[ Open ] Catch-All: My Kind of Party

[universal_charm]

Who: Jim Kirk & You!
Broadcast: Nope
Action: Yes, planet!
When: All Month Long

Turns out that they might have gotten a break this time around. Kirk is suspicious, but willing to let himself indulge while they can. When the breaks come, they should be enjoyed. He was quick to sign up with the Starstrikers, even tough the mascot was a little... meh. But hey, he wasn't here for mascots.

He was here to have some fun - and maybe take a few championship belts if he could, or some records. He would be okay with either.


a: spaceship races
Every kind of competition imaginable is available here, and that's never been more true than with the space ship races. Kirk hadn't been sure what to expect, but oh did his heart race when he saw what it really meant. Small passenger ships, meant for maybe four total crew, ranging in shape and color and size and all primed and geared to go as fast as possible through the designated course.

So much easier than trying to get the Enterprise to push past her mach limits and beat out Klingon war birds. And more fun.

He raced alone just fine, but if someone wanted to partner up in the cockpit he was for. For the observers and tag-a-longs, they would find that the captain was quite daring when it came to fitting through tight places or pulling maneuvers. Like rushing through an asteroid field and trying to edge out a lead by dodging through some tightly closing rocks...

"It'll fit! It'll fit!"

b: motorbike races
If he couldn't be racing past stars, racing motorbikes was the next best thing. It was certainly a lot more fun than the last time he had been on a motorbike. A lot less on the line, that was for sure. It took him a bit to get used to the mechanics of these machines, but once he figured it out, it wasn't to very different from back on Earth. The tracks were way more advanced, but hey, that wasn't so bad. He found the natural tracks better though, the ones that sent you racing through trees and over cliffs and dunes. He was at least relatively successful, winning more than he lost.

He was happy to have less official matches with anyone who wanted one, or take a drive just to enjoy the scenery. Just don't laugh at him in the official match suits. He only, kind of, chose these colors and it was better for the suits not to be to baggy. As proven when he crashed a few times. Even good racers have bad days, okay?

c: gambling
Everything can't be an adrenaline rush all the time, right? Or at least, not the same kind of rush. So Kirk whiles away some of the hours gambling. It's not often, but he participates now and then - usually in black jack or poker. He can't quite count cards, but he has good luck which could be just as useful when it came down to it.

He switches between tables and games at intervals when he is there, never sticking to any one thing for to long. Maybe he bumps you on the way to a new table or game, nodding his head in that direction.

"You in?"

d: hand-to-hand combat
Star Fleet might push for peace, but that didn't mean that its people didn't know how to hold their own in a fight. The universe wasn't always a very kind place, after all, and Kirk had never been a stranger to a fight or two. Usually in bars, but hey, he had been smoothed around the edges. The truth was that he liked the challenge, the unpredictability of close-up combat with another person, and it took off some of the edge. That, and he was always interested in new techniques from new cultures.

He avoided the gladiator style rings and kept to the smaller matches. The upgrades from Atroma came in handy - he could take a hit a lot better now, and give one back. He would almost call it cheating it some of his opponents didn't have an even bigger weight advantage on him. Free-for-all and round-robin styles literally meant just that, it seemed. More often than not he came out of the ring with bruises, and a cut here or there, but nothing very serious that a bandaid and a shot of whiskey couldn't fix.

And if he's fighting someone from the Fleet? Well, don't expect him to hold back.

"Hit me with your best shot."

e: smile for the camera
Kirk is used to being one of two things - the golden boy, or the pain in the neck. It tends to waver between the two, but given the number of feats he has under his belt, he's more used to the latter than the former. He seemed to have a fairly even balance here on the planet, decked in his Starstrikers jacket - all he would allow himself of the branding so long as he could manage it. He was not going to be a walking advertisement, thank you.

If someone wanted a picture, or an autograph, he would give it, though he honestly seemed a little taken aback and flustered by that. But hey, whatever the people want, right? Of course the opposite could be true. Opposing teams or just fans who didn't like he had beaten out their favorite player could get in his face, which Kirk wasn't to afraid to get back into either. Definitely Starstriker material.

So why is that he looks so confused when he gets off his phone one day, fresh coffee in hand (oh god, fresh, delicious coffee).

"When did I get an agent?"

f: wild card!
You can find Jim enjoying the other pleasures the planets have to offers besides rousing competition such as:
- a sunny day at the beach
- shopping for new clothes or books
- trying out the local foods and bars
- spectating at sports
- probably getting into bar fights somewhere
- anything you can think of!

Comments

[theladyofwinterfell]

Strategy, I can get behind. Luck is something that is entirely too fickle for my tastes.

( Sansa looks over the tables, trying to decide which games were skill and which were luck. Hmm. )

I was always very good at reading an opponent and determining if he was lying or not. Are there games here that rely upon that?

[universal_charm]

That's what makes it gambling - the luck part.

_{[ He considered her request and finally nodded at a set of four players at a table. ]}

That's looked to be close to a game I know called poker. It involves the kind of strategy you're talking about, but there's the luck aspect of what sort of cards you yourself draw, and then deceiving others. Want to try?

[theladyofwinterfell]

I would like to try, yes. I think if I can use more strategy than luck, I'll do better at it. I don't like depending on variables.

( This is the sort of thing that Baelish had taught her to be good at and Lord Tyrion before him. Sansa knows it's simply a game, this time around, but hadn't they all been games of some sort? )

Are you good at poker, Jim?

[universal_charm]

I've got my share of skill.

_{[ He shrugged. He did well enough to play with the boys at the bars and to chase away a few hours, but he wasn't a pro by any means. He led her to the table, standing back a bit as he watched the players. ]}

Okay, I'll explain the rules during this round.

_{[ He kept his voice pitched low so the players couldn't hear. He ran through the rules as he had come to discern them and had them explained. The game was very much like Texas Hold 'Em, but the players were dealt more cards and had more chances to change over their choices. There also seemed to be a mechanism where, once during the entire stretch of your play at the table, you could force one person to show their hand to you if you met their bet. ]}

Right, not to complicated. Just comes down to if you can find the tells and what you yourself pull.

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Sansa is reasonably confident she can pick up on it in a few rounds provided her hands aren't terrible and when she gets her cards, they're middling at best. Time to lie, then. She looks at Jim and pitches her voice low. )

Should I raise my bet, Jim?

[universal_charm]

_{[ He glanced at her, his own cards in hand, and the expression on his face says he is debating if her question is sincere or if she is already playing the game. No underestimating this red headed lady. He tilted his head slightly, opting to give her the benefit of the doubt - but only a little. ]}

If you feel your hand is good enough, or that theirs isn't as good.

_{[ He tapped the small smart screen beside him, looking to the dealer. ]}

I raise.

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Sansa feels her hand is good enough and she's a good enough liar to pull off a ruse. Maintaining composure, she too raises her bet, flashing a dazzling smile at one of the other players. )

I also raise.

[universal_charm]

_{[ Goodness, this girl was going to be a real threat in this game if she got the hang of it quickly. With practice, he thought she could go pro - and that was just from that one smile. Well, and having spent time with her before, of course. The others either raised or called, and when it came around to Kirk again, he laid his cards down, folding. He had a crap hand to begin with, and knew better than to pick a fight. ]}

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Sansa has enough money to afford a loss so she calls and stays in the game. The betting goes again and the others fold, leaving her to cleverly cut her eyes toward Jim as she takes in her chips. She's actually done quite well solely through bluffing. It's just another game, another farce, and she looks forward to doing it again. )

I think I should cash in and try something else. Would you agree, Jim? We could have a drink and try one of the other games.

[universal_charm]

First rule of gambling - quit while you're ahead.

<sub>[ When it came to money anyways. Though he could hear half his deck crew rolling in either hysterics or at the hypocrisy of his words when it came to his strategic style in battle. Probably both.

He pushed away from the table, nodding to the men and the dealer and taking his winnings, holding out his arm for Sansa. ]</sub>

A drink sounds nice right about now, actually.

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Sansa takes his arm, holding it close enough so he can guide her through the tables and get over to the bar so they can have a drink. )

Do you think they'll have wine? Or should I experiment with something else?

[universal_charm]

_{[ He settles beside her at the bar and he chuckled. ]}

I'm sure they'll have a wine, but it's a brave new world. Why not be adventurous? Or you could take a sip of mine if you like, to see if you like it.

Do you prefer sweet? Fruity? Sour?

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Sansa contemplates it for a moment before giving Jim a smile that indicates she’s willing to be adventurous. )

Something fruity? I trust your judgment, Jim, to pick something that I’ll truly like.

[universal_charm]

_{[ He chuckled and brought up the menu, flicking through before selecting to two drinks - one for him, and one for Sansa. After a moment, the drinks came over, and Kirk slid the orange and yellow creation to Sansa, keeping the blue one for himself. ]}

Well? Give it a go.

_{[ It was taste something close to apples and strawberries mixed together, with a hint of acid and of course the bite of alcohol and a touch of sugar. Sweet, but not terribly so. ]}

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Fruits like these are rare in the north and with winter at their door, Sansa hasn’t had anything fresh like this in a while. The food on the ships isn’t much more than sustenance, really, and she likes to indulge when planetside. She takes a sip and smiles broadly at Jim. )

It’s very good. We never have things like this at Winterfell, not when the snows have come. It’s one of the advantages of being on a planet when we’re not drifting.

[universal_charm]

Really? You don't trade for them and make preserves?

_{[ He couldn't imagine a place without some kind of fruit. They grew in most climates, after all, but perhaps Sansa's was more harsh than he had previously imagined. ]}

I'll be sure to buy a lot while we're here, try and keep us freshly stocked. A fruit smoothie never tastes quite the same when you make it from concentrate.

[theladyofwinterfell]

We can, yes, but it is very expensive. Only the most wealthy families in the North have ever eaten fruit.

( Sansa tips her head a bit, explaining further. )

And in winter? There's too much snow to get shipments of anything from the south. No one can make it north of the Neck.

[universal_charm]

Sounds rough.

_{[ He's not sure what else to say about it, really, other than it sounds like a horrible way to make a life, but he was also biased in that he disliked cold weather planets in general. He was not a fan, not since the marooning incident. ]}

Best to make the most of it when we have access then, right?

_{[ He smiled softly at her. ]}

So what do you plan to do with your winnings?

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Sansa grins at him. She's flush with coin, as it were, and while she doesn't understand the currency system here as well as she did back in Westeros, she's prudent enough to know to spend some and save most. She wants, desperately, a new gown, and thinks that's where her winnings will go. )

I believe I will purchase myself a new gown and then put the rest away. I was always taught to be frugal. It's a Northern trait.

[universal_charm]

It's not a bad way to go, especially with such limited space on the ships. Personally most of my funds go to food every time we can buy properly in bulk. Mostly because it would really suck to get something like scurvy in this day and age.

[theladyofwinterfell]

Ah, yes, I do try to keep myself well fed. I know of the sailor's sickness even though I have never sailed for any stretch of time.

( Sansa laughs softly. )

It is apparently cured by lemons, which are my favorite. How fortuitous, yes?

[universal_charm]

It's cured by any citrus fruit. It has to do with a vitamin found in them that is essential for people, and when we are deprived of it, that is how scurvy happens.

_{[ He sipped his drink and then made a sound like he realized something. ]}

You know, something you could also buy - we could see if we can find a good knife or other small weapon for you. Planets like this are usually safe, but others aren't, and it would be good for you to have something you are comfortable with as a protection measure.

[theladyofwinterfell]

( Before coming to the Fleet, the idea of fighting with hands or weapons was foreign to Sansa. She'd always fought with her mind, with her words. Still, now she's learning how to defend herself and while Jim's taught her how to do so with merely her body, a weapon may come of use. )

Yes, I think a small knife might be appropriate, though you'd have to teach me how to use it. I suspect it's a little more complicated than just stabbing.

[universal_charm]

A bit. I can teach you some basics, but there might be someone on the fleet with a better understanding of blade work than me. I can ask around and get you set up with them for more advanced lessons.

_{[ He knew his own limitations, and while he had no intention of encouraging Sansa to become a killer, he did want her to be comfortable enough make blows to hurt and disable as needed. ]}

[theladyofwinterfell]

You are, as always, a true friend. By the time you've finished with me, I think I'll be downright dangerous.