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Post by norafreeze on Aug 31, 2011 21:31:22 GMT -5
Nora shifted in the seat, silent and contemplative. If she managed to get out of this without too much fuss, then hopefully she could be on her way soon. Not that she was desperately needed anywhere. But, she wanted to try her parent's phone again...maybe try to find them online. Fifteen years was a long time to be out of contact. They could be anywhere across the globe.
She had tried Dora's old apartment first thing, walking the miles to the towering brick building and rapping on the door until an angered tenant came to tell her to stop. They had never heard of Dora Smithy and had rudely told here where to go. Nora tried again a few hours later. Another annoyed tenant answered with the same result, never heard of Dora.
The streets all began to blur into one stretch of honking cars and seedy looking shops. Nora leaned back a little weary at watching the city pass, and then attempted conversation. "I'm Nora. Sorry for making more work for you. My husband and I...had a difference of opinions, I was walking to my parent's house before I encountered the faceless man." That was partially true. Nora tilted her head slightly, "Can I ask your name, Sir? And what brought you to the edge of Gotham tonight?"
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Post by james on Aug 31, 2011 22:56:38 GMT -5
Gordon looked back in the rearview mirror and offered her the kind of smile a father did to his children. He then returned his eyes to the road. "I'm James Gordon, the police Commissioner of Gotham City. You don't need to worry about me, you're no trouble at all Ms. Nora. Gotham is a dangerous place to go walking through at night for anyone, especially a young woman."
He turned onto a street, "I was just patrolling, I'm glad I found you. We don't have to go to the station, I believe your story. Is there anywhere else I can take you then? Your parents' perhaps? I just want to make sure you're safe."
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Post by norafreeze on Sept 2, 2011 11:34:12 GMT -5
The strangest thing, he just kept treating her like a human being. She hadn't realized she had gotten a bit of a bitterness in her chest regarding how people would behave. Nora bit her lip, furrowing her brow, she honestly had not expected a kindly cop...and certainly not one that acted as if she was just a friend along for a ride.
She relaxed a bit. She wasn't going to be arrested....there had been doubt in her mind because of the new stricter rules on Gotham. "Hello, Commissioner." Nora greeted quietly, glancing out the window as he asked if he should take her to her parents home. Somewhere safe? She had lied a little, her were out towards Metropolis, there was no way she could have walked there. If she had managed to get out of Gotham tonight, she would have needed to hitch a ride...and that could have been just as dangerous as wandering the streets. There was no one else...Nora hadn't had a plan if she could not get out of Gotham.
She shrugged, her mouth pulling into a wavering smile. Tugging her night dampened hair out of her face, Nora took a few deep breaths. "My parents live hours away, or did...last I knew, I haven't been able to talk to them for a whil, I couldn't have walked there. I just didn't know what else to do, I couldn't stay with my husband...I don't know where to go." Nora looked up at him through his rearview mirror. Wanting to just say it all, to say all the things Victor didn't understand. All the fears that there was no one to confess to, all the guilt from the deeds done in her name, all the anger from losing everyone she loved, all the isolation. "I don't have any ID or anything...is there a homeless shelter? Maybe one with a work program?" Nora wanted to rebuild her life, and she wanted to get back to normallacy. If she could just start over again, put all of her past behind her, wash clean of the history...
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Post by james on Sept 3, 2011 19:24:36 GMT -5
Jim went stiff when she laid out her reasons for being out alone. He firmed his mouth, glancing in the mirror, but was silent a moment. "Has your husband harmed you?" Of course he would assume the worst, that she was a victim of abuse. "I can take you to a women's shelter if you'd like. They usually have work programs."
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Post by norafreeze on Sept 4, 2011 18:39:23 GMT -5
Clearing her throat, Nora shook her head to respond to the first question. It was exactly the opposite. Victor would never harm her...everyone else could go. She hadn't been sure quite how else to explain things without revealing exactly what her husband was. Maybe that would be for the best though... If she did explain, she would end up at the station for sure. Then again, this man may understand, he was obviously working 'outside' the law by letting the faceless man wander off. No. Not yet...
A woman's shelter sounded perfect. She could adapt, she always had. "Thank you." Nora said quietly, smiling. She turned to stare back out of the window. She tilted her head a little, watching the flickering streetlights pass by. "Do you have a family? Kids? Not to seem presumptuous, but you act like a father." Nora attempted small talk, unsure of what else to say. She had always planned on having children, a big family. MacGregors, as well as her husband, had taken that from her.
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Post by james on Sept 5, 2011 21:27:08 GMT -5
His husband wasn't harming her, but she wanted to go somewhere else? Jim didn't ask for anything further. There were plenty of reasons why a woman would make that sort of decision. So he stayed quiet on the subject and instead smiled fondly at her in both answer to her thanks and her next question. He nodded at first and then decided to elucidate on his gesture.
"I have a wife and two children. My oldest is in college here at Gotham University and my youngest is just about to start his first year high school." He didn't ask her the question in return. He already knew in the way she carried herself and her own behavior that she wasn't a mother, but there was a sadness about her, that told Gordon she wanted to be.
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Post by norafreeze on Sept 10, 2011 10:00:07 GMT -5
Nora couldn't help but smile a bit when he mentioned his family. She knew there had been something about him that made her think he was a family man.
As they turned a corner, and slowed, Nora leaned closer to the window. A bright blue sign hung from a nondescript gray building, the words faded and chipped away by the weather. 'Renewed Hope'. The car came to a stop, and Nora stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Someone must have been waiting up, and the door of the building swung open. A middle aged woman with brown-orange hair and lots of wrinkles, came out into the street. She wore a tidy, but old, dress and a welcoming smile. "Evening, Commissioner! I see you've brought someone!" The woman was well over six feet tall, and had a vaguely British accent. "I'm Miss Sylvia Colton." She offered a hand, which Nora took and shook quickly. Nora was not sure what she thought of this woman...she was a bit intimidating with her height, but she seemed nice enough.
"Nora Fries." Releasing the hand, Nora paused as Miss Colton motioned her towards the door. "You can go on in and wait if you like, Miss Fries." Unwilling to wander in without thanking Mr. Gordon, Nora paused in the doorway and waited.
Sylvia walked over to the Commissioner. Her friendly smile slipping into a concerned frown. "Seems like we have more people arriving than ever before. Any word on when this whole mess will be finished? It seems like all of Gotham is losing hope faster then we can offer it."
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Post by james on Sept 10, 2011 17:39:27 GMT -5
Jim watched Ms. Colton and Nora greet each other, though his face became troubled at the woman's name. His heart sank just a little. Suddenly he knew exactly who she was, but he said nothing to it and by the time Ms. Colton is at his door to speak to him, he was back to his casual, attentive expression. He smiled at the older woman, but at her words, he sighed and shifted in the seat.
“I can't honestly tell you, Ms. Colton, you'll let me know if you need any help, though, right?” He asked, watching her in sympathy. “I really hope this is over soon, in my opinion the FBI is overstepping their bounds, questioning and incriminating the wrong people. I think they're going to cause more trouble than good...but I'll be positive for now. Everything going well here, think Ms. Fries will fit in nice?” He couldn't hide the respect and gratitude he felt towards the woman.
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Last Edit: Sept 10, 2011 20:08:11 GMT -5 by norafreeze
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Post by norafreeze on Sept 10, 2011 20:07:24 GMT -5
Miss Colton clicked her tongue, and shook her head. She had been running this shelter for years, and had everything from former criminals to runaway teens show up on her doorstep. Lately, everything seemed to be heading in a down hill spiral, and it was hard to know how to adequately assist everyone.
The Commissioner had always had loose ties with them, dropping off those women who needed help and not jail time. She had come to trust his judgment on most matters.
With a high laugh, Miss Colton wrapped her long fingers around her elbow and motioned with her other hand. "Stay positive, Commissioner. It's got to be over soon, right?" She waved her hand in a little circle and sighed. "Everything's running smooth here. Although, we are stuffed to the brim. So long as she behaves, she'll fit in very nice, we actually have an extra bed tonight. Haven't had that for weeks. Thank you for helping us keep them off the streets." Miss Colton released the grip on her elbow and waved, walking back towards the shelter.
---Switching Point of View---
Nora padded back down the few stairs, pausing at the bottom and waving lightly to Mr. Gordon. She was glad to know there were still good people in Gotham, when everything seemed to be in turmoil. "Thanks for the ride. I hope you have a safe night." Nora said just loudly enough to be sure he heard, and not enough to annoy any neighbors in the buildings around her.
With a small smile, Nora made her way into the shelter, testing her bare toes on the worn carpeting and with renewed hope began to plan how to rebuild her life.
(OOC: Thanks for RPing with me, Commissioner!)
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