Amanda was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the Marketplace. She had run an errand for her mother and was due back for dinner shortly but she just didn't feel like moving. It had been over a week since she had been out of the house and wandering around town, and the city was so nice in the late afternoon. She leaned back, careful not to fall in the water, soaking up the parting rays of sunshine that gleamed off her dark hair. She was watching the people walk by with a disinterested air; none were familiar to her.
Thomas had been watching that girl for a few minutes, among the hustle and bustle in the Marketplace. He was over at the inn just a little while ago, and had cussed out at least two people, along with smoking a couple of cigarettes. He was Dakota Steele's son, and was doing everything he could to live up to his dad's "legacy". He had picked some unsuspecting guy's pocket only minutes earlier, and stashed the coins into his own pocket. It was right then when he caught sight of that cute girl sitting at the fountain. He wouldn't mind meeting her, but how? Oh, the hell with it. He wasn't intimidated by anyone. Calmly, he headed towards the fountain and sat himself down just a few feet away from her, offering her a half smile. "Hi there?"
She seemed almost startled out of whatever daydream she had been lulled into while watching the crowd pass by. She sat up straight at the greeting, looking aside to the boy. Grey eyes wandered over him, almost as if appraising for a threat. He didn't look threatening, though, and he was pretty cute too. She leaned back again, "Hey..." She was unsure of what else she was to say; strangers rarely approached her.
Okay, awkward moment of silence there. Thomas was blessed with his dad's gift of not being afraid to talk to anyone and always saying exactly what was on his mind, but this was a little harder than he thought it'd be. Eyes cast downwards for a second before rising back up towards her. "I was actually walkin' around a lil' bit, pickin' up a couple things for my dad, and I seen you sittin' over here. Ain't too often I see someone 'bout my age sittin' by themself. So I just wanted to come on over and meet you. My name's Thomas.." Lighting up yet another smoke as he spoke. "This don't bother you, does it..?"
"I..uh.." the truth was, she wasn't accustomed to smoke at all. No one she was around did it, her mother absolutely forbidding it at home and it being against the rules at school. However, she was taught to be polite above all. "Not at all, and I'm Amanda." Once names were given, she felt a little more comfortable. "I was out running an errand for my mother?I didn't feel like going home just yet but I don't know many people my age in the city at all so I just decided to sit here. How old are you and isn't that bad for you?" Once she got started, it was hard to get her to stop.
"I'll be 13 in 'bout a month.." Totally spoken with his dad's drawl. "Is this $hit bad for me? Yeah, it probably is. But we're all gonna die anyway. Might as well die with a smile on your face." Laughing just a bit. Why in the world was he being so nervous around this girl??? "Tell you what, why don't we get our errands done together? We might have a better chance of survivin' if we stick together." He proceeded to show her the rather imposing looking blade he kept strapped to his thigh. "People usually don't f--k with me, if you know what I mean." Flashing a grin that was Dakota made over.
Her elder, an older man! She looked at him with newborn respect even as he displayed, what she would consider, a sailor's mouth. She gave an indignant little toss of her head, "I'm not dying anytime soon...but I guess enjoying whatever life you have is okay." Conceding to his wisdom on that point. She gave a little shrug at his suggested, she pushed into a stand, "Yeah...I guess we could do that." She was trying to act uninterested but she was grinning. She even gave a little playful scoff as he showed her the knife, "I should show you what I can do some time. All sorts of magic." She was trying to act mysterious now, isn't that what her mother did around men?
Oh, she better not do that unless she meant it. Thomas would call her bluff in a heartbeat!! He grinned again and nodded at the comment about her magic, before his face turned slightly quizative, head tilting to the side. "Before we go, who's your mom anyway? My dad might know her."
She blinked, having taken it for granted that everyone knew who she was, whose daughter she was! "The Empress...Jewell Ravenlock Kidd." She gave grin, she was proud of who she was!
Nope, he didn't have a clue who she was, but he feigned being impressed. "Woooow....my dad is Dakota Steele. Don't know if you've heard of him or not?your mom might know him."
"Dakota?" Her brow furrowed a moment, that sounded familiar. "I think I've heard that name?not sure where though." She shrugged, it didn't really matter. "Let's go, it's getting late."
They walked together until the sun had set, chatting in an easy manner like old acquaintances. She told him about school, how she was away for most of the year there, and about all her siblings. He told her a lot about his dad, and the things that he'd seen while being with his dad. He was PROUD of his dad, and wanted to be just like him, for better or worse. They bonded over the loneliness that could be felt even in a busy city. She was impressed by his brazen attitude as it even surpassed her own. He was amazed at how interested she really was in hearing his stories about his dad, and how she didn't seem scared of him. By the time they parted, Amanda realizing she was going to be late for dinner at this rate, they had promised to meet again soon to hang out.
Thomas had been watching that girl for a few minutes, among the hustle and bustle in the Marketplace. He was over at the inn just a little while ago, and had cussed out at least two people, along with smoking a couple of cigarettes. He was Dakota Steele's son, and was doing everything he could to live up to his dad's "legacy". He had picked some unsuspecting guy's pocket only minutes earlier, and stashed the coins into his own pocket. It was right then when he caught sight of that cute girl sitting at the fountain. He wouldn't mind meeting her, but how? Oh, the hell with it. He wasn't intimidated by anyone. Calmly, he headed towards the fountain and sat himself down just a few feet away from her, offering her a half smile. "Hi there?"
She seemed almost startled out of whatever daydream she had been lulled into while watching the crowd pass by. She sat up straight at the greeting, looking aside to the boy. Grey eyes wandered over him, almost as if appraising for a threat. He didn't look threatening, though, and he was pretty cute too. She leaned back again, "Hey..." She was unsure of what else she was to say; strangers rarely approached her.
Okay, awkward moment of silence there. Thomas was blessed with his dad's gift of not being afraid to talk to anyone and always saying exactly what was on his mind, but this was a little harder than he thought it'd be. Eyes cast downwards for a second before rising back up towards her. "I was actually walkin' around a lil' bit, pickin' up a couple things for my dad, and I seen you sittin' over here. Ain't too often I see someone 'bout my age sittin' by themself. So I just wanted to come on over and meet you. My name's Thomas.." Lighting up yet another smoke as he spoke. "This don't bother you, does it..?"
"I..uh.." the truth was, she wasn't accustomed to smoke at all. No one she was around did it, her mother absolutely forbidding it at home and it being against the rules at school. However, she was taught to be polite above all. "Not at all, and I'm Amanda." Once names were given, she felt a little more comfortable. "I was out running an errand for my mother?I didn't feel like going home just yet but I don't know many people my age in the city at all so I just decided to sit here. How old are you and isn't that bad for you?" Once she got started, it was hard to get her to stop.
"I'll be 13 in 'bout a month.." Totally spoken with his dad's drawl. "Is this $hit bad for me? Yeah, it probably is. But we're all gonna die anyway. Might as well die with a smile on your face." Laughing just a bit. Why in the world was he being so nervous around this girl??? "Tell you what, why don't we get our errands done together? We might have a better chance of survivin' if we stick together." He proceeded to show her the rather imposing looking blade he kept strapped to his thigh. "People usually don't f--k with me, if you know what I mean." Flashing a grin that was Dakota made over.
Her elder, an older man! She looked at him with newborn respect even as he displayed, what she would consider, a sailor's mouth. She gave an indignant little toss of her head, "I'm not dying anytime soon...but I guess enjoying whatever life you have is okay." Conceding to his wisdom on that point. She gave a little shrug at his suggested, she pushed into a stand, "Yeah...I guess we could do that." She was trying to act uninterested but she was grinning. She even gave a little playful scoff as he showed her the knife, "I should show you what I can do some time. All sorts of magic." She was trying to act mysterious now, isn't that what her mother did around men?
Oh, she better not do that unless she meant it. Thomas would call her bluff in a heartbeat!! He grinned again and nodded at the comment about her magic, before his face turned slightly quizative, head tilting to the side. "Before we go, who's your mom anyway? My dad might know her."
She blinked, having taken it for granted that everyone knew who she was, whose daughter she was! "The Empress...Jewell Ravenlock Kidd." She gave grin, she was proud of who she was!
Nope, he didn't have a clue who she was, but he feigned being impressed. "Woooow....my dad is Dakota Steele. Don't know if you've heard of him or not?your mom might know him."
"Dakota?" Her brow furrowed a moment, that sounded familiar. "I think I've heard that name?not sure where though." She shrugged, it didn't really matter. "Let's go, it's getting late."
They walked together until the sun had set, chatting in an easy manner like old acquaintances. She told him about school, how she was away for most of the year there, and about all her siblings. He told her a lot about his dad, and the things that he'd seen while being with his dad. He was PROUD of his dad, and wanted to be just like him, for better or worse. They bonded over the loneliness that could be felt even in a busy city. She was impressed by his brazen attitude as it even surpassed her own. He was amazed at how interested she really was in hearing his stories about his dad, and how she didn't seem scared of him. By the time they parted, Amanda realizing she was going to be late for dinner at this rate, they had promised to meet again soon to hang out.