Star Trek: Starbase 777

The red and blue duotone also creeps into the bar area, which has a sleek and spacious design giving the all-too familiar bartender, Rojin, the owner of the Hlleistau Bar, the space he needs to work. A great variety of drinks, alcoholic or not, cold or hot, are stocked, ensuring that anyone will be able to find something they enjoy.

Kaylee takes Essen into the Bar. She admired the surroundings for a while, enjoying the pretty lighting and interesting flooring. She couldn't remember seeing this before. And she knew she'd never see another place like it. She took Essen right up to the counter before speaking. "A drink, princess?"

Essen almost tripped a few times in her high heels, having just gazed upon Kaylee, taking in her positive and enchanting aura. Of course she didn't mind - it just startled her enough to get her out of her little daze and focus on walking. But hey, at least Essen wasn't alone in this. Kaylee was wearing heels too. So Kaylee understood the feeling too, Essen surmised. Essen approached the bar after Kaylee, smiling and blushing when Kaylee called her a princess. HER princess. "Hehehehehe," Essen let out a giddy laugh. "Absolutely, my queen. I'll have whatever you're having."

Kaylee couldn't explain it, but as she walked, she was so elegant and graceful. She didn't trip, or stumble, even in heels. She didn't even wear heels that often. "Are you sure? I was gonna get some fruit cider, or see if I could get a hot chocolate." Her eyes lit up when she started talking about the hot chocolate. It was clear she liked it. If you ever asked if she drank tea or coffee, she would say tea, but then say she drank hot chocolate more often.

Maggie approached the bar after a long time of admiring the decor, leaning just a little on the counter. "Good eeeevening," they greeted the bartender cheerfully, leaning their chin in the palm of their hand. They thought it over for a second, tapping their fingers against their cheek. "Do you have anything sweet without chocolate?" they inquired curiously. "I need to be properly sugared up before having the balls to dance at all--"

Essen went back into her daze briefly gazing at Kaylee, once they arrived at the bar, and when she giddy laughed - but when Kaylee said hot chocolate, Essen's eyes widened. "Hot chocolate?? Yesyesyesyesyeyesyesyesyesyes!!!" Essen said. Her voice filled up with a knowing energy that suggested she must have had a very positive past with hot chocolate. "Hotchocolatehotchocolatehotchocolate! Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease babygirl!!!" Essen nearly jumped up and down at hearing the proposition of hot chocolate - it was just one of her favorite drinks. "Sorry...heh... I like food... and drink, in that case," Essen giggled.

Today, he was a sharp splash of monochrome against the blue's and pink's and purple's of the bar - Rojin went for the old reliable combination of a white dress shirt and black pants, with his suspenders (because of course a Romulan had to wear some leather) being black with silver. He also didn't feel like having his fake eye exposed for this event - so, it was covered by a simplistic black eyepatch with subtle silver design on it's rim, complimenting the tucks. He was easy to see, yet blended well behind the bar. Just like old hunter liked it. The space was filling up. Jin was used to this buzz, albeit seeing so many aliens dressed so fancily, was new. Like a number before them, a new face called out to him, a blur of blue - one that he turned his head towards, only to be met by a mask. "Non-alcoholic?" he decided to clarify, just in case, hands clasped around a shaker that he was about to strain, "If so, there's hot drinks, like wassail. Apple cider, fruit juices, some spices."

A smile teased the corners of the magician's expression as they considered their options, fixing their cape where it'd fallen just a little off the slope of their shoulder, tucking a stray lock of pink hair behind their ear in one swift movement. A performer fixing themself before they returned to the crowd. Though, now they seemed a bit more relaxed than showy and fashionable. "It's been a while since I had a drink. What's a ball if you don't loosen up just a little, you know?" Eyes twinkling with amusement, Maggie perked up. "Ah, would you mind one of those Risa Sunrises I've heard so much about? If it isn't too much trouble, of course..!!" They hadn't had time to visit the Hlleistau Bar just yet, but there was always quite a bit of buzz around it. Maybe when they finally solidified some show dates and got their routine all smoothed out. Perhaps they'd ask if they could solidify a deal? Drinks and a show? All things to consider, though perhaps when he wasn't so busy.

This person didn't feel like a Starfleet officer - not that Jin was too skilled in discerning them, at least not yet, but here there was just a particular Vibe (Mesa's invented way of calling his people sense, not Jin's), that he managed to catch this time. He managed an agreeable hum at their words, because, well. There was truth in that. He, as a bartender, would know. Ah, a Sunrise? Fitting, somehow. "It's not trouble if it's my job," Jin quipped back, albeit without a single note of malice or even sarcasm in his tone. Just a verbal shrug of his shoulders. Though, some part of him did appreciate the very simple albeit almost timid care they were offering. After he strained his previous drink and sent it a client's way, he could start prepping the newly requested drink, which was exactly what the Romulan did, meanwhile continuing talking, for this one seemed like someone willing to do so: "You've heard about it? Mean's the bar's name is getting around. Glad to hear that."

Oh, what a fatal mistake. Maggie was very, very talkative, and even more so with a little bit of alcohol in them, even with their decent tolerance. "Here and there!" they chirped in reply, waving a gloved hand absentmindedly. "I haven't had a chance to stop in myself, I've been way too busy-- with the holidays, with shows coming up..moving has been just a bit of a hassle. It's a tad difficult, getting used to being in one place after a tour," they sighed, hand settling on the back of their neck. "Sorry, though, I don't mean to bore you. Have you.. How long have you been on the station?" Their gaze flitted across the stranger -- not disrespectfully, purely out of curiosity. Everywhere they went, they loved hearing about people, learning new names and faces. "Maybe you might have a bit more insight on this place than I do," they giggled nervously. Maybe that was why they hadn't had a show yet. They didn't know their audience, they didn't know if their act would be a complete flop. If only they could think about something besides their job, even while dressed up for a ball!

Popping in at a bar he was not banned from, Lama was dressed in a full white tux with a llama printed bow tie. He has actually styled his hair with some product this time, giving him the effortless sexy messy look. He wore some pretty tall heels because he wanted to at least be able to stand alongside his fellow Vulcanoids and not look like a tic tac. He was wearing some light make up too, although it was hard when his skin was literally two different colours at the same time. He tried with some eye shadow and lipstick which was already smudged from him eating before his bar arrival. He glanced at the two women at the table who seemed to be engaged in conversation and then at-- was that the magician Maggie? He remembered seeing the showroom on the promenade map! He walked over to where Maggie was and plopped down next to them. "Jolan tru," He greeted Maggie and glanced over at the.. honestly a little scary looking bartender, but he had good vibes. Why did Lama feel like they met or something though? "I love the hair and the cape," As a fellow dyed hair individual, Lama was always happy to see people sporting the unique colours.

Shows, tour? Well, it seemed that he was right this time. "Agree on the moving part," he replied evenly while pouring the ingredients together, giving a small jiggler in his grasp an absentminded spin between his fingers after he was done with it. He had quite an experience with moving around, he definitely related to it being quite a hassle. Especially when it had to be done quickly. *"...Hlleistau's construction began in June, I've been on and off the station for that period," *he replied after seemingly thinking about it for a bit. "It was done in the end of September, so... yeah, since then. Three months. Not that long, comparatively. Forgive my assumption, but maybe you're the one who the new showroom belongs to?.." He closed the shaker and gave it a good shake (a notably muffled sound; custom made to be quieter?), just in time for another face to plop down near his conversation partner, quickly confirming themselves as a fellow Romulan - who the bartender, as soon as Lama looked at him, gave an equally long glance in return. Unblinking. Huh. But, he said nothing, perhaps giving the newcomer some time to think. In the meantime, he pulled out a glass to pour the Sunrise into. Letting the peach pink liquid settle down, Jin quickly dipped behind the counter to pick up some exotic Risian fruit, one that he quickly sliced apart with a knife. One of the slices was put on the rim of the glass, alongside a little umbrella (ones that he had in abundance. Thanks, Mesa), and sent it Maggie's way: "Here you go," his attention, once again, turned towards Lama: "Anything for you, officer?" (edited)

Lama felt bad for crashing the conversation, but hearing the bartender's reply to the pink haired individual confirmed that this was the person who ran the showroom. How cool! He would need to ask about when they were opening to the public because that was seomthing he definitely wanted to make a video about. Lama spun around once on the bar stool, clearly having much fun with the chairs. He liked the atmosphere of bars, usually people were lively and friendly. Sometimes there were bad vibes, but for the most part people behaved themselves since they were on a Federation Starbase. He wasn't sure why the bartender held his gaze, but decided to believe this guy was just entranced by his stunning good looks. Yep, that was totally it. Lama had too much confidence. "Heyy, can I get uhh," Lama opened up as if he were a teenager walking into a fast food establishment at 10 at night. "Virgin Rum Cola? Wait, what do you have here?" This cosmic brain detective of course gave an order before asking what was available. Smooth move. He also unsurprisingly looked for clothes at a soup store sometime in his past.

Maggie raised their head curiously to the newcomer, giving them a look-over as well. Again, curious, not judgemental. Their smile widened. "Thank you!" they chirped, giggling a little as they wound a lock of pink hair around their finger -- nervous habit, they'd done their hair so nicely, they really shouldn't! They pushed it back off their shoulder. "I like your makeup and your tie," they offered in reply. Ah, their drink was done! "Oh, it's so cute! Thank you!" Sliding a tip across the table in return, they tentatively took a little taste of their drink. Very sweet. They should be careful and take this slowly.. "Showroom, yes! I haven't actually, um, gotten down a show date yet. It's been a bit difficult putting all the pieces together, but I think I'm getting closer... I think I might go dance after this.." They couldn't help but chuckle gently at Lama spinning around on the chair, then ordering before familiarizing with the menu. Why had they been so intimidated by Starfleet officers before?.. Probably because they were wrapped up in criminal activity on Freecloud -- "Smooth moves, officer," they teased playfully, turning their attention to him as well.

Jin was a man on a humbler side, but he did hold some pride in the fact that he was good at managing his bar's atmosphere - something he also definitely did here, watching people surrounding his bar island like some dark, scarred-up mogai - both for their own sake, and for the sake of other visitors. Though, he had to give credit where credit was due - his usual patrons knew well how to behave themselves, a fact he was grateful for. Lama's request was met with a gentle exhale through Jin's nose - the idea of giving this guy just a glass of the "Cola" part briefly popped up to entertain him - but he just gave the younger Rihannsu a confirming nod to both of his request, and after he gratefully accepted Maggie's tip, he set out to prep another drink, routine familiar, soothing. "Good luck with your setup, then," he replied to the magician while pulling out a highball and filling it up with glass. After that, he allowed the two to mingle, meanwhile pouring in the needed liquids, rum replaced with the non-alcoholic option (caramel, fig, maple, vanilla, a nice, deep profile in his opinion), and then busying himself with a lime wedge, knife skills definitely on a Normal And Sane level for a simple bartender. Jin gave the rich dark drink a stir, before decorating and sending it Lama's way with a murmur of "here you go". Using the window of opportunity, Jin used it to wipe the empty, clean glasses, still looming between Lama and Maggie.

"Thank you so much!" He responded to Maggie's compliment on his look, giving them a flirty wink and a thumbs up. They watched the magician took their drink and wondered what their species was. His species guessing skills was pretty good, at least, he believed it to be. With their green eyes and fluffy pink hair it was hard to guess from first glance. Lama was also horribly monolingual (well, is Betazoid was good enough to have basic conversations), so unless they were also speaking Rihannsu he couldn't really say where they were from. Lama laughed at the compliment and wiggled his fingers against his cheeks with a big grin on his face. "Oh, dance? I love dancing! Oh and I'm--" Lama paused when he realised he could introduce himself normally or say something cool. "Nai. S'Talon tr'Nai," He narrowed his eyes and tried to look cool like that terran character James Bond, but Lama's vibes were energetic and happy so it was hard to really sell the cool suave guy look. "I mean-- my name is just Lama, tr'Ehweia, station detective! S'Talon is a cool spy character I used to play," Lama said as if that was not literally his secret identity when he was a double agent. Well, it didn't matter anymore, no one else knew that. He grasped the base of the glass when the bartender slid him his drink. He made an gesture with his hand and winked to the handsome man who was not actually that scary upon second impression. "Ohhh, virgin rum cola," Lama sipped the dark liquid and flicked his tongue out like he was a snake to lick the excess liquid from his green lips. The drink was well mad, he could taste the spices present in the drink along with the joyful bubbliness of the cola. Perfect mix, what a treat! He'd have to tip before he left!

Maggie raised their brow curiously at the flirtatious gesture, their smile a bit more of a playful smirk. The cool and suave display made them laugh. Lama seemed to be pretty good at that already -- even if it wasn't exactly intentional. "That's cool," they mused. A spy, huh? They popped the Risan fruit into their mouth, twirling the umbrella between their fingers absentmindedly. "Very mysterious." They had something of a secret identity, they supposed, in a manner of speaking. The pretty, sweet drink now drained (oops), Maggie turned to face Lama, hopping down from the bar stool and fixing their skirts and cape. They couldn't stop themself from another giggle-- maybe it was because they were nervous.. hopefully the drink would ease that just a little. "You're cute, Lama," they chirped as they leant in closer to him, just enough to tuck their little drink umbrella and a playing card into his breast pocket. The ace of hearts, to be specific. They had no pockets, or sleeves, so where the card came from was a mystery. "Charming, too. I'll see you both around, yeah? I'd like to see the ballroom while the night's still young." They tossed a playful wink to the bartender as well, doing a little twirl before heading off in pursuit of a dance -- and hopefully, if the night went well, a good time.

Lama knew he was not cool or suave, but he appreciated the magician playing along. He flinched when Maggie reached towards him and tucked a card into his pocket. This was a fun event with no chances of assassinations, but for some reason his body told him to tense up at that very moment along with some classic Romulan paranoia vibes. They only lasted a second when Lama realised their new pink haired acquaintance was just trying to give him a card-- not a new scar. A dark green blush crossed his cheeks-- oh this was flirting right back and he was here for it! "Thank you, and yea definitely! Have fun in the ballroom! Oh the night is... young? I hope it's over 18," Lama laughed, not really getting the phrase but attempted to make a joke anyway. "I'll see ya on the dance floor! Uh, ballroom floor, yeah," Lama did not know how to dance, well, nothing more than SpaceTok dances, which was not going to win him any awards. (edited)

Kaylee had waited for the bartender to be a little less busy before she approached with Essen in tow. She again, waited for a break in conversation before she made her order. "Could I get a mixed fruit cider, please, and...do you do hot drinks? If you do, could I also get a hot chocolate?" She then turned to Essen "What would you like, dearest?" She knew that Essen had said that she wanted whatever Kaylee was having, but it was better to check before she ordered, right?

S'Talon tr'Nai, huh. Rojin's face remained impassive, like he heard nothing - not the name, not the very casual mention that it was a "character", even though the fact that this guy just stated it so readily as a detective, did amuse the bartender. Didn't agents usually do quite the opposite?.. oh, well, what would he know? Receiving not one, but two winks in quick succession, he gave Maggie a slow nod - gotta be professional - and watched them skip away, energized on Risa Sunrise. Their cocktail glass was quickly grabbed by him to get placed near other used glasses, asked Lama if he was "doing okay, officer?", somehow noticing the spread of deep green blush even though the Romulan was sitting on his eyepatch'd side, and then paid attention to the new arrivals - two, and not really new, for he noticed the other one's chattering quite a while ago. "I do and can make both," he affirmed, after which his gaze landed on Essen and stayed there for a good second or two. Sharp ears, no ridges. "You Vulcan? You're fine with having real chocolate?" Usually Vulcans specified when it came to drinks that had the infamous "happy sugar" in them, but Jin was also someone who always asked these questions himself - making sure that his clients actually knew what they were ordering, and no bad decisions were being made.

Wandering through the events hall and enjoying the sights of people having a nice time, what constantly caught their attention was the sheer attention to detail that had been put into the theming. They had heard rumours that the event planners usually went all out every year, but they had never expected it to be just this impressive. And yet it was, and as they approached the bar even it had endless thought put into it. The lighting, the style, the whole lot blended in perfectly with the general vibe of the event, so in their eyes it was perfect. Approaching the bar they didn't want to interrupt anyone, so instead moved to lean against it with one palm flat on the bar itself and the other sat atop its counterpart as they looked over the various drinks options on display, antennae moving ever so slightly as they considered their many options.

Kaylee had waited for the bartender to be a little less busy before she approached with Essen in tow. *She again, waited for ...

@Lt. JG. Kaylee Valkyrie | ENG (@Lt. JG. Kaylee Valkyrie) - jump Essen practically went back into her daze AGAIN when Kaylee was ordering her drink. She immediately perked back up when she addressed Essen directly - jeez, Essen get ahold of yourself, girl! "Oh! Uhhh a hot chocolate for me please! Yeah, I'm good with real chocolate! I don't mind about the after effects," The Vulcan girl managed to respond. Sigh... she wasn't ashamed of her reaction and for displaying her love for Kaylee everywhere and anywhere. And thank GOODNESS there wasn't another instance of her disobeying direct orders that could potentially get both Essen and Kaylee in trouble. Essen realized, though, that she would need to handle this a lot more maturely and in strides rather than just let her emotions get the better of her. So after ordering, she started to do what Alin taught her. She breathed in - one... two... three... four... She held it in. One... two... three... four... five... six... seven... She breathed out. One... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight... And she repeated that a few times. Maybe Kaylee would catch on, maybe she wouldn't. But hey, at least Essen will had indirectly shown that she has indeed gone to therapy for emotional management, and that she cares enough about #Kessen to do so! (edited)

He gave the Vulcan woman a blank one-eyed stare, watching her Breathe Intensely after trying to reassure him that she wanted the real chocolate. Welp, to each their own, he supposed. Still, he hoped no "ha ha shitfaced" decisions will come to surface, for this bartender did have... particular, rules about it. With a shrug, he set out to prepare their drinks, sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows. After he was done and had sent their drinks in glass mugs their way, he decided to ditch the eyepatch; at some point, he started to really feel it on his face. So, he removed it, blinking his fake eye rapidly to readjust to sudden lights, his crooked scar and stark white iris now unhidden. While he was doing that, he noticed (or felt?) Xaran's quiet approach, but decided against reaching out to them just yet - judging by the silent way this guest arrived, he ought to give them a bit of time to think. Jin wasn't going anywhere anyways.

T'she had walked over to the bar, feeling the need for something to drink, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic (though, they had a thought that maybe some Sake, a single glass, would be nice to have) As always, they were rather quiet, walking twards the bar before they stopped just a ways away to collect their thoughts and decide on what they wanted once and for all>

Lama giggled at the bartender and took another sip of his virgin rum cola. "Yes, thank you, handsome bartender," He continued to try to flirt before a couple others approached the bar. That one Vulcan gal and her date were still chatting it up, it seemed like the Vulcan was entranced by her partner, how odd to see a Vulcan with such open emotions. Or maybe she was Romulan? It would make more sense if she were Romulan, but even Romulans practiced balance and emotional control, just not Surak. Lama caught sight of the Eventide XO, the one they interviewed about the bar. They looked like they were having a good time. Lama gave them a wave with a smile. Walking up to the bar next was another familiar face! From the New Dawn mission! "Jolan tru, T'she!" He greeted his former away mission teammate. "I love the... There's a terran name for that outfit, a.. Thing You Wear!" Lama said, thinking about how the UT would translate words literally at times, hence 'kimono' being translated to it's literal meaning in Japanese.

Essen was leaning against the bar, her hand supporting the weight of her head as she was with Kaylee, and just was enchanted by her presence-- that was, until Lama spoke. Essen flinched a little too much at that, unaware she had been distracted for that long. Of course, it was Kaylee so Essen saw no problem with it. And hey, she wasn't hurting anyone, was she? Still, she straightened herself up slightly. Despite the fact that Lama wasn't talking directly to Essen, Essen reacted as if he indeed was talking directly to her. With a nervous giggle, she turned back to Kaylee, hoping Lama wouldn't pick up on anything. "Am I okay?" Essen whispered to Kaylee. "Did I just like... zone out? Like three times? Or however many? I wasn't counting." Essen glanced back at Lama, hoping he -- or anyone else -- didn't notice.

The Betazoid-Romulan detective rose one eyebrow when the Vulcan looked at him. With his Vulcanoid features obscured by his hair, the only thing that gave away his species was his dark Betazoid eyes. Lama heard whispering but couldn't exactly make out the words from the distance. What he did noticed was the additional glance. "Eyy," He shot the woman dual finger guns, trying not to show how paranoid he was about someone whispering to their partner and looking at him. Thankfully he was an empathetic and didn't feel any bad vibes, however he was curious what the chatter was about. He chose to assume it was about his dangerously good looks, because what else would people have to say about him? Overconfident Lama strikes again.

Essen unfortunately didn't have the empathetic powers that Lama or any other Betazoid had, and was taken aback by Lama's approach. Obviously it wasn't negative or malicious in any way, but Essen defensively went to Kaylee's side and put her arm around Kaylee. Evidently it looked like Lama was interested in others, so Essen wasn't too worried, but still. "Uhh... h-hey," Essen said, straightening herself up once more. "I'm Essen. This is my one and only baby girl Kaylee. I don't think we've met before! What's your name?" Well, that may have been the smoothest she had behaved the whole time! Obviously when nervous or flustered, Essen was indeed a mess. It didn't require Betazoid empathy to pick up on that.

Mismatched white and grey eyes were trained on the exchange - unlucky to many people, in his past especially, but Jin had quite the experience in noticing odd behaviours. Especially when it was also, well... so quite painfully obvious. Like shark feeling blood. Giving Lama an eyebrow raise at the compliment (would do both, but the one on his scarred up side sometimes was not as willing to obey him as it's sibling), he briefly turned towards the two newcomers, disinterested in the ongoing conversation: "Anything I can help with?" he offered Xaran and T'She evenly, both as an invitation to ask, or straight up order. (edited)

Lama looked absolutely confused by the defensive action and quickly leaned back as he thought that he was encroaching on the two's personal space or something. Lama was already Romulan stabbing distance apart, but maybe that was still too close? He got the sense the woman was nervous about something and very protective over this 'baby girl'. Weird because the human under the woman's arm looked to be very much an adult. Maybe there was something he was missing? Maybe he'd ask Imin, his go-to on cultures of the Federation, they always knew what was hip with the kids. Lama looked over at the bartender to see him looking at the doctor and the XO so he was preoccupied. Lama was on his own here, well, hopefully he didn't make any further faux pas. "Hey Essen, hey Kaylee," He greeted both of them with his typical happy smile and friendly wave. "I'm Lama tr'Ehweia, detective!" Lama usually said something about how sexy he was, but considering that just a mere glance made Essen go into defence mode, maybe it was best he avoid those sort of comments. "Enjoying the party?" Lama grabbed his glass and took a biiiig sip. The backs of his hands had the same large patches of white as his face as his vitiligo had stolen most of the melanin from those areas. He was trying his best to be friendly, but he couldn't ignore the strong and unrestrained emotions of the Vulcan which were honestly a bit overwhelming, and that was coming from someone who spent all of his adult life in the Romulan Navy.

"Ah, thank you for the compliment on my Kimono, it is like one of my grandmother's so it means a lot to me. " They spoke evenly, greeting Lama with a traditional Vulcan salute before they continued. "How have you been since the mission?" A way to make conversation with someone that did not seem too invasive. Turning to the bartender, Jin, when they were adressed, T'she stopped for a moment before they asked a question. "Would it be possible to have a cup of Sake? If not, it is quite alright. Alcoholic is preferable, I do not plan on drinking much."

Jin briefly looked somewhere up, as if mentally going through the... quite extensive catalogue of bottles he had at his disposal, before looking back at T'She: "Let me look through the shelves real quick. I have a feeling I had something..." Earth drinks were a comparatively new territory for him. One that was, thankfully, rather easy to manage through. Sake was a peculiar thing - looked like vodka, was called a wine, was brewed like beer. He had a shelf for Terran oddballs such as that, and sure enough... "Yeah, think I got it," Jin announced, resurfacing with a bottle like some sort of submarine. Sure enough, an appropriate cup was found soon after, clear liquid poured right in, and sent T'She's way.

T'she took the cup and held it in both of their hands, looking quite content for the moment before they spoke. "Thank you," They said with the ghost of a smile on their lips before they took a slow sip. They Reserved luxuries like alcohol for special occasions, things like this ball for instance. "Has the ball been going well for you?" They asked, wanting to make some simple conversation.

"It's pretty!" Kimono! That was the word! Lama was not very gifted with languages, that was their sibling who he swore had a brain built different than him and Taev. When he switched his focus to T'she, it felt like he was drinking a cold water in the Vulcan desert. Their mind was much calmer, emotions still there, but it wasn't storms of mixed feelings or overwhelming pressure on his own mind. "I've been alright," Lama briefly remembered the whole Supernova bar incident and mentally cringed at his own mistake there. He was not going to mention that, not here anyway. "And you? Alsoo ohh what is Sack... Sack..i?" Lama was intrigued by the doctor's choice of drink, he had never heard of that one before!

T'she was being their usual calm and collected self, Controlling their emotions to the best of their ability. They had done so for so long after all, since they were a child, and by now it almost came naturally. "I have been well. And Sake is an alcoholic drink popular in japan, I happen to be quite fond of it when the time is right. If you would like some I can offer you a sip." They finished as they offered the cup, the hint of excitement crossing their usually stoic face. They liked sharing things that they enjoyed with others.

At the offer of the drink, Lama looked down at his virgin rum cola and debated whether real alcohol was a good idea. Lama had not moral reservations to some mind altering substances, but what he feared most was doing something dumb. If he was going to be stupid, he wanted to be fully aware of doing said stupid thing. "Hmmm, yeah I'll try a sip! Japan is..... Earth, right? I don't know much about earth, never been!" Lama put down his glass so he could try the sake that T'she was offering.

T'she handed over the cup of sake with a soft smile on their face, watching over Lama to make sure everything went well with this. Just a sip shouldn't hurt too much... right? "You are correct, Japan is on Earth. It is where I grew up in fact, which is why I appear to know a good deal about the place," their own attempt at a joke before their face returned to normal.

Lama took the cup and lifted it to his little rodent-like lips. He could smell the alcohol in the drink, it was clearly very strong, but probably not as strong as Romulan ale. Thank the elements before Lama did not like ale at all, not only could he not handle it, but it was vile in taste. Anyway, he tilted his head back slightly to get a very small sip of the drink and set the glass down. He seemed very thoughtful as he flicked his tongue over his lips as if pondering the taste. This motion made Lama look exceptionally hamster-like. "Mmm yea, pretty strong, ehh, not my style," He concluded, sticking his green tongue out and then downing the rest of his virgin rum cola. "Oh cool! What was earth like? Uh, there's lots of species there, I kinda regret not visiting when we had shore leave."

"It is not for everyone, I personally prefer tea usually, but this is a special occasion," T'she was not offended that Lama did not like the drink, they knew that alcohol was not something that everyone liked. They themselves only drank in moderation, if at all. "And I found Earth to be rather pleasant, Kyoto is a beautiful city if you ever wish to go there, I have not been in over a decade, but I am sure it has not changed drastically since I last was there. Perhaps I should go the next time I have shore leave." They mused for a moment before they nodded. "There are quite a few interesting species as well, though, I did not see many, I was often focused on my studies or on volunteering at the clinic. Is there anywhere else you would wish to go? If you had the chance that is?"

Kaylee had picked up her drinks, plural, and waited for Essen. The hot chocolate actually looked pretty good. She giggled a little as Essen appeared to defend her from someone else, even though she was quite sure they weren't talking to her anyways. Kaylee then motioned for Essen to grab her drink, and find somewhere to sit to enjoy them.

Essen didn't really know what to say to everyone else besides Kaylee - not that she didn't want to. She just couldn't find the best thing to say. There was evidently nothing wrong with anyone in the area. Essen was still in 'Kaylee-mode' as her brain put it. Until she realized her drink was ready. "Oh! Uhhh thank you!" Essen thanked Jin, taking the hot chocolate and joining Kaylee to find somewhere they could both sit and enjoy their drinks.

The little Aenar happily bounded over towards the bar, sidling up to it and caught the eye of the bartender, even if he was only slightly tall enough to look over it. With a bright grin, and a slight forward twitch of his antennae, Tyrah quickly rattled off his drink order. “Hello there! Lovely bar by the way! You sure keep in it ship shape! Ha! Get it? Because Starfleet! Even thought we aren’t on a ship which I guess makes it less clever…anyway! Could I please have a ‘dirty martini’? I heard about it in an old Human show and I want to be as cool as the character was!” He babbled out, much to the chagrin of the poor bartender, who, in response simply nodded and moved off to make the drink.

For the past several minutes Xaran had spent their time simultaneously trying to decide what to drink while also people watching. How could they not? There were so many people here they didn't even recognise, but that frankly wasn't surprising considering just how many people called 777 home. The internal debate over what to get was very real, switching between non-alcoholic and alcoholic, wanting to get a hot chocolate before remembering it might as well be slightly alcoholic to them, before finally deciding on something. As such, they stood up straight instead of leaning on the bar, and, once they got the attention of the bartender, placed their order. "Hi, could I get an artificial hot chocolate with all the trimmings please?"

After receiving his drink, Tyrah knew that given how much of a lightweight he was, he would definitely need some food, and headed off towards the #┊banquet-hall .

He watched them go, before shrugging his shoulders slightly. Sometimes he envied the ability for such obliviousness... With that thought, the grey-haired Romulan returned to his bar duties, just in time for two voices to reach him. First one was an Aenar, who Jin had to look down upon, his brain briefly considering asking for his age, for this guy was approximately Mesa's height... ah, no. Cadet. Jin only had to turn his head ju-u-ust slightly to immediately jump multiple ranks up, now looking at one of the many local Commanders. "You could," he confirmed, before setting out to make Xaran their pick, quickly falling back in to the familiar, soothing rhythm of his job. "Also having troubles with chocolate?" He partially asked because Xaran seemed to be quite a curious mix of a bunch of different heritages - at least, to his eye. Eyes. Right, he had both of them uncovered.

“Depends on what your definition of ‘troubles’ is.” The hybrid replied with a friendly smile and they moved into a more relaxed position, propped up on the bar once again but via their elbow this time. “I’m part Vulcan so it doesn’t affect me too much, but I’d rather save the drinking drinking until a bit later in the evening.” Despite being an uneven four-way split between Denobulan, Andorian, Vulcan and Human, their ears still had that rather signature point to them that most Vulcanoids had, albeit mixed with the ridges of a Denobulan’s for good measure. “I could theoretically argue that one wouldn’t really do anything by itself, but if you add a couple more into the mix it’d be a vastly different matter.”

The Trill-Andorian walked over to the bar, her posture giving a way a hint of her awkwardness. Oh well, she was just here to buy a drink. That would be all, then maybe she’d try and meet more people. She took an order for some iced lemon tea, one of the few good reminders of her home. Her mother even had to ban the drink outright with how much Yaveru loved it. Alcohol or even the synthetic kind never suited her fancy, the only one she could ever stand was a Korean one. So- something, she couldn’t remember. Yet give her a simple drink, with a touch of honey sweetness and a bit of a sour taste and hmm, she’d be just as crazed as a Scottish engineer seeing some vintage whiskey. Or at least she used to, guess she’d gotten soft after all that had happened. “Heya sir, I’d like uh…. one glass of iced lemon tea if you have it.”

[D] For the first time in a long time, Logan Clarke was back on 777 - and it was honestly the best feeling, especially for the Winter Ball. The Ironside had totally by chance (100% definitely a coincidence yes) been in the sector when the ball was scheduled, and Logan wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to see his old crew again. He had already met and said hello to so many people he hadn't seen for nearly a year, and it had felt too long. Deciding to wear a simple but effective black tuxedo and bow tie, Logan was posted by the bar with a glass of generic synthehol number 52 (he was still a CO, even here he wanted to set a good example for his crew (both of them - he saw a lot of faces he recognised from his stint as XO on the station)).

Finishing up his virgin cola, Lama looked around to see if there were any new faces he could possibly talk/flirt at. And there was! Wait-- was that Logan Clarke? The former deputy of the station? Lama didn't read the entire history book of 777, but the Captain was someone Lama remembered reading about. "Jolan tru captain," Lama greeted with a silly smile and a wave. "You're back!"

Evoras was practising the art of standing close enough to the bar that she could listen to the drinks that were being ordered and read what options were available, without looking like she was ready to order. There were just way too many possibilities and she had no idea whether she’d like about 90% of them. Eventually she got herself some sort of mulled wine, the logic behind that decision was that she probably would enjoy the spices. Cup in hand Evoras took a closer look at the people around just in time to overhear Lama greet the former XO of the station and stepped a little closer. "He seems to be back indeed. Greetings Captain." She nodded and raised her free hand in a Vulcan salute.

Turning around, Logan was pleasantly surprised to see Evoras standing next to him, alongside someone who appeared to be Romulan at first glance - Logan didn't recognise them though, they must have been a more recent transfer. Still, it was a nice thought that newer officers to the base were taking the time to read up on it's history (and story in general). Returning the Vulcan Salute to Evoras, Logan turned to Lama before going back to addressing the both of them. "Jolan Tru Lieutenant; Yes, I'm back - even if it is just for the ball. Which, by the way, Ops did an amazing job on. This is even better than last years!" (edited)

Lama waved at the Vulcan CSO and smiled in her direction. He didn't know her personally, but he knew she was CSO so of course he had to be respectful and greet her too. He then turned back to the former deputy. "Glad to see you! And yeah, they really did! It's so fun, I like dressing up," Lama said as he carefully straightened out his llama-printed bow tie. He looked very fancy! He even had tried some make up with this look, although he was kinda wishing he had gone for red make up instead of green, the red blended better with his two-toned skin. "How have you been? Oh I think I came here after you, I'm Lama tr'Ehweia, station detective! Straight outta the Republic- kinda! This is my third Starfleet posting, I was on Rapture before."

Evoras nodded in greeting towards Lama and somewhat hesitantly waved back. It looked a bit half heated and her middle and ring finger wouldn't quite stick together so it ended up looking a bit like she was waving the Vulcan salute at him, but hey it's the thought that counts, right? She didn't know him either, but she was fairly certain she'd seen him around before, his face was very memorable. "The decoration is indeed quite impressive, although I am as of yet undecided what exactly I think about the theme." It was obviously that there were a lot of people who seemed to enjoy the masquerade aspect of the ball a great deal. She personally didn't care for it all too much, but then again judging solely on that would be highly illogical.

Hearing Lama's relation to Rapture, both of Logan's eyebrows raised in a form of slight-surprise slight-amusement. "Oh? I've actually bumped into the USS Rapture - it was one of those ships assigned to the new deep space program right? Must've been right before they left Federation Space, Captain Worahino was holding a "last night in the Federation" dinner at Starbase 549. I think she told me they were headed up past the Dominion to uncharted Gamma space." Addressing Evoras now, Logan looked up at the distinctly™️ bisexual lighting in the bar. "I'll be honest, I forgot to wear or bring my own mask. Though I will say I've seen some strange ones walking around tonight."

Lama was happy to get the wave back from Evoras, even if it was just a small gesture. He had a feeling she'd probably eyebrow raise at all his silly antics, but for now he was happy to just see her at the party. Maybe they'd have something to talk about in the future if he ever needed to do some invetsigating in the science deck. "Ohhh nice, that's cool! I miss Rapture, she was my second Starfleet posting," Even if it was only for a couple months, Lama missed the ship and his colleagues on it. Thankfully, a good number of them had transferred to 777. "Masquerade theme! Yeah I didn't really have a mask to wear. But you know, this face is way too sexy to be concealed by a mask," Lama put both hands under his chin and wiggled his fingers. He was just beaming with confidence. "You guys planning on dancing? I wanna dance!"

The Rapture wasn't all too familiar to her. At most she recalled the ship docking on the station a few times, one of them being last year's winter ball. She couldn't personally claim that she missed it, but she did sometimes miss the ships she'd served on. "There are certainly some masks around that I would rather not wear myself." She could not look disapprovingly at her own or else she might be tempted to do so, but she had to raise her hand and remove a feather that had been slowly moving closer to her eye for the past few minutes. "But there is infinite diversity in infinite combinations. I find that both this ball as well as the star base in general are a rather obvious demonstration of it and I do appreciate them for that." "I must admit that dancing is not something I am overly proficient in or fond of. I had not yet considered engaging in it tonight. I do however, hope that you will enjoy yourself if you do dance." She was never sure what people meant when they said 'dance', whether they meant uncoordinated movement that vaguely aligned with the beat of the music, or something with more structure. Neither were something she engaged in often, especially not when the music was so loud she could feel the base vibrate in her chest. It was quite frankly a bit distracting.