Victory for the Romantic Muse
"I believe we have met before ... " Aria extended a paw.
The meadow mouse looked up, a bit shyly. "Oh. Yes," he said. "Aria?" He took her paw. Fingers with his.
"Yes," was her kind whisper. Her dress loose, a shimmering blue (like the balloons strung along the walls), hanging from her soft, snowy-white shoulders.
Both his paws now held to hers. "Shall, we, uh ... or, I mean ... are you free?"
"To do what?" Her posture confident. Graceful.
"To eat. To dance." A pause. A swallow and a whisker-twitch. "To romance," he whispered.
"Are you two almost done?" injected a third voice.
They turned to see Barrow, spreading his periwinkle, winged arms. "All the rest of us are at the table ... "
"So you are," Aria said, eye-smiling, and noticing the fact. "However, one wishes to do this properly." They were in the simulation room. The program for the evening was a banquet hall. With fine dining, and with beautiful lights hanging from the ornamented ceiling. Designed arches, and marbled floors, and ...
"Well, we're not here to role-play. We're here to eat."
"I take it you are hungry?" Aria teased.
The bat let out a breath. "My bugs are gettin' cold," was all he said.
Ross giggle-squeaked. "Bugs? Getting cold?"
"Yes. Now, come on ... " And the doctor was padding around tables. Tables with white tablecloths and a golden candelabra in the middle of each, next to flowers arranged in vases. Next to shining silver silverware, all rolled up in napkins (like blankets).
"Didn't know bugs could GET cold," Ross whispered to Aria. "Didn't know they were warm in the first place."
"It is best not to get between a bat and his insects."
"This program's a bit fin de sicle, isn't it?" Bic asked, as Barrow took his seat next to her. "I mean, couldn't we have just eaten in the mess hall?"
"I thought a bit of excess comfort," Aria said, taking her own seat, "would be a change of pace ... besides, it IS simulated."
"It's romantic," Ezri breathed. "This is like out of those old romance novels, you know ... balls, dances, fancy femmes in dresses. Where males were so proper."
Ross, whispering to Aria, nosed her arm ... " ... well, go on."
"I do not know how to do this ... "
"You just pick up a glass, pick up a spoon, and you ... well, you tap the spoon on the glass."
"Then you do it." She gave her glass and spoon to him.
"Hey," he squeaked. And he gave them back.
A sigh, and a patient eye-smile. "Very well." She cleared her throat, and ... tapped the silver spoon against the clear rim of the glass. Clink-clink-clink ...
And they all kept chatting.
"Not much into etiquette, are they?" Ross giggled.
Clink-clink-clink!
"Aria, I never knew you were so well-versed in musical instruments. Do you play professionally?" Jinx asked.
Chitters and giggle-squeaks from all.
"That is MOST amusing," Aria said, a bit dryly. "However, I was trying to get the group's attention." Another clearing of her throat. And they all went quiet, though the simulated characters at the other tables kept talking in low, chatting voices. "I wanted to hold this dinner ... just to celebrate. Just to ... we've been through some hard times. And, no doubt, we will endure MORE ... it is the way of things."
Ezri began rearranging the flowers in the nearest vase.
Aria raised her brow.
The squirrel looked around, leaning back into her seat. "Sorry," she whispered bashfully, bushy tail swishing. Nose sniffing.
Aria's white, waggle ears stood tall, like antenna. And she said, nodding at Alabaster and Olivia, "But our reasons for celebration are not simply generic ... or fabricated. We are here to celebrate love," she said, "and life. Firstly, I congratulate Lieutenant-Commander Alabaster and Lieutenant Olivia on their new mate-ship." Aria eye-smiled. "They are embarking through new territory. I expect all of us to give them any support they need."
"Are we supposed to be raising glasses?" Wilco asked, looking around. "I don't have anything to put in my glass."
"I did not intend for this to be a toast. Simply, an announcement."
"SOUNDS like a toast."
"I'll go get some wine ... "
"And some water. Get some water."
"There's water right here. Right in front of you. In that pitcher ... "
"Oh."
"So, I'm not getting wine?"
Aria, looking to Ross, raising her brow, said, "I guess I am done announcing?"
A little smile. "I guess so," he reasoned.
Further down the table, Ollie, taking a deep breath, whiskers twitching, asked, "Alabaster ... "
The chief engineer looked his way, blinking.
"Um ... you doing okay? You two?"
"Yes."
"Well, I mean ... "
" ... how the other snow rabbits are taking it?"
"Yeah," Ollie whispered shyly, nodding. He held his own, thin tail in his paws.
"They were ... displeased. A bit standoffish," he added, "but they are getting over it." With Alabaster and Olivia leaving their breeding party, the ship's three breeding parties had to trade a few members to even the groups out. But, more than that, it was the victory of faith, spirituality ... love, the Spirit ... how faithful love, itself, was changing the snow rabbit species (and every other species, additionally) more than any other force had done ... or could do.
Olivia, politely allowing one of the simulated servers to set more food in front of her ... previously, they'd had some appetizers, but the main courses of their meals were only now arriving. But Olivia, looking to Ollie, asked, "And of you, Ollie. Are you doing well?"
Ollie nodded quietly. Whispering, "I'm doing well."
"That is good to hear." A genuine eye-smile. "The crew was worried."
A flush beneath his fur, and a deep breath, and a smile. "Well ... uh ... I'm okay. Thank you ... "
"You must forgive the rosy-pink in his ears," Arianna, his mate, said. Wearing a slightly-mirthful expression (shown with her eyes, her ears). "Mice are far too modest."
"Modest?" Ollie asked, not understanding.
"You came aboard Arctic ... because you were running. You wished to go somewhere. You did not plan on staying." A pause. "But you did, and ... you've changed my life," she whispered, "for the better. All of our lives ... and your strength, your faith ... betters those around you."
The mouse's eyes watered, and he stared at the flickering flames atop the white candles on the nearest candle-holder. And, he reached for a water pitcher, and poured some water into his glass. And took a sip. And then said, "I, uh ... thanks ... " He trailed, before adding, "I'm very glad I stayed. I've never really had a family before." His eyes were still glazed with moisture, and he smiled honestly.
"Hey, you furs ever had that, uh, snow rabbit alcohol ... that mint stuff ... Aria, you've had that stuff, right?"
"Yes."
"It's good, yeah?" Ezri asked. "Cause, I gotta tell you, it grows on you, but ... I mean, if it's mixed down. Gotta mix it with milk or something ... "
"So, what happened to the wine?" Arabella asked, looking around. Her nose sniffing the air. Her smaller mouse ears, and her tufted desert tail ... showing signs of movement. "Was that a no-go?"
"How come Jinx has his main course and I don't," Wilco asked.
"Barrow's eating bugs!"
"I've been eating bugs the WHOLE time ... I'm a BAT," was the exasperated response.
Some giggle-squeaks.
"Aria ... "
The sound of clinking silverware, chewing, and happy sounds.
"Aria ... "
"Mm?"
"Uh ... last night," Ross said, "you got out of bed, and you kept ... you kept pacing. I've never seen you pace."
"Oh. I'm ... I'm sorry. I did not mean to wake you," she said, looking to him.
"I'm a light sleeper, you know."
"I do."
"So, uh ... there was nothing wrong, was there? I mean, I ... just ... " He knew his mate had a lot on her mind. Trying to find a new ice world ... for the surviving Arctic foxes to settle on, to get them off the snow rabbit moon (and solve a lot of heated political problems in the process). The fact that, if and when they DID find a new world for the foxes, the wasps might get wind of it (or might even BE there, in hiding), and ... or the wasps may do what they did to the foxes, and launch a strike to eradicate the snow rabbits, taking full control of the uncharted territories, the perimeter sectors of the quadrant ... and then there were the simple, daily items of command: instilling confidence in your crew, helping them, knowing when they were hurting, being a commanding officer, but not being distant and iron-pawed ... but being a friend, too, and a mate, and ... Aria was required to be everything. Many things for many furs.
And Ross knew it was more work than it seemed. But he knew, also, that she wanted it, and she liked it, and she was using her God-given abilities ... to bring this mixed crew together. Already, her influence had extended to the other snow rabbits, and ... growth was endless.
But the vole did worry. He worried if he was doing enough ... to ease her tensions. If, maybe, he was listening as well as needed him to listen, and nosing her as she needed to be nosed, getting her to admit things that maybe, instinctively, she would've tried to bury (so as not to burden him or anyone else).
"Ross ... "
His turn to blink. His turn to go, "Mm?"
"I am fine," she assured, and she gave a genuine eye-smile. One that was very bright. And her ice-blue eyes glistened in that way, in this light, and ... he stared into them.
And she stared back into his own eyes.
Windows to the soul.
Only the intimate could dare maintain such prolonged eye contact ... and not flinch.
"How's everyone's food?" Jinx asked.
"Mine's good," said Wilco. "Oh, I forgot. I don't have mine yet."
Giggle-squeaks.
"Here it comes ... here it comes," said Arabella.
But the waiter set the plate down in front of Aria. And another came ... and set one down in front of Ross. And, finally, someone came and set a plate down in front of Wilco.
Everyone had their meals.
And everyone was digging in. Grace had been said earlier, upon everyone's arrival, for ... they'd known this would be a very informal evening.
Most of the furs were eating vegetables, like broccoli, peas, carrots, potatoes. Boiled, a bit of butter, sprinkled with pepper or salt, and little side salads, and pasta. Tri-colored rotini, with tomato sauce, and some garlic bread, too, and ...
... but not every-fur was eating the same thing.
"What are those?" Arabella asked, looking to the snow rabbits' plates.
"Ice turnips."
"Turnips?" said several voices at the same time.
"They are a snow rabbit delicacy. They grow well in cold climates and can be stored several months after harvest," Arianna explained.
"Huh ... turnips," went Jinx. Chew-chewing on his own food. He tapped his fork on his plate. "Turnips."
"You wish to try some?" Arianna said.
"No, no, no ... uh ... no," the skunk went, his luxurious black, white-striped tail swishing softly, slowly behind his chair. "No way."
"I've had turnips," said Ross.
"Your mate's a snow rabbit."
"I've had turnips, too," said Ollie.
"Well, same thing with you, then."
"Yeah, you HAD turnips, but did you LIKE turnips?"
"Well," said Ollie. "I'm used to them," he said quietly. "Sometimes, growing up, all I ... sometimes, WHOLE meals were turnips." He trailed. "I'm ... well, kinda ambivalent about them. On the one paw, they nourished me. On the other, it's ... I associate it with, uh ... certain things ... "
"Oh ... wow," breathed Ezri, whisker-twitching. "Ollie ... "
"It's okay," he assured, forcing a smile. "I'm not gonna be sent into a tail-spin cause we're talking turnips." A brighter, more genuine smile.
"I, uh, liked them," Ross added. "In salads."
"Everything's good in a salad," Bic added. "You notice that? Things you wouldn't TOUCH by themselves, they go good in salads: turnips, radishes, green onions ... "
" ... spinach," added Jinx.
"Spinach? You don't like spinach?" Wilco asked, blinking.
"I'm not a rodent," was all the skunk said. "I'm not into seeds and spinach. I'm into food that's more ... filling."
"Like what?" someone demanded.
"Heh," began Ezri. "Where to start? Jinx can EAT ... "
"Hey! I'm TOTALLY fit ... I lift weights every day. I train. I'm chief tactical ... "
" ... officer. Yeah. And you've the appetite to prove it."
"What are you eating now?" Wilco asked, looking.
"Stuff," was the response.
"He's having eggs and fresh fruit."
"I like eggs. I like fish, too."
"Fish?" asked Ross, blinking.
"I eat fish ... I can eat meat, you know. I'm an omnivore."
"So am I," Barrow said. "Hey, Jinx ... want some o' my bugs?"
"What kind?"
Giggle-squeaks ... and more refrains of 'bugs!' ...
And more chitter. And more chatter (sometimes, with muzzles full!) ... and more giggles, and more squeaks. Until the wicks on the candles were surrounded by melted wax, and the flames were flickering and weak.
Meals done, but dessert not yet served ...
"Is now the time to dance?" Olivia asked, looking around uncertainly.
"I'd say so!" Wilco chittered brightly, scooting his chair back
"What about dessert?"
"Well, can't it wait a few minutes? I feel like swaying ... "
"I feel like dessert."
"Feeling like dessert? Perhaps Barrow should run some scans ... shouldn't you feel like a fur?"
"I heard that feeling like a dessert and THINKING you're a dessert ... well, that's the first sign of insanity."
"That was SO funny," was the sarcastic response.
"We shall have dessert first," Aria declared. "And then we shall dance."
"Well, I, uh ... what time is it?" Barrow asked.
"You don't have to breed already, do you? It's only eight ... "
"Oh. Okay." A pause. "It feels later."
"But if you'll excuse me," Aria continued, "I'm going to check on something ... Ross," she said.
Her mate looked to her.
"Will you come with me?"
"Hey, hey, hey," Jinx teased, winking.
Aria sighed. "We will only be gone a minute."
"Got it down to a minute, huh? Impressive."
"Jinx, she's gonna slap you with insubordination or something one of these days," Ezri said, giggling, shaking her head.
"Your mate is very wise," Aria responded, eye-smiling. Jinx was a very solid fur. Very able as a first officer, and as chief of security. But he did have a tendency to be brash, and ... to not think ahead. He was a skunk, after all. "But, if you'll excuse us ... " Aria scooted back in her chair, and turned, waiting for Ross ... and the two padded a ways away, staying within sight ...
... while, still at the table, Alabaster asked, "You can spray scent, Jinx?"
"Yeah."
"How does that work?"
"Wonderfully," Ezri supplied, grinning, downing a gulp of water.
Ross and Aria got out of earshot of the others, near a bar ... where a lot of bottles of a lot of drinks were set up. The food in here was real. Replicated. Processed. The drinks, too ... and Ross eyed them. The colors of the bottles, and the designs on the labels, and ...
" ... darling."
He looked to her. "Yeah?" he asked, a bit nervous. He let out a breath and held his tail. "You've got something on your mind," he stated, "don't you?"
"How long did it take for you to make that deduction?" she teased, eye-smiling lightly.
"Not all that long." A small tilt of the head, and a smile, his eyes roving over her. "I, uh ... I just figured it was a 'captain thing,' and ... you know, I ... so, uh ... "
"Would you like a drink?"
"What?"
"You were eying the drinks. Would you like one."
A tiny, airy giggle-squeak. "Yeah ... actually," he whispered. "Something, uh, strawberry. Something smooth."
"I will see what I can do," she said, going behind the bar. And fetching a glinting, crystal glass, and setting it down. And finding a bottle of something appropriate. "I think you will like this," she assured.
"What is it?"
"I do not know," she confessed. "But I think you will like it."
Giggle-squeak!
"Here," was her gentle motion, holding out his glass.
He took it with both paws, bringing it to his lips, taking a sniff. "Mm." And he took a tiny, tiny sip, and ... smacked his lips! Giggling. "Mm ... should prove interesting." And he swallowed, and smiled, and looked to her. "You're not gonna have any?"
A pause. "I cannot ... "
"Why? Are ... are you feeling okay?"
A nod.
"Well ... "
"I cannot have any alcohol. At least, not for a while."
"You, uh, giving it up, or ... no, you would've told me if you were gonna do that. I ... " His eyes searched. The realization slowly, slowly dawning, but ... not quite above the horizon yet.
"I was pacing last night because ... because I borrowed a medical scanner from Barrow. I was scanning myself."
"In the middle of the night? Are ... are you sick?" he asked worriedly, setting his glass down. "Aria ... "
"I am fine," she insisted again. "I ... I just had to be sure," she whispered, "before I told you."
"Told me ... what," the meadow mouse whispered, very quietly, eyes locking with hers.
"My heat was supposed to begin two days ago ... I missed it."
"You ... you missed it," he repeated, blinking. "That's ... but, how, I ... I ... you're sure?"
A little nod. And ... another little nod. "I ... the scans were conclusive. And Barrow confirmed them later, and ... "
Airy, wispy giggles escaped the mouse's muzzle, and then he held his breath. "Oh," he went, and he put his paws together. In a prayer-like formation, he put his paws together, holding them in front of his muzzle, eyes wide open. "Oh, Aria ... "
Her ice-blue eyes gleaming, she nodded.
His paws slowly swept over his cheeks, and his neck, and then came back together in the prayer-pattern ... paws open, pad-to-pad. His eyes watering, he finally let his paws fall, and he shook his head lightly, blinking tears. "I'm ... really? You're really ... "
" ... pregnant. Yes. Really," she added.
The meadow mouse cleared his throat, beaming. "Heh ... I ... darling!" he went, and leaned over the counter of the bar, grabbing at her, pulling her forward.
She obliged him.
They met in a slanted, lip-meshing kiss ... which held, which shifted, and which broke. Eventually broke.
"Oh," he went, pulling back, and ... tugging at her paws. Getting her to come around, back to the open dance-floor with him. "Darling," he whispered, right into her slender, standing ear. "I love you ... I love you," he went.
"As do I," she repeated, "love you, too ... "
Giggle-squeaks of joy from him, and he started to turn her round and round, and ... " ... thank you, dear God, oh ... "
" ... hey, they're already dancing!"
"You haven't had dessert yet, you two!"
Ross just giggled, arms wrapping around his mate, and ... her arms wrapped around him, in return, and ... eventually, they stopped, eyes locking. Eyes glowing.
And then they filtered back to the table.
"Ross, you left your drink at the bar," Wilco said, pointing. "What'd you go over there for, anyway, if you weren't gonna get any drinks ... "
"I had something to tell him," Aria stated simply.
Several looks.
And a head-tilt. "I suppose I should tell you all, as well."
So, she spilled the news, and ... was pelted with an overflowing of 'congratulations!', as well as hugs, and ...
" ... isn't anyone gonna hug and pat me?" Ross joked. "I think I MAY have had something to do with this ... " A grin.
And giggle-squeaks ... and chuckles ...
"The proud father!" Jinx said. "He's glowing ... just look at him, the yiffy devil ... "
More chuckles.
"Does this mean you're not gonna be our captain anymore?" Wilco asked, biting his lip sadly. Looking a bit down. "Aria?"
"I will still be your Captain," she assured, soothingly. And, with everyone getting quiet, she continued, "I will have to give birth on the snow rabbit Home-world, at my home, and ... " She gave a look to Ross. "So, we will have to go back there, but ... we have seven-month gestations."
"That's short," Bic noted, "compared to other furs."
"In breeding, rabbits do everything at acceleration," was the answer.
And the chipmunk nodded, smiling. "Well ... that's true enough."
"But I will probably take a few weeks leave ... to birth and recover," she said, "and ... but I assume, while I am doing that, Arctic can stay in orbit and receive any upgrades and retrofits she may need. And the crew may take shore leave. As for when the baby is born ... " Again, she looked to Ross. "I have a wonderful mate. He will help me, and ... we will not be the first furs to raise a child aboard a star-ship. Nor will I be the first Captain to start a family while commanding a vessel, so ... " She trailed. "I feel this ship and I, and all of you ... we are all tied together. I do not know what the future will bring. Things glorious. Things gross. But ... I will be here for that. And I hope the rest of you will, too. I hope that none of our journeys will be cut short. But ... " A swallow. "I can only pray that, no matter what happens ... that we be wide-eyed and wonderful. And that, always, we remember that, through Christ, all is possible. We needn't live in fear ... "
"Agreed," Arianna said, nodding. And she grasped at Ollie's paw.
"Well, we're all here for you," Ollie said to Aria and Ross. "The both of you. We're all family," he said.
Several nods of agreement.
"I thank you," Aria said. "All of you." She was eye-smiling. She was radiant.
Wasps? What were wasps?
Fear? What was fear?
For the moment, none of that existed. It was simply joy. A celebration of new love and life, new and old, and ...
" ... dessert! Where's dessert?"
"What are they serving? Ice cream? Cake?"
"Cherry pie ... mm ... "
Joy, life, love. And dessert.
Another victory for the romantic muse!