Strangers In the Night - Part II

Posted on Sun Jul 20, 2025 @ 3:42am by Civilian Mathias McPhee & Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca

1,414 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Time After Time
Location: Pangaea

[PREVIOUSLY]

"I do love folk dancing, and dancing to just celebrate life and the surroundings. I dance to the sound of the wind in the trees or the music of the sea when it caresses the shore. Or even at times the song that the stars sing to the moon." A carefree smile appeared, "Shadow dancing is fun as well."

[CONTINUED]


"I don't dance in shadow, but I like dancing in the moonlight, and to welcome both the dawn and dusk." She laughed, the sound almost bell-like. "I also like to dance in the sun. So, I guess I should say I like dancing in nature. Or sometimes when I'm alone." Bri laughed again. "I sound so capricious. I'm sorry."

"I like capricious. No need to apologize. I have been told I was like that, and rather eccentric." Mathias looked up towards the moon, and smiled. "There is the moon and it is shining down upon us. Care to dance?" Mathias rising up gracefully and holding out his hand towards Brianthe.

She hesitated, unsure of this stranger, but then she decided it was just a dance and put her hand in his.

His hand was warm, not sweaty. His fingers closed gently, not to crush. Mathias gave a smile, then turned his face towards the white leaves of the trees as if waiting for something, there it was. The sound of the wind as it rustled the leaves, a faint call of a nightbird calling towards the stars, from somewhere, a cricket began to chirp rhythmically. Nature was providing the music. Mathias gave a smile and began leading Brianthe into a dance.

He was a good dancer. And, if she listened, Brianthe could almost hear the faint sound of music playing on the breeze.

It wasn't long before fireflies joined in the dance, their lights all aglow, bathing the area with a magical light. Mathias smiled, enjoying the dance with Brianthe, the graceful way she moved, poetry in motion, the light of the moon and the fireflies, gave Brianthe an unworldly beauty. He had to be careful, otherwise he'd fall under her enchantment. Just the lift of her chin, the touch of her hand in his. He will need to sketch this vivacious woman when he got back to his quarters.

The night reminded her of ones back home, when the night was still and the air filled with magic. "I've never seen fireflies behave this way before."

"The magic of nature and perhaps the time of night." though Mathias had this happen before, when he was back home. "There was a night such as this, when I was back home, and the fireflies decided to put on a show. Some say it was perhaps the fae, sending a greeting to those who ventured into the magical hour."

"I put it down to the magic of Pangaea. Sometimes things like this happen for no apparent reason." Brianthe had only seen a few odd things in her time on the planet, but she knew it was likely.

"Would this mean I am welcome here?" Mathias asked. As the dance had concluded, giving Brianthe a gentle smile. "I would like to see the garden in the daylight. If I am allowed to do so."

"If I'm here, yes. I do have to spend time on the station, but if I'm here, you would be welcome." She didn't like people in her garden when she was away, simply because she didn't want people to think they could come and go as they wished, but she thought she could trust Mathias.

"Now, I do have a strange question for you. How do I get back to the shuttle landing pad to get back up to the station unless I can camp out somewhere." he was curious as to the pathway he had been shown. He hadn't been shown how to make the return trip back. "I believe that Pangaea showed me the way to get here, but which way to go from here? I followed the way of the fae to get here."

"You followed the way of the fae?" she asked, wondering if she heard him correctly. "Are you part fae?"

"It’s something that I haven't registered in Starfleet records. I am indeed, and I'd like to keep that quiet." Mathias drew in a breath holding it for a moment or two. He wasn't certain how Brianthe was going to take his piece of information, when he had hinted as to something like this, it was brushed off as being an eccentricity of his. "Sometimes my eyes have a slight glint of green to them, an emerald green." He moved back to the trees and sat down upon his cloak, leaning back against the trunk of the white tree. He stretched out his legs, closing his eyes for a moment, not to fall asleep but to collect himself. "It is so peaceful and restful." he murmured softly.

"That's because this was a fae world," Brianthe said. "One of the men on the station is also part fae. Alanna knows more about it than I do."

" I will have to meet him, sometime." Mathias opened his eyes, and looked up towards the enchanting woman he had danced with. "Milady, if I may be so bold, may I take you to dinner sometime? "

That made her pause. After Ace, she was hesitant to accept any invitation, but he seemed nice enough. "Okay." They were back at Bag End now. "The shuttle port is south and east of here. You will probably notice the lights in the distance. You can get a shuttle back to the station from there." Alanna was out in her own shuttle, or Bri would ask her for a ride.

"Thank you and thank you for the dance. Mathias responded, "I am looking forward to sharing a meal with you and hearing about the plants you have come across. And also, more about you in what you like to do. And I will share things about me as well.” A soft smile. "I wonder if the station has a place where I can put up a puppet show performance and magic show for children both young and old."

"There's plenty of room in the Square Mile. I don't know what space is available, but I'm sure there's something." Brianthe hadn't been to the Promenade in a while, but she was pretty sure there were spaces available.

"Will you be heading up to the station? And I also would like to know how I would contact you as well." Mathias patted his pocket, then pulled out a small pad of paper and pencil, to write something down. "While I do have a PADD, at times I do like to use paper to leave messages. Or to sketch something. Here is my contact information though." writing it down on the paper and tearing it out of his little pad. He handed it to Brianthe "Here you go."

She took the paper, but she didn't have a way to write anything for him in return. "I can be contacted here at Bag End, or on the station. I go between both."

Mathias looked like he was ready to head towards the shuttle area, then paused. "Milady, may I have your contact information? Silly me, I haven't asked that from you." Mathias holding out his notepad and pencil, towards Brianthe. "And I don't know your name."

She paused, surprised. "I didn't? I'm so sorry. I'm Brianthe. Brianthe Oaxaca." She wrote it on the notepad, then added her contact information on the planet and the station, then handed it back.

A smile appeared, "Thank you, Brianthe, you have a beautiful name." Mathias responded. "Are you headed up to the station? Or are you going to be staying here for a little bit longer?"

"I'll be going back some time tomorrow, but I still have a few things to do here first." She needed to help Paula with new plans for the arboretum. "I'll let you know when I arrive on the station."

"Sounds lovely. Until then." Mathias gave a courtly bow and turned towards the landing pad for the shuttles. He looked back over his shoulder towards Brianthe, having a brilliant smile. He faced the direction he needed to go, whisperng quietly to the unseen guides. "Thank you for this, it is restoring me."


A post by

Mathias McPhee
Civilian
DS5

Lieutenant JG Brianthe Oaxaca
Botanist
Deep Space 5

 

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