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

[the_blood]

"I value my head," he said, wryly.

[deadmanbusiness]

"Saying you appreciate her is something that would get your head taken off." That earns an eyebrow raise.

[the_blood]

He grinned. "You've met her now. You don't see it?" he asked, amused.

[deadmanbusiness]

"Yes, I suppose so." There's a shake of his head. "How long does the trance last usually?"

[the_blood]

"It's not exactly a trance, and I have no idea. I served Lady Karla, but I was rarely present when sh wove her webs. Most Black Widows have private workshops where they practice their craft."

[deadmanbusiness]

"What happens if they're disturbed?"

Theo's now glancing about the room to see if anyone else has noticed this. The last thing they need is for someone to come over asking if everything is okay.

[the_blood]

"I have no clue," he said simply. "But I am not risking her sanity. On the plus side, since you prefer not to send, perhaps this is our best chance to talk," he said, pulling up a seat.

[deadmanbusiness]

"Okay. Sure. What's on your mind?" He totally means that pun. And he's also very curious.

[the_blood]

"What do you think of Lady Ailshiya?" he asked softly, sipping from his goblet.

[deadmanbusiness]

Theo is silent for a moment as he considers the question.

"She seems young, reminds me a little bit of my cousin Maya who wants to see the world and is very frustrated with my uncle stifling her," he says slowly. "She also seems a bit frustrated with some of your world's rules."

[the_blood]

He nodded, listening. "Would you be willing to consider serving in her first circle, if she would have you? At least until you can return to your loved ones or her court joins us here?"

[deadmanbusiness]

"What does that mean?" He asks, his face blank.

[the_blood]

"You would help me protect her, serve her, and in exchange, she would be your queen for the duration of the contract. When I cannot be with her, you would be, when you cannot be with her, I will be. When she gains more males, our job becomes easier and easier."

[deadmanbusiness]

There's a twitch of a smile on his face. "I'm flattered that you would ask that of me, but I can't do it. I won't allow anyone to be my queen in such a way and I cannot bind myself in such a contract. It's a demi-god thing." He sighs a bit.

"I'd be happy to keep an eye on her and give you a break once in a while, as a friend."

[the_blood]

"I appreciate the aid," he said with a sigh and a nod. Without protocol of his serving her, however, he had no more rights than those of a friend, if he could become her friend. It would have been nice to have had him for a brother of the court, however...

[deadmanbusiness]

"I am sorry," Theo said, seeing the look. "But, there are rules for my people as well. And I can't break them. It seemed like there's a lot more to being apart of her court than just something mundane."

[the_blood]

He nodded. "I understand it, I do. I just regret it, that is all," he said, and extended a hand. "I would still be honored to call you friend, even if we cannot be court brothers."

[deadmanbusiness]

"What does court brothers mean?" The terms are important to know, because if they are to be friends and each other's company, he wants to know what they're talking about.

[the_blood]

"While it is not always a given, when two males serve together in a first circle, they often form bonds closer than simply friends. They become, sometimes, like brothers. Another male in the first circle is the only person you know you can truly trust with the care and protection of the Queen you serve. It is not as official a thing as serving the Queen, but it is real, all the same. At least, when we are lucky enough to serve with someone you can truly respect and like."

[deadmanbusiness]

For the briefest of moments Theo's mind wanders off into places. It's the phrasing that Theiorn uses. Not Theo's thing, but he does go there. "You don't have a choice in who you serve?"

[the_blood]

"What?" he asked, confused, then shook his head. "Of course we can choose. This is not... we are not from Terrelle. It is, usually, something that both sides need to agree to, the Queen has to want us to serve and we have to want to serve. To most it seems that the Queen chooses her court, but the truth is, really, we choose her. We offer ourselves, or do not offer ourselves, and from those who offer, she chooses."

He sipped his wine, made a face that it had gone cold, and finished it in one gulp because he had to, then vanished the goblet to be washed later.

"Protocol however, does allow for situations where a Queen has no one at all to protect her. She may request aid of a male on a short term basis who would not serve otherwise, but might agree to serve in this regard, and a male can protect her, if she has no one else to protect her, even if she did not ask him to serve. I have the right to protect her, to serve her."

[deadmanbusiness]

"Okay. I wasn't sure. Your world seems to very strict on protocol, especially on what males and females can do."

[the_blood]

He nodded. "Protocol helps us balance our society, and ourselves. It does not rule everything, and it is looser more and more as people develop personal relationships, however until that is established, protocol helps us know what boundaries we can and cannot cross."

Apologies on my end! D&D game other RL eating up time

[deadmanbusiness]

Theo nods and stares into his empty cup. He needs more coffee, he thinks.

"Out of curiosity, would it be acceptable to you for a woman to protect your lady like you wanted me to?"

Because Theo seriously doubts that they're going to be able to build Ailshiya her court here. Especially if they're depending on it to be all men. It will amuse Theo greatly if someone like Adrienne, who is a career soldier and a warmage wouldn't be acceptable but Theo, who while a powerful necromancer and demi-god, really couldn't put up much of a fight without a bunch of undead at his disposal, is.

He hopes he can keep his memories when he gets back home because he thinks Adrienne would like hearing about these two.

RL comes first :D And I'm envious, I miss D&D

[the_blood]

"There are generally women in the first circle," he said, choosing his words carefully, "but they do not serve as escort. You have to understand... Males are... Blood males are drawn to service, protecting females is instinct," he said, then hesitated and asked, "May I say something mentally?"