When one door closes...[semi-ficpost, open to Schön]

[smartass_captain]

For one horrible moment, leaving the Nexus, there's just nothing. Jim steps through the doorway into what should have been his warp core's radiation safety door and everything falls away. It wasn't like going to Clint's home had been. A well used route that many minds knew how and where and why it should be. Or at least a few minds enough times.
Jim half expects to see himself lying dead on the other side of the door. Half expects the same inside-out burning he'd felt when the radiation poisoning had started to claim him. The panic knob inside his head is jammed firmly on low, however. So while he has these thoughts--these expectations-- Jim is strangely calm about it. Detached, almost.

It's a great relief to feel the metal floors beneath his feet once more. To feel the residual hum of the engines, purring along at peak efficiency like Scotty was always wont to do. But of course everything would be fine. If Jim wasn't here, that left Commander Spock in charge. No finer man to keep his ship and his crew safe. Jim isn't afraid, but the crushing sadness the thought brings him is almost staggering. Without him, everything was fine.

"...Right, well. Ship seems to be in order." Jim gets them out of the warp core area quickly. Despite not feeling afraid at the moment, he still isn't eager to linger. He heads for the nearest comm and punches in his code.

"This is Captain Kirk to the Bridge. Mister Spock, do you copy?"

They are walking in a marvel of future technology and dreams realized. Jim turns back to his guest, his face quirking up just slightly at one side. "You can make sure it will take me back, right? Before the rabble shows up?"

It won't be long.

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

"Naturally," he agrees, keeping the wry thread out of his voice. Shrugging out of his jacket, he explains, "you shouldn't need the raiment every time, but as this is the first opening from this side, it's best to do these things properly, yes?"

Turning his jacket inside out, he gives it a shake--and it's suddenly something else. A leather jacket, right-side-out, complete with a few patches. Schön continues explaining as he pulls it on: "for you, the incantation should be enough."

Turning to the door, he raises one hand in a fist, giving it a careful thump. Turning on his heels, he brings both his arms to his side, bent at the elbow, his fingers curled fistlike, his thumbs held upright--at least, until he swivels them to point toward himself and intones a solemn, "eyyy."

After a beat, the door slides open on the hall of doors.

I am laughing so hard you don't even know

[smartass_captain]

Possibly the saddest thing about this entire situation is that the reference will completely go over Jim's head. He screw up his face in a way that says he's clearly about to call 'bullshit' on the entire thing. But then it works and Jim can only gape at the doorway that has appeared once more.

"Holy shit." Jim shakes his head, as if trying to jumpstart his brain again. "I..I mean...do I need the jacket? I totally have one of those. Sort of." That is amazing.

I have been waiting SO LONG for Schön to do that to a portal, you don't even know.

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

"Do you? It couldn't hurt. But as I said, you shouldn't usually need the raiment, just the incantation." He shrugs out of the leather jacket, to turn it back into his suit jacket. "Still, if ever it's feeling, hm, finnicky. Well, best to go all out."

Turning to go, he pauses to regard the portal once more. Over his shoulder, he remarks to Jim, "you know, this really is quite an exceptional portal. They don't usually attach themselves to something so mobile. Something exceptional must have happened here; something to change the fate of the stars themselves. Food for thought--until next time, Captain." He steps through, and the door hisses shut.