Captain's First LOL [for losthunter]

[boldygoing]

With the restrictions on his food intake finally lifted, and with months to go until the Enterprise is ready to fly again, Jim Kirk has had all the more reasons to visit the Nexus and explore, particularly the markets. Whether it's finding interesting otherworldly seedlings for Sulu, tracking down a source of authentic Vulcan kreyla for Spock, or bringing home volumes of Russian literature for Chekov, there's always something to bring back for somebody.

Jim's been warned about LOLs before. Both through the brochure he picked up the first time he arrived here, and by some Nexus veterans, namely Hunter and Samus. But in the months since he's been visiting the multiverse, he's still never seen the phenomenon, not even once.

And so it's easy to forget for a moment that he has to be cautious.

He's discovered a Jewish cafe on one corner of the commercial district that's offering free samples to passersby, and it's been ages since he's had real, hand-made vorschmack on rye. So he doesn't think twice before accepting one of the samples on offer, and there's nothing to indicate that there's anything in it other than the usual bread, fish, and other typical ingredients he'd expect. At least, not until the woman running the sample cart asks him how he likes it.

Jim fully intends on simply complimenting her on the flavor of the food, but what comes out instead is, "It's good but not as good as my Grandma Ruth used to make." He blinks in confusion. "I don't know why I just said that. I wasn't going to tell you that." And again... he says more than he intended.

"Oh dear," the woman says, looking mournfully at the sample tray. "I used the wrong seasoning again. Sorry about that." And then she whisks the tray away, vanishing into the depths of the cafe with no explanation or any indication that she plans to return.

And only now does Jim remember the warnings he was given.

"Oh shit. This is not good." He doesn't know what the hell it's done to him, aside from making him chattier than he intended to be, but he doesn't want to go home like this. Especially not when he can't be certain there won't be more coming. And there's only one person he knows he can go to for help.

Jim calls up the coordinates for Hunter's apartment, hurrying to get his ass over there, muttering to himself under his breath.

Comments

[losthunter]

"An older man. Sexy." It is only one year, but Hunter will still flirt a little.

"You did. That is why I am excited about my gold dress that I have made." Hunter cleans up the plates.

"It is pretty diverse. And even though generations ago, a member of my family immigrated to the States from England, I have been surrounded by a lot of different cultures my entire life. And so I have my own melding pot of things that I think are cool, even if they are not English traditions."

[boldygoing]

"Wow, I've never been accused of being old before."

"I'm not really that in touch with my own roots," he says, once Hunter explains his outlook on the New York culture he's a part of. "My dad's side of the family has been in North America since the pioneer days but other than the house, there's not much connection there. Mom's family is Jewish."

[losthunter]

"Don't worry too much. I have had crushes on much older men."

"And that is what led you to the Jewish food being sold in the Nexus." Hunter nods in understanding.

[boldygoing]

Jim nods. "Yeah. I don't keep kosher but I'm sure you've noticed that." And, of course, Hunter also knows the reason why Jim might not be inclined to stick to any kind of dietary rules. "I didn't get a bar mitzvah ceremony either but I had bigger things on my mind at the time like trying to not die."

[losthunter]

"Do you observe Hanukkah over Christmas?" Hunter is not even sure if traditional holidays that are observed in his dimension would translate over to Jim's dimension.

[boldygoing]

Normally Jim would stop and consider his answer, trying to figure out how he wants to explain it. But continuing with the theme of the day, he answers without much of a pause to even think about it. "Not exactly. We did both when I was a kid but after I left home, I didn't bother. Not much point in doing either when you're by yourself. I sort of got back into it at the Academy but it's more of a multicultural winter celebration anyway. I was gonna have a seder on the Enterprise this year for anybody else who was interested but then the whole Khan thing happened and I was still in the hospital during Passover."

[losthunter]

"Perhaps I can make you a feast of Jewish foods sometime." Hunter smiled.

[boldygoing]

Jim literally can't help it. "You sure you want me comparing your cooking to my grandma's?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

[losthunter]

"I am sure there is no comparison." Hunter chuckles.

"Were you really close to your grandmother?"

[boldygoing]

"Not really. We only visited my grandparents a couple of times a year and after Tarsus I left home and went wandering for a long time so I didn't go to family gatherings for years. I feel bad about it now but I was too fucked up at the time to care." Jim hadn't wanted to share that much, at least not like that, but he hasn't really talked about this with anyone ever, anyway. "It's not like my mom set a good example. She was barely there when I was growing up so running off when family died was normal to me."

[losthunter]

"That sucks that they never worried about you. Or went looking for you. Or your brother."

[boldygoing]

"They did worry. The galaxy's a big place to find somebody who doesn't want to be found though and I wouldn't have listened if they'd found me. We got back in touch after the news got wind that I'd enlisted. The Kelvin baby joining Starfleet made headlines which was really annoying but it did let them know where to find me."

[losthunter]

"I don't think you have ever told me where the Kelvin reference comes from." Hunter points out. Remember Jim, he is not from your world.

[boldygoing]

Jim remembers, but his train of thought doesn't always include an explanation unless it's prompted, since he can't completely control what he says right now. "Sorry. The Kelvin was the ship my parents were on when Nero first showed up. Technically I should be the 'Medical Shuttle Thirty-Seven' baby since I was born just after evacuation but that's not as catchy. My dad ramming the whole ship into the Narada got way more attention and the ship's name is basically synonymous with the event now."

[losthunter]

"Wow..." Hunter has to sit down for a moment. He really never heard these little facts of Jim's birth before.

"When you first mentioned that you were a Kelvin baby, I had thought it was a different last name. Or something."

[boldygoing]

"Yeah I can see how you'd think that. I wish it was that innocent. I was over two months early too, so that didn't help. It was a perfect shitstorm of a tragedy."

[losthunter]

"Two months? A baby born that early these days would likely not make it... even with the medical achievements that have been made."

[boldygoing]

"There's almost two hundred fifty years of medical advancement between my time and yours," Jim says, unable to phrase it more politely like he wants to. "That's why they had to take my mom out on a medical shuttle and not just the usual kind otherwise I probably wouldn't have made it."

[losthunter]

Hunter can't imagine how much Jim had to go through as a child, especially with an inattentive mother and the Kelvin fame.

"I am glad you made it."

"Both times." Hunter refers to Jim's other death experience.

[boldygoing]

"It was more than just two times but thanks, I'm glad I'm not dead too." And then, because this is where his thoughts go next, "What do you believe happens after you die? Because I don't remember anything."

[losthunter]

"That is a question that weighs heavily on many people..."

Hunter sits down. And takes a moment to consider his thoughts. "I prefer to think that the spirit of the person is sent to their happy place. Whatever that may be. If they believe it is Heaven, it would be. If they believe it would be a reunion with other loved ones, it would be."

[boldygoing]

Jim sits down too, as he knows these are pretty heavy questions. It's something he's been thinking about for weeks, ever since he really began to grasp what had happened to him. "Sorry if this is getting deep. This is the sort of thing I usually keep to myself, or get really drunk before I talk about it."

[losthunter]

"I really don't mind answering your questions." It just sucks that Jim is being forced into being truthful, instead of having these conversations of his own free will.

"Do you think a little alcohol would help... or be worse?"

[boldygoing]

"I don't know if it'd make a difference," Jim answers honestly, the only way he can at the moment. "Is mixing alcohol with LOLs a good idea? I don't think I need it to loosen my tongue, that's for sure."

[losthunter]

"You know... I don't think anyone really has done a study on LOLs."