[ OPEN ] You'd Think I'd Know Where I'm Going

[universal_charm]

WHO: Jim Kirk & You
WHAT: Late catch-all for late August
WHEN: Roughly August 15 - August 31 (feel free to backdate for timey-wimey necessitiy)
WHERE: Around Skyhold
NOTES: Flirting, charmingness, possible bad language, possible head-butting, possible fights, general shenanigans

After the emotional trek to Asher's home and back, Kirk found that he was rather glad to be back within the walls of Skyhold. It was familiar and comforting and he knew what he could do here to keep his mind off things. To keep his mind off the passing of a friend that could have been, keep his mind off injustices in Orelais, keep his mind off his own situation. Funny, how death brought those things to surface with startling clarity.

He can be found in the early mornings running around Skyhold's perimeter, followed quickly by moving to working on his horsemanship at the barn (which in variably also means that he will spend some quality time around the bog unicorn, which in his mind he has unofficially adopted). More often than not he is also accompanied by a small black and white cat who has something suspiciously like a mustache on its upper lip. Don't tell Anders.

From there things are a bit more difficult when it came to finding ways to fill his time, except on the days when he was teaching lessons in math, science, and hand-to-hand self-defense. That latter of which he can now join in on since he has fully recovered from his previous injuries. It meant that more people were hitting the dirt, but that's how it was supposed to be. You didn't learn if you didn't come out with a bruise or two.

Of course he usually finds his way around to the library, usually in search of another story to read since he's not much of one for the historical texts anymore, biased as they tend to be in his view. Maybe he's napping. What? It's comfortable there. But why just ready about places in the library when he can out and explore in the woods outside Skyhold? Granted, he never goes far, but it's something and for just a bit he can pretend he's Captain Kirk exploring a new and exciting planet again. Let the Rifter have his tiny fantasy. (Invariably, Leonard the Cat tends to join him on this too, complete with fashioned harness and leash to keep him from wandering to far.)

And if all else fails he makes his way to the tavern, where he can easily be convinced to share a drink, sing a song, or maybe turn the tables and convince you to play some chess.

Comments

[universal_charm]

"Pretty much the same in my world, with a few exceptions," he nodded, thinking of snowy owls. Most birds of prey tended towards prawn and tawny mixes.

Kirk shrugged his shoulders, scooting closer to Sam, knocking their feet together and their knees.

"They have lovely colors. I think they would suit you." He had no better explanation to give, but did he need one?

[el_tybs]

Slowly crawling into his space, Kirk? Cold getting to ya?

"And I know you just love me in 'lovely' colors. Like periwinkle."

[universal_charm]

Well he did just spend a good several minutes back down in the snow, if you remember.

"Blue of any sort is such a lovely color on you," he agreed, leaning towards him with a mischievous brush of his fingers on Sam's thigh.

[el_tybs]

Oh he remembers it quite well.

He might have been inclined to agree humorously at that, but instead he finds himself being drawn more towards the fingers along his thigh. It has the mage raising a brow, curious to where Kirk was going with this. In the snow. Up in a tree.

[universal_charm]

Not very far, not really. It's just to tease. He laughs warmly when he sees Sam's eyes draw down to where his hand is, knocking their feet again.

"I'm inventive, but not quite that inventive," he clucked his tongue at him. "Nor do I think either of us has quite that much balance." He rolled his eyes.

[el_tybs]

"It's a big tree," he retorts, though his eyes do look down at the tree. If they really wanted to try it was wide enough, like a chair, but honestly anything other then maybe light making out would be uncomfortable. Snow and bark after all.

That and Leonard was there. Speaking of which the cat found that he wasn't getting enough attention, meowing loudly as he makes his way onto their legs. "Tree climbing not your thing?"

[universal_charm]

"More like he can't stand not being the center of attention. Spoiled brat," he took the cat up and set him between them on the branch, Leonard curling up and purring happily, clearly happy to be at the center. Kirk rolled his eyes and stroked his back. "Spoiled," he repeated fondly of him.

[el_tybs]

"I'm pretty sure we have you to thank for that," he teases, reaching over to scratch Leonard behind his ear. Even for all of Kirk's griping at times, like at the beginning, it was clear that he enjoyed having the cats around.

"Have you eaten yet?" More importantly did Leonard need to eat, and they had to check on Nikita.

[universal_charm]

"Excuse you, I tried to be the reasonable and measured cat owner," he huffed, though it was clear he wasn't really mad, not with the way he smiled at his mustachioed kitten.

He shook his head. "Not since breakfast before I headed out. I guess it's past noon now though." He glanced up at him. "Want to head back?"

[el_tybs]

"Tried," he stresses as the key point, grin widening as he teases James a bit more. Yes, he spoiled them too, but he hadn't come up with leashes.

"Soon," he says, leaning back a little bit. "I just want to enjoy the view a bit more." It was a great view on his own, but it was obvious that he wasn't just talking about the scenery as he tilts his head to watch Kirk.

[universal_charm]

The leashes were a matter of necessity! Did you want them wandering about everywhere and getting lost, especially in the woods? It was a logical thing to create.

Kirk smirked, sitting back himself and chuckling. "It is rare to have such a lovely day in winter," he agreed, though he knew precisely what Sam meant.

[el_tybs]

"I think it has to do with the old magic of this place and the hot springs. It's not as cold as it could be." Clearly warm enough that you could go around without a shirt at times. Least in Skyhold; out here it was too cold not to be covered up.

"Do you have winter in space?"

[universal_charm]

The question surprised him, and he found himself smiling, shaking his head.

"No, no winter. Out in space - there's no air to breathe, no atmosphere. So it is either very, very cold where there is no light, or so hot that you burn right up when you get close to a star," he explained.

[el_tybs]

"Then... how do you live out in space? If there isn't any air how do you breathe? I do take it that you have to breathe... unless I missed that somewhere." He's pretty sure he's seen Jim breathe. Like right now.

[universal_charm]

"Our ships have them. They use special machinery to process and recycle air for us to breathe," he explained. "It's called life support, on the ships. It controls the oxygen levels - that is, the air, which is what most species breathe. Trees and such breathe carbon dioxide, which is also in the air, but also what we produce when we breathe out."

[el_tybs]

He's not sure if he should be more surprised about a ship making air, or the fact that air was more complicated then how they perceived it. "So being on the ship means you can breathe? In space?"

[universal_charm]

He nodded. "It's an enclosed space. Think like a sailing ship but with a roof and walls, like a house." Except his was more saucer shaped, but technicalities.

"We also have special suits we wear - they're one piece and have special equipment to regulate temperature, pressure, and oxygen levels. They're for if we have to go out into space from the ship or we go down onto a world that we can't breathe on."

[el_tybs]

"I think every time I talk to you about space my mind does this a little," he says, putting his hands on either side of his head before making an explosion sort of motion. Honestly, there was always more and it was still hard to wrap his mind around still. A ship that was like a house, but the size of a city state.

[universal_charm]

Kirk couldn't suppress the giggle that escaped him at the motion.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

[el_tybs]

"My head is still here right?" He's pretty sure it is. "Maybe a bit of both?" he says with a lopsided smile. "Just seems like I have a never ending supply of questions."

[universal_charm]

"That's okay. It's a good thing," he hummed. "I think it'll be a sad thing, the day we run out of questions."

[el_tybs]

"It's a shame you cannot just show me half the things you talk about." He's not trying to make Kirk feel homesick, just that he truly wishes that he could see it. It was so easy for him to show the Rifter about magic here from example.

[universal_charm]

"Heh. I wish I could show you too," he admitted, even though he knew that would be a horrible breach of the Prime Directive. It was one thing to talk about it, but to show Sam? That was a big, thick line to cross.

"You'd look good, covered in star light."

[el_tybs]

Kirk would get in that much trouble if he only showed him?

The compliment earns a raised brow and Sam sitting up to lean on his legs as bends them in front of himself. "What does star light look like?"

[universal_charm]

Depended on who took up the report, but it was quite serious. The Prime Directive was both direct, and yet fluid depending on how you interpreted it.

Kirk was quiet as he considered how to explain it. "Different from moonlight. It's more... white. Soft white, a pleasant gray in some cases, with touches of purple and blue."