A Helping Hand

[Dove Latimer]

Dove didn't usually have trouble with the other servants. Mostly she stayed out of their way, and they didn't bother her. She must have done something to irritate one of the younger girls, because she and her gaggle of friends had been making her life miserable for the past week. She suspected it was because one of the new stable boys had tried talking to her more than once, and actually bothered to learn the signs for "please" and "thank you." He was handsome, of course, but younger than her by several years, and she doubted that there was really anything to it. The other maids disagreed, apparently.

Her things were being constantly moved around, they poured enough water on her extra chalk to make it useless for days, they dumped a full bottle of her brother's favorite ink all over her uniform aprons (she'd had to pay for new ones out of her wages), and now they'd put her slate up on top of one of the many shelves of decorative gifts and things given by diplomats from the other islands while she was busy doing dishes and had set it aside.

It had already taken her ages just to find the thing, although they'd hung it neatly on display as if it belonged there with the word "bitch" scrawled on it in handwriting that was worse than a child's. The shelf was massive, and although she wasn't particularly short, Dove had no hope of reaching it on her own. She had even tried standing on a chair when no one was watching, but it was still just out of her reach where  they'd hooked its string over the tallest part of the ornate crown carved out of the wood. Her brother, Trout Latimer, was still busy in his lessons with the princes, so she didn't dare bother him. What on earth was she going to do? 

With a dismayed sigh, she turned the chair around and sat on it with her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, looking dolefully up at the slate where it hung, taunting her. 

Kaiden Dellario

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden visited the castle for a few reasons. Most of them related to his work as a soldier, some of it for the fact he was a foreigner, he made for a good contact with Ithias. Certainly he could pass visually as a native citizen and his accent was more or less absent when he was paying attention. Sometimes too, he visited his fiance. But they both had lives and he didn't want to bother her more than she wanted him around.

He was touring the halls before leaving for an evening out, refreshing himself with the layout of the building. Sure, he had been in Tresteria for years now, but mostly as an active soldier and he hadn't visited the castle often. He wanted to be about to find Elyscia if he needed too, without following a servant around or getting lost on the way. And...well...he sort of hoped to work here eventually.

The soldier noticed the woman in the chair up ahead. She seemed...sad about something. Clearly she was a serving girl or maid of some sort, a commoner, but regardless, Kaiden did not do sad. He slowed his pass to pause next to her and followed her gaze up the shelf, over the trinkets and to the top of the shelf.

"Well...that's not very polite," he chuckled. "You didn't put that there, did you?" From the look of her, she had not. But...he hardly understood anything about the moment.

[Dove Latimer]

Dove caught movement from the corner of her eye as the man came to a halt next to her, and she was honestly braced for the worst as the looked from her, to the sign, then back at her. She watched his mouth as he spoke, her brow furrowing slightly as she tried to read what he was saying. Something about it was a little different than she was used to, but she got the basics--something about it not being polite, and then "did you?" She guessed he was asking if she wrote that, and shook her head vehemently. Despite the fact that he was smiling and seemed kind, she was not about to take the blame for this nonsense. She would never!

Jumping to her feet, she gave a quick curtsy to save her manners, then tapped her ear and shook her head, to try and tell him she couldn't hear. She'd wait a moment to see if he understood, although she was busy wondering how tall he was. He looked to be about Trout's height, and he seemed friendly enough...perhaps he'd be able to help her get her slate back? She decided it wouldn't hurt to ask, at least. And, if he did get it down for her, she could use it to explain.

She pushed the chair back up to the cabinet, and pointed up to the slate, then turned to him with a questioning look. She hoped that would be clear enough.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden caught the semi-alarmed, semi-offended look the woman gave him that clearly suggested she didn't appreciate his teasing.

Honestly, he was surprised she understood the words. It wasn't common for commoners, especially basic servants, to know how to read and write. But when she didn't answer him and just gestured...maybe she really didn't understand? If she had tried to talk at all, Kaiden might have tried a different language, considering he knew quite a few from his travels. But...he finally figured out what she meant by indicating her ear.

"Oh." He'd learned bits and pieces of sign in his travels but it was very different between regions. But he was fluent in three languages and working on more. Sign language wasn't one of them but...there was no reason why it couldn't be. He enjoyed talking to people, even if it wasn't really 'talking.'

(Sorry,) he signed. (I know...a little.) He glanced up at the slate and understood that was probably what she used to communicate. He pointed up at it. (Yours?)

Kaiden considered the chair and the cluttered cabinet and shelves. He was probably tall enough on the chair, just as long as he didn't knock anything over. He stepped up onto the chair, testing how steady it was for a second before reaching up for the slate, removing the offending sign from the hallway. Kaiden grimaced and wiped his sleeve over the terrible chalk scribbles. He hopped off the chair and handed it back to her with a soft smile.

[Dove Latimer]

Dove positively lit up when he signed to her--even a little was more than most people knew, and it honestly hadn't occurred to her that even one noble in the castle would know any sign language. She was so surprised she didn't even think to answer other than to both sign and nod, (Yes!)

After accepting the slate back from him, she hooked the ribbon over her arm so that it hung in the crook of her elbow and her hands were free to sign. (Thank you. You sign well.)

She picked up the slate after that, not wanting to leave him in the dust when she got to 'talking' quickly since he'd said he only knew a little, and drew a piece of white chalk from the pocked of her apron. She was busy for a moment, her face scrunched with focus as she quickly wrote out her message. She wanted to give him at least some kind of explanation since he'd been kind enough to help her, but she'd spare him the rather useless extra details. Once she was finished, she passed him the slate.

The board now read in meticulous cursive: "One of the younger girls was playing a childish prank. It happens from time to time. I'm sorry you had to get involved. But thank you again!

Also, I can read lips, if you speak slowly. But you are welcome to practice your signs on me."

When he looked up afterward, she'd quickly curtsy to him again. (My name is D-O-V-E,) she signed, and spelled out the name.

[Kaiden Dellario]

He blushed as she said he signed well. He doubted that, but he did try. Although mildly curious how the slate had gotten up there in the first place, he waited patiently while she wrote. If he had to guess, it was not by her doing, since she seemed to need it. It actually took him a moment to read. His speaking and comprehension skills in foreign languages far surpassed his reading skills so the cursive, while very neat, still gave him a moment. Unsurprisingly, her lovely script expressed that she was the victim of some rather frustrating and inconsiderate bullying.

(You're welcome.) He dropped the signing for a moment, thinking. "Not very polite of them," he said slowly, frowning. "If it happens again, I'll be happy to talk to them." He gave her a slightly concerned smile. He meant it.

As for lip reading... "I wish I could do that!" He could, a little, actually, but mostly only in his native tongue. (I need more practice,) he added however, with a sort of goofy smile and a shrug.

Kaiden blinked as she spelled her name. Letters...letters were harder to follow. Luckily, he was quite well versed in the signs for "again" and "slow," which he put to good use now so she might repeated her name to him. "Dove," he said and then repeated the finger spelling back to her. (Your name is beautiful,) he signed with a smile. He liked that sign a lot.

(K-A-I-D-E-N) He could spell out his own name well enough at least. The nobleman smiled. (Can I help you with anything more?)

[Dove Latimer]

Not very polite? Well, that was an understatement! Dove almost laughed, but she appreciated the sentiment anyway. She wasn't sure what he meant about talking to them; she'd already tried to explain to them that she wasn't trying to cause them any trouble. But she got the impression they thought she had ideas above her station because she was always reading and writing, not to mention that they got irritated whenever any of the male employees treated her with any kind of human decency.

Dove giggled slightly when he asked her to slow down and repeat her name, but she did as he asked, spelling one letter at a time to make sure he got each one before she moved on, then added the sign for "bird" afterward, to help give the context.

Now it was her turn to blush when he said her name was beautiful, but she signed a quick (Thank you.)

Kaiden? Hm. That was one she hadn't seen before, but she decided she liked it. Maybe she'd use it on one of her characters, some day. Someone heroic, maybe, since its owner had come to her rescue. She repeated the finger spelling back to him, the way he had done with hers, to show she'd remember it.

[Trout Latimer]

Trout had been looking all over for his sister once his lessons were over for the day. The two of them always had dinner at the end of the day, but she wasn't in the kitchen where she was supposed to be at that time. He asked one of the cooks, who told him that she'd run off looking upset after some trouble with the younger maids.

Concerned, he'd checked the usual places she was working--the laundry room, the great hall, the guest quarters...but she was nowhere to be found. He was beginning to get concerned as he started down an administrative hallway filled with offices of all kinds and various frequently visited things, and finally spotted Dove with a nobleman he didn't quite recognize, happily finger-spelling something to him.

Trout almost stopped in his tracks for a moment, then quickly sped up to reach them.

"Hello," he said to the man cheerfully as he came to stand beside Dove and instinctively put a hand on her shoulder before offering the other to the nobleman in greeting. "I see you've met my sister, Dove. I'm Trout Latimer. I'll tell you now, I bet you've made Dove's day by being able to sign with her. Usually it's just her and me."

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden wasn't a very negative person. His hope was that the bullying was more innocent than malicious, but the look on Dove's face suggested "not polite" was a drastic and unfortunate understatement. Unfortunately, there was also very little he could do to help, at least initially. In fact, he was likely alienating her even more just by conversing with her now. Well...if associating with him got her more trouble, then he certainly would "talk" to them.

Dove's blush wasn't lost on him. Maybe he was a bit of a flatterer, but his intent was honest and friendly more than anything.

He looked up when he saw the man round the hall and quickly move up behind Dove. He smiled as the other approached, recognizing some similarity enough to realize they were related. Kaiden glanced at Dove to make sure she was alright with the man. In his experience, family wasn't always friendly. But nonetheless, he smiled at Trout as he introduced himself and took the man's hand in a simple shake. "Kaiden. Kaiden Dellario," he said, pausing to spell out his last name for Dove since he gave it to her brother and highly doubted the name made any sense on his lips to her. It was a bit awkward that he talked about her like she wasn't there. And since Trout implied he could sign too...

("I like learning and talking to people. Signing...") He made an embarrassed face. (I need practice. Sorry.) He wanted to ask if he had in fact made her day, but he wasn't sure how to do that. (You...) he gestured to both of them, hesitating on the work he wanted and finally settling on something that hopefully looked like "work" or "job" or whatever. (You both work here?)

[Dove Latimer]

Dove looked up at her brother with a smile, and leaned easily against him. She didn't mind letting Trout gloss over manners and things for her--she often felt like introductions and niceties were a bit superfluous in spoken languages. In sign, you told people about yourself, your relations, your shared friends and family. Out loud it was all titles and careful compliments. She thought that all the business about noble blood and ranks was silly, not that she'd really complained about it to anyone but Trout. And, of course, her main complaint was that maids like her couldn't use the library.

(No apologies!) She argued with Kaiden, giving him a playful glare. (You are doing well. Practice happens with time.)

[Trout Latimer]

(I agree!) Trout joined in. (Any signing is better than none.)

He glanced at Dove at Kaiden's question, raising an eyebrow in question and giving her a bit of a smirk. Apparently she hadn't been 'speaking' with Lord Dellario for long, or she'd have told him all about their family. She had a tendency to do that. Dove stuck her tongue out at him.

(We just introduced ourselves now, silly,) she scolded him, (And besides, I thought that I wasn't supposed to be trying to make friends with those above me?)

(I never said that. That's all Anabelle and the other maids.)

(And you, and mother, and the housekeeper, and the cooks, and--) Trout reached up and stopped her hands. She stuck her tongue out at him again, and signed (He's too protective,) to Kaiden once her hands were free.

(It's my job.) Trout signed with a sigh, then looked back to Kaiden with an apologetic smile. (Sorry. I was surprised she hadn't told you. Yes, I'm a teacher, for the princes.)

Dove elbowed him, and forcing him to add (And an author. Dove too.) Dove smiled her approval.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Kaiden was a nobleman. He hadn't spent much time at all talking about titles, he gave compliments where he thought they fit but he wasn't very careful. Had Dove mentioned any of this to him, he would have been...well, Kaiden didn't really do 'offended' very easily, but he would have thought her very hypocritical. Blood was important to him because his family was important. It wasn't his fault his family was somewhat royal somewhere. Certainly he never mentioned that without prompting. Besides, while Kaiden liked conversing with people and listening to their story, sometimes he wanted to know about them. Not their family.

Instead of answering his question, from what he could tell, the siblings had a personal argument that he couldn't keep up with. From the tongue sticking out and the hand grabbing(the rudeness of which shocked him a little since it was akin to clamping a hand over someone's mouth in censorship, but siblings would be siblings and Dove didn't seem surprised) and the few signs he thought he might know, it was all affectionate and rather cute, but the noble was left standing there more or less overwhelmed and very confused.

He shifted his feet awkwardly, just to remind them both he was still here. He caught something about cooking or people who cook and then blinked when Dove signed directly at him. (What?) Though he doubted he needed the hand gesture to showcase his confusion. Protection he understood...the context... He pointed at her brother questioningly. Did she mean Trout?

Protecting her was his job? Well, that was rather sexist, now wasn't it? Kaiden sincerely hoped it was joke, but from the sigh he didn't get it. He was all for protecting those who couldn't protect themselves, especially if they asked for it, especially siblings, but he also believed it better to equip people to protect and stand up for themselves. Clearly Dove was capable. Just not tall.

And then Trout explained he was a teacher and Kaiden decided that it had been the serious joke of an overprotective older brother who didn't realize not everyone understood his relationship with his sister or her relationship with him. Good thing Kaiden didn't get flustered easily, but he decided it was best to move past that moment considering he still didn't know them. (A teacher, very good!) Hopefully in literature and history and the like and not in manners.

(Writers?) His eyes lit up a little and he smiled. (What do you write?) He let his gaze shift between the two again to include both of them. Of course...he was more or less prepared to not understand their answers. General topis like introductions and professions he understood, but after that, his was limited to cooking, military and a scattering here and there.

[Dove Latimer]

(My big brother forgets that I am not a child.) Dove told Kaiden with a grin, sneaking that in before Trout glanced over and she gave him an innocent look.

Dove nodded enthusiastically at the question about being a writer. (Stories!) she signed quickly, then realized that might be a new sign for him. (S-T-O-R-Y) she finger-spelled first, considered for a moment, then added, (F-I-C-T-I-O-N.) She'd repeat if he needed.

(I like magic,) she added with a grin. (Work is boring. Writing is fun.) She kept her signs simple to get the point across without being unfair to him. The real explanation was quite a bit longer: writing was her escape from the day-to-day boring existence that she had as a maid. She knew she was lucky to be working here in the castle where she was well paid and well cared for, but that didn't make manual labor any less stifling. She jut knew she was more than smart enough to be doing something like what her brother did--teaching others--or even just selling her own stories. Of course, she'd have to finish one for it to be printed, and that was easier said than done. 

She decided she wanted to say more, so she nudged her brother to explain himself and took up her chalkboard while he spoke. It would give her time to scribble out: "I like to write stories about magic and adventures. They're much more interesting than being a maid. Right now the one I'm working on is about a girl soldier who wants to avenge her father's death. It's very dramatic." She'd watch her brother's lips as he spoke, then pass Kaiden the chalkboard once her brother was done.

[Trout Latimer]

Trout jumped slightly when Dove nudged him--he'd been watching her hands not her elbows. She wasn't looking at him as she scribbled, so he guessed it would be alright to speak aloud.

"I think that's my cue," he joked with a grin. "Dove likes fantasy things. Meanwhile, I write analytical essays and things, mainly about history and culture. Ironically, though, she inspired me to do some research about the origin of 'gramarye' myths in the Elysium islands." He glanced over at Dove to see that she was aggressively erasing something with her sleeve and rewriting, so he looked back up to Kaiden.

"I apologize for us ragging on each other, by the way. I think we forget that other people are around, sometimes." he chuckled and scratched the back of his neck, then checked on Dove again. Oh, she was finished. He gave her a nod about passing over the chalkboard, and put his arm around her shoulders, leaning his head onto hers affectionately.

(Are you ok?) he signed to her with his free hand.

("Perfect!") she answered with a smile.

[Kaiden Dellario]

Well, at least Dove seemed to find it all to be endearing sibling love. They both seemed happy, at least. Kaiden knew what it was like to be the younger sibling that everyone protected and doted on and it could be...stifling and frustrating and even more painful because they thought they were helping and they expected you to thank them and you couldn't just tell them without hurting them or them getting upset and blaming you for always making it about yourself when all you really wanted was breathing room.

Clearly he was projecting a little. Hence why he didn't say anything. Hence why he was keenly aware.

Kaiden repeated the sign for story back to her thoughtfully and chuckled as she explained. Fiction and magic. Fantasy. Adventure tales, drama, romance... (Exciting!) He wanted to agree writing was a good escape. And reading. Of course, he much preferred to go out and do things, but he knew not everyone could.

Analytical essays...he didn't like so much. He was tempted to repeat Dove's "boring" but he contained himself just long enough to find out that actually, Trout's topic of choice for his essays wasn't so bad. Kaiden wasn't so obsessed with magic, but he did like history and cultures. "Very interesting," he said anyway, since it mostly was. Before he could manage anything else the man apologized to him. "Oh, that's alright." It wasn't really, but he supposed they had different lives. Hopefully Trout grabbing his sister's hands sometimes was the worst abuse he directed at her. They were...almost creepily close physically considering they were both adults.

He glanced over at Dove's writing, now starting to understand why she had such neat script and skill with written words. (Your story sounds exciting! I live adventure,) he replied with a grin. (I'm from I-T-H-A-I-S and travel a lot. I'm also a soldier.) He hesitated a moment, not sure how to expressed what he wanted to say. He glanced at Trout "Maybe I can help research or proof read for you sometime?" Kaiden meant more for Dove but...well, he had grown up in a vastly different culture than here too so his perspective might be useful and he generally liked to be friendly.