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 (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“If we must,” Navale tucked her hand onto his arm with a disappointed sigh. “So you two have known each other for awhile, then?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“I’ll make sure we take our time, promise. No need to stop enjoying this evening until we’re both ready,” he said.

Navale’s hand tightened on his arm, her voice hinting at laughter. “Good. If there is one time that you should indulge in enjoyment it’s on vacation. That’s the whole point after all.”

Sam purposefully took his time answering Navale’s question, not because he didn’t want to, but he had to figure out how best to do so first. It was… complicated.

His long silence told her that it was a very personal thing, and she didn’t press. Navale was content to let the matter drop without comment.

“Ridley is one of my former CO’s actually. I was his Chief Operating Officer for about three years. It was my second-to-last assignment.” He glances at her sideways for a moment allowing him to smile at how lovely she was. “It was near the end of my stint that I lost the magic of being in uniform, but I wasn’t ready to admit it. Ridley gently commented on my change in behaviour and I rebuffed him. He made me see the counsellor and I thought I had it sorted but then I was reassigned. It wasn’t a bad ship, but it just didn’t feel like a good fit. I called Ridley and asked him what he thought. He said I already knew what I needed to do. And I did. I resigned a couple weeks later and a few more after that I was out of Starfleet.

She walked along beside him, quiet, letting him talk. When she felt him looking at her, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled.

“Ridley’s a good captain. He gets his crew. I was lucky to have him. And I was fortunate to serve with him a few years before he retired himself. Now he’s a sea captain,” Sam said with a grin. “It suits him. Most people who meet him now would never guess he captained a battleship in some pretty crazy battles.”

Navale glanced back over her shoulder at the now small dot of the docks. “People are never just the one piece we see. I’m glad he found something he enjoys.”

He took a risk and slid her hand that was in her arm into his hand and gave it a squeeze. Maybe it was too forward, but after tonight he felt sure enough to try.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Her fingers wrapped around his hand and squeezed back. Navale stepped closer so she could lean against him for a couple of steps as they walked. “I liked Ridley. He was nice, charming.” She grinned and squeezed his hand, “but not nearly in the same league as you.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Good,” Sam said, breathing deeply as she squeezed his hand back. “I’d hate to think I introduced competition.” He grinned and winked at her. He truly wasn’t the type of person to be jealous.

Navale laughed and leaned into him, “Not even close to competition. I’d have to try his cooking though.” She winked playfully at him.

“Oh, well then, we’ve no problem. Ridley couldn’t cook a fine meal even if a phase pointed at his head. So, I think I’m safe,” he said, flashing her a grin.

“I’m glad tonight worked out. The first time I was here, Ridley took me to the bay and for a moment that feeling of magic came back. It wasn’t the only time since I had resigned that I felt that, but it was the most profound one. After that it was like something changed. That’s when I requested civilian duty on starships. Someone had to be around to administer bar therapy,” he added with a chuckle.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Hmmm? And when the magic gets hard to find, where does the bar tender find therapy?” It was a personal question, and one Navale was fine if he chose not to answer. She found she wanted to know though. Sam had been through a lot, she could tell that much. He deserved someone.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Sam shrugged. “The thing about serving on starships these days, is there is always someone with a therapy background on board. So, if needed, I’ve no problem going to see them. But I’ve found that in engaging in conversations with those that come into my lounge, I inevitably get a little something back, so it’s an exchange, even if they don’t realize it. But we both get something out of it. Most of the time, it’s enough.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale was curious about when it wasn’t enough, but she decided not to ask for now. Sam would tell her when and if he was ready. “So, in all those conversations, has anyone given you hints to not to miss spots around here?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Well, I learned about the bioluminescent bay from Ridley, but Ensign Hayes mentioned that there’s a jungle walk you can do not too far from the resort. Apparently there is a colony of birds that build these really large nests.” He chuckled. “I don’t know all that much about birds, so I can’t say whether it would be interesting or not, but she did warn that the bugs get a bit more irritating the deeper you get in the jungle, so don’t go unprepared.”

As they came to the beginning of the boardwalk, they could either go straight ahead into the resort, or wander along a paved path that meandered along the cove where the resort was nestled. “How are you feeling? Want to keep going or call it a night?” He wasn’t eager to end the evening, but his gut was saying there would be more adventures with Navale, so if they headed back he was okay with that.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale grinned, “I’m feeling great, and I tend to be a night owl. There is something about being out and about, awake, when others are settling in and everything is slowing down. So if we do call it a night, I’ll just be back out here on my own getting into trouble.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He gave a throaty chuckle. “Well, we can’t have that, now can we?” Sam shifted the bag on his other shoulder and gave her hand a squeeze, leading down along the walkway. The area was mildly landscaped as an extension of the resort, and there were little paths that veered off to go to a pool here, or beach cabanas there. “What do you like about night time?” Sam asked.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Hmmm… I suppose,” Navale contemplated giving his hand a squeeze back, “it’s the ability to experience the world in isolation. Most humanoids are diurnal, so all of our movement, lights, tech, noise goes quiet at night. Whatever planet your on, gets to go back to just being itself without the influence. Well to a point anyway. Magic comes alive at night.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“Agreed. There’s a different magic available to us at night. It’s why, sometimes, after I’ve closed the bar, I like to just sit in the lounge with a warm drink and just take it all in. Sometimes there are a few people around, sometimes just me. And I can just watch us move through space and be in awe of the stars.” He smiled at her. “So, Night Owl, if you ever can’t sleep, you find me there.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“I’ll remember that.” Navale bumped his shoulder. “Usually I find myself in the arboretum. Even on night shift the ship doesn’t feel like it’s night, you know. With all the bright lights and on duty crew. But the arboretum has a night cycle.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He nodded. “It makes sense to keep the non-essential spaces in lock-step with the day-night cycle on the ship, but elsewhere, well people need to see what they are doing,” Sam said with a grin. “I have to admit I really haven’t spent much time in the arboretum. I’ve walked through there once or twice though.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale laughed, “It’s very novel to me. I’m not really a plant person, but I like nature. There wasn’t much actual nature where I grew up. When I got to the Academy, there was so much nature. I couldn’t believe it. I stayed outside a lot just to come to terms with it. The idea of that much nature on a starship is like fairy magic.” She paused where there was a bush with closed flowers. “Nature is amazing, Sam. The flowers close when it’s time to sleep and wake up when it’s time to show their faces. They rely on others to pollinate and continue their species, but they just keep surviving.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

“They’re resilient like people, like you are,” Sam said with a measure of certainty that surprised him.

The lively woman laughed, “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

“But then there are surprises in nature too. Somewhere around here are night blooming flowers. I don’t know much about plants, but I promise you’ll smell them before you see them. They’re a dark purple with indigo stripes. Saw them last time I was here.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“Mmmm well if there are nocturnal animals shouldn’t there be flowers too. Everything deserves to enjoy beauty.” She paused, closed her eyes and inhaled the scents around them. “So, shall we go hunting for this flower of yours?”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He grinned at her and mused how everything around her seemed like and adventure, and maybe that was why he was so drawn to her. Something about being in Navale’s company breathed new life into ordinary moments. Same set the canvas bag on a bench, entirely unworried about it going missing. “Definitely. Let’s go,” he said, a thread of excitement in his voice.

“Now, they are pretty small, and were tucked amongst larger shrubs, so they are easy to miss.”

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

“So it’s like a treasure hunt then.” Navale’s eyes lit up. She tugged on his hand, urging him along with her. “So they’re small, like to stay hidden, and are dark in color. So they will be very hard to see at night.” Her whole body did a little shimmy with excitement. “Good thing this skirt is durable since I’m going to be crawling around in the dirt.”

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He gave a throaty chuckle, letting her drag him along. “I shall follow your lead, Detective.” He was in no way planning to discourage her, loving seeing how lit up she was about their little adventure. In fact, it gave him ideas for other adventures they could have together.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale glanced back over her shoulder at him and winked. She headed aimlessly down one of the paths and then stopped. “Hmmm, if I was a flower… and small, delicate, and liked to hide, where would I be?” She spun a circle glancing about and then suddenly grabbed his hand again and moved off the path between two large shrubs and some thicker undergrowth. “Somewhere I’m not likely to get trodden upon.”

“Good thinking,” Sam said, wearing a wide grin as she pulled him along.

Navale knew good and well the flowers were probably near the path. Gardeners had probably carefully cultivated the area to make sure they could grow. Perhaps safely tucked back but close enough for people to smell their fragrance. Wandering off the path though, was too much fun.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

Moving around some larger shrubs, Sam stopped, still holding her hand. “Hey, hold up. I think I found something,” he said.

Navale stopped and turned back to Sam, “Already?” Her eyes scanned the ground for a moment until he tugged her closer.

Hand still in hers, he pulled her closer and slipped his free hand up to her cheek and leaned in for a kiss.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s

Navale’s eyes went soft and then fluttered closed as she met him half way. Sam felt the delighted sigh that washed through her as she leaned against him. Her free hand curled around the back of his neck bringing them closer.

Lt. Huzzen, Engineer

He savoured the kiss, glad she too was happy in this moment. His free arm wrapped around her back, holding her as close as she was holding him. For a few moments it was just them and the beautiful setting.

Pulling back, he wore a nonchalant look. “So, here were we?” he said, scanning the ground with feigned innocence.

~Sam, Host of Florence’s