Of Mixes and High Notes

Posted on 10 Dec 2014 @ 12:59am by Tarel Rilem & Clarence Pearl

1,332 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: Starlight Lounge, Starbase 86
Timeline: MD 03 :: 2239 Hours

ON

"Are there any tribbles here?"

The first question that Tarel asked seemed to go over the head of the waiter that appeared. Sighing at the perplexed response she received, she opted to accept a seat at the bar and order herself a drink instead of asking what the bar's policy on pests was. The Bajoran would have been fine with Cardassians wandering about the ship, so long as they didn't cause trouble and stayed as far from the Callisto as possible. It was a different story when the multi-colored menaces literally dropped into play. She spent most of that time holed up in her quarters, shooing away anything fuzzy that got itself too close.

All of that was behind her now. She could enjoy a well-deserved rest on this nice little starbase, and maybe, if the night went right, she would find a place that had a stage for her to sing on. Then she wouldn't be out of practice, something her agent would have never let her live down, tribbles or no tribbles.

She wiggled herself onto the stool, careful to not wrinkle her scarlet dress, hoping to flag down the bartender as he passed by.

"One moment, Miss Scarlet..." Clarence winked at her as he walked past, carrying the two cocktails to the two men chatting closely. He handed them the drinks before moving to her, searching her face. He wore a light blue shirt, waistcoat and jeans. Clearly, he had tried to dress to the standard of the others here...and not quite managed to hit the spot. "There we go. Now what can I get you, sweetheart?" he asked the Bajoran woman. She was...well. Beautiful. Classy as well, too classy for what he had usually noticed in the bar. She certainly dressed the part of a lady of some...class. "I can make you any cocktail your heart desires..."

Tarel leaned in, intrigued more by his mannerisms than by his appearance. She appreciated the attempt at conversation, smiling in return. "Any cocktail, hm?... I'm not all familiar with that sort of thing. I'm used to Bajoran Ale... how about you surprise me?"

"Of course..." he said and watched her, taking her in before nodding. Champagne cocktail then. He hummed to himself as he got the fresh raspberry and mint, working them together before getting the chilled champagne glass. He added it to the glass before pouring the cold champagne, offering the glass over. "Enjoy, sweetness."

She examined him carefully, curious as to how he worked behind the counter. Throughout her travels, Tarel had always found it fascinating to spot the differences between one bartender and another. Some were flashier, and others used extra appendages to get their work done, but a practiced, seasoned mixologist always got the work done with finesse. "Why thank you, good sir." She took the glass, pausing to ask a question before taking a sip. "So, who would I have to speak with to get myself on that stage?"

He chuckled, glancing around before leaning closer to her, yet not into her personal space. "Well, usually the manager would sort that out, but he took a sickie. So I guess it's me. You a good singer?" he asked, smiling easily to her.

Tarel took the liberties of leaning just a smidgen closer, butt nearly hovering over the bar stool she sat upon, smiling coyly. "I may have sung in a few venues here or there. I don't like to brag, though. I usually let the audience evaluate for me."

"Well..." he motioned to the empty stage. "There's your chance, if you want it. Not sure what backing stuff we have but you can get the computer to play whatever you want from the public library..." he pushed back from her, with an almost nervous chuckle. He was better with groups of women. One on one was...well, he was a bit nervous. And she was a character and a half, reminding him of an ancient 1950s Earth dame.

She hopped from her stool, drink in hand. "Oh, I'm sure I'll find something." Making her way over to the stage, Tarel scanned the crowd for anyone who would have recognized her. If they would have, it was difficult to tell from the current angle. Everyone seemed to be in depth with their conversations, paying absolutely no attention to what was going on around them. She couldn't help but give a little smirk at the challenge. As far as she was concerned, Timor had enough connections that getting her on this stage was, as he would have called it, [i]"child's play"[/i]. Tarel might have thought her manager a bit presumptuous, but at this current point, the lounger singer felt in her element.

Stepping up onto the stage, she turned to face the crowd, winking over at Clarence when she was sure she had his attention, before giving the computer console a similarly devious look. "Computer, do you have some of the Earth vocalist, Billie Holliday, in there?" The computer gave its happy chirrup of a positive response, calling up a list of songs it was familiar with. "Play me a nice, soothing piano tune to 'I'm a Fool to Want You,' hm?"

As the computer complied, a soft piano tune filled the air. Sliding her hips back and forth to the beat, Tarel took the microphone from the stand and began to sing the familiar tune. Though not one of her more famous pieces, the tune was a favorite whenever she performed around Starfleet. Sure enough, the crowd's chatter died down as the performance continued and the Bajoran captivated most of the room's audience. As the last note disappeared into the depths of the room, Tarel's smile nearly gave away her childish excitement, and, after a small curtsey, she took her drink and returned to her seat at the bar as the soft applause replaced the tune's notes.

Suddenly a tad more aware of herself, Tarel sheepishly looked at the bartender. "I may be able to work with what you have, equipment wise, if you're willing to have a singer for a month or so. I need something to do while the crew of the vessel I'm on wanders off on their little vacation."

"Sure," he said softly, holding her eyes with awe. "Welcome to the bar, Miss...oh, I don't know your name?" If she had said it earlier, it had gone from his mind the moment she sang. "I'm Clarence."

Even if she had told him her name, she wouldn't have held it against him. It was likely she hadn't remembered to give it to him. "Tarel. Tarel Rilem. It's nice to meet you, Clarence."

"And the pleasure is all mine to have a songbird such as you here, Tarel..." he said, shaking his head with awe at the memory.

"Songbird?" She was familiar with the term, and was quite fond of it, but hadn't heard it since her last trip to Earth. It felt like an eon ago that she was bouncing around prestigious stages like the various vocalists she aspired to be. "Now you're flattering me."

Clarence grinned at that, shaking his head. "With your voice, it is not flattery. You want the work, you have it. Beta shift okay for you, that's when we're busiest...?" he hoped she'd say yes, it was his shift and he loved live music.

"Beta shift is when I work best." Tarel's smile turned slightly devious once more, and she nodded. "Hopefully, it should draw more business in, at least for a little bit~"

"It should, with your voice," he said smoothly before winking. "You, Songbird, better get back on that stage. You start right away if you want to."

Tarel blinked in surprise for a few seconds, before giving a small laugh. "Yessir. Right away, sir!"

OFF

Tarel Rilem
Lounge Singer
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Kita]

Clarence Pearl
Mixologist
USS Galileo
[PNPC - Markos]

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