Shine In The Dark - A Private Lantern Corps RPG

[Minaarchangel]

"Anything will be better than hotdogs from a questionable stand," Carol teased him, smiling a bit.

After a moment of thought, she nodded and headed down the block, making sure the rest of them were following. She discussed the history of the Coast City downtown area, and explained that not all the little shops were stuffed full of lantern merchandise. Ceraphel listened, content to simply be walking with Sinestro's hand in her own as they walked through the throngs of people who noticed him, noticed her hair, but said very little about it. There were odd things happening all the time, and Ceraphel and Sinestro were just two more.

Carol took them to a tall building that had a restaurant at the very top of it, and a relaxed dress code when it was not Friday or Saturday night. She gave her name to the maître d, and he recognized her immediately. They were given a table with a view of the city, and Ceraphel could not help but stare out the windows until she watched the dessert cart go rolling past and she glanced at Carol.

"Can I get one of each of those?"

Laughing, Carol nodded, "Please get whatever you want. I'll call it a business dinner and write it off at work."

Menus were opened, and Ceraphel leaned over to look at Sinestro's, as if her own was not the same, and she was glad that she understood most of what was in the menu thanks to her ring. Most of it looked amazing, but it was just like the vacation they had taken on the tropical planet. They would have to be a little adventurous while still being comfortable. She also hoped that Sinestro would eat enough to do more than just take the edge off his hunger.

When the waiter arrived, Carol was prompt to order the Chilean sea bass, and nodded to everyone else for their orders. Ceraphel, still undecided, got something called beef wellington, hoping that it sounded as good as it seemed to from the description. She was not much of a red meat eater, but she was willing to give it a chance. When the waiter left, she looked at Carol.

"So this is the city where your company is?"

Carol nodded, "Ferris Air is based here in Coast City. We have production facilities, r and r, and air fields with storage for our projects. Right now we're working on a contract with NASA to launch a deep space satellite that will be able to return back to Earth on its own after collecting information."

[Lantern Thaal Sinestro]

Sinestro let her peek at his menu after they had settled down at the restaurant, though he knew hers probably had all the same information in it. He just liked to be close to her, even if there was no real need for it. When it came time to order, Sinestro let the women order first. Soranik was the last lady to pick her meal, and had decided on a very lovely looking salad. She wasn't big on eating meat, though she wouldn't call herself a vegetarian. She just knew how bad meat could be for a person. That didn't seem to stop Hal, though, who ordered the largest steak in the place. Sinestro, meanwhile, settled for a pork tenderloin- he had to admit that it looked pretty good.

With their orders in, Sinestro took a moment to look around the place. It seemed they might have been a little out of place their, but that was going to happen anywhere, he imagined. It wasn't like their skin tones screamed normal.

"Yeah!" Hal interjected, startling Sinestro out of his own in little world. It seemed they were discussing Carol's business, though he had to admit he had been looking around and hadn't been paying attention.

"We think it would be an awesome idea to show you around sometime," Hal hummed, "I think you guys would really enjoy a flight in one of the jets! And I just happen to know an ace pilot who could take you up there."

"But we fly with our rings every day," Sinestro remarked rather blandly, taking a sip of some water that had been provided. Hal only laughed him off.

"It's not the same! Being in a jet is the best feeling in the world. Your body experiences all kinds of forces that the ring doesn't let you feel! I know you've probably been in plenty of aircrafts before, but I'm not so sure about Soranik and Ceraphel."

"I would like to go," Soranik said lightly, "I think it sounds interesting."

"I'm not saying you can't go," replied Sinestro, leaning back in his seat, "perhaps I'll stay at the apartment that day and just rest. Or find a mission to do with my ring."

Soranik sighed and shook her head. Her father seemed to always be thinking about his work, regardless of the color he wore. Still, she hadn't seen him relax even once not that long ago. So seeing him there with them now was beyond anything she would have imagined possible.

"I don't know if you should be running off on missions so soon," she interjected quickly, "besides, this is a vacation. I know we're all giving room for work, but still. As your doctor, I think a little more time focused on relaxing would be better for you."

Sinestro didn't seem to like the comment, but any protest was interrupted by the arrival of their food. All the dishes looked amazing, from what soranik could see, and she wasted no time trying her food.

"Wow, human food is delicious!" She hummed merrily.

"You better believe it!" Laughed Hal, digging into his steak with little remorse. Sinestro, meanwhile, tried his dish a little more hesitantly, though he found he enjoyed the taste of it, too. He turned his head towards Ceraphel, offering her a bit of the tenderloin on his fork. "Would you like to taste?"

✘ ✘ ✘

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
✘ ✘ ✘

[Minaarchangel]

"I think I'd like to go too," Ceraphel said with a nod. "The only aircrafts I've been in were large space-ready ones. I've never been in one that would take you just across a planet."

Carol glanced at Sinestro, "I thought maybe you'd like to come terrorize my research and development department instead of going up in a jet with Hal. The fabricating machinery is hooked right up to the drafting computers, and provided you stay within the limited budget, I don't see why you couldn't create something while Hal's busy showing off."

She lifted an eyebrow and looked at the pilot in question, "And please keep in mind that you break it, you buy it, hot shot."

Ceraphel nodded in agreement with Soranik, "I don't think you should be going to work either. If someone needs us, your ring will let you know. Looking for work to do is against the idea of a working vacation. We're only going to work if it comes up, not because we go looking for it. Right?"

The food arrived at the table, and Ceraphel looked down at the plate set in front of her. It looked delicious and she needed a moment to decide how to start eating it, but it was simply breaking into the crust around the meat and cutting a slice and then cutting that as well to enjoy the intermingling tastes. It was also excellent, and she was glad that she had chosen that. She glanced over when Sinestro offered her a bite of his, and she nodded.

"Yes, please."

Ceraphel put the slice of his meal onto her plate before picking it up with her own fork and put it in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before nodding her approval of it. She preferred the meat she had instead, but she did like what he had chosen. Ceraphel cut off some of her own and slipped it onto his plate, so that he could try her meal as well. The beef was served with a mashed, white root vegetable that she enjoyed a great deal, and more steamed vegetables, which pleased her. It felt like the white one was rather starchy.

When they were nearly finished, Carol encouraged them to try things from the dessert cart, which delighted Ceraphel as if she were a child getting to pick something from the adult menu for the first time. When she had chosen some little tart overflowing with berries, she had amused the waiter so much that the chef had put extra dollops of whipped cream on top. She dug in immediately. Carol simply had sorbet as a palate cleaner after the sea bass. She also just gave her credit card to the waiter to run for the entire meal.

[Lantern Thaal Sinestro]

Sinestro frowned. The idea of making something was intriguing, though he wondered if he really wanted to help them advance their technology. Humans had a funny way of turning everything they made into a means of killing one another, and Sinestro wasn't sure he wanted to help out with that. Still, he couldn't deny the desire to build something- he really enjoyed whenever he got to make something. "Looks like you two really have put some thought into what we might enjoy doing," Sinestro commented.

Hal laughed. "Of course! So when would you guys like to head over?" He asked lightly, "might be a better view in the jet if we wait for tomorrow, though night skies are pretty night, too."

"Tomorrow sounds good to me," Soranik hummed, "I think we've had more than enough for one day- all that walking around has tired me out a bit." She looked over at her father, who simply nodded along. It didn't seem as though he really cared what they decided on, and would come along regardless.

Good.

Hal somehow found room for a treat even after eating so much steak, though that probably didn't surprise anyone. Soranik got herself a brownie that looked absolutely decadent, with ice cream on top. She enjoyed it very much. Sinestro, meanwhile, passed on the sweets, though he imagined they must have been good considering how happy everyone seemed while eating them. That amused him. He leaned over to Ceraphel and stole one of the berries on top of her tart, eating it with a smile.

"Yummy," he commented softly, before giving her a kiss on the cheek and letting her finish her food. Once they were all done, it didn't take too long to leave the building again. Sinestro had enjoyed the food, despite it being human-made, and wasn't against having something like that again. He was feeling much less hungry than before, and it seemed Soranik was happy he had eaten something, though she complained that he had not eaten enough for her liking. Maybe she had wanted him to order one of everything.

Sinestro found he was feeling a bit tired now that his stomach was somewhat full, and he knew he probably needed to rest.

He leaned against a street light while he waited for the others to figure out what they wanted to do, or if they were going to head back. He imagined they would have to bid Carol farewell for the evening, and plan where to meet her tomorrow. Since she didn't live with Hal and she wasn't visiting from another planet- she had her own house.

He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, unconsciously listening to his ring as it rang through the emotions of the people around them.

✘ ✘ ✘

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
✘ ✘ ✘

[Minaarchangel]

"Tomorrow is a better idea, considering it'll look kind of suspicious to be taking out jets at night," Carol said, wryly lifting an eyebrow.

When Sinestro stole one of the berries, Ceraphel had to resist the urge to catch him with some of the whipped cream on his nose. It was something she would do at home, but he was already a little uncomfortable on Earth, around others. So it was something she would save for when they were alone again. Carol paid for the meal and slipped the card back into her purse with the receipt, and they all left the restaurant together.

Carol walked next to Soranik, glancing at Ceraphel and Sinestro and knowing that Hal's apartment would be pretty full with three guests. So she smiled at her, "If you'd like, I have a nice guest room at my house. Because I imagine the couch in Hal's apartment is only clean on the surface, and I wouldn't sleep on it. Sit, maybe. Sleep, no."

She glanced at Hal, "And before you protest, can you even tell me when you last vacuumed under those cushions?"

Ceraphel walked over to Sinestro where he was leaning against a street light. She did not need to reach out with her empathetic powers to know that he was listening to the connections of his ring, the expression on his face familiar. She took his hands gently in her own, her fingers sliding between his, slender and small compared to his hands, and she moved to lean against him, her head against his chest.

"Ready to get some rest?" she asked. "I didn't think I was tired, but then we came here and began roaming the city in strange shoes and that's enough to make me want to take them off for the night."

She looked up at him and smiled, "I'm very glad you're here with me."

[Lantern Thaal Sinestro]

Soranik smiled. "I appreciate that," she hummed lightly, "and I think I'll take you up on that offer. No offense, Hal, but I think you have a full enough apartment as it is. Anyway, I'm a little too old to be staying with my father." She smiled and looked from the human to the Korugaran. She wondered how long it would be before the two of them got into a fight with one another. Staying would probably help keep that away, but she also wanted to be comfortable. Anyway, she didn't want to interrupt Sinestro and Ceraphel.

They should probably have time alone, too.

"No offense taken," Hal chuckled, "see you guys bright and early tomorrow!" He waved as they left, then waited for everyone else to get their good byes in before looking at Ceraphel and Sinestro. They seemed to be having a moment, though, so he didn't immediately interrupt.

Sinestro smiled and opened his eyes, watching her as she moved closer to him, letting his fingers slide easily between hers.

"I could do with some rest," Sinestro said lightly, "it's been a busy day. But I think it wasn't a bad day, so that's good. And I'm glad you're here with me, too. I don't think I would be having nearly as much fun if you weren't here." He leaned his head down and gave her a kiss, before Hal finally summoned them to head on home. The trip back wasn't too long, and soon enough they were back in his pad. Sinestro set the bags from their adventures down, sitting on the sofa with a tired sigh.

Hal grinned, going over to the fridge and getting himself a beer. He also asked if the others wanted anything to drink, but Sinestro declined. Shrugging, Hal moved to the armchair nearby and flopped down.

"See? Humans aren't so bad! And we haven't even done all the REALLY fun stuff yet! Just wait until you guys get to see Disneyworld!" He beamed as he took a sip of his beer. "But if you guys are tired, feel free to hit the hay whenever you feel like it. Don't feel like you need to hang around for my sake or anything. I know you guys went through a lot before getting here."

✘ ✘ ✘

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
✘ ✘ ✘

[Minaarchangel]

"I don't know if you'd be here at all if I hadn't asked you to come," she said with a slight smile. "I had a lovely day here on Earth."

Granted, the fight before it had been unpleasant, but now things were good again. Ceraphel turned her head up to him so that he could kiss her, and she returned the gesture, her arms moving around his neck for the time being. They had to break it off when Hal coughed discretely, and suggested they go back to his apartment. When they got inside, she smiled as he talked about Disneyworld, knowing that it was centered around those movie characters.

"I'll enjoy Disneyworld much better when I'm not tired," she said with slight amusement. "So I think I'm going to get to bed. Good night Hal, and sleep well."

Taking Sinestro's hand, she all but demanded he come with her, pulling him along gently. The guest room of Hal's apartment was comfortable but sparsely furnished. There was no weightless bed, just a regular mattress on a bedframe, covered in a neatly made comforter in dark green. There was a dresser to match and a mirror on the wall, and a doorway into the second bathroom. Turning on one of the small bed-side lamps, Ceraphel sat down on the bed.

"It's very nice of Hal to let us stay with him," she said with a smile. "We should get him a host gift before we leave."

Ceraphel's smile turned slightly saucy and she looked up at him, "But that's for later. For now I was wondering if you wanted to help me take these pants off. I couldn't help but notice that you seemed to enjoy how they looked on me."

[Lantern Thaal Sinestro]

Sinestro took the hint when Ceraphel dragged him along, following her into the guest bedroom. Hal, amused and aware of what they had planned on doing, took the rest of his beer and went into his own room, closing the door lightly behind him. Somehow, he felt compelled to put as much distance between himself and the two love birds as possible.

The white lantern, meanwhile, was happy to move himself closer to the woman, moving his hands along her hips to have another feel of the leather.

"I don't think I'll ever fully comprehend human fashion," Sinestro replied, taking a moment to kiss her neck, "but I'll certainly thank them for this number. You're right, though- I do want to know what it looks like on the floor." He didn't waste any time helping her out of her clothes, nor getting out of his own. It felt like it had been a while since they had been intimate with one another, and he had to admit that he was feeling just a little bit restless.

He was addicted to her, and going so long without her did not please him.

The lantern took her to the bed and settled down with her, kissing her skin and feeling her body as he made sure she knew that he wasn't remotely angry with her for the fight they'd had before. No fight would be enough to keep him from loving her, though perhaps he would have to go prolonged times without the OTHER kind of loving her if he happened to piss her off again.

That was hardly the same thing.

"I love you," he told her, smiling as he gave her another kiss.

He was happy to show her all the various ways he loved her until he wore himself out and fell to sleep. It was probably the most fun he'd had all day, if he was honest.

The next morning, Hal was all too happy to get them up bright and early so they could get ready and go meet up with Carol. He seemed very eager to show them what it was like to be in a jet. Sinestro didn't blame him- it was just favorite thing to do, after all. Of course he wanted to share it. Sinestro just didn't think he needed to be so loud about it in the morning. Especially since he had woken up with a little bit of a headache.

✘ ✘ ✘

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
✘ ✘ ✘

[Minaarchangel]

Ceraphel smiled as he kissed her neck, her hands sliding along his chest slowly, unbuttoning his shirt for him, "I do rather like your human clothing. It makes me want to remove it for you."

She helped him peel the leather pants from her hips, setting aside the clingy sweater, and she was more than happy to be in the bed with him, both of them having shed every stitch of clothing. Her hands slid across his chest to his shoulders, and then up to his cheeks to bring him down for a kiss. Sometimes it was hard to express the love she had for him, just saying it did not feel like it was enough. Ceraphel kissed him sweetly before she replied.

"I love you too, Thaal," she said softly. "With all my heart."

There was no lingering discomfort from the fight earlier, they had talked it out, and it had been too long for the two of them. She wanted to be with him as much as he wanted her, and it showed when they spent a good part of the early evening performing that particular act over and over again. It tired her out and she dropped off to sleep almost immediately in his arms, though the bed was not gravity defying as it was at home. In the morning, she got up and took a shower, sad to see that it was too small for the two of them to fit in it comfortably.

She got dressed, putting on a pretty dress that Carol had left her of sage green fabric that fell to her ankles, the slender straps leaving her arms bare. Ceraphel was much more ready for the morning than Sinestro was, but she liked the coffee that Hal made for them. She also took things out of the fridge and made them both a decent breakfast, though the eggs were a different color and the fruits were odd but delicious. She then let Hal hustle them to the airfield.

Carol had texted Hal earlier, letting them know that she and Soranik would meet them there. The main building of Ferris Air was a large, modern building that had been rebuilt recently and brought up to modern standards. There was a security guard waiting at a clear topped desk, who immediately got them three passes to wear around their necks on lanyards when he saw them. Carol had obviously warned him that Hal Jordan was showing up with two odd looking people who were to be sent out to the airfields as soon as they arrived.

Parked outside was a jet, made in the style of a F-22 Raptor but in sleeker colors and thinner wings. Carol was wearing a pair of aviator glasses, and she was on a ladder on the side of the jet, looking the cockpit over. She leaned out of the plane and waved at them in her jeans and white button up shirt, open over a dark blue tank top as she saw them coming her way, coming down the ladder. The wind was blowing Ceraphel's dress around her legs, but she had bound her hair over her shoulder to keep it out of the way, which was good, it was windy on the runway.

"Good morning," Carol said, meaning it for all three of them. "Hal, your stuff is in your footlocker. And the tower knows you'll be taking off. Please keep in mind that this is a two million dollar jet."

[Lantern Thaal Sinestro]

Hal wasted no time getting himself ready to take them up. The jet was fitted with an extra seat, but that still meant only one person could go up with him at a time. So he grinned at the ladies. "Well, which one is going to be flying with Highball?"

"Why don't you take Ceraphel up?" Sinestro asked absently, "I think she would enjoy it and I wish to ask my daughter something."

Soranik tilted her head, looking at her father. "Are you alright?" She asked instantly, though gained a chuckle for her concern.

"Yes, nothing like that," he assured her.

"Well, I don't mind going second then. Why don't you two have a nice long look around?" Soranik grinned, "but don't tell me too much about it! I'll be seeing for myself soon enough!"

Hal laughed and motioned for Ceraphel to join him, heading off towards the jet. Sinestro waited for them to be up in the air before he turned and looked at the two women remaining with him.

"Alright," Soranik huffed, "what are you trying to hide from Ceraphel this time? Is your chest hurting again? A fever? What is it?"

"I told you, it's nothing like that," Sinestro grumbled, "I actually wanted to speak to the both of you. Because, well, you probably know more about these things than I do. You've known Ceraphel longer than I have, Carol, so I wanted to see your input on what she might like. And Soranik, well, I suppose I just wanted to know if you thought I was being crazy."

"Crazy about what?" Soranik asked impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest in a fashion similar to her father.

"I want you two to help me pick a ring," he told them very seriously, "I want... I wish to propose to Ceraphel. I'm not sure what the marriage process is on Els, but I know here on earth it is very similar to Korugar."

✘ ✘ ✘

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
✘ ✘ ✘

[Minaarchangel]

Ceraphel smiled, "If you're sure, I'd love to go. As long as you're really okay."

She worried a little about Sinestro, but maybe it was just something between him and Soranik. Ceraphel was not one to pry too often into their relationship, considering she had meddled enough to get them together a bit more. So she leaned up and kissed Sinestro's cheek, smiling as she turned to follow Hal. It would be a good morning, and then they might get to just relax in the afternoon. She climbed up into the cockpit, and got herself settled inside, following the directions on how to put on the helmet with the headset in it so she could talk to Hal, and then the oxygen mask and how it worked in case they needed it.

Carol had them move away from the jet so that Hal could fire it up and take off, and she watched Sinestro, frowning slightly. At first it sounded like he was going to break things off with Ceraphel, which would have indeed been crazy. Because there was no possible way the Star Sapphires were going to let someone scorn their beloved little queen, as gentle and sweet as she was. Relief played at the corners of her mouth when he said he was actually just considering asking her to marry him.

In fact, her expression was almost a smile as she thought about it. It was a nice thought, the two of them cementing their love for each other. Carol nodded slightly, crossing her arms over her stomach, "It's not crazy. I believe Els is similar to Earth in some ways. The engagement ring. The ceremony. It's the small things that are a bit different, so I doubt that matters. I believe it's a family member or close friend who has to perform the ceremony, instead of an officiant. The actual marriage is noted by the government in a simple form."

Taking out her phone, she glanced over her schedule, "Soranik, if you can keep Ceraphel busy tomorrow afternoon, it'll give me time to take Sinestro to Tiffany's."

She glanced up at him, "If that's okay. I'm assuming because you're talking about it, you want to get it done soon. And surprisingly enough, I think it's nice. I know that you two love each other. Sometimes she's so busy thinking about you that the love makes my ring pulse."

[Lantern Thaal Sinestro]

Sinestro nodded. "That's good. Then we'll be able to have the wedding on Els without it being too different for either of us. Assuming she says yes, of course." He chuckled faintly, a small touch of nerves in his tone. Soranik was pretty much beaming at the news, and she laughed when he spoke about the whole 'if' thing.

"Like she's not going to say yes! I think you would be hard-pressed to do something that would make her reconsider you now. I'm sure she's going to be very happy. I'm happy, too. I think you two are good together." She smiled at her father. It was still weird, but she was happy he was following a path back to the right side of the fence. Him wanting to marry Ceraphel was not something she had been expecting, though it should have been. One more thing that made him... normal.

Carol mentioned a name Sinestro didn't recognize. He frowned. "who's Tiffany?" He asked innocently enough.

"It's a store, Sinestro," Soranik laughed, "and I'd be happy to keep her company. Though we'll have to come up with some reason to keep them apart. I could say that I wanted Sinestro to rest for a day, but I don't think that would keep her away from him. She would probably insist that she stay to look after him if she thought he wasn't feeling well."

Sinestro frowned. "Perhaps you could just say you want to spend some time with her alone, just to talk about me behind my back."

Soranik chuckled at that.

"I'm surprised my own feelings haven't made that ring of yours react, or turned my uniform violet," sighed the white lantern, "I never thought I would love someone so much. Anyway, I do want to get a ring here. It would be impossible for me to find one on Els without her finding out about it, I imagine. Her neighbors love to chat..."

✘ ✘ ✘

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
✘ ✘ ✘

[Minaarchangel]

"Tiffany's is also the best," Carol elaborated. "I assume that you'd never settle for anything less, especially on this. But we'll just tell her that you want to finish whatever you start fabricating today in the machine works. Then Soranik can offer to keep her company. We'll drive into the city and run your errand, and she can be obliviously entertained by Hal and Soranik for half a day."

She smiled almost tenderly when he mentioned his own uniform turning violet, "Don't worry. It won't. You do love her, but Ceraphel's different, even from the rest of the Star Sapphires. She loves everything and everyone. She even had something nice to say about that demon once. That it helped you gain your true potential as the white lantern. I admittedly rolled my eyes, but that's who she is."

Carol waved for them to come toward the building with her, going to a steel door on the huge building connected to the back of the fancy front building, a keycard letting them inside. Stepping inside, the glare from the sun faded and the door shut heavily behind them, no longer requiring raised voices because it was quiet there in the building. None of the manufacturing machines were going, but they were primed and humming softly, ready for any order that might be sent their way. A few employees saw Carol coming and she nodded, speaking to them politely by name, before taking Sinestro to an upper floor, where the research and development team worked.

There was an open drafting computer, the wide flat panels side by side so that he could have the design program up in two displays, looking at what he already had and then add to it while he was working. She did not insult him by suggesting he could not figure it out himself, and none of the engineers that were in the area came over to ask what was going on. It was obviously a personal project for Carol.

"Have you thought about where to do it?" she asked. "Because I imagine she might like it if you took her to the botanical gardens. Also, whatever you make, keep it under twenty five grand. I'll put it in my private collection and you can play with it when you come visit Earth. Since I doubt Ceraphel's going to let you get away with not coming back here. She likes the food too much. And the fact that she likes to buy Star Sapphire t-shirts."

[Lantern Thaal Sinestro]

"Let's do that," Soranik said with a nod, "I think it would be the easiest thing for all of us, and she probably wouldn't get suspicious." She smiled. Sinestro agreed and they wandered off to go to the development area. Soranik let them go, waiting for Hal and Ceraphel to land so she could have her go. She wanted to go up on the jet, though she had to admit that she was now more focused on Sinestro and finding the right ring and a good spot to pop the question.

She probably wouldn't be able to keep from telling Hal on the intercom once they were up there. Hopefully he knew how to keep a secret.

Or Sinestro was going to be angry with her.

Sinestro nodded. "I was thinking somewhere with plants. I know how much she likes them. I just don't know if I should do it here or wait until we're back on Els. She might feel happier if she heard it while she was on her home planet." He smiled faintly. Boy, he was getting nervous just thinking about.

It had been a long time since that had happened.

When she gave him directions, he nodded and went to work, though his mind was elsewhere. Still, he designed a couple of things that would probably prove very useful, while also making sure he didn't accidentally make anything revolutionary. The last thing he wanted to do was make a name for himself while he was on earth. He just wanted to avoid the spotlight, especially since he was already a little well known there as the villain.

He worked on his things while Hal brought the jet back down and allowed Ceraphel to swap places with Soranik. He was a little confused by how happy Soranik seemed, and how eager she was, but he imagined it was only because she wanted to get up into the air.

✘ ✘ ✘

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power... Sinestro's might!
✘ ✘ ✘

[Minaarchangel]

"I think she'll be happy wherever you decide to do it, as long as you make it special for her," Carol advised.

She then left him to playing with the computer, and went down to switch Soranik out for Ceraphel, and was pleased to see that the jet had not been destroyed by Hal. Yet. Carol left Soranik to go up on her ride while she discussed the jet ride with Ceraphel, who was obviously excited about how Hal had flown. She admitted he was right, that flying in a jet was much different than flying with their rings, and she secretly was glad that she had not gotten sick. It was fun, but her stomach was doing flip flops and it was a little uncomfortable.

When they got into the building, Ceraphel found Sinestro and leaned over, leaving a kiss on the top of his head, glad to see him having fun designing something. But as soon as the excitement wore off, she felt her stomach clench again, and Carol was just in time with a bucket shaped energy construct when she got sick. Groaning a little, she was glad that her hair was tied out of the way, and she looked up at Carol apologetically.

"I'm sorry, I thought I had a handle on it. It was really different than flying with the rings. I've never ridden in something like the jet before. I guess I should have known that I could get motion sick, not that I usually do. Maybe it's just Hal's flying, or the turbulence we went through."

Carol shook her head, "No need to apologize. I've flown with him before, and for the uninitiated, it can be a little much."

She glanced at Sinestro, "If you want to take her down the hall, there's washrooms and she can get a drink of water."

Ceraphel grimaced slightly, "I don't want to disturb everyone. I can go alone."

Smiling slightly, Carol shook her head again, "Someone's got to hold your hair for you."

Silently, Carol promised herself that she was going to give Hal a punch in the arm that would leave a bruise. He obviously flew like a maniac and she was lucky that her jet came back in one piece. But she left no room for argument, just as Ceraphel would not have if it had been her or Soranik who was feeling motion sick.