While Vo'ptinh was at work, Ke'zulah decided she would take a walk around the ship and get familiar with their new surroundings.
They'd each been given maps of the ship to help them get familiar with the layout of their new ship. Vo'ptinh was somewhat familiar with the layout, having been with Craig and T'Planh a few times over the last few days.
Ke'zulah wore a purple tank top with a rendering of a map of their Union on the front, glittery purple shorts, and purple flipflops. She put her hair into a casual ponytail after moisturizing her horn then, after picking up her purse and the map, she walked out of their cabin.
After setting the lock code, she headed towards the Observation Deck. When she arrived there, she looked out the window, gazing longingly at the stars. She wondered if she was seeing any of the stars of the Vh'rilot Union from her vantage point. She also wondered if she and Vo'ptinh would ever see their beloved Vh'rilot Union again.
An hour later, she left the Observation Deck and went to the dining hall. She went to the vending replicators, chose a pumpkin muffin and a caramel iced coffee, then sat down at a table.
Ke'zulah looked at the map, trying to decide where to go next. She decided to go visit the school. She loved children, and wanted to see children of various species, as she'd been told attended the school.
She was given a tour of the facility. She saw mostly other kids in the classrooms since the younger students were in the library for a field trip. Ke'zulah decided that would be her next stop.
When she arrived at the library the younger children were in the back listening to a librarian reading a Cardistanian children's literary classic.
Ke'zulah sat down at a table nearby and listened. She looked at the children as well. There were at least 6 different alien species represented among them, most of which she'd never seen before. She was fascinated by the different alien children there!
When the librarian had finished the book, she announced that it was time for refreshments. There was a beautifully decorated cake, several types of cookies, plus fruit punch. Everyone was handed a plate with a piece of cake and some cookies, plus a glass of fruit punch, a napkin, and a plastic fork.
One of the children, a Cardistanian boy of around 6, walked over to Ke'zulah and handed her a plate with a slice of cake and cookies. He gave her a glass of fruit punch, plus a napkin and plastic fork as well.
She thanked him tenderly. He asked if he could give her a hug, and she said yes. After the hug he asked if he could touch her horns and she said yes once more.
Afterwards he thanked her, then went back to get his own snack.
She enjoyed the cake and cookies very much. The cake was a yellow cake with a rich buttercream frosting.
Many of the cookies were types she'd never seen nor heard of before. She loved the sprinkles on them!
She found the fruit punch to be quite refreshing. It was abit sweeter than Vh'rilot fruit punch.
The librarian came over and told her she was more than welcome to go over to the refreshment table for some seconds if she wanted. Ke'zulah thanked her and did just that, waiting her turn in line. She thanked the teacher who served her, then went back to her table.
After finishing her second plate and a second fruit punch, she was sugared-up and decided to go to the fitness center and run some of those extra calories, and her sugar-high, off.
She got on a treadmill and took a fairly swift walk before breaking out into a very swift run. Thirty minutes later, she climbed on a stationary bike and pedaled ten miles.
Vh'rilots we're a race of very speedy people. Their speed rivaled the Azkhean elves!
They were also an extremely strong race, especially the males. Their horns weren't there just to impress and for romancing the opposite sex; they were fierce weapons ready for battle at a moment's notice! Vh'rilot males did a lot of their physical fighting with their horns.
If you got into a physical altercation, as some of the crew of the Artemis would soon find out during wrestling practice with Vo'ptinh, you needed to be prepared to be sent flying through the air after getting head-butted by Vh'rilot horns! They hurt!
Vh'rilot females fought with their horns as well, although they weren't nearly as strong as the males.
However it still hurt, and hurt ALOT, if a Vh'rilot female head-butted you with her horns!
After finishing up on the stationary bike, Ke'zulah walked around the fitness center to see what else was available.
The center had an Olympic-size pool plus classrooms where exercise classes were held. She made a mental note to herself to tell Vo'ptinh about the pool since she knew he loved to swim.
She went to the weight room as well, but decided she'd try lifting weights another day when Vo'ptinh was there with her.
When she was finished in the fitness center, she went home to take a quick shower and change clothes. She changed into a glittery blue tank tank, matching leggings, and blue flipflops.
She then went to the dining hall for a bite to eat.
To her very pleasant surprise, Vo'ptinh was there, as were Craig and T'Planh. She snuck up behind him and put her hands over his eyes.
“P̄hm rạk khuṇ.
“C̄hạn tid xyū̀ nı k̄heā k̄hxng khuṇ, Vo'ptinh!”, she whispered in his ear, speaking in Vh'rilot. (I love you. I've been caught in your horns, Vo'ptinh!)
Vo'ptinh immediately burst into a huge smile, then turned to her and gave her a passionate kiss.
“P̄hm rạk khuṇ.
“C̄hạn tid xyū̀ nı k̄heā k̄hxng khuṇ, Ke'zulah!”, he exclaimed, also in Vh'rilot, his eyes twinkling in delight.
“How has your day been?”, he asked her in Terran.
“It's been wonderful.”, she said. She told him about her day, then asked him about his. Now that their flirting was over, their conversation was in Terran out of respect for Craig, T'Planh and the others there.
“It's been wonderful as well.”, he replied, then told her all about his day so far.
After lunch Vo'ptinh gave Ke'zulah a tender kiss then left for afternoon duty with Craig and T'Planh. Craig told them about a small pool party Clarissa and T'Planh's wife had planned for that Saturday. They thanked him for the invitation, and told him they'd be there. Both were excited about pool time.
That Saturday, they changed into their swimsuits. Ke'zulah got her large wicker tote purse packed and they headed to the fitness center.
The pool area was crowded when they arrived. She sat on a lounge chair, working on her embroidery. Her hair was down. She wore large hoop earrings, a bikini, matching swim wrap which she wore around her waist and didn't take off, and flipflops.
Vo'ptinh wore a pair of brown and white swim trunks.
“Ke'zulah, are you coming in the pool? The water's nice!”, he said after awhile, seeing her looking at something on her embroidery.
“In a little bit.”, she replied.
“Put your sewing down. Come on in and swim with us! I promise, they won't hurt you.”, Vo'ptinh said as he climbed out of the pool and went over to her.
“Come on in the pool, Ke'zulah. I promise I'll keep you safe. You've got plenty of time to be on your small-screen.”, he said softly to her, giving her a tender kiss.
He knew she was still quite nervous around the aliens. Other than the day she'd gone on her walk, she'd stayed in their cabin for the most part.
“I can't. I'm busy right now.”, she said.
“There's no need to be afraid of them. They won't hurt you. To ease your mind, though, just remember my love, I promise I'll keep you safe.”, he replied, smiling.
Gently grabbing her hands after gently taking the embroidery out of them and placing it on the table, he started pulling her out of the lounge chair. She acquiesced, but he knew she was still nervous.
After a few minutes she started to relax, knowing he was keeping her safe. They thoroughly enjoyed swimming!
An hour or so later, they climbed out of the pool. Going over to the concession stand while she went back to their table, Vo'ptinh brought back cheese meat rounds, potato chips, and carbonated drinks.
They thoroughly enjoyed their meals. Not used to socializing with anyone, Vh'rilot or otherwise, she was ready to leave, but stayed since she knew Vo'ptinh was enjoying himself in the pool. She wanted to make sure he was able to blow off some steam, so to speak, after everything that had happened to them both over the past two months.
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