Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Chief Petty Officer Sam Nazarian (Host of Florence’s) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry

Posted by Lieutenant Navale Huzzen (Engineer) in Gamma Tiltium IV- Tropical Chemistry
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

He leaned back a little, rubbing his thumb back and forth across to the top of her hand. “She believes that the core of who we are should not be confined to a narrow set of parameters. She told me that I was still on a journey of healing and that whether I stayed in space or not had nothing to do with what I brought into my own life. That if I forced myself to bring in new aspects to my life that I was not ready for, I would do myself and the Universe a disservice.” He smirked. “That whole spiritual study thing of hers has had some interesting benefits, even if it made for a rather unusual upbringing.”

“What do you think? Think she’s right? Woo-woo?” he asked with a grin, though he was truly interested in what her thoughts were on the matter.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

A soft hum rumbled from her throat as Navale stared out at the water. She watched the light as it refracted in the waves and salt spray. “I’ve never really been a spiritual person. Not to say I don’t believe in it, but growing up on Coridan, you don’t have time to contemplate such things. Not even in a moment of selfpity.”

He focused his gaze on her, taking in each word and the way she said them.

“I think she is right though. It’s basic psychology I guess. If you push yourself before you are ready you can make things worse. Putting it off too long can do the same. Just like the body healing.” She grinned, bumping his shoulder gently. “Just like engineering. If you push a ship’s systems to take on an upgrade before all the parts are in place, the systems and ship will crash. If you wait too long, the older systems will crash from age and lack of upkeep.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Exactly my thoughts. Though I will say it’s enticing during tumultuous times to have one’s shields up all the time and put all the resources into keeping them there . Makes it hard to move forward. Though I’ve been able to lower my shields more often in recent years.” Sam smiled again. “Fortunate for me, my timing was excellent this time.”

Navale watched his expressions as he talked. She hadn’t missed that he said his mother spoke to him of healing. She was curious what he was healing from, but she didn’t wish to pry before he was ready. Navale understood that some stories needed time not just trust to come out. A very specific set of circumstances before they could be told.

He turned to face her a bit more, hand still holding hers. “What about now that you aren’t on Coridan? Do you find yourself thinking about or doing things you never had the time or energy for before?”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Hmmmm… yes. Coridan is very poor, Sam. No one goes without necessary healthcare, but that is a much more limited statement than other places. We have replicator, but they break and no means to fix them. We have replicator rations, but not enough even when they work. Going a night without the heat coils in the environmental controls is a luxury. So, yes I do a lot of things I never used to.” She looked past him, over his shoulder to the water. “When I first got to the Academy I indulged in everything. From food, to parties, to learning, to clothes, to things, simply because I could. There was so much at my fingertips and I wanted it all.”

Sam nodded. “I can see how that might happen.”

“I never really thought about spirituality much until my ethics in engineering class and then the massacre on Mars. Who are we to play God? And is there a god or all combining force on a spiritual level? I think so, though I can’t give you a more defined answer than that.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam was quiet for a few moments, listening as the soft hum of the boat engine mingle was overridden by the splash of water as the boat cut through the waves. They were headed in the direction where the coast swept out to a point, but beyond that islands dotted the horizon.

“Many Betazoids have a more ritualistic spiritual practice these days, though it stems from an old religion. My Human grandparents are irreligious, though I think they lean towards agnostic than atheism,” Sam said. The position of the boat allowed them to see the coastline to the left and open water in front and to their right. The sky was shifting towards a deep orange ahead. They were cruising towards the sunset.

Sam drew in a slow, deep breath. “I don’t know what I believe exactly. I guess for now I’m open to Multiverse being a mystery and I can live with a bit of mystery in my life.” He turned his head back to her and smiled. “It keeps things interesting.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“On Coridan, we used to have a deeply spiritual culture. We lost it along the way somehow.” Her head tipped to the side watching the colors of the sunset. She was still for a long moment. “Look at it, Sam. The colors, the way they ripple and change and reflect. I know it has to do with light rays and angles and the prismatic effect of water vapor in the atmosphere. Yet, I can not look and not be in awe of the beauty. To feel something deep inside that I know that thousands, millions of generations before me, across plants and cultures, and millions after me, have and will stare at a sunset and be in awe of the mystery that created it. I don’t want to lose that sense of magic.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Good. It’s such a precious thing. It would a deep shame if you did lose it,” he said, his voice becoming just a hair more intense. “You hold on to all the sunsets you can. And tonight, we’re probably going to get a pretty spectacular one,” he added with a soft smile.

Navale squeezed his hand. “Oh, I’m pretty scrappy. I don’t lose what’s given to me, and I don’t let it get stolen without a fight.” Her words held humor, but a thread of truth that rang clearly.

The smile faded slightly as he watched buildings disappear in favour of the subtropical rainforest this area was known for. “I lost that sense of magic. I had it most of my life. And then it was gone. It took mixing cocktails and experimenting with food to find it again.” He grinned as he once again sought her lovely eyes. “And let me me tell you, it’s a particular brand of magic I am still learning the power of. After all, the scent and taste of food can bring back a lost memory, for better or worse. That’s pretty powerful.”

“Mmm, I attended a lecture once at the Academy. Well, not once, I went to them all. I was desperate to take anything that was offered,” her voice turned far away giving a hint that some of those things weren’t good. “The speaker talked about early science across cultures. That it all started with food, and it was called magick. Herbs, roots, spices. Not just to eat, but to heal. To manifest desires and dreams. So, I would say, you are keeping very ancient knowledge alive.”

Sam grinned. “I like that thought.”

The farther away from land and the sheltered harbour they went, the more the wind picked up. It wasn’t too cold though, but it was definitely cooling as the last hours of daylight faded.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale enjoyed the crisp breeze. She turned her head slightly to allow the breeze to blow her hair back out of her face. The spray from the boat cutting through the waves added a nip to the temperature.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He watched her as her hair flowed backwards. “You are lovely,” he said, perhaps more softly than he intended, but it was a random thought that surfaced and Sam could be spontaneous but he was rarely random.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale’s eyes slid from the view to settle on him. “One of those compliments to check of the list?” The comment was teasing, but her smile was warm and the flush on her cheeks made it obvious his words were welcome. “Thank you, Sam. So tell me, what made you pick this,” she waved at the boat and the ocean, “for tonight? The view, the novelty, or the food?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He was glad his words had landed well with her and so he didn’t comment back. Instead he shrugged at her question. “A little bit of each? I was going to go out to this place anyway, while we had R&R, but the rest of the details had everything to do with wanting to create a different experience for you. Our little tasting menu evening told me that you could appreciate what’s to come. That’s not to say others can’t, but if I was going to go with someone, I really wanted it to be with a person who would get as excited as me.”

“Well I’m honored to share it with you, Sam.” Navale studied him for a moment, “I know I enjoyed the other evening tremendously, so I am very intrigued to know what you find exciting.”

“Oh, and the meal is just the precursor to the real event,” Sam said, his eyes glittering as the boat began to slow. They were arcing around the point at a safe distance, but as they did, a series of islands appeared just beyond a small bay.

“Oh really? Now I’m even more intrigued. You can be rather mysterious, Sam.” The way she said it, it was obviously a compliment.

He grinned but said nothing.

“Almost there,” Ridley called out to them over the lessening noise of the water.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale turned her gaze to look ahead of the boat to see where they were headed, leaning to the side to get a glimpse of whatever ‘real event’ Sam had arranged.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

As they came closer to the small bay, there was an obvious dock jutting out into the water. The dock led to a small sandy beach in front what seemed to be more of the jungle. The sun was still slowly sinking but it looked like they would have a little while yet before it was truly dusk.

The boat slowed and came to a stop alongside the dock and boat slip. Sam rose, seeming at ease with the slight sway of the water. The dock was floating but it was well anchored so it wouldn’t shift position even as it had enough give to allow for tides. Sam smiled at Navale as Ridley hopped onto the dock and tied the boat. “Welcome to the Cas’suan Marine Preserve,” Nazarian said with a grin. “Visitors are allowed, but there are lots of restrictions. However, having a meal on the beach is perfectly allowed so long as we take everything with us and don’t alter the area by creating a fire pit and what not.”

Navale turned her attention to Sam, away from the beach. “Well that’s as it should be. I used to go hiking at the Academy, and I had a guide. His rule was take nothing but memories and leave nothing but for prints.”

Sam stepped one foot up onto the dock, leaving his other on the stairs, and then offered her a hand. “Here, it’s not swaying much but there’s a little give on the dock. Just go slowly and don’t make any large sudden movements.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale was not as steady as Sam with the boat and dock rocking. She gladly took Sam’s, grateful for the assistance. “So I shouldn’t dance or somersault my way to the beach?” She asked with a teasing glint in her eye.

“I mean, depending on your skill you could backflip the whole way, but I can’t help you with the running start,” Sam quipped.

The sway and rock wasn’t too bad, it was the slipperiness from the water that was dangerous. It was a bit like a cat walk, and Navale made it to the beach with no problem.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Ridley set things on the dock and soon Sam was joining Navale with a medium sized cooler , a small backpack, and a large open tote. As his feet touched the sand, he just stared a moment at her before smiling and moving along the sand, careful of his step. “Dinner awaits,” was all he said.

About ten meters from the dock, Sam stopped and set down the cooler and then pulled out a rolled item from the tote. Undoing the velcro strap that secured it, Sam unfurled a water-resistant-backed blanket that was easily big enough for the two of them to stretch out on. “Any concerns or objections to dining on the beach before I start pulling out more stuff?” he asked, though his tone was teasing, almost as if he already knew the answer.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s