Girls Night Out XII: Nightlife

Posted on Sat Apr 28th, 2018 @ 8:20pm by Captain Charybdis MacGregor & Commander Fiona McCray & Commander Yuna Raza & Lieutenant Commander Selune
Edited on on Sat Apr 28th, 2018 @ 9:46pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Operation: Risa!
Location: Risa, Roma Arcology
Timeline: 2265

Nightlife: From Fedepedia, the Federation encyclopedia

Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes the public houses, nightclubs, discothques, bars, live music,concert, cabaret, small theatres, small cinemas, shows, and sometimes restaurants a specific area may have; these venues often require cover charge for admission, and make their money on alcoholic beverages. Nightlife encompasses entertainment from the fairly tame to the risque to the seedy. Nightlife entertainment is inherently edgier than daytime amusements, and usually more oriented to adults, including "adult entertainment" in red-light districts. People who prefer to be active during the night-time are called night owls.



As the chariot pulled out away from the hotel, the nighttime scenery of the Rome arcology flashed by, all bright lights and neon and carefully illuminated statues and faux temples and immaculate topiary and landscaping. There were parts that were tasteful, that could make you believe that they were a recreation of one of the ancient wonders; but then, there were others that were just tacky and gaudy-looking. Yet somehow all of it added up to a feeling of excitement and good times, and the mood in the was contagious within the chariot.

Eventually the towering illuminated edifices gave way to less well-lit areas, as the streets became somewhat less clean, and the tasteful decor became outnumbered by the more gaudy and tacky signs. The buildings looked much less well-maintained, street lights became fewer and further between, and the vehicles they passed were more functional utility vehicles rather than the pristine faux hover chariot which served as their conveyance.

"Ahhhh, are we sure we're goin to the right place? I didn't get all glammed up to go sit in a downtown pub with the plebes." Yuna put on a very dodgy British accent that she'd heard once from the Academy.

That got a giggle from the engineer.

Fiona alternated between sitting demurely and goggling at the scenery and kneeling on the seat of the chariot and turning this way and that to see something better that they had just passed.

"Whoa- we are a mite off tha' grid," she gave her opinion and grinned at the others.

Nodding and shrugging as one action, Chary offered her thoughts. "Well, sure... that's where you always find the best clubs!"

Eventually the chariot came to a halt, and Adonis stepped out to open the door and help them step out. They appeared to be at the mouth of an alley, between two buildings that might have been factories of perhaps warehouses- in the dark it was hard to tell, and the gleaming lights of the arcology did not seem to quite reach this far. Small booths with street vendors lined the sidewalks, and they seemed to be selling a great number of items, though not quite the same prepackaged and sterile tourist souvenirs they had seen at the arrival station.

There was a street faire atmosphere to the area.

It was actually far more culturally diverse and much less sterile than the resort had been. The buildings had a shabbiness to them that indicated not just age, but wear that showed that they had been used for a long time. The sterile beauty of the prefabricated resort had been replaced by a vibrancy that was almost a heady change of pace. The people were less chiseled from the beautiful stone perfection, which made them all the more interesting. Even the air smelled different- aromatherapy it was not, but somewhere nearby someone was cooking something over an open fire, there were wild flowers growing, someone was baking, there was a whiff of something awful and a smell of old brick and mortar laid an undercurrent to it all.

Musicians busked from spaces between the various vendors adding to the chaos and providing a disjointed soundtrack to the place that seemed to add that much more to the experience, making the whole area come to life. The shop owners, such as they were with their sidewalk stands, hawked their wares in stentorian voices to be heard over the din.

"Real Rigelian Muir worm silk! Finest quality you will find outside of the Rigel system!"

"Who'll buy my Dori Berry pies? Hot out of the oven!"

"Tell your fortune, beautiful ladies?" a wizened Andorian crone called directly to the bevy of beauties. "Will you find true love? Go on an adventure?" she wheedled. "Only 5 creds or 2 small latinum slips!"

The towering temptress stopped dead in her tracks for the ancient Andorian and whirled on her. "YES! Us! Tell us our fortunes!" She unzipped one of the pockets of the biker jacket and produced three strips of gold-pressed latinum, then spread them between her fingers. Chary's large violet eyes were bright with eager anticipation.

"You know this is just a street performer scam..." Yuna began, but the amply-endowed amazon shushed her.

"Not always, and I don't care. I love fortune tellers, and I want to hear what she has to say." She smiled gently at the Andorian and handed her nearly fifteen times her asking price. If the old woman held any of the traditional animosity between the Vulcans and her people, it certainly did not show on her face as she took the generous offer from the vivacious Vulcan. She clinked the strips together to hear them sing, smiling with missing and greenish teeth as she verified their authenticity.

"You never pay them first..." Yuna groaned at the naivete.

Then the crone took hold of the science officer's hands, closed her eyes and her antennae wavered, as if casting about the universe for signs and portents. Like a child wanting to believe, the softhearted scientist closed her eyes as well and bounced up and down slightly with excitement. When the ancient one opened her eyes once more, they were milky white, as if she were blind, and her voice echoed slightly with a faraway note.

"Now thet's unsettling..." Fiona said quietly as she took half a step back.

"You will have a night like no other... singing and dancing, yes... loss... pursuit... forces array against you, from different vectors, converging... you will save the Princess and save yourselves... do not pet the kitty, he will learn... the blood will betray you... since the Kurrajong you've needed this... you must seek salvation in the pool... built for distraction indeed... five brothers, she can hotwire in her sleep... one punch from a broad... not a brand but a mark of pride... the panther stalks you, much to his lament... this is all just a misunderstanding... you can handle your kali-fal, but mind the price..."

"Romulan ale... genuine Romulan ale! Accept no substitutes!" called a vendor nearby.

With that the old woman collapsed with a gasp, and Char caught her gently. When her eyes fluttered open again they were milky no more, instead a lovely and familiar shade of violet. "I am sorry, ladies... I can say no more for now, I must rest..." She disentangled herself from Char and stood up a bit unsteadily, then patted the officer's leather-clad arm. "Quite an interesting life indeed," she muttered as she made eye contact briefly with her. Chary, for her part, said nothing.

"You venture forth as friends... remember that, for it will see you through your trials..." she called out over her shoulder as she shuffled off down the street.

"Did she say trials?" Selune asked to anyone who would listen, "Why did she say trials?"

"Uhhh.... Being mysterious?" Fiona replied with an audible gulp.

"Extra, Extra read all about it! Star of Risa and Blood of the Emperor stolen from Federation cultural display at New Europa Embassy! Suspects still at large! Substantial reward offered!"

"Finest leather goods in all of Risa! Half cost! Special prices for YOU beautiful ladies!!!"

"Silver and gold jewelry, mounted flame gems, natural holo crystals, Kaiburr crystals... silver and gold all duties paid..."

"Who will buy my tasty, hot delicious pies!"

"Tonga sticks... spiced tonga sticks 5 for a credit!"

Risian children came out of nowhere to circle them like a flock of pretty if slightly grubby butterflies, even as Adonis tried in vain to shoo them off. "Miss, miss...my mother sells spices!" "Do you have candy?" Small hands reached out the pet Selune's glossy fur leaving her flailing slightly in embarrassment.

A sweet -faced little fellow with a mop of coal black curls goggled up at Yuna, "Are you a queen?" he asked with childish boldness and wide eyes.

Looking down at the small child, Yuna's heart swelled with pity. "No, little one... I just might look a little like one." She smiled sweetly at the child and patted him on the noggin.

"Come to my father's club! The Grotto... live entertainment all night!"

"The Coliseum has better music! Finest on Risa!"

"Try the Aquaduct! best drinks in town!"

"Tribbles... sweetest pet in the galaxy!" A chubby human male with a bushy brown moustache and a terrible haircut called out with a grin. He held out a furry sphere that cooed and trilled prettily, "Low maintenance... doesn't shed, hypoallergenic and they sing so prettilyy!" He had a basket full of the furballs under one arm, "and if you don't like tribbles I have some dynebian miracle mud... it gives the skin SUCH a glow. Orion pheromone based perfume perhaps? Guaranteed to turn any man's head at the first whiff," he grinned expansively, "not that any of you need help turning heads... that might be gilding the lovely lilies far too much!"

"No," Selune stated the second she saw that hopeless look cross Chary's face, "Just. No," she reiterated as she forcefully dragged the amazonian woman away, "We're not spending the next few hours talking to him while you buy out everything he has."

"But... but... TRIBBLES!" Chary sputtered, reaching futilely back for the incredibly inviting purring balls of puff as the Caitan pulled her away. She made a piteous whining noise that seemed to emanate from somewhere deep inside her prodigious bosom.

"Noo... joost say no!" Fiona joined Selune in the tug-o-Vulcan game, gently restraining their friend from making a terrible mistake.

"Anyway," Selune huffed indignantly, "he has nothing that interests me. Tribbles indeed, hmph."

A door with the name Bachanalia emblazoned on it in somewhat faded gold lettering was just up ahead. They could hear the throbbing of a dance beat just barely contained by the building's walls, but there were a wealth of sights and sounds between them and their eventual goal, not the least of which was a glass-fronted shop with the door open and art inscribed on the glass and all across the walls inside. The sign hanging above the open door advertised "Tattoos" in Federation standard and a dozen other languages.

Fiona recognized the look in Charybdis' eye as she slowly turned around with a half-smile playing at her lips. This was a bad idea being born.

"Ladies, I have a suggestion..." the commander opined.

"Uh oh. NOW I'm worried," Fi said laughingly.

 

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