[Edward had found the silver pocketwatch on his first inventory, examined it as closely as he could, and then left it strictly alone for the next four days. It was a cute toy, and he was looking forward to it, but it was bad policy to trust someone else’s toys until you knew a little about them.
On day four, he switched it on, tilted his cowboy hat back on his head, and flashed the camera a feel-good grin. It was a little smug, that girn, but genuinely pleased too, and inclusive -- whatever the joke was, you were in on it. It was relaxed, and it had swagger. His voice matches it, an easy Texas drawl.]
I should be neighborly sooner or later, and now’s as good as ever. Name’s Ted, Ted Forrester. I’m looking for a place to stay and a way to kill some time. If you’ve got a lead on either, I’d like to hear it. When it comes to work, I’m good with my hands, and I’m good with tools. I’d like to hear what’s available before I settle. When it comes to rooms... I like my space, but I’m easy to please.
Appreciate the help.
Third Person:
He’d been in the city three days. Three days was the minimum he allowed himself for canvassing a new location. In this case, he wasn’t sure he’d gotten a feel for it yet, so it was too soon to start hunting except as necessary for protection. But he’d talked to the locals, charmed a few of them. Confirmed some suspicions, discarded some theories... and come across one piece of information too interesting to pass up any longer.
It was breaking a rule. But sometimes the rules needed breaking, if you were good enough to be sure you knew better. He was good enough. That wasn’t ego.
No-one on the street had seen him, and the locks on the building had been laughable. Finding the right room would have been a matter of instinct, not methodical search -- but neither was necessary. He’d spent the last evening keeping the place under surveillance. He knew where he was going.
Once he was in the right room, he took off his hat, and just like that he was Edward, not Ted. He set it on a chair, where she’d see it as soon as she came in. Then he moved to the corner, unobtrusive, just out of the natural sight line from the door,leaning back against the wall, shifting until he was comfortable. If she kept to routine, he’d have half an hour’s wait.
It was better not to make this a pissing contest, something where she’d feel the need to prove herself, so after a moment’s thought he un-holstered, setting his 9 mm on the bed.
He didn’t bother to do anything about the hold-out up his sleeve. She’d never noticed it before, and he wouldn’t make himself defenseless for anyone’s comfort.
Besides. There was always a chance that today was the day.
2 of 2
First Person:
[Edward had found the silver pocketwatch on his first inventory, examined it as closely as he could, and then left it strictly alone for the next four days. It was a cute toy, and he was looking forward to it, but it was bad policy to trust someone else’s toys until you knew a little about them.
On day four, he switched it on, tilted his cowboy hat back on his head, and flashed the camera a feel-good grin. It was a little smug, that girn, but genuinely pleased too, and inclusive -- whatever the joke was, you were in on it. It was relaxed, and it had swagger. His voice matches it, an easy Texas drawl.]
I should be neighborly sooner or later, and now’s as good as ever. Name’s Ted, Ted Forrester. I’m looking for a place to stay and a way to kill some time. If you’ve got a lead on either, I’d like to hear it. When it comes to work, I’m good with my hands, and I’m good with tools. I’d like to hear what’s available before I settle. When it comes to rooms... I like my space, but I’m easy to please.
Appreciate the help.
Third Person:
He’d been in the city three days. Three days was the minimum he allowed himself for canvassing a new location. In this case, he wasn’t sure he’d gotten a feel for it yet, so it was too soon to start hunting except as necessary for protection. But he’d talked to the locals, charmed a few of them. Confirmed some suspicions, discarded some theories... and come across one piece of information too interesting to pass up any longer.
It was breaking a rule. But sometimes the rules needed breaking, if you were good enough to be sure you knew better. He was good enough. That wasn’t ego.
No-one on the street had seen him, and the locks on the building had been laughable. Finding the right room would have been a matter of instinct, not methodical search -- but neither was necessary. He’d spent the last evening keeping the place under surveillance. He knew where he was going.
Once he was in the right room, he took off his hat, and just like that he was Edward, not Ted. He set it on a chair, where she’d see it as soon as she came in. Then he moved to the corner, unobtrusive, just out of the natural sight line from the door,leaning back against the wall, shifting until he was comfortable. If she kept to routine, he’d have half an hour’s wait.
It was better not to make this a pissing contest, something where she’d feel the need to prove herself, so after a moment’s thought he un-holstered, setting his 9 mm on the bed.
He didn’t bother to do anything about the hold-out up his sleeve. She’d never noticed it before, and he wouldn’t make himself defenseless for anyone’s comfort.
Besides. There was always a chance that today was the day.