Boys in the Bar

Posted on Fri Feb 9th, 2024 @ 4:55am by Ensign Kash th'Kaasniik

2,071 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Menagerie: side stories & mischief making
Location: Deck 18: Crew Lounge
Timeline: MD: 1, 2030 hours

Cormus was happy to be done with the day. Considering it had started much earlier than he'd planned, the mission review and the amount of study on the Romulan government structure he'd started today, he didn't know if he wanted to have another conversation with Graxx again until tomorrow. They were as close as brothers but went through times when they couldn't stand one another.

With the top of his jacket unfastened he walked in and made his way up to the bar and ordered a drink, not caring if he was potentially cutting in front of anyone else "Whiskey on the rocks, a double." Taking a quick look to his right, the place seemed pretty dead which was what he'd hoped for.

Kash was getting bored with flight simulations and cleaning and stocking the shuttle bays and was ready to actually get somewhere so he could actually do something. Support craft were all obviously grounded while they were in warp. He walked up to the bar and waited to catch the eye of the server. With his head slightly tilted forward, as many Bish'ee were known to do, he looked up at the server and smiled. "Andorian ale, please."

Kash turned to his right and saw someone about his age from the Diplomatic Department a few seats down. "Long day?" Kash asked.

Accepting his drink from the bartender, Cormus took a sip before turning to the voice and responding "Started with room inspections of kids not much younger than me. Gotta love telling crewman that went through basic training to pick up plates of 3 day old calamari and crusty pizza that they also need to make their beds. I'm not an instructor." It took a moment of looking at the Andorian sideways but he thought the other man was somewhat recognizable. He took note of the red "Are you a flight jockey?"

"Support craft pilot," Kash answered. "Not as glorious as it sounds. Support craft are grounded when we're in warp. A lot of cleaning and stocking today. Once we get their tomorrow, I'm told it will likely be a lot more of that while we wait to see if anything will come up."

"I was part of the detail to bring some of the craft on board, were you by chance part of it? I was a maintenance engineer previously so I did small craft repair. I'm no Tom Paris but I can handle myself in a shuttle. It seems like regardless of changing specialties, my past life and promotion just keep adding to my workload. At least once we stop moving you get to go out and take a look. My team doesn't do squat until things are clear and the Captain brings us in to engage with the locals. So a lot of training and downtime until it gets put into practice. I just hope my new boss works out. The guy seems wound a bit too tight, especially for a Betazoid." Cormus made a wave to the bartender to consider ordering food next. He hadn't eaten much today.

"I was here for that, yeah. Probably coolest thing we'll get to do for a while. You have to put your time in before they give you the fun stuff. I just graduated a few weeks ago. Everyone keeps telling me I'll have to be patient." Kash shrugged his shoulders impassively and took a long drink of his ale. "You know us lower deckers. They say the good stuff will come though."

"Ah, that's where I recognize you from then. I suppose it's true about putting your time in but becoming an NCO you'd think one would have a little more room to breath. But I suppose if we kept our room clean to begin with we'd have gotten a little less hell to begin with. So you were just back on Earth, how are things going back there?" Spotting the bartender make his way back towards the pair, he added another question "Did you by chance want something to eat too? I'm starving?" Cormus loved chicken wings when he drank.

"Hey why not," Kash raised a couple of fingers to get the server's attention, "Steak nachos, extra beef and whatever my buddy's having."

"Chicken wings, in ghost pepper sauce, thanks. Beef nachos are always a win." He made a motion for the Ensign to join the seat next to him as he went to sit down himself. "Truth be told I'm kind of excited we're already on our way to our first mission. It's best to get it over with, especially with a new Captain. But from the feeling I've gotten she'll handle things just fine. She's got spunk, just like me. We're the ones that make Starfleet go round whether everyone else likes to admit it or not." Cormus polished off his drink before motioning for another.

Taylon entered the lounge. He had had to finish a quick project, and thus, was running a little late because he had also wanted to change his clothes. Now, he wore some well-tailored jeans, a button down shirt, and flannel shirt over that. His ever-present newsboy cap was on, and while it didn't do much to hide his pointy ears, he wore it because someone had once told him it looked "debonair" and after learning what that word meant in Standard, he decided that debonair was what he wanted to be. He looked around the lounge, and smiled. He approached the bar. "Hey. Fancy seeing you two here,"he said, settling onto a stool. He had practiced his speech carefully-the half Vulcan side of him was still very staid and formal, but his human side took cultivating. He usually wavered between the two, though he started out consciously using less formal speech. "Hello. May I have an ale, please?" he asked the bar tender. "One real one. And some water." He said. No need to get too wild this evening. "What are you...guys...doing?" he asked. He could feel a blush to his face; it seemed a dumb question, but he had nothing better to say.

"Just ordered food," Kash said. "I think I saw you at the launch party. Name's Kash, support pilot. And this here is Cormus," Kash turned to look at Cormus. "What did you say you do again?" Kash asked.

Taylon nodded. "Hi. I am ops," he said. "Support pilot? We'll probably work together occasionally, then," he said. "I'm Taylon Janes," he said. "Nice to formally meet you. What do you do, Cormus?" He asked, hoping he sounded jovial and friendly.

Cormus answered both of the other men "Me? I'm a Civil Ops Specialist, so mostly we help advise on the local government a culture in the region, options on what may be best for the local populace, tracking down resources or advising on what we have available, where they make the most impact. Then the command decides what or what doesn't happen. And we get to play diplomat some too, or so they tell me. My buddy and I just graduated a few months ago so this is our first assignment doing the job. Only our boss has practical experience so far."

Taylon nodded. "Interesting," he said. "My mother would find that a worthy venture," he said. "She was a scientist." It was then that he had realized his faux pas earlier-Kash's question was for Cormus. Oops.

The server brought out their food and Taylon's drink. Kash's nachos were overflowing with steak just how he'd ordered. "Do you like nachos, Taylon?" Kash asked, passing small plates to Cormus and Taylon to share.

Taylon nodded. "I like most Earth foods," he said. "I can't eat chocolate or too much cheese, but a little is OK." That was one Vulcan thing he had inherited...his mother's stomach. Chocolate was deadly. Cheese just gave him gas.

"So did you guys have have anything fun planned for the week in your downtime?" Kash asked. Four years at the Academy and he had a lot of friends to do stuff with. Now he was starting over, but these two seemed like a decent place to start anyway.

Taylon shook his head. "I was going to play video games in a holodeck for a bit, then maybe work out a little, but nothing in between those things. Also, my mother will kill me if I don't call her so I'll do that, too," he said. "What about you? Will you be participating in any extracurricular activities?"

"I wanna check out some of the scenes, see who's who. A couple of the lounges turn into clubs at night," Kash mentioned.

Taylon nodded.. "That sounds like a fun plan," he said. He bit into a nacho, and smiled. "That's very good," he said. "Will it be a group activity or do you do that alone?" He asked.

"It depends. I've got some time I need to spend in the gym and probably the phaser range as well. Otherwise my days will be full of study for the upcoming mission just in case. I may check out a club or two depending on the scene. I haven't had much time to survey the ladies around here." Cormus grabbed one of his wings and took a bite, allowing the extreme heat to kick in as he chewed, enjoying the burn before swallowing. "You guys are welcome to the wings but if heat isn't your thing or your stomachs aren't up for it I'd recommend you stick with the nachos."

"It's always better to hit up clubs with a wingman, Taylon. First rule." Kash responded. "Small group of friends is ok too, but if it's a large group, you have to split up when you go in."

Taylon nodded. "Human rules are too much," he said. "What is a wingman?" He asked.

Kash grinned and gave Taylon a knowing look. "You know someone to have your back. Talk you up to the girl ... or guy you think is cute. Am I right, Cormus?"

Taylon nodded. "I see," he said. "That sounds like a...unnecessary thing, but if you are interested, it would be stimulating social endeavor," he said, as his way of offering to help.

"Definitely Kash." Cormus picked up another wing and took a few bites quickly devouring it before taking another sip of his drink. "See, if the guy or gal you're wanting to go and talk to has a friend, well it can be kind of tough especially if they're friend decides for some reason they don't like you. Sure they don't know you but if they're out for the evening just to hang out, the last thing they want sometimes is their friend pulling a good looking dude like one of us. So that's where your wingman comes in. He can go and talk to that friend, have a conversation, distract them, maybe they'll have an interest in one another as well. It'll give you time to get to know who you're interested in better. And in the event all of you are getting along, then of course, your wingman will be there to talk you up. You'll be going home with stacks of numbers in no time."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Kash agreed. "So when are we hitting the clubs? You both in?"

"As long as I'm not up early on the rotation to do room inspections the next day, I'm in" Cormus replied. "Wanna join us Taylon?" It could be fun to get out and about with some of the other guys. Granted they were both likely officers but being Civil Ops, he worked with them day in day out so it made little difference to him at the end of the day.

Taylon considered for a moment. He didn't have anything else to do that evening, so he nodded. "Sure, I will come along. Thank you for the invitation," he said.

"Alright, Friday night. 2100 hours. Dress up," Kash said raising his glass.

Taylon knew this human custom. He raised his glass with a nod. "See you." He said. He finished his drink. "Well. I guess it's time for me to go meditate then hit the racks."

Cormus raised his glass in suit "2100 Friday it is. Be ready boys."


OFF:

LtJG Taylon Janes
Ops Officer
USS Astrea

Ensign Kash th'Kaasnik
Operations Officer
USS Astrea

Petty Officer 3rd Class Cormus Fletcher
Civil Operations
USS Astrea

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