Manufactured Bliss II

Posted on Sun Jan 22nd, 2023 @ 7:12am by Ensign Ilan Ocara & Lieutenant Sovas Nyseth
Edited on on Sun Jan 22nd, 2023 @ 7:12am

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: Anorra
Timeline: Mission Day 14 at 1330
5285 words - 10.6 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Her words brought Sovas up short.

His hesitation didn't go unnoticed either by the presence in his mind as it conjured up memories of him and Ilan passionately entwined together in his bed. Though as the half-Vulcan worked to focus on the moment and not the memories, he felt the familiar swelling of heat within his body. Within his blood. It was weaker than before; it felt strained, like it was a sensation being pushed against a too-thin barrier that wanted to break but wouldn't.

Sovas stepped back, pulling away from Ilan and turning toward the grotto's entrance, staring out to the pale sands and rock bleached by the ever-present sunlight. "You're right. It's not me."

She gave him his space for a few beats and then once more stepped up to him. Her hand found his back, and she moved to his side. "It's alright. No harm done." She assured him gently. It wasn't like she didn't want to have sex with him, but even she liked to have some prelude before the act.

"Have you spoken to the doctor about it recently?"

He reached up to tap the monitor behind his ear before looking back to her. "Gathering data. He says we need to study it before we know what to do about it."

Sovas didn't like that the alien thing in his head could influence him like this. It was getting better at doing it, too, whereas before, it was more subtle; it seemed to him that it was learning about him and how to make him do things. "I thought this would be a place you would enjoy, given that it is a sex grotto," he teased her a little with the question she'd asked earlier.

"It's a shrine of sorts, dedicated to religious rites."

The half-Vulcan looked to Ilan and smiled. "I might have been thinking about bringing you here; to share what I'd learned about the alien religion it is dedicated to; it isn't genetics, but I still thought it would be interesting."

"Hmm... what happened to finding just the right beautiful woman to bring to your sex grotto?" She teased but didn't pay it much mind past that. It didn't bother her if he was lying about this kind of thing; it was trivial in the long run. She turned to look at the murals again and considered them.

"Some sort of fertility or love rites?"

He smirked and chuckled a little at her teasing before looking around at the various murals. It wasn't a lie that he'd thought of Ilan upon seeing this place, given her curious mind and rather liberated attitude, and even if he didn't want to admit it, the presence in his mind might have influenced his choice. "This grotto is dedicated to the god Aiovudoc, though they were also a god of alcohol and festivity," He began, glancing back at her. "Many of the legends were pretty similar before the coming of Aiovudoc to the Vidiian people; their lives were dreary and uneventful though he showed them the joys of living through how to make wine with their fruit and joys of dance,"

“That sounds like Bacchus from Terra.” She noted and tilted her head as she looked at the murals more intensely. “Some of these themes are also very similar. How strange and fascinating.” Reaching out, she ran her fingers over one of the murals slowly.

Sovas watched her inspect the murals depicting what appeared to be a Bacchanalian revelry as he moved closer to her, closing his eyes to focus as he reached out to touch and trace her skin. "I believe there is an old theory that the same idea can occur across different civilizations without the knowledge of the other but I did find it curious to see the parallels."

"There is, yes." She confirmed and continued to focus her attention on what was before her. Ilan felt him come up behind her and begin to touch her, but she didn't dissuade him in the slightest. "There are many examples of that back home through many cultures, but I'd never really thought to see something that parallels all the way out here in the Delta Quadrant."

"Perhaps it's something like a universal subconscious that influences certain stories or myths that a society creates to explain why something like this might be found out here." Sovas was not a scientist but he did possess a curious mind, even if he did keep it hidden away from others. His fingers continued to lightly trace over her body with intents towards amorous but seemingly not trying to rush it.

"That's not very Terran of you." Ilan smirked and turned to face him. "But I don't mind, really." She took his hands and laced their fingers together. "Tell me what else you know."

She knew she wasn't really getting any good information at this point, but her life couldn't revolve around that and really she had never been pressed to make it revolve around it. Such an understanding was a rarity and had been what had bought her loyalty in the first place.

"No I suppose it isn't." He chuckled a little at her statement, his gaze going to their fingers as he considered it a moment before looking back up into her eyes. "The Vidiians established a holy week of worship at the beginning of the planting and after harvest seasons that were dedicated to Aiovudoc, in which effigies of him were burned in the fields and if the effigy burned completely, it was believed that the the crops were blessed and wines made from the fruits of those harvests were considered to be sacred ambrosia granted by the god himself."

"His blessing was also sought for marriages to make them fruitful with offerings of fruits, vegetables and wine burned as an offering to him."

He stepped closer to her, reaching up to play with her hair as he looked down into her eyes, resisting the urge to lean in and capture her mouth once more as he focused on just letting her feel his presence since he wanted to show her that the thing that the presence in his mind drew out wasn't him. "In the past they quite enjoyed their merrymaking and they held contests to determine who was the most beautiful woman and most handsome man, they would be crowned the king and queen of wine."

"They would be in charge of ensuring that all were happy and able to drink their fill, enjoy all of their festivity to the fullest."

“See, that almost sounds like Carnivale.” Ilan chuckled, her eyes lidding slightly at the feeling of his fingers in her hair. She could see the way he was looking at her and the restrained desire. Perhaps her words had had an effect on him. “Merrymaking and wine does sound like quite the kind of fun they would embrace around this resort. Have you made it over to the Ya no Kona festival they have going on?”

"No, what's that?" He questioned his lovely companion, continuing to tease his fingers through her hair, running his nails along her scalp before letting his fingers move along her skin as he looked for where she enjoyed being touched, trying to make up for his boorish behavior. If he could manage it with Revana when the presence was trying to turn him off from her, he certainly could manage it while the presence was pushing him toward Ilan.

"Though I admit that it sounds intriguing, I take it you've been?"

“Yeah, I went. It really reminds me of Carnivale. The aliens that host it are the Tameroans and they have a lot of feathers, really reminded me of the costumes they wear especially in Rio.”

She finally moved her hands and slid her arms around him, moving a bit closer to him. “They are very friendly, really. It was fun. The food wasn’t too bad either, which seems to be a rarity on this planet.”

"That is a rarity that means it wasn't Vidiian food then," He chuckled softly and made a soft sound as she worked her arms around him. "I've been to Rio and Carnivale, it's quite an experience and it sounds like the Ya no Kona festival sounds like something worth seeing." He purred softly, enjoying the feeling of her arms sliding around him while he caressed her body and pressed the dark-haired woman back towards the wall, leaving her room to slip free if she desired.

"Mmm... yes, I'd suggest it if you enjoy Carnivale. You have plenty of things to get into trouble with there too." She smirked and looked up into his eyes, finally leaning in to kiss him gently, but not pressing into it passionately. It seemed more of a measured thing to see how he might react in the moment.

As she kissed him, Sovas purred again and pressed his body against hers a little more as he returned her kiss though he didn't turn into a passionate make-out session, seemingly trying to take it at a measured pace. Though he wasn't trying to tear her bikini off of her and savagely take her against the wall, it didn't mean the half-Vulcan wasn't struggling against those desires that the presence in his mind was attempting to stoke within him.

His hands moved with a slow amorousness over her body as he made another soft sound as they roamed over her curves. "Maybe you could take me to see the sights there."

"Hmm maybe, though it would be a shame to visit the same place when I have such a short amount of time to be on the planet. I'd rather find something new and exciting for us both." She offered with a smile. "Is there anything else here on the planet that caught your interest that you haven't tried yet?"

"Well, there is a celebration currently going on here at the resort known as Lik’a martes uru, from what I've read about it, it's similar to the Mardi Gras celebrations of Earth that represents three days of feasting and celebration before quiet contemplation and consideration of something to do with a gestalt consciousness I think" The half-Vulcan replied with a slight smile since he wasn't sure if he wanted to go to the streets of the city to engage in that particular celebration. Though he didn't want to bore Ilan or make it seem like he wanted to retread old ground with her. "The Lik’a martes uru sounds similar to the Ya no Kona, just with a little more restraint at the end, perhaps since it is expected that everyone who partakes during the time of indulgence also partakes in the time of reflection...whatever that means."

"It sounds interesting." She said and studied his face while they stood there. "You don't seem overly enthusiastic about it though?" Lifting a brow, she looked into his eyes and squeezed her arms around him slightly. She wasn't lying about it sounding interesting, but she did seem concerned about whether he would have fun or not.

"No, I'm curious to see what it is like I just didn't know what would be more interesting, here or the Lik'a martes uru." He admitted since the presence hadn't let him really consider much beyond the moment with Ilan or even trying to bed her again as the presence was only focused on doing. "I'd be more than happy to explore the festival with you, I just didn't know if you'd want to go since you had already been to the Ya no Kona and they sound similar."

"Well, is there any rule saying that we can't go see the festival for a while and then come back to the super secret sex grotto?" She asked with a playful smirk and winked at him.

"Not that I know of and if there was, I'd be more than willing to break the rules with you." He chuckled softly while looking around the grotto before his attention drifted back to Ilan. "Did you want to go directly there or stop over on the ship to change?"

“Do you think I need to?” Ilan chuckled and then moved to pick up her towel. With practiced ease, she began to wrap it around her body until it sat as a snug makeshift wrap dress. “There. We are ready for a little thought and ingenuity, don’t you think?”

She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it. “You know where it is, I assume, so lead on Sovas.”

"Quite beautiful." He purred as he looked over her body and followed suit to wrap the towel around himself before reaching out to tap his commbadge as he squeezed her hand. A moment later, they disappeared from the cave before appearing in the streets of the resort to a street covered in vibrant decorations as the air filled with exciting music with people in colorful costumes, people dancing and indulging in food, dance, and each other.

The streets were filled with partygoers, all wearing vibrant necklaces made of shells and beads; some were fully clothed, others in varying states of undress, but no one seemed put off by any of it. Performers were engaging in acrobatics, street dancing with fire or ribbons, or performing upbeat and jaunty tunes. Singers' voices filled the air as a man and woman wearing grass skirts and a bevy of shell necklaces covered their otherwise naked chests. They appeared more or less humanoid save for the streaks of bioluminescent markings over their almost pitch-black skin.

"Be welcome to Lik’a martes uru, may the Laughing God shower you both with joy." The woman greeted Sovas and Ilan before the man draped necklaces around their necks. Once that was done, the man and woman stepped in to embrace both of the Imperial Officers, Sovas being caught a little by surprise as the man kissed him before relaxing a bit to enjoy it, the other man pulling back with a smile before switching to Ilan.

"We hope you find all the indulgences and temptations to satisfy the cravings of both body and spirit." The man smiled while looking between the pair before his companion drew them away, with a fleeting glance at them before they met other newcomers.

"Very friendly," Sovas noted, clearing his throat as he watched the couple for a moment before looking back to Ilan.

“Yes, they are.” Ilan nodded in agreement, looking around curiously and happily at the new place with all the new aliens and things to explore. She did, however, briefly look at Sovas, her brows lifting. “I didn’t know you swung both ways, by the way. You seem very much a woman man.”

It was something that Sovas had never really talked about. His father hadn't been particularly understanding of his son's particular leanings, even if he still enjoyed the company of women. "It's something I had to learn to hide early on, I didn't get to explore that side of me until I had left Mars and was outside of Lord Nyseth's control, and I've been cautious to let others see it."

"Oh." Ilan considered this a moment and then shrugged. "I mean, I get why, it's not exactly something accepted in the circles of nobility. I know we have a lot of noble lined officers but don't forget, the crew is mostly made of the plebeians and we find love where we can." She gave him a wink and then took his hand. Of course Ilan was the last person to care about such things. Why shouldn't people love and make love to whoever they want as long as they were consenting adults?

"Where to?"

"See where the wind takes us?" He offered with a chuckle before moving their way through the crowded streets, surrounded by those working to entertain the guests and to provide an authentic atmosphere. Around them, everyone indulged themselves in one way or another, be it with drinks, with food that smelled deliciously and didn't appear to be Vidiian food, dancing, striding through the streets without a stitch on save for the many shell necklaces they were wearing. Sovas was looking around to see if something might strike their fancy as a man approached with a tray of drinks and held up a pair of necklaces.

"I offer you the blessings of the Ilawla if you're willing to indulge in a drink with me?" The alien man offered; his skin was a dark azure mottled with a slightly darker pattern over his neck, and his eyes were a bright green and slit like a cat's. On his tray were several shot glasses edged with salt while an intense green liquid sat within, and sliced wedges of some citrus fruit were settled in the middle.

Ilan looked to the alien, then down to his drinks, then briefly up to Sovas before she shrugged and grinned. Even if he didn't end up wanting to, why should she limit herself just over him? Looking back at the alien, she took a step closer and picked up one of the shot glasses and one of the pieces of citrus. "Sure, handsome. Joining me?"

"Absolutely." The alien man grinned as Sovas stepped forward and picked up one of the drinks himself as he looked at Ilan.

"Did you think I would let you enjoy all this yourself?" The half-Vulcan grinned at her as their alien friend looked between them as his smile widened.

"May the blessings of the Ilawla be upon you both!" The azure-skinned man picked up a shot and raised it to them both before licking the salt off the rim, then down the drink. Once he'd swallowed, he grabbed a citrus wedge, bit into it, and ate the fruit's flesh before looking to his company.

Sovas followed suit, doing as their host had done. Once the shot hit his tongue and mingled with the salt, the flavor shifted from the initial bitterness into a slightly more savory flavor. Once he'd swallowed and eaten the wedge, he found the citrus brought with an intense tang that was surprisingly pleasant and left a warm burn in the pit of his stomach.

“Oh yeah, that burns.” Ilan practically growled as the burn settled into her stomach. She licked her lips of the remaining salt and liquor, then looked to the alien man. “Delicious, thank you. Now, do you offer something to chase that with?” She asked with a devious grin.

"Mmm, now that depends on what you and your friend are looking for." The alien man countered with a sly grin on his lips, and he looked between the pair, his eyes being anything but subtle before they settled on Sovas before he spoke. "Do you want to turn the heat up another notch?"

"Or would you prefer something sinfully sweet and will quench that fire burning in your bellies?" His attention turned to Ilan as he seemed to be waiting to hear what they wanted.

"I'm game to find the full experience with this first shot." Sovas chimed in and looked to Ilan as he quietly worked to focus on having a good time.

“Depends, does it come with extra shells?” She challenged both men with a grin and ran her fingers over the single necklace she was wearing. Ilan being who she was really had no problem settling in and enjoying the moment to the fullest. Terran or alien, it didn’t matter, which she supposed wasn’t very Terran of her but she didn’t care. They didn’t want to recognize her as one of their own after all.

"Well I'll front your friend since you've both just started your celebration," The alien retrieved a few more necklaces so they'd both have three before holding up an arm draped with several more. "Traditionally there are two more shots that come after the first and I'll offer up a necklace for each shot you take."

Sovas reached out to take the two offered to him and then handed the other to Ilan as he considered the offer and nodded, looking to his companion to see if she was interested.

"Sure!" Ilan replied with enthusiasm and took the offered necklace. "Which one is first?" She eyed the alien expectantly and gave him an almost challenging grin.

"Well, there are two," The alien man chuckled while looking at Ilan, glancing over at Sovas to see if he was in. "Do you want more heat? Or would you rather taste the sweetness of sin?"

Sovas couldn't help but chuckle at Ilan's eagerness as he draped his necklaces over his neck before joining in the conversation. "Why don't we taste this sweetness of sin and then set it ablaze with the last shot,"

"Mmm, I must agree with your friend. You have the look of a woman who enjoys the indulgent flavors of sin," The alien grinned at the dark-haired woman before turning away to retrieve a second tray with shots of a dark blue liquid. Before taking one for himself, he offered one to Ilan and another to Sovas.

"To deliciously sinful indulgence." He toasted Ilan and Sovas as his gaze turned more lustful before downing it, the half-Vulcan followed suit.

The shot was sweet. Sweet like a perfectly ripened piece of fruit with just the underlying bitter hint of alcohol that enhanced the sweet flavor. Any lingering burn from the first shot was soothed by the second, though there came with it a tingling euphoria that rushed through the blood and felt like the most exquisite sensation one could have known. The half-Vulcan made an appreciative sound as he mindfully placed the glass back while looking to his companion to see her reaction.

Ilan had fearlessly taken the glass and downed the liquid in it with no hesitation whatsoever. It didn’t hit her immediately at first, but when it did her cheeks flushed and she let out a soft coo of pleasure. This was dangerous, but she found herself drawn to it because of that. Licking her lips, she looked down into the empty glass as if she were briefly hoping it had magically filled back up; when it hadn’t, she put it back down on the tray with the others.

“Yeah that was aptly named. I really like it though.”

"It definitely earned its name, but you were right about killing that fire from the first drink." Sovas agreed as he set the empty shot glass down, he was still feeling the flush from the euphoric feeling and was rubbing his fingers together as that was creating the most interesting tingling sensation before he reached out to run his fingers over Ilan's bare arm to see what it might feel like and to see if she was experiencing the same linger sensation.

"Yes, it is known as the Indulgant's cocktail as it is meant to be part of the last indulgences before the time of self-reflection and self-improvement begins." The alien man shared, giving them that friendly grin, producing more necklaces along with the next round of drinks. "It's meant to awaken your senses and realize what sins you must seek forgiveness for by helping you let go of your inhibitions."

The alien man considered the necklaces a moment before thoughtfully adding another and presenting them with the third round of drinks. "The final shot is meant to make those sins into beacons so that you may find your way to the light. Are you ready?"

Ilan shivered slightly when Sovas touched her arm and was briefly distracted by the tingling sensation, but she focused on the alien man as he spoke again. She seemed quite eager not only to drink but to learn. She gave a nod and waited for the next drink to be presented to her. "Sounds interesting. I'm sure it won't disappoint."

Neither of them had to wait long as their host presented them with two shot glasses filled with a fiery orange liquid, the rim covered in shimmering red crystals like salt or sugar, with a wedge of orange-like citrus fruit this time. "I'll leave the best part of this as a surprise."

The man lifted his glass and took the shot, Sovas following suit as he found the flavor to be something like a citrusy mix of spicy and sweet that tingled on his tongue, warming as it settled in his stomach. The euphoric, tingling sensation returned as the drink's heat crept comfortably through his body. Though he wasn't sure if that was the intended effect, everything seemed to suddenly change for the half-Vulcan as the creeping warmth reached his brain.

It felt like his senses had been turned up so that sounds were more, sensations were more. It was like a blindfold had suddenly been pulled from his eyes as he looked around, marveling at everything before a dark shimmer drew his attention. He reached out to touch Ilan's hair as a soft moan escaped him, teasing it between his fingers as his mind marveled at how poignant the sensations were beyond the mere tingling from before.

Ilan hadn’t immediately taken her shot this time and had instead decided to pay attention to Sovas and his reaction. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the drink, she simply wanted to see what would happen to him and how he would take it. When she saw him shiver slightly and his expression drift and grow both vacant and awe filled, she quirked a brow in amusement which only turned into a smile and laugh when he touched her hair.

“I think he likes it.”

"Mmmm, yes the revelation of the sinner's delight is always a delight to see, especially for offworlders as it's often a new experience for them." The alien man grinned and watched Sovas for a moment before looking back to Ilan. "Will you be enjoying the fullness of the Sinner's Delight?"

“Of course I will.” Ilan chuckled. “Just wanted to see how he took to it first.” With that, she lifted the shot to her own lips and downed it quickly. The sensation hit her almost immediately and she felt her senses swimming and warming before they clarified and sharpened to more than anything she had ever experienced before. She looked around with wide eyes; all of the colors seemed brighter than before and she felt like she could almost smell them.

The sensations would initially be rather intense, but slowly everything would come back down from the relative level of overstimulation to be something a bit more pleasant. The drink vendor smiled as he watched them both acclimate to their heightened senses. "It is always a pleasure to be able to share the delights of the Festival with others...do you know what exactly you both are going to do?"

“Each other, probably.” Ilan said and then immediately gave an impish giggle.

"Mmmm, I suspect that the Delight had very little to do with loosening your tongue," The vendor chuckled softly as he looked to Sovas, who seemed more subdued but quite intent on experiencing the small sensations of things. "I think you'll both enjoy the experience,"

"Mmmm, I think we will." Sovas chuckled softly himself as he turned his attention to Ilan and looked around. "Anything in particular appealing to you?" He questioned while watching the scintillating colors seeming to radiate off of her in waves.

“This is so neat.” Ilan cooed and looked at her hands, wiggling her fingers and giggling as if she hadn’t heard Sovas. This wasn’t the first time she had been impaired, of course, but this was definitely a unique experience. She looked at the alien man and tilted her head. “What’s in that drink?”

"So, It's not just that one shot." The alien man smiled as he watched Ilan as she wriggled her fingers before meeting his gaze. "It has to be served in two parts, the base and then the other half that all mixes together into a powerful psychotropic drug that allows one to lower their inhibitions and see into the world around them."

“Oh. So that’s why I can taste the colors. That’s so interesting. I’ve never really heard of a drug that triggers synesthesia… I am sure there are some but I’ve never heard of them.” She blinked a few times and looked at Sovas. “What about you? Can you taste the colors? Or hear them?”

Sovas chuckled softly and gave his lovely companion an affirmative nod.

"I'm fairly certain that I'm tasting and hearing them," He seemed much more relaxed while watching her. "I can also see a shimmer around you, like heat radiating from your body."

“Huh. Wonder if that is a Vulcan thing.” She noted curiously. “I don’t see anything like that around you.” Reaching out, she waved a hand in front of his face as if that might do something. “Does it get any more pronounced when I do that? Go away?”

Sovas stood and stared at Ilan hand as she waved it in front of his face before blinking a couple of times to help refocus his eyes, considering the aura radiating around her. "It made the shimmer focus on your hand and there was a little bit of shifting colors at the edges but it mostly remained a shimmer."

“Huh. Okay. Hm…” Ilan looked around and spun around once, giggling madly and reaching out to take Sovas’ hand. “Come on, let’s go and find something pretty. Maybe some water. That shouldn’t be hard, right?”

"Some water...something pretty, neither should be hard!" Her giggling was infectious as Sovas soon joined her before allowing the dark-haired woman to lead him away in the surrounding crowd, seeing that shimmer surrounding everyone as it mingled with the colors from the music. As they moved, the half-Vulcan noticed a shimmer that seemed to dance toward Ilan as they made their way toward an outside bar. Though it was hard for him to focus when he was being distracted by those around them as an exotic alien woman smiled at them both, her skin dark, skin mottled with glowing markings as she hungrily devoured them both before holding out cups of water.

"Greetings and welcome, travelers," She greeted with a grin as her numerous necklaces shifted and clicked around her neck as she offered them both glasses of water. "You both appear quite parched,"

Sovas blinked as he saw the same shimmer around the woman, seeing it dance with her amusement just as Ilan had been during their walk to get here. He nodded and accepted the water, handing one to Ilan. "Yes. Parched and most certainly trying to enjoy everything here."

“Oh I think he’s thirsty for something much different than water, if you ask me.” Ilan pointed out and giggled as she took the cup. She swirled it around, then shifted a bit to get it more in the sun, then swirled it again.

“It looks like it has glitter in it… so shiny…”

The alien woman gave a throaty chuckle at Ilan's comment and her seeming fascination with the water. "If you think it looks incredible, you should let a droplet run down your skin, it feels so amazing."

Sovas quirked an eyebrow as he took a long drink of water, having certainly been rather thirsty before he picked up another and dipped his fingers into the water before looking into her eyes. "Do you want to find out?"

TBC