Today IS a Good Day to Dine!
Posted on Wed May 3rd, 2023 @ 11:13pm by Karrun North & Lieutenant Commander Nolan Marc & Lieutenant Njalia Sayffier & Lieutenant Jek'Lar Son of Thrawn & Isabella Cerin & Lieutenant Rufus Marocain
Mission:
R&R: The Reprieve
Location: Esquimalt Station
Timeline: Follows "Coming Soon"
2551 words - 5.1 OF Standard Post Measure
Karrun walked down the corridor towards the airlock to the main hub of the station, it was time to get off of the ship and she needed it to happen as soon as possible and she had found the perfect reason to do it. The waffle house, or more realistically, the House of Lojmlt, the Klingon equivalent of the age old restaurant that had someone survived centuries in what used to be the United States. She had even attended an anthropology course on it once. Somehow in her stroll from her quarters she gained more people, all who had simply heard "waffle" and asked to come along. The more the merrier she had said.
Rufus had decided to tag along as soon as his sharp hears picked up 'waffle house'. Waffles were delicious, and usually came with bacon and sausage, so when asked he'd replied with what had jokingly referred to as the Kainan catch phrase: "I could eat."
Nolan had given up and made his way back to the ship, only to find that a rather random cross-section of the ship seemed to having the same idea as he had.
One was the bartender. Or, at least, Nolan thought she was a bartender. He really didn't have much experience with bars or the people who tended them.
He was going to warn her about the civilian rule, or at least the one that had been quoted to him, but instead she just breezed through as though she owned the place. And it seemed none of the station security were going to question whether she did or not.
When he finally asked where she was going, the answer was Klingon Waffle House.
"Welcome to the House of Lojmlt," the hostess boomed, as a young Klingon woman wearing a patch over one eye and deep scars on her face and arms greeted their makeshift away team as they strolled in the door.
Pounding the hostess table, she swore, "Where service is our HONOR!" Then, leaning forward, dropped her voice lower as she urged, "Do not insult our honor while you are here."
When she leaned back again, the young woman looked at each of them in turn before asking, "How many will be dining with us?"
Letting his eyes roam over the interior, Nolan's eyes fell on someone who seemed familiar.
Familiar, and also about three raktajinos into a bender.
"Isn't that Miss Izzy?" the boy remarked.
"It sure is," Rufus affirmed, and then graced the hostess with a toothy Kainan smile. "We'll be joining our friend over there. Put in an order for a platter of bacon as an appetizer."
Jek'Lar was not fond of a lot of human traditions. This latest one was perhaps the worst yet. There was literally one hundred better things that he could be doing as opposed to having breakfast on the station. Yet here he was walking into the establishment with some of the crew. Without too much of a word he took a seat and ordered a raktajino. The lumbering Klingon looked rather tight as he was squeezed into the booth.
"Izzy! Good to see you, I take it you wanted to visit somewhere familiar?" Karrun asked as she plopped down into the vinyl, why were they vinyl in this day and age, booth and slid towards the Bajoran. "Something to remind yourself of the good old days?"
"No one is throwing furniture and food yet, or standing on the table bellowing songs, so it doesn't have quite the same atmosphere the ones on Qo'nos tend to get by this time of night, but these are exactly the same." Izzy hefted the raktajino cup slightly in demonstration, taking a swig of it.
Njalia trailed behind, taking it all in. Her knowledge of Klingon food culture was minimal.
"I never understand why they don't have root beer floats or milkshakes," Nolan complained quietly, glancing at the menu as he debated the beverage options. "Do I want fruit punch or chocolate milk?"
Yes, he was talking to himself.
Yes, it was a rhetorical question. If chocolate was an option, the answer was chocolate. And if chocolate wasn't an option, the answer was still chocolate.
"Chocolate milk!" the boy decided firmly, before looking around the table. Finally, landing on Jek'Lar, the boy noted, "I read that this is where Klingon line chefs are trained in combat. And also customer service. Which is also combat."
"Chocolate milk for me as well, please," said Njalia, pleased that it was an option. "And some toast and butter please."
"Toast?" Rufus' ears lifted in surprise. "There are PANCAKES, and syrup, and bacon, and sausage and ham and... " he scanned down the menu, "And T-Bone and eggs!" He looked up with a smile that showed tongue lolling between his lower fangs. "I'll have all of that. And a water."
Njalia nodded to Rufus. "I am accessing my options, toast is a good starter and then I can have more."
"I'll just have a Blood Wine and a couple of waffles with some fresh gagh on it, of which it better be fresh or words will be had with the manager," Karrun ordered with a smile looking up at the server.
Izzy - who had seen a lot of people try to fight the managers (which was how it basically always ended when 'words were had') back at a House of Lojmlt in the capital during her couple of years in the Klingon Empire, almost all of whom ended up flat on their asses or through a window - stopped briefly mid-bite of her own waffles-and-gagh to wonder if she should warn Karrun about that; but decided against it: You never knew with El-Aurians; for all she knew the bartender might be a master fighter herself.
Jek'Lar took a sip from his rachtijino, he had no food as he was not hungry. For the moment he was contended as he sat on a stool toward the back. A location that gave him a good view of all his crewmates and what they did. Ever the vigilant security chief he was always on duty to protect his crew.
"Waffles!" Nolan chimed in the same excessively happy tone of voice. Then, looking up at their server, asked, "Can I get hash browns with that?"
"NO HASH BROWNS!" the server barked. "ONLY GAGH!"
"Awwww," the boy pouted, as the server went away with their order. Glancing over at Rufus, the boy asked, "Will you eat my worms?"
"Sure," the big Kainan agreed, and smacked his lips. "Extra protein! Plus, it's squirmy, which makes food fun."
Njalia suppressed a shudder, moving food had never appealed to her. She nodded her thanks as her toast was delivered. "Can I have an order of one of each of the cooked meats please?"
"NOW you're talking," Rufus said approvingly, relieved that no one was going to waste a diner visit on toast. Even as he said it, a server arrived delivering the bacon he'd ordered at the hostess station. "Appetizer is here!" he announced as it was placed on the table - a tray covered with crisp bacon, and topped with squirming gagh. "Ooo, and it has a gagh garnish. Go ahead and dig in. I ordered it to share."
Njalia smiles and slips a piece from the edge without too much gagh. "Thank you."
"Squirming but a little limp, I hope they kept the better stuff for the main dishes," Karrun said as she scooped up some of the bacon and gagh and shovelled it into her mouth, the bacon was nice and crisp but just soft enough but she had been right about the gagh, a little too limp.
"Limp? LIMP?!" the server exclaimed, throwing down the platter with all of their drinks, which made the glasses jump and chocolate milk splatter everywhere. "You insult the honor of this House!"
Izzy made a firm grab for her raktajino; as the one at the table who'd already gotten her drink she was highly invested in keeping it; and reasonably sure from past experience that anything not in hand soon was going to start either being chucked deliberately or knocked over as collateral damage within the minute. To cover the move as less 'afraid of a fight' and more 'I was going to do this anyways', she followed the grab a moment later though with bringing it to her lips for a swig, then simply keeping a grip on it once she set it back on the table.
Jek'Lar sat and sipped his raktajino silently. He observed all that had transpired and wanted nothing to do with it. Why do people have to act like children? he questioned to himself. He resigned himself to the fact that he would not participate in this unless he had to. After all he was the Security Chief and these were members of his crew. He was honor bound to help keep them safe.
"Limp indeed!" Karrun said as she slammed her palms to the table and stood to her feet. "You bring dishonour to your own house by serving such limp gagh!" She moved back from the table and faced the server head on, a mad grin on her face. "Any competent chef knows that the gagh needs to be fresh and moving for an enjoyable meal!"
"But the bacon is perfectly tasty," Rufus offered in the small hope of avoiding a fight that might knock it all on the floor. Just in case, he started grabbing sausages and popping them into his mouth. Wasting meat was sin after all.
Njallia's antenna straightened in alarm. She moved away from the potential violence. "Is this normal?" she asked Rufus.
"It's a Waffle House, so..." Rufus shrugged and swallowed another sausage. "Yes?"
Izzy took another sip of her drink calmly, looking on the escalating scene as if she were a mere observer of it all; though she gave Rufus a nod at the move to shovel more meat in his mouth; and another to Njalia in answer to her question.
"I will not let this insult stand!" The server said as he reared back letting out a roar of Klingon anger as he moved towards Karrun, his fists coming up in anger with the intent to strike the El-Aurian who had dishonoured the name of his fine establishment.
The slight woman though had other ideas, she took a quick step forward well within the reach of the server whos arms were now far to high to effectively bring down in a proper strike, and to the shock of probably most, headbutt the Klingon. The larger man stumbled back slightly, stunned at the aggressive and quick strike from the woman.
Karrun for her part, winced slight as she took a step back before grinning again, "Its been a while since I did that, forgot how much the ridges could hurt..." she said before leaping forward and tackling the server.
And that was when all hell broke loose.
Trays overturned, plates flew, chocolate milk went everywhere!
Rufus leapt, chomping flying sausages and steak mid-air. But then the other server rushed to aid his fellow and turned a skid on spilled milk into a dive toward the El-Aurian. Ever loyal to pack, but practical, Rufus dumped a plate of toast and threw it frisbee style at the Klingon, catching him mid-temple and knocking him off target. As the Klingon shook his head, the Kainan quickly grabbed the ham and eggs, stuffing them into his mouth with one hand, while pulling out a chair to fend off the angry server.
Nolan held his plate so that it didn't go flying as their table was nearly upended. Flipping an overturned plate right-side-up again, he carefully scrapped the gagh off and slid the new side dish away for Rufus. Then, taking a fork, the boy stared at his waffles, then at the table, and finally at the server Rufus had just plate-checked. "When you're done defending your honour, could we get some syrup?"
Izzy, who had managed to slide out when things first started to go flying in earnest, now stood unobtrusively leaning against one wall nearby, watching and quietly sipping her raktajino.
Jek'Lar had quite enough of the none sense that ensued. He viewed the behavior of his crewmates as unbecoming of a Starfleet Officer. The Klingon rose to his feet and shouted. "That is enough. This ends now."
There was a startled yell as one of the Klingon servers flew through the air, his limbs flailing as he did until he sailed straight into the large form that was the Klingon Security commander of the Vesta knocking both of the klingons to the floor at the center of the chaos.
Karrun for her part grinned triumphantly at her expertly thrown opponent, albeit into Jek'lar but he was just collatoral in the ever-growing bar brawl. "Sorry!" Karrun called towards them as she was spear tackled from the side, the pitcher of maple syrup in her hand sailing out of it, covering those under its path in the sweet sticky substance, including somehow Nolans waffles before it hit Izzy in the chest, splattering the rest.
Njalia sees the syrup tumble through the air and rolls out of the booth and away from the fight. No one seemed seriously hurt, not yet in any case, so no need to call medical. She tried to judge if she could get safely over to Jek'lar and help him up.
Rufus had made an attempt to dodge, but when he'd tossed a chair at an angry server to force an opening she'd simple caught it - one-handed! - and flinging it aside in a single fluid motion. Now, splashed with sticky fake maple flavored goo, his nose wrinkled. "Grah! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get syrup out of fur??"
Izzy, after a moment of silent drip-drip-drip of syrup and an impressive death glare at, perhaps, the universe itself, seemed to decide that the best response to the situation was...to lift the remainder of the raktajino glass back to her lips and take another measured sip as the fray continued to unfold.
There was a large crash as the door at the far end blew, literally blew open, and a squad of security troopers charged into the room. There was a lot of yelling, something about security, something about people being detained when a chair flew out of nowhere and struck the lead officer in the chest.
Everyone kind of stopped when the officer stumbled back into the door frame, Starfleet, Civilians and staff alike. The officer swore as more pushed past him and into the restaurant. It appeared that they had come prepared, causing the on-the-floor Karrun to wonder if this was not the first time this had happened despite the relative recency of the reopening of the base. With a grumble, the Klingon on top of her lifted himself to his feet as Security spread out. Laying back on the floor, syrup all over her and thick in her hair, Karrun let out a laugh, "Well at least they fought with honour."
