LtJg Lera Michaels - Things That Go Bee-leap In The Night

[steve...@yahoo.com]

((OOC: The night after Ezra and Lera’s dinner date and before Lera's conversations with Stros))

((Unknown location deep in an African Jungle))

Lera sat with her back against one of the jungle trees, her stare locked with the mammoth gorilla who sat on his haunches watching her. The great ape's size and presence was sufficiently intimidating to preclude any thought of trying to escape into the labyrinth of growth in every direction. The gorilla easily weighed four times her weight and there was no other word to describe it's weight but huge. She could hear her heart pounding over the non-stop cacophony of the jungle and the gorilla's heavy breathing. She made a slow move to remove her pith helmet and wipe away the sweat that was beginning to trickle around her eyebrows and down her cheek. The gorilla showed its teeth and Lera instantly felt the need to relent. She dropped the helmet to the ground and moved a centimeter closer to the tree.

Bee-leap

Both Lera and the ape looked up. There in the branches of the tree was a heavily muscled, long haired light skin man staring down at her, completely naked save for a loin cloth made of some animal's skin. Lera barely noticed that the man had spots running down both sides of his body but she did notice the large knife the man held. She recognized him instantly.

Michaels: T'Ezran.

T'Ezran of the Apes dropped to the ground between Lera and the gorilla and immediately approached the now standing creature. The gorilla uttered softer than expected sounds at him, beating his chest for a moment and then wrapped his arms around T'Ezran. The gorilla released T'Ezran and turned and disappeared into the undergrowth of the jungle.

T'Ezran turned his attention back to Lera, smiled, brushed her cheek with the back of an index finger.

T'Ezran: Bee-leap

((Indulgence of Chocolate-Coated Jama’haron, Deck 47, Room 47166))

That was when Lera stirred in her bed and opened her eyes. Another dream with Ezra substituted for a storybook character.

oO Why did I wake up? Oo

Bee-leap.

Michaels: Ah. So that is it. Someone at the door. All right. All right. I am coming. Do not get your panties in a twist.

Lera stood up and glanced down at herself. She was barely dressed wearing only panties and a silky camisole that only went down to just below the top of her panties. Normally she would never consider opening the door wearing so little.

Bee-leap.

But whoever was at the door was so insistent, so demanding that it felt irresponsible to answer it. And if some cruise ship officer saw her dressed inappropriately, well, what of it?

She opened the door. It was too late for modesty. Lera flushed olive green. Ezra was almost as undressed as she was, wearing nothing more than a yellow tank top and loose fitting boxer shorts. And carrying a pillow of all things.

Michaels: Ezra. Um. Hello. Um. What is it?

What was it indeed? Middle of the night, dressed in his underwear and carrying a pillow? Foxy Lady was less confusing and Lera bent over to scoop up the dog. She worried for a moment that the camisole might be draping so loosely that she was exposing herself to him. She stood up quickly, holding Foxy against her chest.

Zevra: Uh, hello Lera. Nice night for a uh walk? ::clearing his throat:: I’m sorry to wake you up so late, but I was, uh wondering if I ::Foxy whines:: If we could come inside? Please.

Lera hesitated. She had been so worried for so long that she was being too forward with Ezra and here he was at her door, with a pillow asking to come in, in the middle of the night. Was this how Trills acted when whatever they have for testosterone kicks in? Was she ready for what seemed to be happening? But he was cold and dripping wet and looked thoroughly miserable. It was definitely not the impression she got when watching a teenage human boy suffering from raging hormones. This was something else. Lera closed her eyes.

oO Roll the dice, Lera. Ask the stupid question. Oo

Michaels: Dare I ask why?

Zevra: ::worried look on his face:: I had a dream. A rather confusing one. I uh, I’m not sure if it’s bad or ::yawns:: I wasn’t sure if waking you was a good idea or not.

Foxy looked up at Lera and licked her face.

Michaels: Of course. Come in. If anyone sees us dressed like this, we will never hear the end of it.

Zevra: ::looks at his attire:: Uh yeah, that’s how I woke up a few moments ago. I should have uh, showered first. I think? ::cheeks flushed:: Sorry. Again.

Ezra followed her into the room and sat in the chair Lera indicated. After she checked that no one was obviously visible in the corridor/balcony outside, she closed the door and put Foxy on the floor. She looked at Ezra and shook her head.

The room did not look like any of the fancy possibilities they had seen when they first visited her room. Rather it was a modest corner room with windows on two sides. One window revealed little but a star filled black sky over a landscape so dark there were no obvious features. The other side showed the lights of a small town and an empty road. On the dresser was an assortment of the knickknacks and stuff a teenage girl might dump there. The walls had travel posters reading things like "Visiting Vulcan is the logical thing to do." It was a replica of Lera's bedroom in Marathon, Texas.

Michaels: I am sorry but you look miserable. First things first. Computer. Give me a blanket and a size :: looking at Ezra :: a size 46 camiseta amarilla.

The blanket appeared but the yellow T-shirt did not. Lera frowned.

Computer: T-shirts routinely have images and words on them. What would you like it to say?

Michaels: I do not care. Just give me one now.

The yellow t-shirt appeared on the bed complete with the words "I do not care. Just give me one now."

Michaels: ::shaking her head:: Computers. Ezra. Take off the wet shirt and put this one on. You'll never warm up wearing a wet tank top. Than wrap yourself in the blanket.

She turned her back to him as he pulled off the wet shirt. She nearly laughed as she thought about it. Here she was, dressed in her sleep underwear, being this modest with a man she had seen wearing nothing but a swimsuit just hours ago. It was almost silly but that was the way it was.

Zevra: Thank you. I appreciate it.

When it was "safe" to look again, she sat on the edge of the bed facing him. She thought about taking his pillow and hugging it to her chest. That would have been more modest but logic dictated that it would accomplish nothing. He had arrived with a pillow, which implied that he foresaw the possibility of spending the remainder of the night. What else he had foreseen happening remained a mystery but she had admitted him into her room anyway. There was no undoing what had been done.

Michaels: Now. Tell me what this is all about.

Zerva: Response.

Lera sighed. This was going to take a long time. It was a good thing that Vulcans required less sleep than many other species. But Trills? She was up for the night now. Ezra was already showing signs of being sleepy. She leaned toward him and interlaced her fingers.

Michaels: You mentioned a confusing dream. Start at the beginning. We can decide where to go from there.

Zerva: Response.

Tags/TBC

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LtJg Lera Michaels

Engineering Officer
USS Khitomer
K240106LM2