TEST DRIVE #6 - The Bridge and Ten Forward

[ten_fwd_mods]

Option 01. Ten Forward: The first thing you see is a bar. A large, lively bar filled with many different faces and many different smells, sights and sounds. This is Ten Forward, the Enterprise's off-duty lounge; feel free to get acquainted with your fellow travelers and try to find somebody who's in charge: this is your new home now, after all...





Option 02. The Bridge: Well, aren't you a lucky duck? You've found yourself in hallowed quarters. Wherever you were before, you're not there anymore. Now you're in a room that could be some kind of command center or control room; there's a captain's chair flanked by seats for his chief officers, computer panels and stations at each interior wall, and before you a broad viewscreen that shows the wide expanse of space rushing towards you. Have you ever wanted to be a starship captain for a day? Well, here's your chance. Feel free to roam around, but try not to touch anything shiny.


[OOC: The Bridge isn't usually available for in-game posts, so if you've ever wanted to play there, here's your chance!]

Comments

[chippedvaliance]

Once he says he'll be right back she relaxes, taking in the sights around her. This . . .space ship, whatever it is, is so much different than where she was standing last. At least this version of Henry managed to distract her from self destructive thoughts. She perks back up a little when he enters with the book. It's all too familiar even though, as she recalls, she has only seen it a few times sparingly. "How about we start from the beginning?" She scoots forward on the couch, tempted to reach out for the book but. . .she better not. It is his. They've already had one instance of aggression over an item. "It might be easier if you tell me what you're wanting to learn. I have lots of stories to choose from." Belle taps at her chin. "But, I guess, most of them are about everyone else in the town. Regina, Mary Margaret, Emma. . ."

[goldencobra]

"Where's the beginning? Dad told me a lot about his life after the book gave me the basics. You said you got married after Neverland so you already know about Pan and Hook and I bet he's told you the same stuff he's told me."

Henry was ready to take notes. He always was. Information was power. And unlike magic, it didn't have a price.

[chippedvaliance]

"I'm sure he has." She answers a little hesitantly. It isn't that she doesn't know details but Belle doesn't like to pry when she doesn't have to. Some subjects are touchier than others with Rumpel.

"Anyway, I can tell you about the past but I can't tell you what happens after Neverland." A pause. "I can tell you there was a second curse, and that second curse brought another person back we weren't bargaining for."

[goldencobra]

Henry scribbled that down. Second curse. Bad person.

"I only know you guys went to Neverland because that's what Gold said. When I left, I was still on my way to Boston."

[chippedvaliance]

"Um well. . ." Belle hesitates with that. "A lot happened after Gold came back from Neverland. Did he tell you about Pan?" Perhaps she should start there. She is having to guess at what details to reveal. Who knows what sorts of effects that may have in Henry's universe is he already has the knowledge with him. They've already, or should she say Regina, found out what happens when time is messed with.

[goldencobra]

"Oh yeah. I know all about Pan. Pan, Hook, Milah, Baelfire. Just about everything important from his past. I wonder why he never mentioned you?"

It didn't make sense that this woman would be so important as to marry Gold but Henry's father never mentions her.

[chippedvaliance]

Belle opens her mouth as if she is about to say something but an unfortunate idea pops into her mind. She wasn't important enough to mention. Her Rumpel claims her as his true love, and she saw him as her true love. He spent twenty eight years without her in Storybrooke. This version of Gold knew she was dead. "I haven't the faintest idea." She answers, a small tinge of contempt visible in her eyes before she dismisses the thought of them never being as close as they had gotten in the Enchanted Forest. "It is strange he wouldn't say anything at all. I exchanged my servitude for the safety of my village." She tilts her head to the side. "We fell in love in that castle of his." She purses her lips. "And, in his pawnshop, he should have a chipped teacup. That was ours."

[goldencobra]

Henry was about to come up with a theory when she mentioned the cup. Then his eyes widened and he looked excited.

"The cup! The chipped cup! So that's why it's so important! He freaked out when I touched it last year but he said it was the one thing he didn't want to talk about. He must have meant you. And he had that pained look in his eye that meant he was hurt inside. It must be because he loved you and then you died. That cup is the most important thing he's got except me."

[chippedvaliance]

"H-he kept it?" That wasn't the reaction she expected in the slightest. In fact his enthusiasm has her eyes going wide. It warms her heart some to know he kept it after all those year and it still held some significance. She didn't want to be completely erased from his life. Knowing that they still had those happy moment, however few there may have been, is enough for her. "I broke that cup on accident." She muses with a soft smile. "I thought he would be angry with me for being so clumsy but he still drank tea from it anyway." She bites at her lip. "Anyway I'm glad he has it but Henry," She leans forward, a pleading look in her eyes. "if you ever go back and he meets someone support him in that. He still deserves to have love even if I'm not there."

[goldencobra]

"Yeah, he kept it. In the house though, not the shop." He listened to her story and jotted notes down. This was all very interesting.

"He loves me. So that's something?" Though there was slight doubt because of Baelfire but he pushes it away so Belle doesn't see. "And I will." He chuckles. "Imagine if he fell in love with my mom!"

[chippedvaliance]

"Let's not get hasty." She fires back, a little more curt than she would like. Her Rumpel with Emma? Perish the thought. Wouldn't that count as some form of incest? She honestly doesn't want to think about that. Then again everyone is pretty much related in some way in Storybrooke. Legally or otherwise.

"I know he loves you, but you may be too young to understand what I'm talking about is a different kind of love."

[goldencobra]

"What's wrong with my Mom and my Dad?" He gives her a headtilt, that excitedness gone and looked worried. Had he misjudged her?

And he certainly wasn't going to touch a subject when she went all: you may be too young to understand, on him. Why did adults always think kids were stupid?

[chippedvaliance]

Timidly. ". . .Nothing." She makes a face but doesn't go into detail. "You'll understand when you're older." She is not going to explain how odd it would be to have Henry with Baelfire and then turn around and date Gold. A w k w a r d.

[goldencobra]

He scowled and stood up, not wanting to listen to any more crap. He ordered himself his usual cocoa with cinnamon and whipped cream from the replicator, you had be as specific with it as a deal with Rumplestiltskin, then sat back down and slurped it noisily. Mostly to spite her for calling his age into question.

[chippedvaliance]

"Oh you're just like him." She rolls her eyes, and crosses her arms over her chest. "Happy one minute and pouting the next. You can't always have what you want when you want it." She can't help but chuckle some. "Manners, Henry." She chides again.

"Are you going to offer me any?"

[goldencobra]

"I'm too young to offer you any." He retorted, though he felt proud to be like his father. And he still thought she could stuff her manners.

[chippedvaliance]

"Fine then I'll make you a deal, dearie." She does her best attempt at a Rumpel impression and even tries to nail his accent. It's pretty decent but still leaves much to be desired. She just can't carry the tenor he does. Perhaps it's her innocent nature.

Besides, it sexier when he says it. Henry doesn't need to know that.

"If you practice proper manners I'll tell you what you're too young to know."

[goldencobra]

The impression made him snort into his cocoa and he nodded. "Alright. What do you want?"

A drink for information, he could cope with that.

[chippedvaliance]

Definitely a success. She got him to laugh which may lighten his mood. It often worked on Rumpel back in the Enchanted Forest. "I would love a cup of Earl Grey tea with sugar." Now as for the information per her side of the deal. "About your mother. . .well for lack of a better way of putting it. . .because of who she had you with that technically makes Rumpel your grandfather." Whether or not he sees that as awkward now doesn't matter much. "So your mother would be in love with your grandfather."

[goldencobra]

Henry nodded and walked over to the replicator but she answered before he got there and the information got him worked up all over again.

"He's not my grandfather! He's my dad! It would be my mom and my dad and it would be awesome!" He yelled, clearly distressed by this subject matter. "So shut up or get out!"

[chippedvaliance]

She pursed her lips. "No." See she recognizes that temper now. "Sweetheart, he is still your father. There are certain ways that family trees work. It doesn't make him raising you any less true and you don't get to order me around." She Is staunch on that last one. He wouldn't leave her alone when she requested it so why she should afford him the same courtesy? He may be a child but he could learn a few lessons. "If you would let me explain instead of getting angry you would find out that people are much more friendly and easier to work with." She pays mind not to raise her voice this time. "Are you done?"

[goldencobra]

"No. I don't want you to explain. I don't care. And this is my room. So if you're gonna play by my rules or leave. It's as simple as that. If you don't, I can call security. You shouldn't be out of quarantine anyway."

She's pressed one of his buttons and he didn't want to talk about it. So either she did what he was asking of her or she left. Henry didn't care which.

[chippedvaliance]

"Your temper isn't going to get you anywhere with anyone. We're from different versions of the same world and you can't expect me not to make mistakes." Fine, if he wants to call security, he can. She'll wait for them to retrieve her and throw her into whatever quarantine they have. It won't be any different than any other prison she's been in. "And for the record, I don't play by your rules. I play by my own. No one decides my fate but me." She frowns. "Go on. Tell them to come. I'll go willingly."

[goldencobra]

"I asked you nicely. You refused." He scowled but walked towards the comm panel to make good on his threat.

"And you can't go willingly without them?"

[chippedvaliance]

"No you didn't ask nicely. As I recall you told me to shut up and get out." She's not moving. Henry can go ahead and fuss with that panel.

"Then what are you waiting for?"