emotional state was at this moment. "I see. But what made you leave your home to begin with?"

The blue took on hints of gray. But Yolanthe smiled easily. "I wanted to get away from my mother," she lied.

The Vulcan nodded, noting the changing in Yolanthe's hue again. She was not an empath but something did not seem truthful about Yolanthe's statement. Then again, it could be that she did not read the body language of Bokkai accurately. "Why?" T'Lul asked simply.

Yolanthe paused. "My mother is overbearing and obsessed with having a boy, and my own lack of children vexed her. It didn't matter what I did, the fact that some of my younger sisters had already popped out grandchildren made me a hopeless case."

The pause bothered T'Lul, but she did not know why. An answer like that should have come naturally. "Do you want children?" the Vulcan asked. "And, while we are on that subject, I am curious, is your species able to have children with other species other than Bokkai?"

"I don't think I can have children." The blue was almost completely swallowed by the gray, "And I have no idea. My species is about 50,000 light years from here and we've only got as far as our moons." Yolanthe drank from her own water. "Though I'd imagine if we were, no man in the quadrant would be safe."

"I'm confused. Your species only got as far as your moons but you travelled 50,000 light years to here? How is that possible?" T'Lul tilted her head to the other side, trying to understand Yolanthe's story.

The bartender put her drink back on the table with a little click, "A story for another time. If I told you all my secrets straight away, you'd never come back."

Interesting. She feels that her worth is based on her story. A bit of insecurity? Maybe. Or something else. "I do not believe that logically follows; however, if you feel that this a place to stop, we can. I do have some food to finish and some research that I came to conduct."

"First Rule of Showbusiness. Always leave them wanting more." Yolanthe smiled "And a repeat customer is worth 4 times as much as a one-off." She got to her feet. "Let me know if there's any research that catches your eye, I'll send them up."

"So, you consider yourself an actress?" T'Lul wondered aloud. "Interesting. And, I assure you that my repetition of business will have nothing to do with a lack of information." She gave a small shrug and continued, "I do not believe that sending anyone up would be a good choice. Observational research is best done unnoticed."

"We all play parts here," Yolanthe allowed. "Well, the offer still stands. Sing out if you change your mind, and I do hope I see you back soon."

"A variation of the Shakespearean quote, Yolanthe? 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women, merely players,' I believe it started. For my part, right now, I wish to be part of the audience."

The bar owner smiled. "Then let us entertain you."

[OFF]

Lieutenant T'Lul
Chief Conselor
Deep Space 5

Yolanthe Ibalin
Proprietor
The Box of Delights

 

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