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]

"Well, you have made me incredibly happy." Hunter knows it is over-the-top romantic to say, and might be considered a little sappy.

[boldygoing]

"I also put you through a lot of stress," Jim points out, as it crosses his mind.

[losthunter]

"You really think that?" Of course he does. Jim is being compelled to tell the truth. "Why?"

[boldygoing]

"The hospital," Jim answers, as honestly as he's had to be since this all began. "No one could tell you how bad it really was and you still came to visit every day once Spock remembered to message you."

[losthunter]

"But you personally didn't cause the stress..."

Hunter pauses to collect his thoughts. "I was concerned. I was worried. I didn't know if you would wake up or not. And the thought of losing you weighed on my thoughts."

[boldygoing]

"Yeah I know. Bones didn't know if I'd wake up either. Neither did I. And now you know the truth and I saw the look on your face when I told you."

[losthunter]

"It was a little shocking to hear that you had actually died." Hunter admits. "But once again... you didn't cause that stress."

"You made it sound like all you do is cause stress in my life. And you don't. I need you to know that."

[boldygoing]

Jim gives Hunter's hand a squeeze. "I know that too. I know the good outweighs the bad and it was just one time but it still happened and it bothers me even though it's not rational. Would it have been worse if you'd known at the time?"

[losthunter]

"If they had told me that you had died?" Hunter assumes that is what Jim is asking. "Yes. Because every night I had left the hospital, I would have been fearful that death was a bigger possibility for you."

"Not knowing... and plus being told about all the medical technology that was helping you... I had faith and hope that you would get better. That death was not even a possibilities."

[boldygoing]

"That's actually comforting to hear," Jim admits. "Is that fucked up? I regret that we had to keep you in the dark but if it helped you cope then I'm glad it had some good come out of it."

[losthunter]

"No. It is not fucked up. But it still sucks that some truths were kept from both of us, even after you woke up."

[boldygoing]

"I hadn't thought about it that way but you're right. I'm still a bit mad at Bones but I get it and he made the right choice not telling me about San Francisco."

[losthunter]

"I get it... sometimes a truth has to be kept from someone. And there were classified reasons behind the truths you have told me tonight."

"So I guess that is why I don't feel mad or upset at you. Just upset at the situation that made those truths a secret in the first place."

[boldygoing]

Jim can agree with that. "Me too." He sighs a little. "Sorry to keep bringing it up but I think about it a lot."

[losthunter]

"You can bring it up anytime." Hunter reminds Jim.

"What else can I do to help distract your mind right now?"

[boldygoing]

"Not sure. Mundane conversation's been working okay so far but I don't want to bore you either."

[losthunter]

"You have not been boring me..."

Hunter takes a moment to consider some options for conversation. "Do you have any special talents?"

[boldygoing]

"If you mean magic or superpowers then no, but I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue," Jim says, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "I have an Elo rating of twenty-four hundred; that's a chess thing. Master rank. I taught myself a lot of archaic survival techniques and I was top of my class at the Academy in Survival Strategies. I can speak three other languages besides English fluently enough to hold a conversation and I know a few bits of a number of others."

[losthunter]

Hunter chuckles at the mention of Jim being able to tie a cherry stem into a knot with his tongue. He would comment about how talented of a tongue Jim has... but saves that until later when the LOL has gone away.

"Are they Earth languages? Or are you skilled with an alien language?"

[boldygoing]

Hunter's picked a good topic. Jim likes talking about things he's learned, and language is no exception. "Mix of both. Vulcan, Andorian, and Russian. I used to be fluent in Hebrew but I'm so out of practice that I can't claim fluency anymore. I know enough Klingon to start a bar fight and enough Tellarite to get a good argument going, and enough Swahili to tell if Uhura's mad at me specifically. I also picked up a trade pidgin when I was working on a cargo freighter as a teenager."

[losthunter]

"No surprise about you knowing Vulcan." Hunter smiles slightly.

"It must be useful to know a bit of those other languages, when you are dealing with those other cultures."

[boldygoing]

"It can be but Uhura knows way more languages than me. That's why she's my communications chief. Universal translator implants are standard-issue so generally language isn't a problem, but with diplomatic missions especially it's usually respectful to speak the language of your host if you can. Plus they're not perfect. English has plenty of words that sound the same but mean different things and it's not unique in that regard, so knowing the language instead of relying on technological translation helps avoid confusion. And it's always a good idea to have a backup if tech fails, not just with language but everything."

[losthunter]

"And depending on what may be the 'cool' words of that generation, some English words don't have a typical definition."

"Do you find that sometimes people in your century get a little dependent on the technology?"

[boldygoing]

"Slang, yeah. Metaphors too. Jokes don't usually translate well either, especially if they're based on puns."

Jim nods in response to the question. "In my opinion, yeah. There's nothing wrong with using technology especially if you know how to fix it when it breaks, but sometimes it's not fixable and if they don't have access to an easy replacement for whatever it was, some people can't cope. Most people just assume that since breakdowns like that are rare that it's not worth preparing for. It's stupid. You should always be ready and able to adapt to the loss of convenience."

[losthunter]

"Is that why you wanted to learn survival techniques?"