Another Pretty Face?

Posted on 03 Mar 2015 @ 1:31am by Jonah Chaparral M.D. & Clarence Pearl

1,759 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 08 - NIMBUS
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 7, Callisto Bar
Timeline: MD-03, 22:30hours Deck 7

ON:

Finally, the ship was on its way again. Jonah had enjoyed his shore leave and had found it hard to reorient himself to life on board a Starfleet ship. He bristled sometimes at their rather demanding ways, but had resolved himself to at least trying to understand and not letting his emotions get out of hand.

Right now though he just wanted to have some fun, get a drink, maybe pick up some good looking guy, maybe just have a conversation. He figured the best place for either of those options was the ship's lounge.

So dressed in a pair jeans and a teal polo shirt, he walked in and sat down at the bar.

"Hey," Clarence smiled warmly to the man. He wore a knitted waistcoat, shirt open at the collar and jeans. Clothes he could work well in. He moved closer, placing both hands at his own side of the bar. "What can I get you?" he asked, genuinely interested. He hoped he got to stretch his work muscles a bit.

Jonah looked the man up and down and smiled as his gaze settle on his green eyes. He held the eyes for a few seconds and smiled,"I don't know, I don't have anything in mind. Be creative if you want. As long as its the real thing. Oh and I do like rum."

"Rum..." Clarence nodded, narrowing his eyes before they widened. He grinned as he moved to the battles, humming as he got a cancun glass, putting ice in it. In the shaker he added Navy Rum as well as Spiced Rum, before measuring up the mixers. He added the orange juice, lime juice and a syrup, humming as he started to shake it. "This is an easy starter, a bit of a kick with a balance of acid and sweet. If you prefer something else, I can make that too..." he emptied the ice from the glass before pouring the drink in, carrying it over to him.

Jonah took a sip and smiled in satisfaction. He held the cocktail on his tongue and savored it before swallowing.

"That is really good," he commented,"what do you call it?"

"No name yet," Clarence said and nodded, watching him with warmth. "I suppose it can be a Galileo drink. Always nice, right, a drink for a ship?"

Jonah thought for a moment, "Well the first thought that comes to mind is Galileo Eclipse. How does that sound to you?"

"Better than it being poured out into space," Clarence said playfully, nodding as he watched him. "Galileo Eclipse works well with the dark rum too."

'No, we wouldn't want this to go to waste would we and I'm glad you like the name. Would I be flirting if I said I like your eyes?"

He held his eyes, searching them before giving a nervous chuckle. "Flirting? Nah, it's not flirting. Eyes are good, windows to the soul and all that...thanks, I...like my eyes too. They help me see..."

Jonah smiled at that. "Well of course they help you see, but unless another guy is blind, they also make you look sexy"

"Now that bit is flirting," Clarence countered with a small smile. "I won't serve you more than it is responsible, regardless how much you flirt. I run a tight...ish...shift around this bar. I prefer all my patrons to be able to walk to their quarters."

"Oh, I can assure that while I am flirting, its not to get more drinks then I should have."

Clarence laughed warmly, shaking his head. "You are a very naughty man. I've never been hit on this much in my life. Is there some unspoken rule I should know about in regards to bartenders and the crew on this ship?"


"Just that so much of the crew have good taste. But hey, if the flirting bothers you, we can always discuss genetic factors ins disease control."

"Flirting doesn't bother me...not like this anyway," Clarence said. It was sort of true and sort of not. He wasn't bothered when it was just in fun and nothing could come from it. It was when the offer was persistent that he got...bothered. Nervous. Nervous was a good word for it.

"Well, what kind of flirting does bother you then, just so I avoid it."

Clarence watched him, trying to get an understanding from this man. He couldn't tell by his facial expression. After a moment he shrugged, looking down. "The sort of flirting where it is assumed I'll come home with you. I'm not into that sort. More because..." he stopped and looked at him, chuckling. "Never mind."

Jonah's expression turned serious. "No tell me please. I'd like to know."

"Why?" he asked bluntly, meeting Jonah's eyes. "I mean, it's not interesting. Unless you're a counsellor...wait, is that what you are?"

"No, just an epidemiologist. So you don't have to tell me if you don' t want to. But you know we all have baggage. If you want to talk, I'll listen."

Clarence smiled warmly, shaking his head. "I'm not here to add trouble or pain on my patrons," he said with a wink, watching him fondly. "But thank you. Now, what do you do for fun?"

"Free climbing, hooverboarding, marathons, any kind of extreme sports. what about you?"

"Me? Less active, more...err...reading or building or mixing..." Clarence admitted as he gave a small shrug. "I mean, I can tell you like...adrenaline. Me? I sort of prefer relaxing or playing on the holodeck."

"Well, I can do those things too, but you're right. I do like a natural high. i rarely seek out the artificial kind," he said pointing to his glass. "But the other kind, well there's nothing like it. What do you enjoy reading?"

"Anything," he admitted before shrugging, his eyes on Jonah. "I will try anything once, sometimes even twice. I enjoy fantasy novels right now. The...ancient ones, with how they saw the future."


Jonah smiled at the remark about trying anything, not sure if the other man was aware of the double entrndre, but decided not to pursue it. "What is your favorite fantasy, maybe we could act it out in the holodeck sometime."

"Lord of the Rings," Clarence said and smiled, standing back. "It's just...got it all. Sure, to read is...difficult for some. But it is a great story."

"I remember reading that when I was young. Maybe we could get together and try to run it sometime."

"Sure, if you want to," Clarence said as he shook his head. "Want another drink? Or something to eat, we do some nice bar snacks."

"Well first of all yes I'd love to play with you. You be, uh, Frodo and I'll be Sam, or whatever you want. I'm versatile. As for the drink, I'll take another one," Jonah said, "and I'd love something to eat too, I am starved. "

He smiled as he took the menu, offering it with a smile. "I'm really don't think I should play the obsessive maniac hoarding the ring..." he teased as he held his eyes.

Jonah held the other man's gaze in return. "Are you suggesting that I' d be good at being an obsessive maniac?"he questioned mock seriously. "So would you like to play then? And isn't Frodo the good guy, I though it was Smeagol who was the obsessive maniac. 'I want my preccciousss."

"Frodo turns really obsessive like...in Moria," Clarence said with a warm smile, shaking his head. "Only Faramir, Galadriel and Sam seem to resist it. Aragorn can't be close to it, Boromir turns bad...but Faramir..." he closed his eyes, remembering. "'But fear no more! I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith falling in ruin and I alone could save her, so, using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo son of Drogo...' And that is why I love Faramir...." he opened his eyes to watch Jonah before blushing.

Jonah sat their in rapt attention as Clarence spoke. He'd read the story so long ago and only once, but it was clear that the bartender knew the tale far more intimately than he did. His words reminded him of some of the details he remembered.

"Wow, you really know your stuff and you're right I suppose. So is that who you want to play And what about Pippin and the other Hobbit, I can't think of his name right now. They seemed to have resisted pretty well if I remember correctly. But anyway, tell me who you want me to play and when you're going to be free."

"Merry," Clarence said as he held his eyes, chuckling. "Maybe soon we can do that...I will have a think..." he added lightly, with a small smile.

"Ahh that's right. Merry, I remember now. You know I always thought that those two members of the Fellowship got short shrift, not pun intended. And I am looking forward to whatever you come up with.

And in all seriousness, I'm glad our flirting is the type that you enjoy. I can respect that. Not that I didn't have some ulterior motives when we started. But I can behave when I need to."

"I..." Clarence watched him before smiling gently. "I can enjoy friendship. And see from there," he admitted softly. It wasn't just Jonah who had shown an interest...truth was, Clarence wasn't sure he would ever be good as anything but a friend.

"Friends work, I am actually trying to reform myself. I've focused way too much on the sex part in the past."

"I think that's a shipwide trend..." Clarence said, but it was playfully. "Sailors and all that, you know."

"Yeah, I know what you're saying. It does kind of seem like a ship wide trend. But I'm trying to do the whole friends thing then progress from there. If any progression is warranted. Rather than just jumping into bed. Its new for me like I said, but I'm going to give it a shot."

"It's all I can ask," Clarence said softly, holding his eyes before smiling. "Let me get your food order and...well. Some other time we can talk about Rings, right?"

"Sure, sounds like a plan to me."

OFF:

Clarence Pearl
Mixologist
USS Galileo

&
Jonah Chaparral
PNPC Jared Nicholas
USS Galileo

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