I Am Myself Alone|But Not For Long [OPEN, INACTIV]

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Richard wanted to get away from it all. Away from the doddering physicians, the blundering politicians, his big headed older brothers... All he wanted was peace, some time to himself.

Time to think.

Instead of his usual chauffeur driven limousine, he'd opted for a taxi. The driver had looked stunned as he gingerly eased himself into the front seat but hadn't dared to question him when he'd asked to be driven to the pier, although he'd certainly looked curious. He'd had the sense to drive quickly and not say a word to the Comptroller; a fact which made Richard's mood improve slightly, but not to a degree that rendered him polite when paying his fare.

Having grudgingly paid the driver Richard had extracted himself from the car and begun his slow and painful progress along the pier. He had opted to use his walking stick today; he planned to walk for some time. He found that, despite the pain it was apt to cause him, walking (or, in his case, limping) seemed to clear his mind a little.

The day was overcast and gloomy, the clouds louring in a threatening manner overhead, seeming to glower down at Richard from their lofty position in the sky. The sun would not be seen today. Despite this Richard was wearing his trusty aviators, as if to try and hide his face from the public eye. He wanted to be alone. He liked being alone.

At length Richard reached the end of the pier, and found himself gazing over the vast grey expanse of the sea. A sudden gust of wind threatened to tear his red cashmere scarf from around his neck; with a growl Richard would it tighter about and readjusted his capacious black coat. This done he returned his cold grey gaze to the sea.

"It's been peaceful for so many years," he mused, thinking his thoughts aloud. "But now Edward's sick things are taking an unexpected turn...a cast of the die in my favour, I think..."

[erin]

The day was miserable as was Ophelia's mood. Normally she was bright and cheery like a gerber daisy but today she felt more withdrawn and depressed like rue. The events at the Capulet ball left her mind a muddle. She was not quite sure about anything anymore. Today was a day where Ophelia was very much not like herself. She had emailed her professors early on at the university to inform them that she was not feeling well and needed a days rest but would make up the work immediately. Of course she would keep to her word on that and the professors understood completely.

She took her car and drove around for a bit, first stopping to the small Starbucks to get a drink and then heading towards the Botanical Gardens. It was a place of utter luxury to her and she basked in it with pride. However today, she was not as satisfied as she normally would be with being there. So, she set out in her car once more and drove, this time to a place she would not commonly go.

The Pier was where she had ended and in turn she was convinced it would ease her troubled mind. As she rounded the street and parked in the lot, she got out, tossed the half finished coffee and walked around on this dreary day.

As she wandered, her mind drifted to a far off place; her la-la land where a relationship between her and Harry Chandler was existent and where no one questioned it. A dreamer's dream of course. As much as she wished for that life she knew it was nearly impossible, save for those few moments where they were quite intimate so to speak. For instance at the Botanical Gardens that day they ran into each other that seemed eons ago.

However as Ophelia allowed her mind to leave her, she bumped into someone else who had decided that taking time to visit the Pier would soothe them. "I'm so sorry. Pardon me." She apologized while blushing furiously by her foolishness. Only Ophelia.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Almost as soon as the words 'a cast of the die in my favour' had left his mouth, quite the opposite happened. As he'd allowed himself to relax a little to help ease his troubled mind he'd eased him grip on his walking stick.

Consequently when the young lady bumped into him it nearly fell from his hand; he had to lunge forward a little to prevent its clattering to the ground. However this movement was rendered clumsy due to his leg; his lurch had been a little overjudged and he looked for a moment as though he would keel over despite his regained grip on the stick.

Luckily, it was only his glasses that bore the brunt of his movement. They slipped from their already precarious position on his long nose and fell to the ground with a clatter. However, Richard didn't move to pick them up, instead he rounded on the girl who had bumped into him. It hadn't even been a push or a shove, just an accidental collision, but the encounter had nonetheless soured Richard's mood.

"What the hell did you do that for?" he snarled, his grey eyes flashing dangerously as he took in the young woman before him.

[erin]

The man was quite rude in all honesty. It was not as though Ophelia purposely intended on bumping into the man. She didn't meant to have him nearly fall, drop his cane, and then have his glasses fall to the ground. "I-I'm so sorry. Really sir I am." Being yelled at was something that made Ophelia break down to the core.

"It was only an accident sir." Ophelia tried to reassert once more. What part of 'accident' did this man not understand? Did he honestly think that she was so obnoxious and rude as to do something like that? Ophelia wasn't one to raise her voice or have a short temper, but she did not oblige to being scolded for something that wasn't her fault.

Take a deep breathe Ophelia...Don't lose you're cool over something so menial... She repeated to herself over and over again in her mind while looking the old man in his eyes. He really did have some nerve.


(Sorry this is late and short!)

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

"I-I'm so sorry. Really sir I am."

The young woman's voice grated on Richard's already frayed nerves; the innocence and frailty of it set his teeth on edge. But she did seem sorry, and Richard was almost prepared to forgive her (momentarilly neglecting the fact that he was a man who didn't forgive easily).

However as the woman began to sound defiant again, all his notions of forgiveness melted away. With a mutter of displeasure he bent down to pick up his glasses, trying his utmost to look as though he performed the task with ease as any normal person would. Straightening up again he brushed the glasses off absentmindedly on his overcoat before tucking them inside one of the pockets. As he turned to face the young woman again he noticed how her eyes seemed to bore into his, as if daring him to try and reprimand her again.

Strange. Normally it was him who had the way with the whole eyes being the windows to the sould deal. Much as he was inwardly kicking himself for it (with his good leg), Richard looked away and out across the sea again. He made as if to apologize for his admittedly unfair accusation but all that he could manage was a syllable or two that didn't even pass his lips.

Could he help it that he'd exploded at her like that? He was in a bad mood! And when Richard was in a bad mood most people knew to stay away. Then, it occured to him, that maybe she didn't know who he was...which was why she wouldn't have known not to come near him.

He wasn't exactly sure how to pose the query he wanted to without sounding creepy, random or just silly. But he had to admit, he was quite curious.

"If you don't mind my asking," he tried, considering the fact he'd thought to apologize as good as an apology itself and therefore he could continue a normal conversation. "Who exactly are you?"


(That's perfectly fine, I know you're very busy, as am I as a matter of fact. Thank you for finding time to reply; it made my day! :3 I hope my reply was satisfactory and made sense; Maths is hurting my brain. XD)

[erin]

This man was certainly not in the best health. She noticed by the way he bent down, trying to hide his discomfort before straightening up again. It was not as though Ophelia was one to judge, but he probably was a stubborn old mule who needed to see a doctor to prescribe him with some kind of medication to alleviate the pain enough for him to perform some common tasks.

Her blue eyes watched him intently as he directed his attention to the far off ocean, completely oblivious to her, or at least pretending to be. He seemed to be trying to conjure up some sort of way to respond to her avoiding an apology. A stubborn old mule was the correct terminology for her to use indeed. The nerve of him to be unkind to her for a simple accident and not apologize was just disgraceful.

I'm sure his mother is turning over in her grave right now... Ophelia thought bitterly although she also was a bit taken aback by her own sudden rudeness. Normally she was always tolerant of everyone but today just put her in a sour mood all over. Not only did this man have the audacity to be so belligerent with her, but the weather was putting a storm cloud over every flower she passed.

Ophelia was much like a flower along with her great love of them. She was delicate and temperamental and needed the right dosages to keep her anger at bay. When the weather was foul she was glum and when nothing went right she was just a mess. It was quite ironic how much she seemed to have adapted to being like her great love in life.

Then he dodged the bullet of forgiving her by inquiring her name. She was half tempted to give a smart and sarcastic answer but decided it was not the time to fight fire with fire but to show she was the better person. "Ophelia sir." She stated in her meek tone, withdrawing from the internal fight she was having with her mind. "Ophelia Knowles." Part of her was hoping that by hearing her full name he would recognize her in some shape or form. Maybe through her father or something, but she highly doubted it.

(Thank you and you're response was great! I hope that The length of this makes up for the shortness of the other one and the time it took to respond which again I am sorry for!)

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

Ah, so she didn't respond the way Richard had expected. He'd thought she might have aimed at defiance again, not that he would have blamed her considering how he'd acted.

Had Richard been able to see inside the young woman's head at that point doubtless he would have been less inclined to be friendly. Although, if he had been able to read her mind and heard what she'd thought about his Mother (who, to his dislike, was very much alive still) he might have laughed.

She told him her given name, in that same meek voice, before following up with her given name again plus that of her family. Richard nodded as she spoke; now he recognized who she was. He marvelled at how he hadn't done so before! Had she not been the young woman on Harry Chandler's arm at the Capulet Ball?

"Ophelia Knowles," he repeated, turning to face her and inclining his head as a more formal greeting, resolving to at least attempt to be more polite. If he intended to rule the city when Edward oh so tragically passed away, he would need to win the support and favour of the people. Might as well start now. Better now than never.

"I..." he paused, once again, as if inwardly debating to really aim for friendliness. It was by no means his forte. "Miss Knowles, I wish to apologize before we take this conversation any further. There was no call for me to behave in such an atrocious manner towards you for what just happened. I'm afraid I've become rather more short tempered than usual as of late, but that is no excuse. I hope...I hope you will forgive me."

He hadn't played the part of the truly repentant in a long while; he'd felt he had no cause to do so. Now to see if he still had the knack, if he could still feign sincierity and get away with it.



(Once again, it's perfectly fine! :3 I really should be revising... -guilty face- Heh. Anyway, that was a great post; I love how you write Ophelia's thoughts, especially her using animal imagery when thinking about Richard. XD Brings back fond memories of Act I, Scene III...)

[erin]

Clearly her mentioning of her name had drawn his attention, as well as his manners, out from hiding. No longer was his passive attitude but his full undivided attention. He also seemed quite sincere in his apology. Although Ophelia was not one to be brooding of her connections or anything of the sort, nor had she had the means to have connections or flaunt them, it was convenient to have some.

"Its quite alright." She responded in her forgiving yet reluctant tone. Her better judgement told her not to in thought that he simply did so to remain free of Harry's wrath, God forbid this man did any wrong by Harry's standards. However Ophelia was not one to be bitter and hold grudges. She would simply let bygones be bygones and let it all flow naturally and have everything run its course.

Her blue eyes drifted towards the open water across the way. How water sometimes frightened her. Its strength and determination to rip down the strong ships that ventured through it; claiming the lives of those few who dare tread it without safety or aid of any assortment. Drowning would however be her idea of one of the worst ways to die.

Just the waiting and knowing you could have been saved in a matter of moments instead of having your lungs bust inside of you. Washing those thoughts away, she turned her attention back to the peculiar old man. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you sir?" Curiosity had killed the cat but it always got the best of Ophelia. She was always eager to learn new things she had yet to.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

"Its quite alright."

Richard chuckled inwardly. He'd done it again. Really, he deserved an Olivier award. Or something, at least. The again it wouldn't be at all convenient for everyone to know he was putting on acts. Best to keep his prowess in the field to himself.

This being said Ophelia turned her attention to the turbulent waters; by the expression on her face Richard assumed she was deep in thought, although about what in particular he could not guess.

He was not a man to admit to fear, but sometimes he found that water made him slightly afraid. He could hardly swim at all due to his leg, let alone his arm, and so the possibility of being in a situation where he was in water with no means of escape scared him. You couldn't blackmail, bribe or kill water; it wasn't like a political opponent or a fearful adversary...

Richard comforted himself with the fact that he wasn't as afraid of drowning as George was. His fear was just laughable.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you sir?"

So she hadn't recognized him. Richard found himself smiling a little at that...if she didn't know who he was that meant for once in his life he had a chance to form a good first impression. All too often those he met had read about him in the papers or were automatically inclined to dislike him when comparing him to his brothers...

"Richard Plantagenet, Ms. Knowles," he said, turning to face her with a smile, tucking his walking stick under his arm so he could extend his good hand for her to shake. "Comptroller." From that he assumed she would know his connections; he didn't need to go telling them to her. She seemed smart enough to figure it out. Besides the only reason he put up with being associated with his brothers was for their positions of power.

(ooc: Just to say, I love how you added Ophelia's fear of water into that post! I hope that's not foreshadowing in this case! XD)

[erin]

Hearing his name, and the appositive, she nodded slowly. It somewhat frightened her at the idea of who he was. Being a Comptroller, he was a wealthy and powerful man to say the least. More or a less someone who had worked harder than Harry had to remain in such a position of power. "Well Mr. Plantagenet," She began in her most formal manner, extending her hand to join his.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. Although I must admit these circumstances are quite odd." Ophelia let out a slight chuckle, a nervous one at that, and shook his hand gently.

Although he would fail to admit it, he seemed more fragile than how he carried himself. His elder age was quite evident in the way he walked with what seemed like minor complications and the way he depended on his walking stick to accompany him. Taking his hand in hers for her to shake seemed like a challenge all in its own.

She tried to keep a smile fixated on her mouth to keep from turning bitter. Ophelia was not about to let the weather get her down...Even if he doesn't quite deserve it... She admitted silently to herself.

(ooc: Thank you very much! I'm sorry it was really late again too )

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

As Ophelia extended her hand to take his, Richard shook it with his usual firm grip, as if to somehow prove he wasn't as frail as he first appeared. Admittedly this assumption on the part of the majority of people came in useful from time to time, he wouldn't gainsay it, yet it was oftentimes quite irritating how frequently this happened; like that one time someone had offered to help him cross the road...

Ophelia's handshake was very gentle however, and he quickly let her hand go, as if for fear of doing her injury.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. Although I must admit these circumstances are quite odd."

This was followed by a slightly nervous laugh. They say laughter is contagious but with Richard this generally was not the case. He offered a wry smile as a means of sharing his amusement but did not join Ophelia in her apparent mirth.

"Unusual circumstances indeed," he replied. "I wonder whether this is due to the manner of our meeting, it's location or both." This wasn't a question, more of a statement.

He paused, for a moment, before continuing, returning his stick to his hand as he thought of how to carry the conversation further.

"If I might inquire as to what brings you to the pier this morning, Miss Knowles? Surely young people such as yourself have better ways to spend your time? Then again I may be making an assumption...and assumptions, I'll have you know, are never wise things to make."




(ooc: That's perfectly fine; real life can get in the way sometimes; I should know what with my IGCSEs. D: Oh well...only four more to go after tommorow! Your prompt reply has put me in a good mood after my tests today! -hugs-)

[erin]

She listened as he added his own two cents about the circumstances and nodded in agreement before. It took her a few seconds before she could muster a response she deemed worthy enough for him to hear.

"Well," Ophelia began while trying to redraw her response, looking down at her hands for a second. "Your assumption probably is more accurate. I probably could have been somewhere with a less melancholy mood but I was just wandering really. She added a shrug towards the end of it. Come on Ophelia...It doesn't take that long to give a response.

"Today is just one of those days I guess. One where nothing quite seems to meet your needs." Ophelia offered another smile at this although it was not quite as vibrant as the ones she was used to throwing around that would normally turn anyone's day decent.

Her eyes then looked back from the ground towards Richard's face. "Surely a man of your position has better things to do than come to a place like this at such an odd time of day. But as you've said, assumptions are not a great thing to make."

(ooc: I'm glad I helped make your day better ^^ -huggles-)

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

"Well...Your assumption probably is more accurate. I probably could have been somewhere with a less melancholy mood but I was just wandering really...Today is just one of those days I guess. One where nothing quite seems to meet your needs."

Richard nodded his head as Ophelia spoke; today most certainly was one of those days. A day when one just wanted to get away from it all, to be alone and at peace with your thoughts. Of course, for either of them, things hadn't worked out that way considering their encounter. But it was interesting enough to note that both of them had similar intentions in coming to the pier that day.

"Surely a man of your position has better things to do than come to a place like this at such an odd time of day. But as you've said, assumptions are not a great thing to make."

The comptroller chuckled at this; Ophelia was certainly a quick wit. She was right, of course. In all technicality he should have been back at City Hall, working. Doing his own work, and Edward's too probably. He'd been getting worse recently, so much worse that the other day he had hardly been able to find the strength to get out of bed, let alone get to City Hall for nine.

But Ophelia didn't need to know this nor, despite the extra workload, how happy Edward's illness was causing Richard to be. All she needed from him was a reason for being here.

"You'd be quite correct in that assumption, Miss Knowles," Richard replied, his laughter fading to a smile. "I should, in fact, be working right now. But surely it isn't wrong of me to want to...get away from it all? 'Princes have but their titles for their outward glories' as a great man once wrote...it may seem difficult to believe but we in power have just as many problems as those who aren't."

He hadn't really intended to play the pity card, but it was been dealt all the same.

[erin]

The quote of which he spoke made Ophelia think of Harry. She wasn't sure why but with the whole title and glories thing it just made her think of him. He was after all the heir to Hamlet Enterprises and well, he was so to speak the prince of it yet she knew better than anyone how he hated it at times.

Harry had confided to her in all honesty how he wished to just drive away from here and just leave the city life. Then she agreed to him coming on day to carry her off. But Richard was right. She looked up at him and nodded slightly.

"I actually have come to think that those in power seem to have more troubles than those not. Not only must they balance their personal life but business affairs, paparazzi, and all the other forms of libel." In those words Ophelia had the feeling she was being true.

Although her life seemed so blah, with lack of another word to describe it, it could be far worse than it has been. She had been blessed with good health, a caring family, and knowing that her dreams were within grasp for her. For many, that good health or a family was a marvel in its own.

Her eyes then looked towards the water off distance. It was thrashing about violently as the tide was coming in due to the day growing late. She was not sure why she was so morbidly fascinated by it at a time like this but she was. It was unsettling but at the same time soothing. It was quite ironic but even so. Her attention then turned back to Richard as she waited for him to speak once more.

[RICHARD PLANTAGENET]

"I actually have come to think that those in power seem to have more troubles than those not. Not only must they balance their personal life but business affairs, paparazzi, and all the other forms of libel."

Richard couldn't help a chuckle at Ophelia's words. She had a fair point there, a very fair point indeed. Not that he wanted to agree wholeheartedly, but her words rang true in many a case, not just his own. It was interesting, he reflected, how wise in the ways of the realms of power she seemed. She saw behind the outward show and appeared to understand the problems and anxieties that plagued even the most powerful of men.

Doubtless this knowledge on her part had something to do with her connection to Harry Chandler. Richard recalled that Edward, his brother, had always been a big supporter of Hamlet Enterprises, though Richard had never quite understood his fascination. Maybe he should get to know Chandler better.

Time for a change of topic.

"Perhaps that rings true, perhaps it does not. I will admit it does in my case. But of others? I have little idea. Do you know anyone with such troubles, to have given you such an awareness of the problems behind the power?"

The query was asked in all innocence, with the air of someone simply making conversation rather than intending to dig for information.