The future is unwritten, but I'm a writer! [Kalyn]

[Claire Dantes]

Claire had put certain ideas into motion long before she'd suggested to Kalyn that they have a picnic out at the wildlife park where they'd gone for the first date that she had arranged. None were easy to do on under her girlfriend-spy's watchful eye, but that was what had made it even more meaningful; Claire had had to work for this.

Dressed in a plain tee with a jacket over it and a pair of skinny leg jeans, Claire packed the last of the picnic basket with food and wine, then slipped the surprise in too. She plucked the basket off the table and went out to the living room. Kalyn was nowhere to be seen!

"Kay... lovey... are you still figuring out what to wear? I'm all ready!" she called out.

[Kalyn Nystrom]

"Almost done!" she called out from the refresher, just touching up her make-up. As pale as her features had become, Kalyn did like to give some definitions to her cheeks when possible. Once satisfied with her appearance, she put on the light grey jacket over her turtleneck and white slacks. She slipped into boots and grabbed her scarf.

"Well don't you look delicious," she purred, kissing Claire softly. "Part of me rather stay here and enjoy you for lunch, my dear. But considering this is in honor of our first date together, I can always have you for dessert like last time."

The immediate attraction couldn't be denied that day at all and Kalyn was all for recreating it. Tucking her scarf snugly around her neck, she winked at her mate. "Shall we?"

[Claire Dantes]

Only my girl would wear white pants to a picnic, Claire thought with private amusement. She looked stunning, though, and her heart beat faster.

"You look... incredible enough to make a writer lose her words," she said with a chuckle as the kiss ended. "I'm such a lucky gal."

Offering Kay her free hand, she led her toward the door.

"At least this time, I'm the one who is on time and not worrying that you are seriously offended by my tardiness," she commented. "Gods, you'd scared the dren out of me that day!"

[Kalyn Nystrom]

"No. I am." She countered. "Everything happens for a reason and I was called home to not only be by my sister's side as she healed, but to find you."

Taking Claire's hand, she squeezed it as they headed out, laughing. "You were horrified! And even now, I take delicious delight in knowing that. I can't help it, Claire. You bring out the devil in me."

[Claire Dantes]

Claire squeezed back. While she wasn't at all happy with the fact that Nikole had been shot, she was definitely grateful the incident had brought Kalyn home. Her heart beat faster, just thinking of the moment that they'd met and how she'd felt.

Like I'd found the other half of my soul... I'd just had no idea how true it was at the time!

"I was horrified!" she laughed. "Well, your devil is one sexy lady... so I suppose I've no choice but to keep provoking her."

Claire leaned in for a quick kiss as the 'lift arrived.

[Kalyn Nystrom]

Moaned into the kiss, breaking it with a smile as the lift doors opened. "Please do. I promise that provoking the beast inside me will only lead to satisfying consequences."

Winks before tugging Claire inside the lift, hitting the panel to take them down to the parking garage.

[Claire Dantes]

Kalyn referring to it as "provoking the beast" made her think of what her made was like when she was primal and Claire flushed, laughing with delight.

"Noted. I will surely... you know... keep that in mind!"

She grinned at her as the 'lift hurried them down to the garage. Claire grabbed her hand as they exited, walking briskly to the 'speeder.

[Kalyn Nystrom]

Claire was certainly in a good mood, it just resonated off of her, brightening her own mood as well when she stepped into the speeder. When they were well on their way, Kalyn leaned over and kisses Claire on the cheek. "What spurred this moment on? Going to the park. It's not any sort of anniversary or special events at the park."

Starts reaching for the basket in the back of the speeder to peek. "What have you got planned? Hopefully not my demise with a blaster..." she chuckled.

[Claire Dantes]

"No, no. I'd be far more devious. Poisoned flask or something like that."

Claire laughed a bad-holodrama-badguy-laugh and smirked at Kalyn. She reached over to squeeze her thigh hard to - hopefully - distract her from the basket.

"Just a picnic. Doesn't have to be a special occasion to treat my favorite girl nicely, does it?"

She said it lightly, though her heard was pounding with anticipation. Of course, Kay would feel that in their Morellian bond, but that was okay.

[Kalyn Nystrom]

Distraction worked, causing Kalyn to focus her attentions on Claire and the hand that was squeezing her thigh. "Favorite girl? I'm your only girl," she teased, purring as her fingertips teased the top of her mate's hand. "As you are mine. My mate who's eager for something, hmm?"

The nervousness that Kalyn felt through the bond had been misinterpretation as an all together different anticipation. Her words and actions and the desire it stirred in the Morellian's heart was making Kalyn think with only one body part ...

[Claire Dantes]

"Oh, you could say that...!" Claire replied in a sing-song voice that was mostly on-key.

Leaving her hand on her mate's thigh, she gunned the 'speeder through Ravelin's streets, whipping around slower traffic like a pro. Claire chuckled, always delighted to make Kalyn's pulse race with her mad driving skills. She sped like that all the way to the wooded park, flashing her pass as she then proceeded toward their spot.

Claire was excited to tell her girlfriend about one development, but nervous-in-a-hopeful-way about the second topic. She just hoped that both went well and that she could articulate her feelings on both clearly!

Coming to a halt, she reached again for the picnic basket first and carried it with her as she circled the 'speeder to open Kalyn's door for her.

"M'lady, let our picnic party begin!"

[Kalyn Nystrom]

She laughed mad with delight, heart pounding with the thrill of Claire tearing down the streets of Ravelin. Weaving in and out of traffic at a fast pace, narrowly making lights made the Morellian forget most of the internal despair she felt since returning home. With her mother unable to make a final decision of when, or if, she would return to Wild Space, made her soul ache for that inevitably...

"Picnic party?" Claire's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she climbed out of the speeder. "Party implies something to celebrate?" she teased.

[Claire Dantes]

"It just might...!" Claire said with a laugh.

Kalyn definitely knew something was up; that was obvious. But, Claire was tickled that she didn't seem to know what.

"C'mon!"

She led her out to "their spot" and threw the blanket out haphazardly. It didn't need to be perfect because they would surely ruffle it up! Setting down the picnic basket, Claire took Kalyn's hands in hers and guided her onto the pale hued covering. She joined her there, sitting on her legs.

"Lovey, I made a decision I want to tell you about," she said with sudden seriousness. "I've decided to go full-time at work and to focus on my code-breaking skills rather than my poetry."

[Kalyn Nystrom]

A plotting girlfriend Claire was. There was no mistaken this since Claire was guarded about what was in the picnic basket. But there was something deeper hidden that their bond was trying to alert Kalyn. Nothing dubious of course, but Claire was giddy and nervous! It was almost a general state of her beloved mate, but this was coming through loudly within the bond, especially how Claire tugged her along and set up quickly! She definitely wanted to speak up right away, reveal what was on her mind and as she joined her, Kalyn's expression became serious while Claire joined their hands.

Her heart almost stopped beating within her chest with how fiercely Claire had begun speaking, but Kalyn remained calm and open to hear what needed to be said by her mate.

"You ... wish to join the Empire on a permanent basis?" Kalyn couldn't have predicted this at all. Writing was all that Claire knew and loved. It what had brought them together.

"But perhaps that was the reason?" she whispered to herself, shaking away that thought. "What brought you to this conclusion, Claire?" Kalyn couldn't completely hide her disappointment in this decision. Even when separated, when the longing was so close to pulling Kalyn into despair, she felt a sense of normalcy with her mate. Spy and poet - not everything revolving around the Empire and her mother, Linnea.

[Claire Dantes]

Kalyn's reaction was not what Claire had expected, so she took a few mental steps backward to assess this. She'd expected Kalyn would be happy about this, and she didn't really seem to be.

"Well... not to sound too arrogant, I am good at it. Like, really good. I can crack a lot of the encrypted stuff without needing to run it through software. And just as quickly when I'm on a roll," Claire said. "And it's meaningful work."

Seeing Kalyn's expression still look cloudy, she hastened to say more.

"Poetry's important too. Art and beauty and everything. And, it's what brought us together," she acknowledged, smiling. "I'll still write. I'm not giving that up. I just feel it's time to do something else."