An Old Russian Trick - Part 2

Posted on Sun Jun 30th, 2019 @ 8:42pm by Ashe Zachariah & Lieutenant Aleksander Voroshilov

Mission: Getting To Know You
Location: The Raging Deity Lounge

"My best story?" Ashe asked with a shake of her head. "Damn, how do I break it down to just one?" She thought for a moment. "So, the freighter I was on, the Captain was a real hardass, he was adamant that I couldn't even give away replicated coffee unless they paid for it, and it had to be cash up, no credit. Most everyone knew what he was like so no one really busted my ass about it, they were mostly a good group. A bit rough and tumble, but they looked after me. So this one day this new kid comes onto the ship, a young klingon, the only thing worse than his gorch was his attitude. First night on the ship, he wants blood wine, but doesn't have the coin to pay for it. I refuse service. He gets angry at me. Like, real angry. I can see a few of my older regulars about ready to break this kid into a million pieces, for threatening me, so I decide to back down. I tell him it's all good, he's new on the ship and obviously, judging by the pocks on his face he doesn't know the rules yet, so I'll give him a break, I had a special bottle I could give him, you know, a welcome to the ship gift, it was on me. So I go out back and I pour him out a jug and give it to him."

She paused, taking another sip of her vodka before she continued again. "So, this kid takes the drink and drinks it, comes back and demands more. I tell him no, he gets aggressive, I back down, give him a new jug. You can just see by the look on his face that he thinks he owns me. He's getting drunker and drunker, and the drunker he gets the mouthier he gets. Finally he gets so drunk he about falls out of his chair. I try to help him up, he gets angry, takes a swing at me and falls face first onto the bar, busts up his face and needs the medic. Medic gets summoned, takes one look at him and promptly declares him as sober as a Priest on Sunday. This kid argues that the medic knows nothing, I've been plying him with my best spirits all night and he didn't have to pay for it... so I disappear in back and bring out a crate of fresh black cherry juice that had been left to rot. I just hadn't gotten around to getting rid of it. He was as sick as a targ for days, but he never bothered me again."

Aleksi recoiled a little, playing up the reaction, "Not sure if can top that one," Drawing in a breath, he wasn't actually sure if he could, "I have a bad habit of finding games of chance, especially when there's a bit of money on the line. Perfect for a smuggler, especially when he's a bit of a card shark. There was a little port town we used to hit, a no name joint near Ferengi space, that I'd routinely clean house. People always get suspicious of cheating after you've cleared their wallet a few times, my partner, Kotal, was always concerned I'd get in too deep."

"Well," He rolled up his left sleeve, a deep scar present, "Seems the bastard was right to be concerned. After slapping four Aces on the table, one of the old timers, fueled on some knock-off Bloodwine, draws a knife and comes at me. Fortunately the liquor turned what could have been a lost limb into a minor wound," Sighing a little, he shrugged, "Not a terribly great story now that I think of it. After the cut I managed to push him over. Fortunately the bartender was a good friend of ours and he'd been feeding the old timer with double strength drinks. The fact we cut him ten percent may have helped as well."

Ashe grinned. "Let me guess, your four aces was spades, clubs and two diamonds with no heart?" she quipped as she shook her head, topping off his drink again. "You know, really, the Klingon ship was quiet. I'd go back again, well, I would have, if it hadn't been blown to pieces. I was the only human and the only female on the ship, aside from a few young gorches who were quickly beaten into behaving, they looked after me. We were on layover once at a starbase getting resupplied and I had a very brief.... uh... encounter? with this guy... suffice it to say some things happened and my boys felt they had to look after me, so they beat this guy to the point he was half dead." She paused, taking a sip of her vodka and shaking her head again. "Unfortunately it was a case of mistaken identity and they beat the wrong guy... but, you know, the sentiment was there, right?"

"There was a heart in that stack," He tapped his chest, "Here is questionable," His voice went quiet a little at the thought of sentiment, "Sounds like a bunch of good fellows you rolled with. My crew was as well, we went to hell and back with each other," Another chuckle as he lifted his glass, "But that's all in the past, now we're here, in your house."

"Ah, no, not my house, not at all," Ashe replied with a smile. "But yes, they were a good crew, I had a lot of respect for them. I was disappointed to have to find new digs, but, you know, once the ship is blown to a hundred million pieces it's kind of hard to rebuild what you had." She picked up her glass and held it toward him. "IwlIj jachjaj" she said with a smile.

"May yours scream as well," Alexi returned the smile, tapping his glass against hers. It may not have been her house, but this more home to her than him. Taking another drink he felt a familiar and unpleasant buzz in his pocket. He wanted to ignore it, but knew he was on a tighter leash than most, "One moment kotyonok."

"Pizdec," A low murmur as he read the message, a bit of humor drained from his face, "It seems I have an urgently routine medical appointment to get to. Within the next 15 minutes supposedly," He held up his glass, "May we always stay one step ahead of the devil."

"Really?" Ashe asked skeptically. "A medical? Now? And you're sitting here on about your eighth shot of vodka?" she posed. Straightening her back slightly as she picked up the bottle from the ice bucket with the intent of returning it to the freezer. "Well, good luck with that," she said quietly.

"I should be fine, I've done more important things with more liquor in me," He simply set the half glass down, not wanting to kill it alone. While he could simply show her the message he knew from painful experience it never worked. It might have been time for more of that honesty, "The Captain doesn't entirely trust me, my time away from the fleet and all. Can't say I blame her," He smirked as he stood up, hold out two closed hands, "Pick one."

"That one," she said with a smile, trying to hide her genuine intrigue at where this was going. "Your right hand."

His face betrayed a little concern, "Are you sure?" He nodded, "Alright," Slowly he opened his hand, revealing one of Ashe's rings. There was a playful smirk on his face, revealing the true Russian Trick. Use distraction to get to your goal, like having something memorable to end a conversation with a woman you'd like to meet again, "Is this your card?" A wink as he presented the token, perhaps not all of his card games were won honestly.

Ashe held her hand up for him to put the ring back on the finger he had taken it from, waiting until he had done so before she leaned forward, smiling secretively. "Word of advice darlin', if you want to fleece someone, you may want to pick a better mark than an ex-dabo girl who made a very lucrative career out of knowing how to play your particular game," she leaned back and picked up her vodka, finishing the glass and setting it down. "I've worn that ring every day since I was sixteen, I'm naked without it. I realised you'd removed it the second it was gone from my finger." She winked as she picked up the bottle, holding it up questioningly.

"Oh, your words sting my dear Ashe," His tone said she did anything but that. Tycoons and princelings were easy, but it was hard to fool someone with a brain. She was definitely someone he wanted to meet again. Eyeing the bottle his eyes lit up, "One more shot couldn't hurt."

"There's my good boy," she replied with a wink as she topped off both glasses again, settling back on her stool as she picked up her glass, holding it up. "To home."

Good, questionable. But for a pretty woman he could behave, at least for a little bit. He raised his glass towards her, "Where ever that may be," He downed his drink, setting the glass down, "You fancy dinner tonight?"

"Sure, but I don't get off 'til midnight," she replied with a grin. "So maybe breakfast might be more in order?"

"If the lady so wishes, I know a good place for pancakes and other questionably healthy food on the Starbase," A smirk as he pointed to her, "You bring that dazzling smile and I will bring the champagne and caviar."

"Done," she replied easily. "And I will absolutely be expecting the champagne and caviar!" Finishing her vodka, she set the glass aside under the bar to be recycled and slid off her stool. "Now don't you have a doctor who's waiting on you?"

"Cyka" He hissed a little, "That I do," He stood up, smile on his face. There was a mischievous look in his eye, perhaps she could be a reason for him to behave. At least with the crew, "Until tonight kotyonok," He winked before walking out the door, the drink exactly what he needed to get through the rest of the day.

=/\=

Lieutenant Aleksander Voroshilov
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Astraea

&

Ashe Zachariah
Raging Deity Lounge Owner
USS Astraea