A tall ship and a star to steer her by (starwreck) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2012-03-04 22:07:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, hikaru sulu, james kirk, montgomery scott, varric tethras |
"What powers this monster robot?"
Who: Kirk and Sulu, and Scotty. Also Varri
What: Kirk gets kicked out by his girlfriend, hangs with Sulu and his ferret, and then they go to the Mad Dogs and Englishmen, whereupon Kirk and Scotty have a drinking contest. And then a bar fight.
When: Friday
Where: Sulu's apartment and Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Rating: PG-13
Status: Part 1 of 2 (complete/split for length as usual... XD)
Glass crashed! A man skidded onto the sidewalk, and landed on his ass. He wore only a pair of red and white striped boxers. A vase narrowly missed his head, followed by and armload of clothing. All of this accompanied by a woman's rapid fire angry mixture of Korean and English. The door slammed, and James Kirk got up, brushing himself off.
He calmly picked out a pair of jeans and a Godzilla T-shirt and pulled them on.
From across the street, Hikaru watched the scene unfold. He'd been pouring himself some coffee when he'd heard the shattering of glass. This wasn't the best neighborhood ever, and he had a tendency to check things out when he heard potential crime in progress. He wasn't sure if he should be happy that all the ruckus was only over a bad breakup, or sad for the guy getting things thrown at him.
"Oh MY," he said to himself, after listening to the mixture of Korean and English. His grasp of the first language wasn't enough to know what she was saying, but it certainly sounded ANGRY.
And the man looked familiar. He opened his window and poked his head outside to get a better look.
Jim scratched the back of his head. He'd picked up enough Korean over the past month to wince at Isuel's choice of words. He looked down at his junk, "Its all right, she didn't mean it."
Shoes were next and then he looked around. He'd come over in her car, and it was going to be a very long walk.
"Are you sure she didn't mean it? It sounds like she's out for blood, or worse," Sulu's smile was amused as he shouted down to the street, and his tone of voice reflected it, "You might want to duck for cover before she starts throwing potted plants at you."
Glancing back at the apartment, Jim decided the better part of valor was getting the fuck out of there. He jogged across the street. The man up there looked familiar, and he couldn't help but want to talk to him, "Thanks for the advice! Say do you know any place around here to get a stiff drink?"
Sulu shook his head a bit and laughed, "A drink? It's 11 in the morning! I just brewed coffee!"
The neighbor below opened his window and a hand flipping the bird preceded the rest of his chubby bald head, "Who the fuck CARES about your shit, both of you! No one needs to hear you two shootin' the breeze in the street, get a room already!"
The window slammed shut, and Hikaru's smile turned a bit sheepish, "Forgive my neighbor, he's a bit surly when he's hung over." Which was every morning, usually. Hikaru would never admit it but he liked playing his yoga tapes extra loud at 6am on purpose.
Kirk liked the man instantly. Anyone who liked to fuck with drunk people was okay in his book, "Mind company?" He snapped his fingers, "Ahah! I know you! We met at a star party! I was banging Elisa Gomez at the time. Remember her? She was second year advanced physics."
The smile on Hikaru's face became a bit less certain for a moment, as if he was trying to remember this event, or maybe trying to decide if he wanted the guy to join him. Then he nodded his head.
"I remember your telescope, it was larger than most of the casual star watchers use. Come on up. Fourth floor, Apartment E."
He ducked his head back in the window, at that, and made a far less confident face at his kitchen cabinet. He took a deep breath and let it out, then raced to the bathroom to make sure his hair wasn't a mess. Pants. Where were pants? Get it together, Hikaru!
"Thanks! I'm pretty fond of it. It's well used and served me well." Jim headed inside, forgoing the elevator and taking the stairs at a jog. He could probably use coffee. Be a good thing to drink over while thinking about what had gone wrong this time. Why did they never want to just be friends with benefits?
Sulu wouldn't be able to provide Kirk with any insights on that one. He'd never been in a committed relationship himself, and hadn't even bothered with 'friends with benefits'. The closest thing he came to friendship right now was his relationship with his ferret.
He rushed to the door and unlocked it for Jim, then headed to the kitchen. He was nervous, why was he nervous? It was just a guy who knew him from somewhere, having coffee. The guy was in trouble, and maybe he could help. There was absolutely nothing to be nervous about.
Jim gave him a grin, "Sulu wasn't it?" He clapped him on the shoulder and walked in, looking around the apartment. He nodded his head a bit, as if the state of the apartment confirmed his impressions of the other man.
What came as a complete surprise was the bouncing ball of fur that carreened around a corner, dooking excitedly and attacking his shoe. Kirk lifted is foot up in the air and stared at the ferret latched onto it. He shook his foot and it got more excited, like this was the BEST GAME EVER. Jim laughed.
"Ah, I see you've met Pavel. He's litter trained, so I let him run around when I'm home," Sulu chuckled and handed Kirk a cup of coffee, black, "He likes you, I think. And yeah, Sulu. I don't think you introduced yourself at the party, though. And your old friend wasn't nice enough to scream it at the top of her lungs, either."
"Kirk. James T." He took the coffe and held out his free hand while simultaneously dislodging Pavel from his foot. The ferret careened back around the corner. Jim shook his head, grinning, "Iseul..." His grin faded, "I suppose I deserve it."
"I guess you'd have to tell me what you did, first," Hikaru shrugged, and plopped down on his couch. He could already guess what the guy did, he had that kind of aura about him. Like he was going to cause trouble any moment, or trouble was going to find him, and either way he was probably going to look wonderful and get laid.
"You might have deserved it. Maybe she's just crazy. She didn't exactly sound sane while she was throwing things at you."
"It was the 'what are we' conversation." He winced, "Not my best moment. She didn't take rejection well. I'm just glad I didn't give her my keys - I'd go home and find she rewired my place."
Pavel peeked around the corner, as if wondering why he wasn't being chased.
"I know a guy who knows a guy who could probably fix that for you if it happened." Hikaru casually picked up a nearby cat toy and tossed it in Pavel's direction in the hopes that would keep the hyperactive little guy busy for another 3 minutes.
"Actually, he hangs out a lot at this place a town over," he pointed in the direction of Santa Ana, "That way. If you still need a drink after this, that's probably where you want to head."
Pavel? Was distracted for 2 minutes and 45 seconds.
Jim took a sip of his coffee and nodded appreciatively before taking a seat backwards on a chair, "Beer that good?" He raised an eyebrow. There were probably a half dozen bars between there and here.
"The beer's good, better than a lot of places around here that water it down for unsuspecting tourists," Hikaru nodded and sipped at his coffee. The mug was almost empty and he got up to get more, since that was better than sitting on his couch trying to figure out what to say to this guy. He rarely had company over.
"The company is nice. It's busy enough but a lot of the regulars are the kind you don't need to worry about mugging you later on, you know? I met the owner while I was on a campus doing a lecture. He's researching colleges for some book he's writing."
His nose scrunched up at the thought of watered beer. It was a crime against nature and humanity, "Well that earns it a try at least. What's the place called?"
He could always use a new haunt. He wondered if Sulu would make a good wingman. He was distinctly lacking a good wingman. He knew the quality he looked for in a wingman; quiet and reserved, a perfect straightman, too.
Sulu'd played wingman once or twice in college, and could probably try it again. Jim was likeable enough, certainly. There was something about the guy that made Sulu just really want to be his friend.
He stared down into his empty coffee mug for a bit, then sighed and set it down, "Come to think of it, it's 5 o'clock somewhere, right? That's what people always say."
A smile turned into a grin, which quickly became shit-eating. Jim hopped to his feet and smacked his palm against Sulu's back, "Sounds great, Sulu! I don't have my car, if you don't mind driving."
He didn't mind driving himself, but he wasn't about to take his car to this neighborhood if he could help it, no matter how attractive the woman. Or good the beer. He really needed a motorbike.
As he headed for the door, the ferret attacked him again. He swept the little carpet shark up into the air and spun him around.
That carpet shark would probably see more carpet in his life than Sulu ever did.
Sulu tossed the mugs in the sink and hit the button on the coffee maker, grabbed his car keys and sunglasses, then plopped a hat on his head and headed for the door. He laughed at the interaction between his ferret and his new friend, "He's never going to quiet down now. Here, let me take him. I don't like him running around when I'm not here to make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
He deftly picked the ferret up out of Kirk's hands and got him stowed away, then headed out of the apartment and waited for Kirk to head through before locking the door. "I've got the silver Honda out front."
"The hybrid? Nice. Does it have much power?" He followed his new friend down the stairs. Silver seemed...right, somehow. He walked over to the passenger side and waited for Sulu to unlock the door. As soon as he got into the car he adjusted the seat so it was raised up and back a bit.
It was the natural command seat position when others were driving, of course.
He grinned proudly and slid into the driver's seat, then quickly checked his mirrors, "She's powerful enough. I mean you're not going to strap a rocket to her and fly to Mars or anything. I take her up into the forests and hills, though, and she always gets me home safely."
Sulu loved his car, not in a wholly unnatural way, and it certainly showed. The thing was impeccably clean, inside and out, and it had obviously been polished recently too.
He took a look over his shoulder and moved to hit the gas and roll away from the curb. The car jerked forward slightly, then went to a stop. Hikaru rested an arm on the wheel, then put his head on his arm, briefly.
"That's embarrassing."
"Parking brake?" The grin he gave Sulu was teasing, and amused.
Sulu lifted his head off the wheel, darted his eyes to the side, and turned the parking break off without a word. He darted his eyes off to the other side, grinned a bit, and turned away from the curb, "I drive too many things. Or I'm getting early onset Alzheimer's."
He headed of towards the nearest freeway, and then in the direction of Mad Dogs.
Kirk laughed, and then leaned forward and started fiddling with the radio, trying to find just the right station for this ride. Like it was imperative that the ride have just the right music. He settled on an alternative rock station.
Kirk; captain of the radio.
That seemed fair enough to Sulu. He was pretty agreeable when it came to things like radio stations and pizza toppings, and didn't have that need to be in charge of his car like some drivers did.
He turned off the highway and took the exit into Santa Ana, then headed for the side of town you generally didn't bother visiting just to go exploring. Sulu didn't seem all that concerned as he pulled up out front of what looked like your standard dive bar. Painted above the door was 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen'.
Kirk got out of the car and stared at the bar, "That's so weird." He headed inside! It looked and smelled like a dive bar, and the decor was..interesting to say the least. he grinned at the balloon barbie picture, then headed for the bar.
Continuing the cycle of embarrassment, Sulu hit the parking break and turned the alarm on before heading inside, himself. He waved at Varric, the hopped onto a bar stool. "My friend here has had a bad morning, we'd like the good beer."
"The good beer, huh, Maverick?" Varric hopped off a stool and walked over to draw them some beer. It had been busy without Cass present, but the girl needed her vacation. He just hoped Scotty wasn't driving her up the wall. He slid two glasses over, and stood on a small step to stand at eyelevel to them, "Varric Tethras, at your service." He held out his hand.
Jim took it, shaking it strongly, "Jim Kirk."
"Nice to meet you, Playboy."
Playboy huh? Kirk liked it.
Takes one to know one?
Though Varric wasn't a playboy, or so he'd insist.
"He does that, with the nicknames. Be glad he picked you a good one," Sulu's grin widened a bit and he picked his glass up, "I'm still not sure I'm happy with Maverick."
"Top Gun, Mav, Top Gun." Incoming fistbump!
It had honestly never occurred to him that the Top Gun Maverick was the one Varric had meant. He laughed, and fistbumped Varric, "For some reason, I always thought you meant the card player."
Kirk sideeyed Sulu, "You've never seen Top Gun? Were you sheltered or something?"
"Ahh... no," Sulu ducked his head, "I just try to avoid movies with Tom Cruise in them. I've heard of it, my brain just never made the connection."
There will be no more fistbumps in three, two, one... BOOM goes the door, flying open, courtesy of one rather disgruntled looking Scotsman's boot. He glared straight forward, welding goggles danging around his neck, his ratty black n' white hello kitty skull and crossbones t-shirt looking like it was covered in dust and rust. He was looking surly, pissed off, and like he'd been entirely too sober for entirely too long.
"I need scotch," he said, loud and clear. And just in case it wasn't clear, he added, "WHISKEY!"
"I'll get you a copy, Mav." Almost before the door burst open, he was pouring a glass of whiskey on the rocks. It was sliding down the bar as Scotty approached it.
Turning on his stool, Kirk watched the newcomer curiously. Somehow he knew today? Was going to turn into an adventure!
Oh good. Like magnetic attraction was taking place, Scotty was drawn - with outstretched hand - to the waiting whiskey. He sat down at the bar, tipped his head back, and BAM! It was down the hatch. No time for savoring. He simply tapped one finger against the edge like keeping it coming was a great idea, and decided that he'd slow down on the second or third one.
Varric simply kept slinging the glasses down the bar, "How's the little carpet shark?"
"He's just fine. I've been thinking of setting up a system for him so he can power my toaster or coffee maker or something." Sulu nodded at the newcomer, who he only recognized by some of the clothing. They'd never actually been introduced, and now he was curious.
Kirk watched the Scotsman drink, then signaled Varric for a glass. Not to be out done, he drained it in two seconds flat. Then he signaled for a second. And a third.
Shaking his head in amusement, Varric slid down closer to Scotty, "So Tinker, how's the build coming? Think you could make a ferret powered engine?"
"Aye, fine, keep 'em comin'," Scotty had been saying, but at the rate that guy was drinking down there, it was going to turn into a pissing contest. And if there was anything Scotty was up to, it was a challenge. He scrunched up one eye as though to glare down the length of the bar and say it's on and lifted the second glass up to his lips.
"I could dae a ferret powered machine, an' ye know it," he said, setting that glass down, emptied. Great, now he had to catch up! "Build's coming along nicely. I've got a list of things I'll need, but I've managed tae cut corners enough that the expense should be under what I'd quoted."
"Oh this is going to be good." Varric broke out the stronger liquior. If people were going to get shitfaced, they were going to get shitfaced on the expensive stuff - and pay for it greatly.
"That's good to know."
Grabbing his next drink, Jim downed it, "What're you building?"
Pissing contest and chatting? Brilliant. Scotty raised a toast to the pair, and said quite cheerfully, "A battle bot, with poundy fists, great big bumper breasts, an' fire flyin' out of 'er face. Oh, well, and a giant sword arm, tae wreck shite up. It'll be very impressive!"
It didn't help that he had made a one handed, one boob grabbing motion, over his own chest, when he mentioned the breasts.
"Dude. That is fucking awesome." Kirk raised his glass in toast, then downed it. "Two for Sulu!" Somehow that sounded funny and he snickered.
"Waait wait. Waaaait. Boobs? This thing has breasts? Fan TASTIC!"
Sulu thought the idea was pretty fucking awesome, himself. He started mentally thinking up the schematics for something like that, then tuned back into the conversation.
"Wait, two what now?"
Varric slid over two whiskeys, "If the man's paying, take the drinks."
"Big knockers. Breasts. Boobs. Gigantic bouncin' bumper boobs," clarified Scotty, downing yet another glass worth of whiskey. "It's a strictly protective measure tae make sure the internal mechanisms dunnae take a big frontal hit." See? It made sense. He's nodding a lot and toasting at the pair with his empty glass. Validation! It's a glorious thing.
"I'm actually not sure who's paying," Sulu squinted at Kirk. He hadn't actually seen the Korean woman toss a wallet out the window, and thought maybe it was HIM that was paying, "It might be me."
Kirk was in the middle of drinking his fifth. He held up a finger, then pulled out his wallet and threw a hundred on the table, signaling for Varric to serve until that ran out. Or they fell under the table, whichever came first. All, magically, without saying a word while he guzzled.
Having been a party to enough drinking contests, Varric understood the whole thing.
Scotty's eyebrows raised way up at the cash, but that's because he's a tightwad with his funds, and also the fact that it would let him be the last one standing with a damn good buzz going on. No way was the Scotsman going to be falling down before those two were, seasoned drinker that he was.
Hikaru had no clue what was going on here, but he wasn't stupid enough to turn down free whiskey, either. He picked up one of the glasses in front of him and took a long sip, toasting the guy at the end of the bar with it. Since he was being polite and toasting them, after all. He seemed familiar, and Hikaru wasn't sure why.
"What powers this monster robot?"
Not caring, Kirk was well on his way to getting shitface, which was a wonderful state of being when one has just broken up from a friend with benefit relationship. He continued to drink, and also try to keep up with the conversation, "Sit for that..shit..Bras League? Buzzy League? Shit."
Scotty stood up and moved down the bar while talking, pounding down another drink along the way, until he plomped his bum down on a barstool next to them. "Engine an' batteries. Oh, ye know it then? Brilliant! Ye dunnae look the type tae be intae that sort of thing though. Either of ye."
Scotty made sure to block out the size of the engine with his hands, and then added quickly, "About the size of a midget, which I'd cram in there tae drive it, if I could."
"Sweet." He didn't really care, not like someone actually interested in such things would be, but hey; destruction and bit robots, whats not to love. He downed another couple of glasses, and the room started to sway. He got to his feet, stumbling a bit. Something was missing. He wasn't sure what.
Varric just watched Kirk and shook his head.
"Wouldn't you want a bigger engine?" Hikaru wasn't shitfaced enough yet to talk with a slur, but it wasn't going to take too long. He finished the one drink and set it down, then picked up the second one.
"Are the arms hydraulic, or... Well I've never heard of it, but I like putting these things together in my head."
Sulu grinned at Scotty a bit self-deprecatingly, "I havn't built many things, myself. I like watching those shows. Junkyard wars and that kind of thing."
"Aye, a bigger engine'd be fine, an' I'm thinking of it...really haven't gotten that far yet. I've got the gear assemblies for the arms, done." Already having downed two more, Scotty paused then with his lower lip touching the lip of the third glass, and raised his eyebrows. He had a fine glowing buzz of alcholic glory coursing through his veins, but he wasn't near to swaying just yet. That'd be at least another three generous glasses. "Watch it there, laddie. Trust me, the floor's not really movin."
Sulu casually reached a hand out and grabbed the back of Kirk's shirt.
Scotty had started to, but it looked like his buddy had it taken care of, so he just chuckled and downed another glass of whiskey, and nodded for yet another. Scotty's liver is one big pickle. Adding more alcohol wasn't going to effect it, not one bit.
"Somethin' is missing." Kirk turned around, like he was trying to figure it out, then bumped into a broad shouldered man. He grinned, patting him on the cheek, "Sorry cupcake."
He turned back towards Sulu to get another drink, when large hands grabbed him by the shoulders and through him into a table.
And then James T. Kirk suddenly knew what was missing, "Hold on! Hold..holdon!"
He got to his feet, swayed a bit, then held his arms out and announced, "Wes gotta brawl!"
Cupcake's fist smashed into his face and sent him sprawling. He laughed, leaping up and tackling him, "Ahh yeah!"