Lonely Walk

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December 10th, 1622

It was finally Corina's day off! She walked around the Center with a smile. Maybe she could get some new clothes, or a new hat ornament! She was also looking at some necklaces a while back that were sold here. Or maybe there would be an outdoor play going on somewhere. So many options went through Corina's head and she smiled at every one of them.

Corina then looked around at all the people in the Center. There were friends gossiping, children in the grassy areas playing around, couples walking around arm-in-arm, the normal things you would see around a busy place such as this. Corina wondered where a few friends would be and if she'd run into them.

She then stopped in her tracks as she remembered that majority of her friends did not live near Silverstone, let alone Truesdale.

Corina blinked and continued walking slowly. She had not really met a close friend around these parts yet, she realized. Then again, she blamed herself for not being too vocal with people. Corina was naturally a quiet person when off work. Her head tilted forward with a bit of a saddened look as she sighed softly.

"I'd never thought I'd say it like this..." the jeweler whispered to herself. "But...Eheheh...I'm lonely," she finished her thought with a heavier sigh and a palm to the face.

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<sub>What was Andromeda doing at this time of day, at this place? Well, mostly looking around for odd jobs as he got himself prepared for the winter and what was to come. December was the worst of all times, and the winter solstice was coming up. Andy had himself bundled up in his thick black cloak, a nice comfortable vest as well as a thick white shirt and gloves. His pants were also thick and black on top of comfortable boots for him to wander around outside in. He wore gloves and a dark red scarf along with the style.

The scar on his eyes was covered in makeup, which gave him a much normal appearance. It was an odd thing that Andy decided to do after he learned how to get it covered and normal looking. Thank Godwine for that. He also stole some of their gel for him to smooth out his messy brunette hair and make it look much nicer and shinier.

So instead of a scraggly pirate we get a semi formal man walking down the street. While trying to avoid a snotty bourgeoisie couple, he would bump into Corina. Unaware of her whispering to herself, he would glance over to her and give her a bit of a hectic glance.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that."</sub>

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A gasp escaped from Corina in surprise. Frantically, she looked up at Andy and nodded to him.

"N-No, you are fine! I wasn't paying attention!"

In her sharp movements, Corina's top hat fell in front of her face. It was not by much, but it was enough to cover her eyesight. "A-Ah...Oh dear..." she stammered out. The jeweler pulled up her hat more so that it sat correctly on her head.

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<sub>Andy had no idea either, but as soon as he bumped into the lady, he looked down at her in surprise and would step back, away from the stupid couple that dashed past. Finally he would look back at the young woman that stood before him. He had to admit she looked kind of cute... but then again that's how he felt about every lady that he happened to cross paths with.

"No, it's those... that rich couple didn't move. They think they own the street." He grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pocket. "You okay?"</sub>

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Corina sighed and merely shook her head. "People can get like that, sadly..."

Addressing the next question, Corina nodded. "Yes, thank you!"

Corina fixed her shawl that was starting to slide off her shoulders and then looked back up at the man. She thought that Andy looked a bit older than she was and wondered if he was from around here.

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<sub>Andy didn't even want to think about those rich annoying people who wanted to pretend that they were superior than other people out there. It pissed him off and right now this pretty lady was bumped into and now she was mussed up. The older man pulled his hair back a bit to try and fix it as well, though his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"Indeed." He paused. "No problem. What's you're name? I'm just known as Andy." Short, to the point. It's nice that Andromeda had that as a nickname because it sounded normal and very common compared to, say, Andromeda which is a girly name.</sub>

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"Andy? It's nice to meet you! My name is Corina."

Corina smiled up at Andy. Even though she had a pleasant smile, she was bubbling with happiness on the inside. When you're sad that you don't know anyone to talk to in the region, you get pretty happy when you find someone to talk to.

"So, how are you, Andy?" she then asked.

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<sub>Andromeda was mildly surprised that Corina didn't suspect him for anybody wanted, and he mused that the makeup and the hair wax was doing too well to disguise himself. It felt... really good to him. To feel like a normal human being for once in his lifetime. As soon as he caught her name, he would dip his head in politeness.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Corina. It's 'miss' right?" Just to make sure. As she asked how he was he would stick his hands in his pockets and smirk, finding pleasant conversation with this lady. No need to swindle, no need to use charm. Well he already is using charm. It's Andy, after all. "Oh, pretty good. Felt like wandering around since I got off my ship. How about you? It doesn't seem right a lady like you wondering alone like this."</sub>

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Corina nodded to his first question.

"That's good! A break is always good after working hard," Corina said with a bit of a chuckle.

When Andy mentioned her wandering alone, she sort of fell quiet. "A-Ah well, now... I'm fine!" she said nervously. She wasn't about to push her "lonely problems" onto someone she just met. But maybe Corina will be able to talk to Andy for a while!

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<sub>Andy stretched and then put his hands behind his back as he looked over to Corina. Yeah she was pretty, he wouldn't mind keeping her company. Besides, she seemed a little bit lonely. He'd grin when she mentioned having a break, and he would certainly agree with that, especially traveling around so much.

"Yeah. When you travel around, it's just nice to take a break." He'd pull his hair back, trying to keep it nice and combed back. Though she seemed nervous when asked about how she was doing and he just raised a brow when she said she was okay, giving her a bit of an amused glance.

"You sure~?"</sub>

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"Yes!" Corina said with a timid smile. "I'm just uh...wondering what to do is all..." she noticed her tone get softer and quickly changed back to her enthusiastic voice. "I-I mean I haven't been to the Center in a while s-so I don't really know where to go to first!"

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<sub>The man adjusted his coat as he listened to Corina speak up, and he noticed how timid she was despite her height. Sorry, Corina. Andy loved timid women. Something about the way they act makes him attracted to that type, gives him an urge to look out for them. Considering how he grew up, it's inevitable anyway. He'd give her a half smirk when she spoke up again.

"The Center, huh? Same here. Actually I don't seem to visit Truesdale all that often anymore. My focuses seem to be in Seria these days, but that's because most of my family is there." He spoke, mostly to himself. He then gave her an amused glance. "Mind if I join you~?"</sub>

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"Oh?" Corina looked back up at Andy, seeming surprised that he would ask to join her. Corina began to smile happily and then fixed her top hat sheepishly. "Of course! I don't mind at all...!"

Corina's thoughts were a tiny bit scrambled, but they were along the lines of "Someone to talk to, woohoo!"

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<sub>Andy was pretty amused at her little tics. Fixing her top hat, though she seemed like a very pleasant woman to chat with and talk to, and she seemed happier with company than without. He was a bit stuck on what to do, though he moved next to her and offered his arm for her to take. It was a gentlemanly thing to do. He would strike up conversation in the meantime.

"So, what do you do? I'm a ship captain by nature, and I usually trade." Cough. Pirate. Most wanted pirate in Dula.</sub>

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Corina made a soft "Hm?" when he offered his arm. Nodding, she took his arm and looked up at Andy. So he was a ship captain? Corina nodded at that. "Ah, I see!"

"Oh! I work with jewelry. I'm a jewelry and stained glass seller and maker!" she beamed.