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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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.

"You can make it sound technical and boring when it's your turn." Felix refrains from rolling his eyes. Even if he was trying, he doubts he could put it in JIm's scientific terms without coming out with something obviously nonsensical to Norn. The Andorian actually has a technical background, after all.

Speaking of, he gives Norn a disappointed look when the comms officer says he didn't plan to come back. Hasn't he been a persuasive enough tour guide, Norn? But Jim does start explaining the PINpoints, and that's a good enough start for Felix so he sits back for a minute and lets them talk.

"Places like this don't really... defer to laws. Natural or otherwise." He catches Jim's eye and reminds him, "Nor do the people who frequent them."

Well but, can't he just see Felix in Yorktown where it's safe to be? They don't have to hang out here in some kind of inter-dimensional space behind the couch cushions where things fall into and may never be see again. Right? Sure, Norn likes Felix well enough but the Nexus...

Jury's still out on this place, good food and little floating ammonites aside. Shit, those were really cute and neat to study though.

"Does anyone else know about this place?" If the captain's been using the Nexus as his own personal stomping grounds for three years now then surely in that time someone else must have noticed. Like Felix, for example. He turns his glaze from his captain to Felix slowly.

"...How did you find out about it?"

There's a question with two very different possible answers. Felix glances at Jim, but if the captain wants a say in his reply then he's a little too slow.

"Things like this are something of a specialty of mine. The, ah, toxicology is more of a side interest. A few years ago I ran into some rather foolish and unsavory people experimenting with a gateway to this place." He shrugs. "After that it became my problem."

"Like this?"

Different realities? How does someone specialize in this kind of thing unless, but no. No one this nice and carefree would belong to the DTA. No one advocating a general disregard for rules and laws would be in the department let alone tasked with investigating it. The captain is picking at his food and clearly struggling with how much to say.

What to say.

There's something going on here and Norn thinks he might have an inkling as to the situation here. It might be best not to say anything for now though.

"Senior staff, that's about it. After the Marcus incident, you understand why I'm not spreading it around." The captain fixes Norn with a stare when he says that. Ah. A lot more about this makes more sense. The Lieutenant nods and says nothing else for a moment while he turns back to his drink. it gives him time to digest everything he's heard here. When he does look up again it's toward Felix.

"Felix has really been a help since I ended up here. Thank you for looking out for me. Truly."

JIm may be uneasy - and Felix is watching him with a very slight hint of concern - but when Norn thanks him the conjurer looks back with a genuine smile.

"It was my pleasure. Even if we weren't going to be crew-mates, I'm always glad to make a new friend. Especially one who's such good company. I certainly couldn't leave you to get lost in this place."

His eyes flick to Jim again for a second before he adds, "And I think you've handled this place very well. Not everyone can keep such a cool head about this sort of phenomenon, and once you're here there's no avoiding seeing things you might struggle with. But ignorance isn't a blessing when it comes to a place that warps causality as well as time and space."

Well, this was going to happen eventually. Jim really should have considered this sooner. Of course Felix was going to make friends. That's what he does. Inevitably he was going to do something Weird and they were going to have to deal with that. It's not his fault, he's not from Jim's world. He didn't think it would happen so soon is all. Though could it have happened to a better person?

Kav's easily the least gossipy officer Jim has on the ship. He's kind, hard working, understands a lot more than he lets on. He's also incredibly sharp and Jim has no doubt that a whole lot of things he's been trying to keep secret for the last three years the Lieutenant will put together sooner rather than later. It would make a whole lot more sense to just trust the guy with this rather than making him feel like he's under watch for something that isn't his fault.

Jim sets the rest of his food aside and looks between Felix and Norn. Gives a tiny sigh. He hopes this is the right call.

"Alright, let's finish up here and we'll go get Norn a PINpoint and show him how to use it."

Yesssss. Felix gives him such a pleased smile, Jim can be assured he'll reap at least one sort of reward for his decision. The way Felix sees it, they need at least some people willing and able to help cover for him when Jim isn't there. He can't stay at his fiance's side at every moment of every day, and surely if he only stepped out of their quarters in Jim's company it would cause comment as well as inconvenience for them both. And Norn seems exactly the sort of person they need.

The look given to the comms officer is slightly more reassuring. "It's really quite safe- safer than being stuck without one, believe me. And I can show you the best places to visit... eventually."

All right, JIm, he'll show some deference to your sense of responsibility. (But if Norn doubted Felix was a secret DTA agent before, he'll rapidly determine the conjurer is more like their antithesis.)

"Uh...am I expected to make frequent trips here then or..?"

Norn's really not sure everyone should be so okay with this. Meddling in different times and realities is still kind of a scary thing to even consider but here they are. He's already met a different Jim Kirk while stumbling around. Insofar as messed up things to know about timespace and the Nexus, he's pretty much already learned way too much.

"Lieutenant, what you do in your off hours is your own business but Felix here will be in charge of messaging you if you're not in the right dimension when an emergency hits."

The look the captain shares with Felix is heavy with implied subtext but Norn doesn't really quite understand all of it. Probably checking to make sure Felix has no problems with this.

"Not if you don't want to, but the Nexus has a lot to offer." Trust him, Norn, he'll convince you. "Especially if the alternative is being confined to a ship for months on end."

Then again, Felix may have a hard time convincing Norn if he doesn't make his reasons sound less wholly selfish.

To Jim he lifts his glass and inclines his head in salute. Message received, captain. Make sure the lieutenant is home by bedtime and doesn't get lost when you need him. "I'm glad that's settled."

And later he and Jim can have the Talk Jim's probably dying to have.

"But that's the job...?"

He's trying to hard to be responsible and disapproving about all of this but it's impossble not to be at least a little bit excited about the things that are left to discover here. Like a true Starfleet officer Norn is cursed with boundless curiosity. The Nexus is just one more place to explore.

Either way the captain has made up his mind so Norn resigns himself to being an official Starfleet dignitary to the Nexus from here on out.

Oh. Aha. Felix knows the sound of a man being hooked despite himself. It's not that Norn doesn't want to explore, he just needs to feel he has permission. Felix gives him a look of encouragement and approval.

"Essentially, yes. We can't have a realm like this so prone to impinging on our own with a few reliable people in place monitoring it, can we? That's far too dangerous. I know I would feel much safer with a partner assigned to help me study it."

Actually that might mean Jim also has a way to keep better track of him, but worry about that when it becomes a hindrance.

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