Taking the Edge Off, Part 1

Posted on Sun 7th May, 2017 @ 3:30am by Lieutenant Thomas Maynard

1,032 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: Early Evening, MD 04

Thomas had settled in well. He enjoyed exploring part of Tivoli Gardens and taking a trip along the river the day before. He did get mindlessly drunk after that though, but over the years he never seemed to have a hangover. That made him want to drink more though, knowing that he could drink as much as he want without suffering the dreaded hangover. He spent the day meeting everyone, not really his idea of fun, but it had to be done. Now it was time to unwind. The starbase was full of watering holes and he intended to see how many he could use; whether or not he actually remembered them was another matter.

After speaking to various people today, they recommended visiting Orchids & Jazz as a first pit stop. That's exactly what he intended to do! As he walked down the Promenade he saw the place and let out a half-hearted smile. It looked alright in his opinion but nothing what he was expecting. He entered Orchids & Jazz to be met by a fairly tall human male, with short dark hair.

"Good evening, Sir," Reon Velasquez said, mentally summing up the man who'd walked in. He didn't seem the type to have a date waiting, but Reon was willing to be surprised. "Will you be meeting someone for dinner?"

Thomas scoffed, before realizing that was a little bit rude for a place like this, "Sorry, no no! Just by myself tonight. Can I have a place near the bar? Or at the bar, if that's possible please?"

"Anything is possible," the doorman said. "Here's a dinner menu, and Jenna will seat you."

Jenna gave the customer her trade-mark smile. "Come this way, please. Since Miss Lantz is behind the bar this evening, you can count on interesting conversation ... or being left alone, if you prefer."

She led the way around the entrance screen and toward the bar with it's gleaming cut-glass bottles in front of a softly lit mirror. "Be sure to ask her the history of the bar itself, if you're interested in that sort of thing." She set the menu on the bar, about half-way from the curved end. Several seats were empty, giving him the choice of whether to position himself for conversation or to be alone.

Thomas grabbed a seat where he was open for conversation if need be. He preferred not to have a conversation, but when he was drinking, he always admitted it was nicer to actually drink or talk with someone there. That way he could drink without realizing how much had actually gone down him. He quickly thanked Jenna without saying too much to her at all and glanced at the menu.

Jade glanced at the newcomer as she refilled an Amber Falls Ale for another customer. Without appearing to look at him at all, she sized him up. He seemed to shout, "I'm a conflicting series of stories, waiting to be told!"

His aura was ... interesting and not a common mix. A fringe of bright yellow surrounded a cloudy dark blue, but there were also spots of gray around his head. If she had to guess, he was secretive, but also fearful of what the future might hold. He'd known loss and feared knowing it again. Even though he had elements that suggested he feared the truth, other elements seemed to indicate he needed to be in control ... or needed to appear in control. Definitely an interesting mix, if not easy and comfortable.

Having a word with most of her customers as she worked her way down toward the object of her interest, the restaurateur soon arrived at the lieutenant, and set a glass of water in front of him. "Hello, I'm Jade Lantz, owner of Orchids & Jazz. Is there a special drink I can mix for you, or would you rather order dinner first?"

"Can I order dinner? Sirloin steak," he quipped. "And in terms of drink, something to make me forget about my troubles!"

"Sirloin is always possible," Jade answered, sending his order back to the chef. "Something to forget your troubles? That could be a little harder. As Dostoyevsky said, 'Man only likes to count his troubles; he doesn't calculate his happiness.' You don't look like a martini man. I'm going to guess ... Johnnie Walker Red, straight up from the old country ... or maybe Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey? Either one should shortly mute your sorrows."

Personally, Jade never drank her products. She found that dulling the pain only made it hurt more when it was time to face reality again. Still, she made a business of knowing what worked for others. She was offering the lieutenant a quality product, but she had a feeling that what was made in the replicator would do just as well for him.

"Jack Daniels all the way!" He let out a half smile. "What does a 'martini man' look like?" he mused.

Jade laughed. "Not like you."

In moments, the Tennessee whiskey was poured and placed in front of the blue-eyed human. "But if you want to know what a scotch and whisky man looks like, check the mirror." She winked at him and moved down the bar to a customer at the end. She returned with a warm plate a few minutes later. Seared steak, baked potato, and fresh green beans vied for space.

"Hey, Lantz," greeted the man who'd taken a seat next to the Lieutenant. "Gimme the usual and introduce me to your friend here." Block eyed the man and then added, "Looks like a spook to me, but we need 'em, so that's okay."

Jade shook her head with an amused glance as she set the plate in front of the lieutenant. "We hadn't gotten quite that far in our friendship, but," she looked at the intelligence officer, "you might want to know that this is Hieronymus Block, responsible for just about official plant on Vanguard. Good luck." She poured the Amber Falls ale and set it in front of the gardener before moving away again.

"Well, sonny, you gonna eat that thing or stare it into submission?" Block asked, after a hefty gulp of his ale.

 

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