Angeline bowed her head in respect to the lady of the house, folding her hands neatly in her lap. Her shoulders were no longer racked with shivers, but a chill still coated her thinly clothed limbs. “Angeline Grey, Miss, at your service.” she introduced herself in a docile, polite tone, still trembling ever so slightly from the after effects of the blizzard.
((GASP OH MY GOSH, TOPAZ!!!! I JUST NOTICED!!!!)))
Olivia gave a nod, noting the woman's clothing. A servant…..to whom? She thought as she gestured to their hot bowls of soup. "A pleasure to have you. Well, you two get warm." With that she turned to address her other guest. She approached a young man, tall and skinny. She gave him a smile and passed him a bowl of soup. "Good evening, sir. Would you care for some soup?"
XD OHHH THATS HOW YOU KNOW CRUZ
im so dumb lmfao )
(Oh lol, Angeline is one of my favourite characters @Lotus Flower)
Angeline eyed the soup hesitantly, unsure what the protocol for servants was in the household. She glanced around, biting her lip and taking the bowl gingerly into her hands. It was blessedly warmth the touch, soothing whatever pain was left in the pads of her fingers as she lifted the spoon to her lips. Taking a tentative sip, her eyes widened when the taste bloomed on her tongue, rich with herbs and flavour, better than anything she’d ever tasted. She didn’t think she’d ever had something so high quality to eat.
hums quietly while waiting for a good time for cruz to wake up~ so how is everones xmas break going?)
(Mine is pretty great so far, I’d forgotten what it felt like to relax XD. You?)
Im relaxing too much. Cant take a walk cos i live in the ghetto xD. So im sitting here collecting fat and playing minecraft )
Rip
Still tho it’s Christmas break you’re supposed to be lazy lmao
XD! Oi. Im not used to it)
(Can relate lol)
O of)
Talia perched gracefully onto the chair next to Angeline carefully spooning soup into her hungry stomach. She kept an eye on the girl beside her, ready to jump to her defense in a moments notice. Not sure why she felt so strongly about protecting the girl she said to her, "No need for payment, sweet girl. It was my pleasure to help."
She wearily eyed the man in to corner who had now appeared to have fallen asleep. "How improper." She murmured around her spoon.
Angeline couldn’t help but feel that she was trapped, about to be tricked by the seemingly kind woman. In her experience, if a person said they didn’t want money, they were either lying or planning to rob you later on. She nodded meekly, though, afraid of the consequences that could come if she protested.
Cruz rolled his head. The prickling from his lips and toetips and the ache in his bones woke him up against his will. Flexing his fingers, he grumbled some words under his breath. He shed his coat and shoved it aside.
Josephine's eyes widened as she stiffened in her seat. She didn't move, her hardly blinked, not even breathing, as she watched Cruz awake. Dear gods, I thought I had more time…. Slowly, she shifted in her seat, bringing her coat around her like a blanket, as if it would shield her from the man across the room.
Cruz lifted his nose towards the ceiling. He was swaying from side to side, like he was under the influence of heavy vertigo, sweaty palms grasping his knees.
Josephine still didn't move, her eyes narrowing on him. Olivia did, crossing the room to stand at his side. Hesitantly, she place a hand on his shoulder. "Sir," she called gently. "Are you alright?" Goodness, she really wished she kept an actual doctor around here.
"Please answer me, that I may help to the best of my abilities."
Cruz squinted at the woman. Women. Well, his vision was going double. "I'm… Fine…" He spoke in a slow slur. Lifted his hand to wipe his forehead where the wound was, it broke the clot and it began to bleed down his brow again.
Talia immediately stood, she had enough field training to know how to handle this quickly. "Some clean cloth please." She said to the elderly butler before stepping up to Olivia and placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you don't mind, Lady, I would offer my service again?"
She reached forward and tipped the mans head back, using the very tips of her fingers. Her sharp blue eyes quickly taking stock of his wounds and outfit and general scent. He seemed like he might be someone that frequented the jail cells of her precinct. She frowned.
The man eyed her distrustingly, like a hostile, wounded dog unable to really fight back. He kept his hands loyally clutched onto his knees to remain upright and steady. He didn't like people this close to him.
Josephine couldn't watch this any longer. He was gonna blow it with his volatile temper and untrustworthy demeanor. They'd kick him out and if he saw her….he'd take her too. But she couldn't leave. Not before she had a plan.
The butler came over to the young blue-eyed miss and handed her a cloth. Josephine rose and crossed the room. Her body tensed with every step, her mind screaming for her to hide before he saw her, but she didn't stop until she could see his eyes….Those cold, unloving, brown eyes. Setting a hand on his shoulder, making sure she wasn't in the Miss's way, she clenched her jaw and breathed deep, setting her gaze on his.
"Cruz."
Cruz's eyes crawled from the floor to Josephine. He looked directly at her–the.. Double image of her– and squinted, "You.."
Talia's brows shot up as the other woman approached addressing the man sitting before them. She was currently holding the cloth against his brow to keep the blood from gushing forth. "You know this man?" She asked carefully.
Angeline stayed exactly where she was. This wasn't her business– whatever was happening here did not concern her. So she would just remain on the sidelines, as usual. Like she'd been trained to do. She lowered her head, staring down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap. The same hands that had been blue and trembling minutes before. You owe these people… you owe them….
"Yes." Is all Josephine said as she looked into Cruz's squinting eyes. The loan sharks obviously did a number on him, and she found she didn't pity him in the slightest. That's what you get when you mingle with the wrong people, She thought as she stood bye him.
He closed his mouth. His own voice, the vibrations, they stung right into his temples. "Goh'ahww.." He exhaled his best attempt at a sour go away, but with the dissipation of frozen numbness and his drug of adrenaline came the side-effects of being beaten upside the head. The Wernicke's Area– production of speech in the temporal lobe of the brain– had to had been afflicted as well.
Talia looked back from the young woman to the man before her as he spoke. She was looking down her pert nose at him. "I wouldn't speak if I were you. You're head has been given a good knock." She looked at the girl again. "Do you know how this happened? I would hate to know that the Lady is harboring a criminal in her home."
Josephine's laugh was sharp and held no mirth. "It is hardly the Lady's fault for extending her hospitality to this fool. But alas," She looked back down at him. "He is no criminal, not to my knowledge. Just a stupid man who the wrong game, at the wrong time, with the wrong people."
Cruz made a sour expressionin response to Josephine's words. He hadn't the health to retort as he normally would, thankfully. Or release Josephine's sins.
Josephine kept her eyes on him. Maybe she shouldn't have saved him. With this injury he would have no way of telling them that she was with him. They'd throw his sorry arse out into the snow and she would be free…. Josephine sighed.
See, you should've kept silent