Role Play W/ K. Howard

[Trots]

Amelia shrugged and furrowed her brow. “Alright. Will do.” She responded quietly and took out her dagger. She sat on the edge of the platform easily and leaned back against the pole which was holding the platform in place. She would pull parts of the rigging and begin slicing clean the unwanted pieces and would be careful not to mess with the ones which were alright. “So you’ve never fallen?” She asked curiously and with an evil glint to her eyes. “I’ve only had it happen once but i fell far enough to grab the ropes and hold myself up. It was a nice feeling... adrenaline. Only fearful for a moment.”

[wait for me.]

"A few times, but falls give you bruises, not scars." James said. He threw back down the section he had been working on, cut cords falling down to the deck, while the ones left swung back into place. He reached for another length of rope, "Hit my head once and had a pretty bad gash up the side of my face, but I was still about a child at the time and healed right quick." He glanced at Amelia and noticed a glint in her eye. He made a quick note in his mind not to risk turning his back on her. He went back to humming his song, imaging the baritone voices of his old crew. It would be nice to have a crew like that again. If those on board The Circe were a bit more welcoming, perhaps he could have learned a few new songs from them.

[Trots]

“Hmm you amuse me.” She looked to him and didn’t say much a word now as she focused on her job at hand. She let go of the bow broken Chunks and let them fall before going to grab another piece. “Ah. Well that’s very fortunate.” She pointed out. Though she was partly distracted by his humming. Not many sang nor even hummed on the ship. Other than groans and occasional speaking, the ship was rather silent. “I wouldn’t be too loud. The sailors don’t like songs.” She warned him but was more curious if the songs. She wanted to hear more but knew it wouldn’t do good on the boy.

[wait for me.]

James paused in his work, clearly baffled by this piece of news, "They don't like songs? What kind of sailor doesn't like songs?" He said with a scoff, "What do they do to entertain themselves, then?" He shook his head and turned back to work. He continued his humming, but, as Amelia suggested, kept his humming quiet. He didn't want anyone to be angry with him so early into his tenure with the crew, an odd bunch though they were, with strange ways. As he fell deeper into his work he began to sing quietly, trying to keep the words under his breath so they wouldn't be carried down to the deck,

"I'm lonesome since I crossed the hill,
And o'er the moorland sedgy
Such heavy thoughts my heart do fill,
Since parting with my Betsey
I seek for one as fair and gay,
But find none to remind me
How sweet the hours I passed away,
With the girl I left behind me."

The song reminded him that he had no home to return to - not really - with his mother gone, no siblings, no sweetheart like in the songs. Settling elsewhere would let him leave all his memories behind. He could have a new life. Then, when he sailed, he'd always have something to help him keep up hope instead of the echoes that left him pining.

[Trots]

Amelia flinched from his scoff and she looked to him. “No they do not. And they work. That’s all they want to do. Trust me. No ones really fun anymore.” She scratched her arm a bit and she messed with the dagger in her palm, spinning it around with her fingers anxiously before continuing to slice the ropes. His singing made her grow nervous but she listened to the words and looked to him sadly. She had heard that song once when her Mother had sang it but never since.

Amelia examined his features and she easily went and patted his shoulder. “Even though it doesn’t feel like it yet-you’re one of us. Trust me.” She smiled a little and stretched. “But don’t get too attached. Anyways, how come you decided to come with us? Goin somewhere? Back to a wife?”

[wait for me.]

James had to smile at being told he was part of the crew. A soft, uncertain smile, but a smile nonetheless. He wasn't sure if he believed it, yet, but it was nice to think about. Maybe he could bring them back around to songs. There were plenty of work songs they could learn that wouldn't pull them from their work at all.

Being asked if he had a wife he was going home to gave his soft smile a new meaning. It was no longer hopeful, but sad, "No. No one left at home for me. I spent my childhood in England, but it holds too many bad memories now, so I'm moving on. I'm not sure where to, exactly. I might settle in whatever port we dock in, or maybe I'll head a bit inland, I just need to get away." His knife slipped a little and he nearly sliced open his finger, but managed to pull his hand back in time to save himself from a nasty cut. He shook out his hand and paused to give it a short rest from the repetitive motion of cutting and pulling.

[Trots]

Amelia was intrigued by his smile but when it faltered into something sad she felt guilt but said nothing of the sort about it. “Hmm. Well go somewhere nice. Not somewhere trashy.” She recommended and sighed. “I think you’d be good at the port we’re hesding to. A week off or so. Not too long. You’d possibly like it.” She leaned back and put her dagger into her pocket and let go of the part of the rigging she had. “I do wish you luck on your journey though. You will settle nicely somewhere I’m sure.” She seemed a bit more quiet now but she knew that keeping him on the ship wouldn’t have been the best. “Just be careful and stay wary of the sailors on this ship. If you’re leaving then you outta do it when they don’t know.”

[wait for me.]

"Yes. I hope wherever I settle, it's close enough to the shore that I can get back out to sea whenever it calls for me. My wife - I'll have one I suppose - will have to be of the seafaring sort, or else steadfast enough to be left for months on end." Don't let it end like last time.James threw down another length of rope and looked around the rest of the rigging, "Are you done on your side?" He asked, not wanting to go too far into a conversation topic that left him feeling like there was a space just behind his heart, gaping open and growing wider by the second. He didn't mean to be cold or dismissive, he just wasn't sure he could bear it.

[Trots]

Amelia listened and nodded a bit. “I’m sure you’ll find somebody who’s alright with boat travel or someone who doesn’t mind waiting. You’d just have to be a loyal sailor is all.” She murmured slowly. “Yes I’m done.” She said before looking to his side. “Did-“

“Now what in hell are you doin’ up there?” A voice from below interrupted Amelia and it made her shutter but she grinned.

“Oh old man.” She looked down to the man and shook her head a bit. She breathed in deeply and sighed out as she looked to James. “Here. You can meet... well I guess a friend of mine.”

[wait for me.]

James straightened his spine at the sound of a voice from below. Surely that was a sailor, one of the sets of eyes the Captain had warned him about, who would report his breaking of the Captain's rules. Surely he would be punished. Maybe he had even heard his singing and would punish him double for it. He was expecting a cruel talking-to at best, and twenty lashes at worst. But then, Amelia said the man was her friend of hers. He let out a breath and slumped forward, quickly sheathing his knife, "Should we make our way down, then?" He gestured for Amelia to go first. Once she began her way down, he grabbed a separate set of ropes and started his way down, glancing over his shoulder and toward the deck every now and then.