Kangding Qingge or Dúlaman

Posted on Fri Jun 16th, 2023 @ 11:24am by Lieutenant Commander BaoJun Qiao & Gunnery Sergeant Roderik Kos

2,399 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Season 1 Interlude II (E5.5)
Location: Risa
Timeline: ID-4 Mid-Afternoon

In the cliffs near the lagoon, BaoJun Qiao was quite happy Rodi had managed to get them away for hiking early in the trip. A very pregnant Jaya Garlake was apparently a very hormonal and easily annoyed one it turned out. Add a Mrazak to that and it sounded more like torture than a relaxing vacation. No, all things considered, hiking in the wilderness with the marine was almost guaranteed to be more enjoyable. Only having a single tent did nothing but seem to augment that likelihood. He'd been mildly concerned at first about having simply taken the heavier backpack when they'd checked in with the facilitator, but it really wasn't that heavy, and the smaller bag left more of the marine for him to visually appreciate. Bao himself had unzipped the top he was wearing after about 30 minutes, having made sure to apply copious sun protection before leaving the villa. He couldn't take it off entirely-chafing was a bitch-but it was somewhat cooler. Speaking of, he stepped off the path and set his bag down, trusting that the marine would do likewise. He drank from the water pack he'd tucked into one of the pouches of his utility trousers and took a moment to look around where they were.

Rodi, for his part, was enjoying the hike. He had long since removed his shirt, hiking only in his shorts and boonie hat. The small silver cross dangling around Rodi's neck would occasionally catch the sun as it bounced against his hairy chest. When he had noticed earlier Bao had grabbed Rodi's pack, the heavier one he was miffed. The other pack felt too light at first, but he supposed the Lagashi wanted to feel like the big strong man. And if Bao wanted to feel big and strong, Rodi wouldn't disabuse him of the notion that the heavy pack was still light for Rodi's usual hiking standard. With a private little smile, Rodi listened to the nature around him. No whine of electronics, no hum of life support, not even a squeak in Vulcan.

The Lagashi looked around. "You know, the map says there's a waterfall and pool just off the trail around here," he said casually. "Is there any hope for tossing the 'preplanned for your benefit' route and setting up camp near there instead and then potentially drowning ourselves? Or at least me potentially drowning myself with my virtually non-existent ability to float or swim."

With a glance back Rodi considered the question. "Yeah, we can switch it up." He answered after a moment. The vegetation wouldn't be considered as dense. Much of it was grass analogs, growing to knee height. Spread through them were bushes of bright green plants Rodi wouldn't be able to identify. To further break up the bright blue skies were tall Cypress-looking tree analogs. Vibrant orange and pink flowering bushes further helped bring it to life. "Come on." Rodi nodded before stepping off the proverbial beaten track down the slope.

Bao smiled. "After you," he said sparing the map another glance before just tossing it back in his pocket. Even if they fucked up and got lost it was Risa, so they really couldn't. He paused for a moment before adjusting his pace to stay behind the marine and let his mind wander. "You know," he said, quirking his head sideways, "it's too quiet out here. Even on Lagash, there are animal noises in the wild areas. Maybe not many since it was winter when I was a child, but they were still there." He didn't particularly expect Rodi to answer him, but the thought had just come to him as he noticed how quiet the marine was as well moving through the...countryside for lack of a better way of calling it.

"I miss the sound of the sea." Rodi said as a form of agreement as he descended the hill carefully. He did notice it was quieter than a lot of areas and worlds he had visited through the years. But silence was something Rodi loved. Most of Rodi's life was spent on ships and stations, or in highly kinetic warzones. On ships, there was always noise. Even in a quiet room, one could still hear the life support system, the beeping of commbadges outside the door, or the whine of a replicator in the next room.

Bao lapsed back into silence as they made their way off the official path. He wouldn't exactly define it as cross-country wilderness, but the height of the grass did hide the terrain which, while not rough, was still wild, and he didn't want to twist an ankle or some such. Regardless, it was probably only 20 or 30 minutes before the sound of running water started to filter through the forest, and another 15 or so more past that before a smallish 10-foot or so waterfall came into view, spilling into a small pool that may have been 7 or 8 feet deep and maybe 10 across before it drained out through a small stream. The Lagashi was pleased to see it did, in fact, look like a good place to stop for the day and pitch an unplanned camp. He dropped the pack by a tree as he looked around.

The sound of water rushing filled Rodi's ears. It wasn't the sea, but it still stirred something inside of him. Then the small pool came in sight, the water crashing into it. A smile spread across Rodi's face as his pack hit the ground without Rodi slowing his pace. Instead, he picked it up as he tossed his hat in his wake. Three more steps made his sunglasses fall off his face. Then the final steps were filled with the sound of an Irish man wading into the clean water and diving in when he got enough depth.

The taller, younger man laughed at the antics of the marine as he collected the dropped items and organized their gear before he considered getting in the water. He watched the man cavort around in the water has slipped his top off, leaving himself bare-chested. He considered his options before he slipped his trousers off and waded in in his pants. He went only a few feet in, letting the water come up to maybe his waist, considering he hadn't been joking when he'd said he couldn't float or swim. "Couldn't even wait to take your shorts off?" he called out.

Halfway across the pond Rodi came back up for air, treading water. He looked at his handsome hiking partner, standing bare-chested. "They'll dry!" Rodi yelled back before diving down under the surface, and with powerful strokes returned to the shore, appearing a few steps away from Bao. The hiking shorts clung to Rodi's legs, revealing more than hinting at the thick muscled thighs. "I'll take them off for you later." Rodi said, flashing a cocky grin.

The Lagashi laughed and exaggeratedly leered at Rodi. "Why, Rodi, it almost sounds as if you have designs upon my virtue," he said. He paused for a moment and then launched himself in a tackle at the marine.

Rodi went down. Bao was bigger, taller, and had momentum. There was no real contest there, nor did Rodi want to hurt him. Was Rodi did do was shift his feet so he went down to his side with Bao instead of under him. As they both breached the water again for air, Rodi grinned and attempted to grab Bao's wrists with his own hands, going for a pin.

Bao chuckled as the marine grabbed his wrists. He let the marine grab him before rotating against the man's thumbs, seeking to grab him in a bear hug and lift the marine up as they came back up from the water. "I'm beginning to think you have a thing for trying to pin me down, too."

"You're bigger and stronger than me. But I hate to lose, so I cheat." Rodi said against Bao's lips before kissing him. As their lips met Rodi's hands went from a pin into a complicated move ending in a lock on Bao's wrists with just some gentle pressure.

The taller man chuckled at the Irishman as he pushed himself against the other to prevent sufficient space to execute the lock from their current positions. "It's not cheating if your opponent doesn't follow the rules either," he said as he leaned his head into Rodi. With just a slight delay he whispered the rather explicit description of exactly what he suggested doing once the marine took his shorts off for him. "Of course, I'll still let you win anyway," he added at the end, looking to see what effect his suggestion had on his partner.

"You really are not above tempting the faith of a good Catholic boy, are you?" Rodi grinned. He then shifted his hands to Bao's sides, giving him a quick tickle to give himself the time to get back on his feet. "Let's set up a tent, I don't want to share that particular view with anyone else."

"Only as you tempt mine," came the reply as the man started to move out of the water, skimpy standard-issued pants clinging to him rather giving away the view anyway. "Tents are good. Voyeurism aside, at least a little cleanliness is good."

"Are you implying I am not clean?" Rodi asked as he pulled the lightweight fabrics for the tent out of his backpack.

Bao chuckled. "I meant the ground, actually," he said. "Getting dirty might be the goal, but digging dirt and pebbles out of places one was not aware of having is less than glamorous."

"You don't want to sleep with your nose in the dirt?" Rodi said with mock surprise. Then his tone flooded with playful sarcasm, "I just love sleeping on a rock, and waking of with my back in a thousand knots." A grin formed on his face as he said so. "Each of our packs has a cot, we can link them together to have a serviceable double bed. I don't sleep on the ground if I don't absolutely have to anymore."

The Lagashi slid next to the Irishman and put an arm around him. "Pity. I was rather looking forward to the literal re-enactment of a certain English language metaphor involving the ground. Oh well, I suppose I shall have to be content with an equally vulgar metaphor involving a mattress. Assuming your stamina is up for it, and it will not throw out your back."

Rodi merely shook his head with a grin, his internal monologue sighing at the ridiculous horniness of sexually repressed men. It made him wonder if that is the reason why his Catholic forebearers had so many children. "We're not doing any carnal acts before we set up camp and have some food prepped. So you go put that tool away and get the camp stove set up."

Bao laughed. "Sir, yes sir," he said moving towards the bags and digging through to find the charcoal stove and real food he had packed to prepare. He supposed it counted somewhat as cheating since he had chosen a bag with a powered cooler section, but some bits of modern technology. "Tonight, we feast on the food of my ancestors. Skewers of flesh and a grudging few plants subjected to carbonization over fire and smothered in spice mix," he added as he also pulled out two bags of beer. "Beer? I have Tsingtao and something called Scraggy Bay."

"I never expected I would've ended up dating a culinary snob," Rodi said as he blindly took one of the offered beers and opened it to take a long pull. He then put it down and pulled the tent out of his pack, putting it on the ground to make sure he had everything. He then drank more beer before looking at the canister. "That's decent beer."

Bao chuckled. "If you think I am a snob, never have dinner with my parents. My mothers would be appalled," he laughed, despite being entirely truthful. Most of his family would be appalled at the idea of sleeping in a tent too. "Also, we're drinking beer out of bags. I think we have long abandoned the realm of the bourgeoisie."

"Your mothers would be appalled by the fact that I'm not the woman they planned for you to marry. Not sure that my judgment on their food choices will expand on that much." Rodi said as he put the first pole up and put the canvas-like material on it. "My parents will be appalled by the lack of potato on the grill."

"You might be surprised," came the reply. "We are a bit scandalous, but I think you could win my mothers and father over were we ever to have the opportunity. Well, actually, I do not think you would have much work to do with dad at all. His only hangup is probably monogamy. As for your parents...I thought the Irish and potato thing was an offensive stereotype?"

"Alas, my dear, monogamy, and Catholicism are more or less a package deal. Now if I were a Mormon, we could've had a more open relationship." Rodi countered, grunting for a moment as poles were snapped together. "And it's only an offensive stereotype if others use it. When we do it it's a remarking upon an endearing quirk."

Bao shrugged. "I have no idea what a Mormon is, but it sounds terrifying," he said as he set the charcoal ablaze. It'd take 15 to 20 minutes to ash over sufficiently to cook anything, so Bao took a swig of his beer as well. "In that case, I will remember. Potatoes made the transition to Lagash well, so it's one of the few truly common vegetables for us."

With the tent up, and the field beds preparing themselves into a comfortable double bed, Rodi looked at the food, then over to Bao, then the bed. "So, what you're saying we have time?" The words were uttered from lips drawn into a wicked grin.

The Lagashi caught the hint and tamped the fire before stepping up to the marine. "Now who has the inappropriate tool out," he joked as he leaned in. So what if he might have to add a bit more charcoal later? If his marine was ready now, then so be it.

RSS Feed