Lorelei's debut

Tal'Ara nodded at the Commander, he seemed reticent to talk about it here, and she did not want to press the issue with him on her first day.

T'Pren collected the two cups, giving the Commander an extra, "Sir, yes, sir." These she took toward Falten, which meant she ended up next to Akhil, making her look tiny. She leaned against the bar and smiled broadly up at him. "Counselor."

As for Falten, the lieutenant nodded to the empty cups. "May I get another bloodwine, please, a Romulan ale for the Lieutenant Commander, and a glass of champagne for the Commander? All on my tab."

"What matters is for the time being, it's safe and stable," he said to Tal'Ara, "And will soon be with someone who can keep it safely."

"Understood," she nodded.

Then she lightened her tone and teased, "I see you were unable to change your attire for the concert... but that shouldn't be hard for a Betazoid to do right here... don't you just have to get undressed?"

"Hello," Akhil almost said lieutenant - being around the Commander made him take special pride in formality - but then added, "T'Pren. That is a very handsome dress. I see the doctor is back on her feet. I hope you are enjoying yourselves."

"You misunderstand Betazoids," he said to Tal'Ara. "We don't undress at the slightest provocation. Only when it's really, really, fun."
He was relieved to see Akhil approach.
"Good to see you!" he said, cherishing a moment to distract Tal'Ara from him, "Won't you join us?"

Whereas the Commander's compliment made her momentarily shy, Akhil's made her proud. Handsome was the kind of thing Muroc would have called a dress, at which Adlai would have had a good laugh. But it pleased Pren greatly. It pleased her so much that even though the use of her full first name was a little kick to the heart, she didn't let it show. Instead, she gave the Klingon a softer smile. "Pren," she corrected gently. "Only Muroc ever used my full name."

When the three drinks she orders arrive in front of her, she nods Falten toward Akhil. "The counselor's next drink is on me as well."

In part because she didn't want to let her comment about her father linger, she was more than grateful to glance back at Regan. "She's doing a lot better now. And I'm spoon-feeding her bloodwine, so she's about to be great."

Akhil nodded at the Commander, them at Pren's words, he let out a sudden laugh that made the bottles and glasses behind the bar ring, inching dangerously closer to the edges of the shelves they rested on. "Considering the circumstances under which I worked with the new doctor, I figured she had a strong constitution - but I did not imagine she would be the type to knock back blood wine," he said boisterously, rising from his stool, "I insist that a buy the next round for you and Dr. Ozan. Would I be intruding if I joined you?"

"Counselor," T'Pren began in an overly serious manner, "I will have you know that Dr. Ozan and I were first and second four years in a row at the Academy's unofficial annual bloodwine binge in respect for the first Federation/Klingon peace treaty." She grinned and admitted, "Last year there was a Klingon cadet. We ended up forfeiting. Messily."

She carefully set the two drinks for her senior officers in front of their respective owners. At the Klingon's drink offer, the half-Vulcan's smile bloomed across her face. "We would be honored to have you join us, Akhil."

"There's nothing shameful in falling to a superior enemy," Akhil quoted sagely, but with a smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth. He helped Pren carry the rest of the drinks back to her and Orzan's table, leaving Commander Rai with the Romulan. He gave the Commander an apologetic look in passing, though he was not sorry, if he was honest with himself.

"Doctor!" he called out in a booming voice, following Pren but towering at least two feet above the lieutenant, "Pren tells me you have a taste for bloodwine. There is nothing quite like it to banish illness and make the blood sing."

The many-tentacled Phylosian apologetically pushed through the crowd. Standing nearly seven feet tall, green skinned, long spindly legs and nine leafy tentacles coated in silvery fuzz, the Phylosian was at this point the least humanoid in the entire establishment, and they certainly felt conspicuous. The delicate nature of Phylosian species made them shy, overly sensitive, and avoidant. Yet tonight, it was their first night on the station, and they wanted not to immediately turn into the Pleasure Gardens, but to at least see where the noise was coming from.
He raised a tentacle at Falten.
"Water, just water. No ice."

Val Etilen had been sitting next to a very handsy human ensign, who he quickly realized didn't have anything to offer him except drunken explanations about his culture having grown out of the need for currency. Val could tell he was one of those clients who would try to talk himself out of having to pay on account of his conventional attractiveness.

"I suppose you're trying to tell me nicely that you're not in need of my services," Val said, extracting himself from the ensign. When he stood to leave, the ensign grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, which Val took with a laugh to cover up how annoyed it made him. "Relax ensign, I'm just going to get us some drinks."

Val hastily crossed the room to the bar and knelt on a barstool, leaning far over the counter to catch the eye of whoever was on duty. Thankfully, it was crowded tonight because of Lorelei's debut and he wouldn't have a shortage of prospects.

"Kanar and soda please, on Ensign Morello's credit."

"Ah, well then, hopefully we dont have too much fun while we are on the bridge," she said to the Commander, cheekily.

Tal'Ara gave a thankful nod to T'Pren as she handed over the beverage.

When Akhil and T'Pren left, Tal'Ara let out a fake sigh.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they don't enjoy my company very much."

Tal'Ara caught sight of the attractive Bajoran boy shamelessly displaying himself on the bar, and chuckled.

"Who is he?" she asked the Commander.

Da-an peeked at the Bajoran's figure, sipping their water furtively.
"His next drink, it's on me," they said to the blue woman behind the bar.

And wouldn't Val be proud of how effortlessly sure of herself T'Pren was looking in her dress now that she had forgotten she was wearing it. It even flowed prettily around her as she picked her way through the crowd back to Regan and her empty seat, leading the counselor. The size and species difference received some smirks from a few of the tables they passed, but no one dared say anything because...Klingon.

T'Pren settled the cups of bloodwine down on the table once they reached it and plopped unceremoniously in her seat, leaving one empty for Akhil. "I've always loved that turn of phrase," she admitted, pulling her new full cup to her. "Making 'blood sing'." She smiled thoughtfully. "Actually, I love most Klingon turns of phrase."

"The Bajoran displaying his wares? Oh, he's one of the station's independent entrepreneurs," he said to Tal'Ara. "His name is Val. I actually need to settle something with him, if you'll excuse me," he quickly departed from her side. Even the shrill Bajoran was more appealing than an evening with an abrasive Romulan.

Val glanced over at the -being- who had offered his next drink. He looked them up and down, totally at al loss of how to begin appealing to such a creature. He'd never seen something like them before - in fact, when approaching the bar, he assumed Da-an's head had been some kind of extravagant hat.

However, Val wasn't one to let unfamiliarity stop him from giving anything a try.

He leaned the heels of his hands on the bar and craned around to examine the being from one side to the other, to make sure he was facing him the right way.

"Well, look at you. Bless me, you're tall, aren't you?"

With the Commander gone, Tal'Ara stood at the bar alone, sipping her illegal beverage.

Clearly, she was not wanted here. However, she didn't let that get to her. She wasn't here to make friends.

She perked her ears up and listened to snippets of conversations whizzing through the air.

"Val! I've been meaning to speak to you!" He burst into their conversation. "Ah, are you getting acquainted with our new groundskeeper, Da-an? They'll be living in the Pleasure Gardens."
He gingerly clasped one of his tentacles. "Da-an, Val. Val, Da-an. Val's sort of our unofficial welcome wagon. I hope he'll treat you well," he said warmly to the quivering plant man.
"I wanted to give you something, Val," he said, and produced two small pouches of latinum bars from his uniform pockets. He dropped them on the bar before him.
"I hope this will mend fences, or at least make up for your lost business."

"Pleased to meet you, welcome aboard," Val said upon introduction. He slid his fingertips over one of the being's tendrils and laughed flirtatiously. "You're fuzzy!"

He was sobered, however, by the Commander's gift, and blinked at the latinum momentarily
"Commander.. how sweet, thank you. Are you sure this is for the Ranjen, and not a little for yourself? I ask because I wouldn't want to seem ungrateful."

"You're too kind, but isn't only for the Ranjen, it's for the business you lost while in prison, and a little bit extra to get you through the next few days, in case they're lean, post-disaster. I know you're wary of Betazoids, but hopefully, someday you'll count me as a friend."
His eyes shifted to the tall Phylosian.
"Speaking of new friends, I should leave you two to get acquainted. I think Val will take very good care of you, Da-an."
He gently clasped Val on the shoulder as he walked away.
Spotting T'Pren in her blue dress, he crossed the room to join her.
"I love this song, don't you? Her voice makes me feel like I'm in another time."

Val was a little puzzled by this about-face of attitude and respect from the commander, but if it meant someone from a position of power was on is side, who was he to question it?
He turned his attentions back to the puzzling alien.
"He was read your emotions, you know. Well, perhaps not *your* emotions.. I think it depends on what sort of brain you have." He downed his Kanar and placed the glass on the bar to be refilled.

By the looks of things, Tal'Ara figured the night was over for her. No one seemed to want anything to do with her, which was absolutely fine in her estimation. She took the final sip of her drink and left the bar area.

She looked back at the faces of her fellow officers and the civilians who made up the station, all having a good time together. It was disgusting.

After taking one final visual sweep of the room, Tal'Ara silently sliped out of the establishment and made her way to the Habitat ring.

T'Pren Inabnet wrote:

T'Pren settled the cups of bloodwine down on the table once they reached it and plopped unceremoniously in her seat, leaving one empty for Akhil.

Regan had finished Pren's cup of bloodwine and had been resting her chin on her folded arms, when Pren came back.  She saw the bloodwine first.  "This is why you're my favorite, Pren." She reached for the nearer cup when she saw the the Klingon.  She'd met counselor Akhil before, of course, but suddenly, seeing bloodwine and a Klingon next to each other she had a horrible flashback to a drinking contest, and a painful evening with only herself to blame.  She gulped and sat up in her chair.

"Counselor Akhil.  Welcome to our table.  We have an amazing view."