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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 21:03:07 GMT -5
I didn't like this plan at all. I felt like running back to my house, waking my mother, and telling her everything. The punishment I would receive from her would be better than what might happen if we got caught. Sailors were away from women for a long time, if we were discovered... I shuddered at the thought of what they would do. "Fine. But if this backfires it is your fault." I said, and muttered an "I love you" back. I was too worried about now having to be close to these men. What if they realized we were women by the way we moved, or the way I didn't think I'd be able to life things they would have me lift.
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Post by Annabelle Black on Jun 9, 2011 21:17:43 GMT -5
I nodded, although I knew I would kill anyone that tried to hurt her. I wasn't the best swordsman but most sailors weren't trained to use a sword. We reached the ship and I motioned for her to pick up some bags that I knew she could carry. I picked up a box that was a little heavy but I tried to not show my struggle with it. We followed some men on the ship and into the storage room. I wondered what was in the boxes we were loading onto the ship. We finished soon and I found us hammocks near a wall that secluded us slightly from the men. I hoped that would help her feel a little better. "Are you ok?" I asked in a hushed tone as we set our things down.
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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 21:29:41 GMT -5
I wasn't used to lifting much of anything, so whatever Anna chose for me to lift, or whatever I found, was always too heavy and I struggled with it a bit. I was glad when the work was over, and we could finally rest. That was too much work for a person like me to do, and if this was what it was going to be like the rest of the time we were on the ship I was prepared to just run back home and deal with my marriage in the morning. "No, I am not alright. I just ran away from a very comfortable life to move God knows what onto a smelly ship with men I do not want to trust. But how are you doing? You're used to this, aren't you?"
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Post by Annabelle Black on Jun 9, 2011 21:34:05 GMT -5
I narrowed my eyes. "We haven't left yet, if you want to go back, go ahead. But I won't be staying here. I'll leave after the wedding" I said and stood up to stretch. "I guess I'm used to it. I didn't do as much work on the last ship I was on. I did small chores. But, they knew I was a woman there." I said with a shrug. I kind of wished I was still there. At least there I was given my own cabin.
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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 21:40:04 GMT -5
I was ready to gather my things and leave, but I couldn't do that. I wouldn't feel right, having my sister go back to the seas without me. I just wished she could see it my way, that eventually we would learn to love the men our parents picked out for us. "Must have been easier. What kinds of things do men such as these talk about? I only know of what Cutler spoke of," I said, realising how limited my interactions with men my parents deemed inappropriate were.
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Post by Annabelle Black on Jun 9, 2011 21:57:14 GMT -5
I thought about it. "I'm not sure really. I tried to keep to myself while on the ships. They talk a lot about women as far as I know. And they do a lot of work." I explained to her, hoping that would make her run. "But we won't stay on ships for long. Once we get far away from Port Royal, we will get our own place." I told her, fixing her hat so it covered her face better. "Come on. We've got work to do."
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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:01:48 GMT -5
"Right... what kind of work?" I asked as I followed her up on deck. I was worried they'd have me doing something I wouldn't understand, or have my carrying more heavy boxes to the hold. "What kind of terminology do they use here? Anna, you really should have briefed me on this, I'm so unprepared." I whispered so only she could hear.
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Post by Annabelle Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:13:29 GMT -5
"I don't know all the terminology. Just, if someone tells you to do something you don't understand, come talk to me." I said to her as we got on deck. They had us scrubbing the deck because of our size but no one questioned us. We got a few odd looks as the passed us but other than that we were mostly left alone.
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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:16:58 GMT -5
While I was glad that we weren't doing anything too taxing, I could just feel my fingers pruning from the water. "This water's dirty," I complained as I watched everyone work around us, running back and forth like their life depended on it. I didn't know what kind of man the captain was, maybe it did. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't complain so much. I guess I'll have to deal with it for a couple of days." I said as I soaked the brush in the water yet again. "I wonder how these men all started in this life." I said as I went back to watching them as I scrubbed.
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Post by Annabelle Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:20:29 GMT -5
I chuckled slightly as she complained. I didn't tell her that it would only get worse. I tore a couple scraps of cloth off of my shirt. "Here, wrap this around your hands. Trust me." I said, handing them to her. I knew if she didn't, her hands would blister. She wasn't exactly used to manual labor. She didn't have the callouses I had.
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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:25:24 GMT -5
I looked at her oddly but did as she told me. I held my hands out to her so she could tie them tight enough that the water wouldn't make them come undone. "What's this for?" I asked, looking at my hands as she tied the scraps around it. I just hoped the others wouldn't think it was weird my hands were wrapped up. I didn't notice any of the other men having this done.
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Post by Annabelle Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:28:03 GMT -5
"It's to keep your hands from blistering." I explained and pulled her sleeve past her wrists in an attempt to hide the cloth. "I wish someone had told me that when I started working on the ships. It would have saved my hands." I added, showing her my tattered palms. I missed having feminine hands that weren't as rough as a mans. I know she would appriciate keeping her soft skin.
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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:32:55 GMT -5
I cringed and pulled myself back as if repulsed by her hands. I looked down at mine, not wanting them to lose their softness but on this ship I didn't think that was an option. "Oh... well, thank you." I said, and went back to scrubbing the deck before someone said something to me. I knew that if my hands weren't soft like they were now men would get suspicious as to what I had been doing and not want to marry me, they would think I was hiding something from them. "Have you ever thought of getting married?" I asked.
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Post by Annabelle Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:37:14 GMT -5
I looked up at her, surprised at her question. "Well, yes. Of course I have. Mother had plans for me, you know. She never told me who but I know she had already chosen someone. That's why I left. I don't believe in arranged marriages. I believe in love. Like what mother and father used to have." I explained, bringing up memories of our pirate father. I'm sure he still loved our mum but she was too busy with our step father.
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Post by Lillian Black on Jun 9, 2011 22:40:34 GMT -5
I frowned. "You left because she chose someone for you to marry?" I asked. I know that's the reason I left, but at least I knew who I was marrying so it was alright for me to want to leave. "But what if you would end up loving him? What if you did have what our parents had?" I didn't want to bother her with this, not when the others could hear, but I wanted to know.
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