To the Fair! (Kyle & Lisa)

[Vasilisa Belmont]

[Commander Kyle Brigg's Personal Quarters]

A new ship, a new holodeck program. Lisa had taken up a good portion of her spare time working up this program to be a place for her and Kyle to escape to now that they were once again on the same ship. She missed the changing of the seasons on Earth, especially in her hometown of Boston. Now, the only way to get changing weather patterns through precipitation and changing foliage was through technology. Lisa didn't always, but sometimes she looked at the stardate and imagined what was going on on Earth. Holidays of course were usually celebrated onboard, but the little things like the peak of the color season in Autumn or the first snowfall of winter didn't exist. She decided that this time she'd create that major season of change and combine it with all her favorite things to do during that time. It should go perfectly.

She put on some long pants and an oversized sweater, finishing off the look with a soft burnt orange beanie. It was one of the first times she'd worn a casual outfit since joining the Discovery crew, and she was happy to be wearing something comfy for once. Their quarters were on different levels this time, so Lisa took a short turbolift trip to Kyle's rooms. They hadn't configured the door's settings to admit her inside yet, so she gave it a chime and waited for him to appear.

[Kyle Briggs]

[Briggs Quarters]

Kyle had gotten settled in on the Discovery and he and Lisa were finally getting a chance to go out. It had been a while since their last "outing" to Ireland and he was excited to see her outside of work again. He had gotten back to his quarters and found himself in front of the mirror several times. He'd turned his head from side to side and couldn't help but to notice the grey in his beard. He wondered what Lisa would think if he shaved it all off. He was eleven years older than her but she never once seemed to worry about the age difference or his they grey he was sporting as of late.

He finished his shower and then put on the clothes he had laid out. She didn't tell him where they were going but she did inform him that he would need to dress for an Earth's Fall like day. He threw on some jeans and a grey sweater over a black t shirt.

He had just poured two glasses of wine when his door chimed and alerted him to Lisa's presence on the other side.

"Dammit." he muttered. He'd forgotten to fix the access codes to allow her free entrance. Again. Some Security Chief he was.

He walked over and keyed the doors open.

"Hey there, Beautiful." he said as she stepped in. "Gimme a second to fix this." he added as he reached for the key pad next to the door. He turned back to face her a few seconds later. "There we go. Access to come and go as you please." he said as he stepped forward, took her into his arms and bent down so that their lips met. "Do we have time for a glass of wine?" he asked after they parted.

[Vasilisa Belmont]

[Kyle Brigg's Quarters]

Lisa smiled as Kyle embraced her, and returned the kiss tenderly.

"Of course we have time," she answered, then looked around and sat on a nearby couch, making herself at home. Although she was excited to get to the holo, this intimate time before they went off to do whatever their imaginations had planned was even more special to her. Besides, they had some catching up to do.

"So, anything crazy happen while I was gone?" she asked as Kyle came over with the wine.

[Kyle Briggs]

"Not too much." Kyle replied as he passed her a glass. "We've gone through several XOs. I got a few messages from Elijah. He's doing great back on Earth. Other than that, it's just all been the norm. What about you. What did you do during your LOA?" he asked.

He took a seat and turned to face her as he awaited an reply.

[Vasilisa Belmont]

Lisa listened to Kyle's recap, typical things about job and family. Since that was all that had changed for her as well, she responded in kind.

"I went to a few conferences Starfleet sent me on, then in the middle of one I got a message from my dad. My mom had a bit of a health scare thanks to a particularly aggressive cancer, but she's alright now. It was hard going for awhile, but she's tough. I picked up slack at the clinic while my dad took time to support her. Once the cancer was eliminated I got bored again and came back. Honestly didn't think I'd be seeing you here though," she chuckled softly, touching her hand to his for a moment.

[Kyle Briggs]

Kyle sat by and quietly listened as Lisa recapped her time away. "Wow. I'm glad to here your mom made it through okay."

He took a drink of his wine before speaking again. "So. Do I get a clue as to where we're going this time?" he asked.

[Vasilisa Belmont]

Lisa took another drink as well before responding.

"Hmm...to a place that feels magical, with all the best things about Autumn." She set down her glass and laughed. "If you remember, I'm a hopeless romantic. Thank God I have the use of a holodeck to satiate that need." She squeezed his hand gently. "I always try to have a holo program ready for when we're reunited." The best ideas she could come up with for having a memorable time went into her holodeck programs, now that she had a constant person to go on adventures with.

"are we ready to go?" she asked after draining the last of her wine.

When he answered yes, she walked with him to the holodeck and they went inside.

[Holodeck 1]

It was just before twilight; the last few beams of sunlight were bouncing off the bare branches of the trees. Everywhere colors of stark black, deep purple, fiery orange, and shiny gold fought over their attention as the scene was a sensory feast to behold. A pumpkin patch located next to a spooky dark forest was in one quadrant, a fair with attractions and tasty treats right next door. A library with several floors and plenty of comfy seats. Apple trees, a coffee shop, and a cottage with a soft glow coming from inside. This and so much more was what greeted them as the pair came in and the door disappeared behind them. The first thing they heard was the tinny sound of carousel music, accompanied by the smells of caramel and popcorn salt.

[Kyle Briggs]

Holodeck 1

Kyle and Lisa had finished their wine and walked hand in hand to the holodeck. Kyle found that he was getting more and more excited with each step. Lisa always out did herself with their dates and when the doors opened, he immediately knew that he wouldn't be disappointed this time either.

They walked into a beautiful Fall festival complete with a carnival.

"Honey, this is beautiful." he told her as he pulled her body tight against his own. "Is it from your home?"

[Vasilisa Belmont]

As they walked into her Autumn wonderland, Lisa watched as Kyle took in everything and his expressions were priceless. She had hoped he would at least be somewhat interested in what she had to share. In her experience, guys would either be mildly amused, or simply playing along because they know it makes their girl happy. Kyle at least appeared to be engrossed, so either he was a really good actor, or they were just into similar things.

She beamed and squeezed him tight as he embraced her.

"Oh, I really wish this could be from home! But no, it's entirely made up. It's all the things I love about Autumn, conveniently located in one place," she kissed him lightly on the cheek,"and now I get to share it with you."

She took his hand in hers and stuck close to his side as she led him down a hill, heart fluttering as a crisp breeze flew through her hair. "Ordinarily I'd let you choose the first activity, but in this case we do have one thing that needs to be done first."

At the bottom of the hill each area of interest was in their own little spot, and just like every good amusement park, as soon as you entered the location of one activity the rest would seem to disappear from view, immersing you in the world of that spectacle. The woods were at a perfect twilight now with just enough light to see everything while still maintaining an air of spookiness. Coming up to the edge of the tall, leaning trunks, Lisa caught sight of the person she was looking for and waved.

"Hello there! I love your woods. I've heard that you're the man to go to for bird handling, and I wondered if you had any birds of prey to show my boyfriend and I?"

The man walked up with a smile lighting up his weathered face. Dressed in warm, heavy work clothes and wearing worn but sturdy gloves, he looked every bit like a man who loved his job.

"Well sure, I believe I have a few here that may tickle your fancy," he answered amiably. In the next moments he uttered an assortment of whistles and clicks, even pulling out a high-pitched whistle and giving it a toot. At once a group of three spectacular avian creatures flew in, two of them landing on nearby perches and the gorgeous raven landing on the man's outstretched hand.

"Each of you needs to grab a pair of gloves," he motioned to said articles nestled inside a hollow tree- "There's nothing living in there, I swear on my dear mother's soul-" he chuckled, "and choose which one you want to handle first."

Lisa could hardly contain her excitement as she went over to the tree.

"You get first pick," she told Kyle as she pulled the gloves on.

[Kyle Briggs]

"This is really cool!" Kyle said excitedly as he retrieved the glove and pulled them on. "I think I'll go with the owl." he continued with a nod toward the majestic creature.

He didn't know if Lisa could tell but he really was excited. Of all the things in the universe to do he had never actually gone....what would you call it?...Bird handling?....Any how. He couldn't wait to do it. He was now wondering what they would get to do with their new feathered friends. Surely they would get to do that whole thing where they held out food and the bird flew by and snatched it up. That would be awesome.

He stepped back away from the tree with his gloves on. "Ready. What's next?" he inquired.

[Vasilisa Belmont]

Lisa honestly had no idea which bird Kyle would choose, and when it turned out to be the owl she couldn't blame him. The Barred owl and its hauntingly dark eyes was very impressive. That left her with the raven and falcon, and she took a moment to pick one. The raven emitted a pleasant clicking noise from their guide's hand, almost like it was asking to be chosen. She gave a quick thought to the Edgar Allan Poe poem, and a thrilling shiver passed through her. This was pretty darn amazing.

"The raven," she nodded to the bird handler, indicating for him to proceed.

"Right then, this here's Minerva. She's very friendly, to me at least. We'll see how you two get along," he gave a wink. "I'm going to let her take a lap, then you'll get to give her her favorite snack." Immediately, a cooler appeared by his side full of said "delicacies." The handler let out a strange squawk, and the owl's strong wings spread as she took off from the perch. The trio gazed at the shadow of the creature as it flew through the sun-kissed trees, letting out a series of rich baritone hoots. It was truly beautiful. Another few minutes and the owl completed the circle, closing it with a graceful return to their spot. The handler had passed the raven off to the empty perch, and he accepted Minerva as she landed.

"Alright, Kyle. Pick out a tasty mouse from the cooler and step back a few feet. If you're brave, toss the morsel in the air. She likes it if you give her a bit of a challenge."

When it was Lisa's turn, the handler told her to hold out her arm. He took out another whistle, not too different from a duck call. When he let out a few low calls in quick succession, the raven glided over and landed on Lisa's outstretched hand. It nodded its head an gave a few happy calls.

"Good! She likes you. Her name is Morrigan."

He gave her a handful of berries for the bird to munch on before she took her flight, every bit as astounding as Minerva's and complete with wonks and unearthly shrieks.

They both got to handle all three birds, feeding them and catching them as they landed. They even got to watch the falcon, Merlin, catch some live prey. The little but mighty bird sprung from its perch and scooped up a large moth. All of it was awesome, and Lisa was so pleased it had gone even better than she imagined.

They knew their fun was over when the sun dipped below the tops of the trees and they could barely see their hands in front of their faces because of the dense tree branches. But there was so much more left to explore. After thanking the bird handler, they walked out of the woods to see the other locations lighting up the night sky. They had the pumpkin patch, carnival, library, coffee shop, and the cottage left to go.

"Okay, now it's anything goes. Where to next?" she asked Kyle as she looked at him with anticipation.

[Kyle Briggs]

Kyle had watched and taken in every minute of their time with the birds. They were all just so majestic. He couldn't think of any other way to describe them. He was glad Lisa had taken the time to write this program. The evening had started off amazingly.

When she told him the next choice was up to him, he looked back at the way they had come from and tried to remember everything he had seen. "How about we hit the cafe for a couple of warm drinks and we take them with us for a walk down that little path in the woods?" he asked. "It looks like a nice place for some quiet, alone time." he added the a wink.

[Vasilisa Belmont]

Lisa passed her gaze from one location to the next, setting on the building with a long awning for outdoor seating. The setting of their next stop. She was happy he'd chosen somewhere that involved warm drinks. When the sun went down the temperature dropped along with it.

Let's go," she broke into a long stride in order to get there faster. There were a few people sitting at the tables, playing cards and making small talk. They walked up to the counter and got a peek inside to see the shiny espresso machines, boxes of aromatic teas and spices, and charming cafÁ© mugs.

"I will have a caramel cappuccino, and whatever he's having," she motioned to Kyle. When he ordered and they received their drinks she stepped back from the counter.

"Hmm...if we go to the woods it will be too dark to see, well, anything." She gave an exaggerated pause, then snapped her fingers. "I think I have a solution. Follow me," she linked his arm with hers, trying to keep an overexcited smile from bursting forth.

When they reached the edge of the wood, she requested he hold her drink a minute. Then, she clapped her hands three times. At once, a magic seemed to come over the forest as a multitude of dancing lights blinked to life and illuminated the natural colors that surrounded them.

"That's better," she said as she retrieved her drink and began their stroll. "So, what should we talk about?"

[Kyle Briggs]

Kyle had to tighten his grip on his white chocolate mocha as Lisa excitedly pulled him toward the edge of the woods. He wasn't sure what she had in mind but her excitement made him excited to see what ever it was. He allowed a small to creep across his face when she clapped her hands and lit up their path way. They hooked arms and began walking.

"Let's start with your brilliant holodeck programming skills." he said. "This has easily got to be my favorite of everything we've ever done. It's beautiful, serene, quiet. It's just the perfect place to spend time with you." He pulled her close with a hand around her waist. "I could stay here with you forever."

[Vasilisa Belmont]

Lisa's face, illuminated by the warm glow of the dancing lights around them, took on a shade of pink as she received his compliment. It had taken a long time to make. She wasn't going to tell Kyle right now, but she had actually started designing and programming it before she'd even met him. This was her sanctuary, and it just so happened that it turned out to also be the best place to take the person she loved more than anything.

As he pulled her closer and uttered the next words, she couldn't help letting out a contented sigh.

"If only we could," she laughed softly. The trees rustled as a gust of wind flew past, bringing with it the smell of woodsmoke and fallen leaves.

"I know I designed everything in this place, but I still can't help thinking a will-o'-the-wisp or one of the fairy people will appear and take me away," her eyes lit up at the notion, almost losing herself in the fantasy for a moment. One of the dancing lights swayed toward them and rested on Kyle's shoulder, twinkling like a firefly. "Did you have any favorite fairytales or folklore growing up?" she asked, breaking out of her reverie and continuing their stroll.