Log Date: 4/23/97, 4/24/97, 4/25/97 Log Cast: Shenner, Dane Noth, Paul Nighman, Tracen (NPC) Log Intro: Paul and Shenner's search for Grathix's mysterious Mandalorian artifcats has begun -- with a side trip to Corellia, as the ex-Admiral Jeralic Mandragon pilots the shuttle _Darklighter_ to that world, so that Paul can contact his father to acquire some important objects he knows are in storage at the University in Coronet City. Grathix's underling Dane Noth has come along on the trip, and although he has established the beginnings of a respectful friendship with Paul, the Mandalorian warrior so far has managed to rub Shenner the wrong way -- at least until her discovery that the man appreciates her music. Once the little party lands on Corellia, however, Paul wants to get out into the city, and Shenner, half worried about being on this planet and half interested despite herself, goes with him.... ---------- Shenner looks up as Dane Noth strides by, and grins a bit at the man, waiting for Paul to emerge to catch up with her. Dane_Noth heads off towards the City, helmeted head panning about.. Dane_Noth moves south along Cometdust Street. Dane_Noth has left. Paul steps out of the Darklighter and looks about the Space Port curiously, and with a certain touch of nostalgia. He begins to just drift a bit through the port, his eyes catching on the different ships. Every once in awhile, he grins. A few of the techs wandering around pause and wave to Paul, and every now and then one of them yells out, "Nighman, where ya been?" in a mocking tone. Paul waves and smiles to each of them. On her tall companion's tail, Shenner follows Paul out into the port, brow crinkled as she looks about the place. "Corellia, huh?" she mutters under her breath, comparing it with the other three spaceports she's been in thus far in her young life. The girl looks somewhat taken aback to discover that several port workers appear to know Paul, and she peers at them askance from behind his lanky frame. Although it seems that Paul is recognized by many of the native Corellian techs, none of them approach him to catch up. Perhaps this is because they are too busy with work. "Yeah, this is Corellia Shen .... in fact this is where I spent most of my time when I was your age," he reflects. "I was rebuilding the Bolt then." His eyes dart around curiously, as if looking for a particular engineer. "Cleaner port than Mos Eisley, that's for sure," the kid remarks, as she follows her friend. "So where we goin'?" Not spotting the man, Paul shrugs absently to himself and draws one hand absently through his hair. He turns and looks down at Shen and after a moment's thought says, "Hey, I know it's kinda early for lunch, but since we skipped breakfast, what do you say to some food?" Shenner smiles a little, and bobs her head. "Sure, pal.... what's good to eat on his planet of yours, huh?" Paul grins and saunters toward the exit way. Maybe it's your imagination, but Paul seems a little different here - a little more swaggering and bold. He carries himself with a touch of arrogance and his expressions seem a little more sly or snide than usual. In other words, he suddenly seems to have developed something of a smug cocky attitude since stepping off the ship. "Everything on Corellia is good to eat," he notes with a touch of innuendo, "But if we want the best food, we want the Dragon," he boasts lightly. The girl lifts an eyebrow slightly as she watches her friend move; if she notes the subtle changes in his behavior, she does not remark upon them. Two can play at this game, though -- and Shenner is not unpracticed in mimicking Corellian males. She matches her stride to Paul's and says cheerfully, "Lead on, then, flyboy." Paul cocks one eyebrow at the new monicker and chuckles deeply. "Alright Red," he quips as they leave the building into the brilliant Corellian sun. Paul_Nighman moves south along Cometdust Street. Paul_Nighman has left. You move south along the broad street, away from the roar of engines. Nebula Plaza - Coronet City Situated in the center of Coronet City, this large open Plaza forms a wide area for relaxation and travel for the beings who live and work in this City. Planet life is abundant and well kept, surrounding benches and stone tables. Streets, alleys and avenues converge here, and the administrative building of Corellia towers to the south. The clouds are clearing. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Paul_Nighman => Dane_Noth -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ig leads to Cantina - Smuggler's Dig. ouse leads to Courtyard - Corona House. est Starline Ave. leads to Gold Beaches - Coronet City. ast Starline Ave. leads to Treasure Ship Row - Coronet City. eteor Way leads to Homeport Lane - Coronet City. ailspin Ave. leads to Lagoon Park - Coronet City. ometdust St. leads to Coronet Space Port - Coronet City. Paul_Nighman moves east along the Avenue. Paul_Nighman has left. Dane_Noth enters the Smuggler's Dig. Dane_Noth has left. You move east along the Avenue and enter a quiet business row. Treasure Ship Row - Coronet City For all the stalls and small businesses here, the Row seems quiet, as if off-hours. The stores seem open, though you spy a few vacant buildings, but there is little business life here. Nonetheless, the Row is clean and comfortably cluttered, and wares and services are still bought and sold. The clouds are clearing. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Paul_Nighman -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- hop leads to Entrance - Keep It Loaded Blasters. estaurant leads to Entrance - The Red Dragon. est Starline Ave. leads to Nebula Plaza - Coronet City. As they approach the sign for the resturant, The Red Dragon, Paul turns to Shen and says, "Look, they named it after you," in a teasing voice. Dane_Noth makes his way along the Avenue from the west. Dane_Noth has arrived. Dane_Noth steps into Keep It Loaded Blasters. Dane_Noth has left. Shenner's eyes take in everything as she follows you through the city -- the kid seems rather impressed at the general sense of _space_, even on this particular cluttered street. She smirks at her taller companion, though, and demands, "What's a dragon, anyway?" Dane_Noth steps in from the 'Row. Dane_Noth has arrived. Dane_Noth makes his way through the stalls and businesses toward the Plaza. Dane_Noth has left. Paul stares down at her in shock, and the Corellian swagger and attitude slip for a moment. "You don't know what a dragon is?" He blinks and flusters for a moment and then walking over to the sign he points at the picture. "Big reptile beast, breathes fire, vile temper?" he tries. "I'm an ignorant street rat, remember?" Shenner parries back, but she's grinning archly -- evidently the joke is not lost on her. She makes a face at Paul before striding serenely into the restaurant. You walk into the Red Dragon. Entrance - The Red Dragon This room, the entry hall to the Red Dragon restaurant, is a refuge from the commotion of Treasure Ship Row. The walls are a deep russet color, the floor and paneling made of polished oak. A brass chandelier bathes the room in soft glowing light. A massive painting of the establishment's mythical namesake hangs upon one wall. Along the other are velvet covered chairs where guests may wait to be seated at their tables. -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- leads to Back Rooms - The Red Dragon. anquet leads to Banquet Hall - The Red Dragon. eserved leads to Reserved Dining Room - The Red Dragon.

ublic leads to Public Dining Room - The Red Dragon. ut leads to Treasure Ship Row - Coronet City. Paul_Nighman steps out of the Red Dragon. Paul_Nighman has arrived. Paul_Nighman enters the Public Dining Room. Paul_Nighman has left. You enter the Public Dining Room. Public Dining Room - The Red Dragon The Public Dining Room of the Red Dragon never looked better. No longer is the restaurant under construction. The walls are covered with a sparkling crimson wallwrap, the floor covered by maroon carpet. Hanging from the ceiling is a wonderous Chandelier, with golden diamond-shaped gems strung all 'round. The room is dark, except for a a glow eminating from the center of the tables, giving the room a wonderfully romantic setting. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Paul_Nighman -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ut leads to Entrance - The Red Dragon. Shenner glances around as she comes in with you, and blinks a bit at the decor. Paul finds a table, ignoring the ridiculous atmosphere of the place. He finds one that is off to one side in a quiet corner away from all of the bustle of waiters and patrons and sits down, looking to make sure Shenner is still with him. The girl has kept up with you neatly, and she slides into the chair across from you, shifting a trifle where she sits. "This is a place named after a firespitting beast with a foul temper?" she drawls. Paul shrugs with a grin. "Well, I suppose it -might- have been a nice dragon ... maybe she was just a little cranky now and then." He nods appreciatively as the menu arrives and announces broadly, "Everything here is good." Shenner takes her own menu and peers at it, brow furrowing. "I've had nerfsteak," she announces thoughtfully. Paul peers over his menu and waggles an eyebrow. "It's very yummy," he promises. When the menu rises, it hides his falling expression, and he realizes that he cannot put off the inevitable forever. I'll wait till we've ordered, and then tell her, he rationalizes. Then good food will follow bad news. Shenner considers, then says impulsively, "Nerf steak, I guess. What else should I get?" Schooling his features into a grin, Paul drops the menu and peers over at Shenners. He reaches with one hand and points out the strawberry daquiri. "You'd like that," he assures her. "Don't forget to eat your greens," he reminds her, disappearing behind the menu again. The kid hmms, decides on the first listed green leafy thing she sees, and pronounces, "Okay, food." She peers around through the softly lit restaurant; her own features are somewhat softened by this light. Paul peers over the menu again, curious and amused by her proclamation. His own features soften as he watches her struggling with all of the choices. Cute, she's definitely cute, a little voice perks up. He squelches it firmly. He is saved by a waiter coming over and smiling at the two of them. "Hello, what can I get for you two today?" the waiter inquires politely. He is another specimen of Corellian perfection - dark brown hair and grey eyes, very tan and with a slick Corellian grin on his lips. He seems to almost ignore Paul, smiling down in a charming way at Shenner. Paul_Nighman looks at you for a moment. "I want nerf steak," says Shenner forthrightly. "Oh, and this thing..." She taps the menu's listing for the vegetable she'd noted before, then peers at Paul to remind herself. "Oh, and a strawberry daiquiri!" The waiter notes that mentally and then turns to Paul, who replies, "Oh I'll have the lemon pepper version of the same, with a salad and a tall Corellian ale." The waiter nods politely to Paul, gives Shenner a dazzling smile and heads of to place their order in the kitchen. Paul makes a small snort of a noise. Shenner blinks owlishly after the waiter, then snorts herself, and turns back to her companion. "So, well..." Paul turns back to Shenner and plops down his elbows on the table, staring at the wood beneath his arms for a moment before flicking up to catch Shenner's gaze. "Okay, so there are a few things that you need to know about Corellia and what we're going to be doing while we're here ..." he begins. Shenner, ungraciously, sets her elbows on the table. "Okay?" Paul_Nighman says, "First off, keep your wits about you," he cautions. "Corellia ain't no Tatooine, but it ain't no Calamari either." The drinks arrive first along with Paul's salad, and he nods politely at the waiter who yet again flashes Shen a smile as he offers her the drink with a flourish before leaving. Shaking his head despairingly Paul continues. "And another thing ... don't trust a Corellian male as far as you can throw him ... especially the good looking ones."" Shenner flicks the waiter a grin as broad and lopsided as his own, before turning back to Paul and saying with a completely straight face, "Does that include you?" Shenner peers at the daiquiri, takes a sip, then smiles approvingly at the combination of cold fruited ice and warm rum. Paul blinks for a moment and then gives her a smirk and a feigned threat with the back of his hand. "Why I oughtta ..." he starts to say. "You _are_ Corellian," Shenner points out, "and good-lookin'." Her eyes twinkle a little. Or perhaps it's just the soft light in this place. Paul drops the hand with a snort and pronounces, "I'm the exception to the rule," He takes a sip of the ale and sighs appreciatively. The girl chuckles softly, and comments, "You're right, I like this strawberry thing. So... what else do I need to know? You ain't told me nothin' I don't know already, Paul." Swirling the amber liquid in it's glass he stares at it rather than at Shen. "You need to be prepared to meet my father," he notes in a rather chill and detatched tone of voice. "I guess if you wanted to be polite you could say that he is something of a social challenge." Shenner's light teasing expression fades away into one of bafflement. "What're you talkin' about?" Paul raises his gaze to Shenner's for a moment and then lets it drop to his salad, which he picks at, taking an occasional bite between sentences. "My father and I ... don't get along. I left home when I was 17 and I haven't seen him since then. We haven't so much as spoken in ten years. Things are bound to be," and searching for the right word, he diplomatically settles on, "difficult," rather than "hell." He looks back up at Shenner again and then frowns as he considers her carefully and what his jaded memory thinks his father will make of her. The girl simply watches her friend as he speaks, her face reflecting confusion and concern at this darkening of his mood. When he finally stops speaking, she says a little awkwardly, "Okay... go on..." Paul shrugs in a nonchalant gesture that isn't quite convincing. "I just want you to be prepared for the worst ... in fact you might not want to even speak unless spoken to." Shenner's eyebrows draw together. "Why wouldn't I wanna talk?" His expression uncomfortable, Paul sighs a breath of relief as the arrival of their food interupts the conversation for a moment. As soon as the waiter is gone, Paul starts to cut the steak, his eyes on the food. "To talk to Dr. Xavier Nighman is to invite censure," he notes in a brisk voice that covers up the years old anger. "I just think you might find the experience less distasteful if you didn't give him the chance to use you as target practice." "So you're tellin' me... I should just keep my mouth shut?" Shenner asks, troubledly. Shenner glances down at her own food, and starts in on it, slowly. Paul looks up at the girl's unhappy tone and frowns. "I'm just warning you," he corrects her, "what you do is your own choice ... just don't be surprised if he starts carving up pieces of your hide ... to be quite honest, he probably doesn't even realize that he's doing it. It's comes naturally to him," he adds a little bitterly. "So he's just a natural-born bastard, as opposed to one who went to school for it, huh?" Shenner smirks a bit, slicing up bits of nerf steak. She frowns to herself a moment, then glances across the table at you and adds hesitantly, "I'm... sorry you don't get along well with him..." Paul jolts a bit at Shenner's rude pronouncement, but then settles back again. "He was born -and- bred for it," he replies tiredly, although there is a niggling voice of doubt threading through his voice, as if even he cannot completely blame the man for being the way he is. He pauses in cutting up his steak to look at Shen and give her a wan smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Hey, everybody's got something, right?" He salutes Shen with a piece of steak before devouring it. Shenner half-smiles, and mutters, "Can't say I know too much about fathers, Paul." She then moves to gulp down a mouthful of steak. Paul takes another swallow of his ale. "Well, they're just people, they come in all shapes and sizes, moods and temperments. I know that my father is the exception when it comes to fathers, rather than the rule." He shrugs it off and delves back into his steak again. "So, how's your food?" he inquires somewhat lamely. Shenner allows with a grin, "It's good. Just like you said." She peers over at you again, trying to look assuring, though behind that look her mind is clearly fretting. Putting on a convincing front, Paul nods approvingly and attacks the rest of his meal with gusto, finishing it up in record time now that he is no longer talking. He looks around the room a bit and his brow crinkles. "I liked this place better before they re-decorated," he notes with a slight hint of annoyance, as if they had messed with one of his nostalgic hangouts. "Then again," he murmurs thoughtfully to himself, recalling the last person he took to this resturant. "It's.... kinda nice," Shenner says, glancing around. She shrugs, but she's smiling a little, and she doesn't quite look at you. The girl has kept quiet as you've eaten, taking the time for her own food. Once she's done, though, she starts fishing around in her pockets. "So how much do we owe for this...?" "It didn't used to be so ... so .... " but he doesn't finish. "Well, it was just more casual and informal before in the public section." Paul shakes his head as Shen begins to dig in her pockets and reaches over to touch the table in front of her. "Nope, keep your money .... being that you're my assistant, I'm responsible for all of your expenses," he informs her. Shenner blinks, looking up. "Huh? But..." She smiles a little, sheepishly, and protests, "You keep buyin' me stuff..." Paul chuckles and signals the waiter who drops off a check smoothly and sweeps up the empty dishes before dashing away again. "Don't worry about it," he notes lightly. "I'll take it as a tax write off ... and besides," he notes absently, obviously not really paying attention to what he is saying as he checks the math on the bill, "I like buying you stuff." Shenner says softly, "Nobody ever bought me stuff before... yah know?" Paul places some money in the check case and looks up to Shen a little surprised at first, but he then nods understandingly. "Well, sit back and enjoy it then," he says softly, and his eyes look a little misty until he blinks and moves to stand up. "You ready?" The kid grins her assent, getting up. Paul heads for the door and the waiter passes you giving Shenner a practiced smile that must just naturally ooze sexuality without even trying and he says, "Have a nice day, and -please- come again soon." He winks at Shen and picks up the check from the table, pocketing it on his way to another table. Shenner actively gapes a moment at the waiter -- but only when his back is turned. As she follows Paul out, she mutters bemusedly, "This is what I get for dressin' like a girl?" With a laugh Paul opens the door to the outside and comments, "No, this is what you get for -being- a girl ... now if you were really dressed like one, then you'd be in -serious- trouble." Paul_Nighman leaves the Public Dining Room. Paul_Nighman has left. [The two of them leave the restaurant, heading back out onto...] Treasure Ship Row - Coronet City -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- hop leads to Entrance - Keep It Loaded Blasters. estaurant leads to Entrance - The Red Dragon. est Starline Ave. leads to Nebula Plaza - Coronet City. Paul_Nighman Walks in from the 'Row. Paul_Nighman has arrived. Paul breathes in the air that is crisp and fresh, straight from the ocean. He looks to Shen and says to her, "Well it's your call, do you want to look around some or get to work?" "_My_ call? The lowly assistant?" Shenner chuckles. But the smell of the ocean in the air reaches her, and she pauses, sniffing at it, her face turning to seek it out. Catching her reaction to the fresh air he gets an idea. "Hey, wanna go for a swim?" he tempts her. The sun is glorious and hot, and the idea of lounging on a beach for the better part of the day and dealing with his father tonight, and for as short a period of time as possible. Shenner turns back, suddenly grinning. "I dunno _how_ to swim, Paul!" Paul jolts in surprise yet again and turns to look at Shenner. "Come on, you're kidding me," he murmurs. His mind begins to reel at all of the millions of things it seems Shen has never done, never heard of, never tried before. And you're the one showing her the universe, he reminds himself ... are you really surprised that she thinks you're the finest thing since toast? He frowns for a moment. "Jeez Shen, what have you been doing all your life?" he asks in a tone of astonishment. He gestures with his head then, heading down the street. Shenner snorts and falls into step beside you. "Starvin' at the bottom of a volcanic rift, then starvin' in Tatooine, then buskin' on Etti IV, mostly." Paul casts the girl a sideways glance and in as casual a voice as he can manage he asks, "Were you really starving Shen?" He heads down the street, his eyes flickering from store to store, looking for one that used to be here seven years ago. "Well," Shenner admits, "I never got hungry enough that I couldn't function. But I was hungry a lot." She delivers this in a matter-of-fact kind of tone. Paul stops in front of a store and gives Shen another somewhat fretful look before he brightly announces, "Alright, go on in, let's pick you out something to swim in." "You hafta have something special to swim in?" Shenner asks blankly as she follows you into the store. Paul nods at one of the store clerks who approaches him with a roving eye. It seems that the women of his planet are just as bad as the men, as she smiles warmly into Paul's eyes and tosses her head to push back her long blond hair. "Yes, may I help you?" she asks almost coyly. Paul doesn't seem to notice her tone, although he tilts his head in an admiring way and smiles. "I need something for the lady to swim in?" he informs her and tilts his head toward Shenner. The woman purses her lips thoughtfully for a moment and then beams at the girl. "Hold on, and I'll bring you a selection," she replies helpfully, and slips away to pull several suits from the racks. Paul turns back to Shen and answers her question. "Well, it helps ... regular clothes hold water and will drag you down ... as well as add pull when you try to swim." He smiles then. "So, unless you have no choice in the matter, it's always best to swim in something made for the occasion." Shenner stares around at her surroundings, and her eyes go round at the... small articles of clothing before her. She barely notices the exchange between the attendant and Paul, as her gaze roves among brightly-hued snippets of fabric. The blond returns and hands a number of garments to Shenner. "Here miss," he says politely, "I believe that you will find these suits in your size ... now if you want to try them on, you can see which style you like best and then we can pick out a fabric for you." She points helpfully to a changing area across from the front desk. "Uhm, well, okay...." Handed the various small garments, Shenner peers bemusedly at them, then trundles off to the changing nook the attendant's pointed out. The kid yells to Paul as she goes, "You sure about this?" "Yeah," Paul yells back at her with a grin. The woman standing next to him eyes him curiously for a moment and then glances to where the girl has departed to and then dismisses her as companion, not company. She takes a step closer to Paul and lays a hand on his arm, smiling up into his eyes. "Don't I know you?" she asks him innocently, her eyes wide and ingenuous. "I'm supposed to wear _THAT?_" hollers Shenner, aghast; through the curtain across the changing area, two bikini tops and a single bikini bottom come flying. "No way I'm wearing something that little!" The blond woman giggles and at Paul's frown she lays a hand impulsively on his chest. "Don' worry, I gave her some more discreet choices as well ... I wasn't sure if she was a woman or a girl, so I figured I'd let her make that choice for herself." She smiles up at Paul engagingly. "I guess she's just a girl, huh?" Paul starts to frown at that remark, when the woman's eyes widen, "Hey, didn't we go to school together?" Paul blinks, not having heard a line that feeble in some time. Before he can answer, she grins at him and says, "Sure, you were that little kid that skipped all those grades ... I remember you!" She then gives Paul an appraising look that is not at all disappointed. "Well, you have certainly -grown-." Still concealed by the curtain over the dressing area, Shenner makes mostly unintelligible muttering noises... before eventually poking her head out through the curtain. Just her head. And she's frowning in dismay. "You're _sure_ about this?" she asks of Paul. Paul distracted by Shenner, looks away from the blond and takes a step away from her, trying to remove her hands from his person. "Well, if you want to learn how to swim, then yeah, you should get a suit ... just pick whichever one you like the best, okay?" He then looks back to the blond. "Look, I'm just here to do some shopping, alright?" His face is a little flustered between the clerks advances and Shen's questions volleying over the curtain across the room. Shenner eyes the woman trying to fondle her friend; the kid abruptly frowns and emerges from behind the concealing curtain, starting to blush, her gaze annoyed. "Well, this one at least actually's bigger than a rag," she mutters. Shenner(#3773POnACF) To a passing glance, this individual might be summed up as 'young male human', and certainly the walk, stance, and mannerisms seem like those a brash young man would have. But a closer observation might show that while the rust-red hair is boyishly short, there is nevertheless a slight softness to it; that while the lean build and tallish height of about 5'6" might say 'youth', there is nevertheless a slight curve of breast and hip; and, that while the voice is almost tenorishly low, it is still too high to really pass for that of a young man. The face is the clearest signal that this is indeed a young woman, for her features, dominated by large, luminous, and sharply intelligent green eyes, are far too delicate to be male. She is clad in nothing but a swimsuit of a warm golden hue, a body-hugging, one-piece affair cut semi-modestly at her legs and arms and neck, leaving some things to imagination... but not all. It is still more than apparent where the curves of her young body are, and clad this way, the length of her slender legs is accentuated as well. Paul_Nighman looks at you for a moment. Paul glances over at Shen and then back to the clerk only to blink and return his gaze to Shen in surprise. He strolls over to Shen, eyeing her in the suit but making no commentary. "Well, is it comfortable? Do you like the style?" he asks somewhat formally, as if he were the clerk instead of the blond he just abandoned. "Yeah, well, I like it better than those things..." Shenner wrinkles her nose at the bright little bits of suits she's tossed out onto the floor. And she mutters more lowly, "Still kinda feel like I ain't got nothin' on..." "Well, you practically don't," Paul notes casually before realizing that that probably wasn't the best thing to say. To cover for is little faux pas, he turns back to the clerk and asks, "Ah, do you have any other one piece suits that she could try on?" "This one's okay," Shenner begins, sounding as if the idea of further searching through these sorts of garments unnerves her, though she tries to stifle it. "Ain't it?" Paul turns back to Shen and shrugs his shoulders. "If that's the one you like ... do you want it in a different color?" He seems a little distracted, as if he were thinking one thing and saying another. Shenner looks up at her friend, awkwardly. "Um...whaddya think about this color? Paul forces his gaze to sit on the suit for a moment. "It's okay," he notes, going into an objective Corellian style critical mode for a moment. "It's not a fantastic color for you," he notes, "it's a little pale for your coloring ... something in green or a peacock blue would be nice ... or maybe black." Having rendered his opinion, he lets his gaze fall to the racks of suits, as if searching for the right color there. "I like green," Shenner observes, while sliding the clerk a wary glance; the kid almost looks like she's afraid somebody or something is about to attack her scantily-clad form right then and there. Paul turns to the clerk and raises one brow. All professional now, she nods politely with a smile. "Green, no problem," and she reaches through the racks to pull a slightly darker shade of emerald out. "How's this?" Shen glances between Paul and the woman a moment, before allowing, "Lemme see...." She takes the green suit and vanishes into the changing area again.... Paul turns to the blond and says, "And get some kind of matching cover too?" The woman smirks slightly but nods and heads off again. She looks at Paul and smiles archly, asking, "Are you sure?" but her question has nothing to do with the cover and everything to do with the girl. She winks at Paul suggestively before she turns to get the cover, leaving him there fuming and frustrated. Shenner finally re-emerges, this time clad in the green swimsuit, and seeking out Paul again. Her gaze is full of unsurety... and made startlingly greener by the suit. Paul_Nighman looks at you for a moment. Paul stares at her for a long moment and then stepping forward he takes her by the shoulders and just holds her for a second, his eyes intense. He then turns her around so she is facing a mirror. "What do you think?" he rumbles. Shenner stares at her own reflection, and her reflection blushes vividly back at her. "Uhm... yeah, I, uh, like this color better, I guess...." Perhaps she isn't quite sure what this means for her, though. The clerk brings over a matching cover robe and hands it to Paul. He fingers the material for a moment and then opens the robe and moves to slip it on Shen as she stands in front of the mirror. "Here, hold your arms out," he murmurs. Shenner bobs her head and does so, her brow still crinkled as she allows Paul to slip the garment on her. "Well, this'll help," she mutters. The fabric of the robe has a slight sheen to it, to match the suit perfectly, and is a shade lighter. The fabric is some natural fiber, but extremely fine and soft, almost silk like, but much sturdier. It is a loose fitting draping object, almost too pretty for something to be worn on the beach. It has long deep pockets and a sash for securing it at the waist. Paul's hands linger on Shen's shoulders, the fabric being no impediment for the slight heat that they generate. "Well, if you feel uncomfortable," he assures her, "then we can just skip it of course." Shenner looks up again, seeming quite shy now. "Just... feel a little weird, I guess," she mutters very softly, trying to pitch her voice so the clerk can't overhear. "Never owned anything like this before!" Even the silk shirt she'd been busking in had covered rather more of her than the bathing suit... and she'd probably worn something under that shirt, too, for here and now, so scantily clad, Shenner seems quite the slender figure, with barely any substance to her at all. Shenner smiles a little, ruefully. Paul shrugs his shoulders in an attempt at a casual gesture. "Your call," he replies. He then releases her shoulders and glances about. "Well, think about it ... I need to pick up something myself, as I don't think any thing I used to own will still be at the house ... and not like it would have fit any more anyway." He starts to head off to where the men's trunks are kept, and the blond woman follows him with a gracious smile before he stops her with a raised brow and a "Thanks, but I'll find something on my own." She pouts slightly as he continues on his way, then shrugs as if to say, 'oh well, there are other fish in the sea.' Shenner(#3773POnACF) To a passing glance, this individual might be summed up as 'young male human', and certainly the walk, stance, and mannerisms seem like those a brash young man would have. But a closer observation might show that while the rust-red hair is boyishly short, there is nevertheless a slight softness to it; that while the lean build and tallish height of about 5'6" might say 'youth', there is nevertheless a slight curve of breast and hip; and, that while the voice is almost tenorishly low, it is still too high to really pass for that of a young man. The face is the clearest signal that this is indeed a young woman, for her features, dominated by large, luminous, and sharply intelligent green eyes, are far too delicate to be male. She is clad in a light beach robe of a medium shade of emerald green; the robe is made of some natural fiber, extremely fine and as soft as silk, but much sturdier. Loose fitting, and draping, with long deep pockets and a sash to tie it off at the waist, it's a garment that seems almost too pretty for general beach wear. Paul pauses and then volleys back, "Well, first decide if you want it ... and then if you do, do you want to go to the beach now or later? If now, just leave it on, if later, take it off." He then turns around, flipping through several racks of suits, looking for something that will be comfortable as well as somewhat on the modest side. There seems to be an over abundance of tiny little brief styled "suits" which Paul considers, well, briefly, before deciding on something a little more discreet. The girl grins lopsidedly, more comfortable now that she's tied the robe off around her waist. "I do like it," she says readily, though she's blushing a little, and she keeps peering down at her own legs every so often as if she's wondering who they belong to. Shen's right hand fidgets with the fabric of the robe, too. "And I don't see how's we got anything else to do, so beach is fine, I mean, you're in charge." Picking out a forest green pair of trunks, Paul simply holds them up to himself as a test of whether or not they'll fit and then tucks them under his arm and head back to Shen. "Okay, well then I say let's go to the beach and catch some rays while we have the opportunity. "Besides I wouldn't dream of challenging the dragon in his place of work ... better that we catch him at home later tonight," he comments obliquely, refering to, of course, his father. He picks out two towels and some sun block and then tosses the purchases on the desk and nods back to Shenner, to remind the clerk to include those as well when she rings everything up. Shenner considers, then pops into the changing room and remerges with her clothing all curled up in a random ball, tucked under one arm. She's got her boots in the other hand, though, and she's peering down at them bemusedly. "Maybe, uh... don't guess these match, huh Paul?" Peering down at Shen's bare feet he hrmms for a moment and then looking up asks the clerk, "Sandals?" The woman points over to some casual beach sandals in a corner of the store. Paul nods his head to Shenner, "Why don't you go try some on, find a pair that fit?" He then indicates with a nod to the clerk that she can tally everything up, including the additional sandals. Shen nods her head obligingly and wanders off, looking for something resembling appropriate footwear. Somehow, once she winds up with some open-heeled affairs made of very little except thin cork soles and some braided green and gold cloth to secure them at her toes, she feels a little bit more properly clad -- for all that the sandals, like the delicate robe she's wearing, are far more insubstantial than her usual attire. Stuffing Shenner's clothes into one bag, and his purchases in the other, Paul looks down at the redheaded girl and mutters, "Okay, let's hit the beach." He gives the blond clerk a friendly smile, to which she responds with an even friendlier smile. He heads for the door and opens it for Shen. Something about her new garb seems to affect Shenner noticeably... in that she walks rather more warily than usual, now. She still keeps stride with Paul, but she falters every so often as she tries to accustom herself to the sandals flapping under her heels... and to the fact that she's a lot, uh, cooler now. Paul remains fairly close to Shen as they walk, and one hand rests along her back, in something of a possessive gesture. Perhaps it's just for her protection, as no one stops either of you or gives Shenner any suggestive looks. As you reach the beach, it is the roar of the crashing waves that greets you first, then the warm briny air. Finally you reach the sand and Paul stops. He starts to remove his boots, and giving you the towels he says, "Okay, you go ahead and find a spot on the beach ... I'll be there in a bit ... just gonna go change and put our stuff in a lockit." He jerks his head at a small structure that houses showers and changing rooms. Shenner pauses, glances at you askance again... then squares her shoulders and nods cheerfully. "Sure, pal...." She turns and strides, sandal-flappingly, out onto the wide expanse of beach; even from a distance it is apparent that she is marvelling at the sand and the water. Paul watches her for a moment and then disappears into the nearby building. The sand under Shen's feet is very fine and pale, and footing is strange, as it keeps shifting and slipping beneath the girls slight weight. It is also quite hot. Ahead is a glorious stretch of beach that lives up to the name Gold beach, as the sand glows and shimmers under the encouragement of the sun. It is a deep beach as well as long, and at the end, the green-blue waves crash in resounding acclaim, bursting into flashes of white foam. The beach is not too terribly busy at the moment. However, it does seem that nearly everyone who is on the beach wears far less than Shen ... the women tend to prefer bikini's and the men wear hardly anything at all. With all this flesh, who needs imagination ... it's practically spelled out. There are a few people here and there with a little modesty - obviously tourists. The sight of the people alone is enough to make Shenner stare, and blush crimson when she realizes she's doing so. It strikes her first that she's never seen so much uncovered flesh in her entire life... and _then_ it strikes her that she's on Corellia, on a planet brimming with Corellians -- and that at least with many of the folk she can see, the reputation for the people of this world being a strikingly handsome breed is not at all unfounded. More than once she finds her gaze automatically following young men who are chasing one another, or sometimes young women, up and down the sand and in and out of the water. _What _am_ I doing here?!_ As if to punctuate her thoughts, one such Corellian male, not obscenely handsome, but certainly attractive, comes out of the water nearby and runs up the beach before spotting her and slowing down to a slow trot to draw up beside her. He pulls his long blonde hair back from his face and grins at he with some of the whitest teeth Shen has probably ever seen. He is extremely tan and still an obviously young man, maybe 20 at the oldest. "Hey, you're not from around here," he notes cheerfully, and with a certain amount of enthusiasm as he looks around and garners from her solitary condition, that she is also potentially available. Shenner, still standing there bemusedly with the towels, reels back ever so slightly on her heels, taken aback by this stranger's approach. She starts to invoke her habitual... she knows no better word for it than 'screen'... of boy-mimicking before it occurs to her that she is _not_ wearing her usual clothes... and she has the awful suspicion that boyish postures, in the scanty garb she's wearing, would somehow not work. She settles for clinging to the towels, plastering on a noncommittal half-smile, and answering, "No, I ain't." If he picks up on Shenner's discomfort, he doesn't let on. In fact, he grins a little harder. "Well, then let me be the first to welcome you to Corellia," he offers brightly and offers his hand. "My name is Tracen, but my friends just call me Trace." He gives Shen a little wink, his eyes sparkling keenly, bright blue-green like the ocean to their right. "Well, uh, hi and thanks," the girl answers, supposing a handshake is harmless enough, even if this Tracen _is_ rather wet and rather, uh, unclad. Shenner offers her own hand, and along with it, simply, "Shenner." Trace shakes the hand first and then raises it to his lips and drops a gallant kiss on the back of it, drops of salt water dripping from his hair onto her knuckles and wrist. "-Delighted- to make your aquaintance," he replies formally before giving her a mischevious grin and releasing her hand. "Would you care to take a walk down the beach with me? I can show you all the best shells, I promise," he wheedles her playfully. Shenner's eyes go wide at the hand-kissing, and she fairly yelps as the young man straightens up again, "I'm waitin' for somebody...!" _Where the kark is Paul?!_ The young man seems completely unalarmed by her shocked reaction. He grins at her unrepentently. "Well, you can't blame me for trying," he offers cheerfully. He then looks over your shoulder and frowns a little and then smiles even harder now. "Well, your uncle is coming now to defend you, so I guess I better scram, huh?" and with a casual salute and a blown kiss, he jogs a few steps backward before turning around and jogging up along the water's edge. "But he's not--" Shenner starts, realizing what the lad must have meant, and whirling around in distinct relief to seek out Paul. Paul walks the last few yards to join Shen, staring not at her but at the back of the young man jogging cheerfully away, who still turns every once in awhile to wave at Shen. He had spotted them as he had come out, and watched as the youth courted Shenner and kissed her hand. He knew nothing would happen ... the kid was in the mood to tempt, not to cause trouble. Paul had never had that period in his life - young, happy, carefree, and handsome as a summer day. It was foolish to regret what you never had, and to resent those that do, but Paul found himself resenting the young man nonetheless. It was the lad's parting words that struck him once again. He felt old - far older than his 29 years. Looking at Shen and the youth, Paul was reminded of his first impressions regarding Shenner ... that she should find someone of her own age. He carefully schooled his features as Shen whirled to face him and called out lightly, "Hey, I thought I warned you about the good looking ones." "I, ah, told him I was waitin' for somebody," the girl says, apparently quite relieved that it worked. And she adds sheepishly, "Wasn't sure where you wanted to be... I kinda got sidetracked just..." Her shoulders roll in a slight embarrassed shrug. "Lookin' around." Handing her a bottle of lotion Paul merely nods in response. "Well, do you want to sun first or swim first?" he asks laconically. He places his hands on his hips, and perhaps it is then Shen notices that he is only wearing the green swimsuit that he just bought. Paul's arms and torso are darker than his legs, probably due to the sun that he got on Calamari. His trunks are not the tiny swatches of fabric that most of the men seem to wear, but more like a pair of form fitting shorts. He shades his eyes with one hand and points down along the beach. "Let's set up camp over there," he mutters, and then strides forth in that direction. "Does swimmin' wear you out fast? Maybe I better do that first...?" Shen trails off as she follows after her companion... indeed, noticing for the first time that Paul is now rather less clad than he'd been the last time she saw him. In fact, she cannot remember ever seeing him wearing so little, and she finds herself suddenly utterly uninterested in looking anywhere else. His voice is cast back to Shen by the warm, but stiff sea breeze. "Yeah, actually, it can be a little exhausting if you're unused to using those muscles ... and it's been long enough since we've eaten." He stops and reaches out a hand for one of the towels he gave Shen to carry. "So if you want to have your first swimming lesson now, we could do that." Shenner bobs her head, and holds out the towel, though her eyes are trained down on Paul's torso rather than his face. Almost absently she notes the recent scars from the stabbing Paul had gotten on Palanhi, and as if seeking out other such details, the girl's green gaze slowly trails over the rest of Paul, as well. Taking the towel from her grasp, he settles it onto the sand with a snap of the fabric. Paul's torso actually sports quite a few scars. There are the ones from Palahni on his right side, and on his left there is a very large jagged scar on his back and a few on the opposing front. They are at least a few years old now. Shen doesn't say a word about what she sees... but stares, in fascination, regardless, at least as long as Paul's attention is diverted. A few moments pass before she manages to find her voice again, and another moment before she can say with sufficient casualness, "So, uhm... now what?" Paul rises from the towel and grins at the girl. "Now, you get your feet wet," he notes humorously. He heads toward the crashing waves and then peers back to make sure that Shen is still with him. Shenner pauses, nervously shedding the bathrobe and the sandals, before loping cautiously out across the sand after the man who's brought her here. The beach is warm under her bare soles, and that startles her anew, long enough for her to adjust her footing as she catches up with Paul. Shenner breathes, peering around her friend, "It's.... big." Her gaze rivets on the expanse of water before her, _much_ closer than the ocean on Calamari had been. Wading into the warm Corellian ocean, Paul offers a hand back to Shen. "Yeah, it is big, and while you don't want to be afraid of the ocean, you definitely need to respect it," he adds with a hint of warning. "It is a fickle mistress and will buoy you up one minute and suck you down the next." He smiles reassuring though. "But don't worry, I won't let her get you ... and we won't be going out far enough to be concerned about the riptide." The girl wades out with some trepidation, closing her fingers around her companion's offered hand while the wind begins to ruffle her hair. And Shen flashes a surprised smile as an incoming wave sweeps in, foaming around her calves. You say "Okay... uh, what do I do?" Paul continues to lead Shen into the water deeper and deeper, until the water is nearly to her mid-thigh. The waves are crashing just before them, and without Paul's hand holding her, there is a good chance that they would easily bowl the slight girl over with their force. Paul stops walking and nods with his head to the other side of the waves, where swell after swell rolls in to eventually begin to curl and form the breakers. "We need to get out there where the water is calmer to teach you how to swim, so I need you to just trust me now and not panic, okay?" Shen gulps a little, but nods, as steadily as she ever does. "Okay..." Ducking down a little so he is closer to Shen's height, he explains, "The only way to get to the other side of a breaker is to dive through the heart of it - the water is only turbulent at the top, but the center, while moving, is more solid and you can swim through it. So, I want you to get behind me and wrap your arms around my neck and just hang on ... and when I tell you to, take a deep breath and hold it till we surface on the other side, alright? Oh yeah, and try not to jerk back too hard or you'll choke me." _That_ doesn't sound too assuring, if the look on Shenner's face is any indication, But she nods again, slightly less steadily, and moves to stand behind Paul as he's asked her, lifting herself on her toes to reach his neck a little better. "Um, okay..." Paul waits until Shen is set, her arms wrapped around his neck. He reaches up and draws her arms further forward, taking her hands and locking them together right about mid chest on him. "Hold right here, okay?" He then stands and moves foward slightly. "Relax, this isn't hard, just will seem strange. You ready?" "Yeah..." Strange indeed. But Shen hangs on snugly. Paul approaches the wave and waits till it is almost ready to topple before he says, "Take a deep breath now," and as he feels Shenner take the breath, he takes one too and arches his body, leaping forward and straight into the heart of the wave. Shen can feel the wave seemingly crash over them, but instead of being buffeted and knocked back by it's crash, it merely presses it's weight through the column of water as they pass through it, to crash and impact the space where they were just standing. You both burst out on the other side of the wave, and heading toward you is another swell, just beginning to curl slightly at the top. Paul is now chest deep and you can feel him preparing to move again as the wave draws nearer. Shenner shrieks -- but it's a shriek of amazed delight. "It tastes like salt!" she shouts. Paul chuckles, but it is a brief sound. "Yeah, it's salt water, didn't I mention that?" The wave draws closer, and stands a good three feet above your heads now, the head of it tilting forward as if to look down on you before toppling. Paul quickly says, "Okay, another deep breath Shen," and taking one himself, he surges foward one more time to penetrate the arching swell. This one is deeper and longer than the first, and when you break out on the other side of it, Paul lets out a puff of exhaled breath. From here on out, the waves are just large swells that cause the two of you to bob up and down ... and as Paul begins to swim out to sea with a firm breaststroke, the swells decrease in size. Shenner clings breathlessly to Paul's back now, blinking water out of her eyes, and daring to look up again as the last of the big waves is breached. As the shore recedes behind her the kid wonders fleetingly exactly how far out her companion intends to take her -- will she be able to stand up in the water? -- and whether she should try to kick as she can feel his legs doing now, or whether it would just get in his way? Finally she just decides to hang on, taking note of how Paul's speed through the water is making her bob up a little, just slightly. After reaching a fairly peaceful plateau of the ocean Paul stops swimming and starts just treading water. With one hand, he touches the point where Shenner's hands are clasped. "Okay, now don't let go of me, cause I don't know how deep it is here, but the bottom is definitely a few feet down, if not a few lengths," he warns. "I want you to just follow around my shoulders till you're in front of me, and I'll teach you how to tread water first, okay?" "Okay..." Shenner pants, a trifle unsurely. Her movements awkward... and rather more so as she senses a complete and utter lack of anywhere beneath her to put her feet... she squirms slowly around Paul, hanging onto him tightly, till at last she's made it around to face him. Paul smiles at her reassuringly. "Don't worry, you're doing fine. Remember, the worst that can happen is you'll lose your grip and drop below the surface of the water. Just stay calm and don't panic. If you go underwater, just hold your breath till I catch you up again, alright?" He waits to make sure she is aware of just how safe she really is. The girl bobs her head again, striving to look brave and mostly succeeding. She casts a glance to the left and then to the right, still clearly struck by the sheer _space_ around her, the openness of the sun-drenched air. Paul settles her hands to they rest squarely on his shoulders, bobbing a little lower as his hands stop holding him up. He then returns to treading water. "the first thing to keep in mind is that you are a naturally floating object. Half of swimming is a mind set - if you think you are a dense object then you will be one ... and sink. However, if you think of yourself as being buoyant and light, you will be more likely to float comfortably." Her face relaying more than a little dubiousness at all this, Shenner nods hastily; her arms tremble a little as she tries to figure out how to brace herself against Paul. "Think light," she mutters. "Think light...." Amused by her focus, Paul smiles, but as her hands shift on him, bracing against the currents, he finds the touch somewhat distracting now that things are quieter. He takes a deep breath and continues. "Okay, now water is fluid, obviously, but dense enough that you can push against it to hold you up and move you through it. I want you to just start kicking against it with your feet and try to raise yourself up in the water doing that. Keep your hands on my shoulders for balance only ... don't use them to push up ... try to do that with your feet and legs only." "How? Like, with both feet, or back and forth, o-or what?" the girl asks nervously. Shenner suddenly finds herself sinking, and reacts instinctively, then, fumblingly kicking at the blue nothingness below her "You want to move both feet back and forth, forward and back for this particular motion ... you can kinda see mine if you look down. You don't have to kick so much as move them back and forth. You're using the flat angle of your feet to push against the water, so you want to keep your feet pointed slightly downward, so you get a better angle." Paul watches as Shen struggles with the concept. Shenner chews at her lip, goes down a little, then squints into the water, trying to make out Paul's own feet; she starts kicking in earnest, then, rapidly, awkwardly, trying to keep herself up. Paul waits patiently. "Just relax, there's no rush ... we'll just wait until you've got it and it feels comfortable." He watches her eyes and bobbing figure, but the waiting is giving him a lull in his normal teaching mode that he's not used to ... and to have her slight figure moving before him so close, and touching ... he considers dunking under water, but that would be counter productive. Slowly, Shenner seems to get the hang of it, and palpable relief lightens her expression as she finds herself struggling a little less to keep her mouth above the surface of the waves. "I'm gettin' it... I think I'm gettin' it!" Paul nods approvingly. "Okay, keep doing that but now I want you to watch what I am doing with my hands. See how they are splayed out flat and I'm moving them in sort of figure eights by my sides? That is also pushing against the water ... so I'm going to keep you upright by holding your waist and I want you to put your hands in the water and start trying that motion in conjunction with the kicking." _He wants me to put my hands WHERE to do WHAT?!_ Shenner doesn't exactly think that in so many words, but the thought clearly crosses her face as she reluctantly slips her hands off Paul's supporting shoulders. She twitches in the water, instinctively kicking all the faster to try to keep herself afloat, before her hands slide out into the water. "Okay... do 'em together? Uhm..." Paul immediatly stops treading water to support her waist and stop her inevitable drop beneath the surface. He in fact goes under himself for a second before re-emerging, his hands now lightly about Shen's waist. While before his shoulders were easily above water, now he is up to his neck. Looking up at Shen he nods, shaking the wet comma of hair from his eyes. "Yeah, keep kicking and start using your hands against the water as well." Shenner swallows hard as she sees Paul submerge, then looks noticeably relieved again when he pops back up once more. "Okay," she mutters, trying it. After a few moments it occurs to her, perhaps unconsciously, that there is a rhythm to this... and she slides into it, paddle-kick-paddle-kick-paddle. His hands gradually hold her less and less until they are just hover by her sides, in case she should falter, but as Shen catches the cyclic rhythm of ther hands and her feet, she not only manages to keep her head above water, but raises her shoulders as well. Not wanting to startle her he softly murmurs, "Congratulations, you're treading water," and offers her a proud little smile. Shenner's face lights up, marvellingly. "Don't believe I'm doin' this!" Paddle-kick-paddle-kick. She lets out a nervous little laugh. Paul chuckles and releases her completely to bob up in front of her again. "Okay, so this is called 'treading water' and it will keep you afloat for quite awhile, as it doesn't take a lot of energy. If you ever feel uncomfortable, or don't think you can swim any more, stop and tread water for a bit till you feel stronger." He watches her continued success of a moment and then says, "Okay, let's try floating now." Perhaps encouraged by her accomplishment, Shenner nods readily at her teacher, and asks, "Okay... what do I do?" Paul makes a few lazy strokes until he is to one side of Shen and he replies, "Okay, I want to just let yourself fall back into my arms." He then flushes a little, as if realizing the suggestiveness of that statement, and he fumbles to add, "ah, cause I'm gonna catch you and support you until you're floating comfortably ... you want to lay out straight, looking up at the sky and think light ... all of the fat and oxygen in your body is going to want to float, so the surface of the water will hold you." He then stops rambling abruptly. "Okay, I'm ready when you are." Shenner blushes, blinking at Paul's request, and trying to cover it as he rambles out the clarification. "Um... okay...." She doesn't obey him immediately, though, reluctant to stop doing the motions that are keeping her head above water. But she steadies herself with the idea that she _does_ trust this man with her, and after a pulled-in breath, she slumps back towards him. Her faith is not unwarranted, and for a moment, she finds herself caught up against Paul's chest, his arms immediately supporting her. He catches her gaze for a second and imperceptively nods before he extends his arms away from himeself, removing her from the close contact as well. "Now, lie flat and keep your arms and legs on the surface of the water ... don't struggle or try to kick up ... if you feel a limb or your torso dipping low, just take a deep breath and think up and it will rise as you tell it to." His hands support her now at her shoulders and the small of her back. Up. Think UP. Okay, she can do this... Shenner obeys as best she can, her eyes clamping shut as a splash catches her in the face. For a few moments, she looks alarmed as she starts to sink, but the hands buoying her up seem to provide her some mental assurance as well, and she forces herself to relax. Paul hangs low in the water, seeing Shen struggle with the strange concept of floating. He eyes her delicate figure and realizes that she's going to ahve a harder time than most, being so thin. Her body shifts over his hands and she naturally tries to keep her body afloat in sections rather than just being a board. He closes his eyes and takes another deep breath as between the slick suit and the frictionless water, she slips about over his hands. He tries to press more firmly upward, but even then, the small of her back is suddenly an enticing shape to support. "Paul, uhm..." Shen's voice shakes a little as she finds herself not quite grasping _this_ lesson as well as she had the treading of water. Her legs flail about a time or two. "I ain't gettin' this...!" Paul pulls her closer to his chest and softly rumbles, "Relax, and don't try too hard ... imagine that you are a board - straight and flat and perfectly happy to ride on top of the water." As he speaks, he lets his hand trail down to straighten her legs and push them up before returning to her back. "Patience," he murmurs as much to himself as to Shen. The girl splutters again as water splashes across her, then awkwardly, unsurely, starts relaxing again. A board, huh? She can do that. She adds in a muttered self-reminder to keep thinking "UP" and that seems to help her, as she steadies on the bobbing wavelets. "Stiff as a board, light as a feather," Paul murmurs in litany and as the girl relaxes more and more into the idea of it, he again lets her drift away from him, his hands serving more as gentle reminders than actual supports. Shenner eventually risks opening her eyes, and once she does, stares up in wonder at the boundless expanse of the sky far overhead. She doesn't speak; she's barely breathing, as she focusing on keeping herself as relaxed as she can. Paul lets his hands go experimentally, letting the tide carry Shen about gently as he swims silently to keep up with her. "Take full breathes, like you practiced for singing - it will relax you and fill your lungs with oxygen and make you even more buoyant than you already are." He deliberately uses postive and affirming words so as not to drag her down at all, but support her efforts verbally as well as physically. Breathe in, breathe out. Stiff as a board, light as a feather.... Shenner floats, but evidently this exercise is strange enough to her that she can't wrap her mind around it very long. Sensing her friend moving about in the water, she automatically tries to turn her head to look for him... and yelps as she loses her concentration, and starts to go under. Paul swims over easily and catches Shen up against himself as she goes under the surface of the water. He ducks under himself to bring her back up and then holds her readily, waiting until she has recovered from the dunking. Shenner mumbles sheepishly, "Dammit...!" That makes Paul's face break out into a grin, despite the close proximity of their bodies. "Don't worry about it ... I'd be astonished if you got this all the first time ... it's pretty tricky." Although he knows full well that Shen can tread water now, he doesn't suggest that she do so, but continues to hold her against him with one arm, treading water with the other. "So you wanna call it quits for the day, or do some more?" Shenner says immediately, "I'm okay... I mean, I'm not tired or scared or nothin'..." Not TOO scared, at any rate.... Paul nods thoughtfully and thinks for a moment, trying to recall how he had been taught to swim ... but it's been so long, the memories are fuzzy. "Okay, well, let's try a real basic kind of swimming ... it isn't elegant, it will keep you up. What you are going to do is take the two parts of treading water that you already know, but you're going to extend them forward. Your feet are going to keep kicking, and that will propel you forward in the water. Your hands will keep going that pushing motion, but instead of doing it at your sides, you're going to do it in front of yourself, right below your chin. It will be more of an up and down motion, and this is often refered to as the dog paddle." The girl nods tentatively, unsure whether she should let go of Paul or not. "Okay.... uhm... so how do I do...?" Gently disengaging Shen from himself, Paul positions her so she is slightly tilted foward in the water. "Okay, give it a try, and I'll keep my arm underneath your torso so you don't flounder too badly." Shen sets to doing as she's been asked, though it takes her several long moments of clumsy motions with her limbs before she seems to start getting the idea.... and she yelps out in startlement as she actually starts moving forward in the water. Paul swims along side her, as she slowly but steadily begins to make progress against the gently resisting ocean currents. "Not too shabby, Shen, not too shabby." Suddenly giddily, Shenner hollers out, "I'm... swimming, Paul, I'm swimming!" She gets caught in the face again with another splash, but it doesn't seem to deter her, as she paddlepaddlepaddles slowly about. "I'm swimming!" Paul reaches forward in casual strokes, grinning at her obvious delight and enthusiasm. "You are Shen, you're swimming ... ta da!" He chuckles at her obvious delight and then dives under the water to swim beneath the surface for a brief moment, taking a curious look around as he re-wets his hair. Enrapt, Shenner padpadpadpadpaddles without paying much attention to her direction; obviously, the mere idea that she is swimming is more than sufficient to occupy her attention. Every so often she laughs in amazement, only to splutter again when her face is splashed. Paul emerges from underwater with a soft splutter as he shakes the water from his hair. He then swims over to Shen again, matching her pace with a lazy breaststroke. "Now what are you going to do?" he asks her in amusement. "Uhm--" Shen's pace falters a little and she squeals, hastily resuming her clusmy speed, trying to keep herself moving. Do something else? "Uh, what SHOULD I do now?" Shrugging casually, Paul murmurs, "Well, we can just swim around for awhile, or I can show you some other stronger strokes. Which ever you feel like ... or we can head in too." He pauses then and realizes that the current has pulled them quite far out now, the shore looking rather distant. "Ah, but either way, let's head toward the shore some ... the tide is carrying us out," he observes. Shenner blinks, squeals again, and starts trying to turn herself around. "O-okay," she answers, still paddling vigorously. Paul restrains himself and keeps his pace slow so that Shenner won't feel panicked. Fortunately, the tide is not very strong, so they do manage to make some progress against it, albiet slow. The girl does not ask for help, and doggedly -- appropriately enough, perhaps -- makes her way along beside her companion. But the closer she gets to shore the more apparent it becomes that she's starting to tire; her face grows slowly more and more set, and her pace begins to falter. Paul moves closer to Shen and murmurs, "Hey, hop on board, and I'll take you for a ride," he teases her lightly, eyeing the distance to the shore and determining that working against the current with such a basic stroke, the girl won't make it. Shenner purses her lips, looking momentarily as though she's considering claiming that she's just fine, thanks -- but the readiness with which she loops her arms around his neck may well be a sign of how tired the kid's starting to make herself. "All aboard," he announces brightly and then glancing over his shoulder, he quips, "or perhaps I should say, all a broad?" With a snide chuckle at his poor joke, Paul heads for the shore in a determined and powerful breaststroke, their speed nearly doubling. Shen just hangs on, trying to keep her face out of the way of waves trying to race them to the beach. As the draw nearer, Paul grins back at Shen. "Okay lady, hang on cause we're going for a ride!" With an infectious grin, Paul slows down and waits as an extremely large swell starts to grow behind them. You both rise up as it reaches you and Paul becomes a flurry of activity, swimming hard and fast to keep up with the increasing pace of the wave until his body is right at the top of the crest and then he rides the wave out, body surfing along the curl and letting out a delighted whoop. "Look out, rough landing ahead!" he warns as the wave begins to collaspse toward the shore. Astonished, Shenner squeals yet again and grabs tighter, her arms clinging hard to Paul's neck; after a moment, she remembers not to choke him, and she relaxes her hold a trifle... only to let out a breathless shriek as she finds herself riding down the wave with Paul as a living surfboard. The wave comes to a crashing end, and Paul manages somehow to not let either Shen or himself get caught in the frothy crush. Instead, they shoot out of the foam to glide along the receding water and white water until Paul's chest grinds uncomfortably against the sandy bottom and he drops his arms to catch himself before he gets dragged any futher. A hefty surge of churning water slams into the back of both of you, toppling him slightly, but not doing any damage. Paul is laughing hard the entire time. Giggling now, windedly, Shenner yells, "You maniac Corellian!" Paul lays on the sand, letting the surf pound into him now, still laughing. "Ah, that was great!" he crows delightedly. "Wanna do it again?" he asks the redhead at his side mischeviously. His mischief must be infectious, for Shenner's face starts lighting up again despite her tiredeness. "You gotta show me how!" Paul rises up to lean on one elbow, still chuckling. "Well, if you insist. You want to ride one on your own ... I'll warn you now, the ending can be pretty rough ... I used to go home covered with abrasions from the waves dragging me against the bottom." He grins, as if the memory was not an unpleasant one at all, but one that he rather relished. "I can do anything you can do, pal!" Shenner declares impulsively, even as she squeals anew at an incoming splash that hits her squarely over the head, too fast for the arms she flings up to shield herself. Rising up to his knees, Paul offers her a hand. "Uh huh, well we'll just see about that," he chuckles. "You wanna try to breach the waves out on your own, or do you want some help?" Shenner lets her hand be taken, and she challenges, "What, you gettin' tired of teachin' me?" She grins broadly now, though, eyes radiant. Shenner is now thoroughly wet. Her new green swimsuit has darkened further and clings to her slender frame; water glistens all over her, bright under Corell's glow. From the expression she's wearing, she's never enjoyed herself more than in this immediate instant. Paul shakes his head at her, inadvertently spraying her with the flying water. He grins again. "Alright then, like I did before then, and walking over to where the impressive waves are crashing, he leaps in, diving gracefully through the heart of the wave and a moment later emerging on the other side before diving through the next one. His head then bobs up and down on the other side and he waves. "Okay now you try it." Clearly intending to follow through on her own claim, Shenner splashwades after Paul, and dives with rather less grace into the water, gulping in a lungful of air just before she's walloped in the face by the wave. "AIGH!" The wave pummels Shenner backward, tossing her to the ground and rolling her along. Insult follows injury as the next wave tackles her mere moments later, flinging her even farther up the length of the beach. Shenner gasps out in irritated protest, then staggers to her feet again, determined to reach Paul in the water. "You think is gonna stop me?!" she hollers laughingly. Paul rides the crest of a wave in, his arms outspread and a silly grin on his face. The wave, however, has other ideas and begins it's curl early. Paul lets out a whoop of something between delight and distress as he is a little too far forward, and the collapsing curl takes him down and back under the waves in a hefty crash that rolls him several times within the belly of the wave before belching him out onto the shoreline in an explosion of froth and white water. Shenner lets out a whoop and stumble-runs over to her friend, grinning brightly. "Corellian oceans beat up on Corellians too, huh?" she demands, tone all tease and breathless merriment. Paul rolls over with a groan and looks up into Shenner's beaming face. "Ow," he replies succinctly, but his grin refutes any real damage. The girl half-grins down at you.... then blurts, "D'you... wanna siddown yet? I guess I'm a little tired...." Salvaging your Corellian ego, perhaps, or maybe Shen _is_ getting tired; she glances off to where your belongings are still in sight up the beach. Paul nods wearily and reaches up with one hand, as if asking for assistance. "Yeah, that sounds good," he murmurs, shaking his head as if to clear some of the water from his brain. Shenner's hand wraps around Paul's again, providing some slight support for him to use to stand. Paul's weary face explodes into a maniacally fiendish grin, as he grabs Shen's offered hand and drags her down to him, rolling both of them into an oncoming rush of water, which surges against them obligingly. He laughs in delight, as water streams across them as if they weren't even there and then he grins up at Shen. "Gotcha!" Shenner SHRIEKS, tumbling over bonelessly down next to Paul, and swatting at him in mock indignation. "Why, you--" And just for that, she dives at him, to tickle his ever so conveniently unclad sides. The Corellians' muscles twitch in reaction and he lets out an undignified squeal before he captures Shen's hands easily in his own and flips both of them over, holding her captive against the sand and water, transferring both of her wrists to one hand and holding them over her head. "Alright lady, now what are you going to do?" he jibes mischeviously, his eyes bright and excited. Shenner splutters, that's what, as another incoming wave crashes across her. She wriggles like a beached fish, though, trying to tickle Paul with her toes if she can't reach him with her fingers. "I'll show yah what I'm gonna do, lemmego!" Paul traps her legs with one of his and chuckles a little cruelly. "What and let go of my advantage?! Admit it, yer in my clutches now," he cackles. Another wave splashes across Shenner, and she wriggles again, trying to get out of its way. "Lemme up, you! C'mon, Paul.... " Her voice drops a little, embarrassedly. "Paul, I gotta go siddown...!" As they pause, Paul stares down into Shenner's face, and feels the length of her scantily clad figure pressed against his own. At her words, Paul releases her instantly and rolls over. "Sorry," he murmurs goodnaturedly, "I couldn't resist." He stands up quickly then and offers her his hand, this time with a completely open and genuine face. "I'll be good," he promises both her and himself. Shenner mock-pouts at her companion, but does quickly take his hand, and she wobbles a little as she gets up. "Paul, I feel a little funny," she mutters, brow crinkling. Paul's face frowns in concern as he looks her over, touching her somewhat flushed face worriedly. "Can you walk? You might just be a little over tired, or maybe you've gotten too much sun for one day?" He places one hand on her elbow for support, just in case. "Dunno....? I'm okay, I'm okay... just feel a little weird," the girl answers, slightly vaguely. "I wanna siddown...." Without thinking about it twice, Paul sweeps her up in his arms and carries her back to the towels, setting her down like royalty. He crouches down next to her to peer at her face, raising his arm to touch her cheek with the back of his hand, to see just how flushed she is. Shenner does not protest as she's carried, and she sighs in relief as she's settled down onto the towel. Her pale face does look overred, perhaps from exertion, perhaps from the beginnings of a light sunburn, perhaps both. Paul drops her light robe over her shoulders and touches her cheek lightly. "Stay right here, I know just the thing to make you feel better," he says softly, and then he is just as quickly gone, running up the beach toward the changing building. Shen bobs her head silently, and as Paul runs off, lies back on the towel, closing her eyes and noting with some amazement how her limbs seem rather heavier. The sun feels soothing on the wettest parts of her, though she finds it a relief to get her shoulders covered, and unthinkingly, she rolls over onto her side, trying to hide her face from the heat that's starting to make her face prickle a little. Maybe ten minutes go by before Paul returns, his body blocking the sun and he leans over Shen. "Hey, here you go, drink this," he suggests as he extends to her a very tall glass of something slightly pink in color. "Mrmm," Shenner replies drowsily, made languid by lying there in the sunlight; she's practically dry now. Sitting up slowly, she takes the glass and registers first that what it holds is cold; that's enough to get her to start drinking it thirstily. Only then does she blink a little, and seem to rouse. "Whassis?" The drink is very cold and tastes reminiscent of strawberries - lightly sweet and tart and extremely refreshing. As she drinks, Paul opens up a large beach umbrella and positions it over Shen, so the sun no longer shines directly onto her fair skin. He hunkers down in front of her again and picks up the bottle that he had handed to her before they had gone swimming. He shrugs. "I dunno, I told the man that I thought you had a touch of sunstroke and asked him for something refreshing and fortifying ... he gave me that." He then looks up to Shen and says, "Take off the robe, okay?" as he squirts some of the gel like liquid from the bottle onto his hands. "S'good," the girl notes, then she ohs, and sets the drink carefully down to free her own hands for taking off the robe as asked. That done, she immediately picks up the fruit drink again, sipping it steadily. Covering his hands with the goo, Paul moves around behind Shen and touches her shoulders saying, "Now this is going to feel cold at first, but not for long," as he does so. The gel, having absorbed some of the heat from his hands is not shockingly cold, but pleasantly cool as he starts to rub it into the skin across your shoulders and neck. Shenner lifts her head a bit from her drink, blinking. Then she murmurs again, "Mrmm," as her head sinks down once more. Her shoulders have definitely started to turn pink, and there's a hint of it right at the nape of her neck, just under the line of her hair. Paul applies a generous amount of the stuff to anywhere that is pinkening, and then rubs some on the rest of her exposed skin as well. "This will stop the burning, as well as protect the rest of your skin from getting burnt," he explains as his hands gently massage the slippery stuff into Shen's skin. Finishing her back he move over to her arms, doing the one that is not holding the glass first. Shenner observes in mild astonishment, "I didn't know sun could burn you...!" She smiles shyly as Paul attends to her, and she murmurs, "Thanks..." "Doesn't burn me," is his reply, but he offers her an equally shy smile in return and murmurs, "You're welcome." Finishing with the one arm he then moves to the other one. Shenner sits very still, now, as if somehow thinking that she'll disturb Paul's ministrations if she moves. "Well, you're all tan and everything already," she points out. Finishing that arm as well, he sits himself in front of Shen and nods in agreement, "Yeah, well my skin is naturally a little on the dark side, so I don't burn, I just tan ..." he puts some gel on his fingertips, and brushing back her wet hair, he begins to apply it gingerly to her face, starting at her forehead and moving downward to her nose and cheeks and so on. He seems to be paying strict attention to the workings of his fingers, as if trying very hard not to notice what it is that they are working on. Shenner, if possible, sits even _more_ still now. Green eyes wide and earnest, she murmurs, "How come the sun made me feel funny?" Almost the same sort of question a little girl might ask if she wants to know why the sky is blue, though Shenner's voice is deeper than any child's. Touching the tips of her ears with the stuff, Paul finishes with Shen's face, looking as little as possible at her lips as they ask the question. He tries focusing on her eyes, but that isn't much better. He blinks and refocuses on his hands finishing up quickly with her chin before realizing that her collarbones are -quite- pink. He take a breath and adds more gel to his hands before spreading it over the delicate neckline, grateful to have a reason to be looking down, until he actually does so and finds the view even more distressing. "Ah, well you get dehydrated some, and the heat can be another adverse affect ... the intensity of the light causes some strain on your eyes ..." "So I'll hafta look out for that on Mandalore," the girl concludes. "You said it's all hot and everything in the jungle, right....?" Her voice comes out very small, as she tries to look to see what your hands are doing and sit still at the same time. Paul's hands brush over the fronts of Shen's shoulder and along the edge of her collarbones before a brief tremor has him finish up as casually as he can. He hands her the bottle, not trusting himself to do any more or go any lower. "Here, you better finish up," he murmurs, and then clearing his throat he nods at Shen's comments. "Uh yeah, the sun might be a problem, although if you keep your head covered that will help ... and like I said before, drink a lot of water." He sits back a little and then adds, "and don't forget to do your legs too," and he slowly backs off a little more. Shenner watches Paul shyly, before setting down her glass and taking the gel as he's asked. Then, she drops her gaze from him and occupies herself with this strange substance that's supposed to fix her skin for her; she squirts out a dollop into her palm, then gingerly starts smearing it over herself, starting with her feet. Paul moves over and claims his own towel, which is next to hers, but in the sun. He gingerly stretches out on his stomach with a sigh and then folds his arms and lays his head on top of them, his hair stirring lightly in the breeze. He closes his eyes but murmurs, "Make sure you get the rest of your chest too." "Okay..." Shenner murmurs no other reply as she finishes the strange little task. At last, though, seeing Paul lie down, the girl pauses and looks over at him, her breath catching in her throat. "You, uh... don't need none of this stuff?" she asks, gaze on the Corellian's bare back. "Nuh-uh," he murmurs sleepily against his arm and he makes like a lizard and basks in the burning sun. He shifts slightly and opens one lazy eye to look at Shen. "You feeling better?" Shenner seals up the bottle of gel, then slowly lies down on her own towel. "Yeah," she murmurs back. Lying down seems like a good idea; she feels more normal, but her body is still reporting in that her legs are very tired. "Lemme know when you're sick of this place and wanna go, okay?" he mumbles again. He makes a lazy cat-like stretch as the sun begins to work it's way into his muscles and shifts his position, letting one hand trail into the sand, absently running his fingers through the fine grains. "Mm," replies Shenner. The girl is apparently teetering right on the edge of a nap, and her eyes drift closed. [End log.]