In the summer, I remember

[rowancrowned]

WHO: Thranduil, Legolas, anyone good with a bow or who enjoys the wine on offer.
WHAT: ROOTY TOOTY POINT N SHOOTY ARCHERY CONTEST
WHEN: 8th of Bloomingtide, midmorning until sunset.
WHERE: Valley
NOTES: log for a friendly wager! 

The eighth of Bloomingtide began as a chilly morning; not quite cold enough to leave frost on the budding flowers and fresh-sprouted plants in the heights of Skyhold, but nearly, nearly.

By the time the sun was been in the sky for a few hours, most of the early-morning chill had burned off, leaving a day that promised to be nearly too-hot for those who would be stuck in full-plate and in direct sunlight. Thranduil wasn’t expecting any to come clanking down to his little fete, but had none the less secured a spot in the shade. Varric had apparently found him while he was still working on organizing—the target launchers are set neatly in line with everything else. Along the clay pigeon launchers were the standard, stock targets, blindfolds—and on a table off to the side was a few bottles of sweet wine beside loaves of brown bread and hard cheeses.

The contest did not pretend to be anything other than what it was; a chance to meet, and mingle, and possibly show off archery skills. The purses wrested next to the wine and cheese and Thranduil himself. He had found a chair to rest in while waiting for the contestants to arrive, dressed plainer than he had so far allowed himself to be seen. On his fingers, four rings glittered—but his confidence in Legolas was so absolute, he doubted he would lose even one before the days was out.

Comments

[universal_charm]

At first he had thought Legolas would be a competitor, but it didn't take long watching him to figure out that he wasn't exactly competing so much as taking on anyone who wanted to match skills. For the most part he kept out of his way, not wanting to interrupt the elf's fun and being distracted by the other challengers in the core of the competition.

Eventually, though, he made his way around to the elf when he did not seem to occupied or likely to have a challenger dart up for their chance at him. Kirk was dressed in nearly the same attire he had been in when they first arrived together - his canary yellow shirt, made of that mysterious fabric that breathed, and the black under shirt. His pants were more of this world, carefully tucked into his black boots.

Smile on, he raised his hand in greeting to the elf. "Hey there. It's been awhile," he said, which was a sort of apology in and of itself. "How have you and Bill been?"

[parkourprince]

"Indeed—," not so very much for an elf, yet Legolas knew, and painfully well at that, how much were weeks, months and years for the Men, "—and it gladdens me to see you well, Kirk!" Legolas gave a small bow of his head with a kind smile that he did not skirt with towards folk who have shown him kindness. In Thedas, and for an elf, no less, it was not a very common commodity, after all, so he would cherish those of good heart even more so than he ever had before. A little tease slipped into his speech, his mirthful nature surfacing with good humour. "You draw the eye, still, I see too, though not by fault of your own."

Oh yes, that shirt, it was certainly very eye-catching with not only its colour, but its make as well. Still so, so very fascinating. Legolas couldn't begrudge Jim attachment to things of home, either, this familiarity was a great comfort, after all.

"Bill is adjusting well, especially now that he has found his greatest friend in all of Skyhold," and it was quite endearing too, in Legolas's eyes, the clear and mutual friendship between Sam and Bill. "For myself, ah, perhaps with the world stirring into spring now, it will reveal things more pleasant to the eyes of an elf. I should hope this place has been kind for you?"

[universal_charm]

The bow of his head brought the flower into view, though Kirk did no more than consider it lovely. Who was he to speak to fashion choices? It wasn't as if he was a fashionista even among his own people. Outside of his uniform, he usually stuck to something as simple as a black shirt and jeans.

A laugh greeted the elf's critique of his shirt. "It's a natural gift."

He cocked his head at the mention of the little horse finding a friend. "Oh? And who has managed to capture the heart of my savior?" he asked with a mock pout that quickly turned back into his smile. "It has been as kind as it can be, I think. I have made friends, and I have not been entirely useless." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm learning the staff, at least. The bow might be a touch beyond me at the moment."

[parkourprince]

The smile stayed in place, Jim was a pleasant person to talk to, Legolas found, which wasn't so very common here, unfortunately.

"An old friend from where the both of us have come from," inconspicuous, leaning in just a touch as if to share a secret, but his grin betrayed his mirth, "The hobbit of the name Samwise Gamgee, brave of heart and sweet of attitude, I think you will find him worthy of Bill's affections." Then he chuckled, straightening properly again and tipping his head to regard Jim. "Nothing is beyond you with a good teacher, I think, and with a little practice."

All that was needed was a good eye and a steady hand, like with any other weapon.

"Staff is the one thing I had no practise with myself." Bows, knives and swords, axes with Gimli, and polearms with some of the warriors of Mirkwood out of curiosity and for amusement's sake, but not once a staff. "Why such choice?"

[universal_charm]

He tried his best, or maybe just somehow got along with the elves in general.

"If I may - what's a hobbit?" he asked, not sure what sort of creature he might mean, though he had the image of a short humanoid in his head. He couldn't really saw why, but that was what the name 'hobbit' inspired, didn't it? A short, stumpy word.

He shifted at the question, poking his cheek with his tongue as he turned over the words he needed. In this world, he was sure, they sounded foolish, but he could not shake them.

"The staff seems to me the weapon that carries the least probability of myself lethally hurting someone with it," he explained. He knew that he could lethally hurt someone if he struck in the right place or hard enough or repeatedly, but it carried much less risk than, say, a very sharp sword. "I can defend myself with it, but I don't believe that my defense necessarily means I must lethally injure someone."

[parkourprince]

Now, how one could best describe a hobbit to another who had never seen one in his life?

"Peaceful folk, for whom the greatest passion is food and, indeed, the peaceful life they lead, short of statue, large of feet," and, indeed, Legolas had only praise on his lips for them, all of them, "With big hearts to store the never ending kindness, and so brave, more than any could ever imagine."

The following chuckle was mirthful and fond, but it dissolved quickly into a soft exhale. Once upon a time, he recalled himself saying similar. But he was young then, foolish and naive indeed, and his mother was still with them at the time. His eyelids dropped to a half-mast, gaze had grown distant as he stared into a memory rather than reality for those brief moments. The smile was still there, too, dimmer but no less fond. He never regretted the death he brought upon his enemies, hardly, only wished he had lived, perhaps, in quieter times.

"You have a kind heart," he said finally, "And I hope the staff is all you will ever need in this world or your own."

All in effort to keep that heart from hardening.

[universal_charm]

"Good things come in small packages," he chuckled at the elf's description, thinking he might indeed like to meet this Samwise.

Kirk had seen many dark things in the past few years. He had seen a planet destroyed, billions of lives snuffed out in the name of misplaced vengeance. He had lost the man he called a father, brutal and to quick. He had nearly let vengeance consume him, he had been betrayed by one who was supposed to lead him. He had died. He had come back to life. He had struggled to be what he once was. Through all of that he strived to continue to be the man he was, wanted to be - the one who did what was right. And part of that was not taking life if he did not have to. He would not let this world, this circumstance, take that from him.

"We have weapons a bit more substantial than swords and bows," he huffed. "But even there I don't like using them, not unless we must. It is always the last option." And he would hold to that here - for however long he may.

[parkourprince]

The conversation took a dark turn, but Legolas couldn't quite help his curiosity. He tipped his head in question, gaze set on Jim as if he could glean the world he saw all his life and understand it.

"What do you do, instead? Do you capture and then...?" He knew he would drown in the blood he had spilled, but he was not ashamed to admit that. Orcs were filth of Morgoth, twisted and made vile, they would never change their ways. There was simply no other choice, orcs and uruk-hai, trolls and goblins, great spiders, all these creatures had no light in them, no kindness that could justify allowing them to live alongside the Men. "How do you make certain they do not return to their old ways or— worse?"

[universal_charm]

"We capture, if we must. Generally speaking, we are willing to live and let live to an extent," he admitted. "What we seek, in my world, is not to conquer - but to protect and defend. There are times that does call for us to take life, but it is never without having exhausted our other options first." He shook his head. "We have a treaty with the Klingon Empire, the most prevalent threat to the Federation, and we have crossed paths. But so long as lives aren't lost, the few skirmishes we have don't result in all out wars that will cost us many, many more lives."

It made certain people want to come back for revenge, sure, but it meant that their families didn't go looking for it on their behalf, which was the real issue of things.