Posted by Lieutenant Commander Charles Tenkiller (Chief of Security) in Side Sim - Promenade - Do Romulans Blush?

Posted by Lieutenant Toveka Brine (Chief Science Officer) in Side Sim - Promenade - Do Romulans Blush?

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He looked at her and said “Ya know, I prefer that as well. But I’m just a fan of going barefoot. Please make yourself comfortable. Dessert is on the table, but no peeking. ‘Scuse me a sec.” and he went to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

The room was obviously recently moved into., but was mostly put together. Small bits of pottery, leather work, and some other Native American crafts lay scattered around on shelves. Oddly, there was no consistent imagery or color scheme… it was as if the items, while certainly traditional and hand made, were made by a myriad of different cultures.

The walls were almost covered in paintings. Abstract works of all different kinds dominated the space, but somehow didnt make it feel cluttered. Scattered between them were realistic depictions of what one would assume to be traditional Osage life and life in the era now known as the ‘Wild West’ of American expansion. An easel, empty, sat in one corner with a large portable cabinet next to it.

The furniture in the space was standard, save for one thing. Where most quarters had a couch under the window with a table in front and two chairs, the chairs had been moved away, leaving only the couch. On the table sat two covered dishes.

Tenkiller came back in, his coat and tie gone. “So what’dya think? Ain’t quite home yet, but I’m workin’ on it.” and he laughed.

Tenkiller, CoS

She jumped slightly hearing his voice. She turned to see the man without his coat and tie. She smiled and felt her cheeks heat. “You looked amazing tonight. But somehow, the lack of a tie suits you better.” She had been looking at a shelf of various trinkets including carvings of some kind. They were beside a couple pieces of worked leather that struck her as lovely and haunting in some way.

She glanced at the collection. “It makes me wonder who will have the fragments of the Romulan Empire on their shelves a hundred years from now?” She glanced out the window and shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t matter, does it. I mean, unless it was already off world, I don’t believe there will be anything else found.”

She smiled and turned back to him. “Forgive me… you said dessert?” She nodded to the tray she hadn’t touched.

Toveka
CSO

He smiled at her and said “I did. Have a seat, and I’ll get us something to drink.” He went to a cabinet and pulled out two heavy rocks glasses and a bottle of reddish amber colored liquid. He poured a third of a glass in each, and turned to look at her. “Sorry about the chairs, had to move ‘em for something I was working on. Hope you don’t mind sitting on the couch with me.” and he chuckled and indicated she should have a seat.

Tenkiller, CoS

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine.” Being used to sitting on the couch with her right arm on the armrest, she sat in that position this time. But she realized, in sitting down, just how much that table had covered not just from his view. The dress was slit in a way that as she sat, her entire left leg was exposed up to mid thigh. She adjusted the dress slightly and left her hands in her lap. The trouble was, even like that, the leg was still bared up past her knee. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, both way, but it only made it worse. By the time he’d poured the drinks, she was back to sitting, knees together, material held by clasped hands in her lap so only half her thigh was exposed and not three quarters of it.

Quickly hoping to move the subject to something other than her legs by the time he reached the couch, she nodded to the easel. “What else do you like to paint beside equations?” She smiled at him and tried not to look as uncomfortable as she felt.

Toveka
CSO

“Huh? Oh, right!” and he laughed. “You know, I dont know a whole lot about math. I just paint. I think the fact that you see equations in them may be just what the images bring up in your mind. But those others, the western ones… did those as well.” and he took a seat right next to her exposed leg, his hip settling in contact with hers. He handed her a glass and said “One a the best bourbons I’ve ever had. Save it for truly special occasions.” and lifted his glass to her. “To the most intelligent and beautiful woman in this room.” and he winked playfully at her.

Tenkiller

Her pulse rose as he sat down so close, but on the plus side, it helped hold some of the material up on her upper thigh. “I think they are all amazing. You’re very talented Charles.” She smiled softly and was grateful for the drink to hide her cheeks as she clinked his glass and took a sip. It was warm and smooth and gave her a feeling of contentment. She could see why many considered alcohol to be ‘liquid courage’. She would have to be careful. “It tastes fantastic. I can see why you save it. Definitely not something to be consumed lightly.”

“So what is dessert that you are being so mysterious about?” She reached to set her glass down, half considering reaching for the covered tray just beyond her finger tips.

Toveka
CSO

He looked at her a moment and then said “Well… I think I want it to be a surprise. Tell you what… close your eyes. And you’re gonna have to trust me here.” and took her glass and set her and his on the table. He looked back and smiled at her still open eyes. “Close, please.” and he set a hand on one of the domes.

Tenkiller

When he finished setting her glass down, she sat up. A smile lit her lips as he asked her to trust him. “Oddly, I do..” she said softly before she closed her eyes. Her hand on her skirt tightened slightly as the first hand joined it. Their clasped togetherness the only betrayal of her nervousness as she unconsciously drew them closer to herself.

“Ok… they are closed.”

Toveka

Tenkiller lifted the lid and picked up a fork and cut a bite from the dish: fry bread, again, but now stuffed with fresh blackberries, clover honey, and just a hint of clove. He lifted the fork up and turned slightly to her, he hand unconsciously going to her bare knee as he lifted the fork to her mouth and said “Here… try this.”

Tenkiller

His warm hand on her knee startled her and she gasped and stiffened. As he prompted her to try the bite, she opened her mouth a bit wider and let him feed her the morsel. The first thing she tasted was the familiar fry bread from a few nights ago. But then the berries and honey melted over her tongue and she smiled. “Mmmm….” she opened her eyes, her right hand coming to her lips. “This is amazing. What is in it? I can taste the honey, but not familiar with the berry or the other flavor at the end.” She was smiling and her hand relaxed in her lap, forgetting, for a moment, where his hand was.

Toveka
CSO

He laughed and said “Glad you like it. Honey, yeah. Then blackberries and a bit of clove.” and he held the fork for a moment, staring at her, and then he shook his head and said “Um… yeah… so, uh…” and he finally looked away. “The secret is the clove. My Grandma taught me that bit.” He took his hand off her knee and turned back and retrieved both plates, and handed her the one her bite came from. He took his own, and leaned back, settling his shoulder against hers.

Tenkiller, CoS

She watched him for a moment and smiled slightly as he looked away. Licking her lips when he wasn’t looking she smiled. “Your grandmother was a smart cook.”

Unfortunately, she realized, as he handed her the plate, that she couldn’t hold her skirt and eat at the same time. Hoping his leg remained against hers to keep the dress in place, she lifted the fork and, surprisingly, leaned slightly back against him. “I really like it. Thank you. I don’t think I could have come up with such a good dessert. Mine tend to lean more to the chocolates.” She blushed, ” A weakness I acquired later in life during the Academy. My roommate had a fondness for it that I fear I took over as well.” She laughed and began to eat the sweet and savory dessert. An occasional murmur of appreciation following her bites.

Toveka
CSO