( closed ) I'll try not to sing out of key

[winscenario]

who: Jim Kirk & close CR
what: a small get-together, and Jim introducing Victor to his friends
when: April 20th
where: a holosuite simulation of the Enterprise
warnings: none expected!


[ Jim's been in the Quarantine for a year now. Plenty of time to make connections, and establish a solid circle of friends that he cares for, trusts and relies on.

Granted, nothing's perfect. Plenty of people have come and gone. A number of names come to mind, too many people who left that he misses dearly. But the people he has here now, he cherishes them immensely. They're important to him, and some of them he'd almost consider family.

And Victor has mentioned more than once that he'd like to meet his friends. Jim's not keeping their relationship secret by any means, and after a month of going steady, he knows for sure how important Victor is to him, and that he'll be an important part of his life for as long as they're both in the Quarantine. So, it seems like the perfect time to set up a little get-together and invite his friends so he can introduce them to Victor.

Finding a place is a little tricky at first, because his loft is still inaccessible due to the flood, and it's not like he's gonna ask Victor to do it at his place. Beverly offers the perfect suggestion, though, and so Jim sets up one of the holosuites with his Enterprise program. Once arriving at the holosuites downtown and stepping inside, everyone will get to walk through a few of the various corridors of his ship, but the simulation is still fairly limited, and there's only so many areas one can visit. The small party itself is happening on the bridge, which would likely be the most inadequate location if this happened to be the real Enterprise. Seen as it isn't, though, no harm done.

There are a few snacks and sweets for people to help themselves to, plenty of drinks to go around (alcoholic and otherwise), and Jim has gone with a selection of old pop and rock music to be playing quietly in the background. It's not much, but it's really a very informal thing. His main purpose here —and he'll be going around the party making sure it happens— is to introduce Victor to his friends. ]


(( ooc: I'll be going around tossing Jim at people, possibly with Victor tagging along, but everyone's more than free to take this as an open log, so set up your own starters and tag around to your heart's content! ))

Comments

jyn erso ✧ open

[realists]

[ jyn is pretty anti-party, as a rule, but jim convinced her into this one the way he convinced her to go on a date with him: free food. he knows her weaknesses and it's honestly just rude that he would exploit them this way. don't let those good looks deceive you, people, jim kirk is a monster.

but still. she is here! she is hear and not dressed like a hobo, even if her slim fit black pants and loose grey sweater look well loved enough to have been bought at the moon's version of good will. (which is honestly probably called good will.) instead of her customary bun that most people in the perimeter guard encounter, her hair is braided over one shoulder. that is her version of effort.

drink in hand she tries to look like she welcomes conversation, but mostly she's distracted by the bridge itself. she has no problem making herself at home scrolling through computer programs and pressing buttons that look like they shouldn't be pressed. at one point she presses a red button and a loud alarm sounds for a few seconds under she presses the button again. ]

Whoops.

[ also you know she is gonna park her ass casually in that captain's chair. jim can fight her if he wants to get her out of it. ] I could get used to this...

[jolting]

[Maybe it's because she's at the computer pushing buttons, which is more or less what Victor did on his first visit here. Whatever it is, Victor manages to approach her without urging from James]

Is it common for James to let you sit in his chair?

[realists]

Jim doesn't let me do anything.

[ did you know jim had a little sister, victor? because this is literally what it is like to have a little sister. her legs swish back and forth as they dangle over the side of the seat. she looks incredibly comfortable in jim's captain seat tbh and not likely to move anytime soon. ]

Honestly, if I asked permission he'd probably think I'm ill.

[jolting]

[He did not, but he is an older sibling so he can see the markings of a younger sibling in her attitude. And he smiles, glancing over to where James is mingling with his other friends. He turns back to Jyn and offers his hand]

I'm Victor.

[evasives]

[she asked him for a kiss before they left, and it was the first time she'd ever done so? which puts him in a pretty good mood. he tries not to loiter with jyn too much, just because he doesn't want to be on the receiving end of any of jim's knowing looks, but when she sits down in the captain's chair and spins around delightedly, he can't help but make his way over.]

[cassian leans his arm over the back of the chair, hunching over to duck his head a little closer to hers. it's nothing out of the ordinary for them, but his tone might be slightly more teasing than normal. good thing it doesn't carry!]

Should I be calling you captain now?

[realists]

[ what a weird shiver at cassian's voice in her ear. it means nothing. she feels nothing, refusing to budge from her comfortable spot to even look at him. not in part because his face is right there. ]

If you'd like. I think it suits me.

[ the chair, the rank, the sudden air of power and leadership. maybe all three. ]

[evasives]

[it is the weirdest and tiniest shiver and he notices it. unfortunately, he doesn't know what to do with it either. carry on in that vein?? stop?? he had no plan beyond making a comment about her in the chair.]

[well fine, if she won't move, neither will he!]

Captain Jyn Erso. [hm!] I do like it.

[winscenario]

[ And Jim will perch himself over the back of the seat just as casually, taking a small strand of her hair and pulling lightly. ]

Well sadly you won't get the chance to get used to it.

[ That's his damn chair, even in a holoprogram. ]

[realists]

[ jyn immediately scoffs, turning to chomp her teeth near jim's hand. it's almost habit at this point. ] That's what you think.

[ her chin tips to look up at him, squinting at little at the bright lights above his head, like a halo. ridiculous. ]

I'm dead remember? Unlike everyone else I haven't got a home to go back to. Maybe Cassian and I will go to your galaxy and misappropriate your ship and you'll have to call me captain.

[ she seems to have it all figured out, smiling sweetly, this hypothetical aspiration where she and cassian can jump into a different galaxy and live out their afterlives in jim's peace. it sounded nice to her. pour one out for the fact that jyn and jaylah will never be best friends, it is a cruel universe. ]

[winscenario]

[ He pulls his hand away reflexively, even if he knows Jyn wouldn't actually bite him. Not over something like this, at least.

And yes he's the perfect picture of an angel, isn't he. Could almost fool people. ]

Yes, well— being dead doesn't give you permission to come into the bridge. Which you won't get if you're going in there with the intent to steal my chair.

[ Also technically!!! Jaylah didn't take his chair!!! Although she would have if given the chance. Sneaky girl. ]

Rey: Open

[talentedscavenger]

[Parties aren't really Rey's thing. She preferred to be around a small group of people--no more than five. Besides, the work that goes into a party, it's a lot. There's a lot of food, and Rey wonders if all of it will be used--even though she shouldn't be concerned about it, but having been a scavenger all her life, it's something she carries with her in the back of her mind.

Considering she can't exactly go to her apartment, she's forced to go get clothes that aren't her normal attire. Remembering the things Lola went over with her, Rey goes with something simple: dark blue and grey form fitting pants, and a charcoal grey top with a lighter blue jacket and beige scarf. Her hair is in it's usual style: half up in a pony tail and the rest down. At her side is a hip pack that has her lightsaber--like hell she was going to leave that back at the guard and have someone accidentally slice off their arm.

She doesn't go for a drink (though she feels like maybe she should), but instead looks over the interior design of the ship, looking over panels which made her think of the Falcon...of home. She'll stick to the wall or a corner unless she saw someone she knows and felt comfortable with.

Wall flower thy name is Rey. Parties were never, ever her forte, but she's doing this for Jim.]

[evasives]

[well hello there fellow wallflower! it's easy to find her, just because cassian tends to linger on the outskirts too. it's where they always seem to bump into each other in these kinds of situations.]

[he's carrying a drink, but it's still mostly full. they're both dressed so casually today, with him in his jeans and t-shirt. he holds up his free hand in a short quick wave to make sure she sees him before he comes over.]

Parts of this ship keep making me think of home. What about you?

[talentedscavenger]

[Wallflowers unite! Away from the party! Away from people being...friendly. Really, Rey will take being a wall flower with Cassian than trying to mingle with people she doesn't know. Staying in her own little spot, people watching...it's what she preferred.

It's...interesting to see Cassian in something that isn't part of their world's attire. Something casual. Something that makes them look like normal people. She can see his cup is full, but at least he's found where the booze is.]

Same...but I know it's not the same. Interior is nice, but the panels and the controls...not. [It's not like the Falcon, nothing compared to that.] Come here to make sure Jyn doesn't bag all the food? [Teasing, just a tiny bit.]

[winscenario]

[ Jim knew this wasn't Rey's sort of thing, but she was his friend. Since Bones left, they'd spent a lot of time together, and even now that he had Victor, they still met regularly for their runs, and they still had their movie nights. There were still lots of movies for her to get to know, after all.

Point was, he was glad she was here, even if she didn't look exactly at ease. He made his way to where she was attempting her party trick of blending into the wall, offering her a light and colorful cocktail, very much similar to his own. ]

You know, there's no harm in socializing a little.

[talentedscavenger]

[After everything that Rey has gone through, it's unlikely she won't ever be really at ease. She had a lot on her plate, and being social wasn't something she was taught on Jakku. If she was doing something for business, trading scraps, bargaining for one piece or another, that was fine. Actually talking to people that she didn't know? A whole different story.

But, she was here for Jim, to support him and meet his new friend. He sort of talked about him during their runs and in between bites of pizza during their movie night. He was different, he was happy, and Rey was happy for him.

She was looking over the other people in the area when Jim came up to her with drink in hand. Rey smiled a little at him, trying to keep a good poker face before taking the drink and offering a 'thank you' to him.]

I'm more interested in how you got this to look like your ship, and...I don't really know too many people here. [Granted, some of them are probably from the Perimeter Guard, but she doesn't go outside her circle of friends because being social is a skill she does not have.] Enjoying yourself?

[jolting]

[James is certainly the type of person who can convince wallflowers to come to a party. It isn't that surprising to Victor just how many people are here, though it's a little intimidating at the same time. He's been to a few parties but they were never in his honor, and he already knew everybody there.

So he's making his way over to the panels as well. But it seems Rey beat him there. It is a bit easier approaching someone who seems interested in things he finds interesting, so here he goes]

You spend a lot of time on starships?

[talentedscavenger]

Hm? [Oh, someone was talking to her. Someone she hasn't met before. There's a a slight nod of her head.]

Oh, yes. Not on ones like this--I'm not from Jim's world. [Best to state that now, since it can kind of get confusing to who came from where. Rey nearly catches herself to state that she is a friend of Jim's, but then why else would she be there? Friends were invited--and she's over thinking things a little.]

It's similar though, makes me miss it. [The ship that is, not her world. Well, okay, her world because there was nothing like it, but they weren't at a war here.]

You?

cassian andor | ota

[evasives]

[cassian is generally the type to Avoid Social Situations given the choice. who knew when he didn't have to go out, he would rather stay in?? but jim is his friend, something cassian can actually admit now, so it's not really a difficult choice to go to the little party. small gatherings are better anyway, and jyn convinced him it was fine to wear jeans and a t-shirt.]

[the real question is how did jim collect so many anti social nerds to be his friends??]

[besides, it's a hologram of the enterprise, or at least parts of it, jim's infamous ship. that alone would be enough to get him there, if nothing else.]

[cassian doesn't sit down very often, but it's out of curiosity as he looks around the setup of the bridge. it's very spacious and the captain's chair very obvious, but weirdly enough it all seems to suit jim well. he's never seen this particular ship before, but it's pretty clear he's familiar with the spaceship concept, and he can easily figure out what most buttons and levers are for.]

[the corridors are a little closer to familiar, so no one can blame him if he goes out just to sort of bask and look around more than necessary. otherwise he'll just be sitting in one of the side chairs, idly poking at some of the screens. he's a wallflower with training wheels, but at least he seems to be a pretty good and easy mood.]

[winscenario]

[ Jim sidles in close to Cassian's side, glancing at him with a smile, holding a couple drinks in his hand. He offers one to Cassian. ]

You came. [ His smile widens, if at all possible, just before it disappears briefly behind his glass. ] With Jyn. I'm glad.

[evasives]

[he takes one of the drinks, albeit with some mild suspicion.]

We thought it was a better idea to come over together rather than one of us leaving earlier. [nice try bucko.] The starship hologram really sold it. You know how I feel about parties.

[no, friendship did, but the space ship is neat.]

John Sheppard; OTA

[deploy]

[John's not exactly a wallflower, but he doesn't really know anyone, and isn't exactly in the mood to party. At least he's not in uniform, just a rumpled button-down and a pair of black jeans. His weak effort to look like a normal person who can do normal things. Even on a good day, John can't help feeling like an outsider. Even among friends. It's a problem. In some ways, he's the polar opposite of Jim Kirk. It's amazing they get along so well. Most of the time.

Socializing has never been easy for John. He can't relax around strangers, always has to be 'on' to feel comfortably in control, which takes more energy than he has right now. Still, he's here for Jim, and he's doing his best not to be a miserable sack of shit. Rather than standing around and looking as uncomfortable as he feels, John gives the place a wander, and can be found in of the halls checking out the simulated tech, but mostly sticks to the bridge, hanging around the food and beverage table.

At least the music is good.

He told himself he wouldn't drink, and for the first hour he sticks to punch. The second hour, he's feeling some anxiety coming on, so he pours himself a rum and coke. Then another, when the first is gone. He drinks the second more slowly, because he's not going to get plastered at Jim's get together, but he's definitely got a strong buzz going on.

Enough that he'll actually smile at the next person who crosses his path, bobbing his head along to whatever's playing. When Johnny Cash comes on, his face lights up, and he downs the rest of his drink before speaking. It's a matter of respect.]

Folsom Prison Blues. I'm feeling it. This is my song.

[jolting]

[Victor doesn't actually know anyone either, which is the entire point of this get-together. So he can known all of James's friends. But if anyone knows what it's like to feel like an outsider among a group of people, it's Victor.

But he's making an effort because these people are important to James.

Music is a comfortable topic to land on and he nods to the remark]

Well, it's Johnny Cash. What's not to love?

[deploy]

Damn right.

[John nods sagely in agreement, bopping behind the refreshment table to fix himself another drink. Setting up two glasses, he gestures at Victor with the ice tongs.]

Want one? Single or double? I think Johnny cash calls for a double.

[Regardless of what Victor wants, he's getting a drink. If he doesn't drink it, someone will. Probably John.]

Some people here don't know Cash. Personally, I wouldn't want to exist in a universe without him. Can you imagine, an Earth with Celine Dion, but no Johnny Cash?

I'd be looking for a wormhole, stat.

[dancingmd]

Hmm?

[Honestly, she hasn't been paying much attention to the music, not sharing in Jim's particular tastes. When she listens to 20th century music, it tends more toward swing and jazz.]

I'm sorry, I'm not familiar...?

[deploy]

You don't know Johnny Cash?

[John shakes his head, tsking. Because it's super important. Obviously.

And he's a few drinks in. This is his attempt at humour when he's already anxious and in a bad mood. Sue him.]

He's only the greatest singer-songwriter who ever lived.