Not So Fun in the Sun

Posted on Sun Sep 13th, 2020 @ 3:38pm by Lieutenant Scott Hayes

Mission: Once Upon A Time on Risa.
Location: Risa

ON:

Scott bid farewell to his both former and current shipmates and went to enjoy an afternoon of relaxing by the pool. How anyone could call such strenuous physical activities relaxing was beyond him, but to each their own and he did have his medical kit with him should anyone require some minor patching up later on in the day. He chuckled to himself at the thought of should and mentally replaced it with a when.

Having just spotted the perfect sun lounger, he made his way over to his spot for the afternoon. It was right by the pool, in walking distance of the staff and the bar so he would always be in line of sight for drinks and full view of others and it was positioned in such a way it would receive sun for several more hours ahead without having to move. It was his perfect spot. Taking out his book, paper-based, as he wanted to avoid as much screen time as possible ordering a drink, he set himself in to relax and unwind for the next few hours. He also looked at the small wooden statue in his bag and for the briefest of moments, considered placing it out to see what would happen. Or so he thought when it came to relaxing, he would spend the next fifteen minutes enjoying the glorious sunshine Risa had to offer, allowing himself to disrobe more than he was usually comfortable with; in just his swimwear.

Eventually, it would start growing cold, people around him were becoming concerned and looking to the sky he swore he could see snowflakes falling. Not that he would be spending long worrying about it and similarly dressed Klingons to himself began charging the place. Quickly, he packed up his belongings before being chased away by one of said Klingons. It wouldn't be a big stretch of his imagination to put Avery at the route of this and begin planning some kind of payback later.

Gathering himself together, Scott decided to head to a much more isolated location. He had overheard others talking of a secluded beach cove nearby that would offer a good location into the sunset. Putting on the flipflop, he managed to store in his bag just in time he began the signposted trek to the cove. Along the way, he passed others, saying hello, exchanging pleasantries, finally allowing himself to relax and process his experiences of the last few weeks.

After a half-hour, there it lay, the cove. The sun was high enough in the sky and at the right angle to allow the waves coming in to shimmer and light up the cove walls like a diamond rock. There were not many people here, thankfully, so there were lots of loungers and the sight that made Scott most happy, a tiki bar. Once again, this time looking around to see if anyone he knew was nearby and possibly planning more pranks, he set himself up for a relaxing time. Over the next hour, Scott would allow himself to float in between taking a dip in the ocean, reading a book, enjoying the sun and ordering a drink at the bar. More people were coming to the spot, either from the Klingon speedo surprise or because the lowering sun was lighting up this remote location perfectly. He looked around, and, unsure if it was the drinks, his own courage or just a general curiosity, he took the statue out and placed it at the foot of his lounger. Trying not to look expectantly like someone on a cultural studies project, he went back to his book.

A half-hour would go by before a fellow patron; a trill woman would come up to Scott, sit on his lounger before having to be pleasantly turned away, being made well aware of Scott's preferences. She giggled, and they both wished each other a pleasant day. Another fifteen minutes, nothing. Obviously he was doing something wrong, or this just wasn't the right time, location or whatever, he was still unaware of such customs. Reaching for the statue, he heard a voice call out, "Wait, don't put that away." Looking up, Scott saw a tall, similarly dressed man with striking features and short brown hair that caught the light of the sun that made it shimmer just like the water. Scott smiled and replied, "Well, I might need to now anyway," he lay back on the lounger.

"Sorry, I'm new at this," the stranger began, "I think they mean you are looking for some company?" He stuttered, nodding his head to the statue.

"I think so," Scott replied, "I'm new at this as well." He stood up, "Scott, and you?"

"Christian," the man replied as Scott gave a medical once over. He assumed human. Christian sat down, and the pair began exchanging small talk; their visits so far, where they were from, some general life stories. Scott came to learn Christian was slightly older than he was and worked for the Federation News Service. He and his team were here on a bit of a break after following a few second contact stories aboard several ships.

They whiled the time away, becoming ever more flirtatious with each other before Scott remembered about dinner, "Oh I am so sorry," he excused as he began packing up, "I totally forgot about making some dinner plans with friends."

"Oh, that isn't a worry," Christian replied, "We are staying at the same place anyway, so I am likely to see you there. But, if I may be so bold, ask you for a drink after?"

"Well, since you beat me to asking that question," Scott smiled, "I will have to say yes. Meet you at the pool bar later? I'll find a way to get a message to you." Scott continued to beam as he gathered the last of his things and began to turn away.

"It's a date," his charming company replied before blushing a little.

Scott would head back to his room, smiling; both looking forward to dinner and anything that would happen after it.