Personal Dilemmas

[conjuredskies]

Hey, did you know there’s a way to broadcast messages to the Nexus at large? Anyone might be forgiven for forgetting that, since it doesn’t happen too often these days. And yet, on PINpoints and phones and convenient computer screens alike, people might find an unexpected question incoming:

Given a choice between leaving a friend badly in the lurch, or forcing someone you love to revisit a very painful place, which do you pick?

It’s entirely anonymous and quite untraceable, though it seems certain that the culprit will be able to answer any reply sent. He’s actually hanging out in the bright, luxuriously upholstered environs of a particularly upscale café that offers free computer access, waiting for his IT consultant to come back with the drinks. It doesn’t feel very clandestine to him, but maybe Felix just isn’t used to the ways of the Space Age yet. That’s why he has a consultant.

Comments

[betashiftblues]

The Federation runs on coffee, Felix. That's just a known fact. It's very much a Human thing, although Kav's been raised on a mostly human colony so he's a bit more acclimated than most where it comes to human food and drink. At the very least with the Andorian at his side Felix never has to worry if they'll go hungry.

"...I'll check. I think so." He's slow to get out of his seat though. Felix's sudden interest in anything that isn't his friend has Kav fighting the urge to sigh audibly. "....Right."

It's a subject left well enough alone for a few minutes at least. He has to go and fetch food for them to do that snack enjoying. It gives Felix time to get his story straight gather his thoughts before Kav's come back with a plate of scones for them to share.

"A couple of these are Cheese and onion but the ones on the left are just cheese. So you know."

[conjuredskies]

Time for Felix to tap at the machine some more, occasionally raising his eyebrows or twitching a faint, bitter smile. He's frowning pensively when Kav returns- though those delicious-looking scones go a way to improving his mood.

"Your left or mine?" He's grabbing one without waiting for a reply, biting into the soft, fluffy interior with a pleased sound. "Mmf. That's really good. We should get breakfast here again."

Food is easy to discuss. Much easier than him maybe sort of tangentially pulling his friend into something the captain won't like at all.

[betashiftblues]

"Yours. The one with the flecks in--" Too late. Felix has a quarter of a warm pastry stuffed into his mouth before Kav can finish talking. It's no trouble to the Andorain either way. He grabbed both because they looked good. If only everything about this outing could be so simple.

Kav takes up one of the plain cheese scones and breaks off about a third of it to nibble on a much more manageable piece. The rich smell of the cheese makes him hum softly before he takes a bite. Oh yes, Felix is right about one thing. This is very worth coming back for.

"Not too fond of the responses you're getting, I take it. If you've gotten a reply at all." Sorry Felix, paying attention to small details is very literally his entire job description.

[conjuredskies]

He chews slower, at that. Swallows roughly before he sits back, trying to act casual.

"...Ah, well. I can't blame them, really. If the question was easy, I'd have answered it for myself. I don't know if I'll find a satisfying answer at all. If there's even one to be had."

[betashiftblues]

Kav settles back into his seat while he watches Felix. The man's dead set on not meeting Kav's gaze though despite how casual he affects his posture. Seems like when Felix set up shop well out of the way of people who might recognize him as the author of the question he's posted he didn't plan on telling his accomplice about what all was going on, either.

"If it was easy you'd have found the answer yourself. If it wasn't compromising, you'd have already asked Me for help if not the captain or your friends here." The Andorian pops another bite of scone into his mouth.

"Captain Kirk hasn't been pulling long hours or been exceptionally temperamental lately, so I know you two didn't have a fight."

[conjuredskies]

He nearly chokes on the mouthful of scone he's swallowing, and has to lean forward for a minute to make sure he's cleared his throat. He has a long slug of his juice before he looks up at Norn. Properly, this time.

"Are we that easy to read?" Felix, it's Norn. Norn Notices Things. (And yes, probably the crew knows their captain after a few years living aboard ship together. It's not that big a place.)

He swallows. Sighs. Leans over his glass, posture more... protective, now.

"Look... a while back I- I did something pretty bad. Well, more like a whole bunch of things, but- the point is, Jim had to save me from a truly terrible place." Jim, Stratos, Isidor, Harrow- okay, he's pretty sure the latter two weren't there to rescue him, but that's what they did so he won't quibble.

"Jim... got hurt, along the way." I hurt him, but he doesn't dare say the words out loud, not here, not in daylight, not to Norn. "Physically and otherwise. It was a long time before we could even be together again. The point is, I also left a friend holding the bag for something I took from his people, and now he's on the hook unless I get it back."

[betashiftblues]

"He is." When he's angry at least. Jim's gotten into so many disagreements with his first officer or the doctor over the years that most of the bridge crew at least know what to look out for in the way of Jim's moods. Not that he's ever inappropriate about it but everyone has bad days and when it's your boss that's having it everyone's in for a tense shift.

Felix is less of a known factor though Kav feels as though he's getting to know the man better than most since he's openly come aboard the ship as semi-professional. Watching him now Kav wonders if he's pried too deeply.

He's not quite prepared for the confession Felix gives.

Rather than jump to comfort his friend or ask questions the lieutenant drops his gaze to the rest of his scone while Felix talks. By now Kav's gathered that Felix and Jim have been together for nearly as long as he's been a part of the Enterprise's crew. There's been more than one occasion where the captain didn't seem to be at his best though Kav couldn't pinpoint a time where the man seemed particularly hurt. Not from something that wasn't one of their own missions, at any rate.

"...But getting it back means going back to that place." Something he's no doubt hiding from the captain.

[conjuredskies]

That, he can't really deny. Jim is adept at hiding much of what he feels, but not anger. If anything, anger is the mask. It's a thought that softens Felix's expression even as there's a wrench in his chest.

Jim's already been through so much. He'd want to know about this, but how can Felix do that to him?

"Yes. Exactly." He turns the scone in his hand, crumbs falling onto the table as he fidgets. Taking a tiny nibble without much will in it. Kav's quiet demeanor doesn't give away what he's thinking, good or ill, but in the moment Felix is grateful that he's just listening. "Making him revisit it all. I'd rather go by myself, there's something I want to try- but I don't... there's a strong chance I won't be able to handle it."

[betashiftblues]

Kav isn't privy much to Jim Kirk. He only knows Captain Kirk, the man who's in charge and in command at all times. Who may get upset in the course of their adventures but always finds a way to pull as many people through as possible. Logically he knows the captain would be more vulnerable off the clock. He's seen Jim a few times with Felix. But Jim doesn't act the same way around Kav Norn as he does Felix.

Thankfully, in Norn's case.

"He wouldn't let you go alone." That much is obvious. And if it's truly so bad, Norn's not volunteering to go anywhere near that. He's no security specialist. If push came to shove and Felix Had to go down there alone, he could try to provide support....but it would just be foolish for him to volunteer to go be in the way on an alien world he has no idea how to navigate properly. To say nothing of his features being the cause for much alarm if they were caught.

"No one else to ask then, either. From home, I mean."

[conjuredskies]

“No, he’s… he’s like that.” Undeniably. Felix sighs. He’s not asking Norn to help him, either, which speaks for itself. This isn’t a danger he could ask the man to face, nor one he’d want Norn to see, for so many reasons.

“If it was anywhere else, I’d hire some broadsword-wielding Fighters Guild types to go with me. But what’s down there is… incriminating. Sensitive information. Extremely personal. The only people I could ask are the ones who went down before, and half of them would tell me to go jump in a dragon’s maw." If they didn't feed him to it themselves.

"That just leaves Jim… and my brother, who I think is nearly as traumatised.” His other loved one, and part of the reason he didn’t specify ‘spouse’ in his message. “The difference there is, there’s no-one to make him confess to it.”

[betashiftblues]

Norn's been around the Captain and his loose interpretation of Federation law for years now. He doesn't jump to scold Felix over the idea of his actions being incriminating. The fact that Jim was there at all would be a different sort of incriminating already considering they've had to lie and go under disguise in Felix's world to exist. But it still twists at something inside of the Lieutenant to think that Felix could be in very real danger of the law in his world.

"Is it All incriminating? Even the location? Could you hire on someone to act as a lookout for you so you could see to the sensitive bits without scrutiny?" It would be risky, but better than bringing Jim or his brother along. He probably shouldn't be encouraging Felix's schemes but he's enjoyed the little time he's spent in Stratos' company and the captain is the Captain. Kav doesn't want to see them hurt.

"....If it's too risky...the only alternative is to move to protect yourself from the fallout of making an enemy." The Andorian may not get along with His family but he understands the concept of loyalty to one's blood. One's mate. Kav sighs into his glass. "Hopefully he doesn't have so much over you that he could ruin your home life."

[conjuredskies]

“Anyone who’d be of use pulling my ass out of the fire would learn too much. I don’t even want to draw attention to the place and risk giving them an idea there’s treasure down there.” Felix knows far too well how foolhardy his people are when it comes to exploring old ruins and their secrets. If he were on good terms with Isidor, maybe he could ask her to bury the place. If only...

“An outcast mage with a grudge and nothing to lose? That feels like it could come back to bite me.” Felix shrugs and sips his drink. “Or maybe not. That’s how it goes in stories, but odds are good he’ll just come to a bad end in some dank little cave.”

[betashiftblues]

The Andorian settles into his seat and stays quiet for a long time at that. His attention turns back to his drink and a second scone to start working on lest he waste this opportunity to properly feed himself before his shift begins. They've been here for a while now and Kav at least will have to head back soon to change into his uniform and get ready for Beta.

"...If he's an outcast and being accused of breaking the law, you could just stay quiet and let him get arrested. Then no one would have to go back there." It's not a Great option but it is an option available to Felix.

"Guess it depends on how much trouble you think he'd be able to cause you once he was freed. ...Or if you want to do that to a friend in the first place. If going there is so dangerous, maybe the best idea is to just Not and live with the fallout."