Rachel Caustello (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thecutdiamond) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sixwordstories2013-02-13 01:26 am
thecutdiamond) wrote in sixwordstories2013-02-13 01:26 am
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"It's fine. I can get up."
"No doubt you can, m'lady." And yet he is Here and he is not going to just stand there idly while she struggled with her crutches. So he leans in closer to her and offers a hand to help her get back on her feet. The fact that he's holding one of her crutches hostage with his other hand might have made her feel more inclined to accept his offer.
"Naturally, Lady." He may be a Club, but any decent human being (much less a butler) would offer the fallen an arm. Thinking better of the lady's pride, he hands her the escaped crutches instead so she can choose her method.
"Reckon you can at that, Lady Rachel, but my mama would whup me if I didn't offer you an arm."
Oh, Leigh is sure she can. She's just making sure Rachel has help anyway in the form of a girl to lean on.
Grown ups. Honestly.
Grown ups. Honestly.
Well, if he's going to keep hostage hold of one of her crutches, she's going to have to accept his hand after a grudging moment. It does, at least, mean she gets up faster than she would have on her own.
"--Thank you, Mr. Chives."
"--Thank you, Mr. Chives."
It's the crutches she'll choose. Even though it's a largely undignified fumble to get back to her feet again, using them at least allows her to keep her head held high. She is not so proud a woman, no, but when her pride is one of the few things still somewhat intact from before her fall, she tries to keep what hold of it she can.
Will, at least, bow her head gratefully at the butler when she's on her feet once more, "Thank you."
For handing her her crutches and for letting her stand on her own.
Will, at least, bow her head gratefully at the butler when she's on her feet once more, "Thank you."
For handing her her crutches and for letting her stand on her own.
"And I am certain both you and your mother have all the best intentions, but I assure you, it is not needed."
There's a certain tightness to her smile as she ignores the offered arm and instead tries to gain a better grip on her crutches. It may well be that she'll need the arm after all-- the tremors have made her fall-prone, and this isn't even the first one of the day. She's starting to feel it.
There's a certain tightness to her smile as she ignores the offered arm and instead tries to gain a better grip on her crutches. It may well be that she'll need the arm after all-- the tremors have made her fall-prone, and this isn't even the first one of the day. She's starting to feel it.
She may do a bit more leaning than she'd like, really. It'd been a particularly hard fall, after all, and she'd felt it.
Don't tell yourmother guardian, Leigh. She may get confined to her quarters.
Don't tell your
"My pleasure, ma'am," the last word sounding more like mum than ma'am. "Nearly fell myself if not for a handy column." Gideon scans the ground for anything the lady may have been carrying.
"Perhaps you can direct me? I'm not familiar with this part of Diamond Castle. I fear I may have taken a wrong turn."
"Perhaps you can direct me? I'm not familiar with this part of Diamond Castle. I fear I may have taken a wrong turn."
"Never said it was needed, only that it was mannerly." She's a former queen--and a Diamond. She'd never let herself appear weak (even if no one would think that of her). Sheer force of will wouldn't allow her to accept the help.
Couldn't blame her none. He'd been cantankerous and mule-headed himself when he'd been injured. "That one wasn't as bad as the one the other night. Think we'll have an aftershock?"
Couldn't blame her none. He'd been cantankerous and mule-headed himself when he'd been injured. "That one wasn't as bad as the one the other night. Think we'll have an aftershock?"
There's a few papers that managed to get away from her, but thankfully nothing else. She'll need his help to actually reacquire them, though.
She nods calmly at his query, "Certainly. Where do you need to go?"
She nods calmly at his query, "Certainly. Where do you need to go?"
She's a woman with a desire to save face even if she no longer is one; it's simply part of what it means to be a Diamond. To be Rachel.
She nods slightly as she manages to straighten at last, "I imagine so. That seems to be more the norm than the exception, with these."
She nods slightly as she manages to straighten at last, "I imagine so. That seems to be more the norm than the exception, with these."
There's a sigh tickling the back of his throat, begging to be let out but is denied. Archie knows this type, has been married to one a long time ago - smart and independent, strong and beautiful, and so hell-bent on doing everything herself that it can drive a man to distraction.
"Yes. You know you can and I know you can, too, but allow me anyway." Picking up her crutches, he crouches down and extends his free hand. Now is not the time for misplaced pride. Here's a man who has seen all the faces of pain and although Rachel is hiding it quite well, she'd have to get a lot better to hide the small treacherous signs of discomfort from this Spade.
"Please, for my fragile male ego's sake?"
"Yes. You know you can and I know you can, too, but allow me anyway." Picking up her crutches, he crouches down and extends his free hand. Now is not the time for misplaced pride. Here's a man who has seen all the faces of pain and although Rachel is hiding it quite well, she'd have to get a lot better to hide the small treacherous signs of discomfort from this Spade.
"Please, for my fragile male ego's sake?"
She can't help, surely, that she's a reputation to uphold-- that as a Diamond and certainly as their former Queen, showing weakness even of the physical sort is ill-advised. It is, after all, how she made herself to be for years even before she became a Face.
But he's got a hold of her crutches and there really is enough pain that she knows she should take care. So, biting back a sigh of her own, she finally takes his hand.
"If you insist. For your ego's sake."
But he's got a hold of her crutches and there really is enough pain that she knows she should take care. So, biting back a sigh of her own, she finally takes his hand.
"If you insist. For your ego's sake."
Hope she won't object if he picks up the items she'd been carrying. Common politeness.
"Hard on the horses," he observes as he hands them back. "They're not used to the ground moving under 'em." It'll be another night spent sleeping in his office so he can stay close to them.
"Hard on the horses," he observes as he hands them back. "They're not used to the ground moving under 'em." It'll be another night spent sleeping in his office so he can stay close to them.
"I'm looking for the library. Someone in the kitchen directed me, but I got turned around."
He'd do his research on bachelor parties where the news wouldn't get back to Master Taccetta. It wouldn't do for him to learn exactly how out of water Gideon was when it came to these matters.
He'd do his research on bachelor parties where the news wouldn't get back to Master Taccetta. It wouldn't do for him to learn exactly how out of water Gideon was when it came to these matters.
Of course it's fine. Of course Rachel can get up. And of course Eileen wants to respect her aunt's wishes. It's important to let her reclaim herself, after all, her own competence.
But she can only hold herself back so long. She can at least get the crutches ready, right?
But she can only hold herself back so long. She can at least get the crutches ready, right?
She won't, and thankfully there's not much to retrieve.
"No, I suppose not." They're not much for quakes here on the Deck, after all. She wonders how Hippolyta is doing in the Diamond stables; Mel would probably be able to tell her, "Perhaps things will calm, soon."
"No, I suppose not." They're not much for quakes here on the Deck, after all. She wonders how Hippolyta is doing in the Diamond stables; Mel would probably be able to tell her, "Perhaps things will calm, soon."
"You're not so far off. If you follow this hallway and then take the right when it splits, you'll be back on track again."
She may have the faintest of eyebrow-quirks at the fact that he's searching in their library and not his own, but since he's kind enough to respect her pride, she'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Sophie could handle herself if there were ever any trouble, besides.
She may have the faintest of eyebrow-quirks at the fact that he's searching in their library and not his own, but since he's kind enough to respect her pride, she'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Sophie could handle herself if there were ever any trouble, besides.
She can. Rachel will, admittedly, need a bit of a moment to properly recover; and the ground's still shaking a little, besides. Eventually, though, she'll be able to accept the crutches from her niece and start to get back on her feet again.
"Thank you, little one."
"Thank you, little one."
He inclined his head but otherwise said nothing. Only offered her the crutch he had picked up for her once she had regained her balance.
"Ought you be wandering around alone, m'lady?"
"Ought you be wandering around alone, m'lady?"
She'll still insist on helping Rachel back to said quarters. "Maybe you oughtn't go outta the castle for a while." No walls to lean on when tremors came.
It's hard not helping. Hard to hold be stabilizing crutches and not reaching to cling or pull or take weight.
But it's how she's been raised, in many ways. You have to let people do the really important things on their own, support them with love and not by doing it for them. This is how Rachel's going to get better.
It doesn't mean the teen won't be latching on for a hug once her aunt it upright again. "Really all right?"
But it's how she's been raised, in many ways. You have to let people do the really important things on their own, support them with love and not by doing it for them. This is how Rachel's going to get better.
It doesn't mean the teen won't be latching on for a hug once her aunt it upright again. "Really all right?"
She's getting better. Is better, already. Getting back on her feet isn't nearly the struggle it was before. But being able to give her niece a hug back always helps.
"Promise I am, little one."
"Promise I am, little one."
She's not a frightened youth any more. She's a strong one, able to handle herself for the most part. So while there is a truth in his words, she shakes her head slightly instead.
"I can manage, truly."
"I can manage, truly."
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