Post by Krysis on Jan 4, 2021 23:17:52 GMT -6
For many, the first week of January was a bitter time. It was pretty much as cold as it could get in Bristol, and the wind off the coast made mock of even the thickest coats of civilians, though the coats of captains and so on from the navy were up to the task. Leprous drifts of old snow crouched in corners and alleys, sometimes concealing more solid and even less pleasant items. Ships of every shape and size groaned against the hawsers holding them to the docks and a handful of miserable sailors shivered on watch.
Bright windows dotted the town, as glassy and full of movement as feverish dreams. Frantic enjoyment was the order of the evening in the various bars, taverns, dancehalls, theaters and even a handful of coffee houses. They were full of desperate souls that tried to ignore the ice coating every outside surface with the failing of the sun.
Lily Tearnman, well dressed for the weather with a fur coat and a smile hungry for mischief, locked the door of her rented room after checking the road for witnesses. When she turned away from the task, she cried in shock at finding a figure standing no more than three feet behind her. Then she gave an impatient huff and put her hands on her hips at recognizing him. “Why do you so love to startle a girl? There is no point on wasting effort on me at this point.”
Henry Outterridge grinned at his ‘friend’, tilting his head as his raven dark hair whipped across his face briefly. “It’s good practice. Didn’t think I’d find you alone. Admirals and merchant kings abound, to be twined around your little finger.”
Lily gave a prim sniff and stalked towards her patron to yank his coat closed, instead of fluttering from his shoulders like a snared bird. Glaring up at him, she buttoned the garment roughly. “How do you know I’m not off to meet such a man? You need to take more care or people will know, just by looking at you, that you’re not human.”
Henry, also known as ‘Ire’, amused himself by plucking the pins from Lily’s ginger locks while she wasn’t paying attention to his hands. The ruddy curls quickly escaped the careful confiture, making her give an angry cry and grope for the problem. “You know as well as any, how many look and do not observe. I have already disposed of your evening engagements. I’ve need of you.”
The woman’s face was already reddened from the wind as well as her temper as she moved to let Ire be a wind-break for her, and demanded his arm to cling to. “Fine. Let’s get out of this weather. How secretive a task is this? Is it something that is going to-- You know I am still persona non grata in Belgium, after that stunt you pulled. It would be highly inconvenient to be chased out of England.”
Outteridge bent over his smaller companion as they strolled, watching her face as he steered her to walk over a frozen puddle. Her annoyance as her foot shot out from under her made his dark eyes crinkle in amusement, though he didn’t let her fall. “No, you won’t be chased out of England. There is a young doctor in town. He has something I want, and you are going to distract him while I collect. Or I can distract him while you fetch it, which I would find far more amusing.”
Lily snarled at how her patron was taking liberties, “Winter storms always bring out your worst qualities. Mr. Outterridge, I’d thank you to behave like a gentleman for ten minutes, please.” She took a moment to fix her clothes after his mistreatment. “Last time you called someone ‘young’, she turned out to be a grandmother. Show me this doctor, and then I will know if he is the sort that I can distract or not.”
Bright windows dotted the town, as glassy and full of movement as feverish dreams. Frantic enjoyment was the order of the evening in the various bars, taverns, dancehalls, theaters and even a handful of coffee houses. They were full of desperate souls that tried to ignore the ice coating every outside surface with the failing of the sun.
Lily Tearnman, well dressed for the weather with a fur coat and a smile hungry for mischief, locked the door of her rented room after checking the road for witnesses. When she turned away from the task, she cried in shock at finding a figure standing no more than three feet behind her. Then she gave an impatient huff and put her hands on her hips at recognizing him. “Why do you so love to startle a girl? There is no point on wasting effort on me at this point.”
Henry Outterridge grinned at his ‘friend’, tilting his head as his raven dark hair whipped across his face briefly. “It’s good practice. Didn’t think I’d find you alone. Admirals and merchant kings abound, to be twined around your little finger.”
Lily gave a prim sniff and stalked towards her patron to yank his coat closed, instead of fluttering from his shoulders like a snared bird. Glaring up at him, she buttoned the garment roughly. “How do you know I’m not off to meet such a man? You need to take more care or people will know, just by looking at you, that you’re not human.”
Henry, also known as ‘Ire’, amused himself by plucking the pins from Lily’s ginger locks while she wasn’t paying attention to his hands. The ruddy curls quickly escaped the careful confiture, making her give an angry cry and grope for the problem. “You know as well as any, how many look and do not observe. I have already disposed of your evening engagements. I’ve need of you.”
The woman’s face was already reddened from the wind as well as her temper as she moved to let Ire be a wind-break for her, and demanded his arm to cling to. “Fine. Let’s get out of this weather. How secretive a task is this? Is it something that is going to-- You know I am still persona non grata in Belgium, after that stunt you pulled. It would be highly inconvenient to be chased out of England.”
Outteridge bent over his smaller companion as they strolled, watching her face as he steered her to walk over a frozen puddle. Her annoyance as her foot shot out from under her made his dark eyes crinkle in amusement, though he didn’t let her fall. “No, you won’t be chased out of England. There is a young doctor in town. He has something I want, and you are going to distract him while I collect. Or I can distract him while you fetch it, which I would find far more amusing.”
Lily snarled at how her patron was taking liberties, “Winter storms always bring out your worst qualities. Mr. Outterridge, I’d thank you to behave like a gentleman for ten minutes, please.” She took a moment to fix her clothes after his mistreatment. “Last time you called someone ‘young’, she turned out to be a grandmother. Show me this doctor, and then I will know if he is the sort that I can distract or not.”
