Lullabies and Liquor

Posted on Tuesday September 3rd, 2019 @ 4:43am by Ensign Qualt Vonn & Civilian Neleph Parma

Mission: Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Everything Gone?
Location: The Linear Spectrum Alehouse
Timeline: October 7th, 2421

ON:

Ensign Qualt Vonn had a long day. All day he had been crawling around, under consoles, working in tight, cramped spaces. He ached all over and was very tired, but he couldn't sleep. He had wanted nothing more than to go back to his quarters after his shift and collapse in his bunk, but after a shower he lay down and sleep did not happen. After about an hour of tossing and turning and trying different kinds of music and sounds, the Xelayan got up out of bed and started to wander around the station.

Fortunately, his bunk was on the same asteroid as most of the shopping and eating establishments, so no "space walk" for him tonight. He wandered around the recreational level, looking into windows at the merchandise. At this hour, most things were closed, at least the ones that sold items. A lot of the bars and restaurants seemed to stay open all the time.

Qualt liked a good bar, he was Xelayan after all. Alcohol didn't affect him like it did humans or many other species. He enjoyed bar hopping, trying new drinks. There was always some drink from somewhere that he hadn't tried and Qualt was always looking for new drinking experiences, so when he came across The Linear Spectrum Alehouse he was more than interested.

With the lighting set precariously low and with an ambiance of soothing jazz, The Linear Spectrum Alehouse was many things, it had a bar so it could be called one, but waitresses bringing drinks around gave it a feeling of far more class.

In the middle of it all, his robes giving off a soft greenish glow in the low light was Parma. He was not tall, indeed by the standards of many races he was quite short. Yet the way he held himself made him seem like more than he was.

When he heard the small chime of the door, nearly inaudible thanks to the blend of music and quiet chatter, he moved to the door and smiled broadly. "Welcome to my humble establishment," he said sounding somewhere between pompous and magnanimous. "Can I interest you in one of our Delta Fire Cocktails today?"

Qualt was staring around, this was a fancier bar then he had first imagined. He felt underdressed, wearing casual civilian clothing. When the host approached him, he stared. He didn't know what the person's species was, which wasn't all that common for him. He blinked a couple of times, while Parma was speaking and it took a moment for the proprietor's words to sink in. "A... a Delta what? Does it have booze in it?" he finally managed.

"It is quite alcoholic, yes, it is said to have a pleasant aroma and feels warm and cold at the same time," Parma said as he gestured for the new customer to follow him as he led him to a booth.

Qualt followed with interest. "Xelayan... So, I can drink a lot of booze. Is this your place? It's really nice in here. A lot nicer than I expected. Not that that's a problem." He grinned and slid into the proffered booth, grinning up at Parma.

"Oh, I am certain we can find something to get you intoxicated, I do have some Xelayan Rum, I am certain I could have my bartender whip up a concoction if you so desire," Parma said with a dark smile. He knew well enough that he had a selection more than adequate to get nearly any humanoid hammered, if they wanted it and were willing to pay.

"Well... it's not like I have anything else to spend my money on," Qualt said with a big grin on his face. "I want something... sweet... with lots of booze in it. It's okay if it's a shot or a drink... I'm not picky. I just want to get hammered and I want something new." He looked at Parma again, still grinning, his hands on the table in front of him. "How long have you been open?"

With a smirk Parma held a hand and beckoned over a server. "The gentleman would like a Xelayan Sunrise, use the Jalian Rum and the fresh Xelayan Mint Berries," he said smoothly. The server gave a nod and headed away. "Hopefully, you will find that to your taste."

A moment later the server returned with a layered drink in a tall glass.

Qualt waited for the proprietor to answer his question, but none was forthcoming. He shuffled in his seat and put his hands in his lap awkwardly at the momentary silence that followed the waiter, who went to get his drink. He was also a little frustrated because he'd had a million Xelayan Sunrises, he wanted something new and had asked for something new, but the proprietor seemed to think otherwise. He was certain that whatever he was knew more than he, himself did, so he didn't say anything and just waited.

The Ensign grinned broadly when the drink arrived. It was definitely pretty. Lots of people were good at making this drink, but very few were able to keep the layers separated with such distinction as the drink presented to him. "Wow! This is really beautiful. It's almost a shame to drink it." He chuckled.

"There is an ancient philosophy that truly great art only exists for a moment in time, no more and no less. Thus if you do not drink it, it cannot be true art, now can it," Parma said in a slightly smug manner, though not enough to be offensive. "In answer to your question I have been on the station for only a few days, to oversee the final steps to open. We are still a very new establishment after all."

Qualt leaned forward a little to sip the top layer of the drink carefully. It was excellent. He didn't know if it was the liquor used or the mix, but it was one of the best he had ever sipped. He looked at the drink, just to make sure it was what he thought it was and then sipped it again. Then he set it down and flicked the edge of the glass with one finger. The drink came to life and definitely lived up to its name of "Sunrise". As the layers broke apart from the impact they made beautiful swirling colors that finally came to rest in the glass, looking like an actual sunrise on Xelaya. "I thought I hadn't seen the name before... I like to try new places. Change up the scenery a bit. Nice place. Beautiful job on the drink. I've never seen one made so fine and taste so good. Thank you."

"I make it a point to only serve the best," Parma said with a slight incline of the head. "That means only the best alcohol and only the freshest juices are used unless there is a good reason." In truth, it was partially the quality of the materials used, but there was also acknowledging the different palettes of various races. He would have ensured the drink had been served differently if a Human or Moclan had asked for it. Biology demanded to be taken into account if the drink was to be received well. "If you would care for some food I can have one of my staff bring you a menu, perhaps something a bit sweeter to go along with the drink?"

Qualt tried to remember the last thing he had eaten. He was pretty sure he had eaten lunch, but he couldn't remember if he had dinner or not. He had been so busy trying to keep up with the system failures all over the station that he really hadn't had any time to take care of himself. "Alright, I should probably eat, even though it's super late. I would love to see a menu. So, do you do this with everyone? This... personal touch?" He was referring to Parma's help with the drink and menu. "That must keep you pretty busy." He smiled at the proprietor again.

"I tend to like to play host with newcomers and old favorites. Though it does fill my time," Parma said with a toothy smile. Customer relations was the name of the game, make them feel safe, learn things, and use that which was learned to gain something useful. It was business basics. He held up his fur-covered hand and snapped. A second later a member of the staff arrived. "A menu please," he said, never taking his eyes off his guest.

Qualt grinned. "It's nice. It's personal. I like it. It makes me feel comfortable in a way. Almost like a place back home where people are okay to talk to each other randomly, ya know?" He chuckled. "I don't know. It sounds corny, but it makes me feel important." He sort of half shrugged, still seemingly amused. "It's nice," he repeated awkwardly.

"I do aim for a more personal touch at any establishment I own," Parma said breaking his gaze only when the member of his staff returned with a menu and a plate of Telaxian Spice Crisps, a house specialty, the salt in them tended to encourage drinking and it made everyone seem to think he was the one being generous. "I think you'll find we have something for almost any taste here." He smiled again. He had a cool casualness to him, a way of speech and movement that made him seem both fully invested and oddly detached.

Qualt was totally excited about the menu and the chips. He held out a hand for the menu, finished his drink and waited for the staff member to set the chips on the table. "Well, I like it, but I'd imagine it would be hard to maintain if the bar was really busy." He looked around the room again, wondering if the place qualified as a bar or a restaurant. Not that it much mattered, he was here drinking and about to order some food, but he couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut. If there was one thing Qualt liked to do, aside from picking up people to sleep with, was talk. "So... do you consider your establishment to be a bar or a restaurant?" he asked.

"We're an Alehouse, something more like a restaurant with a bar... and a very wide selection on tap," Parma replied with a cheeky little grin. "And when it gets busy I tend to find the most interesting people and give them a little attention. I make it a point to greet everyone at least once though."

"It's really nice. Not a lot of places are like that anymore. What are you going to do when the miners return? You're gonna get really busy, from what I hear. I mean there's a lot of people here now... but they say this place can get really crowded when the miners are here." Qualt looked at the menu again and licked his lips, wondering if the man was going to hand it to him or not. "Is there something to eat that you recommend? I like all sorts of food."

"If it gets too crowded, then I suppose the only option would be to expand the operation," Parma said a greedy little glint in his eye. He would love more to be busy enough to warrant a second bar. The profit margins were higher and far more information flowed through the business. "If you're in the mood for something with a little spice to it, the Delotian Kabob is to die for. If your palate is for something milder, I highly recommend our Denebian Stripe Steak. Both are house specialties and if I do say so myself quite delicious."

Qualt didn't need to be told twice, he also didn't need to see that menu after all. "I'll take the steak! That sounds wonderful and it's been a little while since I had a good steak. I'll take it with whatever it comes with and if there isn't a way it should be cooked... I like my steak medium rare." He grinned. "I hope you do get busy enough to open another bar. I mean that's good for your pockets, I'm sure." He paused for a moment before looking back up at Parma. "So what made you decide to open a place all the way out here at the ass end of the universe?"

Parma raised a single fur-covered hand and one of the wait staff quickly came over. When Parma spoke next it was in an alien tongue, his words quick and consonant heavy. The staff nodded and quickly departed. "It is a long and quite boring tale, to be perfectly honest," Parma deflected with an odd little smirk. "Put simply I was looking for some property that would be in an ideal spot and this place caught my eye. The Union presence is nice. It's a sense of security I find more lucrative."

Qualt snorted. "I'm not sure about how nice this place is," he said sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure that most of us here are under some sort of review or disciplinary action. It's amazing to me that anyone would want to be here on purpose." He chuckled softly. "Hey! YOU haven't had anything go missing have you?"

"Oh? I had a crate of customized fine crystal glassware go missing. About one-fourth of my stock. It didn't hurt us too much, but it does mean that our sanitizer is being used far more often than originally planned," Parma said with a heavy sigh. "And compared to some stations without Union Support, this one is far safer. Especially for a businessman like myself. I have needed to hire a full team of security in the past. Here most of my security needs are handled by the Union. It's nice."

"Oh!" Qualt said, surprised. "I hadn't really thought about somewhere that wasn't safe. Where you would have to hire security. That makes all the sense in the world. I wish you the best here. The miners should be back on the station soon, so you'll get more business. As far as the glasses go, we're having a lot of things go missing as of late. They think it might be an animal of some sort doing it."

"An animal stealing drinking glasses?" Parma said raising an eyebrow a bit. "I must say that this sort of thing hasn't ever happened to me before." He chuckled a little at the idea of a small furry creature, much like himself really, snuck into his storehouse and stole several crates of drinking glasses. "Might need to set out a couple of traps."

Qualt nodded. "Apparently they like shiny things and anything they can carry off. You know what amazes me is that we haven't found any places that they're stashing the items yet. I haven't even seen one!" he voiced in frustration. "I've just been trying to keep up with all the chewing they're doing." He looked up at the restaurant owner again. "I'm sure we'll find your glasses somewhere. I can't speak of what state they'll be in though."

"I have very good insurance," Parma said with a sly smile. And then he glanced to as the door slid open and a couple of officers in red garb entered. "Ah, it appears I have guests. If you will excuse me I think it wise to spend a little time with those who keep use safe, don't you?" And with that the tiny proprietor walked away quickly, making his way to the officers and glad-handing them in as good a manner as he could manage.

Qualt watched him walk away with a little smile and then looked at the waiter that was still standing there, waiting. He decided it was probably time to place an order for food.

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