Post by Deleted on May 24, 2023 23:58:10 GMT -5
The second half of their work day seemed to be moving a bit more smoothly. With some food in their bellies and a short break from the stacks of paper, the men were refreshed and ready to get back to it. While Warren continued on at about the same pace that he had held consistently throughout the day, Ber seemed to have gotten more confident with the work. That was a relief, because if he was confident, then the work would end up getting done more quickly.
They sat in silence for some time before a knock came at Warren's door. He answered the call, looking up from his work as a young woman he recognized stepped inside with another stack of papers. "I apologize for the interruption, Captain Woodwick," the girl said, standing in front of the door with her usual nervous smile. She was obviously a noble by her dress, but he knew her to be similar to Jasper Gerard in her talents. "These are about the new weaponry and material requests you put in for a few days ago. Where would you like me to put them?"
"Just put them on that desk beside you, Lady Tess, thank you," he said, his head dipping back down to focus on his work once more before she'd even turned to sit the papers down.
The sound of Jasper's chair scooting just a little against the stone floor was all it took to lure Warren's eyes back up past Ber, just in time to see that the girl's foot had caught it, she'd nearly tripped and reached out to take hold of the desk for balance. The problem was that the papers had still been in her hands, and now they scattered and floated to the floor with the ease of an animate object that had no obligation to pick itself back up.
She stood, looking with embarrassed horror between the two men, frozen like if she stood very still, they wouldn't see her. "It's alright, Lady Tess," Warren with a sigh after a few seconds of tense, disbelieving silence had passed. "We'll handle it."
"Oh, goodness, or goddess," the girl muttered to herself, clearly distraught. "No, Captain. Please let me help," she said, quickly moved to the floor to begin collecting the papers up. Warren had already stood up from his own chair with the intention of helping. As she moved in a circle to sweep the papers into a pile with her hand, he bottom swung around and bumped hard against Warren's desk. When that happened, the piles of papers that Ber and Warren had been working on - both finished and unfinished - tipped and began to slide down to the floor as well. "Oh, oh no!" The poor girl cried out, standing up on her knees to try and catch the papers, only to knock other things off the desk in her hurry.
"Lady Tess!" Warren snapped, voice loud though he did his best to keep it from being too angry or mean. The girls eyes snapped to Warren and he held his hands up, palms facing her. "It's alright," he began slowly. "Don't fret. It was...merely an accident. We'll clean it up, you may go."
"But--"
"Don't worry, we'll get it..." he said, still speaking slowly and carefully. "Why don't you go, take a break, calm yourself."
The girl nodded, pushing herself up and straightening out her dress. "O-okay. I'm so sorry," she said, sniffling as she stepped around the mess and out the door. Once she was gone, Warren rubbed his face.
"Maybe Jasper isn't so bad."
They sat in silence for some time before a knock came at Warren's door. He answered the call, looking up from his work as a young woman he recognized stepped inside with another stack of papers. "I apologize for the interruption, Captain Woodwick," the girl said, standing in front of the door with her usual nervous smile. She was obviously a noble by her dress, but he knew her to be similar to Jasper Gerard in her talents. "These are about the new weaponry and material requests you put in for a few days ago. Where would you like me to put them?"
"Just put them on that desk beside you, Lady Tess, thank you," he said, his head dipping back down to focus on his work once more before she'd even turned to sit the papers down.
The sound of Jasper's chair scooting just a little against the stone floor was all it took to lure Warren's eyes back up past Ber, just in time to see that the girl's foot had caught it, she'd nearly tripped and reached out to take hold of the desk for balance. The problem was that the papers had still been in her hands, and now they scattered and floated to the floor with the ease of an animate object that had no obligation to pick itself back up.
She stood, looking with embarrassed horror between the two men, frozen like if she stood very still, they wouldn't see her. "It's alright, Lady Tess," Warren with a sigh after a few seconds of tense, disbelieving silence had passed. "We'll handle it."
"Oh, goodness, or goddess," the girl muttered to herself, clearly distraught. "No, Captain. Please let me help," she said, quickly moved to the floor to begin collecting the papers up. Warren had already stood up from his own chair with the intention of helping. As she moved in a circle to sweep the papers into a pile with her hand, he bottom swung around and bumped hard against Warren's desk. When that happened, the piles of papers that Ber and Warren had been working on - both finished and unfinished - tipped and began to slide down to the floor as well. "Oh, oh no!" The poor girl cried out, standing up on her knees to try and catch the papers, only to knock other things off the desk in her hurry.
"Lady Tess!" Warren snapped, voice loud though he did his best to keep it from being too angry or mean. The girls eyes snapped to Warren and he held his hands up, palms facing her. "It's alright," he began slowly. "Don't fret. It was...merely an accident. We'll clean it up, you may go."
"But--"
"Don't worry, we'll get it..." he said, still speaking slowly and carefully. "Why don't you go, take a break, calm yourself."
The girl nodded, pushing herself up and straightening out her dress. "O-okay. I'm so sorry," she said, sniffling as she stepped around the mess and out the door. Once she was gone, Warren rubbed his face.
"Maybe Jasper isn't so bad."