She's a Beaut

[Q. Samus Dage]

Taking hold of her hand, his smile never wavered. He pulled her up with a little bit more force than normal, using the momentum to bring her in close so that he could place a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"I think you might like it. Just a little bit, though."

Leading her to where the small ladder was, he gave a nod, inviting her to go up first.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

T'yeellaa gave a toothy grin over her shoulder as she took the ladder rungs. She climbed up, letting her tuft run up Samus's torso as she took a peek at the surprise. She eased her head through the floor hatch.

"Oh wow."

Whatever misgivings she'd had about the ship below deck, the captain's cabin was another story. The floor was fresh hardwood plank, deeply stained and still smelling of resin and wai'cahh'oi. A low-lying bed overflowed with lavishly-appointed sheets and a cornucopia of over-stuffed pillows. The kaleidoscope of warm colors appeared even warmer with the delicate white curtains hung generously around the starboard and port windows. Everything up here had been set up carefully to replicate one thing.

Home.

She slowly went the rest of the way up, marveling at the detail. The curtains were bolts of sauu'irrahi. The sheets felt like the ridiculous thread count Calanic weave sheets at the family island house at Idantis. The pillows were scented with perfume.

She crawled ahead, and sank into the plush comforter, letting both hands reach out and draw pillows close to and underneath her as she purred.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Perching himself on the top rung, Samus held back. It was a bit more tight quarters for him than it was for her, not to mention he rather found himself enjoying the display. She was happy, that much he could tell.

Finally, the blonde leaned forward, reaching an arm out to grab a hold of the tuft of her tail in a gentle, teasing grasp. He slowly wagged it from side to side.

"Glad to see it meets with your approval," he chuckled.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"jYou've done jyourr homeworrk." She rolled on her side, but not before scooping up four pillows in an embrace, kneading at the material as she stuffed another pillow under her head to prop it up.

"Not that jyou'rre not tassteful jyourrsself, but who wass jyourr co-consspjirratorr on thjiss?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

His smile turned almost secretive, and he shook his head.

"I have my sources, Kitten."

A wink, and he slowly began to lower himself back down the ladder.

"For now, I think I'll keep them a secret."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

She watched him descend again, a smile on her face at his cryptic, teasing words. The purr remained in her throat, and her tail beat a pitter-patter on the duvet - a sign she definitely wanted him to stay.

"When do we take ourr ljittle trrjip?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

He stopped when only his head was above the threshold, his grin ever-present. He knew the signals she was sending, but he wasn't finished with the tour. There was still at least one more thing he wanted to show her.

"Whenever you get your leave approved, I'd say."

And then even his head bobbed down, out of sight.

"There's still one more thing left I want to show you," his voice could be heard from below.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

With great reluctance, T'yeellaa pulled herself free from the downy, perfumed pillows, and followed Gai'tou back below deck. Suddenly, the sketchy decor of the rest of the ship mattered a bit less than before. She pressed close to him, winding her arms around his middle as she waited on the next part of the surprise.

[Q. Samus Dage]

With her arms around him, he managed to guide them further back. A closed door was all that lay between them and his last little bit of surprise, and with one arm draped over her shoulder, his other reached out to push the inset keypad.

The door slid to the side, offering a view of a fresher that looked fit for the most discerning of fresher aficionados.

Eggshell-white tile on the floor in a mosaic pattern, with smaller tiles colored in gold, orange, and red. A marble-topped vanity with a glass bowl set atop sat to one side, with a mirror framed in rustic, aged wood. White towels hung on rods along the opposite wall, but it was the large corner tub that took up the most space, set into a tiled bed that also provided a comfortable ledge to perch on.

"I made sure to get a dual purpose tub," he couldn't help himself, "So that you can take real water baths if you don't feel like the sonics."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

"Oh wow."

T'yeellaa's mouth gaped, and she squeezed around Samus to slip into the real proper actual bathroom. Touches of home indeed. She drifted her fingertips along marble and tile alike, feeling their cool smoothness. Turning, she faced Samus with an expression that was nearly overwhelmed.

"Ssamuss, jI...jI don't even know what to ssajy."

[Q. Samus Dage]

He beamed wide at that, his chest puffing out like some proud, blue-tipped cloudthrush.

No words would really be adequate in this moment, and so he simply stood in silence as she inspected every inch of the fresher.

Her look to him only seemed to make him happier, and the rangy blonde stepped forward to pull her into an embrace.

"You like it, then?"

His head bent down to rest forehead upon forehead, and a hand came up to tease at her earlobe.

He delivered a kiss to the tip of her nose.

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

She was still learning to juxtapose between the expectactations of a Meorrrei and the gifts from the heart Samus brought. It was true that this wasn't particularly spendid or luxurious even on a conservative level. Still, it was the time and effort he'd gone through to do this. It was a true labor of love.

She reciprocated his kiss with a fulsome one, not wanting to break the moment. Her tail wrapped around his back, keeping him close even as her lips reluctantly separated from his.

"Sso when do we take jyourr new sshjip out forr hjiss fjirrsst vojyage?" T'yeellaa's voice was thick with a contented purr as she played with her gai'tou's hair.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Her hands in his hair, fingers weaving through blonde locks was like the most wondrous of soothing ministrations, and he nearly melted into her. She was his everything in this moment. That purr of hers was calming, and sent him into a state of complete serenity.

"Hm? When?"

He could've stood all day, feeling her pressed against him, and with arms circling around her, Samus angled his head down to nuzzle her ear briefly before traveling to her neck.

"Mmmmm whenever you'd like, Kitten... "

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Two sharp knocks sounded from the hatch before it opened. Gradoona jutted her head inside.

"Sooo, didja tell her abouut me taaggin' alaang?"