To Boldly Go... (IC)

[Electra]

Stesha tipped her head back and lifted her arms as he lifted her, enjoying the odd and buoyant sensation of flying. "This is great!" she chortled, stretching out her arms like the iconic pictures of the Centurion. "I think if I could fly, I wouldn't have a secret identity, because I would never walk anywhere!" The simple act of flight amused her all the way to the bluffs, where she spread out the blanket again and waited for him to solidify up again and join her. "It's amazing how much faster you've gotten at that lately," she told him as she sifted little crystals out of a handful of sand. It's very handy. Your powers are awesome, but it's much more fun to cuddle when I don't fall through you."

[Cyroa]

He smiled. "I seldom walk ever. Actually I seldom leave that form. I love flying, especially through space. It's so much easier and more free than being solid." He smiled. "I've been practicing quite a bit of late I will admit. I actually had an incentive after all." He sat down beside her and scooted closer. He smiled happily. "It might come as a shock to you, but people wishing to cuddle with me as Dark Star hasn't really come up. But this is probably the best reason to solid; being close like this. As much as I love being Dark Star and abilities I have, this is worth being a regular human for." He looked around at the picturesque alien world they were on. "Well, mostly human anyway."

[Electra]

"I think at this point we may both have to content ourselves with "close enough," Stesha told him with a laugh, putting her head on his shoulder. "Good enough for me, even if I'll never be a scuba diver or get short blonde hair again. The benefits more than make up for it. I've seen things I never even would've imagined, some bad, some really wonderful. I'm only just starting to absorb the fact that I'm hundreds of millions of miles from Earth, about to watch two suns rise whose light won't be seen there till long after my children's children's children are dust. You'd think it would be scary, but it's not. Maybe because I'm not alone out here."

[Cyroa]

He chuckled and nodding his head in agreement. "Actually, we're significantly farther than millions. Trillions too," he said with a smile. "Yeah, I've seen and done things I would have never dreamed possible. I would not wish to give that up. But I take your point. It is definitely better seeing all of this with someone else. Sharing things somehow makes things seem more real perhaps. I'll have to show you some other wondrous places out here at some point if you're curious." He paused, thinking about something she said before pushing forward. "Is that something you want? Children, I mean?"

[Electra]

"Oh yeah," she said with a nod, watching the sliver of pink and blue gathering on the watery horizon. "Not right away, not when I'm just getting started out and doing hero work, all that, but I want what I grew up with, kids and a nice house and a big garden in the backyard. Maybe not so many kids, cause I have no idea how my mom managed with six, but a few." She smiled at Derrick. "Roots, you know? Family is the best kind, when they're not driving you up the wall. What about you?"

[Cyroa]

Derrick nodded as he leaned against her, waiting for the suns to rise; enjoying her touch and presence. "Someday, yes. I'm not quite certain how that would work out of course. Time and safety and all that. But I would like to have a family someday. It was just my brother and I with my parents. No real cousins or other relatives really. Despite the occasional brotherly scuffle, which was pretty rare actually, it was nice. Having a close family meant a lot to me. I'm not sure how, but I would like to have a family someday."

[Electra]

"You have the whole universe open to you, I'm sure you'll find the right place and time," Stesha told him with simple confidence. "I think heroes should have families if they want them, just like they should have vacations. It's a healthier way to live, especially if you have a very stressful job. You would have to take steps to protect them, be very careful about your secret identity, and maybe have someone build protection into your house in case something bad did come along, but it could be done. If the President can have a family, and members of the Freedom League can have families, and soldiers and policemen can have families, people like us can, too. It just takes a little extra work." She opened her palm, watching the crystals she'd gathered sparkle in the pink and golden light peeking over the horizon. "But I'm sure it's worth it."

[Cyroa]

He nodded. "That a big concern. Being there and protecting them." He gave a wry smile. "I suppose I'll have to get the house first before I can put protections on it. A tiny apartment where I seldom stay is not going to cut it. Ah well, I've got time to work on that I suppose. But I agree. Anything is possible. We must simply put the effort and work in."

He leaned against her for a moment, quietly watching as the twin suns broken over the horizon seperately. The extended and significantly larger sunrise was slightly longer than back home but also likely a lot more breathtaking. He happily sat there with her, enjoying the presence of her in such close proximity.

[Electra]

Stesha's hair changed from pale to darker green as the suns rose, and she seemed to get a spurt of energy to go with it. She used the energy constructively, as soon as the most beautiful part of the sunrise had faded, to start kissing him again. The novelty of that had yet to wear off, despite yesterday's activities, and certainly bore repeating as often as possible. She figured that if she kept it up, he would get used to it and not be so flustered, no matter how cute that was sometimes. "Want to go get breakfast?" she suggested, "or just go back to camp?"

[Cyroa]

He would have admitted, if asked, that he completely missed the sunrise. He'd seen plenty and, while spectacular, it was still just a sunrise. He was more interested in watching Stesha. The fact that he had a girlfriend was still novel and wonderful. He'd really only known her for a month. Heck, this was really only their fourth date. The fact that he was coming to care for her so strongly and so quickly wasn't lost on him however. He could have given any number of possible reasons for it. But it really didn't matter. He was just happy and accepted that. He enjoyed begin with her and saw no reason to dwell on the why.

Of course when she kissed him, that was even better. He was more than willing to reciprocate, wrapping his arm around her and leaning in to her. They paused and, as usual, he had a smile on his face because of her. Of course, the question was enough to keep his face a little red. He would have loved to return to the camp for a little more physical exercise and exploration. But between that being a little rude/forward to say and his inability to actually say that, it wasn't likely to happen. "Um, uh, err, well... I suppose breakfast. Because it is morning. Which is when we have breakfast. In the morning. At the camp." He was doing his level best to not return to dwelling on the fact and memory of them exploring one another yesterday. At camp. Where there was breakfast. Obviosuly, it wasn't working that well.

[Electra]

She pressed her forehead to his, their noses nearly brushing as she grinned at him. "I'm not actually very hungry," she admitted. "But let's go back anyway. We'll find something to do. Though at some point, we need to walk back down the beach and find our clothes." Holding onto the blanket with one hand, she touched her fingers to his necklace of flowers and sent them both back to the camp in the blink of an eye. Sitting back on her heels, Stesha waited expectantly to see what he would do, and whether he would seize the initiative for once.

[Cyroa]

Derrick swallowed drying as she sat back. Twice, since it didn't seems to help any. He was so bad at this stuff. There really should be a manual or something. Actually, there probably was but he'd be too nervous or embarrassed to go out and actually buy it or take it out of the library. Yeah, like that would be in the library. Books with 'how to' tips for talking with pretty and naked girls with who you've just...ya know and with you you want to...ya know again, and for talking about...ya know. There were certainly no books like that in libraries he'd been to! ('Cause he'd checked.) But maybe he wouldn't have such problems talking about...ya know if that was the case. Well probably, but it was a helpful thought (sort of).

............................. Yup, Stesha was still mostly naked. Which good and bad. Bad because he found it hard to talk when she was looking like that. And good because she was looking like that...

FOCUS!

He gave himself a good mental shake and stood up. He reached down and helped her to her feet, bringing them close together. Sliding his arms around her, he gave a little smile. "Um...clothes... why do I... uh... um... care about that when you're... um... here?" Indeed, holding her close up against him like this made him seriously ponder the worth of clothing at all.

[Electra]

She looped her arms around his neck, her eyes crinkling as she chuckled. "That's a good point," she allowed, even as her heartbeat sped up and her cheeks flushed a little. "They can wait, for later..." Leaving one hand behind his neck, she trailed the other down his chest to the point where hers pressed up against it, then back up. "What do you want to do instead?"

[Cyroa]

Derrick slid his hands down her back and over her buttocks. He bent just a little before sliding his hands and lifting her up. He wasn't the strongest fellow in the world. Decidedly average really. But the strength of his...um...uh... belief (hah!) was definitely enough to carry him through this. But she deserved an answer; it was polite after all. He started walking towards their tent.

"What ...I... err... uh..." light kiss "um... a... " He kissed he neck. "want to... uh.. " Another kiss on her neck. These were great pauses so he could try and figure out what English was again. "do? yeah... um... a... " Another kiss on her neck as the reached their mattress. This time his voice was a little more sold and certain. Not entirely of course, this was Derrick after all. But the one word, was the focus of his, well, everything really. "You."

Of course, they most certainly missed breakfast after that. By quite a bit.

[Electra]

Quite a while later, long after sunrise, certainly, and after another shower, they eventually got on with the business of the day. Breakfast consisted mainly of carrot cake, eaten with cold pop and without utensils while once again sitting out on the beach. It was a very good cake, even if part of it got just a little sandy when Stesha tried to feed some to Derrick and they wound up in an entertaining little scuffle on the blanket. Hunger satiated, they tried out the snorkeling gear at last, paddling clumsily around in the shallow blue water and looking at the odd lifeforms growing in the warm freshwater ocean. And if they spent as much time checking each other out as the bottom of the sea, well, no one else had to know.

Stesha called it quits after nearly getting bitten by a seashell she tried to pick up and inhaling a half-pint of water through her snorkel from the surprise. Still coughing a little, she waded out of the water and stretched out on a towel on the beach to bake in the sun awhile.

[Cyroa]

Derrick plopped down on the blanked beside her, still wet. "Are you alright? Trying to drink the entire ocean is probably not a good idea," he said with a tired grin. It might be a joke, but it didn't negate his concern. He lay down besides her, letting the sun dry him off and took a few minutes to rest and catch his breath. He was a very healthy individual but between the snorkling and the ... other stuff, he hadn't done this much physical exercise in decades.

"I said there was no dangerous or hostile life here, not that there wasn't any life." He pointed back towards the trees. "There's a kind of ambulatory puffball that lives deeper in the island. It's just a ball of fur with a couple tiny little legs. They eat bugs and the like I think. It mainly moves by rolling. Funny little things. Not dangerous but it actually has this huge mouth; no teeth. Probably could scare the heck out of something when it starts barking though."

[Electra]

"I'm okay," she assured him, her voice still a little hoarse from the coughing. "It just surprised me. I only ever find seashells that big in museums or gift shops, I didn't stop to think someone might still be using that one. I feel rather grateful I'm not sitting here hoping that laying in the sun will help me regrow a fingertip or something really unpleasant." She yawned and stretched, putting her head on his shoulder as the sun dried them both. Her skin was already starting to turn a nice tan color, with just a bit of olive mixed into it. She laughed at his description of the indigenous life forms. "Sounds like a cross between a Tribble and Pac-man," she told him. "I hope we get a chance to see one before we have to go."

[Cyroa]

"Mmhmm. Well, if it wouldn't, I could fix it up in a jiffy easily enough. Wouldn't want a little injuring to mar the day." He wasn't particularly concerned about tanning. In fact, he was pretty certain he'd have a sun burn. If he didn't soon, it wouldn't be long in the light of the twin suns. But a quick shift to Dark Star always cleared that up. "I don't see why not. There were several packs of the things last time I checked, rolling around. Probably the biggest mammal on the planet, least as far as I could tell. Cute though."

[Electra]

She laughed at the mental picture. "No legs, either, huh? Too bad! Give 'em another few million years, they'll pick up thumbs, then watch out. They've got an awfully nice world to come up on. And no dinosaurs." They rested in the sun for a little while longer, then took a quick dip to cool off, which resulted in another quick teleport back to camp, and a very late dinner.

When the stars were coming out, Stesha dug her battery-powered stereo out of her duffel bag and set it up to play a set of slow music, nice for dancing. She was just wearing her swimsuit coverup, a long, flowy, gauzy thing that was really supposed to have a swimsuit under it, but it was as close to a dress as she was coming on this trip. "We should dance," she told him, turning a circle in the clear space outside the cabana. "It's a perfect night."

[Cyroa]

He chuckled. "They have two little paws. Not sure why. But cute."

It was a rather energetic and wondrous day. It was pretty much the perfect day as far as he was concerned. "Well, I'm really not a good dancer. Really. But, for you, I'm willing. And it is a perfect evening for it." He stepped up to her in his shorts and short-sleeved button-up shirt. Pretty much the closest he could come to nice clothes. He stepped up to her, lightly wrapping one arm around her and taking her hand in his other. He fervently focused on not tripping.

[Electra]

"Who's gonna see?" she asked with a laugh. "The little fuzzballs? They'll be too busy envying that you have legs at all." Stesha didn't have any great dance moves either, but none really seemed to be needed. She put her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music, the fuzzy sounds of the speaker blending in with the noises of nighttime birds and insects and the sound of the sea. "I wish we didn't have to go back tomorrow," she murmured wistfully, after a little while. "Everything's been so perfect."

[Cyroa]

He chuckled softly. "As usual, a good point." He tilted his head slightly, letting him brush his face lightly with her hair. She always smelled amazing to him and he knew for a fact that it was just her. There wasn't any perfume around for a thousand plus light years after all.

"Mmm hmm," he said softly as they slowly danced on the beech under stars made clear by the complete lack of light pollution. He couldn't believe how fast the time here had seemed to go by. Two days had passed already yet it certainly didn't seem like it. Oh, he knew exactly what had happened during this time and wouldn't ever forget. But she was right. "Me either. Just seemed to fly by. This was quite literally perfect. There's nothing I would change. Except make it last longer. Perhaps, if you're willing, we can do this again. Or go someplace else. Or whatever you'd like really. As long as I'm sharing it with you, I'm willing."

[Electra]

"I'd like that very much," she told him, closing her eyes and moving along with his body and the music. "I've really enjoyed everything we've done together, and I would like to do more. Here, or back on Earth, or anywhere." With her eyes closed and everything else so far away, it seemed easier to indulge in a little honesty. "I know we haven't known each other very long, and neither of us probably know exactly where we're going, but I've never felt about anyone the way you make me feel." Her lips curved as she opened her eyes to look at him. "And I know that sounds corny, but I can't help it."

[Cyroa]

They swayed along under the clear sky, moving slowly with the music. He smiled at her words, both being overjoyed at her words and the fact that his thoughts mirrored her own apparently. "It's not corny. Not to me. I was going to say almost the same thing actually. That despite the fact it in actuality has only been a month or so, I've quickly come to cherish the time when we're together. It doesn't matter that its only been a short while or not really knowing or planning where this is headed. What matters is that I care for you a great deal. I..." He paused. "I think I might be falling for you. Hard."

[Electra]

"That's nice," she decided. "At least we're both in the same boat, even if we don't know where it's headed. We can enjoy the trip together. And just because something happens fast doesn't mean that it's not right. Maybe it just means that we're lucky." The butterflies that had been jumping in her stomach dissipated, leaving her even more relaxed than before. "You know, I wonder if we could find some of those fuzzballs if we went out looking tonight. Maybe it would be easier when they're sleeping."