Drenched

Author's Note: All characters are of the age of consent for their respective species.

*

"What do you mean he's in danger of flunking? He's already in your class, isn't he?"

Mai took a deep breath, willing herself to keep her voice down on the crowded bus and not make a scene. She leaned back in her seat, her fingers curling around the hem of her satchel. With her other hand she brushed a lock of her blond hair out of her face. The communicator earpiece felt like it weighed a ton all of a sudden. "Miss Vanyassen, like I already explained. Nazda didn't do well enough in my class during the normal term year, so he was placed in my summer make-up session to try to bring him back up to speed."

"I followed that," the female kessa on the other end of the line snapped.

"But now he's in danger of losing his spot in the make-up session as well. He obviously hasn't been paying attention in class, and his assessment grades clearly show that." Mai glared out the window. "If you don't want to take a human's word for it, message Professor Killita. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to tell you the same thing I am."

"Perhaps I will," Vanyassen snapped, killing the connection. Mai huffed and removed the earpiece from around her ear, snapping it back into place on the side of her wrist computer. It bipped once, then folded into place. At least, Mai thought glumly, she didn't feel the need to bring my species into this. So many of the other aliens on the planet had a tendency to. Then again, technically she was the alien on this planet.

The automated bus pinged her seat, signaling that her stop was coming up. Mai got to her feet and gathered her things, throwing her bag over her shoulder. As she did, she caught a glimpse of herself reflected in the bus's window. Was it just the city beyond the glass, or were there a few more gray hairs among the brown?

The bus stopped, and she made her way to the front. Mai took a deep breath as she stepped off the bus, her sandals slapping on the sidewalk. The bus's hoverjets hummed behind her as a few other passengers disembarked. They brushed past her in silence, all of them having some place or another to be. Mai turned and walked down the block from the bus stop, hitching her bag further up her shoulder. Her flat was on the second floor of a small apartment complex, next to a nice orak couple that she'd taken to sharing wine with on Saturday nights.

Din'caela's summers were much different than Earth's. Owing to it's distance from it's twin suns and different atmospheric composition, the maximum temperature only ever hit about thirty degrees Celsius. The planet was mostly covered in water, and cool breezes blew over much of the planet's landmasses. The aquatic kessa were the dominant species on the planet, having colonized it some 500 years prior. As far as she knew, she was the only human in the district where she lived, maybe one of ten in the whole city. This far from Earth, humans were a rarity.

Mai hiked up the steps to her flat, passing by the first door in the hall. There were three apartments on her level, and the only reason she was able to afford the one she lived in was because of her high-paying job as a teacher of human history at a local university -- well, the kessa equivalent of a university. They worked a similar schedule to how humanity did, with classes held over the winter and spring with the summers free, and classes had finished a couple weeks ago. However, she still went to the campus three days out of the week to help with the make-up history courses. It was better than sitting at home bored.

As she went to her door, Mai heard a few coquettish giggles and glanced downward over the railing into the center courtyard. She saw a pair of young kessa sitting by the fountain, heads bent towards one another, speaking in low tones. Their different body structures marked them as a male and a female. The male she recognized -- Synd, a young male who lived with his family down below and had taken her class at the university during the year. Mai had never seen him with a female of his species before, though.

Nor without a shirt on.

His skin was somewhere between coral pink and off-white, lightening in color on his underarms and palms and around his neck, and deepening around his eyes. His eyes were like most kessa's, inky black through and through unless you looked at them at a certain angle, where the light would highlight the colors of their irises. Kessa bodies were similar to humans, with a few differences in bone structure around the chest and upper back. Synd had a fairly top-heavy physique born of a lifetime spent swimming, with a broad chest and strong arms. Between his fingers was thin, translucent webbing, and up the length of his sides his skin turned spongey and ridged. Like most kessa, his head was crowned not with hair but with a tangle of tendrils that hung down over his ears and along the back of his neck, an evolutionary leftover from when kessa never left the water.

As if feeling her gaze upon him, Synd looked up at her. He smiled and waved, and she returned the gesture. The kessa had been a good student, always on time with his work. Didn't speak much during class, though, just seemed content to absorb information. The female kessa looked up at her, then at him, saying something in their native language, too far away for the translator implanted in Mai's ear to pick it up. Synd shook his head at her question, his reply lost to Mai. She tapped the railing and moved onward to her apartment.

A thumbprint scanner was her only lock. Din'caela was a relatively stable planet with little crime. Plus the oraks next door had dealt with a burglar once by the both of them, husband and wife, beating the snot out of the enterprising thief. They'd never had trouble since. She hung her bag on the hook by the door and shrugged her jacket off, laying it over her arm. Since she lived on her own, her apartment was the small one out of the lot, the floorplan containing only a kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom.

Ever since the summer had come she'd found herself feeling the same sense of personal limbo that she had even when she taught in humanity's home system. After her divorce, she hadn't felt the need to pursue a relationship again, focusing only on her teaching. The only problem with that was when classes were out she often had to busy herself with something just to pass the time. She'd taken up unvulb, a kessa variety of yoga to help kill the time.

Plus it kept her looking good at forty-nine, her body slim with just a faint amount of thickness around her waist that all the yoga in the world just couldn't seem to evaporate. Not that she minded too much -- it wasn't as though anyone other than herself had seen her naked in almost a decade.

Mai changed into her workout clothes and queued up the unvulb videos on the wall screen. After limbering up, she hit play, and let her mind wander as her body went through the motions. The only thing she had difficulty with were the handstands -- the kessa had an innate sense of balance far superior to a humans. So she simply did as best she could, using a wall for balance while the kessa on the screen did it in the center of an open space, using one hand.

"Show off," she muttered, a bead of sweat running down -- or rather up -- her nose to disappear into her hair.

Then her doorbell rang.

Mai started. She'd heard that doorbell ring all of three times in the year she'd lived in the apartment. Most of her colleagues contacted her on the communicator, and it wasn't like she had any gentlemen callers. So who could it be?

She eased herself down, trying her best not to fall on her head. The doorbell rang again as she paused the video and hurried to the door, grabbing a towel to wipe herself down as she went. She put her eye up to the peephole. Synd stood outsider her door, rocking back on his heels. He still wasn't wearing a shirt.

Curious, Mai slid her translator over her ear and opened the door. "Synd," she said, panting slightly. "How are you?"

The young kessa beamed at her. "I'm fine, thanks." He nodded at her. "How are you?"

"Good. Did you need something?"

"I wanted to apologize for not greeting you earlier." Synd blinked slowly. "Wrapped up in conversation as I was. You looked a bit... frazzled."

"Aw, thank you," Mai said, smiling back at him. "You didn't need to do that. You were wrapped in talking to your girlfriend."

Synd made a face for a moment, then laughed. "Oh, no, Siira and I aren't... she's a relative from Vis'qua, just here for a few days. She was curious as to who you were, she hasn't met any humans."

Vis'qua was the kessa homeworld, in the next star cluster over from the Din system. "Really?" Mai asked. "Does she visit often?"

"This was her first time off the homeworld, actually. She's making several other stops in this system here." He waved hand. "In any case, like I said, you seemed troubled. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothings..." Mai began automatically, then stopped herself. She was incredibly distracted by the light playing off Synd's muscles, and now that he was close to her she could see that he had four defined abdominal muscles. It had been a long time since she'd been in a situation even remotely close to this. She leaned on her door frame, chewing the inside of her cheek. Synd wasn't her student any more -- technically at least. So there was nothing explicitly wrong with having a personal chat with him.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked.

Synd blinked once, then nodded. Mai stood back and turned, walking back into her living room, suddenly very aware of the fact that she was wearing a sports bra and a pair of short shorts there were tight on her butt. She opened up her fridge and rummaged inside for some water. "Hungry? Thirsty?" she asked.

"Water would be lovely if you could," Synd replied.

Mai retrieved two of the reusable bottles and turned back towards him. Synd was leaning on her counter, his hands folded atop the marble. He accepted the bottle and took a sip. Mai watched his throat bob as he swallowed. "So..." she began.

Synd brushed some errant beads of water away from his thin lips. "You're teaching the summer sessions, yes?"

"Not teaching exactly, more assisting," Mai said. "It just gives me something to do, but lately..." She took a sip of water, choosing her next words. Synd waited, patient as he had been in her class. "It just seems as though every parent wants to take the fact that their child is in these make-up sessions out on me because I'm human."

"What makes you say that?" Synd asked.

"Today makes the third day in a row I've had to argue with Ilii Venyassen about her son's performance," Mai said. "For starters."

Synd made a face. "I'm not fond of her son myself. Kind of a prick."

"I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt but he just does not pay attention," Mai sighed, putting her hands on the counter and leaning on it. "In the past when I taught on Earth and Terra Nova I was often able to work though problem students like him, but nothing I've done works. I've tried being honest with him, making him understand what kind of situation he's in. But it just doesn't seem to sink in."

"And his parents believe that you're doing it simply because you're human?"

"That's the impression I get."

Synd sighed. "You'd think that we'd be past that at this point."

Mai's voice grew quiet. "I mean, it's not like we don't deserve it. What happened to Earth-"

"Wasn't your fault," Synd said gently, reaching out and putting a hand over hers. His skin felt just slightly rough, owing to the tiny scales that made up a kessa's epidermis. It sent tingles up Mai's arm. "It was a giant, horrifying mistake made by those in power. That's what you taught us, right?"

Mai looked out the window, towards the twin suns that were just starting to sink towards the horizon. "Yes. I had a long talk with the university administration before that lesson though, and that was what we agreed on. I don't know if I necessarily believe it, though."

They lapsed into silence. Synd didn't take his hand off hers, nor did the tingling sensation that action produced go away. Mai sipped her water, then gently eased her hand out from under the kessa's. "Oh, why am I telling you all this? I'm sure you have more important things in your life than me."

Synd blinked. "You were my favorite instructor last year, Miss Mai. Plus, I mean..." He smiled at her again. "You live above me. I figured it was the least I could do to make sure you're okay."

Mai hugged her arms to herself, feeling a warmth in her chest. "That's very sweet of you, Synd. But I'll be fine. I'm just stressed right now, is all."

"Tell you what." Synd straightened up. "This summer I'm working at Vaelkina down on the beach, making a little money for this next school year. Why don't you stop by tomorrow? I can probably get you inside for free." He inclined his head to the wall screen, grinning. "We have unvulb, if you want."

Mai's mouth jogged ahead of her brain. "Sure, I'd love that!"

Synd blinked a few times rapidly. "Excellent. I'll see you then!"

"I... of course." Synd nodded at her, smiled, then walked out of her kitchen, leaving his half finished water bottle on the counter. Mai heard her door shut. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. What had she just agreed to? Moreover, why had she? Synd didn't need to be bothered with her.

But he had been thoughtful and considerate of her, something she hadn't experienced in a long time. Not to mention that she couldn't deny there was something alluring about him. Despite his alien physique, those muscles had been very real. Mai leaned against her counter, feeling a slight dampness between her legs that had nothing to do with her workout.

It couldn't hurt, could it?

************

Even on an alien world light-years from Earth, Mai had never felt out of place. She was a teacher, and she often dressed as such. But she would be lying if being on the beach wearing what she did made her feel like a proverbial fish out of water.

The kessa as a race had a genetic makeup that was only slightly mammalian, the rest being akin to amphibious races like frogs. Kessa females generally had small busts, and their culture had never developed a stigma over female anatomy. Technically, Mai could have gone to the beach without her swimsuit top and nobody would've said a thing. However, old habits did, in fact, die hard.

The sand beneath her toes was warm as she hooked her sandals to her shoulder bag. Mai reached up and hooked a thumb into her swimsuit top, pulling the material away from her skin for a moment. She turned slowly, trying to locate Vaelkina (which an extranet search the night before had revealed meant 'place of betterment.') Her floral print sarong swished around her bare feet. A long time ago she'd picked up the garment in Hawaii on Earth. But that was a lifetime ago, before That Day.

The map on her wrist computer showed the building, a low structure made of sandstone situated further down the beach, built into the lee of some rocky cliffs. She strode towards it, seeing a few heads in her peripheral vision turn towards her. She felt her face redden -- it wasn't like she was a complete unknown, she taught at the local college for Earth's sake. Her pace quickened as she neared the building. The last thing she needed was one of the parents that had been giving her trouble approaching her in person.

Vaelkina's doors slid open automatically as Mai walked towards them. The air that rushed out to meet her was almost the same temperature as the beach air, but considerably less moist. The lobby was beautiful, a large, open room with blue tiled floors. In front of her was a reception desk, behind which was an artificial grotto, the rocks smooth and the water clear. Fish and other aquatic life floated lazily in the water.

At the reception desk was a younger female kessa. She looked up as Mai entered. "Welcome," the kessa said, smiling at her. "You must be Mai Laken. Synd said you'd be coming."

Mai rubbed her upper arm. "Yeah, that's... that's me."

The kessa stood. She wore a slimming garment that looked like a one-piece bathing suit with the material going all the way to her knees, the sides made of mesh to allow the kessa's side pores to breathe, while also showing off some skin. It made Mai a little self conscious of her figure.

Mai followed the kessa around the edge of the grotto, sneaking a peek at the bizarre, beautiful fish within the water. She couldn't put names to any of the creatures, but marveled at the colors and the way they moved. Then she realized she was falling behind and put a spring in her step. The kessa led her through another set of sliding doors into a much larger room, the size of several gymnasiums all put together. A massive pool dominated the central space, one side of it lined with lane markers for those looking to exercise, the other open for free swimming. An artificial beach sloped down to the pools, the sand golden brown. A handful of kessa stood on the sand near where the tide lapped, slowly going through unvulb motions. The far wall was made entirely of glass, giving an unobstructed view of the real beach outside, along with the cliffs that the facility was built into. To her right, there were a series of glass doors with signs by them written in kessa script.

The kessa she was following walked towards the part of the pool that was marked off with swimming lanes. After a moment, Mai spotted Synd doing laps. He sped through the water like a shark, his dusty pink skin contrasting with the clear water. As they grew closer, Mai realized that the pool was actually far deeper than she realized. It stood to reason -- the kessa could stay underwater for hours at a time.

They waited patiently for Synd to finish. He slowed down as he drew close, his hand slapping the wall with a wet smack. He blinked water out of his eyes and beamed up at them. "Kilo. Mai."

Kilo looked at her, a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth. "I'll leave you to it. Have a wonderful day, Miss Laken."

"Thank you," Mai said. Kilo bowed slightly, then turned and padded off back to her desk.

Synd hauled himself out of the water. It flowed down his body in rivulets, beading around the waistband of the compression swimsuit he wore. Mai couldn't keep her eyes from flicking downward. Strangely, there was no bulge around Synd's crotch -- though she wasn't exactly well-versed in alien anatomy.

"Ready to go?" Synd asked.

"I... excuse me?" Mai said, realizing he'd said something and she'd ignored it in favor off ogling him.

Synd inclined his head towards one of the doors. "I had something special in mind for you. I'll explain on the way."

"Ah. Right. Okay." Mai crossed her arms behind her back. "Sure. Lead on."

Synd nodded and walked away, and Mai followed him. They walked towards one of the side doors, and Synd fished out a small keycard from inside the waistband of his shorts. He waved it in front of the scanner by the door, and it bipped affirmation and flashed green. The doors opened, and Synd beckoned her to follow.

They went through the door and into a small hallway, just barely wide enough for the two of them to walk abreast. Synd turned to the left and began to walk down the hallway. Every hundred feet or so they passed a door. "I thought you might benefit from a bit of phylakaeu," Synd said, pronouncing it 'fill-ak-oh.'

"Gesundheit," Mai said.

Synd snickered. "I know the translators don't pick it up, it's a very old kessa word, from a mostly dead language. It means 'drenching.'" He waved a hand. "While we're amphibious creatures, we still need to be exposed to water regularly to avoid dehydration. A southern culture on our homeworld turned it into a sort of ritual, and then that got adapted to a relaxation technique somewhere along the line."