Xyvee's head shook once she'd figured out the word he'd used. Orientation. A meeting about something specific. In this case probably her duties as a security officer. Generally held with others who would perform the same task. No, she had not been there. But it wasn't as though she didn't have training either! "Evee meeleeteeree. Luanari meereen. Pilot. Soldier. Stroong." Okay, perhaps learning the layout of the ship might have been more useful than some of the things she'd learned, but her role was also to study them. To make friends with them. Even to check compatibility with Humans! And, well, whatever other creatures were aboard. The point was that she had been busy studying a lot of things. Security would, they'd hoped, come naturally to her. "Learning sheep. Ship. Learning crew." With a smile she extended a hand in Vulture's direction. "Is Human?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head. Sure, he didn't exactly look Human but it was entirely possible that he actually was! But if he wasn't, well, that was just far more interesting! Meeting other creatures would be unexpected, although very exciting too! "Evee want learn eevreetheng."

Security? That was odd that a small creature such as this was allowed to act as security personnel. Then again, a war criminal such as Vulture was allowed onto the small team, if he didn't have military experience and legal help then he would've been decommissioned long ago. But a three foot tall alien? Was she strong? Did she have some innate powers? It was a mystery. With that established, Vulture asked, "Were you not in orientation before we went into cryo? Basic training, military training, and knowing the layout of the ship are required. Were you not given such things?"

Yup

It’s going to be a really awkward yet hilarious scenario for whoever visits the doctor for their check up.

Sonja softly mewed as she slid down her pants fell to her ankles as she pleasured herself ivy stuck in her mind her left hand softly squeezed her breast as her fingers worked at her pussy

Good with his tongue and hands? He might just have to prove to her just how good he really was among other things. As she mentioned the aloe treatment, he thumb goes up to her chin. It trials up to her lips collecting the fruit juice. His thumb lingers a moment, tracing over her lips, before he pulls it back and brings it to his own mouth. He sucks on it for a quick moment before popping it out of his mouth. “Ah! That’s some good fruit! Alright, Seph! I suppose I have no choice but to let you take care of me. I am now in your care.” He twists his body to lay down, starting with showing her his back. He was just fit from the back as he was from the front. His bare skin was now a bit tan and was shining from sweating in the pod. He would have a bit of fun with her when she got to different parts and lightly flex his muscles just to get her reactions. Much of his body was tight from maybe either the long time in the pod or whatever stress he came with from earth. in the middle of her work, he speaks up. “Not creative, huh? I don’t buy it. I think you have the potential and you just haven’t realized it yet because of how bored you are with your wins. If you want to give me a chance to prove it, I can help you find that creative side of yours. I promise you’ll have a whole new thought of yourself by the time we are popsicles again and when we do land one day. You have my word.”

It was rather comforting how casual he was. Easy. He had a way of saying and doing things with a certain lightness that juxtaposed with his sturdy frame. It made Ivy feel comfortable. Like it was okay to just sit here and rest. Not to mention that the way he spoke was different too. Sure, he could be blunt and even gruff, but there was kindness in his tone most of the time. And occasionally he was quite flirtatious. She never thought she’d witness so many shades of a personality in a single afternoon. It left her curious and wanting to see more. Intrigued by his story, Ivy settled into his lap more closely tucked into his chest. Idly reaching for a piece of fruit which she bit into with relish. The juice dribbling down her chin. Emerald eyes twinkled with interest, and a slow smile formed as she started to recognize elements of the story. “Me? Persephone?” Ivy echoed, extremely flattered and more than mildly surprised. “You are a very smooth,” she quipped, lightly pecking his cheek. She wondered if in his little story, he was meant to be the god of the underworld. A bold declaration to be sure, but that seemed to be his style. “I can only hope that I’m able to do those things. Who knew you’d use your tongue as well as you do with your hands,” she praised, sliding from his lap. “Perhaps now is a good time for that aloe treatment? If we wait too long it won’t be nearly as effective,” she pointed out.

Lucky can’t help but laugh at her reaction to his dream. He gave her his utmost attention as she spoke, not ushering a single syllable to interrupt her. He didn’t like her shooting her self down on lack of creativity. She certainly had it and he might get determined to prove it to her. He would even find a way to make it fun for her. Perhaps if they found materials for his hobby corner, he could encourage her to get in touch with an artistic part of herself. He just wraps his arm back around her when she leans in, he was not aware of it until she finished speaking. He was not sure what to do with this limb so he decided to just let it be unless she shows discomfort again. He does not hesitate to speak when she finishes. He just speaks out his mind. “It makes perfect sense. You are not just doing this for yourself, but also to keep the science of botany well renowned.” He falls back and looks up at the ceiling as though he was looking to a cloudless sunny day or a starry night sky. “You know… your story reminds me of another girl who was in the same spot as you. A pampered and sheltered life where she felt like her accomplishments felt so routine. She was closed off from the just about everyone and everything until one day she was taken to another world that was cold and lifeless. She met new people and learned new things. In the end, she took this new world and made such great changes that even impressed the cold hearted man who brought her there to be his bride.” He points a finger up at her. “Yeah… you do make a fantastic Persephone…”

“Would you really want a wife?!” Ivy blurted out without thinking, blushing furiously as she shrank in his lap. “Uh, I mean….er….” She cleared her throat, and shifted again, looking up into his eyes. “I guess I never pegged you as the type. But I’m starting to learn more and more about you. You sir, are full of surprises,” she complimented. “And you know what? I think I sort of understand where you’re coming from with the whole nickname thing. Although I don’t think I can count on myself being as consistently creative as you seem to be,” Dr. Bloom added chuckling. Hopefully glossing over her earlier faux pas. She seemed to be doing that a lot when she was around him. Luckily he was taken it all in stride. When the attention got turned back around to her, she blinked, “I didn’t think you were talking too much,” she reassured, subconsciously leaning into him. “And while I wasn’t trying to leave Earth behind, I was eager to do something that mattered, if that makes sense? As a botanist, breakthroughs are few and far between even amongst the most brilliant scientists. I’ve had my share of achievements but nothing has ever felt….groundbreaking. Plus I come from a pretty pampered lifestyle and I’ve hardly had any real sense of adventure. And I never really get to interact with new people so, well, this felt like a win/win!” She said in a bright cheery voice. “This is my chance to make a difference in the world. Make new discoveries both in botany and in personal terms as well.”

Was she really about to sleep with Captain Draven? By all accounts this could seem hasty and ill advised. But it wasn’t like she didn’t know him in a sense. Unlike probably most of the others on board, she’d read through almost everyone’s files. Namely anyone she’d be cooking for, as it helped to know people’s cultures and backgrounds in order to make dishes they’d love. It was part of what made Mirage such a great cook. There was so much care, respect and attention put into every meal and her personal approach is what separated her from the pack. So yes, she knew of him, at least the details included in his profile and of course the impression he made this morning had been telling. Miranda could readily understand what kind of man he was based off the way he spoke and his mannerisms alone. And then tonight…firstly, there was his appearance. Sure, he was handsome, anyone could see that and she was a sucker for eyes like his. But who was she kidding, her eyes had been glued to his muscular body. And he was here shirtless and the late night in the quiet of the ship felt….intimate. But when he revealed the details about his late wife, she knew she was goner. The sensitivity and the hidden depths of this man had her itching to sink her teeth in him. It was a raw desire, coupled with her own reasons for not being able to sleep. And if she could offer him some comfort was that really wrong? All moral quandary ended with his lips on her neck. Miranda melted into his arms, a soft sigh tumbling from her mouth as she leaned her head, exposing more of her neck for his lips to caress. She hummed contently, her hand sweeping up his back to rake her fingers through the soft hair at his nape. Affectionately she coaxed him away from her throat, seeking to capture his mouth with her own. Tugging on his hair and meeting his gaze with a sexy smirk before leaning forward and planting her lips on his. Both arms circling around his neck as she crushed her soft curves up against the hard planes of his chest. Playfully she nipped at his lips, her tongue teasingly tracing his bottom lip before seeking entry. Not forcefully, but her interest was evident.

The little Luanari's head nodded slowly a couple of times. He had a fair point. Sort of. Sure, things which were fun were easier to do. Humans, who apparently did it a bunch, would find it therefore much easier to rapidly replenish their population if the act was, in fact, exciting to perform. But efficiency meant more could be produced over all, did it not? They could stand to be more efficient! But if it really was very enjoyable then, well, it couldn't really hurt to find out, right? It's not as though it were addicting or anything. Another nod in response to his question. She needed to learn! It was part of her assignment, after all. Learn whatever she could about them. Teach whatever wasn't secret knowledge, or at least as much as she needed to complete her mission. Nothing was really off limits for her collection of Human knowledge. "Evee learn eneetheeng. Eevreetheeng." Not all at once, of course. That certainly wasn't expected of her! But, well, as much as she could at any given time, provided she had the time to do so. It was a special assignment and she wasn't about to fail her people! It was then that, thanks to her horns, she detected a slight change in the man's temperature. More specifically a shift lower. Then there were the little movements he made. Was he growing ill? No. Whatever it was, something was happening. Maybe it was related to sex? Or maybe this was part of what a Human experienced when they became flustered. That was the most likely answer. Then came the offer. He could show her! Which part? Well who could say. A lot had been muddled together. But anything she could learn was good, even if she might need to reciprocate with something just as embarrassing! And, better still, she didn't even need to work up the courage to ask! Xyvee's smile widened and her head nodded, albeit more excitedly this time. Even her tail had started to emerge again, wagging softly behind her at the idea. "Eeve want learn."

Part of him considered countering her argument about just how efficient a practiced mouth can be when it comes to bringing someone to orgasm, but that may be a little much right now. "If it wasn't fun, humans would not have such a high population even with all the wars we endured." He chuckled a little as they continued conversing about... cultural exchange. "You need to learn?" Oh no, even Draven could see the sign that says the point of no return approaching. Wait, was that the sign they blew past a mile ago? Oh no. Subconsciously he found himself shifting his legs together as he weighed the pros and cons of his next suggestion. Should he even offer this next step? It may be a step too far but it was for science so it's not like he'd be hurting anything. His lips pursed a moment in thought and the words escaped before he really thought them through. "I could show you if you want. Short of middle school sexual education videos they show on earth, it may be better to see one in person."

During this time, SRK was busy not doing much as she had already did whatever task she had to do. She still knew that she had to keep an eye on the ship now more than ever since lively beings were roaming about but at least, the ones with attributed roles seemed to know what to do with their own section so all she had to do was really do what her own role was but nothing special really had been happening. Her role's importance would soon be put to light however as a warning had triggered directly to her, making her stop what she was doing, at that moment walking down a hallway. SRK froze for a bit as she her first real emergency alert, besides the crew awakening which was not life threatening for anyone. This issue however could be bad... The first thing she did however was direct that alert to the bridge right away, as she was instructed to do. From there on, however, no protocol stopped her from intervening if she was capable to save a life. Plus, it was more interesting than doing nothing or talking to herself in a mirror. Hurrying to the pods, in case nobody else were available, she analyzed the room and the alert that was still flashing in her brain, until she found the problematic one. It didn't take too long for her to identify the person inside and reports it to the bridge to give more details about the alert. But on a more personal level that was not exactly about protocols, SRK's eyes took a good look at the woman inside. Data aside, her shape was still something she could recognize as she was designed with these features as well. For reasons, it made even SRK blush slightly, visible by the blue-ish taint on her face, opposite to a human's red taint. Still, if nobody came, there was still this issue for her to fix. SRK hoped that the issue was a minor system issue. An engineering issue would force her, at least during the time she was alone on board, to launch a protocol only to be used as last resort and that she had no expertise with. Thankully, now with humans awake, she could report the issue to the most qualified personal. For the time being, she would inspect the pod and the console, hoping to see what exactly the error was and what didn't work. A manual command could force the awakening process to start if the automatic system was not capable of sending the command for reasons. Bearing a serious face focused on her job now, SRK's golden eyes inspected the console carefully and if it was possible for her, she would try and force the process to engage. If it worked, the alert in her head should finally calm down. Otherwise, She would have to report it.

Xyvee smiled, proud of not just herself for explaining things correctly but of her people as a whole! The fact that it was fascinating meant it was probably much different, right? Of course her face remained a healthy bright shade of pink as the entire subject they were on was, well, quite embarrassing to discuss. Still, it was important! And it was one she was maybe secretly a little excited about. Not that she wasn't excited about other things too! It wasn't just sex! Speaking of which, the next question was exactly about that! She raised a finger, much like a teacher might when they needed to catch the attention of a particularly absent minded student, and for a moment she wondered if Humans did the same thing. "Moost? No. Hoetha foor cheeld. Soom foor foon. Mooch foo. Fee? Few? Few." Indeed, very few of their people actually participated in such things for their amusement. They were the strange ones! Xyvee definitely wasn't one of those sorts. Nope! In fact she'd never done anything of the sort before! And sure, she was very curious about how Humans did it, and what it might even be like, but that was a totally different thing and not at all weird! It was for science! To explore! For the entirety of the Luanari species! Golden orbs followed the man's hand from his crotch, head tilting just a slight bit while she processed his next words within her mind. They were, in fact, similar! Except they moved a lot more. In fact they had different positions! Some were even believed to make breeding more likely! Now that alone was worth exploring! If she could bring back a new more efficient position then that could do a lot towards helping the Luanari people! But for whatever reason Humans also just did it to enjoy themselves. Were they a whole race of weirdos?!? For fun? To feel good? What? Her gaze dropped to the floor, to where she imagined the captain would be laying down. It was a weird visual. His head on a Luanari body. It wasn't as if she knew what the rest of him looked like. Her hips wiggled in little circles, body still having been sat up on her knees. Moving really was less efficient. More tiring. She wondered why they might need to do so. "Is foon? Feel good?" she questioned, her voice a soft mumble directed more towards herself. In fact, if she was understanding this correctly, Humans appeared to actually do stuff before they mated! They used hands and even their mouths. It was all very confusing and yet, also, somewhat enticing. Her gaze finally lifted to Draven again as she stood up, hands brushing against her knees before she straightened herself up. "How?" she decided to ask rather pointedly. "Wee? Is uneefeesheent." Anatomy. He didn't know the anatomy of her people and she didn't really know the anatomy of a Human. She shook her head. Of course a thought came to mind. There was a very easy way to learn. But it was far too embarrassing for her to ever suggest, as her face would make crystal clear in the moment. "Ees theeng Evee need learn." And maybe teach!

@Warning Unbeknownst to most of the crew the colony ship while being a marvel of human engineering lacked the efficiency of the Luanari or even the troubleshooting efficiency of SRK. But even still it was able to detect errors in the system... even if they came a bit late. Warning: Awaken Protocol Incomplete. Cryopod 7K61 not responding to awaken protocol. While it wasn't life threatening, it was still a scary prospect for the crew to rely on a computer to wake them up. Otherwise they could be asleep forever. Engineer Maribel was still inside her cryochamber blissfully unaware the system had completely failed to thaw her out. Her long raven hair cascading over her shoulders as she was curled up inside the pod. She looked.... peaceful.

Oh, well that sounds remarkably similar. Okay, it goes inside. They.... wait. Wait? Oh gods, that sounds terrible! Awful! Boring even! Good grief no wonder the Luanari were so advanced compared to humans! That wasn't sex! That was... basic reproduction. Suddenly it dawned on him, Luanri procreation was about efficiency and finishing the task... no... passion, no energy, no desire? It sounded like Luanari had similar sexual organs, but... had only the males experienced orgasms just for the sake of procreation!? Poor Evee, if that was her role in their society he genuinely was tempted to feel sorry for her, even though that may be culturally insensitive. "Oh... uhh, that's fascinating Evee. In Luanari society is it just for... reproduction or do you do it for recreation as well?" He realized that was the only way he could phrase the question without asking directly if females enjoy the experience outside of reproductive duties. God save the Luanari, that just wouldn't be fair. He motions to the crotch of his pants to indicate she was indeed correct in the placement. Honestly the hardest part of this conversation was how damn cute she was. She was an explorer at heart and her desire to learn more and do more with humans was... honestly kinda sexy. Part of him wondered if that made Evee the equivalent of a Luanari pervert, even if it was for the sake of science and relatoons. "For human males and females... it's... similar. But we move a lot more, we even have multiple positions sometimes because it makes breeding more likely, other times just because it feels better for both partners. Because of how good it feels, humans do it for recreation. There is also teasing and foreplay... umm 'before play' usually when we use our hands and mouths to stimulate eachother before having hoetha or sex." After his rather, rough explaination he decided to opt for another question. "I haven't studied Luanari anatomy, did you study ours? Do know if its... similar?" Part of him wanted to ask of she just wanted to see it. Maybe that was the damn child inside him but for the moment they were just having a discussion and that was fine. Right?

When I tell you that I LOVE the Exploring Bridge story so far! @Mysthero and @Chiyako are so great! I didn’t expect to laugh this much plus it’s so sweet too!

He wished to be honest. He didn't know if their species could do those sorts of things together. He believed that it might be good for their bodies however, and that experimenting was also good. Also he seemed to like the name despite the mix-up. Her already flustered mind was taking more time to make the translations, but she was doing well none the less! However she had also been so focused upon them that she didn't even realize that the man was now standing right in front of her! Or, rather, right over her, as Humans tended to do. Xyvee smiled up towards the Human. Toes pointed a bit inward and hands nervously squeezed together. Was she excited about the prospects? Certainly! But this sort of thing especially was difficult for her. Even with her own people she had been abnormally shy. Most Luanari were fine with nudity, fine with discussing this sort of thing. Not her. She couldn't place why, but then that was just one of her little quirks, one which she had grown to mostly accept. But then another thought occurred to her: should she be less embarrassed or more embarrassed to be saying and doing these sorts of things with Humans? They weren't Luanari, after all, but then they were a people. Captain doesn't know how we do it. At least we have that in common! Well, about each other I mean. Her eyes widened and head tilted a bit. Humans had multiple ways of doing it? Wait, a female Human could procreate with another female? And a male with a male?!? There was so much to learn! Bright pink shot up her face again as the captain's finger pressed against her soft chin and lifted her gaze to meet his directly. For whatever reason it made her feel warm all over. Perhaps it was some sort of Human trick. But his suggestion, that they check if they were compatible, was something which warmed her even further still! At least he started with something simple. She glanced around briefly for something to write with, or sketch with. Alas, she did not see anything immediately. Showing him, as embarrassing as it would be, was going to be the easiest way. She could do at least that much, right? "Luanari haev woon way hoetha. Only way." Finally releasing the grip that her hands together, Xyvee first pointed towards the Human, and then towards the floor beneath herself. With face still a bright pink she cast her gaze to the floor, imagining the man laid beneath her. Then she slowly crouched down, settled upon her knees, and sat up. Once her gaze returned to Draven she pointed again, this time specifically at the man's crotch. Her gaze and her finger then dropped, both directed towards her own crotch. "Meel put vir-" A pause as she tried to remember the Human word. "-peenees inseed. We sit. Waet. Foov meenoot." With a nod of affirmation to herself the Luanari lifted her gaze once more towards her captain. "Then done." Indeed, the way Luanari anatomy worked was, in her mind, probably far more efficient than Humans! Not that she knew anything about the way they did it specifically, but for a Luanari they need merely sit the female atop the male, insert the penis into the vagina, and wait for five minutes, sometimes even sooner if they were really efficient! A Luanari's body was built to do all the work without the need to expend any extra energy. It truly was a marvel! But then it also made her very curious as to how a Human did it with another Human, especially given the man's suggestion that they had multiple ways to do it, and that females and males could do it with other females and males! Maybe they have both organs?!? Oh gosh this is exciting! And maybe a little scary.

She was right... whatever else he was feeling, he knew one thing for absolutely certain. He didn't want to be alone tonight. How did he end up here? Billions of miles from home and all the pain it held. Even still, it felt so very close too. For the briefest second as their bodies were so close together... in this moment he felt something other than the pangs of guilt and the nightmares were.... quiet. As she placed her hand on his back, he returned the favor by placing one hand on her hip and pulling her even closer so their hips pressed against one another. He looked into her eyes for a moment before turning towards the oven and turning it off. "They'll keep." He added with a comforting grin as he opted to lean in and press his lips to her neck and wrap both arms around her tightly to finally physcially confirm his desires.

Did... did their resident extra-terrestrial just proposition him for sex? Wait and he wasn't immediately countering with how bad of an idea that was!? Draven stood there for a moment with a... oddly serious look on his face. Like a man who had just sat down at a puzzle, he didn't feel quite ready to solve or attempt. Cultural exchange was the priority of her mission, was sex technically part of that? For crying out loud why did they put the specialist for this on B shift!? Fuck it, the only authority that can court martial his ass was in cryo, and beyond that the nearest court was years of flight away. Who was he to deny Evee and the crew their ambitions and recreation? "To be honest Evee, I don't know if our anatomy is compatible. But truthfully maybe it would be healthy for exploration and experimentation." As he said it he seemed to be convincing himself as much as he walked over and leaned against the console beside her with a reaffirmed tone. "And look, don't worry about the planet name, I think... it's beautiful to call it Friendship! Sincerely." He gave Evee a quiet look from head to toe and maintained a genuine smile even as curiosity around her question continued to grow. Was he really about to have this conversation? "So I'm not entirely sure how it works with Luanari. But humans have a wide range of activities when it comes to..hoetha. For example, hoetha between a male and a female human would be different than say... a female and female or even a male and male." He tried to cheer her up by reaching out and putting his finger beneath her chin to lift her face to make eye contact with her golden orbs. "I suppose the only way to know if that's something you can share with the crew is to check if... you're compatible right? How do Luanari do it?"

This will be an exhausting week for me. Have a huge construction project for work that will last a few days and there is still my visiting family at the hospital. I will still try to respond the best I can.

I too have returned!

That’s great to hear, but remember no hard feelings if things are delayed for a bit. I’m sure everyone understands! 🩷

Semi-back today! So long as work doesn't decide to step on my balls. I tried telling them I wasn't into that but for some odd reason work doesn't respect my kinks and boundaries! >.< Anyways, I'll get some posts out and tomorrow I'm gonna try to announce our first mission! Thank you everyone for your patience.