Tourist ROAD TRIP (mingle)

[takingkarabusiness]

Who: Touristas and visitors
Broadcast: as needed
Action: The Tourist!
When: The month of June

[ Get bit by the June Bug and mingle to your heart's content! ]

Comments

[universal_charm]

You're right, I should. At the time, I admit it didn't sound like you were taking that concern seriously, and so I became upset.

And it's not that I think you would Kara. It's just - they happen. Accidents happen and they are no one's fault, but as I'm sure you know they can have serious consequences, especially in space. I just want to do my due diligence in heading them off.

You can be completely honest with me, whenever you need to be, about anything. I value people who can do that, even when it's hard or especially when I don't want to hear it.

_{[ His lips quirked in a little smile. ]}

[takingkarabusiness]

Come here.

[ she wants to hug it out. hug it out, jim. embrace your fate ]

I just need to accept that you're going to be everyone's Disappointed Dad at some point.

[ she's teasing. this was actually a lot less painful than she expected ]

[universal_charm]

_{[ Oh, we're hugging? Well that's okay, he's a hugger, and he gives her a hug back. ]}

No, I'm to young to do that just yet. That was Pike's job. Sometimes Bones'.

_{[ It was, but he was glad they had cleared things up. It wouldn't be good for the crew for their to be sour feelings, however unintentionally they had been created. And he knew Kara was taking his concerns seriously, and that eased his own fears. ]}

[takingkarabusiness]

[ it's not a long hug but it is sincere ]

Who's Pike?

[universal_charm]

Christopher Pike. He was the former captain of my ship, and one of my superiors - he was promoted to Admiral when I took over the Enterprise.

_{[ There's a pause, the tiniest flicker of pain in his eyes, the kind that only comes when thinking of someone close and beloved. ]}

He's the one who got me to join up with Star Fleet. He died a year ago, during an attack on Star Fleet headquarters.

[takingkarabusiness]

[ her expression is pure empathy, tone soft ]

I'm sorry to hear about that, but it seems like he had a remarkable influence on your life. How did he get you to join?

[universal_charm]

_{[ There's a pause, a twitch of his lips into a faint smile. The story was funny to him, though in more recent months, especially going back out into the universe, he had begun to question his own motives at the time, his motives now. ]}

He dared me. Specifically to be better than my father, and the sad little life I had carved for myself in Iowa at the time.

[takingkarabusiness]

And you took the bait.

Also... does Iowa become more interesting in the future?

[universal_charm]

No, it is all farming mostly. I lived in a little place called Riverside, on my uncle's farm.

Pike came across me in the local bar after some of his cadets had moped the floor with me. I think I made a good impression even with the napkins stuffed up my nose.

[takingkarabusiness]

My cousin grew up on a farm in Kansas.

And that's a great mental image. I'm sure you were very charismatic.

[universal_charm]

Well, to be fair, it was like four against one, I think I did a good job of holding my own.

[takingkarabusiness]

Hey, you were still conscious. That's practically a win.

[universal_charm]

I may or may not have nearly passed out over a table at the time. To be honest that part is a bit of a blur.

[takingkarabusiness]

I'm trying to help you out here, Jim.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He laughed. ]}

Nah, it's okay. It's a ridiculous story, it should be told truthfully. And it's a story that does Pike a lot of credit - shows the kind of man he is.

[takingkarabusiness]

So, he knew your father?

[universal_charm]

No, he read about him. Pike wrote a dissertation on the Kelvin - that is, my father's ship.

He was captain for about five minutes while he kept the ship on a collision course with Nero's ship so that everyone else could escape when the auto pilot malfunctioned.

[takingkarabusiness]

Oh...

I'm sorry to hear that. He probably saved a lot of people, but that doesn't always take the sting out of it.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He shrugged. ]}

To be honest, I don't have much feeling about it. I never knew him. He's just a name on paper, a shadow to live up to.

[takingkarabusiness]

You and my cousin might have some things to talk about.

[universal_charm]

Your cousin the super hero?

[takingkarabusiness]

Correct.

He was an infant when we left our planet, so he never really knew his parents, either. I think he still lives in their shadows, though.

[universal_charm]

It's difficult when your dad was a literal hero. All I've ever really known about him was from the books I read about the Kelvin, or Pike's dissertation, and most of that is focused around the phenomenon that caused the Kelvin's demise.. Mom and Sam didn't talk about him much.

[takingkarabusiness]

I suppose, yes. Our parents had high status on Krypton, but that's one of those conditional things that doesn't really... transfer...

Who's Sam?

[universal_charm]

_{[ There's a pause, a moment of tension that is barely the span of a heartbeat, but it's there. ]}

He's my brother. Older brother, that is.