kirktastic | [Risa, Day 3] -- [Suraya Bay] -- [Spock and Kirk]

Current Location: Risa, Suraya Bay

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[Risa, Day 3] -- [Suraya Bay] -- [Spock and Kirk]

After making plans with Spock and definitely having worked on his tan, Kirk showered, got himself cleaned up, and dressed. A casual sort of button up shirt and dark jeans, something simple and easy for vacation, but if the place was a little fancier, it'd be fine buttoned up fully. He left the top buttons open, for now.

Without the cycle swiped by Bones, Kirk left early so he could walk into town. Not a long walk, about fifteen minutes, but it was made easy by getting a ride from a group of very lovely ladies. He made his goodbyes (not before slipping them his comm information with a promise for fun), and walked along the boardwalk. Almost on intuition, thinking about the dream last night, he stopped in a store briefly and made a quick purchase. With the bag in tow, he headed for the bay proper and looked for Spock.

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A noncommittal response. Spock was enough of a diplomat to know what was behind that tone and those words. "We shall." He finished the strawberry, since the last bite of the fruit did not have as much chocolate as the ones before.

He reached for another strawberry treat without asking, and his first bite was slightly larger than the last one. Dark chocolate always seemed to get better with progressive bites, a strange phenomenon which, in turn, required more trials in order to draw a conclusion from it.

Kirk's eyes did not leave the ocean beyond them, frowning a little. "...I've made my choice on Pike." His tone said it was definitely the one in the brig. "...No matter what, it's the wrong choice. There is no right choice."

His next bite of the strawberry was slower, almost pausing half-way through, lips around the chocolate and fruit, before his teeth drew back and chewed the piece slowly. He kept gazing at the rolling tide, though he wasn't really seeing it. "Then what is your decision?" Not that he already knew.

The beer beside him was sweating, curving a ring of wetness on the stone below them. He looked down at it, as if he had forgotten, and took a long draw from the bottle. A breath fell heavy from his lips when he was done.

"...he won't be leaving that brig alive." Kirk said very quietly, too quietly for a human to hear.

Just as he thought.

Spock took another silent bite of the strawberry, the chocolate taste lingering in his mouth now even if he swallowed. There was nothing that he should, could, say to change his mind. The captain had made his decision, with no small consideration, and as first officer he had to support that decision. Jim was right: there was no right choice here, which is why this felt wrong. It was not a matter of rationalizing murder, but simply accepting it. He still...wished (illogical to hope without plan or possibility--), that there was something he could do to amend the situation.

"When do you plan to execute him?" Not that he would try to sabotage Jim's plan. He just wanted to know.

"...before we leave Risa, if I can." Kirk said very softly, his eyes closing. "So that it's dealt with before everyone comes back to the ship. I almost want to lie, say that he is Starfleet's problem instead of ours." His shoulders slumped slightly; this was not something he wanted to do. Taking a man's life, no matter the danger the man faced....

Killing someone took part of the person doing it, if the person had any morals.

As Jim talked, he looked down of what was left of his second strawberry, and after a pause for thought, popped the remaining bit of it into his mouth. A larger bite, for sure, but he wanted to chew on as he mulled over other thoughts. Spock glanced at Jim, saw his shoulders slump and wanted to...perhaps comfort him. If he were human, he would extend a hand to his shoulder, but he wasn't. So he didn't.

"Jim..." He kept his voice above the sounds of the sea, the water hitting the rocks, the local gulls flying out from the jungle at dusk--but just barely. "Despite the difficulty of it...you must. And lie, as well, if it is needed to maintain your command."

The tip of pink tongue extended, wetting lips that tasted like hops and salt. The bottle dripped slowly in his hand, falling to his leg, darkening the jeans like a tear. The sun played with his hair, dyeing it an even more brilliant gold then its normal tones, doing the same with his lightly tanned skin.

"...The lie isn't needed to maintain my command." Kirk said after a long silence. He wet his lips again, "...I don't want the crew to worry. That's all." He knew he had to deal with Pike. He was the only person that could.

"It ultimately originates from the same action." Spock made a casual gesture with his hand, and then looked down at the container with the three remaining strawberries. Jim looked more intent on finding comfort in that beer, so he did not doubt the continuing existence of the treats. He had indulged some already; there was no need to finish off the rest. Yes. No need.

"...though it is hardly the crew I am concerned about, at the conclusion of this."

The beer wasn't really helping Kirk pick up on the subtly the Vulcan was using. His brows furrowed and he looked over at Spock, confused for a moment. "We're not going to tell Starfleet what happened or anything." He finally said, figuring that was the only other thing that could come to mention.

He felt a small trickle of amusement bubble up in his mind, spiraling through his thoughts that were so far anchored on this difficult topic. It wasn't the chocolate necessarily, though he was counting down the seconds until that would start to hit him full-force. It was something else, something about being off-duty, the sunset, the ocean, the quiet atmosphere and just being alone with...Jim. And perhaps a peace of mind that he was starting to get reacquainted with. "No, we will not, but that does not erase it, or its consequences, from the past."

"...or the future." Kirk spoke quietly, turning his gaze away. Nothing would be able to erase it, but it didn't matter. He had to do what needed to be done for the safety of his crew and his ship, even if it meant making a decision like this.

So, he did what he normally did. He changed the subject. "I wanna get everyone together before we leave Risa. Just... you know. An off duty night of everyone hanging out."

It probably showed a lot about his opinion of the crew that his first idea is that all of the crew--the bridge, the core--in one room would lead to raucous drinking, questionable sexual maneuvers, and horrible singing, and that maybe he should withdraw his obligation from attending as soon as possible. He had already eaten two strawberries under a mere offer from Jim, and he knows for a fact that a certain Risan bar offers a melted dark chocolate drink topped with native fruit and something else he arched an eyebrow at. It wasn't that he didn't trust himself. He didn't trust Jim (or even Nyota, if she was in a mischievous mood).

"I suppose." It's the least he can say to hide his personal apprehension.

"Sure you hate the idea and want to find an excuse to get out of it as soon as possible." Kirk laughed, not looking at Spock, his tone far from serious. "No one has to come. We'd just like if you came." Kirk rolled his shoulder, drinking again but more as a method of something to do then wanting to get drunk.

"I shall consider it." And he will. Nothing about his schedule was set in stone and if he decided that it would be the best way to spend the evening, then he would. Spock eyed the bottle, and then looked out across the ocean. One of the two suns was starting to set into the horizon.

Kirk went silent, staring out across the ocean. Together, silent, they watched the setting of the suns. Finally, the corner of Kirk's lips twitched and he lifted a hand, pointing out into the sky. "Hey, look."

He glanced over to see Spock eying the sky in the area he was pointing to, and clarified. "...First star of the night. Kinda alone, all by itself. Easy to forget all the other stars are there, just hidden by the sunset. Soon, it'll see that its not alone." He said in a quiet voice, eyes not leaving the Vulcan's face. "Not alone in the sky. Other stars are all just waiting for the first star to see them."

He focused on the star through these words, one hand slowly curling into a loose fist against the rock on his side away from Jim. Two chocolate-covered strawberries weren't nearly enough for him to miss what Jim was implying, and most of all, what he seemed to imply that he knew about things Spock was sure he had never told him directly. His expression remained carefully thoughtful, and not revealing anything else.

"The light of the sun must diminish, before that is possible."

Kirk turned his head back to that single star that hung on the horizon, so faint against the dying sun but it would be brilliant set in the night time sky. "But the stars are still there, always there, even if we can't see them. We still have to trust that they're there." Words were coming, ones that he didn't even fully understand but meant. A bright smile touched his lips.

"Even when the sun rises and blots out the stars and they can't be seen anymore, we have to believe they're there. Just when it seems like there's nothing to guide us, the night time comes and we can see them again. Never completely alone... just gotta trust the stars are there, even when we can't see them."

He felt that amusement coming up again, as he glanced sideways to Jim. That smile. It held his attention for a moment or two, and then he glanced back up at the evening sky.

"You have never been more correct, Jim." Spock folded his arms loosely over his chest, hand wrapping over his elbow. He can accept this truth, here, where there wasn't anyone else to hear it.

Kirk fell silent again, glancing down between them. He eyed the strawberries and smiled slightly to himself, snagging one and biting into it with the near-obscene enjoyment from before. "...you ever used to sit out and watch the stars?" Kirk asked after he had swallowed. "Or is that too illogical for a Vulcan to do?" A gentle tease, but also giving Spock a way out of the personal question.

Two left. At least he managed to keep his attention away from Kirk as he ate it, this time, though his memory provided the visual in absence of his observation. "I could observe them clearly from my home on Vulcan." It was less painful to regard it now, as the sky he carried with him lessened the feeling of the planet actually being gone. "It was logical to become acquainted their layout and the locations of various Federation planets. However, they lack the mystique humans commonly attribute to them. A star is recognized for what it is."

"...She used to sit outside and watch them. Vulcans might not find anything mystical about them, but she did. On the balcony..." And sometimes, fath--Sarek would join her. There was a very clear memory of that in his mind. She would look for Earth. It was the first star Spock had memorized the location of.

To hear Jim bring up a memory of his own was strange, to say the least, but in this situation, not entirely unwelcome. "How often did you survey the stars?" He inquired. He had little knowledge of the activities of kids out in the Iowan countryside.

"I hated the stars." Kirk answered honestly. "...Stole my Dad from me, then stole my mother too." No anger in those words, just acceptance. "That didn't stop me from looking up at them. Trying to see if I could find something that wasn't there." A tiny smirk touched his lips, but it was sad at best.

"...tell me about your mother?" He asked almost softly, feeling the wind briefly kick up a bit of salt water droplets in their direction.

His thoughts paused on the subject. He hadn't put any conditions on his inquiry; he could pick any particular detail he wanted.

"She remained human, despite all of her years on Vulcan," He murmured, but it lacked any derisive tone, instead, there was a hint of expected fondness. "She learned our customs, but she applied them uniquely to our household, integrating Earth customs as well." Spock took another strawberry in his hand, but didn't eat it just yet, only admiring the smooth curve of the chocolate over the fruit.

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