Monday Night is Monopoly Night!

Posted on Mon Aug 30th, 2021 @ 6:05pm by Lieutenant JG FalenvralLi Zh’kyhrihr & Lieutenant Resigned & Ensign George Paxton & Senior Chief Petty Officer Mason Malone

Mission: Character Development
Location: Deck 7 - Holodeck 2
Timeline: 2030hrs not long post-"By Artemis' Bow"
3444 words - 6.9 OF Standard Post Measure

[Holodeck 2 - On the veranda of a beachfront bar]

A warm breeze blew in from the ocean, carrying the sound of waves breaking on the beach, the sun was setting behind the bar and the last rays turned the white foam as golden as the sand.

On the veranda a group were sat around a table, a string of colored lights swung from the tin roof overhead, dancing gently in the breeze. The same breeze plucked at a plume of cigar smoke, coming from the long Churchill in an ashtray. A waitress delivered a fresh round of drinks, cold beers and cocktails.

One figure was leant forward over the board set out on the table, moving a piece around the edge. "... five six seven... Risa! Damn! Ok who's got Risa with a hotel and recreation complex on it? I believe I owe you an arm and leg!"

Bolingbroke leaned back with a groan, retrieved the cigar, placed it in his mouth and picked up a handful of play latinum bars, fanning them out. "Who do I owe?" He looked around at his companions.

Monopoly, the galaxy edition... Mason stared at the board and rubbed his hands together. This certainly had been a while! "Wish it was me," he answered as he reached for his glass, "that's going to cost you a fortune. Too bad you didn't land one further....that one IS mine."

Bolingbroke looked. "Nimbus III? Pfft I think you owe me money if I land there!" He grinned. "I'd rather land on Go to Rura Penthe!"

"Hah!" Mason laughed, pointing at the board. "But I have the resort in progress, I'm going to make Nimbus big." He grinned back. "And you'd rather go to prison than pay us?"

"A Nimbus III Resort? Hey come on over, we've got all the baking hot sand you want... sorry we haven't imported the ocean yet!" Bolingbroke grinned

Fresh coconut mojito in hand, Li didn't even sit up to survey her small stack of latinum and paltry holdings. She stayed reclining, her white tunic dress, crocheted details revealing her deep blue skin beneath and hints of the suit she wore under it, fluttering in the breeze. "Finally! I spent so much building that up and no one's landed there yet." She grinned at Bolingbroke then past him, jealous of the windsurfers enjoying the last of the evening's light.

"Oh good... glad for you" He smiled and handed over a large chunk of his stash of latinum. "Think I'll need to go to the Orion Syndicate Bank for a loan soon at this rate!"

She sat up enough to keep her own accounts clean and ordered with her free hand then took a sip of her drink from the other. "I'm sure you can negotiate a very fair rate. Honest businessmen those syndicates."

"Urhuur...Im sure" Giving her a sideways look since she was holding the Bank. "Ok, next turn" He handed over the dice.

Mason took the dice and let them scatter across the board. "Oh lord..." he groaned as he moved his little figurine. "Who is owning Ferenginar?"

"I believe that is Grand Nagus George!" Bolingbroke nodded towards Paxton.

"Heh, yeah, that's me," he sheepishly smiled at Mason. "Sorry, it's a little expensive." He added, feeling both happy to bolster his own pot while also feeling guilty over draining his friend's stash.

'Oh boy... and how much do I owe?" the young security officer mumbled as he looked at his rapidly dwindling stack of latinum.

"I'm sure they'll be some kind of tax added on too eh Nagus?" Bolingbroke laughed, taking a long swing of beer.

"It's four bars of latinum, and don't worry, I won't tax ya," George chuckled.

"That's gracious of you," Mason smiled as he handed over four bars of latinum, thereby halving his 'savings' in the process. He handed over the dice to him as well. "Your turn."

George gingerly grabbed the dice and rolled. Surrounded by other's properties, he kept his fingers crossed as the dice scattered across the board. "Let's see. One, two, three, four, five.... Phew," he breathed a sigh of relief as his figure landed on a space he had recently purchased. "I already own that one already." With a smile, he handed the dice off to Li. "Good luck!"

The dice clicked into Li's palm and she gave them a perfunctory shake before spilling them back onto the board. "Six takes me to..." She reached over the board and moved her piece, the short, loose sleeve of her dress rising to reveal script in a blue darker than her skin along her bicep. "Draw a 'Sensor Reading' Card." Taking a card from that pile, she frowned. "Temporal Anomaly. Go back three spaces. Which leaves me on Antares maelstrom. Someone own that yet?"

"Nope that's open, and with your Risa operation I'm pretty sure you can afford it" Bolingbroke grinned

Later....

As the game wound down, with just Intergalactic Hotel Magnate Li and Supreme Grand Nagus George fighting it out for total financial control of the known Alpha quadrant, the sun had gone down and the rumble of the surf came softly out of the darkness.

A few moths fluttered around the light string overhead, Bolingbroke was leaning back in his chair, down to the last two inches of his cigar, enjoying the warm evening and the company.

"So why did everyone join Starfleet?" He asked

"I knew I wanted to get away from my home and have my own life for a while so Starfleet seemed to fit the bill. I have seven siblings and the best way to get away from all of that chaos when I was younger was to find a secluded nook and read. I did a lot of that growing up." George chuckled softly. "My older brother was interested in joining Starfleet and had a lot of prep books for studying and whatnot and I would steal those and read them. The engineering topics were my favorite. Though, I also thought I'd end up stationed on a planetary outpost or a space station as opposed to a ship," he confessed before returning his attention to his drink.

"I guess I wanted to escape my four sisters," Mason mused, "I wanted to see the stars and the Corps seemed the way to do that, so I enlisted. They needed linguists and I had a knack for language. Cruised around the quadrant on the same ship for several years, worked my way up from Corporal to sergeant and now here I am. Since this ship carries no marines, and I needed to get away from my last assignment due to...memories... I guess I switched sides and abandoned the greens in favour of yellow?"

"Huh," Li grunted, her gaze settling on how the ember of what remained of the cigar glowed in the fading light. "I sort of made a path away from my family earlier. But I found. . . I still wanted some connection I wasn't finding on my own. Some purpose and people to share it with." She gestured at the crewmates around her. "People to have a game night with, but also to work with toward something that matters."

She raised her eyes to Bolingbroke's and stretched her lips into a smile. “What about you?”

"All three running from family? That's interesting" Bolingbroke smiled "I'm here because of family too. Although in my case, it's family tradition, you know, duty and honor, all that sort of thing.

Bolingbroke's have been in the armed forces or military for generations. Most managed to avoid getting themselves shot, or if they did were too stubborn to die. So one was rather expected to serve as it were.

Thus, here I am, a humble Security Officer, now made destitute and penny-less by these two, the Magnate and the Nagus!"

He grinned at Li and George and raised his glass to them. "Cheers!"

Li raised her glass, though empty now, and said with a chuckle, “To familial obligations and the very different way we handle them.”

Bolingbroke repeated the toast and took a long pull on his beer.

With a smile, George lifted his glass to the others before taking a sip of his manhattan in a coconut. "I'm sorry to say I haven't spent too much time with any of you until tonight," he confessed as he set his drink back to the table. "With half of you now out of the game, I'd like to suggest we call it a draw and move on to a different game. I have a fun one in mind that's perfect for new friendships if you're interested?"

"Sure... anything to keep the mind off of past loves and unrequited present ones," Mason chuckled, "also I didn't so much run away from home... just that I'm the youngest of five with a very protective sister who had to raise us all. I love her to pieces, and she's supported me every step of the way." He raised his glass in response to the toast. "To family."

Raising her glass again to join the toast to family, Li smiled tightly. "I'm open to a new game. I hate to lose but, when victory comes down to counting up slips of latinum, I can't say my drive burns bright."

"Just so long as it's not Twister!" Bolingbroke replied with a smile

"Ah darn, that's just what I was going to suggest," George chuckled. "Just kidding, though I can't say my suggestion is terribly better. It's a game that my roommates at the Academy made me play." Truth be told, the game he was about to suggest wasn't his favorite as he tended to stick to the more reserved side of things and there was no way to maintain a shy temperament here. Luckily, the actual alcohol he had downed in his quarters earlier had loosened his disposition.

"Computer, access program Paxton Academy 5 and produce the Beach Ball of Doom," he requested and a moment later a large beach ball with words covering it appeared on the table. Not so big that you couldn't hold it with two hands, but large enough that it was difficult to see anyone on the other side of the table. He picked the ball up and headed towards a clear spot on the beach, motioning for the others to follow.

"Everyone has thumbs here right?" George did a quick look around and nodded to himself as he confirmed that everyone was physically able to play the game. "This here is essentially Truth or Dare, but on a beach ball so you don't get to pick whether you get truth or dare. We throw the ball to each other and where ever your right thumb lands, is what you get. Sometimes it's just a question and other times you'll find Klingon appearing next to you challenging you to a wrestling match," he shrugged and threw the ball across the informal circle they had formed.

"A beach ball... and here I thought we were going to play volleyball in the mud," Mason pouted playfully. "And why the right thumb?"

George shrugged. "There are so many questions and actions on the ball that every one of your fingers will hand on something, so I guess this is the easiest way to narrow it down. That's how it was taught to me anyways. So what did your thumb land on?" He asked with a slight smirk.

"Ehhh..." Mason looked down at the ball. "Who is the person you most regret kissing?" he read out loud, and it caused him to turn bright read as a memory surfaced. "Uhm... there was someone when I enlisted.... I fell in love and kissed him....and he didn't really appreciate it."

Looking from the ball to Mason to Paxton, Li frowned. "Is this the 'Doom'? Sad memories? or does it... I don't understand this game."

George chuckled. "It's not all sad memories. Some of the questions on there will ask about happy memories or funny ones or just average questions like, 'what's your favorite color'. It's a mixed bag. Then there are the activities, they aren't sad at all, mostly just crazy. I'm not sure what's on there though, the computer randomizes it based on the setting so I'm sure we'll get beach-related activities in there." He looked over at Mason who still held the ball. "Go ahead and throw it to someone else."

"Oh right..." Mason tossed the ball up in the air into a somewhat random direction.

It bounced on the sand and rolled towards Bolingbroke who stuck out a thumb to stop it, deftly avoiding puncturing it with the burning end of his cigar.
It flashed up a question "What is your greatest fear?"

"Huh..." He paused a moment, that was an easy one, something that had been there since he was a child, but had come to weigh heavier on him since his father's death.

"Not living up to fifteen hundred years of family tradition" He said quietly, "Failing to keep the tradition and honor.... yeah...." It was not something he often said out loud.

"Not today though eh!" He took a swig of his beer and gave the ball a boot towards Li.

The punt sailed a bit high, but Li was able to reach up over her head and snag it from the air. When she came down, she looked with some trepidation at the words under her thumb. Rather than some weighty question or opportunity to wrangle with past mistakes, she chuckled upon seeing the challenge, Touch the nearest person's head with your foot.

"Well, will you make this easy for me?" she asked Bolingbroke, who seemed closest. Deftly, she tumbled into a handstand and began walking her hands through the sand toward him. Her toned, blue legs wavered slightly, moving to balance herself in such an upended state.

"Now that's impressive" Bolingbroke nodded as she hand-walked towards him. "Always happy to be of assistance. Just how far can you go like that, I wonder?"

Then, with a broad grin on his face, he began backing away slowly down the beach, at the same pace she was hand-walking towards him, under he was standing calf deep in the surf. He leaned his head forward obligingly. "Ready when you are..."

She started off toward him, grinning but quickly grimacing at the same time. "You keep," she panted, "running and I'll," balance didn't seem to be an issue still, but she was obviously out of breath and struggling to keep going, "kick you in the head. I'm wired for speed, not endurance."

Li's hands splashed into the water, the tips of her hair getting wet. When he finally stopped, she bent one knee in and back away from him to counterbalance as she split the other one out, resting the sole of her foot atop his head for a moment before letting herself collapse into the surf. Chest heaving, she stayed there saying, "Someone else is going to have to pass the ball to the next person."

Bolingbroke chuckled and plonked himself down next to her in the ocean, getting equally soaked. "Well done!"
He passed her a beer bottle "Cheers!"

Staying on her back, now thoroughly soaked, Li took the bottle and a few more breaths before sitting up and taking a swig. She laughed, "Dangerous games you play."

"Sometimes" He grinned and clinked bottles with her, the pair of them sat in the surf.

"So do you have oceans on Andoria, under all that ice? Must be a bit chilly to go swimming I image" He asked.

"We do," Li confirmed. "Even on the surface, it isn't all frozen all the time. Wouldn't be much fun to try swimming in that slush though, even for us. In some caverns, there are geothermal pools which are quite popular places for children to learn to swim and older kids to get up to their own sort of trouble." She looked out at the surging ocean, dark as night setting on them. Water rushed up over her legs and then back out again. "San Franciso - the Academy - was the first time I was planetside for long anywhere near something like this. It was... unsettling at first but I came to see the charms." Her gaze moved to Bolingbroke. "This is your program. I guess you enjoy the ocean?"

Bolingbroke smiled "I do indeed" He pointed over his left shoulder down beach the into the dusk "I grew up around here. The Manor House is about a mile that way, just round the point there, there's a private cove and boat house. Spent most of my childhood summers, when I came back from school on Earth, on the beach or out boating. There's some good diving and fishing out on a reef a little way off shore too."

"And this program... keeps home close, I guess"

"Home. You miss home, I guess?" She looked back out over the ocean, though little was left to see but darkness. "I certainly have happy memories from growing up on Andoria, but I don't think I could ever call it home again. Even if I were to visit again, it wouldn't be returning 'home'.

"I'm sorry to hear that" Bolingbroke replied, the response was unexpected and unusual, promoted by some unpleasant event perhaps and he chose not to pry further. Instead taking a swig of his beer.

Seeing the two sit in the surf, Mason tapped George on the arm. "Perhaps we should make ourselves scarce?" He whispered, nodding towards the other two.

George nodded silently with a smile. He then raised an eyebrow and looked at Mason. "Nightcap at my place?" He asked, having enjoyed his company.

"Yeah sure, just one though." Mason slowly got to his feet, giving the pair a final glance. "Let's go."

Bolingbroke glanced over his shoulder as the portal opened and closed. "Huh the other two took off"

Without bothering to look toward them, Li said, "They didn't even say goodbye? That seems a little rude, doesn't it?" The water rushing in buoyed her from the sand beneath so she moved to kneel instead, her lightweight coverup soaked and clinging to her body. "But then the tide does seem to be coming in. And I assume your reservation wasn't for the whole night."

"I guess maybe they wanted to be alone..." Bolingbroke offered, looking back to her.

"And, no, just have it until until ten -" A moment later there was a distant clanging sound, coming out of the darkness behind the bar.. "- that's the village clock now. Ah well... "

He stood up in the waves and offered her his hand to help her up. "Computer, end program!"

The bar, beach and surf faded away, along with beer bottles and the photonic water soaking their clothes as the lights came up and the gridlines of the holo deck reappeared.

Taking his hand and standing, Li felt the pressure of the water around her fade away. She was still damp but no longer dripping or standing in the surf. Looking down, she saw her hand still in his. "This was fun. I'm glad you invited me along to your little game night."

"You're most welcome" Bolingbroke replied with a smile. "Makes a change to share this with some friends. I've got one of the Manor House if you ever fancy a tour" He grinned.

"Or there's a historical version from the Sixteen Hundreds, that's a hoot! One of my ancestors took a voyage to the America's, came back with all sorts of strange things, including a couple of Racoons who took up residence in the attic, bred prodigiously and then the whole pack terrorized the villagers!"

He chuckled, "Of course best to dress up for that one, stockings, jerkins, ruffs, hats, swords, the whole fandangle."

He let go of her hand and slid it on to his right arm, gave a small bow, waved his other arm flamboyantly towards the portal and said in his best Olde English "Shall we, Mi'lady?"

Though some of his historical references sailed pretty far over her head - Earth history was not a subject she'd spent any real effort on - Li looked up at him, enjoying his enthusiasm at least. She let him take her arm and lead her from the shared fiction they'd just enjoyed back into the reality of the ship. "You know, I think we just might."