Someone to watch over me...

Hars Darax smiles to himself as he goes over, for the tenth time, what he has packed and placed out, for this little picnic of his. Hands in his pockets, he whistles lightly, eager to see her, but aware there is something in the back of his mind.

Idrissa.Senghor walks along to the spot, trying hard not to pick anything along the way. She can finally actually look at the place. She sees Hars and waves, pulling up her long skirt a bit to jog towards him.

Hars Darax turns as he hears someone walking, and a smile spreads the width of his face as he sees it is her, and he waves back to her, walking towards her, reaching out a hand in case she needs it, "Hello, Spring," he jokes

Idrissa.Senghor doesnt need it but takes his hand anyway. "Spring?" she asks. "That is not what my name means." she chukles to herself."But it is a beautiful day."

Hars Darax wants to pull her hand gently through his, but allows her to take the lead, "It's the best kind of day, rain fallin in the early mornin, sun breakin out over the blossoms later." He turns to point with his free hand, "we could sit over there, it's a bit of a walk."

Idrissa.Senghor smiles softly. "It is good growing weather, for sure." she agrees. "Lets go ..." she tightens her grip on his hand slightly. "Lead the way, Hars."

Hars Darax leads the way to the blanket he has placed by a small pond, "I made this area myself," he looks around at the rushes and bushes and flowers. It's near the ocean but set back a little to be out of the wind." He turns to look at the pond, her hand warm in his, and adds, without looking at her, "I haven't known you very long, but, I thought you would like this."

Idrissa.Senghor looks around the area and smiles at it. She looks at him. "You did? Oh its beautiful Hars." she smiles. "I do like it." she moves towards the blanket and then back at him. "I like it but you aren't giving it to me? Are you? I think I will have my own house, I hear. Bt I would live under this pretty tree is you wanted me to." she is half teasing ... and half not.

Hars Darax smiles and lets go of her hand as she moves towards the blanket he's set out. "I'm glad you like it," he laughs a little, "might get a little cold under that tree at night. I like the nighttime, even when it's stormy, it feels... calmer, somehow. Daylight can bring too many problems, and work," he jokes, sitting down on the blanket.

Idrissa.Senghor comes and sits with him. "I love the night as well." she agrees. "But it can be so dangerous. It feels safe here for a maiden to explore, which I have been." she grins. "DOn't tell my brother. He is ver progressive .. in many ways ...." she chuckles a bit, almost a giggle. "Just none of those ways involve me."

Hars Darax feels a little unsure about this brother she mentions. Taking an apple, he bites into it, crunching. It's sweet. After a minute he swallows, and says, "Despite what you say about it, at heart your brother must be a good man." He turns to look at her, "rough maybe, because he, and you, had to survive in a hard universe. I'm glad he watches over you," he says, "I'm glad you have him." He looks out towards the ocean, knowing there's more he'd like to say, but reminding himself to take his time.

Idrissa.Senghor nods. "Oh he is a wonderful man. But ... he is my twin. I tease him about it, but he has been protecting me .... forever. Taken beatings for me and everything. Even when we were very little children."She takes a bunch of grapes and grins at them, taking one and chewing ... swallowing she continues. "He always has ... He even stayed in the Alpha quadrant so he could be close to me. Then ... the worst happened and he had to leave me. Then I had to watch out for myself. And have done a good job, I think." she smiles. She turns and eyes him, eating another grape. "He will think that YOU are my guardian now. And he is right ... well .. you keep an eye on me here ..." she shrugs and eats a few more grapes looking into the reeds.

Hars Darax finishes his apple and tosses the core into the bushes. It's organic, it will feed the ground. Taking beatings for her? What the hell kind of life, he turns to look at her as he frowns, thinking of what she's been through. "I'm glad you're here, I don't like to think of you alone in the cosmos." As she mentions him being her guardian, he reaches out his hand towards hers, putting his on the blanket near hers, looking at her face, "I'd like to watch over you, and I will as long as you are here," he says softly in his warm voice, "but... you need to know some things."

Idrissa.Senghor brings her attention out of the reeds when he speaks. "I didnt liek the idea either, btu I had to leave Earth ...." she places her hand beside his and sort of hooks her thumb around his. She cants her head looking at him. "What things? I can also share." she volunteers ....

Hars Darax looks to her, "I seem to have, fallen into the habit of thinking of you when I wake up everyday," he confesses, "is it because you are here, and close to me? Is it because the way you feed everyone, including me, is so sweet," he smiles, looking down at their hands, "I'm not sure yet, but you need to know... I have had a pretty bad experience, which is why I am retired, and," he hestiates, feeling a sudden chill in the air, "Po... she saved me. In more ways than you might think."

Idrissa.Senghor listens to him. Lets him finish but does not move her hand. "You mentioned Po before." she says softly. "She is a wonderful person ... I ..." she bites her lip. "My brother and I have a ... connection .. even when we are not together. So i have probably seen Po ... through my brothers visions." she brushes her thumb against his. "She saved your body ... and your spirit, it seems like." she brushes thumb against thumb. "Perhaps once you thought of her every morning?" she pauses, still massaging his thumb with hers. "Perhaps you still do?" she whispers.

Hars Darax feels her touch. Sighing he says, "my ship was on a mission, and somehow this... entity was able to take over my crew and... we ended up doing some... terrible things. THe Spouwwqna made us put most of the crew in stasis pods... and then.. forced some of my crew to do experiements on their friends." His throat gets tight, "and I tried to stop them and," he goes very still, "they turned on me."

Idrissa.Senghor listens but doesnt even seem to stiffen at his memories. "They turned on you and ... that is how you got hurt? Are you retired because your body or because of your mind?" she considers. "I think we have all done horrible things...." she whispers, only stopping gthe thumb massage, to place her hand over his.

Hars Darax looks up at the sky, "probably both. I couldn't walk for awhile, they weren't sure if I ever would. But having them turn on me..." he shakes his head, "I know in my mind, it wasn't them. But, if in my heart I keep seeing the look on those faces... of anger and evil.. and I," he says nothing more for a moment, his jaw working

Idrissa.Senghor nods and massages his hand, not really thinking about it. "But they were truly good inside." she murmurs. "It would be much better if they were truly evil and you had to .... do what you needed to do. I know."

Hars Darax says on a breath, "I lost over half... my crew to those creatures." he rubs his free hand over his face, "I just couldn't go back, even if they said I could, I couldn't face that possibility again. Ever." He turns to her, "I'm not really that old, but I've left Starfleet and my career. I'm better in the garden, than on the bridge, now." He wants to play with her fingers.

Idrissa.Senghor listens. still sort of playing with his hand. "I understand that, completely." she tells him. She takes his hand and lifts it, putting her free hand under it, her palm against his. "You have to be where you feel safe. For you that is in a garden. And I must admit I am glad for that much. You make me feel safe. No one but SOuleymane has ever done that before. Certainly not my husband." she sighs deeply and looks at their hands.

Hars Darax smiles and looks to her, "I hope I haven't ruined our day with my gloomy story," he quips, but keeps his hand between hers, "thanks for listening, and understanding." After a moment he asks, "You were married?" He doesn't know why he's surprised... maybe she told him already but his mind has been so full of himself, he chuckles slightly at that, and then adds, "I'm glad you feel safe with me."

Idrissa.Senghor grins. "Believe it or not .. I've heard worse..." she begins before he goes on with his question. "I am a widow. Still a maiden." her head lifts in pride. "He ... drowned .. trying to consumate our union." she frowns. "My husband .... he knew I would never marry him willingly. So he found a way to get Souleymane off of Earth ... far enough away that we could not communicate .. through that wormhole as I understand it now. Then he set our tribe back centuries ... arranged our marriage ...." her voice is torn between anger and horror and .. something else. She swallows and leans forward. "After the wedding ... I told him that I wanted to become his in the water .... and then ..." she hesitates and takes out a gigantic part of the story .. "He drowned." she finishes that part. "I got on a ship as fast as I could. To DS9 to find SOuleymane .. he was all I had left." her voice is shaking a bit and she is blinking.

Hars Darax frowns as he listens to her tell the story of her marriage. Her voice trembled as she speaks and he reaches for her, wanting to comfort her, but not make her uncomfortable, he just holds out his arms and waits for her to decide. "How horrible for you."

Idrissa.Senghor allows the embrace ... wants it ..needs it. "I want it to be the end." she whispers. "I've fought ... for so long." she sighs and leans into him. "You are such a comfort." she looks at him, as if amazed. "Are you human? Or another race that just looks human?" she wonders as if this would explain how comfortable she feels aroundhim.

Hars Darax puts his face in the crook of her neck and blows softly, hoping to make her smile, and he says, "I'm all man, or what's left of'em after what he's been through, eh." He lifts his head and smiles to her, "that's enough of the past, eh, now is now and now is all we have, let it all go and be here, breathing the sea air and smelling the blossoms and the lovely scent of you too, all spicey and sweet. What's for supper?"

*

Much later, Hars awoke. Sun going down. Alone on the blanket, too. But she had been there. He could still feel her warmth, in his arms. They'd only chatted, well... shared both of them, about the past. And held each other for a while.  The sun had been warm in this sheltered bower, and lulled them to sleep after the pain of revealing their stories.

He winced as he stood up. "Ground don't make a good bed," he started to pack up the remnants of the picnic. Although part of him was elated to find this sweet girl interested in him, the serious part of him, the stiff and proper part of him, the old Starfleet Captain part of him, asked him what he was doing. 'What about Po,' said his conscience. It didn't feel right to be happy about Driss when he might make Po sad.

Not that they'd ever made any promise, or been anything more than good friends. But, when she was home and free, she was always there. He expected too, when he got inside, there'd be a message on his PADD from her.

He tossed the blanket over his shoulder and picked up the basket, limping slowly in the cool air, avoiding the horses as he went. "Smells like rain," he said out loud. One of them nickered and he tugged through the basket, locating an apple and tossing in onto the grass before turning and moving towards his wee house.

"Gotta talk to Po. When she's back home."

=^=