Star Trek: Starbase 777 - zebac′s-place

[D] Zebac walked in upon the second story balcony, dressed in his fine attire. He rested his hands on the metal railing as he watched his staff prepare for the day to begin. A bit of a crooked smile appeared on his face. Then he turned and started to head downstairs, where he spoke to Friba and informed them to get things started. "The grand opening shall commence!"

Kaylee was just off shift and was wandering around the food court, looking for somewhere to sit down, eat something, and relax for a bit. As she walked, however, she noticed a new place. Zebac's Place? She thought she'd look in and check it out, and so she walked in and saw a few people moving about, looking like they're setting things up. She stood awkwardly by the entrance, debating whether to walk in or go somewhere else.

"Ah, a customer! Welcome, welcome," said the Ferengi, his approach was quick. He now stood before Kaylee and offered a fanged smile. His gaze scanned her closely before he held his arms up on either side of his form. "Welcome to Zebac's Place, I am Zebac, madam. Come and sit? We offer food, drinks, gambling, holosuites if you desire."

Kaylee took a step in, giving a small polite smile to Zebac. "What kind of food do you do here? And drinks?" After she said this, she realised she hadn't introduced herself. Do Ferengis see that as rude? She didn't know..Better to introduce herself anyways. "I'm Kaylee. Nice to meet you Zebac."

"That's a beautiful name," he said with a smirk and offered her his elbow. He hoped to guide her over to the bar in a gentlemanly fashion. He hoped she would accept his offer. "We offer a wide variety of meals from around the known galaxy and drinks as well. Can I get you started with anything, ma'am?"

"I'll just start with something simple, do you do fruit ciders?" Kaylee gave a slightly wider smile as Zebac offered his elbow, and she gently took his arm. "Hmm...and maybe chilli machos if you do those too?"

"Both fine choices and both I can get you," he said before he guided her over to a nice little booth seat. Then he turned and snapped at Friba, he had been nearby. Friba ran over to the replicators and got the items before he returned. Once the food and drink was placed before them, Zebac offered a smile. "Your food, Miss Kaylee. I hope you enjoy it and if you need anything we are here to serve you."

Kaylee took her seat, and was amazed at how quickly her food came..although, she was the only person here. "Thank you, Mr Zebac. It looks very good." Kaylee took a sip of her cider. And it was pretty good. Some of the best she'd had in a while. Or, that she could remember, she actually didn't remember the last time she'd had cider.

"Tell me what it is that you do here on station? I haven't really been here long if honest, just started the bar up after moving from Ferenginar," he said as he took a seat across from her. He smiled a bit, even ordering himself a drink. Then he tilted his head and rested his hands in his lap. He wanted to know more about Kaylee. "Is that Borg technology I see?"

"Ah, just a simple Engineer from Earth, nothing too special. I'm sure you'll fit right in of the station, however." Kaylee took another sip of her drink. Zebac seemed nice. "There's a few ex-borg on the station, and I'm sure we've used some Borg technology to improve the station also, in some places."

"Just an engineer? Hm, you must keep busy," he said, offering a smile. He raised his drink to his mouth and enjoyed the taste. He proceeded to place it down and he sat back with a grunt. "You must enjoy your work. Myself? Well, I am a business man. I enjoy what I do greatly. You ever heard of Quark? He inspired me to open a bar like he did."

"Quite busy, just got back from the repairs lab. Fixing equipment is my go to." Kaylee listened to him talk. Inspired by Quark? Hmm, not many people hadn't heard of Quark, to be fair. Maybe he is an inspiration to some. "I have, actually. Its good that you had a role model." Kaylee took another sip, then gently pushed the glass around the table. She had almost finished her cider. She couldn't quite place all the fruits in it, but she knew she liked it.

"Quark is a true inspiration to many," he said and nodded his head. He tapped his fingers now, his blue nails clicked lightly on the polished surface. He hummed a bit, his eyes shifted down to her drink as she slid it around. "I hope you are enjoying the cider. I got the replicator recipe from a rather impressive chef. We also cook real meats and such imported from around the galaxy if you ever wish to try something fresher. I even have an insect farm upstairs where I raise my own Ferenginar insects."

"The cider is good, some of the best I've had since Earth." Kaylee finished the cider off and took a bite of food. "Your own insect farm? That's something I haven't heard of, at least not in a bar. I'm sure a few people would be quite interested in that."

"Oh? It's only a minor farm for grubs and so, but all my food is typically imported in," he said and turned to a waiter. He would have some Ferengi food over and he would begin to eat some flaked blood flesh, some almost crab like insects, and few other varieties of insect as well. He offered a smile to Kaylee and began to eat as well. What customers were coming in now were getting their drinks, food, or beginning to gamble away their wages. "Now, what brought a lovely lady like yourself into Starfleet? Perhaps a childhood dream, eh? You seem like a rather brilliant woman."

Kaylee couldn't help but smile. Zebac was either very interested in her, or was trying to charm his way into more profit. "Hmm...yeah, it was actually. Always liked space. I remember even speaking to Earth's moon on the clear nights, haha."

"Oh? I was always more interested in profit," said the Ferengi. He thought about his life on Ferenginar and he chuckled to himself. He shook his head and sighed slightly. His brown gaze shifted between the food before him and then to Kaylee again. "On Ferenginar, it is raining ninety percent of the time. So, seeing the stars was nearly impossible. I was raised to seek fortune, to expand my own private little empire and that led me here. I enjoy what I do greatly and it has its upsides besides just getting paid." Kaylee would notice how the bar was being decorated for Halloween. Some buckets of candy were being set up behind the bar with a sigh stating they were 1 gold pressed latinum slip each.

"It was quite rainy where I was too. But little me was determined to speak to the moon. She...it was kinda like my best friend. I told her my problems and worries and it made me feel better. Sometimes it felt like she shined brighter just for me." Kaylee looked around the bar and saw all the decorations. She didn't know Ferengis even celebrated Halloween. She didn't think there was much profit in giving free candy to children. "Did you celebrate Halloween on Ferenginar?"

"No, but most humans do I think so I am decorating the place up and selling candy for 1 Slip of latinum each," he said. He would have their waiter take his food away and he would smile a bit. He turned his attention to one of the staff as they sat up a skeleton made to look like a Ferengi in a nice suit and holding a welcome sign. "It is honestly a very confusing holiday to me."

[D] Kaylee and Zebac continued in polite conversation and finished up their food and drinks. Then Kaylee realised that time was getting on and she'd better be off, said a polite goodbye and left Zebac's place.

Walking into the establishment, Maza would head straight for the bar while making a strategic assessment to find the proprietor of the establishment. She either had to find the Ferengi who was the snappiest dresser, sleaziest slimeball, or who was barking orders. Not very hard. When she had hopefully found her target, she would have also made it to the counter/bar/equivalent and would order a drink. "Synthehol. Something exotic, extra points if you can surprise me."

"Something exotic. Original," he says and began to examine his bottles and such behind the counter. He proceeded to start mixing up some different liquors and soon he had a dark concoction that had a bit of a glittery shine to it. It was a house drink, custom to the bar. "One Warp, just for you. A house special and I do hope you enjoy it. Anything else? I have a variety of delicious meals for you to choose from." He wore a large, pointed teeth bearing smile. His brown gaze locking on to her own. He was well dressed, wearing a rather expensive Ferengi suit. The bar around them is decorated for Halloween, an Earth holiday. Some false spider webs, skeletons, and jack-o'-lanterns rested all around the bar and casino.

The Denobulan looked at the Ferengi mixing the different drinks together, trying to keep tract of the exact concoction in case she enjoyed it. When being presented with the drink, she would take it in her hands and speak. "I ask for something exotic and you give me the house special? Kind of the opposite of exotic, I would think?" She would take a sip and with the way her smile betrayed her true feelings, she liked it. "I am just teasing. I always liked the Ferengi way of conducting business. And when it comes to food; I take it you have tube grubs? Got them fried for me? While I know it made me stand out like a massive tourist when I was on Ferenginar, my stomach cannot handle them live." She would say, seeming to take in the decor. Some of what was on display seemed to clash. "Seasonal decorations? Is it some kind of holiday?"

"Fried Tube Worms? Eh, fine and yes these are seasonal decorations for a holiday called Halloween," he said and moved to the kitchen window. He told the chef in Ferengi what to cook and they have a confused look. Zebac just nodded and then indicated to Maza before he shrugged. "Alright, the chef will have those tube worms out in a bit. As for the drink, it is exotic because you can only get it here. If you like gambling we have a casino with Dabo going all the time."

She was curious if she was being judged because of her choice of tube worm preparation, or if she ordered them at all. "Halloween...I take it is a human holiday? I remember the..." She would point at the nearest pumpkin. "The orange fruits from Earth. Don't know why they have faces on them and their connections with skelletons. Perhaps some sort of ancient connection with not eating enough vitamins and quickening your own demise?" She would smile, leaving it unspoken and unseen if she was taking the piss with the bartender or not if she actually knew about the holiday. "Well, unless you brew your own supply, I take it your exoticism is artificially created. I also take it you have a rule for that. It is one of the reasons why I always liked visiting Ferenginar when I was young." She took a sip of her drink, seeming to enjoy talking to the bartender more than gambling. "That and it having been totally fine going without clothing back then. Quite liberating when it was a choice. Not that great when forced, I guess."

"Uh, I don't know anything about Halloween besides the decorations and giving of candy," said the Ferengi. He then shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. "Ninety percent of my drinks and foods are replicated, but I keep some real alcohol and food. Bit pricey compared to the replicated stuff, but you ain't gonna regret eating the real deal." Another Ferengi approached and brought Maza her tube worms. They were cooked, but she earned a bit of a side eyed look. This earned a few choice words from Zebac to the waiter about taking some money from their check if they eyed the customers wrong again. "Sorry about them, ma'am," said Zebac with an apologetic smile. "He has no manners I am afraid."

"That sounds very... human, I guess. Combining scary decorations with the handing out of sweets." Maza leaned over somewhat and took another sip from her drink. "I do not hope this drink has any real alchohol in it? I have a horrible tolerance so of that is the case... you will need to have your waiters pick me up from the floor when I get up from this stool." When the waiter had actually come with her food, she would simply smile at them before turning her attention back to Zebac. "Did I really earn that look for my choice of meal, or did a Denobulan cheat him of some money? Regardless, as long as his cooking is good, I will not complain." Maza spoke, before taking a bite from her hot tube worms. Seeming to enjoy it well enough.

"It's just unusual to order tube worms cooked," he said. He begun to clean some glasses and watched others at the bar. His waiters and such were hard at work. He then looked back to Maza and offered a smirk. "The drink has a bit of real alcohol, but not anything that will leave ya wabbling around."

Maza simply smirked as she continued eating. When she did not have any worms in her mouth for a moment she added. "Unless you want my bowels to recite the Romulan anthem, fried is better for me. I never could stomach live gaht...gahe..." She cleared her throat. "Gagh, either. Did have it stewed once. It was alright." She would look at her drink for a moment and back to the bartender again. She would take a sip to taste if his claim was true or not. "I trust that an honest gentleman like yourself has my best interest at heart either way. Been on the station long? Recently arrived myself so I would not know."

"Ferengi Insects are all my people eat and gagh is a truly unappetizing meal to me," he said while he continued to wash. A few mugs by hand before he stowed them and crossed his arms. The idea of her stomach doing such a thing as she described made him frown. His had shook now, a sign he didn't wish to hear that anthem. "I've been here for a while now? Not too long, but long enough."

Maza would nod as she still had some tubeworm in her mouth. "I would guess not all insects taste the same to an expert. Or...are worms insects?" Maza pondered, clearly not knowing the answer but also not seeming to care all too much about it. "Been on this station now for long enough that I no longer feel lost. I am a writer, you see. Holonovels. I daw that you had holosuits, was it not?"

"Tube Worms are similar to earth mealworms, which aren't really worms," he said and then he nodded his head. He looked towards the six holosuits he had upstairs and nodded his head. "Yea, I got six of 'em, all eager to be used! Typically you'd think people would want to use them for more lewd reasons, but I have some programs for taking a simple stroll, maybe even visit a place you normally couldn't visit. Are you interested?"