"Alrighty - time to grab our things and go shopping!" as the airlock releases and opens.
"Okay, let's go! Oh, this is so exciting. Oops. Sorry. I'll try to keep my enthusiasm in check," she added blushing. "Blend in. Right."
Once the ship is docked, Ryo calms down. The bigger ship was one thing...
"Okay, anyone want my Shield up in case we're attacked by a swarm of blood-sucking insects?"
"Keep it on standby, Ryo, just in case," Tam chuckles.
"We should be fine where we're going on the station, but I'd advise being on good behavior when we get there. This is a....family business, let's just say - and the proprietors are very big into being shown good manners and humility."
Tam leads the group off the ship and into the airlock corridor. It opens up into a receiving area where they get processed (thankfully with no issue) and are directed to the pylon's Commons area for directions, food and drink, or companionship.
She was practically vibrating with suppressed energy as she looked around wide-eyed.
"So what now?"
She clutched Tam's hand unconsciously as she tried to match up what she was seeing with what she'd read.
Ryo looks around with slightly less wide-eyes than Aananda and keeps his arms crossed. This has the adding advantage of hiding his hands as they unconsciously search through his Cards for defensive, offensive, and evacuation magics.
"I'll admit it, I'm impressed."
The place is nowhere near as clean as the Harbinger, but is much larger . Parts of it appear to be pretty run down, but others appear to be in good working order.
All kinds of folks are milling about - some engaging in business, some in pleasure, some in both. Others you just don't make eye contact with and keep walking... ;)
She was practically vibrating with suppressed energy as she looked around wide-eyed.
"So what now?"
She clutched Tam's hand unconsciously as she tried to match up what she was seeing with what she'd read.
"I need to find out where my friend has set up shop on this station, then we can head down there and look into all of the 'acquisitions' we need to make," he replies as he gives her hand a squeeze.
"Okay, now where the heck is that....bingo."
He guides them over to a large screen embedded in a wall of the commons.
After staring at the screen for a few minutes, Tam evidently finds what he is looking for. He nods and turns back to the others.
"Okay - we need to hit the lower entertainment deck in the central ring. We're looking for a restaurant called Large Luigi's."
"Okay, Large Luigi's. I'll keep an eye out," she said, still staring around her in wonder.
After some more walking around, they find the turbolifts and commandeer one to take them to the central ring.
After a few minutes' ride, they arrive, and the doors open. This area is a bit tidier than the commons they were in previously. The light levels here are a bit dimmer, but that may be more for ambiance than due to poor maintenance. The people moving about here look a bit more cleaned up as well. Dining and drinking establishments are scattered along the corridors, with curve away from them in either direction.
They leave and head to the left. After the ninth or tenth storefront, Aananda spots a small sign outside of a restaurant that looks like a red and white checkered tablecloth. Emblazoned on the sign in red letters is the name of the establishment: Large Luigi's.
"Oh, my goodness, that...that fellow had the longest nose....and oh, those little blue creatures...wow, they may look cute, but they don't seem very nice....my goodness, that woman is barely dressed.....the clothes are so much fancier here....oh, look, there it is," she kept up a running commentary as they walked, as if not all of her thoughts could be contained.
"Man Tam, this place sure is... unique."
"Uhhh, oh, great! Nice to see he hasn't changed the sign, even if he did move again," Tam said, somewhat distractedly. He just couldn't think of any diplomatic way of telling Aaananda that the last alien's 'nose' wasn't a nose at all, so he let it go.... ;D
"Man Tam, this place sure is... unique."
"It looks like a salvager's paradise, yeah. This station looks like it's been rebuilt and customized more than once. Which is pretty impressive, given the scale of the place." :)
As they approach, a man steps from the shadows next to the door. His movements are relaxed, but absolutely silent.
"Good evening folks. I'm afraid the restaurant's closed tonight. Private party booked the place solid. Why don't you come back tomorrow, eh?"
"Good evening folks. I'm afraid the restaurant's closed tonight. Private party booked the place solid. Why don't you come back tomorrow, eh?"
"And good evening to you. Actually, I think that private party's mine. I believe it's under the last name of Phoenix - party of three."
The man looks the three travelers over, then nods.
"Alright then, I guess your table's ready. Lucy'll escort you to your seats. Enjoy your meal."
He opens the door, and an attractive, dark-haired woman is waiting.
"If you'll follow me please?"
She looks at Tam quizzically, but figures he knows what he's doing, and follows his lead.
She looks at Tam quizzically, but figures he knows what he's doing, and follows his lead.
As the woman brings them to a large, round table set in the center of the dining area (you note that the other tables have been cleared, and their chairs put up on them) and seats you, Tam says in response to her look:
"In places like this, ironically, it's safe for me to use my own name. In the more 'officiated' areas of the Empire, I've had to adopt a pseudonym to avoid unwanted attention - Samuel Phoenix. Luigi helped me set that alias up a while ago when I helped him with a few problems."
The woman disappears behind a pair of swinging doors and returns a moment later carrying a large serving tray. From it, she produces glasses, small plates, bowls, a large basket of freshly baked garlic bread, and a generously sized bowl of salad. She quickly and expertly parcels out the bread to the small plates and the salad to the bowls while Tam is talking. She then fills the glasses with water before returning to the doors and passing back through.
"So, Mr. Phoenix, when do we get to meet your friend?"
"So, Mr. Phoenix, when do we get to meet your friend?"
"After the antipasto, if tradition still holds...yep, here it comes," Tam replies as waitress delivers a large platter of calamari to the table.
"Thank you, ma'am. Mmmm...I forgot how much I missed Luigi's cooking. Alright gang, dig in - we don't want to hurt our host's feelings by not eating his food, right?" ;)
"Okay." ^.^
Aananda is done with her serving in approximately thirty seconds. She made sure to take extra time to chew and enjoy. ;)
"Tradition, huh? Fine by me."
Ryo pokes at the calamari, trying to figure out what it is before trying a bite.
"Tradition, huh? Fine by me."
Ryo pokes at the calamari, trying to figure out what it is before trying a bite.
"Do you want me to tell you before or after you try it? I promise it's good - especially if you try it with the sauces on the side there." as he gets some for his plate and munches away. ;)
"Okay." ^.^
Aananda is done with her serving in approximately thirty seconds. She made sure to take extra time to chew and enjoy. ;)
The woman stops by Aananda as she is refilling her water.
"You'll be happy to know that the breads and salads are bottomless here. But do make sure to save room for the main course," she says with a professional smile. :)
Now that she mentions it, it doesn't look like Aananda's made much of a dent in the salad bowl or bread basket...
Now that she mentions it, it doesn't look like Aananda's made much of a dent in the salad bowl or bread basket...
"Oh crap - I almost forgot!"
Tam pulls out several bottles of wine from his haversack. He places them near the center of the table as their server brings over wineglasses and then disappears behind the swinging doors.
"He'd never forgive me if I didn't bring him something new to try..."
Aananda happily helped herself to more of the salad and garlic bread. She was already getting a bit sick of rice and this made a welcome change. She happily keeps eating as long as there is food on the table.
"Oh crap - I almost forgot!"
Tam pulls out several bottles of wine from his haversack. He places them near the center of the table as their server brings over wineglasses and then disappears behind the swinging doors.
"He'd never forgive me if I didn't bring him something new to try..."
a truly larger-than-life voice bellows out from behind the doors.
as the doors part and the light from the kitchen beyond is eclipsed....
Aananda looked up curiously, her mouth full of garlic bread. This person's speech was full of words she didn't understand. She'd have to remember to ask Tam later what they meant.
...as this truly ENORMOUS creature comes into the dining room. He is easily ten feet in diameter, the center of his form dominated by a tremendous single eye - and a mouth that looks like it could swallow all three of you. Ten stalks bearing smaller eyes fluidly look around the room as he floats over to your table by no apparent means.
"Luigi!!" Tam calls out as he stands up, a wide smile on his face. "I'm sorry, my friend - you know I can't think straight when you're working miracles like this in the kitchen," as he motions to the food on the table. "I like the new digs - I hope the move was a good one for you."
Aananda's eyes got wide again as she saw Luigi. She stifled her curiosity, or at leas the verbal expression of it, with another piece of garlic bread as she observed the strange greeting.
"Luigi!!" Tam calls out as he stands up, a wide smile on his face. "I'm sorry, my friend - you know I can't think straight when you're working miracles like this in the kitchen," as he motions to the food on the table. "I like the new digs - I hope the move was a good one for you."
Two of Luigi's eyestalks mime a gesture reminiscent of a human shrugging his shoulders.
as he focuses his main eye on Aananda (and Ryo). ;D
Ryo smiles mischieviously.
"Didn't know your friend had an eye or ten for redheads. Some warning would have been nice."
"Er, hello. Very pleased to meet you. The food is very good so far. I'm really looking forward to the main course." ^.^
"Er, hello. Very pleased to meet you. The food is very good so far. I'm really looking forward to the main course." ^.^
Ryo smiles mischieviously.
"Didn't know your friend had an eye or ten for redheads. Some warning would have been nice."
Barely stifling a grin, Tam says, "Luigi, this is Ryo - he's a diviner I met on yet another one of my jaunts across the galaxy. And this is my...well, this is my girlfriend, Aananda."
Ryo smiles mischieviously.
"Didn't know your friend had an eye or ten for redheads. Some warning would have been nice."
"It's all good Luigi. I'll say this about Tamrin here, he makes strange friends no matter where he goes. If you don't mind my asking, how does one cook with only eyestalks? Magic and technology merge a lot here, and I was wondering of you used one over the other, or blended them together."
"It's all good Luigi. I'll say this about Tamrin here, he makes strange friends no matter where he goes. If you don't mind my asking, how does one cook with only eyestalks? Magic and technology merge a lot here, and I was wondering of you used one over the other, or blended them together."
This got Aananda's attention. "Oh! I just assumed he used telekinesis. Is there technology that can do that?" You can practically see the thoughts getting going as she tries to picture how that would work.
"Oops. Sorry. I don't mean to be impolite, Mr. Luigi. Sometimes I get a little carried away. I really like machines."