nexus_crossings | (no subject)

(no subject)

Now getting lost is one thing.

The base this blue humanoid gentleman hails from currently is dense and very easy to get turned around in. Every third street curves over another or the building you wanted was on the underside of some other arch and it can just be a mess trying to get around Yorktown. Norn would be just fine if he was simply a little bit lost. That's a sad way of life for the Andorian.

But to get so lost that he can no longer see the other arching streets of the base? So lost he feels like he's stepped into a Vulcan shop for how high the temperatures have risen? How there's actual humidity leaving the air heavy? It almost feels like he's no longer on the base.

Oh. Oh no.

Luckily there's a very helpful if not garishly dressed human on a screen in the Plaza. It doesn't help the man in a simple red and black uniform to get back home, but knowing there is a system in place quells the panic for the time being. He takes a seat on an unoccupied couch and props his chin in one equally blue hand while watching the denizens of the Nexus wander around. His antennae perk up ever so slightly once he's made up his mind. The next person he sees he'll ask.

"Have you ever broken a rule by...by accident? How did you handle it or the aftermath?" Norn is pretty sure this counts as some kind of leaving his post. Even though he's speaking directly at someone his voice is a quiet hush. Like he might fear being overheard or maybe his internal volume button doesn't go past five.

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Norn's smile is sympathetic at that. Yes, if you come on the ship you'll have to deal with the replicators and their fare. It's really not so bad with Scotty constantly tweaking the menus to offer the crew a variety of meals but it really doesn't hold a candle to the real thing no matter what anyone says. It's months on end of 'okay' food that gets the job done and that's about it.

"...You do get used to it."

His antennae shift at the table for three but Norn doesn't question anything aloud. He's a little nervous of more people joining them but then again he's also used to that much more than he once was.

"It's not so dissimilar to Earth's. We have a knack for what your people call 'street food' and have adopted many Earth cuisines to suite our own foodstuffs. My personal favorite is skewered redbat but you don't often see it outside Andoria. Even on the colony where I was born it was a special occasion meal."

If there's a light ale he's going to be ordering that. Norn gets enough tea, water, and coffee while on duty.

"If I must." Felix's smile is enigmatic, but all it means is 'I have a PINpoint and I intend to use it'. Hey, abusing the ability to summon things from other dimensions at every opportunity is his entire career path.

He's expecting Jim to catch up with them sooner or later, and when that happens Felix will take the opportunity to insist he eats too. Since Norn doesn't question him Felix doesn't explain. It'll be a nice surprise later.

"It sounds like something I'd like to try. My- my family often cooked small game back home."

He'll second the call for ale, and swiftly decides on a spicy fish stew and a savory meat pancake to follow. As he says with a smile for Norn, "We have time." Letting Felix take you to a real dinner means making time to linger over it. There are no clocks in Tamrielic restaurants.

"...I can probably recommend some of the better meals, depending on your tastes."

Not every part of Starfleet can be glamorous, Felix. Wait until you see the paperwork and the monotony. Up until now Jim's been severely skewing what your idea of the fleet is like.

"Mammals or avians?" Norn's taking a moment to look over the menu and 'oh'ing softly when he spies cabbage soup and a variety of their dumplings to sample and share with Felix. Worry not Felix, most people know how to enjoy a meal.

"Oh, I'll take you up on that." Little does Norn know, he'll end up explaining more of the meal options than he probably expects. Eating with Jim has gone a long way to educating Felix about common Earth dishes but he's bound to get caught out by some things.

Speaking of which...

"Both. Usually rabbit, though. It's cheap-" wait, wait does that make sense to say? "Well, plentiful locally. Pheasant and grouse were more for spring and summer meals." Of course, any meat was expensive in spring, in the lean period between the end of the winter supplies and the replenishment of the herds. Unlike other Cyrodillic cities, Bruma up on its icebound peak can't expect deliveries from abroad either, and the number of hunters and trappers in the city is the main reason there's any meat to be had at all, year-round.

But a world with replicators must have no such concerns, Felix realizes. He genuinely can't be sure how anything gets from field to table in Jim's world, except that they do still have fields. Jim showed him those.

He has to speak carefully, even about the most mundane things.

The waiter returns for their order and shortly thereafter the ale is delivered. Felix fills his glass and lifts it. "To our good luck."

How odd, this world's cabbage is red. Norn hasn't seen this before! It smells faintly different than what he's used to as well but a cursory sip makes him perk up quite a bit. He likes this!

"Rabbits are small prey animals who burrow, yes? I've never seen one outside of pictures." Xenozoology isn't one of Norn's strong suits but he thinks he has a rough idea of the small mammal creature Felix is talking about. The other two he's sure are avians of some kind. He's heard 'pheasant' before certainly.

Let him raise his own glass toward Felix.

"Eev-deel. Or cheers, as I suppose you'd call it." Norn smiles to himself before sipping at the Ale with a hum that is very much pleased with what he's drinking. "On Hanolan it was mostly domesticated avians--chickens-- that were butchered for meat. Convenient since they provided eggs as well for cooking."

With the toasts made and their food awaiting, Felix tries out his fish stew while Norn talks. "Oh, yes. We have those too. Noisy little monsters, as a rule."

Another sip of his ale, and he sighs contentedly. This day is proving far more satisfying than he expected when he wriggled his way into these jeans. "So, what is it like to work up on the bridge? I like a well-outfitted laboratory as much as the next man, but it always sounds as if you have all the excitement up there."

Norn can try to disabuse him of that notion, but Felix is determined to quiz a good story or two out of him. Aside from his love of Jim's tales, work seems like a comfortable topic for Norn and it seems like a good way to find out what motivates this Andorian, his likes and dislikes.

"You are not fond of them, I take it. I didn't live in the farmland of the colony, but it affected what we had available to us for fresh food."

Norn's quick to nudge his bowl and plate of dumplings over toward Felix too. Try it, go on. That's half the fun of going to a new place and taking part in local cuisine. Though in a place like this, Norn's not sure anything counts as local. Details, details.

"It's hours of nothing happening interspersed with emergencies and fires." Norn gives Felix a rueful smile before he turns back to his own meal for a moment. "I work on the beta shift, so usually our job consists of studying and documenting anything that Alpha shift logged during their hours. It's research heavy, but every now and then something strange happens on our watch."

Edited 2018-09-08 15:55 (UTC)

"On the contrary, I'm very fond of them on a plate. Wandering around the streets, not so much."

The offer to share draws another smile and murmured thanks, before Felix winks and pushes his bowl closer to Norn in reciprocation. This philosophy he can absolutely get behind.

"You seem like a man who can appreciate a quiet life- but even so, I'd hope it isn't too monotonous." Or. You know. He might feel it incumbent upon him to fix that. "Ever been on watch when something truly strange came your way?" He nods at the food with a chuckle. "I can trade you a story."

Food trade! Norn is quick to take a small spoonful of the stew with an intrigued hum. He never gets tired of tasting new cuisines and local specialties. One of the best things being in Starfleet has offered him, if you asked him.

"Not monotonous enough, especially on the Enterprise." Norn says that but he's never once even considered putting in for a transfer. Not even after being held captive and having the ship destroyed. Losing all his things and being left with nothing but his life and his rank in Yorktown with the rest of the survivors on Jim's crew. Not even then. He belongs on the Enterprise and that's the end of it.

Though Felix's question makes his smile falter.

"Yes. We lost a third of my bridge crew shift during one incident. Including our pilot and navigator, eventually. The thing about exploring the unknown is that when things happen there's no precedent to follow. No procedure to look to. Sometimes things don't turn out well despite every effort."

Felix can show him whole new worlds on that score. Once he talks Jim into letting him drop the masquerade with this one. It's really quite unfeasible to maintain in any case (because Felix really doesn't want to).

"Ah." Felix lowers a forkful of dumpling, his cheer fading abruptly. "I know that story." He may not have been there, but he was there for the aftermath. For Jim. He knows more than will ever be comfortable of exactly what happened there.

"I hadn't realized that was your shift," he says more softly. "I'm sorry." There's a flicker of a smile, but this time it's slight and meant to be reassuring. "For what it's worth, with everything I've heard about the crew... if I had to be stuck in the depths of space facing some unknown danger, I can't think of any people I'd rather have at my back."

"You have?"

Norn seems rather startled by this. Enough to jar him out of his less than pleasant memories. It was very soon after he was brought on so he didn't know the shift all that well yet, but to lose so many of them so soon under such mysterious circumstances--dangerous enough ones that the fallen couldn't be sent back home for a proper burial at that--was incredibly frightening for the newly recruited Lieutenant.

But that was years ago, now. It seems Felix has been a friend and ally of the captain for quite some time.

"I didn't expect the captain to talk about it so openly. He's always approachable and take charge even outside of shift but he's never seemed like a man to let people get to know him all that well."

"I wouldn't say he spoke of it openly." Felix considers his words through another slow spoonful of stew. Norn's description is apt - and more perceptive than he might expect. Jim's good at seeming like an open book, and it's been long enough since Felix managed to slip beneath his defenses that the conjurer sometimes forgets how tough they are from the outside.

"He and I are... very close," he supplies with a shrug. "And I try to be a good confidant."

If there's one thing the Andorian is good at it's paying attention. He's well aware that the captain is a different man around Doctor McCoy for example than he is around the rest of the crew. If Felix's assessment is anything to go by, he must be at least as close to the captain in some regard or another.

Captain Kirk never seems like anything gets to him that isn't purely professional but he's only human. That simply can't be the case.

Though speaking of the good captain....Felix will be getting a text shortly.

Where are you???

Good thing he's just finished the stew. Felix pushes the bowl aside and retrieves his phone, then flashes Norn a grin as if they're both in on the plan he has going here. "Just a second."

He sends their co-ordinates, then gets a waiter's attention to ask for another ale, and a menu to go with it. The ambush is set.

Most people don't notice the tiny little bip! of a noise indicating a PINpoint into the general area and Norn doesn't know what it means right away either but the noise itself makes his antennae straighten up, though the minute he turns his head to look he nearly startles out of his seat.

"C-captain!"

Jim looks somewhere between relieved and ready to murder at being in the Nexus instead of somewhere on Yorktown right now but the Look he's giving them is directed specifically at Felix. One that softens and turns a bit confused when he finally sees just where they are.

"What is...what is this? Lieutenant Norn, glad to see you're alright." That sigh is also equal parts relieved and exasperated as he gives Felix a look.

Just what are you doing?

Troublemaker that he is, Felix has to work very hard to hide his grin at both their reactions. Jim's, mainly. Felix lifts his eyebrows and gives the captain a look of very nearly innocent surprise.

"It's called dinner," he says patiently, leaning over to pull out the chair that's been awaiting the captain. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what that is. Are you going to sit down?"

Norn has never seen the captain look so perfectly stupid as he looks right now, gaping at the pulled out chair as though Felix has grown a second head in the last tend seconds. And to be honest Norn is a little bit nervous himself. They should really be working right now the both of them. And yet...

Norn has never heard the language Jim swears in but he's pretty sure by tone alone that's a swear. He'd have no reason to know that Dunmeri word though, or even that Dunmeri exists. Jim takes the seat and sets his work down in his lap carefully. Right in time for the waiter to set an ale down in front of him and ask what he's ordering.

"Uh..." Better think fast Felix or he's apt to just say nothing and thank the man for the drink.

Edited 2018-09-13 15:38 (UTC)

"Better start with the pigeon broth," Felix supplies swiftly. He knows you, Jim. "Oh, and a portion of dumplings with that." Has Jim consumed anything besides apples and coffee today? Felix will make sure of it.

He turns his attention back to Jim while the waiter rights, and now there's a smirk curling the edges of his mouth. "So, I trust the meetings went well? I've been keeping the lieutenant company, as you can see. Making sure he knows his way around."

Edited 2018-09-13 17:15 (UTC)

"....I'm sorry Captain I--"

The Andorian shuts up when Jim raises a hand to stop him from saying anything else. Really, he should have expected something like this out of Felix. Expecting the mage to just dutifully follow orders when he doesn't yet have to from Jim? Yeah, he's a grade-A idiot for thinking Felix would take him back to Yorktown and keep him busy like Jim asked. Especially when he's spied a chance to make a new alien friend.

"It's fine, Lieutenant. Felix does this."
"...Does...this?" Norn looks between the two of them then. A picture is starting to be painted that he's not sure either man wants him to see. Or do they care? Norn doesn't know. Humans are strange sometimes.
"Sees what he can get away with." There's a hint of a smile on Jim's face now. He nods in thanks when the waiter hurries off again. "More or less. I've sent the minutes of the meeting to your terminal, Norn. Don't worry about missing it. We can go over it later."
"...Y-yes, Captain."
"just Jim, for now. Seems as though Felix has decided we're both off the clock."

Him? He's the picture of innocence. "What? You said to keep him busy and not, I quote, to 'tell him anything weird.' I have tried to follow your instructions as faithfully as I could figure out how to. Also, I fed him. You're welcome."

Fuck Jim loves that look even as it's grating on his nerves. It's a weird feeling, to be simultaneously charmed and annoyed by the same face. He takes a sip out of his drink instead and gives a surprised hum at how good it is. Felix knows his tastes too well some days.

"No luck finding out how this happened I take it?" Jim glances from Felix to Norn and the Andorian is quick to shake his head.

"No sir, nothing looked familiar..." He promises he wasn't trying to break reality.

"Don't worry about it. We're going to have an extensive one on one meeting about this later. ...Off the record." Jim waits until Norn's wide-eyed surprise is on him before he nods slowly. Yeah, it's this kind of thing. "Everything here is classified. You understand that, right?"

"...Sure." Norn looks frantically at Felix then but the man looks remarkably pleased with hismelf and not at all worried about the implications of this. "Am I in trouble?"

"No. But we don't want anyone else falling into this place and unable to get back out, do we?" Oh well, that makes sense. Norn nods and gives Felix a grateful smile then. Thank you for not letting him get lost in spacetime forever.

This is just Jim getting a taste of his own medicine, and Felix won't apologize. His gaze flickers when Jim asks about finding the source of the disruption, the conjurer swilling the dregs of his ale while they talk. He... might be going on an investigating trip of his own, later.

"And we need to discuss getting the lieutenant his PINpoint," he adds quite casually to Jim's last comment.

No fair Felix, you're supposed to let Jim spoil you, not the other way around! But it's true, Jim is much better at taking care of others than he is letting himself be taken care of. Or sparing a thought to his own needs unless he has to. There's so much else to be doing.

Ah, but that looks says there's more to this than meets the eye. But it's best not to talk about that in front of the Comms officer.

Jim turns his attention to his ale....just in time to nearly choke on it.

"Absolutely not."

"A PINpoint? Is that what made that noise earlier?" Norn is curious! New sound made new thing happen!

"Yes, and yes." Felix looks at Jim with a patient expression. "It's far too late to avoid now. He's already stepped beyond the veil between the planes and seen the Nexus of all times and spaces. Come into possession of knowledge no mortal man was meant to comprehend. Fate has marked him, Jim. Plus, if you don't do it, I will,"

Opening argument concluded, he drains his drink and raises a hand to ask for another. Norn probably needs one too.

"That's not your decision to make Felix. You can't just...stop making it sound spooky and magical!"

Norn really wonders if that hiss Jim is giving Felix is supposed to make it difficult for the Andorian to hear what's being said here. The captain does know just who he's sitting with, right? More importantly he's never seen Jim look like this before. Or Felix really but that's far less surprising considering he only just met the scientist today.

"...I'm not planning on coming back, if that's...what you're worried about." The risk of Federation special investigation divisions cracking down alone is frightening to consider. Oh but another ale would be very nice, thank you. "...What's a PINpoint?"

"Nothing." It's a kneejerk reaction from Jim and one he seems to regret almost immediately. After a minute of looking from Felix to Norn and back again Jim slumps back in his seat and shakes his head. Nibbles a bit at his food once it arrives as it's liable to stop Felix from fussing even more at hi--oh this is rather good actually. He's just realized he's hungry.

"It's a device for navigating the Nexus and worlds connected to it. portable translocation device."

"....That sounds unsafe." Norn doesn't like the sound of that. Transporter malfunctions happen with the best minds on hand to monitor the devices. Putting a portable one in just anyone's hands? No. Noooooooo no thank you.

"Been using one for three years." CAPTAIN NO.

"....That sounds illegal." But his captain is James T Kirk. That's not an argument that's going to hold water.

"DTA hasn't found this place or me yet." Case in point. Norn sighs.