video/action

[candothat]

Who: Pavel Chekov and anyone!
Broadcast: Yes!
Action: Sure!
When: Now!(!)


[A wild (and somewhat-awkward) video appears! There are no cats, unfortunately. It's just Chekov, his ridiculously thick Russian accent, and a sad announcement.]

Ah, hello. For those of you who knew her and have not checked ship rosters recently—and for everyone else, although probably this is less relevant to your interests—Kara Danvers is no longer in the Fleet. She has a sister and friends at home that she missed and I think that, if she was in a position to remember not being home, she would be happy to be back... but the Fleet will be a sadder place without her. She has been a good friend to me, and to other people as well.

In places like this—places where people come and go with no warning, and even when they return, they may not remember who they knew or be exactly the way that they were or feel the way that you may expect them to—it's difficult, you know, having friends. Wanting to make friends. An inevitable side effect of gaining something is having something to lose...

But the alternative is being sad and alone. Even if none of us remember this or each other once we leave, it's good to do something with the time that we have together, while we can still remember.

I have become more and more talented at not trying to talk to very many people, so: to anyone that I haven't met, hello, I'm Pavel Andreievich Chekov. I would be happy to meet you or, if you knew her, to remember Kara with you.

And if I know you already, of course you never need an excuse to talk to me... or to drink with me, if you were considering a visit to the Tourist.


Action

[It's probably bad form to invite the entire Fleet over for drinks when he's possibly-sort-of working for the Space Bar, but Pavel isn't in much of a mood to leave the Tourist and drinking alone is sad.

Really, he's sad enough without actively trying to be more pathetic. Kara was one of his closest friends. While he has lost more people than he cares to count in his years away from home (and at home, although that was always a more final sort of losing), this is the hardest loss in his fifteen months in the Fleet. Kara was clever, caring, and stubbornly optimistic even when she was at her worst. No one was as quick to give hugs or listen, and she never failed to make him feel like he mattered.

The Tourist won't be home without her.]

Comments

[universal_charm]

I can understand why. You know the saying - once bitten, twice shy, and you've been bitten how many times? Five? No secret as to why you would take the tact that you did. So there's nothing to apologize for.

[candothat]

Thank you. [He reached over to give Kirk's arm a grateful squeeze. It had been weighing on him since entering the Fleet, that suspicion that Kirk was going to leave again. Getting it out there and being forgiven for any standoffishness felt better than he had expected.

But at the risk of things becoming too serious:] And of course the original saying is get burned by hot milk, blow on water.

[universal_charm]

_{[ Kirk smiled and squeezed back. At first it had been frustrating, Chekov's obvious withdrawal from him, that distance he could never quite close. But he understood. Chekov had his reasons and they were good ones. If it were him, he probably would have done the same thing. How many times can you get up your hopes, only to have them dashed, before there's nothing left? He had seen what they had done to a person, and he prayed with everything he had that Chekov didn't walk down that path, that he himself did not push Chekov further down it whether he could help it or not. ]}

Now that is a bunch of made up Russian malarky.

[candothat]

[Four or five years, three universes, and an ever-revolving circle of friends had definitely had an adverse effect on Pavel's willingness to be open, but things were shifting where Kirk was concerned. He'd stuck around and he understood. He hadn't let himself be pushed away.

Chekov pretended (unconvincingly) to be offended by Kirk's skepticism.] You can ask Tasha if you don't believe me.

[universal_charm]

Tasha is your cat? Or maybe your pet bear?

_{[ It's a jibe at being Russina, his lips quirked into a warm smile, glad to be having such banter with his friend. ]}

[candothat]

Don't be ridiculous, the bear's name is Gregor. [Exaggerated eye roll.]

Natasha, I mean. Nat, I think that's how Americans shorten her name.

[universal_charm]

Oh, Natasha. I just might. Or you two are in cahoots and she'll feed me the same story.

[candothat]

She would never. I think that we have slightly different perspectives where our homeland is concerned.

[More than "slightly," and not just because Natasha wasn't prone to wild exaggeration.]

[universal_charm]

She has a humorous side, I'm sure of it. I think I saw it the couple of the times she kicked my ass and knocked me to the ground.

[candothat]

Her sense of humor is excellent. Some strange, violent combination of Russian and American humor. [If it wasn't obvious, Chekov really liked her.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ Kirk smirked and nudged Chekov with his foot. ]}

Got a Russian crush?

[candothat]

Of course. [This was an uncomplicated romantic matter that he didn't have any trouble talking about.] I'm under the impression that nearly everyone has a crush on her.

[universal_charm]

Not necessarily a crush, but a healthy respect. And maybe a little crush.

[candothat]

Healthy respect, crush... I see no difference.

[universal_charm]

No, we're saying there's a difference - because I have a healthy respect for Uhurah, not a crush. T

[candothat]

Okay, in her case, maybe there is a difference. I have a healthy respect for her, but no crush.

[universal_charm]

I mean, there was one at one time. We met because I started flirting with her at a bar, after all.

_{[ AND NO ONE WAS SURPRISED. ]}

[candothat]

This is shocking. [Deadpan. This is not shocking.] What did she do? I would assume there was a polite but biting and decisive dismissal.