Freebasing - [open]

[gold_ambition]

James had arrived late last night, met Ensign Landon, and found the bar. It was a good start so far, but it really didn't bode well for his time here. There was little to look forward to, other than Tina: nothing much happened on a starbase, and he was going to be forced to continue his "treatment." He could start up classes. Get a job doing...

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[commodore_69]

Tandy caught sight of the newest arrival exploring the base when she went to refresh her cup of coffee. She had some work to do, but it wasn't work she particularly wanted to do. Now would be an excellent time to stop and say hello.

"Captain James Kirk, isn't it?" she asked, approaching him. "I'm Commodore Tandy Otrona, in command here."

[gold_ambition]

James, it must be said, smirked. If he was admitting that he was being mistaken for Jim, he'd have said that was delicious. As it was, he firmly held the belief that he was the real Captain James Kirk anyway. It was just nice that someone recognized it.

"Commodore," he said, saluting in the not-evil way. He didn't see many people give it, but he thought it was a nice touch. "I wasn't expecting a personal greeting."

She looked damned informal, with that cup of coffee.

[commodore_69]

He was a Captain James Kirk, anyway.

"It's a small station. At the moment, anyway." Tandy extended her hand for a shake. "It would be rude not to say hello. Though I'd do it even if that wasn't the case."

[gold_ambition]

He shook her hand. These people were lax--it made him hope there was some mayhem to get up to, to take advantage of it.

"The pleasure is mine, sir," he said. "I hear it's pretty new. Congratulations."

[roger_korby]

He'd been quietly investigating this place, his home for the time being. It was small still, but the potential was outstanding, and if there was anything that Roger knew, it was how to nurture potential to its fullest.

Also, there were a lot of women here. Nice.

He'd kept to himself thus far, trying to stay out of Christine's everyone's hair, to see how things settled. But on his morning walk he found at least one familiar face. "Kirk," he called out, walking toward him. Hadn't seen him since their disagreement. "Fancy meeting you here."

[gold_ambition]

James turned, instantly irritated. Everything about the man irritated him, but mostly the fact he hadn't gone down like the pansy James knew he was. But he smiled, in broad, painted on geniality.

"Dr. Korby," he exclaimed. "A starbase devoted to studying whatever brought people from different universes--I don't have any idea why I'd be here."

He thought Korby's work was done, dammit. He was probably here chasing after Tina.

James needed to comm her. Anything could have happened in the last week.

[roger_korby]

Good to see the man knew how to let bygones be bygones. "Didn't put you as one who worked within the system."

He stepped closer, grinning back with his friendly grin. "I somehow pictured you out in a shuttlecraft, traipsing out there amongst the stars like a twenty-third century Don Quixote."

[gold_ambition]

Oh, right, they were friends now. What the hell.

"Don Quixote was insane," he said. "And you can picture me however you want, but I doubt Starfleet's response to such an action on my part would be nearly entertaining enough for me to bother. What brings you here?"

Hopefully some sort of horrible disease, which he would then catch.

[rn_chapel]

It was a little silly to be surprised to see someone she knew very well would be coming to the station eventually, but Tina was. Maybe because she had assumed that James would contact her as soon as he arrived. Which he clearly hadn't. Not that that was bad, or meant anything, or anything.

"James," she called out, before she could talk herself into pretending she hadn't seen him so that she could wait for him to see her first. "Hi! I didn't realize you were here."

[gold_ambition]

James hadn't been sure of his strategy until just that moment. Because it had bothered him, how much he'd missed her. How certain he now was that if he hadn't decided to come here before, he would have after one day of knowing she wasn't on the same planet.

And that scared him.

And so he didn't know what he was going to say when he saw her next, until he caught the slight tremor in her voice, the awkwardness in her phrasing. I didn't realize you were here. Was that disappointment that he hadn't run right to her rooms?

Was that what she thought of him?

He turned to face her fully, smiling a reasonable approximation of a friendly smile. He forced his voice to be casual, even. "Hey, Tina," he said, as if his stomach hadn't lurched at the sound of her voice. "How's it going?"

[rn_chapel]

"Good," Tina said automatically. "Or well. Whichever of those is grammatically correct. I mean, I'm fine. How are you?"

Did he look uncomfortable, or was she just feeling awkward enough for both of them?

[gold_ambition]

"Glad to hear it," he said. He was trying not to look uncomfortable. He was trying to look cool, unflappable. "I'm good. Nice trip here, excellent welcoming committee when I arrived. I'll be starting up my classes again--you should come by."