Hanging out on the Beach

Posted on 24 Jun 2016 @ 8:45am by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Anthony Duval & Korre Barras (KIA)

1,649 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 11 - Divinum Mundi
Location: Holodeck Two - USS Galileo
Timeline: MD6 - 0900Hrs

WO2 Warrant Officer 2nd Class Anthony Duval had quickly found that if he went to bed as soon as he got off watch, that he had the morning shift to do as he wished. After booking the holodeck for an hour each time for several days in a row, he decided to pack some gear he knew he would need, like sunscreen, a couple of large towels, two large bottles of water and a shirt.

He packed them into a decent sized duffel bag and he set off to his destination. He reached his destination a few minutes later, he smiled as he tapped the wall display next to the holodeck.

Korre hadn't expected an invitation from Duval - at least, not this early in the game, but she wasn't one to turn down a day in the sun. Donning a suit, she covered up with a sari wrap and a flowy over-shirt before heading off for the indicated holo-deck. The light was on over the door when she arrived, but it opened to admit her once she tapped in her code. "Hello?"

"I'm over here." Duval commented as he was semi-sitting and semi standing, on the lip of the sea wall as he looked out over the oceans of New Sheridan. The water itself looked almost a darker shade of blue then was normal but the sky also had a light green tinge to it.

Stepping into the simulation, Korre lowered her sunglasses to the tip of her nose to look around. "Niiice ... I love the colors - this isn't Earth, but I can't quite place it."

Duval shifted his attention from the oceanfront to her, as he took in the sight of her, from her feet to her face. "No.. Its not Earth... Its the colony world of New Sheridan. I was here on my last leave.." he explained for clarification.

"Never been there," Korre offered, coming over to set her bag down on one of the out-spread towels. "But if it's like this, I will definitely have to make a point of visiting the next time I'm in the area." She peered at Duval. "What exactly do you do on New Sheridan, save enjoy lovely beaches?"

"Oh I took in the sights, sampled the local cuisine, they do a cross between french and italian, along with some German which gets interesting at times.." he paused. "Ever tried Currywurst and fries?"

Korre's mouth quirked at the thought. "If it tastes anything like i'm thinking, I may have to consider adding it to the Callisto's menu. Though I thought Curry was more associated to Indian cuisine." The sun was warm yet mild; dropping her gear, Korre took out some sun lotion and slathered it onto her arms and shoulders, adding a delicate touch about her eyes and mouth before finishing off her face. "Mind getting my back with this? The last thing I need is a simulated burn while I'm trying to pour out drinks tonight." She flashed a sweet grin at Duval.

Duval shrugged. "Sure." as she poured a generous amount over his hands before he watched her turn as he gently began applying it to her back. "Several British army service personnel created the dish quite by accident." he briefly explained its history. "German sausage boiled and sliced into chunks, slathered in curry sauce with a side of fries, you can eat it with or without ketchup." as he gently ran his fingers with the lotion on them over her back.

He had strong hands, Korre could say that for sure! Holding her hair up out of the way, she closed her eyes. "Hmmm ... I guess that depends on how much Curry you use - whether you need to moderate the power of the flavor or not."

Duval continued lathering the lotion over her back as he regarded her. "Moderated to taste, of course." he commented. "It depends if someone can handle the heat."

A contented smile curled at Korre's mouth. "Oh I can handle the heat when it comes to Culinary matters ... And other areas as well."

Duval slowly blinked his eyes before he sighed ever so softly. A name and a face crossed his mind but he decided not to dwell on it, so he returned those thoughts back to where they belonged with a helpful shove and a push. "Out here is doesn't get too hot... New Sheridan is some ten percent of the distance further out from its parent star then Sol." he paused. "Of course... The New Sheridan sun is twice the size of Sol with one and a half times the mass.." he completely missed the other subtle hint she tossed at him.

He was so matter of fact at times. Korre blew out a breath, stirring a lock of hair that fell across her face. "Well, there are always other ways to work up a sweat." When he had finished, she turned to smile at him. "So ... what did you have in mind?

Duval raised an eyebrow. "Well... I was thinking of a simple stroll along the beach..." he regarded her. "Why.... What did you have in mind?" he shifted his attention over to her.

Dark eyes regarded Duval over a nose wrinkled in amusement. "Enjoying myself. And it's been a good while since I've strolled a beach that was not already as familiar as my own hand, so that sounds divine."

Duval regarded her before he shifted his attention over to the ocean. "Mmm... This world is a little cooler then Earth." he reminded her. "Shall we?"

She'd noticed the cool, though right now in the sun, it wasn't as obvious. "Well, then; I'll just have to take you by the lounge afterwards for a little something to warm up." Korre took his hand as they started off.

Duval walked beside her, holding his silence as he slowly moved down the beach, glancing at her a couple of times as he still held his silence.

Korre let him dwell for a time, simply enjoying the sea and the atmosphere about her. After a while, she glanced toward Duval and caught him looking at her. "Slip for your thoughts, there?"

Duval regarded her as they walked together. "I'm Sorry... I was just thinking..." he responded. "Maybe I should get out more.."

"I could definitely come behind that diagnosis," Korre assured him. "It never hurts to spread your wings and explore a few new things."

"Not that there is a lot to do on this ship..." Duval responded.

Turning about, Korre ran her eyes over Duval - inquisitive more than anything - then placed her hands on his shoulders. Her fingers traced over the sturdy form before her, investigating well-defined muscles with a deft touch. "Sometimes, you have to look in unexpected places to find new depths."

Duval regarded her with a cool look in his eyes. "So... what are you looking for..?" he asked of her while she ran her fingers over his muscles.

Korre pursed her lips. If he could keep his peace, then she could as well. Instead, she traced the various lines marking his body. A person could make a veritable map of the scars - while they didn't cover the surface, they were notable, and quite clear in definition. Not blemishes, or mere accidents.

Duval regarded her as she ran her fingers over his form. "I've been through a lot.." he admitted. "mostly just a collection of scars... and little else really."

"You have your own constellation system here," Korre offered, her hands coming to rest lightly on his shoulders as she met his eyes again. "I'm sure there's some arcane art to reading the signs of a body to see what their future holds, but I've never had the aptitude to learn that. I just ... see a number of times when you came to harm and have to wonder how many of those prevented the harm of another."

Duval regarded her with a cool expression which looked somewhat out of place. "Or the ones I lost... Because I failed.." he sighed.

Korre's hands flattened against his chest as she met his gaze. "You only fail when you never try in the first place, Anthony. Failure is the absence of effort." She traced over a particularly troubling line that came close to his heart. "This is not failure. This is sacrifice. I'm sorry you cannot see it as such, but I do."

"Oh I tried.." Duval answered as he looked down at her. "I tried... and the Dominion killed my friends.." he sighed. "Every scar I kept... For those who I lost.."

"So that their memories do not fade into the night unremembered. They will always have you, and their legacy will carried on long after them." Korre was willing to make a bet he remembered every name. "But right now, you need to let them rest so that you can have some peace."

Duval inhaled softly before he slowly exhaled. "I've held onto it for so long..." he shifted his attention from the shoreline to her. "Its... almost habit these days."

Korre patted his arm. "It's not something you slough off all at once. Just ... start putting a thing down here and there. In time you'll have it tucked away and find out it feels right.

Duval regarded her as he left out a soft sigh, while he did so he closed his eyes and let out a soft breathe as he cleared his mind and dismissing his fears before he tried letting go of his self-loathing.

Smile still curving her mouth, Korre gave the arm a gentle squeeze. "That's a start," she encouraged him. "Now, why don't we give this beach a proper walk before we have to head back."

Duval nodded his head in agreement. "Sounds good.... Shall we?"

[OFF]

WO2 Anthony Duval
Engineer
USS Galileo

Korre Barras
Lounge Manager
USS Galileo

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