Colonial Planning - Part II

Posted on Thu Jul 10, 2025 @ 10:00am by Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Civilian Geral Lasuma

1,698 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Time After Time
Location: Lasuma's Yacht
Timeline: MD15 - Late Afternoon/Early Evening

[PREVIOUSLY]

He held his position as she surfaced and closed the distance between them. With them both treading water and the amount of water in her hair there was no lock to tuck away as yet anyway. "At least you didn't slip."

[CONTINUED]

She laughed softly. "Not this time." Being in the pool with him felt...intimate. But she carefully controlled it. "You're right. The warm water is nice."

"I like to keep the pool at a higher temperature than most are usually kept. More relaxing that way." So did the construction crew find anything on the surface or did it turn out to be nothing?"

"It may be something, but it doesn't seem to be part of any structure. There are no other rocks like it in the excavation area. For now, it has been moved to a place where it can be examined to see if it has any intrinsic value."

"So, their interruption may have been necessary; but then again it may not. Not the answer I was hoping for."

While it wasn't urgent, T'mpest did appreciate being called out it--even if the timing wasn't good. Would he have kissed her? Would she let him? She'd thought of that often over the past two days. "What answer were you hoping for?"

He knew what he would have done had that call not come in but was it really a good idea to admit it? With a coy smile he replied, "Well who know what could have happened in that moment..." Pausing only slightly, "...but according to the rumor mill any number of things had happened."

"Yes. My secretary has informed me of several. Most of the people I pass now grow quiet when I approach." She shook her head. "You did not help by telling the colonel I tried to drown you." But she was smiling as she said it.

Looking puzzled for a moment he wrinkled his brow. "Did I say that..." Breaking into a smile of his own, "...I guess I did didn't I. I was only being facetious, but I see where that rumor came from. But several of the other were ummm...spicier."

"Oh? What have you heard? The one that we are having an affair and got so carried away we forgot to take off our clothes made me laugh."

Smirking, "Yeah that was a good one. Then there was the one where we couldn't keep our hands off each other, crashed, and after realizing we were ok...just kept going."

T'mpest chuckled and shook her head. "I like that one better than some. I try to avoid public areas for now, but nothing spreads faster than gossip." She raised an eyebrow. "So, what is this towel warfare you spoke of?"

He already knew that the towels available were far to plush so he needed to get something thinner. "Be right back."

Swimming to the edge he lifted himself out of the pool with ease and ducked into the changing room. To replicate a proper 'weapon'. As the replicator produced his request he glanced to the neat pile of clothes and he raised a brow with a smile, grabbing the towels and headed back out to the pool.

Walking to the pools edge, a towel in each hand, he kept a hold of a corner as he let the fall. "These are the proper weapons for towel warfare."

"Okay. You said they need to be wet?" She swam over to the edge to get a better look, knowing she was probably asking for trouble.

"Not entirely...". Dipping the corner of one of the towels he tossed the other onto a nearby lounger. After doing so he took up the other end and with a quick jerk there was a sharp crack as he snapped the towel in the air.

"I see." She was at a bit of a disadvantage in the water, so she chose to level the playing area and lifted herself out of the pool. As she stood beside him, she looked from the towel on the lounger to the one in his hand, then grabbed his towel.

"It can be either wet or dry, some even give the towel a little twist as they hold both ends, but it’s really all in the wrist." Gesturing for her to literally take a crack at it, he stepped to the side to give her some room.

Raising an eyebrow, she held the towel in both hands and twisted it. Then she faced the water and snapped it, holding on to one end of the towel. She smiled at Lasuma. "Very nice."

"Well done. Obviously it's no actual 'warfare' but is more a playful, and sometimes painful, way to play, prank, tease, etc.."

"I see that. So, the purpose of such 'war' is to connect more often than your opponent?" Then she had another thought. With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she added, "And what reward does the winner get?"

He shrugged. "It's been a while, but when I was younger, typically things continued until someone gave up..." chuckling, "...or an adult forced us to stop. Their typically wasn't any reward other than the satisfaction of winning, unless there was some bet made?"

She shook her head. "I'm not so sure about a game where the only object is to cause pain until the other person quits, but I can see some definite merits for using a towel as a defensive weapon." She stepped closer to him. "Or I could just push you into the pool."

Being between her and the pool, he had few options, shrugging with a grin. In a flash of movement his towel was sent flying into her face. At the same time, he grabbed her, taking them both into the water.

She jerked back when he threw the towel, which put her off-balance when he grabbed her. Instinctively, she wrapped herself around him as they hit the water.

Their arms wrapped around the other, he moved his head to the side so they wouldn't collide. They didn't let go even as they plunged below the surface. Still intertwined, though looser, he found his footing and brought their heads out of the water.

"I see why you call it towel warfare," she said a little breathlessly when their heads came out of the water. "That is definitely an effective maneuver." But they were still entwined, albeit loosely, and she wasn't quite sure what to do next.

"Thank you..." His words trailed off, his arms were still around her and they slid down her until they rested at her waist. While they stood there in there the water drained from her hair and a curled lock of hair broke free, as if on cue. One slipped from the water reaching for it.

Her hands moved up to his chest, but she didn't push away. A part of her brain told her she should, but the feel of his hand at her waist sent shivers up her spine. As his other hand reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes met his.

His chest rose and fell against her, their eyes locked and his fingertips brushing her cheek as he pushed her hair back.

She ran her hands up his chest to his shoulders as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out, feeling the air around them crackle like electricity.

His hand pushed back past her ear as fingers laced themselves into her hair at the back of her neck. The hand at her waist moved up her back and as he breathed in, he pulled her to him. Their lips touching, tentatively at first, then firmly as the tension that had built between them was released.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

When they slowly broke apart, T'mpest gently caressed his cheek with the fingers of one hand.

His arms draped around her he let out a breath and a "Hhhmmm..." escaped from him. This time he licked his lips. "So which rumor do you think this falls in line with?"

She put her hand back on his shoulder and laughed as she considered his question. "Either the one about a clandestine affair, or the one about a water fetish. Or we could combine the two."

He chuckled as well. There was a possible rumor that had come to mind that would no doubt make the rounds once word got out, but he didn't really care. He knew it wasn't true. "Well, it's only clandestine if its hidden, but I'm not in any hurry to rush anything. Though I'd be lying if I wasn't interest to see where things go."

He let out a laugh. "Might be fun to mess with the gossipers though."

"It might be fun at that." Even before their dunking on Pangaea, there were rumors about her; but that was to be expected with a new command team. This just added fuel to the fire. She gently ran a thumb across his lips. "I agree. Although I am glad we got to that kiss." She raised an eyebrow and gave him an impish grin. "I hope going slow does not preclude more of them."

He smiled. "I wouldn't be this successful if I withheld from my customers now would I?"

T'mpest laughed in delight. "A customer am I? Well then, I shall endeavor to become your best customer." And perhaps, when it came to kisses, his only one.

His smile was broad and he gave her another kiss. "That could be an interesting rumor. We could start a few of our own."

"That would definitely be more interesting than some I heard of. And I know just the person to spread it." T'mpest had no doubt her secretary would take great delight in starting a few rumors. "Now, did you say something about dinner?"

"That I did. Let's go see what the crew has prepared." Moving them to the edge he released her and allowed her to use the pool's ladder first.

(To be continued...)

Geral Lasuma
Owner - Lasuma Enterprises


&

Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5

 

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