The Beach; Words (Part 2)

Posted on 27 Dec 2012 @ 3:26pm by Lieutenant Kiri Cho

1,717 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: Vega Colony, Puam Digh
Timeline: MD9 1630

[Continued]

The sound of waves and distant birds were all that hung in the breeze for a few minutes. Enjoying the moment, walking in the shallows and holding Maenad's hand, relaxing and resting her eyes. She finally forced herself to speak so not to fall asleep, "I have new quarters now." The bed hadn't been slept in and it had barely any decoration at all but it was still hers.

"Oh really?" Maenad asked, realising that she should have already known that. Officers had quarters to themselves, she just hadn't internalised that Kiri was now the same rank as she was. "How do you like being on your own?"

"I was on my own before," Kiri had a tiny room that suited her just fine, even her quarters at the Academy after first year had been her own. As for her new quarters, "They are almost as large as my parents house, it feels very big." It daunted her the size of the rooms, the bed, the emptiness.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware of that," Maenad said truthfully. "I would like to see them some time. Have you decorated?"

"I put all my things out, it barely covers the desk," Pictures, plants, objects, work things, it all had to be discovered and put out on display. "So I think I might need to be more materialistic."

Maenad made a quiet laugh; she would need several large rooms to hold everything she owned. "I'll need to get you a house warming gift, I think."

"Oh," Kiri smiled, Pola and Kohl were the only people to give her gifts on her birthday. Despite this all being rather new she was relaxing more, the laughing helped, "I would need to get you something."

"No you wouldn't," Maenad said back to her. "You're the one who's moved, so I should give you a present to decorate your new home," she smiled down at her. "I don't need anything. Don't worry about it. I will come by, see what it looks like, and then find something for you that I know you will like."

"I didn't get you anything when you moved to your quarters," Kiri looked confused, to her giving gifts was a perfectly good way of helping people to like her. Was it a home though? Her home was on Earth with her parents, in the bed she grew up in. This was just her quarters on the ship, wasn't it? That wasn't the same thing, she never moved out. Then something rather heavy hit her, it wasn't her room any more. It was Sarah's room now, her parents wouldn't put her in the small guest bedroom would they? That made Kiri freeze up for a moment, they hadn't had a chance to talk about anything like that or even much at all. That was still her home right?

"That's because you didn't know me," she made a sort of impatient smile without looking at her, continuing to walk along the water's edge.

"That wouldn't be very fair to you," Kiri dropped a few steps and moved faster to catch up. She had met Maenad before she had moved into her quarters but it never crossed her mind to give a gift. To have something from Maenad with nothing in return, that was showing that she didn't respect the other woman.

Why wouldn't she get it? "I'm not going to refuse anything you give me, Kiri," Maenad said, a hint of her frustration getting through. "I'm just saying that you really don't have to get me something just because I want to give you something for your new quarters." They kept walking and Maenad realised that she might have sounded harsh, so she gave Kiri's hand a little squeeze. "When would be a good time for me to come over?" she looked down at her again with a friendly look in her eyes.

Kiri didn't know what to make of the aggressiveness, assuming she wasn't imagining it. To her it was abnormal for people to give her gifts outside her family and when her friends did it she always made sure she gave them something back. What to get Maenad was rather a mystery though, it didn't feel like she knew her very well. As far as time went, when wasn't she busy, "I don't really know, you could tell me when you are free and I could make time." She said hopefully but there were things for the sensors and the captain to be working on, there wouldn't be much time off other than today.

Maenad breathed a thoughtful sigh. "What are you doing tonight, what time are you going back to the ship?"

"When everyone else is finished I guess," It was a little abrupt but she couldn't find much fault with having a guest over tonight. Kiri knew how tired she was though, it might not be a good idea. Never the less she would soldier on, "Would you like to come over tonight?"

Maenad considered the question for a minute before responding. "Tell me when you get home," she said finally, "And we'll see how we're feeling."

"Okay," Another silence hung in the air, "Would you like to do something like this again?"

"Sure," Maenad replied. They walked on several more steps and she added with a nod, as though she had thought about the question a little more, "Sure I would."

"Do you think everyone else would?" Kiri had set all this up and she thought most would like to do it again but it would be better to hear it from somebody she was starting to trust.

"Oh," Maenad thought that Kiri meant just the two of them walking together. "I don't know. I think Mister Liyar enjoyed himself, even though he would tell he is incapable of enjoying anything."

"Vulcan's say things like that but the can let themselves enjoy things, just they want to be in control of when and how." Kiri was speaking of limited experience but she had no doubt that Sellen or Liyar both enjoyed things in life.

Maenad only grinned, walking with Kiri and enjoying the warm breeze. She had forgotten about the sunburn that she had, which was still getting worse, and looked far down the beach and out to sea.

Kiri held the silence. Walking hand in hand until all of a sudden Kiri felt a scratching on her feet. Raising it out of the water a small translucent crab reacted to the air and clamped down hard on her water swollen feet. Letting out a squeak she tried to reach out with her free hand and startled to topple over.

They continued walking and Maenad was paying little attention to what was going on. She felt the warm breeze, the water against her legs, and she felt pleasant and relaxed. She was reminiscing in her mind about the day, about Liyar pounding back drink after drink like it was water. She laughed quietly at that, when suddenly she felt her arm being dragged behind her. Then there was a hard tug she and her shoulder was pulled back, forcing her to spin around. By then it was too late; Maenad thrusted out one of her arms and kicked out one of her legs to try and balance, but Kiri went down and took Maenad with her into the shallow water - just as a wave rolled in. The surf broke around Maenad's back and completely soaked her, leaving her sitting with her knees raised and far apart, her arms spread behind her with palms flat to hold herself up. Maenad looked at Kiri and then down at herself, her long white dress now completely see-through and she erupted into an hysterical laughter. Though Maenad was laughing so hard that it hurt, and if she weren't so wet she'd have been crying too, she barely made a sound except for when she struggled to breathe. "What happened?" she managed to whine three or four waves later, finally getting a hold of herself.

Kiri felt like her mouth was full of sand. Reflex made her splutter but it was only salt water. Maenad's leg had caught her own as she fell on her bruised shoulder, water breaking over her. Pulling herself up and trying to catch her breath Kiri was at least victorious in catching a tiny crab between her fingers. It was her reply before she saw the state that she had put Maenad in. At once she let go, deaf to the laughter, "Are you okay?" A blush washed across her in her own wave. To she someone in such a state, almost naked. It almost brought her to tears. She had done something terrible because she was clumsy.

Maenad looked up at Kiri, who looked absolutely terrified. "Yes, I'm fine," she said back to her, climbing back to her feet. Maenad looked down at herself, her dress sticking to her skin. It was a good thing she had put her black two piece bathing suit on that morning, she thought with an appreciative grin. She pinched the dress off her her body. "At least it will be dry soon in this sun. Are you okay?"

Kiri struggled but also got back to her feet, her heart thumping hard in her chest. She felt ashamed, "I'm fine, I'm really sorry." She started to unwind her wrap that was half wet. How could she be so clumsy?

Maenad was laughing again. "Come on," she said, gesturing forward with a nod.

Not really sure about what was so funny Kiri started to follow before pausing and heading back towards the water. Reaching a foot deep she quickly washed the sand from her sides, dunking her hair as well so it all matched. That done it clung to her face, looking rather messy, "Okay."

Maenad took Kiri's hand again and began walking in the same direction as they'd been going before the crab had pinched Kiri's toe and taken them both into the water, happy to see Kiri smiling too - even if it was faint. She was glad to be her friend.

[OFF]
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Lieutenant (JG) Kiri Cho
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (JG) Maenad Panne
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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