A Promising Turn

Posted on Sat May 27th, 2023 @ 11:24am by Delaney O'Callaghan & Leiddem Kea (*)

Mission: Mission 16: Hysperia
Location: A grassy knoll, Hysperia
3714 words - 7.4 OF Standard Post Measure

"Okay, this is more like it."

Long strides down the gangway saw Delaney arrive by security's sentry post at a much greater speed than she'd climbed up in several minutes earlier. Dressing up formally for the ball had been worth it in the end but once the desire to wind down the night by heading back amongst the bonfires that were emerging across the sloped outskirts had taken them, she knew there was no way she was going to be able to sit comfortably on the grass and enjoy herself with her skirts around her ears. A change in clothing involved the fitted leathers she felt far more comfortable in anyway, and the long boots and green hooded cape was only missing a quiver of arrows as an adornment to complete the costume. She'd pulled her hair loose too which, after styling it to make the most of the natural curl, now made for a very haphazard messy bun but as much as Leiddem's earlier compliments had seemed genuine, there was little doubt that this was Delaney's natural state. She certainly moved with a lot more confidence.

An arm slid across his stomach dragged him backwards away from the conversation he was having with the night shift, a march away from work-talk with deliberate insistence that brokered no negotiations. It provoked a teasing jab from the staff on duty but Delaney, buoyed by a sense of familiarity and camaraderie that guaranteed it wouldn't be taken the wrong way, only responded by flashing them a one-fingered salute as she dragged her boyfriend away from potential distraction. Leiddem's capacity to get himself involved in work matters when he was supposed to be taking a break from them was too close to being a fully-fledged hobby for her to risk letting him linger.

"It's hard to believe we're leaving soon," she said a few minutes later, having turned to loop her arm through his. The planet and its culture had been an instant hit for both of them and, now that they faced saying goodbye for the time being, Delaney realised how much of their relationship had flourished as a result of the pace of life here. It had allowed them to prove that there was something away from the ship that connected them, a compatibility of spirit and personal interest that went beyond the synergy of their work life.

The man had literally only taken off his jacket and mask leaving it on the gangway to grab in the way back or whenever his next watch was. It was unlikely to go missing so he was unworried about just leaving it there with his colleague. He grinned Dow at the woman as she practically frog marched him away from the ship. “Three months is a long time to be settled somewhere with a life like ours. Almost will miss the place it had been therapeutic for my soul.” The way of life was very acceptable for him to say the least.

It was a quaint little thing but the phrase a life like ours filled Delaney with a warmth that saw her lean her head against his arm as they walked. Hysperia had come to represent a lot of things, only the start of which was a reprieve and reset after the near-death unpleasantness that had left them all with a little recuperating to do. For Delaney, it was also the place where her life just seemed to slot together and the question of what to do once her contract was up was a simple as renegotiating a far longer one. She'd never really known exactly what she was looking for when she'd left Earth determined to be the first of her family to branch outwards beyond the stars but she was absolute certain now she'd found it. "We should make a point of coming back. Maybe this time next year to catch the festival again." It would depend entirely on their workload of course but she felt compelled to believe it was at least possible. It made leaving marginally more tolerable.

“Oh hoping to do what Burnie and Nollel did huh?” He teased a little. He sounded much more like himself now he had gotten everything off of his chest. It was easy to slip back into himself now that he had been freed from himself and his own doubt. “But I would like that. This festival had been soothing for the soul and I got to ride a dragon.” He reflexively opened and closed his hand thinking of the injury that he had gotten from the free fall. Apart from the small
Injury and cuts and scapes he had had a lot of fun, it had been the best result him and Burnie knocking each other off.

Under the guise of night, Delaney got away with a slight hesitation before her bunched fist made playful contact with his upper arm. Accidentally getting married hadn't even occurred to her though she'd be lying if she tried to claim that the permanency of their relationship wasn't somewhat on her mind. It was his fault, he'd used his fancy Betazoid word and now it was all she could do to curb the desire to pester him incessantly for a more detailed explanation. "Riding a dragon is definitely a reason to return. Maybe next time I'll actually manage it." Unlike her wrist, which had responded quickly to treatment, the missed opportunity was still a sore spot.

“What?” the man questioned in a teasing tone with a grin but he accepted the nudge on his shoulder. It was a stark reminder that he was pushing a lot of buttons that he probably should not go into. He said what he said but it did not mean it was going to hold her to anything and force her to stay there, if she had other ideas, it was not how it worked. But he felt comfortable enough that he hoped he could say something like he had and hoped it did not cause a big issue for them. “I’m gutted for you that you didn’t get to ride a Dragon. Maybe that could be my life's ambition - make sure my woman can ride a Dragon.”

It had been a bitter disappointment, rendered worse by the fact that her own inattentiveness had been the cause. Still, as Leiddem had insisted on assuming was actually the case, it could have been worse. She hadn't landed that far from a much steeper drop and possibly would have got her wish if the local search and rescue employed dragons as aerial ambulances. "As much as I'm very eager to try it, I think we can probably aim a little higher when it comes to life's ambitions." A pair of playful eyes toyed with him as they turned up the quiet road, devoid of the usual foot traffic. "Maybe two dragons."

“Whatever floats your boat dear.” He said grinning. He had never even considered something like dragon riding before he had come to Hysperia as he had never been comfortable with animals but the majestic beasts that were on the planet had certainly changed his opinion. “So what bonfire?” He asked.

Given the nature of the night's main attraction, there weren't as many options as usual. Lighting the fires seemed more a case of stoking them and adding fresh fuel to keep them burning rather than carrying any expectation that people congregate. Like themselves, a few tourists had drifted to the warmth, possibly not fans of the formality of the ball still in progress, but very few locals opted to miss out on the gala event. Partially out of sentimentality but mostly because it was closest, Delaney steered them towards the same fire that had been host to the unintended wedding gatecrash. As they approached, she swung the cloak from her shoulders and settled it on the ground so that they could sit on the slightly damp grass without too much discomfort. As Leiddem took a seat, she lingered a moment to catch the heat of the fire against her back and gazed down at him with the kind of thoughtful consideration that usually meant she was up to something.

He smiled at the at the fire that she had chosen for them. It was a good choice that made him consider the time they were there previously. “What you thinking?” He wondered quietly as he noticed her watching him. She looked so thoughtful that he offered a smile. He wiggled a little to get a little more comfortable on the floor. It wasn’t a natural pose to sit in but he was at ease as he watched her.

"Oh, lots." It was an honest answer, Delaney was never short on thoughts vying for attention. Currently, her pensiveness was coupled with a nervous energy that was reasonably characteristic too, the kind of fidgets she got when she was anticipating something. Chewing on her bottom lip was another tell and in a short space of time it was as if the woman was doing her best to showcase all the ways that he'd never have to worry about her ever keeping secrets from him. After shifting her weight back and forth between her feet, Delaney seemed to reach a decision, or at the very least could feel the heat on her back reaching discomfort levels, and moved to negotiate herself directly into his lap, straddled so that the loop of her arms around his neck kept her anchored whilst she settled on the right words.

"So, um, confession time. I didn't just suggest we leave early because my feet were killing me, though that was definitely a bonus." Blue eyes studied his much darker ones, as if still trying to burrow down into the swirling mass of insecurity and uncertainty that had been bothering him so much of late. "I thought maybe..." She screwed up her nose, frustrated at her own lack of eloquence. "I have something for you," she tried again, "And I wasn't going to give it to you until after we left but I think maybe now is a better choice."

The man blinked a few times at several of the words that she said from confession to the fact that she’d only half told him the truth about why she want to leave the ball. He wrapped an arm around her as she practically straddled him. “Do tell… what you got me?” He wondered quietly confused as it did not look like she had anything on her.

Squirming back just enough to create some space between them, Delaney made no immediate move to reveal whatever it was she had squirreled away. Instead, she took her time to memorise the lines of his face, the way his expression softened when they were alone and the blessed disappearance of the haunted look that had scared her if only because she didn't have the first idea how to chase it away. Hearing his anxieties had been a shock because there was absolutely no doubt in Delaney's mind that he was exactly the kind of influence she needed. Now, struck by her own nerves, the redhead drew on an intuition she was only just starting to understand and exhaled softly.

"Well, before you start getting ideas that this is just an attempt to make you feel better, I have been working on this for weeks. I was going to leave it until after we left, maybe even whilst we were in Ireland, however long it took me to figure out how to explain."

She wriggled as she reached behind and slid something from her back pocket.

"I know what it might look like and I guess it is kind of like that, but I really just want you to know that I am in no rush to be anywhere else. I signed for three years when I spoke with Gregnol," Delaney added quietly, "And it would have been longer but he said we'd probably have our own ideas by then. Things might not always be as perfect as others look but they'll always be perfect to me, and I promise, you're all I want. This is where I want to be."

The small jewellery box was held up to his nose until he took it.

"These are for us. To remember Hysperia but also because I think we work pretty well together and..." She huffed, suddenly exasperated. "Why are words so bloody hard!"

The man took the box and opened it. His eyes took in the rings confused as he looked at them for a moment longer before looking at him. “Are…” Words might have been hard for her to say but they were impossible for him to get out properly. “Are you asking me to marry you or something?” He asked in a tone that sparked no judgement just needing to understand what was happening and if he had missed some type of social cue.

Opening her mouth to respond, Delaney hesitated. Now, more than ever, finding the right response seemed critical. "Honestly," she started, which wasn't really necessary because speaking truthfully was hardly a new thing for her, "it wasn't meant to be. Hysperians use rings like this as pledges, or promises, which I suppose is somewhat like engagement but less formal. Marriage can become kind of transactional for all it's a pretty big deal emotionally too, these are meant to convey commitment and a willingness to remain faithful until the time for all the legal mumbo-jumbo to take over. I'm not saying it's entirely off the table as a possibility," she added gently, "But, I don't know, that seems like something we should actually discuss together and plan for accordingly, right?"

The man raised an eyebrow but nodded trying to process what was happening and where the whole conversation had turned around on him. “Well I’m totally committed to you.” He said simply picking up the bigger of the rings. “What is your family tradition?” He said suddenly clueless as his sister had been around rings. Gregnol kept his on a different finger than most humans so it just added to his confusion.

Finding his curiosity infinitely more intriguing, not to mention easier to stomach, than any potential hesitancy or offense she might have caused, Delaney considered the question before hunching her shoulders. "It really depends who you ask. Dad proposed to Mum after they'd known each other for years and dated for a couple. My eldest brother went the whole fancy elaborate proposal with his wife, but Móraí swears black and blue she's the one popped the question to my grandfather and, well, he's not around to argue with her about it anymore."

A faint wistfulness welled as fondness in the redhead's eyes as she recalled her grandparents' relationship. "I've always been on the fence about getting married at all, if I'm honest. I think I'm starting to understand the appeal," she admitted, suddenly coy as she dipped her gaze to the jewellery box and plucked out the more delicate of the two bands. "But this isn't about rushing that decision. I just really loved the design, and when I realised they were a pair, it seemed a perfect way to remember how important this place has been to us. I fell in love with you here," she smiled, slipping the ring on the ring finger of her right hand before holding it up. "And you can wear it anywhere you want, though this finger," she indicated the same finger on the opposite hand, "is traditionally for the wedding band, so maybe avoid that unless we want to really get people talking." Delaney watched him for a moment, firelight reflecting in her eyes as they searched his. "I wish I'd known sooner how much you'd been doubting yourself. I've been paying these off for weeks, getting all sentimental about making sure you know how serious I am about us."

“I fell in love when you saved my ass from a spider.” He laughed. “Let me give you back half the credits.” Leidden wondered softly hoping she would at least take that from him as his other form of commitment to her. He blushed at the statements around doubting himself. “We can leave the talking to Nollel and Burnie.” He picked his middle finger on his left hand and put it on testing the feel of it. “I guess I was worried that if I mentioned it … well it would make it real and if you were having doubts it would end this far too soon.” He explained sadly poking the ground for a moment with his thumb but he sighed.

"No paying for your own present," Delaney protested, index finger held aloft to stop that train of thought in its tracks. "All that extra sewing work and mending went to good use, even if it did make me crazy busy these past few weeks." Always a method to her madness, if you dug around enough. "And I guess this is just a learning point for both of us. I need to slow down and shut up more and you need to know that it's okay to talk to me about stuff." She leaned forward to give him a pecking kiss on the nose. "I'm terrible at guesswork, and still working on being a mind-reader."

Grinning, Delaney watched the Betazoid for a long moment, enjoying the return to their more relaxed warmth, and allowed her mind to stray towards a query that kept resurfacing. "So tell me more about this Imzadi thing." When he looked a little sheepish, she added, "Hey, I sprung matching rings on you, which is definitely overly symbolic of some form of lifelong commitment in some people's book. Now it's your turn to put your own spin on your cultural references." Reaching up to slide her fingers through his hair, Delaney took her own stab at interpreting. "Does it have anything to do with the fact that I keep thinking you've said something aloud and you haven't?" The telepathic connection was definitely strengthening, they just hadn't addressed it directly with enough detail for Delaney to understand it entirely.

“Not in the slightest.” He explained with a shrug. “The literal meaning from Betazed to Standard is "the first," not necessarily referring to the first sexual partner but "the first to ever touch your soul." He tried to explain fully what it meant. No man or woman had come to venturing close enough to get past his facade of being always okay and the jock.

Delaney's frown of puzzlement was gentle, a testament to her attempt to understand properly rather than swoon over the implications. His not in the slightest had thrown her, since the emerging connection between them seemed indicative of what he was talking about, but she wasn't the telepath here and had no way of knowing if being able to bond psionically with non-telepathic races was just something Betazoids could do. "There are times where I feel you in a way that's far more than just thinking about you," she agreed. "I guess I thought it was normal, except I suppose you have always said you tend to keep yourself closed-off telepathically."

"Maybe you have some psychic blood in you somewhere. It's not unusual for Humans to have some blatant abilities." Leiddem said. "Starfleet actually tracks it. I do try to keep closed off but sometimes it is not always possible. I just do not want to pry but sometimes... it is irresistible to not want to wrap myself completely around you." He leant out and brought her closer. "Try not to think about it too much." He suggested softly and nuzzled her neck.

"But I want to," came the quiet protest. Leaning her cheek atop his head, Delaney frowned at how difficult it was to make him understand this one thing. "Lei', being a telepath is part of who you are. I get that you've always felt a need to tuck it away but how do we have a meaningful relationship with only half of you present? I want to explore this, I want to be as aware as I possibly can be of any connection between us. I want to know you as a Betazoid, not as someone who thinks he has to lock himself away." She turned her head to bump her forehead against his temple. "I'm not afraid to let you that close, it feels too important to keep brushing aside."

"Okay..." He said softly ducking his head to kiss her hard. Every word she had just said struck deep inside him more than the rings or the potential of being committed to each other. It might have been a hard kiss but Leiddem pulled back for a second and offered a softer one. **I love how beautiful you are inside and out** He said telepathically showing her how easy it was on his end to just slip into her mind and how much he had been holding back.

The slight glaze to Delaney's expression was no cause for alarm, and mostly resembled the kind of fixation she slipped into when something finally managed to grab her entire attention. In the past, any time she'd 'heard' him this way, he had either been asleep, or she'd been partially drowsy, or they'd been somewhat preoccupied with exploring each other in entirely different ways that the complete sensation of being with him had jumbled together. This was far more precise, the broadcast of sentiment-heavy concepts that weren't so much words as emotional realities. A ghost of a smile added a degree of peace to her awestruck wonder and, without a measure of his control, or even any direct intent to mimic, returned the compliment as a foghorn of reciprocated affection.

She was going to require a little training. At the very least, it added a final exclamation mark to her confessions.

The man just smiled at her and leant closer. “We have plenty of time.” He assured quietly. There was no need to rush the training. There was no was no need to rush them.