Realistic or Modern Victorian London

[GreyZone]

Margaret raised her eyebrows at his little speech and she was glad that Jack thought the peculiarly of it the same. "Only the fact that wealth greatly changes a person's demeanor, presence, wardrobe, self-esteem, self-worth, all the like," Margaret replied. "When I took one look at you in the bar, you could not have convinced me you did not have money if your life depended on it. It truly is rather intriguing."


Heat rose to her cheeks until Jack finished, and then she bursted into laughter. "I see why you brought him, Mr. Edwards. He really is quite amusing." She winked at Jack.

 

[Syrrus]

Victor began to tap his slender fingers against the side table, looking rather frustrated as Margaret seemed to find his snickering old friend so fascinating. Not that he minded that they got along well, but that they did so over him. "How many times have I told you that money does not define a man. I dress as a nobleman should, true, but my home is a mess, tiny and chaotic, my habits are the one of less wealth and I am a alcoholic, without a mistress no less. You can judge my looks all you want, but my lifestyle is nothing but orthodox."


"True that, sir." Jack agreed, nodding with his arms crossed.

 

[GreyZone]

"No, that is not what I meant," Margaret responded. "It is in the way that you hold yourself." She brushed over his jawline with the back of her hand. "The way you neatly avoid looking a things you do not wish to and avoiding responses of others. And your hands," she turned them over in his lap, running over his fingertips. "Your callouses are here. If you worked, they would be on your palms. Whether you like it or not, you have good hygiene. Your teeth are excellent. That is how I knew, for anyone can rob a rich man and put on their garment."

 

[Syrrus]

Victor frowned slightly, he did not much enjoy how simple he seemed. The idea of being a struggling artist was far more fanciful than anything else. Jack of course caught the sense of it and could not help himself from snicker, like a little schoolboy. He was only nineteen, working since the age of five, as a paperboy and then become a chimneysweep at the age of twelve, he had never had time to be a child. So he acted out a little. "I believe we're 'ere, I'll get ya luggage".


"Oh, and Jack. Do you have your revolver?"


"Of course!"

 

[GreyZone]

"And you also look permanently sad," she continued, glancing at his shoulders. "I have met discontent poor men and restless poor men and livid poor men, but they are never permanently like that."


She rose and gathered her bags, refastening her hat painstakingly carefully over her hair. "And why would we need a revolver?" She asked, looping one of her arms through Jack's.

 

[Syrrus]

Jack blinked at her, and then grinned slightly. "For I am the only one 'ere who knows how to use one. True, mister royal over there can use a sword and box 'imself out of trouble - but one bullet between a man's eyes is all ya' need. Besides, we'll be goin' to bad places all over the world, to defend yourself would be preferable." He began to march down the corridor, like a overdone soldier. While Victor sighed heavily, put his had on the head and slowly followed them.

 

[GreyZone]

"Oh, I know how to use one," she replied with a faint laugh, glancing over at Jack. "For when my brothers are not home at night. But that is not saying that I am good by any means."


She glanced over her shoulder at Victor, discreetly winking at him before exiting the train on Jack's arm.

 

[Syrrus]

Victor stepped outside, shortly after the other two. With his heads held high. The scent of the ocean hit him hard, he could see the glittering waves just down the hill. Meanwhile, Jack was talking, arm in arm with Margaret. He had to move himself away from her, eventually, to grab their bags. With one peck on the side of her head and by messing with her hair Jack moved away, and picked up all their luggage, neatly.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret was immediately entranced by the ocean, taking a few careful steps closer to look at it. When the incredible salty scent and the different feel the of the air hit her, she closed her eyes and breathed it in. She hadn't seen it since they had moved from Ireland.


She turned back to look at Victor, tucking the strand of hair Jack had pulled out back up into her hat. "Isn't it just marvelous? I could be content standing here for the rest of my life, honestly."

 

[Syrrus]

"The ocean? I suppose it is, like a bag of sapphires, beautiful but the cause of great heartbreak." Victor said, as he began to walk down the hill, Jack following suit, tw bags on his back, two underneath his arms. Yet he looked as if it did not matter much. "'ow's the sea like stones again? Except the colour, I admit." He asked, to try and push Victor's buttons.


"Sapphires are worthless, in the grand whole, yet no one knows this - there is a overflow of the gem, bandits all over the world searches for it and kills anyone which might stand in their way. People die for the rocks. The Ocean are also worthless - in the grand whole, if we do not count sealife. We cannot drink it, for salt water brings great harm to us and countless life gets taken each and every year traveling across it."


"Seems farfetched to me, sir, if I may be so bold."


"You may not, but you tend to be anyway."

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret listened intently as they spoke about the sea, her head tilted to the side as she watched the grand desire they were discussing.


"That may be true," she replied slowly to Victor. "But do you find beauty and serenity to be worthless in the end? Then again, the sea was my savior. I would still be in Ireland doing who knows what if this very sea was not right here. That is putting aside what happiness it brings me, and I can hardly hate it."

 

[Syrrus]

"So, you would not hate a killer, for he never killed you?" Victor continued, waving his walking stick through the air before planting it against the ground as he walked. Jack attempted to shrug his shoulders, though failed badly. "I think your being a bit too... Vic, for my tastes, Vic, maybe ya' should tone it done, before ya' piss off the lady - again." Jack nudged Victor violently and hurried along, causing the noble to frown. "Fine. Gods, what does it take to get some deep conversation around here."

 

[GreyZone]

"But would I hate the killer if he killed someone to save my life?" She responded, one eyebrow arched coyly. "Everyone and everything has both good and bad in it, and if the ocean has benefited me well, I do not choose to hate it because it has wronged others. If you dislike everything because it has hurt someone else, than you will be a rather miserable man."


She stepped back over to Jack, offering him a smile. "Oh, he does not trouble me. I can not say the same for him, but our banter is not an issue to me."

 

[Syrrus]

"How do you decide that your life is worth more than the one taken?" Victor did not actually ask, as he walked down the narrow street towards Hastings and all its tight glory. They walked by bookstores, coffee shops and clothes shops. Though they were not stopping for any of such things, and heading towards the harbour.


"He annoys me though, which is a 'ard thing to do!" Jack chuckled, clearly not sounding very angry about anything, not even annoyed. "Would you like to go and eat dinner with me? Ya' can take dim and dull over t'ere with ya' if you want."

 

[GreyZone]

"And by that, I take it that you are quite content with being a rather miserable man," she responded with a shrug. "You cannot discount everything with beauty and a purpose by saying that it has done wrong things. If that were true, I would say that you are worthless but I do not think that for a moment."


Margaret shrugged again, and took her back from Jack so he wouldn't have to carry it. "We will have to learn to eat with all three of us together, won't we? We have a couple years ahead of us."

 

[Syrrus]

"I never said that I do not see the beauty, is there no beauty in death? For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams--" Victor began to quote. "Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes--" He continued, as Jack began to shrug and continue walking, muttering something about 'bloody gibberish' "Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side--" Victor turned and began following Jack who apparently knew exactly where they were going. "Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride," Victor opened the door to the restaurant for both Margaret and Jack. "In the sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea."

 

[GreyZone]

"Did you ever finish that poem for me?" She asked Victor, stepping inside and waiting for them. "I find it fascinating. Do you not like poetry, Jack?"


She unfastened her hat again, letting out a short breath. All she could think about was finally taking off her corset. "Where are we planning on sleeping tonight, Mr. Edwards?"

 

[Syrrus]

"I like it, I suppose, though I enjoy simple things. Talkin' about things like death and things is 'ardly a good time in my book, then again, what do I know?" Jack unloaded his load and pulled out a seat for Margaret. "Will that be all, Edwards, sir." He grinned from ear to ear, as Victor sat down, with a nod. "Yes, you may end your duties for the time being, have a seat, my dear friend."


"Thank you kindly." Jack said and sat down in one of the chairs, removing his hat and jacket, which he hung over the back of the chair. His grey shirt was open over the chest - only three buttons of course - show off a very grisly looking scar.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret eased herself down into her seat and asked again. "Where will we be sleeping tonight, Mr. Edwards?" All of a sudden, it struck her that she might have to sleep with both of them right there, wherever it was, and she was horror stricken. How would she manage to change and sleep and stay modest? She was too restless to trust herself.


To distract herself, she made a bit of small talk about the scar on Jack's chest. "Where did you get that?@

 

[Syrrus]

"We will be resting on the boat to America." Victor said, calmly. "We will be on that boat for a while, so I would recommend that the both of you order what ever you fancy tonight, for I do not believe the food on the open sea is going to be very nice."


Jack peered down upon his tattered chest before grinning at Margaret. "I fell of the roof, through a chimney, scrapped myself on the brickwork and got impaled on the bars at the bottom. Remember that, Vic?"


"Ah yes, it was rather distressed morning, for the both of us. I had fallen asleep in my chair." Victor said, nonchalantly as he began to look through the menu, after ordering some wine and water for his company.


"Or did you mean this one? That's from a shotgun, down in America. Remember that, Vic?"


"Yes, I remember that too. The medical bill has gone up greatly since I met you."

 

[GreyZone]

She nodded stiffly, though that did not ease her worry. Perhaps she would just be sleeping in her full dress, undergarments, and shoes if it came to it. "Alright. Thank you."


She was a bit shocked by how almost prideful he seemed of his injuries. "My, that is just...lovely." She bent around him to get a better look at the scars. "And I am sure that they just make you feel all the more masculine for it. Did it not hurt?"

 

[Syrrus]

"I feel a bit like a stuck pig most of the time, but what is a guy to do, eh? And yeah, it hurt - though it 'urt more to go trough the doctor-piss---" Jack got interrupted by Victor who nudged him, apparently not too happy with the cursing. "The doctor appointment that 'appened afterwards. I was asleep until then, both times. More stressful for dull and dim, I think." Jack nodded towards Victor who tasted the wine which the waiter brought to them, nodded and watched as he filled the glasses on the table.

 

[GreyZone]

"Oh," Margaret replied, her eyes still trained on the scars. "That...I honestly do not know what I can say of it. Do you enjoy living so dangerously like that?"


A slight smirk spread over her lips at the sight of the wine. "Who is ready to see the barmaid try her first drink of alcohol? It is a rather amusing thought."


She had always found it extremely ironic that her father was more than happy to have her tend the bar, but having a drink herself was unthinkable.

 

[Syrrus]

"Dangerous? Nah, I'm just a c'imneysweep, it has nothin' to do with danger, we just 'appens." Jack grinned at her, though when she mentioned that she never have had wine he could not help but envy her, for he looked at his glass in distaste, while Victor began to drink it already, though with great grace.


Jack could not even sip the thing, and as soon Victor looked the other way, he simple poured sugar into his wine.


"Do not worry, remember to take it slowly." Victor said, calmly.

 

[GreyZone]

Margaret tried not to snicker as Jack doused his wine in sugar. "Well, if I take after the male counterparts in my family at all, I will hopefully be able to hold it down."


She slowly raised the glass to her lips, her face puckering slightly as it reached her tongue. "It tastes like it smells," she replied, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin and thinking about it for a moment. "But it is not bad. It looks better than some of the other drinks that I serve. I find it incredibly ironic that I could tell you everything about alcohol except what it tastes like."