777: Additional RP Server - khaa︱waterfront

[D] This is where the shore of the beach of the Khaa district is - as Mol'Rihan's largest beach, it tends to attract a lot of visitors in the summer. Waves crash along the shoreline, calm in the area near the homes and other buildings, but on the opposite end of the waterfront, there are much larger waves. As any of the waves come up to the edge, the air has a refreshing coolness to it as the light mist falls into the atmosphere. Despite the cooler temperature of the planet, the beach still exudes a comfortable warmth and, well, good vibes. Away from the homes and further along the shore near the larger waves, a long, stone bridge reaches across small sand dunes that are filled with scurrying creatures and long, elegant grasses. Further off, there's a small forest, or jungle - hard to tell what, but lots of trees far off in the distance. Back to the large waves - close by those is a fairly large shack with a wooden sign that reads 'Dudesek's Surf Shop' in 3 languages: Havrannsu, Rihannsu and Standard. A sign below also said 'AND BAR' as if it were tacked on much later. There are several barstools set up at the counter of said shack, and a middle-aged Reman man named Dudesek is usually behind said counter with a toothy smile on his face. (edited)

Jules bit her lip as she approached a large wooden shack, her gaze dancing from it, to the water, and back again. She’d read about surfing, had watched a few holo-lessons on it, had even tried it out in the holo-deck. However, she didn’t entirely feel prepared. Especially because surfing on the holo-deck had been absolutely dreadful. She couldn’t seem to balance on the board, her feet kept slipping off, and every time she thought she’d gotten the hang of it she’d wipe out. Honestly, she was starting to feel like maybe she hadn’t programmed the scene correctly. Which meant that the only viable option would be going somewhere with a beautiful ocean while she was on shore leave. Only…once she got there, she realized that she didn’t actually have anything to surf with. Obviously she had a wetsuit - she was wearing a short wetsuit, with half-sleeves and legs that went down to mid-thigh. And sun screen, though she occasionally caught a whiff of the sweet smell of coconuts because of it. She stopped a few steps away from the door, curling her toes in the warm sand as she contemplated whether she was actually going to go through with this. She could just go swim but…the idea of surfing was just too alluring. Especially because she knew that her failure in the holo-deck would just haunt her if she didn’t. So, Jules lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and stepped into the Surf Shop. She headed towards the first thing she recognized; a large display of wax bars. Of course she’d need a board, maybe a surfboard leash, but she was starting with the easiest first. Which, of course, turned out to be more complicated than she thought. “Why are there so many different kinds?” (edited)

Mol'Rihan's favorite (and, well, possibly only) surf shack owner, Dudesek, was just tending the outdoor bar when he heard the little bell on the shack door ring as a customer had entered, so he moved to go inside and gave a friendly wave, walking close to the person but not, like, too close. They looked... human, possibly? He could never quite assume, but definitely not Reman like himself. He nodded to their question about the wax bars, shifting his gaze from the customer to the display as well. "Hey, yeah! So, the different waves and the different water temps need different stuff, ya know? You've got stuff for hotter water, chillier spots, some basecoat or some like, extra grip.. oh, also, some of them have, like, their own secret sauce for max stickiness, kinda - stuff you'll want out here will probably be around the colder end, not that the water's that cold, but the wax isn't prone to melting easily with the way the sun is here, helps you shred properly and all that - you get what I mean, bro?" He wasn't exactly a scientist, clearly. "Oh, also some of them just have cool smells!"

Outside of the shack, near the bar, were Brokuk, Chadrix, and Allan, who were planning on teaching Elwyn - and anyone else who would come up to them inquiring - how to surf. "Yeah, I dunno, bro, I think - like, mannnn, these boards are actually still so cool," he spun his board around - it was a deep, rich purple with a wisp-like swirled pattern in black, along with the edges of the board outlined in black. "Dudesek did, like, a killer job, honestly. Not fair that Allan got his for free, though."

"It was literally my birthday!" Allan chuckled and shook his head as he looked at his own board, which was very similar to Brokuk's - but a deep, vibrant red instead, which made the swirl-like pattern almost look like flames. It also stood out in the way that it matched the incredibly bright red of his hair. "Well, like - a few days off from my birthday, like - close enough, though. You know, do you think we'll ever get shore leave at the same time as my birthday? Not that I don't like spending it on the station," after all, having killer parties with his boyfriend Dion was never a bad thing - still, it would be cool to have said killer parties on the beach.

Chadrix was silently swirling his cocktail of some sort, his own matching green surfboard leaning against one of the poles holding the shack awning up. "Mm, possibly in a year or two? Depends how consistent Starfleet wants to be with us. Still sort of crazy, dude, that our two postings have aligned well enough every single year." Usually, for obvious reasons, Starfleet didn't just let every officer go on shore leave all at the same time at every posting ever - that would mean a pretty bad time. The luck Brokuk, Chadrix, and Allan to have their shore leaves align every year just seemed to be pretty good.

Teno ambled down the beach slowly, letting the purple water lap at his bare feet. He’d been walking for a while now, a striped beach bag slung over his left shoulder and a pair of sandals dangling from his right hand. It was warm and sunny and comfortable and he wasn’t sure when or where he was going to stop and settle for the afternoon, or if he was going to swim. As he walked further down the waterfront, considering his options, he noticed a little shack and some people standing outside. As he got closer he was able to read the signs. A bar? Maybe a cool drink on the beach could be nice, he thought, and walked over to the shack. The Bajoran man’s short wavy hair was wind-tousled and wild from the gusts coming off the water. He had his family earring on, and it glistened silver in the bright sunlight. He was wearing a buttoned short sleeve shirt but it was completely unbuttoned, revealing the physique of someone who grew up doing farm work — strong, muscled arms and chest, a thick torso, and kind of hanging off his shoulder on one side. The shirt was a dark green with lighter green leaves all over it in a repeating pattern. He was also wearing swim trunks that were also essentially short shorts. They didn’t even reach the middle of his thighs. The trunks were blue with a swirling orange pattern on them, and white strings that were tied in a nice little bow on the front. When he reached the bar, Teno walked up to greet the folks standing around and waved with his free hand. “Hi! I’m Teno. Nice to meet you.”

Triple 0's slender frame tensed as another wave approached, the froth of the water creeping towards their feet. With a small yelp that existed only in their shared consciousness, they scampered back a few steps, their toes leaving small indentations in the wet sand to escape the froth. They took a glance behind to Triple 1 who was on the beach. "You can do it," Triple 1's encouraging thoughts resonated in Triple 0's mind. "We survived the water course in Starfleet Academy, this is nothing, you can do it," Triple 0 nodded, their delicate head ridges catching the sunlight. They took a deep breath, steeling themselves to try again. With cautious steps, they approached the water once more, building up the courage.As the next wave rolled in, Triple 0's emerald eyes widened. They stood their ground for a moment longer than before, but at the last second, their courage faltered. They turned and dashed back towards Triple 1, sending sand flying in their wake. [

Triple 1 sat motionless under the large beach umbrella, their lavender skin shaded from the intense sunlight. The Starfleet-issued cooler rested beside them, filled with nutritional supplements carefully chosen for their shared physiology, some pastries and chocolate from Melody's bakery. Their emerald eyes remained fixed on Triple 0, who stood at the water's edge, visibly trembling with a mix of excitement and fear.As Triple 0 inched closer to the purple lapping waves, Triple 1 felt a surge of emotions through their cybernetic link. The anticipation, the curiosity, and the underlying fear all resonated within their shared consciousness. Triple 1's toes tingled with the phantom sensation of wet sand, a perfect mirror of Triple 0's physical experience. "You can do it," Triple 1's encouraging thoughts resonated in Triple 0's mind. "We survived the water course in Starfleet Academy, this is nothing, you can do it," Triple 1 watched as Triple 0 took another tentative step forward, their slender frame tense with concentration. Through their link, Triple 1 could sense Triple 0's internal struggle –the fear of being submerged and the fear from the training. * *As a particularly large wave approached, Triple 1 instinctively leaned forward, ready to rush to Triple 0's aid if needed. Would Triple 0 face it...? Nope. They ran back, Triple 1 opened their arms instinctively , providing a safe haven for their frightened other half. "It's okay," they communicated silently. "We'll try again. (edited)

Having intended to go to the beach at exactly the same time as Chadrix, Allan, and Brokuk, Elwyn had been a little held back by the timing of their spontaneous baking, cookies still in the beach house's oven when the others had left. Promising to catch up in a few minutes, the baking almost done, the happy android was soon out the door with cookies in tow as they headed down the beach towards the waterfront and surf shack. However, half way there they were immediately distracted by a very large, very colourful, and very pretty butterfly. It was after a good few minutes that they finally arrived, approaching their friends just as someone else did, excitement practically exuding itself from the android. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Allan, Brokuk, Chadrix, you will not believe what just happened! So I was coming here, walking along the beach when I suddenly saw this huge butterfly! It was soooo pretty and soooo colourful! It flew all around me, and because I had stopped it briefly landed on me and thought one of the flower clips in my hair was real! It landed on me!" If multiple exclamation marks could be verbalised, Elwyn was verbalising them. Turning to look at the newcomer, they offered a friendly smile and excited little wave. "Oh, hi by the way! I'm Elwyn!" Speaking of flower clips in their hair, the vacation android was wearing a simple pair of colourful short board shorts, a matching sports bra style bikini, and a few flower clips in their hair for a combination of decorative purposes, as well as trying to keep their hair in place during their surfing lessons. Looking back at the Bros and their bestie 'doctor' Allan, they held out a little floral tin. "I brought the cookies! Eeee I'm so excited to learn to surf!"

Chadrix just threw back the rest of his cocktail, chugging it when the Bajoran man walked up to the group, waving and listening as Elwyn told their spiel about the butterfly. He was wearing a full body wetsuit over his large frame, a blue color that seemed to match his hair pretty well. "Wooowwwww," he said, nodding as his eyes went straight to the clips in their hair, "that's wild, dude..." he was a little too chill right now to say much else, but he stole a glance back over at the water, and then the cookies, "Hell yeah, what kind are they again..?" He asked, taking the tin and looking at them to see if he could tell from just looking at them. If the tin was see through, of course.

"Yooo," was Brokuk's response as Teno walked up, waving along with Chadrix. He was just wearing some purple board shorts that went a bit above his knees that matched.. his board. Big surprise. Nothing else, though. Well, except his sunglasses. "I'm Brokuk! And uh, this guy here is Chadrix, and that's Elwyn, and then I don't know this guy." He gestured to them as he spoke, gesturing to Allan last. He totally did not know that guy at all, definitely not. He tilted his sunglasses down some as he looked at the guy, and then back at Elwyn, also tilting his head to look at the cookies box when Chadrix took it.

Allan was here wearing an unbuttoned black shirt, that had a pattern of red and white flowers with white little leaves all across it. Oh, and some red swim shorts that were so short that an image reference could not reasonably be posted in a public chat. He had admittedly gotten a little distracted during Elwyn's story about the butterfly. He didn't even know there were butterflies here. And he'd been coming here for how long? Maybe he'd never - no, he'd noticed, he'd noticed when he came here in some of the summers leading up to 2411, and - yeah, he was definitely distracted now from it. However, when Brokuk said he didn't know him, Allan laughed and shook his head along with a roll of his eyes as Brokuk said he didn't know who he was. "He's - he's joking, I've been staying at his house every summer for ten years," he said as he turned to look at who'd walked up, smiling and waving his hand before he actually looked at the guy, not being subtle at all in the way that he looked down at him, his green eyes looking the guy over before he met those blue eyes, same smile still on his face. "I'm Allan, though, nice to meet you too- you want a drink or anything? I was just thinking about getting something before we-" he looked back out at the water, seeing a large wave approach the sand and - was that a Starfleet-issued cooler over there? "Hit the waves, we've got preeetty much anything, Dudesek's in the shop right now but like, I totally know how to mix a drink." A bit of bluffing.

Jules jumped when her question was answered, and remarkably closer to her than she had anticipated. Of course the shop keep had been paying attention, it made perfect sense, but she was startled nonetheless. “Oh, uh…” she fumbled, blinking rapidly as she turned to look at the wax to pluck one of the ones he’d mentioned off of the shelf. The label read ‘Cold Water, Environmentally Friendly, Strawberry & Coconut Scented’. She showed it to the Reman before reaching for a wax scraper and the conveniently placed wax holders. Perfect. “Thanks,” she said finally, offering the man a crooked smile, before gesturing across the shop, “Do you have any recommendations for boards? I…” she trailed off as her pale cheeks started to burn with embarrassment. “I’m new at it, so…I don’t have anything.” Her voice was quiet, but not so much that he would have to strain to hear her. As if she suddenly remembered, she spoke quickly and bit louder, “I’m Jules, uh. Juliette. By the way.” Great job, Jules.

It took Haru ages to prepare himself to face the sun. He had long sleeves, leggings, the works. He also applied the strongest sun lotion! He had sheer gloves and swim shoes on to protect his hands and feet! As an albino Romulan, Haru had to be very careful and not spend too long in the sun. He had little floaties on his arms and had switched his implants to maximum sun protection making his eyes look entirely black. He loves the beach and he loved the sun, but it did not love him. He skipped outside to join everyone at the waterfront! "Finally!!! Ready for swimming woooo," Haru flapped his arms. "Hiiii guys!!"

"Hmmm, new at it-" he put a hand on his chin as he thought about it, walking a few steps over to where he had some of the boards. "Oooh, Jules, nice to meet ya, dude! What brought you to Mol'Rihan?" He asked, sometimes that question had an answer he didn't like to hear, but - well, most people who would give such an answer didn't so willingly interact with him, rather asking who the owner was. Not knowing that, well, it was him. "I'm Dudesek," pronounced 'Dude-seck', "I think, hmmm, so a funboard, funny name right, kinda a killer for beginners, you've got a shorter length than a longboard so it's a lot easier to move around yourself, but it's still, like, thick enough to give you the stability and float-ibility, so you can still paddle pretty well but also learn all the turning and stuff at the same time... you get what I'm sayin'?" He hoped his UT at least was working okay.

Teno glanced back and forth between the people that were talking, the Reman man with purple board shorts and sunglasses and the Human man with firey red hair. He chuckled at their joking, letting his hand fall back down to his side, and watched as the red-haired man's eyes looked down his body, and then back up, a smile flashing on his face. He could feel a very light blush color his cheeks and neck. It had been a while since anyone had looked at him that way. "Hmmmm," he hummed as he eyed the man back. He couldn't help himself. What good was a beach vacation if he couldn't enjoy seeing hot people in swimsuits anyway? "A drink would be nice, Allan. Surprise me?" He smiled, a little impishly, and then turned when he heard a familiar voice approaching from a short distance away. "Haru!! I didn't know you were coming to Mol'Rihan for shore leave?!" Teno took a few steps toward the Romulan and then remembered not to immediately hug him. "Hiii!! I love your hat!"

Jules followed behind the shop keep, peering over his shoulder to see what type of boards he was looking at. “Oh, I’m on shore leave. I’d heard that the water was beautiful here,” she offered in response. “Thought it’d be a good place to learn how to surf,” she explained, moving to stand beside him as he spoke about the type of board that he was recommending. She nodded along as she looked over the assortment of funboards that he had. “Yeah, I think that makes sense,” she mumbled, her brow furrowing just a bit as she considered the option. After a moment or two she reached out for one of the funboards that had caught her attention; a light blue and green board with a single dark stingray towards the nose. “Anything sketchy in the water that I should look out for?” she asked, though her tone was light; she wasn’t actually worried about the water itself. She was a strong swimmer and as a Starfleet officer, she wasn’t really afraid of any creatures that she might find in there. Though she was a little paranoid that she might slip off of her board and hit her head on it on the way down. She quickly grabbed a surfboard leash before turning to Dudesek, “Am I missing anything?”

When he saw Haru come over, he waved, smiling at the little floaties on his arms. "Heyyyy, lookin' good dude! Water's pretty good today, already getting some sick waves," he said, gesturing at the water, which was slowly building up another pretty purple wave. "Arm floaties will suit ya juuuust fine for floating, smooth sailing..." he said, moving his hands in a little floating motion like a little wave.

Oh, the light blush on the man's face was a little more noticeable in the sunlight than perhaps the other thought it was - he wasn't going to complain, though. "Surprise you? Oh, man, uhhh.." instead of, like a normal person, going around the bar and making a drink that way, he did this the most crazy way possible (because he was Allan Allen) and just hopped up onto the barstool, fully bending his entire self over the edge of the bar to reach the glasses there and make a drink. Yeah. Just showing off his ass to the whole beach he supposed. Not even on purpose. "Haru, hey!!" He waved with a grin, and then looked over at Teno, "oh shit, you know him too? Oh, my God, he's great," in so many ways, he thought, "the hat is literally so fucking good, where'd you even find that??" He said as he like, turned his head back to look at the guy. Still making who knew what of a drink.

Haru looked around as best he could but it was all dark. His implants were great at protecting his eyes from the sun, but it also made his vision much worse. He could feel the heat from the sun but at best he saw dark blobs blobbing about around him. "Yeaa Dudesek!" He recognised the voice and waved his hands around. He then heard the familiar voice of his friend Teno! "Teeenoooo!" Haru attempted to walk towards the sound of the Bajoran's voice. He was walking in the right direction but a little bit off from where Teno actually was. "Yeaaahh!! My whole family is here for holiday! They're exploring elsewhere so I took the bus -- ALONE, here!" Haru was thankful the Mol'Rihan public transportation had braille and lots of accessibility features so he could get around without any help. "Yeaahh Teno is my friend! And thanks, the hat thoroughly protects me from the evil sun! The sun has never been good to me," Haru held onto both sides of his hat so it wouldn't fly off as he continued skipping ahead! (edited)

"Oh! I have some friends here on shore leave too, they're totally rad, I think they're still outside, or they already hit the waves, not sure," he said, watching as Jules considered which board she wanted. Light blue, great choice. "Other than my friends, nah, not really - nothing's going to be around these parts, nothing dangerous at least - some normal fish and such, I guess 'normal' is a bit different here, but - nothing that could harm you at all," he said with a wide grin, sharp teeth on display. "If you've got everything ya need, you can go ahead on out, I don't think there's anything else! Might want some sunscreen, if you don't have any already."

"Haruuuu, we could've picked you up, you know," Allan said, referring to Brokuk's hoverbike, of course - surely they would all be able to fit on it (not), a little clinky clink of the glass happening as he mixed his very unique concoction, and then put one of those little fancy green tiny umbrellas in the glass, and a pineapple slice at the edge - and turned back around, hopping off the barstool as he handed it to Teno. "Here! No fucking clue what this is. It's got tequila, coconut cream, pineapple juice, eiiur'lhiet juice, and something else, probably. Oh, springwine." It definitely tasted good. Like, actually, if one liked sweet cocktails with a slight tinge of citrusy sour. (edited)

Teno tried and failed to stifle a laugh as Allan threw himself over the bar, ass in the air for the world to see. He looked, and then he looked away, a little too obviously, still laughing, giving his attention instead to his Romulan friend. A huge smile grew on Teno's face as Haru skipped toward him. He positioned himself such that Haru wouldn't barrel into him, but that hopefully they'd end up near each other and Haru could at least hear where they were in proximity to one another. "Yeah, you mentioned the sun being a problem at dinner a while back. Do you have sunscreen? I have sunscreen. I am also pale, just... yeah." He chuckled a little and started rifling through his bag for the sunscreen, also dropping his sandals into his bag so he could make room in one hand for the drink that Allan handed him shortly afterward. "Oh? Okay, this should be interesting. The umbrellas are a nice touch." He smiled again and took a tentative sip, letting the flavors wash over his tongue. "Mm, yeah that's nice. Thanks!!"

"Oh it's ok! I wanted to try out the ROMULAN buses! They are like Vulcan buses but the announcements are in Rihannsu and they're... GEEN," Haru said, his eyes growing wide when he said 'geen'. Not a mistake, Haru was just bad at enunciating sometimes. He heard the clink clack of the glass and immediately turned his head with curiosity. "ohh drinks!" He said before turning his head in the direction he assumed Teno was in. "yeah! I got the mega sun cream! I don't have any mela... melons. I lack melons," Haru said with confidence. He took a few baby steps towards Teno, not realising his lorge hat was probably close enough to smack the shorter Bajoran in the face.

"Mm, well I'm glad you got here and that riding the buses was fun. I wish I loved public transit, but I in fact do not. I mean like, I love that it exists so that people can get around easily and I think public transit is important and stuff but in general it's not my favorite method of travel." He scrunched his face a little, his nose wrinkling above his ridges. "Do you want a drink, Haru? Oh that reminds me, I need to pay, right?" Teno looked over at Allan before stuffing his free hand back into his bag to dig around for his wallet. He did not do his homework before coming to Mol'Rihan, but he assumed since the bar was attached to a surf shop, shop being the indicative word here, that the drink wasn't free. Teno saw Haru come closer and then realized just at the last second that he was about to get bonked by the taller man's ginormous black hat and he ducked, a bit awkwardly, and avoided the brim smacking him in the face. "Your hat! Ah," Teno yelped. "Prophets that was close." He laughed and leaned so that he was under Haru's hat, in the shade, next to Haru. He looked up at his friend and smiled. "Haru can I hug you? Also after you get a drink do you want to head to the water to swim?"

"If I could like... see things, maybe I would like other methods of travel but I'm not allowed to drive or even ride motorbikes. Well, I can ride them as a passenger, but that's about it," Haru said with a small frown. He wished he didn't need to rely on transporters or being a passenger to get around. Thankfully, he didn't mind public transport, it was a fun adventure in its own way! "Yeah I would love a drink! I don't have any money uh... yeah I spent it all on... ummm.... lollis and chocolate. There was a reaaaallly yummy sweets shop on the base I visited before I got here!" Haru said, referring to milky way wonders and the kind Caitian shop keeper who helped him find some yummy snacks. Haru burst out laughing when Teno mentioned his hat and Haru immedialy tilted it vertically so hopefully he wouldn't bonk his friend! "OH! Hug -- yes! If you can avoid my hat! And yea we can swim after!" Haru spread his arms, eager to hug his shorter friend. Actually, Haru had no idea how tall Teno was, but he knew the Bajoran was shorter than him.

“Really?” she asked, glancing towards the door of the shop. She hadn’t noticed anybody before she’d walked in, but then again she’d been absorbed in her anxiety about trying to actually surf. A soft laugh fell from her lips at his joke about his friends, “I’m sure they’re great.” She didn’t know that, of course, but it was just something people said, right? His smile and mention of fish caused her to grin in return, “The fish will be more afraid of me,” she joked, lifting up the surfboard a bit. His encouragement to head out to the water caused a flash of anxiety to snake up her spine, “Ahh, yeah. Best get out there while the water’s suitable.” As if she knew whether the time of day would affect the oceans here on Mol’Rihan. “Oh, uhm. How would you like to be paid?” she asked awkwardly. Having grown up on Earth, currency and trade were still a bit odd to her. Her previous posting had been on a ship, but she hadn’t taken the opportunity to really explore other planets, so it was all still a bit new to her. Regardless, she did know that needing to spend currency was likely and had come prepared.

Despite the cookie tin being metal, it had a transparent aluminum window built into the lid, which was perfect for letting Chadrix see in and view the cookies. "They're butterscotch! And they're still warm!" Elwyn replied with a happy little grin. As Haru came over the android gave him a friendly lil wave. "Hi!" They replied, before turning back to look at everyone else, glancing between everyone's attire. There was certainly a mix of choices when it came to beach clothes, with some admittedly being a lot more revealing than others, but that was one of the great things about the beach. You could wear what you're most comfortable wearing and no one batted an eyelid. Actually, that went without saying pretty much everywhere, but at the beach you certainly tended to get a lot more revealing outfits, at least in their experience. It was a bonus, really! "Yeah I like your floaties!" Elwyn added with a grin before turning to look at Brokuk and Chadrix. "When do the lessons begin?" They asked excitedly, practically vibrating from excitement as they did.

Triple 0 stumbled back from the approaching wave, their slender frame trembling with a mix of exhilaration and fear. They turned towards Triple 1, emerald eyes wide and searching for comfort. Without hesitation, they sprinted across the warm sand, leaving a trail of uneven footprints behind them. As they reached the umbrella's shade, Triple 0 practically collapsed into Triple 1's waiting arms. Their shared cybernetic link hummed with a flurry of emotions - relief, frustration, and a lingering curiosity about the vast ocean before them. "I... I couldn't do it," Triple 0's thoughts flickered through their connection, tinged with disappointment. Their small hands clung to Triple 1, seeking reassurance. One hand went to the cooler, grabbed a Feral Chocolate strawberry, and nibbled on it. "Together?" Triple 0 asked after a few minutes of nibbling Feral Chocolate. both aloud and through their link, their voice carrying a mix of hope and apprehension.

Triple 1 held them close, their bodysuit pressing against Triple 0’s sun-warmed wetsuit body. Triple 1 sent waves of calm and understanding through their link, their internal voice steady and soothing. “You did well,” Triple 1 communicated silently. “Each attempt brings us closer to success. Remember how we approached that complex holo-matrix last week? Step by step, trial and error.” Triple 1 smiled, stood up, and offered their hand to Triple 0. “Together,” they affirmed, their thoughts radiating warmth and support. *“We’ll face the waves as one, just as we face everything else.” *Hand in hand, the unified pair turned towards the ocean, ready to take on this new challenge with their combined strength. The Master Computer, ever vigilant and connected to them even across the vast distances of space, had been silently analyzing the wave patterns. “Optimal entry point calculated,” the Master Computer’s neutral yet reassuring tone resonated in their minds. “Wave frequency and amplitude at minimum risk levels. Recommended action: proceed in 67 seconds.” So, the pair waited for the wave to come across their feet for easy entry into the ocean. Triple 0 and Triple 1 stood hand in hand on the open-access beach, their matching Starfleet wetsuits hugging their slender frames. The sleek black material was accentuated by vibrant purple stripes running down the sides, a color that complemented their lavender skin.

"Yeah, they're rad, I'm just jokin'," Dudesek confirmed. The Starfleet officers outside were definitely some of the best people he knew, period. And Brokuk and Chadrix made him proud in a way that was hard to describe- after everything Remans had been through, it was nice for the older Reman to see the two of them so happy, being in Starfleet with not a worry in the world, it seemed. He only laughed more when Jules said that the fish were going to be more afraid of her. "Hellll yeah, dude! That's the spirit," he grinned and then looked over at his counter when she asked if he wanted to be paid. "Eh, if you just want to borrow the board don't worry about a thing! If you wanna keep it, though, you can just come back to me and we'll work something out, yeah?"

"Yeah, the umbrellas are like, I dunno, complete necessary? Never had a good beach drink without them," he joked. Obviously, he had. "No problem, no problem, I'm pretty much a professional now. Fuck Starfleet, gonna pursue my uhhhh, drink making dreams now," he said, indeed now giving everyone around the information that he was some sort of officer. He laughed loudly when he heard Haru said 'GEEN' and then said he lacked melons. "Melanin," he barely contained his laughter after that, "melanin, Haru. It's melanin. Although, speaking of drinks, I can get you melon-" He paused when he heard Teno's question, looked him over again, and shook his head. "Nah, Dudesek's known me for like, ten years, and technically it's my drink, so like... yeah, nah." What? He got all his drinks for free, that was just how it worked. "You know, Haru, Brokuk's got a pretty sick hoverbike, you could totally be my backpack on that, he won't mind, surely, and yeah, your drink is free too - want something sweet?"

"I probably wouldn't, but if you got a scratch on that thing, Allan, I'd end up-" he blinked and realized how many people who were not close to him were here, and decided not to finish his phrase. "As long as you're careful, dude. C'mon, though.."

"Waves are waiting," he finished Brokuk's sentence instinctively. "Oh man, butterscotch? Sick, I love that," he opened the tin and took a cookie, offering it around to the group as he ate it with his other hand. Brokuk instantly took two. "Whenever this idiot decides to stop sticking his ass in everyone's faces making drinks and goes to the water with us." Was his (very affectionate) answer to Elwyn's question, which received a loud and offended 'hey!!!' from said redhead making a drink for Haru.

“Alright then, sounds good to me!” she said before taking a few steps towards the door, “Oh. Thank you, by the way. I really appreciate the advice.” Giving one last smile, the redhead finally exited the shop. As she stepped outside, she couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the bar. She found herself immediately biting the skin on her bottom lip as she realized that there were, in fact, a LOT of people out here. They all looked rather water-ready, including one person who actually wore floaties, and another with a ridiculously large black hat. They looked friendly, and one even exclaimed that they were in Starfleet. Okay, Jules. Time to introduce yourself. Dudesek had said they were nice, right? Right. Okay. She cleared her throat softly as she approached the bar and put on the friendliest smile she could muster, hoping that she didn’t look awkward. “Hi there!” her voice was a bit high-pitched and it caused her cheeks to flush with embarrassment. “I’m Jules…uh. I’m Starfleet too. Science.”

"Mhm that makes sense. I prefer walking or transporting. And also I get flustered in large crowds so..." He trailed off, thinking about how nice it was that he could just walk everywhere in 777 and easily get to a bunch of different places. That was definitely one plus to living on a Starbase. "Lollis and chocolate sound like fun purchases! Did you bring them to snack on during shore leave? Sounds like perfect beach snacks, I'll say. And I've got you covered if -" He stopped and turned toward Allan as he addressed the issue of payment. Teno couldn't tell if Allan was being charismatic on purpose or if it was just how he was or if he was hitting on them or... His thoughts kind of buzzed a bit for a minute, though he just gave up and let it happen, laughing as Allan flung himself over the bar again to make Haru a drink. "Well, thank you, that's super kind." He smiled and turned back toward Haru, who was only about two inches taller than him and wrapped his arms around the taller man's torso, underneath Haru's arms, and squeezed gently before turning back to the group. "Oh nice, cookies! They look super sweet. Do you bake often, Elwyn?" He asked them, smiling and taking a cookie from Chadrix. As he took a cookie, another person walked up carrying some surfing gear and introduced theirself. Another Starfleet officer! "Oh! I'm Starfleet too," Teno said, eyes widened. He hadn't realzied Mol'Rihan was a huge vacation spot for folks on shoreleave. He idly wondered if anyone other than he and Haru were stationed on 777. "Sciences Division also, your resident plant obsessed botanist." He laughed softly and gestured to his shirt's pattern. "I'm on shoreleave from Starbase 777 right now, though I haven't been stationed there long. And ah! I'm Zaru Teno, but you can call me Teno. Nice to meet you, Jules!" (edited)

As her cookies were handed around by Chadrix, Elwyn herself took one, biting into it with a content smile on her face. Giggling at his affectionate comments about Allan messing about, her attention quickly turned towards the newcomer, offering her a friendly wave. "Hi!" She greeted, only to turn her attention to Teno's comment about her cookies. "Yeah! I love baking! It's one of my favourite activities." She replied with a grin, only to hear people talk about A, Starbase 777, and B, plants and botany. "Oooh, I'm from 777 too! I'm a Health and Safety Inspector! Oh and I also love plants! She exclaimed excitedly. "I'm Elwyn!"

"No prob, dude! Have fun!" Dudesek said as he waved goodbye to Jules, despite going right back out of the shop that had no more customers in it and to the bar that he was in charge of, seeing Allan leaning over the bar and looking him in the eyes as he stood across from him. "Allan," he said, with a laugh, looking at him with a shake of the head and then over at everyone else gathered together, "you're making... what are you making?" He asked in Havrannsu as he gently pushed Allan's shoulder to get him to actually sit down in the barstool and not lean over the bar like That.

"Uhhhh..." Allan laughed nervously, sitting back down in the barstool properly but then just standing next to the bar instead as he mixed the drink. "Melons," he said in Havrannsu right back to the man, which would still be understood by everyone with UT turned on of course, but he liked practicing the language while he was here, "melons and... other stuff... it's a sweet drink for him," he gestured at Haru, "could you pass me a little strawberry slice?" Dudesek did so gladly. "Perrrfect, thanks Dude," he said, and then handed the drink with the strawberry slice in it to Haru. "Here! It's sweet, hope ya like it." After that, he waved at the newcomer, smiling right back, not thinking she looked awkward whatsoever. "Hey Jules! I'm Allan, in engineering, we were like - juuuust about to go to the water, so you made it just in time!" he said, and grinned wider when Teno said he was stationed on 777. "Oh, fuck, me too! Both of you are science? Honestly, not a surprise, I think at this point it's a requirement that every 777 science officer has to look super good, speaking of, have you- have you met Saren yet? He's like, the reaaaally handsome ACSO with the curly black hair and pretty green eyes," he curled a piece of his own curly bright red bangs when he said that.

The Bajoran chomped happily on the cookie, trying not to get crumbs all over himself, and nodded at Elwyn as she spoke. He swallowed quickly and answered back, "Oh awesome! So a lot of us are stationed on 777 then? And oh! We'll have to take a walk in the environmental ring or something sometime when shore leave is over! Nice to meet you, Elwyn." He grinned. Shortly, his attention was drawn back to the chatter from across the group to Allan, who was now openly flirting, but also quickly, in a way Teno had no earthly idea how to address. He laughed softly, flattered, and could feel his stupid blush creeping back into his cheeks. He looked over at Jules for a moment and then back to Allan, who was twirling his hair with this coy smile on his face, and shook his head, smiling and flustered, but also amused. Saren? Saren. Oh the ACSO! "I've not had the time to meet up with Saren yet, no. But maybe soon!" He said, before looking back at Haru. "Well, maybe we could move this conversation to the water's edge, huh? Is it time to swim? Or surf? Or sunbathe or... There's a million options." He chuckled. "Haru would you like my arm?" He asked, still standing close to the tall Romulan, before turning to start to walk toward the shore in the direction of two small figures, a beach umbrella, and a Starfleet Issued Cooler™️

Haru waved his hand at the voice who said hi to him. He had no idea who it was because when he looked in the direction the voice was coming from he saw nothing. Probably because his implants were making everything dark. "Yeah hi mysterious voice who has butterscotch cookies!" Haru hoped that would be enough for the person to realise he was talking to them. He then turned back to Teno who had wrapped his arms around him! Haru happily hugged back, feeling so safe in his friend's arms. Haru loved being hugged, it was nice to feel someone's arms around him just squeezing him! He wondered if it was how bugs felt in their little cocoons! "Oh no I um............ I ate all the snacks," Haru told Teno with a loud laugh. He was not very good at moderation when it came to sweets, mostly because if he put them down, he would literally never see them and thus they would cease to exist. "Really really? Yo I would love to ride on the bike! I will be your backpack!" He responded enthusiastically to Allan's invitation to ride him around on Brokuk's bike. "Yes! Something sweet please ohh---!" Haru separated from Teno, but still stayed close. There were so many voices, it was hard to keep up with who was who. "Ohh Elwyn, buttersctoch person, and Jules, scientist, got it!" Haru nodded, trying to put the voices and names into memory. "Yeah, I lack melons, you got it," Haru laughed when Allan said it. The Havrannsu and Rihannsu words were similar, actually! Only a person not using the UT would notice though. Haru took the drink from Allan after a few tries at grasping the glass. Usually he was better at taking things when they were handed to him, but in the bright sun it was hard and he had no depth perception. divider

"Yes please Teno! Guide me! My implants block out like.. all the sun. It protects my eyes but I'm completely blind. Not even a little colour," *Haru laughed before taking a small sip of the drink. He couldn't see anything so he ende

02:32

d up spilling some on himself, but he was wearing and all black bathing suit so it didn't show and it didn't look like Haru minded.* "Mmm strawberry is good! Very sweet! Thanks Allan!!"

Jules immediately relaxed when a good majority of the group chimed in to say that they were from the same starbase she was stationed at. “I’m from 777, too. Chemist, though,” she admitted, her expression softening into a more natural smile. It was easier to relax around people who shared her environment; they all understood the stressors of each other’s career paths. Besides, it was nice making friends with people she wouldn’t have to say goodbye to and then disappear off to the edge of the universe. Sure, it was easy enough to communicate long distance through holo-messages or emails, but Jules was really, really bad at remembering to do that. She perked up a bit when Teno revealed that he was a botanist, and then Elwyn mentioned loving plants as well. “Do you know Ss’tiva?” she asked curiously, “She and I are taking care of a rare plant together. She identified it as Barrakian sun berry.” The woman grew suddenly more animated as she spoke of her Gorn friend and the plant they found, using her empty hand to gesture as she spoke. Leave it to Jules to pick out the smallest details and try to make a conversation of it. They were all here to enjoy the beach, which she was reminded of when Allen introduced himself and mentioned that they were all about to head down to the water. “Oh, great! I, uh…I’m trying to learn,” she admitted, gesturing towards the surfboard she was carrying. When he spoke about herself and Teno both being science, and then mentioned their looks and Saren, she couldn’t help but laugh good-naturedly. “I, uh. Actually, no. I haven’t been on 777 for long. I was overdue for shore leave from my last posting…” she admitted, reaching up with her free hand to rub the back of her neck. How embarrassing, going on shore leave before even meeting your entire chain of command. When the group was prodded again to move down to the water, Jules nodded eagerly and made to move down towards the shore without further ado.

He was now absentmindedly twisting his hair, caught up in looking at the way Teno's cheeks flushed yet again as he answered his question. "Swim, surf, whatever, yeah," he laughed when Haru said he'd be his backpack on Brokuk's bike, making sure that Haru had the glass securely before letting go of it. "Yeah, no problem! Let me know if you want a different drink later or anything, I can just kinda run back and get something," and he meant literally run, too, he loved running through the sand here. It was surprisingly soft, almost like a dense dirt back on Earth, but not quite, still very sand-like. "Chemist! That's really neat, actually," he said, starting to move towards the water as he continued to talk to the group. "Oooh, okay, you're in the perfect place for learning - honestly, I've only been surfing for like, 10 summers, but these guys?" He gestured to Brokuk and Chadrix, "they've been doing it for like, waaaay longer. And ohh, okay, yeah, so you're pretty new, then! Honestly, when you meet him you like, definitely will not regret it, honestly, I think it's like, I think he put a law into the universe, you know, like - I think he was born, and the universe decided he would be a scientist and a very beautiful one at that, and so the universe kind of just also decided to make every scientist ever super pretty, that's just like, my theory," that was what engineers and scientists had in common, right? Making theories?

"Suuuure, definitely it," Brokuk said with a light chuckle and playful bump of the arm to Allan, grabbing his board from the pole it was leaning against and headed down to the shore where Chadrix already seemed to be. Wow, head start much? Once he reached the shore, he saw the two Bynar and waved eagerly at them. "Heyyyy dudes!! Totally good weather, yeah? We like, saw your rad Starfleet cooler back and there and figured we'd say hi, we're - we're also Starfleet! Me and my bro Chadrix, we're uh, not from the same posting but like, all those other guys-" he gestured behind him at the rest of the group, "are like, all from the same starbase, 777! Where are you guys posted at?"

Deciding now was as good a time as any to also head down to the shore, Elwyn followed along behind Brokuk with a content lil smile on their face. Giving the Bynars a wave as their friend greeted them, the android turned their attention out to the waves, heading over to Chadrix to see what he was up to while enjoying the view of the purple sea.

Triple 0’s emerald eyes lit up with excitement at the unexpected interaction. They bounced slightly on their toes, a wide smile spreading across their lavender features. “Hi there!” *Triple 0 exclaimed. “Are we joining them? They all seem to be Starfleet.” Triple 0’s excitement pulsed through the link to Triple 1, overwhelming it as they added, * “Oh, it’s perfect weather! We’re also from Starbase 777!” Waving back to Elwyn, as they watched them approach the waves, Triple 0 knew there was no turning back, especially if they were joining this group.

As Triple 0 enthusiastically engaged with the newcomers, Triple 1 remained slightly behind, their posture more reserved but attentive. Their emerald eyes carefully observed the interaction, analyzing the social dynamics at play. They seamlessly finished Triple 0’s sentence, “Holo Engineers, newly transferred from McKinley Station.” Considering the station's proximity, this shouldn’t be a huge surprise. Feeling Triple 0’s anxiety, Triple 1 moved to subtly rub their back, pushing feelings of calmness into the link.

Chadrix was stretching, trying to loosen his muscles some more as he stepped into the waves a little, holding onto his board as he looked back at Elwyn. "Heyyy, you - you got a board yet?" He asked, stopping as the water reached his waist. He was quite a tall guy, so it was probably a good bit higher up on anyone else.

"Duuuuudes, what the fuck? You're all from 777? Allan, did you like, do a summoning spell or some shit?" Brokuk turned to the redhead as he came up to them, looking at him like he perhaps was an actual wizard, then turned to look at Chadrix by the shore in a totally not gay way.

"Nahhh, Serin-De-Sieth's the wizard, remember? Not me, not me... but like, I dunno, I gave the beach a shoutout in the chatroom, is that why everyone's here? No clue, but-" he smiled at Triple 0 and Triple 1 as they introduced themselves. "I'm Allan! It's so great to like, actually meet you guys, and man, it's a great place to meet, too, you know - I love the station, don't get me wrong, but meeting coworkers on the beach? Kind of top tier, not gonna lie. You been in the water yet?"

As they watched Chad enter the water and listened to his question, Elwyn's eyes quickly widened when they realised they hadn't, in fact, gotten a board. "Oh, no! I completely forgot! I'll go get one!" They responded, before practically sprinting off back up to the surf shack to yoink a loan board, of which presumably was recommended by Dude, before heading back to the water with it at a slower pace. Making their way into the water near the Tall Guy™️, Elwyn was soon in somewhat deeper than he was, the water coming up to just below her chest, still standing as she argued with her board just a little. "I've been bodyboarding before, but never surfing. This thing is big! What's first?" They asked enthusiastically.

Teno laughed when Haru explained he'd eaten all the snacks, nodding. He didn't have a lot of self control when it came to sweet things either. Speaking of sweet things, he took another drink from the glass Allan had handed him, listening as everyone talked. His eyes scanned the crowd as folks spoke, lingering maybe a little bit too long on a pair of green eyes staring in his direction and then darting away to gaze up at his friend Haru, a pleased smile on his lips. He took Haru's arm gently, wrapping their elbows together, and nodded, leading Haru and following the group as they made their way toward the shore. The comments about hot scientists did not elude him, but he kept quiet, which was not normal for him in the slightest, for the moment. Teno led Haru to a comfortable spot near the Bynars' umbrella, and pulled a large blanket out of his bag. He set it up on the sand, waving to the Bynars. "Hiiii, nice to meet you!! I'm Teno." He smiled, then deposited his things on the blanket, peeled himself out of his shirt and dropped it on the blanket as well, and led Haru to the water. A pleased laughter bubbled up from his chest as the water went up up up his body, engulfing him and Haru as they waded in. It was so warm! "Oh this is so nice. Oh my god I haven't been swimming in a real ocean in yeaaaars." He sighed contentedly and looked out at the waves, watching and listening as the sportier group discussed surfing.

“Whatever the reason, I’m glad we’re all here,” Jules chimed in, offering the group a crooked smile. “And that’s the best theory I’ve heard all month, Allan." It really was, honestly. Her mentor had been…well, beautiful enough to leave her heartbroken when he actually found a relationship. Jules waved to Triple 0 and Triple 1, sticking around just long enough to add, “Absolutely, no better place than the water.” As she stood just out of the water, she took the time to wax her surfboard and attach the leash to her ankle. Afterwards, she walked out to where Elwyn and Chadrix were standing in the water, “I hope you don’t mind me listening in. I’m trying to learn too.” She smiled brightly at the both of them; she was much less awkward, and seemingly happier now that she was standing chest-deep in the rocking ocean water. She glanced down every once in awhile, marveling at the purple hue of the water. It was really something special.

Triple 0 nodded slowly smiling, enjoying this, as they said. *" To be honest- the chatroom is one of the reasons why we're here," *They glanced at Teno and waved at them. "Hello! We are Triple 0 and Triple 1," They said to everyone as they were introduced to Allan; they shook their head about the water; before talking, Triple 1 interrupted them. Their anxiety spiking about going into the Purple, but they didn't want to seem weird in front of the group

Triple 1 watched as everyone handed the torch to Triple 0, allowing them to speak for the pair. Their eyes met Teno's, studying him momentarily before watching him pack near their umbrella. Despite Triple 0 and 1's usual interconnected way of speaking, they had learned other forms of communication at the academy. Typically, it made sense for them to pass off the talking, but that usually slowed down communication in a group setting. When the water topic came up, Triple 1 knew that Triple 0 might show anxiety, so they took over. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Allan! We were just about to hit the water. Maybe we can join you?" They felt their internal connection to gauge Triple 0's anxiety, knowing the water caused a high spike, *We'll approach it together"

"Alriiiiight," Chadrix said happily when Elwyn came back with a board, turning to look at Jules when she joined them. "Totally! Down to teach anyone out here, 's kinda just what we do on shore leave at this point - we just all catch waves, learn from each other... no better way to spend the day, yeah? But first, thing you wanna do is get used to the board, right? So, Elwyn, I dunno if you had Dudesek wax that for ya or not yet, but you're gonna wanna have it waxed down so it's like, sticky and all that.."

Brokuk came over to his (by law) husband and nodded along, in the midst of waxing his own board, but afterwards he offered his wax bar to Elwyn in case they needed one. "Yeaaah, gotta find like, the ~ balance ~ and vibe with your board, right - which basically means paddling on it and shit, you kinda just.." he set his board in the water, which looked so lovely in the purple waves, and laid on top of it, sticking his arms out in front often of him on either side. "You wanna be in a place where you're pretty centered, not so far back that you tilt the board up and not too far up that you tilt the board down, and you gotta keep your head up, and your back arched - Allan's real good at that part," he paddled a few strokes after assuming said position and then just laid flat on it as he looked back out at the group. "It's just, like, vibes. Paddle vibes."

Yeah, when he noted the lingering glance of Teno's into his green eyes, he absolutely winked. What other choice was there, really? "Sooo glad it's a good theory, glad to hear that from a true scientist," he said with a smile at Jules, he meant it, really, he wasn't sure if other fields valued theories as much as theirs did. Maybe medical? Were there medical theories? Probably, medical was like a sort of science, right? "Oh, fuck, that's actually so cool! I'll make sure to keep mentioning it in the chatroom next year, then," he was actually so thrilled about that! Fellow engineers of his, coming to the Mol'Rihan beach, after a shout-out in the chatroom? Man, it felt cool. "Hell yeah you guys can join! There's like, a whole surfing group, including myself," he tapped the end of his red board, "but we're also just like, vibing, so yeah! C'mon, the water's still warm right now, it gets a good deal colder in the evenings," he said, a warm smile on his face as he gestured for them to follow him into the shallow water.

Triple 0 grabbed Triple 1's hand as they followed Allen into the shallow water, trusting their new Starfleet buddies. Triple 1's calm voice entered their inner link. "Just focus on Allan and the group," they thought as they smiled and entered the water. "Surfing is way too much; I don't think we're coordinated enough for that." The idea of being in open water was also terrifying, but this shallow version was fun enough. They gazed at the vast ocean stretching out before them.

Triple 1 held on tightly, feeling Triple 0's anxiety through their link. They pushed a reassuring thought, trying to center their pair: "Just focus on Allan and the group." As they also entered the warm water, Triple 1 rubbed Triple 0's back soothingly. *"We really don't deal with water or liquids outside of engineering problems." *They smiled, hoping to make light of their discomfort.

"Totally get that! Yeah, we can just swim around, even if it's just like, hanging around and talking in the water, just chill, yeah? Relax, let the waves gently wash up against you... sometimes it helps to breath in and out with them, a little," as if to demonstrate a point, he did just that for a moment, before flashing a grin at Triple 0 and Triple 1 again. "Just like that! It's ... as much like engineering as it is that you just have to get into the flow, the rhythm of it, if that makes sense? Hopefully it does," he said, and... now it was time to conclude this post, so we are going to say that everyone had a great time, whether in or out of the water! And Elwyn and Jules and whoever else wanted to learn how to surf learned how to surf, and Haru and Teno were probably playfully splashing about and Allan definitely did not (spoiler; he did) flirt with everyone who wanted him to some more, and Brokuk and Chadrix definitely did not do sick surfing tricks and helped the others do their own (they definitely did), and Allan probaaaably tried to convince the Bynars or someone, at least, to build a super cool black sandcastle with lots of engineering knowledge behind the structure. And it was a very cool and grand ending to shore leave when the day ended! Kowabunga or however you would say it in Havrannsu! (edited)