Restart

"Oh, okay," Thomas said, slightly taken aback by Helena's whirlwind entrance. He wondered who Lynn was and if this entire place was run by women. If so he considered himself a very lucky guy indeed.

Elena on the other hand, frowned at the name Lynn, wondering why it sounded so familiar and why she got a sense of foreboding when she heard it.

"Who's Lynn," she could not help asking, and hoped it was not who she was beginning to suspect it was.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Restart

"He runs the grille in the back." Brandy said, beginning to feel a little apprehensive about taking three newbies on at once. She hoped her boss didn't make a surprise visit that night.

"Okay, well, I guess you guys can go ahead and get a feel for things here before things pick up tonight." She said, waving at Walter and Elena to follow her to behind the bar.

"It's pretty self-explanatory...I guess...since you guys are all savvy with the bar business." She said, not wanting to explain things they already knew and come across as condescending.

Restart

Elena stepped up behind the bar counter and looked around at everything. It looked pretty much like Next Stop Hades' did, only surprisingly not as clean. She supposed the other one had been cleaner because she had spent most of her time cleaning the place, since there had been virtually no customers.

Still, this place had a nicer spread and more varieties with the drinks.

"Looks . . . good," Elena said, unable to think of anything else.

Thomas stood and jerked his thumb toward the kitchen. "Should I go back now or . . . what?"

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Restart

"Yeah, it's not complicated. Don't worry, Helena is back there and can help you." Brandy said, thinking Thomas was probably young, male, and overconfident enough to deal with her lack of time and energy to train him.

"So you're gonna supervise and like...chill, right?" Walter said, thinking the pregnant lady should probably be resting.

"I'm actually gonna step in the back and maybe get something to eat. Just come find me if you can't figure anything out." Brandy said, deciding that food was currently the best solution to any doubts she might be having about her judgment.

Restart

"Sweet," Thomas said, heading back into the kitchen. When he got there he looked about curiously, wondering if Lynn was going to come out and introduce herself or if he should just go straight to the sink and start cleaning something.

Elena thought it was not very wise of Brandy to let two strangers man the bar when she was not even there to make sure they were not going to just take off with all the cash in the register and the good whiskey.

"Okay," she said slowly.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

Malcolm grabbed one of the bakery's menus from under the counter and passed it to Peter, trying not to stare at the kitchen door. He couldn't understand what about a group of teenagers could have frightened the banshee so much. They seemed nice enough although the younger boy had a bit of a creepy feel to him. They certainly lacked the aura of evil and gloom and doom that Jack had reeked of.

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

"Umm," Peter stared down at the menu blankly. He turned it to the right and then to the left, put it close to his face and then far away. "Uhhhh . . ."

With a sigh, Hero came over and took the menu from him, frowning down at it. Her lips moved slightly as she tried to figure out the small letters that seemed to dance around her head.

Nikolas rolled his eyes and pointed to a scone that sat in the display case. "I'll have one of those," he said.

----

Caeden came back with a new grate and quickly put it in. Then he looked down at the credits he still had in his hand. He had been able to haggle a really good price from the junkyard guy, and had plenty of money left over. An idea formed in his mind and he scampered over to the bridge of Lilith

"Hey Jones!" he called. "I've got some extra credits. What do you say we treat the guys to a drink or two?" He grinned widely, knowing that once the crew got wind that he had money they would try to talk him into giving them some for drinks anyway.

Jones glanced at his timepiece. "The Captain isn't back yet, we should leave someone here just in case he comes back and we're still out."

"No stress!" Caeden said. "We'll leave whatshisface here. The technician."

Jones raised an eyebrow. "You mean O'Connor?"

"Yeah, him. Come on!" With that Caeden ran off, pretty confident that the others would follow in due time.

Sure enough, within the hour, nineteen crew members made their way down the streets of Ditto Town, on the look out for a good-looking pub or tavern.

P.S."Brooklyn!"

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

Jedi Master Ana Dyar wandered through the streets, plotting her next move. She had a feeling that the crew of the ship she was interested in would end up in a pub sooner or latter and she doubted the family-friendly Cup & Platter would be their destination. No, most rough spacer types ended up in The Dancing Firedrake Shrub, a bizarrely-named pub known for a variety of alcohols, most illegal in their home universes.

Ana opened the door to the pub and fought the urge to wrinkle her nose in distaste. The pub was filled with the usual crowd of unsavory types and people who thought hanging out with the wrong crowd would make them look tough. The booze was flowing, quite frequently on the floor, and there had already been at least one brawl. It brought back memories of her younger days, Ana decided as she settled in at the bar and waved the barkeeper over.

"Give me a Romulan ale," she said, making an effort not to say please. She wryly made note of the fact that somehow she'd been civilized without noticing it.

"Hey, lady? Got a man friend to keep you company in this bad, bad place?" a sleazy-looking guy asked as he stepped up to the bar next to Ana.

"I'm married. Get spaced," Ana snapped and took a gulp of her ale.

"I'm not seeing your husband here. I guess he doesn't appreciate you, huh? Let me tell you, I definitely appreciate you," the lowlife currently intruding on Ana's personal space said with a lingering leer.

Ana rolled her eyes and turned to the guy. She briefly considered mind-tricking the man, but settled for a solid punch to the jaw.

"Heh. Maybe not that civilized after all," Ana laughed as she went back to her drink.

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

"This one looks like the ones they have back on Corusaunt," Caeden said, jogging up to The Dancing Firedrake Shrub.

"You know they probably sell all the drinks, you're to young to have," Jones said with a smirk as he swiped the bag of credits from the boy and headed for the door.

"Like they'd care," Caeden retorted, following the big guy in with the rest of the crew members.

Jones found a place in the back and sat down on it, nodding for the rest of the crew to disperse and mingle as they liked. He turned to Caeden and tossed him a couple credits. "See of the barkeeper will sell you anything," he said. "Get me a twistler."

Caeden caught the credits neatly and rolled his eyes as he made his way to the bar. "Of course I have to go, because it's not like he can do it himself, the lazy sea monkey." He stopped in front of the barkeeper and nodded in greeting.

"One twistler, please," he said. He wondered if he would be able to get away with getting an alcoholic beverage for himself as well, but decided not to risk it, since if the Captain came home tonight and Caeden was drunk, the boy would be in more trouble than it would be worth.

"And a plain Juma Juice," he added with a sigh. He glanced over his shoulder at Jones and when he did he caught sight of the person next to him. The Jedi Master who had helped him out on the ship.

"Well, hi!" he said, grinning slightly. "Wouldn't expect to see someone with your profession here."

P.S."Brooklyn!"

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

Ana allowed herself a short moment of self-congratulation as she sensed the crew entering the pub. The man she had knocked out shortly earlier moaned down at her feet and she "accidentally" kicked him in the ribs. She smiled back at Caeden and raised her glass slightly in acknowledgment of his presence.

"Oh, I'm considered quite strange by the other Jedi. I don't have a adamantium rod shoved up my spine," Ana replied and changed the subject as casually as she could. "So you just sneaking out when your boss isn't looking or is the whole crew along for the ride?"

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

Caeden heaved a dramatic sigh. "I wish I had snuck out by myself, then at least I could have had something other than Juma Juice." He glanced sidelong at the barkeeper who was making his orders.

"But no, the crew's here," he said, gesturing absently around the room. "And there. And a couple over there. Jones is in back. I wouldn't suggest going over to say 'hi' though. He didn't exactly like the idea of using a Jedi's money in the first place."

P.S."Brooklyn!"

Turn Tables of Time

Tina watched, for about the thousandth time, a rain drop drip across the window pane, that her cold nose was pressed against. Steam, rose as a foggy wetness, as she breathed out and in again...out and in. When it became too fogged she wiped it with her sleave and continued watching. The candle, on the window bench seat beside her, flickered....losing it's tiny hint of a flame slowly. The fire, danced back and forth, to un-heard music as she waited. Tine sighed, and looked down at the candle, then behind at her mother, sewing by candle light.

"Oh Mama...he's not here..." she said in a distressed voice,

Her mother look up, with a understand expression, and nodded a little nod. "Dear....the rain may have prevented him.....it's late..." she responded.

Tina sighed, with a incline of her head. "But...he promised..." She whined.

"I know, but no men are perfect in anyway. Go to bed daughter, I'm sure he will arive in the morning..."

Tina made a frustrated face and turned back to look out the window for another few seconds. She rose to her feet and walked dejected away from the winow. she kissed her mother on the cheek, for goodnight, and walked up the stairs, picking up the hem of her night dress to make sure she did not trip. She went to her bed room, which she shared with her baby sister and slipped into bed.

* * *

The next morning, was indeed, a new morning. A bright sunny morning. It was the sun that awoke Tina the next morning. She figured it was earlier and she got up, and got dressed. she then snuck out of the room and down out of the house closing the doors behind her with a click. Indeed it was a knew day.

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

"So what's the story with Tall, Dark, and Surly, anyway?" Ana asked curiously. "Jedi crash his bachelor party or something?"

-----

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Miss Lucinda cackled. "You've got spirit, deary. I could use someone with daring and bravado. I have a little plan, you see. A secret plan to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, with my vampiric minions gone the way of the Alkarathian Slog Basher, I'm a little short on help at the moment. Would you like to be my new partner in crime? Oh, and do have another cookie. They'll just go to waste if you don't eat them. Heaven knows I don't ever eat the things. Have to watch my blood sugar, you know."

-----
Pandora smiled weakly at the new arrivals and edged back into the kitchen. She spotted Moira staring blankly out the window at the decidedly uninteresting back alley which currently contained only trash cans and an abnormally high amount of cats.

"Moira, what's wrong? Why'd you freak out? Well, I mean, you were just unwillingly reunited with an old unfriend, but you seem kind of rattled even for that happening. ... I'm babbling again, aren't I?"

"I'm okay now, Pandora. I'll be right out. I should welcome the new visitors to Ditto Town. It's my civic duty," Moria replied, plastering a determined look on her face.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's okay. You don't have to lie to me," Pandora said quietly, trying not to sound hurt.

"It's just that youngest boy. He's ... unsettling. There's a feel about him. Echoes of ... death.

"Like Jack?"

Moira shook her head and said,"No, Jack feels raw and violent. Death oozes off of him. This boy feels like he's been surrounded by death, but not necessarily the cause of it.

"Maybe ... maybe you ought to go talk to him?" Pandora suggested hesitantly.

"That's a very good idea," Moira said and swept out of the kitchen and entered the front of the bakery as Malcolm finished ringing up the newcomers' orders.

The doctor who wished to be a comedian

Chas rankon was not an ordinary person. He wanted to be a comedian but his parents wanted him to be a doctor. He had many fights with his parents over the years about it and they became very regular in his late highscool years.

A (Slightly) Less Normal Life

"Killed his wife, actually," Caeden said, paying the barkeeper as the man handed both him and Ana their drinks. "I don't really know the details. He doesn't like to talk about it, and none of the crew members are really into gossip."

----

"Would I ever get to meet any vampires?" Katie asked, picking up another cookie and wondered how many she could eat before she felt sick. The idea of actually meeting a real, live vampire intrigued her more than the prospect of a life of crime, but at the moment she did not really find to two ideas mutually exclusive.

----

"Um, you wouldn't happen to take golden drachma's do you?" Peter asked apologetically, having searched his pockets in vain for some mortal money.

Hero sighed again. "Honestly, I don't know why I take you anywhere." She dug into her pockets and fished out half of the money needed. She put it on the counter and turned to look at Nikolas.

"Niko, do you have any money? Niko?" She snapped her fingers in front of the boy's face. "Nikolas!"

Nikolas tore his gaze away from Moira and glanced over at Hero. "Huh?" he asked, blinking blankly for a moment before realizing what was going on. "Oh." He dug out the rest of the change and placed it on the counter.

"Do I know you?" He asked Moira suddenly. "You seem kinda familiar."

"We've never been here before," Peter said pointedly, pocketing the golden drachmas. "How could she possibly be familiar?"

His question was ignored.

P.S."Brooklyn!"