biding time

[chippedteacup]

This was, perhaps, the best part about being in this place. It was the books - endless amounts of them, from who knew where... many from the past, perhaps some even from the future. Even the library that Rumple had made for her paled in comparison to this one, not that it truly mattered. For Belle, even a simple bookshop held enough wonder for her. The written word was a powerful thing, and she perhaps gave books more credit than anyone else she knew. She loved them, but she was wary of them also. Books were knowledge. Knowledge was power. And power corrupted.

Not that such dark thoughts pierced her enjoyment of the place at the moment. No; just then she was combing through the shelves with intense interest. Stories and tomes and encyclopedias were all well and good, but just then Belle felt like brushing up on her skills and she was eagerly perusing a section of different lands and countries. Many she had never heard of. In her arms there were already two books on ancient languages, and she was trying to find a companion for them which might help her understand the culture they originated from.

She was so preoccupied that when she saw, from the corner of her eye, a cloth-covered blue spine stamped with the right symbols, she didn't pause as she lunged for it. It happened to be on the opposite side of the aisle, however, and she ended up shouldering someone who had inconveniently been in her blind spot.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

Comments

[princehonorable]

Finally having made it through Neverland and an immense number of doors the Nexus, Charming feels as if he could face down anything. Then again, he also hadn't exactly counted on Bella's impressive hard knock in a library. He'd actually meant to come back here this time, but only so he could pick up some of the things he'd been ferreting from Neverland (and now he can get them back to Storybrooke). "I think I'll live," he says, rotating his shoulder. "You could definitely handle yourself in a joust," he teases, searching for the books he'd come to fetch -- fairytales from various worlds that he'd found interesting during his trapped time.

[chippedteacup]

Well, at least she hadn't body-checked a stranger - which she was assuming would be worse, at least when it came to apologies. "Sorry," she said again, only she was smiling, now. "I think that comes from running headfirst into adventure - you sort of run headfirst into everything else by default."

[princehonorable]

"It's all right," he promises warmly, giving his shoulder a playful rub. "I think I'll live," he jokes, and begins to collect the books he's come for. "So when you're not pushing into people who might be strangers, are you working here now?" he asks curiously. He'd been so reckless to get back home, Charming had assumed everyone would be the same and would rather spend their time there unless stuck, like he'd been.

[chippedteacup]

Belle bit her lip, slightly. "No," she admitted. "I mean, I've thought about it." Agonized over it, more like. There was nothing she would like more than to catalogue every single item in here. But she had responsibilities; the Storybrooke library, which had surprises of its own, had to be tended to. And while time didn't seem to pass at home while she was here, she didn't want to put too much on her plate.

She knew Ruby had settled in, but that was fine; she had Graham here, and her situation was wholly different. She didn't fault her friend for choosing that. "What are you gathering?" she asked, curiously, noticing the books Charming had been collecting.

[princehonorable]

"It's all the books I've marked to bring back with me if I can," he admits, given that he'd had a lot of time in this place while he was stuck and he'd made a habit of collecting information. "Fairytales from our worlds, the both of them, and any others I can find. At the rate we're going, I figured it wouldn't hurt if we got a bit of a head start on what to expect."

[chippedteacup]

"I have done some reading like that, too," Belle admitted. Stories were important, she could see that now; the revelation that her own life was the fodder for 'imaginary' tales in other worlds had been a huge eye opener. "They're good to know. But there are so many variations - it's hard to keep track."

[princehonorable]

"That's the trouble," he agrees, but the real trouble of that is not knowing what variation might be hitting their sleepy little town next and causing more and more problems for them. "Is there any sort of research you've been putting together that might help us? Maybe some kind of 'break glass in case of emergency' book?" he jokes.

[chippedteacup]

Truly, Belle was more concerned with the current problems she was having, far too much to focus on any other possibilities. "No," she admitted. "Though those kinds of solutions are a bit more dangerous than they are good - think of the power that would go behind a tool that could solve every problem in the world." Then she tipped her head to the side and smiled, just to let him know she was teasing him. "Really, for all the problems Storybrooke has, I think we'd benefit more from a huge index. Too bad I don't think I have the lifetime to spare in order to compile it - or the imagination, either."

[princehonorable]

"What if you had some help?" He's not the best at focusing on books, but Charming is more than willing to give it his all if it means that it could help them in the future. "I mean, I know Red is here and Graham. Between the four of us, maybe we could take it in turns? Then it won't just be one lifetime we're looking at. Who knows," he jokes, "we could even recruit."

[chippedteacup]

"We could give it a try," Belle said, with a bit of a laugh. "So long as we're not too distracted by all the problems that keep cropping up, anyway. But reading the so-called fairy tales is a good head start on that, at least."

[havecourageandbekind]

Cinderella has never seen so many books as the Nexus has and while she's technically working, she can't help but get a little distracted while she's doing the dusting.

"Oh! It's my fault, really. I got distracted when I was supposed to be finishing up in here," she says, holding up her feather duster sheepishly. "I've just never seen so many wonderful books in all my life."

[chippedteacup]

"Oh, no, no. It's my fault. But my reason is the same as yours, at least!" Once Belle was assured that she hadn't caused the other woman any bodily harm, it was easy to get distracted back to one of her favourite topics - books.

"Isn't it amazing?" she asked. While this other woman didn't seem to be cataloging books so much as dusting them, she wasn't about to judge that. She'd spent a good few years of her own life cleaning a gigantic estate, library included. "How long have you been here? I've been here a few months and I still haven't begun to sort this room out in my head."

[havecourageandbekind]

"Oh, just about a month, perhaps two. Not long enough to really make heads or tails of anything," Cinderella readily admits. She isn't used to this place just yet but she has discovered that she likes it much, much better than being her stepmother's servant.

"I've only just started working and earning a keep. I feel horrible about being so lazy but it was just nice to have some time off."

[chippedteacup]

"I've only been here a few months, too," Belle replied, smiling. "I work in the town library back home, but the variety here is just too good to resist most of the time." And, of course, it helped her spend time between waiting for Rumple to come back, if he ever did.

"My name's Belle," she said, stacking a few books back on the shelf to free her hands, then holding one hand out in introduction.

[havecourageandbekind]

Cinderella took her hand and shook firmly, happy to have met her.

"It is my pleasure. I'm Cinderella," she offers. "It's so wonderful to meet so many people from all over."

[chippedteacup]

The name was familiar to Belle, but it was the fact she had heard it in more than one instance that made it a bit uncanny. She understood that their stories had made it into fiction in other worlds, and she had read some of the more popular ones. Belle had read about a Cinderella and also knew there was one living in Storybrooke, and this girl was not her. So this could very well be another one. Did that mean there were other Belles? It was possible.

Then again, it could just be a popular name in some worlds. "There's a Cinderella back home," she said, smile still firmly in place. "Have you encountered the doppleganger effect here, yet? I've heard it's not uncommon to run across someone who looks like they could be your twin."

[havecourageandbekind]

"What? Oh, mercy, no," Cinderella says. She doesn't know what could cause such a thing except magic and magic is, in her limited experience, a good thing. Perhaps it isn't something to be afraid of even if the idea of running into someone wearing her face is a little disconcerting.

"Has that happened to you at all? Someone else who looks exactly like you?"

[chippedteacup]

"No, not yet," Belle said. "And to be honest, the Cinderella I've seen around town - well, she doesn't look like you at all. So you might only have the name in common. Have you got an evil stepmother and two step-sisters?" She said the last bit teasingly, light-hearted - but also with a fair amount of gravitas, because for all she knew, maybe Cinderella did come from similar circumstances.

[havecourageandbekind]

"I wouldn't say evil exactly," Cinderella says, trying to be kind in her words. She thinks some might refer to her stepmother and stepsisters as evil and while Cinderella can agree they are cruel to her she likes to believe there's a spark of goodness in everyone, even if it's buried deep down.

"But yes, I have a stepmother and two stepsisters."

[chippedteacup]

That reply had a smile flashing its way, unexpectedly, onto Belle's face, as well as a tinge of apology. Maybe she had just been around other people too long. "Yes, I quite agree," she said. Not that she really knew if Cinderella was hosting a wide opinion on everyone or not - Belle just hoped she was. "I mean, I don't believe in evil - that is, I don't believe people can't be saved from it. I hope you forgive me for suggesting such a thing about them."

[havecourageandbekind]

"It's all right. I do not think you thought ill of them," Cinderella says, still cheerful and kind in spite of all of it. It's like a weight has been lifted off her since coming to the hotel and while she still works very hard, it's not without result and goal.

"It's been nice to be here. I hope I get to stay for a long while, even if eventually I do want to go home."

[chippedteacup]

"Have you not been home yet?" Belle asked. "I know some people are stuck. I'm able to go back and forth myself... but I like it here. I feel less pressure."

[havecourageandbekind]

Cinderella shakes her head. "I cannot seem to find the door that leads back home. I thought I knew where it was, it was this lovely little door carved in with butterflies? But I haven't been able to find it since I first arrived."

She shrugs one slim shoulder and effects a smile, perpetually optimistic. "I'll find it eventually. When I do, I'll be sure to go and check on things. I hate to think how the animals have been treated without me there. It's our responsibility to look after those who can't look after themselves, you know."

[chippedteacup]

"I've heard they can be difficult to find again," Belle said, with a nod. "From what I understand, though, the doors reappear when they're ready. Or maybe when you are? It's very tricky."

She smiled. "Well, in my case, every time I go back through my door, not much time, if any, has passed," she said. "So hopefully, your animals should be doing alright. What kind do you keep?"

[havecourageandbekind]

"Oh, all sorts! I have a horse, some geese, some ducks," Cinderella says, spouting off happily about the farm. "There's chickens, of course, and some goats. There's mice too and I just can't bear to let my stepmother's awful cat get them so I try to keep them hidden. They're very kind, my mice, and they're very helpful. I couldn't imagine letting any harm come to them."

[chippedteacup]

"This may seem like an odd question, but do they speak?" Belle asked, curiously. "I mean, I've read that in some places the animals have voices. I haven't been so lucky."

[havecourageandbekind]

"Oh, yes! Always. Loads of conversations. They speak all the time if you only take the time to listen," Cinderella says, pleased to have found someone who not only believes her but finds it wonderful that the animals speak to her. Her stepmother, she thinks, would not be so accepting of that fact.

"There's a bit of magic in everything, I've found. You just have to know where to look."

[chippedteacup]

Belle smiled a small, sad smile. "That sounds wonderful," she said, honestly. "Where I come from, though, we have a saying - 'Magic always comes with a price'. It must be different, in your land."

Which, as far as Belle was concerned, could only be a good thing.