Bottles And Conversation

Posted on 11/30/2020 @ 7:00am by Ensign Melis Mendyar & Renee Rooke & Jeysa Zeror
Edited on on 11/30/2020 @ 7:23pm

Mission: S2E2: The Auction House
Location: USS Crazy Horse, The Blue Parrot
Timeline: Day 44 at 2130

Renee looked across the bar at her boss. The crowds had left--they were almost ready to close. "You look dead on your feet--sit down, I'll pour you something, and we can talk... Lots going on."

"There certainly is." Jeysa replied. She threw a dirty cloth into the replicator for disposal, gathered up some loose glasses on the counter then perched herself onto one of the barstools happy to be off her feet for a bit.

Renee nodded, then poured out a glass of wine for the Trill. Taking up a glass for herself, she added a bit of coriander, cardimum, and lemon juice. "Weird, I know, but I like it." Renee took a sip of the dark wine with addatives. "Captain was in here this morning--still weighed down by grief. Two people, dead, another in the brig, and our Chief of Security still in Sickbay... I'm just a civilian, but I know a friend of her's. Got an earful... Klingon... Anyway, I feel awful for that Lieutenant in the brig. I'd bring her something, but that'd take clearances.. Crew are unsettled--have you noticed, barely any chatter."

"They all seem busy, not quite relaxing totally when they're in here" Jeysa remarked, taking the glass she took a sip. "Remember there are all the colonists we rescued on the ship, a lot of the crew seem to be working to help them instead or even as well as their regular jobs."

"Mmm, yeah... I had a Bajoran couple in here a few hours back--asked for hasperat. I did what I could, but its something I'm not all that familiar with. Still, I think the effort made them happy..." Renee looked out the nearest viewport a moment. "The stars are comforting at warp, wouldn't you say?"

"I agree, I'm glad this lounge has such a big window." Jeysa said then stopped for a moment, thinking. "Hasperat is in the replicator files you know?"

Renee gave her a look. "Yeah, but I've always wanted to try and make it, and these colonists are... Anti-replicator, from the scuttlebutt."

"That's right--I just had to stop one of them starting a bloody campfire in a cargo bay." A fishy voice sounded from next to the bar.

"Ensign Mendyar, glad to see you... Can we get you something?"

There's always one Jeysa mused as Ensign Mendyar came into sight, she placed her glass back behind the bar counter and slipped off the stool.

"Altair water... Yeah, I know, I'm a fish, drinking water... If you're feeling generous, a dash of bloodwine in there wouldn't go amiss."

"Rough day?" Renee was concerned for the Benzite.

"You got this?" Jeysa asked Renee as she fetched a sterilizer tool and went to clean down the tables ready for closing.

"Course I do..." She reached for a glass and a bottle. "So, Ensign, you okay?"

"Oh, just colonists freaking out over little things... Campfires in the cargo bays... Warp core thrums... Oh, yeah, and I've got to guard our prisoner."

"How is the young lady?" Jeysa asked from the other side of the room.

"How would you feel, stuck behind a forcefield? Furious, but seems resigned to her fate. Takes food without complaint, which I suppose is a good thing."

"You think the captain might let me bring her something?" asked Renee.

"I doubt it," Larissa remarked. "I remember reading something in your ancient history, prisoners would get served bread and water. I bet a starfleet brig is luxurious compared to that."

"On Benzar, prisoners used to be kept in bubbles underwater and fed live things a bit like Terran eels. This was several hundred years ago," remarked the Benzite. "And thank you for the water--the alcohol helps."

"Setting prison conditions aside, I feel bad for her," Renee responded, now setting to wiping down the counter along with Jeysa.

"Me too, a moments anger is going to have a major effect on her career." Finishing her table Jeysa put the chairs on top of it. "Probably won't have a career after all this. I won't either if they find out that's a touch of real bloodwine in that drink so make sure you don't tell anyone."

The Benzite gave her a conspiratorial look. "I know nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing."

"Any word on Lieutenant Lae'Or?" asked Renee. "She's your boss, right?"

"She's still in Sickbay," responded the Benzite, looking up from his glass. "Should be out in a week, maybe a bit more."

"That's good. Now the boss would probably let you take something to her, Renee." Jeysa remarked.

"Mmm, yeah... What do you think I should try and get to her, boss?" asked the human.

"A hasperat souffle maybe. I'd replicate it though." Jeysa laughed thinking back to Renee's comment earlier.

"Haha, now that'd be funny... I might just do that... What is it with Bajorans? They're a very religious people, but then they love this spicy food... I don't get it."

Jeysa shrugged slightly. "Being religious doesn't mean you have to be frugal, the Vedeks, monks and all that maybe but your average bajoran wouldn't need to be. They can eat whatever they wanted to.

"Fair... The contrast is just... Odd. Andorians don't have such constraints, though they like their spices, too. What about Trill?"

"We're pretty easy going." Jeysa replied. "Eat what we feel like eating, drink what we feel like drinking. Party when we feel like partying."

"And romancing when you feel like it?" Renee grinned at her. "Don't think I haven't seen you looking at certain people."

"Not necessarily, apparently most Trills aren't for quick romances." Jeysa laughed. "Me on the other hand, I'll take what I can get when I can get it."

"Okay... I'm going to just... Go now... Leave you two to... Whatever this is..." The security officer rose, depositing his glass on the counter. "Have a good night, you two."

He walked off. Renee turned to Jeysa. "We're not that scary, are we?"

Jeysa burst out laughing the moment the door closed behind Mendyar. "To Benzites, maybe." Returning back to behind the bar she picked up her wine glass from earlier quickly finished her drink off and put it and Mendyar's glass into the sterilizer. "Different people react differently to that kind of subject.

"Quite... If you'd like, I can finish cleaning up here...?"

"Sure, leave it for me tomorrow." Emerging out from the bar Jeysa headed for the door. "I'll see you in the morning Renee."

---

A Post by:

Jeysa Zeror
Lounge Manager

and:
Renee Rooke
Chef, USS Crazy Horse