Test Drive #7 - Ten Forward and Captain's Yacht

[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 Captain's Yacht: Oooh, you sneaky stowaway! You've found yourself in a very exclusive part of the ship: Captain Picard's personal craft, used for short jaunts when a shuttle just won't do. (One must retain some decorum, after all.) It may not be as large as the Enterprise itself, but there are sure to be some surprises aboard once people start snooping.


[OOC: The Captain's Yacht is located at the very base of the Enterprise's saucer portion, so if you put someone in there you can also play them trying to get back to somewhere they know!]

Comments

[wishedforaveil]

Molly had an idea of what Harry might be struggling with, and she felt bad for having stirred the proverbial pot, even inadvertently. They hadn't spent a whole lot of time in proximity since the changing of the mantles, so she didn't know how the power dynamic between the two of them might be affected, but it was bound to get interesting.

Just not too interesting, if they could help it. Everything was hinging on that one little if.

She had no idea how to explain the appearance of Mac's ale, but she wasn't going to question it just yet. She just held up her bottle in toast. "Here's to small favors."

[dresdensluck]

Harry was deftly avoiding topics that might need ifs to explain them and instead clinked his bottle with hers. "Yeah. But very good ones." He slugged down some of the beer as he glanced around again.

"So, we've been yanked away from home by some power unknown, dropped into a tavern like place on the Enterprise of all places, and no one is batting an eye. We must not be the first. " He wondered if there was a welcome committee coming. Probably.

[wishedforaveil]

"Amen." Molly took a long draw on the bottle before she spoke again, taking the time to consider Harry's observation. "We must not be," she agreed, shaking her head. "Maybe they have some kind of silent alarm that gets triggered whenever new life-signs show up, and the proper authorities are already on their way."

She laughed a little. "Cause we have such a great track record for not pissing off the proper authorities."

[dresdensluck]

It was soon after that, indeed, that people did arrive, and there were questions and they were escorted to Sickbay and poked and prodded, which harry hated, but gritted his teeth through. And finally, they were escorted to guest quarters.

Harry chuckled as he stepped into one room, then out again. "Seems like we're the first, this time around, so we can pick any quarters we want."

[wishedforaveil]

"Lucky us," Molly mused, strolling slowly down the hall. "Want to be neighbors? Or should I take my one-woman rave a respectful distance from your hypothetical front lawn so you don't have to hear me partying at all hours?"

She was teasing, of course. She was pretty sure the rooms would be pretty well soundproofed on a starship like this. But Harry had kept to himself lately, so she figured he might want a little space.

[dresdensluck]

Harry chuckled, then sobered at her question and glanced around, then back at her. Why not? Take a chance, for once, Harry. That was probably dumb, some part of him told him, but he stomped on it and nodded to her. "Neighbors? I could deal with that. Always nice to have allies around."

Even if he rarely let them near, outside of this place. He glanced at the rooms, then back at her and nodded. Neighbors was probably safer than roommates.

[wishedforaveil]

Molly nodded. She'd already tried to talk Harry into moving in with her once, and that was before she'd inherited Maeve's freaky mantle, and all that that entailed. Rooming next door was a step, whether in the right direction or not remained to be seen, but at least they would be able to watch each others' backs.

"See anyplace you like?"

[dresdensluck]

Harry spun carefully, and let his feelings guide him. "That one." He pointed and selected one the farthest from the door. "That one and the one beside it for you, will work." he glanced at her. "Think we can rig a makeshift threshold shield, between us?"

[wishedforaveil]

"I think so," Molly said, nodding as she headed toward the doors in question. "Hopefully without making too many sparks fly." She smiled, a little nervously. She was evolving, and she wasn't sure what Harry would think of the changes.

[dresdensluck]

"We can only try." He moved to one side of the two doors, and gestured her to the other side of them. "Cross, then crisscross?" "You use cold, I'll use heat, and we can both seal it with intent on the way back?" It should work, for now...

[wishedforaveil]

Molly nodded once, taking her place on the other side. Lifting a hand, she traced the door frame, gathering her energy. "Ready when you are, boss."

[dresdensluck]

Harry nodded and lowered his hand, reaching for fire. Remembering the feel of it, the taste of it, the pain of it, and the roaring pleasure of it. Time to try things differently.

And then, he spoke, softly. "Ignis, Ignis Obice!"And fire flowed from his hand, slow and like a very ghost of itself. licking along an imaginary line as he started walking toward Molly.

[wishedforaveil]

Molly thought of snowballs, and remembered the days when Harry taught her how to raise a magic shield by having her younger siblings pelt her with them. How frustrating it had been in those early days, and yet how those memories brought her joy so sharp it made her catch her breath. She let it out in a whisper, and the air around her hand began to shimmer as she summoned the cold.

She nodded, and in turn, began to draw that line of frost toward Harry.

[dresdensluck]

Walking toward her and past her, their hands brushed and Harry gasped as magics touched, and more, as their powers, their auras, did. he almost lost his concentration, but kept it, drawing the line toward her beginning point, long legs pacing slowly to match hers. There, he turned, and slowly started toward her again, the resistance mounting now, making it almost painful to continue...

[wishedforaveil]

Molly drew a deep breath, and released it slowly, deliberately; willing herself to keep moving. One foot in front of the other, she turned to retrace her steps, like a skater on ice. She was sure that she could feel herself starting to tremble, but she pressed forward. Balancing heat with cold--taking in a little, and releasing a little more, but not pushing to overtake it--she felt her way back through the mingling energies.

One more deep breath as they crossed paths again, and they'd be almost there.

[dresdensluck]

Crossing paths one more time, one more series of steps, and then, with a last precious amount of pressure, they reached the ends of their walk, and Harry felt the connection sinc in, and snap into place. He laughed a startled laugh and stood taller as energy flushed along the line and into them.

"MMm, now that's nice. Guess this space and place is filled with it's own power." He grinned at Molly.

[wishedforaveil]

Molly breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the warding come together, her shoulders relaxing. She smiled, a little bit lopsidedly, and laughed under her breath. "I guess it would have to be," she mused, "To fly through the depths of space, and all that."

It was pretty cool, actually.

[dresdensluck]

Harry smiled and nodded to her. "Might be fun to wander around." He glanced around, and then back at her, mouthing the word 'Trekkie' at her. He had to tease her, it was in his job description.

[wishedforaveil]

"You bet it will," she said, adding, "Nerf herder," under her breath. She smiled, and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "You wanna go back to Ten Forward, or just see where our wizard feet will take us?"

[dresdensluck]

Harry smirked, then nodded, exaggeratedly rubbing his shoulder. "You've gotten stronger." Then he considered her words.

"Well, we're technically under a quarantine for now, so we'll have to wait until after that to wander... at least officially." His grin turned naughty-ish. "So maybe Ten Forward for now, and a look at a ship's schematic?" He arched an eyebrow at her, asking her opinion. "What do you think, partner?"

[wishedforaveil]

"Might as well," she said, nodding. "If noting else, we can try to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings, so we have an idea of where we'd like to go. Or how we can make ourselves useful." Read: get themselves back our of any trouble they were bound to get into.

[dresdensluck]

Harry grinned. "Sounds good. Maybe we can learn a little something about the here and now." Then he chuckled. "And practice not overloading circuits while we're at it." He needed the practice more than her, he knew, but still.