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Post by Cpt. Arthur Kirkland on Mar 15, 2012 17:50:46 GMT -5
It was nice.
It was nice to get the time to himself, to escape the hours of rocking on a ship in his cabin, only with himself and his own plans to keep him company. It was nice to escape the area of danger and risk of his own life, to the refuge of seeing the children -- his children.
He didn't have much time, and perhaps didn't take as much caution as he should have, but quickly scuffled through the alleyways in his uniform. His expression brightens as he comes out into the opening and meets with the children, who all stop and make excited clamours of his return.
Arthur couldn't help but his expression softened. He casts his eyes over the children, and moves forward and leans down to pick one of them up.
It certainly was nice.
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Post by Elise Peeters on Mar 16, 2012 16:22:33 GMT -5
The charity event at the local orphanage had been a wild success, but Elise was glad to finally pack up and go home. Her supplies were all packed and she had seen off the carriage she had hired to take them to her shop. It was late, but she had opted to stay a little longer to say goodbye to the children, who had taken to her pastries with great enthusiasm.
Laughingly promising to return with more sweets soon, Elise waved as she set off down the street. She took in her surroundings; she was in the worst part of the city, and so the area was still and gray. The only noise came from the alleyway a farther up the road, which sounded like shrieks of laughter and the rapid slapping of feet on the ground.
They were such lovely sounds in the midst of the sad silence of the slums that Elise was drawn to it. Peering into the alley opening, she smiled when she found a gaggle of children playing. But her eye caught a taller figure - one that was definitely not a child - approaching them. Her smile fell.
Just what was a man doing in such a secluded area in the slums - approaching children? As she watched, she felt her hackles rise. They children were defenseless! She glanced around.
How long would it take for someone to come running if she screamed?
But when she saw the man pluck a baby from a child's arms, she knew she didn't have time to wait. She steeled herself for a second, then took off running toward the man. With her gathered momentum, she threw her entire weight against the man.
"Let go!" she shouted as she pounded her fists against him. "How dare you? Let the child go!"
She snatched the baby from the man's arms, screaming for help.
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Post by Cpt. Arthur Kirkland on Mar 16, 2012 17:38:56 GMT -5
"What the---"
He's cut off as he goes flying, and he barely has time to think before he realises someone's tackled him, while he's had the child in his arms. He cries out, more concerned for the child than himself, and it's when he's plucked from his arms does Arthur freeze, gazing up at the other. He deadpans.
He just got tackled by a woman. He is horribly glad that none of his crew was around. However, once she started yelling, he panics. His hands raise up.
"Whoah, whoah! Hold the sirens! --- Aah--" He looks around, not sure how to convince her that he wasn't trying to hurt the children. He stops, turning his head to the baby's sister. He pulls a pathetic smile.
"Alice, get your brother from her. She thinks I'm trying to hurt him."
The 12 year old was already furious for this stranger taking his brother, she humphs as she stomps up to Elise and tugs hard on her clothing, readying for a kick if needs be. "Oi, Miss! That's my brother! Give him back!"
Arthur sighs, kneeling.
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Post by Elise Peeters on Mar 18, 2012 13:41:05 GMT -5
Elise felt the sharp pull on her skirt and looked down to find a little girl with a dark scowl. Placing the baby in the girl's arms, Elise gave the girl a small push toward the direction of the street.
"Good, take him! Take him and run as fast as you can!" She turned to the other children. "Go, hurry! Before he brings over some friends to take you all!"
Elise rushed to stand before the kneeling stranger, effectively blocking his sight. She had a split second to decide to kick him and make a run for it too.
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Post by Cpt. Arthur Kirkland on Mar 18, 2012 14:53:18 GMT -5
All Arthur did was sit there, looking a little bemused. He looks up towards Elise, the figure blocking most of the light from his sight.
"Hello there. Are you going to kick me or scold me or what?" He remarks.
Amazing, the girl just wandered back to Arthur, poking him lightly.
"Who's she? She doesn't seem to like youu. But I told you that girls can beat boys just as easily!"
Suddenly distracted by this remark, Arthur turns his head and smiles. "Oh, I know. I just wanted you to learn for yourself. Did I ever tell you that one of the people who works on my ship is a female? She beats up the men regularly. She doesn't let them push her around."
The girl looked delighted.
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Post by Elise Peeters on Mar 19, 2012 11:26:18 GMT -5
The tension wound up in Elise's body, preparing her to fight and run, slowly slackened. She was utterly confused - the children didn't seem alarmed at the man's presence. If anything, they seemed to know him.
She stood, limp, as she stared at the children blankly. "Y - you're not afraid? You know him?"
Elise stepped back from the stranger, her apprehension giving way to embarrassment.
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Post by Cpt. Arthur Kirkland on Mar 19, 2012 15:39:14 GMT -5
A few of the children shared similar blank looks, as though this was the most obvious question in the world. They nodded slowly.
Alice bumbled over and dropped the child in Arthur's arms again, turning around and folding her arms defensively.
"Yeah! He looks after us and plays with us! He might look mean sometimes, but he's really silly!"
Arthur, almost instinctively, held the child close to his chest, before looking back up at the female.
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Post by Elise Peeters on Mar 20, 2012 9:29:24 GMT -5
Elise remained stock still, taking in the sight and the girl's words. The man wasn't doing any harm to the children, and the children knew him - were even fond of him.
She tried to speak several times without success. "I - "
She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. This was probably the silliest thing she had done, and it was utterly mortifying. She could feel her cheeks heat up and she knew her face was cherry-red.
"I am so sorry," she said, wholeheartedly meaning it. "I don't know what I was thinking! Er - are you all right, sir?"
She leaned down slightly to examine the man.
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Post by Cpt. Arthur Kirkland on Mar 20, 2012 13:11:54 GMT -5
Arthur simply laughed, not particularly in her face, but more out of amusement at what had happened. He just shrugs.
"I'm fine. It just proves to me you're a very strong woman."
He holds out a hand, asking for him to help him up.
"Not a lot of people who live or wander in these areas would charge at a man who looks like he could turn around and kill them."
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Post by Elise Peeters on Mar 22, 2012 11:15:33 GMT -5
Elise turned an even brighter shade of red and she dropped her eyes to her shoes. She wished that she were somewhere else - anywhere else, really. She was lucky that the man hadn't retaliated.
"I apologize for that." She turned to the children. "And I'm sorry I bothered you all."
Willing her feet not to bolt, Elise forced herself to look directly at the man's face. "I - I better leave you to it then," she stammered.
She ducked her head and spun on her heel, eager to leave the alley opening.
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