Fresh, simulated air [Open]

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Overall? Today was a good day.

Barring the Adria mix up, he'd been having a pretty good time since the mission to go save Christmas, really. Getting out, stretching his legs and making a difference? It'd felt good. And even with the eeriness of the woman, Inara, and the sobering fact that Adria could be in those pods somewhere, the fact was Adria wasn't awakened.

As long as Cam kept moving, he didn't need to think about the possibility that his world was gone, either. So far, he seemed to be doing pretty well. Lately, when he had slept, his dreams had been full of death raining from the sky, of the Ori and Adria and feeling the universe unravel around him (how, he could only explain when his head was clouded with sleep).

Today, his dream had been good. Maybe he was on the right path after all. Cam Mitchell Therapy 101.

But he wasn't about to dwell on that right now. He was feeling good. Good enough that the Sensorium didn't even creep him out when he set up something home-y. Mind, nothing that would compromise homeworld security, but home-y all the same.

After going to that mission, his desire to just see Earth was somewhat quenched--although it certainly was not his own. But familiar still sounded nice, it brought back to his mind thoughts of his dream. Not that he was one to dwell on dreams, but still. Familiar faces.

He didn't program anyone he knew--that would have been a bit creepy--but the familiar trill of a bird he had no idea what was echoed through the spring air, and it was...nice. He meandered over to a makeshift wooden seat, and grabbed up a power bar from his pocket. It was sort of...pathetically simple, really. He'd almost programmed in a village over the hill, but...he found he liked the silence. There was always some sort of humming sound or people on the ship.

Not that the sound of critters or the brook running a few feet ahead of him really counted as silence, but it was...cleaner. More like home.

Cam gave a sudden laugh, and shook his head. "Still not a nature guy." It was just refreshing next to a living alien spaceship.

Comments

[squintybonelady.livejournal.com]

She'll continue calling him strange.

She opened her mouth to argue with him but then he had to go and make the attractive comment. "Wait... What? What does me relaxing have anything to do with how attractive I am?"

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

And he'd continue to call her attractive at inopportune moments.

He smiled. "You smile more, let your hair down and breathe. Makes your cheeks rosy and your eyes bluer."

[squintybonelady.livejournal.com]

Which is completely unfair. Completely!!

She stares for a minute and to her annoyance, felt a blush rising to her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she looked away. "My eyes appearing bluer is merely a reflection of the light. The melanocytes of the iris do not change - except in infants and the elderly- and therefore it's a common mistake for people to believe that periodic eye color changes due to mood or anything else."

Yes, Cam meet a flustered Tempe.

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Yes, well, she did say all was fair.

She was actually quite cute when she was flustered, but that would have been a touch too sincere to work. So he just stood, and brushed himself off, before pointing toward her cheeks. "See? Rosy. And I'm pretty sure they looked bluer to me when you were relaxed."

[squintybonelady.livejournal.com]

She's going to have to think of a way to pay him back, he is aware of this, isn't he?

Taking a deep breath, Tempe looked over at Cam with a perplexed and slightly exasperated expression. "You.. You are the most frustrating man I've ever met!" And that's saying a lot.

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Why would she ever do that?

Her outburst pretty much just earned her another smile. Be noteable no matter how you do it, right? "Those were compliments, Doctor Brennan. Most people don't find those frustrating."

[squintybonelady.livejournal.com]

Because all's fair, remember?

She knew they were compliments, they were just... peculiar coming from him. "I knew that," she muttered. "Thank you," she added on an after-thought. She was quiet for a moment before finally asking, "You're not going to let me use the sensorium until you feel I've taken a 'breather' are you?"

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Revenge is not fair. Revenge is revenge.

Yes, well, get on his good side, and you'll get plenty. But the 'thank you' was a good start. He offered her a small smile and a nod. "Absolutely, Doctor Brennan. It's my duty as a crewmate."

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

It could be fun though - he's the one who keeps telling her she needs to let her hair down.

She really wanted to argue against this mandatory break he was obviously going to make her have, but she'd learned that some things were just not worth arguing with him over.

Besides, for some reason she highly doubted he was going to be going around the ship insisting that his fellow crewmates be taking breathers. "Fine. What exactly am I suppose to be doing on this 'breather'?"

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Yes, well...yes.

Because he always won, Doctor? Or because you really did want to, under all that repression?

He might, if he had other close associates. But that was beside the point. Cam pointed near where he'd been sitting. "Try sitting, first."

[squintybonelady.livejournal.com]

She refuses to even answer those questions. Ever.

Her gaze moved slowly between the bench and Cam, and after a moment she just shook her head - not really believing he was actually going to make her do this.

"I don't see how sitting is going to help achieve this breather," she muttered, though she moved over to said bench and sat down, resting her hands on her thighs.

"OK, I'm sitting."

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Because they were both right on.

For the record? It was not the easiest thing in the world to get someone to relax when they didn't want to. Especially when they had no concept of it. So be flattered, Doctor. Helping out is cutting into his R&R time.

Cam nodded, and sat back down in his place, before snatching up a bag of sliced bread. Was it there before? Impossible to say. Regardless, he held the bag out to her with a smile. "Toss some to the ducks."

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

She does relax! Though normally it's in a diner or having dinner with her co-workers and friends - not sitting on a bench in the middle someone's memeories and imagination.

She shot Cam a skeptical look and then looked down at the bag of bread. "There are ducks?" Since when? And where the hell had they come from? Cam's list of things one must do to relax?

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

It's not like you're walking through his head, Doctor.

They don't whistle, if you're wondering, but an empty forest would have been unsettling, and counter productive to relaxing. Cam pointed toward the group floating along the brook. "You know how, right?"

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

For which she's thankful - that could be a little scary.

"How hard could it possibly be?" Tempe replied and reached into the bag and grabbed a piece of the bread before withdrawing her hand.

Breaking off a piece of the bread, she tossed it into the water and watched as the group of ducks all swam right toward the small piece of bread. She couldn't help but smile in amusement as they all seemed to dive for it at the same time.

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Only because you'd be amazed and enthralled, Doctor.

Well, at least she could manage proper virtual duck feeding. There was some hope for her after all. Cam gave a small nod of approval, and crossed his arms. See? She was smiling already.

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

Or the complete opposite.

She could manage a great many things, thank you. Feeding ducks wasn't hard at all. Continuing to break off pieces of bread and toss them into the water, she glanced over at Cam. "Aren't you going to feed the ducks as well?"

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sure.

But relaxing, pointless stuff? Cam doubts she's great at many of those things. He knows already she's not that experienced in watching movies.

At her question, he shrugged. "D'you want to share your supplies with me?"

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

She can relax, just she normally doesn't do pointless relaxing stuff. The movies on the other hand, if one would call her inexperienced in watching movies merely because her lack of zombie movie knowledge - then so be it.

"Sure," she shrugged back and handed the bag of bread over to him. "Be careful. Wouldn't want a duck to bite you."

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

So be it, because it was true.

He flashed her a brief smile, and grabbed up a slice of bread from the bag. "Well, I do know a doctor, if one did."

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

She set the bag of bread between them and shook her head. "Well hopefully that doctor knows about duck bites." She looked back at the ducks with a slight smile.

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Hope so." Not that he had any intention of getting bitten by a phantom duck. But it'd be good to know.

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

She wiped her hands off and looked back at him. "So is this how you normally relax?"

[sgmitchell.livejournal.com]

"On an living alien spaceship." When he wanted away from the crowd, anyway. There was always basketball with Team Papa the rest of the time. "S'nice to get some air that doesn't taste like...soy."

[bone1ady.livejournal.com]

She shot him an amused look. "So coming to the sensorium is about as spontaneous as you get?"