When In Magna Roma...

Posted on Wed Feb 1st, 2023 @ 10:36am by Lieutenant JG Deezell Vox
Edited on on Wed Feb 1st, 2023 @ 10:39am

2,347 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 114 - A Time and Place for Everything
Location: Holodeck, Starbase 400
Timeline: MD2 - 1435 hours

How K'Lara's heart had leaped with joy when Deezell had contacted her at long last, telling her that she had some breathing space - and that she wanted to meet. Just as well she'd had something in mind, something she'd been planning for quite some time - something which she thought was simply perfect for the occasion. She'd texted her back a place and time, now all that was left to do was to make a few arrangements...

On the night of their date K'Lara stood in front of the holodeck, tapping on the control panel with her brow furrowed in concentration. She'd decided against her usual attire, opting instead for something she hadn't won in a while: her old gladiator's armor sans the helmet, consisting of an electric blue chestplate with her muscled arms and shoulders exposed that left a little window into her cleavage, similarly colored gauntlets and gloves that terminated halfway up her arm, pants, boots and twin empty scabbards, one at each hip.

It felt strange, turning back to her old identity of Fulminata, the dagger-wielding gladiator whose agility and speed could only have been bestowed upon her by Jupiter himself, but for Deezell she would endure anything.

Dee arrived outside the holodeck where K'Lara was busy at the control panel. "I seriously need a distraction. So many issues with the updates. Did someone at Starfleet Engineering not check them before they were issued?." She exclaimed. "I feel so tense." She added.

K'Lara laughed and put an arm around her girlfriend, then pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Then I am obligated to make sure that you relax, and relax you shall!" She declared proudly. "I promise you that what I have in mind shall be just what you need to do just that. I hope you packed the bathing suit I mentioned in my message?"

"Of course I have. I might be stressed out from work but I can still follow instructions. " She said. "However, I get the feeling you wouldn't have remotely minded if I had forgotten the bathing suit." She said smirking.

K'Lara scoffed and kissed her once more before replying with mock indignance, "My lovely Trill, the Magna Roman bath houses aren't for skinny dipping, mind! You'll see as soon as we get there. Speaking of Magna Roma..." The hybrid woman's brown eyes gleamed with excitement. "Are you ready to explore my home? I assure you, there'll be plenty of time to stop and gawk at the scenery." She curled an arm around her shapely arse and pulled her close as she prepared to step forward into the holodeck.

"Absolutely. I've done some reading so I can be more familiar with the history and the sights of your home. Lead the way and let the adventure begin. " As they entered the holodeck, Dee was already considering taking K'Lara with her the next time she returned to Trill. After all, she did promise her parents she would make the effort to visit.

No longer was Magna Roma a collection of temples and arches as it'd been before the advent of the Children of the Son; it'd modernized since then, with some more recognizeable modern buildings dotting the landscape that spread out in front of them, for they'd emerged on the summit of a small hill. Rather than do away with the old buildings entirely the old Magna Roman architectural style was present in nearly every building, in the columns, in the carved white marble that made up their walls, in the statues that dotted the city even from their vantage point.

"Welcome to Rome! Well, I suppose our human friends would call it Rome. Capital of Magna Roma and my home." K'Lara announced with her chest puffed out before turning to her girlfriend. "Do you like it?"

"I do" she replied taking in all the sights around her. "There are old parts of Trill but I don't think we have anything with architecture quite like this." she added. "I know we are on the holodeck, but you can almost feel the history around you. Its almost tangible if you know what I mean. Like a presence. Will you show me some of the temples you spoke of?" she asked.

"Of course. Come with me." Leading her by the waist K'Lara took them down the hill, following a simple dirt path that cut across a lovely green meadow that seemed to stretch on for miles, past the entrance of the city and into the surprisingly modern empty streets. Perhaps K'Lara had emptied them for their privacy. "Our first visit shall be to the temple of Minerva just down this road." She explained. "Would you like me to add some citizens? If it would make this simulation somewhat more real to you."

"That would be a good idea. It would give it more realism. " Dee replied. Her attention was then momentarily distracted by the view ahead of them. The view was simply stunning. " This meadow reminds me of my family home. My parents own a fair amount of land around the farm which, from certain views, seems to stretch for miles. In one corner of the land, is a river that crosses from one side to the other. I built a small hut there so I could go and sit by the river and be by myself and my thoughts. " Dee explained.

"Computer, add civilian characters, modern Magna Roman clothing." K'Lara led her on down the street towards a towering Roman temple on the left side of the street. It seemed packed to bursting, somehow - a problem easily fixed of course. 'A hut, you say. You'll have to take me there someday." She said. "It sounds wonderful to stay in. I would love to lay in the grass and fall asleep - please tell me you've tried that at least once?"

"Tried? I'm a seasoned expert at snoozing on a blanket in the tall or short grass. The sound of the breeze in the trees and bird song sends me to sleep with ease. I often get the computer to replicate it in my quarters if I have trouble sleeping." Dee replied.

"You didn't seem to need it when we had our fun that night." K'Lara smirked and lightly caressed her shapely hip before letting go; they'd stepped into the temple entrance.

As they cleared the entrance and entered the courtyard all was calm and quiet - it was a white marble plaza, centrepiece of which was a statue of the goddess Minerva herself. Beautiful yet severe at once, the goddess' likeness was everything a goddess of wisdom should be: serene yet intense. In her left hand she carried her shield with Medusa's likeness upon it, in her right she held a spear, tip pointed to the floor. K'Lara took a knee at the statue's base, motioning for Dee to do the same.

"Minerva, wise and powerful. I am honored to bask in your presence." She said, meeting the empty marble eyes of the goddess with her own. "I bring a guest to your House; her name is Deezell, of the planet Trillius Prime..."

Dee, who was also kneeling before the statue, bowed before Minerva. After a long respectful bow, Dee raised her head to gaze upon the statue. She turned to K'Lara. "I know you said to dress casually but I somehow feel that I would be paying more respect to you and the goddess Minerva if I was to wear something authentic to Magna Roma. Be honest with me if you think its a bad idea but I have seen what other women are wearing and it looks very comfortable." Dee commented.

"No, no. Don't worry about it. There are no such rules when it comes to dressing - for offworlders at least." K'Lara assured her as she stood, bowed one more time and took her hand. "If you'd like to change you can, however. We'll be visiting the bath houses later, just make sure it isn't too hard to put on or take off."

"Oh totally. If I am ever going bathing, I make sure whatever I wear is easy to take off and put back on so I am not messing around too much in the changing rooms. " Dee replied. She bowed again to Minerva, took K'Lara's hand and went with her towards the baths.

"The bath houses aren't that near here, by the way. They're in the city centre, which is about fifteen minutes' walk away." K'Lara explained as they exited the temple courtyard and began walking down the same road as before. "There is a market up ahead if you'd like to try some Magna Roman wine. It's syntheholic of course given this is a holodeck, but rest assured it'll be just as good." She said with a smile as they began to approach a small cluster of wooden market stalls about one hundred metres ahead of them. "We might even find a dress for you."

"Great. Maybe one day you take me to real Magna Roma. Oh and let's make sure the dress is real so it doesn't disappear as we leave the holodeck. * Dee replied smirking. The two reached the market which was bustling with activity.

K'Lara snorted and lightly smacked her shoulder. "What kind of person do you think I am? Of course the dress will be real, and I assure you it will flatter you perfectly and stay on as we leave the holodeck. What is your favourite colour?" She asked as they stopped to browse individual market stalls, specifically one selling a myriad of elegant Roman dresses on a rack.

"Well, I do like things in purple, blue and green." Deezell replied looking through the rack. She pulls out a rather simple but very elegant dress in a pale pastel green. "How about this?" she asked.

K'Lara hummed and studied the dress before shaking her head. "It looks good - but I don't quite think it's you. The Deezell I know can be a little more daring than that." She teased as she browsed the rack and pulled out a long purple dress, more elegant than the last but still rather modest. "Try this one."

"Very nice. " Dee replied. She headed back into a changing room and soon came back out in the dress. She twirled. "Well?" She asked.

K'Lara smirked and gave her a thumbs up. "You're absolutely sure Venus herself didn't make you?" She walked up to her and put her arms around her partner's shapely waist, augmented by the design of the dress. "You look perfect. Good thing we don't actually have to pay for the dress - it's real, even though the merchant isn't." She winked slyly at her girlfriend.

"I don't know if the influence of Venus stretches out to Trill or not. " Dee replied. "It is perfect and it feels great to wear." She adds.

"The goddess of love, Venus. Not the planet, by the way." K'Lara laughed. "I'm saying she made you - and no, you won't convince me otherwise." She declared, kissing Dee on the forehead. "Shall we move on? Or is there another outfit you think you'd like here?"

"No let's move on. " Dee replied. "We can always come back right?" She asked.

"Of course we can! Onward!" K'Lara once more wrapped an arm lightly around her hips as they walked on through the market, moving on now to a somewhat busier part of the market, this one filled with food and beverage stalls. "Oh, this is good. Have a look." She pointed out a stall that seemed to be peddling some kind of root beer. "It'll be non alcoholic of course, but I believe the flavour should still remain! Want some?"

"Oh that looks good. Definitely yes. " She replied. "Looks like they serve it with a lot of ice." she added.

"It's worth it." K'Lara led her over by the hand and ordered two large glasses from the vendor. "It's best served cold, of course, and with a bit of ice cream on top..." The young vendor handed the couple their drinks then: each cup was huge, filled with a liquid that smelled and looked like caramel and with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. "Try it." She handed one to Dee with a smile. "Tell me what you think."

"Is this what is called an Ice cream Float?" Dee asked as she took the cup. The ice cream looked so delicious. She licked the ice cream. "Wow, that's amazing. Quite a strong vanilla flavour. " she commented.

"We Magna Romans simply do ice cream better than anyone else." K'Lara smirked and went straight for the liquid beneath the ice cream, leaving her with a little ice cream moustache. "We can walk and talk - or we could possibly find a bench and sir and talk before moving on. What do you think?'

"I think I bench with a nice view would be good right now" Dee replied, eating her ice cream.

"What kind of view? Nature, or the kind that's standing next to you?" K'Lara joked, prodding her girlfriend in the arm. "Come on, my lovely Roman goddess. I know the perfect place." Taking her gently by the hand she led them through the marketplace, all the way to a nearby park where they found a bench just large enough to accommodate them both. The view before them was a beautiful Roman garden, fountains, statues, thriving flower patches and all, straight out of a painting. Beautiful. "I hope this is to your liking." She said. "It's one of the most beautiful places in this part of the city."

Dee smiled. "Beautiful. Just beautiful. I could stare at this view all day. It's amazing. Reminds me of a garden back home but its not a beautiful as this. Who ever designed this garden knew exactly what they were doing and understood beauty and harmony." she exclaimed.

The two enjoyed each others company in the holodeck before Deezell, once again, had to get back to work..

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