Soaking the Hot Heads

Posted on Sun Mar 13th, 2022 @ 8:18pm by Remal Kajun & Captain Rhenora Kaylen

Mission: *CD*
Location: Bajor - Hot Spring Resort
Timeline: Current-ish

Minutes later a clean feeling, tight trunks wearing, chest hair on full display, Remal stepped from the shower room area onto the path leading to the springs. He paused slightly before spotting his blonde haired beauty floating in a pool of steamy hot water. He approached, not immediately spotting Patin as she was below the surface.

"Heah-ya. How's the water?" He asked as he began sliding in, feeling the warmth as it rose from his toes upward. But before he was even half way in, a sudden body of water rose up before him as a fully naked Patin rose up out of the water directly into his face. She smiled big, pulled her hair back and gave him a devious grin, "hey handsome, glad you could join us." She then slinked back over next to Rhenora and whispered, "helluva man you've got there."

Meanwhile Remal, now wetter than he wished to be, sighed, slunk under the water before coming back up and shaking his wet hair out. Despite the rude entry form their loose cannon, the water immediately began relaxing his muscles.

Rhenora smiled, content for the time being in the relative safety of the resort with her husband and a long missed friend. Patin was cheeky, brash and starting to come out of her frozen shell she had retreated into for so long, reminding her of the Patin from years gone past. She laughed at the unabashedly naked woman who would dive under the murky hot springs water and reappear in random locations around the pool - always with a smart assed comment on her lips, generally directed at Remal.

“She likes you” Rhenora laughed as Patin tossed another pearl from the other side of the pool their way. “ You would be one of the few people she’s accepted in under a few years period”

Not quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing he responded as he always did, with blunt honesty. "I'm flattered. I find her to be a breath of fresh air considering the number of people who've tried to kill us lately." There was worry in his mind he was sure Rhen shared, about this firecracker of a woman and her depressive-reckless nature and what it would mean for their journey. He knew things would work out for the better in the end, they had to.

Kaylen left the security of the edge, kicking up her feet and floating in the mineral rich hot water, the high salt content providing extra buoyancy. Eyes closed she let her body relax, naturally moving with the water, days, weeks and months of tension slowly leaving her. Her mind calmed, resting and finally able to switch off.

No-one knew where they were, did they? A dawn of realization washed over, overriding the calming effect of the water. If a Wraith could get inside her head, did they know where she was and what she was up to? Or could they only send unnerving visions of possible futures and not engage in a two way communication? A series of creases furrowed into her brow as she mused over the concept, finally deciding that it had been a one way vision. Hopefully. The seed of doubt was still there. Maybe she was in fact going mad.

With a sigh she tried to clear her mind, smoothing the worry lines and focusing on the calm of the water. The banter being tossed between Patin and Remal dulled until there was only the gentle lapping of the water against her body.

He on the other hand was not much of a floater. Instead, the weight of his small world weighed him down. So instead he hung near the side of the spring, close enough to grab a snowball should he need to throw one. He allowed his feet to float while he contemplated their future, the direction their investigation was taking and what they should do next in order to get one step ahead of the enemy.

He also thought about Rhens recent disturbing vision, the birth of their child and somewhere in the mix, Patin’s mental health. Somewhere in the silence, Patin must have been looking or sensing the tension in the water causing her to ask, “How long has it been since you two had a break?” Patin asked as a gentle snore emanated from the floating woman on the other side of the pool.

He didn't have to think long before responding, "It's only been a week or so since we last had a weekend away from the ship. We got a lot done on the cabin rebuild before tensions in the village forced us back to the Sunfire."

She rolled her eyes comically. "That is not what I meant and you know it. Just looking at the two of you I can tell neither one has really, truly, relaxed in some time. Personally speaking, it's not healthy. Look at me, I've been relaxing since the end of the occupation, give or take." She smiled as she moved closer to Remal and further from Rhenora.

"You call living with dangerous creatures and blowing up mountainsides relaxing?" He questioned with a hard raised brow.

"Hell yeah I do." She responded abruptly and adamentally. "This is living, this is life. And this is a far cry from the way things used to be. Then, you'd never be sure you would wake up the next day, dragged from your bed, beaten or raped." She paused to let her words sink into the water. "Now, I'm free. I know that cold, brisk, air throughout the night is a sign that I'm still here and I am still breathing."

He looked at her with sympathetic eyes and bluntly asked, "And the drinking?"

She paused before speaking, "Keeps my ticker ticking. Dulls the past." The pain was evident on her face revealing her duality. She longed to be in the fight again, but she also hated the outcome of what was. Then, as if she had been under the magnifying glass for too long, she stood and unleashed a torrent of water in his face. "and screw off for making me think about it. I came up here to get away, not dwell on shit. I suggest you do the same." She then pushed off, exited the water, her pale wet butt gleaming in the sunlight, wrapped a towel around her waist and walked away.

TBC