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Post by Pirate on Feb 6, 2015 12:29:48 GMT -5
Once all of the items were purchased, Alice followed him out of the bookstore. She looked up at him as he spoke, nodding. "I just need a hairbrush," she said. She led him down the street, stopping at various vendor stalls until she came upon one where they sold combs. She found one she liked and once Jackson had purchased it, she looked up at him. "That's all I needed." She paused for a moment, hesitating to voice her thoughts. "Do you think we could head back to the ship now? You look tired," she said gently, trying not to offend him again. She was just worried about him, but he seemed to be extremely defensive recently. She didn't understand why it bother him that other people were concerned for him and cared about him, but she supposed it was just how men were.
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 7, 2015 1:38:45 GMT -5
Jackson nodded at the last item that Alice spoke of, following along behind her as she meandered between the vendors. Once she found the hairbrush, he offered a few gold pieces to compensate and turned away. He glanced down at the woman, his face clearly depicting his exhaustion, his body still sore. With a small nod, he took her hand in his and began to lead her back to the ship before pausing to look down at her once more. "Perhaps I should get us a room?" He took another pause, "Or, if you'd prefer it, just one for yourself," he added on.
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Post by Pirate on Feb 7, 2015 9:28:38 GMT -5
Alice was relieved that he agreed with her and she didn't receive anymore harsh words. She smiled softly as he took her hand, pleased that he was going to take her advice. She looked up when he paused, tilting her head at his question. When he mentioned getting a room for only her, she cast her eyes away, embarrassed. She had really lost all sense of propriety while under his protection and had almost forgotten that it was inappropriate for her to be sharing a room with him. Perhaps it was time she returned to decorum and had a room to herself as was proper. "I think it might be better idea," she said in response to his suggestion of a room to herself. Maybe he would sleep better too without another body occupying his bed.
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 7, 2015 15:33:18 GMT -5
Jackson gave a curt nod to her response and began walking once more, guiding her toward a quaint lodge that he had seen on their way in. He released her hand as he approached the clerk, requesting two rooms. The young woman behind the counter gave him an attractive smile, nodding her head and leading the pair to two separate, but adjacent, rooms. Jackson thanked her before she left, then turned to Alice. "I'm going to head back to the ship briefly to get some more bandaging and clothes. I'll grab yours while I'm there," he said as he handed her the items from the bookstore before opening her door for her. Once she was inside, he began his trek back to the ship, blatantly limping on his injured leg now that he didn't feel the need to keep up appearances.
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Post by Pirate on Feb 7, 2015 23:21:39 GMT -5
Alice followed him to the lodge he had in mind, glancing around as they entered. She followed Jackson and the woman to her designated room and stepped in, looking up at Jackson when he spoke. She took the things he handed her and nodded. "Thank you." She closed the door behind her and set the stuff down on the desk in the room. She decided to wait out his return by beginning her letter to the Marquis. She wrote for a short while until a knock sounded from the door. It must be Jackson. She set her quill back in the inkwell and walked to the door, pulling it open. A strange man was standing in the doorway, looking down at her with a smile. "May I help you?" she asked in confusion, wondering why he was there. "I think you can," he said darkly, stepping into the room without her invitation. She backed away warily, watching him carefully. "I saw you walk in with your male friend earlier. He left but you didn't. So I thought to myself I would take the opportunity to claim the lovely lady for my own." He moved forward and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders shoving her down onto the bed. A scream escaped her lips, quickly cut off by his hand. She bit into his hand, trying to scramble away, only to have him drag her back and slap her across the cheek. "Be good, now. It's no fun when you fight."
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 0:22:04 GMT -5
Jackson made it back to the ship and was greeted by James. His friend was concerned about his condition, furrowing his brow at him, "Jacks, you really should be resting." Jackson waved him off, "I'm going to, I just came to gather a few things." James tilted his head slightly, "Then let me at least help you. I'll carry the things for you." Jackson sighed, but lamented, knowing it would make his friend feel better. James was happy to help, and he gathered the various things that Jackson said he needed before walking alongside the man back to the lodge. "Did everyone else find places to stay?" Jackson inquired. James chuckled, "They're all off at taverns and brothels, I'm sure. Don't worry about them." Jackson nodded, a small smile gracing his lips. As they entered the lodge and made their way to the rooms that he and Alice were staying in, Jackson made an effort to cover up his limp and the pain he was in. He headed up to Alice's door, knocking on it lightly. "Alice, it's Jackson. I have your extra clothes out here." A moment passed, and when there wasn't an immediate answer, he glanced toward James. He was certain he heard the sounds of movement inside, though, so this time he put his hand on the knob, pushing the door open as he said, "Alice, I'm coming in." Upon seeing the intruder, James was the first to spring into action, dropping the items he was carrying and dragging the man away from Alice.
{I jumped in, but I'll stop there to see what's happening.}
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Post by Pirate on Feb 8, 2015 1:19:16 GMT -5
[Whelp, I was just going with our previous plan to have something else bad happen to her that would make Jackson decide that she needed to learn to defend herself.]
Jackson and James had come too late. By the time the man was dragged away from Alice, she had already been ruined. She curled into a ball where she was on the bed and continued to sob. Her clothes were in tatters and she was covered in cuts and bruises, repercussions for her attempts to escape her attacker. The man let out an enraged bellow as he was tugged away from his prize. He broke away from James's grip and pulled his trousers up from around his ankles, turning on the man who had disturbed them and slinging a punch at his face. "She's mine now! You ain't got no claim on her."
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 1:51:41 GMT -5
{I figured. I was just seeing how far everything went and what the man's reaction was.
:,( Awww, Alice.}
James was a tall, well-built, broad-shouldered man, one who had been in more than his fair share of fights. He was more than prepared for the man to throw a punch, and he deftly dodged it, snatching his arm and using his momentum against him. He tossed him to the floor before pinning his arms behind his back. He glanced toward Jackson, who was now filled with enough anger to drown out everything else. Blood pounded in his ears but he had enough sense to not do what he was about to do in front of Alice. "Take him outside," he managed to grit out. James hauled the man outside the lodge and Jackson followed, gently closing Alice's door behind him. James kept the man's arms pinned behind his back, forcing him to his knees. And then Jackson just began hitting the man, his face a stoic mask. And he kept going until the man was wheezing and pleading for him to stop. James released the man, now far too weakened to run, and moved to Jackson's side, putting a hand on Jackson's shoulder. Jackson was now in the process of kicking the man, targetting areas that he knew would hurt. James eventually had to pull him away, "That's enough, Jacks, he's practically dead." Jackson spat on the wounded, wheezing man, "Scum. Filthy rotten pig," he snarled. Jackson allowed himself to be led inside and back to his room. Before he could reach for Alice's door, James forced him into his own room. "Get yourself cleaned up before you go in to see her. She's already in a bad place and seeing blood all over you won't help," he snapped, a little louder than intended. Jackson realized the logic in his friends words and nodded stiffly, quickly beginning to scrub the other man's blood off of him with scratchy soap and hot water. He washed his face and fixed his hair before stripping off his clothes and trading them for fresh ones. When he felt acceptable, he turned toward James, who had gathered the items that had been dropped in the hallway. He gave an approving nod, handing one of Alice's dresses to him, "I'll stay with you guys tonight. I'll be in here." Jackson nodded, taking the dress from the other man, "Thank you." James nodded and went about cleaning himself up, as well. Jackson headed to Alice's door, the sheer adrenaline quickly wearing off. He knocked lightly, "It's...it's Jackson. I'm coming in." He slowly opened the door, fearing the state he'd find her in. His stomach was in a knot and he felt horrible. He should never have gone back to the ship. He should never have even brought her here with him. This was all his fault. He set the dress on the bed and swallowed roughly.
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Post by Pirate on Feb 8, 2015 2:37:59 GMT -5
[She'll pull through, I hope :(
Sorry, I'm going to "predict" his movements so I can give you something to work with.]
Alice hardly noticed the men enter and leave the room. Instead, she just sobbed in pain and heartache, broken by the traumatic experience. Once she had no more tears left to cry, she stared blankly at the wall across from her, still balled up as tightly as she could be. She didn't really hear Jackson call through the door, his voice blending in with all of the other background noise. She didn't react to anything until she felt pressure on the bed, which caused her to flinch and curl up tighter with her eyes squeezed shut. She wasn't sure who was coming for her or if rough hands would handle her again and force her to do things against her will. However, she was drawn from her trance when Jackson's gentle voice reached her ears. She opened her eyes slowly, shifting her gaze to him. When she was sure it was him, she uncurled from her defense and flung her arms around his neck, fresh tears springing forward in hoarse sobs. "Jackson," she wailed pitifully, burying her face in his shoulder. Her protector had returned. The strange man was gone, so she could only assume that Jackson had taken care of him. If only he had come sooner.
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 3:06:45 GMT -5
{  Hopefully. And that's fine. I'm watching the TWD marathon.} Jackson slowly lowered himself onto the edge of her bed, taking in the tattered remains of her clothes and the marks and bruises on her pale skin. His heart sank low in his chest, and he reached out to touch her, but hesitated, afraid she'd shy away from his touch. "Alice, sweetheart, can you sit up?" he asked gently, his throat tight. He watched as she slowly lifted her eyes to meet his, startled when she threw herself at him. He wasn't prepared for the hug, but he instinctively wrapped his arms around her small body, pulling her tightly against him and allowing her to cry into his shoulder. He wove a hand through her hair, lightly combing his fingers through it to smooth it down. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry," he whispered, slowly rubbing small circles into her back. He held her for a long while, unsure if he was doing it for her sake or his, but he eventually leaned away, holding her by her shoulders. "Let me help get you cleaned up and into fresh clothes, okay?" he murmured. He stood up, gently pulling her with him and over to the basin of warm water that had been provided for them when they had checked in. He tentatively started to pull off the remains of her dress, "I'm not going to hurt you, Alice," he reassured her, his eyes focused on hers. He helped her into the water and grabbed a cloth and soap, gently wiping at her skin. He washed her hair for her before wringing out the extra water and drying it with a towel. He then pulled her to her feet and offered his hand to help her out of the tub before wrapping the towel around her. He was trying very hard to be a perfect gentleman, knowing that she was in a vulnerable spot. Turning toward the bed, he picked up the dress and then helped her into the outfit, tying it at the back for her. "Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?" he asked gently. |
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Post by Pirate on Feb 8, 2015 3:59:50 GMT -5
[:D I'm proud of you Cae. I'm so excited for tonight's episode ^-^]
Alice was comforted by Jackson's presence and she cried herself dry once more, resorting to just clinging to him and appreciating the sense of security that he gave her. Eventually, he prompted her to move back and she looked up at him with puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks, nodding at his request after a long pause. She slowly got to her feet, feeling sick to her stomach once she wasn't completely secure in a ball or in his arms. She followed after him as he gently guided her over to the wash basin, flinching away as he reached for the fabric that still clung to her body. His gentle reassurance of his intentions was enough to make her drop her defense and she cast her eyes away in shame as he undressed her and helped her into the wash basin. She didn't say anything or really react at all as he washed her, instead staring ahead blankly and only wincing when he washed sensitive areas of her abused skin. When they were done, she looked up at him in confusion as he held his hand out to her. Realizing he wanted her to take it, she did so, stepping out of the tub and into the warmth of the itchy towel. She was a little ragdoll-ish as he dressed her, not really helping him. She just wanted to lay down and cry again. At his question, she immediately nodded. There was no way she would stay in that room for the night. It was too much and she would feel completely vulnerable being alone. What if the man came back? It would be reassuring to have Jackson there to protect her.
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 4:13:28 GMT -5
{Same!  My friend was so upset when Beth died. :\ He had a huge celebrity crush on her. xD} Jackson gave her a small smile at her affirmation, leading her to the door and into his bedroom. James immediately stood up when the pair entered, his eyes flickering between the two. "We're staying in here tonight," Jackson informed his friend. James nodded, "I'll go next door," he said quietly, disappearing from the room. He stripped the bed of all its linens before heading up to the front and requesting clean sheets. Meanwhile, Jackson pulled back the blankets on his bed and let Alice climb in before he pulled the sheets back over her. He pulled off his boots before climbing onto the bed himself, lying on top of the blankets in an effort to make her feel more comfortable. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his chest, "I'm here. James is right next door. We're here to protect you and keep you safe. I promise that nothing like this will happen to you ever again, Alice. I promise." He pressed his lips to the top of her head, "Get some sleep." |
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Post by Pirate on Feb 8, 2015 11:17:40 GMT -5
[Oh my gosh, I cried. I was really starting to like her character and then she was just ripped away from Daryl. I only cried because he was crying xD At least she can focus on her music career, although I didn't really like her first song she released. But she was cute in that Train music video and I love her on Instagram]
Alice followed Jackson into the other room, ducking behind him when another man appeared. The voice told her it was James and she peeked around Jackson to confirm that it was true. She let out a sigh, her racing heart slowing once the adrenaline left her. She still physically moved back as James passed her, hovering very close to Jackson's side. He was the only man she trusted in the entire world outside of the Marquis. She looked over at Jackson as he pulled the sheets back, hesitating a moment before climbing into the bed and lifting her eyes to watch him as he tucked her in. She waited as he got ready and then slid into bed beside her, although he laid on top of the blankets. She appreciated his concern and scooted closer into his arms where she felt most secure. She squeezed her eyes shut when he spoke, feeling fresh tears spring to her eyes again and she began to cry softly this time, her shoulders shaking with her silent sobs. She cried for a while before exhaustion forced her to fall asleep.
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 12:56:30 GMT -5
{I got really angry when she died. And I felt horrible for Maggie. :/ Haha, so I'm not the only one who follows half of them on Instagram. xD}
Jackson sighed softly when Alice began to cry, holding her a little more tightly against his chest. He smoothed circles into her back, his eyes falling shut. When he was certain she was asleep, he allowed his aching body to relax. Beating that rotten man earlier had taken its toll of his battered body, and he hadn't had the chance to change the bandaging over his wounds. Confident that Alice was safe with him, secure in his arms, he allowed himself to drift off as well. The following morning, he woke up rather late, actually, probably somewhere near noon. He didn't mind though, because he knew Alice needed her rest and that his body certainly wasn't complaining to a few extra hours in a comfortable bed. Glancing down at the fragile girl in his arms, he gently nudged her awake. "Alice, are you hungry?"
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Post by Pirate on Feb 8, 2015 14:39:30 GMT -5
[Haha nope. I follow Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, and Beth.]
Alice didn't sleep well through the night, constantly waking up sweating with her heart pounding in her chest. Distorted memories haunted her dreams and her only reassurance that nothing was happening was Jackson sound asleep beside her. When morning finally came, she was roused by Jackson's voice and she slowly opened her eyes, finding him looking down at her. Her body ached and the mention of food nauseated her. She shook her head in response to his question. The last thing she wanted was food. Her stomach wouldn't be able to handle it. She squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to push away her thoughts of the previous night.
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 15:07:53 GMT -5
{Haha, same, plus a few more. xD}
Jackson sighed softly at her response, nodding his head. When she closed her eyes, he gently tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. "Okay," he murmured before sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed. He ran his fingers through his hair, hunching forward so that his elbows were resting on his knees. She had barely said anything last night. He didn't really know what to do. He didn't know if she wanted to talk or if she was just going to become comatose. He didn't know what to do. He let out a long breath, glancing at his injured leg. He saw little spots of blood soaking through his trousers and frowned, frustrated with how things were starting out.
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Post by Pirate on Feb 8, 2015 16:59:33 GMT -5
Alice stiffened as he touched her, forcing herself to relax when she remembered it was him. Jackson wouldn't hurt her. She listened to him move away and opened her eyes to see him sitting on the edge of the bed. The way his shoulders were sagging, he looked utterly defeated. She sat up slowly, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her cheek on them. "Jackson," she called softly, her voice almost nothing after all of her sobbing. "Did you kill him?"
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 17:13:50 GMT -5
Jackson straightened up slightly when he heard his name, twisting slightly to face the woman. He glanced away at her question, not sure what to tell her. He was simultaneously disappointed in himself for not slaughtering the man, but also proud that he had retained a bit of his humanity in allowing him to live, even though he'd certainly be disfigured. "Almost," he said quietly. He paused, glancing down at the bed sheets, "James made me stop. He won't be hurting anyone else, though. Trust me."
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Post by Pirate on Feb 8, 2015 17:34:49 GMT -5
Alice cast her eyes down at his answer, nodding faintly. She didn't believe that her attacker would never hurt anyone else. She was disappointed that Jackson hadn't killed him. She would always worry that the man would come back for her now. She didn't voice those worries, instead squeezing her eyes shut as more tears found their way out. "I want to go back to the ship," she whispered. She wanted to leave the town and return to sea where she knew the man couldn't get her. It would make her feel safer. She couldn't ask Jackson to set sail, though. She would just have to be content with staying on board until the crew was ready to leave.
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Post by Caebeeb on Feb 8, 2015 18:05:33 GMT -5
Jackson lifted his eyes when she spoke, seeing the tears leaking down her cheeks. His stomach sank, but he nodded at her request. "We'll go back to the ship," he said softly. He got stiffly to his feet, gathering up there miscellaneous items between the two rooms. James was awake and helped Jackson gather up their things, waiting for him in the hall when he went to get Alice. Jackson approached the woman, offering his hand. "James and I will take you back to the ship," he murmured, wrapping his arm around her and leading her outside of the lodge. The two men escorted her back to the ship, and Jackson took her to the small room below deck. "There's something I need to go do. James will be right outside this door if you need anything. I'll be back as soon as I can." He gave her a small nod and headed out of the room, stopping momentarily to instruct James to stay with her. He then grabbed a sheathed knife and attached it to his belt on his way back up to the top deck. Several hours passed, and the last rays of sunlight were disappearing on the horizon when Jackson made it back to the ship, his hands bloodied. James stood up when he saw his friend coming down the stairs, immediately seeing the blood. "What the hell did you do?" Jackson glanced down at his hands before wiping them off on his trousers. "What I needed to," he said blandly before moving past him and opening the door to the small room. "How are you?" he asked Alice quietly, hovering in the doorway.
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Hopefully.
My friend was so upset when Beth died. :\ He had a huge celebrity crush on her. xD}
