Jim Kirk (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
smartass_captain) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
nexus_crossings2018-12-03 09:36 pm
smartass_captain) wrote in nexus_crossings2018-12-03 09:36 pm
Impromptu Family Meetups
It's that time of year. Holidays around every corner, family and friends dropping in unannounced, needing to be entertained and fed and plied with stories of how you've been, how is work, and all sorts of things. The thing is, for most of Jim Kirk's life he's never known any of that. It's hard to have sudden family visits when you don't have much in the way of family and aren't speaking to damn near all of them.
Which makes this day exceptionally stressful.
No Starfleet uniform today--even if Jim wanted to he's not allowed to wear any of his own clothes for where he's about to be headed. Instead he's dressed in a soft wool tunic in his preferred golden color and simple linen pants beneath the fur lined cloak he's got pulled over his clothes. Gloved hands fidget with the ties on all of this, a nervous habit he can't quite stop himself from making.
He stops his pacing when he nearly stumbles over a passer-by with how lost in thought he is and it's only then that the captain looks up at whomever he's nearly trodden upon.
"What's the best way to impress your in-laws? What's the etiquette for meeting someone's family for the first time?"
Which makes this day exceptionally stressful.
No Starfleet uniform today--even if Jim wanted to he's not allowed to wear any of his own clothes for where he's about to be headed. Instead he's dressed in a soft wool tunic in his preferred golden color and simple linen pants beneath the fur lined cloak he's got pulled over his clothes. Gloved hands fidget with the ties on all of this, a nervous habit he can't quite stop himself from making.
He stops his pacing when he nearly stumbles over a passer-by with how lost in thought he is and it's only then that the captain looks up at whomever he's nearly trodden upon.
"What's the best way to impress your in-laws? What's the etiquette for meeting someone's family for the first time?"
no subject
It'll be fun.
"It's not that far out of my way," she says with a smile. "And you can owe me a milkshake, in return. Or honey ice cream. I'm not picky."
Which is more suspect, Loki offering a favor or Loki offering a gift? If she knew more about the company she was sending Jim into with an enchanted brooch, she might recognize she was actually potentially causing him trouble. Which would not stop her, but it might give her pause.
She reaches into a pocket of her cloak to retrieve the brooch. It's not exactly gaudy, but it's far brighter and more formal than really suits what he's wearing, shaped like a crescent moon and cut with bright knotwork. She holds it up to the cloak thoughtfully. "I think polished wood would be a nice look...do you care about the shape?"
no subject
"I think that's a favor owed I'll take and gladly." Sweets are easy enough to come by and Jim Kirk is a man who pays his debts swiftly and in full. Felix might find it more alarming Jim's treating with gods so eagerly but come on there aren't any in Jim's world. He doesn't know any better.
In his mind, owing a favor to a friend is not something he needs to worry about in the least.
The brooch is...definitely to Loki's tastes. Jim's not surprised in the least by its design though even he can see it's insanely well made. Crafted for a god prince, after all. Or by one, it's difficult to know for sure. Jim smiles from it to her before his eyes brighten as an idea forms.
"I don't--oh. Wait, hold on." He fumbles in the pocket of his cloak before pulling out a single coin from it and turning it over so that the seal of the Empire can be seen. Its stylized dragon is all over everything over there. Jim can't see why a brooch should be any different. "Would this do?"
no subject
The trouble with trading and dealing with Loki is that no matter how much she may mean well at the start of the transaction (now, for example, she really does just want to put a nice brooch on a good-looking fellow and help him impress his in-laws because that's funny to her in itself), later on she may realize she has an advantage she can use, or a favor she can call in, and then all bets are off.
Where are you at these days?
It varies from moment to moment.
Still. She's in the Nexus, relatively safe, with holidays coming. No matter how mad her behind-the-scenes projects are, this is probably the best possible time to gamble on her better nature.
Loki takes the coin from his hand to look it over, running her thumb over the images on both sides and then getting a good look at the dragon. "An interesting design. So angular, save for the neck."
That sounds like approval. With a thoughtful frown, she hands the coin back to him and folds her hands over the brooch. The green-gold shine of seidr seeps through her closed fingers for a moment, and when she opens them, the brooch is in the precise shape of the coin, dark wood with the dragon symbol inlaid in lighter wood at the center. There are silver lines and rays, and a silver border around the whole thing, and it's much less ostentatious.
"Better?" She holds it out for his approval.
no subject
"It's distinguishable, at least." Much more complicated than his Starfleet insignia but Jim's grown to like it nearly as much. It's an important symbol to Felix and his people after all. Surely no one could complain about this.
Jim watches with respectful curiosity while Loki works her magic. His eyebrows furrow with his thought, wondering why her illusion magic looks different than the ones he's seen used on Nirn. Wondering if the sources are different and a million other academically minded questions about the theory behind these spells Jim has no ability to wield himself. Magic is a constant area of study for him even if he'll never be able to use it.
But getting nosy might be considered rude so he bites the inside of his cheek for now until it's held out for him to study.
"That looks amazing. How do I--?" Okay Loki might have to show him how it fastens. All these catches and stays on Nirnish clothing are very different from the sensible zips of his own world. "Thank you. I'll be careful with it."
no subject
If he were to ask Loki why her magic looks different, he might get a dissertation, so on the whole it's best he doesn't--at least not today. She likes to talk, particularly about herself, but he has somewhere to go and she's been enjoying herself shopping.
She smiles like a cat at the compliment and turns it to show him the simple pin on the back. "Originally, you were meant to just slip the pin through the weave of your cloak's material and it wouldn't even put a hole in it. I think we can do that here, as well--let's see, hold still."
There's a moment of her tugging at the fabric, making sure it folds the way she thinks it should, gathered at his shoulder, and then she carefully slips the brooch into place and fastens it closed.
"I think that will do nicely. Do give Felix my regards, won't you?"
She is so pleased with herself right now.
no subject
"Thank you so much. I will, promise. Wish me luck? He should be here soon so I should go."
His hands reach up to touch the backs of Loki's in clear gratitude before he drops them.
"I owe you for this. Take care, I'll catch you later."
no subject
"Enjoy yourself. Shoo." She waves him away with a laugh. Later on, she might warn him never to tell a supernatural person 'I owe you for this', because they will take him up on it. "And best of luck."
She certainly intends to.