MARCUS FLINT + MISS ROSALIE
PG-13 (language) | COMPLETE
She wasn't exactly sure how it happened. Rosalie was usually quite careful and not one to lose sight of her surroundings. Perhaps it was simply that she was still overwhelmed to wake up in a new world. After all, she'd never done any spirit traveling of her own, despite assisting others in the practice. And from what she'd learned so far, this new place was not among the Twelve Related Worlds, but something else entirely.
Although slightly apprehensive of the tablet provided, she had taken it along with her upon leaving her room. Stepping out of her new home onto the main street with the device in one hand and her skirt in the other, Rosalie looked around, a dumb-struck, very un-Rosalie expression crossing her features. She wasn't paying attention to the tall fellow approaching from the other direction, not until she bumped against him with enough force to send her stumbling backward.
A hand roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her upright. While she appreciated being rescued from falling, she couldn't help the stern expression that crossed her features as she looked up at the man holding her. "Do you often accost a lady without their permission?" Rosalie asked sharply. The words were out of her mouth without thought, though she immediately regretted her tone. What a poor first impression this must be.
For his part, Marcus Flint was quick to release the woman who had stepped into his path. He frowned down at her, immediately on the defense from her scolding. "You bumped into me, Lady," he replied with a sneer. "Next time I'll just let you fall on your ass."
Rosalie blinked at his tone and choice of words. She was used to men who behaved like gentlemen, even if they were not, and had never been addressed with such a crude vocabulary by someone who was not a criminal. Still, she was already feeling remorse for her overly harsh greeting and tried to make amends. "My apologies, sir. You are right, of course. I find myself a bit out of sorts at the moment, and should have paid better attention to my surroundings. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
An eyebrow raised at the question, and Marcus felt some of his defenses lowering as he smirked at the idea of the small woman before him hurting anyone. "No, I'm fine. You new here or somethin'? You look like someone from those old-timey pictures."
With a cursory glance at the tall man's wardrobe, Rosalie wondered if his look was the norm, or if he was simply from another place as well. "Do I?" she responded lightly, looking back down at the wide grey skirt that often served as her work uniform. With her lack of crinoline, Rosalie thought her manner of dress was fairly modern, but given the casual attire of the stranger in front of her, she realized that may not be the case in Atlantis. "Perhaps I should find a more serviceable outfit once I've collected myself."
Unsure of how to respond to that, Marcus simply shrugged. He didn't know what else to say to the the woman in front of him, with her weirdly rigid way of speaking. "OK, well, good luck with that," he said after a beat before moving around her to continue on his way.
Rosalie nearly called back to his retreating form if only to request directions, but as she opened her mouth to speak she promptly closed it again. He didn't seem like the most forthcoming of people, and with their somewhat hostile introduction it was probably better to simply let him be. Smoothing her skirts, she decided to head off in the opposite direction. Perhaps she would run into a more friendly face as she walked, someone who could direct her toward a stout cup of tea and an opportunity to properly assess her new situation.