[ CATCH-ALL; OTA ]

[overanalytically]

WHO: Spock + YOU
WHERE: Mainly De Chima and Heropa, but open to other places if wanted
WHEN: any time during July
WHAT: July catch-all! Specific starters in comments (slow in coming) - feel free to make your own top-level or hit me up on plurk (shifting) and we can set up something specific!
WARNINGS: None so far, will update if necessary

Comments

Spock's place, evening

[overemotionally]

[Jim had come over earlier to practice erecting his mental barriers, which was one of the only reasons he was dead asleep in Spock's bed. He lay naked on his stomach save for his boxer briefs, limbs sprawled, one hand laying limply against Spock's.]

[overanalytically]

[ Spock had told Jim not to push himself if he wanted to head back to Heropa under his own power. At least Jim's been over enough times by now to have one change of clothes for the following morning. After Jim had collapsed, Spock spent a half hour or so trying to meditate, but ... it wasn't easy this evening for some reason. He ends it and goes to bed slightly unsettled, but hopefully Jim's warm presence will help to calm him as it has in past nights.

It's too much to hope for though – an unsettled mind eventually leads to his recurring nightmares. Normally it wouldn't be too much of an issue with his mental barriers in place, but he'd slowly been growing more lax with some of them due to his bond with Jim, attempting to strengthen the bind itself by allowing their minds to join more often. Unfortunately, it's a detriment tonight, allowing his subconscious to overtake his REM cycle.

With Jim is such close contact with him, coupled with Spock's barriers being down, Jim may start to receive some darker feedback ... ]

[overemotionally]

[Jim typically sleeps a lot better when he's near Spock, more so when they're in direct contact. But tonight he's a bit restless once he's in contact with Spock, tossing and turning and getting flashes of something going on across their bond.]

[overanalytically]

[ It's a repeating nightmare of Spock's, having just beamed up from the surface of Vulcan with the Elders ... and his mother. Saving his mother from her death on Vulcan, prevented her from being sucked down into the black hole with everything else he knew and loved. But then comes the end of the logic in his dream, the Enterprise begins to crack and break around him—his mother blaming him, it's his fault, hisdoing. Spock, why did you bring us aboard?! You've doomed us! You've doomed us all!

He screams as the Enterprise shatters around him, as he's sucked out into the deep black void—

—and he sitting up in bed, his pulse hammering in his ears, gulping for breath from the scream he somehow managed to keep in his throat. ]

[overemotionally]

[The overwhelming terror, guilt and despair leaks across to his sleeping mind, different from his own nightmares but enough to get his own pulse racing and suddenly he's falling...


...



...He phases through the bed, his body perceiving the actual sensation of falling so that he wakes up and hits the floor under the bed where he was just sleeping with a small "Oof". And he's pushing himself up before his eyes even fly open, breaking out into a cold sweat...until he bumps the back of his head on the underside of the bed. He groans groggily between being woken up so unpleasantly and the throbbing in the back of his head as he slowly orients himself (how the hell--?) and climbs out from under the bed.

He's rubbing at his eyes as he goes to stand up from the floor and realizes he can feel panic, fresh and jarring across the bond. Jim looks up at the bed and notices Spock is sitting bolt upright.

With a small frown and in a concerned tone:]

Spock? What's wrong?

[overanalytically]

[ Spock barely even noticed the movement—or rather lack of movement with Jim phasing through the bed, too caught up in waking from his nightmare. He flinches visibly when Jim speaks, head whipping around to look at him, the scream still stuck in his throat. ]

[overemotionally]

[His eyes widen when he sees this. Something was seriously wrong. He climbs back onto the bed and a hand comes up to rest on his shoulder in an attempt to soothe. His voice is soft.]

Hey, what happened? Talk to me.

[grumbling]

[ it's a couple of days after their conversation when mccoy comes to see spock. he doesn't know what that green-blooded bastard was thinking, listing a military porter as his optimum route of travel. mccoy has enough grievances with their federation transporters, let alone the technology of a planet that has been kidnapping members of their crew for god knows how long.

so the doctor doesn't feel too bad leaving a trail of pink glitter behind him. it turns out he's living in the human-sized version of one of those antique barbie houses that joanna wanted one christmas when she was young and boy, does his little housemate love arts and crafts. ]

Fancy little place your friends have got here, Spock.

[overanalytically]

[ Spock just cocks an eyebrow at the trailing glitter, glancing at it obviously but making no outward comment on it. ]

While I may question your proportions of relative size, the Vorkosigans and Emperor Vorbarra have indeed spared no expense for their home, or as they refer to it, the Residence.

The prepared lab is this way, Doctor. [ Spock turns, leading him down one of the mansion hallways. ]

[grumbling]

The Residence huh? My God, I had no idea the Barrayars had such artistic minds.

[ mccoy drawls sarcastically, following spock down the hallway. ]

No wonder you get along so well with them.

[overanalytically]

Apparently, it is a reference to the building which houses the Emperor on Barrayar, more accurately entitled as the Imperial Residence. I believe they named it as such as a humorous reference.

[ He leads to a room with some equipment setup – mostly things Bones would have seen on medical history PADDs in medical school, microscopes and the like. Spock has several tables set up with various projects though, leading him to one in particular. ]

[grumbling]

Well when you put it like that, then my sides are splitting.

[ mccoy doesn't look too impressed with the technology in the laboratory. he pauses at one table in particular and picks up some crucible tongs, an expression of disgust painted on his face as he snaps the metal together and heaves a sigh. ]

These should be in a museum behind glass.

[overanalytically]

I agree, though they are the tools at our disposal.

[ He cues up a tablet for Bones on the table he's lead to. The tablet itself is clunky, a dim screen surrounded and backed vulnerable plastic, but Spock has managed to rewrite the operating system to resemble something close to their PADD technology, albeit slow to load and not as high a resolution. ]

These are the schematics and composition of the medication I spoke with you about, so far as I have been able to determine.

late july

[dendarii]

[ Some time after his inflammatory attack, Miles decides to check in on Spock and how that medication is doing. He's fine for now, but the event had reminded him just how far he is from the level of medical care he's used to ... and it gives him an excuse to talk to the Vulcan without bringing up the threesome. Which he's still not sure about, having not yet spoken to Gregor on the matter.

He finds the door to Spock's laboratory and knocks. ]

Commander?

[overanalytically]

[ He'll hear a quiet, ] Enter. [ just a few seconds after he knocks neither too loud nor too soft to hear through the door. ]

[dendarii]

[ Miles does so, then, glancing around to see what changes Spock has made to the place. ]

Evening. Did you get dinner yet?

[overanalytically]

[ It resembles a proper lab, filled with various larger equipment placed at logical locations around the room and several tables littered (tidily so, organized, categorized, and labeled) smaller bits to the few projects he has going.

Spock himself can be found at one of the middle tables, his attention focused into a microscope, unblinking while one of his hands is touch-typing on the screen of a tablet, recording his findings without looking to see if he typos or not. (If Miles looks over his findings, he won't see any such mistake.) He also somehow has managed to sit upright, his posture perfectly straight without slouching to see into the microscope despite his height.

His attention remains down on whatever he sees through the microscope lens, but he addresses Miles comfortably:] I have not.

[dendarii]

[ Well, damn. Count Miles impressed. He'd been worried that Spock wouldn't be able to do much given the limited tech, but clearly he was wrong... He approaches carefully, glancing down at the notes that Spock is taking. ]

Would you like me to get you something then? I think Mother has some leftovers.

[overanalytically]

[ Well, maybe Miles actually couldn't check for typos after all—when he glances down at the tablet screen, he'll see a rather beautiful script language forming in complex patterns as Spock continues to type, long lines connecting seamlessly before the next vertical line begins.

Spock spares a glance at Miles from the microscope while he completes this particular line of notes. ]

Lady Vorkosigan is also a vegetarian, correct?

Spock's Office, late July

[burningbothends]

[After having finally gotten through solid week without some sort of disaster, Roy figures it's about time to finally introduce himself to his 'boss'—At the very least, a man he'd be working close together with. Someone with far more advanced scientific knowledge, too, one of the reasons (though only a small one) Roy had held off on meeting him. He had his own pride as an alchemist. But a quiet week had done wonders for catching up.

He knocks politely on his office door.]

[overanalytically]

[ Roy will hear an even-toned, ] Enter. [ through the office door.

When he opens it, the first thing he'll encounter is the temperature of the room: elevated to the mid-80's. It's not overly warm, but enough to be noticeable compared to the hallway Roy just came from. Also interesting to note that despite the temperature, Spock is wearing at least 2 layers of clothing. Beyond the temperature, he'll find a somewhat spartan office, minimal decorations surrounding the walls and shelves save for a few potted plants here and there—some are under glass, some open to the warm air. On his main desk is a few electronics instead of plants, a couple taken apart (or being put together?) in an organized pile of parts.

Spock glances up a noticeable few beats after Roy has entered the room, his expression a polite blank. ]

Greetings.

[burningbothends]

Commander Spock.

[Roy acknowledges his greeting with a nod, briskly stepping in once he's given leave. As someone who tends to wear layers even in Florida, the temperature is immediately noticeable, but Roy keeps his attention on Spock rather than look around.]

Colonel Roy Mustang. I apologize if I'm interrupting anything, but I wanted to introduce myself.

[overanalytically]

[ Spock stands politely once Roy introduces himself, coming around the desk towards him. He still leaves a few steps of space between them, subtly waiting for Roy's cue as to whether he's going to shake hands or not. ]

No apology is necessary, Colonel. It is agreeable to make your acquaintance.

[burningbothends]

[He does offer to shake, his scarred hand bare of a glove due to the heat.]

Likewise. Fullmetal seems to think highly of you. Not an easy feat.

[overanalytically]

[ Then Spock smoothly offers his own hand, the gesture only somewhat stiff as if he's not used to such gestures. In great contrast to the rest of the room, Spock hand is quite cool to the touch. If he notices the scar, he doesn't make the observation obvious in any way. ]

Pardon me, but ... "Fullmetal"?