A Chance to Relax

Posted on Sun Nov 19th, 2023 @ 7:52pm by Captain David Hawkins & Lieutenant Commander Mel Torma

Mission: Memphis Island
Location: Memphis Island - Beach
2846 words - 5.7 OF Standard Post Measure

There was no way in Dia's graces that Mel was passing up a chance to actually get off the ship and enjoy actual, real relaxation. There was a small matter, but she knew who she trusted, almost above anyone else. Everyone on the Gladiator she trusted with her life, that much was fact. Hawkins she trusted with her *safety*, which to a Dalacari meant a lot more. To that, the binary form padded up to David's doorway and pressed the chime.

Dressed out of uniform, and in something closer to what a Dalacari could consider civilian attire. Loose fitting, very flowy, lots of loops and twirls, and arranged so that she, as always, complimented herself. Dalacari legs were digitigrade, and their feet more like paws, which meant for this excursion she'd be barefoot. Regulation footwear was so restrictive on vacation.

The door to the captain's ready room swished open, and David stood in the doorway, clad in a casual civilian outfit. His light blue button-down shirt was untucked and paired with dark-wash jeans and sturdy boots. While most people would have opted for shoes or flip-flops in the warm weather, David knew that the captain wasn't the type to dress down. He preferred to be prepared for anything, even when he was off duty.

David had always admired the captain's sense of professionalism and dedication. He was a true leader, and David was honored to serve under him. But he also knew that the captain could be a bit of a stickler when it came to appearance. That's why David had made sure to choose his outfit carefully. He wanted to look respectful, but he also wanted to be comfortable.

David smiled as Mel stood before him at his quarters. "Mel, it's good to see you. About to head down to the surface?"

She gave a pair of nods. "I certainly was. That's actually half the reason I wanted to see you. I.. well, okay so there's no easy way to ask this, but I trust you so I can ask..."

"... you plainly. I wanted to take a walk on the beach, but beaches on Federation planets can be dangerous to a Dalacari. I'm heavier than water, so..."

"... if I get caught in a current or a riptide or, well... if I get caught up in the current I could be in a lot of trouble. As a kid, we're all taught to always have..."

"... a buddy system in place in case of danger or emergency and, well, would you mind? I don't want to take up your whole day, so it wouldn't be for too long..."

"... and really it'd just be up to my ankles but, I'd feel a lot safer if someone I knew could handle my weight was there." Dalacari came from a higher than normal gravity. Not drastically higher, but enough to make Mel weigh a bit more than the unprepared rescuer might be prepared for.

There was a slight pause as David thought of how this came off. Did he correct her on the fact that it wasn't a Federation planet, that she was basically her own partner, or the fact that they hadn't really done much hanging out lately. But in the end, he needed his own time on the planet and away from all of the stresses of the career captain thing he had going on. There had been a lot of stress on him and the entire crew. To say they were worn out was only a small piece of all that had been going on.

"Sounds like something we both need. Need anything from the ship before transport?" he asked as he stepped out of the room and offered her the way to the nearest hall that lead to a turbolift and their transporter destination.

"Well, that was another reason I figured I'd ask you. Not just the whole 'I trust you with my life and well being' bit, but also the chance to ..."

"... get out and relax with someone on the crew who just values your company and doesn't have any ulterior motives. No aspirations of becoming..."

"... Mrs Hawkins or anything. I admit, you're a shining example of Single Instance life but, alas, still Single Instance life." she giggled. "And no, I ..."

"... have everything I need already. Beach oil in the fur to keep it from getting too wet and heavy." THAT'S what smelled of bananas! "And I have a towel to dry off my paws once I'm done. So yeah I have..."

"... everything I need. Anything YOU need before we head out?"

"Not really," David admitted with a slight smirked before he nodded to her. "Alright. Let's see what we can get ourselves into.


It didn't take long for the two to find the transporter room, and David took a deep breath before putting his sun glasses on before he nodded. The transporter beam enveloped Mel and David, and a moment later they found themselves standing on a pristine white sand beach. The sun beat down on them warmly, and a gentle breeze rustled the palm trees overhead.

The ocean stretched out before them, its waters a deep blue-green. Mel could see waves crashing against the coral reef in the distance. She took a deep breath and savored the fresh, salty air.

David smiled as he looked around. The beach was deserted, save for a few seabird-like creatures soaring overhead. He could hear the waves lapping at the shore and the gentle rustle of the palm trees. It was the perfect place to relax and forget about the stresses of his job and all that had happened.

"Well, there could be worst places to be," David looked over at Mel and raised an eye brow behind his sun glasses. "How you doing there?"

The sandals were already off, and Mel was already taking her third steps into the water. Normally, Mel was very quiet when it came to just 'being there', but the footsteps into the water had a weight to them. A solid PLUNK as each of her bodies moved where the waves could wash over her paws. Were her anatomy more like David's, it could be said that she was 'ankle' deep in the water. But her ankles were a lot higher up than his.

"I'm doing well. Not too far out." she said, bravely, from four feet out. "It must seem silly, asking for a bodyguard to wade in the..."

"... break. Just, I just..." a pause, "If anything goes wrong, I'm dragged out, and Dalacari don't float. Not in one gravity." she pointed out.

"Swimmies, floaties, swimsuits with air pockets, we have it all. All to counter the simple fact: Dalacari Sink." she looked out across the ocean. "You could..."

"... throw yourself in the deepest water, and you'd float. Put me in a bathtub and I sink like a stone." one form looked back to David. "Time and time..."

"... again, I feel that I've placed my life, my safety, my ... ME, in your hands. Well not literally, but you know what I mean." she said, with a microscopic degree of authority. Yeah, fierce predator stock indeed.

"And time and time again, you've never let me down. I feel safe enough here, to take this close of a risk, and fear nothing." she offered. "And for that, for..."

"... the ability to just BE and not BE AFRAID... I really, really appreciate it. You're probably the best friend I have..."

"... on the ship." she offered with a goofy smile. "Annnnnd, you're lucky your Single." she giggled. "There, okay, I said it."

David processed what Mel stated, but deep down, he had his own conflict within himself. "Why do you say that I'm lucky to be single?" he wondered. There were positives and there were negative. But to go as far as to say that he was to see it as him being lucky, this wasn't the first thing that came to his mind at all.

"Well, okay so..." she paused, "You're brave, reliable, and trustworthy. When you say you're going to do something, it's done." she started. "And, for a human..."

"... you're quite handsome. There've been a few times when I considered it, but it would just be too unusual for me at the moment but..."

"... if you weren't a Single Instance being, I.... I probably would have asked you out long ago." she admitted, turning quickly to look out over the ocean. "You're a good man, David. Shame you're only one."

She was quiet for a moment, then she quickly turned around, "Oh Dia! Wait being SINGLE means... oh no no no, no no that's not what I ... Oh flapjacks I'm so..." she quickly tried to recover ground.

"I.. I didn't mean single like single single, I meant Single, like, you know, Single."

It was quite a surprise as a chuckle came from him as he nodded. "Yes and flapjacks means a sweet breakfast as well," he explained. It was quite a surprise as to her suggestion. But he also understood what she was trying to get at.

Lately, the motivation was something that had been hard for him to find. Deep down, there seemed to be a conflict within himself, in which, he could not put his finger on. Flashbacks and dreams were slowly taking over his once restless dreams. Was he in a moment of dread, or was he more concerned about his drive to push through. There had to be a reason for all of this, yet it was alluding himself.

The crash of the waves cut through his thoughts to find that he was getting lost in his thoughts once again. It was a beautiful sight and one had all the right in the universe to take time to enjoy the beauty of the planet before them. So why did it feel like, deep down, he still did not deserve it.

"David, are you alright?" she asked, her forms expressing concern. "Did.. did I do something wrong?" she was honestly worried that such a profound admission might have hurt him. Hurt them.

The question quickly broke his day dreaming and looked over at her. "Oh no, not in the least. I just have been off a little bit," he confessed before taking a deep breath. The breeze picked up and scent of the ocean filled his nostrils. He was amazed at how quickly the simple things would lift some of the mental weight off his chest. "You don't have to worry about anything you feel you might have done."

A pair of nods was his reward. "It's a constant worry in the back of my head, that there's JUST enough of a divide between me and everyone else that it gets weird. That it..."

"... becomes a hassle to connect. I'm very, very glad to know that's not the case. Now, I know it's silly to think that, and that it's the furthest from..."

"... the truth, but hearing it every now and then, reinforcing the fact that my people and your people aren't so dissimilar that there's no common..."

"... ground." she paused, before her forms looked out across the ocean. "Okay, so.... here I go." and she took a few more steps out. Heavy sounding PLOMPS into the ocean floor, settling deep into the sand beneath the water. She took each step carefully, soon up to her actual ankle. Still not too terribly deep, but for someone that probably didn't float, that was pretty far out. A whole foot or so out.

"I want you to know, I treasure our friendship David. The whole of the crew. I've seen and done a thousand crazy things with the..."

"... crew by my side. With you, I feel brave." she offered with a smirk, "Brave, but not foolish enough to take a risk like this alone. Thanks for having my back."

"Oh yeah, no problem whatsoever. Besides the fact that I am your Captain, and its my responsibility to keep you safe. You are a good friend. I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied before he smirked and looked her way. "Well, unless I had an identical twin. How would you handle that?"

"I don't think I'm ready to date twins. I mean, how would you react to the notion of dating twins?" a pause, "You know what, don't answer that." the pair giggled. "But no, it's not just your responsibility it's..."

"... just, it's just you. You have confidence in me, and that helps keep me level headed, and brave. So, thank you." she looked back to offer him a smile, while her other form glanced into the water around her paws. "Oooo, a shell!"

She really was a genius. She reached down to gently retrieve it from the sand beneath the waves. It was a pretty thing, that's for sure. Just a shell. Nothing spectacular, but it was intact. It took a moment, but she returned to the here and now. "Sorry, just.." she held up the shell.

"Now I have something to remind me." and with that, Mel's bravery about the ocean came to a close and she returned out of the water. "Thank you for indulging my adventurous streak." she paused for a moment, considering something. "I'm glad you don't..."

"... have a twin. I don't think the world would know what to do with two of you."

The captain watched as Mel reacted almost as though she was a young child as she enjoyed the simplistic things before them standing there on the beach, enjoying the ocean, wind, and even shells. It almost brought a unique feeling of enjoyment and peace over him. "To be honest, I dated a twin once, during my academy years. She was great girl, but her sister was more interested in me than she was. So it didn't last," he thought way back before taking in the fresh air. "And as for two of me... I have no doubt it would cause some massive waves."

Mel gave a giggle, "Okay, I'll remind you, I'm not Twins." she offered, delighting in the phrase. She knew, and David knew. His reference made it relevant. "But, that there... is why it's different. Twins are..."

"... two people. Two wants, two needs, two desires. A Dalacari has one want. One need." one explained, the other enjoyed the mathematical simplicity of the shell. "But, I do admire you. I enjoy our time together, and I..."

"... like you. You're a friend, a companion, and someone who I trust with my life. Is that Love? Maybe a form of it. That's a question for Dia, though." she concluded, taking a place next to him.

"Also, if I kissed you, I'd be *terrified* of biting your tongue." she giggled.

David smiled at Mel's concern. "No, not at all," he reassured her. "I've just been a little off lately, that's all. It's nothing to worry about."

He took a deep breath of the salty air and watched as Mel waded out into the ocean. "I'm glad you enjoy spending time with me, Mel," he said. "I do too. You're a good friend."

As David stood there, taking in the beauty of the beach and the genuine connection he shared with Mel, he couldn't help but appreciate the simplicity of the moment. Mel's candidness and trust meant a lot to him, and he felt a sense of camaraderie that extended beyond their roles on the Gladiator.

The beach outing was turning out to be a much-needed break for both of them. Mel's admission about the uniqueness of their connection resonated with David, reinforcing the idea that sometimes, simple moments with a good friend could be the most valuable.

As they continued to banter about hypothetical scenarios involving twins and the nuances of Dalacari relationships, David couldn't suppress a genuine smile. Mel's playful spirit and honesty were refreshing, bringing a lightness to his thoughts that he hadn't experienced in a while.

The exchange of laughter and shared experiences on the beach made David appreciate the importance of genuine connections in the midst of their demanding lives. It was a reminder that, beyond the responsibilities of being a captain and crew member, they were individuals who could find solace and understanding in each other's company.

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the beach, David and Mel decided to make the most of their time. The shells they collected became mementos of this unexpected but cherished excursion, symbolizing the friendship that had grown between them.

Walking back towards the transporter, David couldn't help but feel grateful for Mel's companionship and the opportunity to share this moment of relaxation. The challenges of their duties seemed momentarily distant, replaced by the sound of waves and the camaraderie of two friends enjoying a simple day at the beach.

And so, with the echoes of laughter and the memory of a sunlit beach, David and Mel transported back to the Gladiator, carrying with them not just shells and sand but a strengthened bond that transcended the complexities of their respective lives on the ship.