Vir jumped. The voice was quiet, but he had been completely unaware of Delenn coming up behind him. Minbari, even half-Minbari, moved so very silently. It gave the whole ship a strange, ghostly feeling, nothing like any Centauri or human vessel he had ever been on.
"No," he replied in what felt like a too-loud whisper. "I was looking for the bedrooms, but, um ..."
He had managed to find the sleeping area, but now he was not sure what to do. The room was a large semicircle of Minbari beds, all of them, as far as he could tell, occupied by sleeping Minbari. Vir had more-or-less made the acquaintance of Minbari sleeping quarters during his time at his diplomatic post on Minbar, but at least there he'd had his own bedroom, and the Minbari had very kindly lowered and flattened the bed to make him more comfortable.
"Ah," Delenn said softly. She smiled at him. "It is the off shift, so perhaps not the best time to seek accommodations. There might be some free space in - yes, come with me."
She glided around the edge of the room, and Vir followed as quietly as possible, trying not to feel clumsy and loud (and failing). When she stopped, Vir was trying so hard not to make noise that he nearly bumped into her, having to catch himself on the wall.
There was indeed an unoccupied bed - a double-wide one. Otherwise it looked like a typical Minbari bed: blanketless, tilted, and uncomfortable. But there were two pillows and two pads.
"Is that meant for, uh ..." Vir tried to think of a way to ask respectfully. "... couples?"
"Oh ... I suppose it could be." Delenn placed a hand on the edge of it. "It is really more - I'm not sure how to express it. Perhaps the humans would say 'disabled accessible.' I don't know the Centauri equivalent. It is for those who need extra space or aid. But of course anyone can use it if there is nothing else available." She laid a hand on the nearest pillow. "As you see, there is room for us both."
Vir felt himself flush. "Is that ... all right? I mean, Sheridan wouldn't - you don't ... you know what, I can sleep on the floor."
She was smiling again, not in a mocking way, but indulgent, encouraging. "I know Centauri have different customs. I don't think I have ever seen you use communal sleeping quarters. But for us, there is nothing strange about it, and nothing inappropriate about sleeping next to a fellow crewmate, even on a shared bed." Delenn patted the pillow.
Vir still had some doubts. But he also was not prepared to argue with Delenn about it. The bed looked ... well ... not precisely comfortable, or rather, not comfortable in the slightest. But it looked like somewhere to sleep. And he'd had an exhausting day.
In fact, it had been such an exhausting day that he couldn't quite remember the technique for getting on one of these things, especially with an audience. He didn't want to flail around and fall off with Delenn watching, so in the end, he just ended up staring at it.
"Here." Delenn leaned down, did something to the underside of the bed, and abruptly it swiveled back until it was almost flat, just very slightly tilted so the head was a bit higher than the feet. "Is this better?"
"A lot," Vir said in relief. "Thank you."
He scrambled on. Yes, this was much easier. He tried not to feel too wistful for blankets, or soft pillows, and focused on appreciating how much effort she was making on his behalf. In fact, that made him wonder about something, and he pushed himself up to ask, "Will this be uncomfortable for you?"
"Not at all," Delenn said. She folded herself gracefully on the other side of the bed, and added with a playful air, "I admit, I am developing a fondness for human-style beds."
"I don't need to know any more about that," Vir said hastily. Especially when he was lying right next to her. He closed his eyes, then cracked one eye open to see what she was doing. The answer turned out to be giving him a fond smile.
"Sleep well, Vir," she said, and closed her eyes. Vir closed his again a moment later.
Vir & Delenn
Vir jumped. The voice was quiet, but he had been completely unaware of Delenn coming up behind him. Minbari, even half-Minbari, moved so very silently. It gave the whole ship a strange, ghostly feeling, nothing like any Centauri or human vessel he had ever been on.
"No," he replied in what felt like a too-loud whisper. "I was looking for the bedrooms, but, um ..."
He had managed to find the sleeping area, but now he was not sure what to do. The room was a large semicircle of Minbari beds, all of them, as far as he could tell, occupied by sleeping Minbari. Vir had more-or-less made the acquaintance of Minbari sleeping quarters during his time at his diplomatic post on Minbar, but at least there he'd had his own bedroom, and the Minbari had very kindly lowered and flattened the bed to make him more comfortable.
"Ah," Delenn said softly. She smiled at him. "It is the off shift, so perhaps not the best time to seek accommodations. There might be some free space in - yes, come with me."
She glided around the edge of the room, and Vir followed as quietly as possible, trying not to feel clumsy and loud (and failing). When she stopped, Vir was trying so hard not to make noise that he nearly bumped into her, having to catch himself on the wall.
There was indeed an unoccupied bed - a double-wide one. Otherwise it looked like a typical Minbari bed: blanketless, tilted, and uncomfortable. But there were two pillows and two pads.
"Is that meant for, uh ..." Vir tried to think of a way to ask respectfully. "... couples?"
"Oh ... I suppose it could be." Delenn placed a hand on the edge of it. "It is really more - I'm not sure how to express it. Perhaps the humans would say 'disabled accessible.' I don't know the Centauri equivalent. It is for those who need extra space or aid. But of course anyone can use it if there is nothing else available." She laid a hand on the nearest pillow. "As you see, there is room for us both."
Vir felt himself flush. "Is that ... all right? I mean, Sheridan wouldn't - you don't ... you know what, I can sleep on the floor."
She was smiling again, not in a mocking way, but indulgent, encouraging. "I know Centauri have different customs. I don't think I have ever seen you use communal sleeping quarters. But for us, there is nothing strange about it, and nothing inappropriate about sleeping next to a fellow crewmate, even on a shared bed." Delenn patted the pillow.
Vir still had some doubts. But he also was not prepared to argue with Delenn about it. The bed looked ... well ... not precisely comfortable, or rather, not comfortable in the slightest. But it looked like somewhere to sleep. And he'd had an exhausting day.
In fact, it had been such an exhausting day that he couldn't quite remember the technique for getting on one of these things, especially with an audience. He didn't want to flail around and fall off with Delenn watching, so in the end, he just ended up staring at it.
"Here." Delenn leaned down, did something to the underside of the bed, and abruptly it swiveled back until it was almost flat, just very slightly tilted so the head was a bit higher than the feet. "Is this better?"
"A lot," Vir said in relief. "Thank you."
He scrambled on. Yes, this was much easier. He tried not to feel too wistful for blankets, or soft pillows, and focused on appreciating how much effort she was making on his behalf. In fact, that made him wonder about something, and he pushed himself up to ask, "Will this be uncomfortable for you?"
"Not at all," Delenn said. She folded herself gracefully on the other side of the bed, and added with a playful air, "I admit, I am developing a fondness for human-style beds."
"I don't need to know any more about that," Vir said hastily. Especially when he was lying right next to her. He closed his eyes, then cracked one eye open to see what she was doing. The answer turned out to be giving him a fond smile.
"Sleep well, Vir," she said, and closed her eyes. Vir closed his again a moment later.