nexus_sages | (no subject)

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Of all the things Jim Kirk wishes he could do right now, getting good and drunk to drown his sorrows is certainly towards the top of the list. But his doctor says no, absolutely not, and never in his life has he wanted to go against doctor's orders less than he does lately.

So the captain finds himself in the Forum, unsure even what the hell to do with himself, and he gingerly eases himself down onto one of the couches, moving with the careful patience of the recently physically injured, before he notices the date on a nearby calendar.

Father's Day. Huh. How... stupidly appropriate.

"For those who've lost a parent... how the hell do you honor their memory? Even if you haven't, do you bother doing holidays like this?"

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Jim's still working on half a glass, and it's a good thing this stuff isn't alcoholic with how much they've put away between the two of them. As it is, he's feeling a bit better than when they started. Both physically, as well as emotionally.

"I know I said it already, but good luck."

Thank you. I've never been one to trust in luck, but I don't turn it away, either.

*She gives him a smile.*

And good hunting to you, in whatever you're doing next.

He smiles back at her. "Thanks. I hope I get my marching orders soon; the waiting is the worst part."

Sounds like you could use a hobby, yourself.

"Probably," Jim agrees. "Reading's great, but it's really passive, as far as hobbies go." He gives her a curious look. He knows she plays pool, but that's not particularly a solo game. "What do you do for fun, when you have the time?"

I take on little projects. Sometimes I'll build a safe cache in some random Facet, or tinker with something that might be useful if I can get it to work, sometimes I'll find a cause that catches my attention and take it up. Sometimes I just play interdimensional tourist and see what kind of fun I can get into.

Jim can't help a quiet little laugh at that last one. "I'm gonna take a guess and say that 'fun' means 'trouble' every so often."

Iiit's been known to happen. Sometimes dealing decisively with a simple problem makes a nice break from grappling with a tougher one.

"Don't I know it," he agrees. "I like a challenging problem as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's nice to just have the answer already and fix stuff without jumping through hoops."

That's part of the appeal of the Nexus, I think. Sooner or later, someone comes through looking for help with something you've done before and know exactly how to handle.

*Her smile becomes a little wry.*

The only question is whether they'll recognize that and listen.

Jim, of course, assumes she's talking about him, and he gets a slightly pained, self-deprecating sort of look on his face. "Yeah, I'm working on that." He's sincere in his attitude to try to do better, though. She had a lot of good advice for him to mull over, and he's going to give it all the consideration it's due.

*She laughs.*

Not you. You've been much more attentive than some I can think of. And you didn't do that maddening thing where you describe just enough of your problem to make some solutions seem worth proposing, only to elaborate with why those solutions won't work as soon as anyone brings them up.

Oh, well that's a comfort anyway. "There's an old saying on Earth that you might've heard of. 'The devil is in the details.' It's kind of annoying how true that is."

If I understand the phrase properly, the devil in the details refers to times when a small detail is the fulcrum of a major difference between two states. I'm more annoyed by the people who deliberately withhold relevant parts of their problem so they can pretend it's insoluble and wallow in self-pity and attention.

*Her shoulders roll in a shrug.*

But I've been here more than ten years, that would be long enough for anyone to develop a few specific issues.

"Deliberately? People do that?" Jim would understand if it was because something was classified, or leaving out a detail because it's so widespread in their home universe that it would be common knowledge to another native, or some other reason why they couldn't talk about it. But leaving things out just to be all 'woe is me' is a bit much, in his opinion.

He shakes his head in mild disbelief. That it happens so often that she's developed a pet peeve about it says a lot. "I haven't been here long enough to notice yet, but now I guess I've got something else to look forward to."

*She nods, but can't suppress her amusement at his reaction entirely.*

Oh, yes, deliberately. If you run into one you'll spot it fairly quickly, now that you know it's a thing.

"Thanks for the heads up," he says, though he's sure she didn't originally intend it as such. Same end result, anyway. He raises his eyebrows at her questioningly. "Any other things I should watch out for?"

Hmm. Anyone who seems to think something is very funny, but is trying not to reveal what. That's usually a sign someone's trying to spread an el-oh-el.

Jim frowns slightly. "I've heard of those, but I'm still not entirely sure what kind of danger it is. The brochure's kind of... broad in scope."

They're a little hard to explain. Generally, it's some kind of involuntary change, not always physical, and usually temporary. I've seen candies that spontaneously changed people's biological sex--and their clothes along with it. I've seen clouds of gas that altered people's personalities, crystals that scrambled their sexual orientation, mirrors that made people look like someone or something else, and a card that induced an episode of paranoid panic-fear.

*She considers what she's said so far.*

I suppose it's a little like being dosed with a strong hallucinogen, except that the change you perceive to reality is actually happening. Some enjoy the ride, others flail and shout, still others hunker down and wait for it to end.

It sounds absolutely insane. But Jim has already seen multiple instances of magic, which his understanding of science can't even come close to explaining, so even though he has to take it with a healthy dose of skepticism, he doesn't disbelieve, either.

"You said it's usually temporary?" That part stands out the most to him, and he is certainly wary of anything that might permanently compromise him in some way.

*She nods.*

That's the catch, isn't it. Most of the time, it wears of in a day, or a few at most, but sometimes it lasts until something else undoes it, or changes you further. Sometimes part of the change is that it makes you want to stay changed, so you actively resist efforts to change you back.

"Is there any way to tell what might cause it before it's too late?" Not that he'd be able to tell what's out of the ordinary around here yet anyway, but more information can't hurt.

There are warnings to look out for. If there's a large group of people who all seem upset about the same thing, or someone handing out free things and looking smug about it, those are usually a warning sign. Other than that, use common sense as best you can--don't take gifts or especially food from people you don't know, don't touch the weird thing, ask sensible questions about anything free you're offered, that sort of thing.

His frown deepens a little, still uncertain. "Is it a common thing? I don't think I've noticed anything like that on any of my visits so far."