boldygoing | 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

"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]

L'shanah tovah [for losthunter]

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