❀ 01

[toyboat]

Who: Jenny Scott and y o u
What: New arrivals~
When: This evening!
Where: In the lobby
Rating: G for "little girl"

[In the lobby tonight, there is a small girl who looks like she belongs in a castle this grand. Her blue dress matches the decoration style better than most residents' clothing, her long skirts and stay intricate and befitting a higher class daughter.

This girl, however, looks extremely confused, cautiously wandering through the grand entrance and seeming for all the world like she has no idea what's going on.

Because she doesn't.

Last she recalls, she was on a ship, heading home, and this place is like nowhere on The Jackdaw at all, not that she's seen.

She takes a cursory pass around the lobby, then takes a seat on a sofa and clutches her doll to her chest.]

It'll be all right, Dolly. Father is with us now, this must just be part of the adventure.

Comments

[toyboat]

[Still watching Maria and cautiously looking at all the kitchen things she's never seen, Jenny decides she should go take a seat at the table.]

[givetheslip]

[She fiddles around a bit longer, trying to sort out how to work this blasted thing...then screw it. Maria mutters under her breath and two plates, each containing a cup of tea and a pasty, appeared. She takes them over to the table, steadfastly not thinking about how she just got them.]

Here we are, just as requested.

[toyboat]

[Jenny beams and takes the pasty. She's trying to mind her manners the way she was always taught, but her hunger is overriding it -- her arm shoots out a little too fast, her bite is a little too big.

She chews and swallows.]

Thank you!

[givetheslip]

[Long away from England and the proper manners she learned there, Maria sees nothing wrong with the girl's enthusiasm. It's certainly more refined than she's seen in the barracks during meals.]

You are most welcome.

[toyboat]

Miss Thorpe, why do you live here now? You said you were on an adventure before. Why stop here?

[givetheslip]

Well...I found myself here by accident, and I'm not sure I could find my way back to where I was.

[toyboat]

Where were you?

[givetheslip]

In a land called Cyprus, far away from England.

[toyboat]

Did you go there for a special reason?

[givetheslip]

I was a soldier, remember? I had to go there for my job.

[...sort of.]

[toyboat]

But what's there that England has to fight for? I know why they've gone to the New World and the Colonies but I've never even heard of Cyprus.

[givetheslip]

[Oh dear. How to explain war to children.]

There was a special place called the Holy Land. Our king led us there to occupy certain parts of it.

[toyboat]

[War, she understands. The fact that Maria is from like 600 years ago, not so much.]

But I think I would have heard if the Navy was leaving to go there! Bristol's on the ocean, you know, with ports and everything.

[givetheslip]

It probably happened a long time ago, from your perspective.

[Probably. So many future people here.]

People don't always arrive at this castle from the same time. Some are from the past, some from the future—it depends how you look at it.

[toyboat]

When are you from, then?

[givetheslip]

It was the autumn of 1191, several years into the King's Crusade.

[toyboat]

[Her eyes widen.] That is... a very long time ago.

[givetheslip]

[Oh no, she's cute.]

Practically history, I should think.

[toyboat]

Over 500 years! Are you very scared? There are lots of things here that are new to me, so you must be boggled!

[givetheslip]

I won't lie, it's been rather unnerving at times. But I'd rather be brave and face all the strange things instead of hiding away in my room.

[toyboat]

I think that's a good way to be, Mother always said that I have to be brave.

[givetheslip]

Your mother sounds like a most sensible person, then.

[toyboat]

She was. She was wonderful.

[givetheslip]

[The past tense doesn't escape her notice.]

Well. I'm sure your father will be just as wonderful once the two of you find each other.

[toyboat]

He's quite good so far. Thank you for the pasty and tea, ma'am. I should go back and wait for him.