Realistic or Modern Victorian London

[GreyZone]

Margaret scowled at a particularly difficult and long word, waiting far too long to just /ask/ Victor what it was. She always felt like a petty schoolgirl, even though she was realizing that English spelling was much stupider than she had ever imagined. "What is this?" She finally asked in a huffy voice, pointing to the offensive word. 'Arrangement.' "I've tried to sound it out and it's no good."


She looked around the car, in suspicion of everyone, as if they would accuse her for not being able to read well. "I don't like it."

 

[Syrrus]

"Arrange-ment, it is a manner of a way you place things, or a deal, it is a arrangement of something to be. You and I have arranged a partnership as traveling companions." Victor said, without taking his eyes off the scribbles. He was writing poetry, in the form of creating words which sounded or looked beautiful to him. A spelling or creation of a word was the inspiration to his imagination.


Edwards scratched his chin in thought, and watched as rain began to hit the window to his right.

 

[GreyZone]

Her nose wrinkled as he explained it. She didn't know what the devil he was talking about, but at least she knew what the ridiculous word sounded like. "Thank you kind sir," she replied in a rather ironic tone, turning back to the book with a frown. She was so bent on understanding the words and looking like she was reading well that she was paying no mind to the actual story, and of course, was immensely bored and frustrated because of it.


"I simply do not understand how you find this enjoyable at all!" She finally protested, slamming the poor book shut and placing it back on the seat beside her with a frown. "The habit is just so dull."

 

[Syrrus]

Victor raised an eyebrow at her, when he got slightly startles by the loud noise. He leaned back in his seat and closed his notepad with slight annoyance. "What is dull? learning process, reading or the inability to understand?" He began to look through his coat for something, a gift in the size of both his hands, laying next to each other. He reached it out towards her; it was yet another book. Though this book was different from the others. It was a dictionary.


"You may look up the words you have difficulty with, there - it will teach you not only to be able to find reference quickly, but to speak the words as if you always known them - the pronunciations are written down too."

 

[GreyZone]

"It is just not interesting. Changing the devil baby's diaper would be more fascinating than spending ten minutes per sentence trying to figure out what in the world some stuffy old author is trying to say." She crossed her arms tightly and did not take the dictionary from him. "I can read street signs well enough, that is sufficient. But I can now see why that the book reading," she said this word with as much distaste as possible, "is left for men. I am sure I will be quite content to just hear you read what is actually deemed notable."


She stuffed the novel back into her bag, not desiring to look at it for a moment longer. She knew that she was being petty and girlish, but dammit, it was hard and he acted as if the task was second nature. It infuriated Margaret.

 

[Syrrus]

Victor raised another eyebrow at her, clearly not amused that she would think so badly about the subject which he loved so dearly. Though, knowing her temper - and any temper any woman could have - he decided not to battle her on it. She would come around, he was certain. Who did not love reading? The fantastic world which could only enfold beyond the pages of a book? Yet, she continued to speak harshly about it, which caused him to frown - frustrated.


"Very well." was all he mustered, for he did not wish to fight her, not at this point in time. They had a long trip ahead of them, and he could no longer just leave her and walk away - or perhaps he could, before they reached France. "It is mortal to fear what they do not understand, or cannot do. Fear in the disguise of hatred and anger."

 

[GreyZone]

She closed her eyes and forced herself to mutter the cursed words. "I am sorry, Mr. Edwards. I did not mean to cause a problem or disrespect something that you love so much--"


But then what he said next. She leaned forward, her eyes flickering with rage even though the rest of her face was cool and placid. "So you are saying that I fear reading simply because I find it a dull and tedious task? With all due respect," oh, was she trying not to mock him and failing, "Sir, you are just blatantly wrong and for that, I am deeply sorry."

 

[Syrrus]

"Then why are you so defensive? I could not care less what you think, though I find it against a human's nature not to seek knowledge, and no matter how 'dull' you may find it, my dear, it is in fact the only way to gain knowledge in a theoretical form that is not experience." He pulled one leg over the other, and placed his hands over his notepad. "You have just started, and pardon my... insolence, but as a child who just learned that they need to spell the alphabet, small letters and big, you hate it for you cannot do it, yet."

 

[GreyZone]

She closed her eyes and nodded stiffly, trying to keep the exasperation off of her face. "Oh, how I do enjoy it when you call me a child. It just warms my heart down to the very core, dear Mr. Edwards."


But in spite of herself, she begrudgingly picked the book back up and started to struggle through again. "Will you read it to me?" She finally asked after a good few minutes. "I couldn't for the life of me even tell you what the main character is named and that seems sort of counter productive to me."

 

[Syrrus]

"The main characters name is Romeo, I also did not call you a child, I merely compared your experience in the art of reading to one." He frowned at her, and wondered for a second why in the world she always took everything he said as an insult. It hit him that most women did this, and no matter how confusing he thought it to be, it could not help but annoy him.


Victor moved over and sat next to her, where he placed his finger over the first sentence. "I shall read it to you, but you are going to read it with me - silently."

 

[GreyZone]

She nodded stiffly at his explanation, but she did not like it. It was bad enough that he was further than her in everything without him comparing her to a child constantly. "The volume is pretty," she offered as a last resorted compliment, with a heavy smile. "At least I can tell that much. But whoever decided to spell words as they are, they deserve to be stoned and then crucified."


Margaret had been planning on closing her eyes and letting him do all the work--she did love listening to him read--but that vision was quickly shattered. "Fine," she told him, even though she had no intent of doing nothing but staring at the page. The tiny words gave her a headache. "But only because you are just so charming."

 

[Syrrus]

"Shakespeare invented his own English, it is thanks to him that we have progressed as far as we have, with language and culture. Never mind that his works are famous all across or little world, but do continue to insult him; he was a man born in poverty, much like yourself - without the education to save his skin, though he was lucky, taught simple English and invented what else he needed to write plays for theatre. He died as a genius."


Victor pulled up his shirt sleeves and leaned towards Margaret so he could read out loud to her, turning the page back to chapter one before beginning, and completely ignoring her tone of voice. He spoke, one word at a time, slowly and perfectly - in the queens English.

 

[GreyZone]

She made a brief noise as she listened, nodding slowly. Her arms remained firmly crossed. "So I am taking it that this Shakespeare fellow decides to throw random letters into the middles of perfectly acceptable words just to confuse stupid people like me who never learned to me. Ah, how I appreciate it." She sighed. "Nothing makes me feel more ignorant quicker."


But as soon as Victor was reading to her, it actually made sense and she didn't hate the story so much. "I spend too much time trying to decipher what the words actually are to enjoy the story," she told him quietly, looking out the window.

 

[Syrrus]

Victor tried his hardest, he truly did; though slowly gave up his attempt.


"Alright that is it." He slammed the book shut and removed himself from her, sitting back down in his own seat, and continued to scribble. "I might not be Jack, but the amount of negativity and low self-esteem that comes out from you when you open your moth is causing me great pain. You insult the worlds brilliant minds, even ones that came from a background with abusive family, no coin and no rights and still managed to get themselves out of it - with the help of brilliant creativity. There simply is no point in teaching you anything, with that attitude. And you insult me for being a ignorant noble? Bah." He cursed loudly when he accidently broke his pen in fury.

 

[GreyZone]

She cursed herself for it, she really did, but tears stung her eyes at his words. "Excuse me, Sir," she said in a stiff voice before swiftly rising and making her way toward the restroom to avoid him.


It was just so damn exhausting for her, simply functioning. She had vowed to herself that she wouldn't be a numbskull, wouldn't insult him or his passions, that she would just bite her tongue and do whatever he asked of her. What she had said didn't even seem that infuriating in her mind! She found it highly confusing how no words looked as they actually sounded, and he had made her out to be some fiend because she couldn't even understand anything that that "genius" had written because she couldn't read well enough to even try.


So she did the only sensible thing she could think of--she sat down opposite the damned mirror that the damned rich people could afford and sobbed.

 

[Syrrus]

Victor sighed, as she left him be. He leaned against the window in slight annoyance, not quite certain what he would say to make thing better - or easier for the both of them. it was going to be a very long trip, across the world and back. The idea of not being able to work due to guilt, and someone being upset through the whole travel caused him to feel rather horrible, and uncomfortable besides. Lucky for him, he had Jack.


Jack had managed to soft talk him into a seat in the nobles' part of the train. He was talking, cheering and playing his harmonica to entertain pretty and stuck up women, who paid him nicely for his efforts. Even though their husbands seemed to dislike him greatly. Though as soon as Jack spotted the young maiden and the only female who was a part of his company, enter the ladies room in such a huff, he rose and smiled. Tipped his hat and walked forward. He waited, patiently for a while, before knocking upon the door. "Ma'am. Are ya' alright doll'? the stuck up royal didn't do somethin' stupid again, did 'e?"

 

[GreyZone]

After a moment, Margaret opened the door with her head held high, even though her eyes betrayed her. "He is just as insufferable as ever. Never mind it, I have dealt with worse." She was telling this to herself almost as much as Jack. "I cannot say anything without it being twisted, so I will just remain silent. Then again, I do the same to him, so I suppose that we're even."


She nodded at Jack before making her way back down the aisle and sitting across from Victor. She didn't give him a second glance as she took a blank sketchbook, idly doodling the people around her. She would never give him the satisfaction of practicing something that he had been trying to teach her. Her pencils and paper would do well enough to entertain her.

 

[Syrrus]

Victor had fallen asleep against the train window, the notebook laying next to him on the floor. Again, he looked rather blissful, though slightly bothered behind his round red glasses. Though it seemed as if the young man was just as exhausted as usual, without nights of sleep, a lot of alcohol and other liquids. He tended to tear himself down. Trying his hardest to stay awake in the return of his dear companion he had simply lost track of time and fallen back asleep. Why had he not followed her? Because victor was lazy and socially awkward.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret was secretly relieved that he was asleep and she wouldn't be up for more scrutinizing for a few hours. She took her weathered old quilt that she had slept with for years and draped it over her lap, but that's when she caught sight of the travel pillow that Jane had made for her as a parting gift. She had stuffed it herself, including sprigs of lavender that supposedly would help her sleep and smell good, according to the younger girl.


Against her better judgement, she carefully lifted Victor's head up just far enough to tuck the little pillow underneath it. She knew that it was crude, but it was still better than a train window and it had been a sweet gift from her younger sister.

 

[Syrrus]

Victor only mumbled, without cohesion when she moved his head. The young man either slept very heavily, or too lightly for comfort.


The train moved along, and it wasn't until they were half way that Victor woke back up, by the food cart which went by, trying to sell cigarettes, coffee, wine and cakes to they who wanted something. He rubbed his eyes in confusion and made a lazy gesture. "Would you like something, Margaret?" He said, his voice groggy and his vision blurred. He moved his hand in under his jacket to try and find his valet. Causing the pillow to fall down and land on top of him.

 

[GreyZone]

"I am fine, thank you," she told him, looking up from the book that she had picked up again and was attempting to middle her way through.


Once he was coherent, the pillow had seemed like a stupid idea and she chastised herself for it. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, her eyes avoiding his.

 

[Syrrus]

"I--" He stroke a hand through his hair, trying to regain his concentration as he looked around, lazily. "I think so." He noticed the pillow, which hardly looked like one that belonged in a train. He took it up and placed it against the seat, he then lay down, using his jacket as a blanket and placed his head on the pillow and turned his back against her to get some more sleep. "Thank you."

 

[GreyZone]

"You are welcome," she said in a quiet voice, blushing behind his copy of Shakespeare. She still was my positive if she could tell anyone anything about the story, but it was simple reading comprehension and she knew that she must improve on it.


"I'm going to try to read aloud, if it won't bother you," she told him quietly, knowing he was most likely asleep again.

 

[Syrrus]

"No.... No that is fine." He mumbled, half asleep. "Your voice is pretty anyway..." He continued to mumble. It was rather strange how he had managed to fall asleep so quickly, though morphine was often something that caused sleep to come easier, and it was easier to take morphine on a train than some other type of substance.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret blushed even more fiercely at his compliment that he probably didn't think twice about in spite of herself.


But we eyes drifted back to the book and she began to quietly read aloud, the sentences piecing together better audibly than in her mind.