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| Out for a walk; open | |
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| Topic Started: 18 Dec 2007, 08:28 PM (318 Views) | |
| Deleted User | 18 Dec 2007, 08:28 PM Post #1 |
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It was getting later in the morning, about eight he guessed from the angle of shadows so Connor was on his way home from his early morning walk. He went out every day for exercise and to hunt for new invertebrates among the island's more quiet and furtive inhabitants. Since the Brintons usually rose quite a bit later than Connor he could take quite a long time on his walks. He was up before dawn every day and then got back about midmorning in time to set up the lessons for the Brinton children. The little telescope that he used to view skittish species from a distance bumped against his leg, it hung in a case from his belt where another man would carry a sword. He almost dropped it that morning when he was climbing up a rock wall and tried in the middle of it to take a look at a seabird coming in over the harbor. It was really not a good thing but he often forgot his surroundings and where he was when curiosity struck. He was completely present-minded just now though and as he walked he looked at the people around him with interest. The docks always had a strange mix of people, sailors moving cargo, fishermen selling their catch and the ever present Navy marines guarding the docks in red coats. It was fun to observe them all especially since most of them never really looked back at the people around them. A watcher could have been invisible. Connor shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown pea coat and sucked his neck into the collar, he grinned cheerfully from this comfortable though ragged haven at anyone that looked at him. Of course most people didn't look back and if they did they looked away quickly, most didn't have an answering smile for him and nobody wanted to meet his eyes. Port Royal was a very unfriendly place over the last few weeks. Since Connor was a bit of a hermit he wasn't able to figure out why yet. He wondered sometimes if it was because he looked strange, of course he looked like an odd person with the telescope at his belt and a bag full of specimen collecting boxes and jars hanging at his waist too. Not to mention the little leather bound volume and jar of ink in another case at his belt. And maybe the quill pen tucked into the band of his tricorner was a little odd looking too. But when he first came to Port Royal he had looked the same way and most people greeted him with a return of cheerfulness. And now they just scowled generically at everything and especially at him if he smiled and waved. There were a lot more people too. Since the East India Company had arrived the docks were full to bursting with their merchant ships and the city was full of their sailors, traders and soldiers. All the new faces were the unfriendliest looking ones of them all. But he kept on smiling anyways, even defiantly brightening when somebody sent a particularly unfriendly scowl his way. He also greeted everyone he knew by name and with a cheerful "Good morning!" Because it was a good morning even if they couldn't recognize it. |
 
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| Jessica | 9 Jan 2008, 10:04 PM Post #2 |
Deckhand
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Jessica walked in silence, her butler to her left doing the same. She was not entirely sure why, but that morning she had awoken with an inexplicable desire to walk down to the shore and watch the ships arriving, leaving, and berthing in Port Royal. She would be hard-pressed to explain to anybody exactly what she was hoping to accomplish by going to the docks. She needed to let go, she supposed, to see where she had spent so much of her life, acknowledge and accept it, so that she could move on. Of course it would not be at all proper for her to journey to the docks alone, and so she had brought her butler along. She was pretty sure he was less than thrilled to be going to that particular part of town, but he had of course said nothing to contradict her. Besides, even if it were not exactly the most reputable place at least she was getting out of the house and seeing something of the world, and he was of the mind that that was exactly what she needed, so he was surely going to do what he could to help her with this endeavour. Though they were at the docks Lady Rothschild and her escort stayed as inland as they could, away from all the hustle and bustle of activity around the ships. For her part it was mostly because she did not desire to get in anybody’s way. She was pretty sure, though, that her butler was doing it because he thought it safer. Whatever the reason, the two of them were doing a pretty fine job of being ignored, which was perfect in both their minds. That was, they were doing a fine job until Jessica heard a friendly and enthusiastic, "Good morning!" directed her way. Looking towards the owner of that voice Jessica was honestly dumbfounded for a moment. Why is he talking to me? She quickly remembered her manners, though, and put on a friendly smile. “Good morning,” she returned. “Very pleasant out today, isn’t it?” Next to her she could see her servant shift uncomfortably. He obviously would not be thrilled with her taking up conversation with a common sailor. But what did he want her to do, be rude? |
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| Deleted User | 10 Jan 2008, 09:20 PM Post #3 |
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Connor didn't get an answer from most people. Not even the ones he knew! It really made the morning a whole lot colder to walk through the forest of people and just be ignored like you didn't exist. It was worse when they looked at you and they had an expression on their faces like they WISHED you didn't exist. It was starting to get Connor down a little bit but he wasn't going to let it turn him into another scowling face. It was a little bit depressing though. Even Connor couldn't be as optimistic as usual when most of his acquaintances just turned away and went about their business without so much as saying hello. There was a woman standing not far away with another man and Connor's mind saw her profile and somehow a connection was made in his brain that didn't actually exist. He was sure he knew her even though he didn't remember her name. She looked as down about the mouth as the rest of the world while she watched the water of the port. So he sent her a "Good morning!" and flashed her a bright smile and stepped out of his way towards her. She looked with a surprised expression in his direction when he spoke though and when he saw her face clearly from a straightforward view, Connor realized he didn't know her after all. She was a complete stranger. But that didn't phaze him at all since he had no personal objections to meeting new people and she was one of the few people that actually smiled back at him. She waited for a couple of seconds like she was thinking and then answered him in a pleasant and polite voice "Good morning! Very pleasant out today, isn't it?" The man who was with her looked a lot less friendly and in fact he stared a little disdainfully at Connor. The look was probably meant to remind Connor of his poor quality clothing and the strange looking equipment around his waist but Connor stayed unaware of the meaning for the moment. "Yes it is!" he replied prompt. "The wind is keeping the air from settling in too warmly, but the sun is still out and in a friendly mood towards us today." Connor took off his hat and held it to his chest while he bowed politely to the woman. "Hello, how are you this morning? My name is Connor O'Flanaghan." |
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| Jessica | 29 Jan 2008, 02:10 PM Post #4 |
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"Yes it is! The wind is keeping the air from settling in too warmly, but the sun is still out and in a friendly mood towards us today." Jessica could not help but grin at the man’s enthusiastic and positive attitude. It seemed a rare thing to find in another person as of late (herself included). Of course she did not know of all the unrest brewing in the fort since the arrival of the EITC, nor did she get out of her house enough to really have a solid grasp of the feelings of the general populace, but she was still observant enough to know that not many were being as outgoing and friendly as this man. It was almost enough to make her wonder if he had some ulterior motive… almost. But when she looked into his eyes she saw no hint of guile, no selfish motivations… nothing other than a genuine human being. And so she dropped any suspicion she might have had. Besides, she was sure her butler would be suspicious enough for the both of them. Jessica watched awkwardly as the man bowed before her. She supposed she should be accustomed to men doing that by this time, but she just was not. She never quite felt worthy of it, if she was being honest. She tried to hide her discomfort by ducking her head for a moment, not looking back up until he straightened. As she did she thought she could see the slightest hint of a satisfied smile on her butler’s face out of the corner of her eye. He obviously was not bothered as she was by the man bowing to her. "Hello, how are you this morning? My name is Connor O'Flanaghan." “I’m quite well, thank you.” And she was feeling rather well, to her surprise. Her earlier funk seemed to have dissipated with only a few friendly words. Well if I didn’t already know I need to interact with people more often, this certainly proves it. “I’m Jessica Rothschld.” “The Right Honourable the Lady Jessica Rothschild,” she heard her butler pipe up beside her as she cringed. It was the truth, of course, but she really did prefer when people did not know, at least people not of the nobility themselves. They treated her differently when they knew, as though they were constantly worried that she would turn against them and make it her mission to make their lives miserable. Of course this was not true of her (a fact her butler apparently regrettably knew, else he would have never said a thing). Still, now that he had said something Jessica was forced to acknowledge it. As Jessica turned to her butler she merely said, “Yes, thank you.” The tone of her voice made it clear that she was not really thankful. Still, she knew that he was merely looking out for her best interests, doing what he thought proper. It made it impossible for her to be angry at him. She looked back to Mister O’Flanaghan a bit sheepishly, as though she had been caught lying, though it had not really been a lie. Her name was Jessica Rothschild, after all. But, still, she knew she should have included her title as well. Hoping that if she changed the subject he would let it go, she quickly added, “And how are you?” |
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| Deleted User | 26 Feb 2008, 02:11 AM Post #5 |
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Sometimes you could make a difference for another person even if it was just in a little way, today he smiled at a stranger and saw her cheer up. Before he said hello she was looking a little grim and maybe even unhappy, but she gave a real grin even if it was just for a little bit. He straightened back up from the bow with a happy consciosness that he was in the right place at the right time. Sometimes someone needed to see a friendly face and he thought that this woman was one of those people. For that matter Connor was one of those people! He had introduced himself by saying “Hello, how are you this morning? My name is Connor O’Flanaghan.” She said back “I’m quite well, thank you. I’m Jessica Rothschild.” He didn’t know who she was, Connor really wasn’t very aware of who was rich and important people were. But then the servant with her added to the introduction and surprised Connor. “The Right Honourable the Lady Jessica Rothschild.” She was a Lady! Well, of course it was obvious she wasn’t a poor churchmouse but still he was surprised to find he was talking to a Lady. Connor hadn’t been around people with titles very much, except for a few rich young Lords at university. But he listened to his own thoughts and he realized it didn’t make any difference to him, he gave everyone the same respect and courtesy. Just like the other day when he met the steward in the bakery. Why would he offer anything less than simple humanity and friendship to Lady Rothschild. Jessica turned to the servant who gave Connor her full title though and said in a voice that was a little bit unhappy, “Yes, thank you.” Well Connor was pretty good at guessing things and he guessed that she didn’t really like her title. Or she didn’t want to be recognized today. But she gave him her real name so she wasn’t being anonymous, she just probably didn’t like being My Ladied. He couldn’t call her Jessica though! That would be really rude. She looked back at him and she looked a little embarrassed and guilty. “And how are you?” she asked a little too quick. Connor wanted to put her easy again since he wasn’t angry about the strange introduction but he wasn’t really sure how to do it. He just kept the same easy grin up like nothing was wrong. Especially since nothing WAS wrong he didn’t have to put out any effort for his cheerfulness. But he needed to give her something to talk about so that she didn’t worry about the names very much. And he’d try not to say her name at all so that she didn’t have to hear ‘My Lady’ too much. Most people would probably My Lady her as much as they possibly could to show their respect and shove it in her face. But Connor knew that respect wasn’t just all about titles, it was also about treating someone the way they wanted to be treated. “I’m really very well! There isn’t anything better than a walk in the morning to put you in spirits for the rest of the day. Ive been rambling on the shore for hours watching the seabirds. Many of them hunt in the morning you know. I saw an albatross come in for a landing, its no wonder they’re called gooney birds is it? They are graceful in the air but as soon as they touch earth they are so clumsy, those great long wings just don’t fold down very well.” |
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