Horse Eden : Imperial WBs x West

November 18, 2024 09:45 AM

Posts: 659
#1256871
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| OC Owned by Imp
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Phoebe Nightlingale

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Phoebe was not a fool and could easily tell that Rhys was nowhere near being fine, but she knew deep down inside that she was of no help; the longer she stayed, the more time was wasted. With her frown deepening and a curt nod of acknowledgement, she turned on her heels and tore her gaze away from the bloody scene, heading back the way she had came. She knew it was incresibly likely that her parents or Morana had stirred from the sound of s gun firing, so she figured it would not have been too difficult to pinpoint their locstions. The familiar sounds of Morana and her father conversing eventually reached her ears, presumably from one of the colossal dining rooms that were intricately yet seemingly randomly placed across the castle; she did mot even understand the reasoning behind having such a ginormous structure in the first place.

"Father," Phoebe mumbled his relation to her as if it were a curse, which she truly believed it was, when she turned the corner and found herself facing her two family members. The two of them had been engaged in tense, heated whispers when she had abruptly intruded, leading to both of them casting glares at each other before focusing entirely on her. Honestly, she was surprised that they had lingered where they were, not even batting an eye when a gun had gone off; perhaps this was another cruel reminder of the way royals worked, caring solely about themselves. "The individual that fired the gun has been disposed of and Rhys is.. injured. There`s also a mess in one of the halls, but I`ll make sure it is cleaned up."

The silence that ensued was deafening, especially when her father seemed to narrow his eyes at the mention of Rhys, almost as if he had thought of something. On the contrary, Morana seemed to show the slightest hint of concern and empathy; it would seem she only remembered what had happened to her and what the scene had probably done to her psyche. Fortunately, Morana broke the silence that had befalled them, her kind voice tearing through the fear and anxiety she had been feeling: "We`ll let everyone know what has happened. For the time being, you can check on this.. Rhys."

Phoebe nodded in acknowledgement before she turned and exited the dining room, refusing to linger a moment longer; she had learned that any situation that involved her father was one to not trifle with in any way. She hurried down the halls as she pictured the scene that had surrounded Rhys; there had been blood everywhere, but the thing that stuck out the most to her was that it almost seemed like he understood precisely what had unfolded within her head. Phoebe nearly scoffed at the thought, but she knew how well he could read anyone, but more specifically her.. It was odd. She eventually found herself back where she had seen him and the bloody scene, gently closing the door behind her this time out of consideration; she did not want to spook him, even if it was highly unlikely that she would.

When she found him again, her heart nearly broke at the sight of him slumped against a wall; maybe she should not have left so quickly. However, her gaze eventually shifted onto the hallway, surprised to find it almost speckless again. Had he actually taken the time to clean up the mess while injured? Phoebe would have scolded him for it, but now was not the time. She walked over to him slowly, deciding it best to simply sit a few feet away from him.

"I told them," she mumbled as she settled down against the wall as well, maintaining a respectable distance; she had not forgotten him flinching from her touch. Phoebe did not know what else to say, so she merely sat there and waited for him to speak or.. do anything, really. Her gaze flitted about the room, but it mostly remained transfixed on his wounded shoulder. She wanted to help and ensure that it wad properly clean, but she was lacking in that specific aspect of knowledge.

November 18, 2024 10:07 AM

Posts: 12202
#1256879
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Rhys wasn't really feeling as peachy as ever, but he was going to wait until one of the royals came back to explain what happened. Or at least tell them that the problem was taken care of. Or, if no one came for a while, he'd get up and leave. It's not like he really cared if her father knew or not. In his opinion, the guy could go burn in a dumpster fire, but his opinion rarely mattered.

He had rested his head back against the wall and had his eyes closed, thinking. It was a good thing he had found the shooter... if it was someone else, they would've been seriously hurt. Okay, yes, he WAS seriously hurt, but he didn't matter as much, and he could deal with pain more than the normal individual. He had been stuffing down pain ever since he was, like, 4, so he could do it now. He opened his eyes as he heard the gentle sound of a door closing, immediately knowing who it was- Phoebe. Only she would let a door close so gently. He had wondered if she was going to come back or not, as she seemed disturbed by the scene, and he wouldn't have blamed her. He lifted his head, dark eyes flitting to her as she walked over slowly and sat down a couple feet from him.

As she spoke, he nodded slightly, exhaling. "Thank you." He replied, propping his arm up on his knee and staring at the wall. He didn't really feel like getting up, although he knew he needed to go clean the wound. He could see that the white gauze was faintly stained from the blood soaking through. He decided not to explain anything, as all that really mattered was the fact that the shooter as outside the castle walls, and all the royals were okay. Especially Phoebe. She was by far the least heartless out of them all, and although today had been a weird day, Rhys knew, he would never want her to get hurt. Much rather him than her.

"I'm.... going to go treat the wound. I apologize for the mess." He stated lowly, his voice rumbling in his chest as he pushed himself against the wall, standing up. Not only had his shoulder been burned in the explosion years ago and injured when the tree fell on him, but now it had a bullet wound as well. He had one very unlucky shoulder. Rhys started off down the halls, now spotless again, back towards the servant quarters, moving at a slightly slower pace, as he didn't trust his swirling mind to remember which way was up. He knew he should get professional help, but he had treated enough wounds to know roughly what to do, and he wasn't dead yet. That meant that whatever he had done was working. He pushed open the door to his own quarters and went to the kitchen area, where the med kit still lay open and bloody gauze lay all about.

Then started the painful process of cleaning the wound and stitching it up. He unwrapped the gauze he had and thoroughly cleaned both sides of the wound, but was then faced with a problem. He couldn't reach the back of his shoulder to stitch it up. This was a considerable problem, as he did not want to walk all the way to town just to have someone put 5 stitches in the back of his shoulder so he could walk all the way back. He heaved a sigh and focused on the front of the wound first, spreading some numbing cream on it before starting the stitching process, gritting his teeth and trying to ignore the blazing pain.

November 18, 2024 11:10 AM

Posts: 659
#1256895
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Phoebe Nightlingale

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Usually, Phoebe would have simply let him walk away without another word, yet there was something luring her towards him, as if she truly wanted to ensure that he would be alright. She remained where she was against the wall for a while, folding her arms across her chest instinctively when brief flourishes of cold wind invaded the hallway; it may have been scorching in the morning and afternoon, but when it came to the late evenings.. it was freezing, in her opinion. It was uncommon- no, incredibly seldom- for a royal to even consider wandering near the servants` quarters, yet she was already standing and making her way over there. Every passing moment was making her believe that she truly was losing her mind, but deep down inside she blamed it on one unwavering fact: she cared about anyone that tried to show the smallest amount of consideration and care towards her, which was precisely why she refused to leave Rhys alone until she knew for certain that he was fine.

It had been years since Phoebe had last been this close to the servants` quarters and she felt a tad uneasy in this new evironment; anyone would have been if they understood what unfolded within her mind at all times. Surprisingly, there were a few servants up and about, chatting outside of their rooms or simply lounging in the halls; maybe it was not extremely surprising since there had quite literally been an altercation nearly an hour ago. Every second and every step she took was accompanied with a single thought: would Rhys even want her to check on him? She knew that their relationship could hardly be considered one, especially when they seemed to mutually dislike each other. Phoebe would not deny the fact, however, that there was something going on with both of them, but she refused to acknowledge it until it became a consistent occurence.

"Rhys?" Phoebe called out his name, albeit gently as to not alert the servants nearby that she was willingly visiting him, once she knocked on his familiar door. She could see the slight traces of blood that had led to his room along with the stains on his door knob, but she was not going to complain about it; she probably never would have, even if the sight was still so.. fresh in her mind. A long sigh escaped her lips as she waited outside of his door, leaning against the nearby wall before descending into yet another mental trance.

She truly was a caring, compassionate individual, but it was often that people took advantage of such things. It was rare for royals to think and act like she did; it was rather twisted if one truly thought about it: royals despised her for being far too kind and hesitant whilst the majority of servants and commonfolk viewed her as a companion of sorts. Maybe that was why Rhys had been so considerate and observative with her lately. Phoebe nearly smiled at the thought of him returning her kindness and selflessness, but she knew such a thought was absolutely ridiculous. At the end of the day, Rhys was Rhys: self-guarded, distant, observative, and reserved.

Phoebe did not know much about Rhys and how he had landed in this position, but she had heard rumors. Did she believe them? Only a few, the ones involving him being a soldier of some sort, to be more precise. To be fair, there was no way an ordinary servant would have been willing or able to take down someone with a gun; the fact that he had seemed incredibly composed after being shot fueled her beliefs as well. Regardless, she would never genuinely believe anything unless he told her directly; rumors could simply be rumors, similarily how to presumptions were presumptions until proven.

November 18, 2024 11:32 AM

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#1256905
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Rhys had just finished stitching up the front side of the wound, and was worrying greatly about the back. It's not like he could just leave it, but he wasn't a contortionist. He wasn't even flexible, due to the many wounds he had aquired. The reality was that someone else was going to have to stitch up the wound, and he didn't know who. He had long since ditched the bloodstained shirt, as it was entirely far too bloody and ripped for him to do anything with anymore. He frowned as he focused his gaze on his shoulder, head craned so that he could get a better view of the wound. It didn't look good, that was for sure, but he knew it could've been much worse. Everything can always be worse.

He found himself worrying about Phoebe much more than himself. If there was one soft spot he had, it was for people that had gone through traumatizing experiences. Especially when they were reminded of those. He had PTSD for a number of reasons, and he knew that, but it worried him to think about what Phoebe may have gone through. With him brain and observational skills, however, he pieced something together. She had froze when she saw the blood, so he assumed that she had been wounded in an accident or an attack of sorts, and she had seemed slightly out a breath, maybe because the gunshot scared her- in a deeper way than just worry about what happened. He wagered that there had been an assassination attempt- that was his best guess, anyway- but ... wouldn't he have known about that? He had been here ever since he was 12. He was the most trusted servant in the castle. He would've heard about something like that.. right? Unless it happened before he got here, of course. That was a totally viable option.

He jerked his head up as he heard a knock, utterly confused for a moment. Who would be coming around at this time of night? He knew some of the servants that had been lounging around had seen him go into his quarters... maybe there was a concerned enough person that they decided to check to see what happened. He shook his head, standing up and putting down the gauze, striding over to the door. As he opened it, surprise registered in his dark eyes. Why would she be here? And how hadn't he heard her? Maybe he had been in so deep of thought that he just... had blocked everything out. He hadn't really expected a visit. That brought up a couple more questions, considering a royal hadn't ventured over here for years, as they tended to avoid this part of the castle like the plague.

He shifted backwards slightly, his brow furrowing. A truly impressive amont of scars covered his torso, all telling tales of a rough life. He had a story for each one of them, but honestly, they were all very similar. "Princess... what are you doing here?" He inquired lowly, already searching her expression as to what had possessed her to come check on him. He also looked for the trace of deeper trauma that he had seen, the thing that ran deeper than the average human fear of hearing a gunshot. His dark eyes focused on her expression, though less sharp now, and more hazy, filled with slightly more lethargic pain and dizziness. Standing up so quickly hadn't really helped his situation. Thankfully, his wound... the front side, anyway... was cleaned and stitched, meaning it didn't look as gruesome as it had 10 minutes ago. His rigid muscles twitched every once in a while, and surprisingly, he almost looked uneasy. It kind of made sense, considering he had just been shot, but he was slightly uneasy for a whole different reason other than that. He wasn't really fazed by the whole shooting incident. That seemed to happen more often than he liked.

November 18, 2024 01:20 PM

Posts: 659
#1256932
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| OC Owned by Imp
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Phoebe Nightlingale

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

Phoebe was relieved when she heard the approaching footsteps and the familiar sound of a door knob turning, but truth be told she did not expect to see Rhys shirtless when the door opened. Of course, it was understandable for him to have done so since he had told her he was going to tend to the wound he had acquired, but that did not really change anything from her perspective. She met his bewildered gaze for the briefest of moments before she focused on the wound that was now clearly in view. It was evident that he had spent the time to clean and tend to the wound, especially since there was no longer a gruesome amount of blood staining his skin. Since she had seen far worse regarding scarring, she was not disgusted by the scars that were scattered across his muscular torso; it made her wonder how exactly he had acquired them, especially when a few seemed painful.

"Checking.. on you," Phoebe stated it as if she could hardly believe the words that were leaving her mouth, her voice was much more relaxed and clear now. Inwardly, she was still in a state of apprehension from what she had seen, but the fading memory of blood was helping her temporarily forget about it. A frown shifted onto her face as she met his gaze again, taking note of the traces of dizziness and unease flickering in his dark eyes. She was starting to notice things about Rhys she had not before, something that was probably a result of her temporary worry.. right?

"Do you need help?" She inquired softly as she tilted her chin, her eyes nearly giving away the underlying worry and concern that had spread throughout her when she had first seem him injured. Of course, Rhys probably had everything handled given how composed and calm he had seemed earlier, but there was still this nagging feeling that checking on him was necessary. Phoebe could clearly see the stitches that were holding the wound closed, yet she was tempted to examine it in its entirety; she had no idea why she was fretting so much, but that was something she would deal with later.

She waited for his response as she stood there, expecting him to simply dismiss her or tell her that her worry was misplaced. After all, the idea of her willingly entering the servants` quarters were unheard of by everyone and, to be fair, she was practically forbidden from lingering around this specific part of the palace. If there were any individuals that had snuck into the castle in the hopes of catching a royal off guard, it would be to gain their trust and respect by taking on a servant role; royals were incredibly meticulous with who they allowed in, but sometimes.. loyalties wavered.

Phoebe found it sad to even consider a servant betraying the one individual that had trusted them with their life or- rarely- a piece of information they desperately needed to get off of their chest. Perhaps that was another reason why her father ridiculed her: she was far too trusting when it came to those that had been nice to her on multiple occasions.

November 18, 2024 02:04 PM

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#1256946
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Rhys hadn't exactly expected Phoebe to show up, otherwise he would've pulled on a shirt. He wasn't a fan of anyone seeing him shirtless, much less.... her. It just didn't seem right. He didn't expect the scars to bewilder her... most people in the castle had seen worse, and most of his were faded from time and sun. However, they also looked quite... unique, and at last one or two, he knew, were caused by things she probably hadn't even heard of. He watched as her gaze immediately went to the wound. So she really was concerned... even if the slightest bit. That was weird, but then again, this whole day had been unsual. From him asking what was wrong to her acting weird to an invader in the castle to now. Everything had been a chaotic mess, and the only real highlight of his day was sitting and doing nothing- he appreciated work, and he was a bit of a workaholic, but he also didn't work well in the sun. Burning to a crisp was not in his interests, not even in his top ten. He didn't have that many interests. He would much rather freeze to death, honestly. It seemed easier to deal with, and he had been in both conditions... he preferred hypothermia over dehydration, as he had experienced both. Both had sucked to an extreme level.

As she replied, he arched his eyebrows slightly, feeling the same way she sounded. A bit skepitcal, and wondering why she would ever bother to wander all the way over here to check on him. Yes, he had been shot defending the castle, technically, but since when did she care? The more the day went on, the more confusing things got, and he was looking forward to waking up tomorrow and having everything go back to normal. Well... hopefully it went back to normal. He wouldn't entertain the thought that anything was changing, yet. There wasn't enough evidence, and he didn't want it to happen, so the best path to take was ignoring it altogether.

Her question took him off guard for a second.. past her checking in on him, now she was offering to help.. it didn't really make sense. However, he had a problem, and he would rather her solve the problem than some random person 10 miles away in town. He stayed silent for a couple seconds, contemplating. His greatest worry was, surprisingly, her. He didn't want to ask for help for a couple reasons, one being his past, another being his ego, but the biggest was that he didn't want her to think more about whatever happened to her if she was forced into helping him. He'd rather burden himself to go get stitches somewhere else than remind her of her past. He knew that if he was in her position, he'd want the same thing. However, he couldn't stay silent for too long. Although he didn't want to worry her more than necessary, he had a problem, and she could fix it within a matter of minutes.

He slowly let out a long breath, shifting his weight slightly. "As a matter of fact.... yes." He stated lowly, pausing. "If... you wouldn't mind... and if you know how to stitch... I can't reach the wound on the back of my shoulder. It'll only take a couple minutes." His voice was quiet, per usual, as he watched and waited for her reaction. He kind of expected her to laugh at him and leave, or tease him about taking such a blow to his pride, which honestly wasn't that big, or just outright refuse with no reason given. She ... technically didn't have to help him at all. Really, she shouldn't. She was a royal, he was a servant, they were seperated by what seemed like the biggest invisible wall ever. Still... he'd much rather ask for help from her than anyone else, and if she refused, he'd just have to go somewhere else. It was worth a shot. He leaned against the doorway, knowing that, although he was stronger than most, he was not invincible, and he wasn't stupid enough to pretend that he was. So, when his mind told him he was dizzy, he heeded the warning and took a bit of weight off of his legs as he waited.

Edited at November 18, 2024 02:05 PM by Wild West Warmbloods

November 18, 2024 04:47 PM

Posts: 659
#1257030
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| OC Owned by Imp
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Phoebe Nightlingale

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Phoebe observed his reaction to her offer rather closely, taking note of every small twitch and fluctuation upon his countenance. To be honest, she never viewed herself as an observant, meticulous individual, yet here she was, analyzing ever inch of Rhys` expressions and small nuances in his behavior. She was aware- painfully aware- of the colossal differences between both their statuses and personalities; Phoebe was the kind, odd princess whilst Rhys was the blunt, cold servant that preferred to stick solely to his work. As a result of such things, she respected Rhys immensely and strived to acknowledge and reward every little thing he did; this only applied to certain situations, obviously. The last thing she wanted was an idiotic rumor entailing the two of them as friends.

Her eyes widened when he told her that her help would be appreciated in a way. It was painfully obvious that his willingness to accept her offer seemed to affect her positively, so any thought regarding her potentially retrieving her words was unlikely. Besides, it was unlike her to even consider making a fool out of someone like the majority of royals would, deeming it a source of selfish entertainment. Her azure eyes seemed to brighten with excitement- no, empathy, almost- as a smile replaced her neutral expression.

``Honestly, I have no experience with stitching, but.. maybe you could show me how?`` Phoebe replied with her smile turning sheepish, tilting her chin ever so slightly. She glanced at the wound in his shoulder once again, the mere thought of what had happened causing her to shiver. It was terrifying to think and acnkowledge that, if Rhys had not been there at the right time, someone else could have gotten injured.. or worse. She was eager to help him, perhaps a tad too eager, but she felt it was the least she could do after his courageous act. ``That is unless you need it to be done quickly. I could fetch someone else instead, someone that already knows how to suture wounds.``

She knew that her behavior was still off and incredibly unlike her, yet she was clueless regarding this change. Why had she even felt so cold when he originally left her in the gardens? Why was she so worried? The entire situation was a paradox, if one truly contemplated it. Phoebe continued to stare at the wound, narrowing her eyes as her thoughts gradually seemed to piece things together. The answers to all her questions was simply this: she was tired; incredibly tired of being treated as if she were disposable and as if she were worthless, so much so that she was clinging onto every shred of attention and care that anyone showed her. It was an incredibly sad revelation, but that did not change the fact that it was the truth.

Phoebe`s attention was eventually diverted- almost entirely- when the sound of approaching footsteps sounded from the opposite end of the servants` quarters. For the briefest of moments, she wondered if Morana or her father had decided to check on her, but she knew that possibility was impossible. Surely enough, a trio of servants rounded the corner and spotted them, exchanging glances and words before carrying on. Her lack of reaction was a clear sign that she was not embarrassed or ashamed of being where she was: directly outside of Rhys` quarters. She did not even care if they went ahead and told a royal, especially when she was already a failure in their eyes.

November 18, 2024 05:34 PM

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#1257061
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Rhys was usually blunt and cold, but that was only on the outside. His whole life was a facade, really. All about him hiding his emotions and feelings so that no one could ever understand him. No one could hurt him if they didn't know what he loved or felt. It was a sad thing, really, but very true. If he had grown up in a loving home, however, he bet he would've been a kind, empathetic, optimistic young lad. Considering all he'd been through the the fact that he still managed to not be a complate and utter insane freak, he thought he was doing pretty good. Internally, he was just as gentle as anyone else. This person could be seen when he was fishing, with the care he handled the creatures and put them back in the water. This person could be seen that time he rescued one of the barn cats from a tree- they sucked at climbing down things, although they were great at climbing up. The kindness and gentleness he had shown. This person could be seen when the child had wandered into the castle yard and a servant was telling them. He had sent the servant packing and treated the child with the gentleness of a mother, spending the rest of the afternoon with them, giving them a tour of the beautiful gardens before helping them find their mother. That was the true Rhys. The gruff facade he showed to everyone else was just that- a facade.

He didn't really dislike Phoebe that much, either. She was definitely the best out of all the royals. Honestly, he was jealous of how carefree and happy she usually was... until lately, of course. The past few years had been hard, and he saw the change in her. He didn't like it... didn't like watching her retreat into a shell of who she once was. He had always enjoyed seeing her so happy. It had blossomed the little bit of good that was still left in his cold, scarred heart.

As her face positvely lit up like a light bulb at his words, he couldn't resist the slightly upturn in his lips. Not was he was expecting, really, but... it was a glimpse of the real Phoebe. Always ready and willing to help. That was the person he tried to be more like, every day. The person he strived to be. Kind, helpful, always putting others before themselves. Her answer amused him slightly, but she didn't show it. "I don't need it done too quickly. It's not bleeding as much at the moment." He replied quietly, his gaze still fixed on her. "I can show you how. It's not that hard." He had performed his first operation on himself, and it hadn't gone too badly, so he was sure he could educate her on the principle.

Both of them were acting strangly today, though he was really just showing a little more of his true self than usual. He was curious as to what was different with her, as he had been for hours, now, but he couldn't really figure that out. He had tried and failed, so the next best thing was observing her words and reactions. His gaze snapped up as he heard footsteps, sharpening slightly, all wisps of the almost unnoticeable gentle amusement that had been in his eyes disappearing immediately. He watched as the three servants barely spared them a glance before walking past, noting how they sped up slightly after his eyes narrowed a millimeter. Not only was he terrifying at the worst of times, but he was also, in a sense, higher ranking than them, and that meant they had to listen to him and respect him. After they were out of sight, he turned his gaze back to Phoebe, letting out another slow breath. "Well, if you do want to help..." He stood up straight and stepped aside, allowing her to come in to the small area. It was spotless, really, except for the kitchen. No personal items, no extra furniture. Just the single couch, a closed door to a bedroom, and a couple other random items. He led her into the small kitchen area with easier to clean up tiles. He had gotten rid of almost all the bloody gauze, and only the gear for sutures was still out.

November 18, 2024 06:38 PM

Posts: 659
#1257087
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Phoebe Nightlingale

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ◯ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

Phoebe listened to every word that left Rhys` mouth, nodding occasionally or restating his words as if to confirm she had heard him correctly. It took her a few moments to process and realize that he was willing to show her how to suture his wound, something she expected to not occur; Rhys was known for keeping to himself, preferring to be independent instead of.. dependent. It was not like he was truly depending on her in that moment, but she felt relieved that he was permitting her to actually help him. Most of the time, her offers would be promptly declined or harshly rejected whenever it came to her kindness and selflessness. With that in mind, Rhys was now an exception or, at the very least, he was for the time being. She could not help but wonder if tomorrow would be different, the thought making her smile waver for a moment. These interactions she was having with Rhys were something she was already clinging onto, hoping that they were more than just spur of the moment acts.

When his gaze drifted towards the other servants she had noticed, Phoebe noticed that the slightest bit of his expression faltered, as if he were trying to conceal something. Unfortunately, she was not as aware of behaviors and expressions as he was, so she was practicelly clueless regarding what he had been feeling until they had shown up. Was it something she believed she was good at? Absolutely, but Rhys was simply a whole different matter; he knew precisely how to hide things and what to hide, making her even more careful around him. The last thing she would ever want to do was anger him. At this point, she was inclining towards calling him a friend.. almost.

Phoebe nodded curtly when he shifted in a manner that allowed her to enter his quarters, something she truly never imagined herself doing. With a quick exhale, she crossed the threshold and into what he called his home, immediately glancing around out of child-like curiosity. She was not surprised to find it almost barren, having the mere basic necessities and nothing additional; she presumed it to be because of the fact he was a servant, however. Phoebe followed him closely through the rooms and into the kitchen, noticing how it seemed to be the most lively part. In all honestly, she found his place rather relaxing and simple, something she personally would not have expected from herself.

"Your place is nice," she observed quietly, as if she were afraid of a compliment towards him; it would barely be considered one, to be honest. Her gaze shifted onto the gear that was already at the ready, glancing it over with curiosity brightening her eyes. When with the correct people, it was true that her former self seemed to shine more, but she was still dull, lacking that child-like bliss and excitement that had made the majority of royals look up to her. To most, it was long gone, so the fact that Rhys seemed to have noticed it spoke volumes.

"How do we start?" Phoebe inquired as she leaned against a nearby wall, meeting his gaze once again. She was clearly still eager to help him, whether it to be learn something new or to simply.. help him; the truth was that it was the latter. Instead of being tense and unsure, she was visibly relaxed now, as if being alone with him was a respite from everything else. Her arms were crossed against her chest, this time out of mere attentiveness instead of anxiety and uncertainty.

November 18, 2024 06:58 PM