Hot and Steamy...

Posted on 22 Jan 2016 @ 4:30am by Lieutenant JG Noah Khoroushi & Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D.

2,070 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: Jupiter Station, Gym
Timeline: MD 23, 0800 hours

[ON]

Water had always been his refuge - that and running, except that now there was only water. Pushing off the edge of the gymnasium pool, he thrust out in to the depths; his breath escaped in a slow, steady stream before he broke the surface to gulp in more. Another surge, then one more, and he was at the side and curing into a turn.

Noah made three full circuits, focused on nothing so much as stroke, kick and breathe, before he realized he was not the only body in the pool. As he reached the half-way point of his fourth round, he paused, catching a deeper breath as he glanced to the side.

In the next lane, the one closest to the edge, Tuula was pulling herself through the water using her "sea legs." She wasn't often the fastest swimmer in the pool, but for her, it was all about keeping fit and relieving stress.

Halfway through one of her lanes, Tuula paused to catch her breath as well. Holding onto the side of the pool with one hand, she wiped her shocking black and pink hair off to side and looked around, inadvertently catching eyes with the other swimmer. "Come here often?" she asked, offering him a smile.

Pausing to rest against the pool side, Noah offered the woman a half-smile. "Ah ... no. At least, I'm not at the station all that often. Just here to meet up with my new ship."

"A new ship..." mused Tuula. She hadn't heard about any new crew members coming aboard, but there were often personnel transfers during shore leaves and other stops, especially after an intense mission such as the Galileo's last one. "Not the Galileo, is it?"

Noah straightened some at that, peering at the woman with a good deal more interest. "Yes, in fact. I'm to be the new Assistant Operations Chief." Short of extending a hand over the buoy line, he smiled in greeting. "Noah Khoroushi."

"Dr. Tuula Voutilainen," replied the woman, shaking his hand with one hand while stabilizing herself on the edge of the pool with the other. "Medical officer on the Galileo." She took a deep breath. "I'm just about done my routine; care for a sauna afterwards?"

"Ah ..." Noah hesitated, unsure how to politely back out of the offer. He had nothing against a sauna in particular, but to share one with a woman?

He was saved - if it could be called as much - by Yasmin's arrival into the pool complex. "Noah, there you are! Your note said you were in the gym, but not where." Padding over to the side of the pool, she tilted her head towards the Doctor. "Who's your friend?"

His brow furrowed, but Noah used the distraction to give himself time to think. "Dr. Vou ... ah, that is Tuula. This is my sister, Yasmin."

"Hello." Yasmin beamed. "I heard something about a sauna?"

"Yes," replied Tuula, looking up at Yasmin as she clung to the side, "Noah and I were just finishing our laps and we were going to head over there, right, Noah?"

"That sounds perfect! Come on, Noah!"

"Yaya," Noah resisted the urge to growl. It was bad enough she had managed to weasel their parents into allowing her to come with him. "But yes. Ah ... would you mind my sister joining us?"

"No, of course not," replied Tuula. "The more the merrier! Come on, race you to the end of the pool!" she added, pushing herself off the ledge and down her lane.

As the woman took off, Noah gave his sister a warning glare, only to be answered by her usual impish grin, and took off with a huff of resignation. He reached the other side a hands-breadth before the woman, owing to a longer and years of practice, and pulled himself out onto the edge of the pool.

As much as he resented his sister's presence on the station, he was glad to have Yasmin there to offer her support as he regained his balance. For all he had most - if not all - his old mobility in the water, the transition back to land was still awkward at best. Turning to the Doctor, though, Noah was curious to see that he wasn't the only one with problems when it came to mobility. He'd noticed that the woman moved differently in the water, but hadn't thought much of the matter until now.

While Noah was getting out of the water, Tuula had maneuvered herself onto a sling which had been lowered into the pool on the end of a crane arm. Steadying herself with one hand, she used the other to operate the controls of the arm, lifting herself out of the water and pulling her towards her chair which had been parked nearby with a towel left on the seat. "Like the ink?" she asked in a nonchalant tone, catching Noah's curious stare.

Among other things, he supposed he could say. She was definitely a work of art; it wasn't uncommon to find tattoos on officers - male or female - but Noah couldn't say he'd seen this varied of a display on any one individual during his six years in service - ten, if he included his Academy time. "It is interesting," he offered.

Tuula smiled as she transferred herself to her chair. "Thanks," she said as she adjusted her position. "I just love getting tattoos, it's so exhilarating." She looked him up and down. "I see you don't have any?"

"Never thought about it, actually." Noah admitted, gathering his own stuff.

"He's probably scared of getting poked," Yasmin teased. Noah shot her a look, but it didn't matter - she didn't seem to care she was already on his bad side and they hadn't even boarded the ship yet!

"You should try it sometime," replied Tuula as she rolled off in the direction of the sauna. "It's such an exhilarating feeling... Anyways, I hope these saunas are good. I've traveled the galaxy, and have yet to find one as nice as the ones back home."

"Where's home," More than willing to take up the conversation lead, Yasmin trotted up to walk alongside the doctor in her chair, leaving Noah to catch up. "My brother and I are from Earth."

Trailing a few steps behind the pair, Noah listened as his sister chattered on about their home, Iran in general, her studies in the University, all the while probing Tuula for information about herself.

And Tuula was one to divulge, talking about her home in Finland, her twin sister, and her collection of antique medical equipment. "...and the bone saw, it's my favourite piece. It comes from the US Civil War, and was actually used by a surgeon in the Union Army..."

With Yasmin holding the door open, Tuula rolled into the sauna which was empty apart from their party. Looking around, she gave it a not of approval. It wasn't quite like home, but it was... sufficient. "Computer, increase heat by five degrees," she called out, before reaching over to ladle some water in on the rocks. "Come on, Noah, don't let all the steam out!"

Fifteen minutes and she was already taking over. Shaking his head, Noah closed the door behind them. To be honest, the sauna felt like heaven after the chill of the station. It was one thing he never quite adjusted to on ships, having grown up in such a warm climate. "So they have quite a few saunas in Finland?" He'd never been that far north, but knew there were more than a couple hot springs in the northern regions. He'd visited one in a mountain retreat in Japan, and could only imagine what paradise it would be to a region as cold as what Tuula described.

"Oh, yes, it is very much part of the culture," explained Tuula as she placed a small towel on the bench. Already, the loyly - steam - was working its magic. Tuula's voice was taking on a slower and more relaxed tone. "We have as many saunas as we do houses," she added as she transferred herself to the bench. "It's practically a necessity for us, and there is a whole culture around the sauna, from the way it is prepared to the post-sauna beer."

As Tuula explained sauna culture, her hands instinctively and absent-mindedly reached behind her back and undid the strap on her bikini top. But before she got it off, she froze and looked over at Noah and Yasmin, blushing slightly at their reaction. "...and part of that culture is that it can be a bit of a faux pas to wear your swimsuit into the sauna," she explained, tying her bikini back on, "but it is not necessary to sauna in the nude if that makes one feel uncomfortable..."

Noah tensed - but not so much at the Doctor disrobing before him as Yasmin starting on her own suit. Well, no - he shouldn't be bothered as it wasn't as if she were baring herself before another man, but ... "As you will, though ... ah ... I believe I'll remain clothed." He leaned back against the wall, his eyes shifting away from Tuula and his sister.

"Don't mind him - he has noooo idea how to have fun," Yasmin assured the woman and began peeling off her own suit. "We have baths at home, but usually it's broken up between men and women." She flashed a smile before adding, "How do you say your name again? I heard you mention it once, but I didn't quite catch it."

"Too-lah," replied Tuula. "Just like how it's spelled. Except maybe with fewer u's." Following Yasmin's lead, she removed her bikini again. "Don't worry, Noah," she added, "I'm a doctor. It's nothing I haven't seen before." She paused for a moment as beads of sweat began to form on her body. "Well, I suppose maybe it is. But in that case, I should probably be booking you for an appointment in sickbay."

He shot a glare to a fizzing Yasmin and firmly shook his head. "Thank you, but no."

Managing some control, Yasmin gasped a breath. "It's a thing for our family - culture, really." Though she'd done off with her suit, she had wrapped one of the sheets about herself, regaining some decency. "That is such a pretty name, though. I'm Yas meen," she added, "though you probably gathered that." Her brother tended to soften the last vowel to more of a 'min', but she tended to answer to either.

Tuula nodded and smiled in response, not bothering with a towel or anything to cover her body. Her tattoos were in full view, among other things. "You're lucky," she said to Noah, "it's just so wonderful to have your sister on board. I have a twin sister who works in stellar cartography. I'm sure you'll have lots of good times together on the Galileo."

"I'm hoping to study Biology," Yasmin admitted, leaning back. "Micro-organisms and the like."

Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt, Noah added, "It was one of the reasons Yasmin chose a Science vessel - the possibility of having access to some of the science labs."

"Ooooh, biology!" exclaimed Tuula excitedly. "My pre-med degree was in Biology, from the University of Helsinki. I love biology! I should tell you about my paper on tribble reproduction sometime..." Tuula paused for a moment, deep in thought. "In fact, I'm working on a paper right now and could use a proofreader... the pay isn't great, but you get to play with Gilbert, my pet tribble." A smile appeared on Tuula's face as she mentioned the tribble who she had rescued from the wiring in her medical replicator and nursed back to health, healing its severe burns. "I named him after the librettist," she admitted.

"A real tribble?"

Noah let the pair of them talk, willing himself NOT to think about the fact he was sitting in a steam room with his sister who was in nothing but a towel, and a naked woman he had only met moments before. This was NOT how he had planned to start his new assignment.

[OFF]

Lieutenant (J.G.) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (J.G.) Noah Khoroushi
Assistant Operations Chief
USS Galileo

Yasmin Khoroushi
Civilian Family

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