=/\= Kinsi - The Brewery =/\= Elsie smiled as she watched Clive run out the store with a dozen cookies or so in his hands. She began to set the small table for afternoon tea. She smiled as Maggie walked in, "You just missed Clive." A creamer and sugar bowl set were placed on the table between the two cups and saucers. "Oh no dear ...we ran into each other" she smiled out of the window in the direction Clive had taken. "You'll never guess what I just saw," she said taking a seat and making herself comfortable. "That Bajoran man...he's selling pots." Elsie set the teapot on the table and then sat down before filling each cup. "Really? He's out there selling pots. That's terrible but it explains why he had the recreation room all booked up for a day. Are they nice looking pieces?" Maggie shrugged. "Difficult to say...he dropped one and it shattered right across the promenade. It was a jug of sorts I think...not very well made by all accounts." She pushed her cup forward. "Just a drop for me dear...can't stay long." "Oh, there isn't a problem I hope," Elsie queried. She added a little sugar to her own cup and then took a sip. "Mmmmmm delicious," Maggie savoured the taste of her tea. "No...not a problem, just getting behind with this and that." She sipped again and placing her cup back into the saucer asked, "That woman who was playing with Clive and the children...have you seen her again?" There was a light that shimmered in Elsie's eyes. "I saw her just the other evening as I was walking home and she was at one of the restaurants with some other guy that wasn't familiar. But this guy kind of looked like that hot shot that has kept our OPs officers hopping. You know the one with the pretty lady with brown hair; taking up residence in the holodecks at the moment." Maggie nodded slowly,"I'll be glad when their ship leaves. They're all snooping about the place and do you know?" she sat back in her chair. "A young girl off there brought a dog with her...an untrained thing it was...quite disgusting habits." "Oh, I know," Elsie said sympathetically, "it just peed all over that nice Luke Skywalker." She took a sip of her tea. "That poor boy works entirely too much," Elsie paused for effect, "he poured a drink all over himself and then shortly after wards his meal." She shook her head. Maggie nodded, "Yes you say it. The poor boy was run ragged by surprise visits to the control room...people crashing into the base...testing our security...its getting beyond a joke," she sniffed and picked up her cup. Elsie gave a sigh of indignation before taking another sip of the warm tea. "I don't think Donald and Gus are fairing much better. Gus fell asleep last night at the table." "What do they expect to find?" Maggie asked indignantly. "I've never trusted those SSF types," she paused looking at Elsie over the rim of her cup. "You know they're plying war games now? That's all we need...a stray torpedo and good bye Kinsi." The cup in Elsie's hand shook a bit as she nodded her head in agreement with Maggie. She took another sip of tea and asked, "How often do you think they make mistakes?" "Well, who's to know? They work undercover all the time don't they. If they blow us into a thousand pieces I'm sure they'll have an answer all ready to prove it wasn't them that caused it!" Maggie blinked at her own explanation, thought it through again and nodded to herself. Elsie's expression was solemn as she took her last sip of tea. Maggie replaced her empty cup into the saucer and dabbed her lips with a napkin. "I tell you Elsie...they're a strange lot...Pat told me her son Nathan the holodeck chief, you know who I mean?...well he said the holodeck game they were playing?...it was about a wooden chest with a hundred feet. Now anyone who thinks along THOSE terms just has to be either crazy or too deep to want to go there!" Elsie nodded her agreement to what Maggie was saying as she dabbed at her own mouth. "It makes you wonder what kind of job their Counselor is doing? Of course for all we know she's a little peculiar herself," Elsie stated. She wiped the table where she was sitting up with her napkin and then wondered aloud, "I wonder if they put their counselors through burn out?" "Wouldn't surprise me dear...imagine the poor soul...traveling the quadrant with a crew like that." Maggie shook her head sadly and sighed at the thought. A moment passed before She spoke again."Well...can't sit here all day...this won't get the meal cooked will it?" She got to her feet, "I'll be here bright and early in the morning dear...if there's still a base under our feet," she added. "That'll be fine," Elsie said as she stood and began to clear their tea things away. She smiled and said, "Remember, I'm fixing dinner for everyone tomorrow night." She waved as Maggie nodded and made her way for the door. =/\= End Log =/\= Maggie Clarke apb: Rangi & Elsie Openhimer apb: Athena