Chapter One [Video/Action]

[thebestseller]

Who: Richard Castle and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: The good ship Windrose
When: RIGHT NOW

Video

[Castle is looking dubiously at his bowl of celebratory chocolate pudding- at least he thinks that's what it is- as he broadcasts to the network.]

Dear video diary,

Today is the start of my new life as a space reality TV contestant. It can't be much worse than paparazzi and serial killers, right? Right. I have been assigned to the good ship Windrose and hope to be an asset to her crew. Oh, diary, I do miss New York City, but I might as well make the best of things while I'm here.

Love always, Castle.

Action

[Upon exploring his new digs, it didn't take Castle long to find the tiny cleaning droids. He was attempting to line them up, but as they seemed programmed to go and clean on their own, he was having some difficulty.]

Come on, stand still and be a good robot army.

[Or perhaps you'd like to run into him elsewhere? Just name the time and place.]

Comments

[ video ]

[gleamed]

[ oh she is going to be SO HELPFUL RIGHT NOW. because she was woefully confused about the network when she arrived, so this man probably was, too, right? ]

Dear Castle,

These screen-a-magigs aren't diaries! Though that would be pretty neat. Um - they're actually how we all talk to each other, even when we're far away! Isn't that AMAZING?

[ she clearly thinks it's amazing. ]

It's called a net-work! I hope this helps! Do you have any questions? I can try to answer them for you!

Love always, Rapunzel!

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

[Oh no, this was too cute. Castle grinned back.]

Thanks for the advice, my dear- I was just being funny, though. You'd never used something like this before?

[ video ]

[gleamed]

Oh! [ well now, aren't her cheeks burning in embarrassment! she does chuckle in good humor, though. ] My mistake! I'm afraid I haven't. At least, not before I got hear a few days ago!

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

I appreciate it all the same. Wow, that must have been pretty hard to adjust to, though.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

Uh, yeah... [ that first day was pretty jarring. ] I've gotten used to it, though! Mostly. Somewhat.

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

It's pretty handy, isn't it? This kind of technology is commonplace where I come from- it's fairly recent, but I can't picture living without it, either.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

It's VERY handy! I can talk to whoever I need to, whenever I want!

[ not that she's taken advantage of that much, yet - she still wasn't sure what sort of things she should feel compelled to share with people. but! the important thing is that the possibility is there. ]

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

It means you're never lonely, at least- and it makes it easy to keep track of people and get in touch with them. I liked having it when my daughter started college- made me feel close to her.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

Oh! You have a daughter? [ families are FASCINATING. the only one she's ever known is, well, her mother. ] And what's college? Is it making one big picture with lots of tiny ones?

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

I do- I raised her on my own, so it was hard on me when she finally grew up and left. I still sometimes see her as my little girl, not all grown up.

College is school, actually.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

My mother raised me on her own, too. [ though her mother was perhaps not...well, never mind about her mother. ] What's your daughter like? Is she here, too?

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

[Castle shook his head.]

I haven't seen her yet... I miss her already. She's intelligent, responsible, kind... the best kid a father could have had. I'm lucky to have her.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

Awww! [ yes, she just aww'd. ] That's so sweet! I'm sure she feels very lucky to have you, too!

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

I hope so. We've always been close, so it's a bit hard for me to watch her becoming an adult and her own independent self.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

[ she wonders, briefly, if that's how her mother felt about rapunzel leaving her tower. ] It must be hard to let her go live her own life, huh?

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

Yeah... even though I knew it was coming. It was like those 18 years flew by. One minute she was a baby in my arms, the next she was dancing in a tutu in front of a mirror, then her first date, her first school dance...

[ video ]

[gleamed]

[ rapunzel has...only glancing ideas what these major life events are, sob. what it might have been like to grow up normal... ]

My mother always said I grew up to fast, too. I guess that's just how it is for parents.

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

Could be because we've already lived through it, so we know what's coming next. Benefit of experience and all- but for them, everything is so new and magical. I loved being a parent, though.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

Maybe I'll have the chance to be one someday! I've probably got a little more growing to do before I'd be ready for something like that, though.

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

It is a huge responsibility- but it's also good to recognize when you might not be ready for it. I definitely wasn't expecting to be a parent, but when Alexis came along, I took it as an opportunity to grow up a lot myself. I knew I wanted to do right by her.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

It's an awfully big responsibility, to completely give up your own needs for someone else's. Parents are amazing!

[ she really underappreciates all her mother did for her. ]

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

[Castle smiled.]

At the same time, I am glad it happened to me. I got to be a kid again sometimes when I took Alexis to the museum and we'd run wild. And reading to her was always fun- I was able to pass down my love of books to her.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

Oh, I love to read! What's your favorite story? I've always been fond of "The Princess and the Pea".

[ video ]

[thebestseller]

Alexis used to love that one, too. I like action and adventure stories of any sort- it's hard to narrow down a favorite. I like it when I get to escape into the story for a while and feel like I'm living the adventure.

[ video ]

[gleamed]

Oh, yes! Me, too. Like in the stories of Robin Hood! I kept thinking he would get caught, but he always managed to escape the clutches of the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John.