A chat with Miss Manners

[______________Ehrynn]

Depressed…definitely depressed. Ehrynn activated one of the mood elevating Schedule III nanos that just happened to be left outside of the clinic’s controlled pharmacy area. Lucky her. Now, she was no longer remotely concerned about her wayward brother. On the hand, she did not want to be alone.

Tossing on her usual black outfit, Ehrynn headed over to the Rompa Bar. The place was packed. So she meandered about a bit, exchanging pleasantries with other customers and the always-charming Vixen staff. Miss Manners was busy working the tables but she made time to give Ehrynn a warm welcome marked by a huge smile.

Ehrynn was eventually invited into a booth where the conversation turned on the different worlds people have visited. Strange sounding names with even stranger creatures. Ehrynn had never heard of an ogre before but learned they are sort of like an Atrox with a big club. She thought about her friends Skybert and Rusty. Ogres, however, process data slower and drool more often. She could not recall ever seeing Skybert drool.

A more bizarre discussion about these worlds centered on the nature of death. She found it hard to picture hunting for your body and stripping it bare. How macabre. There were even worlds where your items could be scavenged by others. How ghoulish. Primitive and barbaric, I’ll gladly pay my insurance fee any day.

After a bit she found herself having a little chat with, Miss Manners or simply “Miss M.” Ehrynn was flattered that Miss M would spend her break time talking with her. The conversation moved through a number of different topics. A Vixen Entertainment employee had been one of the victims of the Levrivers gang hold up in Omni-Ent. Apparently they even took the poor woman’s clothes. Then the conversation turned to dancing.

Ehrynn expressed how much she enjoyed watching the Vixen Entertainment dancers. Miss M explained that Aktrez was the Vixen choreographer and had been the lead dancer before her managerial duties pulled her away from it. Although she had been on her feet for a long time, Miss M even offered to demonstrate some of the new routines Aktrez had developed. Again, Ehrynn was flattered but declined since she was reluctant to bring their chat to a close.

She leaned over and whispered to Miss M, “I don’t think I could ever get up there and dance.” Miss M smiled her infectious smile and whispered back, “Sure you could, I’ll teach you the steps and routines.” Ehrynn swallowed, “Oh, well…really I couldn’t. The dancers here are so fluid and talented, I’d never be able to pull something like that off.” Miss M, winked and then grinned, “Next time you’re here and business is slow I’ll show you how. It’ll be fun.”

With that last comment bouncing around in her head, Ehrynn watched Miss M go back to waiting on the Rompa customers. Lost in thought she sipped her wine and tried to picture herself dancing on a table. She burst into laughter and thought, “Darn those mood elevating nanos are effective.”