'round perdition's flames

This is a roleplay blog for the character Khan Noonien Singh (also known as John Harrison) from J.J. Abrams' Star Trek: Into Darkness. Any and all prompts may be accepted; if you're curious, send an ask! Please note that both Mun and Muse are of age. Smut is accepted and highly encouraged.

[hope-augmented]

swiggity-wizzle, what's in the missle

|| Anon, I'm fucking cackling. WHY WOULD YOU

[batmaned]

Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your family?

[hope-augmented]

Closed role play.

[recklessrebelcaptainkirk-deacti]

When Kirk next returned to Khan, it was with guards. Spock was less than impressed though it did not appear on his features, and Uruha stood beside him, worried but showing such bravery on her face.

The prison was opened, and they not so much welcomed as demanded Khan step forward. Jim much to everyone’s distaste, closed the lengthy gap to a minimal one, and warmed the room with a smile. His injured arm was still bandaged, but it was less painful than before. 

Some days had passed since he had last seen the other.

Reaching out with his uninjured hand, he moved his gaze from a level view, to looking slightly up. Khan had a bad reputation, but so once upon a time did Jim. Though perhaps their faults were not on similar levels; Jim never outright murdered people, they did work through a painfully similar understanding.

The things they did, the fights they suffered for all for the love of their family. He waited for the other to accept his offered palm, and said, “Welcome to the crew. Sorry about the oddly cold welcome, but someone-” And he said that with such an airy breath. Spock should have bristled.

“-Someone didn’t want me to do this alone.”

It was a pointless effort though. Kirk trusted Khan not to backstab him. The pair had made a deal, and rough as they were Khan was similar to him enough that this time, when his family was not in danger, he trusted the other not to go back on his word. Kirk placed a lot of his trust in instinct. 

Somehow he imagined Khan to do the same. He might have been wrong and he would have been glad to be. It was worrying how similar they were, but their differences more than made up for it.

[hope-augmented]

Once Kirk's footsteps faded, the time seemed to pass in spurts. Khan did not need to sleep, but there was little else he could do. In a holding cell with no windows, the passage of time was immeasurable and virtually meaningless. Several hours or several days could have passed. 

When he awoke, he was greeted not only by Kirk, but by Commander Spock and a full entourage of guards. Unsurprising, the augment thought as he rose to his feet and strode forward to meet the captain halfway. He was rather startled by the other man's smile as it gleamed on his face. It seemed so out of place in comparison to the stern tilt of the Vulcan's eyebrows. 

It was a strange comfort, Khan thought as he edged forward. He looked at the palm of Kirk's hand for a moment before covering it with his own. "Thank you." He had never been welcomed into anything before. He had been genetically engineered and delivered into the hands of his creators for imprinting- but there had been no welcome. The same had gone for his removal from cryogenic stasis by Admiral Marcus. A small smile tugged at the man's mouth as he let go.

With a glance at Spock, Khan murmured, "Don't apologize. It was a reasonable precaution to take, sir." He exhaled softly, his gaze returning to Kirk's face. "Trust takes time." 

But not between himself and the captain, Khan hoped. They had gotten this far. There were virtually no commanding officers that would have taken this sort of risk for someone that had previously threatened the lives of their entire crew. It was a marvel that Kirk hadn't killed him on the spot, to be quite honest.

"What's next, Captain?"

[hope-augmented]

✚: A Spot of Caffeine

[nctanescalatcr]

“Yeah…”

A soft sigh bubbled from his lips when the other man retreated from the office. The lights dimmed down and the air became breathable once more. He turned on his heels and followed Harrison, much like a lost puppy. His mind whirred silently, his thoughts drifting off to the incredulous amount of work he knew was waiting for him when he was done prattling with the teacher. His hand came up and absentmindedly rubbed the bridge of his nose, attempting to dash away the headache which was threatening to appear. Bones was just all too happy to get a small break for once. At least he wasn’t out in space on some abominable flying craft that could split in to a million pieces and obliterate every breathing soul aboard. As they neared their destination, the inaudible noise of people drifted by the student. Cerulean hues flicked about the mess hall with slight irritation and disbelief. The room was cluttered with a hoard of students in waves of red and grey, moving about to get their grub. “What… I thought we’d have this place to ourselves…” McCoy’s shoulders sagged in defeat as he ran a hand through his hair, grumbling more so to himself.

[hope-augmented]

The teacher kept his strides slow and short so that McCoy could keep up. He could practically feel the exhaustion emanating from him. There was something else, too. It was tension. Harrison could understand all the reasons for it. He simply wished there was something he could do. He assumed that the assistant would adamantly decline; Leonard McCoy was a man of honest work. 

As they made their way down to the lower levels of the Academy, Harrison ran his fingers through his bangs. He reminded himself to be careful. He reminded himself that he was John Harrison, a thirty-five year-old science officer assigned to a temporary teaching position in Starfleet. There was more to him than that, but that portion would go ignored. He exhaled softly as they exited the lift and walked into the mess hall. 

Harrison's eyes widened just a measure. He looked over at McCoy, who appeared just as astonished as he felt. "It's nearly ten o'clock. What in heaven's name-" He rubbed idly at the stubble that had formed along his jaw. "I have an idea, if you're willing to walk a short distance." He stared into the sea of students milling about. The mess hall was quite large, but with this crowd, there was no chance at finding peace and quiet. 

[liverandom]

Cecilia listened to him as he spoke. He was very clear and concise which was something she really respected in a person. Maybe this man wasn’t so bad after all. She was somewhat surprised by his offer to help her, but it also in forced her thoughts of trusting the man.

“Well, it’s nice of you to offer to help until we get you’re situation figured,” She smiled at him. “I’m not sure if I introduced myself before, but I’m Cecilia Farnum. And you are?” She wiped her hand on a rag before offering it to him for a handshake.

“I can show you to some vacant quarters for the time you’re staying here, if you want. The ship doesn’t need much maintenance, or at least not enough that more than one person really has to work on it, but it is quite finicky.”

Just as she said that, a screw flew across the room from on of the many pipes. It was something she was used to, so she easily dodged it as it flew toward her. The pipe it had come from began to hiss and rattle violently. She turned around to look at the extent of the damage, “See what I mean, finicky.” The lack of pressure made a few of the other pipes and mechanisms begin to act up as well and as she turned back to look at the man and noticed a hole one of the pipes on that side of the room from the screw. The pipe was now spurting water from a penny-sized hole.

[hope-augmented]

Khan beamed. Perhaps people were more receptive when you simply took the time to appeal to them. He had the time. It would be some time before Starfleet realized that their prisoner had not reached his destination, and by then, tracking him would take even longer. 

Even so, it would be in his favor to cover his tracks. "I'm John Harrison," he replied warmly. He accepted Cecilia's handshake with a surprisingly gentle grip. "Pleased to meet you." He may have been bred a beast, but he had been taught the vocabulary and mannerisms of a gentleman. 

"I would appreciate that. I assure you, I will find a way to earn my keep-" Khan paused, outstretching his hand to pluck the wayward screw out of the air. He flicked it off his thumb and tucked it into his pocket. "I see what you mean." The augment turned his head to glance at the pipe. He frowned. "Well, that is distressing." In a few strides he had crossed the room and clamped his hand over the leak. He grimaced. 

From between gritted teeth, Khan suggested, "To save time, I recommend a copper clamp. It'll spare you some time to weld it properly." Though his nerves had begun to scream, his hand had not even begun to turn red. 

[commandercas]

about deleted scene xD

[one-historical-woman-blog]

She watched as he easily swung himself around and stood, her eyes running down along the curve of his back before they snapped back to attention; her face felt like it was on fire as she cleared her throat. “It’s … 2260.” She replied as she moved slowly to his side, still holding onto the coat and holding it up again for him.

“I need to go find clothes … so here, hold onto this …” Marla hesitated; could she really trust him to stay put while she went to find him some pants? All things considering … since he was naked and all, she had a feeling he wasn’t going to move out into the open where he could be seen or arrested for public indecency.

“Stay here, I’ll be right back ….” Scuttling over to the hatch door, the red head peered out into the light, squinting at the sudden brightness before she slipped out, making sure not to be seen as she walked along. 

As though nothing had happened.

[hope-augmented]

Khan's muscles twitched as he flexed them in an attempt to create some semblance of body heat. Though the discomfort of being cold no longer registered in his mind, the sensation was still present. He was damp and almost completely naked in a less-than-temperate holding bay. When the woman spoke, he felt his stomach turn.  "It's been... six years? Only six years?" The augment accepted the coat reluctantly. It was rather small since intended for a woman's use. He put it around his shoulders. Anything would do in the meantime. 

The floor was chilly and metallic underfoot. He looked at the woman, noting the color in her cheeks. He raised his eyebrow. "Very well. I'll look here, there's a chance something may have been stored in the lockers." Khan turned and began searching through the unit closest to him. Before he could say anything else, the woman had disappeared into the corridor. 

What if she intended to seek out someone in charge? What if he had intimidated her? The man swallowed, his pulse rising. That would not do. Still half-naked, he crossed the bay and peered into the hall.

[hope-augmented]

A Spot of Caffeine

[nctanescalatcr]

Relief washed over the man when the other announced that there wasn’t anything he needed assistance with. His mind was so tired, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to sit through more reports or essays. Likely he would’ve made a mistake, and suffered the consequences of it. Running around as one of the top medical students was an exhausting ordeal, but he was building himself a very nice reputation. Already, people referred to him as having “legendary hands”. It still did little to spike up his ego. His gaze fluttered up at the continuing words of the teacher, and he sucked in an uneven breath as the other neared him. McCoy straightened his back and stood as still as a plank when John stopped beside him. The offer took the student by surprise, and he tried his best to not appear thus. “Ah… some coffee sounds pretty damn good right ‘bout now, actually.” he mused aloud for the teacher to hear. Indeed, it actually did, and Bones figured it would give himself something to focus on, rather than the hovering of the teacher. He turned to face John. “The mess hall should be somewhat empty right now. Should we go?”

[hope-augmented]

Harrison hooked his thumb in the pocket of his uniform slacks. "I thought it would. I've been here since classes let up at eighteen hundred hours," he mused. "It's up to you. The mess hall is fine with me." He ran the palm of his hand beneath the desk beside them and dialed the lights down until the room had completely darkened. His wrist bumped McCoy's hip as he pulled it back to his side. 

The only light in the room came from the windows that lined the wall to the west. Outside, the lights of San Francisco's skyline twinkled. "Funny how the hours slip by when you're hard at work," the augment commented. He looked over the classroom one last time. Everything seemed to be in order. Harrison picked his way up the aisle rather silently. He threw a glance in the assistant's direction. "Are you ready to go?"

As one whose body rarely weakened, Harrison felt no exhaustion from the simple work required of him by the Academy. The same rule did not apply to his students or colleagues, and he often forgot that. For a moment, he thought he felt pity for McCoy's worn expression. It wasn't pity, though. It was some sort of curiosity. Genetic engineering had wiped away a great deal of his ability to feel exhaustion and stress.

[punch-me-til-your-arm-weakens]

Rebloggable by request

[liverandom]

She let out a sigh of relief when the man said he had never met the captain. Only bad things could come from anyone knowing the captain. She wasn’t the most virtuous person nor the easiest person to get along with. Cecilia knew that from experience. But, if this man wasn’t here because of the captain, why was her here?

She listened as the man spoke. If she was confused, he must have been more so. The smile he flashed at her was reassuring, but she still did not know if she should be trusting this man at all. If he wanted to commandeer the ship she’d probably be the only one he would need.  The ship was small, but not tiny. They had a crew of six, although the size of the ship would suggest a crew of at least twice that.

“I’m glad you’re not here because of the captain,” She laughed lightly, “She’s not the easiest person to get along with.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, as she tried to figure out some way to help this man with his predicament. “I’m not sure how I can help you, but I can try.” She shrugged. She knew she wasn’t being very helpful, but she was trying to  do all she could think to do.

[hope-augmented]

Khan studied the woman's face. As many people often did, she was sizing him up. They were not to be pitted in combat at this moment, so the appraisal was more thorough. He assumed that the woman had the best interests of this vessel at heart. His somewhat outlandish dress and stature was no doubt  intimidating. If only she could see what was inside his head, the augment thought. That's what was most intimidating.

He realized his next step was to carve himself a place out here. There was surely something he could do for the mechanic in order to make himself more welcome. Politeness and a semblance of openness would make a nice start. 

"I know my presence here is somewhat unwarranted. The least I can say about my... transport here, to this particular place, is out of my hands." Khan furrowed his brow and took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. He was not very attached to the Prime Directive, yet he did not desire the complete alteration of this reality's future. "The manner in which I got here is the result of a rather silly malfunction. Until I can find a way to establish contact with those responsible for me, I would like to make myself available for your assistance." The augment smiled. He was genuine, because this was truly all he could offer.

In the meantime, he give her his help. This ship was not too far advanced for him to understand its internal mechanisms. Perhaps he could acquire parts to assemble a rough quantum slipstream drive... something told him that if they were in deep space, there would be an asteroid field containing some measure of dilithium.

[hope-augmented]

|| Sorry for the absence! Going to post an open starter and get on with the one thread I've let sit for a couple of days...

[hope-augmented]

|| I'm so sorry. I couldn't help myself, hah.

[hope-augmented]

Closed role play.

[recklessrebelcaptainkirk-deacti]

Kirk’s injury ached, and due to the constraints that kept him from using that arm, to stand he had to slide his back up the plexiglass and then stagger one step forward. He turned and regarded the other with a suspicious gaze. It was only natural, and after only a few up and down sweeps he seemed content. 

“If you are to join this crew, then I am afraid Spock will have to be informed not to attempt to murder you on sight.” It was meant to be a joke, a little way to lighten the mood. Kirk was not a fan of tense situations and perhaps a little dark humour might be right down Khan’s alley. 

When it clearly didn’t work that way Kirk blanched and continued on to say, “Back when Spock and I first met, he tried to get me fired- well expelled, I was a student at the time.” Jim scrunched up his face at the memory. It was not a pleasant one. He could remember the anger he felt at the time.

“Then, when I was right about something come the time we boarded the enterprise- myself as a stowaway, I emotionally compromised his ass as he tried to strangle me.” He lifted up his uninjured hand, “Now we’re the best of friends and he’s obsessive about saving myself.” Jim took a step back.

“Just goes to show how easily things change, how people shift and how opinions can alter. With a little work, I think everything will be OK and my gut feelings are usually correct.” Getting Spock and a few other’s on the bridge to agree though, now that might cause a few problems. “Now, i’ve got some paperwork to do, and then perhaps we’ll get you settled in somehow.”

[hope-augmented]

Khan stood, taking enough time to allow Kirk to shimmy into an upright position. Something in his chest ached at the sight of the captain nursing the arm. It was a disadvantage that Khan had not intended to create. He frowned and stared at his boots. The more he forced himself to think about it, the augment realized that he dealt more damage than was warranted. He sucked in a lungful of air and looked into Kirk's eyes, looking more than a little bit ashamed. Funny, that he should be ashamed for hurting the man that had imprisoned him and now held access to his crew, and yet...

Yet Kirk's eyes lit up even though he may have been in pain, or more unsurprising still, angry. Khan blinked. It occurred to him that Kirk was attempting to ease the tension between them with a joke. While the fodder for his punchline could have easily been offensive, Khan still managed to pull a wan smile. The ghost of the smile lingered as the captain recalled his early days in Starfleet, the ones spent at odds with Spock. 

"I am willing to make an honest effort," the augment replied. He still looked rather unconvinced. "You know, you're putting a great deal of faith in me. I hope your crew respects your credibility, Kirk." He squared his shoulders toward the other man and placed his hand upon the glass. There was so much Khan wished to say. He wanted to give Kirk his trust, he wanted to promise the man that he would overcome his nature as an augment... and yet, he faltered. He knew he would find a way to make ends meet, to make things... right again.

With his fingertips still resting upon the glass, Khan nodded silently. "I await the results." Something in his eyes smoldered and flickered out.

[marciasaysstuff-blog]

[one-historical-woman-blog]

Her breath hitched as his arm reached up and grabbed at her wrist. She was expecting some sort of blinding pain instinctively, her muscles tensing up as she waited to hear the inevitable snap of the bones in her wrist.

But it never came.

It was only a gentle hold, just enough to get her to drop the fabric of the jacket, her eyes raising to meet with his own. They were so blue … almost unnaturally so. Marla quietly cleared her throat as he spoke; he sounded like he needed water, if anything, after all that coughing. She only just realized he was examining her face and snapped out of her quiet reverie, eyes quickly lowering to his bare chest.

Well, that didn’t help.

Her eyes went right back to his face almost immediately.

“I-I …” And that was when she made her next mistake. “Can you stand? Do you need help?”

[hope-augmented]

The woman's pulse fluttered beneath his fingertips. It rose, as one would expect. Khan supposed that the woman was afraid of him. She had every reason to be, he reminded himself. When someone was cryogenically frozen and left in a medium-security storage archive, there was a reason someone had put them there in the first place.

"No, madam," he replied softly. As if to demonstrate, the augment eased back. He bent his knees and maneuvered them out of their confinement to rest against his chest before he swung them over the lip of the cryo-tube. "However, it would be greatly appreciated if you would assist me in finding some proper clothing." Khan caught her staring and smirked, eyes alight. 

He looked around the room. Around him, the others still slept. Since his cryo-tube had been thawed and re-frozen several times, it often needed to enter cooldown. The others did not, having been in an almost continuous state of equilibrium since 2050 or so. With a deep sigh, the man leapt down from the array, his muscles aching from disuse. 

"As a matter of asking... what is the date?" As an afterthought, Khan added, "I'd like to know whom I owe the honor of my... revival, as well. If you don't mind."

[liverandom]

“What year is it? Hmm… Good question. I don’t quite know.” She hadn’t really thought about what year it was in, well, years. She just remembered not long after the ship’s crew organized, she had been asked to upgrade the airship and give it the ability to travel in space.

She was happy that he seemed to be acting less like he thought he was superior to her. But, she was still confused as to why he was here. Did he know the captain? She maintained the ship and therefore called it her ship, but she wasn’t the one who ran it. She was just an engineer.

“Do you happen to know Captain Evangeline?” She thought about it and he was probably someone out for revenge against the captain, “She didn’t do anything bad to you did she? Burn or steal something of yours? Or possibly murder a loved one of yours? Because I wasn’t involved in any of that,” She put up her hands as if in surrender, “And she’s in hiding. I don’t know where she is.”

[hope-augmented]

Khan relaxed his posture as he turned his attention to the fixtures and displays around him. Nothing seemed familiar, nothing cross-referenced in the extensive mental catalogue of ship's computers. This was not the sort of engine room he'd been trained to take by force, if necessary. Though he did not intend to commandeer this... vessel, the augment knew that if the need arose, he would need to sustain some of the crew in order to keep her afloat. 

At the woman's answer, Khan's heart sunk. He had hoped for some answer that would give him bearing on how far he'd been throttled through time. Now, looking at the ship around him, he began to wonder if he hadn't been thrust into an alternate reality. With searching eyes, Khan glanced up at the woman, who appeared to be the ship's engineer.

"I do not," he murmured almost imperceptibly. "I do not recall ever having met her. Rest assured, I am not here to destroy your holdings over petty crimes." The man flashed her a surprisingly reassuring smile. "I cannot say how, exactly- there are protocols surrounding mistakes of this nature- but I have been displaced here, either through a malfunction in transportation or a loophole in reality." 

[tonysporks-blog]

He can’t be legal. Someone call Lestrade.