Appointment's Post

[talentsgirl]

For all your "Getting in touch with Molly" needs. Any extraneous voice, action, or written posts, flowovers, invitations (present drop offs, etc) can go here! Please label the thread using the following format:

[written, March 11]
[voice, June 6]
[action, December 15]

Comments

[greenjacketed]

"Harry!" A certain delight entered his voice. "Named after our Dresden, is he?"

For Dresden mentioned knowing Molly's father.

[talentsgirl]

'Our Dresden' - a Brittishism, she thought. Still, it had a strange sound. It was fair enough, though. Harry never 'belonged' to any one person. "That's right. He and my dad are good friends."

And he kind of saved me from a fate worse than death and a beheading on top it it.

[greenjacketed]

"So he's told me. No wonder it's a relief having him here."

[talentsgirl]

"Oh, he.. told you that?" A brief pause. "What did he say?"

[greenjacketed]

"...That your father's a good man."

And Sharpe, in turn, had taken to understanding that Harry was the lady's guardian in this village. Tricky.

[talentsgirl]

"He is," Molly glanced down, soft affection lighting her face. "He's one of the best."

There wasn't only sincerity behind that statement, but simple confidence.

[greenjacketed]

"What's he like, lass? Tell me more about him."

He'd gathered a little; he wanted more.

[talentsgirl]

"More about my dad?" The topic of Michael Carpenter's actual occupation was one which Molly was well-practiced at not revealing. However... "What would you like to know?"

[greenjacketed]

What would he like to know? Frankly, he wasn't quite sure. He had no fatherly experiences of his own to draw on. Nothing suitable, at least.

Except: "Do you see him often? Back home?"

[talentsgirl]

"Well, he used to travel around a lot. But he was -" she paused for a moment, gaze flickering down - "injured about a year ago. He made it through, but he's not able to travel the same way he used to."

She looked back up at him. "So now he's able to spend a lot more time at home. It's actually pretty great, especially for the little ones."

[greenjacketed]

"The little ones? Aye. They must've missed him, when he wasn't around."

He considered his little Antonia. Could she even remember him, now? "Sorry to hear about an injury, though. Nothing so serious...?"

[talentsgirl]

"Well... it was pretty bad." Her gaze flickered downwards as she remembered the horror of that night. Shattered pelvis. Damaged spine. Collapsed lung. Destroyed kidney. "His vision was permanently damaged, and he's still got a bit of a limp, but he's pretty much walking without a cane now."

[greenjacketed]

He chose not to ask about what had happened...

Sadly, though, it left him only able to parrot himself: "...S-sorry. For his sake. And yours."

[talentsgirl]

"Well..." her smile was faint now, soft and reminiscent. "It was pretty horrible. But he's free now to be at home, and he wasn't killed. So it really worked out for the good."

[greenjacketed]

"Must be a hell of a time, being apart. If you're used to havin' him around, now."

[talentsgirl]

She shrugged a little uncomfortably. "I miss them all. But it's... things were pretty tense back home, so I'm just trying to look on the bright side."

[greenjacketed]

"An admiral trait in any would be sergeant."

[talentsgirl]

"Really? I thought it was all about having a loud yelling voice."

[greenjacketed]

"That too, for certain."

He thought about his words for a moment, then -- while clearing his throat: "I were a sergeant, once." Considering their earlier conversation about corporals and privates and ensigns, he wasn't sure whether the confession would sink in. A sergeant's only a man among the ranks, he'd said.

[talentsgirl]

Molly tilted her head to the side, considering. "Really? How long ago was that?"

[greenjacketed]

"Just about ten years ago. And I wore the stripes for three years, when I had'em."

[talentsgirl]

"Did you like being a sergeant?"

[greenjacketed]

His instinctive reaction is a sudden shake of his head. Sudden and telling. But then: "It's better being an officer. It must be."

[talentsgirl]

"You sound like you're not sure," she said gently. And then she shook her head. "You don't have to tell me."

[greenjacketed]

His face was grim for a moment. "The man who gave me my commission called it a bad turn. I won't say that I agree with him every day, but...ah, lass. We are what we are. We make our beds and who are we to complain when we lie in'em?"