bakerstreet | MUST'VE BEEN SOMETHING YOU SAID

I will make you anything you like. [ Because that's a very nice favor, that Jim certainly doesn't have to go out of his way to try and do for her. Not for any other reasons at all.

She has a lot of fond memories in the kitchen with her mom. It's been important to hold onto that, no matter how long it's been. Sandra Bennet helped make her who she is. Her nurturing side, her hospitality, her instinct to make sure people around her are comfortable and included. That's her mom's influence. ]

In that case, I will be paying a visit to the nice folks over in Science for their guidance on the matter. Definitely wouldn't want to bring anything aboard that would endanger anyone.

It's kinda funny to me, I almost went to college for biology, when I thought I wanted to go back and get my degree. Turns out I'm really not made for classrooms.

Damn, now I have to come up with something. [ absolutely no other reason. he is simply being a cool and chill guy. to be fair to him he'd do it either way even if it wasn't for these mysterious and definitely not real reasons.

he smiles once he finishes a bite of his food, nodding. ] They're always glad to have someone to ramble at, they'll love it and being able to make an experiment of finding something safe to bring aboard.

[ he pauses, tilting his head slightly. ]

I'm not really a classroom guy myself. I'm definitely the 'never does the coursework but aces every exam so they can't fail you' kind of guy. I do my best with hands-on learning through experience. Maybe if you feel like it, you can work with them on the plant thing. You just gotta find whoever in Science doesn't sound like a college professor doing it, so good luck.

[ She's utterly content to eat her food and listen to him talk about, well. Anything. It's actually a bona fide Normal Feeling, no sarcasm, just being comfortable and shooting the breeze over a meal. The kind of thing that really separates her from everything terrible that happened just a little while ago.

It seems to be the same for Jim, as he seems pretty relaxed. She hopes, anyway. Time will tell, because for now, she's gonna let his moment flow just as it is. ]

It's a lot easier being lectured, so to speak, in a more hands-on environment, for sure. And I always enjoy listening to people talk about whatever it is they're passionate about. [ When scheduling allows, Claire's already been shadowing people and letting them teach her whatever they feel like, and she's really just out there living her best life about it. ]

And the Science people deal with all the critters, don't they? I'll get along with them just fine.

[ They'll help her determine what's safe to pet. Priorities. ]

[ it's nice to get to fully decompress like this. he does feel better than he did before because this is continuing and not somehow melting into a cruel joke of the universe or whatever it is that anxiously runs through his head whenever he almost loses somewhat.

he nods in agreement, setting his fork aside once he's done with his food and resting his elbow on the table to rest his chin in his hand. ]

I feel similarly, especially if it's things I don't have much experience in. Command track does require you to be a Jack of all trades to an extent in case something happens, but there's none of the thorough dedication to a specific subject other tracks can have.

[ then, with both eyebrows lofted: ]

They do. Just... No more Tribbles on my ship, that's all I ask.

[ Her unofficial status doesn't have a specialization to speak of, though she's certainly called upon to offer her insight on, or personally handle, any rare cases of other individuals with seemingly superhuman abilities. If anything, that's her specialty, but it always helps to know as much as she can about whatever might be useful. While regeneration doesn't lend itself to any measurable increase in intelligence, her memory is still sharp.

Even humans unaffected by dementia or Alzheimer's can and do experience memory loss, but Claire remembers a lot. It's not a photographic or eidetic memory by any means, she's just unaffected by standard human aging. ]

That's kinda where I'm at, minus the Command stuff. I like it this way - I'm interested in too much to just focus on one thing.

[ She grins then, somewhat sheepish but the mischief is still there, irrepressible as ever. ] I can't make any guarantees, but I'll do my best. I know how I get when I see something cute.

[ jim wants to know everything about everything, but that just isn't possible with a baseline human's brain so he does have to rely on other people Knowing Things if only because he's not physically capable of containing all the information he wants to soak up.

spock does have an eidetic memory and it's something he wonders about every so often; how different is a vulcan brain that despite living twice as long as humans, they can retain all those memories? how different is spock's brain since he's half human? it's wild. he's never going to ask because he doesn't want to verbally get his ass beat again, but it's something of a curiosity.

anyway! he nods in response to what she says, thoughtful. ]

Yeah, that's about how it is. Too much interest in too many different things.

[ a beat passes. he squints. ]

If you bring a Tribble onboard I'm making you take care of it in the very cold room we'll have to keep it in to keep it from multiplying exponentially until they fill the entire ship, so keep that in mind.

[ an empty threat, more of a tease than anything. seriously though, tribbles are annoying as hell, SCOTTY. ]

[ However empty, however teasing, it's still a threat that gets her thinking twice. When she pouts, it's so unserious, and yet, actually kind of a pout. ]

Thing about me, I've never liked the cold. I can't believe you picked out my one weakness, Jim. [ A dramatic hand over her heart. ] I feel so betrayed.

[ There could be something to say about needing to be warmed up after tending to her potential pet Tribble, but it doesn't occur to Claire. She's still figuring out this different vibe between them that she's probably totally imagining. Instead, her mouth curves into a lopsided grin that's a bit more shy than usual. ]

You're lucky I'm more of a dog person.

Just like the betrayal that I would feel with a Tribble on my ship.

[ mildly. he leans back in his chair, the outward picture of confidence, the cocksure captain of the enterprise. but the mischief in his eyes is much more benign than that. ]

Now we're talking. I love dogs. We could have some dogs. Well, one dog to start with. We'd have to ease the party poopers into more than one. What kind? If it's weird we can claim it's to study.

[ They're playing, she knows they are. But her sense of loyalty is just too strong. Not enough to get her all earnest or anything, but enough that she'll drop the Tribble thing. ]

Any dogs, I love them all. But we could go for something weird. You know, for science. I would be so dedicated to my dog studies.

[ it's genuinely charming. jim's got that sense of loyalty too. they're very similar in that way. ]

Exactly, the dog studies. No one could ever accuse us of having ulterior motives, especially if it's weird and new enough that Spock wants to look at it too. He'll know it's ulterior motives, but he also won't care because he's married to science.

[ yeah this is not his first rodeo. ]

Claire Bennet, Dog Scientist. Not an official title, but I'm going with it.

[ She pauses, considering, then laughs. ] I would pay to see Spock wrangling puppies for science, not gonna lie.

I could probably make it an official title. [ no he can't. ] Get a badge and everything. [ jim, stop.

he grins a little, tilting his head. ] Careful what you wish for because he keeps his face the same while wrangling things.

I would settle for one of those little name cards to hang on my door. [ Aw, she's chin-handing now. Completely normal and fine.

Jim, please. This is not a deterrent. ] Now that, I gotta see. If we rescue some space puppies, we have to call Spock in for backup.

I mean, that's easy. I guarantee there's someone in the department with glitter pens who'd have a field day making a card like that.

[ he has a couple people in mind and puts the thought in his back pocket for later.

then: ]

It's so funny. Remind me and we can try to facilitate it the next time there's an option to.

[ Hang on. Ancient memories have been awoken. Claire's nostalgia bone is very sensitive as it is, but this. The whimsy. The joy. ] I need to get some glitter pens. For very important work, of course.

And we're definitely gonna make Puppy Wrangler Spock happen, one way or another.

That's also easy. Please glitter responsibly while doing your very important work, etcetera.

[ puppy wrangler spock... he snorts. ]

Good. He'll have a good time, it's fine.

I am going to make so many glittery doodles. Just, you know, real important stuff.

[ A pause, head tilted. Not unlike a puppy, actually. ]

D'you think he'll notice we totally arranged for him to be wrangling puppies? He'd so call us out on that, wouldn't he?

The most important of all, yeah.

[ uh oh! he's definitely not having thoughts about how that's cute. ]

It's a fifty-fifty chance whether he'd call us out directly or pretend he has no idea as a way of calling us out.

I used to draw temporary tattoos, 'cause I can't get real ones.

[ They've had a rough day. She's leaning into the silly and cute. ]

If he pretends he has no idea, I'm playing along. Like, wow! No idea where all these puppies came from, Commander, that's wild. I bet they'll love him, too.

I've considered tattoos in the past, but never committed.

[ ha ha ha committed. don't worry about it. ]

Damn, who could have predicted that the Enterprise would suddenly be beset by a dozen puppies? Definitely not me. Or you. Or anyone who saw us bring the puppies onboard.

It's hard to decide something you'd want on your skin your whole life. Hmm... probably for the best that I don't have ideas from when I was eighteen on my body now.

[ She hasn't changed that much overall, at least she doesn't feel like she has. But if she'd tried to commemorate every phase of her life with a new tattoo, she might have been completely inked up by now. ]

I feel like Scotty would help us sneak puppies on board. He's a powerful ally in this mission.

MUST'VE BEEN SOMETHING YOU SAID

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