As luxury as it may be, Henrik was not impressed by the warm welcome. This was supposed to be a simple contract meeting. In his opinion there was no need for fancy manners and fake smiles. He remained silent, listening to Daves somewhat amusing comments. Sitting on the table, wondering what is taking so long. As time passed there was no point in just doing nothing. Waiting was hardly one of his strong sides. He took out his side arm and began to scrub it, the appearance of the weapon defines it owner . His words.
The sight the so called meal didnt exactly suit his appetite. Giving the plate a bizarre stare he slowly slides it away. He beckons bartender to give him another glass of ambrosia.
The waiting is the biggest torture for him, probably worse than Daves attempts to sing.
Victoria nodded at the bartender with a small smile on her face and looked at the drink. She didn't really want to drink anything, but it was going to be rude if she didn't try it. The gal tapped nervously with fingers on the table a few times and finaly lifted the glass. She took a small sip and smiled - the drink wasn't bad at all.
While looking around the bar, the wall with the spoils of war caught her attention and she began studing them. There were all kinds of things - from parts of small and fragile fighters to things you usualy found on the almighty battleships and dreadnoughts. She thought about starting her own collection of debris from the victories of her "squadron", but the fact she had nowhere to store them, since they were moving from station to station changed her mind. Vic never wanted to settle anywhere - she liked the fact that everyday she had the chance to see something new, it was one of the reasons she left the hackers - she always wanted the freedom of going whereever she wants, whenever she wants. With every passed second she drowned deeper into her thoughts and stopped following David and Nicholai's conversation.
[font=Century Gothic]The term 'special', when applied to food on a ship offering deep-fried nomads for lunch gave Dave no reason to attempt masking the slight frown that appeared on his face when the chef came back with the meal in his hands.
[color=#999999]"A'ight... thanks 'n all," he sighed, then lowered his voice, [color=#999999]"at least it ain't blue. Ate worse in the Navy canteen anyway."
He glanced at Vic, seeming like he was about to say goodbye forever, but he sighed and picked up a piece of the prepared food instead. Nicholai's words echoed through his head as he observed the food.
"Something special for our cowboy, da?"
"Da, da, kanyeshna," he mumbled inaudibly as he bit a piece off the meat.
Again, it was the morales interfering with his usual behavior. Would it really be that rude to ask what he was eating at least? Would it be that rude to know if it's edible at all?
It was not worth risking the hospitality of their employer. He expressionlessly chew the bit and swallowed it in a second, to taste as little of it as possible.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Nicholai couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head. Poor Dave, looking so worried, but that wasn't reason enough for Nicholai to tell him just what exactly he was eating. Instead he quickly filled up Henrik's glass again and went back to polishing some other glasses silently.
[color=#CCCCFF]Ah moi drug, like every new visitor you worry about the food, but never about the drink.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Or rather he went back to polishing glasses and being a mischievous bastard, but that's the way Nicholai rolls.
[color=#CCCCFF]Bon appetit though, friend.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]He had a hard time suppressing his laughter, and much more so the wide grin on his face, but luckily he got interrupted by Blue who happened to walk into the bar in just the same moment.
[color=#CC99CC]Nicholai!
Scaring my guests as you always do!
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Didn't take her long to notice everyone at the bar, the lovely Vickie as she was staring off into space, Dave with a little shocked expression on his face, and of course Henrik who just sat there, looking all grumpy as he was scrubbing his side-arm.
[color=#CC99CC]Sorry for the delay darlings, had some stuff to do on the bridge.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Nor did it take her long to place her lovely self on the barstool next to Henrik either.
[color=#CC99CC]Missed me, Drum?
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]And, of course, it didn't take her that long to take a big risk just the same. She did do it with a warm and honest smile on her face though, and then pecked Henrik's cheek before quickly turning to Nicholai.
[color=#CC99CC]Kolja, Vodka for me.
[color=#CCCCFF]Da moi Kapitan.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Moment later, with a glass of ice-cold vodka in her hand and another smile on her face, she took a good and long look at everyone before asking the burning question.
[font=Century Gothic] [color=#999999]"We could start with discussin' what I'm eatin'," mumbled Dave with some of the food still in his mouth.
It's not that it tasted so bad, but he wanted to make sure it was not one of his former commanders Nikolai served with spicy crust. Who knows what these people were capable of anyway...
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]Blue started into Dave's eyes for a moment in turn and then proceeded to give Nicholai a knowing smile, along with a little nod.
[color=#CCCCFF]Moi drog...
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#CCDDCC]The latter put a hand on Dave's shoulder and gave him a reaaally serious look.
Hardly what he expected to happen. The day just kept getting better and better. Unfortunately not for him. Henrik dropped the gun on the table lost in thought, considering different ways of crippling a certain person in a painful manner. However there is place and time for such things and he very well knew patience gets rewarded sooner or later. Instead he decided to ignore Blues little game. He continued drinking his ambrosia as if nothing happened.
Missed not likely. There is no reason for me to miss some one so. How should I put it. so immature and childish.
We all came here to discuss business, so I strongly suggest we get straight to the point.
He didnt even bother looking her in the eyes, completely ignoring her existence. Henrik took another sip from his drink, trying to find other diversions to keep his temper down. At that moment the only thing that was helping him was clenching his teeth and the charged weapon on the table.
The chewing of Dave paused, then he even stopped breathing for a moment. The room froze, only the pleasant music coming from the jukebox broke the silence. Dave glanced at Vic again, seeking to identify her opinion just by looking at her expression. The face he showed gave more reason for her to worry than the fact that he was eating something that has been a live nomad not long ago.
The silence was broken by the sound of Dave forcing the piece of food down his throat.
"It ain't that bad," he added, [color=#999999]"could use s'm ketchup 'n more spice to the left."
Finishing his statement, he proceeded to bite another piece off the meat.
"I dun' quite get it though. How'd ye' make the blue disappear?"
He drank some of the ambrosia to wash down the next bite.
"Gets quite confusin'. I dun' get why the **** you didn't just tell me 'twas a squid. Ate worse on the Mississippi canteen."
He then burst into laughter, out of desperation or did the trick really suit the cowboy's liking? We can never know.
![[Image: nvLh5yk.png]](https://i.imgur.com/nvLh5yk.png)
