The New World

[Rosalia]

She laid her hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know what to say," She said with a sweet smile, "not because I object or anything. It's just, I've never been in a situation like this before. Romance has never been my forte."

[The Corsair]

Her hand on his shoulder was reassuring in some ways but he worried that he was misreading the whole situation.

"Neither have I."

He thought to look her in the eye but found himself faltering. He wanted to but he had so many worries, so many doubts.
Before the pause could go on, he managed to ask
"do you feel... Anything?"

[Rosalia]

"Like what?" She asked.


Why did men have to be so confusing?

[The Corsair]

"I... Uh... Erh..."
Unintelligible noises, how collected...
He managed to cobble together a sentence describing what he meant.

"Anything toward me. Have I caught your attention as you have caught mine? Do you think, in any way, that... You... And... I..."

He trailed off again. There were no words he could use to make that sentence both complete and polite.

[Rosalia]

"Well, uh," She started, "I...I guess so. I have no experience, so I can not be for certain."

She blushed and looked down. That was the honest truth, but thankfully, he seemed as nervous as she was.

[Arx Nimbus]

"And what about you? You're being a bit avoidant of the group" he nodded towards the table at which a group of the other passengers sat and talked whilst they ate "If you don't mind me saying so."

Arx turned and gave Julius and odd look. "Avoidant? I wouldn't choose that word. Maybe, rejected, observant, unencumbered. With my talents I don't exactly make many friends. People like them would bear me down, I'd bear them down. I do have friends but only those who are in my same range of capabilities." he said as he sipped his drink and watched Falko and Rosie stand up and walk out. "They are nice people, they seem trustworthy don't get me wrong. But they seem settled... Something which I can't be." he said.

[Arx Nimbus]

(It was outside the ship, on the front deck. None of our characters was shot or the shooter. Just a twist.)

[The Corsair]

It wasn't much of an admission but it was the most relieving thing he had heard in a very long time.

"Do you mind taking a risk? Would you join me in this... Adventure, taking the chance that we may both find further conviction in our potential feelings for one another?"

He had some of his confidence back making his slightly more direct statement possible.

[Rosalia]

"Of course I wouldn't mind!" She said, eyes wide, "I think, together we should make it a very grand adventure!"

[The Corsair]

Sheer relief flooded through him. This was fast but real. It was something he wouldn't have even had time for back home...
Home?
He shouldn't think of it as home
But he couldn't think of America as home, he hadn't got there yet...


She could be the closest thing he had to home for now.

"Thank you for giving me the privilege to share this with you."

He turned out to the waves as he realised he had already done numerous times today, and a long day it had been, and let his hand fall into hers.

[Rosalia]

Rosie could not think of a single thing to say. She felt Falko's hand in her's and she smiled. She was truly happy for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Finally she thought of something.

"Shall we finish our walk?" She asked with a shy smile.

[The Corsair]

"That would be lovely"

They continued around the exposed deck of the ship.

[Rosalia]

Rosie enjoyed the rest of the little stroll. She was the happiest she had ever been. She was far less scared now that she had someone accompanying her on her adventure to a new world.

[The Corsair]

They walked without saying much of anything. He figured those still in the mess hall would be finished with their meals soon enough and they would have more company so he enjoyed the moments he had for now with Rosie.

[MWBailey]

Fergus happened to be staring at a porthole across the mess hall, and slowly it dawned on him that a young couple stood outside, looking out at the swells on the surface of teh ocean in the moonlight; the young man said something to the young lady, and they moved closer together, then stood side by side, close by one another. He couldn't see their hands, but he could see the movement of the man's shoulder and the way that both moved at a certain crucial moment. It was obvious that they were holding hands.

He pointed his chin in that direction, and said, "Now there's two young 'uns startin' early. Good fer them, I say, and bless 'em."

[Arx Nimbus]

BLAM!

A single gunshot, clear and loud. It rang through the night. A woman screamed.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(Unless you want to be the shooter or be the one being shot, it was two characters.)

[Rosalia]

Rosie jumped at the gunshot, mostly out of fear it was hers. She desperately wished she had brought it with her.

"Who was that?" She asked, holding tightly to Falko's hand.

[Augustus Longeye]

"What in the name of God?!" Julius yelled, and leapt to his feet. "Come on!" He literally grabbed the young man and dragged him out of the room. The general panic had yet to set in, but any second people would start screaming an ru- and they started dashing about and getting in his way. He yelled for them to move, and eventually battled his way out of the ship and onto the deck.
He paused for a moment; "Where did it come from?" he asked his somewhat unwilling companion.

[MWBailey]

Fergus sat where he was and hoped Luke had the presence of mind to do the same. Nothing could be gained from mass confusiion, he had often found; in battle, it was best to not jump up and start sceaming and scurrying about because of one shot; however, it was also not a good policy to stay in the line of fire. He hunkered down, and advised Luke to do the same. "Unless ye 'ave a gun or some kind of weapon that would be useful, best just take cover 'til we can figure out  who's shootin' who."

He remembered the cartridge revolver in a pocket of his satchel, next to the one that held his fife. He left the pistol there, reassured by its presence but unwilling to deploy it just yet; the shot might have been an isolated incident. He had not fired it since coming home and being furloughed after the African Disaster, but was confident that he could still hit what he aimed at.

[The Corsair]

He knew what to do in such a situation. Unfortunately, a ship was the last place he was expecting to hear a gunshot.

Rosie squeezed his hand as she exclaimed something. He had no idea what exactly she said, he had already readied himself for any further danger.

The world slowed down and he held Rosie's hand firmly as he hauled her into cover before another gunshot could ring out. From his new position he could see a clear way to the stairs leading off the deck. He hauled Rosie up and pulled he into a run toward said stairs before panicked passengers began to block the way.

Once they were down the stairs he went about 100 metres down a random passageway before finally stopping to evaluate the situation. The first hysterical civilians had begun to make their way down the stairs. It had only been a few seconds since the gunshot.

"we will go to your cabin first. Have your gun where you can grab it at short notice but keep it hidden as well, crewmembers will no doubt search the cabins. I'm sure we will all be fine. The passenger with the gun will be detained soon no doubt."

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Cenek was able to see Julius's rushing from a distance and could vaguely hear a commotion.

He stood, looking curious.

"I wonder what's going on..." he said to Alex. "Come, let us go investigate."

[Rosalia]

Rosie felt herself being dragged along. She couldn't think clearly. Falko said something about going to her cabin to get her gun.

Her gun. where was it?

 It was still in her other  skirt.

She flung open the cabin door and rummaged through her luggage. She found the skirt and tore off the make-shift pocket.

 "Here." She said as she thrust the gun towards him

[Man of Steam]

"I wonder what's going on..." Cenek said to Alex. "Come, let us go investigate."
"Quite right" he said, getting up and looking around. Whatever had happened had caused quite a stir with everyone.
"I hope Rosie and Falko are safe, they had been heading outside." He said this as he started to push against the stream of civilians who had flown into the dining hall,trying to get away from what had occurred.

[MWBailey]

"Save yer strength, man!" Fergus said as the fellow tried to shove his way past their table against the frightened throng. "Let 'em all get in, then push out with the ones who change their minds! Yer just one sheep who's fightin' the flock!""

[The Corsair]

Suddenly her pistol was thrust into his hands.
He took the initiative. If the shooter wasn't detained, he would detain him.
He hadn't exactly been friends with many Frenchman and the shadier ones who had issues with him taught him plenty about not dying.

He checked it was loaded and began to head back toward the deck. As he set off, he turned his head slightly and instructed Rosie to head back to the cabin and, seeing as it may be quite late when the ship was considered safe, asked her to not wait for him to return. He would give her pistol back in the morning he decided.