777: Additional RP Server - usa︱glacier-gorge-junction-trail

Teno stepped off the transport and slung his backpack onto his shoulders. The pack was moderately heavy, Teno having crammed an assortment of items he thought he might need on a day hike into the bag. He gazed forward at the trailhead, taking it all in. There were tall deciduous trees, with green leaves and brownish bark. The trunks were wide but not enormous. And beyond and above the trees were huge, tall mountains - part of the Terran Rocky Mountain Range. The mountains stood high in the sky, almost touching clouds. Teno had read about the trail before deciding to come here with his friend Sana. The elevation of the area was about 10,000ft above sealevel, and the elevation gain of the trail was almost 1,000 feet. The hike would take about 3 to 4 hours to complete round trip, as it was about an eight mile hike in total. All of this information could be found on the trailhead signage at the beginning of the trail as well! The sun was shining brightly above and it was about 66 degrees F or 19 degrees C. Teno could hear bugs chirping in the grass and the skittering of small creatures in the brush. There were people milling about, reading the sign just ahead and starting their hike on the trail after getting off the transport. Teno brought a hand to his forehead and wiped away newly formed sweat and took a few steps toward the trailhead sign, pausing for the others to join him.

Sana hopped off the transport happily and waved at Teno excitedly when they caught sight of him. He was unmistakable, with his dark hair and Bajoran summer robes, and his glittering earring. They ran up to him and threw an arm around his middle. "TENO!" They shouted happily, hugging him tight. "It's been so long! Are you ready to get sweaty?" They chuckled happily and let go, looking up at the Bajoran with a fierce determination on their features.

Teno cackled and wrapped his arms around Sana, embracing them lovingly. "Yeah, I'm ready! This is gonna be so much fun. I'm so excited we were able to take shore leave at the same time. Oh, and I invited some folks from 777 to come too. I think they were on the transport. Just waiting for them to come over!" He bumped into Sana gently and fidgeted with the hem on his robes, and continued making small talk with Sana while they waited for the others to arrive.

Rakim, replete with hiking boots a long sleeved T-shirt and trousers took this moment to arrive. Given where the coordinates were he'd elected to travel to a spot nearby and walk up to take in the sights so had popped along a bit earlier, trudging into view slowly but surely. A smile on his face as he approached in his green shirt and blue trouser combo and a simple grey headwrap. "Hello!" The El-Aurian said by way of greeting. "I think these are the right coordinates, greetings!"

Having spent the majority of their life on Bajor and never really left aside from the occasional holiday or field trip, M'Noa had seen little to none of Earth. Sure, they'd taken a field trip to the location First Contact between the Humans and Vulcans happened, and visited a museum or two, but they'd never truly gotten to experience the true beauty the planet had to offer. That was all going to change today. Having prepared for the trip as soon as the group invite had gone out, an avid fan of hiking and just generally going for walks, M'Noa had boarded the next shuttle to the region of Earth the hike was taking place in: The USA. Arriving at Glacier Gorge at roughly the same time as everyone else, give or take a minute or so considering how they happened to be on the same shuttle together, the long-furred Caitian, wearing a comfortable pair of hiking trousers and a simple sweater (with a t-shirt underneath), headed over towards the trailhead sign with a backpack on their, well, back. Catching sight of some other people they wandered over. "Excuse me, are any of you Lieutenant Zaru?" They asked with a friendly smile, somewhat accidentally towering over two members of the group.

Sana nodded at Teno and turned to face the two people that approached. They waved, their bare green arm and hand flailing excitedly in the sunlight. "Hiiiiiiiiii!" They said, their voice a smooth tenor pitch. They stood about 5'5", shorter than Teno, and the shortest of the group. Their wavy green hair was short, but not cropped. And they wore square glasses with metal frames and thick lenses. They were wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, brown cargo shorts, a backpack, and carrying a Sciences Blue water bottle with a worn Starfleet Academy symbol on it.

Teno brightened as the two approached and also waved eagerly at them. He was wearing a comfortable linen robe, cream in color, and matching pants. His arms were mostly covered by his robe, though his forearms and hands were peeking out. He had taken care to apply sunscreen to his pale skin before arriving, lest he burn. "Hi!" He smiled first at Rakim and bowed, then did the same for M'Noa. "That's me, I'm Lieutenant Zaru. You can just call me Zaru, or also Teno. Zaru is my surname but, either is fine! This is my friend, Lieutenant Sana Tayvnir. Thanks for coming, I'm really excited to meet you! What are your names?" (edited)

"Hello, pleasure to meet you both!" The El-Aurian said with a smile as he slowed down a bit then came to a stop next to the duo. "I'm Lieutenant Commander Rakim, just Rakim no surname." He said as he introduced himself and smiled a bit. "Its a pleasure to meet all of you." He said as he bowed to the group slightly. As he did so he took a moment to take in the group he'd found himself among, each member of the group noted by calm chestnut brown hues as the El-Aurian glanced at them all and maintained his smile.

"It's lovely to meet you all." M'Noa responded with a smile. "I'm M'Noa. No cool rank, unfortunately." They introduced with a smile. While they could technically be referred to as 'doctor' they much preferred informality. "You all mind if I call you by your first names? I like checking instead of assuming. Oh, and I brought extra water and snacks in case anyone needs some!"

"I've only the one name myself so I'm very happy to just be called that." He then paused a bit before he then added. "Though saying that, where I came from we did sometimes use son of or daughter of, though I'm more than happy to drop that in preference of first names." He chuckled then before at the mention of water his eyes widened a bit and he checked his own bag. "Oh yes, I've also got extra water as well, remembered a old friend of mine talked about always having a good supply of water and such on you when out and about in hot weather so thought I'd bring extra."

Teno smiled warmly at everyone and listened intently as they spoke. "Yes, you can call me Teno, then," He said and gazed up at M'Noa, their face silhouetted a bit by the sun above. And he saw glinting in that bright sunlight a Bajoran earring on M'Noa's ear. He made mental note of it and glanced over to Rakim. He'd never met an El-Aurian before, at least to his knowledge. He wondered briefly about both of their histories and how many questions would be appropriate to ask, before he was cut off by Sana.

"Teno here has got so much water and so many snacks too." They smacked his backpack playfully. "He's always got the goods. Always over prepared. But, this is like a four hour hike so I guess that's for the best!" They laughed and smiled at M'Noa and Rakim. "You can call me Sana," they said, then pointed toward the trailhead. "This is gonna be so much fun! I wonder what kind of animals we'll see. Maybe we'll see some snakes! Or a bear! Are you all ready to go?"

"It seems that between us we've quite the selection of snacks and quite the supply of water!" He chuckled softly then before, as he smiled at the trio he proceeded to say. "Its a pleasure to meet all three of you and It will be quite fun I hope, I'm ready." The El-Aurian said with a smile before he added. "Hopefully I'll not be like a old friend of mine and get mugged for my sandwiches by an animal." That comment made as he chuckled some more.

Smiling as the others spoke, and chuckling at the premise of being mugged by animals, the Caitian nodded at the question of being ready to go. "Yep! I also have a personal communicator, an emergency communicator, and an rational fear of large mammals that could eat me coming within a 100 foot radius of myself, so I hope the bears aren't hungry!" They said with a chuckle, quickly adjusting their backpack as they spoke.

Teno chuckled and playfully shoved Sana, before nodding at M'Noa and Rakim. "Alright, well it sounds like we're all ready to go then! I guess we start walking and see what's out there. Hopefully not bears but if there are bears, Sana knows what to do! Follow their lead." He paused for a minute and then started to turn his body toward the trail. "I don't know how much research you all did before joining me out here but I can save the spoilers or I can tell you what to expect. Which do you prefer?" He smiled a bit mischieviously.

Sana nodded when Teno said the thing about bears. "Yeah, there miiiight be bears but it's more likely we'll see snakes or lizards or various bugs. Probably. But depending on the bear, there's different protocols. And I'll let you know which one! But we should be fiiiiine." They smiled happily. "OH secrets! Umm, I don't know. What do you all think?" They looked at Rakim and M'Noa expectantly.

"I'm happy to hear you're fully aware of all the protocols related to dealing with wild animals around here." The El-Aurian smiled slightly at Lituenant Tayvnir before he looked over to Lieutenant Zaru Tenu. "I'm quite happy to proceed with or without being told what to expect, done some research before hand though I suspect I've probably missed bits and pieces, I'm not well versed in researching hikes."

"Zero research, no spoilers please!" M'Noa replied with a toothy, asymmetrical grin. "I thought being as I was going with other people I wouldn't have to be the one to do any research, and I'm glad that turned out well or we'd all be a bit screwed. I'm sure I could take a bear on in hand-to-hand combat. Perhaps I wouldn't even need to fight it. Perhaps it just needs some talk therapy." They joked with a chuckle.

Teno held up his hands, palms out and fingers to the sky, and a smile crossed his face. "Alright, no spoilers!" He was going to have to contain himself. He was actually very bad at keeping secrets and he wanted to gush about all of the plants and the natural features of the area but he also wanted the group to have a good experience so he made the decision to bite his tongue as best he could. "Well, I guess it's time to go then! Would anyone like to be in front or...?" He glanced down at Sana standing next to him, Sana who had the shortest legs of the party.

Sana smiled happily and nodded. "Yeah! No bear fights. You're tall and all but I'd rather avoid bodily harm." They chuckled, and a moment later caught Teno looking at them expectantly. "Hey, I can move fast, you know me. But, I am pretty easily distractable so maybe I should be like, second in line or something. That way I can see how far behind I am and get a move on." They laughed.

"I fear if I go in front I'll block everyone's view." M'Noa responded with a chuckle. "Plus I have no idea where I'm going. I volunteer Teno as tribute!" They joked, glancing between the members off the group as they did.

Teno smiled at the group and nodded. "Alright, I will lead us. Though I am not fearless, so someone else will have to rally us if there's a snake or something. I like snakes in theory but they creep me out in practice." He laughed and turned toward the trail, then started walking. "Alright, here we go!"

Rakim nodded once when Teno smiled and nodded as they did, their movement to the front followed by him as he adopted a spot within the group and started walking with the rest of the group. "I second the volunteering of Lieutenant Teno as tribute." The El-Aurian chuckled softly as he walked with the group. "And well...I rather like snakes myself, they're quite fun though they're also something to be careful around dependant on the species of Terran snake." Rakim continued before he then proceeded to say. "A old friend of mine had a few snakes over the years, they were always quite interesting."

As Teno started heading off M'Noa began following, thoroughly looking forward to the (star) trek ahead of them as they listened to Rakim talk about snakes. "I just hope I don't accidentally tread on one or something. I know a lot of them are good at camouflaging themselves."

"Oh yeah, there are some snakes with really good camoflage on Earth. But I'll keep an eye out and let you all know if I see anything. Since we're not hiking at night or dusk we should be fine if we stay on the marked trail!" They nodded, their short darkgreen hair flopping to and fro. They pushed an errant strand out of their face and smiled back at Rakim over their shoulder, hands gripping their pack's straps on the front of their shoulders. "The chances of us coming across a viper are reasonable, but there are more nonvenomous snakes than not. But I'm really excited about finding mammals like squirrels or something!" They laughed happily and trotted up next to Teno for a moment, pointing into the woods, almost having to run to keep up with his longer legs. "I think that's a squirrel in that tree! What kind of tree is that, Teno?!"

Teno led the group at a reasonable pace, probably slow for Rakim and especially M'Noa, but maybe a little fast for Sana. He tried to balance his stride so that everyone was moving at a comfortable pace. He listened thoughtfully as everyone spoke, taking in the surroundings as he walked down the trail, which was actually slightly uphill at this juncture. The trail was semi-narrow, wide enough that two thin people could stand side by side, but small enough that a larger person might want to walk by themself lest their hiking partner be relegated to the plant growth on the ground. The trail itself was dirt with rocks interspersed, sticking out of the dirt - one had to step carefully in order not to sprain an ankle. The grass was green and weedy, long native plants growing up tall, sometimes two to three feet into the air. There were also brambles and bushes and wildflowers. Just beyond the underbrush was a fairly dense treeline comprised of both deep emerald conifers with different types of branches and deciduous trees with giant, green leaves. Most of the trees had brownish gray bark, but some of them had whitish trunks. Teno looked down at Sana when they asked him what kind of tree they were pointing at and considered it for a moment. "I think it's a type of fir. It looks like a Terran Christmas Tree so I think it might be a Douglas? Or something like that."

Following along with the group, despite the slower pace M'Noa was quite comfortable. Not feeling worn out straight away was always a good thing, after all. As they walked they took in the sights, sounds, and smells. Nature had always been something they enjoyed, so while they didn't actually know much about it, and especially not about Earth nature, this was right up their alley. Glancing over at the squirrel in the tree, a content smile spread across their face, they listened as Teno answered Sana's question. "You know, I think that's probably only the sixth squirrel I've seen in my life as far as I can remember." They commented idly, tail swishing lightly as they contemplated all the times they'd seen squirrels. "I remember learning about Christmas. Good holiday, better food." The Caitian said jokingly. "Still don't understand the whole 'stick a tree in your house' tradition, though."

"Its meant to be a symbol of life everlasting as far as I know, I don't know the origins of it but well.. its said it probably originated with the ancient human culture called the Romans." Rakim commented softly at M'Noa's comment as he looked over to the tree that had been indicated. "It rather interested me to look into these things from time to time in my ah, slightly younger years." He then shrugged before he looked over at the squirrel that had been spotted in the tree. "Beautiful little creatures, squirrels." The El-Aurian then commented. Moving along, Rakim continued to walk with the group and look around as he considered both his surroundings and the walk itself. Hikes seemed.. calming in some aspects but.. how did some people he knew find them to be something they so enjoyed? He wasn't sure yet though he suspected he was..beginning to understand.

Teno kept walking, letting his head swivel to take in all the different plants and bugs and the sky and everything. He was in awe of how beautiful it all was. He listened intently as M'Noa and Rakim spoke about Christmas traditions, curious about what kind of holidays they might celebrate. So he figured he'd ask! "Huh, interesting, I didn't know that." He said to Rakim, peering over his shoulder. "I had Christmas food once with my roommate during the Academy." He smiled softly. "He was Terran and they celebrated the holiday still. There were a lot of savory flavors. And also potatoes that were dessert?" He sounded confused, but followed that up with, "But I liked them!" And a chuckle. "What holidays do you all celebrate?" He asked to the group, turning his head back toward the trail so he didn't trip.

"I've sometimes celebrated Christmas when with people who celebrate it but other than that, I don't tend to celebrate much else." The El-Aurian smiled a tad then before he continued. "Tend to celebrate Christmas at a place I've helped run for quite some time, the Wanderers Rest, it's quite nice." Rakim elected to not speak of El-Aurian celebrations. Those things had passed on into the tapestry of memories and emotions that constituted the remembered past, a past his quite.. good memory allowed him to keep a hold of despite so much.

"Oh the Wanderer's Rest? That sounds like a comfortable place. What's it like, if I can ask?" Sana asked, curiousity thick in their voice. "I don't really celebrate a lot of holidays either, heheh. Too busy working really." They ran a hand over their dark green hair.

"It is rather comfortable aye, though I suspect I'm biased." He chuckled softly. "Originally it was a rather run down old pub." The El-Aurian responded simply before he continued. "It passed into my and a friends ownership and I worked on it with a few people then worked there for a bit." Rakim explained as he continued to walk. "Its now a nice little two floor establishment still at the same place in Edinburgh, grandson of the original manager runs it alongside me, they turn the top floor into more of a open space and invite the families of everyone who works there in as well as the employee's and put on a Christmas do every Christmas." He'd smiled then in memory of those get togethers he still occasionally popped into. "Its quite nice."

"What is mince and why did they put it in a pie? That's what I'd like to know." M'Noa joked idly as the group spoke about Christmas food. "Oh, you know, the usual. Ha'mara, the Peldor Festival, Days of Atonement, and a couple of Caitian ones. I used to take part in the Time of Cleansing but I was medically advised against it to keep my energy up for work purposes." They responded to Teno's question about what holidays they celebrated. "Oh, and I also take part in Kal Rekk with my partner, and support her during Tal-Shanar." As they continued to walk, talk, and listen, the Caitian's tail idly swished back and forth, enjoying the quiet atmosphere, fresh air, brand new surroundings, and equally brand new company. "The Wanderer's Rest does sound nice." They agreed. "Honestly sounds like the kind of place you'd want to go after a hike."

“That is a really good question, my friend!” Sana replied to M’Noa, giggling happily. “Whoa that’s a lot of holidays! And yeah, that place and those celebrations sound really nice!” They looped their thumbs in the crook of their armpits, under their pack’s straps and peered around looking for more small animals. Quiet again, for the moment at least.

“Mmm, I love being able to meet up with family and friends and come together for a holiday. It sounds wonderful to have a comfortable place and connections like that, Rakim. Do you get to visit often?” He threw a bright smile over his shoulder. “Peldor is probably my favorite, even though that’s kinda expected.” Teno chuckled. “But I do have a very soft spot for the Time of Cleansing as well, though it can be so intense.” He paused for a moment, considering what some of his previous experiences had been with that holiday, then asked them, “What do you do for work?” The question was open to anyone to answer of course.

Rakim smiled as he listened to what the others had to say, listened contended to walk and drink in all the others spoke on, happy for the company. Focused enough on listening that he twitched when they spoke to him once more. “It is and they are..the people there have always been quite nice, I’ve been honoured to know several generations of a few of the families there now, they’ve been quite good.” He’d paused then. “While I’ve never been on a hike on Earth..I do get to visit every shore leave, which is nice, meeting them all again though now I’ve my son in my life again I’ve been spending a good bit of time with them, which the others understand.” “I’m a diplomatic attaché myself.” The El-Aurian then said when the other asked what people did for work. “Previously worked as a CONN officer last time I was with the fleet though, this..is newer.” (edited)

"Oh, well I'm training to be a psychiatrist. I've been at it for a year and a half now, actually. Well technically, if I wanted to get really precise, I had to become a junior doctor so I could then go down the psychiatry route, and that's six years of training, plus two years of on the job training as a doctor before I got to specialise. Now, I'm interning on 777 under Starfleet's mental health services and its psychiatrists!" They responded, counting on their fingers(?) as they listed off the years of training they had done so far. "It's been good fun. Worth every moment!" They added, choosing not to focus on the negative moments and instead the positives. "What about you two?" They asked the Bajoran and Orion.

Teno nodded at Rakim and M’Noa. “Wow, that sounds lovely Rakim! I’m glad you get to visit and it sounds like you’re enjoying having your son with you again. That’s so wonderful.” He paused on the trail for a moment, turning to face the others and gave a warm smile to them. It was hard to talk and walk sometimes. “A diplomatic attaché, huh? Interesting! You must meet a lot of different kinds of people then, huh?” The Bajoran glanced up at M’Noa, giving an affirming grunt at their explanation. He had learned from his mentor that the medical sciences, whether you were in Starfleet or not, took a lot of schooling and dedication. “Oh, nice! Are you enjoying your time on 777? And oh! Sorry, I’m in Starfleet and I’m a scientist - a botanist specifically.” He chuckled, a bit embarrassed that he hadn’t explained that earlier. (edited)

“Wow you both are so cool!” The Orion chimed in, almost bumping into Teno when he paused. “I’m a Xenobiologist with Starfleet! Animals are magical. So I devoted my life to learning more about them!” Their voice was happy, and somehow even more excitable than Teno’s.

“Psychiatrist?” He commenced.”That is quite the admirable and respectable profession, I hope your continues to be enjoyable.” The man said in response to M’Noa before he chuckled at Teno’s words. “More than a few yes though I’ve had the pleasure of meeting quite a few interesting people before that also, but yes, I’ve met a good few interesting people in my job.” He then fell silent a moment before, when Lt Zaru Teno proceeded to say what they said and he smiled again. “Botany is quite interesting, as is Xenobiology, always respected people from both professions.” Rakim’s smile then deepened slightly as his mind moved to his son and his return. “As to my son, it’ll forever be a joy to have him back in my life, liberated and a individual once more as he is.” His voice perhaps somewhat coloured with some of the joy he experienced. “Though I suspect it’ll be more of a journey still yet to fully catch up for lost time and such.”

"Oh yeah, I am! I mean, I haven't gotten to do much yet, but I haven't been aboard long so I suppose that'd be why!" M'Noa responded with a chuckle, before listening as Teno and Sana said what they did. "Oh that's cool. I've always liked plants and animals. The plants and animals don't seem to like me in return a lot of the time, but it's not for lack of trying." They responded with a chuckle. They appreciated Rakim's words about it being an admirable and respectable profession, giving him a nod of thanks and a smile in return.*

Sana gave a small frown to M'Noa. "Aw dang, I'm sorry. To be fair, I am better with the little creatures than I am with people, so maybe we balance it out, ha ha!" They laughed, turning forward for a minute to reorient themself on the path, making sure to take careful steps. "Oh lots of rocks ahead, watch your step!" They pointed forward ahead of Teno, who was still kind of walking sideways and staring at the group behind him intently. The trail was starting to descend pretty steeply, which was probably why it was named "Glacier Gorge", because it led to a gorge...

"So true, Rakim. I can't fathom trying to learn the ins and outs of how brains work and like, knowing how to treat people for complex stuff they've been through and...just everything that entails. It's certainly a commitment to service for one's fellows." Teno nodded, trying to convey his respect for their craft. "I'd love if you both let me pick your brains about your respective experiences in the field some time, I mean, aside from now of course. But like, in the future, over coffee or something! I'd love to hear about super cool diplomatic stuff and family and also about psychiatry and the inner workings of peolpe's minds! And also just like, anything else that would be fun to talk about of course... As for plants, well," a thoughtful look crossed his features. "I don't know! I'm privileged to have grown up around them and learned a bunch of stuff from my parents at a young age. Hm. Though I've definitely killed quite a few plants on accident so... who's to say!" He laughed a little and then his eyes darted forward when Sana spoke up about the rocks.

"Nahhh, don't worry about it. I just think some of them are scared of how tall I am." They responded light-heartedly. "As for plants... I have to admit I've killed more than my fair share, and half of them weren't even mine." M'Noa added, grimacing just slightly at the one time they killed their partner's fly trap. That was not a good day. An appreciative, warm smile was given in response to Teno's nice words about their choice of career, before quickly turning to avoid tripping or slipping on any rocks. "I'd be more than happy to have coffee or something with you! Brain picking works both ways though so you'll have to teach me how to maybe not kill my partner's plants whenever they're put in my care." They said with a laugh.

"I'd be game to meet for coffee." Rakim responded simply before he then added. "I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who's struggled with plants from time to time, it was my wife who always had the green thumb." He chuckled then. "I'm a baker myself." The El-Aurian fell silent for a moment as they focused on navigating a particularly treacherous patch of rocks and the like. "Always happy to meet new people, as long as I've the time for it, spending a bit of time recently reconnecting with someone I knew a long while ago who transferred over from the cooperative to Starfleet."

Teno nodded, smiling excitedly at the rest of the group and then turning to focus on the hike, making conversation as they kept walking the long trail. As the trail continued, it meandered around with steep elevation drops and then hills back up. Eventually the trail began to head steeply upward, making its way up into the rockies. There were so many trees all around, dense lush forests and beautiful wildflowers. Tall grasses and red earthen clay on the ground. Tiny birds fluttering above and perching on treelimbs and smaller creatures darting away as the group made their way through the woods. It took about another hour or so but the group finally made it to the destination Teno had kept secret from them, having been asked to not give any spoilers. As they got nearer, a sort of low roaring hum could be heard, the sounds of a small river, more like a creek, running near the trail and then as they got even closer to the clearing the sound of a waterfall could be heard. When the trail opened up to the clearing where the waterfall sat, the group could hear and see the water tumbling down from above in great big spraying waves. The water vapor cooled the air nearest to the waterfall and there was a swimming hole at the bottom of the falls, with a few people milling about who had hiked there before the group arrived. The falls easily had 4 or 5 levels, falling over stairs of plateaus and giant rocks. Some fish could be seen jumping up to catch bugs from underneath the water. There were birds flying overhead, and the sunlight was bright on the clear water, sparkling and glittering. "Well! We're here!!!" Teno exclaimed after letting out a deep held breath. He was so bad at keeping secrets but his new friends had done a great job of keeping him distracted from spilling the beans, anyway. A huge smile covered his face and he gestured with open arms to Rakim, M'Noa, and Sana. "What do you think?!"

Rakim allowed himself a few moments to look around and drink in the vista they were presented with before he grinned. "This is utterly beautiful!" The man responded as he grinned. "Thank you very much for letting me tag along." Rakim looked about the landscape and then softly breathed in as he just..enjoyed this, years bleeding off his face almost as he considered the landscape before him and just allowed himself to enjoy it. Allowed himself to enjoy such a beautiful sight reached after such a hike as this one. "Goddess, I should take a photo for Twelve." The El-Aurian then said as he remembered that they still fostered that love for art that his wife had before assimilation. They'd like.. or well, they'd find use for a photo of somewhere like this, he hoped as he pulled out a small holocam and snapped a photo.

Continuing down the trail M'Noa couldn't help but fall in love with the scenery and nature surrounding them. The forests, the grasses, the wildflowers, the birds, and pretty much everything else was just so... Peaceful. It was lovely, and so was the company they had as they walked for the next hour or so. Keen ears picking up on the roaring sound, it wasn't long before they realised it was flowing water. From a river to the sound of a waterfall, and soon said waterfall came into view, their eyes immediately fixating on the sight in front of them. Looking around, eyeing the multi-tiered natural beauty, noticing the fish and yet more birds, as the sun shone down on them, the grin on the Caitian's face was probably the biggest it had been the entire journey. "Phophets, this place is gorgeous!" They exclaimed, looking down at the Bajoran as they did, before immediately looking back up as a bird flew past. The sights, the sounds, the smells... This is why they loved nature. Looking back at Teno and Sana a moment later, they spoke once more. "Yes, thank you for letting me come along. This was well worth the last minute packing." They said light-heartedly as they took their backpack off and unfastened it to get their water bottle out. "I think I might join you on that one. T'pan would appreciate the view." They responded to Rakim, before taking a sip of their water, taking in the view as they did.

Teno beamed proudly, watching his companions take in the sights and listening as they exclaimed excitedly. "Of course! I'm so glad you all decided to come on this little adventure with me! Now we can keep these memories for, well, a long time!" He laughed, smiling as the two took photos and gazed around at the beauty of the natural environment. Teno took a step twoard Sana and opened his arms for a hug, which they returned. Then they both pulled out their PADDs and snapped some selfies with the waterfall in the background. After taking the photos with Sana, the scientists walked up to Rakim and M'Noa. "Would you two like to commemorate this trip with a group photo?" He gestured with his PADD at the waterfall. Assuming they said yes, Teno and Sana would arrange themselves such that the whole group could be scene in the frame, and take a photo of them all together, to be sent to all of them when they returned to 777. The party would remain for as long as the sun would allow, soaking up the sunshine, the water, and the beauty of the nature scape surrounding them, until they had to walk back to catch the next shuttle. On their way back, Teno hoped to have more pleasant conversation, as well as maybe some comfortable silence interspersed, having also felt quite pleased and meditative in that sweet, calming space. The group would board the waiting shuttle, exhausted but happy, upon arriving back at the trailhead, for their long journey back to the Hromi Cluster.