riverviewlogs | (closed) may have been clouds or sun

Caldos. The planet Nana and I moved to after Arvada. She still lives here, though her town is... (She spins 180 degrees and points in a direction opposite the lake) Several hundred kilometers that way.

(She turns back to Lucretia.)

This is the Lake District, a popular vacation spot in the summer. Mainly because the rest of the year, it's too cool and foggy. The whole colony on Caldos was terraformed about a century ago to look like Scotland, an ancient country on our homeworld of Earth. Most of my ancestors were from Scotland, so I suppose Nana thought it'd be good for me to get back to some of my roots.

(A popular vacation spot huh... Lucretia privately likes that the hologram means they can have the scenery all to themselves! Thanks to all the fraught commotion of the last week, she's still isn't up to being around a lot of people.)

This is Earth too? (She understands that it's Caldos, she's just reacting to now finally looking at something visually matching the planet she's heard so much about. She remembers it from Beverly showing it to her on one of the Enterprises' screens the first time they had visited the holodeck: marble-like, blue and green and white swirls.

That's sweet, that they copied it in order to feel more at home... though it saddens her to think something may have happened to the original. She turns back to Beverly, smiling, curious.) What are people from 'Scotland' like?

(Don't worry, there wasn't much to the original. The Federation only allows terraforming on lifeless worlds to begin with.)

Only one small part of Earth. Scotland's not very big at all - its a country on the tip of an island. I've only been a few times, but it is beautiful.

(She grins.)

And there are a lot of redheads there.

Oh, okay.

(She's trying to make sense of it all, but it's hard when she doesn't have any concept of scale. Thankfully Beverly distracts her from trying to quantify Scotland's position with everything else!)

Really? You'll fit right in, then.

(Beverly laughs.)

You know, there's a time when I was a teenager that I actually hated my hair?

Really?

(She looks mock-taken aback,) but it's so beautiful!

(She shakes her head.) I didn't think so, at the time. I wanted dark hair. So I tried dying it and (She pulls a face) Oh, it was awful! But I certainly learned my lesson!

(Now she's laughing: she can't imagine it! Beverly, with dark hair.)

We couldn't change what we looked like for longer than a year while aboard so– um, sometimes we did truly awful things to our hair just because we wouldn't have to deal with the consequences. That was fun.

(It was Bad.)

What kind of awful things?

Oh, you know.

(Lucretia doesn't want to tell now, not with Beverly looking at her like that! She shrugs.)

We're here for a weekend, right? Whereabouts will we stay?

(Never fear, she'll worm it out of her later!)

Well, there are a couple of options. It depends on what you'd prefer, really - a tent or a cabin?

(Maybe so...)

I don't mind either– though, if the weather stays this way, it should be the tent.

(They can sleep out under the stars... a nice thought.)

We can control the weather, you know.

(Lucretia blinks, then laughs.)

Oh, right. (It's so detailed she forgot it wasn't real for a moment!) Well, keep the weather this way, then. I'd like to sleep in a tent with you.

(Beverly grins. It is easy to forget, sometimes.) All right then. Computer!

(She's answered with a little cheerful chirrup.)

Add campsite.

(And there, just up in the grass a little ways away from the beach, appears a bright blue nylon tent. It's cute, but spacious, with an attached mesh "patio" on the front of it. Everything's already set up: folding chairs, tables, coolers, inflatable mattresses - even the campfire out front is already started. If they're going to use the holodeck, might as well skip some of the more tedious parts of camping.)

What do you think?

Oh, terrific.

(It's like something out of a book: neat and tidy and practical, irresistible with the fire burning away neatly in its pit. It looks so inviting that Lucretia almost wants to go to it and set up her paints, perhaps settle in to do a landscape of the mountains. She's keen to swim though, so even though she's staring longingly at the camp, she manages to drag her eyes away eventually.)

It's hard to know where to start, with all of this. (She admits. So much to look at! So much to do! Her lips twitch at the corners.) Do you have an itinerary planned?

(Beverly, immensely pleased at how well this is going, watches Lucretia soak it all in. Lucretia appears to be overwhelmed, but in the best way possible. When she turns back to Beverly, Beverly shakes her head and reaches out to take her hand.)

No itinerary, no plans. It's whatever you want to do.

The pressure!

(She's smiling though. This is lovely, this is exactly what she wanted. Time to be alone with Beverly, to do whatever they like.)

I was very much counting on swimming, (she admits, squeezing Beverly's hand and leaning in to kiss her cheek,) so perhaps that can come first? All of this is so amazing, Beverly, thank you.

(A flush of warmth floods through her. Lucretia is happy and that brings her an immense sense of satisfaction. After everything Lucretia went through, she deserves all the love and pampering Beverly can offer.)

You're very welcome. I'm glad you like it!

(Seeing Beverly's self-satisfaction only serves to make her smile all the more. Beverly did all of this to give her something nice after the hell she went through just last week. The hell they both went through. Beverly never stops reminding her that she's so thoroughly loved; she pauses to give her a proper kiss out of sheer gratitude.)

Does this mean I get to see you in a swimsuit too?

(Beverly gives her A Look.)

You do realize you see me without any clothes all the time?

Oh, (she says innocently,) did you forget to bring one? We can always go skinny dipping.

(She snorts.)

I'm not that easy.

Fine by me; I do actually want to see you in a swimsuit.

Let's put away our stuff then and get dressed!

[Without further ado, she'll lead Lucretia up to the tent where they can deposit their things and get ready for a nice dip in the lake. The tent is big enough that they can stand up in it, but there's really no hiding the swimsuit for a big reveal. It's a green off-the-shoulder one-piece: modest but with a hint of allure. Very Beverly, in other words.

She strikes a pose for Lucretia's benefit.]

What do you think?

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