Girls Night Out XXVI: Three Coins in a Fountain

Posted on Mon May 28th, 2018 @ 8:43pm by Captain Charybdis MacGregor & Commander Fiona McCray & Commander Yuna Raza & Lieutenant Commander Selune
Edited on on Mon May 28th, 2018 @ 9:26pm

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Operation: Risa!
Location: Risa, Roma Arcology, Empress hotel penthouse suite
Timeline: 2265

Fountain: From Fedepedia, the Federation encyclopedia

A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air to supply drinking water and/or for a decorative or dramatic effect.

Fountains were originally purely functional, connected to springs or aqueducts and used to provide drinking water and water for bathing and washing to the residents of cities, towns and villages. Until the late 19th century most fountains operated by gravity, and needed a source of water higher than the fountain, such as a reservoir or aqueduct, to make the water flow or jet into the air.

Fountains are used today to decorate city parks and squares; to honor individuals or events; for recreation and for entertainment. A Splash pad or spray pool allows city residents to enter, get wet and cool off in summer. The musical fountain combines moving jets of water, colored lights and recorded music, controlled by a computer, for dramatic effects. Drinking fountains provide clean drinking water in public buildings, parks and public spaces.


Sure enough, the ever-reliable scot had brought them out a meter away from a huge fountain depicting some sort of hideous nonsensical monster on a jagged spur that jutted into the fountain, and an odd sound came from the pool of the fountain itself. The access was partially hidden in an alcove out of sight, and Char climbed out into the morning light and encouraged the others to get out quickly. Lending them a hand, the sultry scientist kept a sharp eye out for passersby who might notice them.

Fiona stared up at the lights with a sigh. The perfumed air was pure bliss. She paused long enough to secure her PDD then clambered up after the others. She stopped at the opening, unzipped the ruined party dress and just let it drop back down in the muck below. The scot then made a beeline for the fountain, and setting aside her purse and PDD just waded right into the middle of it and stood directly under one of the falls.

Not even bothering to disrobe, Selune bolted up the rails and simply dove into the water, planting her face under it for as long as she could manage to try drowning away the smells before rolling onto her back, gasping and repeating.

Yuna was glad the ambient temperature was fairly moderate and stripped as well, letting Fi's ruined dress get joined by its suitcase mate.

The odd sound Char had heard was the whirlpool off to one side of the fountain. Jets moved the water around in a circular motion, causing a minor whirlpool which led to the drain, which then recirculated the water through a filter and scrubber then to the jets and the falls, all of which were aimed along with mists to add to the effect.

Charybdis grinned despite herself... only in Rome. She considered swimming in her magnetic duty boots- she doubted water would be good for them. But she simply couldn't bring herself to care- Fiona could probably fix them for her in a perfect world, and if not they were covered in filth. She pried them off her feet and dropped them off by the side of the fountain, and left them for whomever swept them into the trash.

She peeled off the jacket... she was unsure about nudity taboos but frankly she didn't care at the moment, and she set the jacket to one side, hanging off one of the jagged 'rocks' next to the statue of Scylla where she could keep an eye on it. Then she slipped fluidly into the water and began scrubbing herself vigorously as the whirlpool that was her namesake pulled her in a lazy slow circle.

"That was some amazing piloting, Lieutenant... you truly are one in a million," she called out to Selune between dunkings.

"Would have been for nothing if Fi didn't buy us the time we needed though," Selune replied modestly, "Family wagon like that, I'm surprised they didn't tear us to pieces."

Once the top layer of filth was gone Fiona jumped out of the fountain and padded over to a nearby pool. She rummaged until she found several towels and some hotel togas. There was a happy sound as she discovered a spa kiosk and raided it.

"Soap!" she came back and tossed some expensive Empress beauty bars around. She gave Yuna a grudging, "Nice moves beck there, copper," along with one of the exfoliating mitts she'd discovered.

Yuna grabbed some of the soap and lathered, removing the filth and stench the sewer had left on her body. Every now and again the air would be foul with the scent being washed off, but in short order, she was clean from top to bottom.

"Why thankie," she did a mock bow. "I train for all situations"

"Guid thing. I think we've run the whole gauntlet tonight," she said as if that summarized everything, then waded upstream... or rather up fountain and began to scrub with a purpose.

Selune moved with a purpose once the soap appeared, scrubbing herself and her clothes of the wretched scum that had adhered to her fur with a vengeance, the rest of the world forgotten as she tried to cleanse herself of the sticky foul smell.

The Empress hotel, as gracious and accommodating as they were to their guests, took a bit of dislike for some of their guests choosing to bathe in one of their fountains, and eventually one by one the considerably more cheerful bathing beauties were fished out of the pool, wrapped in robes and escorted through the lobby to the penthouse's private lift. The hotel staff assured them that their clothing would be cleaned and returned to them as good as new, and hotel employees provided a wall of towels so that the ladies of the Bonne Chance could remove what clothing they had left to make that happen.

"Burn them," Fiona said as she handed them her lacy underthings with a shudder. They offered to repair the hole in the back of the jacket, but Chary refused, preferring it that way as she emptied the pockets and transferred them to her robe. She asked for her boots to be fetched and restored as well, which the staff agreed to cheerfully (obviously not having seen said boots).

"So it goes back to... what about the jewels that they reckon were stolen?" Yuna whispered to her compatriots.

"We figure oot a way tae get them beck to their proper owners," Fiona said firmly.

"Agreed," the curvaceous commander nodded. "If we've gotten this far, then Fortuna is on our side, and we need to validate the faith some folks have placed in us. We'll analyze what we have, cross reference it then turn it over to the appropriate authorities. It doesn't bring the thief to justice, but I'll settle for getting a national treasure off my neck and back where it belongs," she said, touching the pendant that she was, despite knowing its true value, still wearing.

"This is why we can't have nice things," Selune sighed, "I never even got to wear any priceless artifacts."

Gently Chary patted her shoulder. "Maybe next vacation...?"

Their keys still worked and the lift took them smoothly back to the penthouse, and they all managed to breathe a sigh of relief. Apparently- at least, not yet- they were not Risa's Most Wanted. They could relax and eat and shower some more in the luxury of their decadent suite.

"Room service, a swim in thet bathtoob, wash me hair again... still stinks..." Fi gave a list of demands as she stepped off of the lift.

"I'm not room service, but perhaps I'll do?" said a voice from behind them as the lift doors closed. A grey-gloved hand wrapped itself into a fistful of Selune's hair, while the other hand held a rather nasty-looking pistol to her temple, and the man in the grey suit stepped out from his hiding place.

"I believe you have a few things that belong to me, ladies..."

"YOU!" Fiona packed a wealth of hate into that one word.

 

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