Star Trek: Theurgy

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #25 – September 07, 2020, 03:25:21 PM

[Lt.Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]

Vanya wanted to be careful as Nat consumed the wine.  On one hand, she wanted her relaxed and enjoying herself to the point where she could put her remaining inhibitions to one side  One the other, she wanted to make sure that she wasn’t overly ill, or insiensible to the point of collapsing.  But Natalie was strong. 


Her friend rattled of the itinerary, and Vanya listened with rapt attention.  She was looking forward to their adventure, and the opportunities to indulge both her scientific curiosity and her more tacticle interests were there. 

Speak off, she found the salad they were eating quite interesting, particularly the seaweed  She wondered what it would feel like against her skin.  It certainly offered a curious sensation when it was consumed.  After Nat finished off rattling options for their exploration, she asked Vanya what she wanted to do. 

“I don’t have any strong plans.” Vanya confessed.  “This is your trip remember?  I mean I have a few things packed.  I wouldn’t mind trying swimming.  I have found a special waterproof gel that we would need to apply around my body, or an all over body suit.    The body suit has a higher probability of success, whereas the gel is less restrictive.” She sad as she finished the last of her salad. 

She drained the last of her wine and set it to one side.  She was eager to get some swimming in, but she was more interested in doing what Nat wanted, she wanted the other woman relaxed, comfortable feeling recharged.  Anything else was a bonus. 

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #26 – September 07, 2020, 10:44:09 PM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Unknown Restaurant | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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"Just because it's my trip doesn't mean I don't want to take your preferences and desires into account," Natalie countered. "You've tagged along because I've asked you, because I didn't want to just go off and be on my own. I wanted to spend time with you. Specifically." She was doing that thing where she pointed with her fork, at Vanya, talking with her hands as much as her mouth. This happened whenever she got animated about a subject. And Vanya for years, had been a favorite subject of Natalie's. The context of this was now changing, to include new possibilities, and personal frontiers to explore with the other woman, but the exuberance was still just as vibrant as ever. Nat was choosing to ignore the fact that she'd just made the main point of this trip spending time with Vanya, and focus on taking her friends desires into consideration as well as her own basic plan.

Which amounted to get on a boat and sort her life out, basically. Great plan. 

Setting her fork down - having demolished the salad in record time, despite the oddity of the alien textures involved, Natalie laced her fingers together and still managed to point at Vanya with both hands now, her elbows resting at the edge of the dining table between them. A curious glint was in her eyes as she spoke. "We're going to be out, on a boat, in the middle of either a bay, or the ocean proper. And as far as I can tell, the reclamation efforts on this planet have progressed to the point that it is perfectly safe to swim in the water. I mean, they have a ton of pools at all the villa's that are available to the crew to rent, but the ocean water is perfectly safe. Not exactly filtered, of course, but there are no contaminants that are harmful to humans, as an example." She took a long breath at that point to recover herself, before adding, "Which is a very long-winded way of saying I packed a swim suit because I figured I'd end up in the water at some point."

Pushing her plate aside so that the waiter could collect it, she pushed on. "I would be very interested to get a look at the specs for the gel you've come up with. Does it go on like a sunscreen, basically? Or is it a thicker coating. I know more than a few species out there secrete a kind of gel that helps with dermal regeneration and lubrication in liquid environments." Her vague understanding of the late Ash'reem family that had been aboard the Theurgy came most readily to mind, but she thought she'd read something about the native Pacifican's also having a similar sort of gel, though they used that above water to help protect exposed flesh from drying out. There was a possibility she was confusing the two species, but that was mostly irrelevant to the point on hand.

Of course, it took her a moment or two for the implication of what using the gel over the full body suit would me. It was, again, so typically Vanya. Nat paused, blushed, and then ran a hand over her face, slowly. Unrepentant nudist, never forget that is what she is at heart. Chuckling softly to herself, she leaned in and smiled in what she hoped was a coy fashion, but couldn't really tell. It was not as if Nat had any great experience with being coy. Or flirting. "I think I understand why you want to go the gel route, if you could."

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #27 – September 09, 2020, 10:49:43 PM

[Lt. Vanya | Unknown Restaurant | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ] @Brutus

Vanya could resist a coy grin as Nat became animated about looking after her needs.  The simple truth of the matter, is that Vanya didn’t have much interest in recreation on shore leave.  In most of the places where one went, you either had to content with other people, some of which were from the same planet, and, particularly with established worlds, there was nothing to explore that you wouldn’t find interesting outside of a text book.  No, shore leave was best spent with a book or a holodeck. 

So, in many ways, this was an entirely new experience for her, being with someone.  Fortunately swimming was a good bet for Vanya, which is why she mentioned it to Nat as a possibility.  The only issue that even in holodecks, a piece of grit or sand could be absorbed into her some how, and then get into her gyros.  She would end up walking like a crab, walking backwards, or even suffering from twitches with her limbs flying up into the air uncontrollably. 

Unfortunately it wasn’t just the swim, which is why Vanya went for her different options. 

“Kind of like a sunscreen” Vanya said.  “Many species used something similar, if they did generate their own protective layers, but if through illness or injury that process was prevented, then this was a substitute.  Of course, modern medicine means that those glands can be repaired or replaced, but for my purposes it can be used.” 

As she exolained, she saw Nat react to the implications of the Gen,even blush.  But instead of turning red, or rushing to change the subject, she leaned over and was almost conspiratorial.  She replied with a schrug

“All I’m saying is that there are two billion nerve endings in the body, most civilisations have mastered climate control on both the scale of rooms, and the planetary scale.  Why do people insist on covering up most of themselves all of the time?” 

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #28 – September 10, 2020, 03:45:51 PM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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Listening to the android elaborate on the merits of the gel method of protecting her inner servos from particle corrosion and damage in a fluid medium took Natalie back by almost a decade, to her freshmen year in San Francisco. At the time, she'd only known Vanya as a Romulan with nudist tendencies and a creative streak a mile long that set her up with perhaps the best fitting cadet uniform on campus. Eventually however she had learned the truth of what made Vanya tick (literally) when her fellow cadet had ended up in a small pond on campus and started glitching horribly. Instead of letting Natalie help her to medical, the science track cadet had insisted that Nat take her back to the dorms and once there, Vanya laid out what was needed to correct the issue at hand. Which, coupled with an awkwardly rushed sonic shower, had been the way that Nat discovered Vanya's true secret origin story. 

Looking back on it now, the whole thing was funny and sparked fond memories. At the time, Nat had been an understandable mix of fascinated and mildly pissed off. With a healthy dash of embarrassment thrown into the pot for good measure. It had taken her a little time to adjust to understanding why Vanya hadn't just openly advertised her artificial nature, though Nat had accepted that part of her readily enough, and tried not to treat her any differently than she had already. Sitting across from her, nigh on ten years later, she was certainly looking at Vanya differently from how she had in the past, but that was something else entirely. 

"You're just trying to justify the fact that you are an unrepentant nudist, Vanya," which was slightly contrary. If she were truly unrepentant she wouldn't be trying to justify anything. But that would be a logical point of argument, and Natalie, having finished her glass of wine, was not quite as capable of arguing the finer points of logic. She was feeling pretty good about things though, so that was a full on plus in her book. Wondering, idly, where the main course was, Natalie forged ahead, braving the strange new world that lay before her. The words that came next would not have slipped out of her mouth had they been on the ship, surrounded by their fellow crew. But blending in to an alien world, and with a smidgen of liquid courage, it was somehow easier, and more relaxing for Nat to be bold (by her standards - she wouldn't be winning any intergalactic contests). 

"Maybe, Vanya, most societies continue to insist on covering themselves in public so that it can be more fun to uncover themselves, with the right person, at the right time? I'm sure there is a cultural study on the subject somewhere or another. We could raid the ships library when we get back and see." There was a pause, then glancing down, cheeks red she added, "And there is always a chance that we might get some anthropological, anecdotal evidence over the next few days. Who knows what could happen, after all." She was fiddling with her fork again, even though the salad bowl was empty and set aside. Nervous habits continued to manifest. 

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #29 – September 11, 2020, 05:26:16 PM

[Lt. Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ] attn @Brutus

The android stopped short of giving her friend a who me gesture.    It was difficult for her to explain, she didn’t have concepts of humility or modesty since she had complete confidence in herself.  She knew her limitations, and what she could achieve.  And she did assumed that organics always dressed out of modesty.  Yet the thought of clothes heightening the anticipation certainly applied to Vanya. 
She gestured to the remains of her Salad “You mean in the same way as this food is more appealing when someone prepares it and presents it?”


Nat turned red before mentioning that her theory may get some practical first hand data during they stay here.  Although there was the faint blush there, Vanya could still tell that such comments were difficult, even though Nat was becoming more comfortable. 

“I like that plan” the android replied.  The salad bowls were taken away.  As they waited for the main course, she stared into her eyes.  So much anticipation was now building up in Vanya, and yet control was taken away, and that in turn provided more anticipation.  And if there was one thing she learned from her life in the Federation, its that caring was sharing, and excitement was included in that too. 
“So perhaps I should try the body suit, just for the simple pleasure of putting it on… and taking it off… “

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #30 – September 13, 2020, 10:10:49 PM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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While it was not a perfect analogy, the comparison was apt enough for Natalie to nod in agreement. "In part, having someone else preapre a meal for you can make it feel nice or better than having to do so yourself, because you did not expend the effort, or because they are simply better at it than you are. of course, by a similar token, cooking for someone else, seeing them take pleasure in  something you have crafted, can be its own reward. It's not quite the same as the idea of delayed gratification in regards to clothing...but its not too dissimilar either." She bit her lip after she spoke, again looking at Vanya, wrapped up in the local garb, and could easily picture herself pealing back those layers later. The thought was as unexpected as it was vivid, and only contributed to the blush that rose from the statement that followed. 

Yes, Vanya thought it was a nice plan. Well, that was all good and such. Natalie, a comparative novice in such matters, was unsure of just how such a thing might proceed. Bumbling along was her first thought on the matter, and she had little enough to counter it. Her one willing attempt at sexual intercourse had been something that she herself had not initiated, and the recent fallout from it had tainted the experience as a whole. But having promised herself not to allow such thoughts to sour her trip, she forced them aside and watched and listened and blushed and smiled and did all the things that made Natalie, Natalie. 

"Well," Natalie said slowly, drawing the word out. Admitting that she might like that idea was not easy for her, but this was a night of first steps. So she took another one. "I can certainly see the appeal there. I'm sure you'd look lovely in a full body suit. And scientifically speaking it would be good for you to at least try the method and confirm that it works for you in a fashion you approve of. Plus, you'll at least somewhat match me." She noted, as she played with her empty wine glass. She could see the wait staff coming back with the meal, now, and hastened to add before their arrival,"I did bring a suit to swim in myself. Though its not a full body suit."

She was toying with another idea, of throwing all caution to the wind and offering to simply match Vanya, outfit for outfit while they were out on the sea. After all, it would just be the two of them, who would see? Who would know? Still, she kept that thought to herself for now, deciding to spring it on the android later. For the moment she watched as the glasses were refilled from the bottle in the ice bucket by the table, and a shareable meal was spread out before them, side dishes in smaller serving trays, and the main course, some sort of local fish that was highly recommended in the logs that Natalie had reviewed from other officers that had previously visited Aldea Prime. Each local restaurant seemed to have their own particular twist on the fish dish, and she was curious to see what this locations specialty was.

Taking Vanya's plate right up before the android could act, she began to pile on various helpings of everything, trying to arrange it decently before passing it back to the other woman. "In all seriousness, you should do what feels best to you. If that means wearing the full body suit and giving it a shot, that's perfectly fine. If it means slathering up this gel of yours and skinny dipping in the ocean, well, that's fine too." She meant it, of course. There wasn't a disingenuous bone in her body. That did not stop the color in her cheeks one iota.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #31 – September 14, 2020, 09:27:11 PM

[Lt. Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ] @Brutus

In spite of the blushng on her face, it was deeply exciting for Vanya to see Nat become more comfortable with the possibilities her states of dress (or indeed, undress) would offer of the course of the trip.    When they first met, Vanya was fairly certain that her former roommate would have wished for a Breen invasion or other red alert situation, just to bring these sorts of conversation to an end.  She had indeed come a long way, and Vanya was thrilled that they had been reunited to share this journey


She felt a surge of excitement as Nat mentioned her own attire.  In the milliseconds after she suggested that she get dressed up in some kind of suit of her own, Vanya imagined her in a bathing suit, a binkini, an a variety of otger outfits of material of interesting length that showed  of her friends body to different degrees. 

“I can’t wait to see what you have in mind.” She said, as Nat filled her a plate from the provided selection  “And why can’t I try both options? There is plenty of time to try both.”  On the plate some of the fish was served in a pink sauce.  Vanya rubbed her left pinky finger over the morsel before easing her finger between her own lips and wrapping them around it lingering for a second before pulling it from her mouth and grinning.  “Why go for one approach, when many will do.” 

She took the plate and offered Nat a wink. 

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #32 – September 16, 2020, 11:10:23 PM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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Were she to be completely honest with herself, Natalie was just as thrilled, and surprised, by how she was handling all of this. That there was excitement at the prospect of how things might go, and not trepidation was progress, and even someone as dense about herself as Natalie could, at times, be, she could see that. Could take it for what it was. A sign that she was serious about this, and that the attraction she felt - as unexpected as it had been when it hit a few weeks back - was genuine. How it would go, if it would last, she just didn't, she couldn't know. But she wanted to find out.  

Natalie had been about to assure Vanya that the suit she'd selected was nothing terribly special, but the Android managed to find a way to cut her off. Certain that Vanya had done so on purpose, Nat was never the less distracted by the way her friend licked at the pink sauce on her fingertip, sucking it away clean before taking the plate and offering up her observations. The brunette human swallowed once, her throat a little dry suddenly, and took care of that issue with a somewhat larger than intended mouthful of the wine. It soothed the throat, warmed the stomach, and gave a little bit of a courage boost as she settled in over her own plate, with the arrangement of vegetables, some sort of grain, and the pink slathered fish piled over top.

Rolling her eyes and shrugging her mostly bare shoulders, Natalie scooped up some of the fish, that flaked right off, as well as the rice like grain under and held it in her fork, blowing gently over it. Vanya might be able to shrug off a burnt tongue easily enough, but Natalie was not nearly so robust. "Far be it from me to try to tell you how to enjoy yourself, you hedonist you." There was no heat in the words, save for simple affection for her friend. Then she busied herself with the mouthful of fish, savoring the flavor. There was a surprising citrus flavor to the sauce as well. Not the same as the dressing on the salad, but as if from the same family of fruit. It was thick and cloying, but seemed to add something to the white meat of the main dish, which had a bit of a salty bite of its own, as well as that unctuous taste that Natalie just associated with 'fish' in general. Even alien ones. 

"I think...that this is going to be a promising meal. I was a little unsure when they brought it out and it was, well, pink. Not used to that when it comes to seafood." She shrugged, "Not that there was terribly much in the way of seafood on Mars exactly, though some of the lakes had been seeded with fish. That was mostly exploring San Francisco. What about you? Much experience with Romulan seafood?" Small talk where one learned more about one's prospective partner was part of a typical date. Natalie had read a memo about it. She didn't wish to dwell on what all it said about her that she'd done a bit of research on how to have a dinner date. That didn't bear any reflection at all, if you asked her.

Plus, she had a deep, abiding curiosity about Romulus, because of Vanya, and never tired of trying to learn a bit more, even knowing that Vanya was about as far from 'typically Romulan' as Natalie was. She had hoped to see more of Romulus when the Theurgy had accompanied Titan as part of the diplomatic mission in the wake of the Mad Praetor Shinzon's death. The opportunities had not been what she'd hoped.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #33 – September 18, 2020, 09:41:03 PM

[Lt. Vanya| Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ] attm @Brutus
Vanya went back to her fork and began to pile it with more of the fish.  She shrugged casually as Nat asked her about her past 

“Not really.  The one time I ate real food I was on assignment.  It was poultry.    Most of the time I was instructed to consume nutritional supplements to keep our hair and skin optimal.    They were particularly engineered for us,  lots of oils and vitamin chains, imagine cardboard blended with pond water, and then a chemical supressent to take away any good taste and you have a nice glass of NS-74.”
A smile crossed Vanya’s lips as she remembered a few moments of stolen childhood during her training. 
“My creator, T’Vrella used to bring me candy, she convinced her masters it was to test my taste matrix, but I’m sure it was an act of rebellion.”

It was a complicated relationship between Vanya and her “mother” so much of her that was “real” didn’t have to be, yet she did so much for her.  She taught her about the Federation, kept the “core” Romulan programming that defined her out of her core.  Without her she may have been soulless killing machine, or destroyed. 

No, Vanya thought, this is time for what is, and what will be, not what might have been. 

“What about you, any acts of rebellion in your youth?” she asked, wondering what the formative Nat was like.     

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #34 – September 20, 2020, 10:39:58 PM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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"I have to admit that I never imagined something so unpalatable, but thank you, you've just gone and given me culinary nightmares for the next month, at least," Natalie fired off, shuddering, and spearing a piece of her dinner. The flavorful fish forced the unpleasing thoughts of NS-74 from haunting the Ops Chief, at least for the near future. 

The thought of someone sneaking Vanya candies as she grew up was truly adorable. She knew, of course, that the android had not been graced with a proper childhood. There had been no tiny toddler Vanya, pattering about after her creator, tugging on her dress like a child truly might, and yet she had been childlike at first, by the sounds of it. The images were bitter sweet to Nat, and she smiled across the table at the Romulan. While in the back of her mind, she made a little promise to herself., Surely there was a store somewhere in this sprawling metropolis where she could get her hands on a box of candies. 

Setting her fork aside and picking up her wine, Natalie pursed her lips and pondered the question put forth. A memory came to mind immediately, and she snorted out a little laugh, and nodded. Sipping the wine, she set it down again, running a finger over the rim like she had done earlier in the evening. "I think I was 12? Maybe 11 at the time. My brother and I sunk into my fathers study. He had this blowing ball, that he'd won some tournament with, years ago. We weren't supposed to play with it, but the two of us got into the case and sure enough we got it down. It was about 3 in the afternoon, and he'd gone off for something or another, and mother was on the comm unit with the university.

"Needless to say, he was not at all amused that we'd been bowling out in the back yard, using his ball, and a collection of spent deuterium tanks for pins. Especially when the ball went through the glass window." She made a face. "I'm still not quite sure how Eric missed so badly as to hit the window. The house was behind us. Thank god the ball never went off the cliff." Natalie hadn't talked about her brother like that in...well, years, and she surprised himself now by revising the story. Sipping from the wine again, she added after a moment, "I suppose that's not exactly rebellious, all in all. For the most part I was the good child" And then I was the only child, of a widower. Kind of kills the rebellion in a kid, that. There was no point in saying that aloud however, and ruining the moment. The night was going too well for Natalie to allow herself to shove her foot quite that far down her throat.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #35 – September 21, 2020, 10:10:53 PM

[Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]  attn: @Brutus

Vanya listened with rapt attention as Nat described her childhood adventure with the bowling ball.    Romulan sport was different, at least in it’s application, exercises around combat were the order of the day, there were more traditional sports, however, unlike traditional human pursuits, where the respect and admiration went to key players on the team, the adulation usually went to the strategists, roughly analogous to a coach or a manager.  Vanya thought she preferred the human way of doing things, as was the case in much of her life. 

“I thought you would be.”  Vanya said with a smirk as she drained the last of her glass  “I mean, I remember all the times you kept me out of trouble, and for that matter in Starfleet at the Academy.”    She thought about the mishaps they shared  Through it all, Nat had been there for her.  The understanding of humans, particularly humans around the adolescent age, coming along with her crazy schemes, helping her with crazy schemes, preventing her from breaking the bones of the myriad of arrogant idiots, short sighted professors, and over amorous fellow students.  “I mean, you always kept me out of trouble at the academy.  I don’t know how you did it.    But,  those days were the happiest of my life, you and me facing our challenges.”   

She leant forward conspiratorially.  “Even the ones I didn’t cause.” 

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #36 – September 25, 2020, 04:01:55 AM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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Letting her friend mull over a response, not that it was long in arriving, Natalie returned her attention back to the meal at hand, scooping up some of the rice analog as well as some of the sauce from atop the fish and making a short order of the morsel. She watched Vanya as she ate, nodding where appropriate. It was almost easy to forget that there was this whole added level of tension riding under the moment. She and Vanya had shared plenty of meals back at the Academy after all. Having dinner with her best friend was easy enough. It was all the things that might happen after dinner, all the subtext that she kept thinking about, anticipating even, that was the issue. 

She's still your best friend you goof. That hasn't changed. She clearly hasn't forgotten that. Reminding herself of that fact was all well and good and healthy, and let her settle her nerves, that had started to creep back up again. Thinking back to the Academy, she let out a soft chuckle. "You were quite the handful back then." Her eyes flicked up and down over Vanya and allowed, "I don't think that has changed much, judging by recent events. I think you behaved for me in school because I could help fix you. Or at least I thought that was part of it at the time."

Setting her fork down, she propped her elbows up on the table, placed one hand over the other, and then leaned down, her chin atop the hands. "Now, with a few more years under my belt, I sincerely doubt that had much at all to do with it. You're right though, we got into a lot of mess, despite our best efforts." It had been the second time she'd had to reconsider her notions and world view, this time in relation to the Federation, and the supposed general good will of its members. More than one time, Natalie had been forced to talk Vanya down from delivering a much deserved beating ton one prejudiced cadet or another. But as the years had gone on and she'd gained a bit of distance and perspective, her time at the Academy shown as one of the brighter points in her life. Which, being honest with herself now, was because of Vanya. 

Only by having her back in her life again did Natalie truly appreciate how much she had missed her friends presence in the intervening years of service. Looking down for a moment, watching the candle flicker on the table as the evening grew darker, casting shadows and light about at random, Natalie pondered the old human adage: 'absence makes the heart grow fonder.' Given what they were attempting here, that she was willing to entertain the notion of taking a friendship and turning it into a romance, and more so, going against what she thought was her preconceived notions of what she was attracted to, well...clearly there was some truth to the ancient idiom. 

"Assuming we don't die in the next few weeks, or months," Natalie tentatively mused, "I think I'd like to go about giving you a lot more happy days to remember. preferably without racist cadets who only see a pair of pointed ears and upswept brow and miss all the other important bits." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then added, "Mind you, I like those bits as well."

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #37 – September 27, 2020, 06:49:39 PM

[Lt. Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime @Brutus

“Oh, trust me, there’s lots of bits I hope you can appreciate” she said with a smirk as she finished the lat of her main course.  She did enjoy winding Nat up, seeing the more that she drank, and became relaxed, the less she blushed at her barely concealed double entendres, and even picking up her hown flirting.  Once again,  she felt excitement levels start to rise.    The thought of spending their lives together filled Vanya with anticipation.  Although part of it was down to a clever deception, Nat was the first person to treat her like a sentient, and not an enemy agent, or a walking photon torpedo. 

She would encounter that again in her assignments leaving the ship.  To be delivered to the Theurgy she had been filled with dread, with the mistrust that had existed between them and the Cayuga.  Though things had been bad for her ship, Nat had been a much needed reminder of home.  To have that chance to take things further was the realisation of a dream 

“Do you wonder about when things are fixed?” she asked at last.  “I mean, when the enemy has been beaten and they let us back into Starfleet.  Do you think about where you’d be?” 

It was a difficult thing for Vanya to ask, she hadn’t given it much thought, it felt to her as if she was moving from one crisis to another since she graduated.  Vanya couldn’t imagine being a Commander, let alone a Captain or Admiral. 

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #38 – September 27, 2020, 10:32:34 PM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6 
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Natalie had left herself wide open for that one, and again her cheeks took on a coloration not all that far away from the color of Vanya's attire for the evening, though admittedly it was only a faint coloration. Getting her wound up was a specialty of Vanya. No one that Nat could remember encountering could get under her skin as easily or as swiftly as Vanya did. Which, in hindsight should have been a big old warning sign right there of things to come. For the moment, she felt warm and bubbly, a little blushy and slightly fluid. The drinks were having an affect, sure enough, on the young woman who rarely bothered to drink synthohol, let alone anything with actual alcohol in it. Real wine was a potent thing, but Nat could really only be considered pleasingly buzzed. She was simply just unused to it.

Vanya's question caught Natalie by surprise, and she blinked a few times, trying to decide how to answer it. Truthfully, she supposed, and she shrugged a bit. "Actually I talked with Cap--- with Anya about that," she caught herself, and swallowed down the words 'Captain Ziegler', trying on the absent officers first name. "She took a few moments out of her busy schedule of holding everything around her together with spit and grit to slap some sense into me back in the nebula. Literally," she rubbed her cheek and smiled in a rueful fashion. The senior officer and left an impression that stung through into the next day.
"She'd come to berate me for lying, for how I was looking at the world as what the least evil thing to do would be, and not what the right thing to do was. How I had no trust for her. She was right, not that I wanted to hear it, or realized it. I think she blamed my current captain more than she did me for letting it get that bad. She asked me something similar, how i would react when I was folded back in. I told her I didn't see that as an outcome. How could they let us back in. Even if we stamped out the threat, and proved, beyond a doubt, that we were in the right...how could we be welcomed back with open arms. Too many were dead, you know?"

 It was difficult to think of. With her throat suddenly dry, she took a long pull of the wine, and drummed her fingernails against the glass as she remembered the conversation. "She told me to have a bit more faith in the better laurels of Starfleet. That deep down they were good, honest people that have been lead astray. Honestly it half sounded like she was offering me a spot where-ever she was, provided that the admiralty doesn't drum us all out of the service." It had taken her a bit to figure that out, through it all. But that still didn't answer Vanya's question.

"Before I was forced to sit in the center seat, I thought Chief of Ops would be as  far as I might ever make it. Career peaking at 27, and even then only because of attrition. If Hendricks had died in any other situation where we weren't running for our lives from Starfleet, I would have held the position temporarily and Ives would have gotten a replacement transferred over from a more experienced source. Then I'd happily be back as someone's Assistant Chief with my nose down in a PADD. But having to command...even for just a bit, on my own..." She shivered a bit. If command was a bug, she'd been bit, and until this moment, the young woman had been afraid to say anything about it aloud.

"It was invigorating. But ...it's hard to think about what comes next. What the future holds, when we're facing down the entire Federation and who knows what other threats the parasites have for us. Perfect world? Give me ten years and I'd say center seat of a science vessel, doing some honest to god exploring. No crisis trying to breath down my neck. No galaxy ending doom on my heels. No Sword of Damocles from my own superiors. Just exploring the unknown. Doesn't even have to be a big ship. Hell, I'd be happy with a little Nova-class." she laughed and hung her head. "Stupid notion, I know. Snowballs chance in hell, realistically speaking. But its a nice idea."

"Especially if you were there with me." Oops. She'd said that aloud.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #39 – September 28, 2020, 10:56:40 PM

[Lt. Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]

Vanya felt a tinge of regret, clearly this had been a sore subject for Nat  She understood in her own way, but trouble was its own reward.  Most humanoids thrived in normalcy  When things were tough at home, you had your occupation to rely on.  When things were tough at work, then work, or even relaxing social time could be relaxing. 

But Starfleet’s strength was also its weakness, it was like a family, for many of the hundreds of thousands of officers and enlisted personnel, their crew, hell even their departments became a family of sorts, many families had a Starfleet lineage.  For someone like Nat, her work, and her family had both been taken from her, and that probably hurt her. 

There was a great leader in Nat, Vanya was certain of it  She could see her on the bridge of a science vessel, looking for new mysteries, while solving big ones, However, she could probably see Nat on the centre seat of a flag ship, or even The Flagship.  Her greatness shone through her nerves, and one day Nat was sure that she would learn to put these nerves to one side, listening to them, but not letting them guide her.  She smiled happily when she said that she would want Vanya with her. 

There it is she thought

She put her hand on Nat’s it certainly felt warmer than it had earlier in the evening.  She held it tight as she could manage.  This was a promise she was prepared to make,
“Are you kidding?  If they throw you onto a garbage ship cleaning plasma conduits with nothing but a Ferengi ear cleaner, I am coming with you, holding the bucket,”   

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #40 – September 29, 2020, 06:28:56 PM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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Well she hadn't laughed in her face. Having made such an egregious slip as to say what she was thinking and feelin aloud, Nat had worried for a moment. Would her friend have found the notion of her sitting in the center chair stupid? She thought it at times. She was 27. She was no Jean-Luc Picard, or James T. Kirk, to gain commands before they were thirty years old. The Dominion War had seen a lot of officers rise up the chain swiftly, but the war was over almost six years now. Promotions did happen faster, but not that fast. Ten years wasn't a wretched stretch of the imagination, not for something small, but for an officer that, prior to being thrown into the fire, had not sought the command track..? It could have been laughable. 

She should have know that Vanya wouldn't have laughed. Not at that, nor her little admission that, in this hypothetical future she wanted her friend there with her. That was the important part. She seemed open to the notion of being around a decade from now, when Nat was lookin closer to 40 than 30. Promising. She turned her hand up, holding onto Vanya's, rubbing her thumb along the girls skin, and marveling, yet again, at how simple a thing as holding hands could feel when you were open to the notion, and the person. That someone with such strength could at the same time be so gentle. To have the power to crush but the control to caress. 

"How is it that you can be so very sweet, and wonderful, and use a truly gross analogy at exactly the same time to convey that sweetness?" Natalie laughed and smiled and somehow managed to make a face as she added, "Ferengi Ear Cleaner. Yuck!" She promptly descended into a fit of giggles at the sheer notion. Starfleet didn't really run all that many garbage scowls. That was usually some other civilian agency. But she could get assigned to a tug at one of those fleet depos for decommissioned ships that might one day be called back into service, which was about the same thing. And there was always that possibility. Starfleet was made up of people, and even if they were, all of them, the best of the best, they still could be petty at time. Simple nature. Someone had to do the less desirable postings, and it was usually someone that had screwed up or run afoul of the brass. So that was a strong possible future if they weren't all dropped up in some black site prison, hidden on an asteroid in an unnamed system. Oh, or between systems. That would really be hard to find.. 

"All the same, I'd be happy if you were there with me." She said aloud, realizing that she was really opening herself up for a world of hurt if things didn't work out. Less worrying about how things might go wrong, more thinking about how nice things will be when they go right, Nat. It was the best advice she could give to herself.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #41 – September 30, 2020, 10:21:19 PM

 [Lt. Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Brutus

The android tilted her head  As much as she hated to admit it, although she thought that there was a strong chance that Theurgy would be welcomed back, she also felt that there was a high chance that she would be dismantled or destroyed.  There were still Starfleet academy Admirals who considered her to be a photon torpedo on legs, and her involvement with this insurrection would give them all the justification they need to “disarm her”.  And yet, she felt as if she was safe in many ways because she had Nat with her.  Pardon or not, she trusted the operations officer with her life. 

She lifted their hands to her cheek  “Prison or promotion, condemnation or commendation, You have me.  For as long as I’m alive.”  Vanya didn’t know how long she had left.  One day, her pathways would be too diverse, she’d become noticeably slower and sluggish, then one day she’d simply stop.  Her diagnostics showed no loss in performance from the day she came online, but one day the first 0.01 variance would register on her diagnostic.  Perhaps years after that, it would be 0.025,  then slightly less time later, her diagnostics would be at 0.75,  Then things would get past the decimal, and go down hill. 

It would be a bridge they would cross eventually, and she couldn’t think of anyone who she’d want at her back, giving her a reason to live. 

“So…” she said at last.  “What do you think is for desert?”

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #42 – October 04, 2020, 09:06:18 PM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6 
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As far as over the top efforts to reassure her went, Vanya managed to do quite a wonderful job with what she said. Nat knew the android had, faster than she herself could really contemplate, chosen her words carefully, crafted and selected them as the best way to convey what she felt about the whole situation, to Natalie. And her diligence was rewarded, leaving Nat monetarily speechless. The brunette human could not know that her friend and romantic prospect of the evening was contemplating mortality. That androids even would consider such thing, given that their lifespans would be so much greater than Nat's best chances. That Vanya had decided to bet on Nat keeping her safe.

All Nat knew was what was said, and she found herself swallowing, throat dry. Trying to warp her mind around an appropriate response even as her friend followed up her bold declaration with a question about dessert. The first words of 'you' didn't make it past her lips, if only just. That would hace been too much for Nat to say, and would have been an impulsive reaction to the moment. If something like that was going to happen she wasn't going to try and set that expectation right here and now. Instead of answering, Nat took a different tract and gathered up one of Vanya's hands in hers, bringing it slowly up again to kiss those knuckles, like she'd done before. "Same."

One little word. Four letters. A world of meaning. It wasn't as if the notion was all that surprising. They had become fast friends, and in the footsteps of many young officers graduating the academy, had promised to be there for each other, to have each others backs, even as the war rushed them into an early service in the fleet, and robbed them of a proper graduation. They'd said it all before, years ago, but now, tempered by experience, everything was being said with a new light. Yes, if things fell apart and the spark that they were exploring did not take, or burnt out to fast, that would not change. She would still be there for Vanya, and could in turn still trust the other woman. But hey both knew they were promising more, in that moment. They were both going to really try for this. To make it work.

Natalie rather liked the idea that someone cared enough about her to risk all fo that hurt. So she'd kissed the knuckles, said what she'd said, and then leaned back, pursing her lips and taking the question seriously. "I wonder if they have something akin to to ice cream. Or if they're more of a fruits and cream kind of society. Pie maybe? I honestly don't remember what was on the menu for desserts. Something sweet, I hope." Contemplating that for a moment, she waved to summon a waiter, and while the man took his time to come to them, she added to Vanya, "I think we should get something we can share together. If I eat too much more, you'll have to roll me back to the boat." The meal, up until that point, had been well proportioned and Natalie was feeling somewhat full.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #43 – October 06, 2020, 10:51:07 PM

[Lt.Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Brutus

Vanya bit her bottom Lip as Nat kissed her knuckles.  The excitement of them being together was almost at critical mass.  It was becoming clear to the android that she was becoming more and more like this evening was going to be wonderful, and each second was a glorious step of agony.  Glorious because it took them closer and closer to being with each other, agony because it wasn’t instant.  She had to restrain herself for a just a little longer. 

She smiled as Nat spoke about her weight.  Nat’s curves were something that Vanya had admired for the longest time, even more when they reconnected.  She was excited to explore them 

“Rolling you wouldn’t be necessary, I could carry someone of twice your weight.” She said, attempting to tease her slightly.  “Failing that, I could beam you back to the boat.” 

She winked playfully.  Undneath the table, she managed to squeeze out of one of her shoes, stretching her bare foot under the table, she lifted the bottom of Nat's skirt and gently stroked her bare foot against her ankle. 

“But, sharing sounds like an excellent idea, sharing desert, sharing the weekend, and sharing the bed.    I think I am detecting a pattern.”     

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #44 – October 07, 2020, 04:24:07 AM

[Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6 
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For the sake of the table it was probably a good thing that Vanya restrained herself as Natalie plied soft kisses across her hand, simply trying to be sweet. That the gesture was arousing really should have occurred to the Ops Chief, but as with so may other interpersonal interactions, that went right over her head. As it was, the table between them was fairly sturdy, but perhaps not quite strong enough to withstand the complete discarding of public decorum to push things to a more heated place. Their combined weight might break it, or possibly the eagerness of an android. Someone somewhere had probably done a study. They had a study for everything, or so Natalie firmly believed.

In any event, restraint prevailed for the moment, unaware as the human of the pairing was. She instead was giggling. "Yes, that's what I appreciate about you. How utterly practical you can be." This, about the girl who insisted when they'd first met, that they scan each other and get proper measurements so they could look better. She shook her head and added, "I can only imagine the gossip that would fly if you called the ship for a transport from here toe the boat for me." Gossip was already flying, but for the moment the Operations Chief was blissfully unaware.

Vanya seemed determined to make Natalie squirm and tease her as much as possible. The Martian nearly jumped out of her seat when she felt bare toes crawling up her ankle, and glanced down at the table as if she had the ability to suddenly see through the wood (and her own dress) to the offending culprit. The look on the other woman's face made it readily evident what was going on and who was responsible. Pressure ran up along the back of her calf as her date for the evening slowly worked her leg up and up, inching the brunette's dress right up along in the process. Nat could only gape like a fish as the android expounded upon the evenings apparent theme. Vanya managed to make it sound as if Natalie had planned things that way, instead of stumbling from one point to the next in a haphazard (albeit romantic) fashion. Before Natalie could properly answer and point this out, the waiter finally arrived at the table. He seemed to take no notice of Natalie's not quite  scandalized expression (a worldly man, he'd seen it all before) and instead asked after dessert.

"I overheard a desire to share a dessert?" he asked, as if nothing else were going on right in front of him, and Natalie could only nod slowly as she swallowed and tried to recapture some of her earlier composure. The wine did not help things, and she was left with a rather rosy complexion. Unperturbed, the man simply nodded to her in turn, and pulled out a small holograpic emitter, setting it down and displaying the menu in the air between the two of them. "We make a very palatable treacle tart. The Icyoberry and Juma cream is quite popular as well, among our regular clients. It is in fact our best-selling dessert - at least among couples."

Clearly, the man had not missed any of the subtext going on between the two dark haired women. Flushed in the face Natalie swallowed and managed a passably polite exchange of, "Oh yes, that please. Sounds perfect." In a strained sort of tone. It felt to her as if Vanya had no intention of stopping the track of the foot.

"And would either of you care for an Apéritif, or a cup of raktajino?" This seemed addressed more to Vanya, despite his word choice, as if he got some private enjoyment from drawing the conversation out. This may simply have been Natalie attributing uncharitable characteristics to the man, as she was personally torn between the urge to shove her hands under the table to stop the rise of Vanya's foot, or leap from her seat and drag the other woman back to the boat, desserts be dammed.

Impossible to tell, truthfully.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #45 – October 08, 2020, 10:39:12 PM

[Lt. Vanya| Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Brutus

Vanya was enjoying herself tremendously.  She wanted to keep the game up but decided against it  She lowered her foot and looked at the options.  The Icoberry certainly seemed tempting  Lots of opportunity to share, Vanya thought evily. 

“I say we go with the berries.” The dark haired android said with a hint of mirth in her voice  “The Raktijino sounds delightful.” 

The waiter nodded, deactivated his menu and went on his way.  Vanya allowed herself a small chuckle.  “Is it just me, or did that waiter seem slow?  Perhaps we should have used that earth expression…” 

Without warning, she lifted her foot up against Nat’s again.  Stroking her foot as high as possible without some act of contortion on the android’s behalf. 

“…'Shake a leg'?”  She watched Nat’s reaction.  With a small sense of satisfaction, wondering what the human would do next.  It was proving to be a very interesting game, and  Vanya couldn’t think of anyone better to play it with than the curvy operations officer.  The contact wasn’t really a stop gap measure, it just made the android want more. 

Sooner or later we will be alone together.  The android thought    Might as well see what fun we can have first.   

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #46 – October 10, 2020, 12:35:19 AM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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Natalie's relief was short lived. Vanya relented while the waiter drew the moment out, and the brunette tried to keep herself from sagging forward in utter relief. Didn't want to be too obvious about any of it. While it was curious that Vanya would be interested in the Klingon coffee, the offering did make sense. Raktijino was popular with the brutish warrior race, and they were the protectors of Aldea. Then again, the strong brew was pretty popular with most Starfleet officers that served alongside the Klingons for any length of time, and was nearly official drink of Deep Space Nine, from the reports she'd read. So perhaps it wasn't all that surprising that her friend might be on board with it. While Nat had her own personal roasts from home, she didn't dislike the Klingon brew, on occasion.

But no sooner had he turned to leave than Vanya's assault redoubled. The foot went right up, and at a steep angle. Given how closely tucked in the chairs were,  and given how tall the Romulan Android happened to be, it was easy for the scientist. So instead of the back of her calf, Vanya's toes were brushing in against the inside of Natalie's thighs, wiggling its way between her legs with ease. The Martian covered up a squeak by slapping a hand swiftly over her mouth, and shooting her friend a startled look. Just what had gotten into Vanya all the sudden? 

Had she not imbibed a few glasses of wine through the meal she might have been more indignant. As it was, the ops chief happened to be pleasingly buzzed and while she was startled she wasn't exactly opposed to the oddly intimate, very public affection. She squirmed and tried to get comfortable as she hissed in a scandalized tone, "You are absolutely the worst! That pun is just horrible." Her gaze darted down to the cloth covered table top and she reassured herself yet again that no one could actually see what Vanya was doing. The tables cloth more than hid the fact that Natalie was unexpectedly indulging in a bit of footsie, though with one of the players considerably more bold than the other. Had anyone been bothering to look however, cloth or no it would not have taken a great detective to discern that something was a foot. Natalie's rosy red complexion was a dead give away. 

She bit her lip hard, eyes wide and watching Vanya now, locked on with laser precision. What was important however was one simple, little fact: Natalie had not told Vanya to stop. She had squeezed her legs tight around the androids bare foot, snaked as it was up under her dress, but she had not told her friend to pull the foot away, nor done anything else to discourage her, simply  acted  scandalized and surprised - perfectly natural reactions, to be fair. But there was a little part of Natalie, the inexperienced, curious part, that was bolstered by a bit of liquid courage that wanted to see just what her friend - her date - would do next. Given how fast her heart was now racing, she had to wonder if the Android could detect the speeding pulse through her foot, given where it was nestled.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #47 – October 11, 2020, 09:08:56 PM

[Lt.Vanya| Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Brutus

Vanya was grinning now impishly, her long slender fingers interlaced a smile on her face as her companion neither rebuked her verbally, for her tender ministrations, nor did she attempt to stop the contact.    She did feel the squeeze of Nat’s thighs around her leg, the warmth registering on her own limb.  It was all Vanya could do not to resist going into seduction mode, and coo escitedly.  But Nat wasn’t a careless rube to be conned, or a sexual conquest that Vanya was interested in.    She was well, Nat.  Such affectations were trite. 

“Come on now.” Vanya said, referring to her joke.  “Humour, like most forms of taste can be fluid can they not?  All that matters is what the two people involved think.” 

The second part of the comment wasn’t just a reference to jokes.  Perhaps it was a reference to the game playing under the table as well. 

She gently wiggled her leg between Nat’s playfully pushing, not enough to resume her ministrations, she could if she wanted to, it was a none verbal symptom, an attempt to show that their game was a shared one, and Nat had done the right thing by stepping in. 

“After all.” She finished at last.  “That’s the explorer mentality right?  That boundaries need to be tested?”

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #48 – October 11, 2020, 09:42:02 PM

 [Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Number6  
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Humor as a shared medium for experience was not the argument for the moment that Natalie had expected from her friend. Not that she'd really been sure what she had expected, of course, but this wasn't that. She snorted in disbelief, shaking her had gently at the notion and shivered slightly from anticipation. Her tongue darted out over her lips for a moment as she tried to regain her composure, wiggling her hips slightly on the chair and squaring her shoulders just a bit. In a steady voice - or as steady as she could manage, she countered, "Just because we could both be accused of having a bad sense of humor does not detract that was objectively a horrible pun, Vanya. Something jokes are just bad, girl." 

The banter took her back to days spent walking the gardens at the Academy in San Francisco, under the ever watchful eyes of the groundskeeper Boothby. The back and forth, the shared giggles, the getting to know each other, and the trying to fit in on a world technically alien to both of them, tho considerably more so for one than the other. They'd been the subject of plenty of dirty looks over the years there, and the point that Vanya was making wasn't entirely lost on Natalie, despite the pale woman's protests on the nature of humor itself. What mattered more than anything was how the two of them felt about the moment. A year ago, Natalie would have been outright in a panic about what was going on below the tablecloth. Now...

Now she carefully leaned back in her chair, ever so slightly, to ease the angle of how she sat. "We both ended up meeting each other because we wanted to explore, didn't we?" There was an air of reflection in her tone. She hadn't been required to sign up for the multi-species dorm set up, to volunteer to be roomed with an alien from outside of the Federation, which was the general make up of roughly half that dorm. She'd done it to force herself to try something new, to take that first step of exploration. That had resulted in rooming with a Romulan Android which was a major stretch from her comfort zone. What was happening now was just the same. She'd trusted Vanya then, and she trusted her now. The past few months had been nothing but pushing one boundary or another for Stark, professionally by and large, but the own boundaries of her abilities to cope mentally, and to analyze things about her life that she might have other wise blissfully ignored. Not all of that grown had been pleasant or welcome by any means. 

Yet she could not deny herself the chance to push things in a direction that might bring her some happiness for a change.

"Sooooo," she drew the word out as she steeled herself for what might come of this, having eased off her efforts to hold Vanya in place. "I guess that means we ah...have a lot of exploring to do still, huh?" She wondered if that sounded as lame to Vanya as it did to her. She was not good at this. Nope, flirting was not her strong suit, and whatever it was that one could call this whole exchange (Foreplay?) was unexplored territory for the operations officer.

Re: Day 17 [1800 hrs.] Come Sail Away

Reply #49 – October 14, 2020, 11:16:38 PM

[Lt. Vanya | Boardwalk | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime ]Attn: @Brutus

Vanya was unashamedly enjoying this, and did little to hide it.  In many ways this was uncharted territory for her too.  She had never had a relationship evolve to this point, most of her romance was a cover for a covert mission, or a full speed ahead encounter for the sake of sensation 

She could tell that Nat was mildly uncomfortable, but could clearly tell that she wanted to continue.  She wasn’t protesting and there was more there than just induldgeance for Vanya.  That gave the android a lot to work with.  She hung off of Natr’s each word like a coach watching a protégé start getting the plays spot on.  She watched her relax  She returned to her ministrations, with her artificially coordinated trace, she stroked her toe up and down the inside of Nat’s thigh as much as she could before gentlyl lowering her foot bac down to Nat’s calf. 
“I’m pleased you’re horizons are so open.” 
With a raised eyebrow, she sroked her foot against the outside of her leg  She felt the fabric of her friends underwear edging her toes around one side of the fabpric, she gave her garment a short sharp tug before putting her foot back down, just as the waiter approached with their desert.  Vanya turned and looked excitedly. 

“This looks very nice.” She said.  “I’m not sure what my next move should be.”