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Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Corridors | Deck 08 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

Her shift had come to an end as Kythalie Benmual was making her way through the corridors on Deck 08. She had been posted at the security checkpoint at the battle bridge for Vector 02. Although the ship wasn't in MVAM mode, the posts still had to be manned in case of an emergency. Her shift had been uneventful and she had used the time to socialize with her fellow security officer before they were relieved from duty. The other security officer, Shane, had gone off to grab a bite first, whilst Kythalie had opted to make her way to the turbolifts. She wanted to head back to her quarters quick to get a few things in order before coming back to use one of the holodecks. She had reserved a spot and intended to use it to the fullest to just kick back and relax a little.

When she waited at the Turbolift, the doors slid open and a familiar face came into view. Sarresh Morali seemed fatigued though as her eyes met his and she looked him over. He had been radiating a grieving aura last time they had met, something that caused the both of them to start talking about their mutual losses and to find themselves as kindred spirits. Now however, the aura felt differently to Kythalie and she cocked her head to the side slightly. Her own hairstyle was somewhat different from the last time he had seen her. Herh air pulled back and twisted into two firm braids that continued and rested on either side of her shoulder. Dressed in her skirted security uniform, she abided to the rules to salute the officer before her. "Lieutenant. It seems like you've been through hell." she noted, gauging to see if the man was open for conversation as he truly looked like he had been through hell. His attire damaged and dirty, his skin showing signs of dehydration and fatigue. She had no clue what the man had gone through on Qo'nos.

Kythalie's face showed some sign of concern as she studied Sarresh's face more detailed "Are you feeling alright sir? Or do you need me to call for medical?" she asked, her voice laced with some more concern to the man's well being. Kythalie waited for Sarresh's answer, not intending to step into the lift just yet as it would be a flagrant mistake to leave the man alone in his current worn condition. Perhaps an escort back to his quarters was needed if he refused help from medical. If only to ensure that the man would find his bed to rest up and recover from whatever ordeal he had been through.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #1 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan 
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Sarresh had dearly hoped that, upon arrival aboard ship, he would be able to politely fuck off and curl up somewhere. His intention had been to let Alana Pierce, the intelligence officer, write up a report and brief Ives directly. He would append his own observations and analysis the following day. After he got some sleep. But apparently the moment Ives caught word that they were back on the ship after leaving so relatively soon - no relative time had passed while they were in the Aegis custody - well the Captain had demanded an immediate debrief. While short - Ives, in his male form did agree that the abductees needed some rest - it was no less intense. Pierce had been assigned to coordinate the full report.

But Morali had been held back for a bit more in-depth questioning. After all, he knew things that none of the others in the group were aware of. That had taken an hour. Thoroughly tired, the former Ash'reem supposed he was grateful that the Captain had ordered him to take mandatory rest for the next 24 hours. Ives didn't want his precious conduit to future knowledge to break. And he looked like he was broken. To be fair, they had not been tortured in any way, and the conditions had been...mostly fine. But more time had passed in captivity than in the outside world, and Sarresh has been going down a river on Qo'noS when he'd been abducted. Kayaking took a toll all its own, and then the relative captivity without water added to it. He had a headache behind his eyes that had dulled from what it had been (Ives had hardly denied the abductees a drink while being debriefed, he wasn't a Romulan after all) but it had not been quite enough. 

So he was riding the lift, out of uniform, banged about and looking worse for wear, in an effort to get somewhere - his quarters, or perhaps one of the ship bars, he hadn't really decided - when it came to a halt to allow someone else on. A familiar someone, who snapped off the kind of salute that the noncom members of Starfleet that served in the Dominion war were prone to doing when they encountered an Officer. Even though Sarresh was out of uniform. A voice tinged with concern.

His eyes swirled slightly, the alien colors dancing about in his gaze, as a wry, weary smile tugged at his lips. "Things were a little too wet to be Hell, at least if my understanding of Human religions is anything approaching informed," he replied, tired whit and his ever present sarcasm rising to the occasion. "But otherwise you're not far off, Petty Officer."

The half grin, half grimace still on his face, Sarresh stepped back and beaconed the woman to enter the lift. "No need to let me hold you up. I promise I won't bite," he teased as he made room for her. While it was clear she was coming off shift, she certainly looked better than he did. The braids were an interesting choice, but they seemed to fit her well. Shaking his head, he added, "I was kayaking down on Qo'noS," he hedged her for a moment, knowing he couldn't go into details about the captivity and pushed on, adding, "Ran into some trouble while I was ashore between jaunts of the river. Ironically the details are classified. Like just about everything with me. Can't even go on shore-leave without generating a massive file."

He leaned back in the now closed turbolift, that was waiting for input as to where to go. Realizing he was babbling and not answering the actual question he'd been asked, he shrugged a bit, eyes closed. "I just need some water and some rest. No need to bother medical. Aside from some bruises and mild exhaustion, I'll live. Captain ordered me on 24 hour rest and recovery leave from my rest and relaxation leave." He snorted at the irony, and cracked an eye open to look sideways at where Kythalie stood. 

"What about you? You certainly look less worse for wear than I do right now." The question came easily to him, as did his answers to her. For a self proclaimed curmudgeon, he was being fairly social. Blame it on the exhaustion.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #2 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Corridors | Deck 08 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

The concept of hell had been explained to Kythalie during her time on Earth. She herself would've gotten a fair picture of what it was meant to be. However she found it quite fun to use as she had been exposed to the verbal use of it during her time at the Academy. Regardless, she never heard of a wet hell... 

She was beaconed to enter the turbolift by the officer as he didn't want to hold her up. The bite comment was met by a sly smile from the woman as she stepped inside and let the doors slid shut behind her. She didn't reply to it and let Sarresh tell the story of how he ran into trouble during a kayaking trip. The classified bit and how he managed to generate a report while on R&R did make the security officer laugh.

Kythalie pushed the keypad to bring her to her desired deck. A bit of holotime after work never bothered anyone. Having booked a holoroom for a good two hours, she was still contemplating on which file to proceed. Sarresh in the meantime answered her original question, stating that he needed some water and rest along with an order to relax for another 24 hours. Kythalie nodded yet found it somewhat sad for the man to have missed the purpose of his time off. Her own black pools were looking over him as he glanced over at her and she scrunched her nose a little.

"Me? I've been alright. A relatively easy shift... Only two brawls and a lot of paperwork." she answered him with a shrug "I suppose I can say that my day was less eventful than yours." she concluded, adding the latter part with a hint of playfulness to her voice. "Next up is some holodeck time. Less chance to generate a massive file you see." she properly teased him now, the smug grin appearing on her fae while she remained upright, not giving in to the temptation to lean against the walls of the lift.

"The only problem is that I'm not sure what to go for. I know the where... Betazed. Just not sure if I'm feeling adventurous for a climb or a hike or if I'd rather just enjoy the beaches and the warm water." she shared to him her plans. Whilst her shift hadn't been super eventful, fatigue had been setting in with her. A few nights of restless sleep would be the culprit for that. The Betazoid was leaning more towards some beach time, though it wouldn't matter a whole lot to Sarresh, would it?

"Any ideas on how you'll safely proceed to rest up?" she asked him smirking.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #3 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan   
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Her laugh was soft, light, and yet filled the small turbolift, easing a bit of tension between Sarresh's shoulder blades that he hadn't even known was there. I must really be exhausted, he mused, if that's all it takes. At least my social skills aren't quite at a pariah level any more. Ash'reem were social creatures by nature, but Sarresh had been a recluse of circumstance and poor experience. Bad things kept happening when he tried to mingle. The track record was stark and littered with tragedy, but all the same, there was that pull to socialize, and just be around other people. Somedays he really hated being a walking paradox. 

Regardless, at least someone was getting some amusement out of the hash that had been his attempt at shore leave, so that was...something?

"Oh good. If it had been as eventful as mine, I'd have some serious concerns."  And that was true enough. If someone else had been held captive by meddling do-gooder busy bodies ....Perhaps he was being unkind to the Aegis agents that he'd encountered, but he wasn't feeling terribly charitable to them at the moment. He shifted his thoughts away from the time in that cell and over to the notion of a holodeck, and snorted in amusement. "Come now, you're in security, you should know better than to say that. Holodeck's are a an after action report waiting to happen. Starfleet has an entire department dedicated to determining the sentience of accidentally created self aware holodeck characters."

Given the sentient nature of the ships AI, it was honestly a miracle nothing else had manifested sentience in the holodeck to this point. Still, he was laughing it off, and she was right - it was less of a chance. Just not no chance. 

A thoughtful expression passed over his face as he listened to the choice that Kythalie had narrowed in on. He'd never been to Betazed, though he was pretty sure that he knew it was a beautiful, peaceful world. That was probably still rebuilding itself in the here and now, but he was certain that, at some point in the muddled future that he half recalled, it had been restored to its former glory after the Dominion Occupation. Shrugging his shoulders, he got a wry grin on his face. 

"What I won't be doing is mountain climbing. That sounds like the opposite of relaxing and restful. I'm sure its great work out of course. But even with safety protocols, I think I'll avoid falling down a cliffside. More power to you if that's your idea of relaxing," there was no heat in his voice. "I tried river rafting after all. That was great, right up until it wasn't. No, if it was me in your shoes, it'd be the beach and the water. Then again, I used to be amphibious so I'm biased."

He yawned, reaching up and covering his mouth, then rubbing at the stubble on his cheeks and sighing. "Honestly that sounds kind of great. Maybe I'll see if theres a holodeck available later. For now...I just want out of these and into something comfortable." He tugged at his battered wet suit. 

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #4 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Turbolift | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

Kythalie couldn't suppress her laugh when Sarresh pointed out that a Holodeck could turn out into an after action report. There were some cases where Security had been called to intervene on a Holodeck, yet Kythalie figured that it couldn't be worse than a shore leave gone wrong. Could it? She gave him a slow shrug. "That's true, but at least I'd assume that my own holo time wouldn't involve me getting interrupted by my own colleagues." she pointed out to him.

Furthermore Sarresh continued to narrow down the options, at least if he were to go and enjoy some Holodeck time. Sarresh's built didn't scream like he'd go on rock climbing expeditions on a regular basis. He spoke about rafting and that popped an idea to Kythalie herself, though she didn't let it shine through just yet. The man would opt for the beach and only few could blame him. The beach on Betazed where Kythalie grew up at was breath taking. Most people who saw the holomail she got were always envious.

The way Sarresh spoke about trying to find some holotime for himself in combination with how his own shore leave had turned out into a disaster made Kythalie wonder. Would it be out of line to suggest to him that he could join her? Would he even want to? The security officer looked at the numbers as they passed by while they passed deck after deck. A few seconds of silence feel between them before Kythalie spoke up.

"You could wear something comfortable under the Betazed sun." she stated and glanced over to Sarresh "I'm happy to share my holotime with you. Might make up for that lost time on shore leave." she suggested to him with a wry smile. Hoping he'd not take it the wrong way.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #5 –

[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan   
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Sarresh nodded, conceding the Betaziod's point; if anyone was equipped to handle a holodeck mishap without having to call in Security (or for that matter, would take all due precautions not to run something likely to end in that kind of mess to begin with) it would be someone who worked in Security. Or so the petty officer's logic went, and the Lieutenant decided that he liked that logic well enough. At this point they had encountered each other enough that the notion of Kythalie coming into some kind of danger was...not exactly distressing, but certainly not a pleasant notion. Unsettling, certainly. He mused, ever so briefly, that the reverse might be true, and tried to shoot her a reassuring smile. He was here after all, mayhem on his attempt at leave aside. 

A silence was just beginning to build - not awkward yet, more reflective for both parties - when the security non-com broke in, pulling Sarresh's attention from his own musings, and focusing it back on the woman with the twin braided hair. At first he thought it was a non-sequitur, until he realized that the woman was inviting him along to join her. A flicker of surprised worked over his features, before he exerted effort to school them into a thoughtful expression. Quickly, he worked back through the conversation and decided that he hadn't been subconsciously trying to push the notion or angle for an invitation, and thus feeling no guilt about it, smiled and shrugged. He did have nothing else going on. His day had been a disaster as far as his original goal was concerned; and if he was going to get any other kind of rest, it wouldn't be quite so taxing as river rafting, and certainly wouldn't be off ship. He wasn't setting foot down on Qo'noS again unless he was ordered to.

And admit it - she's probably easy on the eyes, and a beach would be a setting to appreciate that. The thought startled him, as he remembered that Betaziod's were telepathic, wondered if that would get him in trouble. There was nothing for it however, and he gave a slow nod, encouraged by her own smile. "As long as you're sure including me won't intrude on your own enjoyment," he asked, pausing briefly before getting her approval. Rubbing at the back of his neck, he nodded again, as the lift began to slow toward her destination. "Then yes, I'd be happy to join you. A holobeach sounds exactly like what I need."

The lift stopped at the appropriate deck, and the doors slid open. Since the Petty Officer had been the one to book the time, and he was the one tagging along on her venture, he gestured for her to lead the way, following in her wake with his arms clasped behind his back. He still looked a bit of a wreck, and that drew a few eyes to him as they made their way around a bend in the corridor toward the holodeck, but Sarresh managed to pay them no heed. He was sure some rumor would be flying by the end of the day that he had to have a security escort after doing something appropriately heroic and possibly time travel related to save the ship. As long as it didn't start up another damn cult, he was fine with that. Exaggerating the circumstance would be amusing, since all he was going to do was sit in the simulated sun, or soak in the water. 

"I'm curious to see what this beach looks like," he confessed, having committed himself to enjoying the next few hours of downtime. "The beaches and waters on Aldea were nice, but the leviathan that assaulted the boat I was on sort of took the fun out of the moment. I presume there won't be any of those in this program?" He had never heard of sea monsters on Betazed, but he wasn't exactly versed in their culture or homeworld. Still, as he watched Kythlie pull up the program at the doors interface, he wasn't terribly worried.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #6 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

Any thoughts Sarresh would have had went unnoticed by Kythalie as she wasn't actively looking for them. Sure she could pick up on those thoughts, yet she had decided to keep her mental walls up to prevent picking up anything from people she'd be passing by. It would sort of awkward and not appropriate at all to listen in to those she'd simply pass by. Sarresh his notion that he might intrude her enjoyment made the corners of her lips pull slightly upwards. Her own head shook slightly and she paused for a moment before replying "I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind. Besides, the program is set to Betazed with no others inside of it. Sort of like a blank canvas, or well just the surroundings without any characters. So some company wouldn't be bad at all." she assured him.

When the turbolift arrived at the designated deck, Kythalie pushed herself off the wall and lead the way. The corridor leading to the holodecks wasn't too crowded and the petty officer couldn't care less about what others might be thinking with Sarresh in her wake. When she stopped at the designated holodeck, she began to input the program parameters as Sarresh's confession about the beach made her pause to look over her shoulder. She couldn't help but chuckle "The beach on Aldea pales in comparison to a Betazed beach. At least, that's my honest opinion about it. The fauna and flora on Betazed are harmless, or well, they are in the program." she assured him with a wink. The thought of a leviathan wrecking the party on Aldea sent a slight chill down her spine, not of fear though. Perhaps regret of not being there to deal with the situation at hand. Yet those were semantics.

The program loaded up and Kythalie stepped inside of the room as the doors slid open. Apparently before the actual program would be loaded up, there was a standard changing room. The kind of changing room you'd expect on a starship or like on Theurgy the changing rooms for the gym. It was pretty grey, perhaps even a tinge cold exterior wise. Though the temperature inside was nice and warm, humid perhaps even. A taste of what the climate would be on Betazed. "I loaded up the changing room for you. I usually step inside of the program without the need to change. As custom on Betazed, clothes are somewhat... Of a distraction. I was raised without the idea of shame or whatever Terrans or other races believe to be awkward. Yet, if you prefer that I wore a bathing suit, I will do so. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything alike." she explained to him, hoping he'd understand about her customs. She wouldn't mind if he preferred her and him to be dressed.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #7 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan 
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The doors did not part onto a beach proper but some changing facility that had a pleasing humidity to it. While Sarresh no longer absorbed liquid through the membranes of his skin as he had in his previous incarnation (Human's did not have the same physical make-up or needs as Ash'reem) he still enjoyed the feeling of moisture in the air, and on his skin. One of the reasons he frequented the public baths for exercise and not just the gym, was the excuse to be in the water. He no longer had the giant pool in the floor of his quarters that he had shared with the Neotins when he'd first been stationed here, but he did savor the fully functional water based shower that was available to him.  He was well aware that even with matter replication not all Starfleet ships offered such accommodation.

All of which was to say that Sarresh felt quite comfortable as he stepped into the room, much more so than he had been on Qo'noS. Certainly more so than he had been while 'conversing' with the Aegis operatives. And during his debriefing with Ives. He wiggled his shoulders a bit and bounced up onto the balls of his toes before rocking back onto his heels. "I had the misfortune of being caught swimming away from my boat with some...companions from the ship when we encountered the leviathan on Aldea. It was more than a little harrowing as our comm's devices were aboard the boat, not in the water with us and we had to post up for some time on a rather rocky island before braving the waters to get back and make our escape. I'm quite delighted to hear that there won't be a repeat performance today."

Sarresh enjoyed the banter, and listened to Kythalie's explanation for the changing room and looked around it, nodding slightly to himself. That was a kind consideration and regardless of his desires one way or another, a place to disrobe would be smart. Letting his gaze settle on the other woman, he shrugged.

"Human's, for all their good intentions and desires to embrace other cultures can be a bit...prudish, I've found. The expectations for what is typical of the species have always confused me, even before I found myself counted as one of them." He gave her a strained smile. "My people didn't have much of a nudity taboo, though we certainly appreciated the aesthetically pleasing nature that usually accompanied nudity. We also enjoyed the adornment that could come with clothing as well. Variety being the spice of life as Terrans like to say.

"Above water we would wear protective garb to help regulate our moisture levels and help prevent sunburn and abrasions. But among our own people we didn't wear much without need or ceremonial cause." He paused again and let his eyes flick up and down the security officer's form. "If you are comfortable in nothing but your skin, I certainly have no objections, and am perfectly fine doing the same. Especially since it sounds like there won't be anyone there to give us any grief over it."

Once he had her answer, he began to strip down accordingly. There was no shame in the act, or humility, no need to cover himself up, though he was conscious of the fact that as he stripped out of the wetsuit he had been wearing for his rafting trip on Qo’noS, there were visible bruises from some of his tumbles in the rapids, as well as the events that had led to his temporary confinement. But most of those would have been on display, regardless of what additional bathing attire he might have chosen to wear.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #8 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

The explanation of how Sarresh had come into contact with the leviathan in Aldea and how heh ad escaped from it earned him a few nods from Kythalie as she listened as to how he had managed to escape from the dire situation. It sounded that perhaps some luck would be involved in the matter, though she'd not voice it out loud. Perhaps it was a good thing Sarresh couldn't read her mind, she mused to herself. Sarresh seemed to agree with her that humans, showed signs of prudish behaviour despite their efforts to seem so liberal about matters. He spoke about how his original form and how he like many Betazoids lacked any taboo for nudity. Kythalie mustered a faint smile when he spoke about it, still trying to wrap her head around how it must feel be in an alien body. A thought of her wondered if Sarresh ever felt like he was captured inside the body, caged in a prison or something alike. Not the sort of conversation that one would slice into during R&R obviously.

"Well if we'd truly be on Betazed, I'd imagine we'd have to use some sort of sunscreen protection. Though with the holodeck settings, the sun still gives that nice, warm radiance without the negative effects of burning one's skin." she answered him as he spoke about how Ash'reem would wear protective clothing to keep moisturised. She wasn't sure how he experienced his new human body and thus figured that she could set his mind at ease. KNowing now though that his people didn't mind exposed flesh, Kythalie began to strip down as well as Sarresh had begun to do the same.

She noticed the bruises once the wetsuit came off and she was still wearing the standard issue Starfleet underwear as she walked over to inspect the bruises. She didn't reach out to touch them, though visually inspected them "Would you want me to produce a spray to heal those up?" she suggested, seemingly concerned that the bruises would only hinder or negatively affect the relaxing time on the holodeck. She awaited his reply and continued with unclasping her bra and shimmied out of her underwear. Her bronze skin lacking any sort of tan lines, furthermore it seemed like her skin was pristine. For a woman serving in Security, one might expect some bruises here or there, though it seemed like the petty officer tended to her body with care.

Nothing was being covered up by her as she saw no shame in showing herself to him. Her eyes had soaked up his own frame though. Besides noticing the bruises and any further injuries he might have, she would have to agree that the man was quite easy on the eyes and perhaps even quite attractive. Once set she walked over to the door that would lead to the actual program. Glancing over her shoulder she checked with her partner "Ready?"

Once given the all clear, she pushed a few buttons and instead of the door opening, the changing room they were standing in dissolved into a sort of dust as they found themselves in the center of a beach. The blue sea in front of them reached for as far as they eye could see. To their left an right were the extended shores of the beach they were standing on, curving slightly to both the left and right as they were standing in a sort of bay. A large mountain dominated the sight to the right and lush vegetation had formed behind them, a few paths leading to various other locations in the program that Kythalie had designed. To the left more jungle like vegetation formed, yet there weren't any large formations of mountains in that direction. The sand beneath their feet felt warm, not overly hot, yet warm enough to get the feeling to dig your feet into it. The waves were of a medium sort of intensity halfway into the bay, yet at the shoreline they proved to be crashing into the sand as softer, easy small waves. The humidity perhaps increased slightly, yet the sun that was shining brightly warmed their skins and Kythalie closed her eyes to bask in it.

"Welcome to my home." She mused softly to Sarresh with a warm smile.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #9 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn:
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"I have noticed that human flesh can burn pretty bad as well, but it's a different kind of thing than what I had before. Still uncomfortable, but it's good to know that at least in the holodeck I don't have to worry about that,". Small mercies were still mercies and Sarresh wasn't going to thumb his nose at them. Certainly not after everything he had suffered through to this point. Not getting sunburnt? An absolute plus. "All the fun and none of the risk. No wonder Holodecks are so popular."

He had just taken off his under shirt that he'd worn beneath the wet suit and was going to peel the standard issue boxer-briefs down when he heard and felt the approach of the Betazoid and he turned to look over his shoulder. His eyes swept up and down - unable to help himself - and he could admit that the form was quite pleasing, even in standard undergarments. That was a surprise he'd found, after his transformation. He still had no idea of what had happened on a mental level, how the Vulcan Dr. Maya had assisted Dr. Nicander in mapping neural paths and helping settle his mind into his new form. Including finding similar forms appealing. 

Pondering her offer, Sarresh rotated one arm and then the other, feeling what and where things pulled. He glanced over to her again in a half stretch, with one arm pulled across his chest, in time to see her straighten back up, having stepped out of her regulation panties. Again, he took in her form, and found himself distracted by what he saw. No nudity taboo did not mean a lack of appreciation for a good show, and that was what the caramel skinned security officer was inadvertently giving. Blinking he gave a little shrug as he stepped out of the stretch and shook his arms.

"If it would not be too much trouble, I would appreciate it. Most of these feel like bruises I can't see, let alone easily reach." As he spoke, he shucked the last of his clothing and folded it up along with the rest - well, with the undershirt. The wet suit he was just going to recycle into something less annoying to pad around the ship in when they were done. Naked as the day he was reborn (and certainly not lacking in the physique department, above or below the hips) Sarresh looked back up and smiled at the Betazoid. "Ready as I'll ever be."

With practiced ease, the security specialist changed everything around Sarresh. The ground under his feet shifted and he went from standing on comfortable tile to warm sand, feeling his feet sink down slightly. That moist heat still clung to his body, but the warmth of the sun beat down on him from above and he gave a pleased little shiver, closing his eyes for a moment. The former Ash'reem took a deep breath in through his nose, smelling the salt in the air, and let it out just as slowly, his chest inflating and deflating with ease.

Opening his eyes again, he let his gaze sweep along the shoreline and he smiled, nodding his head. He settled on his companion, who had been kind enough to let him intrude on her time off. "Beautiful. All of it," he swept his hand out, "You have a breathtakingly beautiful home, Kythalie. Much nicer than the last few breaches I visited."

Which was perfectly true. Qo'noS had some beaches lining the river he had been rafting down, at the start at least. Mostly rocky affairs. And the less said about Aldea the better, though the temporal affairs officer understood that his view of that planet had been colored by his monstrous encounter. This though..."Our oceans are a slightly different hue, the water tending more towards indigo than blue but...there is enough about this that it reminds me of some of the larger landmasses on Ash'kara."

As he spoke, he padded over across the sand to stand next to the petty officer, one hand resting on his hip, the other shading his eyes for a moment as he swept his gaze up and down the beach again. Facing her, he felt a smile settle onto his face, a gesture not wholly alien to the usually dour time traveler, but not commonplace either. "So, what would you like to do first, since I'm the one piggybacking on your downtime."

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #10 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

"I do count it as a plus to not worry about sunburns. Holodecks do serve their purpose once in a while." she answered him with a slight smirk. Sarresh in the meantime was able to see all of Kythalie as she had continued to strip herself of any excess clothing for the holodeck program she intended to run. When her panties were slipped off, Sarresh could notice a neatly trimmed private area, the dark patch of stubble betraying where she shaved regularly it seemed. The petty officer in the meantime produced a spray and began to treat the various bruises that were on Sarresh. She did so in silence, not asking him where or what he did to get them. There was no point in asking since it was classified most likely. The treatment however did offer Kythalie the chance to peek what Sarresh was built like. A light smile tugged at her lips every now and then before the spray was recycled along with her uniform and underwear.

After that, the relaxation could truly begin. The program started up and the scenery changed. Kythalie did look over her shoulder to Sarresh to see what his first impressions would be. She had to smile a little wider when he complimented her home and in turn gave her an impression of how Ash'reem oceans would look like. Kythalie was curious about it for certain and she turned to face him. Her caramel skin bathing in the sunlight and soaking up the warmth. "That sounds quite unique to behold. What about the atmosphere? Is it humid or warm like here?"

 
Sarresh suggested to her to take the lead to what to do. Kythalie looked into the artificial eyes of the man and nodded towards the water of the ocean next to them. The sound of the small sized waves crashing onto the beach were quite enticing and invitingly. "I always take a dip and just enjoy the feeling of water around me. I usually take a small swim and just float around while I soak up some warmth. After that, I usually head to the cabin not too far from here, make myself a decent meal and enjoy the scenery. On other occasions, I'd go for a hike or do some climbing, though this is hardly the right attire for that." she chuckled and shrugged as she slowly brought up her hand and used her index finger to tap him in the center of his chest playfully. "What about you? You're my guest so I can at least offer you the freedom to explore whatever you like." she asked him, curious about what he'd suggest next.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #11 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan   
[Show/Hide]


For some reason Sarresh was surprised at how gentle Kythalie's touch had been. Medical spray, by design, was cool and soothing, easing the pain and beginning the healing process. But her hand passed along his skin as well, here and there, soft and warm. Welcome. Perhaps he was more touch starved than he'd realized. Ash'reem were a heavily communal species, and one that thrived on contact as much as social presence. Sarresh Morali was a recluse. As much by circumstance as by his own behaviors. Her touch was...pleasant. Brief as it was. 

That gave him something to think about later. For now he refocused on the beauty of Betazed, in holographic form, and the feeling of soft, warm sand under his toes. 

"The planet is mostly water," the former Ash'reem said after a moment of contemplation, in response to the security officers query. He was still looking out at the light reflecting off the water in the near distance. "Until you get into the higher latitudes near the poles, Ash'kara is a typically humid world. More humid than this, certainly. Which for an amphibious species is a boon. For humans," he gestured to the petty officer, "Or Betazoids, I would wager, the humidity might get uncomfortable."

An amused grin at the thought of hiking nude through the jungles of Betazed flashed across Sarresh's features, even as he found himself nodding along in agreement with her statement. Not at all the proper attire, and having gone through the effort to get naked to begin with, he wasn't keen on dressing back up soon. He felt his eyes drift down to her chest, noticing the way she tapped her finger just above her breasts, which of course had him staring at her breasts, albeit briefly. Besides, they'd discussed more intense options on the way over and he lumped hiking in there with rock climbing and hitting the rapids. He'd done enough of that for one day.

"Since there won't be any seas monsters in this program, I think a dip in the waters sounds like an excellent idea," the scientist decided after a moments reflection. "I agree that neither of us are dressed for a hike or climb, and I myself am more inclined to slightly more relaxing endeavors at the moment, after today." Giving her a wane smile, he padded in her direction, till he was within easy reach of her, and nodded to the waters.  "Let's take a swim and see what we want to do from there."

Putting action to his words, he set off down the beach toward the water, feeling the transition from dry sand to wet, and knowing he was leaving a trail of footprints in his wake. Aware that he was ahead of her, he wondered if the caramel skinned woman enjoyed the view of him from behind. Then he remembered that if she wanted to she could read much of his thoughts and decided he'd be better off thinking about swimming than having someone's gaze on him.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #12 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

"I can imagine that the humidity could prove to be challenging for non amphibians." Kythalie answered after giving it a brief moment of thought. This of course didn't sway the curiosity of knowing more about Sarresh's home world. A planet she hadn't heard of before and by default hadn't visited.

In the meanwhile Sarresh made the option of what they'd be doing next quite clear. Getting redressed for a hike wasn't on the top of his mind and Kythalie secretly had hoped to enjoy a swim in the waters. The man chose that option and his gaze went unnoticed by her as he took in the swell of her breasts for the briefest of moments. Kythalie followed him with her eyes as he came closer and passed her as he made his way to light waves that ebbed back and forth. She turned to follow in his footsteps, watching his footprints in the sand as they left a trail for her to follow. Her eyes moved over Sarresh's body, taking in his physique yet at the same time wondering how it must've felt for the man to be in this body. To be within a form that wasn't his natural self.

It would be a conversation to have at a later date. Not during R&R for sure. She followed a good five steps behind him and when they reached the water, she closed her eyes for a second as the warm feeling water enveloped her toes, ankles and chins. She strode further into the water and once the water reached her tummy, she dove in to refresh herself entirely. Lazily, she swam a little deeper and kept aware of where Sarresh was.

"The water feels great no?" She smiled, the composition of the Betazed oceans was similar to Earth, though it held less salt. If one were to accidently gulp in some water, it wouldn't taste as salty like Earth's seawater. It still had that salty tinge to it, yet one could drink it and not end up vomiting it out a few hours later.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #13 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan 
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In truth the body felt far more natural to Sarresh than he felt it should. There were reasons for that, some he knew, some he didn't. His gait was far more natural looking now than it had been at first, when he mimicked the more looping motion of the Ash'reem. Now, his stride toward the water seemed confident and automatic, without thought. Months prior, when he first woke up in the 'dry monkey suit' he'd been reborn with, that would not have been the case. Though again, there had been moments in those first few days, when the Harbinger mutiny was in full swing, where his body responded perfectly.

None of which was on his mind at that point. Sarresh was far more focused on the surf, the surprisingly warm lapping of the water running up over the top of his feet as he began to descend into the waves. He waded out to his knees before he heard Kythalie entering behind him, her own stride causing splashes in his wake. That brought a smile to his face as he pressed on, the water rising higher. He had expected it to be colder for some reason ,but then, it was a sunny day, and why shouldn't the waters be pleasantly warm?

Another splash behind him had the dark haired man turning his head, realizing that the Betaziod had gone under the surface.

"Capital idea," he muttered to himself and followed suit, plunging into the water fully. With a grace reminiscent of his previous form, he sliced through the depths, reaching the sandy bottom with ease and trailing his fingers along the slit. He wove through some seagrass there under the surface and came back up soon after, sucking in a deep lungful of air. He gave his head a shake and then swept his hair back from his face, turning in place as he tread in the water.

Her voice was light and sweet, full of what Sarresh took to be happiness as she asked her question, and he answered with a small smile of his own. Not a tight smile, nor the forced almost grimace that he used day to day. Small yes, but genuine. "Yes it is. Refreshing but not cold. Feels like coming home."

As Sarresh spoke, he drifted closer, less than an arm's length from the security officer. For a moment he contemplated reaching out, but held back, wondering where the impulse had come from. Perhaps he was more worn out than he’d realized, or perhaps he was just relaxed. Either way, he didn’t feel like keeping his friend - the word seemed fitting - at arms length the way he did with so many others.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #14 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

"Glad to hear that it feels like coming home. I can't imagine what I must be like to never see home..." She answered him and refrained from over thinking the matter further. She didn't want to make Sarresh's thought spiral about home, about what he missed, about what was lost. "As for the water, I may have cheated and created an algorithm that allows for the water to feel pleasantly warm at all times. On Betazed the water is usually warm, yet it does have cooler patches once you go in deeper. Which can be pleasant in turn, though I figured pleasure was something that would be more suited, in the aftermath of what you've went through." She admitted and smiled faintly, hoping the man wouldn't hold it against her.

Kythalie's hair had been soaked by the water in the meantime, clinging onto her caramel skin and draping lightly over her breasts as she brought her hands to her face to get some of the water out of her eyes. Small rivers of water ran down from her hair and trailed along her smooth skin. Sarresh moved a little closer to Kythalie and the latter couldn't help but look him over as he came within arm's length. Unsure whether she picked it up subconsciously or if she was just reading the situation, she felt the faint idea of him wanting to get closer in a way. Perhaps it were her barriers that were lowering as she felt at ease with the man, allowing for the emotions or intentions of the man to be picked up. She blinked a few time before slowly drifting closer to him in turn. At the end, she stood before him, her head tilted slightly back to look up at him. They weren't that much different in height after all.

Kythalie wasn't sure how to proceed further. The relation between the two of them was friendly, very friendly perhaps. Though neither of them had spoken about anything else but said friendship. For the Betazoid, Sarresh felt like a man that had been through a lot. A lot of his emotions were things that she could relate to. The loss of a friend, a lover... These core feelings had perhaps brought them together and she had learned to appreciate the man even more. Though as of late, she couldn't help but also look at him in a different light. Perhaps something more as a friend... She could undoubtedly and very easily peer into his mind to discover if the feeling was mutual or not. If the fine lieutenant held anything else feelings wise beside the friendship they had. Yet she knew how wrong it was to peek under the hood so to speak, thus she refrained from doing so.

However, her eyes kept gazing into the artificial ones that Sarresh had, her hand moved slightly forward as she allowed herself to lose herself in the moment. She'd undoubtedly discover if the man before her considered her as just a friend or if there was a possibility of something else. Her fingers reached out hesitantly under the surface of the water, lightly reaching and brushing against his fingertips as she held her breath unsubconsciously to see what reaction it might trigger.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #15 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan 
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For the smallest of moments, a few short, heavy heartbeats, Sarresh's smile fell. Not being able to go back home. Even if they got out of this whole thing alive, Sarresh doubted that first - he'd be able to go back to the Relativity which had been home for a long time and had faded from his memory, just impressions, no specifics. Nor could he go back to his native homeworld. Oh, he might be able to go back to the planet, but he would now forever be apart. No longer Ash'reem. Just some form of enhanced human. He could never truly live as one of his own again.

But the sadness passed swiftly, swept away into the recesses of his mind. His shoulders rose a bit, as if a weight was shifted from him, and he nodded again towards Kythalie. Soon he was grinning, almost but not quite accompanied by a chuckle. He approved of her programing 'cheat.'

"I appreciate the consideration," he quietly told her, and it was true, he did. The warmth felt lovely, and was a welcome counter to the cold waters of that Klingon river that he'd been floating down before his unwelcome encounter with agents of Ageis. Pleasure after what I went through, and she doesn't even know the half of it, he silently mused with a small twitch of his lips. If sunshine and warm waters were her idea of pleasure, he wouldn't argue there. His thoughts lingered perhaps a moment too long on that, what she might find pleasurable, compared to what she thought would be good for him.  The urge to reach out and touch was there again, and he saw that she was now drifting closer and closer. He had been within arms reach already and now...it would be easy.

Her eyes met his, and Sarresh felt his head tilt in turn, dipping closer to hers as Kythalie eased back a bit to look up. She was objectively beautiful, of course. That went without saying. It wasn't the huge pull toward her, or well, not all of it. Her kindness, and the shared understanding, their losses...it was hard to put into words. But then, she was a Betazoid. Perhaps he didn't need words - or perhaps she didn't need to hear them from him. Just feel?

Sarresh nearly jumped as he felt fingertips brush his. So caught up in her eyes he had not felt the hand moving through the water. He hesitated, and then his brain caught up and he reached back out, as her hand was drifting away, and laced his fingers between hers. He realized in that moment just how starved for touch he was. Ash'reem were an extremely communal, touch and pheromone based species. Much of it was genetic, but even then there was a heavy cultural aspect to it as well. And he ...here in the holographic waters, Sarresh realized (perhaps remembered my almost be better) how much he missed touch. He had isolated himself time and again aboard Theurgy. In fairness, every time he seemed to reach out something went horribly wrong for whomever reached back.

This time she reached first, techincally the little voice in his head whispered. He swallowed, smiled, and stepped even closer, his other hand rising up out of the water, fingers ghosting along her shoulder, tentative, seeing if this was okay.

"I can't hear your thoughts or feel your intentions," he murmured softly. "You're going to have to let me know what's going on in there." Maybe it was because he was tired - exhausted really - but he couldn't ignore the needs anymore. Couldn't keep forcing distance from everyone. How much of that leaked out, how much she felt, he couldn't know. That emptiness where connection should have been, yearning for contact. For anything to fill it. For the kindness she showed, and the connection she offered.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #16 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

She was thanked for the consideration and she gave a curtsy nod whilst continuing to look up at the man's bionic eyes. In the meantime, her gesture to brush against his fingers seemed to have gone unnoticed. Or perhaps, he wasn't interested at all? Just Kythalie's hand began to retreat, the man reached out to interlace his fingers with her hand. The caramel skinned Betazoid smiled slightly as she never broke the eye contact with him.

Kythalie remained in place as Sarresh moved slightly closer towards her in the warm water. The surf behind them, creating for a rhythmic sound as the waves lapped themselves onto the beach before the water retreated. Sarresh's hand rose up from underneath the water surface and Kythalie sucked in some air as his hand came in contact with her shoulder, ghosting along the smooth skin as he seemed to explore. That's when he spoke up and the corners of Kythalie's lips tugged slightly further as he murmured to her.

"I wasn't listening or feeling to yours either. One would consider it rude... A breach of privacy." she answered him as they both seemed to not know what was going on in the other one's mind. A problem that could easily be lifted from her behalf if she were to reach and connect with his mind. She wouldn't however do so without his explicit consent.

"I guess we're both in the dark on that front for now." She continued as she let his fingers carry on, not providing any objection whatsoever. She paused for a second as they both stood still in the water, the undercurrent swaying their bodies perhaps ever so slightly. "As for what's going on in my head... I'm sure that I can inform you that it's nothing bad." she chuckled lightly, teasing him slightly with a playful tone. Her own free hand emerged from under the water, tracing lightly against the front of his hip before ghosting up along his abdomen and eventually resting the full palm of her hand against his chest.

Her eyes remained locked with his as she wondered if this was okay with him. Wondered if she'd be allowed to peek into his mind, to feel what he felt. In turn she'd not stop him from feeding his deprived state of touch, like him, she yearned the physical contact. The need to connect, the feeling of belonging somewhere else than the madhouse they were in beyond the doors of the holodeck.

"Besides, you can always ask what's on my mind. Or ask what it is you want to know." she whispered to him, squeezing gently into his hand as her fingers drew lazily against his torso. Her own breathing picking up whilst they stood there in the artificial Betazed sea., her chest moving up and down a tad faster than before. Her heart racing as she allowed the man to come closer than other crewmates. 

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #17 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan 
[Show/Hide]


She smiled at him - that was good. Smiles were good, he repeated to himself in the confines of his mind, as he tried to sort out what, exactly, he was doing, holding her hand and running his fingers over her shoulder. Certainly nothing he had planned to do at the start of that day. Then again, nothing in the day had really gone to plan, so who needed plans anyways? Kythalie was reacting well to his touch, reaching out and returning the same to him, brushing her fingers along his hip before planting her hand against his chest. His skin was warm from the false sun, and wet to the touch.

Sarresh drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, mulling over her words. He still smiled that gentle smile - tired, but unguarded. The last time he had been naked in the water with someone had been down on Aldea, stranded for a time away from the boat while they dealt with a seamonster. He had thought he'd been growing closer to one of those three others, and there had been friendship, but nothing more, and now she was gone. Frankly of all of them that had gone on that trip he was the most well off in the wake, not dead, in a coma, or in the brig. And isn't that fucked up?

This situation was much, much more promising than that last one. The human leaned forward, slowly, and then pressed his forehead against hers, very gently. "Take a look if you like," he whispered quietly, still holding her hand with his, running his thumb over their interlaced fingers. His other hand settled on her upper arm, giving a gentle squeeze as he let his eyes drift down and then up again in a slow flick. She was truly gorgeous, and it seemed only somehow appropriate to acknowledge that in his head. Sarresh had not thought much about women like this, not since Sel. Well, not entirely true. He had briefly pondered Lt. Commander Rutherford, but she had interests elsewhere and was now unavailable in every sense.

He didn't want to think about her now though. He thought about Kythalie Benmual instead, about how comfortable he felt with her. How surprising that was. Sarresh didn't try to dwell on how much he missed something as simple as a hand on his chest or the feel of skin on skin, let alone...other desires. But he didn't - couldn't - hide it really. No, all that was hidden was the deep knowledge of the future, though there were cracks there. But they were far from his focus now.

"Take a look," he offered again, then added, "And tell me what is on your mind."

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #18 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

He offered her to peek, allowing her to lower her mental barriers in order to reach in and explore what Sarresh was feeling, thinking perhaps. To find out what he was thinking would perhaps be a bit too much, the Betazoid gave it some thought as the tall man placed his forehead against hers. A sign of connection perhaps and she pushed her forehead slightly into his. Almost nuzzling into it before she closed her black eyes.

It didn't take long to feel Sarresh's emotions. A mixture of feelings to be frank, yet she let them wash over her as he squeezed gently into her skin. Like him, her skin proved to be warmed up by the artificial sun, the darker skin absorbing the heat quite effectively. Kythalie couldn't help but grin a little at the various emotions. Including the ones that yearned for contact, physical contact, touch and perhaps even more. She let out a deep breath whilst she carefully explored Sarresh's mind further.

"What is on my mind?" she repeated after him and she nudged her head against his a little "I'm thinking that you're radiating quite a lot of emotions. Emotions that are quite... Intense." she whispered to him as she as well could relate to the things he was feeling. She didn't have the intention when she brought him in today that these would be the emotions that would perhaps be explored, yet here and now...

It was easy to get lost in the feelings of another, especially when they opened up their mind. Kythalie felt how much the man before her yearned to be touched, to feel skin on skin, to feel alive for a lack of a better term. She leaned forward as her hand moved up over Sarresh's chest, coming to a halt at his shoulder. Her fingertips grasping onto him as her body leaned into his, her perky breasts connecting to the skin of his torso before being pressed flat. Her nipples slightly hardened and poking against him. Her knee brushed against his though her tummy didn't quite press itself against him just yet. She gave his shoulder a light squeeze and at the same time squeezed against his hand. Her head tilted back a little further, still resting against his forehead.

"You can stop me at any given time... If things... When we don't want to complicate things... Risk our friendship." she whispered softly against him There was the risk that whatever would happen here would ruin the friendly bond that the two of them had developed over the brief period of time. However, Kythalie hoped that Sarresh would feel and understand that she was willing to give this a try, whatever this might lead to.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #19 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan 
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Not being a telepath himself, Sarresh couldn't really tell exactly what was happening, He didn't feel any different, but could imagine that Kythalie was actively probing the surface of his mind. She shut her eyes and seemed to rest there, forehead against his. After a moment of silence she gave the smallest of pushes back against his forehead and whispered to him. Their close proximity made the gesture intimate, her description of his emotional state accurate and sending a small shiver down his spine.

But they didn't seem to bother her, those intense emotions. Quite the opposite in fact, based on how she eased closer to him, water swirling around their legs, pulling back out to sea briefly before rushing toward the shore again. When her breasts pressed to him, he sucked in a sharp breath, and shivered again, feeling the warmth of the orbs rubbing his chest. What worry he had been feeling bled away slowly, replaced by anticipation and what he didn't want to call hope.

"My people are...were, a very open species. Very communal. Sharing. Touch was...important. And I miss it," Sarresh put into whispered words what he had been feeling, squeezing her hand in his again, and letting the other hand move from her shoulder, around her back, keeping her close but not drawing her in. He would let her take that last step. Now he was just verbally, and mentally, acknowledging her concerns and...giving his consent. The desire that bubbled beneath the surface wasn't just for simple touch of course. But that was the root of it. He had pretended for far too long that he could be utterly independent and cut off from everyone around him. That was no longer the case.

Drawing in a deep breath, Sarresh's chest filled and pressed back against Kythalie. He could smell the salt in the air, and something else. Something that was her. Smiling again, he nuzzled his nose to hers, his lips hovering by the Betazoid woman's mouth, not quite touching. "We came here to unwind. Let's see where this takes us."

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #20 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

Sarresh spoke up about how communal and open his species were or well are. Perhaps his body was no longer Ash'reem, in mind, the man before her very much still held every thought of it. Along with his admission came the confession about how he missed touch and how important it had been in his former life. His hand grazed over the soft, skin of Kythalie as he placed it on her back. Her back feeling warmer thanks to the sun shining down on her. "I'm not sure how familiar you are with Betazoids? Culture wise..." She answered him softly "Some species consider us to be rather promiscuous or open on a physical plane." she murmured and remained to keep her eyes shut "That said... I wouldn't mind helping you."

The way his nose brushed against hers made her smile a little more and she could truly feel his presence against her. Body and soul like some Terrans would say. She could feel how close he was to her and as he seemed to relax her with his words, she noddled slowly. They were here to unwind, why not just go with the flow so to speak and find out where this would take them.

Kythalie closed that last gap for that matter, leaning in a little further as her lips brushed against Sarresh's. Careful and slowly at first, scanning over his mind and feelings to see what it would bring. Only to back off lightly for a second, taking in the emotions. It didn't take long before she pushed herself on the tips of her toes. Her soft, full lips fully pressing against his as she kissed him in full. The need for connection, touch, a mix of feelings really all bursting open inside of her. Her hand reached up over his neck to grasp the back of his head, grasping the hair there as she kissed him tenderly, yet with a certain hunger perhaps.

She'd stop when she'd feel the need for Sarresh to speak or think something that would need them to stop doing this. Only then would she pull back lightly, remaining ever so closely against him. Their fingers still interlaced in one hand, when she'd pull back, her eyes would open. To gaze into Sarresh's eyes, to see what that gesture would have loosened up within him.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #21 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan 
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Sarresh was delighted to discover that PO2 Benmual was quite a talented kisser. As her hand slid around behind his head and drew him deep into the kiss, the now human man let out a small, needy noise in the back of his throat. As with the simple contact of holding hands, and the gentle touches leading up to this moment, Sarresh's emotions laid bare just how much he had missed a good kiss. And she was giving him a damn good kiss.

Encouraged by her actions, Sarresh did his best to return the kiss with equal amounts of tenderness and eagerness. Even without the mental abilities of the Betazoid woman with him, the time traveler could tell she was enjoying herself. His own hand flared across the small of her back, and then slowly rose up her spine, to rest between her shoulder blades, holding her to his chest, before they both began to pull apart simultaneously He needed to breathe after all, and he found himself staring down into those impossibly deep onyx eyes, a smile gracing his lips that seemed to lack the tension that was constantly on his face.

"You asked what I knew about Betazoid culture," he said, when he finally found his words again. Standing there, the two of them in the water, they came easily enough now. "The answer is, not much. Oh, the basics of course. Open people, very welcoming, universally telepathic and/or empathic. Weddings held in the nude."

That the glanced down between the two, bare and holding each other, and chuckled. "But really that's all I know. After meeting you, however, I would very much like to find out more." And as he spoke, he kept his one hand in movement, up and down her warm, naked back, savoring the touch of skin on skin. Even he could tell how relaxed he was, here and now, in her company, at her touch.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #22 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

The new formed human admitted that he knew little of Betazoid culture, a smirk appeared on Kythalie's face when he mentioned what he did know. "Mmh, is that a proposal already lieutenant?" she teased him as Sarresh's hand explored her back and skin at his own leisure. She cocked her head to the side a little "I'm telepathic, though I don't go poking around people's mind. It's considered rude and well lets face it... Rather intrusive." she explained simply to him "So I won't be poking around in your head, not without your consent at least." she assured him.

Her onyx eyes continued to gaze into his and she followed his glance down for a second before looking back up at him. "Well what would you want to discover or experience?" she asked him next. Her own hand began to move across his chest, feeling up his skin and muscles that lay underneath. The other squeezed gently into his finger as they waded further in the warm water whilst the sun beamed down on them.

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #23 –
[ Lt (jg) Sarresh Morali | Turbolift | Various Decks | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nolan   
[Show/Hide]


An ocean breeze picked up behind Sarresh, whipping through his damp hair and blowing some of it in front of his eyes. He reached up with his free hand to sweep it back, momentarily removing it from the warmth of Kythalie's sun kissed back. She was stunning, there was no denying it, and it was at the forefront of his thoughts. So he smiled, enjoying the view, and reached up to run the knuckles of his hand against her cheek and jaw. 

"Despite my rather caustic manerisms," he began, the facade he usually wore gone in the warmth of the holographic Betazoid sun, "I am rather curious person by nature. Scientist, after all, even if the focus is on headache inducing temporal mechanics and not anthropology. I'm curious about the day to day life, the holidays, the customs, the things outsiders get wrong, the things we get right. And on a micro level, the things that Kythalie Benmaul likes." The soft smile grew sly as he noted, "I think we'll hold off on the proposals until we've had a least a few more dinners. I don't pop the question on the first day trip to the holodeck."

Placing his hand back onto the other woman again, this time on her hip, he pulled her snug against his body, into a one-armed hug, and rested his chin on her shoulder. Much quieter, he murmured, 'My brain is an absolute mess. There are parts of my memory locked away so deeply that I get a seizure whenever the programing I went through decides the knowledge stored away needs to bubble up to the surface. I trust you to look whenever you like, but...be careful. its not a nice place." 

The truly surprising thing was, he did trust Kythalie. 
 

Re: Day 16 [2200hrs] A shore for shore leave

Reply #24 –
[ PO2 Kythalie Benmual | Holodeck | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus

"A curious person by nature... I'll keep that into account." she answered with a smirk and nodded as he continued to tell her about temporal affairs and how he wanted to get to know all about a civilisation to a point. Kythalie smiled and nodded a few more times, unable to hold back a laugh as he mentioned popping the question at a far later stage. "Mmh, duly noted. As for my people, their traditions, customs and all... I could spill it out to you, though where would the fun in that be. You might've well taken a data class from the great library to tell you all about Betazed culture." she teased him and shook her head "No, I think the best way to discover a civilisation and their customs is to explore and discover it yourself at your own pace and with trail and error."

His one hand ended up on her hip and she let herself get pulled in close to him. His aroused state became trapped between her thighs by doing so, yet the petty officer didn't seem to object or push him back because of it. She listened to how he mentioned how much of a mess his mind was and heeded the warning to peek in there. She doubted whether she would or not and nodded slowly. She raised her hand to rustle her fingers through his hair, her own head turning lightly as her lips brushed against his ear "I thank you for the warning, though I'll peek at a later stage. At least for reading your mind, I can still feel your emotions and all... Although, I don't think I needed to be an empath for that..." she chuckled lightly, shifting her thighs lightly to cause some friction against his trapped member underwater. She simply held onto the embrace they were having, not ceasing to lightly shift her thighs to spark some pleasure in the man that had joined her for shore leave.
 
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