19134/Special Delivery: New Themyscira

Special Delivery: New Themyscira
Date of Scene:	22 September 2024
Location:	The Interceptor
Synopsis:	Carol convinces Hal to help her ferry another load of supplies to New Themyscira in the Interceptor.
Cast of Characters:	Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan

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Carol Ferris has posed:
Nearly three weeks ago, Ferris Aircraft announced Carol's latest charity organization, Humanitarian Efforts And Rebuilding Through the Stars (H.E.A.R.T.S.). And ever since -- as if she didn't have enough going on with personally helping on New Themyscira and helping reconnect the Silver Surfer with his love interest in hopes of saving the world -- Carol's been trying to balance publicity for the charity with keeping a billion-dollar defense contractor afloat and time with Hal. When he can spare it.

That time, most recently, ends up being stolen moments here or there. Today, it's on the Interceptor, hauling the most recent load of supplies collected by H.E.A.R.T.S. out to the refugees on New Themyscira.

"Thank you, again, for being willing to do this," Carol tells the green-clad man as she leans over his seat in the cockpit to give him a kiss on the cheek, her violet eyes glowing with warmth. "I know there are other uses for the fastest ship in the galaxy, not to mention the Corps' most talented Green Lantern, but the refugees and the Star Sapphires all appreciate everything you're doing to help."

A gloved hand settles fondly on his shoulder, still lingering close behind him as she watches him get them to a point where autopilot can take over.

Hal Jordan has posed:
These are undeniably busy days for them both. And understandably so. While the looming threat of Galactus has not yet arrived on Earth's doorstep, everyone involved understands that at this point it seems to be only a matter of when, not if, it occurs.

And while Galactus himself might not have arrived on Earth, he does seem to have unleashed his Heralds to foreshadow his arrival, more and more of them seeming to pop out of the woodwork. Whether it is a matter of trying to crush any resistance that might be offered by them ahead of time or prepping the planet for the Devourer's arrival almost doesn't matter. The effects are the same.

While that threat might be ever present in the background, Hal Jordan for one has long since come to the realization that sometimes all you can do is carry on, even in the face of disaster. The world does not simply stop because it might end altogether sometime in the nebulous future. There are still other battles to be fought, other good causes to be championed.

While there is no shortgage of things that he admires about his lady love, surely one of the biggest would be her capacity to dive into things like the H.E.A.R.T.S. charity, get it organized and off the ground so quickly. It never ceases to amazing him just what she is capable when she puts her mind to it. And this is no different. "Of course. I had the time, and it was a chance to have you all to myself," Hal says, flashing a grin her way as he tilts his head back, catching a glimpse of her, breath catching for just a moment as it always seems to. Time hasn't dimmed that reaction in the least.

It only takes a few more moments until the sleek Green Lantern craft reaches the jump coordinates, the view of the cockpit suddenly seeming to lurch forward, the stars in the sky suddenly becoming streaks of light as the craft leaps towards its ultimate destination.

"There," he says with a certain smug satisfaction. "For the next few hours you're pretty much trapped with me darlin'," he teases flipantly.

Carol Ferris has posed:
"Oh. No. Whatever will I do."

While the words may be flat and robotic, the light in Carol's eyes is no dimmer for it. She still looks down at that man with the same violet glow of appreciation and adoration, and though she might try to hide the smile on her lips or even replace it with some feigned worry, she can't quite stop the faint curl at the corners of her mouth. The wicked little flicker of her gaze from Hal's eyes, down across the lantern on his chest and back up again.

"Then again..."

She leans ever closer, the sleek black of her hair brushing against his cheek, her mouth so close to his ear that her lips brush against the upper lobe and her breath is like a warm, moist caress.

"Maybe _you_ are trapped with _me_."

Eyebrows lift ever so slightly in challenge when she draws back just enough to meet his gaze, holding just long enough to turn before he can get hold of her -- if he tries -- and make her way towards the back of the ship. She spent most of her time on the Interceptor in the crew lounge. Working. It wasn't that she didn't share Hal's love for flying, but between this being his ship, his responsibility, and not as a general rule hating the ability to be able to accomplish two things at once, Carol rarely nudged him for a chance to drive.

But also, alone on a space ship, hurtling through space faster than the speed of light, why not take a moment to be a little playful? After all, how many moments like this did they really get?

Not nearly enough.

And so there's the sound of her laughter as she retreats from the cockpit, the echo through the metal corridor taunting him to follow.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Really, is it any wonder that he adores this woman?

Hal loves flying through the stars. While the passing of Abin Sur's Green Lantern ring from that noble hero of the Corps to himself was a grave legacy and responsibility, he would just be flat out lying if he said that it wasn't also something that he enjoyed too. Flying through the void of space is a rush that he never really imagined that he would get to experience and it isn't something that he would give up for almost anything.

That he now has the Interceptor as well at his disposal, that he can do so in a cockpit, probably the place that he feels most at home -- well, at least before he moved in with Carol at any rate -- is just icing on the cake.

That the Interceptor also means that it is a whole lot easier and more comfortable to make these sorts of ventures with Carol right along side of him, well, that would have to be the elaborate little icing flowers then, right? The bonus, bonus icing on the cake.

While he might love the cockpit, while he could stay up here and watch those stars streak past through the viewport, with the autopilot engaged it isn't really flying any more. He's a passenger and while that is not necessarily a bad thing, it does make the idea of staying up here a whole lot less enticing then the possibilities that the raven-haired beauty presents.

So Hal makes a show of grabbing for her, not at all disappointed when she manages to elude his grasp, when she makes her way deeper into the rear of the ship instead, out of that seat in a flash as he chases after her down that corridor that leads to the lounge and the greater comforts the Interceptor offers it's crew and passengers.

"I guess we'll just have to see who's trapped in with who," he counters lightly. "Of course, not matter which of is right, I have a sneaking suspicion that we're both going to win," he points out, feet leaving the ground to speed that chase.

Sometimes it's really, really good to have a power ring.

Carol Ferris has posed:
The heels of Carol's thigh-high violet boots thunk-thunk-thunk down the metal deck plates, long legs carrying her swiftly (though not nearly as swiftly as the burst of green energy propels Hal after her).

Oh sure. She has her own power ring. They could turn this cute little chase into an all-out grudge match, and there had been a time in their lives when that fight wouldn't have been in playful fun. There had been a time between them when that chase was truly violent, when Carol was quite literally out of her mind, and one of the two of them could have ended up seriously injured or dead.

A dead Green Lantern and a mourning Carol Ferris free of attachment to rule over the Zamarons had been the Star Sapphire Gem's goal, after all. Lucky for her sanity, thanks to the Zamarons wiping her memory between each failed attempt, Carol only remembered a fraction of the times she tried (and failed) to murder the man she loved. She remembered just enough about the entire experience to appreciate how truly awful it was, how much she loved Hal for handling her the way he did, for saving her from that violent cycle, and that she never wanted to lose herself like that again.

It was for that reason that she resisted using her ring's power of mind manipulation. There were exceptions in dire circumstances, but using love's power to brainwash someone was something she took very seriously.

Running from Hal, now, though? That was not something she took very seriously. If she did, she wouldn't have looked over her shoulder just in time to see him bearing down on her, airborne. She let out a squeal of surprise, twisting to face him fully just in time to get her arms around his neck so he could sweep her up mid-flight, a broad, warm smile in her lips.

It's almost like she wasn't even _trying_ to get away.

"Somehow, I think you're right," she mutters in a soft laugh, leaning up to capture his lips with hers, her eyes sinking closed.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Theirs is a complicated love story in many, many ways. Maybe that is inevitable when you start adding little blue space men -- and tall bluish space women -- to the mix.

Not that it was all smooth sailing before the Green Lanterns and Star Sapphires entered their lives of course. But then most of their problems could mostly be laid at the feet of Hal's relative immaturity. Or at least some of the lingering issues that surely resulted from losing his dad at such a young age.

But mostly the immaturity thing, probably.

They have certainly come a long way since those days. Since the fierce battles pitting Green Will against Violet Love. From battles on Earth itself to out amongst the stars. There are so many ways it all could have gone wrong. So many times that their great romance could have turned into a tragedy. Had she ever succeeded in the Zamoran's intentions. Had he lost faith that she could indeed return to herself, to be the Carol that he remembered. The one that he still loved.

And yet they're both here and both still very much standing tall. Finding a way to bridge that gap between their respective duties, their respective responsibilities and the life they want. With each other. It's pretty impressive really.

Not that those responsibilities are going away anytime soon. Indeed, it would seem that they are very determined to just continue to pile up, higher and higher. Dealing with Galactus and his Heralds. Dealing with the refugees on New Themyscira. Her new charity. All of their previous duties and obligations as well.

And nagging at the back of Hal's mind is well is the fact that in all this chaos, all this confusion, in the hustling from threat to threat is the fact that he hasn't heard from Sinestro since he stormed out on the Guardians. That's not like the man. He might be considered the greatest of the Green Lanterns today, but these are troubled times.

Still, for a moment at least all of those troubles, all of those responsibilities can fall away. With his aerial advantage -- which she has quite generously allowed -- it isn't hard to close that gap with her, to swoop down on her as they reach that lounge, scooping her up into his arms as they slowly rotate there, in midair, the artificial gravity onboard the ship irrelevant as they simply entwine there, hovering in the middle of the cabin.

"It doesn't happen often, but every now and then I can really call one..." he agrees, murmured words wry and quickly cut off as lips find hers, sinking into that kiss as if there is nowhere else in the universe he would want to be at the moment.

Because there isn't.

"So, what do you say pretty lady?" Hal asks when he finally leans back a little. "Feel like making my night?"