To Boldly Go... (IC)

[Cyroa]

He nodded. "The seas are rather shallow in general anyway from what I could tell. I doubt any are more than a couple thousand feet deep at most."

He had seen so many aliens and being of strange forms, that physical appearance wasn't that important to him really. That said, when he already had some rather strong feeling towards someone their body simply made them seem all the more attractive. As Dark Star, he literally had no sex drive. It just didn't matter. Derrick, however, was a totally different story. He was acutely aware that he hadn't had 'relations' with anyone since his laster girlfriend. And that had been a couple years before he'd left Earth. A long time ago...

He pulled his shirt off and tossed it down. All the while, he was trying to be a gentleman and not stare. Trying. Really. Well, a little. Maybe some. Ok, at least he wasn't blatantly staring and drooling as he headed down the beach. He hoped.

[Electra]

Pleased with his response, Stesha waited up for him so they stepped into the water together. "It's a lot warmer than Lake Michigan!" she said with a laugh, squishing her toes down into the wet sand. She put an arm around his waist for balance as they waded out a little deeper, past her knees and nearly to the tips of her hair. That felt very nice and got her heart beating a little faster as the gentle waves lapped around them. "And you're right about the salt, too. This is great." Indeed, she looked about as happy as a plant controller could be, half-submerged in warm fresh water and with sunlight streaming down all around them. Playfully, she reached out her free hand and scooped it through the water, giving him a little splash.

[Cyroa]

"Uh, yes. Right, water," he mumbled half to himself, hurrying down the beech to catch up to her. He enjoyed the feel of the water, pleasantly warm around his legs and waits. And of course, the touch of her hand was definitely a major plus. Ok, maybe not major plus. More like the focus of his attention. He was doing his very best to keep his eyes up. Woman have eyes, focus. "This is actually the first I've been in it. Like this anyway. Definitely nice." He had simply borrowed some testing equipment from the SCC. They'd been more than willing to let him take gear out and run tests on other worlds for them. He'd had to tell them it was only for this one thing. Other planets could wait.

He grinned, eyes tracking down to her hands...straying...NO...back to her hands. It would be rude to no reciprocate...it might have been a little bigger splash than hers but it was all in good skin...err fun. Focus on her eyes for crying out loud!

[Electra]

She sputtered and laughed at the splashing, grabbing hold of his shoulders to keep from overbalancing into the water. It would've been perfectly easy to splash him again, but here they were, in the middle of a deserted paradise, just the two of them, and her body was already pressed against his... Standing on tiptoe, Stesha closed her eyes and kissed him. It seemed like a really good idea.

[Cyroa]

If he wasn't aware of her scantily clad form before, he certainly was now. Wet and warm (that wasn't just due to the ambient temperature of the area), half naked, their mouth's meeting, his logical brain pretty much shorted out for a moment there. Nevertheless, his unconscious actions were sufficient to not knock them both falling into the water. He slipped one his arms around behind her, holding her close, and lost himself in the kiss. This had to be his best idea ever. Or someone's best idea. Honestly, he didn't care who's idea it was, just that it was happening.

[Electra]

They both explored the excellent idea for quite awhile, as the sun shone down and the scent of flowers wafted on the warm ocean breeze. Stesha slid her hands down his back so they were holding onto each other, rather enjoying the wiry muscles and the warmth of his skin. When they finally broke off to breathe, she gave him a slightly dazed smile. "So," she began, "after the way our date ended last week, I got to thinking. I wanted to be sure, you know. And I'm pretty sure now." Before he had a chance to respond, or even to think about it, she was kissing him again, a little breathless, but still game.

[Cyroa]

He was rather flushed and... focused by the time they broke the slightly passionate kiss. He blinked open his eyes, focusing on her face with a large and happy smile. "Wow..." He nodded and listened to her. What he wanted to say was 'are you sure'. But they were kissing again and his brain forgot how to speak. And he was perfectly fine with really. He might have managed a murmured agreement to her, he might not have. He was mostly focused on keeping one arm wrapped around her while the other slid slowly up and down her back. With her pressed tightly against him, she was quite literally the only thing in the world that mattered. The slightly passionate kiss became very passionate and energetic in short order.

[Electra]

When they broke off this time, Stesha's face was pink and she was holding on partially so her knees wouldn't give out. "Let's go back to camp," she suggested with a smile that was just a little nervous. Raising a hand, she touched one of the flowers in her hair, and sent them both rushing through a world of green for a moment before they reappeared from the large tree next to the cabana. They were both dripping seawater, but the air was warm and Stesha, at least, was too distracted to care. "We both want more," she said, her voice a little breathless, "so why not?" Taking his hand, she led him into the tent, the smell of flowers still perfuming the air.

[Cyroa]

Breathless and flushed, his brain felt fuzzy and disjointed but in a great way. Standing waist deep in warm tropical water, pressed tightly up against her, holding her tight, the world and all his responsibilities were far far away. He simply nodded and suddenly they were back at camp. Did he want more? Hell, he could have stood in that water kissing her for ever. But more...oh yeah, more was definitely good. "No reason whatsoever," he said softly. Still holding her, it took only a few moments before they were moving. Soon enough they had stopped their hectic travel across the sand. Overhead, the twin suns shone brightly. And the ocean breeze attempted unsuccessfully to cool them down...

[Electra]

---

The twin suns had sunk nearly to the edge of the sky before Stesha really started paying attention to the cool ocean breeze again. Even then, her attention only went as far as pulling up the cot blanket over both of them. That, and her hair curled wildly around both of them, was all that either of them were wearing, but that was all right. She yawned and reached out, brushing her fingers along his cheek. "We could get up," she suggested halfheartedly, "maybe get something to eat, jump back in the water..." Staying put seemed like quite a fine idea too, actually, with the second thoughts she'd worried about having failed to materialize, and her whole body feeling good all over. "Or let all that wait awhile."

[Cyroa]

Derrick lay there with his eyes closed, relaxed and exhausted. Despite his current lack of desire to open his eyes, he was very aware of the feel of her skin and hair pressed up against and/or lying on him. He didn't have a clue how much time had passed. Whatever it was, it seemed far to short. He had a contented if tired smile on his face as he felt her hand brush his cheek. "Mmm... I vote for keeping you here with me for a little longer," he said, squeezing her tightly for a moment with the arm that was wrapped around her. "Those are things sound nice too. But this is better." Until they actually needed to get up for one reason or another, he was enjoying the feeling of her so close, even if it was rather hard to stay awake. Once they were up and moving again, he'd wake up. But for now, he was content. More than actually.

[Electra]

"Works for me," she said with drowsy contentment, snuggling in and closing her eyes. Even though she didn't need to sleep, there were times when it was certainly nice to take a little nap. "That was really nice," she murmured. "Better than nice. But nice, too." That sentiment had come out a little garbled, but she hoped he would understand anyway. "It was very special."

[Cyroa]

"Mmmm hmmm." He nodded without opening his eyes. "It was... yeah. Very. Yeah." Despite lying naked under a light cover with her, he still had trouble talking about...it. "Glad you liked...it. Perfect day," he said softly. He'd wanted this to happen but hadn't actually planned or expected it. He was certainly happy it had of course. But mainly he wanted her to be happy and have a great weekend with him. He realized her happiness mattered to him a great deal. More than his own actually he thought as he drifted off to sleep.

[Electra]

They napped for a little while, then woke as the moons were rising, reflecting light off the sea brightly enough that lights really weren't necessary. They sat on a blanket on the beach, eating sandwiches and drinking wine as they watched the stars come out, mostly in companionable silence. "Do you ever think of leaving it all behind?" she asked at long last, almost meditatively. "I know how you feel about all your responsibilities, but don't you ever wish that you could come to a perfect world like this and just stay there, and never worry about anything again?"

[Cyroa]

Derrick nodded, still smiling and enjoying warmth from her close proximity. He swallowed his food and glanced at her. "Sometimes. Especially recently and right now," he said honestly. He backed up and started again. "...Sometimes, when I get disappointed by people and my faith in them is shaken, I think about leaving. Letting people take care of themselves without me. Just a passing thought mind you. Not something I'd actually do." He gave a little shrug. "A couple months ago, I was wondering why I was there. Earth I mean. I know I was there to help but there are thousands of places I could do that out there among the star. I was wondering why I was staying mainly on Earth. It came down to the fact that I had so few connections to people. Just my sister-in-law and my responsibility to her. I wondered what would happen when she passed on. There'd be nothing left for me on Earth. No reason to try and stay. It was a concern. It's one of the reasons I started trying to be social and meet some of the others. To make a connection. Trying to find reasons to stay."

He smiled softly as he looked at her face, shining in the moonlight. "Then I met you. A complete lark really, giving in to Moira's plans. But it worked. More than I would have believed really. I might have left Earth for a few months or a year maybe after some of the recent events if it wasn't for the fact that I wouldn't see you. Just to get away and remember who I am. As Dark Star anyway. But the idea of not getting to see you isn't something that I'm comfortable with." He looked around, encompassing all of their paradise. "Now? I doubt I can ignore that sense of responsibility. But I'd love to just stay on a perfect world and not have to worry about others and be disappointed or hurt anymore. As long as you were there with me that is," he said.

[Electra]

Stesha rested her head on his shoulder, the light from twin moons washing them both with silver as they say quietly for a moment. "It's tempting," she admitted with a chuckle. "It's so beautiful here, and peaceful, like nothing bad could ever happen. But you're right about responsibilities," she added, sighing a little. "Even if we got our powers by accident, it still seems like we owe something back, for all the heroes before who've made sacrifices to keep the world safe. Just the idea scares me to death sometimes. And then there's family, and friends, and work, all those other ties..."

She was quiet for another minute, running her fingers along his arm almost meditatively. "I don't think I could live without all those things, really. I could see us going out, exploring the universe together, seeing everything there is to see. It would be amazing, I know. But there's something valuable in being tied to Earth, in knowing where you come from and where your roots are, I guess." She laughed. "Spoken like a plant controller, right?" Digging her toes into the sand, Stesha tipped her head back to look at the alien sky. "Even if I never spent another day off Earth, though, my life would be better because I was here today, with you."

[Cyroa]

Derrick nodded his head a fraction. "I don't have many of those ties left, but I can't argue with you. All those ties and connections can make a person stronger. And the fact that we choose to accept that responsibility can be a little stressful at time for many people. I have few connections left, but I still believe as you do. That I owe it to people to be there when I'm needed. I spend most of my time as DS and still feel like I don't do enough sometimes. How people like you, who do it along with all those ties, manage all of that and still have time to yourselves, I'll never know," he said with an admiring smile.

Derrick gave a little smile but didn't say anything for a moment. He had lived without all of those things for many, many years. He might have even gone longer without certain chance encounters. Of course looking back, it had in fact cost him some of those ties. He chuckled. "There's nothing wrong with cherishing your roots. Plant based or otherwise." He turned and kissed her hair. "I don't think I'd want to never be able to visit space again. But, this, you has definitely been a wonder and a betterment. The place doesn't matter. Here, a different world, or just a park down the street. Being with you, no matter where it is, makes all the difference."

He smiled awkwardly for a moment. "Well, we've been here the better part of a day. And we haven't gotten more than a couple hundred yards from the camp or gone swimming. Not that I'm complaining," he said hurriedly. "Far from it. But I just want to make sure you get to do everything you wanted on this trip."

[Electra]

"We've still got plenty of time," she pointed out, reclining back on her elbows. "And I'm more than happy with all we've done so far. I won't say I've done everything I wanted..." She tipped her head back and gave him a feline sort of grin, "but we've ticked off a number of important points on the agenda. Snorkling can wait for morning, and I'm too full for carrot cake right now. Maybe we can just look at the stars for awhile. I don't think I've ever seen so many, and all in different places." Stesha wasn't sure she was ready to talk about the rest of what he'd said, at least not just yet. Despite, well, everything, they hadn't known each other very long. Being so important to someone made her feel good... but a little weird, too. She'd think about it later, back home, when her emotions weren't quite so involved. For the moment, she was just going to enjoy it.

[Cyroa]

Derrick smiled warmly at her. "We'll have to make sure we get everything on that listed taken care of. I wouldn't want you to feel we've missed out on anything fun. Snorkling sounds interesting. I've never done it before," he said curiously.

He nodded, leaning back beside her. "Oh yes. It's so much harder to see the stars from Freedom City. You'd have to travel a good distance out before you saw most of them. Light pollution and all that. Nothing beats viewing them from space of course," he said. He pointed upwards at the stars, pointing out various ones. Despite being completely different position and constellation, he knew them quite well. Twenty years travelling among them helped. Plus he'd been an accomplished astronomer once upon a time.

[Electra]

Stesha put her head on his shoulder as they lay and watched the stars for awhile. His knowledge really was impressive, even if she was sure she wouldn't remember a single one later. That gradually turned into kissing and touching again, though not much more on the sandy beach. With the moons high in the sky, Stesha went and took a shower in the little improvised bathroom, while Derrick switched into his less-substantial, less-susceptible energy form to clear off the fatigue of a busy day. By the time she was finished, he was himself again, and they headed off on a moonlight walk across the beach. She picked up flowers instead of seashells on this trip, coaxing them into bloom and braiding them into her hair as they walked. "If you ever decide you do need extra money," she mused, "you could always open a travel agency."

[Cyroa]

He felt refreshed, one could say energized, after resuming his Dark Star form. He might have considered sleeping and sleeping besides her might have been quite pleasnt, but Stesha didn't sleep. And since he didn't want to miss out on time spent with her, a quick change restored his energy levels. It allowed him the best of both worlds.

A picture perfect evening, he was more relaxed and enjoying himself more than he ever had. He chuckled. "I suppose that's a possibility. I'm more likely to just take someone if they ask though. Admittedly, it hasn't come up much. But I would if asked I suppose. Everyone needs a vacation at some point though I doubt most of the people I know, heroes mainly, would take it."

[Electra]

"Heroes need vacations as much as anybody," Stesha countered with a grin. "Maybe even more so. The universe isn't going to collapse because a couple of heroes take a long weekend and recharge their batteries. Sometimes they just need to be convinced of that. I know I feel better already, and we haven't been here twenty-four hours." Threading a few long-stemmed flowers together, she tied them into a necklace and draped them around his neck, then kissed him. "And the way you travel, it's not like you even have to go through customs. Pretty good deal."

[Cyroa]

Derrick chuckled along with her. "Me too. I couldn't tell you when the last time I was this relaxed was." He looked down at the necklace. "Even better than a Hawaiian vacation. No risk of volcanic eruption either." He grinned. "Perhaps that's something you can do when you start your own business. An add-on to the florist shop. The superhero vacation plans. You could could be the heroic travel agent. Matching each person with their ideal vacation. I'll take care of deliver and travel."

[Electra]

"I like that idea," she agreed, twisting the rest of her flowers into a wreath. Standing on tiptoe, she set it on his head, then kissed him again. "It might catch on big time, you never know. The tough part will be trying to get big tough heroes to admit that they're human enough to need a little time off." She looked over towards the tall ridges off in the distance. "The suns will be coming up soon. Can you get us to that ridge to watch? I bet sunrise is spectacular over the ocean."

[Cyroa]

He happily accepted the kiss, sliding his arms around her this time. "Very nice." Derrick chuckled. "Indeed. Getting them to take break will be difficult. Perhaps getting one of the more...hedonistic and charming ones to sell the idea and do the convincing might work best."

He glanced over at the ridge and nodded. "Of course." He let go of Stesha and stepped back; closing his eyes for a moment. Soon enough, the dark energy seemed to start at his center and eat away/consume/cover his physical body until only the energy being known as Dark Star remained. He gentle reached out and lifted her before alighting himself. He set a sedate pace, relatively speaking, and headed towards the bluff in the distance. It was a short trip; It was only a few miles away after all.