Arrival; Enterprise Concourse (spoilers for 4a finale)

[seekingcrocodile]

[Thump thump. Thump thump. With all the adrenaline still coursing through his body after nearly dying, he can clearly hear (and feel) his heart beating in his chest, back where it belongs. It's the closest he's ever come to dying, and an experience he hopes never to repeat.

He needs to clear his head, so of course his thought is to go to the harbor. The salty air of the sea has long been his refuge, and that's not going to change now. Emma had said something about going to find Regina -- who had, after all, just had to say goodbye to the man she loved. He would meet back up with Emma later.

Only instead of going to the harbor, he blinks and he's in some strange place. Certainly not Storybrooke, or the Enchanted Forest, or (thankfully) Neverland. Or any of the other multitude of realms he's seen over the years.

It's crowded, bustling, alien.

He has a feeling he's very far from home.]

Really? They could have picked a better time for it. Or never. Never would have been better.

Does someone want to tell me where I am and how I got here?

Comments

[primeverdeen]

"You've never had milk before?" she asked. Not surprise in her voice, but gentle curiosity. "This milk tastes different than the milk I get from my goat," she said simply.

[seekingcrocodile]

"There's no way of keeping things cold like this in the world I come from." There is in Storybrooke, but that's still a strange place to him on a good day, and anyway, he doesn't have a kitchen of his own.

[primeverdeen]

"The milk I make isn't usually cold either," she admitted. "Except in winter when we sometimes put it outside to make it last longer."

[seekingcrocodile]

"I usually would go someplace warmer during the winter." He knows not everyone had that option, but he did, so he took it. Then the ice that had been in town before he arrived here had been created by magic, and easily dealt with (or avoided). "I do appreciate a cold drink though."

[primeverdeen]

"Must be nice," she said with a soft sigh. And she didn't mean the cold drink, either. What must it be like, she wondered, to be free to travel?

[seekingcrocodile]

"It was. I went where I wanted, when I wanted, and took orders from no one." Which had been the most appealing things about that life to him. Others seemed to think it was the pirate life itself that led him to turn pirate. So they may perhaps have had a harder time accepting him.

[primeverdeen]

The look she gave him clearly spoke of how wondrous a dream that was to a young girl from the districts.

"That... must have been the best sort of life," she said softly.

[seekingcrocodile]

"I quite liked it." He takes a bite of his food. "This life though, you're traveling out among the stars now."

[primeverdeen]

"Maybe... and it's better here than at home... but I still have no control... and not sure what to do most days." She stabbed at her food before eating it.

[seekingcrocodile]

"You have no control over what?" Is there something he needs to be worried about here?

[primeverdeen]

"Over where the ship goes. I have nothing much to DO."

[seekingcrocodile]

"What is there to do on this ship then?" He might as well start learning things about his new home.

[primeverdeen]

"Not very much," she said softly, a bit annoyed. "Mostly I walk around and talk to people."

[seekingcrocodile]

"There's nothing wrong with that. Though I can see how it would get a bit old after a time."

[primeverdeen]

She nodded. "I'm not really sure what to do most days. I just... wander the ship..."

[seekingcrocodile]

"Have you got friends, at least? Someone to talk to?"

[primeverdeen]

She considered. "A few, Fatima, Alec, maybe.... Philip?" she wasn't sure how to count him. "But they're adults, and usually busy."

[seekingcrocodile]

"What are the adults busy doing?"

He knows Henry is on the ship, but he's not sure what to feel about him right now, so isn't bringing that up right now.

[primeverdeen]

She shrugged. "Adults are generally busy. I'm not sure," she said. "Back home most adults were busy. I helped mom with what she did, but few other adults had time for kids that weren't their own. I guess they're working, or something."

[seekingcrocodile]

"What about other children? There must be some on this ship." He knows of two, now. He can't imagine they're the only two on board.

[primeverdeen]

"Don't seem much interested in talking to me," she said softly, with a small sad shrug. "Maybe if there was school we'd have something in common to talk about..."


She never thought she would miss school....

[seekingcrocodile]

"That's too bad. Even being from different places should be something to talk about." He's been to a lot of places though, so finds learning about new ones interesting. Maybe not everyone does.

[primeverdeen]

She gave a small shrug and ate some more, then she glanced up. "Did... you want to be my friend?" she asked softly.

[seekingcrocodile]

"I could always use friends." Age doesn't really matter. He's trying to make a new life for himself, and friends help with that.

[primeverdeen]

She blinked, surprised, then smiled. "Alright. Thank you. I... would like that."