hormonal imbalance

[warpfairy]

They study Klingon. They work out a sleep schedule. They approach Betazed.

They are two days away from the system when Isabella notices something - troubling.

She takes longer than usual to compose herself that morning, and emerges from the living quarters with carefully measured steps, and avoids eye contact.

"Do you," she asks Lalita quietly, "have the ability to fly this class of ship?"

Comments

[warpfairy]

Isabella will allow it. As long as he doesn't try to go anywhere she can just as easily wrap herself around him and hold still by way of reminding herself that she has successfully found a mate and is not going to die.

[dream_me_up]

In that case, after about six hours of various exertions, during which time they do indeed make it to the bed, he curls up and wraps his arms around her and tucks his face into her shoulder and naps for a while.

[warpfairy]

Snuggles. Not-going-to-die-ness. Eventually he will wake up! That will be nice.

[dream_me_up]

Snuggles! It is a snuggly nap. Those are one of the best kinds.

Eventually, he does wake up, and immediately kisses her.

[warpfairy]

Saying she goes from zero to warp instantly would imply that she is capable of being not at metaphorical warp right now, which is false, but kisses increase metaphorical warp factor.

[dream_me_up]

It's possible Lalita might need a few minutes to get his metaphorical warp core fired up.

Or not.

It could also be much sooner than that.

[warpfairy]

It's good if it is sooner than that. Isabella is impatient. She found a mate and now she wants to make use of this exciting finding.

[dream_me_up]

It is sooner than that.

[warpfairy]

Oh good. Oh very good.

[dream_me_up]

Mm. Metaphorical warp travel.

[warpfairy]

Mmmmmmmmmmm.

[dream_me_up]

And snuggles. Those too. He's still a little sleepy; it makes him slow and cuddly and affectionate.

[warpfairy]

Hmmm. Slow. Well, that is okay now that the most urgent portions of the week are taken care of.

[dream_me_up]

And slow can be fun too.

[warpfairy]

Isabella is willing to be convinced of this.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita is willing to be convincing!

[warpfairy]

He is so convincing. Mmmm.

[dream_me_up]

Good!

And after they've been at it for a while maybe they can go back to being - not slow.

[warpfairy]

That is absolutely welcome and appreciated and encouraged.

[dream_me_up]

Lalita has not even begun to run out of fun new things to try.

[warpfairy]

He has a willing experimental partner!

[dream_me_up]

He's not exactly taking detailed lab notes on their successes, but he does have a very good memory. And of course successful experiments should be repeated. For science. The science of fun.

[warpfairy]

They have all the time in the - well, not all the time in the world, but all the time in a week!

[dream_me_up]

They do have all the time in the week. Except for the parts they might spend sleeping, or eating, or grooming themselves.

Lalita does not plan to spend very much time doing those things.

[warpfairy]

Neither does Isabella. Insofar as "plan" is even the word. Her father's species evolved in a desert; she can do without much intake of anything over the course of a week, whether "anything" is a stand-in for "sleep" or "water" or "food". Over this amount of time those needs just aren't going to be competitive with the main one.