smartass_captain | A Very Nexus Reception

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A Very Nexus Reception

To all the friends of the happy grooms, PINpoint messages have already been sent weeks ago inviting them to expect quite the street party arranged in the commons of the Nexus. Guests have been invited to bring an appetite--both for food and for a social adventure. Nirnish weddings are public affairs, after all. While the ceremony has had to be somewhat sequestered for the sake of keeping the existence of Other Worlds a secret, neither Felix nor Jim would want to leave out their interdimensional friends entirely. Having a reception party arranged in the Nexus became the natural plan of action.

Overnight large sections of the Commons are transformed via diligent craftsmanship and quite a lot of magic from those who’ve volunteered. Lanterns representing the Divines are hung along every lamp post, bringing at least the idea of warmth even if the flames are too small to heat their surroundings alone. Bardic tunes carry in the air as readily as the scent of food and drink. Past banners of red and black, blue and white the people gather.

For both grooms this is nearly a continuation of the day before. They’ve had the chance to sleep off the nerves of their ceremony. Today is entirely for celebration--uninhibited celebration at that. No more minding what is said and isn’t. No more pretending to be anything other than who they are. Jim’s traded out his Nirnish finery for a suit and tie, garments he’s much more familiar with. Felix is staying with his native clothing; though he may have dressed down a little from his wedding clothes, the conjurer’s dressed in fitted breeches and his best fur-trimmed coat and boots, the soft hide dyed blue to match his tunic. By their side sits the conjurer’s spectral wolf familiar, ears pricked at the gathering.

As the guests find their ways over it will be easy to spot their friends amidst all the decor along with many other avenues with which to enjoy themselves….

Greetings
Food and Drink
Music and Dancing
Bonfire Entertainment
Party Games

((Links to all relevent wedding Prose can be found Here!))

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If there's any pressure at all it's because Jim had to go and toss the bottle rather than handing it off like a sensible man would. He's still got too much energy for his frame, this one. Jim's quick to take the open seat across form Han though. That smile loose now on his face as his excitement is worn on his sleeve. Losing friends has made Jim cherish the ones he has all the more.

Even the complicated ones.

"You look good. Not...that I expected any differently for you or anything. Just. It's been so damn long. Is it going well?" Whatever Han's been up to all this time? Jim knows just by everything that's happened to Him in the last couple of years that so very much could have happened since the last time they had the chance to speak.

"It's damn good to see you."

Shockingly Han didn't exactly prepare her for cold weather, why would he be so considerate. He'd tossed her a coat and told her where the wedding was being held and headed off. Their tense discussion, she hadn't raised her voice too much, of earlier might have been reason enough to set him off. But he had at least changed his shirt, it was the respectful thing to do to dress for an occasion. She'd needed some time herself to get ready but when she did leave she was trying to make up time.

When Leia arrived she found Han talking to the groom and she smiled. "Hello Captain, I'm Princess Leia Organa I've heard about you and am very pleased to finally meet you." Leia extended a hand in greeting to Kirk.

"Han tells me congratulations are in order. I'm sorry to arrive late but I wanted to bring something." Leia, still bundled up because whatever Han thought it was still cold for her. She held up a small box for Kirk, it wasn't anything extravagant but it glittered faintly, tiny hinges on the side let it open. She didn't have much to give, being on the run and then detoured with Solo meant her resources were turning into what she could find or barter for. "Alderaanian brandy, it is some of the last that was made there. For good health, happiness and warmth."

Leia, ever diplomatic, ever trying to be anyway with most everyone, truly wished Kirk all good fortune and happiness. By offering that small bit of home she was saying a lot.

Edited 2019-12-24 22:26 (UTC)

It was like Leia to want to make a good impression with somebody new. She rarely ever got off on the wrong foot with anybody who had good intentions and Han certainly knew the other man definitely had those. It said a lot about Jim that had been invited to this event at all, given what they’d been through here.

“Captain James Kirk, this is Princess Leia Organa.” He says, realizing introductions were not just in order, but probably a little late.

“As for things, they’re going. I’m not sure if well is the way I’d put it.”

Princess?

Excuse. Hold on. Just a moment. Captain Han Solo brought a Princess as his plus one to Jim's wedding reception? It is the Nexus, after all. And there are actual Gods in attendance here. Still, Jim Kirk can't help but feel a bit thrown off. Han certainly seems comfortable around her. For a petite woman she has the confidence of a Klingon soldier. Looks to be human, even, but Jim's well aware the worlds don't operate anything close to what he knows of his own galaxy. The look he shoots Han is brief but confused, before he takes half a step back and affects a respectful bow like he would for the people of title he's been introduced to back on Nirn where his husband is from.

"Your highness. Please, make yourself comfortable. Do you have need of a drink, or anything? Han never mentioned he was bringing..." Jim trails off here. He doesn't want to throw the other Captain underneath any maglevs for this. He smiles brighter instead as he rights himself. "I'm honored you'd take the time. Han and I are--. Something of old acquaintances, you could say. Friends, I'd like to think. He must have met you well after I saw him last. I can't imagine how he'd not have mentioned you otherwise."

Well done Han, you managed that entire sentence without insulting her. Leia smiled tightly to him and returned her attention to the other Captain.

"Thank you, and it is appreciated but the courtesy isn't required, I'm a guest at your wedding and it is your day. I regret I don't know either of you well but weddings are almost always a happy thing. I hope you have many years of happiness and love ahead of you." Not just lip service, she honestly meant it. The galaxy was too fraught with dangers and pain to let even one moment of happiness escape. When you find it, you hold on to it with everything you've got.

"I can imagine quite well, the words he used would be less complimentary. The captain and I have worked together in the past as we are now with mixed results." Her very civil way of saying if he wasn't the best pilot she'd ever seen she might have punted him out an air lock ages ago. But hey, she's smiling when she says it.

She every bit the thoughtful ambassador, even at a wedding. It not dawning on Han entirely that a wedding day is the kind of day one should be a little bit formal, optimistic and polite. He had only ever been present at a wedding of one scoundrel to another and the event had been decidedly less formal than this one. And there was more fighting, both physical and verbal.

“It goes great when she tells me what to do and I listen.” That seemed like it was true. How often Captain Kirk can imagining that happening is entirely up to his imagination because Han doesn’t offer anything more than that.

“I’ve known Leia for not quite a year.”

So, the Starfleet Captain will know with that marker of time that it was probably in the time that they had seen each other less often. Then again, with time being entirely unpredictable around here, maybe he didn’t make that assumption at all.

"Still. I grabbed Han a drink. Seems only fair I get you one. Wait just a second, okay?" The groom gets right back up on his feet and wanders off toward the bar where a Very Ordinary barkeep seems to be struggling to get his hands on some fresh glasses. It won't take him but a minute--time enough for Leia and Han to exchange looks-- before he's back with a bright blue drink to hand over to her. "Moonlily wine. If you don't like it I won't be offended. I let the bartender recommend me something fit for royalty."

Jim gives both of them a long look as each speaks their piece about the other. At Leia's insistence he relax a bit the military posture does abscond from Jim's posture almost entirely. He's been on his toes for the last several days dealing with all the procedures in Felix's world. A chance to relax is one he'll take gratefully. Though he's stifling a grin at Han's remark. How often does anyone get the Corelian pilot to listen when he's of a mind not to?

"And yet here both of you are. Even from what little I know about your galaxy, that's not nothing." He's glad to see you, Han. Glader still to think you Might be in the process of making a friend. The smile he offers the princess is much more diplomatic.

"We didn't get along at first either. Guess we maybe had too much in common."

“Thank you.” She accepted the wine graciously and sipped, it was unusual but not unpleasant, in fact it had a faintly honeysuckle taste that played sweetly over her tongue. It made her smile in pleased surprise. “No, this is quite nice actually, thank you again.” And she leaned a bit to raise her glass to the bartender in acknowledgement of a drink well chosen.

Han’s comment earned a single dark brow arching upward, was she pleased or insulted or vaguely amuse, hard to tell as she hid her expression before the rim of her glass and a well-timed slow sip. “Credit where it’s due, Han is an extraordinarily skilled pilot. I’m not sure we’d be here, or at least in one piece if not for him.”

Granted her urge to throttle him was always pushed to the edge when he got cocky in the pilots chair. But she’d had to learn to trust him. When she’d first laid eyes on the Falcon she’d been unsure it would fly, let alone out maneuver anything but the most busted of the imperial fleet. The cocky pilot had made her eat those words and she found herself unable to disparage at least that skill. “That’s made him invaluable to the Rebellion, if he was able to focus more on it we might have made more progress already.” And there’s the backhand to her compliment.

Han was listening to what the Princess said, but not entirely hearing the message. Instead of picking up that she wished he was even more committed and that his skills were valuable, all he heard was the complaint. What he had done and what he had been doing, wasn’t satisfactory to General Organa.

“You’d think the entire success and failure of the entire effort rested on me, the way she says it.”

It irked him that she was so dismissive of him sometimes. Stars above, she was so difficult to get along with and it had only been made worse being cramped into a tiny base with Leia on Hoth. There had definitely been an uptick in arguments lately and he, at least partially, blamed it on the location.

“How was the ceremony?” He says, trying to be diplomatic by changing the subject. “Everything you hoped it would be or just happy to have all the planning behind you?”

"Rebellion...?"

Han Solo was a businessman the last Jim spoke with him. Politics was not a subject either captain cared overmuch to dwell on. Han was a pilot, a mechanic, a deft hand with that strange card game Jim can't remember the name of...but a soldier? A resistance fighter, even? It's so far away from what Jim's heard of the guy that he forgets the drink in his hands while he looks between them.

"Did your co-pilot end up joining and that's where you found him?" Jim turns to Leia quickly. "I'm sorry, Princess, it's just that I wasn't aware things were quite so dangerous back home or I wouldn't have pried on what may not be a pleasant topic."

Seriously, Han wasn't gone for that long. Just what did he miss? The subject change claps him across the face and Jim has to quickly rouse himself from his thoughts. His smile is polite and automatic but ready to be deployed at a moment's notice.

"This was mostly for Felix's family. I'm not...well. I don't regret it, but I"m glad to see it done. Plus, when else am I going to have the chance to see a mage family's wedding traditions?"

Han had told her this was a safe place to discuss things because, somehow, they didn't cross over. Leia tended to also suffer from bouts of wordy retorts when in the pilots presence so she may have said too much. It was out now and not much she could do about it now.

"Han has recently come into the effort as he calls it, you haven't pried. Han explained some of the nature of this place and it seems safe enough to discuss." Clearly there was more she could say on the matter but that would be directed to Han later.

It was a pretty safe place to go into specifics. Hell, for the few people Han felt comfortable enough to open up to — and that was only a couple — he didn’t talk about the Rebel Alliance much to them either. It could be that he retreated into the nexus to not about this stuff for a while, usually.

Leave it to Leia to not be able to switch off warrior princess mode. She’s more singularly focused that a GNK droid sometimes.

“Yeah, it would take a long time to really fill you in.” Han said, shrugging. Maybe some day they would. “Are you comfortable with all the ... magic? I feel like it would put me on edge.”

In fact, he’s positive it would put him on edge.

Unsurprisingly it was not something Han wanted to discuss so she would honor that, they were after all at a celebration. Leia turned and looked around at the rest of the party, she saw people gather and dancing in one area, some other drinking or playing games elsewhere it seemed.

"Well, I'll leave you two to talk, if you'll excuse me." Leia inclined her head to Kirk and glanced at Solo. "It sounds like music over there and I would like to listen."

Once she'd been able to politely disengage she would venture out into the rest of the party.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you." For what it's worth, Jim's entirely genuine about it. "Please, enjoy yourself as much as you like. We really wanted to share a bit of levity and cheer with the Nexus."

His smile doesn't even drop from his face even after Leia is gone and out of earshot, though he is raising both eyebrows So High when he turns back to Han. This was about the last thing Jim expected to see tonight. A pleasant surprise, but still a shock.

"Okay we'll get to the whole magic thing, but..." Jim isn't going to just pretend this didn't just happen, either. "You're helping out a Princess now?"

“Yeah, I inadvertently found myself busting her out of jail, if you can believe that.”

Han said. He had also watched the Princess stride away with her head held high. Though it had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to make sure she was out of earshot and everything to do with the fact that he admired the view. When she turned away, of course, is when Han is most often caught staring at Leia. Because he didn’t mind so much that other people could catch him admiring her as long as her Highness didn’t notice.

“She’s been acting like she’s the boss of me ever since.”

Busting a princess out of jail. That's a hell of a story in and of itself but if there's one thing Jim's learned in the years he's known the pilot it's that Han Solo only offers up details on his terms. If he's dismissed the idea of filling Jim in already there's not a whole lot of point to pry about the affair.

"Sounds like a pretty risky job." Jim comments instead, smiling over his drink to see Han watching Leia leave with what honestly looks like quite a bit of appreciation. 'Acting like' she's the boss of him, indeed.

"Well, the party can keep her company for a bit. Give you a bit of room to breathe." Whether Han wants it or not is another matter entirely. The plausible deniability is there though. "Is she gonna freak out if she meets a mage? There's more than a few of them in attendance."

It’s a frustrating time to be Han Solo. He still feels a little resentment about being dragged into the fighting, but he’s been more or less committed to the Rebels since the battle of Yavin IV. It was to keep an eye on Luke (who obviously needed help), he’d convinced himself of early on, but he always ended up in proximity to the Princess. Or the Princess ending up in proximity to him and there seemed to be a certain tension in the air when they were together.

Too bad their personalities seemed to be antagonistic. She definitely was attractive and smart, even fun to talk to on occasion, but he didn’t see them as being anything but uneasy allies at best.

“No, I don’t think so.” Han says with a shrug. “She believes in the force as far as I can tell.”

In the force. Right, that's what they call magic in Han's neck of the multiverse. Jim hums thoughtfully into his drink for a moment. It's definitely good to not have to worry about Leia accidentally running into Felix's familiar or the like and panicking over it.

On the other hand, it probably makes the Pilot here less than comfortable. Especially given his line of questioning earlier.

"I've gotten used to it, more or less." Jim offers after Han's stopped watching and turned his attention back to the bonfire and to their own conversation. "The magic, I mean. Figured I might as well try to study it, figure out what makes it work." Something must. Jim's still convinced of that much.

"Just because I don't understand it yet doesn't mean it'd be impossible to comprehend."

He’s not. He’s more or less accepted the fact that magic exists here, that some people have a talent for it and some people don’t, but he certainly doesn’t like the idea. He doesn’t find it whimsical as much as he views it as unknown and things that are that profoundly unknown by him are hazardous.

“I suppose that’s a tack you’d want to take, if you were gonna marry someone who did magic.”

He says with a shrug. Han, at least, can take solace in the fact that Jim had found it perplexing to him as well. He takes a long sip from his drink and hedges, “it’s a good fire.”

The thing of it is, Han isn't wrong. There's Power in these magic wielders, more Power still in the supernatural beings that may as well be gods, angels, and demons roaming around the Nexus. This place is becoming full of potential threats. With very real danger. Keeping a sharp eye out and a wary gaze is not only good thinking but downright necessary for the mere mortals that also call this place their stomping grounds.

Jim never quite shook the urge to know Why and How it works though.

"Feels like there's always more of it every time I come back." Jim comments with a glance around them. "Starting to think 'Ordinary folks' are the minority in the multiverse." He's not sure he likes that thought, either. He glances over at the bonfire and decides thoroughly Against explaining who started it and how.

Smiles instead.

"It is. Too cold not to look after folks somehow, you know? Especially for an outdoor engagement. I bet we could find some stuff to roast over it if you wanted to." A conspiratorial eyebrow waggle never hurt anyone surely.

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A Very Nexus Reception

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Jim should have paid more attention at ANH Movie Night

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