[WC5C] JP by LtCmdrs Saveron and DeVeau: Blue Lagoon - Part 2

[Amanda Nordstrom]

*


((W Cygni 5 C, Lagoon))


::As Alora swam around him Saveron trod water and turned gently to
remain facing her.::DeVeau: Does the sand you would use to bathe, does
it have a scent?


Saveron: Negative.


DeVeau: May I ask a weird question?


Saveron: You may. ::Though what constituted a ‘weird’ question, he
wasn’t certain.::DeVeau: Do humans have a scent to Vulcans?


Saveron: Not that I have ever observed. We have a minimal sense of smell.


::Along with their sense of taste. Vulcans relied heavily on sight and
their acute hearing. Alora’s question raised one in his mind however.::


Saveron: Most body odour is the result of bacterial breakdown of
compounds in sweat, and Vulcans do not sweat. ::It was an unaffordable
waste of water. Still, a consideration arose.:: Do Vulcans have a scent,
to Terrans?


DeVeau: Everyone has a scent. Even you.


::The answer wasn’t quite what he’d expected. Some species set a lot of
importance on smell.::


Saveron: I see. Is it… disagreeable? oO Do I stink? Oo


DeVeau: It’s kind of...earthy, but in a goodway.


::She giggled and then went back to treading water.::


DeVeau: Hopefully I’ll never stink bad enough for you to actually be
able to smell me. ::She studied him for a moment, then queried.::DeVeau:
Do you want to walk along the shore for a while and dry off?Saveron: I
would consider it preferable to leave the water, I am approaching the
limit of my cold tolerance. ::He agreed.:: However, since we are on the
subject, I had considered trialling another Terran convention. I
understand that you also bathe in the sun.


DeVeau: Some do. That’s never really been a thing of mine.


Saveron: I would request your indulgence on this matter. I require a
source of heat. ::He was getting cold.::


DeVeau: For you, of course.


::Setting out for the shore at a slightly faster pace, it wasn’t long
before they were wading from the shallows. Water ran off Saveron’s lean
form and plastered his shorts to his legs. Walking up the warm sand he
collected his towel and used it to dry himself vigorously. His skin and
particularly the spots on his back had gone very pale. Tousling his hair
he was at last satisfied that he was now only damp.::


::Alora did not mind the water as much, though she did pluck her towel
from the bag in order to dry herself off somewhat. As Saveron eagerly
rid himself of excess liquid, she watched him, noting the paleness of
the spots and pondering some thoughts that she decided notto share with
him at that particular moment.::


::Folding the rather damp towel up he laid it down before spreading out
his robe on the sand - it was dry and therefor warm - he stretched his
lanky frame out on it, head on the towel. Lying in the sun he did his
best impersonation of a radiation source, pale skin gleaming. Golic
Vulcans had markedly sallow skin, but his own people were decidedly pale.::


::Since Alora didn’t have a robe, she lay her towel upon the ground next
to him, then lay upon her stomach.::


DeVeau: Do Vulcan’s tan?


::Probably not, but she couldn’t wonder if the paleness was due to a
need to soak up as much sunlight as possible or because he wasn’t
exposed to it as much now that he was no longer on his home planet.::


Saveron: Affirmative, but to different extents within different ethnic
groups. The deep desert tribes are naturally dark skinned. My own people
are from a more temperate climate and have minimal skin pigmentation.
::He said, stating the - literally - blindingly obvious.:: I understand
that Terrans express similar variability.


DeVeau: Yes, indeed. Those who live in warmer climates have darker
skin. My ancestors came from colder climates, so had lighter skin to
better absorb sunlight which wasn’t as abundant.


::With the sun’s radiation warming him, his skin flushed a healthier
green undertone. Regarding Alora where she lay on her own towel, he held
one arm wide in her direction, brows raised in silent invitation. She
accepted it eagerly, sliding into his embrace without any hesitation.
After shifting a little, she lay beside him, head upon his shoulder,
enjoying his warmth coupled with the sunshine as Saveron curled his arm
around her.::


::The skin-to-skin contact brought a light level of mental contact, one
that was becoming increasingly comfortable.::


DeVeau: Did you do this on your planet? Just lay down and enjoy the
sunshine? Is this something Vulcans do from time to time?


::He considered the question.::


Saveron: Outdoor meditation is conducive to a connection with the land
and something that my people regularly practice. That is perhaps the
closest parallel. ::He said quietly.::


::That did not mean that it was disagreeable to simply lie in the sun,
far from it. Particularly in Alora’s company.::


Saveron: Do Terrans ‘sunbake’ as a meditation? Or is it a leisure activity?


DeVeau: It wouldn’t surprise me if someone somewhere ‘sunbaked’ for
meditation, but I think in general, it’s a leisurely activity. As I
said, not something I’m inclined to do, but for once, I’m finding it
rather nice.


::Alora’s pressed her right hand gently upon his chest, spreading her
fingers out over his pale skin, then closing them.::


DeVeau: I don’t usually sit still for very long. Never really have.


Saveron: I have observed your high energy levels. ::He said dryly.:: You
improve the morale of those around you.


::And of him, of course. She was so very different in some ways, and yet
similar in others. They were both scientists with a biological specialty
and a drive to preserve and improve life. Gently, he laid his hand over
hers, thumb stroking the backs of her fingers. That appreciation and
affection were clear through the telepathic link, which revealed those
things he could not say or show on his face.::


Saveron: oO Are you content? Oo


DeVeau: oO Extremely.Oo


::Alora had spoken the truth. She didn’t normally sit still for long
periods of time, and when she did, it was usually because she was
reading or perhaps watching a movie. To simply lie down and be had
never been something she’d contemplated, but doing so there, with
Saveron, for the first time she could ever remember, she didn’t mind not
really doing anything at all, except to simply be - be with him.::


DeVeau: oO I could stay like this forever. Oo


::He was becoming more accustomed to Terran exaggerations, and refrained
from pointing out that it would get dark eventually. A deep contentment
settled over him as they lay together in the sun. Her skin was cool
against his but not unpleasantly so, rather it was another exotic, alien
trait.::


::Lifting his hand from hers he ran his fingers over her hair gently,
and down the side of her cheek. So relaxed was she that it seemed to his
mind that she might almost fall asleep. It was immensely agreeable to
see her so, for she was very important to him. His initial search for
any possible dangers had been no idle gesture.::


::As he continued, her response indicated pleasure at his caresses, her
eyes closing as if to concentrate on his touch. She shifted, pressing
into him a little, the unspoken request to continue communicated through
the link they shared. ::


::His touch upon her hair, her face seemed to evoke enjoyment,
contentment, but not quite the sense of attachment he was intending.
Cultural barrier, no doubt. How did Terrans convey such things? Ah, yes.
Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against her forehead.::


::The gesture spurred her eyes to open and tilt her head back. Upon her
lips, a gentle smile played. She might have spoken, except she didn’t
want to break the peaceful silence between them, didn’t need to in order
to converse with him. As he had done with her, she let her own fingers
trail over his skin, across his cheek in a tender caress. The touch of
her mind was as gentle as that of her fingers, her thoughts not more
than the sensations of emotions, pleasure and contentment mingling
together and twining with his.::


::Her touch was pleasant, welcome, very much so. That would be apparent
through their mental contact, even as her own enjoyment was to him. He
appreciated their growing closeness, the simple fact of having someone
in his life again, and some so interesting and companionable as Alora.
Who knew what the future might hold, but the present was eminently
agreeable.::


::Reaching up, he caught her hand in his own, larger one. Gently he
threaded his fingers through hers, running his along their length,
stroking the sensitive skin along the sides of her fingers. It was a
gentle, intimate gesture. However he recalled from their earlier
conversations that Vulcan gestures were not always as fulfilling to
non-Vulcans.::


::Though it might not have had the exact same effect on Alora, it
certainly was pleasurable enough.::


::There was more that Saveron wanted to convey.::


Saveron: oO Kiss me.Oo ::He suggested wordlessly.:: oO The way Terrans
do. Oo


::The suggestion caught her off guard, though she was more than happy to
oblige. Pressing her hand upon his chest, she pushed herself up to her
elbow, then leaned forward, her lips lightly brushing against his. A
hint of hesitation followed, but she didn’t pull away.::


::Lifting his chin, Saveron brought his lips to gently touch hers, no
closer than she had before, then drew back as she hesitated, lest he
overstep some boundary entirely unaware.::


Saveron: oO If you wish to. Oo ::He added, his thoughts measured, careful.::


DeVeau: oO I’ve been waiting for you to. Oo


::While modern day found it more acceptable for women to take the
initiative, Alora tended to fall into a more ‘traditional’ category.
That was probably what had gotten her into trouble in the first place
- that and her fear of rejection. He wasn’t rejecting her now, however,
far from it, though there was still uncertainty on the edges.::


Saveron: oO As you wish. Oo


::He closed the gap, warm lips pressed against her cool ones in a
simple, alien gesture that was both eminently agreeable and drew the
recognition from her that he had sought. Gestures to bridge cultural
gaps, in ways that were entirely pleasant, if not particularly familiar.
He could only assume they would grow more familiar - and more agreeable
- in time.::


Saveron: oO We should practice this. Oo


::In that, they were in complete agreement.::


END


A JP by


Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau

Chief of Science

USS Invicta

M239008AD0


and


LtCmdr Saveron

SO and CMO

USS Invicta

R238802S10

*