The Tale of Slow Sally Seaweed & the Half-Vulcan Prince

Posted on 22 Jan 2014 @ 4:17pm by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ellsworth Hudson & Ensign K'os Beaumont

3,871 words; about a 19 minute read

Mission: Episode 05 - Solstice
Location: Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia, Earth
Timeline: MD 19 - 1200 hrs

[ ON ]

Ellsworth emerged onto the cottage's veranda in swim trunks that looked more like boxer-briefs and left very little to the imagination. The pattern and color were both garish, and they were similar to his favorite pair from Risa. A quick scan of the beach revealed no one else along the strip of white sand, and without a basis for comparison he was beginning to worry whether cultural standards were as lax on Nusa Lembongan as they were on the pleasure planet.

"How do I look?" he asked, turning slowly in place. Posing with his hands on his hips, he started to blush. "I may have gone a little overboard with the shopping... I probably have a different pair for every hour we're here."

"You look...wow." He said. Actually lost for words for once. "I couldn't decide on mine either, so I bought several. Seeing yours, I feel silly for not doubting the motives behind the ladies at the shop sooner. They said I needed to try them all on before they could make an informed decision. Thought it strange at the time, but I can see their duplicity had reason." He pulled his eyes away reluctantly from Ellsworth's legs and down to his own trunks. "I believe mine are the wrong size. Are they supposed to be this short?" He tugged at the hem of his two-toned purple swimsuit, suddenly feeling self conscious. The loose fitting long sleeved shirt he wore was unbuttoned to his stomach and gaped open as he turned trying to see if the purple fabric stretched too tightly across his bum.

"You gotta watch those ladies - they don't work in a shop like that for nothin'," Ellsworth said.

The Betazoid took his time looking over his beach companion, circling him with a thoughtful expression almost as if he were admiring a work of art in a renowned museum. He noted the opened shirt, revealing the well-defined torso one would expect from a Vulcan hybrid; the material of the swim trunks also did plenty to emphasize his back and front ends. Finally, Ellsworth completed his circuit and nodded.

"Not too short. At least not standing next to me, or by Risian standards. I dunno about here, but I feel a little less self-conscious about mine now. If we're being scandalous, at least we're being scandalous together."

Ellsworth showed a creeping, meaningful grin before nodding toward the water.

"I'll race you... Last one there gets a seaweed wig?"

Taking it literally, K'os bolted as if a race gun went off. His barefeet dug small holes in the sand as he pumped his legs. The anticipation of the cool water splashing on his body spurred him on faster. He managed to pull his shirt off just as he went crashing into the water. Surfacing, he let out a large "Ha ha woo!" as if letting off built up energy and then looked around for Ellsworth.

The Betazoid was just getting his feet wet by the time K'os dove into the water. In retrospect, he probably shouldn't have challenged someone of superior strength to a race. Ellsworth laughed at the sight of the Vulcan hybrid splashing in the surf and tossed his own shirt onto the beach; his body could hardly be considered muscular but it was lithe and toned as blessed by genetics.

"Maybe next time you should give me a head start," Ellsworth said ruefully, splashing some water in K'os's direction. He trudged over and bent halfway at the waist, dropping his head until it was pointed more or less at K'os. "Okay. Go ahead, crown me. Lay waste to my beautiful, luscious locks."

K'os stood, raising himself out of the water. The warmth of the sun on his skin felt warmer now. He began looking around for a patch of seaweed. In the short time he took to spot some, the hair on his chest and stomach were no longer dripping with water. He loved the coolness around his legs with the warmth on his chest. "If I gave you a head start, it should be called a chase not a race." He smiled, noting that his cheeks were starting to get sore from doing so. He crowned Ellsworth with a ceremonial 'plop'.

"I dub you, Slow Sally Seaweed." He sank back into the water and slowly backstroked a little further out.

Ellsworth brushed some of the seaweed from his face and then whipped his head around to look at K'os over his shoulder. He pushed his lips out a bit and tried to conjure up smoldering eyes. "Men find Slow Sally Seaweed...an irresistible siren of the sea. She's led many to their deaths. She is..." He casually flipped a strand of seaweed out of his face. "...devastatingly beautiful."

His whole look degenerated into a broad grin as he dove into the water, swimming in K'os's general direction. The water itself was luke warm and almost eerily clear. The white sandy bottom was so visible it looked as if you could just reach out and touch it; the water was catching the climbing sun in such a way that its brilliant blue hues came to life.

Further out from the beach, several ancient-looking shipwrecks wobbled in the surf. Ellsworth suspected some of them might be replicas or restorations, but they were likely seen as important by the locals since the break was known as "Shipwreck." It certainly added to the appearance of the place, and the waves at the break just short of the ships sitting amid the reef looked like great surfing.

"Are you a good surfer?" Ellsworth asked, motioning toward the ships as he bobbed close to K'os. The seaweed was still clinging to his hair but in a much less ordered pattern. "I have to redeem my pride somehow."

The hybrid laughed again and swam closer. "I'm certain you're better at it than me." He reached out and pulled the remaining vegetation off his companion's head. "There were a few boards stacked next to the veranda if you wanted to measure how much better."

"You're on!" Ellsworth said, bouncing through the surf back toward the beach.

=-=-=-=-=-=

Ellsworth leaned back in his chair, stretched a bit and locked his hands behind his head. He'd changed his swimwear three times throughout the course of the day just to satisfy his vanity before finally settling on a solid red pair of swim briefs, sans shirt, that left little about his body to the imagination. The warm, gentle breeze rolling off the calming sea felt good against his exposed skin, and he closed his eyes to better enjoy the effect.

The table that had materialized on their veranda after a late afternoon nap now contained the remnants of an early Balinese dinner: roasted pig; spiced steamed chicken; vegetables mixed with rice; and rice porridge with palm sugar sauce and grated coconut for dessert. Two cups of tea remained steaming on the table while the pair turned their attention to a sunset that seemed to be turning the sky ablaze. The sparkling blue water had been banished by the falling sun, replaced with a dark rippled surface.

"Why'd you lemme eat so much?" Ellsworth complained, letting a hand fall to slide over his slightly swollen tummy and furrowing his brow in complaint.

"I did urge caution after the chicken vanished." He was studying the sunset, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His chin resting under his clasped fists. The colours were vivid and he watched it as if he were seeing something only he could see. After a moment he leaned back trying to soak up as much of the remaining rays of sunlight. He turned his head and looked at Ellsworth with a thoughtful expression. Since their encounter on the beach that morning he had avoided bringing the topic up, though he had been thinking about it all day. They had shared a lot of personal and intimate details about each other in that brief exchange. They were practically strangers, but somehow the experience made him feel more affectionate towards the Betazoid. He took the tea from the table and blew on it gently.

Ellsworth could feel the eyes on him as much as he could feel the thoughts and emotions behind them. The encounter had been on his mind all day, too. The day itself had been nice - it reminded him of some of the nicer dates he'd had on Risa, just without the contractual obligations hanging over his head - but it had been difficult not to view everything through the prism of their experience. It had been unlike anything he'd ever felt in his short life; just thinking about it made his breath quicken and his skin tingle. The experience had felt addictive, and he'd been fighting poor impulse control all day in order to keep from grabbing K'os's hand just to feel the experience all over again. He wanted to feel it one more time to confirm that he wasn't, in fact, completely crazy.

"I hope the food wasn't too spicy for you," Ellsworth said, adding an indulgent amount of sugar to his tea before taking an exploratory sip. "I think the Terran palate enjoys quite a bit more spice than the Vulcan one. Maybe even for Betazoids, too. I think my tongue is still on fire."

"It wasn't pleasant at first, but the taste seemed familiar to me somehow" He took a slow slurp from his tea before putting it down.. His grey-blue eyes continued to study the other man. Slowly, but deliberately he slid his hand across the table reaching out with just his index and middle fingers extended. It was Vulcan gesture, but he hoped the sentiment wasn't lost. He traced the back of Ells hand lightly. The usual tingle was just feint enough to detect.

Ellsworth almost dropped his tea cup. He swallowed hard before cutting his eyes upward to look at K'os. He gave him a demure smile that was a complete contradiction to the lustful look in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was soft, low and a little more hopeful than he'd care to admit to himself. "Are you gonna dine and dash, or will you stick around for awhile?"

"The transporter facilities are closed, and you have the keys to my cottage." He smiled, more with his eyes.

Ellsworth looked over his shoulder at his bag, sitting on the bed just inside the cottage. The keys, along with all his other belongings, were stuffed inside. "I hope you won't press kidnapping charges then."

The Betazoids black eyes, as dark as the sea would be soon, turned down to look at the hand where K'os's fingers played across his skin. Every trace felt like it left a residual...something. He couldn't quite grasp the right words to describe it even to himself. Electricity? Emotion? Intimacy? Whatever the feeling was, it was awakening within him a thunderous desire to feel more contact with the half-Vulcan - if just holding hands had brought on such a sensation earlier, what would a more intimate touch feel like?

Ellsworth finally managed to tear his eyes away from his hand and look out on the sea. The sun had either set rapidly, or he'd been mesmerized longer than he thought. The moon was off somewhere to the side, casting dim light on the now darkened beach. He looked up and down the white sand from their vantage point and saw only a torch flickering in the far distance: they were alone.

Not being particularly shy about it, Ellsworth stood up, slipped his swimsuit off, and kicked it off through the opened door of the cottage. He wordlessly gestured toward the water with his chin, raising an eyebrow in both invitation and inquiry.

K'os laughed almost before the Betazoid had touched his swimwear. He had anticipated it moments before Ellsworth's mind made the desire into an action. By the time he gave him that inquiring eyebrow, his own swim trunks were around his knees. With another loud, hearty laugh he took off back towards the water much they way he had earlier.

Ellsworth thought he was running faster this time, probably charged by adrenaline and desire. Once they'd moved sufficiently off shore, he dove at K'os from behind to try to take him by surprise and knock him into the water. Being lighter and smaller, he didn't make much of an impact and managed to only tumble awkwardly into the water himself while laughing and clawing at slick, bare skin in an attempt to take the half-Vulcan down with him.

He was almost successful too, but K'os just sent a volley of water at him before running lazily down the other way, kicking up sand and water as we went. His hybrid mind couldn't decide what he enjoyed more, the affectionate comradery or the other man's naked body. He wasn't a stranger to contradictory emotions, he just didn't have the concentration anymore to control it one way or the other.

Ellsworth grinned, both from the view and the opportunity to give chase. Stumbling from the unsteady sand beneath him, he finally found his footing and went crashing after K'os. He scooped up an errant handful of seaweed and launched the volley, watching it go long and erratically wide. He finally stopped a few feet from his new friend, stance wide and hands to the side as if setting the stage for an adversarial showdown.

Ellsworth shifted from foot to foot in anticipation as the sea lapped around his waist. He took the moment to admire K'os in the moonlight. The more he saw the wider his grin became and the more impatient he grew; finally, he started to slowly stalk forward.

"Revenge of Slow Sally Seaweed." K'os said swiping his hand in the air as if reading a news headline.

Ellsworth laughed, trying to sound maniacal. He gestured off to the right toward the shipwrecks situation on the coral reef, hulking silhouettes in the pale moonlight. "Oh yes. Many men have succumbed to the revenge of Slow Sally Seaweed..."

He stalked closer before kicking a foot up, sending a spray of water at K'os that he charged through. Ellsworth lunged, feeling some of the speed go out of his legs from unintended laughter.

The smaller man crashed into his hybrid friend though K'os didn't budge as he held Ellsworth up, preventing him from tumbling back into the shallow water. "I'm sure that's not all they succumb too." Coming from K'os, it sounded more endearing than lecherous. Being naked was natural for Betazoids and he was emulating Ellsworth's comfortableness. He was very conscious of their skin contact though and it made his breathing more rapid. He couldn't help but transmit his feelings. It was inaccurate of course to call them conflicting feelings. It was more like simultaneous feelings. Something uniquely felt by Vulcan/Human hybrids.

Ellsworth couldn't decide whether to grin or laugh or try to do both. "Your superior musculature is just not fair, K'os. It's not..." His last words drifted off as the skin-to-skin contact began to reignite feelings from their earlier connection. Even his own limited telepathy could pick up K'os's thoughts and sensations; he found he could suddenly know them on such an intimate level and that was a revelation. His own limited exposure to other telepaths seemed to have been denying him a whole way of life that transcended words and non-verbal communication.

Just as K'os was aware of the contact, Ellsworth became increasingly aware, too, and it sparked a physiological response that didn't just limit itself to shallow breathing. The young Betazoid found his own footing in front of K'os, no longer relying on just the strength of the other's arms to hold him up, and stared upward into the grey-blue eyes. Processing the empathic and telepathic feelings seemed to leave Ellsworth immobilized, though the movement of his eyes suggested he wasn't entirely paralyzed.

Had K'os been trained in proper mind meld techniques, he may have been able to control what was happening more. He tried to 'speak' to Ellsworth like the Betazoid could, but his telepathic communication was mainly done through images, sounds, feelings, sensations, and innate understanding from Ellsworth. Perhaps had telepaths not been so hasty, they may have experienced this sensation as well? He also wondered briefly if what he was doing was right. Was he projecting his desire for connection or was Ellsworth's need to experience it what was driving them? He took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Evaporating his thoughts and feelings away like fog on a mirror. Remnants remained this time, but he was too overstimulated to push them entirely aside; that elicited a mild flash of frustration just near the surface like a memory he couldn't quite remember.

Ellsworth inhaled sharply, feeling like the emotional slate was being wiped nearly clean by whatever K'os had managed to do. He'd allowed himself to surrender so entirely to the experience and the connection that seeing it whisked away was jarring. He could sense something lingering, like a dusty white film on a chalkboard that was reminiscent of words but nonetheless obliterated beyond true recognition. The Betazoid took a step backward and realized he could hear the surf again, a background noise that had evidently faded entirely away during the experience.

Mental fatigue overcame K'os, and with a look that conveyed his apology, his own thoughts and feelings came flooding back in. A torrent of contradictions. Lust-Fear-Happiness-Anger-Peace-Loneliness-Acceptance.

Ellsworth opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't know what to say. He reached out and held K'os's hand for the briefest of moments - enough to convey affection but not long enough to stir the connection - and then let his held breath out in a rush.

"Maybe," he ventured, concerned the sensed mental fatigue would translate into physical fatigue, "we should head back to the cottage?"

He opened his mouth to say he was fine, but stopped and instead nodded his agreement then begun heading back. As they approached the cottage, K'os jogged ahead to a wood pile and started setting up a fire in the designated pit. He stacked the wood in a way that suggested that he'd done this sort of thing before. Within a few minutes he had a fire going with, the heat warming their naked bodies. "I had to stop." He said, knowing he didn't have to give an explanation, but feeling the need to justify himself anyway.

Ellsworth retrieved a blanket from the cottage and spread it out next to the fire. He settled down onto it, leaning back on his outstretched arms without the least care for his nudity. He patted the blanket next to himself and then scooted as close to K'os as he dared.

"It's okay," he said, staring at the dancing flames. The crackling of the dry wood mingled with the breeze running through palm fronds overhead to create the orchestral backdrop of a remote beach. Ellsworth's cheeks began to run hot, and not from the fire before them. "I was bein' selfish anyway."

"How so?" Although, he was pretty sure what he meant.

Ellsworth's hair had begun to dry from the fire and the breeze, so when he hung his head it tumbled down and partially covered his eyes; he was thankful for that.

"I've never had anything like that," he responded. He started to drag up his sad backstory for a point of reference - loveless childhood, loveless occupation - but then he realized K'os already knew all of that. He brought his slender hands up to his temples and then ran them through his hair, partially in frustration. "I just wanted to experience it again. I wanted to feel it again, to see if it was real. I wasn't even thinkin' about you. I mean, I was thinkin' about you..." He smiled ruefully. "...you know that. But I didn't have the motivations a person should have had in a moment like that. If they were thinkin' right. I shouldn't have done it to you."

He wanted to turn his attention completely to the fire so he could concentrate on something besides shame, but he couldn't help cutting his eyes to the side to look at K'os. The urge to touch him at that moment had nothing to do with the connection; rather, he just wanted the comfort of someone's touch.

K'os had been studying Ells the whole time he spoke so when the young telepath looked up, K'os caught his eye and held it. His own were wet with compassion, but his smile told the other man that there was absolutely no hint of judgement in his gaze. The lack of need to explain ones self to the other was oddly liberating. He reached out and pulled him closer instinctively knowing it's what Ellsworth wanted. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders, almost protectively. Nobody should ever feel shame for how they feel.

"Does it always happen?" Ellsworth asked, seeking an answer to an unspoken question about the physical limits of their involvement. He tucked himself in closer to K'os and enjoyed the comforting touch for all its warmth and foreignness.

He pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows, and gave a tiny shrug to convey that he had no idea. "This is new." He seemed to be getting more used to the feeling now. Anticipated it more, and perhaps had started to understand how the connection worked. It felt a lot like two people awkwardly making love for the first time. Neither really knowing how everything worked, but knowing it felt good once they synced.

Some of the tension seemed to leave Ellsworth's small frame as K'os reemphasized that the experience was new for him, too. He thought to respond, to thank K'os for his embrace and kind words, but he figured that probably wasn't necessary. The limits of what they could feel from one another seemed like they could still be explored, but he imagined K'os would pick up on his gratitude.

He raised his right hand, brushing some sand off on the blanket before running it uncertainly along the length of the arm draped around his shoulder. He felt taut, strong muscles lurking beneath the skin and briefly wondered whether he was feeling them through his own senses or K'os's. Either way, the sensation began to draw his attention away from their conversation and back to the latent amorous feelings that had been just below the surface for him all day long.

Ellsworth turned his head to lock eyes with K'os again. He smiled shyly out of habit. He checked his motives one last time, making sure they weren't purely rooted in selfishness, and then asked the question K'os probably already knew.

"Will you come inside with me? When the fire dies down?"

He nodded. "I was told the nights on Nusa Lembongan can be quite cold." He felt Ellsworth's heart flutter. No, it was his own heart. Wasn't it?

[ OFF ]

PO3 K'os Beaumont
M/E Systems Specialist
USS Galileo

&

PO3 Ellsworth Hudson
Quartermaster
USS Galileo

RSS Feed