Where'd I go wrong? [Shizzy!]

[Rhi-Rhi]

Teidra looked up and smiled when Mazz approached, then lifted her hair up and out of the way while he fastened the collar around her neck. Nothing was worse than getting your hair caught in the clasps, after all. "Yeah, I'm ready, Mazz," she said, rising to her feet once he was finished. For the longest time she had dreaded wearing a leash and collar, envisioning them as, well...a collar with a rope attached to it, something that would choke and chaff and be horribly uncomfortable and degrading. So when Mazz had first put this on her, she'd been pleasantly surprised. It didn't choke, it didn't chaff, and it wasn't all too noticeable; the collar could probably pass for a choker if no one else knew its real function. She didn't have to worry about getting tangled up on some sort of lead, and there was no sudden jerk when she had gone too far--just a gentle stop, since the pressure only gradually increased.

She didn't mind it so much. Maybe it was just her tendency to accept things rather quickly and easily and adapt to new situations, but it really wasn't so bad. There was much worse--like being vivesected or something.

As Mazz took her bag and lead the way, she followed after him, no longer slipping on the tile as they made their way down all the halls, all thanks to her rubber shoes. It wasn't much longer before they were onboard the shuttle, Teidra strapped into her seat with her hands folded in her lap as she glanced around curiously and watched Mazz operate it. This was only the second ship she'd been on and she found it all fascinating; this kind of technology was really difficult to come by on Ren'unis, and space from this perspective was utterly gorgeous. Some people saw a lot of lonely, empty black space when they looked at the sky, but Teidra liked to think about all the other planets that were out there, all the people...the universe really wasn't that lonely, after all.

"Hmm?" Teidra looked over at Mazz when he spoke, then smiled and wagged her tail a few times. "Really? Well, I've never been to a beach before. I mean, we have them on Ren'unis, but it's really cold there and the water is frozen, so...we can't really go to them. Ah, speaking of which, Mazz, I..." She scratched the top of her head, just a little off to the side of her broken horn. "I can't swim. Is...that going to be a problem? I'm sorry. None of us know how, really. If we were to go in the water at home, we'd probably kill ourselves. It's not even warm in the spring..."

She really hoped that didn't mess up too many of his plans, because he sounded excited about it and she was, too, and she really wanted to see the things he was talking about, too. Maybe she could learn how to swim, though, she thought as she glanced down at her hooves and wondered if it would work.

But she didn't have much time to ponder that, because she looked up again when Mazz mentioned the collar, and then gave a little sigh of relief when he reached over, she heard the tell-tale click as it opened, and he took it off and tossed it away. "Thank you," she said with a smile, reaching up to lightly rub her neck, even though the collar wasn't actually uncomfortable.

Reclining back in her chair, she gave a little laugh and nodded at his implied question. "I have everything, even my swimsuit. I already have it on, actually, under my clothes," she explained, reaching up and pulling up the sleeve of her shirt so he could see the black shoulder strap of her top. "See?" Excited? Her? Oh no, never, as though her broad grin and wagging tail weren't any indication at all. "I thought I'd put it on ahead of time because the top is really hard to get on, it's hard to tie it in the back on my own, so I didn't want to waste any time once we got there." Then she suddenly laughed again and quickly covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry, but I just think it's funny that you guys have different suits to wear for swimming! Why would you wear clothes in the water? It's not going to keep you warm...and...do you humans bathe in clothes, too?" she couldn't help but ask, still trying to muffle her chuckles.

She couldn't help it, it was just funny. And even with humans and their strange modesty, it wasn't like these swim suits covered all that much. Well, she had seen one that at least covered the whole torso, but...it was just ridiculous. So she'd just ordered one of the ones that covered the bare minimum. It seemed far more practical than others, even if she still felt funny for wearing what was basically a lot of string. She didn't think she'd ever understand humans...

[Anonymous]

Teidra didn't honestly seem to mind the collar, at first she had been frightful of it but when he showed it to her afterward, she seemed to be really alright with it. It was a lot less harsher than the other ones that were rope. They instantly stopped things in motion, while these ones slowed them down gradually until the pull just became too strong. It wouldn't reel them in, it would just keep them there. It was human to say the least, plus it looked rather stylish honestly. However stylish it was though, he still hated it, she was a living, completely sentient creature, it made him feel dirty, and yet everyone accepted it, she was a pet. That was it. Baffling and yet...people accepted it.

Sometimes the people of his world were just a little too strange even for himself. Who knows what she thought of the people of TRIM! She could have hated humans for all he knew...but...

She was sweet. He liked...having someone around the house. Honestly he was lonely, he liked a bit of company now, and since he was working more at home, it was actually just a little better. She was always there to talk or play or just...curl up and watch a movie with. Though, he had to teach her some...sort of boundaries. Like showering was a sort of alone time. Not a sort, it was an alone time. That day had just...started off wrong. She saw no reason for him to be embarrassed, and yet all he could do was be flustered and blush for hours on end. She also had this need for contact which while a little odd, it was something he did because...it just seemed right.

Mazz looked over to his passenger, a large smiling across his face. She seemed so happy to be able to go on this trip. He looked forward to just unwinding for a little while, even though he left a lot of his work unfinished. "Oh...well no. That shouldn't be a problem Teidra. I can teach you how to swim after all, and sometimes they have lessons in the resort's pool for people who want to learn. You'll be fine though, and we'll have a great time. Hm, you'll probably also enjoy the hot tubs they have there. They're natural designed y'see, where they pipe in hot air from a nearby volcano to heat the waters. They're so relaxing...ah I can remember them...you just sit down in them and all your troubles melt away." Mazz gave a happy sigh, staring off for a few moments before he blinks, remembering that they were flying in a ship right now.

"You shouldn't have to wear that collar Teidra, and I really am sorry that you do but...it's just a thing we have to do to survive." One day she might not have to. That actually would...be a really good sort of thing he hoped. Mazz looked over and smiled, nodding. "Well, aren't you prepared for when we land." Mazz had told her about a week ago to order herself some swimming outfits. She was no doubt still getting used to the idea of having to wear clothes so much. Her kind would seem perfectly content to just run around naked as he understood it.

Not that...he would mind.

Her laughing got his attention, breaking his thoughts as he joined in at her statement. "As...you know we don't bathe in our clothes but...you see it's sort of a public thing. In public, we cover up because it's decency, because of cold, warm, or just plain aesthetics. People find clothes can be very stimulating for the mind, or just for the sexual attraction. It's...sort of like...we wear clothes to attract people in a way, just like birds have markings on them to attract mates during mating season." This was just...this was really hard to explain to someone. He never questioned it when he was younger. Just everyone wore clothes when you were in public. If you were alone you could be as naked as you wanted but when people were around you...well...clothe s had to be worn.

Mazz had no idea that Teidra had picked a bathing suit that was practically string. He assumed out of good nature she had just picked a normal suit of some sort, a two piece. He hadn't even really looked at it when it came in the delivery system, he just gave it to her and she happily went and put it away. He had swim trunks, modest, long, right to the knees, but in various colours. He...

He would admit something.

He was also wearing them under his pants.

Maybe he was just a little excited about getting there to swim. The water was always perfect, global sensors and atmospheric pressure devices kept the rain away for the most part. It only rained in the places it needed to rain, like in the forests once in a while.

It was a paradise.

And it was showing up on the sensors. He had gone into a Faster Than Light conduit system, and when they exited, they were close to it. He brought it up on the view screen to show it to her, smiling as he saw it. "There we go Teidra. Welcome to Omega Setti 9, the Resort Planet." From space, one could see the vast ocean, the large land masses and such. This was a planet that had evolved quickly. The inhabitants were aliens who created a sort of paradise for people. Naturally TRIM set up a station there on an island, hired workers and what not to help out, who were more than glad to lend a hand, and they made it a top notch resort destination. The planet was practically pollutant free, as the people were almost renowned for their amazing ability to recycle pollutants from the air and water.

It was amazing, more so since the planet had a stable atmosphere of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and yet the inhabitants were silicon based for that matter. TRIM didn't feel a need to experiment on them, since well...they weren't mages, and they weren't psychic. Just...very technologically impressive. However, they seemed content to stay on their world. Mazz liked the people really, humanoid, and very friendly. Of course, he didn't go to the mainland much...he stayed on the resort island. The laws there were human laws.

Slowly the ship stopped in orbit, Mazz waited. That's when a message was finally coming through. Mazz clicked a button and opened the view screen. There was...a strange looking humanoid on the view screen. He seemed rather smooth, his skin was a multitude of dark colours, mostly blues, greens, and a bit of light golden colour. He almost looked like the planet's surface just swirled together. There was no hair on his head, his eyes blended nicely, but he still had facial futures of a human. Just...one that was almost completely smooth. "Mazz L Tombs, Human, 31, Height 6 standard human units of the Metric system. Weight 150 standard pounds. Life span, 100 years. And...a guest Mazz?" Mazz nodded and smiled. "Yes Tekk'allin. She's...a good friend of mine. Her name is Teidra, she'll be staying with me. Can you send a message to the resort to let them know we're coming?" The being nodded, pressing a few things out of sight of the view. "You may proceed. Safe travels and enjoy yourself Mazz L Tombs." The view screen returned to normal and Mazz began the descent.

"In a few minutes, we'll land in the hanger bay on the island, then we'll get taken to our room and we will officially be on vacation." Mazz grinned at Teidra as he unbuckled his belt, standing up to stretch. The descent was fairly smooth, and the autopilot had been engaged as standard procedure. They soon got closer and closer to an island, where Teidra would be able to see the resort itself. A very large building cut from a smooth rock face, with a volcano off to one side of the island and a lush forest between it and the resort. A beach stretched along the entire island, and one could see that the beach extended into the water as a sand bar until it dropped off. However, as Mazz pointed out to her suddenly, a vibrant coral reef stretched for miles along the entire outside of the island.

"That's the reef. It's amazing. It stretches fifty feet from the bottom of the water to very closer to the top of the water's edge. It keeps all the bad things away, and it's just...it's amazing." The ship however was soon landing inside a hanger bay inside the actual island at the back of the resort. When the door to the shuttle opened, they were greeted by a man in a red and gold piped uniform who had a friendly smile on his face. "Mister Tombs! Welcome back!" The man greeted him cheerfully as he walked onto the ship, grabbing the luggage and taking it to a small hovering trolley. The man was human, and someone Mazz rather enjoyed. "Will, this is Teidra, she's a ah...good friend of mine and she's the one who will be staying with me." Will looked at Teidra and then to Mazz and grinned slightly as he bowed to her. "Welcome Miss Teidra! I'm Will, a busboy here."

"Do you know if there are any swimming lessons happening soon?"

"Lessons? 'Fraid not Mazz, the instructor got into a bad tussle with a Reef Racer and he's on the mainland recuperating. Why though? I've seen ya swim." Mazz gestured to Teidra with a smile. "She comes from a planet that doesn't have lakes or oceans that wouldn't kill them from the chill. No matter, I'll teach her."

It wasn't long before they were in their rather luxurious hotel room, of course, a large king sized bed was the only one waiting them and Mazz shook his head. Well, he couldn't change it now...but there was a nice couch near the large television screen so he could crash there. He did go straight for the balcony though and head onto it. It had a table, some chairs, and a large umbrella to keep the sun off...not to mention it overlooked the beach and the ocean. Mazz put his hands on the railings and sighed happily.

Oh yeah.

This would be a good week.

[Rhi-Rhi]

The more Mazz talked about it, the more appealing the resort sounded. First there was the freedom, not having to wear a collar in public and to be able to get out in nature instead of being confined to an artificial environment. Then there was the hot tubs Mazz described, and the fact that she could learn how to swim. The swimsuit concept still baffled her, though, and she knew Mazz at least didn't bathe clothed or anything--though boy had he had a fit when she'd discovered that; she hadn't known that humans didn't bathe together, and after the communal showers with the other mages she'd just sort of assumed that was the norm. But still. Swimming with clothes on.

It just didn't make any sense...

Oh well.

Mazz's explanation about clothes only further confused her and made her wonder how, with everything he'd just said, wearing clothes was better. Humans wore clothes to attract mates? Then...how was not wearing clothes worse? Wouldn't that make wearing clothes even more distracting, and what sorts of signals was she sending with what she was wearing now? Teidra glanced down at herself, dressed in a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, and tried to figure out what it meant but all she got from it was that she was covering up her body. She'd have to ask Mazz to explain all the different meanings of clothes to her later, that way she didn't wear something that brought every male in the area running to her.

Humans were so complicated with their mates and clothes. Tuathi didn't mind nudity, and they only came into Season once a year. It wasn't complicated at all, no hidden meanings or undertones whatsoever. But the Tuathi were also a very blunt people.

It wasn't long before the resort came into view, and Teidra stared at the screen, intrigued by the beauty of it all. It was gorgeous...Teidra had never seen anything like that in her life except on TV and computers, and it looked even better in real life than on those screens. Clear blue water, free of any ice, white, sandy beaches clean of any pollutants, a green forest, bright skies...

It was breath-taking.

Teidra was overall less interested in the being that welcomed them on the screen than she was in the planet that awaited, thinking nothing unusual about his appearance. After all, she was pretty strange looking herself, and there were a lot of interesting creatures back on her own planet. She did find it odd that Tekk'alin knew so much about Mazz, though, things that not even she did. He was thirty-one? That made her blink in surprise and glance over at Mazz, giving him an appraising look. He was young. Wait. Right. This was human years. That worked different from their own idea of age. In human years, after all, she was in her sixties, but that was about the human equivalent of eighteen or so.

So technically he was older than her, physically and psychologically, even if she was older than him in regards to actual years. Tuathi aged slowly and had extremely long lifespans.

After that, they finally descended while Teidra followed Mazz's example and unbuckled her her own belt, standing up and stretching out her limbs and flicking her tail as she stared out from the shuttle to look at the resort as they grew nearer. It just got more beautiful the closer they got, and as Mazz pointed out the coral reef, she stared at it in awe. It was so colorful...she didn't know what exactly it was, but it was pretty and Mazz said it served as a protective barrier. Her attention was torn away from it, though, when they finally landed, the door slid open, and another man walked onto the ship.

Teidra smiled politely at Will as they were introduced, then placed her hands in front of her and bowed her head in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you, Will," she said softly, feeling a little shy around the new person.

It didn't last long, though, because afterwards they were off to their room in the hotel, Teidra feeling quite happy about the fact that Mazz was willing to teach her to swim in place of the instructor.

The room was nice and cozy looking and Teidra didn't blink twice at the fact that it had only a single large bed in it. She had been sleeping in Mazz's bed for the last month, after all, while he had taken the couch, and while she had felt a little bad for putting him out of his bed, he hadn't seemed to want to take up her offer of just sleeping together. The idea seemed to make him uncomfortable, and whereas in the beginning it had kind of hurt her, just as when he'd been so weird about her hugging him and stuff, she'd learned not to read anything into it. It was just a human thing.

Still, sleeping alone had taken some getting used to and she'd hardly been able to sleep the first few nights. It felt really strange and lonely, empty without having someone else's body heat to warm you, silent with only your own heartbeat and breathing to listen to. She was used to sleeping with a group of people all cuddled up. Then again, she also came from a really cold place, so body heat really helped.

Then again, heat might not really be needed here, because Teidra had noticed that it was actually pretty warm here. It may have not been too warm for anyone else, but to her, coming from a sub-zero climate...it really was.

So while Mazz headed out to the balcony, Teidra headed over to the bed and started to change out of her clothes, folding the garments and laying them out neatly on the bed. Might as well get changed now, right? They were here after all, so she assumed they'd be going out to the water! At least...she hoped. She was all ready!

When she was done, she smiled and headed out to join Mazz on the balcony, falling in beside him and leaning her arms on the rail. "Are we going to go down to the water?" she asked, glancing up at him. "I'm all ready."

And ready she was, in her black bikini. Black thong bikini, at that, the bottoms pulled down just a little in the back to make room for the fluffy deer-like tail that grew from her tail bone. Of course she didn't think anything of it. Out of all the swimsuits she saw, this one made the most sense.

[Anonymous]

Really the main thing was that he would be able to just...not think about things like work and hurting people. It was strange really but...this place made him forget about his cares and worries. At first when he came here, he did work still, but then less and less was the work he could do, and instead he had to actually go outside and such. He got to enjoy life, and all the fun activities for that matter. Even though he was forced to go this place, it always turned out the same way. Leaving the planet with a sigh and wishing he had taken more time off. Granted he could take a whole two and a half weeks off from work if he wanted, but really...he couldn't bring himself go that long. It would just be...strange really.

Mazz only wished he really knew what he was talking about. He had been told to wear clothes, that the body was something for private matter. Then Teidra came along and she didn't seem to care either way. Jumping into the shower with him, walking around naked and laying on the couch in that manner of undress. He had to explain that she should wear clothes while he was around. If she wanted to be...nude when he wasn't that was fine, but she couldn't just...walk around all the time without clothes.

Though, at least she liked to wear some clothing.

Simple shirts and shorts seemed to suit her well, and she at least wore undergarments as well. That was always nice. Though, he did have to get everything custom tailored to fit that tail of hers. Well. He didn't custom tailor it, someone else did that. He'd probably die of embarrassment if he had to tailor a pair of her panties. That was just...

A no-no.

"Best place to vacation any time of the year. They use special systems to control atmosphere even. Never gets too cold, I don't think I've even heard of there being snow." All the oceans however was the best part. It was a great place to swim, not a lot of salt content, zero pollution in the water, and nothing in the reef system could kill you. It was perfect! No predators either. Except the occasional reef racer but...those were rare. Sort of like snakes and sharks rolled into one. Not too big, but wily.

Mazz looked back at Teidra as she looked at him. What did...what was she looking at? Had Tekk'alin surprised her by all the information he spewed out? He just...smiled at Teidra and looked back to Tekk'alin. No need to really question it. Maybe she didn't know his weight or something? Hrm. His weight had gone down considerably since he had last seen Tekk'alin though...and after all this training that Teidra liked to do...he was pretty sure he had gone down at least a few pounds. Plus the all liquid diet kept his weight off.

While Mazz stretched he looked at Teidra, smirking all the while when he saw her tail flick. He didn't know why but he loved that strange tail of hers. It was so...adorable to say the least. It wasn't fake, it was real, and she seemed to be tickled when someone pet it. It was always a great way to get her back when she brushed against his nose. She always said she was sorry and it was an accident but...still, he wasn't too sure about that. He was just about to give the tail a small tug before he saw the reef and just had to point it out. Damn. A chance lost for now.

"Pleasure's all mine Teidra." Will grinned at the obvious shy Teidra. Mazz couldn't blame her, from what he read about Deer, they weren't big on new people after all. So a deer woman might just be the same really.

The bed issue would probably come up a little later, but for now it wasn't something he would worry about. Maybe he could...just sleep beside her and it would be fine. A part of him screamed at the idea, while another part of him sort of said it would be...fun. Whatever part of him thought that however was ignored. They were friends. It would be platonic. Right? Right. That's all it would be. After all Teidra's people didn't send out...signals like human women did.

At first that's how...Mazz had interpreted them as. Signals that she wanted to be more than friends. But...as time sort of went on he learned that it was a Tuathi thing. Their people were just blunt and abrasive like that. She saw nothing wrong with nudity or communal showers, sleeping together for warmth and snuggling up on the couch.

Just a Tuathi thing.

He was relieved by it, but also he wondered of course.

More so now, what if she met someone? What then? Would she leave with that person? Could...could she actually like people in that sense? From what she said, she had this...seasonal thing that happened. That's when the Tuathi...did their thing and made children. Maybe his worries weren't very warranted at this point. They probably weren't either.

A voice cut into all his thoughts, Teidra asking something. He looked over to her and smiled, faltered, and a blush of great proportions suddenly crossed his face as he looked away, covering the side of his eyes and making sure she couldn't see...ahm...somethi ng that happened to him downstairs. "A-Ah! Teidra! That...that outfit..." he could remember every little detail about her...and...her...r ump to say the least. He let out a small pleasured groan as he thought about it before clamping his mouth shut. No! Gah! Bad. "That isn't...you shouldn't be wearing that Teidra it's...it's really provocative...I mean...R-really." He was coughing and stuttering, trying to maintain a more professional attitude. It was a Tuathi thing. That's all. Yes. It must have been...more comfortable for her or something.

"You can't...you can't wear that though out there. It's just...you'll have every man down there trying to erm...court you...Look we'll...we'll call room service and get them to bring you a better pair. J-just...go grab m-me the phone I erm...I can't...walk properly right now." Two layers of clothing couldn't really stop him from...visibly showing his excitement, much to his dismay.

Ugh. This...she wasn't supposed to...be wearing...a thong! Of all things for her to pick it was a thong. And...with her deer tail it just looked adorable and yet sexy at the same time. Gods, he wasn't supposed to get so...flustered and excited by this! This was something that happened when you were...a teenager and early adult but...he was thirty one! He should be able to erm...control himself.

He couldn't though. Argh! This was...oh this was a great way to start the vacation wasn't it?

[Rhi-Rhi]

Teidra only stared blankly back at Mazz as his face turned an impressive shade of red, blinking a few times and wondering if, maybe, the warmer climate was getting to him, too. But then he promptly looked away and covered the side of his eyes, and when he spoke, he sounded flustered to say the least. "My outfit...?"

She took a step away from the rail and looked down at herself, wondering if something was wrong with it. Maybe a nipple was showing or something? Humans were so weird about that; after all, it was just there to feed children with, she really couldn't see why humans would make such a big deal about it, especially since it only seemed to be with females. The males could walk around without shirts, they had nipples, and yet they seemed almost offended by female breasts, the very things that nourished young. She didn't understand it at all. But after examining herself she concluded that, indeed, everything was covered, and a quick glance down at her groin showed that everything was covered there, too.

Flicking her tail a few times, she glanced back up at Mazz, about to ask him what was wrong, but then he explained.

She shouldn't wear an outfit like this?

It was provocative?

She tapped a hoof against the ground absently and tilted her head, trying to understand, but it wasn't until he got to the part about men courting her that it really sank in.

"Oh!" she gasped, her eyebrows rising as realization dawned. "Oh, so this outfit must have one of those patterns like you were talking about, one that really attracts other humans...oh, I didn't know that. Mazz, you're going to have to explain what all the different clothes mean to your people, what signals they send out, because I don't know them. My people don't use clothing signals. When we want to mate, we just say so, or we can tell because of our scent, and females only come into Season once a year. You humans are so much more...complicated and confusing," she said, still obviously oblivious to his intense discomfort.

Shaking her head, she brushed some hair out of her face and turned to go get the phone as instructed. Humans. It was probably a good idea to change outfits, then, because she really didn't want to get pounced by a bunch of humans, and she wasn't in Season, anyway, for another month. Her first Season. It ws going to be...interesting having it away from home, and she knew it was coming, too. She was of age, now, and there were minor biological changes that occurred as it approached. She wasn't really loking forward to it; it was perfectly natural, of course, but having it here would make things a bit...complicated.

She grabbed the phone from a bedside table and carried it over to Mazz, holding it out to him. And then she raised an eyebrow. "Mazz, are you okay? You said you can't walk...and you look pretty flushed. Are you getting sick?" she asked, brow furrowing in concern.

[Anonymous]

"Yes. Your outfit."

For some reason, repeating the words 'It's a Tuathi thing' just wasn't cutting it for him. Instead all he could think about was just...her and her body. More so the part that he could just...really see. Not that he didn't like what he had seen but he felt dirty that he was getting aroused from it. She was his friend after all.

What was she doing over there now? She sounded like she was shuffling about. Why wasn't she getting the phone for him? She wasn't moving! Argh. What the hell was she doing. He'd have to just explain it more to her. How to bring up that because she decided to wear a pair of bikini bottoms where her ass hung out that he wasn't...comfortable for that matter.

It was a Tuathi thing.

"No...no it's not...look they don't...it's not like a pattern or anything like that alright? Clothes hug the body and they show off parts of the body that people want to see. Accentuate the rear...breasts...gr oin, that sort of thing. You're...accentuating yourself a little...a little too much for me. It isn't...it has nothing to do with your season or anything like that. There's no scent it's just that you're showing your rear end to the world and it's..." Oh what the hell. It was a Tuathi thing. She didn't understand arousal when it wasn't a season, and she never really cared about that. It was all just...there was nothing in her mind. No desire and such.

"it's a very beautiful rear end. That's why. It looks great so..." Ugh. Did they seriously not understand arousal and sex? Would he have to give her some lesson on the whole thing? Though, she did get him the phone and he took it from her and coughed a few times. "It's...you Teidra. Look...just...This is how it goes alright? In a lot of humanoid species, sex can be spontaneous. It's generated mostly through hormone control and through the brain. When men see a pleasing erotic sight, like a woman's body in skimpy clothing, with parts of their bodies showing, the mind reacts and it sends stimuli to the body, which sends blood to the...to the..." Why him? "The groin, and the penis becomes erect. SO with you in your...thong, I got to see everything." Well there. Now if he could get a space station or a small meteor to just go through his skull and kill him, that would be fantastic. No such luck however.

"So...I just...I'm going to get you something that doesn't accentuate your rear end so much alright?" With that he called up room service and asked for Will. Through some chuckling and laughing on the other end finally he got Will to agree to bring up a pair of bikini bottoms for Teidra. Thankfully Will was a good judge of sizes. Mazz turned the phone off and set it down on a nearby table as he sighed. Alright. Things had quieted down...down there, and his face wasn't as flushed. He took a deep breath and when there was a knock on the door, Mazz headed straight for it.

Will was there, with the biggest grin he'd ever seen on someone. "Don't say a word Will. We're just friends and that's it. She wore...a thong and I can't...have her around me in that." Will grinned as he tried to look around Mazz. "Really? I could keep her company then if you want. You shouldn't force your clothing ideas on her." Of course, his voice was low and joking for that matter. Mazz just glared and took the black bikini bottoms that Will held before closing the door on Will, who went away laughing. He turned around to look at Teidra, making very sure to look above the neck at her as he held out the garment for her.

"Go into the bathroom and change there Teidra." Hopefully she would remember that whole speech he gave her about changing in the living room and...well subsequently he'd have to teach her about not being nude in front of the windows either. Ugh. Wouldn't that be something he needed. Someone to see the both of them in the hotel room with her naked. The scandals, of someone saying that they were naked together...and the one bed...He quickly shoved that thought from his mind before he'd have to sit down once again.

This day was just...going to be better afterward. It had to be.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Accentuating herself too much?

Er...she glanced backwards at herself, twitching her tail off to the side, then turned and blinked up at Mazz again, a sort of bewildered expression on her face. She was supposed to cover up more? But she was going to be in the water! Jeez...next thing she knew and humans would get all weird about her wearing shorts and showing her legs! Was there a part on the humanoid body that didn't get them hot and bothered? Still...she supposed it made a little more sense than the idea of every set of clothes having some sort of hidden meaning. All right. So no baring breasts or bottoms. Ever. She had it now.

Except, what he was saying made no sense. Though it did make her giggle suddenly, covering her mouth politely with a hand. "My...you think my rear's beautiful?" she laughed, and she looked backwards at herself again, still giggling. "I...well...it looks like a bottom to me. I've never had anyone tell me it's beautiful, that's...eheh...oh, you humans are strange!" she said, grinning up at him. She'd take that as a compliment, of course, even if it was a strange one. A beautiful bottom. Then if it was so beautiful, why would he want her to hide it? Ah, so many mysteries.

And then when he continued, Teidra had to muffle yet another giggle behind her hand. Oh...oh dear. He was explaining that to her like she didn't know. Perhaps many humans didn't? They were awfully body shy...

"Oh, I see, so you got an erection," Teidra said rather bluntly, smiling an almost sympathetic smile up at him as soon as she'd regained her composure. She shook her head. "Hee, Mazz, I know about all that. Tuathi males get hard, too. Hmm...but you're saying humans can mate whenever, and it's the sight of a body that effects them?" She tilted her head and tapped her chin thoughtfully, then laughed. "How strange. It's mostly scents that effect us; we're used to nudity. I'll keep this in mind from now on, though. That makes more sense, though you didn't get to see everything, Mazz."

She shook her head again, looking perfectly collected, not blushing even slightly, though she did step backwards a respectful distance away from Mazz to wait for him to make the phone call, hands folded behind her back. Something that didn't accentuate things so much then, eh? She sighed a little and waited, then looked to the door when a knock finally came, though she let Mazz take care of that. Apparently it was Will that came, and his line about keeping her company was a little odd...she already had company! Oh well. Soon enough Mazz was back, holding out a new pair of bottoms for her.

Which...huh? They...well, she could see that they covered more, but they still looked like a pair of underwear. How did that make that big of a difference? Oh...humans...

She'd never understand them!

"Thank you, Mazz," she said as she took them with a small smile before, remembering his words, she headed to the bathroom, shut the door, and changed into the new bottoms. She came back out a minute or two later, her bottom now covered and a hole torn through them for her tail to poke out--she'd apparently torn it herself with her claws--and the thong in one hand. Walking over to Mazz, she held it out to him. "What should I do with this one? Hmm...and this is better now? I can't really see too much of a difference myself, but..." She shook her head and laughed softly. "This won't bother you so much? We can go to the water now?"

[Anonymous]

She really didn't know did she? This couldn't have been an act. She was just so...

So...

Innocent.

At least she seemed to understand it? It was good to know that she eventually got things. He didn't really want to have to explain things three times in a row to her. He would have to get her a book though...find a way to teach her without really having to actually teach her. Mazz got flustered about that whole thing, it wasn't something that you talked about either. You learned about it in school...OH! He could get her one of the teaching disks. She could wear one of the helmets that used holographic technology to put her into an artificial environment that was like a school of some sort. That would be a good way to do it!

"I uhm..." Mazz's face went red as he coughed uncomfortable. "It's not something that...you should like. It's not something that I should like either." He had to put this the right way for her.  She seemed to be very happy at this point, but his face just got redder and redder at this point. He didn't like the idea of her just...giggling and laughing. At least she seemed sort of pleased at this point. She was still giggling about it though...even as he went on. Ugh.

"Ugh. That's....that's one way of putting it." She was just so...composed. She didn't care. It was just something to her. He sighed, shaking his head. At least his face wasn't burning as hot anymore. "No...Teidra. I shouldn't...HAVE these feelings for you alright? You're my friend. Not my...girlfriend or lover. There's no...prospect of sexual relations for us. I shouldn't be aroused by you for that matter." Sure, he could get aroused by...random women and all but...Teidra was his roommate basically, someone that he had rescued. How could they ever think about...about that together? It wasn't something that he cared to think about at this time.

When he became a lot more stable he headed to get the door where Will was waiting with his snide remarks. At least Teidra didn't seem to get the remark from Will. Sometimes having her...innocent actually was a good thing.

Mazz waited for her and when she returned he coughed a few times, taking the old pair from her carefully and tossing it onto the dresser. "We'll just leave them there for now." Ugh, his face was red once more, but thankfully he wasn't aroused by it all. That was a surprise because...the fact it had been so close to her body and gah! No! That wasn't a good thing to think about. Think about swimming. Yeah. The beach. The water. There, much better.

"Well, the difference may not be noticeable to you Teidra but it is to me." He told her simply. Ugh. Why did she have to do be so...beautiful and yet naive. This was had to be a test of some sort on him. She wasn't an android, his scans had told him that, so TRIM couldn't have put it together for that matter. Whatever she was, a test or not, he still...just had to be careful for that matter.

"It won't bother me at all. Yes, let's get to the water. We'll be better off there."

It was just a little walk to the beach. Not many people were there, and for good reason. People never swam in front of the resort. They had the entire island, and very few people were allowed to actually go here after all. You had to be TRIM, or had a little sway over the Settians for that matter. There were some people from other planets, not of TRIM, but they usually stuck to staying inside or wandering the more...private side of the island. Personally, at this point, Mazz decided that it would be prudent to stay near the resort.

There was at least...four people within view. There was only one person in the waters, one of the Settian Guards just on the outside of the reef swimming around the island. They helped to ensure no one drowned, and none of the dangerous creatures invaded. Mazz headed down to the water's edge, letting the warm water and heated sand pass over his feet. Oh...

Oh that was divine.

His eyes closed and he let out a loud pleasant sigh.

"Alright Teidra. We're going to go into the water up to our waists." This is how he learned to swim Mazz mused as he walked into the gentle current of the water until he was up to his waist. Ahhh...that was good. Still, the prospect was later on, the hot tubs. After they became sore from teaching her how to swim, they could go at night to the hot tub and just relax in it. Oh that would be wonderful. Mazz looked down at the water, it was crystal clear, he could see the finite sands at his feet, and the colourful fish swimming around lazily. They were small, no bigger than a finger or so, but they were so...friendly for that matter. He gave the water a flick of his finger and all the fish scattered. Ah...that was just fun.

Ahem. Right. Teidra.

"Now, when you get out here Teidra, we're going to lay you down on your stomach. I'll hold your arms to give you some balance, and you're just going to start kicking your feet and keeping your head above the water. I'll keep you from moving forward. Then we'll move onto trying to get your hands and arms tuned into swimming, and then eventually you'll learn to move both your arms and legs. Eventually you'll learn to swim without me holding you above the water." The thing he was worried about was her legs. Her feet weren't human feet, so who knew if she would be able to move through the water just like a human.

Well, they'd find out soon enough wouldn't they?

[Rhi-Rhi]

The fact that Mazz seemed to feel like he had to explain himself--and his perfectly natural bodily functions--only amused Teidra more, but out of respect for him she kept her mouth shut. Humans seemed so ashamed about these things, which was so strange to her; how could you be ashamed of your own body and its reactions? In any case, he was right about one thing: there was no prospect of sexual relations for them. He was a human, after all, and she was Tuathi. They were different species. She wasn't sure that offspring could be produced between a Tuathi and another species and, thus, there was simply no point to mating. That was all right by her, too, since she never had been too keen on the idea of having children of her own. Sure, the whole community raised the children so it wasn't much work for the real mother, but the whole process of mating and carrying a child to term always seemed wholly unpleasant. It was expected, though, and natural, so if she was back home and her season came around, yes, she would do it.

But she wasn't there, so she didn't have to worry about being fought over, mated with, and pregnant for nine months before going through a painful labor and then starting the process anew a couple months after that. She felt a little selfish for being glad about that, but...it wasn't like it mattered here, anyway.

"It's alright, Mazz. I understand there's no chance of that. You're a human, I'm a Tuathi. We cannot produce offspring," was all she said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. To her, those few words explained everything. Tuathi simply didn't mate for pleasure, nor did very many form long-term relationships with one another.

Once the issue with the bikini bottoms was resolved--though Teidra was a little surprised that Mazz set the old bottoms on the dresser instead of getting rid of them completely with how evil he'd made them out to be--they were on their way down to the beach, Teidra's hooves clicking lighty on the sidewalk until they could finally reach the sand. She'd taken off the rubber hoof-covers, no longer really needing them here. The sidewalk wasn't made of smooth tile, after all, so her hooves could handle it, and once she stepped off into the sand...it was as though walking through sand was easier on her than walking on hard, level ground.

One may have expected it too be difficult for her to walk through sand with hooves, but it turned out to be quite easy for her, maybe even easier than for a human. Her hooves were rather large, not small and dainty, and the two toes spread out as she walked to absorb the impact and make sure she didn't sink into the snow--or in this case, sand. Teidra smiled a little, enjoying the sand's warmth and the feeling of the sun beating down on her, even if it was warmer than she was used to.

But that was what the water was for, right?

It was so quiet and secluded out here, too...a bit too quiet and secluded for her, since she was used to great groups of people and the wide open spaces made her feel a little too unprotected, but she reminded herself that she wasn't on Ren'unis, and Mazz has said there were no predators here. She took a deep breath, forced the tension out of her muscles, and stepped forward and into the water until it was swishing around her hooves, warm and pleasant.

"It's so pretty here..." she murmured quietly, more to herself, as she gazed across the turquoise waters.

But that was when Mazz spoke, bringing her back to herself, and she looked up and over at him. "Oh, we are? Alright...coming, Mazz..." Nervously she watched Mazz walk into the water, but she was quick to follow after him, trusting him, even as the water crept past her knees, thighs, and finally to her waist, still comfortably warm but...that didn't stop her from being a little anxious. She was now in deeper water than she'd been in her life, as the deepest before this had been baths and the like. A good foot shorter than Mazz, she had to stop a few feet before him or the water would have gone up past her stomach, and with the gentle rise and fall of the water as the waves came and receded, it made it a little difficult for her to keep her balance.

She was so focused on staying grounded that she didn't notice the fish at all.

"On my stomach? Okay...ah, how should I--ahh!" she gave a little squeak and practically lunged forward at Mazz, latching onto his arm and looking around wildly into the water. "M-Mazz! Something just tugged my tail! Something just--"

And that was when she finally saw them. The little colorful fish swimming about, along with bits of loose sea grass. Instantly she relaxed, though she still held onto Mazz's arm with one hand, and she extended her other hand curiously and watched as the fish gathered around it to inspect it, a few bolder ones nibbling at her fingers with toothless mouths. Teidra cracked a smile and gave a soft, sheepish giggle. "Oh...it was just them. None of them bite, do they?"

"Naw, those ones are out past the reef," came a feminine voice from behind the two. Teidra blinked and glanced over her shoulder to see another woman who--what?

The first thing she noticed was the white hair. The next thing she noticed were the green eyes. Both were probably really strange things to notice first about this woman, though, considering she obviously wasn't human. Then again, neither was Teidra so of course she wouldn't care about that aspect. A human might have first noticed the hooves, small and dainty and half obscured by white, wooly fur that covered the rest of the woman's legs up to just below her knee. From there on up she was mostly humanoid, more curvy and solidly built than the willowy Teidra. Her hair was thick and curled, like wool, and was short and pulled into two loose pigtails that reached down to her jaw. Instead of human ears, a sheep's ears grew, and tufts of that same thick fur grew about her elbows.

She was dressed in a simple brown bikini with a faded floral pattern and a pair of black sunglasses were perched atop her head, and she was sitting a little ways up on the shore, right where the water met the sand.

"Heh, sorry if I'm poking my nose where it don't belong, but I just saw you guys come down and, well...can't pass up the chance to say hello to a fellow ungulate and her..." She let her eyes pass over Mazz, grinning. "Mate?"

[Anonymous]

That still kind of stung though. She said it so calmly.

No chance.

Well good! Right. That was good. Still, even being told there was no chance....though he chuckled a little bit. "That's...it doesn't matter if we can't produce offspring Teidra. But, we don't need to get into...that particular conversation at this time." He gave a small embarrassed cough, and decided to just drop this. She really didn't just understand this sort of thing did she? He wished there was a way to tell her about humans and their 'odd mating habits' but really that was a subject he was scared of. Sure he had partaking in sex before but...talking about you just never...it wasn't what you talked about. On dates, it was either going to happen or it wasn't afterward.

Mazz walked with Teidra, noting that she wasn't wearing her little rubber soled boots anymore. Of course, it was probably silly to think she would need them here. There was lots of wood, sand, rugs and carpet in the hotel or around it, so really she was safe from not having to use those rubber boots.

Though at this time he was pretty surprised that she was able to walk on the sand easier than him. That was just a little unfair wasn't it? His feet sunk a bit, while she just seemed to glide along it easier than he ever could. Still he...well...erm. He could swim! Yeah. She couldn't swim. He smiled a little at that thought. Of course, he would have to teach her swimming, and he would, but he really wished he could walk over the sand like she did. Plus, if some careless person had left a sharp shell or broken bottle on the ground, she wouldn't get cut...he would though.

Still, it was very unlikely there would be a broken bottle here. The Settian were good about keeping everything very clean. At least he hoped they were still really good at that sorta stuff.

"Don't worry Teidra, it'll be fine. You can't possible get hurt here for that matter, and i"m here to make sure everything is fine." Mazz smiled at her as he beckoned her to come to him, and slowly she did. He never really saw how short she really was till now, and he was amused by it. The water was much deeper on her than it was on him. "Hm? Oh, just give me your hands and then-ah!" Everything was suddenly cut short as she jumped at him, her hands latching onto his arms. Well...no claws, that was always good.

"They're just fish Teidra. That's all. Harmless and cute." Hah, just like she was too. She was cute, she was harmless, unless you counted those sharp hooves and of course the claws that could rip through his skin like they did to fabric so often...but other than that she was really just harmless. "What? The fish oh they're-" And again he never got to finish his sentence as he looked to someone who...looked...um.

Alright.

Now something was really starting to be funny. He looked to Teidra for a moment, to his own reflection in the water, and then to the woman again. White hair. Green eyes. No this wasn't funny anymore. Another...another woman of...animal influence who had white hair and green eyes. Oh no this was perfectly normal. Now he was really sure that someone was testing him. He'd have to go and talk to some of his TRIM friends and see if there was a rumour or there was something going on behind his back he didn't know about. They must be making fun of him or playing a cruel joke on him. How exactly did you find one woman who was...deer like and had white hair and green eyes and then stumble along a woman who looked...looked...

A sheep perhaps? Her ears sort of looked like it...and her pupils were squared. Alright. Sheep for now. He wasn't as...erm...homely as Teidra was. No She was a lot more curvy. Mazz licked his lips nervously, careful not to stare or look...lower. Still. He cursed peripheral vision because he could see quite a bit from here. Erg. This wasn't his day. This really wasn't his date.

However his eyes went wider and his face flushed a little bit as she spoke. What?! Mate?! That...No they weren't! "M-mate? Me? U-uh no. No no not me. I'm just erm..." Who was he? For some reason all thought was lost on him for a few seconds. "Her friend. We ah...are room mates. She lives with me. Erm...I'm ahm...Mazz, Mazz L. Tombs. It's a-ah...nice to meet you Miss..." Alright, anyone with half a brain could tell Mazz was almost completely flustered. His rigid posture, blushing face, stuttering, and if anyone could really miss it, it was all this new woman's fault. Well, it could get worse of course, he could get...get...another ...ahm...another bout of excitement. Yeah. That's what it was. Ugh. He would NEVER live that down either.

He wasn't going to imagine it, because if he did, well...there was no telling what would happen. Probably a lot of shame and those innocent quips that Teidra always had to pipe up with. She'd probably mention the hotel room incident and her thong and...Ugh. Best not to think of it at this point. Still. He had to wonder how two women that were part animal looked so...erm...beautifu l.

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Oh, room mates, gotcha. So you are still mates," the sheep woman quipped cooly, though she was grinning with obvious amusement at Mazz's oh-so flustered expression while Teidra just stared blankly back and forth between the two, wondering why Mazz looked so stiff and rigid and why the woman kept using the word "mate" when Mazz had clearly said they weren't. Maybe she was hard of hearing or something. And why was Mazz so red again?

"That's all I asked," the woman continued, eyeing them both slyly. "Hrm. You do know 'mate' is another word for friend, too, right? Sheesh. Chillax."

"Um...I think you misunderstood..." Teidra said slowly, blinking a few times. She glanced over at Mazz, raising both eyebrows in inquiry, and then looked back to the other woman. "See, mates can be friends, sure, but mates produce offspring together. We're not mates, miss. We are just friends that live together." Clearly she had been confused by Mazz's use of room mates, but the only meaning that word had where she came from was the definition she had stated--mates produced children. That was it. It wasn't even a word that implied a relationship where she came from.

The sheep woman laughed again and shook her head, leaning back on her hands and stretching her legs out in front of her, half burying her hooves in the sand. "Pfft, you guys act like I really care about your relationship or something. Honestly, you--" She pointed to Mazz. "--could be a john and she could be a dollar whore, or you could be brother and sister with some really messed up parents, I really don't care. Just trying to make conversation! Not many people are out here so it's kinda boring, and I always was a socialite." She gave a little shrug.

"Anyway! I'm Bianca. What about you guys? Didja guys just get here? I don't think I saw you around earlier. Well, obviously I didn't, you guys are kinda hard not to notice."

Teidra gave a little smile and started to bow in greeting, but nearly toppled over into the water when the sand shifted under her hooves. She quickly restraightened and lightly held onto Mazz's arm for support, deciding to forego a little politeness in place of face-planting into the water. "I'm Teidra, Bianca, and this is Mazz. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, but refrained from saying more. Instead she glanced up to Mazz. She'd let him decide on if he wanted to say more or less on that subject except...well, hopefully he could talk, he'd been so flustered and stuttering. "You okay, Mazz? Another erection?"

Even though that was said quietly and concernedly--both because humans seemed to have fairly defective bodies that had weird reactions to random things and because she wanted to make sure something else wasn't wrong--Bianca still burst out laughing and nearly fell over into the sand. "Ahahah, oh yeah...not mates...uh huh..."

[Anonymous]

"Well...yeah I suppose...in a way we are still...er...mates." Well this was a really confusing and flustering time wasn't it? Things were supposed to be fun! Instead they ran into this...this woman who really wasn't all that...um. What was the opposite of being naughty? Like Teidra...Oh! Pure and innocent and not full of debauchery. He really preferred Teidra innocent bliss to this woman's straight forwardness.

Mazz blinked a few times, her gaze causing his face to turn red once more. "I know that c-can happen. Just you were using it in the form that mates were two people who were having sexual relations instead of just normal friendly relations." AT least Teidra was there to just have everything travel over her head. She was innocent, she was strange, she was fun to have around. It was just nice to know that she could defuse the situation for that matter.

But this sheep woman was just...

"A John?" He looked to Teidra. "Dollar whore? Wait...brother and sister? Now see that's just ignorance right there. No amount of incestuous relationships could possible form a child that looks like Teidra. That would just be impossible." See now he couldn't just let that go! Brother and sister with strange parents indeed. Pah. That was not something that could happen. But they were quickly moving onto something else. However, something rung in Mazz's mind. That word. Socialite. He had heard that word used before somewhere...on TV or something...it meant whore in his mind.

Well, I guess they weren't a couple of people that blended into the population here. On his own he might but...he had Teidra with him, a strange woman deer thing. Well...this vacation was going to be AH! Teidra suddenly moved, almost falling over, and he had to help her up a little bit and stop her from going face first into the water. Teidra seemed rather friendly and he let Teidra do most of the talking. That was until something she said made his face go really red. "W-wh-what?! N-no! GaH! Teidra! Th-that's not...that's not appropriate to say! N-not in p-public you know!" Oh this was great. He would never live this down, not ever for that matter. Mazz put a hand up to his cover his eyes, giving a small shake of his head. How...how could she possibly think that was the right thing to say?!

"It's a long embarrassing story that involves her and wearing a thong  bikini. " As long as Mazz couldn't see people really he'd be fine. He just had to fight all those urges and the shame and the guilty and stuff. Ugh. Sometimes being a human was so bloody difficult. This just wasn't fair at all to him. "And w-we're not mates! Alright j-just never you mind Bianca. It really is just...ugh." At least he really didn't have another erection, or else he wasn't sure he would be able to stay like this. He'd really just have to dive straight into the water and escape from these two.

The blush however finally started to abate and he sighed. This was just..."Alright Teidra, do you want to learn to swim or not?" Great, now he had to be extra careful around Teidra didn't he? She seemed to like to just blurt things out to random people. Of course, this was really the first incident, but by the way she had said it, he knew that she was just saying it as calmly as if she were talking about the weather. He couldn't get back at her either...well he could try he supposed but right now they were just...going to teach her how to swim and he really didn't want to mess that up for her.

"If you'll excuse us Bianca, I'm going to give Teidra some lessons on swimming. She comes from a place that doesn't have any water that isn't frozen or in sub zero rushing currents." Get off the subject, and focus on something else. Like swimming. There was no way for him to get...that condition right? He would be too focused. Just as long as he didn't...touch a lot of her areas or get to see too much. A quick clearing of his throat he started to step a little bit more into the water. "Well Teidra? Are you ready? Just put your arms out to me, and I'll grip you by the forearm and then you want to lean forward and start floating on your stomach. Then just start kicking your legs. Not frantically, just a little bit."

[Rhi-Rhi]

Bianca only laughed harder, holding her stomach as though in pain as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes from laughing so much. Oh, this was rich! First the guy acts all offended not at the john and whore comment, not at the incestual implications, but at the impossibility of incest creating a child like Teidra, and then that chick goes and blurts out something about another erection? Oh dear lord, these two were going to kill her. It wasn't like she actually cared about the state of the guy's penis or their relationship or whatever, it was just the way the girl said it and the way he reacted that made it so comical.

Teidra, on the other hand, winced and ducked her head, slapping a hand over her mouth in horror. "O-oh, I'm so sorry, Mazz, I forgot!" she said quietly, cheeks flushing a little--though not with embarrassment at the subject matter, rather she was embarrassed by her own mistake. She really was trying to get human etiquette down, but after sixty years among her own race versus a month among humans, well...even seemingly simple things had a hard time sticking. Human etiquette was in a lot of ways the exact opposite of Tuathi etiquette. It was strange. Humans could be so abrasive about some things, yet so avoidant of other things. Tuathi weren't body shy in the least and they were blunt and to the point, saying what they meant instead of subtly hinting at things, but they were also polite. Humans were ridiculously weird about their bodies and the bodies of others, yet she'd overheard a number of them speaking in a way that made her blush from the coarseness of it all.

Indeed, harsh language and swearing embarrassed Teidra where sex and nudity didn't.

It was just tough and confusing. So many things to remember. She was still having culture shock, honestly, and she felt a million miles away from even beginning to understand how their social system worked. It was lonely. That was the first thing she'd noticed. Hardly any physical contact, and Mazz had lived alone before she'd come. It still made her feel a bit isolated. And she didn't even know where to begin when it came to deciphering whether Mazz's society was a patriarchy or a matriarchy and...oh, it was just a big headache.

She finally looked up again when Mazz began to explain, smiling sheepishly, and by that time Bianca was finally regaining control of herself.

"Ahaha...a thong, that's it?" she finally chuckled, sitting back upright and massaging her ribs. "Good lord, that's a little pathetic. I mean it's a bikini!" Then she paused, rubbing her chin between her thumb and forefinger. "You must not have seen many bathingsuits. Or women for that matter. Then again...depending on the type of thong, I could see it. Or if she'd been bending over or had her legs spread..." She gave a teasing smile and a wink, then shrugged. "But right, whatever, you're not mates. Suit yourselves, I won't bug you anymore. Get to your swimming, then."

She stood then, brushing sand off her bottom and the backs of her legs. "I just hope you two put sunscreen on or you're gonna get fried. This planet is nice and all, but there're still UV rays. Which reminds me, I need to reapply." With that she turned and started to head further back up to the shore where a little striped bag could be seen, and if one were so inclined to to look at her bottom, they'd notice that she also had a tail--only it was small and wooly, like a sheep's tail after it had been docked.

Shaking her head a little, Teidra looked up to Mazz. "That was...strange. Ah, anyway, yes, I'd love to learn to swim still," she said with a small smile, holding her hands out to him as instructed so he could help her onto her stomach. But she wasn't quite looking at him, still a little ashamed because she'd shamed him. "II am really sorry about what I said, too," she whispered, glancing up once to make sure Bianca wasn't within hearing distance. "I didn't know it'd embarrass you so much and...I forget these things."

She fell quiet again when Bianca returned, carrying her striped bag with her and resuming her position where the water net the sand. She took her sunglasses off and set them down beside her, pulled out a small, colorful bottle, and emptied some of the lotion into her hand before she began to rub it into her arms and shoulders. "Hope you guys don't mind if I watch, I've really nothing more exciting to do. Hmm...if you need help, by the way, I'm a pro swimmer! Not literally, but I can do laps around most people!" she said with a grin, starting on her chest and stomach.

[Anonymous]

She was laughing at them now. That was just a little mean wasn't it? Had this been someone else though, he probably would be at least mildly amused by the whole situation...but no, this wasn't someone else, this was him. Why did he have to bring someone along that would just end up making comments that...Granted at the same time he had saved her and all from a horrible death...he wondered who got the better of the bargain? Now he knew Teidra was like this, that she would make those comments, she had done them a few times after watching TV during the month. She'd say things about what she saw on TV, and most of them were harmless while others involved...things.

Human etiquette was just...different from her own etiquette, which was a whole lot more abstract and...there wasn't really humility it seemed on her planet. He had really learned that with her whole...thong incident just a few minutes ago.

"I don't...see much of those thank you." He coughed a few times, his face a little red. He really...had trouble seeing those sort of things. "N-no, I'm not one who really...er...sees a lot of women in bikinis...and...it was just a thong. I didn't...know there were types..." The next bit of her words made that blush just burn brighter on his face, his eyes closed as he groaned in annoyance. That...that wasn't...he did NOT need that mental picture. He really didn't. Not at this time, not after...not after the...the incident. Yes. "T-thank you, so v-very kind of you." Thankfully she was going to go now. Ugh...that was....well that was better.

"Sunscreen? How...primitive." Mazz reached down to his hip where just under the hem of his swimsuit was a small metal disk of some sort. "It creates a electromagnet shield that blocks UV radiation. Waterproof, invisible, and no having to deal with things like sunscreen." The woman just stood up, brushed herself off and started off for some reason. Now...alright Mazz was a man, and he did look at her behind as she walked away, and he noticed the tail. What...? It was...he wasn't sure what it was...but it was some sort of sheep tail perhaps.

So she was a sheep woman.

Did she baaah perhaps?

Graze on grass maybe?

"W-what? Oh! Yeah. That was strange." He blinked back into reality as he looked to Teidra, taking her hands and holding her by the arms as he helped her to lay on her stomach so she could learn to swim. "It's...it's...don't worry about it Teidra. I know you're sorry just...please don't talk about my genitals so...well just don't talk about them. They really don't need to know that sort of thing...remember, while you shouldn't be ashamed of your body, you stills shouldn't tell anyone about them, or really...show them off so much. At least...at least not around me. I don't need that sort of distraction." He really didn't, he hated a distracted, and he saw his hormonal attractions to be...well the biggest distraction. He even found masturbation to really be a waste of his time. He saw no point to it all. He had sexual relationships before in his time, but they were nothing more than...well really experimentation of sorts.

After all, he had to learn about that sort of thing sooner or later.

However it really never did much for him. He always got caught up in work once more. He liked work because it was doing something good for the people, in a manner of speaking. Sure he wasn't...truly saving them but one day he would...he hoped. "Er...yeah...sure I suppose it's a free planet, you can do what you like." Mazz scoffed as she boasted, and for that matter he made sure not to look at her as she started to work on her chest and stomach. Erk!

There was some sort of scary test that was he privy to, maybe she was just trying to tempt him or taunt him...or maybe she just really needed to put on some sunscreen.

With Teidra now in the water, holding her up above the water line, he could teach her. "Now, Teidra, keep your head up, and then start to kick your feet slowly. Not too fast, but keep your legs straight and start kicking them. You should feel a bit of movement forward, but I'm going to stop that from happening. And the worse thing you can do is panic. Just keep in mind that if I do let go of you, you'll be fine. The water is only a few feet deep, low enough for you to easily stand up in. So just keep that in mind." He remembered the first time he ever had lesson. Two feet of water, and he was scared to death. He almost drowned as well, because he panicked, but thankfully there was an instructor there to save him.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Bianca only rolled her eyes as Mazz showed off his little sun-blocking device. So her method was primitive, was? Bah! "Hah, no wonder you two are so white. Primitive it may be, but I don't want the UV rays blocked, I just want them filtered. I'm trying to get this thing called a tan. You guys could use one too! So if you wanna borrow any, this stuff is good," she said, rubbing some into her shoulders and shifting the straps to get under them. "Besides," she added, "money doesn't grow on trees and I have to go the cheap way."

It was actually true that she simply needed to reapply the sunscreen. It wasn't really a test, nor a deliberate attempt to get anyone hot and bothered, as she'd already spent the day out sunbathing and swimming and soaking up the rays. She was pleased, too, to see that she was starting to develop a noticeable tan. Yay! Unlike Teidra, who couldn't tan and simply burned, Bianca's skin tone wasn't a bleached white, but more of a peachy caucasian tone that could tan...and burn.

Teidra, of course, didn't notice and if she had, she wouldn't have cared. Right this instant, however, she was more focused on the water and the fact that she'd just been flipped onto her stomach in it. Her first instinct was to panic. She wasn't used to the feeling of weightlessness, not being able to feel anything solid beneath her, and she nearly missed what Mazz said about genitals and distractions and shame--which confused her; don't be ashamed of your body, but keep it hidden?--as she attempted to struggle and right herself, but Mazz was holding her arms and she only ended up dunking her face in the water. She came back up coughing and spitting, and then immedietely went still when she caught what he said about panicking.

Ohh...

Right...not that deep...

She gave an embarrassed smile, cheeks coloring, and coughed a few more times before she began to kick her legs. "S-sorry...I'm not used to this," she said, trying as best she could to keep her head above the water. Of course, her chin was still submerged, and she gagged suddenly when a little more water went in her mouth, which she promptly spat back out. "Ah, sorry...the water's salty!" And she crinkled her nose and made a disgusted face to show exactly what she thought of that. "I heard oceans were salty, but I didn't know it was like this. Blech...that's horrible..."

But she kept kicking her legs as she'd been told, and as it turned out her hooves were ideal for swimming. The two toes spread and there was webbing between them, making it easy to propel herself. It was probably also a good thing that she didn't tire quickly; slender though she was, she was built strong and quite used to manual labor or running long distances without cramping or tiring--that was a skill everyone needed on Ren'unis!

"So...just like this? Am I doing it right?" she asked after a moment, careful not to get any more water in her mouth.

By that time, Bianca had finished rubbing sunscreen onto her legs and had gotten her back as best as she could alone. Smiling, she put the sunscreen away in her bag, stood up, and headed casually into the water after the two. "Hmm, nice, looks like you got a natural swimmer there. Nice tail, too." She laughed, waist deep in the water by then, but she walked out a bit further until she could tread water near them. "Hope you don't mind, but this was my swimming spot before you guys came. So we'll just have to share, 'kay? Besides, you're staying at the hotel too, aren'tcha? I figure us guests should mingle! There aren't many of us, so it gets kinda lonely, eh? So where you guys from?" she asked.

[Anonymous]

Well maybe it wasn't that primitive, she was giving them a bit of a show after all, and Mazz couldn't truly complain about that...but he didn't really feel like enjoying it either. Not when Teidra would be so close to his groin region in a few moments. That would just go over very badly and she'd probably...well this was Teidra. She didn't seem to upset over the last time he got aroused so...huh...no telling what would happen. All he knew is that with Bianca there, it would no doubt go very badly. "I don't really need to tan, it would just go away after I leave the planet and head back to home." It was true too, and besides, Mazz prided himself on his skin.

As far back as he could remember, looking through old holograms of his family, pictures even, his family had pale white skin. He was keeping up with tradition, up with what had been great. Besides, some people had...told him they really liked how he looked...pale...whi te hair...green eyes. So he wasn't really going to change it for that matter. "I suppose not...but with several degrees and doctorates, plus an extensive library filled with blueprints, I pretty much just build the gadget like this for a fraction of the price. Getting the supplies can be difficult but...you get by." Life on TRIM was sweet, there was no doubt about that. Employees were taken care of at least.

Teidra seemed a lot more interested in the water and not having her face plunged underwater. Mazz was doing his best to help her. He probably should have told her about isometrics, using her arms to push against his and hold herself above water. Granted he wasn't too strong but the water made everything lighter at least. "Just keep your head up and push against my arms, and don't panic. Everything is fine after all." He reassured her carefully. He didn't want her panicking, and she seemed to stop thrashing a bit, her face flushing with red.

Crisis averted!

"No apologies needed Teidra." He did note that she was at least kicking probably, trying however to keep her head above water as well. He chuckled at her crinkled up face at the obvious distaste for the salt water. Hm, didn't deer love to lick salty stones? Apparently they didn't have that much in common then!  "If you keep your mouth closed Teidra, the water won't get in. Try breathing calmly through your nose." There was something though that Mazz noticed. She was really good at swimming. He had to now brace himself a little bit and push forward on her, as well as keep her up, as she was getting quite a bit of thrust from her legs.

Well, apparently she was a natural swimmer then, which was always good. She'd start swimming laps with him in no time. Though, whether he would be able to keep up with her is another story. She was trained, he knew that from TRIM and the exercise rooms. She could for a long time, sprint even, and she had a lot of energy. Granted, he could stay awake for three days, but he couldn't run for those three days. Oh no, he'd die if he had to do that.

"Yep, you're doing great Teidra! Best swimmer I've seen!" She really was good, and soon they would move onto arm motions, and how to properly move your head from side to side and when to breathe. That was the most important part, more so with Teidra. Then would come floating, using natural buoyancy and what not. He wanted to teach her how to keep herself above the water leisurely and what not. "Hm? Oh yeah, you wouldn't think it by looking at her feet but they seem ideal for cutting through water." Mazz simply ignored the last comment, as it sounded like a trap.

He failed to realize that for a sheeple like Bianca or a Tuathi like Teidra, the word Tail didn't mean the behind, it literally meant...well their tail. Of course, Mazz would agree, he did really like Teidra's tail...er..the fluffy one, but her rear wasn't bad either. Argh. Best not to think about it. Luckily Bianca (Wow, luckily? And Bianca? A strange combination!) was there to cut through his thoughts and take his mind off of the whole thing. "Er...right. I suppose we will." Of course, on the way down from the beach he hadn't really seen anyone but...he wouldn't argue with her, no point honestly.

"We're from a solar system that revolves around a star called Sol. Teidra and I live on a space station near Earth and Mars. Quaint little place. I'm here for a vacation from my job. I'm ah...Doctor really." He didn't know if it would be smart telling her he was from TRIM, that he was a scientist there that conducted experiments on mages and he had saved Teidra from that life, but had to brand her a pet in the eyes of his administration and friends. Yeah, I'm sure Bianca would love to hear that part of his life story.

"I ah...suppose it does. You know if you want to, you can join us for dinner and what not later...maybe we'll go for a hot tub after." Mazz didn't really see her as anything but a lonely woman who just wanted a couple friends while she was here. He might as well be nice and extend an offer to her right? Although a little...boisterous and outspoken, she seemed nice.

What was the worst that could happen?

[Rhi-Rhi]

Teidra quickly shut her mouth and blushed again, a little embarrassed since that was the obvious solution to keeping the water out of her mouth. Of course, it was so obvious that she'd missed it as she was more focused on holding her head up, kicking her legs, and pressing down on Mazz's arms to better hold herself up. Then she just breathed through her nose and kept at it, feeling a little strange kicking so much but going nowhere. But then Mazz spoke up and told her she was the best swimmer he'd seen, and her blush actually deepened, though this time it wasn't with embarrassment.

"Thank you..." she said quietly, not used to the praise. And surely he was just flattering her. "But I'm sure you're much better. I've never done this before, and you're teaching me. I'm only learning from someone experienced." Of course, while the Tuathi lacked modesty in some areas, they made up for it in spades in others. It was always a little awkward, if a little secretly wonderful, to be praised for an accomplishment, though of course the proper and polite response was not to boast about it and strut about, which would only alienate others, but to downplay that accomplishment and quietly accept it--especially if you were female and the compliment came from a male.

Though, it really was strange here, and confusing, and a little obvious that the same standards her culture had didn't really apply here. She could remember the first time she'd seen a female scientist arguing with a male one and she'd nearly walked into a wall watching them, transfixed, especially when the male conceded. You wouldn't see something like that on Ren'unis. It was a little unsettling--but only because it was so different.

In any case, she still felt like Mazz was only flattering her, because she didn't feel like a good swimmer. She could feel herself moving forward, and feel him push back against her, but she still felt awkward. But hopefully she was really doing something right!

Bianca grinned at Mazz, still easily treading water out a few feet from him. "Oh, I figured she'd be able to. I have hooves, too, you know, and we certainly don't just sink! We get by just fine," she said, idly watching the two. Teidra spared the woman a quick backwards glance, flicking her ears up and forward to keep the water from getting into them, and then promptly went back to focusing on kicking her legs. Good thing she was also a bit focused on keeping her mouth shut, otherwise she might have answered the question before Mazz. After he was done, she didn't correct him. Huh. That wasn't even a lie.

"Ohh, there. I've been to that solar system before. Lovely place, indeed," Bianca said conversationally, though she didn't sound altogether interested. "I've been all over though! I was born in the Milky Way galaxy, so it's a been there, done that sorta thing. It's nice, I just tire of places quickly. I could never settle down and be a homebody. The universe calls, and I only have one life to live, and all that corny stuff," she said with a laugh, before holding her breath and dunking her head under the water. She resurfaced a second later, pushing wet, curly white bangs from her eyes. Then she grinned, eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Doctor, eh? Hot. On some nights I'm a nurse, myself." She winked and swam in a little closer, just until her hooves could brush the sandy ground. "So's Teidra your patient then, eh?"

"If I get sick," Teidra murmured, and Bianca laughed and shook her head.

"Of course. Hmm...well! You know, Doctor Mazz, I'd love to join you two for dinner and a little soak in the hot tub. That's really sweet of you! Sounds really great right about now, too, because I've been swimming all day and I am a little hungry. Well, thanks for the invitation! You're such a good sport, even after I teased you," she said, wading a little closer so she could stand beside him and pat him on the shoulder.

These two sounded perfect. Normal. He had a good job it sounded like. and they lived in a normal place. Quaint, he called it. They didn't seem psycho, either! They both seemed a little shy. Hmm...

All she really needed to figure out was when they were leaving. She didn't have much time left, after all.

[Anonymous]

Well, at least he was able to somehow keep her in check with blushing. She never really seemed the type to be flustered, it was odd to say the least. She looked great when she blushed though, her innocent nature just seemed to increase ten fold even. He focused on her suddenly as she started to move a little more, her grip increased slightly and she was pushing down on him more, kicking so much. At least she got used to the closing her mouth thing first of all, instead of sucking down copious amounts of salt water, which could be dangerous after all.

"Hey, you're doing much better than I did when I first started out swimming Teidra. It's almost a second nature to you." He wasn't even really peppering it on that thick either, he meant it. She was doing amazingly, better than he expected her to do. However, she didn't seem to like the praise all that much, or she didn't show it at least, but he did wonder for that matter. If only he knew more about her, but he had been so preoccupied with work....he did know she loved affection, physical affection at least. He wasn't so sure about kissing, just quick pecks on the cheeks and such but...he wasn't that bold anyway.

At least her culture shock was over. Still, she was such a curious person, always asking questions when they went out for their walks. Not that he minded, but still, it was a little tiring after a while. She just loved to ask questions, and he couldn't do anything else but answer for her. It would help her learn, though he did usually just let her have free roam of the TV. Not that he was just going to let that...er...raise her so to speak, but it would help her understand and learn human society a little better. Though, explaining to her what a cartoon and a soap opera was, that had been interesting to say the least.

"Well at least someone around here knows something. Her species is a complete loss to me. She's got features of a deer, or at least a hooved animal of some sort, but the similarities sort of drop from there." He didn't think the hooves would truly help her, but they must have had something in their hooves that allowed them to move faster. "I didn't think you would sink, most creatures have some natural buoyancy to them." There was something odd about Bianca. She seemed...well too open really. It kind of made Mazz nervous, but then again, he wasn't used to people being so...up front with him? Usually he just minded his own business, and people would mind their own, but this was a vacation spot, they got all kinds here after all.

"It's what we call home I suppose. I haven't...had much desire to go outside the system, or even leave the galaxy." Well then, she just wanted to travel? He'd heard of people being afflicted with things like wanderlust, heard stories from some of the space ship captains of ships filled with just a few people traversing the galaxies in search of exotic adventure. For Mazz, none of that interested him. oh no, the universe was a big place full of lots of predators and unknown diseases. It was much smarter to just stay home then and not worry about anything like some plague from another galaxy.

When Bianca disappeared, Mazz rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. He couldn't bear to look at her. Something about seeing a woman with white hair and green eyes..and then seeing ANOTHER one...now he wasn't predispositioned to liking women with the same colour eyes and hair, but it did...sort of help really.

Not that he was looking for a romantic interest of course!

No, he wasn't really looking for that sort of thing! That'd be wrong, more so with Teidra. She was his friend and...sort of his pet in a way? She acted like a pet sometimes after all...

"Are you now? So you've had some medical training then! That's good, everyone needs a hobby after all, and helping people can be a good hobby." Honestly, it went over his head at that point, he didn't even think that it could be dirty. Still, the fact that she said it was hot sort of got him worried but...he decided that it was best not to think of it that. "She's a friend really, but I suppose Patient is a good term as well..." Mazz smiled a little bit as Bianca waded closer to pat him on the shoulder.

"Well, no reason we can't be friends, just a little teasing after all. All in good fun right?" He didn't think she'd really go through with it, but he was still going to ask her. You might as well make a few friends while you're here. It wasn't really like he would actually see her again after they left, so you could make all the friends you want...or in the case of one of the scientists back on TRIM said "have as many lovers as you want too." Apparently the man had a thing for the inhabitants, and not to mention the residents. Of course, he ended up getting married after knocking up one of the vacationing TRIM employees. He had a good laugh at that, during the wedding mostly. It just seemed so funny.

"So ah...Say, six o' clock then? I mean, that is if your leaving, if you're staying we can all go in one big group." Probably the best part was you didn't actually have to change. You could get food, go to the veranda and eat in peace there. No insects on this planet. Just naturally occurring animals, and some created animals from Earth's history...no insects, they were told how annoying they could be.

What was he getting himself into? At least he could keep his hormones and thoughts in check, unlike some other people that he knew back on TRIM. All he saw were friends at this time, well, and this Bianca. He wasn't sure what to think of her. Probably best not to think about that. "Alright Teidra, that's enough kicking for now." Slowly he helped Teidra back up into a standing position. Hrm. Probably best to show her just how to use your arms. Then she could just start practicing that way. She had the leg moving down pat, which was probably one of the most important things after all.

"Now I suppose I'll just demonstrate how to stroke your arms. Remember, you've got to use your legs to kick as well. Using arms and legs in conjunction." With that Mazz dived into the water. The moment he did, everything flooded from his mind. It was just focusing on two things now. Striking his arms out, fluid motions through the water while his legs kicked, propelling him through the water. There was nothing else in his mind, just the water. He seemed pretty good too, the way he cut through the water, his body acting like a torpedo as he did a few laps back and forth, about twenty feet or so in the two directions.

After a few minutes he stopped, wading carefully back up over to Teidra, running a hand through his hair. "Ah, haven't done that in a while...if only we had a pool back on the station." Mazz seemed a little more relaxed now, all that nervousness just seemed to slowly be melting away from him. The warm water was apparently doing him some good then. "It's basically like your trying to scoop through the water almost, you've got to cup your hands likes this," He showed her, cupping his hands that allowed him to basically propel him through the water. "And after that it's all a matter of just moving your head in time, allowing you to take a breath, then submerge so you can rotate to the other side, take a new breath, and repeat. You're going to be trying to extend your arms pretty far, so just do what you saw me doing, and moving your head in time to your strokes." He explained to her carefully, hopefully she got the gist of it from
his demonstration.

"Just remember, stay in the shallow water here, just in case. That way, you won't panic. Alright?"

[Rhi-Rhi]

Second nature? Teidra wasn't so sure about that, but she accepted the compliment quietly nonetheless. It certainly didn't feel like second nature, but maybe it was a latent instinct? She felt terribly awkward, but she also wasn't sinking. Smiling a little, lips pressed together to keep the water out, she focused on going through the motions though her ears were pricked to listen in on he and Bianca's conversation--and then she couldn't help but laugh at what Mazz said, though that soon turned into a cough as she sucked in some water in the process. Spitting it up, she tilted her head to keep her mouth above the water and gave another soft laugh.

"I've told you already, Mazz, I'm Tuathi," she reminded him gently, amused. Bianca raised an eyebrow, obviously none the wiser as to what a Tuathi was. "And you know I can tell you anything you want to know. You just have to ask." And when she said anything, she certainly meant anything. There was no such thing as forbidden knowledge or taboo subjects among her kind--unless it put them in jeopardy, that is. But aside from that, no subject was off limits, and Teidra certainly didn't think Mazz would put the Tuathi in any danger.

Thus, she felt comfortable telling him anything he asked, because goodness knows she asked him a lot of questions about his society and she still had plenty more questions to ask.

She just tried to spread them out. She didn't want to annoy him and besides, she had surmised a good bit just from watching Mazz and the other scientists--and from watching TV. Mazz certainly couldn't do the same thing to learn about Tuathi, but maybe he'd learned something about her over the month they'd been living together?

"Iiinteresting," Bianca said. "No idea what a Tuathi is, but I guess that's her so...huh. Anyway!" She rolled her eyes as he said he had no desire to go outside the galaxy. "How boring. Aren't you even curious about what's out there? Ah, whatev, it's your life. I know I'd go stir crazy, though."

Teidra pursed her lips and kept kicking her legs, even though Bianca's words had hit home. Stir crazy...she was starting to feel that. This whole trip was a huge relief to her because she finally got to be outdoors, to feel sol beneath her hooves and fresh air against her skin, to hear birds and see clouds. Tuathi were never meant to live behind steel doors in a sterile environment, with tile and controlled temperatures and no sunlight. And she missed home. She really did, and just thinking about it made her heart hurt a little. She didn't miss the predators, or the Others, but she missed her community and the sense of belonging.

She missed her friends. Even though she did have a new friend here who made her feel welcome and safe.

Her ears drooped a little and her kicks slowed, but then Bianca spoke up again and she picked up her pace again. She was finally starting to grow tired, but she kept on going stubbornly. She could run a lot longer without growing fatigued, but the water provided an added resistance that she was unused to.

"Not sure if you'd call it 'training', since I was self taught," Bianca said, grinning wryly and deciding to play along with Mazz. Either he was really that clueless or it really had gone over his head. She'd see how far she could go before--if--he got it. "But anatomy was always my favorite subject so I took to it quickly. I've also been a cop and a nun in my time. I like to work from the bedroom," she added with a wink, while Teidra only continued to kick, the comments soaring over her head and into the great beyond.

Then Bianca clapped Mazz on the shoulder again and barked a laugh. "Yep, all in good fun, no harm done. Glad you got a sense of humor! In that case, I'll just hang with you guys until six. I've got nothing better to do, and the only other folks around, really, are old folks. I like sticking within my own age group, we have more fun, eh? Anyway, I'll shut up for a sec, let you do your thing," she said as Mazz suddenly drew Teidra back up.

Teidra squeaked when she was righted and clung to Mazz for a moment which she got her bearings, breathing a bit heavily and shifting from one leg to the next as they ached a little from doing something they weren't used to doing. She did let go of him, though, when he mentioned demonstrating arm strokes, and then she watched him when he took off swimming, cutting through the water effortlessly. Bianca gave a short, playful whistle as he did his laps, and when he finally returned, Teidra listened intently as he explained the process.

It didn't look too hard...cup your hands, move your head, kick your legs, breathe. Scoop the water? "Then it's kind of like digging?" Teidra asked, tilting her head. "That doesn't seem that hard..."

"You might wanna show her doggy-style first," Bianca piped up with an impish grin before laughing and shaking her head. "Sorry, doggy paddling, I mean. It's easier for a first-timer. Try this first, Teidra. Don't worry about moving your head and stuff, just...swim like a dog." When Teidra gave her a blank look, she shook her head, waded deeper into the water, and began to demonstrate, kicking her legs, keeping her head above water, and paddling with her cupped hands. "Just like this. Really easy. Get the hang of that first, then go onto the fancy stuff Mazz showed you. But first, you might wanna get your hair out of the way."

Making her way back over to Teidra, she tugged the tie out of one of her pigtails and moved around to Teidra's back. Before Teidra could protest, she gathered up her hair and pulled it through the tie and tightened it at the nape of her neck. Teidra winced and yelped softly, and Bianca rubbed the back of her neck apologetically to soothe where she'd accidentally pulled at her hair. "There ya go. Now it won't get in the way. Sorry about that, but wet hair's a pain to tie up. Well, have at it!"

Thanking Bianca and looking to Mazz as though for guidance, Teidra lowered herself into the water until it was up to her chin, sticking right where she was in the shallows, and started to kick and paddle with her hands as she'd been shown, though she did more splashing than she did moving, flailing more than anything as Bianca giggled. "A-ah, this is more difficult when I'm not being held..." she gasped, finally getting herself under control and not splashing so much. Panting, head held above the water, she awkwardly and slowly managed to swim her way over to Mazz before she stood up again, face red from exertion and breath coming in quick gasps.

"I...I think I did it. Did I do okay, Mazz? Bianca?" Teidra asked between gasps, brushing wet bangs out of her eyes.

Bianca cleared her throat and coughed into her hand. "Nice...heh...rack, Teidra."

"...Rack...?" Blinking a few times, Teidra glanced around herself in confusion for a moment before she finally looked down--and gasped. "O-oh! I'm sorry!" she cried, quickly grabbing her bikini top and pulling it back up to cover herself.  "I'm so sorry...I don't know how that happened..."

Bianca, however, did. But she just feigned innocence and gave another little cough.

Nope. She hadn't loosened the string around her neck when she'd tied up her hair. Not her!

[Anonymous]

She didn't seem to like the fact that he was giving her compliments, but he just wanted to bolster her, make her feel better about it, but that didn't seem like it was going to work out very well. He'd let it go, just focus on helping her to swim. Not like they didn't have all the time in the world after all, she'd get the hang of it. Plus there was...Bianca, and she seemed to know how to swim so perhaps she could be of use. Just...not the use that she really seemed to want at this time. Thankfully. He wasn't going to give into that of course. No, he was...he was stronger.

"I remember that Teidra, just...I don't know much about your people. I wish there was a book or something..." Mazz gave an uncomfortable cough however. "Well um....I don't...I think it's kinda awkward to ask someone about their people, I'd rather just...read about it instead." It would give him something to do on the late nights after all, but...maybe he would just have to talk to her bout it. "We'll see what happens though...I might just have to ask you things, find out more about your race and culture." That way he wouldn't feel so awkward around her, not knowing how to act, or how he probably should act with her.

Not on Vacation though. When they got back, that would be best, he had all the time though.

Mazz smiled a little bit, laughing a little as he shook his head. "Me? Curious about what's out there? Well no...I'm curious about what's close. That's why I'm a scientist. I'll work on what's close, once I find out that stuff, I'll move out more and more. I'll get there Bianca, I just have to...wait." That...well that was something. Stir crazy. He was comfortable of course but...well Teidra...what was going to happen with her? He was pretty sure that taking her to this vacation resort was a good idea. He realized that he would need to take more vacations, get her off the station so she can run free.

He needed to try and get her back to Re'unis...er...well um...one day.

Well at least Mazz caught on to poor Teidra getting a little tired from all the kicking. Swimming was a great workout, but after the bikini issue, he wasn't sure that he wanted to make a requisition for a swimming pool at TRIM. People watched Teidra as is during her exercise time in the gym...put her in a bikini with all those people...No. Not gonna have that. He couldn't...he wasn't sure he could handle that.

"Self taught? Well that's pretty amazing. Not many people are able to teach themselves to be a nurse." He honestly didn't get the naughty connection, that was until she started talking again and then he suddenly blinked a few times...then he sighed. Oh. He got it now. She was...she was talking about being dirty. "Oh. I see." Yeah, right, she wasn't a prostitute. Either that or she just really seemed to enjoy sex and didn't care how she got it. Ugh. What sort of diseases had she gotten before? What did she have now? Ergh. He felt dirty just being touched by her.

Mazz nodded slightly, just a little disturbed that she was going to hang around till six. "Well, we're glad to have you then Bianca. Eh heh, thanks." Well, she was going to voluntarily shut up? If only she would turn that into something permanent, but alas he probably shouldn't get her to do that. After demonstrating how to swim with his arms, and hearing that little whistle from Bianca, which he ignored, he came back. "No, not that hard at all Teidra, it's quite easy." He looked to Bianca, ignoring her comment but nodding about the doggy paddling. "That might be a little better, but I was hoping to train her how to swim, but I suppose that might help at first." He let Bianca start doing the teaching, that would probably be a little better...not as fancy but...it would have to do wouldn't it?

Hm. He watched Bianca suddenly help Teidra with her hair, knowing that would actually probably help a little bit. Mazz stepped forward when Teidra suddenly yelped, concern spread across his face, but Bianca seemed to have it under control and Mazz just coughed. Ahem. Not like he really cared he just...well...no he cared, he really cared. He didn't like Teidra in pain, it just...pulled at his heart strings. It was that whole white hair and green eye thing that got to him. "Yeah, that's probably a better idea. Once you get all that under control...you probably will be better at normal swimming." still, the doggy paddle just looked so...well like flailing but...it was best to let her learn slowly.

Mazz had his arms crossed, watching Teidra as she practically flailed in the water, trying to get the hang of it, but eventually she seemed to get it, if just a little bit. Mazz was holding his chuckling, but he was smiling, as it was actually a little funny for that matter. She was getting it though! That was always good. When she finally stood up again, Mazz went stock still, his face turning red and he was staring for only a moment before he turned around, covering his eyes. "Teidra!" It was a startled sort of choked cry. "O-okay! I think it's b-break time!" Mazz rushed to the shore so he could sit down on it and sit in just a way that he could cover himself.

Let's just say he was a little...erm...Alri ght, so he was pretty darn excited down there, just a bit hard to hide. Best for him to just...relax, take his mind off of it all. Why did this keep happening to him anyway? Ugh, he never had this trouble before! Mostly because he was able to move himself away from sexual relationships at work, since they held no real importance to him...but now with Teidra it was just...she was so carefree about herself.

Mazz made sure to keep his legs up and near his chest, and his arms crossed somewhat over his stomach. Irk. This was so embarrassing. "So er...Bianca! Why don't you tell us about yourself? Where did you come from? What made you come here?" Just get them off the topic of what was going on with him. He sorta was scared by this whole thing...he didn't...he didn't really like to acknowledge that he wanted sex, that wasn't him. It wasn't his sort of thing.