USS Enterprise, Space, Wednesday FT

[solarhippie]

It had taken some wrangling to make this happen: you couldn't really just up and visit someone on a spaceship whenever you decided you wanted to. Even if that someone happened to be the captain. But, Karolina was persistant! And Jim had leverage!

And so, today, Karolina Dean found herself aboard the Enterprise. There was a backpack filled with Earthside treats over her shoulder, and a look of poorly-concealed wonder on her face as she looked around where she'd been received. Everyone looked so official in their uniforms, it made her feel like she should be introducing herself as 'Counselor Dean' or something. Or at the very least wear something that wasn't a yellow hoodie with some light blue jeans.

She was as much in awe as she was feeling out of place. But, there was someone else on this ship who'd make her feel more at home. So, now she just needed to find Jim! Easy!

... She probably shouldn't go looking for Jim on her own, huh?

[ooc: NFB, and for that guy!]

Comments

[solarhippie]

"Oh, it's totally a word," Karolina agreed with an easy grin, following along. (With the occasional curious glance around.) "It's just not something I've ever heard you say before."

[pursuedthestars]

"That's because I don't tend to surround myself with uppity people before this," Jim told her. "Besides, I like everyone even the uppity ones."

[solarhippie]

"Now you've said 'uppity' like three times and it's weirding me out," she joked, her eyes comically large. "I'm glad you like your people, though."

A beat.

"Even the uppity ones."

[pursuedthestars]

"Why's that word making you feel weird?" Jim asked, snickering. "It's not like I'm saying moist."

[solarhippie]

Okay, Karolina visibly shuddered at that one. And made a noise that was something like 'eugh. It was only a little bit exaggerated.

"There was a time that Molly loved saying that," she said, brushing her hair back from her face. "She couldn't figure out why Nico and I were so grossed out. She thought it was hilarious."

'Moist.' Gah.

[pursuedthestars]

"So, she was doing it on purpose but kind of not?" Jim asked, grinning. "Now, that's my kind of girl. She'd make a good starship captain."

[solarhippie]

"Yeah, she probably would," Karolina replied, a little wistfully.

Sometimes, she missed having Molly around more. (Okay, she kind of missed it all the time. Sometimes, she just missed it more.) "She's living with her grandmother now."

[pursuedthestars]

"Is everything okay there?" Jim asked as they walked, heading down to the botany lab. "Is she okay?"

[solarhippie]

"Yeah," Karolina said. Pushing her hair back even though it hadn't really moved after the last time. "It's her grandma, you know?"

Yeah, okay, so their parents had all been villains, so that 'you know?' was maybe kind of a stretch but still. Molly's grandmother seemed like she was good people.

Her smile was lopsided, and her change of topic a little abrupt: "So, anyway. Plants, right?"

[pursuedthestars]

"Yeah, we're almost there," Jim said, knowing when to leave a topic alone. He nodded and kept walking quietly until they came to another door. Jim swiped them in and they were immediately met with fragrant smells of flowers and plants.

The room wasn't quite a greenhouse but there were plenty of samples protected by glass cages and protective plastic.

[solarhippie]

Karolina was grateful. It was probably something she should talk about, but this wasn't the time or the place. Maybe not even the person.

(Living in Fandom again did mean she was near the therapist from her high school years...)

Getting hit with the smell of plant life did a wonderful job pulling her back into the moment, though. She wasn't really as gleefully expressive as she'd been before, but she still didn't hesitate to step up closer to one of the cases to take a closer look.

"Oh, wow."

[pursuedthestars]

"Pretty cool, right?" Jim asked, pleased with her reaction. "Come on, go inside, check things out."

[solarhippie]

Which Karolina did, almost immediately. She was careful not to touch the glass on the cases, but she leaned in as close as she could, looking at the different samples.

She was clearly most drawn to the ones that had the brightest colors. No surprise there.

[pursuedthestars]

"Damn, I should have brought you here first," Jim said, leaning against the doorway and smiling. "You can touch the ones that are out. The ones in glass might be dangerous but otherwise, go nuts."

[solarhippie]

"Are you sure?" Karolina asked, looking up even though it was clearly a small struggle for her to pry her gaze away from a weird blue plant she was looking at. "I'm worried I might hurt them."

The most Karolina statement she could've said.

[pursuedthestars]

Jim eyed her and then laughed, shaking his head. "You're not going to hurt them. Just don't rip their petals and stuff off and you're fine."

[solarhippie]

Karolina looked sheepish for a second. But in a way that seemed to also be a little amused at herself, too. "I mean, I'm not... something they've come into contact with, before," she explained. "I just didn't want them to have a bad reaction."

[pursuedthestars]

"They've quarantined the ones that are brittle or poisonous," Jim advised her, trying to encourage her to check things out. "I promise, the scientists aren't going to let you do something that's going to risk an experiment or analysis."

[solarhippie]

"I'm just trying to keep from being thrown out of an airlock."

That one was definitely a joke. And she'd relaxed enough to actually get closer to one of the plants. She touched its purple petals gently, and carefully.

[pursuedthestars]

"Please, I'm the boss, they can't space anyone without my consent," Jim told her. "You're safe as long as you don't release some flesh eating virus into the vents."

[solarhippie]

Karolina snorted. "Well, there goes the Earth-side souvenir I brought you," she quipped as her gaze was drawn to another plant.

It seemed to glow faintly.

[pursuedthestars]

"Oh, that's one we got on a recent trip," he said, following her gaze. "Very convenient for moving at night because they glow."

[solarhippie]

Karolina looked up, and smiled a little. "Kinda like me."

She reached out - again, carefully - to touch the plant. Except she stopped half an inch away, just to see the glow against her fingertips.

"It's pretty."

[pursuedthestars]

"Kinda like you," Jim told her, smiling. "Of course, we also ran into these...rat dogs things there that took a chunk outta my leg and put me in medical for like a week. Annoying."

[solarhippie]

Whether it'd just been 'annoying' or not, he was getting a slightly alarmed look all the same.

"Maybe it's good that we haven't been keeping super tightly in touch," she said slowly. "'Cause I would worry. A lot."