An Evening Walk (Estervale - Sageflower Lake; Open To All)
It had been a long day, to put things mildly. Pandora had been up running about, doing errands and such, pretty much the entire day. She tended her garden early in the morning before the sun got too terribly hot and then she went and picked up her dresses that were being tailored, and spent the rest of the day cleaning her house.
She needed a break, and that would be the reason she found herself at Sageflower Lake. It happens to be one of her favorite places to be since it is nearly always peaceful. She had taken her shoes off sometime along the walk and now they dangled at her side as she moved a little closer to the lake. The purples and pinks spreading across the sky were absolutely breathtaking and it was a sight that Pandora never grew tired of.
For a long moment she simply stood and stared at the sky, watching the clouds tumbling about at a slug's pace. A slight smile flitted to her mouth before she moved to sit in the grass, tucking the useless shoes in under her dress. She spread her fingers out in the grass beside her as she started to hum a soft tune now that she had a moment to rest.
Blue found her instantly interesting and made his way towards her, playing the fool and pretending as if he couldn't see her sitting down by the lake. He smiled cordially as he grew nearer. "Good evening," he called warmly.
Pandora stopped humming as she heard the greeting, and she looked up with a soft smile. "Hello," she replied in her pleasant voice. "A good evening, isn't it?" Of course, it could be pouring down rain and she would probably make that remark.
"Lovely," he replied, though he didn't take his eyes off her to observe how lovely the night was. He'd been out for a walk himself, a sort of restlessness had stolen over him. He needed to get out of his house, reclaimed from Mrs. Bluebeard upon her death. It was just one of those nights when he needed to be out and about.
She tilted her head just slightly, sending her curls tumbling along the side of her face as she watched him silently for a moment. Her smile never faded, though, and as she spoke it was still in her sweet tones. "Long day?"
He nodded. "Lonely," he said a little dreamily for a man. "They are all long when I'm alone. You?" he asked, equally curious as to how such a beautiful woman would end up here.
"Then come and sit," she motioned to the grass beside her. "I will keep you company." She saw nothing wrong with having company while enjoying nature's beauty. "Yes, it was a busy day for me," she nodded softly and still smiled pleasantly. "But it's almost over, so I suppose I shouldn't complain." Not that she really had much to complain about, but still...
"How can you be alone, though?" Her curiosity got the best of her, and the question left her lips before she could stop it. "Estervale is bustling with people from all walks of life." Her smile grew a bit. "Have you lived here long?"
He grinned and took a spot next to her. "Ah well, I can be a bit gruff I must admit. A former pirate is no easy man to be with," he offered by way of answer. He smiled. "Though I do like Estervale. I have been here for many months, though not always in this particular area. I have traveled a good deal of Pentamerone. How long have you been here?"
"Oh, a pirate!" Pandora's features lit up when he said that, and her smile grew in leaps and bounds. "You don't seem terribly gruff to me. Maybe people simply assume that you're a tyrant because of your former employment?" She tends to try to spin things in the positive of course. "I have lived here my entire life," she nodded softly and curled her arms around her knees. "I haven't really traveled throughout Pentamerone, but I'd like to some day." She nodded, and grinned once more. "Perhaps I could become a lady pirate?" She gave a soft laugh because honestly she couldn't see herself carrying around a sword and taking to the seas.
"Ach," he said lightly. "'Tis no profession for a true lady, which I can easily see you are. If you should desire travel however I would be much obliged to escort you. I know I'm just a stranger and a pirate to boot, but I would be honored to accompany you on your travels if you would be obliged to trust me."
Pandora sat up a bit straighter as the offer was laid before her and her smile softened once more. "I'm sure that it would be a lovely trip," she nodded, and then offered her hand out to him. "I am Pandora, and although I can't simply drop everything here -- no matter how much I would like to -- I will certainly keep your offer in mind for the future should the opportunity arise for traveling."
"I would be honored," he said again, taking her hand and bringing it softly to his lips for a sweet kiss. "I'm known most commonly as Senor Bluebeard, though simply Blue will work," he said with an inviting smile.
Her eyes danced lightly as he kissed the back of her hand and she nodded, just once. "Blue it is, then," she replied as she pulled her hand back gently. "You said you were a former pirate?" She tilted her head curiously. "What made you give the life up?"
"I wouldn't say I gave it up as much as I don't do it anymore. If I had meself a ship I'd be on the lake here right quick. Though I don't think there's many pirates to share in the exploits this way."
Pandora's lips pursed as he talked, and when he was finished she grinned brightly again. "One would think that being the only pirate on the seas would be a good thing, no?" She arched a delicate brow at him. "What happened to your ship?"
He laughed. "Less adventure if there's no one to fight for territory," he said jovially, as if explaining the politics of seafaring were an easy thing. "I left my lovely girl in the real world," he said, a touch of sadness in his tone. His ship was the only woman that never betrayed him. "A good ship she was," he reminisced, running a hand through his long brown hair. "I just sort of popped up here, so I don't know as I could even bring her round this way."
Pandora gave a soft laugh and looked down briefly before looking back up to Blue. "I'm certain that there would be navy ships to fight with?" She had only ever read about pirates before, and as such Blue is the first actual pirate she's met.
Her features softened as he talked about his ship, and when he was finished, Pandora reached out to lightly touch his arm. "I'm sure you'll find a wonderful ship some day, Blue. Being from here, I can't exactly explain how you would bring her here with you...But perhaps in time you'll be able to get a hold of a wonderful ship you could call your own." Her voice came out as sweet as honey and as soft as feathers as she offered him a bit of hope.
"I try not to pick fights with naval fleets," he said, though he grinned at the memory of some of his best fights, all had with the Queen's navy, or those damned Spaniards.
He shivered at her other words, such warmth and hope. It seemed to rattle something cold and solid in his chest. That bit of meteorite, he thought and his eyes grew sharp as eagle's for a moment. It was gone quickly and he smiled brightly at his new lady friend. "That would be wonderful," he said. "I do know a wizard. Perhaps he could help me, though certainly he's already helped me a good deal."
Pandora couldn't help but giggle at his words. "I don't blame you, personally I couldn't see myself fighting much of anything...Let alone naval fleets!" She shook her head lightly.
Her eyes centered on him after she spoke the words, and she pulled her hand back as he smiled brightly at her. She curled her toes into the grass and grinned. "Maybe if you offered to take him with you on your adventures he wouldn't mind so terribly much?"
"Aye, you seem to know the mind of wizards. This one is quite fond of traveling and more than grateful to have a friend to share the journey." He smiled at her grin. "We might make a funny threesome to travel about and cause all manner of trouble in Pentamerone."
She shrugged softly and smiled still. "Wizards? No...Men? Yes. Every man has at least a bit of little boy left in him...Or at least most of the men I've met do. Trinkets and traveling will always have fond places in their hearts." She nodded matter-of-factly at that. "Oh, I'm certain we would!" She laughed lightly and shook her head lightly. "It's so terribly tempting..." She knew that she should stay here, that she had things to tend to and look after, yet the more they talked about traveling, the more she wanted to go home and pack right this instant.
"Mayhaps we could make some more firm plans. Let me speak with my friend and I'll learn if he's of a mood for travels. When I return we can venture out, with our without him. Does a week suit you fair?" he asked, decided that he should like to take Pandora anywhere with him. Maybe even to find a ship and sail the great lake.
Pandora's curiosity has been sparked, and she's practically grinning like a fool now. "A week would be wonderful!" She actually clapped her hands together a couple of times, growing more excited about the idea of traveling. "That should give me plenty of time to get things in order." Already her mind was whirling and debating on what she should and shouldn't bring with her.
"Fair enough," he said and bowed cordially, as his gentlemanly upbringing required him to do. "It is a lovely place," and will always remind me of you, I think. He smiled and left that last thought unspoken.
"Wonderful!" She slipped her shoes back on and stood, giving a curtsy to Blue with a bright smile. "Then, Blue, I shall see you in a week! Do take care of yourself until then."
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