Courtyard | [open;]

[warpwhatsir]

In the event that anyone decided to go for a little stroll in the courtyard, they may or may not stumble upon someone sitting on one of the benches, staring at the plants laid out before him with an intense look of concentration on his face. It's not the usual kind of face one would use while regarding flowers, after all. Most people would be like, oh, how pretty they are. Hikaru Sulu, on the other hand, is staring at them like they just ate his sandwich.

And he worked damn hard on that sandwich.

The thing is, Hikaru doesn't actually recall what any of the names of the flowers laid out in front of him are. Things like roses, daisies and daffodils escape him, as do more of the intense ones, like caladiums and heliotropes and manchineels. Well, actually, all of them escape him. Every last one. And while this wouldn't bother most guys, it's kind of hard to be a part-time botanist when you don't even remember what a damn tulip is. It's proving to be far more frustrating than it has any right to be.

(Also, he's still not entirely sure what the year is. But that's okay, he's more concerned about the flowers at the moment because they still pose the promise of some small amount of sanity.)

(Not to mention he may or may not have had some issues with his shoes this morning but he's pretty sure he's got them on right.)

Comments

[warpwhatsir]

"I'm sure it's an interesting story, whatever it may be." He shrugs a little. "Though Doyle wasn't quite as popular where I'm from as he is here."

[bitofafiction]

"No? I wasn't aware he was terribly popular in this place. Certainly I am the only one who seems to consult his books in the library."

[warpwhatsir]

"Not terribly popular, no, but where I come from it's..." Chuckle. "Mostly about the now and the soon, not so much the then. I've always taken a liking to older things."

[bitofafiction]

Dryly: "As have I."

[warpwhatsir]

"More fun." Shrug. Doyle's pretty much ancient in his time, after all.

[bitofafiction]

"And what year is it? Where you come from?"

[warpwhatsir]

Hikaru glances sideways at him, but just smirks. "San Francisco," he says, in his most obvious, wiseass voice.

[bitofafiction]

"I had noticed. That is not a year."

[warpwhatsir]

"You asked me where I come from." Hikaru shrugs. "How'd you notice anyway?"

[bitofafiction]

"I was not certain," he admits, "but I had tentatively traced your accent to that region. Accounting for the time difference, which was a significant factor. At least two hundred years, I would say. Which puts you somewhere in the twenty-third century."

[warpwhatsir]

"...and that doesn't concern you or anything."

[bitofafiction]

"Why should it?"

[warpwhatsir]

Hikaru snorts. "You know, there are plenty of people who'd be freaked out by a guy from the future strolling around. But then, you don't seem the type to run screaming over something like time travel."

[bitofafiction]

"Indeed. I have been convinced of more peculiar things in my time. Besides which, if this place were located on the same Earth where I grew up, I would expect it to be torn down around our ears at any moment. The lack of a dramatic rescue so far inclines me to believe that either my family has been somehow incapacitated, or we are beyond their reach; the latter idea is both more pleasant and more likely."

[warpwhatsir]

Threading his fingers together, Hikaru leans his elbows on his knees. "Wait. You're going to have to elaborate on this 'same Earth' idea you're pitching."

[bitofafiction]

"Oh, alternate universes, of course."

[warpwhatsir]

"Of course."

[bitofafiction]

"It's very improbable, but it is one of the least improbable explanations. And perhaps you know my position on the matter of improbable things."

[warpwhatsir]

"Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

[bitofafiction]

He smiles.

"Precisely."

[warpwhatsir]

Hikaru smiles in return. "It's a good ideal, in my opinion. One of my commanding officers thinks along those lines."

[bitofafiction]

"Clearly a sensible person, then."

[warpwhatsir]

"That's putting it mildly." He laughs.

[bitofafiction]

"I am pleased to be associated with such an individual."

[warpwhatsir]

Well. Hikaru turns back to the flowers after a moment because... well, he's not actually sure what happened to the rest of the Enterprise crew. He didn't know any of them very well but still. A guy's gonna worry.