houseofcards_rp | [ota] beware, be canny and careful

Entry tags:

[ota] beware, be canny and careful

She doesn't regret it in the slightest. What's to regret?

Eileen is fully capable of making her own decisions. She's allowed to decide to leave Kevin behind and go visit the Spade dungeon. And someone--she's not certain who--is also fully capable of infinitely childishly telling Kevin exactly where he or she saw his theoretical charge slipping off to while he was turned around. And Kevin is not just capable but essentially required to tell her mother things like where her daughter was this past weekend.

Which means Eileen Eicheln has, for the first time in her life, seen her mother actually angry. It also means, for the first time in her life and very likely one of the first times in history, the Ace of Clubs is grounded.

Mr Kahl is allowed to bring work and keep her up to date with her studies. A student from Mr DeWitt's class is allowed to spend a bit of time letting her know what's she's missed. The King and Jack are certainly permitted to speak to their Ace at their convenience.

But everyone else? Is getting Kevin's most sympathetic smile and a firm shake of his head. "Seems house arrest is catching."

[ooc; Except probably anyone with half a reason can talk to the moodiest tween about how she done wrong. Kevin is secretly easy. Or just come shoot the shit with Kevin, I guess? o/]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It takes a moment to get re-situated. Arms and legs have to be switched and untangled; her head has to find its comfortable spot on the older girl's shoulder. As always, it makes it easier to breathe.

"...I just wish they... wanted to understand. Why... I had to go."

Sigh. She'd been careful around her guardian, choosing her words to avoid the topic of Spades or how she got that mark on her face. It was evident enough that Säde would go off if reminded. It must be likewise for the Clubs, related to Eileen or not.

"They already had their own ideas about him, I guess. And it- this just reinforced what they thought? So... so they don't get why he's not- to you, he's not like what they think."

"...nn."

She's right, of course. That doesn't mean Eileen has to like the fact that she's right, does it?

"Then... why is this the fair and equitable punishment?"

She shakes her head, one corner of her mouth coming up in a grimace. "Dunno. I mean, if you've escaped once already it doesn't make much sense to just keep you in the same spot, does it. Like- you could get out right now and it wouldn't make a difference, would it?"

"...it would be a far more active defiance now." Maybe that was the point. Maybe it was about respecting actual mandates when she'd ignored implied ones.

Didn't make it feel more fair, really.

She cocks her head, thoughtful, even as her arms tighten a little. "So. You feeling obedient? Or defiant? 'Cause it's pretty clear to me you were doing what you felt was right."

Relief is instant, as is shifting closer. Of course Leigh understands. Of course there's love and acceptance between them just like always.

"I'd just-- rather not hurt them more, I suppose."

"Yeah, I bet they'd rather the same, but look where you both are now." Sigh. "S'like... you can't help hurting them now, but you can control how much? I dunno. There's always a minimum."

Growing up. Why so hard.

Who knew. Who knew at all. Clearly not these two.

"D'you think it gets easier?"

Silence probably isn't reassuring. It's hard, dredging up an answer when she's still got a ways to grow herself.

"It... must do. Otherwise we'd never hear anything remotely positive about, y'know, life in general." Or adult life.

Maybe it's just the Deck. Maybe.

"...just a matter of getting there, then."

Now don't move while she squirms slightly, gets fingers linked in tight together.

This will help the getting there.

"Right. Just got to sit tight and weather it." They can weather growing up just sitting together clinging like this, right? Right.

Or moving about clinging like this. No problem.

"You're not... bored in here?"

Seems legit. They'll find a way to make it work. Her sigh is slight as she shifts only enough to nod toward the bookshelf.

"'ve got work. Lots to read. Kevin brings a mat to work on krav maga sometimes."

But it's definitely not baking with a friend. Nowhere near sneaking through castles together.

Certainly nothing like that. Certainly it functions well, as punishments go.

But if she's not going to be fully deprived of company, she doesn't need to be fully deprived of useful work with said company, either.

"It's Avery's birthday tomorrow. I haven't got a present, but I was going to bake something. Cupcakes, maybe. It'd be awful lonely if I was just doing them myself, though."

Ah, yes. There's the punishment. There's the twinge that jerks physically through her shoulders as she sighs.

"I'm... sure Miss Minnie or Mr Gideon would be glad to help you." As would Eileen.

If she could leave her room.

She feels that twinge. It makes her frown, her jaw set as she squeezes Eileen just a bit. Eileen might deserve her punishment, but surely not to this point.

"Minnie's prob'ly got her own gift planned already, and I wouldn't make Gideon come all the way over just to help me. I'm sure he has his own duties." Squeeze again. "C'mon. If we're quiet we can probably make it down a floor through the window and figure a way outta here from there."

"There's a trick cupboard in the room below mine. It lets out at the northern corner."

That, after all, is how she got out to run along to the Spade dungeon incredibly recently. Sitting up a little better helps bring a bit of acceptance to her features.

"It's probably-- not advisable to abuse that while being reprimanded for it."

"Yeah, well, they have to learn a bit too. Like covering up a broken window instead of leaving the open pane there. Ounce of prevention, yeah?" Or an open, perfectly-sized window for two teenagers to be able to climb through and not experience ~~much~~ any vertigo while getting to the lower floor.

Come on, Eileen.

At this moment? Her surrogate father not hating her means everything. Means even more than the hurt of not being able to spend more time attached to Leigh's side.

"...I-- don't suppose you'll be frosting tomorrow morning? Or baking-- later tonight? I could ask Elisha at dinner."

"I can work on the other bits I want this afternoon," Leigh decides a little finally. "The fondant's kinda hard to work with if you've never done it before, anyway. We can wait for Elisha to letcha come. Bake after dinner, frost when it's cool and let Avery enjoy it just right."

She hadn't realized she was holding her breath until the words left Leigh's mouth. They'd find a way to be normal. Elisha wouldn't keep her away from her best friend when she was behaving herself so incredibly well, surely.

"Thank you."

And.. also slumping on her. Leigh's lap is now forfeit and being claimed entirely by Eileen as a place for her head while she sprawls down.

That's okay. She can ~~skip an afternoon of apprenticeship~~ spend an afternoon sharing confinement with her best friend. Schoolwork is a beautifully thin excuse for it. And surely no one will mind one extra Diamond at dinner.

No one will mind. Leigh's conglomerated family is distinct from Eileen's in most regards, but the connection between the girls themselves isn't the sort of thing most people think to challenge or fight. Which is good. And which makes afternoons like this, even spent largely in quiet, so important.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ota] beware, be canny and careful

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject