riverview | audio & action @L.Mills forward dated to April 8th

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audio & action @L.Mills forward dated to April 8th

[The audio turns on to the sound of silence for the first few seconds before Lucy asks her question.]

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for? Not like...money or anything. Not for powers, but what would you really wish for?

[Because it's her birthday, and she wasn't really in the mood to celebrate. Of course, she'll wish for her family to be okay, for them to remember and come here so they could meet Victor. But...would that be a waste of a wish? Sure, wishes were powerful, but she was in another world, and she didn't think they would be strong enough to pull her family from one realm to the next...

Or, maybe she's just over thinking things. Maybe she just wants to talk and not think about her birthday.]

[ooc: Lucy's birthday is on April 8th, so here's her birthday post! She won't say it's her birthday, not yet anyway. Either way, this post can double as action too. So have fun!]

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Of course! I made a promise.

[ He waves back with a smile, then goes back to being totally useless on his hospital bed. Victor comes talk to him eventually, to ask him about staying over at their place. Much like Victor had expected, his answer is a resounding 'yes'. He'd have to be crazy to not take each and every opportunity he got to spend time with Victor. And getting to actually sleep through the whole night curled up next to him? Perfect.

With renewed energy and a slight spring to his step, he makes his way straight to the perimeter guard once he's discharged from the hospital, packing up his things, then grabbing a bag with a few gifts wrapped up. Probably not long after she's made it home, Jim's standing by the door, big backpack slung over his good shoulder, and the bag in his other hand.

He rings the doorbell, then waits. ]

[Lucy made it home a few minutes before Jim did, making sure to take a safe route and then did her best to not drag any mud or water into the house. Her rain coat and umbrella are drying off in the shower, making it easier for the water to go down into the drain than anywhere else.

She was hoping Victor asked Jim about staying over, and maybe had an extra pillow or two placed in Victor's room just in case.

Hearing the doorbell, she races for it, opening the door to see Jim.]

Hey! [She looks and sees his bag and starts to grin.] So ....you said yes to Papa?

I did. [ He narrows his eyes a little at her, still smiling. ] And you knew about it all along.

[ Victor had mentioned that Lucy had been the one suggesting it to begin with, after all, so it's no surprise that she asks that straight up the moment she sees his backpack. He wordlessly offers his hand with his pinky finger extended. Priorities. ]

Ah— Operation Glass Slipper. [ See, he hasn't forgotten!! ] So, can I come in?

[Her grin turns a little bashful. Yes, she may have pushed Victor into that direction, but it wouldn't have meant anything if Jim said no.]

Yeah...I sort of up brought it up.

[She brings her hand up, pinky extended and loops it around his. So he'll take it easy, and it'll be much easier to do while here than at the guard.]

Yeah! You didn't need to say the code word since we invited you over. [They should probably go over that in greater detail, but she steps aside to let him in and closes the door behind him. The tiny chick from before is sitting on the couch, hoping off to go over to Jim to look at him.

Big. HUMAN. But, it remembers him. Lucy scoops down to pick up the tiny porg to hold out to Jim.]

You can put your bags down, but you remember this little guy-gal? But the chick from before. They're grown a little, see?

I know, he told me.

[ And he's both touched and grateful for that. It's great knowing that he really is growing on Lucy. At one point he honestly worried that it might never happen, and it had been more than just a little discouraging.

He puts his backpack down carefully first, leaving it near the entranceway for now, then turns his attention to the porg in Lucy's hands. ]

Aww, it's so cute! [ He reaches for the baby, scratching its fluffy little head. ] What's its name?

I don't have a name for it yet. I was talking to Papa and since we don't know the gender, we want to go for something neutral.

[The porg peeps or chirps again, tilting its head at Jim as Lucy holds her hands to him. It attempts to flap its wings, trying to fly but doesn't get off the ground. It hops to the end of her fingers, balancing there to stare at Jim before running back to Lucy and sat on her shoulder instead.]

Sorry he--she? They're a bit skiddish. But they didn't scream at you, so that's a good sign! At least, I'm taking it like one.

Did you want something to drink? water? Or..? [Trying to be a good nurse/hostess.]

You know, we could figure out the gender if you want to. Not that that's important, anyway.

[ Jim cants his head a little, amused and endeared both at the little porg's reactions. He chuckles when it rushes back to sit on Lucy's shoulder, leaving the poor thing be for now. No point in scaring it off, anyway. ]

Actually, if you have some hot chocolate that'd be great. Hospital food's terrible. They gave me something they claimed was tea, but I don't know if I believe them.

[ He emphasizes by frowning and sticking his tongue out. Once she steps further into the house, he follows after, taking the bag with her presents along with him. ]

I've— I got you something. For today. [ Because it's her birthday, and yes, Victor told him. ]

I don't really care, but how would you figure that out? Wait to see when it's older if it lays an egg?

[She guesses that's one option, but by then the bird will still be nameless, and it needs a name! Help her pick out a name, Jim!!]

Hot chocolate? Yeah, we do! I can make it the way my...grandma made it..it's a favorite of my dad too. [Her excitement was high and then started to decrease when she brought up the topic of her family. Her heart ached then and a wave of sadness came down on her, but she did her best to push it out of her mind. Instead, she went over to the kitchen, looking for the hot cocoa mixture and sticks of cinnamon.]

For today? [She paused to look at him, not eyeing the presents, but just at him. She's torn between being happy and being sad at the same.]

You..you didn't have to. I wasn't planning on celebrating anyway.

I was thinking we could just take it to the vet. A doctor would know how to see that stuff.

[ Jim's hardly an expert when it comes to porgs, after all. ]

Sounds delicious already. [ He smiles a little, and if he notices the shift in her demeanor, he doesn't say anything to it. He lets her fetch the cocoa mix and the cinnamon sticks, only moving closer again when she pauses to look at him. ]

I know I didn't. And it's still fine if you don't want to celebrate, but I'd like to give you these gifts anyway. Is that okay?

Do you think a vet knows where or what to look for? I mean, they're....birds but not really? [Who knows? But, a check up sounds like a good idea. Just to make sure the little chick is growing up just fine.

There's a ghost of a smile on her face. Instant hot cocoa mix wasn't the same from scratch, but...at least they had the cinnamon sticks...and milk. Memories of nights spent by the fireside enjoying hot cocoa with her family danced through her mind, but she pushed those feelings away. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want to upset Jim, and she didn't want to cry.]

It's okay... [She can accept the gifts, and they don't have to celebrate, but she could unwrap the presents just to see what was there.] You're very thoughtful, Jim..thank you.

Maybe. [ He purses his lips and shrugs. ] We won't lose anything by trying, at least.

[ He sketches a small smile at her answer, genuinely touched. He can sympathize with not wanting to celebrate one's own birthday all too well, but he also appreciated it when the people important to him took notice and got him something, or did something nice for him. He just didn't like making a big fuss of it.

But he wanted her to have nice memories of the day, or at least something to remember it by. Even if she doesn't want a party or anything. ]

You're welcome. And thank you. Now— I think the chocolate can wait for a little bit longer. Alright? [ He nods towards the stools on the kitchen island, so they can both take a seat and he can give her the presents. ]

Okay, I'l talk to Papa to see if we can take them to the vet. Unless...you want to go with me instead?

[After all, it was Jim's idea to take the bird to the vet. Maybe the three of them could go together ~~like a family~~. It was up to him. After all, the bird was Lucy's responsibility, and she was doing her best to take care of it.

There's a nod of her head, glad she hadn't turn on the stove or anything. Lucy moved over to the stools on the kitchen island, sitting down on one of them. The tiny porg hopped off her shoulder to wander around the table top, peering over the edge to see how high up it was.]

I can go with you if you want. I know just the one, too. It's where I took John when he showed up at the guard.

[ Not that he's adopted John officially or anything, and the pup's been living at the guard since anyway. It's not like Jim's been to his own flat since the flood, though, so he's never really had the chance to take him home with him, even if he wanted to.

Once Lucy climbs onto one of the stools, he sets the bag down on the countertop, taking out three wrapped gifts. Two of them are a little heavier and more solid, and the other one a bit fluffy and light. ]

Take your pick. [ He gestures to the gifts, not really particular on which one she unwraps first. ]

Sure! We can go together, maybe John could come too? It would be good for this little one to get used to other animals.

[Just in case any other animals find their way here. Or if they end up adopting anyone or anything else. Lucy was like her great-grandmother in that sense, loving animals and wanting to help.

She sat down on the stool, waiting for Jim to take out his present--singular, one item. However, he had three items all wrapped up. She looked at the gifts then at him. He really went all out didn't her? She reached for the first one, testing the weight of it. It was heavy, and the shape made her think it was a book....

Carefully, she teared into the heavier item, wondering what it could possibly be.]

Hmm, he doesn't like the vet much. But we can have them meet some other way. John gets along with other animals.

[ But that's something they can discuss later. For now he turns his attention to Lucy, watching her unwrap the first gift. The weight and shape alone probably give away what it is, and hers is a good guess.

Maybe even the title won't be much of a surprise to her, since they had talked about Mary Poppins before. Jim still can't believe he actually found a special edition with all the first four books compiled into one, and he genuinely hopes Lucy likes it. ]

Okay.

[They'll get the little bird and the puppy introduced to one another. However, that isn't at the forefront of her mind.

Unwrapping the first gift, her eyes widen, taking in the book in her hands. Mary Poppins was something they had talked about before, but she was thinking of borrowing it from the library! This...she had to open it, looking over the table of contents to see this had all of the books--all four.]

How did you find this?

[Because this is a treasure, truly a gem in her small book collection. She already wants to say thank you to him, but she still has two more presents to open!]

[ Jim watches her face, quietly pleased with himself. She looks more stunned than anything, admittedly, but it looks to him that it's a good sort of stunned. Like she can't quite believe he actually got her that gift. ]

A stroke of luck. Maybe a dash of magic or fate— who knows. [ He purses his lips and shrugs. He's not about to question how lucky exactly he was that he found that copy here in the Quarantine. It obviously came through the portal somehow, at some point, but he's just glad that it ended up in his hands. ]

Come on, open the next one. [ He slides the second gift to her. It's a little bigger but thinner and much lighter, though it also is a book. A children's book, actually, with shorter and simpler text, but what Jim likes most about it are the cute illustrations accompanying the story. He got it both because of that, and because the main character reminded him a little of Lucy's new friend. ]

[Lucy's eyes lit up hearing it was magic or fate that helped Jim in acquiring the book. It helped to hear that he believed in magic, even though magic was clearly real in this world. After being told for so long that it didn't exist, it was still great to hear affirmation of it. That magic wasn't just in her head or in fairy tales.]

One of those sounds about right. But, I'll ask Papa to read it to me tonight, or...maybe we could read it together? [Another thing for them to do, another chance to bond and for them to become closer friends.]

Okay, okay, I'll open it. [She places the Mary Poppins book down in favor of grabbing the next book, tearing off the wrapping paper to discover what it was. Another book, one that's colorful and makes her think of her little bird friend.]

This is adorable! They're all puffins! [Okay, giving a little girl something cute is never a bad thing.] The little chick almost looks like one of them.

Anything you want, Lucy. [ Jim smiles, waiting as she opens the second gift. He doubts she wouldn't like the book, so her reaction comes as no surprise.

He grins wider at her reaction, and he nods promptly at her conclusion. ]

It does! That's why I got it for you. If you have no name for your little yet, that's Oona, and that's Baba. I'd say both those work for either a boy or a girl.

[ But she should read the book first. If she warms up to the name, he'll be glad that he helped her pick, at the very least. ]

Let's read them together. I know you like the books too.

[He won't have to stay up to read it to her for a bedtime story. No, they could read it together whenever he was free. More time to spend together--after her homework was completed, of course, along with chores.]

Oona? [She looked at the cover of the book then at her chick. That name seemed to be the most fitting for the little bird.] That sounds like it could work. What do you think? [She looked at the little porglet, smiling softly at it.] Do you like Oona? [There was a soft trill followed by the porglet coming back to Lucy to sit on the Mary Poppins book. A grin broke out on her face.]

They like it! Oona it is!

[They finally had a name for the chick! No need to research any further! Oona would work well for a boy or a girl. And to think, she still had one more gift to go!]

Alright, that's a deal.

[ He tips his head at the little chick, chuckling at the reaction to the name. It's cute, and it really seems to understand what Lucy's saying. Hell, what does he know? Maybe it really does understand. ]

Hey, there you go! What do you know, huh? Oona, then. That's cute.

[ He grins wide, reaching out to pat the cute little animal on its head. It seems to be a little more alright with Jim touching it, but he pulls back quickly enough, just so he won't scare it off. ]

Okay, last gift.

[ Unwrapping it, she'll find a teddy bear about the same size as Dr. Whale, only dressed a little differently. Not strictly the uniform he wears as a Captain, but it's not like he expected to find teddy bears wearing Starfleet uniforms around here. ]

[The little porglet tilts its head and peeps again at the name. It does enjoy it. When Jim does pat its head, the porglet stays still, enjoying the attention. This human wasn't so bad...and started to creep closer towards Jim, eager for another pat on the head. It left Lucy giggling.]

I think Oona likes you.

[They were on the last gift, and Lucy didn't know what to make of it. At first, she thought it was another book, and honestly that wouldn't be a bad thing in the least. She could have her own library of books for her to enjoy by herself or with her friends.

When she does unwrap it, she's speechless. Her eyes wide with happiness and finding the little bear to be perfect.]

You got Dr. Whale a friend... [And she knows what to name him too. The wrapping paper is placed on the kitchen counter so she could hug the stuffed toy without anything in the way.]

Thank you, Jim. I'll put him next to Dr. Whale. I even know the perfect name for him. Can you guess?

[ Well, if Oona wants more pets, then Jim is all too happy to provide. He keeps stroking its cute fur while he waits for Lucy to open her last gift.

Her reaction is perfect, even better than he'd hoped for. He grins wide and nods, reaching for the wrapping paper himself and crunching it up into a ball so he can throw it into the trash later. ]

Well, he seemed a little lonely. And I hear doctors and captains get along.

[ He winks at her, playful and a little teasing. He actually had a name suggestion of his own, but if she already has an idea, then far be it from him to tell her to change it. ]

Hmm... no idea. What is it?

[Once Oona is used to someone, they do enjoy the attention and being around them If Jim is willing to pet them, then they will love it! Until it's time to go back to Lucy's side. Oona sits still, letting Jim pet it, even getting comfortable on top of the counter, looking more like a little poof ball.]

I've never heard that before, but...I think Doctors and Captains get along well with everyone...but especially with each other.

[Grinning because she enjoys being teased by him and teasing him in return. Dr. Whale will have someone with him when Lucy wasn't around...and the young girl would take both dolls to bed every night.]

I was thinking...Kirk. Captain Kirk and Dr. Whale.

Yes... especially with each other.

[ He taps on his own nose, winking knowingly at her. He'll keep petting Oona for as long as it wants him to, smiling as Lucy holds the teddy bear close to herself. ]

I was gonna say Captain Tiberius— that's my middle name. [ Yes he knows, it's terrible. Let's move on. ] But Captain Kirk works too. Let's just hope it doesn't cause too much confusion.

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