New Friends in Relaxing Places

Posted on Fri Dec 9th, 2022 @ 9:12pm by Lieutenant JG Nezuko & Lieutenant Talia Johnson

1,350 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Sand Sea Fun and Surf
Location: Risa

It was Day Two of the Tokyo crew’s leave on Risa. Nezuko’s first day had begun rough, but ended when she was made to realize all the comforts and hospitality the planet had to offer indoors. Massages and spa treatments — including a lovely shade of pink polish on her sharp fingernails — made her feel more at ease than on any previous holiday.

For her second day, her hosts had given her an activity sheet: indoor hot tubs, pools, and saunas, plus spelunking and SCUBA diving (easier for her, since she brought a waterproof rebreather for the holiday, so no need for a tank!) They also gave her a light kimono and a parasol which let her keep cool in the planet’s heat without exposing her skin to the Risian sun’s deadly rays.

Right now, she sat alone in a sauna, towel around herself, letting the steam open her skin and relax her muscles.

Having spent the first day of Shoreleave on the ship Talia had finally made it down to Risa, having spent some time out in the sun she'd decided to enjoy some time in the sauna. She’d only ever done it once before, so had decided to give it another try.

Wrapped in a colourful towel she walked inside politely nodding to the other woman inside, before taking a seat and relaxing. If she was curious about the other woman’s breather she didn’t show it, she simply enjoyed the experience of being in the sauna.

Nezuko sat up and waved. She didn’t have her PADD handy, but her meaning was pretty obvious. [Hiya!]

Talia waved back, it seemed she’d need to find a way of communication if she wanted to talk to this woman. She waved back, offering a warm smile.

The Ops Chief looked around the room pensively. She lacked her PADD, and presumed this officer didn’t understand her sign language.

She collected a cup of the water that would be poured over coals to make the sauna’s steam. She dabbed it with her index finger and touched her finger to the wooden seat. The water stayed long enough that she could spell a few words. NEZUKO, OPS, TOKYO. She then gestured to her ears and gave a thumbs up, assuring that she could hear just fine.

Talia looked at the words while they were present, before they evaporated into steam. “It’s nice to meet you Nezuko. I’m Talia Jansen, the new Chief Counsellor of the Tokyo.” She smiled warmly.

Nezuko cocked her head. She recognized Talia’s accent. So similar to her old roommate from the Academy.

She put her palms together and then opened them, her pinkies still touching, mimicking a book, and then touched her temples.

Talia watched the gestures curiously. “A book..an open book.” she took a moment before nodding at the meaning. “Reading you like an open book?” She hoped she was getting the meaning right.

Nezuko nodded excitedly. She then concentrated hard and made a mental image of her and Talia, in uniform, eating a meal on the ship, playing card games, and doing other things that friends tended to do.

Talia was surprised that Nezuko knew just how to concentrate hard enough to send her a mental image. She smiled as the image formed, the meaning coming across loud and clear. “I’d like that Nezuko” she nodded. “I take it you’ve had practice sharing images with a Betazoid before?”

Images went through Nezuko’s head of her in a cadet uniform with a dark-haired, dark-eyed young woman in an identical uniform.

Concentrating on the image shared Talia nodded. “You know someone at the Academy who was Betazoid.” She nodded her head. “Makes sense, the way you send me images that are so clear. You’ve done it before.”

Pleased with the progress with her new friend, Nezuko decided to try something more direct. [Can you understand me?] She was signing with her hands and activating the ‘speech’ centres of her brain. It was often not quite as clear for telepaths but sometimes it worked. By the end of their Academy time, Diare understood her perfectly and could practically read Amphea Sign.

Talia spent a few moments trying to figure out the message, she’d seen sign language for the deaf before but it had been a while. “It’s a little more difficult, but...I think I understand you. If that’s what you were asking?”

Nezuko nodded, a bit disappointed but figured that was the likely outcome. It took years for Diare to understand her perfectly.

She took some more water and spelled on the bench TELL ME OF YOU.

“For starters, I don’t give up easily!” Talia grinned. “Don’t give up on me learning your sign language Nezuko. Now, about me ... this is my first assignment as Chief Counsellor, and I’m only four years out of the Academy!” She shrugged her shoulders. “It seems early to me, but I’m not going to turn it down. How about you?”

[7 from Academy] Nezuko signed, while imagining her Academy time. [Played with Starfleet tech as a child. Learned much. Everything is new!] Her eyes glowed with wonder. She truly did enjoy seeing and experiencing so many new things.

Talia was slowly learning the sign, picking up on Nezuko’s thoughts and feelings. “Your excitement and enjoyment is infectious! Tell me something, do you believe in love at first sight?”

Nezuko nodded excitedly, remembering a couple of past relationships. Hers didn’t last long, but some began with love at first sight. Images flashed through her mind of a young man at the Academy and a woman on her last ship, and shared a few common details. Wide eyed, longing looks across a table. Romantic dinners. Raucous lovemaking.

Talia grinned picking up on the sheer strength of the images. “I’m moving in with a man I’ve only just met! We met in the lounge aboard ship, went back to his quarters...” she grinned a wry grin. “He’s asked me to live with him. It just feels so right!”

Nezuko clapped excitedly and pulled her new friend into a tight hug. That sort of relationship was so rare, it must be special, and Talia was lucky to get to experience it, Nezuko thought.

Talia smiled as she hugged Nezuko in return. “I’d like us to be good friends Nezuko, I’ve never really had a best friend before. It’s nice to have someone to share this with, and to talk to.”

When the hug broke, Nezuko gently led Talia out of the sauna and into the changing area. She found her PADD next to her kimono and a clean towel, typed on it, and handed it to Talia. [I have my next activity in five minutes] an arrow pointed to a calendar higher on the screen, which showed she was going for a guided tour of an art gallery [but are you free for dinner? Maybe 1830?]

“Dinner? Sure” Talia nodded. “It’ll be fun to have dinner with you.”

Nezuko beamed with joy at the prospect. She gave Talia a little wave before dropping her towel and turning on a shower. She couldn’t go to the museum sweaty from the sauna, after all. A relaxing steam and meeting a new friend. So far, a good day.

Talia resisted the temptation to turn away, they were both women what was there to be embarrassed about? She let her own towel go and stepped under the showers as well. Better to be fresh and clean.

Not much long later, Nezuko was clean, dry, and back in her kimono. She tapped Talia’s shoulder and gave her a little wave.

Talia was just finishing off getting dressed, she smiled as she turned and gave Nezuko a wave. “I’ll see you later Nezuko.”

With that, Nezuko skipped away, eager for her next activity.


A Posting by:

Lieutenant jg Nezuko
Chief Operations Officer

and

Lieutenant Talia Jansen
Chief Counselor

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