boldygoing | L'shanah tovah [for losthunter]

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L'shanah tovah [for losthunter]

Jim Kirk has not celebrated any holidays with his family for a very long time.

Sure, they started talking again after his enlistment in Starfleet made its way into several Earth newsfeeds, the usual media vultures seeking attention for their coverage of George Kirk's son returning to the fold, so to speak. Confined mostly to text-based messages, and a few short video calls, his grandparents have reached out to him over the past few years, trying to reconnect, to mend old fences, and giving a standing invitation to come visit whenever he's ready.

He's always had an excuse for not going, citing existing plans to spend time with Bones, to study for upcoming exams, or being out of the solar system on Starfleet business, among other things. But with the Enterprise still out of commission as her repairs and overhaul nears completion, and having spent several weeks sharing living space with his mother again, he can't really wiggle out of it this year.

Not that he's even sure he wants to, anymore.

His family life has never really been the poster child for well-adjusted people, but... they're still his family. And maybe it's time to stop running away from his problems and pretending they don't exist. He's not a traumatized thirteen-year-old anymore, overwhelmed and isolated in the knowledge that none of them can truly appreciate the horrors he lived through, lashing out at a world that allowed such things to happen to him. He's turned his life around, cleaned up his act, and started down a path that is far more important than just fulfilling his own wants, regardless of the legality. And this particular holiday seems like the appropriate time to try to make amends.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to deal with it alone.

Jim patiently waits just outside a public transporter terminal in the Chicago suburbs, sitting on a park bench. While still wearing civilian clothes, he's on the slightly more formal side of things today in a white dress shirt and dark pants, though he's not bothered to wear a tie. It's about mid-afternoon, and the streets are mildly busy with people out for a stroll or out running errands of some kind, a steady flow of foot traffic both on the sidewalks and beaming in and out at the transporter platforms. He idly watches them pass by, keeping an eye out for his expected guest, whose PINpoint coordinates should bring him out exactly where everyone expects people to appear out of nowhere.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hunter feels a little nervous himself. He has not celebrated any holidays with his family for a long time. And today is a much different event, since it will be Jim's family that he will be meeting. Plus, he is a little nervous about the holiday itself, since he is unsure about the traditions that might be observed.

But he has taken Jim's notice about not wearing leather to heart. He is wearing a slightly more formal shirt and jacket himself. But no belt. And he is wearing a pair of cloth covers over his feet, instead of shoes.

He smiles when he spots Jim, and heads over to him. "Hey handsome."

Jim smiles back, and gets up to greet him. "Hey there. Hope you had a smooth ride over. Looking forward to dinner?"

He's a bit uneasy too, uncertain of what to expect from his own family. They've been apart for a long time now, and bad memories can't be swept aside and forgotten as if they'd never happened. Even though they don't speak of it, through silent agreement, the ghost of his past is an almost tangible thing, whenever they're in the same room together. He's not sure how much of that is his own imagination, but in any case, he's glad to have Hunter along to give him something more pleasant to focus on.

That they're getting dinner out of it certainly doesn't hurt, either.

"I am. I am glad you invited me." Hunter was interested in learning a little bit more about the Jewish culture, mostly. And he is glad that Jim had invited him along as support.

"You mentioned wine would be a good gift?" He holds out a wrapped bottle.

He nods, gesturing for Hunter to hold onto it for the moment. "Yeah, that's perfect," Jim agrees with a smile. "Come on, the house is this way."

His grandparents' house isn't too far off, just a short stroll from the transporter terminal, and the weather is nice, the air holding a hint of the approaching autumn. Like San Francisco, the city here has a decent amount of architecture and landscaping that wouldn't be out of place in the twenty-first century, supplemented by clearly more contemporary buildings and technology. The roads are fairly clear of cars this far out from the main city limits, with most of the locals getting around on foot, and the iconic Chicago skyline lightly changed from the one that Hunter may know, a few new skyscrapers added to the historical ones on display.

Jim glances over at Hunter, walking shoulder to shoulder, and smiles a little. "You know, you might be the first person I've brought to meet my mom," he says, only partly teasing. He can tell that the other man is a bit nervous, and what better way for both of them to deflect their unease than with a little friendly teasing.

Hunter is admiring the view of the city, noting the differences between his timeline and Jim's. Then he smiles when Jim tells him that he will be the first person to meet his mother.

"Is that right?" Hunter reaches to take Jim's hand in his own.

"I am a little nervous to meet her." He tells the truth.

Jim gives his hand a little squeeze. "What're you worried about?" He knows why he has some reservations about having a family get-together, but that's because... well, she's his mom. Their family history is rocky as fuck.

"I just don't want to make a bad impression." Jim is important to Hunter. So meeting his mother is equally important, because he knows the history.

"You won't," Jim assures him, nudging his shoulder against Hunter's. "As long as you're making the effort, you're halfway there already," he adds, nodding towards Hunter's other hand, the one holding the wine. "And if you're curious about something, don't be afraid to ask. My grandma'll talk your ear off if you want her to."

"I am very curious about the tradition, itself." Hunter smiled.

"Do I have time to ask why no leather? Or should I save that for your grandmother?"

They're nearly to the house, but Jim figures there's time enough to answer. He's not exactly a rabbi or anything, and he's a bit rusty at some of this, but he remembers enough. "There's two reasons, kinda. Rosh Hashanah's a festive kind of holiday, but it's also the start of a time of atonement, so you're not supposed to be totally comfortable. Back before synthetic materials came around, leather shoes were more comfortable than any others. Got expanded to include all leather at some point so it's just traditional now."

"The other reason's more of a religious one. It's the new year, so it's the anniversary of the creation of the world, and Adam and Eve wore animal skins after they sinned. The beginning of a new year's when your fate for the next year gets determined, so you're not supposed to do anything that might bring down bad luck on you." Jim doesn't talk about any of his personal views on the subject; that's something he keeps to himself, no matter who he's talking to. But cultural exchange... that's literally his job, and he's more than happy to expand Hunter's knowledge to the best of his ability.

"Atonement and a celebration of the new year." Those two things seem to go together often. "It does sound interesting."

"When was the last time that you celebrated Rosh Hashanah?"

Jim assumes he means legitimately celebrating, not just going 'oh hey, it's Rosh Hashanah' and then getting whatever festive meal the Academy commissary was serving that day. "Not since I was twelve." So it's been a while.

They arrive at the house, a moderately-sized single-story home with a neatly manicured lawn. It's a lot better tended than the Kirk household in Iowa, something that might not look out of place in a slightly futuristic subdivision, fairly similar to the neighboring houses in shape and structure, if not for the small personal touches that mark it as distinct. There's a woodburned sign above the main door declaring it to be the residence of the Davis family, and the doorpost is decorated with a small mezuzah. The lawn has a small path of stepping stones that leads to a small flower and vegetable garden, and a holographic pink flamingo adorns the side of the path, flanked on the other side by a birdbath.

Hunter takes in everything, as they approach the house. He sort of chuckles at the sight of the holographic pink flamingo.

"Those never go out of style, do they?"

"Oh, yeah, they're just as tacky as they've always been," Jim says with a grin, as they walk up to the door. "Most people who have 'em these days have them because it's funny or whatever."

He knocks once as he opens the door, not waiting for anyone to let them in. The scents of fresh bread and roasting fish waft out to greet them, and the interior of the house is comfortably casual, once again better maintained than the Kirk homestead. Digital photos and artwork line the walls, pictures of landscapes and people, unfamiliar faces in civilian clothes or Starfleet uniforms, and there are a few medals in shadowboxes on display on one wall, surrounded by pictures of a man about Jim's age who is wearing those medals and shaking hands with another uniformed officer.

That same man, now in his eighties, appears in the doorway between the foyer and the dining room. At first glance, he and Jim don't look much alike, but there is a certain family resemblance there on closer inspection, mostly in regards to the nose and the laugh lines around his eyes. "You must be Jim's guest. Welcome."

Hunter takes a nice deep breath in, absorbing the welcoming smell of fresh bread and roasting fish. Whatever they have planned for supper definitely smells good.

He takes a careful look around, especially at that one display on the wall.

When he makes the connection between that man, and the man who greets them, Hunter wonders how many generations of Jim's family have served in Starfleet.

"Yes. I'm Hunter. Nice to meet you."

If this man finds it unusual that Hunter only has one name to give, or finds his appearance unusual, he doesn't show it. Living in a truly multicultural society has its benefits. He offers his hand to shake, quite at ease with Hunter's presence. "I'm James Davis. Nice to meet you too. Jim tells us you're an artist?"

As weird as it can be to hear his grandfather introduce himself by his full name, Jim's pretty sure things would get confusing fast if they both went by the same name tonight. One of the very few downsides of being named for a relative, he supposes.

It is really nice to meet people who don't give him a 'weird' look because of the tattoos and piercings. And he gladly accepts the offered hand.

"Yes. Mostly a portrait artist. But I have also created other mediums."

The sound of voices has drawn attention from the other people in the house, and two women approach the spot where the men are gathered. One of them is an older woman, silver-haired, and it's a good bet that she's the lady of the house, with the way she comes to stand at James' side. The other woman is in her fifties, and bears a somewhat stronger resemblance to Jim than his grandparents. She hangs back slightly, her body language slightly hesitant, but as if she doesn't want to overcrowd their visitor either.

"Oh, you'll have to show us sometime," the older lady says with a smile. "I dabble a bit with paints and pastels when the mood strikes. I'm more into landscapes, but portraits take talent."

"This is my grandma Ruth," Jim tells Hunter, pushing down his unreasonable nervousness at Hunter meeting his family.

"Nice to meet you, Ruth." Hunter offers his hand to the older woman.

"And I am one of those people who consider that the talent is always there, no matter what kind of artistic project you are working on."

Hunter gives a slight nod at the other woman, who has not been introduced yet, but he can safely assume is Jim's mother. His hand moves to settle at Jim's back, giving the other man silent support.

"Certainly," Ruth agrees, shaking his hand easily. "But practice can't hurt either."

Jim and his mother share a silent look, uneasy but not hostile, like they're still trying to find their footing around each other. Still, there's also an element of unspoken words passing between them, the sort of familiarity that some families build over time, though the wordless language is a bit rusty.

It's enough to make up her mind about what to do next, anyway. "I'm Winona, Jim's mother," she says, also putting out her hand towards him. "Jim's told me a little bit about you." Hard not to, when they've been living in such close quarters.

"I am fortunate, I get to spend most of my day working on art projects." Hunter grinned.

He turned to Winona with another friendly smile, and accepts her offered hand. "All good I hope."

He doesn't know if Jim has explained about the Nexus to his mother. So he will be taking his cues from Jim himself.

Jim hasn't told his family - any of them - about the Nexus thus far. They're not close enough for that right now, and with the history they've had... well, keeping secrets from each other is no strange thing to a family where some have served in Starfleet anyway.

"Yes, I'd say so," Winona says, giving Jim another side glance before returning her attention to Hunter. "I'd like to thank you, for being there for him when I couldn't. New York is a little closer than the Beta Tau sector."

Jim's feelings on her behavioral turnaround are complicated, to say the least. The fact that it took him actually dying to get her to reach out in any kind of meaningful way stings a bit, even if she doesn't know it was that bad. But... she's making the effort now, and while he can't forget, he's trying to forgive. He's not entirely innocent in creating the rift between them either. And this time of year is supposed to be about making amends, so he doesn't say anything about it.

"I am glad I was there for him too." Hunter had only known Jim for a few weeks, when he received the call from Spock that Jim was in the hospital.

And now, because they have just gotten closer, they have known each other for several months.

"Come now, let's not focus on the bad things this past year brought us," Ruth says, touching Winona and Hunter both on the arm, smiling at them. "We have so much to appreciate today. Family and fellowship, and everyone is safe and healthy. And hungry, I hope?"

"You'd better have brought your appetite," James adds with a grin. "Ruth would make us all enough to feed us through Yom Kippur if I didn't stop her."

So far, Jim is hopeful for dinner to go well. While his mom is a bit more restrained, his grandparents are the type to feed strays and welcome in strangers on Shabbat, and while it may take a little time for Hunter to be completely comfortable, he hopes they've already begun putting him at ease. "I've been looking forward to this," he says honestly. "I've missed your cooking."

"I have plenty of appetite, especially since whatever you are making smells delicious." He smiles at Ruth.

He does already feel at ease. "He speaks of some of your meals fondly."

Ruth beams at the praise, eager to introduce her cooking to yet another hungry guest. "Oh, and you've brought wine," she says, seeing the wrapped bottle in Hunter's hand. "We'll be sure to have that with the meal. Jim tells us this is your first time celebrating Rosh Hashanah?"

Hunter laughs, since he almost forgot about his gift. "For the kind hostess and host."

"No. I haven't. I am quite curious about it."

James takes the wine with gratitude. "Don't worry if you don't know what's going on," he says, grinning. "It took me a while to get the hang of all the rituals when I first met Ruth too. Gets to be second nature after a while, but just do what everyone else does and you'll be fine."

"Well, let's not let dinner get cold," Winona says, gesturing for them to head into the dining room. "We still have to do the blessings before we can eat."

Unlike some holidays that Hunter may be used to, there are no fancy decorations or electronic lights, no overbearing focus on making the room festive like more commercialized holidays. The round table is set with handpainted china and fine silver, with two unlit candles in the center of the blue tablecloth. There's no head of the table, but one place setting has a more elaborately decorated silver cup in addition to the regular wine glass, as well as a cloth-covered loaf of challah. The rest of the foods on the table are varied and numerous: whole roasted fish stuffed with lemon and herbs, braised brisket with onions and carrots, matzo ball soup, apple-date tarts, lemon-parsley leeks, pomegranate coleslaw, and sweet potato latkes, as well as plain sliced apples. Each place setting has a small shallow dish of honey, as well.

There's certainly enough food on the table that there's going to be leftovers to take home. Clearly, Ruth Davis could give Molly Weasley a run for her money if she needed to cook for more than five people.

Hunter is amazed at the amount of food on the round table. He also smiles at the china and silver that decorates the table. He is also surprised by how much food there is going to be on the table.

"This looks wonderful. All of it."

"Thank you dear," Ruth says, beaming. Her goal is always to see her guests satisfied, no matter who they are. "Winnie, would you light the candles please?"

The candle-lighting is a part of the ritual, as Winona lights the candles and holds her hands in front of her eyes, and says the short blessing in Hebrew. Jim is rather rusty when it comes to this particular language, something he hasn't used in years, so he's more than content to play a passive role here and just say the 'amen' at the end.

After the candles, that fancier wine glass comes into play as James fills it to the brim and holds it low over the table as he chants the kiddush, a somewhat longer recitation than the blessing over the candles. Once the ritual words are complete, he takes a sip and passes the cup around for everyone to partake.

The last ritual is in two parts. Each member of the family uses a cup to pour water over each of their hands twice before reciting their own blessing (Jim goes last, so he doesn't have to struggle to remember what's supposed to be said). Then James uncovers the challah, holds it up and blesses it, before tearing off a piece and dipping it into his honey, and passes the bread around so everyone else can take a piece. No other words are spoken between the handwashing and eating the bread, but after that, the dam is broken, and it's time to begin loading up plates with the feast on offer.

[ooc: The blessings have some of the holier names of God in them, which aren't supposed to be written down except in specific circumstances, so I'm erring on the side of not posting transliterations out of respect.]

Hunter watches, quiet yet fascinated all the same, as they go through the different rituals. First, the candle-lighting, which he isn't even sure if he should say 'amen' or not, so decides to just hold Jim's hand in silent support during the short blessing.

And then he watches in interest of the next ritual. When the cup reaches him, Hunter politely takes a small sip out of respect.

Finally, he watches the family members recite their own blessings, a small smile tugs at his lips as Jim takes his church. As the challah is past around, he too takes a piece, after observing everyone else do it too.

Then everyone starts loading up their plates. So Hunter is glad it is something familiar. He has a lot of questions, but doesn't want to disturb the ritual.

[ooc: good call]

Once the bread has been blessed and the initial bites eaten, and everyone begins to pass around dishes for each other to serve themselves, the ritual atmosphere of the evening gives way to a more familiar, relaxed mealtime. Jim takes some of everything, and he's surprised to find it oddly comforting to have these familiar foods on his plate again after such a long time without. No one ever makes holiday meals the same way as one's grandmother does, after all.

"The honey's for dipping the apples in too," Jim tells Hunter as he puts a few apple slices on his own plate. "It's kind of a 'let's have a sweet new year' kind of thing."

"Ah..." Hunter takes a little of everything too, even if it is something that he has not tried before. He wants to sample all the foods that Jim's grandmother had prepared.

"A sweet new year sounds like a wonderful thing to wish for."

"It's a central part of the Rosh Hashanah meals," Ruth adds, pleased to see a healthy appetite in her guests. "You don't want to take in anything bitter at the beginning of a new year."

James tops up everyone's wine glasses before digging into his own meal. Hunter's choice of gift is clearly a good one, pairing well with the food on offer without being too dry. "Do you celebrate the secular new year?" he asks. "They still do that ball drop thing in New York, right?"

Even though Jim hasn't told them about the Nexus, this seems like a harmless enough question. He doesn't know much about twenty-first century New Year's, of course.

"They do." And Hunter hopes that they do in this timeline. "I have seen it a couple of times. It is really quite amazing to see it in person."

"But you have to be willing to brave the crowds and the cold."

"And I usually celebrate important holidays with my friends, no matter what time of year it is. The most important thing to me is just being there with the people who matter most in my life."

Welp. Jim and his mother are definitely not making eye contact, focusing on the food on their plates instead. Good thing the food is legitimately tasty.

"That's a good outlook to have," Ruth agrees.

Hunter is going to take Jim's hand in his own for a moment. He knows the challenges of having an estranged family relationship.

"I didn't have the opportunity to celebrate many holidays growing up. So it is always interesting to me to learn about different holidays and traditions."

Jim appreciates the support, squeezing his hand a little in thanks.

"A curious mind is a virtue. We can't be good neighbors if we don't seek to understand each other," James agrees, looking around the table at the others. "It's one of the central foundations of the Federation, and Starfleet."

"Speaking of cultural exchange, if you want to take home any recipes, just ask," Ruth tells Hunter, a grandmotherly smile on her face.

"I would love to borrow a few of your recipes." Hunter smiled.

"I can't imagine how exciting it must be, to be able to explore the galaxy, meet new races, new cultures. And get to experience new traditions."

"Not called to the Starfleet lifestyle, eh?" James says knowingly. "I imagine you see all sorts of folks in New York, even without leaving the planet."

Whether or not Hunter's New York has any aliens living there, it sounds accurate enough, a hodgepodge of Earth cultures of all sorts, and that's not even counting the even wider variety of people in the Nexus.

"I do get to see a lot of different people. It keeps me busy, since I mostly specialize in portrait work."

"Well we're glad you had the time to spend the evening with us," Ruth says.

Winona and Jim have both been somewhat quiet thus far, though in Jim's case it's more because he's focusing on the meal than because he doesn't want to talk, as well as seeing how well Hunter is getting along with his grandparents. So far, so good. "Got any thoughts on the food?" he asks, curious to see whether Hunter's going to have any favorites.

"Everything is really delicious. Except for when Verity comes and visits me, I don't get a chance to get any home-cooking like this."

"I won't be able to choose my favorite dish..." He nudges Jim's shoulder.

"I love the bread especially. Something about the smell of fresh bread... it is reassuring in a way."

"A meal is hardly a meal without bread," Ruth agrees enthusiastically. "It's one of the oldest things mankind ever learned to make. These days, it's easier to buy or synthesize it, but I like making it by hand when I can. It's what our ancestors did, and it helps me appreciate the work they put into feeding their families."

"That is one recipe I definitely would get a lot of use from. There is something quite soothing about making your own bread."

"Just working with the dough..."

"But I feel the same way when I work with clay."

Jim's feelings about breadmaking are... less than straightforward, to say the least. Wheat was the first of the crops to fail, back on Tarsus, and he can never entirely forget that. But he also appreciates the completed product for what it is, a symbol of sustenance, among other things.

"I've had some of Hunter's cooking before," he says instead, as he serves himself another helping of latkes and leeks. "He'll do the recipe justice. Although from what I've heard, maybe Verity would want it too?" he asks, glancing over to Hunter.

"Who's Verity?" Winona asks, frowning slightly. She doesn't recall her son mentioning that name before, but Hunter had mentioned her earlier today.

"Mutual friend," Jim answers. "I met her in the same marketplace where I ran into Hunter."

"I consider her to be my best friend. She has always been very supportive of me, and my artistic endeavors."

Hunter chuckles. "She will randomly show up to my place, with food. Usually stuff that I can re-heat easily later."

"And she would definitely enjoy trying out any of these recipes."

"If she tries anything innovative, be sure to pass it along back to us," James says. "As long as it's kosher, anyway."

"Oh, she is very respectful, when it comes to preferences like that." Hunter smiled. "She is just very thoughtful."

"She's welcome to experiment with the recipe as much as she wants," Ruth clarifies. "But we keep kosher in this household, so anything outside of that, I'd never make. It may be a lot of rules, and not everyone follows them all, but it's traditional and has been an important part of the community for many generations."

That everyone knows Jim doesn't follow those rules right now goes unremarked upon, nor are any judgmental looks sent in his direction. "It's kind of funny... Starfleet has just about as many rules and regulations," he comments.

"There is usually a good reason for those rules and regulations." Hunter laughs.

"Most of them," Jim agrees.

"Have you had any family members in Starfleet?" James asks Hunter, curious. Their guest hasn't said much about his family thus far, and they don't want to pry into any sensitive topics, so it's better to let him volunteer that information if he wants.

"No." An honest answer.

"My father is a multi-media journalist." He glances down at his plate for a moment. "And my mother passed when I was a child, I never knew what she was interested in."

Winona looks down at the table too, the story a sadly familiar one, though with her in the role of the grieving parent rather than the child left behind. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Jim moves his knee to rest against Hunter's in silent support.

"Your father never talked about her?" Ruth asks carefully, respectfully.

"No. My father sort of buried himself in his work, and kept very busy with it throughout my childhood." Hunter leans slightly towards Jim's presence beside him.

"I didn't even know where she was buried, until recently."

"I have very faint memories of her. And I painted a representation of her, that now hangs in my bedroom."

"Grief can be the most difficult thing to face," James says, though he doesn't look directly at Jim or Winona. They're not the only ones at the table who have let tragedy and its aftermath guide their actions in the past. "But family is important, and I'm glad you've found your own way to remember her."

"Family is important. I have started to look into my own genealogical background, just to find out more about my families history."

"Anything interesting turn up so far?" Jim asks, curious. Even though he hasn't been around his family much since he was thirteen, he still knows a decent amount of his own family history.

"I was able to find my father's parents, and have started tracking down their history. Their parents had immigrated to the States from England."

"But I am having trouble finding my mother's parents."

"Are you planning to reach out to anyone that's still around?" Ruth asks. "Once you find them, I mean."

"I'm not sure..." Hunter doesn't know how to explain his hesitation to them. In their timeline, people don't care about appearances the same way they do in his timeline. And he can't really explain that he didn't always look the way he does, without going into details about Kendra and witchcraft.

"Right now I am just enjoying learning about my roots. Learning about the foods and traditions of those other cultures."

"Tracing your family history can be a full-time job in itself," James agrees. "It's fascinating stuff, especially when your roots have come from so many different places."

"It sounds like you have experience. How many generations back have you tracked?"

"On my side of the family, we've been able to follow records back to the mid twentieth century," Ruth says, though as she speaks, she's checking around the table to see if anyone would like more food, and passes a little more challah down to Jim. "On James' side, we've traced back some branches to the eighteenth, though the Lakota didn't leave any physical birth records to dig back any further down that part of the family line."

"My dad's side of the family came over during the American pioneer days too," Jim adds, earning a somewhat startled look from his mom, who hadn't expected him to bring up George.

"That is amazing you have traced back that far." Hunter smiles.

And he nods slightly to Jim's addition to the conversation. "It can be very interesting going back in history, to see those family connections. To see what challenges they faced."

James laughs a little. "Well, we can't take all the credit. It's been a sort of multi-generational project on my side of the family, dating back to before the founding of the Federation. Every few generations, somebody updates the records. Family trees branch out so much and there's been so many records lost to time that it's never going to be complete, not to mention when new family lines marry into the family, but it's interesting to learn what we can about our ancestors."

"Especially with opposing methods of tracking families," Ruth adds. "Historically, most Earth societies have favored patrilineal descent, but according to halakha, Jewish family lines are passed down through the mother, not the father."

"Does that mean a family line ends, when a family only has sons?" Hunter asks, a little interested. He is thinking about Jim and his brother Sam, as an example.

Winona can guess what he's thinking. It's not a difficult leap of logic, after all. "Not exactly. But if those sons have children of their own and the mother isn't Jewish, the kids won't automatically be either."

"It's a cultural thing, not genetics," Jim adds. Not like he's given much thought to whether he ever wants to perpetuate the family line from either side of his family, anyway, so it isn't like this bothers him. He hasn't been pressured by his mom to give her grandkids either, for obvious reasons. "With the more secular families it doesn't matter so much, but the really religious sects are strict about it."

"It is very interesting to think about." Hunter is enjoying learning more about the Jewish culture.

"It certainly is," Ruth agrees. "Best of luck with tracing your own family history. It's a uniquely individual thing, but no less important because of it."

Mostly done with his meal, Hunter is glad that he was invited. The meal was delicious and he is full and happy.

"So, James, what was your role in Starfleet?" He asks Jim's grandfather.

"I was the chief of security on the USS Lexington," James says proudly. "Served under Captains Rackham and Shran during my tours of duty. Made it to commander before I had to retire. Got injured in a skirmish with the Klingons and by the time I was fighting fit again, it was pretty clear that gallivanting around the stars should be left for the young."

"And now Jim has a five-year mission to do just that." Hunter chuckles lightly.

"Yes, we're so happy for him," Ruth agrees, beaming proudly also. "He'd already made us proud by being the first in the family to make captain, but commanding the first long exploration mission... we'll miss you while you're gone, Jim, but we know you'll make us proud out there."

Winona looks a little worried, at that reminder. But Jim smiles, looking forward to the trip. "Thanks. They finally set the date for the Enterprise's rededication ceremony in February, so if everything goes according to plan, we should be shipping out not too much longer after that."

Edited 2017-09-24 17:55 (UTC)

"I will miss him when he is gone too." Hunter wraps his arm around Jim's waist.

"But I can't wait to learn about the adventures that he had, and the new places that he visited, and the new cultures that he was able to discover."

Jim smiles back at Hunter, grateful for the support.

"I don't want to lie, I wish you weren't going," Winona says, looking down at her empty plate so she doesn't have to make eye contact.

"Mom..."

"It's dangerous out there, Jim. Anything could..." She doesn't finish the thought, but she doesn't need to. There's only one way that sentence ends, only one person he knows she's really thinking about. "Five years is a long time."

Hunter is quiet for a moment, unsure if he should say anything. He tightens his grip on Jim's waist for a moment.

"I really don't think there is any job, or career out there that doesn't have some risk to it. Even as an artist, there is risks to my chosen job."

"But as much as I am going to miss him, I know that Jim is following his passion. And he has a good crew going with him."

This is what Jim had been afraid of. Even twenty-six years after the fact, the ghost of his father still haunts his family, still colors the strained relationship between himself and his mother, pitting them against each other. It's something that's led to more than one argument between them, in the few times they've spoken in the past few years.

But the fact that it's also old, well-tread ground means that Jim is not going to allow himself to be drawn back into those same disagreements, not during the holiday of reconciliation. He's pretty sure that his mom doesn't even consciously intend to do it, driven by her worry for him, no matter how unreasonable he thinks it is. Yes, his job is dangerous. He's proven that more than once. But she's also in Starfleet, doing the same kind of job, and as Hunter has rightly pointed out, not having a dangerous job does not guarantee safety for anyone. It's his decision to make, his choice to take the risk.

"Five years is a long time," he agrees calmly. "Doesn't mean you can't get any messages from me in the meantime, every couple of weeks or so."

His mom looks a little surprised that he's even suggesting reaching out to her, but it's a grateful kind of surprise, hesitant as if doubting the sincerity of the offer yet hopeful that it is. Ruth looks between the three of them, Jim, Hunter, and Winona, and though she's never served in Starfleet, it's clear where Jim gets his diplomatic sense from. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Jim," Ruth says.

Edited 2017-09-25 16:00 (UTC)

Hunter gives Jim another supportive squeeze. He is glad to see that Jim wants to try to keep communications open between him and his mother.

"I have a few portraits of Jim... if any of you would like one... just let me know." He will make sure that it is one of the ones that could hang in a family home.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Ruth agrees. "I'd love to have one. You can never have too many reminders of what matters most."

Winona still looks a little like she's waiting for the other shoe to drop, but nods a little. "I'd like that." She doesn't keep many personal items in her quarters on theColumbia, but maybe it's time to start.

Jim is really glad that Hunter is here to help defuse the tension, and leans into his touch in silent thanks.

"Good. I will make sure you both get a portrait then."

Hunter finishes the last of his meal. "This was delicious. You said there would be left-overs to take home?"

"Oh, yes dear," Ruth answers. "You're welcome to help yourself to whatever you'd like to take with you."

It seems everyone is done with their food also, but before the meal is officially over, there's also one last ritual to perform. James stands and recites the birkat hamazon, using the shorter version out of respect for their guest, giving thanks for the bountiful meal that they've consumed.

Once that's done, Ruth whisks away the plates and other dishes before anyone gets it into their head that they need to help clean up. Hospitality is serious business in her household, and before she sets to loading the dirtied dishes into the sterilizer unit, she brings a few sealable containers to the table. "There's more of everything in the stasis field on the counter if you need it," she adds, gesturing towards the kitchen.

The containers aren't entirely like Tupperware, although they're similar in size and shape. Rather than plastic, they're made out of some kind of foreign polymer with locking lids, and a small switch on top allows the contents to be put in temporary stasis, so the food inside doesn't go bad as quickly as it would otherwise.

Hunter takes his time to look over the containers. They look very interesting, and a lot different than what he is used to. He has some questions about them, but will wait until he can ask Jim, when they are alone.

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

It's fairly typical for Jim to have some conflicting feelings over being offered leftovers, at least when it comes to his family. Sure, it's an innocent enough thing, and very normal, but they also know what happened to him when he was thirteen, and he can't help but wonder if it's somehow related anyway.

Doesn't mean he's going to turn down the extra food, of course.

He loads up his share of the containers with a bit of everything, enough to make at least two more meals, not too worried about whether any of the more savory dishes are touching each other and mixing up a bit. Aware that Hunter won't be able to ask about how they work in front of his family, he does lead by example, touching the switch on top once his containers are sealed.

It's... strange, but kind of nice, to be ending a meal with his family without any arguments having happened, or any resentment on his part.

The evening has been nice. Hunter feels pretty special to be here tonight, with Jim, and his family. It is nice to see them mending fences.

He doesn't know if that would ever possible with his father. That he could ever give Jim an important 'meet the family' moment in return.

"So are all the celebrations kept around the suppertime? Or is there something similar to the countdown to midnight?"

It's gone a little better than Jim had expected, on his end. Hunter being here has definitely made a difference. Whether it's because he's had some good supportive arguments in Jim's favor, or simply because the family doesn't want to dig too deeply into family issues when they have company, that's up for debate. Either way, the end result is the same.

"Nah, the Jewish calendar's a lunisolar one, so days start at sundown," Jim explains. "Back in ancient times, it was easier to figure out when sunset was than midnight."

"A lot of time during Rosh Hashanah is spent in the synagogue," Winona says, feeling bolstered enough to contribute to the conversation without treading on any touchy feelings. "There are long hours of services in the morning, lots of prayer, and blowing the shofar - a kind of trumpet made from a ram's horn, meant to wake us up spiritually for the renewal of the year. It's a pretty busy time; even Jews who aren't normally very observant usually make an exception for the High Holy Days."

"There's another tradition called tashlikh that a lot of people do," James adds with a grin. "You go down to a river or some other kind of flowing water and symbolically cast off your sins to be washed away, throwing pebbles or breadcrumbs into the water. It's a great excuse to feed ducks."

"There are a few synagogue's in New York. They usually have very beautiful architecture to them," Hunter smiles.

"That tradition sounds like it would be very soothing to the soul."

"If nothing else, it makes the ducks happy," Jim agrees, though he hasn't done the ritual for a long time now, like many other things he did as a child. It's still somewhat strange, returning to that even for just one holiday, like a dance you haven't done in so long that you've forgotten half the steps. But still... he feels a little more comfortable in his grandparents' house than he did when they arrived, now.

"I was painting a landscape of a lake, with ducks, when I first met Verity."

"Will your family be doing that ritual tonight?"

"It's a bit late for us, but you boys can if you want," Ruth says with a smile. "We're going to go after morning services tomorrow."

Jim hadn't planned either way, so he just raises his eyebrows questioningly at Hunter. "Up to you. Nearest part of the river's a few minutes' walk though."

"We don't have to do the ritual."

"Just a walk by the river would be nice." Hunter smiles softly.

Jim nods. While this evening has gone better than he'd hoped, he still feels somewhat like a break with just the two of them would be nice. To say that being around his family is still awkward to an extent is an understatement.

"Will you be coming back afterwards, dear, or are you heading home?" Ruth asks.

Hunter smiles at Jim, since it will be up to him to answer the question. "Whatever you decide, if you want me here, I am able to stay longer."

It's encouraging that Hunter hasn't decided that Jim's family are too strange to be around, or any other reason why he might want to run away screaming. So Jim smiles a little and nods. "We'll be back."

If nothing else, they won't have to worry about managing their leftovers.

"All right, you boys have a good walk," Ruth says, smiling somewhat knowingly at them.

The somewhat knowingly smile from Jim's grandmother makes Hunter chuckle lightly. He offers his arm to Jim. "Take me for a tour?"

Jim takes his arm, and throws a casual wave towards his mother as they head out the door. It's getting a little late, though it's not quite sundown, and the streets are even quieter than they were when Hunter arrived.

Once the door closes behind them, Jim visibly relaxes a little, some of the weight off his shoulders of having to be on his best behavior in front of his grandparents and his mother. "I think my grandma likes you."

"I like her." Hunter laughs softly. "I really enjoyed meeting them tonight, Jim."

Jim scrubs his free hand through his hair, relieved to be out of the house. The sidewalk will lead them along the road in the direction of the river, the walking path planted with decorative shrubs, some of them alien in nature, in bloom even so late in the year.

"It wasn't too different, then?" Jim had noticed a couple of times where Hunter had looked uncertain or confused, though he'd expected as much.

"Not too different." Hunter replied. He takes careful note of some of the alien blooms that are blooming right now.

"There were a few times, I didn't want to ask questions, because it might have resulted in them having too many questions for me."

The weather, at least, is cooperating with their outdoor plans, bringing only a slightly cooler breeze as the evening deepens. It's nice to be able to just stroll along at their own pace, without needing to rush anywhere or worry about someone waiting for them to arrive.

"Because of technology?" Jim guesses.

"Because of the technology. And the time when I was asked if any of my family was in Starfleet." Hunter shrugs. "I am glad they didn't press why I am not close to my father either. My answer wouldn't really fit with what is typical in your timeline."

"We know what it's like to have strangers prying into our private lives," Jim says quietly, glancing over at him as they walk along. "So we try not to do it to other people if they don't wanna talk about it."

Edited 2017-09-28 18:36 (UTC)

"I can't imagine how difficult it is for your family." Hunter notes softly.

"The only reason my dad was not hounded by the media... was because he owned the majority of the media businesses in the State."

In Jim's case, it's far more than just the media. But in the spirit of the holiday, he doesn't really want to drag down the mood by discussing it in too much depth.

"I think the weirdest part of dinner for me was realizing I legitimately outrank everybody at the table," he says instead, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"No one else in your family ever reached the rank of Captain?" Hunter asks, curiously.

"Not besides my dad, but he wasn't captain for very long." Twelve minutes, according to official record. Long enough to do what had to be done. "Promotion usually takes a while."

"I think it is pretty remarkable that you have so many generations of your family who served in Starfleet."

"It doesn't go back much further than that... my parents met at the Academy, though, so it's a little less coincidental than it looks."

"I imagine that a lot of close bonds are made at the Academy."

"And I think that you making things work with your family is great. There was those few moments when there was slight tension... but at least you can sit down together and have a meal. And a conversation."

Hunter frowns. "It sort of sucks that my dad... would never be comfortable with that."

"Yeah, my mom was on her best behavior tonight." It doesn't always happen that way, of course. But a family that doesn't like to air their dirty laundry in public doesn't want to do it behind closed doors with a guest, either.

Jim frowns too, sympathetic. "You don't think he'll ever come around?"

"She just seemed worried to me." So the facade worked, from what Hunter witnessed.

"He and I were never close beforehand and that was when he was trying to mold me into a younger version of him. I just don't think he will ever accept me, for who I am."

Worry's most of the driving force between their conflict, at least on Winona's side of things. For Jim, there's a lot of mistrust, ingrained over years of neglect and then years of voluntary isolation from his family. At least they are both trying to get past it, finally. And if they have to pretend that everything's fine to get there, then maybe that's what they'll have to do.

"Maybe," Jim agrees. "If he doesn't want to be a part of your life, that's his loss."

Hunter moves, so that he can wrap his arms around Jim's waist, and just pull him close. "I am glad that you brought me tonight. Thank you, for including me in this part of your life."

Jim smiles a little, leaning into the touch. "Thank you for coming along."

[Good place to end]

[Agreed. :D Good thread!]

[Any plans for any future threads?]

[Not in the immediate future. I figure since right now I'm synced up with real time and there's only one movie in his canon after this so far, which is three years down the road, I'm not going to rush there and end up with no idea where to go after. ;) So sticking to realtime pacing for now. That gives us a few irl months before his mission begins. I would like to do something about transitioning the Shontine and K'da into Jim's universe before he ships out but I'm not sure the best way to go about it atm.]

[No pressure to rush forward. I am more than fine with being synced with his canon. And that would be great to transition the Shontine into Jim's universe.

Hunter related, I do plan for him to track down Austin again (without Jim's help). Trying to figure out if I want him getting hurt as a result]

[I do have a general idea of how I want to eventually get Faris on the crew but it's gonna be a while. Starfleet Academy requires at least three years of study (normally four but Jim and Bones both did three), so the sooner they transition over, the sooner I can have Faris among the replacement personnel Jim will need after the events of Star Trek Beyond, as a midshipman (officer in training, basically a cadet doing an internship) if nothing else. :D

Poor Hunter. Austin will need to be dealt with sooner or later, and I had been planning to ask on that front. :) Whatever you are plotting, I'm looking forward to seeing it.]

[That timeline seems to work well. Faris could be taking the training, while Jim is on his five-year mission.]

[Thank you. I am debating on sending an injured Hunter to the Nexus sometime soon]

[That is what I'm thinking. Faris won't be graduated by STB but he could pick the Enterprise as his post for his semester-long shipboard assignment, or just join the crew after the conclusion of the five year mission. I haven't decided what to do with Chanath yet though. Faris isn't going to swap hosts on a whim, so I may have to do something tragic to her.

Nexus post would be good. I need to get back into the comm soon too. Been slacking off.]

[Awww sometimes those tragic things have to happen. But still sad.

Excellent. I will plot further. And might post something this weekend]

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L'shanah tovah [for losthunter]

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