Joint Personal Log | Lt Ebonheart & Cn duPont | "You And I - Face To Face"

Posted on Fri Dec 19th, 2014 @ 11:14am by Lieutenant Chloe Ebonheart

2,321 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: All Hallows’
Location: Ferengi owned, Earth Style Diner on Qu'Vat

~*~ Start Joint Log ~*~

Chloe looked around her tail flicking once or twice wondering if this was the right place. Cecil thought they could use lunch away from the ship and all the parties that were being thrown. Chloe had agreed that it sound like fun, having only been to Qu'Vat once before and that was with this ship and not having visited she was interested in seeing a little bit of the of the shipyard.

"They really do hide this place, don't they?" Cecil asked as he walked up behind Chloe, eying the door that didn't have much beyond a small hand painted sign on the front window. "Somehow it's survived since Vindicator was last here though, so that's got to be a testament to the quality of the food, since not many Ferengi would stare down a Klingon unless he can turn a profit."

"Yeah I thought I was going to be late meeting up with you." Chloe smirked. "I honestly cannot see a Ferengi staring down a Klingon, I've never met one brave enough." She giggled at Cecil turning to face him. "Seems I was a tad early instead."

"You would be amazed what they can do if they think they can turn a profit," Cecil insisted, holding the door open — it was one in the style of an earth antiquity, on hinges to keep with the diner style. "This one seems to have found a good kitchen staff, possibly capable of keeping pace with the former After Dark Lounge."

"Oh why thank you Cecil." She said softly as he held the door open for her. she entered to look around at the Terran style restaurant, "It smells great here." She purred her tail moving slightly glad that she had the nose of a feline. or rather animal sense of smell.

"It does, doesn't it?" Cecil agreed as he looked around. "I think we seat ourselves? Would you like a booth or a table?" His eyes drifted down the wall that was lined with booths, then meandered back to his friend by way of the freestanding tables in the middle. He seemed to pay no mind to the counter that looked in on the kitchen.

"Booth I think we could relax against the brown leather seats." She smirked.

"They're probably fake," Cecil observed with a laugh, "but with a good enough replicator, it is hard to tell. Can even get the smell with a good pattern." He nodded and lead the way to a booth at the middle of the wall.

Chloe followed Cecil looking around the place. it was almost rustic really. "I like this place." She said softly moving into the seat. "The leather's soft." She noted on the seats. "Do you come here often?" She asked with a smirk.

"Haven't been before, but I overheard someone talking about how they'd been surprised by how good the food is." He slid into the booth across from Chloe. "The burgers in particular, especially the stuffed ones..." He glanced at the little holographic display at the end of the table bragging about pie.

"Stuffed burgers?" Chloe asked never having had a stuffed burger before. "Are they good?" She asked.

"If you like what they stuff them with. I think they do one with mushrooms sautéed in wine, with a soft cheese and herbs." Cecil looked up as a Ferengi waiter approached the table with menus.

"Start you with something to drink?" the waiter asked as he placed the laminated menus on the table in front of them.

"Do you have mineral water, with a lime?" Cecil asked, and received a nod.

"I'll have a glass of water with lime as well." Chloe said softly.

With another nod, the waiter shuffled off to the kitchen. Cecil shook his head softly, picking up the laminated menu that sat in front of him. "If I hadn't heard good things about the food already, I would be half tempted to try my luck with Klingon food instead. I'll bet our water will come in plastic cups," he said quietly, leaning forward a little to allow him to be heard by Chloe while keeping his voice low.

Chloe smirked reading the menu, "You could be right." She smirked. "Though I do have to say the California Chicken with Provolone, lettuce and ranch dressing and a side of chilly cheese fries." Chloe smiled.

"Any dish described as California style is always going to be a little weird," he dismissed with an eye roll. "Give me good French cuisine any day."

"Yes well, My taste buds aren't as sophisticated as yours." Chloe smirked loving that they were different meant nothing would be boring between them.

"Sophistication nothing, they just make such odd substitutions." He shook his head, setting the menu down. "And they put avocado on everything. Have you seen one? It looks like something the Jurassic period forgot." Cecil looked up as the waiter set the water glasses out in front of him and Chloe, then pulled out an order PADD. "Thank you," he directed to the waiter as they both looked to Chloe to give her order or ask for more time.

Chloe smiled trying not to start laughing. "I'll have the California Chicken with Provolone, lettuce and ranch dressing and a side of chilly cheese fries. No avocado." She giggled.

"You don't want your dinosaur's egg?" Cecil teased her as the waiter turned his attention across the table. "Mushroom stuffed burger, medium, with a garden salad, dressing on the side." The waiter nodded and disappeared as quickly and silently as he'd appeared, taking the menus with him. "I can't wait until we can be underway again. Repairs are such a hurry up and wait ordeal."

Chloe smirked. "sometimes it's nice to not be shot at for a while." She said softly, of course it would be just as nice to get home so she could see her family.

"Oh, there is no doubt, not being shot at is always at the top of my to-do list," Cecil insisted with a nervous chuckle. "Thankfully, most of the time we as a ship, or even we as individuals, don't have to worry about such things happening."

"True, though if it never happened as a security officer, I think I would be a tad bit bored." She smirked at him playfully.

"Nonsense, there's plenty to do without being shot at," Cecil insisted, shaking his head. "Like inventory the armory, or walk the whole ship, or even just practice hand to hand combat."

"Inventory is so boring besides Rose would kill me if I disarranged anything out of place from his own arrangements." Chloe said to the inventory part, "Are you offering to dance with me?" She smiled at him on the hand to hand part.

Cecil laughed, and shook his head. "I'm afraid I wouldn't give you much of a challenge. I barely pass minimum proficiency with a phaser, but unless the PADDs suddenly turn into angry Nausicaans, the chances of me seeing front line combat is slim."

"Oh come on you have a first class brain, you don't need physical abilities to get through a problem, I'll bet you could talk your way out of anything." Chloe smiled confidently at her friend.

"Show me a Borg or a Jem'Hedar that I can talked down, and I'll submit a report to HQ to convince them to give me a better combat rating based on that," he insisted with a grin.

Chloe smiled and giggled a little. "You're probably right, but I still think you could talk yourself out of just about any kind of situation." She grinned.

"I much prefer to talk my way into situations, than place myself where I need to talk myself out of one," he insisted as the waiter returned with their food. "Thank you," he directed at the man as he set their plates on the table.

"That does sound nicer." Chloe gave a nod of understanding, "Thank you." She said to the waiter. Reaching for a fry with chilly and cheese on it she popped it into her mouth and savored the explosion of flavor on her tongue. "Now that's a good chilly cheese fry." She grinned cat like.

"Won't that get all over you?" Cecil asked, almost horrified at the though. He picked up his fork, and speared a tomato and cucumber.

"not if I eat it before it falls." She grinned at his horrified look managing to eat every last fry covered in chilly and cheese without getting a drop on her person, before reaching for her California chicken sub well half of it.

He sighed, and shook his head as he ate his salad. "I suppose there's a skill to it I haven't learned," he admitted.

"Yep reckless abandonment." She grinned a cheeky little grin.

"That's not a skill," he dismissed with a laugh, shaking his fork at her accusingly.

"Nope, but it is fun." She grinned still. "So what have you been up to lately other than parties with Pond?" Chloe asked wanting to know how her friends week has gone.

"With Waterhouse? Hardly. I was running around managing things because the Captain was on ordered bed rest and I couldn't help her with what I normally would. She ordered me to help Waterhouse orchestrate that party," he explained with an eye roll. "I found some new books to read between catching up on my sleep. Things are starting to slow a little though, I'll be looking for something to do soon enough."

"Oh what kind of something will you be looking for?" Chloe asked curious by nature.

"I don't really know, is the thing. I've finally got my career pointed where I want it, and feel like I can relax a little, I just don't know what to do with my time," he admitted, finally turning his attention to his burger. "I see people with hobbies, like Waterhouse and her pop culture and sparring stuff, and you spend a fair amount of time in the holodeck. What sort of programs do you use?"

"Mostly combative, though there's some space diving and a couple rock climbing. even some old classics like I'll street race every once in a while." Chloe said with a shrug leaving out the fact that she's modified the safeties to give a taste of realism to the programs which helped to boost her adrenaline rush really.

"Those sound like a rush," Cecil observed, taking his first bite of his burger.

"They are, but they keep me in shape and prepared for anything." She smirked.

Cecil nodded, "Is there anything in your collection you might recommend for someone who's a little, well a lot, less adventurous than you?"

"We could do rock climbing together on lower levels." She smiled at her friend.

"I'd like to give that a try," he returned with a smile of his own. "Maybe once I know what my schedule is going to look like either during the big refit at earth, or failing that, when we head out again?"

"Sounds good to me. just let me know when and I'll help you prepare." She grinned.

"Prepare?" His eyes widened just a little as he asked this. Of course, he'd intended to read before entering the program with Chloe, but it hadn't occurred to him he might need to prepare. "Aren't you going to start me off with a beginner level climb or something?"

"Of course, but you still need climbing gear safety first. you cant just climb without a rope and harness in case you fall." She remind him.

"Oh, well, they'll probably talk about that in a book. I'll look for one tonight," he insisted, eying Chloe suspiciously. "I'm not going to end up dangling off the face of a cliff, am I? The safeties are good, right? I can't afford to be nursing broken bones when the Captain's just getting back on duty."

Chloe actually gave him a look of mock insult. "I would never put another person at risk like that. the safeties will be fully operational and I would make sure all the climbing gear was in pristine working order. if you feel you need to read up on it that's fine, but I would never let anything happen to you." Chloe told honestly. no matter how often she'd climb with the safeties off, she was alone when she does so.

"Okay, okay, it'll be perfectly safe," Cecil conceded and held his hands up in surrender. "I trust you."

"Good." Grins and finishes her lunch, "Shall we say first available free time?" Chloe asked wiping her lips with her napkin.

"We'll schedule something when I have a better idea what my schedule looks like with the refit that'll be happening when we hit Earth," Cecil agreed.

"Sounds good to me." Chloe smiled, "Thank you for lunch."

"No, thank you for finding the time. You must be so busy, since I heard security is working on training." Cecil smiled.

"We are, but all work and no play is very boring. so I sneak away between trainings to catch my breath. and lunch was a good way to do that." She grinned.

"Then lunch will be our little secret. I'll square things up here, if you want to get back before you're missed," Cecil insisted, waving his hands as if to shoo her off.

"Thanks, because if that chronometer there is anywhere near correct, I'm probably already being missed. Thanks for lunch again." Chloe grinned before hurrying off to get back to security.

Cecil glanced at the watch on his wrist, and then the chronometer on the wall, and shook his head. "It's five minutes fast, run and you'll be fine!" he called after her as he flagged down the waiter.

=/\= End Log =/\=

Lieutenant Chloe Ebonheart
Security Officer
USS Vindicator

Crewman Cecil duPont
Captain's Yeoman
USS Vindicator, NCC-78213-E

 

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