Jack nods a quick acknowledgment to both Ivy and Jane before returning his gaze to Delaney.
“It were the lady who offered me tea, she weren’t askin’ fer your opinion.”
“Ahm not planning on vacatin’ this here seat, so either make yer play or take a walk”
As the burly yank says his piece, a fairly non-descript man slowly makes his way up to him, standing within reach he gently places his hands on each mans shoulder.
“Now now lads” he says in a thick scottish accent, “we’re all a bit frayed and exhausted from what happened back there in lil ole london, with all these pretty lasses here, we’d hate to bring the fight to the safety we have here” he looks at each man in the eyes. “besides, I know for a fact that where we’re going, there are no demons, after a couple of days, i’m sure we’ll all be gagging for a bit of a fight, may-hap we’ll have us a bit of a friendly dustup eh?”
Releasing the shoulders of each man, he claps them on the back, “hows about a nice shake there chums, put all this bravado on the back burner”
[quote=“Jon Ball”]
“Uh, merci Ivy for getting me out of that situation. It seems like we are constantly fleeing…”[/quote]
Ivy turns her back on the drama, seeing as the immediate threat of violence has passed. Flicking her eyes over the Dr, she nods. “Merely doing what I was tasked to Dr Dumont. My duty as it were.” The bitterness in her voice seems to slip in with out thought. “The constant travelling should be over soon. I have to admit, even for a gypsy we have been on the move for a long time.”
Agnes sits quietly for a little while, aware of her companion’s discomfort. Then she hands Miss. North her jacket back. There seems to be some sort of disturbance further away; hands on weapons, mutterings from the surrounding people. Agnes’s fingers twitch and she smiles.
"I find that one misses fighting, after a while. " She pauses. “As unladylike as that is to admit it.”
[quote=“TazzyD”]As the burly yank says his piece, a fairly non-descript man slowly makes his way up to him, standing within reach he gently places his hands on each mans shoulder.
“Now now lads” he says in a thick scottish accent, “we’re all a bit frayed and exhausted from what happened back there in lil ole london, with all these pretty lasses here, we’d hate to bring the fight to the safety we have here” he looks at each man in the eyes. “besides, I know for a fact that where we’re going, there are no demons, after a couple of days, i’m sure we’ll all be gagging for a bit of a fight, may-hap we’ll have us a bit of a friendly dustup eh?”
Releasing the shoulders of each man, he claps them on the back, “hows about a nice shake there chums, put all this bravado on the back burner”[/quote]
“Safety?!?” he says looking at the man who has put his hands on him, before addressing him with a disgusted look.
“They are everywhere… Sir.” He says with snark. “There is no safety. They will find us, they always find you.”
The man steps away, his eyes wilder by the minute.
“And look at that!” He says pointing to the evil looking sword. “We cant be safe with that thing on board! And him! He is probably one of them!”
“Why wont any of you see?!?” he says staggering back, looking about the personages.
“Maybe your one of them!” he says now regarding the scotsman. “You are in league with them aren’t you sir.”
Jane leans away from the panicking Lord Delaney, and as she does so her boot hits the forgotten canteen, causing it to topple. The tea spills everywhere.
Jane stares at it for a moment, then looks up at Jack. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I can no longer offer you tea.” She pulls out a cloth and begins mopping it up.
“I wouldn’t know,” Esther tells Agnes. Her attempt to hide her discomfort at the company she’s in is failing badly, and she’s positively squirming in her seat, stiffening sharply when her arm accidentally brushes her companion’s.
Though she looks desperately curious about what’s going on, she continues, “Anyway, I’m sure it’s best if we stay out of the way.”
“Not your fault, ma’am, Thank yew kindly for the offer tho” says Jack, touching the brim of his hat, with his hand.
Catching Ivy’s last words, he half turns and says to no-one in particular "Gypsy? Ah knew a gypsy gal once, but she were killed… "
[quote=“siximpossiblethings”]
Though she looks desperately curious about what’s going on, she continues, “Anyway, I’m sure it’s best if we stay out of the way.”[/quote]
The man in the black trench coat hurries past the commotion, nearly bowling into a little old lady in the process. “Apologies mam, didn’t clock ya dere,” doffing his fedora as he bows slightly.
Turning to hurry on past he spots the old woman’s companion and a slight smile tweaks his face. “Esther Norf! as I live and breathe! pardon me, where ‘re me manners, please introduce me ter your ol’ China.”
Dealing with the tea as best she can Jane tries to reassure Lord Delaney.
“I’m pretty sure Her Majasty Queen Victoria in on on of the airships.” She says. “So that means Van Hellsing will be as well. When we arrive at Skye he’ll make sure none of us are demons, and if someone is a demon they weill be dealt with. Until then they won’t try anything with all of these witnesses. So, we should be safe.” Then she adds “And once we’re safe I can finish my mail run.”
[quote=“mundens”]
Catching Ivy’s last words, he half turns and says to no-one in particular "Gypsy? Ah knew a gypsy gal once, but she were killed… "[/quote]
Ivy turns sharply. “What was her name? When did she die?”
Delaney looks somewhat relieved at Janes words.
“Yes… ma’am you are right. Van Helsing is near, and then all the Demons will burn.”
With that he takes a step back, watching Jack Gaunt and sits back down opposite. All the while staring .
Esther looks up as she hears her name, and her eyes widen in sudden delight. “ARTEMAS!” She jumps up to hug the man. “Oh, Arty, I should have known that you’d have made it.”
The candid affection in her voice contrasted with the detached concern she displays to Mrs. Fletcher confirm that Esther North’s display of forced cordiality toward her companion is brought on by nothing so much as pure loathing, mingled with terror of the results of being thought anything but perfectly civl.
“This is… This is Agnes Fletcher. She’s with the Church as well; Father Wilde called upon me to… To escort her safely out of London. Mrs. Fletcher, this is Artemas Cole. He’s a friend of mine. Also from the Church- Humankind’s chances are greatly improved if he’s still with us.” She grins. It’s obviously for Artemas’s benefit, not Agnes’s, though she glances at Agnes with some apprehension, waiting to see how she’ll react to the man whose accent and demeanor obviously don’t sit within her rigid definition of propriety.
She stares at Artemas deliberately, flicks her eyes back to Mrs. Fletcher, then returns her gaze to him, clearly trying to express something she’s unable to say in front of Agnes herself.
Artemis doffs his hat once again as he responds, "A pleasure ter make your acquaintance Mrs. Fletcher."
He pauses for a moment, observing Agnes’ reaction as he weighs his next choice of words. There is an almost palpable tension in the air as the silence drags on. After what seems an age Artemis speaks up once again. “I’m afraid I’ll 'ave ter beg your indulgence, but Miss Norf and I ‘ave sum catchin’ up ter do,” his right hand motions beyond Agnes, further into the airship.
Esther bites her lip, frowning, then says, “Excuse me.” She spends a moment confering with one of the nearbye soldiers who was directing the crowd onto the ship looking meaningfully in Agnes’s direction and nodding once, then rejoins Agnes and Artemas. “Artemas is right, Mrs. Fletcher, he and I have things to discuss. Please excuse us.”
“Oh, of course. So lovely to see that you two have found each other.” Agnes smiles, and sits down. She scratches absently at the thin strip of pink lace around her neck.
She watches them shuffle off, making their way among the refugees holding packages and clutching crying children.
It’s only once Agnes has disappeared from their view that the full horror of their situation seems to hit Esther- It’s as though she’s been powered on by her single-minded determindness to deliver Agnes safely to Skye (or, perhaps, to keep the other passengers safe from Agnes?). She closes her eyes and rests her head against her friend’s shoulder for a moment, before speaking.
“We made it,” she says, voice devoid of any of her earlier vitality. “That must be worth something, yes? Thank God you’re safe, at any rate.” She smiles weakly, as though she’s aware of the futilty of her next question: “How are you holding up, Artemas?”
“Her name were Lily” he recites, as if reciting by rote ancient history from a dry text-book, as if he’s had to say this so many times to himself and others that it has driven the emotion from him.
“She were killed by demons more’n ten long year ago.”
[quote=“siximpossiblethings”]
She smiles weakly, as though she’s aware of the futilty of her next question: “How are you holding up, Artemas?”[/quote]
Artemis lifts his head up and looks out over the hold, staring off into the distance as he answers. " I’m alive, any mawer van what I cannot tell." Anger briefly flashes across his face, before he regains his composure.
He turns his head back to Esther, the only emotion showing on his face an almost imperceptible sadness in his eyes. “and ya? 'ow ‘re ya ‘oldin’ up? wot was it ya wan’ed ter tell me that ya couldn’t say in fron’ ov Love & Kisses Fletcher?”
[quote=“mundens”]
“She were killed by demons more’n ten long year ago.”[/quote]
“Oh god. Lilly.” Ivy struggles for composure. “10 years ago? My god, to finally get free but be killed by those damn martiyr.” The pain and sadness are replaced by the hardness from before, “She was a good friend of mine.” Reaching into her bag she pulls out a silver flask. “To her memory then. To the laughing girl I knew and who knew herbs better than any I learnt with. To the woman she became, who refused to be beaten down by the world we were born into. To Lilly.” Ivy takes a long pull from the flask and offers it to Jack.