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Post by Administrator on Apr 13, 2010 16:27:07 GMT -5
Boats are parked here, and also this is a great place to put a boat into the water. Or just jump off the end and go for a swim.
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Post by Pallet O'Shea on Jul 20, 2011 18:46:14 GMT -5
(New Day- Reserved for Ki)
Pallet sat on the edge of the dock staring out at the water, her feet dangling over the side hoovering over the water. Her sketchbook sat to her left with the box of charcoal sitting on top and her shoes sat to her right. She had come down here to add some new drawings to her book but inspiration just wasn't hitting her today...
Pallet closed her eyes and listened to the waves lap up against the side of the empty boats tied out to the docks. It was late enough in the day that the people who worked on those boats had already gone home for the day, so it actually quite peaceful. The seagulls squawking in the sky every now and then, the sound of the waves coming to shore, and the occasional boat in the far distant; It was a nice change from the busy streets of the city. Growing up in the country, a girl like her needed the occasional serenity that a spot like this provided.
Pallet opened her eyes and leaned over the edge of the dock, dipping her big toe into the water. A nice swim would probably be quite refreshing. She stood up and looked around for a minute, making sure that she was actually alone. Not a person in sight.
Pallet smiled to herself as she began stripping down to her undergarments, leaving her in just her bloomers and chemise. She folded her purple dress and set them in a neat pile on top of her sketchbook and tucked her corset underneath along with her stockings. After everything was neatly piled on the dock, she turned to the water. After one more quick glance around to make sure she was alone, she dove gracefully into the cool water. At first the coolness of the water was a bit of a shock, but after a few laps--out a few feet and back to the dock--the water felt really good. After one of her many laps of swimming underwater, as she was resurfacing near the dock, the sight of a tall figure towering over her on the dock startled her. She unconsciously let out a little yelp and bit her bottom lip.
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Post by Ki Harper on Jul 21, 2011 18:31:44 GMT -5
Ki had wandered back down to the docks after catching a drink with a few of the other dockworkers once shift was over. Their bond formed by sweating side by side during the long afternoon hours, a few of them often went to catch a quick drink at a nearby restaurant before they all parted ways to the various parts of the city for the evening. And though Ki knew he should probably head back to Manhattan and check in on Devan, but the hot day had turned into the balmy sort of evening that encouraged one to linger and lag when going about their journey home.
He didn't see the small pile of clothing until he was nearly on top of it, the dark clothing almost like the calling card of some river waif like in the stories his mother used to tell him when he was growing up. But closer inspection drew his attention to the slight splash of water and the dark haired young woman who seemed completely at ease as she basked in the cool, refreshing water, for the moment completely unaware of Ki's presence. It was an almost awkward thing, and if Ki had been thinking he might have turned away and headed back down the dock, or perhaps even alerted the girl to his presence - but he did neither as he instead watched her cut through the water with a grace and ease that reminded him of his cousin flying through the air. It wasn't until the head popped up closer to the dock, eyes connecting with his and a surprised yelp sounding from her mouth that Ki realized their rather...interesting situation. Shrugging slightly, Ki met her eyes and smiled gently, tilting his head in greeting, "Miss."
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Post by Pallet O'Shea on Jul 22, 2011 21:51:08 GMT -5
Pallet lowered herself in the water so it was up to her shoulders and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was not expecting anyone else to be around, so being caught in nothing but her undergarments by a strange--albeit handsome--man was a little awkward.
Pallet cleared her throat and smiled nervously. As much as her friend Styx had helped her slowly overcome her fears of men, in situations such as these where she felt completely helpless, she couldn't help feeling wary of a strange man. "Did... did I--uh-- disturb you with my splashing around? I'm sorry if I did." She began to chew her bottom lip--a nervous habit of hers.
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Post by Ki Harper on Jul 23, 2011 10:46:21 GMT -5
"No ma'am, not at all," Ki said softly when she apologized for possibly bothering him with her evening swim. The truth was he hardly found it a bother at all, he was rather used to odd behavior as it was and something small like splashing in the river wasn't about to be a problem for him. Still, he could sense some nerves from her small frame as she sank a little deeper into the water and cutely began biting her lower lip. Truth be told, Ki found the whole situation rather enchanting, particularly when he looked down into her pretty face and examined the visible nerves that were etched across her features.
But he didn't want to be a source of discomfort for anyone, particularly a pretty young woman who probably found his size rather alarming, especially from her position below him in the water. In an effort to put her more at ease, Ki squatted down on the dock, keeping his gaze steady on her as he widened his smile. "I hope I'm not the one disturbing you," He commented, lifting a hand to scrub his fingers through his unruly blond curls. "It's a great night for a swim," He said, lifting his eyes to scan the orange sky as the sun sank a little lower on the horizon. His gaze drifted to the pile of clothes at his side and then back down at the girl who still seemed a bit unsettled by his presence and he was regretful that he might have disturbed her blissful moment. "I can go if you'd like..." He offered, waving a large hand back down the dock in the direction that he had come.
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Post by Pallet O'Shea on Jul 23, 2011 21:01:10 GMT -5
Pallet continued to nervously chew her bottom lip while she thought about his last suggestion. She wasn't really getting any sort of vibe from him that told her she couldn't trust the man. From the way he was calling her ma'am hinted that he had manners, and the way he squatted down to make himself not seem so big showed he was trying to make her feel more at ease.
Pallet released her lip from between her teeth and gave him a weak smile. "N-no. You're not disturbing me. Just startled me a bit..." It was getting late and she wasn't ready to get out just yet so having him stick around might not be so bad. "You don't need to go... that is if you don't want to..." In fact, it would be nice to have a friendly face around--one especially as big as him--in case one of those shady-type men who prowled around at night decided to stop by...
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Post by Ki Harper on Jul 23, 2011 21:40:30 GMT -5
"Well I apologize all the same for sneaking up on you like that," Ki said good naturedly, studying the edge of the dock before maneuvering his position so he was seated, and after a moment's consideration he removed his boots and socks before letting his long legs dangle down near the water. "I didn't know anyone was down here," He explained, leaning back a little and bracing his hands on the rough wooden planks of the dock as he smiled down at her. At least there hadn't been when he and the rest of his coworkers had left the dock, but truth be told that was near an hour ago and foolish to think that one might not have wandered down to the water in the time that had passed.
"Bet that water feels right good after today," Ki commented, letting his gaze fall away from her to the water that rippled out from her shoulders. It had been a scorcher that day, the sun beating down from above, as Ki well knew considering he'd spent the better part of the day out in it. But he had to admit there was something satisfying about the manual labor, even if it was hard work, and now in the low light of evening he didn't find it near as distasteful as he sometimes did during the early afternoon hours. Turning his eyes back to her, he granted her another smile, somehow hoping that it might put her a little bit at ease. "I'm Ki."
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Post by Pallet O'Shea on Jul 23, 2011 22:25:27 GMT -5
The smile Ki shot her set Pallet at ease, so she returned the favor. She swam closer and shot him a smile as well. "Pallet," she replied before dipping her head backwards into the water quickly and smoothing her hair back after she came back up. "Would you like to... uh-join me?" He looked like someone who had a hard day of work today out in the scorching heat. The water would probably feel good for him just as much as it did for her. "After today's heat, it'll feet right grand and help you stay easy."
Pallet waded out a little further in the water and shot him a charming smile. "I'm sure I could probably share the water with you, if you want."
Irish translation: grand- very good stay easy- relax
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Post by Ki Harper on Jul 24, 2011 8:23:18 GMT -5
Ki couldn't help but laugh as she offered to share the water with him, a cheeky remark considering it spread out for miles around her. He liked that she appeared to have relaxed a bit and her invitation was one made out of ease and as he looked down at the water he had to admit it did look inviting. "Well alright then, can't say no to an offer like that from a pretty girl like you," Ki commented, sending her another wide smile before tugging at his shirt and undershirt and tossing carelessly on top of his shoes.
Leaving his pants firmly in place on his body, no need to push the lines of propriety anymore than they already had, plus he had no desire to bring that nervous look back to her face. He used leverage from his hands at his sitting position on the dock and lifted himself up and dropped into the water, feeling the refreshment it offered from the moment it touched his toes. He stayed under for a moment, enjoying the immersion and swirl of water around his body before kicking upwards and popping up just a few feet from where Pallet bobbed in the water. "You were right," He commented with another grin. "Feels incredible."
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Post by Pallet O'Shea on Jul 24, 2011 11:42:39 GMT -5
Pallet blushed at his compliment--calling her pretty--and turned her face away so he couldn't see the pink tint appear on her cheeks. She had received several similar compliments in her teenage life but most made her feel uneasy because the man giving them just wanted something from her and she was being leered at. There were very few times when the compliment was meant to be nice and genuine; this was one of those times. That knowledge made her smile grow a little more.
As soon as she felt the heat dissipate from her cheeks, Pallet turned back to face Ki, just in time to catch him pulling his shirts over his head. She couldn't help admiring his sculpted chest and the firm lines of his six-pack that were no longer hidden behind the barrier his shirts provided him; she was a girl after all. She let her eyes slowly wander up to his face. He was actually quite a handsome guy now that she was actually looking at him. One that she was sure she hadn't seen in the Bronx at all. A guy as big as him wouldn't have been easy to look over, walking the streets.
Pallet watched as he dropped into the water, giggling as he came up not very far from where she was treading water; his wet, blonde, curly locks now hung in his face reminding her of a Komondor puppy she had as a child back in Ireland after he went swimming in the pond. She wanted to reach out and brush the curls back out of his face--just because it was a part of her tender and caring nature--but she barely knew the guy so decided against that idea. "After such a scorcher today, it definitely feels grand," she agreed with his comment. "So Ki... Do you live here in the Bronx? I don't remember ever having seen you..." She shot him a smile. "I would've remembered seeing you," she added under the breath to herself.
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Post by Ki Harper on Jul 24, 2011 12:29:51 GMT -5
Ki smiled as he used a powerful kick from his legs to propel him closer to her, treading water nearly beside her now as she mentioned not having seen him around before. Ki was used to the fact that people noticed him, his height and size made it nearly impossible for people not too, and he was generally good natured about it, how could he not be? "Not in the Bronx, no," Ki answered, shaking his head once and then a bit more forcefully to toss the wet curls stuck to his forehead out of his eyes. "I'm living over in Manhattan in an apartment with my cousin." He shifted his arms under the water and let himself drift a bit from her, enjoying the feel of the cool water on his skin that had spent all day with the sun beating down on it.
"But I work down here at the docks," He continued, lifting a hand now to smooth back the curls and plaster them smoothly to his head as he turned his eyes back on her. "So unless you are prone to wandering around when we are hauling crates, I'm not all that surprised you haven't seen me." Ki searched through his mind wondering if perhaps they might have crossed paths before and he never noticed - it was possible, the nomadic style of his life had made it so sometimes faces had a tendency to run together - though he'd like to think he would have remembered hers.
"You live around here I take it?" He asked, kindly as he lifted his legs, dropped his head back and let himself float on the water. For a moment the water muffled the sounds of the city in his ears and he was swept away to other times and places he had floated in water - the memories vibrant and happy and perfect. But propriety reminded him he had asked Pallet a question, and curiosity encouraged him to lift his head to watch her as he waited for her answer.
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Post by Pallet O'Shea on Jul 24, 2011 13:25:58 GMT -5
Pallet shook her head no causing the water from her wet hair to drip down in her face. She wiped the droplets away. "No. If I'm not working, I usually try to stay away from the docks during work hours. The last time I wandered down here alone while everyone was working--well, I just try to avoid it." She was terrified the last time she wandered down here by herself during the day.
Even though it was two years ago, Paller could still remember everything like it happened yesterday--her eyes glazing over with the memory. She had only been in the city for about a year and came down to the docks to do some painting while Sham and Byron were working. On her way down to then end of the dock to sit, two large men stepped in front of her and behind her, blocking her path. The looks they were giving her made her heart beat race and left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach--she felt like a small mouse backed into a corner. One man ran his hand up and down her arm while the other man played with her hair, both stepping entirely too close to her and saying the most disgusting things to her. She was trembling so bad out of fear for what might happen next and trying to think of any way out of her situation--jumping in the water below seeming the best option--but thankfully their boss yelled at them to get back to work. She ran all the way back to the lodging house and was scared to go out alone for the longest time.
Pallet shook her head subtly pushing the memories away and returned her attention to the man in front of her. Her gut was telling her that Ki was nothing like those men and would never treat a girl like that, ever. That brought the smile back to her face; and a blush to her cheeks realizing that he had asked her a question. "I do. I live here with my younger brother and our family friend, although we live in different houses. I live in the Girl's Lodging House on 72nd Street... Which also explains one of my reasons for being down here. Living with a bunch of girl's can get pretty crazy. We all need to take a bit of time to ourselves."
Pallet dipped down into the water again to wet her hair that was beginning to dry.
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Post by Ki Harper on Jul 24, 2011 15:12:53 GMT -5
There was a shadow that touched her eyes as she seemed to consider part of what Ki said and he frowned slightly, hoping he wasn't the cause of such a look. But it was gone it seemed as quickly as it came and she was smiling again, lightening her face and make her eyes dance just the tiniest bit as she replied to his question. So she was a newsie then, Ki had seen a few of them out walking the streets every day as he walked down to the docks from Manhattan, even bought a paper from one on occasion. But he didn't remember even seeing Pallet's face as one of them and he quirked another smile in her direction as she dipped her head back and he watched the water run smoothly from her dark hair.
"I can only imagine, I only live with one and that's enough for me some days," Ki's smile grew wide and toothy as he considered the teasing smack that comment would have earned him if he'd said it in front of Devan. He loved his cousin dearly, she was his best friend, his kindred spirit since as long as he could remember - but that didn't mean that they didn't have their differences that the closed cramped quarters of their tiny apartment brought harshly into light.
"So did you come down here just for the swim?" Ki asked, shoving another hand up over his hair to keep it slicked back and out of his eyes as he drifted in the water, allowing himself to float a little closer. "Or was this a spur of the moment decision?" Goodness knew he was familiar with those sorts of moments, Devan was loaded with them and by general vicinity, so was Ki.
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Post by Pallet O'Shea on Aug 5, 2011 20:44:28 GMT -5
Pallet chuckled at Ki's comment. "Probably better living with a bunch of girls then it is living with a bunch of rowdy boys, i 'magine." The tone of his voice in reference to the girl he lived with was that of affection; not the affection one has for someone they were courting or married to but that of the affection someone has for a friend or family member. It was same tone of voice she used when talking about Byron and Shamrock.
Pallet's smile grew, taking notice of how Ki began to slowly close the distance between the two of them in the water. A blush began to creep onto her cheeks at the thought that this handsome, kind man was actually interested in being around her--and wasn't expecting anything but response to his questions in return. She subtly turned away and quickly ducked down into the water to try to cool the warmth of her cheeks before Ki took notice of the pink tint of her cheeks.
After her face cooled, Pallet turned back to Ki to answer his question. "I suppose it was spur of the moment. I actually came down here to do some painting but I was lacking inspiration and motivation to do any today. The water was calling out for me to go for a swim, I guess." She chuckled realizing how ridiculous she probably sounded talking about the water 'calling to her' but she couldn't take it back now.
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Post by Ki Harper on Aug 6, 2011 9:25:28 GMT -5
Ki grinned at her comment about living with a bunch of boys and shook his head, tossing water from his curls as he did. "We aren't all that bad," He protested playfully, holding up a hand as though the mere thought had offended him. Though the truth was probably that she was right, Devan was forever after him for leaving his clothes strewn about the apartment or setting the dishes on the counter where they didn't belong. And while his mother had worked hard to teach him proper manners, living a nomadic life and moving around had lent itself to certain ingrained traits that just didn't seem to go away - like why put things away when they were just going to be packed up to move on in a few days. "Though I suppose we do have our moments," He added after a few long moments, watching as Pallet turned and sank down in the water, giving him a chance to look at her thick, dark hair as the water streamed down from it as she pushed back up in the water.
"Painting?" Ki repeated, latching onto the word as she said it and his eyes shot up towards the edge of the dock and realized that her sketchbook must be sitting under her pile of clothes. He was always amazed by people with that sort of creativity, who could give themselves over to art and make something beautiful. With the circus there were so many variations of this, Ki had always believed that what Devan did was a kind of art, the graceful, arching way she danced in the air. He had always been fascinated by those that sometimes gathered by the fires late at night after the shows were over and would pluck at instruments and create music that would set his heart to dancing - it was always astounding to a boy and man who could never find such a skill in his body. "What do you like to paint?" He asked Pallet, his eyes returning to her face and smiling.
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