Not while I'm around

Off for now. I am slowly trawling through my responses but I’ve still got a good 11 left plus a couple of starters and the drabble I was planning a couple of weeks back but other than that I had a great weekend (not) and school this week so yeah, life is great :D

Like if I owe. Night all :)

themuchiestalice:

notwhileimaround5832:

themuchiestalice:

Alice had not been back home too terribly long from her voyage at sea, when she was beckoned to the downtown headquarters of her trade business. Unfortunately, she had not spent much time in her very own office. Most of her apprenticeship and then partnership was aboard the ship, The Wonder. It actually felt nice to be on firm ground whilst surveying maps for alternative trade routes and the goods from other lands that would be worth trading.

And even though she knew that she wanted to leave the business soon and venture back to her beloved Wonderland, she still needed to settle some business and get organized. Walking through the room filled with maps, books, and inventory lists, she leaned over the large wooden desk to peer at the outline for what they were planning on doing with all of their current trade products. They had been divvying everything up from the boat and currently had it all sorted and stored in their warehouse. One of her responsibilities was to find suitable shops that would be interested in buying their goods.

Hearing  knock on the door, she welcomed in the guest. A rather nervous looking young man. She smiled warmly at him when hearing his name, remembering his letter. Alice had no idea the boy was so young from his letter. What an astounding feat, to open your own business at such an age. He obviously was the sort who followed his dreams, much like Alice herself. She loved seeing that in another individual.

“Ah, Tobias, how very nice to meet you.” Alice held out her hand to the lad. “Your business sounds absolutely lovely and I would very much like to see it someday. From your letter, it looks as though you’ve been searching for some rare and exotic herbs and spices? Well you are in luck. We’ve just come from the rainforests of Sumatra. They are simply bursting with such things as those. I am sure we can work something out.”

He stood there, waiting patiently for miss Kingsleigh to finish what she was planning and half-smiled with a tinge of nervousness about him when she finally spoke.

He shook her hand politely and was very impressed in the way she conducted herself. It was almost as if she was a male in the business industry but the fact she was wearing a pale blue dress-coat and a petticoat underneath it proved to the young boy that women could make it in business just as much as men.

“I’m sure we can,” the young boy smiled at the preparations miss Kingsleigh had made before their meeting “but can I ask you somethin’ first before we start talkin’ about tradin’ an’ such like?”

Alice grinned amicably when he took her hand and shook it, forgoing the usual tradition of taking a lady’s hand to place a kiss upon it. This was a business meeting, after all, not a social gathering. Besides, Alice had her own ideas on what was proper. They were completely against her mother’s overly voiced ones. Alice had a habit of doing and saying what she pleased. It wasn’t that she wanted to embarrass her mother or older sister. It was just that she didn’t agree with so much. The world around her, and what was considered appropriate behavior for a female. Alice liked to think for herself, draw  her own conclusions, and make her own path in life. Not settle for what others wanted for her. What type of life would that be, indeed? She would have been married to that awful Hamish, with all of his digestive disturbances and how he looked down on her. Alice tried not to shudder at the thought of that.

Tobias had mentioned needing to know something before talking of trade, reminding Alice of how most others were used to chit chat and pleasantries before any talk of business. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry! Of course you can ask me anything.” The girl beamed at him, hoping that he didn’t mind her unusual ways.

“If you don’ mind my askin’, miss,” he said, clearing his throat to try and rid himself of nerves “why did you get into the business industry? It’s not that I’m sayin’ women shouldn’ be in business- if anythin’ I think more women should be as me mum used to own a pie shop an’ there’s Mrs Mooney across the way from us, but why you? If you don’ mind my sayin’ so, as I’m just a ‘umble orphan boy, you don’ look like the kinda girl that is more comfortable comin’ up with fantastic stories to tell youngin’s like mesel’.”

Though it wasn’t technically related to his business and Toby had, in all honesty, forgotten the question he was originally going to ask her, it seemed to him that Miss Kingsleigh was one for adventure and fun rather than being stuck in an office trading with foreign dignitaries and so forth.

Licking his lips on the seat he’d taken, he waited patiently for her response, hoping he wasn’t going to get thrown out and lose the opportunity to do business with this woman.

Toby could almost feel himself being scrutinized by miss Bouchard as their stare held probably for longer than normal eye contact would allow. He felt almost bare in a way but figured that she was trying to suss him out- try and tell what his purpose was here and whether he’d be staying long.

Unbeknownst to Miss Bouchard, while she was trying to figure him out, he was trying to figure her out. He hadn’t paid much attention to the article that mentioned her so he used his imagination like he would on any other stranger.

She was well dressed- better than he was- so she came from money or she had good connections, she had a look in her eye that told him more than enough about her intentions and she had only ordered a coffee therefore she was just popping into the small cafe to catch up on gossip because she was that kind of person. When she walked over to him after he indicated the free seat beside him, all the men’s eyes in the shop followed her behind which gave the boy reassurance as to her beauty.

He smiled a bit at her welcome. “Thank you, Miss Bouchard,” he said, taking a final sip of his drink and placing his glass back on the table, fiddling with it in his hands as he spoke “are you enjoyin’ the nice weather?”

Everything in his mind was right. Everything, but a little detail. Angelique didn’t care about gossips. She had no need to drop in here, only  to learn some news. If she needed to learn something about somebody, she could use her power and hire someone to do that. She had no reason to sully  her own hands to get some information. 

She came to this cafe, to meet one of her business partners, but fortunately or not, he was late.  Angelique wanted to drink something stronger than a cup of black tea, but her Cudda, was aiting for her outside, and she couldn’t leave her car. 

When Angie, took her seat,  she examined the newspaper he was reading. This issue didn’t contain much about her personality, so she could choose how to behave.

“The weather?” she repeated and looked at the window. The sunny weather wasn’t the one she liked. Angelique prefered storms. “Oh, quite nice day, isn’t it?” she smiled to him, a bit playfully.

“Nice to meet you, by the way…Mr...” she nodded slowly, giving him an opportunity to introduce himself. 

Toby smiled warmly when she finally responded and because he didn’t read anything about how she was like as a person, the boy was naive when it came to her behaviour or whether she was taken by a local or a free-roaming woman.

“Ragg, Tobias Ragg, Miss Bouchard- but you can call me Toby,” he responded softly as he finished his drink “…was that your car outside?” he asked, having noticed it on his way in.

It was a very nice car, Toby had to admit. Though he’d been around cars a few years, he knew quality when he saw it and the one outside- the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda in a shining red paint- definitely was one of quality so he wouldn’t have been surprised if it was hers.

poorthackerybinx:

notwhileimaround5832:

poorthackerybinx:

“Then you can at least count that as a small blessing,” Binx replied with a small chuckle.  Being a cat had a few upsides, but for the most part it was nothing but trouble, and the inability to die made it infinitely worse. “If I may ask…what might your curse be?”

“That everyone I love either leaves me or dies,” he stated simply, though half-smiling at Binx’s comment about his unchanging form being a small blessing “it ‘appened in the work’ouse, Senor Pirelli’s, Mrs Lovett’s Meat Pie Emporium, Vicki an’ Bruce… everyone.”

It was hard getting to terms with Vicki and Bruce’s departure from his life but there was probably a reason he couldn’t have understood that meant it was necessary. He knew how much Vicki and Bruce loved him and they were a family- a fairly dysfunctional one but a family nonetheless.

It touched his heart what they did for him and Toby could never, ever forget them. Especially Vicki- she sacrificed so much for him and he’d be an ungrateful brat if he didn’t appreciate it. He did. Beyond words could comprehend and a tear trickled down his cheek at the memories of them. He wiped it back with his sleeve and attempted a smile in Thackery’s direction.

As Toby spoke of his losses, Binx’s cheerful mood faded, and he crept across the table to take the boy’s lap as a seat instead, purring reassuringly. “I am very sorry for what you have suffered, my friend,” he said quietly, nudging Toby’s chin. “Losing those we love is a wound that never quite heals.”

Toby smiled warmly, though was a little surprised at the abruptness of the gesture, when Binx landed in his lap and purred at him. It reminded the boy of his stray husky friend back in London and he sort of wondered what happened to him but Binx’s words brought him back to the here and now and Toby gently stroked down Binx’s back.

“It’s alrigh’, Binx,” he said softly as their drinks finally arrived “though I miss ‘em sometimes, I know that what they did for me was for the best. They loved me, all of ‘em, an’ I couldn’ begin to describe ‘ow grateful I am for what they’ve done. But enough sadness, it must be pretty cool to be a cat. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be an animal.” he smiled

labyrinth-sarah-williams:

notwhileimaround5832:

Toby smiled through his food when he heard Sarah laugh. It was a nice thing to hear, especially after everything that the young boy had put her through emotionally. The fact alone that he had let her into his life, his past; to let her know the things he had done those years ago was a big step for him, especially being able to trust her enough to tell her everything.

As he finished scuppering up his breakfast, he thought he saw Sarah with a few tears in her eye but shrugged it off as messed up timings. The shop was closed until further notice but it was pitch black outside so Toby honestly didn’t know up from down and could’ve simply just thought he’d seen Sarah crying rather than it actually happening and him missing it.

When she hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek, he giggled and blushed sheepishly. He wasn’t really used to that type of affection and coming from Sarah who he loved so much, it pulled on his heartstrings and almost made him cry. But her suggestion to start herb picking that evening made him nod enthusiastically.

“Is there a better time than righ’ now?” he chuckled, feeling so at ease with Sarah that he couldn’t imagine a life without her.

With one eyebrow raised and a crooked grin, she answered the boy. “You know, I don’t think that there is a better time. The moon is bright and it’s a lovely night. A perfect time to go for a walk.” Sarah gathered some baskets and sacks that she had come across earlier, handing a few to Toby, before walking out of the the little restaurant. She waited for Toby to lock up, before venturing out.

Sarah was completely unfamiliar with where they were; having no memory of even getting there, so she let him lead her to where he knew of a place where they could harvest some herbs.

Upon reaching their destination, Sarah sat on the dew covered grass, and started to pick some brightly purple colored flowering plants. “You know, Toby, I was thinking that maybe we could find something to help my memory. It’s very disconcerting to me that I still can’t remember anything recently. I mean, I remember who I am, and that I have a little brother who is also named Toby… But I don’t know where I’ve been recently or anything that has happened to me. I have no clue how I even got here.”

One hand toyed with her necklace, once more. “I don’t know how I got this.” Sarah held the unique pendant up for him to see. “Yet, it seems very important somehow. It’s like the answers are on the very edge of my mind, just out of reach. I know of some herbs, like ginko biloba and rosemary, that are supposed to help with memory. Maybe we can find something like that around here? Or maybe you know of something that would work better than that?” Sarah looked to the ground, tearing up a little in frustration at not being able to remember anything. “It’s not that I don’t love being here with you, I do. I just would like to know where I’ve come from…. Where I belong.”

“An’ there’s no risk of gettin’ caugh’ by the bobbies.” Toby added, smiling.

He watched Sarah with beaming eyes as she collected the baskets and sacks and he took a few in his own hands that she passed to him so he could collect some herbs and remedies. Heading out first, he waited until she came out of the shop before locking up and lead the way to the perfect spot where he’d once seen some strange plants growing.

Having done plenty of research in between shifts at the shop, and with a little help learning how to read from both Senor Pirelli and Nellie, a double inspection had resulted in him finding wild Leucojum Aestivum (more commonly known as the Summer Snowflake) growing in the secluded part of town.

He heard Sarah speaking and, having stopped to admire the curious plant, he turned to face her as she spoke. Her mention of not knowing anything prior to meeting the boy made his heart begin to beat faster than it usually would.

If she found out how she got here, she’d find a way to leave and Toby couldn’t face her leaving- not like everyone else. Hopefully without giving away how he felt towards her, Toby remained cool and composed as she asked him about something for getting her memory back. Wracking his brain for something he’d read about, he remembered one peculiar plant- Catha Edulis- that could help with memories.

“I think I know one that migh’ be better for memory joggin’ though I’m not sure ‘ow effective it migh’ be. If I remember righ’ly, it grows quite close to ‘ere…” he trailed off, biting his lower lip as he tried to picture what it looked like and where he remembered seeing it grow. He then instantly remembered and headed off quickly to find it.

thereptilemutant:

notwhileimaround5832:

Toby half-smiled in response. He wasn’t sure if this young woman, whoever she was, was trying to lure him into a false sense of security but she seemed nice enough that he quickly ruled that possibility out and his smile became more natural.

He leaned back only slightly when she looked over his shoulder at the map in his hands and pointed to where he was. The young boy had a thing about personal space and though he was happy that she actually was helping him find his way again, she was a little close for comfort.

“New York…” Toby repeated softly, trying to think if he knew anyone in the area but no-one sprang to mind and even if they did, they would be quickly out again as the woman asked him a question.

Shaking his thoughts away, he looked up at her almost bug-eyed and answered truthfully with a shrug.

“Nowhere in particular, miss,” he said softly “I just like to wander ‘round until I can’ go no further. Tryin’ to stay as far away from London as possible but I’m not fussed where I end up. Yoursel’?”

“Mhm, New York, one of the best places around…in my opinion anyway. And I’ve been a lot of places.” She looked at him curiously. “You’re really not from around here, are you? Well, no worries, I’ve been living here a few months now, I’ll be your guide if you want.” The girl casually swept a piece of hair behind her ear. Even though there was no danger close by, there was always strength and safety in numbers. She did really want to help the boy, but there was a tiny bit of personal gain as well.

“Woah, London? You’re definitely far from home then. Why are you trying to stay away?” Niya shook her head. “You know what? That’s none of my business. Me? Umm, well I’m from Georgia, but like you, I’m trying to stay as far away from there as possible too.” A light laugh came from the teen. “I move around a lot, wherever life takes me really. But I’m actually heading this way right now.” She pointed down the path. “There’s supposedly a new funnel cake stand and I can’t get enough of the stuff. You want one? I’ll buy.” She calmed down a bit, noticing the boy seemed a bit shy..quiet maybe? She hoped she wasn’t scaring him or anything.

“You can call me Niya, by the way. You don’t have to call me miss..I’m only 18.” She laughed. “I don’t look that old, do I?”

The young man smiled in response to her being a lot of places. He would’ve liked to hear about it but decided it was best to wait a while for that story. He nodded happily when she offered to help him around New York if he wanted her to and just before he was about to say something, she got enthusiastic about where he’d come from.

“I’d rather not say just yet about why I’m tryin’ to get away from London, it’s still a little ‘ard tryin’ to come to terms with it mesel’ but maybe at a later stage,” he smiled “but now that you mention it, I am kinda ‘ungry. I’ll pay you back if you want, I ‘aven’ got much left but I wouldn’ allow someone to buy me somethin’ without payin’ ‘em back.”

He began to feel more comfortable around the girl, especially as she introduced herself, but he was still a little hesitant as to what to reveal and when he felt he could tell her. So, clearing his throat, he offered his hand and introduced himself.

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Niya,” he said kindly “My name’s Tobias Ragg but everyone calls me Toby. An’ it’s not that you look old, I only call people ‘miss’ or ‘sir’ ‘cause my mum, God rest ‘er soul, taugh’ me good manners so until they tell me otherwise, I’d call ‘em by the polite way.”