boldygoing | [IC] Voicemail

Tonight, Jim receives a PINpoint delivery from Hunter.

A small origami penguin appears in front of him. In a demonstration of how much stronger Hunter's magical abilities have become, the penguin waddles for a couple of moments.

Then it bows, and unfolds, revealing a note behind.
In the hands of he with Endless Patience, you will find understanding... Delivered by logic and wit.

Jim had been expecting a fairly uneventful night spent alone in his new apartment. The first night's candle burns in his window as he finishes the small dinner he's put together for himself, just a few cheesy latkes and a sufganiyah he'd picked up downtown. The delivery of the penguin comes as a surprise, though given its behavior, he can take a good guess who sent it.

A small smile touches his lips as he watches it waddle around, and his interest only sharpens when it unfolds to reveal the note. He picks it up, examining the words in mild puzzlement. A riddle? "Hunter, what are you up to?" he murmurs out loud, not really expecting an answer.

He with Endless Patience... hmm. It's really the 'logic' part that tips him off, as well it should. Time to check in with Spock.

When Jim checks in with Spock, the Vulcan will inform him that a gift was left in his care, address to Jim. It also had a note that read:

Together you can find understanding... hopefully this will help

Inside the gift is a hand-made chess set, with each of the marble statues crafted to look like regal Cats for the white pieces, and regal Dogs for the black pieces.

Edited 2017-12-13 05:46 (UTC)

Jim has not gotten gifts for a while now, so finding the unique little chess set left in Spock's hands is a surprise. "Was this Hunter's idea?" he asks Spock, as he looks over the carved pieces.

Spock, as always, doesn't give much away with his face or body language. "It is. I have not played the two-dimensional version for some time. Would you indulge me for a game?"

Jim thinks of the three-dimensional set at the apartment, still frozen halfway through a game, waiting for white to make his move. A conversation interrupted, uncertainty left hanging over the board, and in the spaces between. A bad note to leave on, not knowing when it might resume again. Or if it will at all.

Maybe a new start, with a new board... "Yeah, I'd like that."

On the second night of Hanukkah, Jim receives another PINpoint delivery from Hunter.

A small origami eagle appears in front of him. The eagle soars around the air for a moment, before it lands. Like the penguin, the eagle bows, and unfolds, revealing a note behind.

In the hands of he who you would raise a glass with, you will find a different kind of insight Delivered by sarcasm and humor so wry.

Edited 2017-12-13 22:39 (UTC)

Just like before, Jim had planned on a quiet evening, and the arrival of the little paper creature comes as a mild surprise. He holds out a hand when it swoops in for a landing, unfolding itself on his palm, and he slightly regrets the loss of the unique little creation.

But the riddle occupies his attention soon enough, raising his eyebrows at the little poem. Raising a glass could be a couple people, but there's only one person with sarcasm and wry wit that comes to mind. "Bones," he says out loud, thoughtfully. It's gotta be.

When Jim checks with Bones, he will learn that Hunter has left another gift for Jim in the care of McCoy. Just like the night before. The gift is addressed to Jim, and there is another small note.

There will be many things to celebrate on your journey. Hopefully this will help you to share the highs and the lows

The large gift contains a whiskey dispenser. The large dispenser includes enough whiskey to last a few months. And inside the dispenser is a hand-made wooden Enterprise. The wood chosen for the Starfleet ship will help enrich the taste of the whiskey.

This gift is even more unexpected than the chess set. It's not the first time Hunter has handcrafted a copy of the Enterprise, but this one seems smoother than the first, more practiced. And paired with whiskey? It honestly would never have occurred to Jim.

"Jim, I still don't know what to think about all this Nexus stuff, but your boyfriend is all right," McCoy declares as they sample the gift, sharing a glass in the privacy of the doctor's apartment across town. "He's got good taste."

It's not the first time someone has called Hunter his boyfriend, but this time, Jim feels little urge to refute the term. He may not know what to make of all this, but... there's a small warm glow in the pit of his stomach, and he's pretty sure it has nothing to do with the drink.

On the third night of Hanukkah, Jim receives yet another PINpoint delivery from Hunter. There is no other information with the little origami beaver that shows up. The beaver waddles across the table, before bowing at Jim, and unfolding like the other animals that had come before him.

The note reads:
In the hands of she who speaks with confidence and calmness, You will find a new way to look at the world, Delivered by intelligence and beauty.

This time, Jim is expecting his little paper visitor, and it arrives right on schedule, half an hour after the candles have been lit. As he reads tonight's riddle, it occurs to him that Hunter is putting in a surprising, unexpected amount of effort to help with a holiday he doesn't even celebrate, and a small pang of guilt gnaws at him as he realizes he hasn't even gotten Hunter anything for Christmas.

Well... he'll have some time to fix that problem. For the time being, the answer to the riddle is obviously Uhura, and she's probably waiting for him.

The answer to the riddle was Uhura. And a gift was left in her care, just like one had been left for McCoy, and before him Spock. Again, there is a note with the gift.

Always look at all the angles. You will be surprised what you can discover

Inside the gift are Hebrew Boggle cubes. The cubes are hand-crafted. They come with a Boggle board, with instruction on how to play, and they also come with a Scrabble board, with instructions on how to use the cubes to play a multi-dimensional game.

Edited 2017-12-15 01:46 (UTC)

Jim has never played Boggle before, and neither has Uhura, so the instructions are absolutely appreciated. His skill in reading Hebrew is quite a bit rusty, but he supposes maybe this'll be good practice.

It's kind of strange, hanging out with her, off-duty. But that's not a bad thing. They've come a long way from the friendly yet somewhat antagonistic relationship they'd had as cadets, and without the immediate trappings of rank to hold them separate, it's kind of relaxing.

They play a couple of games to get the feel of it, Uhura winning more often than not, but it helps to have something else to occupy himself with, and it's a decent challenge while he gets the hang of the rules. By the time Jim heads home for the night, he's already giving thought to what he might be able to get for Hunter in return.

Now that Jim has figured out what Hunter was doing... he won't be surprised by the arrival of a fourth origami animal being sent via PINpoint on the fourth night of Hanukkah. This time it is a delicate angelfish that arrives. It swims through the air, before giving a delicate bow towards Jim, and unfolding into the note.

In the hands of he who navigates the stars, You will find a mixture of history and fiction, Delivered by dedication and loyalty.

Edited 2017-12-16 00:18 (UTC)

Jim is looking forward to his little visitor tonight, making sure the paper fish doesn't swim too close to the candle flames before it can deliver its message. The person this riddle is pointing him towards this time is even easier than the previous nights', though he still has to guess at what gift might be awaiting him at the other end of this trip.

"Okay, Chekov," Jim says to himself as he sets out to find the young navigator, "what'd Hunter give you this time?"

A gift is waiting with Chekov for Jim to open. There is another note waiting for him too.

Hopefully this will give you a lot of reading material for the journey ahead

Inside the gift is a set of books written by Russian authors.

Chekov is delighted, both to see his captain again, and because of Hunter's choice of gift. He may not know the man quite as well as some of the other crew, but he was more than happy to help be a part of Hunter's holiday plans to bring the captain a little cheer.

"Your partner has wery good taste," he tells Jim, admiring the matching set of famous novels. "Everyone knows the best authors come from Russia. It's where the novel was first inwented, you know."

Jim is pretty sure that's not true, but far be it from him to step on Chekov's regional pride by pointing that out. "Then I hope you're bringing some of your own along. I might need some recommendations once I'm done with these." Not entirely true either, but he knows how much the young navigator likes to help, and seeing his face light up like that makes it worth it.

On the fifth night of Hanukkah, Jim receives another origami animal. This time it is a beautiful crane that greets him. The delicate animal struts across the table, before bowing with its wings, and unfolding into a note.

In the hands of he who is quick on his feet, You will plant a new start for your crew, Delivered by leadership and sass.

Edited 2017-12-17 00:30 (UTC)

Wow. That is one elaborate crane. Jim has only ever seen the classic, basic version, so it's a bit of a surprise to see one so beautifully detailed.

Tonight's riddle needs a little more thought. Scotty has proven to be up to the sort of mad sprints that the job sometimes requires, but he's not exactly in shape for anything much longer than that. Nor is he really in leadership, despite his place in the chain of command. The belly of the ship is where he's the happiest.

So it must be someone on the bridge. Doesn't Sulu do botany as a side hobby? And he's certainly sassy. Fencing means you have to be light on your feet as well. Looks like he's checking in with the helmsman tonight, and this time he doesn't have far to go, since Sulu also lives in San Francisco.

Jim has figured out yet another riddle. Sulu does indeed have a gift addressed to Jim at his residence. Hunter had gone out of his way to find out where each crew member had lived, so that he could make the gift deliveries. And explain about how the gift was not to be opened before Jim showed up. All the crew members were thrilled to help him.

Anything for their captain.

Another gift accompanies the gift tonight too. Remember to plant the seeds of hope and adventure for your entire crew

The gift is hand-blown botany jars. Each of the botany containers contains a different herbs and a few contain flowers, so that they could be grown and flourished in a proper botany garden.

Edited 2017-12-17 03:11 (UTC)

"It's a clever idea, sir," Sulu tells him as they identify the plants one by one, using the helmsman's personal tricorder. "All these plants are pretty hardy ones, and they're all perennials. We shouldn't have any trouble growing them onboard the Enterprise."

Jim smiles a little, looking over one of the little jars, and the sprig of lavender growing inside. "Yeah, he's thoughtful that way."

On the sixth night of Hanukkah, an origami barn owl arrives via Jim's PINpoint. It flies around the immediate space, before swooping down and landing. The owl bows at Jim, and unfolds into another note.

In the hands of he watches the heart of your ship, You will find that time is never ending, Delivered by dedication and innovation.

The answer to this one is very obvious to Jim. Of course it's Scotty, 'he who watches the heart of his ship.' He hasn't spent much time around the engineer since their last mission, although he has been reaching out a little lately, on his older counterpart's advice. It's been slow going, reconditioning himself to that part of the ship, always mindful of the presence of the warp core. But meeting Scotty in a more social setting... that's not as bad.

"Time is never ending," he mutters to himself as he heads out to meet the Scotsman, wondering what that might mean.

There is in fact a gift waiting with Scotty for Jim's arrival. Like the other gifts, it is wrapped simply, with a small note.

Time is what you make it. And I know you will make the most of it

Inside the gift is a hand-made perpetual-motion calendar that he would be able to hang somewhere in the ship.

Edited 2017-12-18 02:13 (UTC)

"Yer lad is wise beyond his years," Scotty tells Jim, when the present is revealed. There's a somber note in the air between them, a reminder that the captain's time in this world is a precious gift, not to be taken for granted. They both know how close this last time was.

"Yeah," Jim agrees, turning the calendar over in his hands, deep in thought. Thinking about opportunities, and second chances.

And where he's going to put this in his quarters, when he's able to go back home. Not the apartment. His real home, made of durasteel and transparent aluminum and stardust.

On the seventh night of Hanukkah, a small and elaborate origami swan greets Jim tonight. It floats in the air, delicately. Then bows its head at Jim, unfolding into another note for him to solve.

In the hands of she who sees the world as an endless possibility, You will find a way to express all your thoughts, Delivered by intelligence and boldness.

So far, all of the gifts that Hunter has arranged have been held safe by Jim's crew, his closest friends and most loyal officers. All people that Hunter would have met during the captain's time at Starfleet Medical, and has gotten to know at least a little better since. But with only two nights left, and no more officers to hold gifts, Jim doesn't think that Hunter would repeat the same people. Who will the origami lead him to tonight?

When the note arrives, he takes his time contemplating it. The only other women from this Earth that Hunter has met are some of Jim's relatives, and he really hopes it's not his mother. She doesn't see the world as an endless possibility, as far as he knows, so he feels fairly confident in ruling her out as tonight's gift guardian.

So who is it?

Intelligence and boldness... Gryffindors are bold, right? Jim seems to remember Hermione saying something about that, when he'd asked about the Houses. He doesn't want to just show up without any warning though, especially since she's had uninvited guests in recent days, so he shoots off a quick message as he prepares to head out.

It's Jim. Mind if I drop in?

Edited 2017-12-19 00:52 (UTC)

I was actually expecting a visit from you today. Come on over. I have some tea made!

Looks like the riddle was hinting that Hermione was included in safe-keeping a gift.

Well, that’s good enough for him. Jim still has the coordinates for her cottage from the last time he paid a visit, so it’s a simple matter to call them up and step through.

“Permission to come aboard?” he calls out, a small smile on his face. Her place is much cozier and welcoming than the basic flat he’s currently living in, and despite his usual holiday mood, he’s looking forward to spending a little time with a friend, away from the responsibilities of Starfleet.

Crookshanks comes racing down the hallway at the sound of his voice... moving as fast as his old cat legs can carry him. He is chirping a greeting. Over here! I'm over here!

When he gets closer, he rubs up against Jim's legs.

"Permission granted Captain!" Hermione's voice comes from the kitchen. There is the smell of fresh-baked bread wafting down the hallway.

Crookshanks will lead the way. He chirps again. Follow him!

“Hey, Crookshanks.” Jim bends for a moment to pat the kneazle’s head in greeting, before following the feline towards the kitchen. Jim may not have a ton of happy memories with most of his family, but the smell of fresh bread is one of them, a warm comfort that reminds him of his grandmother’s cooking. Better days, perhaps. Younger days, anyway.

It’s enough to make him relax a little, as he and Crookshanks seek out the lady of the house.

As he enters the kitchen, Hermione is pulling out fresh hot-cross buns from the oven. There is a nice selection of jams and jellies on the table.

"Hi Jim! Take a seat!" There is a light covering of snow in the garden right now. Crookshanks jumps up on a cat perch, that is near the table.

There is a small gift-wrapped package on the table too.

Jim has never really had a problem making himself comfortable in unfamiliar places, so he doesn’t hesitate one moment before claiming a seat at the table. “I didn’t know you baked, too. Those smell pretty good.”

He casts a curious glance at the gift. It’s pretty small, as most Hanukkah presents tend to be, though it doesn’t give him any hints as to what it might be. After six nights, he still isn’t entirely sure what to expect. But maybe part of the point is for him to get out more, stop holing up at his apartment so he doesn’t have to deal with the same old nonsense he usually gets from people this time of year. Pitying looks, ‘your father was a hero,’ ‘tell us what it’s like to follow in his footsteps,’ that kind of thing. Whether or not that’s what Hunter meant to do, the break from all that has been a relief.

"I learned how to bake from my mother. And without my parents around, it just became second nature for me." Plus it was a handy skill, when Harry and Hermione were on the run from the Dark Lord. It meant that they could enjoy a good dessert, even when times were tough.

She sees him measuring the gift with a look. "It is your gift. You do not have to wait for me to open it. I am here to explain a little about it."

The note on the gift express Hunter's deepest desire for Jim.
I hope you can always feel free to express your thoughts

Well, that just gets him even more curious. "It needs explaining?"

Jim pulls the gift closer, reading the note scrawled on the package, before he begins to unwrap it. He's never really gotten many gifts before, so he's not sure if he's supposed to be all careful and methodical about it... but that's not really his style anyway. He tears at the paper, intrigued to see what Hunter has chosen for him this time.

"There are a few enchantments on it..."

Hermione brings the baking to the table, and waits for Jim to unwrap his gift. She smiles, watching him tear at the paper. Crookshanks jumps onto the table, attacking a stray piece of wrapping paper. He is helping.

Inside the gift is a empty journal. The cover is painted with the star constellations (as seen from Earth). As soon as Jim touches the book, the constellations move, floating across the journal cover.

"The journal is bonded to you, and only you Jim. No matter what you write in it... no one else will be able to read what you write. Not even me. Not even Hunter."

An actual paper book. Not quite as rare in Hunter's time as it is in Jim's, but still a treasure nonetheless. The moving stars catch his attention immediately, and he watches in fascination as they drift across the cover only to reappear on the other side, like watching the night sky wheeling overhead.

Jim has kept a captain's log, during his time in command of the Enterprise, but it's something that's audio only, spoken aloud, and subject to review by Starfleet at their leisure. He runs his hand over the cover, flipping it open to see the blank pages inside, just waiting to be written.

"That's... really cool." He honestly doesn't know what to say. "I'd bet you helped with that, right? Thank you."

"I did."

"It has an extension charm on the pages, so you can write for years without running out of paper. It also has several protection charms, so it can not be destroyed by any physical and magical means. And if you ever have to leave it behind... you just have to think about the journal, and it will reappear at your side."

Years? He'd thought it was impressive before, but that's... above and beyond anything he would've expected from a present like this. And being able to summon it at will? "I'd ask you how that works, but I'm pretty sure the answer is 'magic.'"

"Actually... my gift to you is this..." Hermione places a binder onto the table, which has a little red bow on it. Inside is a detailed report about the science, behind the magic, which made the gift possible.

She knows him so well already. Jim takes the binder and pages through it, just enough to get the gist of what he's looking at. It's damn near as comprehensive as the kind of report he'd get on the ship. "You compiled all this yourself?"

"Yes. I found some wonderful research material in the Grand Library, so that I could compile the facts and figures into a more translatable manner."

"Hermione, this is... fantastic. Thank you." The amount of work she's put into this to appease his scientific curiosity is above and beyond what he ever would've asked for, and he's eager to spend a few hours reading it thoroughly to absorb it all. More research to pour into the fount of knowledge in his head, never knowing what might come in handy someday.

"I was more than happy to do it." It was a project! Hermione enjoys having a bunch of little projects to work on.

On the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, an origami wolf appears from Jim's PINpoint. It walks gracefully across the table. And actually howls soulfully, before bowing, and unfolding itself into a note form.

In the hands of he who will always be there for you You will find a way to mend the broken pieces Delivered by compassion, understanding and love.

The sight of a wolf doesn't disturb Jim quite as much as it would have a month ago, still relatively fresh from the Nightmare, though the howl makes the little hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, a small shiver running up his spine as he reaches out to pick up the unfolded note. Tonight's riddle is... well. Obvious, when he sees the last word. Not his older counterpart, not this time. There's only one person this would be pointing him towards. It makes sense that he would have saved the best for last.

Jim does not send a message ahead of himself this time. He simply puts out the candles, and heads out to visit someone who has come to mean more to him than he'd ever put into words.

Since Hunter had received word that Jim has solved the rest of the riddles, he is very confident that his smart and intelligent boyfriend will solve the last one.

He has settled into the newly renovated apartment by this point. He is preparing a small box of supplies for the last gift to be given when Jim arrives. There is a casserole baking in the oven for supper too. Something that was already made and stored a while ago, but is easy enough for Hunter to prepare one-handed.

He has soft jazz playing in the background. And not a Christmas CD of jazz either. But just some of his favorite songs playing.

Jim isn't quite sure what to expect, when he arrives at the apartment. The music seems very non-festive but typical of Hunter's taste, and the smell of something in the oven reassures him that he's on the right track.

"This is one hell of an elaborate way to give gifts," he says, as he enters the apartment.

Hunter chuckles at that statement. He cross the apartment to welcome Jim with a one-handed embrace.

"Was it? I hoped to intrigue your mind, and your sense of adventure."

"Well, it got me out of the house," Jim answers, embracing the other man, giving him a brief kiss. This time of year, doing social things... not usually Jim's strong suit. This year, it's been more of a struggle than usual, with the aftermath of the Nightmare on top of everything else. Having an actual reason to go and talk to people, people who aren't about to say anything stupid about his dad or any of his other problems... it may have helped, a little.

"Good. I am glad." Hunter returns the brief kiss. That had been one of Hunter's main goals. To get Jim out of his hiding little by little. To help his boyfriend reconnect with the people that he will be spending the next five years with.

"So... as for the gift for tonight... you have to follow me to the pottery room."

Jim's eyebrows drift up, unsure where this is going. "The pottery room, huh? I didn't know you could work with clay one-handed."

"I can't. But tonight is not about me..."

"My gift is to teach you the art of Kintsukuroi." Hunter leads Jim into his new pottery studio. One of the new things about his renovated apartment.

He gestures to a table of pottery pieces. Some belonged to pottery that got destroyed when Bellatrix had attacked the apartment. Others belonged to pieces that got broken after being taken out of the kiln.

"It's the Japanese art of repaired pottery."

Jim had thought they had disposed of all the damaged artwork, so seeing those pieces is a bit of a surprise, and he hesitates, uncertain what Hunter intends here. He frowns a little, unfamiliar with the art style that the other man has mentioned.

"But... they're broken. Would it be easier to just... get new ones?"

Hunter chuckles lightly at the question. He grabs two pottery aprons, throwing his on untied. And then handing Jim the second one.

"Here let me show you..."

"We are going to use a gold liquid to create a new piece of pottery, from these broken pieces. These new pottery pieces are going to become more beautiful... having been broken." Hunter explains.

He is able to start the process one-handed, though it is difficult and slow-going. But since he wants to show Jim the process, going slow is fine with him.

"The story is... there was a bowl that was much loved by a military ruler. One day during a gathering, a servant accidentally dropped the bowl, which broke into five pieces. Everyone paused, fearing for the young man as the military leader was known to possess a quick, harsh temper. Then one of the guests improvised a comic poem about the incident, provoking laughter all around and restoring the leader to good spirits. This story goes on to say that instead of the break diminishing the bowl's appeal, a new sense of its vitality and resilience raised appreciation to even greater heights. The true life of the bowl began the moment it was dropped."

Edited 2017-12-24 15:33 (UTC)

Jim puts the apron on without hesitation, trusting Hunter despite his confusion, and reaches out to help hold the pieces in place when the other man begins to work. And the more Hunter explains, the deeper his words wind his way into the cracks of Jim's own heart.

More beautiful because it was broken... it's not something Jim has ever heard.

He's not sure how to feel about that, struggling to even identify the nagging doubts and turmoil within him, years upon years of hiding away his own brokenness telling him not to let anyone see, to keep it to himself, to put on the happy face and smile, smile, smile, pretend nothing is wrong, nothing was ever wrong, and if it was then it's nobody business but Jim Kirk's.

But now it's not. Hunter knows. Not all of it, not anywhere close, but he's seen the darkness and didn't flinch, didn't run. Poured all his efforts into making sure that for once in a very long time, Hanukkah actually meant something to Jim, not just another week on the calendar, like the years where he didn't even bother to light candles or reflect on anything, or the years where he went through the motions anyway and felt nothing.

He's quiet as Hunter speaks, and continues for several moments after he stops, unsure what to say. "And that... doesn't make it less useful?"

"No. It doesn't make it less useful." Hunter continues to use the gold lacquer to reconnect the broken pieces of what used to be a pottery bowl. Jim can see that it is slowly becoming a bowl once again. Just with the cracks highlighted, instead of hidden.

"The practice is related to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which calls for seeing beauty in the flawed or imperfect. The repair method was also born from the Japanese feeling of mottainai, which expresses regret when something is wasted, as well as mushin, the acceptance of change."

"Our lives take us down many different paths. It is import to remember that we can adapt and change. And even during times when we feel broken... that we are only closer to finding our true identity." Hunter looks up to meet Jim's eyes with his own. "We become stronger because of the breakage. We find a way to overcome."

Jim is a guy who can appreciate subtlety and metaphor, even if he's not exactly the best person to actually use it himself. Hunter's gift to him today may be a little on the nose, but... the kindness at the heart of the gesture is honest, and he couldn't turn it away, even if he wanted to.

There are a half dozen jokes he could crack to break the strangeness of the moment, but it doesn't seem right to deflect, not again, not when it would do nothing but take away from the thoughtfulness that Hunter has put into all of this. "You've done a lot of research on this," he says instead, watching the bowl take shape in their hands, its sharp broken edges covered up by the gold lacquer holding the pieces together.

"I have." Hunter smiles. He had put a lot of thought into each of the gifts, and the origami animals that accompanied the notes.

"But there is a little selfishness here... I can do this one-handed." He smiles.

There are another few pieces laying nearby, if Jim wants to start his own project.

Jim is quiet a moment, not sure how to respond, old habits and newer impulses conflicting within him. He's spent a long time trying to fix himself alone. By necessity, by choice, it doesn't really matter. He'd thought he was dealing with it all okay, enough to keep going, enough to bury it all as deep as he could and never look at it again. Halloween proved him wrong.

Talking to his older counterpart had helped, secrets shared with the one person he feels he can truly trust with anything, their differences only casting greater clarity on what he'd done and seen and felt, a shared pain with the only one who would truly understand.

But now even the other captain has gone silent. And Jim has missed being around other people, people who know him and don't want to drive the knife deeper, like so many strangers do this time of year. People who care about James Tiberius Kirk, not the Kelvin baby, not George Kirk's son. Someone who has seen the brokenness inside of him and, instead of sweeping away the pieces, wants to find a way to fit them together again. Not exactly as it was before, scarred and patchwork, forever marked by the shattering, but whole.

"You can do it alone," he says at last, lifting his gaze to meet Hunter's, "but you shouldn't have to."

Edited 2017-12-29 13:49 (UTC)

Hunter nods. And pauses in his work to reach out to Jim and gently squeeze the other man's hand. "That is why I am glad I have support from my friends, and from you."

"I would have never been able to repair the apartment, like you guys did. You all took what was broken and made it beautiful again."

Jim's smile is faint, but real, and he squeezes Hunter's hand back. "It was a group effort." Home should always feel like a safe place. He knows, far too intimately, how it feels to have someone rip that away. But as the Enterprise has been slowly rebuilt and refitted under the watchful eye of Starfleet's Corps of Engineers, Jim wanted Hunter's apartment to experience that same kind of healing, creating something new from the ashes of what was destroyed.

After a moment, he adds, "There's a famous novel from the twenty-second century that revolves around the phrase 'let me help.' The author recommends those three little words, even over 'I love you.'"

"I was honestly afraid of coming back to this place... especially coming back alone. But you all helped me face my fears." Hunter reveals.

Hunter smiles, giving Jim's hand another squeeze. "I am so grateful for your help."

Jim holds Hunter's hand in his own, just glad to have this contact, no matter what horrible shit this year has put them through, together and separately. "It's all I want." Whatever he can do to help, whether it's as big as fixing up the apartment, or as small as helping put pottery back together, one piece at a time.

Tonight, Jim's PINpoint chimes softly. And a medium-sized gold gift box appears in Jim's apartment.

There is a note attached.

Don't worry. I am not going to make you wait two days to unwrap this gift. It is just a little preview of what is to come. Love Hunter

Inside the gift is a black T-shirt, in Jim's size.

Every since Jim left for his five-year mission, he has received a weekly package from Hunter PINpointed to him.

Most of the time, the package would include a letter, providing a small update about Hunter's life. He would write to Jim about changes and growth for the Foundation, or about a new artist he discovered, or just about some of the new people that have arrived in the Nexus recently.

Often, the package would include a sketch, that would briefly come alive with the blessing of Hunter's magical ability. His sketches were of people they both knew, or of the Nexus in general, or some bustling area of New York city.

And there were a few times when the package would include a poem, or a note from Hermione, or a audio tape of Hunter trying to re-learn the guitar.

In the most recent package, the first thing Jim might notice is a very detailed sketch of Natasha, like she is leaning over Hunter, and studying him carefully. The thing about this sketch is that it does not move. It is just a sketch.

As Jim reads the letter inside the package, he will learn about Hunter losing his magical ability. About Natasha shaving off his hair. About Faris and Hunter learning how it happened, and the mystery of the young girl who looked like Kendra.

Hunter admits he still doesn't feel like himself yet. And the search continues for answers. But at least, he knows his friends are always there for him.

Edited 2018-07-01 02:59 (UTC)

[Response here.]

Jim still receives letters and packages from Hunter once a week. There have not been any dire updates in over a month. But recently something had happened, that Hunter needs to tell Jim about.

The package waiting Jim contains a iPad, and there is only one video on the main screen, that contains the words 'Play Me Please' on it.

When the video comes to life, it is Hunter sitting on his bed. He smiles at the camera. "Hi Jim."

"I thought that since it had been a while since we 'saw' each other, that this might be a nice way to send you a little update on my life." He chuckles.

"I wanted you to know that I have decided to take a little road trip. It is starting to drive me a little crazy that I can't go to the Foundation, or to my Art Gallery. Well... I can go there... but they don't recognize me. And I can not be as involved with either project as I was. The free time is getting to be a little frustrating." Hunter sighs. "I want to do something."

"So after a recent conversation with Faris and Chanath, I decided to take advantage of the end of summer and visit as many of the national parks that are located around the States as I can. Get on my bike and exploring the back country. And just... get out of the apartment for a bit."

"So for the next little while... send your letters to my PINpoint."

Hunter runs his left hand through his hair. There is ink visible on his forearm. And he smiles, holding out his left forearm to the camera. "I got a little piece of who I was with the magic back. The tattoo artist was really great. He took the time to study my drawing, and speak with me, and make sure that the finished project was what I wanted."

"I'm..." Hunter runs a hand through his hair. "I really don't know if I will ever get my magic back. And I am starting to feel a little scared by the thought of it. I guess I am really starting to miss that piece of myself."

"I feel lost without it." He wipes away a stray tear from his eyes. And tries to calm himself with a deep breath.

"I know her name now. Kendra's sister. It is Karlene." Hunter looks back at the camera. "I had a dream, that led me to her. She was in trouble. Three men were about to attack her. And I... I had to protect her."

"I got stabbed Jim." He admits. And frowns.

"Karlene used her magic -- my magic -- to heal me. But I could feel the pain of being changed again. And I told her to stop. She still has no control."

"I told her that I could help her. Get her to someone who could teach her. But she just... ran away again." Hunter sighs.

"And so... I just don't know if I will ever get that magic back. And I thought I was okay with it. But I really am not. I feel all out of sorts."

"I think getting away from the city for a bit will be good for me."

Hunter moves off his bed, and grabs his guitar, before sitting back down. He smiles at the camera. And then plays and sings to I'm Gonna Be.

At the end of the song, he smiles again. "Love you Jim." And turns off the camera.

By now, Jim has gotten used to packages and envelopes mysteriously appearing on his desk in his quarters, heralding one of what's swiftly becoming his favorite way to end the day: catching up on news from Hunter. Even so, this seems unusual from the moment he sees it, and having gotten bad news once already, a twist of anxiety takes root as he begins the playback.

And things start off somewhat benign. Cabin fever, a yearning for the great outdoors, all things Jim can sympathize with. And he smiles a little when Hunter shows off his fresh ink, the markings familiar on an arm that's been looking kinda naked without it.

But then comes the confession, and the smile slides straight off Jim's face. Dammit. He'd hoped that Hunter's casual acceptance of the loss of his magic was honest enough, and it certainly had seemed that way. But maybe it had just needed time to sink in, a looming emptiness slowly encroaching as reality set in. Jim has no idea what that must feel like, but it's a hell of an adjustment to make after so many years.

"Fucking dammit." Stabbed? Jim is already halfway to his PINpoint before hearing that Hunter is already healed, and honestly, it doesn't make him stop considering using it anyway. All of a sudden, his boyfriend going off on his own into back country doesn't sound quite as relaxing as he'd thought. But... what can Jim really do? Lightyears away, in a different universe, he has over four hundred lives to watch after, people relying on him to keep them safe and guide them home. He can't protect Hunter from here, and he can't abandon his responsibilities on the Enterprise either. Especially when he's already too late to help.

That anxiety writhes its way deeper, an odd sort of dread that Hunter's not doing as well as he'd pretended, that something like this might happen again and Jim will be helpless to stop it, or even know about it until it's too late. Hunter is supposed to be safe on Earth, or in the Nexus, living a normal civilian life, away from the same sort of dangers that Jim faces exploring the black. He's not supposed to be the one getting hurt. But he did.

Jim stands frozen in front of his desk, PINpoint held in one hand as he watches the video play out, the almost cheery beat of Hunter's guitar a strange contrast to the nagging guilt and fear tugging at him. And maybe for the first time, Jim begins to realize just how deep he's gotten himself into all this. He never meant to care this much.

But he does.

Even when the video ends and the screen shuts off, Jim remains still and quiet, with no real idea of what to do. What he can do. And it's a long, long few minutes before he finally sends a text message to leap the bounds between their universes, an unfathomably large distance between them.

Got your message. I'm expecting you to give me a tour of the best spots when I get back.

He doesn't sign off like Hunter did, the words suddenly seeming more than just rote response, the thing you're supposed to say when you're dating somebody. It's more real, somehow. Heavier. And he's gonna need a hell of a lot more soul-searching before he's ready to admit it to himself. But there's one thing he can say, and absolutely mean it.

I miss you. Stay safe out there.

[IC] Voicemail

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