[Captain's in Office] -- [Open to All]

[kirktastic]

(OOC: Note! This is an open post for anyone who needs Kirk in any way, shape, or form right now, so just drop on by even though its starting off with Kirk and Spock!!)

After the night with Bones, to say James T. Kirk felt like shit was an understatement. He felt hurt, and angry, and confused, and all over the place all at once. It made for... well

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[cso_spock]

Unlike Jim, Spock's day-to-day occurrences post-birthday had been altogether satisfactory. The flow of paperwork and crew matters settled into a comfortable pace, even with the quarterly flood of information that Command had been sending him continuously for the past week and a half. Confident about the rest of the day, he came to the captain's office for the morning meeting Jim had asked for rather suddenly.

The door hissed open and Spock stepped in. "Captain." He noted the cup of coffee on the desk, Jim's (lack of) posture, but said nothing more as he took his usual seat before the desk.

[kirktastic]

"Spock." Kirk shifted to sit up more, leaning his elbows on the desk between them. "Bones and I ended up talking," fighting, "last night. He thinks its time I could get these removed." Kirk smudged his fingertips across his cheeks, where the tattoos sat. "You'd have to take the bridge more often... looks like it could take a long time and I'll need entire days to heal up from it, if we can even do it at all."

[cso_spock]

He nodded once. "Understood." The procedure wouldn't be easy, no matter which method they took for it. He would ask Leonard which route they preferred for this.

But there was something missing from Jim's statements. "You mention his opinion about removal--do you also desire to remove them?"

[kirktastic]

Kirk licked his lips, nodding slightly, "Most of them." The fingers unconsciously flexed on his left hand. "We're going to start with the ones on my back, probably go for my face last."

[cso_spock]

A logical approach. It would be best to deal with the most easily hidden ones first, in case any side-effect occur during the removal. However, Jim had said 'most.' "Which of them do you want to keep?"

[kirktastic]

Spock had seen them all, so he didn't have to show them. He just clamped an hand briefly around his left arm, giving a look. "These."

[cso_spock]

His gaze fell to Jim's left arm, looking at the way the calligraphy curled over the skin. Vulcan seemed bolder and angrier than any of the other names, or perhaps that was only his interpretation of it. Spock leaned back in his seat, hands folding together. "You still maintain some guilt for their destruction." A half-question.

Though he didn't fault Jim for wanting to keep them. If it had been himself, he likely would have kept them as well. At the very least, Vulcan.

[kirktastic]

"...No more or less than you do." Kirk said back quietly, looking to Spock's eyes. "Reminds me why I'm out here, doing this. What happens when I'm not fast enough."

[cso_spock]

Jim had a point, about their mutual guilt, but he still tried to remain reasonable about the issue. "You cannot assume that something as severe as an imploding planet will occur when you fail. It creates unhealthy self-expectations." Spock looked away from him for a moment, before his gaze flickered back up. "However, they are your marks, to do with as you please."

[kirktastic]

"It isn't assuming that's what's gonna happen, Spock. The point is that lives count on me to make the right decision as fast as possible. To be heard. If I could have..." His voice trickled off, and his eyes closed. "If I'd been on the Enterprise proper, which I was supposed to have been before all this bullshit happened, I could have heard Chekov's message sooner..." His voice died off and he sighed.

[cso_spock]

"Then by that reasoning, the guilt is mine," As it was and always would be, no matter what Jim tried to bring back to his name. "For bringing about the situation that ultimately caused your suspension." And he had no trouble admitting that, because whether he did or not, Vulcan was going to remain destroyed.

[kirktastic]

"...We both have guilt, Spock, alright? You... can work out your stuff, in your head, being Vulcan and all that." Kirk smirked, but it was somewhat hollow, "Only human, so I need a reminder I can see."

[cso_spock]

A slow nod. "As you wish." Truth be told the calligraphy did not look all that bad on Jim's skin, and this had only been further emphasized each time he saw the complete picture. Just one, to peek out from the edge of his gold sleeve...but Spock still questioned internally whether the reminder would be healthy for a human mind.

"When did you intend to start the process?"

[kirktastic]

"Soon as he can clear up enough time to do it. I don't react well to just about... everything, so it has to be a time when the schedule's clear enough that he has the time he needs plus if it turns into an emergency it can be taken care of." Kirk scratched the side of his neck. "Do you have a preference?"

[cso_spock]

"No. You may begin at any time you and Leonard believe is appropriate." Spock moved his hands apart from one another to rest them on the arm rests of the chair. "Was there anything in particular you wanted accomplished in your absence?"

[kirktastic]

"...yea." He leaned forward, "Keep a close eye on Nero's ship. There's something with that ship keeping us from beaming them up... but they've gotta slip, or the Narada's power will fade or something. I want all four of them beamed up to the Enterprise the second their shielding or whatever it is fades. Just keep an eye on it for me?"