Road Trip [for losthunter]

[boldygoing]

It's a beautiful spring day in Riverside, Iowa. The skies are clear and the weather is pleasantly mild, and across the endless fields that stretch out into vast distances, automated farm machinery is hard at work planting corn for the season.

There's no such machinery around the Kirk farm, though someone has bothered to zap away some of the weeds threatening to devour the foundation. The old homestead still sits disturbingly empty, all but abandoned if not for a few small signs that someone has been there recently. One of those signs sits just outside the house, leaning up against his motorbike as he waits for another rider to come join him, a set of riding goggles resting against his forehead.

The motorcycle has clearly seen better days, but it's nothing like twenty-first century bikes. There are no spokes in the wheels, for one thing - indeed, the wheels don't even seem attached by anything visible, held in place by some invisible force. It's keeping itself upright without a kickstand, as well, even though the young man in question is leaning most of his weight against it.

Comments

[boldygoing]

Jim gives his hand a little squeeze. "Glad to hear it."

They're almost to the craft store, and it's much larger than the tiny hardware repair shop. A person could spend hours browsing the shelves, stocked with most items an artist might need. Paints, brushes, canvases, several different types of clay, enormous bolts of fabric in dozens of textures and colors, feathers and buttons and beads, upon countless other items.

[losthunter]

"Holy...." Hunter's eyes go wide at the sight of everything that is available. He could get lost for days, looking for stud in this place. And suddenly he is very worried about exceeding Jim's offer to cover some costs.

"This is amazing."

[boldygoing]

Jim laughs a little, happy to put that look on Hunter's face. "Just don't forget, we've got bikes."

[losthunter]

"I guess I shouldn't try to put too much through my PINpoint portal either. Might look suspicious." So Hunter will focus his search on items that he can not regularly get in his dimension.

[boldygoing]

There'll still be a lot to choose from, but it's a more manageable list of items. Jim follows Hunter around the store as he looks at the supplies on offer, casually looking around too. "I've got some room in my saddlebags if you need to borrow some space for your haul."

[losthunter]

Hunter is attracted to a bolt of soft yellow fabric, that has the softest shine of gold on it. He thinks of the Drag Night date he has made, and selects that fabric to bring to April, who has made him clothing before. He is also interested in some metallic paints, that shine in the light.

"You spoil me."

[boldygoing]

Jim definitely approves of the choice. Gold is one of his favorite colors, with pretty obvious reasons why. "Do I?"

[losthunter]

"Yes. But I do have my own tricks of getting to spoil you." Hunter teases softly.

[boldygoing]

Jim just smiles a little. He's not used to having someone wanting to shower him with affection, not unless they want something from him, and sometimes he still doesn't quite know how to respond to it. So instead he just nods towards Hunter's intended purchases. "Gonna get anything else while we're here? I think I saw Spican flame gems a few aisles over."

[losthunter]

"Flame gems? Now that sounds interesting. Lead the way."

[boldygoing]

"They're not actually on fire, but they do glow," Jim explains as they seek out the correct aisle. There are other glowing materials in this particular part of the store, but the captain has no trouble finding the right ones, and picks up a decently-sized bag full of varying shapes and sizes to show to Hunter. There's a wide variety of colors in the mix, as well, both in terms of the gemstone and in the soft glowing light they emit. "They're real gemstones, but they're so common that they're really cheap."

[losthunter]

"They are really cool." Hunter runs his fingers over the gemstones. "I love them."

[boldygoing]

"I thought you might." Jim grins at him, and turns back to the shelves, seeking out a small glowing bottle of liquid. "Antarean glow water's what you need to polish them up. Only takes a couple drops."

[losthunter]

"Perfect. I think this is a perfect amount of stuff. For today..." Hunter teases.

[boldygoing]

Jim smiles in amusement as they head up towards the checkout. "You've already got plans for these. I can tell."

[losthunter]

"It was the objects themselves that inspired the plans... thank you for bringing me here today."

[boldygoing]

"No problem. I gotta admit, I'm curious what you're gonna make." But he supposes he'll just have to wait and see. Which is fine.

[losthunter]

"You should come over some time, when I am creating... see the process for yourself."

[boldygoing]

"Sounds interesting. Sure." Once Hunter's purchases are paid for, Jim gives him a hand carrying the art supplies back towards where they parked their motorcycles.

[losthunter]

They should be able to fit everything between the storage container in Hunter's motorbike, and the one in Jim's motorbike. The bolt of fabric will have to be strapped onto the end of Hunter's bike.

"Anything else you want to do?"

[boldygoing]

"Well I definitely don't want to go home yet," Jim answers. He's enjoying the time away from duty and overbearing doctors, without any deadlines to worry about.

He considers their options, and gives a speculative look to Hunter. "Ever been to the Mississippi River?"

[losthunter]

"No. I haven't." Hunter smiles. He is enjoying his time with Jim and is glad to have something else to do with him.

[boldygoing]

"We're about two hours away, if you want to go for it." Jim rather enjoys just spending time on the open road, and it's a straightforward enough route that he and Hunter will be able to ride side by side, enjoying each other's company.

[losthunter]

"Let's do it."

Hunter checks his gas tank, nodding to himself. "Once we get about half-way there, if we could find a deserted place to pull over. I can then PINpoint my supplies home, and get the tank filled."

[boldygoing]

"It's Iowa. Finding a deserted place isn't gonna be hard." All the more reason to go for it. And while it's possible that this detour might mean it'll be late before they get back to Riverside, Jim definitely doesn't mind.